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[Episode 39]
And you...
When I felt the strongest for you, you knocked me down.
You only saw that I let go easily
but did not see how sad and miserable I was.
When my master passed away
despite my abject heart
I went to Grand Ziming Palace to borrow the soul jade from you.
You will never understand how much courage I had to summon.
Nor will you ever understand how sorely you disappointed me.
It wasn't like that.
I did not know you were seriously injured at the time.
If you had told me you were using blood from your heart
to preserve Mo Yuan's body
I never would have withheld it from you.
I didn't give you the soul jade then
because I knew you were protecting Mo Yuan.
Yes, I envy him. I envy Mo Yuan.
But, A-Yin, I actually...
I have never forgotten you.
Can you forgive me?
Ghost Lord, you say today that you never forgot me.
That is only because you are always searching
for things you cannot attain or that you have lost.
Once you possess them, you no longer cherish them.
Are you saying this just to lessen your own guilt?
Actually, you have never loved me, have you?
You were able to let go so easily when Xuan Nu and I came together.
You already hated me, didn't you?
Who doesn't make mistakes?
You are the love of my life.
Why can't you forgive me?
After what you did
do you still expect me to share a husband with Xuan Nu?
After leaving Grand Ziming Palace, I did blame and hate you.
But when I lost too much blood in Yanhua Cave
and my life was hanging by a thread...
I discovered that your face was not what I saw in my head.
That was when I knew my heartbreak was over.
I was finally free.
A-Yin, don't say any more.
Li Jing.
You are indeed the only man that I wholeheartedly loved
in all my 140,000 years.
It's just that too much time has passed.
We cannot return to the way we were.
I understood this too late.
And so...
you aren't in the same place, waiting for me.
From now on, we are acquaintances.
Farewell.
They were clearly such sweet words.
But how come they sounded so heartbreaking coming from you?
Look at the sky. I'm afraid it'll be raining soon.
We should hurry.
Are you here to see Aunt?
Didn't she just return last night? Where has she gone now?
To the Celestial Palace.
The Crown Prince said
the Lord of Numinous Treasures has a Heavenly Spring.
A soak in it will aid Aunt's recovery
so he took Aunt to the Nine Heavens.
Where is Zhen Zhen?
Fourth Uncle has gone to the market.
He said he was going to pick ingredients himself
to cook dinner for you.
He isn't Feng Jiu. Is his cooking edible?
It'll just be torture for me.
By the way, I came for another important matter.
A few days ago, when Bai Qian brought Mo Yuan back
did she bring him back to Yanhua Cave?
Yes, Mo Yuan is still in Yanhua Cave.
However, it wasn't Aunt who placed him there.
When she returned, she was very injured and unconscious.
It was the Crown Prince who brought Mo Yuan back.
Why don't you take me to see Mo Yuan since Zhen Zhen isn't back yet?
All right. Please follow me.
I can go in by myself. You can head back.
Yes.
Don't tell anyone yet that I came to see Mo Yuan.
Yes, High God.
Zhe Yan! Come, let's drink.
What wine is this? It's certain to be inferior to mine.
It seems you've wasted your money again.
This is already the best wine in Qing Qiu.
Just bear with it for today.
I'm afraid I won't have the time today.
I must hurry back to Ten-mile Peach Tree Woods.
Back to the woods?
Didn't you say you were going to stay in the Fox Den for a few days?
I thought of a way that could save the West Sea's eldest prince
but I must hurry back to the woods to look through my medical texts.
Is that true?
Then hurry.
Come back soon!
It is as I expected.
Kunlun Mountain is a divine mountain formed at the apex of dragon bones.
It was abandoned after Mo Yuan left.
Now, there is a faint trace of divine energy
bubbling up from the base of the mountain.
There is surely some unusual activity happening here.
High God Zhe Yan.
You are...
Second Disciple of Kunlun Mountain.
I saw you before when Si Yin became a disciple.
That's correct. I had the fortune to see you then.
