...Jiangnan - Dayu Empire...

...The Palace - Queen Gu Mingyue's room. Gu Mingque is on a small bed....

...KING LI CHENGJUE: Mother... Why did you dismiss the royal physician?...

...GU MINGYUE: My time... Has come (coughs)...

...LI CHENGJUE: No, not yet. You will watch me grow this empire. You and I must grow Dayu....

...GU MINGQUE: (Coughs) Son... You are the king of this country. You are wise... Blessed with wisdom. What more help do you need?...

...LI CHENGJUE: I want you by my side... Mother. Without you, this kingdom will fall. I am yet unwise to do it alone....

...GU MINGQUE: Son, my time has come. I and your father are proud of you and will forever be with you and watching from above. I am tired.. Of an unending disease... Let me rest....

...LI CHENGJUE: Mot-mo..mother... (Voice breaks)...

...GU MINGQUE: Chengjue... There is something you must know....

...LI CHENGJUE: What mother... What bothers you?...

...GU MINGQUE: Go (coughs) Go to... (breathes heavily as if losing air) go (gasps and wheezes)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Mother, Mother..!...

...GU MINGQUE: Cangwu... (Pulls down Chengjue's head and whispers) That (wheezes) is my last wish....

...Gu Mingque let out the ghost...

...LI CHENGJUE: Mother... (shakes Gu) Mother!.....

...Outside the room, the King's voice was heard by the crowd lined up waiting to get news about the Queen....

...Later, Li Chengjue comes out of the room and stands in the balcony as the crowd looked up at him...

...LI CHENGJUE: The Queen Mother... Is dead....

...The crowd begins to murmur at the shocking news, including other members of the palace....

...LI CHENGJUE: You may all leave... (leaves as everyone bows)...

...Later that day, the palace was quiet, calm... The queen's room was shut. Li Chengjue sat lost in thoughts in his chamber....

...GENERAL SHEN MO: Your Highness (bows) You summoned me....

...LI CHENGJUE: (Silent)...

...SHEN MO: (Head still down) Your Highness......

...LI CHENGJUE: We are going to Cangwu......

...SHEN MO: (Dazed) Ca-Cangwu? As in Cangwu Village?...

...LI CHENGJUE: We leave tomorrow...

...SHEN MO: But Your Highness... Cangwu.. That village is too dangerous. They practise dark sorcery and forbidden magic. It's too risky for you, Your Majesty... You must have a rethi......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Cuts in) We leave tomorrow Shen Mo... (pauses) It's my mother's last wish... And I must fulfil it....

...SHEN MO: (Uneasy) Yea.. Your Majesty (bows)...

...LI CHENGJUE: You may go...

...SHEN MO: (Bows and leaves)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Cangwu... Cangwu... (Continues his thinking)...

...The night was brightened up with the moon as soon the sun rose......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Ties his robe)...

...SHEN MO: (Enters the room and bows) Your Majesty, the chariot's ready......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Puts a little stone in his bag)...

...Outside the palace, but in a quiet zone. A chariot was seen loaded with some bags. Li Chengjue sits inside and Shen Mo was ready to ride the chariot......

...LI CHENGJUE: No one, not even Dayu must know about this. Secure my chamber and let no one in... Not even a member of the royal council......

...CAPTAIN LONGWEI: Yea, Your Majesty (bows as the chariot leaves)...

...Cangwu is a far village from Dayu but outside the empire, although an independent one. It's foggy nature made it more scary and risky to go. It's a busy village in Jiangnan. After some hours, King Li Chengjue and Shen Mo arrived with their chariot as it caught almost everyone's attention....

...LI CHENGJUE: They stare pitifully and can't even move a muscle to bow to their king!...

...SHEN MO: (Whispers) Uhm, Your Majesty... Here, we're just... Commoners.. Mere villagers of Cangwu...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Realises) oh......

...SHEN MO: (Recalls) Yea Your Majesty, I booked you a hut down the village. Shall we go?...

...LI CHENGJUE: Take me there...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty (bows a little)...

...While Shen Mo moved the chariot down the village, the crowd looked and murmured, "Such wealthy villagers" "They must be foreigners"... Until suddenly, a villager came across them......

...BAI YE: (Bows) Your Highness!...

...Everyone turns to their direction......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Realises the scene) Ah... You must be mistaken young man. For I do not know this Highness you speak of. I am Shen Xuan and this is my brother and we are going to claim our... Lottery award. (To Shen) Go!...

...Chengjue and Shen Mo leaves immediately with their chariot leaving Bai Ye dumbfounded....

...Minutes passed and they finally reached their destination but had to take few more steps, forced to carry their loads through the narrow walkway....

