Original subtitles

The Banquet ~ Legend of the Black Scorpion

907 AD, China

the once mighty empire of the Tang Dynasty

has fallen into ruin

Rebellion has spread across the land and its insurgents

have proclaimed their own kingdoms

This is the period known as

the "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms"

It was an era

plagued by widespread turmoil

treachery amongst government officials

and a bitter struggle for power

winthin the imperial family

Against this backdrop

our story begins

What blessed night is this?

Drifting down the River Qian

What auspicious day is this?

Dreaming beside my prince

A tender affection has blossomed between

the maiden Little Wan and young Prince Wu Luan

but his father, the Emperor, marries Little Wan himself

Desperate, Prince Wu Luan disappears

into the Southern heartlands

seeking solace in the art of music and dance

Three years later

Prince Wu Luan's uncle has killed his brother, the Emperor

and usurped the throne and the Empress

Empress Wan secretly sends her messengers

to warn Prince Wu Luan of the assassination and urge his return

But she is unaware

the new Emperor has already dispatched assassins

to prevent Prince Wu Luan's return

Trees live on mountains and branches live on trees

My heart lives for your heart

but you do not see me...

From her Majesty the Empress

to Prince Wu Luan

Our country has suffered a great loss

Your father, the Emperor, has passed away

Your uncle has usurped the throne

Return at once on receipt of this

Father...

This helmet does not sit well on you

To call Your Emperor "you" is not appropriate

The correct address is "Your Majesty"

It is hard for me to adapt so quickly

Brother-in-law

Indeed this is not a good fit

I shall have a new one made

The kingdom shall not wait

Seal the door

Sister in law

The correct address is "Empress"

Your brother should not have trusted you

The death of the late Emperor

had nothing to do with me

Is the Crown Prince still alive?

Sister in law seems very concerned

I am his step mother after all

He is 4 years older than you are

Brother-in-law is familiar with the way I remove my make-up

Not just your make up

but also the way you enter your bath

Will brother in law let the Prince go free?

Will you let my hand go free?

This theater is under the Crown Prince's protection

Stay your swords now

Your servant Qing bows before Your Majesty

Your Majesty

Is this the red you had chosen?

Hang it up

This material

was originally intended

for your wedding to the Prince

However

it is now used in my coronation

Why did you run all the way here?

When I was summoned to the inner court

I thought perhaps the Prince had returned

I was just about to ask you

Have you not heard from the Prince?

He never writes to me

Then how do you communicate?

Through dreams

I dream of him every night

And we talk to each other

Did you dream of him last night?

Yes

What did he say to you?

He told me not to eat too much sweets

But then he also said

young girls tend to like sweet things

it is not really a bad habit

I also used to like sweet things

Brother in law really knows how to please a woman

How do I compare with my brother?

The late Emperor was a wise and valiant man

You mean to say

he was not very adept at pleasing you

No...

When he was willing

he could be exceptionally virile

But he was not often willing

Am I right?

The tug between power and love

has tormented past emperors for centuries

You do not seem to be tormented

Before tonight everything was simple

I cared only for my kingdom

But after tonight

when there is you, sister in law

what need do I have of a kingdom?

You certainly know how to flatter a woman

I speak from the heart

Why don't you give away the throne

so we can retire to the woods and live like hermits?

What do you think?

Sister in law

do you want me killed?

I was only teasing

If it is my life that you want

you can have it

You can have everything that is mine

Your Highness

My father...

How did he die?

They say that

while he was taking his afternoon nap

he was stung by a scorpion

There are scorpions in the palace?

They say you can find everything in the palace

Who are "they"?

The people who live there

Including her?

She is about to be crowned Empress again

By whom?

Your uncle

the new Emperor

Wu Luan

Yes

You worried me to death

Empress Mother

You sound a little hoarse

Why are you wearing such a strange mask

and a battered old sword case?

What has happened to you?

This is a question

I should be asking you

What have you heard?

Did I come back

to grieve for my father

or to congratulate my step mother?

Do not use such a cruel tone of voice

against a helpless woman

I have sacrificed more than enough

for you and your father

But

my father's spirit

still wanders restlessly outside the palace gate

Empress Mother

Look into my eyes and tell me

Did my father

really die

from the sting of a scorpion?

