Original subtitles

Your Majesty.

Are you still thinking about the marriage alliance?

I have so many daughters.

Which one should I send?

This alliance concerns the fate of the empire.

(Le Tribe) I wouldn't dare speak out of turn.

I'm not sending any of them.

Your Majesty!

Please reconsider.

The tradition of marriage alliances

has continued for nearly a century.

If we suddenly put an end to it,

the Le Tribe

may not let this go so easily.

So what?

Peace or war,

I'm ready for either.

What are you doing here?

=Blossoms of Power=

(Adapted from the novel, After My Bloom, All Flowers Wither by Jin Huang)

=Episode 19=

Father.

I...

Silence!

After bringing such shame upon the royal family,

how dare you weep before me?

Your Majesty.

Princess Pingling and I

fell in love at first sight.

We simply couldn't help ourselves.

If anyone deserves punishment,

it should be me, not the princess.

I...

I'm in love with Prince Munuha.

Princess Pingling's marriage to Munuha is finalized.

What happened between them

is known throughout the court.

She has no other choice now.

She tried to set you up that night,

but it backfired on her instead.

Besides, Father has always despised marriage alliances.

He believes

that sacrificing a woman's future for peace

is nothing but a man's cowardice.

Once a woman is married off to a foreign tribe,

she can never return home.

Six years ago,

Princess Yun'an, who was sent to the Le Tribe for a marriage alliance,

died there.

Princess Yun'an?

She grew up in the palace.

She was not only the late emperor's adopted daughter,

but also Father's true love.

But because she was forced into a marriage alliance,

they never saw each other again.

Father opposes marriage alliances

because he has felt that very pain himself.

How do you know

about all this?

If one wishes to know,

one finds a way to uncover the truth.

Fair enough.

I nearly forgot your formidable methods.

You're the only one

who fears neither thunder

nor longs for the spring breeze.

You're impossible to win over.

Look.

Even the flowers adore you.

How can you blame me for not letting go?

Take a look at this fabric!

It's incredibly soft.

Come on, have a look!

Your Highness, look!

It's so lively!

I'd heard that foreign merchants

set up a market outside the capital.

It only opens once a month.

I didn't expect it to be this bustling.

The spices you couldn't find in the capital,

I'm sure we'll find them here today.

Your Highness,

the spice shop is this way.

Your Highness,

what flower is this?

Slender-Leaf Qionghua.

You have a good eye, miss.

There are several varieties of Qionghua,

but this one's the rarest.

It's incredibly delicate.

Once it's transplanted, it wilts easily.

I brought nearly ten with me,

and cared for them meticulously.

Only this one survived.

Zhen Zhu, pay her.

Why did you suddenly buy a Slender-Leaf Qionghua?

It wasn't on the shopping list.

(Scented Fans)

Young Lady,

would you like a scented fan?

We have agarwood, white musk, and cedarwood.

Shopkeeper,

do you happen to have a Shuisheng incense fan?

How did you know?

I'll take this one.

I'm sorry.

Shuisheng incense is quite rare.

This fan has been reserved.

It's the only one.

Why don't you take a look at the others?

It's fine then.

I was simply too late.

If you like it,

it's yours.

You're here, sir.

Your custom-made fan.

Qingzhi loved this scent.

I order one every year.

Thank you for your kindness, Prince Xin,

but I can't take what someone else treasures.

Prince Xin is unbelievable.

He knows you and Her Highness are engaged,

yet he still won't give up on her.

Why did Her Highness accept it?

When the moon shines bright,

people can't help but admire it.

If they are captivated by its radiant glow,

how can one blame the moon

for being too brilliant,

too worthy of admiration?

Your Highness, you are truly a man of magnanimous heart.

Assassin!

Protect the Commandery Princess.

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

They've taken Her Highness!

Close the door.

Got it.

Move!

Get the rope. Tie her up!

Xihe, are you alright?

I'm fine.

I dosed them with some muscle-softening incense.

After all these years,

I finally have the chance

to spar with you, Huayong.

Come on!

(Yong)

(Yong)

If I hadn't suffered a poison attack last time,

and was still recovering,

he wouldn't have been able to hurt me.

Do you know

that what happened today

was connected to Princess Ding Li Yanhui?