...LI CHENGJUE: (Grunts) Why is this surprisingly heavy?! (Drops the baggage he carried) Shen Mo take this... (begins to walk further)...

...SHEN MO: But... Your Majesty...

...LI CHENGJUE: That is a royal order...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty......

...Shen Mo barely carried the luggages as they strolled down the walkway where various kiosks and shops were...

...LI CHENGJUE: Maybe Cangwu isn't so bad after all... Right Shen?...

...SHEN MO: (Grunts struggling with the luggages) Yea, Your Majesty.. But don't be fooled by the innocence you see as they become wild Wolves at ni.......

...Shen Mo couldn't finish his statement due to a shocking lady who unintentionally bumped into Chengjue while running......

...SHEN MO: (Drops the luggages hardly) Your Majes...! Shen Xuan! (Rushes down to Chengjue as he immediately faces Ruoyun who was still trying to get to her feet) You! Do you know what you've just done!...

...RUOYUN: Darn... Screw you!...

...Ruoyun picked off in her run as Shen Mo helped Li Chengjue up....

...SHEN MO: I'm sorry, Your Majesty (bows) See? Cangwu is just that bad... Should I chase her down?...

...LI CHENGJUE: No, no... Let her be. (dusts his body) Let's Go......

...Shortly, they reached the hut and Shen Mo finally off-loaded the luggages inside. It was a small hut down the Cangwu Market Square....

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty (Bows) I should get back to Dayu... my thousands needs me to lead them......

...LI CHENGJUE: No, you stay here....

...SHEN MO: But Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: Longwei is always there to secure the palace and even Dayu as a whole and lead the thousands and his hundreds. Whereas, Shen Mo... You stay here and make sure... I get back alive. Shen Mo, this is a royal order....

...SHEN MO: (Bows) Yea, Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: And my quest to fulfil my mother's last wish... has just begun......

...LIGHTS FADES......

...Dayu Empire - The Royal Palace...

...LONGWEI: I'm sorry, but His Majesty is not receiving visitors today....

...XIAO ZHAN: Visitors? Is His Majesty not aware there would be a Royal Council Meeting today? (looks back at his colleagues as witnesses)...

...MARQUIS JIN FUYAO: The hoodlums of Dayu are refusing to pay their taxes and His Majesty and the Royal Council must discuss specifically about this......

...SHEN WENYUAN: Is His Majesty in? Cut the shrade and let us in! (voice raised a little)...

...LONGWEI: I cannot do that. His Majesty is not receiving visitors today. Wait till he sends for you (bows)....

...SHEN WENYUAN: Why you little rat! (Attempts to meet Longwei but held back by Xiao Zhan)...

...LONGWEI: (Head down) Grand Chancellor Shen Wenyuan, Minister of Personnel, Law and Politics... You should understand, this is a royal order from His Majesty and I... Cannot do otherwise....

...SHEN WENYUAN: (Stares at Longwei)...

...Cangwu Village - LI CHENGJUE's hut...

...SHEN MO: (Enters) Your Majesty (bows), Is there anything you would like to eat?...

...LI CHENGJUE: No ... Aren't you tired and hungry from all the work? Then you should get some rest....

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty (bows and leaves)...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Brings out a tiny sack and unwrapped a little gold jade which he put earlier in his baggage before the journey) Why is this suddenly steaming hot? (stares at an empty space as he recalls his mother's last words before she passed)...

...PAST......

...GU MINGQUE: Cangwu (pulls down Chengjue's head and whispers) Find what we lost......

...PRESENT ......

...LI CHENGJUE: "Find what we lost" Mother... What could we have lost?...

...Dayu Empire - The Royal Palace...

...SHEN WENYUAN: You rascal! Do you want to be charged in the Royal Court! Do you utterly know what heinous punishment accompanies what you're doing!...

...LONGWEI: It is His Majesty's command! (To the rest members of the Royal Council)There will be meeting holding today! You all should go back home! Your matters can be discussed when His Majesty is ready to receive visitors. I can be charged but I command hundreds! don't let your own army fight you!... So please, Let us not war and simply obey the king's order! (Bows)...

...The little crowd murmured but Shen Wenyuan refused to comply......

...SHEN WENYUAN: What is this? Does the royal household think we're puppets that can be summoned anytime and dismissed anytime! Does his Royal Majesty consider us puppies he could utterly control without any objections!... Ok, I'll play your silly games... But it might not end this quiet next time......

...(Leaves)...

...The Members of Royal Council left and days passed as Li Chengjue and Shen Mo still stayed in Cangwu in their little hut......

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty (Bows) How long shall we stay here? For we have an Empire to lead......

