Original subtitles

Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at Viki

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 56

Slow down. Slow down.

Move.

Left. Left.

We're not going to Jiaxi House. Go to my study.

Marquis, why go to the study?

Go to the study!

Marquis, you got injured so badly. If you don't let Big Madam see it, won't you have suffered in vain?

Why let her see? What's there to look at? I won't let her see it!

Go to the study.

Study. Study. Slowly.

Slow down! Slow down!

- Did you hear it clearly? - It's true.

Shitou said that Marquis got hit to the point that his skin has opened up.

The wound in his chest has just healed. What's going on?

Big Madam.

Who is it?

It's me. It's me.

So, you're here.

How come the doctor isn't here yet?

Even if you add up all the doctors in this world,

none can do better than my stock of superficial wound cream.

Shitou already applied it earlier.

Marquis, just stay at home and rest for the next few days.

Recuperate and don't attend the morning court anymore.

Wife,

I'm in so much pain.

Then... I'll fan it.

It will not be painful anymore once it's cold.

Fanning it is indeed good.

But the part that isn't injured is also cold.

- I'll go get some ice. - You're not fanning anymore?

- It won't hurt anymore with some ice. - Why are you getting ice?!

Wife, don't get them anymore.

Ice can stop the pain.

I can't really apply it for 24 hours, right? It will still ache later, isn't it?

Why must you do this?

Look at this, this injury of mine, it wasn't in vain.

I'll go to the ice cellar and get you some ice.

Wife! Oh, my, Wife...

Just lie down properly.

Just lie down properly!

Shitou!

Go. Go and get me some ice from the ice cellar.

Okay.

Quickly just lie properly.

Wife, don't worry.

I'm not worried.

These matters are just political conflicts.

I just unitedly stood on the side of His Majesty.

It may look frightening,

but it's really nothing. My joints and bones aren't harmed.

It will be fine in a few days.

Your eyes...

Why are your eyes red?

They're not red.

It's like those of rabbits.

They're not!

Empress Dowager.

All of you, leave.

Say it.

Eunuch Li went out of the palace to purchase some items.

Gu Third went with him.

I got it.

Noble Consort Liu is currently accompanying His Majesty in a stroll around the garden.

No need to worry about Eunuch Li.

What you should think about is

what Noble Consort Liu would be telling His Majesty now.

You may be the emperor,

but you are also my husband and that of empress.

You are also the father of your children, the son of your father.

Before you were emperor, I also have lived in a simple house and ugly alleys.

But I've never heard that some west family must meddle

on how an east family wants to address someone as father.

You think that I should call him Royal Father?

No matter how you would address him, whether you would address him or not,

is all your own private matter.

Only you can comfort me.

Prime Minister Han is outside seeking for an audience.

He still dared to come see me? Tell him to leave!

Yes.

Wait.

Hey, come here.

Tell him to wait outside.

Tell him that I've gotten ill from severe anger,

resting, and unable to get up.

Empress Dowager was so mad that she can't breathe,

and is currently resting.

If you have other things to do, why don't you attend to them first.

If Empress Dowager is sick, I won't disturb her anymore.

May she just give her approval and write a decree.

I will then leave.

Lord, we've completed the purchases. We can go back anytime.

Okay. You all just rest outside. We'll leave once everyone's full.

Yes.

Official Li! Looking from the outside, I already thought you looked familiar.

It's indeed you.

Official Gu, I just came out to buy things and is about to leave.

I don't even have any official job.

What official? It's hard to bump into each other out here.

Why don't we have a few drinks before you leave?

There are urgent matters in the palace. Please forgive me.

Official! Official!

Today, my older brother got reprimanded in court.

Was His Majesty offended?

Marquis Gu has always been deeply favored by His Majesty.

Even if he does any improper acts, His Majesty won't be mad.

Okay. That's good.

- It's just that... - It's just that?

It's also natural for Empress Dowager to be mad.