Wu Luan

The pain in your eyes

breaks my heart

Don't ask so many questions

Don't think too much

Promise me?

The best way to soothe your father's spirit

is to make sure we are both safe

Especially you

Your Majesty

Forgive me

My shabby clothes

have soiled the Empress' bathrobe

Show me what is inside your sword case

The sword of the Yue Maiden

best suited to close combat

I only use it for paper cutting now

When your father first taught us swordplay

you were always the better pupil

Is this your work?

These are the words of a song from Yue

Can you sing it for me?

It is about a Prince sailing down a stream

and the rowing girl falls in love with him

She sings this song

So it is a love song

No

it is a song about loneliness

You can sing to your young friend Qing

She would not understand

No one can really understand another person

If we did

we would not feel so lonely

When your father allowed you to pursue the arts

I was against the idea

To me, a man should not be

a lonely musician

a product of warm hills and soft streams

A proper man is a prince

who rules over his kingdom

with strength and courage

That is only your idea of a man, Empress Mother

But you have responsibilities

They're bestowed upon you by the heavens above

passed on to you by your ancestors

expected of you by your people

Hasn't my uncle assumed these responsibilities in me?

He...

His Majesty has commanded me to greet you here

You have allowed the Prince to slip away

insulting His Majesty with your incompetence

What do you suggest you should do?

We shall offer up our lives as penance

Very good

Your families will be spared

We thank his gracious Majesty for his lenience

Clean the bridge

This palace is falling to ruin

The late Emperor was a thrifty man

but I am not going to suffer the way he did

Pave the ceiling

with flowers in gold leaf

Yes, Your Majesty

May I enquire

should the central pillar be painted in vermilion

or ink black?

Vermilion is the color of blood

and gold represents glory

Which glorious dynasty

has not been forged with blood?

Minister Yin

Your Majesty

I envy you

for having such a personable and astute son

gifted in both cultural and military affairs

Unlike my nephew

your Crown Prince

who only knows to sing and dance

If Your Majesty does not like the snow leopard carving

it can be replaced at once

I like it

When it snows

this creature stays inside the cave to groom his fur

When the sun comes out, it emerges shiny and sleek

it knows about changing with the weather

This is a clever beast

May your servant suggest that

a tiger would be even more appropriate

According to the Book of Change

a great man descends from a tiger

a gentleman from a leopard

Your majesty is a great man

The tiger has an appropriate air of majesty

Governor Pei Hong of You Province

Your Majesty

Why are you silent?

I was thinking, perhaps

this snow leopard should be gifted to Minister Yin

Why is that?

Because he too knows how to change with the weather

Governor Pei's suggestion is excellent

We shall bestow on Minister Yin this beautiful carving

My deepest gratitude to Your Majesty

As for a replacement...

let it be a tiger then

Better still, carve a flying dragon

Long live Your Majesty the Empress

Your servant Pei Hong

bows before the Empress Dowager

Governor Pei greeted the Empress as Empress Dowager

Did you all hear that?

Yes

What does this signify?

Nobody dares speak?

Then let me explain

The late Emperor has ascended to the heavens

if the Crown Prince succeeds the throne

the Empress will become the Empress Dowager

Thus, I am the usurper

Have we understood you correctly, Governor Pei?

No wonder you are a respected scholar

With three words

you have rearranged the hierarchy of the court

According to our ancestral customs

the Emperor kneels to the Empress Dowager as a son to his mother

But the Empress kneels to the Emperor as a wife to her husband

Are you the Empress Dowager?

Or the Empress?

Should I kneel?

Or should you?

Please advise us

Which is the correct procedure?

Your humble consort kneels before Your Majesty

Your Majesty

Late Emperor

did your spirit in heaven

witness this vile exchange?

General Yin

Your Majesty

The province of You is now yours to govern

I am your servant, Your Majesty

lmperial Guards

Your Majesty

Pei Hong is condemned to be beaten to death

and his entire clan executed

At once, Your Majesty

What was it that you said we should carve?