...LI CHENGJUE: I must .. Fulfil my mother's last wish even if I don't know what it is. But we are here in Cangwu and that just means we're not far from finding out what it is... What possibly could have... Lost....

...SHEH MO: I'm saying because rumours have it in the last five days, there's been ten murder cases here in Cangwu. Your Majesty, please consider the fact you're the only successor of your father and if you die today, the LI bloodline... Will come to an end....

...LI CHENGJUE: Shen Mo, Are you uncertain about your protection towards me?...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty... We are only two here. Foreigners... If anything happens, there is no thousand I can command to protect you. Not only will I be at war but also struggling to have you unharmed and I am just unsure... If I could do both. I insist we return to Dayu and focus on the future of the Empire and becoming a great King who can tell his children what is right and wrong.....

...LI CHENGJUE: Shen Mo, if I die today... I will be at peace... There is still one lost piece who will continue the bloodline... And until I find it... I don't plan on dying. Let us take a walk...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty, It might be too dangerous out there. The moon is out and evil lurks....

...LI CHENGJUE: Do you now question my decisions!...

...SHEN MO: (Bows) I'm sorry Your Majesty...

...Later, Shen Mo and Li Chengjue stroll down the walkway towards the market square......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Inhales) It is such a nice place and the stars remind me of when I used to watch them with this little friend of mine....

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty......

...LI CHENGJUE: (Clicks tongue) But it is quite unfortunate... The evil ones has made the innocent difficult to identify. (Walks further) These villagers... Don't they know the curfew is on! (Stands)...

...SHEN MO: Uhm... Your Majesty... Cangwu is not a part of Dayu Empire, they... are autonomous of Dayu and your law stops at their borders.....

...LI CHENGJUE: I rule this entire country... And except it is another, no village is autonomous of my orders... (begins to walk towards the market square)...

...SHEN MO: Your... Your Majesty... Your Majesty! (whispers)...

...Li Chengjue walked fast and furiously towards the entrance of the market to intervene when he suddenly bumped into a girl who carried a luggage)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Aye can't you see!...

...SHEN MO: (Rushes to His Majesty)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Wait... (looks properly at the girl) You're that peasant who walked into me days ago and ran away... How dare you!...

...Everyone in the market suddenly turns to his direction...

...RUOYUN: And who are you to raise your voice at me! Some kind of royal bone?!...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Scoffs) Do you know who I......

...RUOYUN: (Cuts in) Who are you?! If not some other debtor.. Yes I bumped into you and ran away because I'm a debtor trying to get away from my creditor! And I'm not ashamed to say it... I am a debtor! Everyone is a debtor in Cangwu! So what makes you so special?! Gosh! (Grabs her luggage and walks away)...

...LI CHENGJUE: (After a while suddenly kneels to the ground in pain as Shen Mo rushes to check him) Argh... (grunts)...

...SHEN MO: Your Majesty... What's the matter (sees a gold jade smoking in his Majesty's hand) Your Majesty... (pushes it out)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Even if I don't grip unto it... It still burns... Argh! (Grunts in pain) What is this (Turns back to Ruoyun who was already half out the walkway) Why does it suddenly burns......

...LIGHTS FADES...

...Cangwu Village - Li Chengjue's Hut...

...The Next Morning... Chengjue lied unconscious on a bed until all of a sudden he awoke like he was having a nightmare as he sit up on the bed...

...SHEN MO: (Speaks while entering the room) A-Yun, thanks for showi... (Enters) You're up!...

...A-YUN: (Enters)...

...LI CHENGJUE: Shen Mo, what happ......

...A-YUN: (Cuts in) Oh my God! Is that a... (walks towards Li Chengjue and takes the gold jade he held) A Gold Dragon Jade? Gosh! Where did you get this?! (astonished)...

...LI CHENGJUE: What is it...?...

...A-YUN: Gosh don't tell me you don't know about the Gold Dragon Jade?...

...LI CHENGJUE: No... Tell me about it... (curious a little)...

...A-YUN: 800 years ago, Dayu Dynasty Year 1, after unifying the 7 warring States, Emperor Dayu I and Empress Feng Tian needed a way to prove Heaven had given them the Mandate. So they went to Dragon Vein Mountain... There a meteor of pure gold fell during a thunderstorm. A dragon skeleton was inside it......

...800 Years Ago... Dragon Vein Mountain...

...Dayu Dynasty Year 1...

...EMPRESS FENG TIAN: (Astonished)...

...EMPEROR DAYU: (Picks up the thick gold) Dragon... It is finally here (Looks up to the Heavens) it's here... The Heavens has given us the Mandate!...

...Present Time......