When I was feeding Master's cranes just now
I heard them crying out simultaneously
and knew an honored guest must have arrived.
I did not expect it would be you.
May I ask what you have come to Kunlun Mountain for
and how I may help?
When the Heavenly Father passed away
I had the artifact, Fuxi Zither, permanently sealed under Kunlun Mountain.
So many years have passed in the blink of an eye.
I suddenly longed to see this companion of mine
so I came to take a look.
I once heard Master mention that magical artifact.
High God, please go ahead.
Are you now the only disciple left at Kunlun Mountain?
In the past 70,000 years
those who had families, returned home to help out
while those who didn't have families
continued searching for Seventeenth and Master.
Zi Lan returned recently and cleaned the place inside and outside.
Ghost Lord came by unexpectedly and said he had seen Si Yin.
Zi Lan was overjoyed and said he was leaving to search the Mortal Realm
and told me to take care of the cranes.
Ghost Lord said he had seen Si Yin?
I don't know if it is the truth.
However, Zi Lan was restless and left to search.
Even Qing Qiu's entrance has Mi Gu guarding it.
But this Great Overarching Heaven, holding 36 heavens
doesn't even have someone guarding the door?
How unimposing.
The Supreme Venerable Sovereign began a sermon today.
I suppose they have all left to attend the assembly.
So there is an assembly?
Qian Qian.
I heard that while you were helping Yuan Zhen
through his trial in the Mortal Realm
you often discussed Taoism with Yuan Zhen.
You must be well-versed in Taoism now.
In the past dozens of millennia
nobody has been a good match to debate the Supreme Venerable Sovereign.
It is quite lonely at the top.
Now that you are here, you can debate with him.
You flatter me.
I heard the Heavenly Lord granted you the name of Xiwu Palace
when you were establishing your official residence when you were 30,000 years old.
That's correct.
It's so dim inside.
It's like the Crystal Palace of the Eastern Sea during the banquet.
That's because you can't stand bright lights.
Because of me?
Qian Qian.
I'll bring you inside.
Who knew that to get to the Nine Heavens, I'd have to jump in
instead of walking through the front entrance?
To walk in from the front
all the halls high and low would have been alerted.
All the commotion would have been annoying.
It wouldn't have been as convenient as jumping in.
That is reasonable.
Oh, yes.
We are here early today.
Jia Yun hasn't delivered your official documents yet.
Don't tell me you didn't tell him not to send them to Qing Qiu
so he'd save his trip?
You were right.
It's a good thing we didn't enter through the front door
and alert all the other immortals.
Otherwise, it would have been very troublesome.
Anyhow, we returned late last night.
Have you made any progress on the official reports that have piled up?
The Crown Prince always looks serious and calm as an immortal, like Dong Hua.
But today, he's displaying an expression that only a youthful man would have.
It is rare indeed.
I have something to discuss with you.
You are suddenly so serious. What could it be?
It isn't anything serious.
I will be recuperating here in the Nine Heavens for a few days.
Since I came in secret
I didn't make known my title as High Goddess.
I mustn't have you arrange chambers for me with great fanfare.
Why don't I stay in Riceball's Qingyun Hall for two days?
You want to stay in A-Li's Qingyun Hall?
Would it be inconvenient?
I...
I have already prepared chambers for you.
By the way, about my master...
Nobody else will know.
You have peach blossoms in your hall as well?
Were they brought over from the Heavenly Peach Garden?
I planted these 300 years ago.
Only this year have they finally blossomed for the very first time.
300 years for the first blossom?
You sure have patience.
The Hall of Beautiful Youth?
That is a nice name.
It fits well with Xiwu Palace.
Ever since I stepped into this hall
why have I felt uneasy and uncomfortable?
High Goddess, have some tea.
Your Highness!
Your Highness, it really is you!
I have waited for you for 300 years.
You've finally returned!
Crown Prince's Soul-gathering Lamp truly is a sacred item!
Your Highness looks no different at all!
You must be mistaken.
I am Bai Qian of Qing Qiu, not the lady you speak of.