A flying dragon

Let it be a dragon and a phoenix

This is too brutal

They say that Pei Hong himself invented this form of punishment

for the late Emperor's use

Pei Hong is dying because of me

If you have any regrets

I can pardon him at once

No pardon

I am grateful to you

You don't have to be

Did you help the late Emperor in this same way?

No

Then why are you being so generous with me?

You give me what the late Emperor could never give

Lord Chamberlain

Present

I hereby proclaim

the Empress coronation will take place

on the fifteenth day of this month

Your Majesty

the traitor Pei Hong is dead

He has returned

He is not a threat to you

But you said that the people anticipate his succession

Yin Sun

What do you think you're doing?

This gift from the Emperor

is an insult to father

It may be an insult

but more than that, it is a test

If your father had not been able to withstand

a little humiliation from time to time

he would never have reached his present rank

or been trusted by three successive emperors

What worries me is your little sister

She is far too innocent

I cannot get the eyes of the phoenix right

lmagine the eyes of Empress Wan

The Empress' eyes are

sometimes soft and charming

and sometimes frightening

A phoenix with a steady gaze

is what would please the Empress most

The coronation is only two days away

I fear this will not be ready in time

From now on

it is best if you stopped seeing the Prince

Why?

When the late Emperor was alive

this match was our family's blessing

Now that he is gone

I fear it may be our downfall

My heart will never change

Make it change

Learn from the Empress

Who cares about losing a kingdom

when in the presence of such rare beauty?

You can hardly be more secure on your throne

I can't ruin you anyway

Qing, why don't you leave us

Yes, Your Majesty

In the heart of hearts, do you not trust me?

The person I do not trust is my dear nephew

I wonder how his rehearsal for the coronation is going

Your Majesty

this rehearsal

adheres to the usual rules

only wooden swords are employed

Please examine the weapons, Your Highness

Thank you

We have heard that Your Highness is an expert swordsman

Mere childish endeavours

I have not practiced in years

It is the Emperor's wish

that our performance at the coronation

should impress the entire court

Swordplay is always impressive

and performance is my specialty

In that case, please begin, Your Highness

I am dead

You really meant to kill him

We would not dare

He said he is dead

What does the Empress think he died of?

He...

mistook a deadly combat for a show

Precisely

And I thoroughly enjoyed the show

How did you manage to lose so badly today?

Did you think I lost?

I hope that you will do better

at my coronation

Why do you wear a mask when you perform?

It transports an actor to the highest state of his art

Without a mask

happiness, anger, sorrow and joy

are simply written on his face

But with a mask

a great artist can convey to the audience

the most complex and hidden emotions

In that case, what do you see on my simple face?

Six parts arrogance, three parts disquiet

and one part guilt towards your late husband

You are wrong

It is disappointment... disappointment in you

I no longer look to you to fulfill my dreams

I can only pray to the heavens to have mercy

and protect us both

You are incapable of even the most basic play acting

Your sorrow, anger, bitterness and uncertainty

are there for all to see

You permit danger to follow you everywhere

You think hiding behind a mask can elevate your art?

The highest level is to use your own face

and turn it into a mask

You are here

Yes

This is what you asked for

Do not smell it

The poison

is a thousand times deadlier than arsenic

If I can't smell it

how do I use it?

You blow it into the ear with a quill

What is it made of?

Why is it so poisonous?

It's made of Erysipelas from the Northeast

ground together with

black scorpions of the Northwest

So nothing is more poisonous?

No

What can be more lethal than this?

The human heart

There aren't any...

Any what?

There aren't any scorpions in the palace

I hear you brought back a song

I heard it from the Empress...

Trees live on mountains and branches live on trees

My heart lives for your heart but you do not see me

How pitiful...

Who?

The boat girl

She loves him

but he does not see her

No

You are talking about me

You think I'm pitiful

She pities me too

Both of you

use my suffering

to lure me into your embrace

Is that not the case?

No

Admit it

No

I am not her

You are her

I am not her

You are her

I am not her

You are her

The coronation ceremony

of Her Majesty the Empress Wan

will now commence

The Empress' Seal

May the Emperor live ten thousand times ten thousand years

May the Empress live a thousand times a thousand years

A performance of swordplay

by the Crown Prince Wu Luan and the lmperial Guards

Uncle

Empress Mother

l wish you both everlasting happiness

My apologies for being late

Please forgive me

l am not going to play with you tonight

lnstead, l have prepared a play for your amusement

Darkness has fallen

My dear nephew

l have been expecting you

Won't you take off your mask and let me look at your face?