How do you know?

The falcon emblem tattooed on their necks

was the totem of Nanzhou.

So that means

when we ran into Li Yanhui at the Lantern Festival,

she wasn't just mourning her homeland.

They were after me.

This time, they changed their approach.

They wanted to use you

to bait me into their trap.

Thankfully, you're unharmed.

If you'd gotten hurt because of me...

I wasn't doing it for you.

Last time, Li Yanhui attacked in the middle of a busy street

and put innocent lives at risk.

I've ordered the assassins to be brought to the capital for interrogation.

This time,

Li Yanhui won't be able to get away.

It's getting late.

When do you plan to return to the manor?

I'm staying somewhere for the night

to wait for the flower to bloom.

I'm not going back yet.

Wait for a flower to bloom?

I bought a Slender-Leaf Qionghua at the market.

It's an extremely rare flower.

It only blooms at night,

and its bloom is fleeting.

It withers after just one night.

I checked it in the carriage.

If all goes well,

it should bloom tonight.

What's so special about this flower

that you'd go to all this trouble?

I just like its unique fragrance.

Whether you stay or go

is entirely up to you.

Leave it here.

There are two rooms here.

I'll take one.

Zhen Zhu and Mo Yu will share the other.

Mo Yuan will keep watch outside.

Your Highness...

I get cold easily.

I can't sleep in the carriage.

It could trigger the poison.

Would you

mind sharing a room with me?

Alright.

You said you were waiting for the flower to bloom.

I didn't expect

you to take it this seriously.

I got some warming incense from Zhen Zhu.

The night's getting cold.

Don't catch a chill.

Thank you, Your Highness.

♪Time passes like a dream♪

♪Pushing the sea of stars to flow across♪

♪Flowers wilt and bloom again♪

♪In an endless cycle♪

♪Soft voices in the moonlight♪

♪Gently spreading through the blossoms♪

♪How sweet this yearning is♪

♪Yet who among us still roams like we did when we were young♪

♪Amidst the flickering lights♪

It moved!

♪Alone for several autumns♪

♪How to choose the one♪

♪To be with forever?♪

♪When I gaze upon you♪

♪Flower petals twirl gently in my heart♪

♪Gracefully♪

♪For all eternity♪

♪The timeless wind and moon♪

♪Quietly reflect in your sparkling eyes♪

♪Scattered red petals fall like rain♪

♪It's a wonderful time in the world♪

♪Bits of worries and sorrows♪

♪Are gently gathered...♪

There.

Let's go back to the capital tomorrow.

We're both equally pitiful.

Changqing,

why have you come to see me

so early in the morning?

Father,

outside the capital yesterday, I encountered

a mysterious masked man.

He was an exceptionally skilled fighter.

After we exchanged blows,

I realized

that he was

the Crown Prince.

Huayong has always been frail.

Since when is he a skilled fighter?

Didn't you say

he was masked

and you couldn't see his face?

How can you be so sure it was him?

Huayong has an unmistakable bearing.

I couldn't have mistaken him.

Besides,

he left something behind.

I found it.

(Yong)

Bring it here.

Father, have you ever wondered

whether all those years away,

he was truly recuperating at Luotian Temple?

Are you implying...

Since the Crown Prince returned,

Prince Kang, the Minister of Revenue,

and the Duke of Ying

have all been brought to justice.

Surely...

that deserves some thought.

You think Huayong was behind it?

I'd say

you're letting your imagination run wild.

Is this because of Xihe?

Do you still hold a grudge against him?

If you don't believe me, Grandmother,

I have more evidence.

What evidence?

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty,

something has happened

to the Crown Prince.

(East Palace)

Huayong!

Huayong!

- I... - Rise.

- Huayong. - I...

What happened?

Why did you suddenly faint?

Yesterday, I felt a chill

throughout my entire body.

This morning,

I went to soak in the hot spring to ease it.

I didn't realize I was so weak

that the heat would make me pass out.

I'm sorry I worried you and Father.

I'm just glad you're alright.

Yesterday,

you stayed in the East Palace all day?

Of course.

Outside the capital yesterday,

I encountered a highly skilled fighter.

He dropped a jade pendant,

and it belongs to you.