Nai Nai.
This is High Goddess Bai Qian of Qing Qiu.
She will be staying here for a few days.
You will attend to her.
Stand up.
She will be going to the Lord of Numinous Treasures' Heavenly Spring.
Go make preparations.
Yes.
Rest for now. I'll bring A-Li here.
All right.
What?
High Goddess Bai Qian has come to the Nine Heavens?
Yes, Your Highness.
She entered from the South Heavenly Gate just now.
She is now in the Hall of Beautiful Youth.
What did you say?
The Hall of Beautiful Youth?
That place...
Didn't His Highness never allow anyone to go near it?
Yes, Your Highness.
I also find it strange.
It is reasonable to say that in these 300 years
His Highness has always safeguarded the place where that mortal lived.
How come he has suddenly allowed another woman to live there?
Xin Nu.
I think this Bai Qian...
will be harder to to deal with than I had imagined.
Why does Your Highness say that?
His Highness has broken his own rules again and again for her.
It's as if he has lost his mind.
I had comforted myself before by saying that it is all right.
At least the one His Highness loves the most is dead.
But now...
Xin Nu.
You will help me, right?
No matter what
you will help me win back Ye Hua's heart, won't you?
Rest assured, Your Highness.
I will always be your most capable assistant.
I will definitely help you.
Your Highness, do not be afraid.
She has just arrived in the Nine Heavens.
She is not familiar with this place yet.
We have been living in the Celestial Palace for dozens of millennia.
Yes.
I must not panic.
I am the side consort who was officially wed into Xiwu Palace.
I shouldn't panic.
I should wait and see...
how I can force her back.
Has the Crown Prince always liked peach blossoms so much?
My lady really liked peach blossoms.
After she left, the Crown Prince planted peach trees all over the hall.
Are you referring to A-Li's mother?
You have heard of her before?
When I first met A-Li, he told me.
My lady left after she gave birth to the young prince.
The young prince was raised by me.
Mother!
You're here.
Nai Nai, what's wrong?
It's nothing.
My hand slipped. Please forgive me.
Riceball's mother has already passed away
and cannot enjoy the joys of having a child.
Yet, I have gained that pleasure as the stepmother.
This maid must find it hard to watch.
What a faithful and devoted maid.
Mother, I want a hug.
I am not feeling too well.
Have your father hug you.
I know. You're going to have another baby, aren't you?
That's what's written in the books.
It said a madam was with child
and her family wouldn't allow her to hold a child from another family
because they were afraid she would...
Yes, disturb the fetus.
You are only as tall as garlic sprouts.
How come you know about disturbing a fetus?
A-Li.
Who gave you that book?
It was Cheng Yu who lent it to me.
Cheng Yu again.
This Cheng Yu sure is an interesting person.
Even if you were pregnant, why would you be blushing?
I'm delighted.
If Mother has a baby
then I won't be the youngest in Heaven anymore.
Qian Qian, why don't we have one as soon as we are married?
If you are the one to give birth to the baby
I would be very happy to help.
Since A-Li is here, why don't we all go to the Realm of Supreme Purity?
Let's go.
Greetings, Crown Prince.
Ye Hua, if I were to come here as your wife
how many maids would lead the way for me?
10. Why?
I feel as if my rank would actually be decreasing.
This isn't a good deal for me.
When we accede to Heavenly Lord and Heavenly Empress
there will be 24 maids to lead the way for you
as well as 4 dexterous ones to rub your back.
That sounds nice.
Greetings, Crown Prince.
There's wine here?
These are fruit wines.
If A-Li wants some, you can give him a little
but he must not drink too much.
You can also let him eat some seasonal fruit
but limit him to only half of each fruit.
It's really not easy for you to be his mother and father.
It's been so many years. I'm used to it now.
The peach blossoms on your fan look very nice
but you're missing an appropriate poem.
Why don't you take a soak and I'll add a poem for you?
You can come to the study to find me.
All right.
Mother, how come Father left? Isn't he having a soak with us?