Your are covered in sweat

They are tears

Come

Let me wipe them away for you

No

Your sleeves are soaked with Erysipelas

They reek of black scorpions

Wu Luan, you are not acting in a play now

What a talented artist

l feel so gratified

Quickly bow and thank His Majesty

Thank you, Uncle

How much you have grown in the last three years

lt's time to take on some serious responsibilities now

Minister Yin

Your Majesty

What was in the dispatch sent by the Khitans?

lt says that to strengthen the trust between our two nations

we should each send our Crown Prince

to live in the other's country

Have they sent their hostage yet?

They have, Your Majesty

But l hear

he is in fact the son of a herdsman

We shall not behave like the Khitans

We are a great country

and we live by our word

We shall send a real prince

No

Why not?

His nature is too gentle

All the better

lt will be honed by the sandstorms of the northern deserts

He is too emotional

He may offend the Khitan Khan

lt appears you are emotional now

but am l offended?

Your Majesty's magnanimity

is vast enough to embrace oceans

But l will not tolerate a grain of sand in my eye

Lord Chamberlain

Yes, Your Majesty

Write this down:

The Crown Prince Wu Luan

is henceforth appointed Ambassador to Khitan

He will be escorted by the lmperial Guards

and will depart promptly today

By command of the Emperor

lmperial Guards

Your Majesty

Escort the Crown Prince

Yes, Your Majesty

His Majesty is doing this for your own good

Go...

Wait

Your Majesties, the Emperor

and Empress

Your servant Qing begs to accompany the Prince

For what reason?

So that when he is lonely

there will be someone to sing to him

Who do you think you are?

Lord Chamberlain

Present

Take her away

and give her thirty lashes of the whip

Empress Mother

Does it hurt?

Yes

My dearest daughter

you have to learn to endure the pain

lt hurts too much

but l shall listen to you and try to bear it

Her Majesty the Empress approaches

Does it hurt?

No

Look at you

Tears are welling up

and you still say it doesn't hurt?

No, it doesn't

Do you know why l punished you?

Because you are jealous

Qing

Let her speak

l like to hear the truth

And why am l jealous?

Because l have love

And l don't?

You only love yourself

Nonsense

Who does not love themselves?

Let us take him as an example

your father

My father loves my brother and me

more than anything in the world

Really?

Let us find out if this is true

Guards

Your Majesty

Brand her face

then have her exiled to the South

Your merciful Majesty

l always knew

that the Minister was a man of wisdom

Where are we?

We are 350 miles past the province of You

the Khitan boarder is just ahead

Really?

Why didn't you tell me when we passed You Province?

l should have paid a visit to Yin Sun

His Majesty commanded

that there must be no delay

Who is that?

That is you

The Prince

The hostage

ln which case

l shall not reach Khitan

No, you will not

When do you plan to kill me?

Now

You think you are capable of killing me?

lt will be either your death or ours

l am Yin Sun, Governor of You

My greetings to Your Highness

Why did you save me?

lt was an order from that woman

Her?

Her

You follow her orders?

My sister is in her hands

l am sorry

Don't be

What will you say to my uncle?

l shall report that

all the envoys were slaughtered by the Khitans

There is not one single survivor

But l am alive

You will have to hide

l do not want to live like a mole

This is only temporary

Temporary?

How long is that?

Three years?

Five years?

Or until my hair turns gray?

lt is still better than returning

and dying needlessly

l am not afraid of death

But you cannot let other people die because of you

Will you not be satisfied until my sister

my father

and our entire clan

have sacrificed themselves

the way these poor guards have done

so that you can play at your revenge?

Will you not be satisfied until rivers flow with blood

and the world is submerged in turmoil?

Looking at this mask

what do you two see?

Destiny at play

Your Majesty is the true son of Heaven

Nobody can oppose you

But if l had not made the right move in time

it would have been my blood

you are staring at now, wouldn't it?

You seem nervous...

is the Minister not feeling well?

Why are you sweating so profusely?