How do you explain that?

Changqing.

Just look at me.

I wish I were strong enough

to leap across rooftops.

You didn't answer my question.

When I fought that man,

I cut his left shoulder.

If you are willing to remove your clothes to prove it,

all suspicion against you will vanish completely.

How preposterous!

How can you ask Huayong to undress?

Grandmother,

I know you're protective of Huayong,

but this is a serious matter.

If Huayong simply shows his shoulder,

the truth will come to light.

What's so difficult about that?

I can vouch for the Crown Prince.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Xihe,

how are you going to vouch for Huayong?

From last night until this morning,

His Highness was with me the entire time.

What?

You and Huayong

were together all night?

Father.

Xihe often looks after me.

When she saw how badly I felt the cold yesterday,

she was worried about me,

so she stayed the night at my palace.

Changqing.

Surely now

you can put your doubts to rest.

You two kept postponing the wedding before,

so I thought something had come between you.

It seems I was worrying for nothing.

Since you love each other,

the marriage should follow naturally.

Your Majesty,

have the Ministry of Rites set a date tomorrow.

Grandmother...

I...

still wish to postpone the wedding.

Huayong.

Didn't you

want nothing more than to marry Xihe?

What happened yesterday

made me realize

how frail I still am.

How can she entrust her future to me?

I don't want Xihe to worry,

so I should

take more time to recover.

If you truly cared about Commandery Princess Zhaoning,

you'd call off the engagement.

Insolence!

You've gone too far.

Grandmother,

don't blame Changqing.

Ever since he

mistook Xihe for Gu Qingzhi,

he's been obsessed.

I left the palace as a child,

so I was never close to my brothers.

After I returned,

I was always in poor health,

so I could never join in their games.

But I still remember

one day when we were children,

I watched through the window

as my brothers played outside.

Changqing

secretly slipped me an osmanthus candy.

I never thought that once we grew up,

we would become

such strangers.

Alright, alright.

That's enough.

Huayong,

we'll do as you wish.

I didn't expect

you'd ask to postpone the wedding.

I don't want to force you,

but I can't bring myself to call it off.

This was the only compromise.

I've never begged anyone,

but I ask only this of you.

Please give me a little more time.

(Prince Ding's Manor)

Cui Jinbai!

How dare you!

By what right do you come to my manor to arrest my wife?

What crime

has she possibly committed?

The assassins outside the capital

were found bearing Nanzhou's emblem.

They've confessed.

His Majesty has ordered

Princess Ding

to assist with the investigation at the Court of Judicial Review.

What?

His Majesty has arrived!

The Court of Judicial Review found

Prince Ding's military seal at the assassins' hideout.

Did Changtai give it to you?

Prince Ding never guarded against me.

Whatever I asked for,

he gave me without hesitation.

Getting the seal was easy.

Since you knew how much he loved you,

why did you

betray his trust?

I told him long ago

that my heart held nothing but hatred,

and that he shouldn't marry me.

So how did I betray him?

Victory and defeat, it's always been the way of the world.

Such is fate.

I'm not one of your empire's noble ladies.

I don't have their grace or tolerance,

nor do I understand fate.

I only know that I'm a princess of Nanzhou.

You destroyed my kingdom

and killed my parents.

I'll never forgive you for that.

Nanzhou had many princesses.

How do you think you survived?

Because you

married me to Prince Ding.

Yes.

He treated me well.

He knew nothing of my plans.

I alone will bear the blame.

Since you know your crime is punishable by death,

then I

will grant you that death today.

Wait!

Father!

Father!

Please,

spare Yanyan.

Yanyan and I

may have been

matched by your decree,

and between us

stood the hatred of a fallen kingdom.

But after we married,

I came to love her with all my heart.

Changtai,

since you're pleading for her today,

then perhaps this cup of poisoned liquor

should be yours instead.

Then please grant me the liquor, Father.

Xiao Changtai!

Xiao Changtai...

Don't.

Yanyan.

It seems that in this life,

I wasn't destined

to grow old with you.

Take care of yourself.

Xiao Changtai!

Xiao Changtai!

No!

No...

Prince Ding really drank the poisoned liquor for Li Yanhui.