But Empress Dowager is the superior,

and Marquis is just a subject. I'm sure Marquis won't bear any grudge against Empress Dowager, right?

Official, you've said it too seriously.

I just fear that it was Empress Dowager who got offended, which is making the whole marquis manor uneasy.

We only wish to loyally serve and unburden the worries of Empress Dowager.

It's fine. It's fine. Third, take care!

I'll take my leave then.

Official, let me walk you out.

Based on what Eunuch Li said,

it doesn't seem to be a big problem.

Among this, it's the second word

that bears a greater meaning.

Or else, how come you say one thing, and he just have to say another?

Everyone knows that Empress Dowager and His Majesty are not united.

Even Second Brother got caned by Empress Dowager.

It's very clear that Empress Dowager is bearing grudges.

If it's very clear, why bother saying it?

I'm thinking... he just want to swindle us?

Don't he have money? Why must he use a few words to swindle you?

Go. Go. Go back to the library and study more.

What does this got to do with studying?

What do you think?

When Young Master asked about the Emperor, Officer Li could have just answered about the Emperor.

How come he mentioned the Empress Dowager again?

He mentioned the Empress Dowager to scared Third Young Master,

but also said that everything's fine and there's still a chance to turn things around.

Before, there was Eunuch Zhu. Now, here's Eunuch Li.

One works beside Empress Dowager, the other on the side of His Majesty.

But what they said were completely the same.

It then means that they are linked together.

Even you noticed

the reason behind this Eunuch Li in seeking Tingwei,

but he just couldn't see it.

We must act faster.

There's no more time.

Or else, someone will die from this slow cooking.

That stupid son of mine would also get manipulated.

They are being so unruly.

I'll drive them away now.

As long as Prime Minister Han doesn't get my written decree,

he will not stop.

Since they want it, I'll write His Majesty

a decree that would favor his birth family.

Not only can he acknowledge him as a family,

he would also be acknowledged as an emperor.

Confer his birth mother and illegitimate mothers as empresses.

Empress Dowager, you're really backing down to His Majesty?

Let's end it. Inform the Imperial Kitchen

that the Prime Minister is here.

I must entertain him well.

This was what His Majesty wants.

How come when Empress Dowager was going to have you beaten, he didn't even stand out and stop it?

Now, really great. You can't even eat properly.

Since it was his intention,

why would he stop it?

Now that you're broken and had to stay at home,

he would have lost a help in the imperial court.

Even without me in the morning court,

there's still Xiao Geng and State Uncle.

Before, when Prime Minister Han mentioned this matter of addressing Prince Shu as Royal Father,

His Majesty pressed it down.

Things have become like this now exactly because His Majesty and Empress Dowager

both can't endure it any longer.

Couldn't you have just shut your mouth?

I... have inherited this marquis title.

With His Majesty's writing,

I traveled from Yuzhou just to rescue the former emperor.

Who would believe that I'm impartial?

Even if I don't choose,

His Majesty and Empress Dowager would naturally help me choose my side.

But being adopted means

you're using other people's surname, inheriting other people's assets,

eating other people's food, and enjoying other people's blessings. If one day, you become powerful

and you abandon the surname of the person who adopted you and revert back to your original surname,

a commoner would surely get looked down. What more if it's the emperor?

His Majesty isn't on the right reasoning here. How could he win?

It will depend on the succeeding steps then.

Actually, you getting hit isn't bad too.

I've already gotten beaten like this and you were still able to see something good out of it?!

Don't get agitated. Listen to me first.

When my father got promoted and transferred from Yangzhou to the capital,

he also felt that it was just only an empty position and was unhappy about it.

But my grandmother said, the discussion about the crown prince then was such a hot topic.

Since he just arrived, rather than inviting attention,

it's better to burrow his head and look at the situation before acting.

Maybe, His Majesty has the same idea.