Governor Yin

Your Majesty

Your father has worked too hard all his life

Stay at home and keep him company

My military duties

keep me away from home, Your Majesty

Your military duties?

Without you, the sky is hardly going to fall down

Your Majesty's kindness

has moved your servant to tears

We are most grateful for Your Majesty's consideration

l have never liked masks

You may leave

Yes, Your Majesty

Lord Chamberlain

Present

We shall give a banquet for the entire court

The day after tomorrow is an auspicious day for feasting

That would be too late

make it tomorrow night

Tomorrow is not auspicious for receiving guests

l will not bow to superstition

Write this down:

Tomorrow at midnight

all courtiers are invited to a royal banquet

to be given in the hall of gold

Yes, Your Majesty

Anyone who fails to attend

will be executed

Since the departure of the Crown Prince

your sister has not touched a single grain of rice

Then let me tell her

that he is still alive

No

Give this to her

Drifting down the river Qian

What auspicious day is this?

Dreaming beside my Prince

Brother

l dreamt of him again last night

He was dancing somewhere white as snow

There were a lot of people

He even invited me to join him

Little sister

stop fooling yourself

You are not in his heart

l know

But l promised l would wait for him always

You are in your brother's heart

l will not let anybody harm you

ls there anything more poisonous than this?

Yes

What?

The human heart

Well said

Why didn't the Prince take it with him on his last visit?

He was not ruthless enough

This is your payment

Arsenic?

There is not much

but it should be enough for one

His Majesty the Emperor approaches

We have not played polo for a while

Let us have a big match, you and l

Your Majesty is throwing a banquet tonight

ls there enough time to play?

It is still eraly

l have a headache

Lord Chamberlain

Present

Send for the lmperial Physician at once

Yes, Your Majesty

There is no need

l just need to rest for a while

Let me

Your Majesty

Don't move

Look at you

An Empress

Mother to a nation

And you still kick off your blankets when you sleep

Did you catch cold last night?

Your Majesty

How long have we been together?

Why do you ask?

lncluding today

it would be one hundred days exactly

You have been counting

But to me

it feels like less than a single day

One hundred days, but

l have never surrendered all of myself before

Even if you are a piece of ice

you will eventually melt in my mouth

What if the ice

turns into fire?

A globe of fire in your mouth

Then l shall swallow it

and it will warm my heart

Do it now

Swallow it now

What did she say?

The Empress said that

her mind was made up

the moment the Prince was sent away as hostage

The Emperor is fickle and suspicious

She may be his favorite now

but sooner or later

he will turn his attention elsewhere

Rather than wait to be discarded

she has decided to take the risk and strike first

She wants to rule herself?

Exactly

Once she has succeeded

she intends to denounce the Emperor

as a fratricide and usurper

She will say that she is carrying out heavenly justice

on behalf of the late Emperor

She wants us to rally

and support her claim to the throne

This woman

Ah, this woman

Father

whose side should we take?

We have no choice, she has planned everything perfectly

First, your sister is in her hands

Secondly, when she asked you to save the Prince

it was not for personal reasons alone

lt was to turn us into her accomplices

so that we have nowhere to stand except by her side

She knows that we have no option now

lf this woman succeeds

we must denounce her straight away

as a traitor and an assassin

The person who deserves to ascend the throne is not her

but you

Father

Are you afraid?

No

lf Heaven bestows this gift upon me

to refuse would be

to disobey the gods

Ling

prepare the carriage

To the Minister of Law

Minister Yin and his son, Yin Sun

are guilty of the following crimes:

deceit of the Emperor and tyranny over the court

misuse of power and collusion of the enemy

They will be stripped of their titles

and exiled to the South

All their property will be confiscated

and deposited in the national reserve

By command of the Emperor

General Yin

General Yin

My Lord Chamberlain

Present

l wish to say a few words

Yes, Your Majesty

Pour the wine

Yes, Your Majesty the Empress

Our ancestors used to roam the palace with candles by night

but our most gracious Emperor

throws brilliant banquets for his courtiers

His hospitality surpasses all who came before him

It is my privilege

to thank His Majesty with this toast

Also

tonight

l am going to take Your Majesty's life

Excellent

Esteemed courtiers

Let us drink together

To His Majesty

Your servant Qing and my dancers

beg permission to entertain Your Majesties with a performance

Minister Yin

Your Majesty

Did you organize this surprise for me?