Is Prince Ding really gone just like that?

He won't die.

If His Majesty punished Li Yanhui too severely,

it would alarm the other kingdoms.

Even if foreign tribes wished to submit,

they'd think twice.

So His Majesty only meant to teach her a lesson.

He never intended to kill her or Prince Ding.

Your Highness, you knew all along.

The liquor His Majesty gave him wasn't poisoned at all.

Prince Ding woke up soon afterward

and has already been taken back to his residence.

Zhen Zhu.

Since when did you learn to keep me in suspense?

But His Majesty ordered Li Yanhui

not to leave the residence.

The imperial princes

may all be formidable men,

but every one of them is hopelessly devoted.

Now that the wedding has been postponed,

I wonder what the Crown Prince

will do next.

(Duke of Wei's Manor)

Dry weather! Mind your fires!

Dry weather! Mind your fires!

Dry weather! Mind your fires!

What are you doing here?

Watching over her, of course.

If you truly love her,

you should keep it to yourself

instead of disturbing her.

Your wedding has been postponed.

What makes you so confident in saying this to me?

Some things work out better with time.

Are you really so sure

she'll still marry you?

I've never doubted it.

She is my lawfully betrothed wife.

Changqing,

your wife has been gone for years.

I don't want to see you like this.

Spare me your noble excuses.

The Crown Prince

is trying to steal his brother's wife?

What happened to your virtue,

your kindness and devotion?

Can't keep up the act anymore?

She never loved you.

So why act as though you've lost her?

Zhaoning belongs only to herself.

No one can take her away.

She can only be won by her own choice.

What have you come

to ask of me today?

Father,

please end Crown Prince's engagement to Commandery Princess Zhaoning.

I didn't hear you clearly.

Say that again.

End their engagement.

Absurd!

I still can't let go of Her Highness.

If I don't marry her,

I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

How dare you!

Did you come here today

expecting me to believe

that Commandery Princess Zhaoning is Gu Qingzhi

and listen to that nonsense again?

Then consider me mad, Father.

Please grant my request.

Changqing.

Of all my sons,

you command the greatest respect.

You are also

the son I value most.

Huayong

may be the Crown Prince,

but he doesn't have long to live.

For years now,

my only wish

has been for him

to live as he pleases,

happy and free of worry.

But you're different.

You know full well

that for over the past decade,

I've been grooming you

as the true heir to the throne.

But look at you now.

Consumed by love,

miserable every day, with no ambition left.

How can I possibly

entrust this empire

to someone like you?

Back then,

for Gu Qingzhi,

you willingly clipped your own wings

and vowed to mourn her for life.

And now,

are you going to give up the throne

for Commandery Princess Zhaoning, too?

My heart

has never changed.

You...

Well, well, Changqing.

Greetings, Prince Ning.

Why are you guarding the palace gates?

Word around the palace is

you asked Father to let you marry Commandery Princess Zhaoning

and sent him into a rage.

So the rumors are true.

Guarding the palace

is an important duty.

Father is giving me a chance to prove myself.

Unlike you,

who enjoys a generous salary

and spends every day at leisure.

Father must care for you deeply.

All he wants is for you

to live a peaceful, carefree life.

Grandmother has just chosen

the daughter of Vice Minister Hu Zhengyang for me.

The Hu family has been prominent for generations

and holds great influence at court.

That shows how highly she values me.

Then allow me

to congratulate you.

But then again,

Commandery Princess Zhaoning has never given you a second glance.

Changqing,

you've always been praised by everyone

as a gifted man of both letters and arms.

How could you

be so foolish?

Greetings, Prince Xin.

What are you doing here?

Today is the day

I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager.

I heard that for asking to marry me,

His Majesty punished you by making you guard the palace gates.

Even if I were sent to guard the imperial tombs

or exiled to the frontier,

I wouldn't complain.

Are you willing

to leave with me?

We could leave the capital's power struggles behind,

withdraw from the world,

and live a peaceful, free life.

Even those with power and status

must tread carefully.

Why would becoming commoners

guarantee peace and freedom?

The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

turned their backs on society

and lived as freely as they pleased.

But how did they end up?

Escaping the world

is nothing but self-deception.

Your Highness.