Big Madam, you are really good in considering and weighing.

You can be a trusted aide.

Now,

it feels like we're sitting among thorns under cloudy skies.

Are you afraid?

With my family having so many problems like this,

thinking about it now, I feel that

I should have considered things in your behalf.

I shouldn't have went through such a huge circle just to marry you.

Maybe, if you're in the He Family,

you could live that comfortable life that you like.

You'll be happier than how you are right now.

I'm very happy that you came to visit me.

I know that I've done wrong too.

I just don't understand

What mistake could you have done?

What am I thinking that you can't understand?

Then...

Tell me then. What is your ideal Big Madam?

I'm willing to be like her.

You didn't even get jealous in getting a concubine!

You won't be able to pretend that.

But... you don't really care about Fengxian.

She clearly is just a spy that paternal auntie and mother-in-law placed here.

Why must I be jealous of her?

If I care for her,

you would get jealous?

In a huge house, isn't what annoys a master of the house the most

a harem that's unbearably chaotic due to competition for his favor?

You...

You... don't randomly move.

It will open up your wound and be very painful.

If I'm in pain, you're also in pain, then that's enough.

- I'm in pain. - You're not yet ruthlessly in pain.

Prime Minister, you've already tricked me to give you the jade seal.

What do you want to trick from me now?

Empress Dowager, the current emperor can be said to be a ruler who can really plan ahead.

Now, the government is quite loose. I think that

we shouldn't keep being tangled with rites matters.

If this affects the foundation of the government, it would be disobeying the wishes of the former emperor.

What you said is indeed reasonable.

A woman like me have forgotten about that.

Fine. Since all the high ministers have the same intention,

I would have to trouble you to write the decree in my behalf.

I'll just sign and put on my seal.

Prime Minister,

let's just have drinks again next time.

Okay. Okay. Empress Dowager,

rest early.

- Empress Dowager, please walk slowly. - Walk slowly, Empress Dowager.

I'm fine.

How can this be?

Your Majesty, the palace secretariat has always given the memorials of scholarly officials with generous treatment.

Now, there are even people laughing at us

saying that as long as the memorial are from the Censorate, the Palace Secretariat will allow it.

Why don't we just rename the Censorate as the Imperial Presenting Bureau?

Words like that have already come out.

Remonstrance Official, are you still not backing down?

Prime Minister Han, you started this crafty discussion and don't think you can use classics as your evidence.

This is a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years. The seniority in inheritance order,

the legality of an adopted descendant, the honor of being the heir.

Even if there are criticisms that the palace secretariats are denouncing the ideas of others,

we censors and remonstrance officials are willing to fight until the end.

Your Majesty has sage-like morals, is very modest, and has never committed any inappropriate acts.

Both branches of the government have also done all their duties.

Now, only this matter about Prince Shu has not been decided upon.

Your office repeatedly grasped on this issue and severely criticized it numerous times, as if asking to anger His Majesty

and obtain the good reputation of offending him through one's speech.

- This is your real motive. - Criticizing is the innate duty of an imperial censor.

Who really is the one denouncing the thoughts of people in the court, one can see it in one glance.

I have the written decree of the Empress Dowager.

May Your Majesty read it.

[ Decree by the Empress Dowager ]

Empress Dowager not only praised my move to acknowledge my birth father,

she was even to posthumously confer my birth mother as an empress.

I'm so grateful.

The seal of Empress Dowager is on that decree. My favored subjects can all read it if you want.

I am allowing that His Majesty honor his birth parents.

Prince Shu Ande will be posthumously conferred as an emperor,

Lady Liu, Lady Li, and Lady Zhou will all be posthumously acknowledged as empresses.

I'm especially writing this decree.

Impossible! Empress Dowager was still closely questioning this matter before.

It's just right for her to punish a supporter of the Prime Minister for inciting confusion.

But now, how come she suddenly changed her stand?