...A-YUN: Court Alchemists and Feng Shamans melted of for 49 days. They poured the emperor's blood and the empress's tears into the mould. 2 Jades were formed. The Emperor got the Gold Dragon, command, war, Heaven .. and his wife the Empress got the White Phoenix, healing, protection, earth... Together they were called the Twin Imperial Seal......

...800 Years Ago... The Palace...

...Dayu Dynasty Year 1...

...DAYU: This is my empire! (crowd cheers triumphantly)...

...Present Time......

...A-YUN: Only when Dragon and Phoenix rule together, the empire is stable... For 600 years, every Emperor and Empress held one half. When they joined the Jades at coronation, the sky turned gold at noon....

...600 Years Ago... The Palace, Coronation...

...Dayu Dynasty Year 200...

...ROYAL PRIEST SITIAN GUAN XUANJI: The sky has turned gold! The Heavens have approved!...

...The crowd shouts in joy......

...KING YU CHENG'AN: (Joyful) My regime... Has just begun Dayu!...

...The crowd erupts in joy as King Yu Cheng'an and Queen Feng Ruyin embraces each other...

...Present Time......

...A-YUN: Crops grew... No floods...The Gold Jade was kept inside a Dragon Vault, so sacred only the Emperor could touch it and if anyone else did, their hands would burn to ash. Without the other half, both Jades will go wrong, burn and freeze.... There was a prophecy carved on the back of the Gold Jade by the Royal Priest in the old seal script:...

..."When separated, the empire bleeds. When Dragon lays down his sword and Phoenix offers her wing, the seal will turn to sunrise and the wronged will be remembered"......

...LI CHENGJUE: What does that mean?...

...A-YUN: No idea .. It remains a mystery in the whole of the Empire.....

...LI CHENGJUE: And how do you know so much?...

...A-YUN: I read about Dayu from start till present...By the way... Why do you have the jade? Are you by any chance... (whispers) an emperor?...

...SHEN MO: (Gasps)...

...LI CHENGJUE: I am... Just from a noble home and bought this at affordable price...

...A-YUN: No way! You bought this! I'd like to......

...LI CHENGJUE: It's not for sale......

...SHEN MO: Did you find out why he passed out last night?...

...A-YUN: No... He seemed to have just been stressed......

...LI CHENGJUE: You may leave......

...A-YUN: (Stares confusedly)...

...SHEN MO: (Bows to A-Yun)...

...A-YUN: (Bows and leaves after some time)...

...SHEN MO: Would you like anything for breakfast Your Majesty?...

...LI CHENGJUE: I want to be alone...

...SHEN MO: Pardon?...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Glares)...

...SHEN MO: Yea, Your Majesty (Bows and leaves)...

...LI CHENGJUE: (Recalls A-Yun)...

...Moments Ago......

...A-YUN: Both Jades will go wrong, burn and freeze.....

...Present......

...LI CHENGJUE: Mother... I have finally found... what we lost......

...Dayu Empire - Mo Xuanye's hut...

...MO XUANYE: Come in .....

...JIN FUYAO: (Bows as well as Xuanye)...

...MO XUANYE: The King is not in Dayu......

...JIN FUYAO: Huh?...

...MO XUANYE: Few days back he set out in a chariot with the Royal General... When they thought they were out of sight, I saw them... Nice and clearly and that explains why the Royal Captain cannot let anyone into the palace with the excuse of The King is not receiving visitors today......

...JIN FUYAO: Really? Then we can take over! (laughs) Think about it, Dayu will be ours!...

...MO XUANYE: Do not place a target on your back just like the foolish Fengs... We follow due process. We become the king's regents......

...JIN FUYAO: Regent you say... Thoughtful and when we finally claim full power, we will erase the Li Bloodline entirely and set our eyes on those shiny stones... (laughs)...

...MO XUANYE: (Chuckles) Have some wine... (pours Jin a glass as both men dined)...

...The Moon took it's shift again as Longwei patrolled the palace... And outside in the local markets... He sees a ruckus, a man was assaulting a group of women in their small kiosk......

...LONGWEI: Don't you know the curfew is on! (walks further and gets a closer look) Hey! What's going on there?!...

...Shortly, Longwei reached the kiosk and hit down the man with his sheathed sword......

...LONGWEI: Are you okay?...

...WOMEN: (Wails in fear)...

...The man stood up... As Longwei noticed and turns to him. The man's eyes were black, cracks around his body glowing white and gold......

...LONGWEI: A Kongke... But......

...The man attempts to attack Longwei but the trained personnel killed him with a stab to the midsection as the man turned to stone......

...WOMAN 1: (Frightened) What-W-What is that?...

...LONGWEI: A Kongke... But how did it get passed our protective barrier... (Confused)There is an intruder in Dayu......

...LIGHTS FADES......