Prince Xin,

even if you asked me a thousand times,

my answer would still be no.

(Favorable Weather)

I wish to report corruption!

(Corrupt Appointments and Fraud) Someone bribed the evaluating official,

altered the candidate rankings,

smuggled notes into the exam,

and cheated!

The newly appointed top candidate is an ignorant fraud

who has deceived everyone!

I wish to report corruption!

Someone bribed the evaluating official

(Favorable Weather) and altered the candidate rankings!

There was cheating in the exam!

I heard this year's top candidate is barely qualified

and bought his way in.

Nothing matters more than scholarship.

We've never heard of exam fraud in this dynasty.

But these shocking rumors

are so detailed

that they're hard not to believe.

Who's the new top candidate?

His surname is He.

He's a distant relative of the Imperial Academy Chancellor.

Someone has accused you

of bribing the examiner

and being unworthy of your rank.

Today, I'll set the question myself

and test you personally.

This is utter nonsense!

You're nothing but an incompetent fool!

Please calm down, Your Majesty.

I failed in my duty as proctor.

I accept my guilt.

Tell us exactly how you cheated.

Leave nothing out.

I happened to meet a scholar

who was exceptionally talented.

But his grandfather had passed away,

so he was in mourning

and couldn't sit this year's examination.

So I gave him the question and asked him to draft an answer.

Then I memorized it word for word.

Have mercy, Your Majesty!

How did you get the exam question?

The...

The exam question...

Your Highness.

Prince Xin has openly

asked His Majesty for Her Highness's hand.

Yet you're still sitting here so calmly.

Aren't you afraid he'll steal her away?

Rather than worry,

I'd rather focus on what matters.

You mean the exam fraud case?

That's right.

Why don't we use this chance

to promote a few more of them?

We'd gain more capable people

and uncover who's behind this.

If their ranks are too low,

they won't investigate anyone close to the throne.

No need.

They all come from humble families

with no connections at court.

I've given them a chance,

but from here on,

they must make their own way

and prove what they're capable of.

Only then will they earn their place.

Say what's on your mind.

I just feel that

you used to act decisively,

rather than take things step by step like this.

Back then,

all I wanted was to find

who poisoned me as quickly as possible.

But now,

I want to think about what's best for Xihe.

Although Yunhuai has gone beyond the frontier

to seek treatment for me,

I'm still not sure

I'll survive what's coming.

I never should've drawn Xihe into this.

She deserves someone who can stay with her longer.

But I can't let her go.

For this selfish desire of mine,

all I can do is make it up to her.

So everything you're doing now

is for Her Highness?

Xihe cares deeply about the northwest,

and wants control over her own fate.

Then I'll do everything I can

to clear every path for her.

Even if, in the end,

I'm no longer by her side,

she'll still have loyal officials supporting her at court,

and she'll be able

to live the life she wants.

(Taiji Hall)

Talent

is the foundation of a nation.

Only with capable people in office

can the people

be educated and taught proper conduct.

This examination fraud case

is extremely serious.

It must be thoroughly investigated.

Ministers,

is anyone willing

to take on this responsibility?

Not one official in this court

has the courage

to take on this difficult task?

Father.

I'll do it.

Now,

I don't even have three or five years left.

How much time do you have?

A year.

For that one year,

I'll be a good wife to you.

Each dawn, each dusk, each moment together,

that will be a lifetime.

(An Auspicious Day for Marriage) I chose the nearest auspicious date.

The bridal procession from the East Palace is here!

♪I've hidden so many words♪

♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

♪So never uncover♪

♪The sand that slips away with one grasp♪

♪The flower that withers after one bloom♪

♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

♪Every answer I gave♪

♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes when I hurt you♪

♪How hard it truly was?♪

♪The wounds that healed with just a little comfort♪

♪The lies made whole with a single embrace♪

♪Pretending to be brave as if I'd never been hurt♪

♪It's a shame I never could♪

♪Give you a moon in return♪

♪With the same open heart you loved me♪

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪Never knowing I was lost♪

♪Why don't you take me away?♪

♪Lead me out of this endless game of hide-and-seek♪

♪You'll never♪

♪Know how much I long to, long to♪

(No animals were harmed in the making of this film)