That is because Empress Dowager pitied me for having lost my parents early on.

Officials from the Censorate, you shouldn't disobey the benevolence of Empress Dowager.

Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is monopolizing power and guiding flattery.

He's just saying flowery words to flatter you and should be demoted!

In the matter about addressing my deceased father as Royal Father,

I'll listen to the good intentions of the Empress Dowager.

Regarding acknowledging my deceased father as an emperor, I feel embarrassed to accept it.

Regarding conferring my deceased mothers as empresses,

I really never dared imagine such a thing.

Everyone, don't worry. Meeting adjourned.

Your Majesty! Why did Empress Dowager not listen to the court meeting today behind curtains?

I ask Empress Dowager to listen to the court meeting behind curtains!

Meeting adjourned!

What Royal father? What posthumous entitlement?

All are just a pretext.

Since Empress Dowager has taken a step back, stopped attending the court meetings behind curtains, and given him back full governing rights,

His Majesty will surely take a step back too.

Everyone now will live together peacefully.

His Majesty is a person with great aspirations.

Of course, he doesn't want to be fettered by old conventions,

just follow the rules set by his predecessor,

and always looking at the opinion of his old mother in governing his empire.

Empress Dowager came from a family of generals

and has survived three emperors, hence, she naturally has a hale and hearty character.

She lost the imperial seal last time.

I fear that this time, she won't easily back down.

You... Will anything bad happen to you?

Are you worrying about me?

Of course!

I didn't sleep well last night.

You... Come back to the main room to sleep tonight.

Are you worried about your marquis husband,

or worried about Gu Tingye?

You always ask me those words.

But I... never understood what you're saying.

You are a woman with a heart of iron and stone!

Yes, I have a heart of iron and stone.

It's all my fault.

Come back to the main room tonight to rest.

I'm not going. It's so cold to sleep by your side.

Don't go then. I get to have some peace and quiet.

State Uncle and Prime Minister Han will come tonight to discuss some state matters with me.

They will be disguising as servants and it will be so inconvenient for them to go to our room.

I'll come deliver some fruits and tea then.

Just go if you want to.

I... just love to go.

But I'm not doing it for you.

I'm afraid that when they come, they'll find the dishes made by our chef not delicious.

Did my second son return to the main room to sleep already?

No. Last night, that Sheng lady had to sleep alone again.

The husband and wife are now at odds with each other?

Yes.

Good. It's as good as this weather.

There's no movement at all from that manor.

Second,

has been resting at home for some days already.

None of those from Yuzhou ever visited him.

No comforting decree was also been promulgated.

I think that His Majesty has started to find him useless and just a cause of delay.

But say, how come His Majesty is this...

Didn't Second also said it during the morning court

that nothing is better than one's birth mother.

A supercilious person like that can't be tamed,

what do you think will a stepmother

like Empress Dowager think?

[ Duke Qi of the State Manor ]

Has our son come home yet?

He just left two incense time ago. He probably has just arrived in the palace.

Go and monitor all the major gates and side gates.

When young master returns, no matter if he has anything to do, tell him to see us immediately.

- Yes. - Quickly go.

Why are you panicking?

How can I not?

He had so many people come to our house.

If His Majesty knows about this, what will he think?

Even if they don't accuse him of forming parties, they would also say that he's disobeying the desire of the emperor.

Yuanruo works for the Remonstrance Bureau.

When did the Remonstrance Bureau not disobey the emperor's will?

It's their duty to correct the emperor.

What correct?

The current situation is so obvious.

His Majesty is bent on acknowledging Prince Shu as his rightful father.

Empress Dowager also made a written decree to posthumously honor Prince Shu and his wives as emperor and empresses.

His Majesty also took a step back

and would only acknowledge his birth father as Royal Father, and not anymore posthumously confer his mothers as empresses.

The two of them have reached an agreement with the mother being benevolent and the son filial.

Why must our son still get involved in this muddled water?

