Original subtitles

(The Shadow Sovereign)

I, Shen Xiao,

wish Your Majesty good health.

I'm well.

Rise and take your seat.

Thank you for Your Majesty's grace.

Let the banquet begin.

- Come on. - Cheers.

I would never recommend someone so shameless.

If you're willing to serve the nobles, why bother with the imperial exams?

You might as well settle comfortably into being a courtesan.

Your Highness.

Just now, I heard Your Highness mention me outside the hall.

With this humble wine,

I offer my small token of gratitude.

Congratulations, Censor Shen.

But this is just the thanks from the Top Scholar.

I feel unworthy to accept it.

The princess I know

would never feel guilty.

Could it be that Your Highness

isn't congratulating me sincerely?

The princess can't hold her liquor.

I'll drink for her.

Top Scholar, when did you and the princess get so close?

My connection with Her Highness

isn't something I can explain in a few words.

For example...

Don't take the Top Scholar's jokes so seriously, Prince Consort.

Is that so?

I'm drunk. Let me apologize to Father and head home.

How could Your Highness leave so soon at such a grand banquet?

How dare you!

Doesn't Your Highness know

that I, for one,

always repay every slight?

I came here today

just to return a favor.

May I report to Your Majesty.

I, Shen Xiao,

wish to impeach Princess Zhao Yang, Li Shu,

as the Supervising Censor.

There has been a severe drought in Guanzhong for over three months.

The land is scorched for miles.

Not a single grain has been harvested.

Refugees flood the region.

People are forced to trade children for food.

Now, disaster victims are pouring into the capital.

Grain merchants are driving up prices.

They're getting rich off the nation's suffering.

Meanwhile, Princess Zhao Yang parties every night.

Her extravagance knows no bounds.

She ignores the people's suffering.

She has failed the people.

She goes against royal virtue.

How dare you!

Slandering the Princess. You must have a death wish.

Is this true?

It's true.

I can vouch for it.

- Zhao Yang is indeed... - Enough!

The drought in Guanzhong has been discussed in court.

But it's still unresolved.

What exactly is your Ministry of Revenue doing?

Relief grain has been distributed, but prices keep skyrocketing.

I'm afraid someone is hoarding grain and raising prices.

That's absurd.

I believe if we transport grain from Jiangnan to the capital,

there will be enough grain and prices will stabilize.

Censor Shen is absolutely right.

However, the canal connecting north and south is badly blocked.

It needs urgent repairs from the Ministry.

But the treasury is tight now.

Repairing the canal is costly and burdens the people.

How my Ministry spends funds is none of your concern, Second Brother.

The Yongtong Canal is crucial for transport.

Its foundation lies in Peiyuan.

It's a benefit for generations to come.

A mere eighth-rank official

dares to comment on state affairs?

That's arrogant.

If he's an official, why shouldn't he speak up?

Second Brother, you defend him so much.

Could it be that Shen Xiao spoke on your orders?

Elder Brother, you refuse to discuss real issues.

All you do is drag others in?

Let's ask His Majesty to decide.

Your Majesty.

Large-scale construction might shake the foundation of the nation.

I think someone doesn't want the canal repaired,

so they can hoard, speculate, and profit from the nation's hardship.

Li Yan!

What did you just say?

That's just ridiculous.

Enough!

Crown Prince,

I order you to make Yongtong Canal navigable in three months.

Chief Commandant Cui Jin Zhi of the Yulin Guards

will send troops to assist.

If there's any delay,

you'll be severely punished.

Three months?

How is that even possible?

Right. What are we supposed to do?

- I accept the order. - I accept the order.

Princess Zhao Yang, Li Shu.

From today onward,

you will hand over your fief income to the treasury.

Once the disaster eases,

we'll discuss restoring it.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace.

(Shen Xiao, the impeachment was just a front.)

(Helping the people was your real goal.)

(You really didn't let me down.)

That Shen guy actually impeached Your Highness in court.

He's got some nerve.

He didn't really say anything wrong.

But he doesn't know the real story.

Thanks to his stunt,

I can explain things to the Crown Prince.

That was brilliant.

What a bold Top Scholar.

Since the exams began,

he's the boldest one among all the officials.

He's exactly my type.

If you like him, just go find him.

Why are you blocking my way?

Obviously, I'm here to watch you make a fool of yourself.

You want to see me embarrassed?

Why stand out here in the wind then?

Why not come stay at my place for a few days?

I'll have Cui Jin Zhi keep you company.

- You... - You can look at him to your heart's content.

Stop using him to disgust me.

If it weren't for you,

the daughter of a lowly maid, using dirty tricks back then,

how would he have become your husband?

Cui Jin Zhi must've been blind.

After all these years,

you still don't get it.

Look at your unlucky husband.

You wore him out in just three years.

Someone as proud as Cui Jin Zhi

would never marry a rude and brainless princess like you.

How dare you insult me?

You...

I did steal Cui Jin Zhi from you.

But didn't you get your revenge?

On my wedding day,

you told Cui Jin Zhi

that I advised Father

to execute his disgraced father and brother.

Isn't that right?

You were the one who advised it.

You told His Majesty to kill my father and brother.

His Majesty wanted to investigate the defeat.

Your father and brother were the commanders.

Their crimes were unforgivable.

If I didn't go along with His Majesty,

even you would've faced his wrath.

I did it to protect you.

To protect me?

Li Shu.