The Heavens have assigned an important task to your father.
He's gone to do his duty.
You liked peach blossoms as a mortal.
Who knew that as a high goddess, you would still have the same taste?
Qian Qian, whether I am lying to myself
or you're just an expert at concealing things
the affection between us may not be as deep as what you had with Mo Yuan...
but you are the only woman I have ever loved in my life.
I am willing to wait for you.
I will wait for you to forget Mo Yuan and truly fall in love with me.
Sister, were you looking for me?
His Highness finally returned to Zichen Hall today.
If you don't seize this chance
you can't blame me for not helping you.
I don't really understand what you mean.
This is a restorative tonic.
His Highness has finally returned to Xiwu Palace.
Be more accommodating and attend to His Highness's needs tonight.
If His Highness is upset...
You don't understand this man.
If he has intimate relations with you, he will bear the responsibility.
You also don't have to be afraid that he will be angry.
First, you are A-Li's savior. He won't take your life.
Second, you have me. I will protect you.
After all, I am the only one you can rely on in Xiwu Palace.
And other than you, I don't have any sisters.
Thank you, Sister.
Please enjoy, High Goddess.
The last one was plum wine. What is this one?
High Goddess, this is loquat wine.
Loquat?
I loved eating loquats with A-Li in Qing Qiu.
Yes, my mother loved to feed me loquats.
He's drunk?
His body is so hot. He doesn't seem to be faking it.
He has such a low tolerance.
This is the first time His Highness has drunk so much wine.
He is so drunk. I think I should take him to the Medicine King's manor for a look.
There's no need. I've been drinking for dozens of millennia.
I'm almost an expert.
The wine A-Li just drank was fermented from divine fruit.
It is not intoxicating, no matter how much one drinks.
But I'm still worried about any mishaps.
He is boy. He doesn't need to be so pampered and spoiled.
Listen to me. Take him back and let him sleep.
He'll wake up in six hours.
Yes.
Please enjoy.
This young maid is still so devoted to her old mistress.
Hasn't her old mistress been gone for 300 years now?
High Goddess, I do not know much about Xiwu Palace.
Do you not all know what happens in the Crown Prince's palace?
I only heard that something happened in Xiwu Palace.
The palace maids and guards at the time
were demoted to the lower realm's Deity Mountain by the Heavenly Lord.
It seems the Heavenly Lord has been very thorough
in covering up this incident.
He even replaced the palace maids.
No wonder why when I was in Qing Qiu, I only heard the Ye Hua doted on Su Jin
and that he had no other consorts in his palace.
Thus, I naturally thought that Su Jin was the mother of his only son.
This is my first time in the Celestial Palace.
I am not familiar with the pathways here.
Please lead the way for me to the Crown Prince's study.
Please follow me, High Goddess.
Your Highness.
What is it?
I have been waiting for Your Highness for a long time.
Your Highness has finally returned.
Will Your Highness listen to me say a few words?
In the beginning, I saved the Imperial great-grandson
and thus, I had the chance to serve Your Highness for a few days.
It was my good fortune.
However, because of this
I requested permission from you to allow me to be a maid at Xiwu Palace.
It was a vain attempt to obtain Your Highness's favor.
That was wrong of me.
I have decided to leave the Nine Heavens today and return to the Eastern Sea.
This soup tonight will be the last I make for Your Highness.
Will Your Highness eat it
and consider it an end to the relationship between you and me?
There is no relationship between you and me.
However, you once saved A-Li's life. You and I were also master and servant.
This soup will mark the end of that.
That's not necessary.
Do you really want me to eat this?
I made this soup myself.
Of course I hope that Your Highness will eat it.
It is a token of my appreciation.
Your Highness, why?
I'd like to ask you a few questions first.
What would Your Highness like to ask?
A few days ago, you went to the Eastern Sea.
I really missed my brother so I went back to visit him.
Did you know that on the day you visited your brother
Dong Hua Dijun was going through a trial in the Mortal Realm?