How could Empress Dowager really be at one with the emperor?

Whether it's true or not, the seal on that decree is hers.

There's no more room to turn back to regarding this matter of acknowledging one's birth parent.

That silly son of ours, and those rash people

from the Gu and Sheng Families, just have to bite on this matter until the end.

Does he want to ruin our whole clan?

That Prime Minister Han

insisted to have an audience with me.

He said that he wants to

reconcile and be in harmony with me.

I live deep within the inner palace, is alone and lonely,

so cold and dreary.

I then thought

that having a respite with the emperor is also good for the imperial family relationship.

But who knew..

If I don't get to tell you

these grievances of mine,

who else can I still say it too?!

Empress Dowager, please say them.

During the banquet, Prime Minister Han said words

of how he's worried about the emperor,

yet he kept toasting me wine.

He made me so drunk

- that I eventually agreed to sign that written decree. - How...

How can there be such an absurdity?!

The emperor was a crown prince that I and the past emperor

decided on when we were trapped in a dangerous situation.

Before the former emperor died, he also once held his hands

and instructed him on government policies.

He also entrusted the remainder of my life to him.

But who knew that they would deceive me?!

Yuanruo, I saw your mother grow up by my side.

You wouldn't treat your mother the same way, right?

I now have no place to stay.

You must treat your mother better.

Sorry to trouble you. May I ask for the direction to the imperial kitchen?

Young Lord.

Madam said that you should immediately go see her when you return.

- What is it about? - She didn't say.

- She just wants you to immediately go see her. - I won't go then. - Young Lord! - Our dynasty doesn't kill censors.

Tell mother to be at ease.

Right.

Prime Minister actually coerced His Majesty like that

and falsely claimed to have obtained the written decree of Empress Dowager.

How could this have happened?

I also didn't want to believe it at the start.

Hence, I went to the Imperial Kitchen and interrogated the people there.

Empress Dowager had the banquet set up around the last hour of you time (~7 pm).

And then called for a sobering soup around the first part of hai time (~ 9 pm).

Prime Minister then left the palace around this time. All are recorded.

There is actually such a thing...

This matter...

As the past sages said,

When justice is on the line, a son must confront his father,

a subject must confront his ruler.

- Let's file a complaint tomorrow! - Right.

Let's file a complaint tomorrow.

Right. Right. Let's go.

There are so many experiences and learning

that even if you meticulously tell them to your child,

no matter how filial they are

that they would memorize each word of it,

they still might not truly understand it. In the end, you still have

to let them walk out by themselves, to charge out by themselves.

Let them slip and fall, or taste the sweetness of success.

And then, when they sit down in the middle of the night,

quietly reflecting on what they've gained and lost,

and recalling the words that were said today.

Only then will they understand it.

Let him go.

Prime Minister took advantage of Empress Dowager being drunk

and fabricated the imperial decree of Empress Dowager then stamped her jade seal on it.

How could members of the palace secretariat dare to do such an absurdity?!

It is directly sending panic throughout the whole imperial court, creating a stir throughout the empire.

This is unforgivable governing standards, despised by both men and gods!

Young Lord dares to openly slander a high minister during an imperial court meeting.

- How should you be punished? - Official!

Do you dare confront Empress Dowager?

Empress Dowager claims to be sick and won't attend the court meeting.

She desires to return full governance to me.

Lord Qi, you must be cautious with your words.

The decree was personally stamped by Empress Dowager.

Just because you claim it's falsified, it's already falsified?

I only ask to be filial.

I'm contented to just address my birth father as a Royal Father.

Although Empress Dowager is very benevolent, and additionally agreed

to posthumously confer my birth parents as emperor and empress,

I'm not a person that covets sichuan after capturing gansu (have insatiable desires).

The former emperor is still the emperor.

Censors and remonstrance officials can be at ease about that.