Who do you think you are?

You're just a lowly orphan who crawled out of the Cold Palace.

I pitied you and protected you.

I even went against my family and chose you.

And this is how you repay me?

I really regret it.

I regret saving you from the Cold Palace.

From now on,

you're nothing but the cast-off wife of the Cui family.

We're done.

Cui Jin Zhi really thinks

that just a word from me could sway His Majesty's will?

What a fool.

If you want me to get rid of

someone clueless like him for you, just say so.

If you don't want him, neither do I.

Don't forget, you're just the Crown Prince's lapdog.

If you dare mess with me,

let's see how he deals with you.

If she knew the princess and Cui Jin Zhi divorced long ago,

but His Majesty kept it quiet...

Whether she knows or not doesn't matter.

She never liked Cui Jin Zhi anyway.

She just can't stand losing to me.

Go get the horses ready.

Yes.

(So, the Princess and her husband were never really married.)

Divorce letter?

Cui Jin Zhi,

do you still think I'm that lowly orphan from the Cold Palace?

I'm, Princess Zhao Yang, personally appointed by His Majesty.

You want to divorce me?

You're not worthy.

If anyone's divorcing, it's me divorcing you.

Now that you've lost your father and brother, you've got no one to rely on.

If you lose your title as prince consort too,

how will you survive in the Cui family?

Now it's you who needs my status as a princess.

From now on,

it's all about interests between you and me.

Otherwise, we have nothing to do with each other.

I'll report this to Father.

After that, we're done!

Get out.

Looks like Your Highness and your consort drifted apart long ago.

All that affection in public was just for show.

A gentleman doesn't eavesdrop on private matters.

All those classics you studied were for nothing.

I'd rather be a true villain than a fake gentleman.

So, Your Highness and Prince Consort Cui

are really just married in name only?

Censor Shen,

why are you so interested in my relationship with the Prince Consort?

In my opinion,

the Cui family's father and son relied too much on their own power,

they underestimated the enemy on the battlefield,

and caused needless deaths among the soldiers.

Afterward,

they were still as arrogant as ever.

His Majesty should've sent a warning long ago.

That's why he made this decision now.

So, Your Highness,

what did you do wrong?

If Prince Consort Cui blames you for this,

then you really should find someone better.

Then, who should I choose?

The arrogant top scholar who just denounced me in court,

or the one who sold himself for status three months ago, Tan?

Censor Shen, you've been eavesdropping for quite a while.

I don't think you just happened to pass by.

Could it be

that you still can't forget about me?

Yes.

So what?

Seems like I'm not the only one

who can't let go.

Your Highness, I...

Mother...

Mother...

Mother, please don't leave me.

Your Highness, you really sleep soundly.

I only fell asleep

because of you, Censor Shen.

Zhao Yang swore to me,

no one from a humble family would make the honor roll this year.

But now, there's a top scholar, Shen Xiao.

Where is Zhao Yang?

Zhao Yang isn't feeling well today.

She left to rest.

Censor Shen, you publicly accused me today.

What a performance.

Shen Xiao just entered the court.

First, he toasted Zhao Yang,

then suddenly accused her in court.

You got me punished and stripped of my fief.

You caught the emperor's eye,

and gained a reputation for being honest and outspoken,

never afraid to challenge the powerful.

I did want to get back at Your Highness for looking down on me that day.

So, I had to make this matter worth something.

I had to make sure His Majesty noticed me,

so the noble families wouldn't dare touch me.

It also helped prompt His Majesty

to order the reconstruction of Yongtong Canal.

Only then can the people of Guanzhong be saved.

Just a lowly eighth-rank from a humble family

dared act so boldly.

Could it be that they knew each other before?

Your Highness, the urgent matter is fixing the Yongtong Canal.

I know very well

that Zhao Yang would never get involved with someone from a humble family.

The Crown Prince despises the poor,

if the canal isn't fixed in three months,

he'll lose His Majesty's favor.

Yet you claim it's all for the people.

Helping the people is true, but I also hope the Crown Prince loses power.

The Crown Prince ignored the people's lives.

He's not fit to rule.

His Majesty was put on the throne by the noble families,

but lately he's been wary of their power and has started suppressing them.

So the nobles are backing the Crown Prince again.

Of course, His Majesty is wary.

I want His Majesty to see

that I can be useful to him.

You're reckless.

Guessing the emperor's intentions is a capital offense.

You'd even use the relationship between the Crown Prince and the emperor.

Aren't you afraid

I'll spread word of what you just said?

You wouldn't do that, would you, Your Highness?

You protected my position as eighth-rank censor today.

That means I'm still useful to you.

Why not just tell me directly, Your Highness?

What do you want me to do for you?

I just want you to be my male companion.

Just a male companion?

So, how many companions like me do you have?

You're the only scholar companion.

Since you're the only one, I treasure you.

You're not like the others.

Now you're with the Censorate

and work under the Crown Prince.

He won't kill you,

but he'll definitely teach you a lesson.

If needed,

you can ask me for help.

No need for that.

You have plenty of companions around you,

so why care about me?

Now that I'm in the court,

I'm ready to face anything.

Since Your Highness

won't be honest with me,

I will take my leave, then.

What kind of incense do you use?

It smells really calming.

My family is poor,

so I never use incense.

(That's odd.)

(Could there really be a man who naturally smells so good?)

So, Master Shen,

will you share my bed every night from now on?