I did not know.
That day, Dong Hua Dijun was pushed into the water in the Mortal Realm.
At the same time, High Goddess Bai Qian was also pushed by someone.
I had sealed all her powers.
She nearly drowned.
Is that so? That's very dangerous.
It was very dangerous.
Do you know what identity and status High Goddess Bai Qian has in this world?
Neither Qing Qiu nor the Celestial Tribe would forgive the one who pushed her.
Miao Qing.
Do you truly not fear
that your brother and the Eastern Sea will be incriminated as a result?
Do you truly not fear
being permanently reborn as an animal for harming a high goddess?
I had a moment of weakness! Please forgive me, Your Highness!
If it weren't for that fact that you saved A-Li's life
do you really think you could have lived to see this day?
I was a fool! Please forgive me, Your Highness!
Now tell me. What is in the soup?
The...
In the soup...
is something that can make Your Highness like me after eating it.
It's that powerful? Who gave it to you?
I... I bought it in the Mortal Realm.
The Mortal Realm?
Did you really think this elixir from the Mortal Realm would work on me?
I only...
Your Highness!
I heard the maids saying
Your Highness was chastising Sister Miao Qing.
I don't know what she has done
but it must not have been malicious.
It must be because she admires Your Highness too much.
On account of the fact that she once saved A-Li
I hope Your Highness can forgive her this time.
Is there nobody standing guard here?
Don't tell me I had the luck
to stumble upon someone else's amusement in a lady's chambers.
Ye Hua may be rather calm and indifferent
but he is young and vigorous after all.
All the maids in Heaven are quite pretty.
It must be agonizing to look at dull reports all night.
If he raises his head
and sees a maid as pretty as a painting by his side serving him
he would naturally want to take her to bed.
I should stay away.
Qian Qian.
What are you doing coming and going?
I've finished the inscription on the fan. Come in and get it.
Never mind.
Let me see what a maid you take a liking to looks like.
Here.
What's happening here?
What beautiful eyes.
It's a shame that although this maid is pretty
she is not worthy of these eyes.
Your eyes are very pretty.
Su Su...
Princess Miao Qing.
I truly have no place for you in Xiwu Palace.
Return to the Eastern Sea tomorrow morning.
If you do not overstep your bounds again
I will not pursue past events.
Consider it repayment for saving A-Li's life.
Su Jin.
You seem to value this friendship very much.
If you can't bear to part with Princess Miao Qing
why don't you ask the Heavenly Lord to issue a decree
to have you married off to the Eastern Sea?
Your Highness, I was momentarily possessed.
That's why I used a drugged soup to try to seduce Your Highness!
Your Highness, no matter how you punish me, I won't resist!
Even if I must be struck by 49 bolts of lightning every day
I will not be afraid!
I only ask that Your Highness not make me leave Xiwu Palace.
My life's only wish is to remain by Your Highness's side
and serve Your Highness for the rest of my life!
Your Highness! Your Highness!
Last time, I mistook you for another.
You helped me once. Please help me again!
Your Highness.
Since Princess Miao Qing has knelt in front of me...
even if I kneel, it would still be inappropriate for me to refuse her.
I must say a few things.
Go ahead.
This really isn't only Princess Miao Qing's fault.
You knew she had feelings for you, yet you still brought her up to Heaven.
I know you did it to repay her for saving A-Li.
You also let her escape her marriage arrangement.
You thought she would return to the Eastern Sea after she came to her senses.
But that might not be what she thought.
She must have thought you'd fallen for her as well.
Since you gave her that idea
and seemed like such a man of honor, so slow to make your move
she must have felt forced to make a move herself.
But in the beginning
she said she would be content just to be a maid in Xiwu Palace.
How can you believe the words said by a woman in love?
Listen to me. Hurry back to the Eastern Sea.
She is my wife
as well as the only lady of Xiwu Palace.
Since she has said it
you should return to the Eastern Sea, Princess Miao Qing.
Your Highness.
Your Highness, Your Highness!
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