Your Majesty, since you're addressing your birth father as Royal Father,

you then have to build him an imperial tomb and an ancestral shrine,

so that he can be given offerings by his future descendants forever.

That's what a Royal Father deserved to have.

Since a royal tomb would be built, who does His Majesty want to be in-charge of this?

Of course, it would be the son of Prince Shu, Zhao Zonglan, to be conferred as Duke of Shu who will manage this matter.

Prince Shu is to be respected, but is also a taboo.

It's a topic that should be avoided.

Official Ding, what do you mean?

The matter of addressing one respectfully as Royal Father is within the jurisdiction of the palace law of rites.

With official interrogating His Majesty publicly like this, are you abusing the law of rites?!

State Uncle Shen, you know that it's wrong yet you're not advising His Majesty otherwise. You're just making him not virtuous.

You are the model of being an unfilial and disloyal subject.

Your Majesty, we ask that Empress Dowager

be invited out and personally prove our claim.

Censors and remonstrance officials are the pillars of the government.

You assist me in governing my empire.

Just for the matter of acknowledging my Royal Father, we've wasted so much time.

We should return in governing the salt matters and flooding disaster.

We all request that Empress Dowager come out and personally prove our claim!

Your Majesty, I also feel that Empress Dowager should be invited to come here,

so my name can be cleared.

Empress Dowager is sick. Just because of verbal conflict,

you want to get her exposed in the cold and wind.

These are really the loyal subjects of my empire.

- Invite Empress Dowager. - Prime Minister, why must you insist to have the Empress Dowager come here?

I'm fighting in the name of the emperor.

Would I allow the Censorate and Remonstrate Bureau to just attack me like that?

Don't know what's now going on in the morning court today.

My heart feels uneasy.

The one who's having the most headache must be Princess of the second rank.

I heard that because of his rash son,

she has fallen ill and is now bed-ridden.

How are the injuries of Marquis?

Thank you for your wound ointment, he can now sit for a while.

No matter how huge an act is, there would be an end.

Just like this polo match, won't the winner be determined very soon?

That's right. This is really the good Bianjing,

good spirit, a good battlefield.

Your Majesty.

I'm being unfilial to have disturbed you.

What is it about that I must be asked to come here in front of the morning court?

Quickly just say it.

My head is hurting a lot.

Empress Dowager, Official Qi accused me of fabricating your written decree.

This is really the greatest joke in this world.

May Empress Dowager clear my name

right in front of Official Qi.

This... what's there still to talk about?

Did you personally read the decree

and stamped your imperial seal on it?

What's there to still say about this matter?

Let's stop talking about it.

Empress Dowager, when I went to seek your audience a few days ago,

you heard my suggestion

and stamped your seal on it.

That's what really happened. Isn't it?

I've already stamped my jade seal.

Prime Minister, what else do you want me to say?

Oh, no!

We fell into her trap.

Translation and Timing carefully crafted by the Mei Daxia Team at Viki

T/N In the following song, "Don't You Know, Don't You Know?", Lines 5 to the end are the poem by Li Qingzhao, a famous female poet of the Song Dynasty, the poem is titled "Spring Ends".

♫ One morning, a flower opened and approached a willow tree, beautifully fragrant and mistaking him for her lord ♫

♫ Even if drinking in water in the morning, red clouds have half a day of sunshine, the wind and rain do not affect them completely ♫

♫ In the palace, you are constantly brave and growing thin, from on high, your cold tears of distress flow ♫

♫ Brocade letters delivered to me dismiss me, only suddenly to recall me,

not for many years can I see you other than stealthily♫

♫ Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect ♫

♫ When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before. ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫

♫ Last night, gusty winds and rain during my deep slumber did not spoil the wine's lingering effect ♫

♫ When I asked someone, they rolled the blind up and told me that all the crab-apple trees are as before. ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫

♫ Don't you know, don't you know, there must be flourishing leaves and fallen flowers? ♫