Your Majesty

this is Qing's own idea

My father knows nothing about it

Good

What have you prepared for us?

A song from Yue

This sounds familiar

lt was the Crown Prince's favorite song

To commemorate him

l want him to know

that even if the whole world abandons him

l shall never do so

and my love for him will never die

This is very touching

Grant her some wine

Yes, Your Majesty

Take my cup

let me join you in remembering

the departed spirit of my dear nephew

Such an honor is too great for Wu Luan

Let us fetch another cup

Lord Chamberlain

Present

There is no need

Thank you, My Lord

But l do not know how to drink

You must not refuse His Majesty's gracious gift

Then l shall have a little sip

Sister

What blessed night is this?

Drifting down the river Qian

What auspicious day is this?

Dreaming beside my Prince

Too bashful to stare

A secret l cannot share

My heart fills with longing

to know you, dear Prince

Trees live on mountains and branches live on trees

My heart lives for your heart

but you do not see me

You do not see me

Qing

Wu Luan

lt's me

lt's me

The moment the song started

l could feel you near me

My dearest Qing

Your Highness

do you still feel lonely?

With you

l shall never be lonely again

Your brother loves you

No one can harm you

You poisoned the wine?

Yes

You wanted me to die?

Yes

And all along l thought l was warming your heart

lt has been heated to the point of burning

Lord Chamberlain

Present

Carry out this edict:

Qing is to be given a lavish state burial

Minister Yin

What are you waiting for?

You...

venomous woman

Where are the lmperial Guards?

lmperial Guards

Protect the Emperor

Amyone who stands in my way will perish

This man

murdered my father like a coward

This is a matter

between the two of us

lt is nobody else's concern

l don't want to kill the innocent

Out of my way

Such majestic demeanor

as befits a nephew of mine

l knew that if you were alive

this day would come sooner or later

And here you are

Was it the desire for revenge

that hauled you out of the valley of death?

Or was it your melancholy

that touched the hearts of women

so that their tenderness

wove a web of protection around you?

Or perhaps

a million calculations cannot compare with one pure heart?

Or maybe it is you

my brother

who has been protecting your son all along

so that he can spill my blood and restore your honor?

lf this is what you want

Brother

then let me appease you tonight

You offered me a toast

How can l refuse?

The Emperor is dead

Your Majesty

Your Majesty

Do with me what you will

Please do not lay this sinful title on me

Would killing you

bring Qing back to life?

The blade is poisoned

Wu Luan

lt is nothing

You are going to be fine

He was lying

There is no poison

The blade is not poisoned

Wu Luan

lmperial Physician

Lord Chamberlain

Ling, where are you?

Wu Luan

Where is everybody?

Little Wan...

Little Wan...

Little Wan is here...

Your Little Wan is here

Look at me, look at me

Your Little Wan is here...

Little Wan is here

lt is so good

to be able to die

You cannot die

You must not die

Wu Luan

May your majesty live ten thousand times ten thousand years

Long live

Long live

Long live Your Majesty

Minister Yin conspired to usurp the Throne

By law, he should be executed

But considering his service to three successive emperors

he will only be exiled to the far North

and never to return

By command of the Empress

Little Wan

When was it that l started to forget my name?

Perhaps it was the day your father married me

You left

and nobody used my name anymore

Gradually even l forgot what it was

Then your uncle married me

and again l was called the Empress

But from now on

nobody will call me Empress anymore

lnstead, they will call me

Her Majesty, the Emperor

Do you know why I like this particular red?

Because it is the color

of the flame of desire

Yes

desire

How many lives

have been consumed by this flame?

Only l

shall rise out of it

like a phoenix

The breathless whisper of a single verse

And loneliness blossoms within my heart

The shimmer of a single dream

And my world is undone

The memory of a single tenderness

And the sting of love reignites my wounds

ln the moment when a single tear falls

All hatred becomes a distant blur

l can love you with all that l am

But even this cannot return you to me

From now on I will live as a shadow

Forever in the past...

Forever in the past...