Original subtitles

Ruyang's dance was truly captivating.

Who is next to perform?

- I'm Hu Yingrao. - I'm Gu Qingshu.

- We offer this dance to Your Majesty. - We offer this dance to Your Majesty.

Wonderful!

Well danced!

Why are you wearing a veil?

Your Majesty,

a rash suddenly broke out on my face.

That's why I covered it with a veil.

Please forgive my disrespect.

(The verbena must've been meant for her.)

You performed despite being unwell.

You've done nothing wrong.

Rise,

both of you.

- Thank you, Your Majesty. - Thank you, Your Majesty.

That was the most unusual dance.

Did you two choreograph it?

Your Majesty,

Yingrao choreographed it all by herself.

Qingshu is a gifted musician.

She composed the music for me.

Qingshu,

you really are a thoughtful young lady.

I hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Your sachet has been a great help.

By hanging it in my bedchamber,

I've finally been sleeping soundly.

Your Majesty,

I filled the sachet

with a calming incense that aids sleep.

Once its fragrance fades,

I'll embroider another for you.

Sit.

Please, sit down.

=Blossoms of Power=

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

=Episode 22=

Please wait, Your Highness.

Princess Ruyang.

I haven't had the chance to congratulate you

on your marriage to His Highness.

Since we rarely have a chance to meet,

I've had tea prepared in the imperial garden.

Would you do me the honor of joining me?

I'd be delighted.

I've long admired you

and wanted to meet you.

If I could learn even a little of your grace,

it would serve me well for years to come.

Your Highness, you flatter me.

Crown Prince has arrived.

There's no need for formalities.

What brings you to the imperial garden?

I had some time to spare,

so I came for a stroll.

I didn't expect to find you both here.

I heard about the exam fraud case.

You tightened the rules and introduced a separate system to flag papers

from candidates with no officials in their families for three generations,

ensuring they received at least 30 percent of the placements.

It's greatly encouraged candidates from humble backgrounds.

I must say, I truly admire you.

I recently acquired some excellent tea.

We can all enjoy it together.

Your Highnesses,

this way, please.

I used to think spring water was best for making tea,

but then I learned that rainwater is even better.

This rainwater

is collected during rainfall

using a rather elaborate process.

When it's used to make tea,

it leaves no scale in the pot

or stains in the cups.

You know your tea, Your Highness.

Forgive me for asking,

but are you and His Highness

particularly close?

What makes you ask?

The way you prepare tea

is remarkably similar to his.

Even your tea sets are identical.

You have a keen eye.

I did pick up

a few tea-making techniques from Huayong.

But we rarely see each other.

My mother is His Majesty's cousin,

so His Highness and I are cousins too.

Looks like you often

make tea for Crown Princess yourself.

How enviable.

This tea

has a rather distinctive fragrance.

Did you add spices to it?

The spices aren't added while the tea is brewing.

Instead, the tea cakes

are roasted together with the spices.

Once infused with the fragrance, they're ground into powder.

I see.

I should try making tea

this way sometime.

You brewed this tea for too long.

It tastes bitter,

and its fragrance has turned stale.

Thank you for your guidance.

I'll be more careful next time.

I have other matters to attend to,

so I won't impose any longer.

Then I'll visit you another day.

I'll stay a while longer

and teach Ruyang how to prepare tea properly.

All right.

Ruyang,

you shouldn't have

deliberately used the same tea set as mine today

and given the Crown Princess the wrong idea.

Please forgive me.

I did overstep today.

But I only wanted to see

what kind of lady

could capture your heart.

For your mother's sake,

I'll let this go.

Don't do it again.

It seems

your feelings for the Crown Princess

run very deep indeed.

I've always treated you like my sister.

You're 20,

which is considered late to marry.

I hope you find a husband soon.

Huayong,

I've loved you since I met you at Luotian Temple

when I was 14.

I've turned down countless proposals

and waited faithfully for you to return to the capital

until I turned 20.

I've endured endless ridicule and mockery,

but I've never regretted it.

As long as I can be by your side,

even as your consort,

I'd gladly accept it.

Don't waste any more of your life on me.

I'll have only one wife for the rest of my life,

and that's Xihe.

But when the Crown Princess saw the tea set,

she didn't seem jealous at all.

Who says she wasn't jealous?

My Crown Princess is quite the jealous one.

Your Highness, it's still chilly in early spring.

Shall I light some warming incense for you?

No need.

The weather is perfectly pleasant today.

The Crown Princess made it herself.

If you don't want it,

I'll return it to her.

Light it.

Yes, Your Highness.

Has something good happened, Your Highness?

Something wonderful.

My Crown Princess

is utterly adorable.

One more thing.

Throw out that begonia-shaped tea set with the twin-fish design.

I don't ever want to see an identical set in my palace again.

Yes, Your Highness.

Greetings, Crown Princess.

Crown Princess!

Greetings, Crown Princess.

Your Highness,

where did this parrot come from?

It's so clever.

It was a tribute from Java,

brought here to entertain the Crown Princess.

I'd heard that parrots could mimic human speech,

but I'd never seen one in person.

It speaks so clearly.

Your Highness, you must've put a lot of effort into training it.

Of course.

When it comes to making the Crown Princess happy,

His Highness spares no effort.

Youyou and Luming, united forever.

Youyou and Luming, united forever.

Youyou and Luming, united forever.

What a perceptive bird.

Xihe loves me.

This bird isn't fully trained yet.

I'll take it back and train it some more.

This is your gift to me,

and I accept it.

It's mine now.

Xihe is mine.

I never knew

you were such a dreamer.

If a man goes through life

without hopes or aspirations,

he may as well be a walking corpse.

I'm bored and blue.

A day without Xihe is just unbearable.

Tian Yuan, take it away.

If you're angry,

no matter the reason, it's my fault.

All I wish for in this life

is to spend every day by your side,

happy and at peace.

It's March, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom.

We're newlyweds,

so I'd like to take you

on a spring outing to Qujiang tomorrow.

Would you do me the honor?

When you draw the bow,

turn your head toward your target.

Keep both your drawing hand

and the hand holding the bow

level with your eyes.

It seems I

have little talent for archery.

I'll have a training ground built in my palace

and teach you riding and archery.

The deer call sweetly.

How could I possibly harm one?

Whatever you cherish

is mine to protect.

I'll hold you

to your word.

Her Highness has truly changed.

How has she changed?

She's so cheerful and radiant now,

without a care in the world.

She no longer looks as cold and distant as she once did.

It's all thanks to His Highness.

Young Lady,

everything has been taken care of.

Father.

Mother.

I can't marry Prince Ning.

I...

I'm no longer a virgin.

What...

What?

What did you just say?

I...

How could you...

You disgrace!

You disgrace!

Honey!

Honey!

Father!

Father!

Honey!

Honey!

Qingshu,

these

are all yours now.

You're giving them to me?

I can't accept all this.

I lost my virginity before marriage.

Now I can't marry,

can't run away,

and can't even take my own life,

because it would implicate my entire family.

Father told me to pretend to be ill.

In a few days, he'll have a physician play along

and claim I've contracted consumption.

They'll use my illness to end the engagement.

After a few years,

they'll send me to a convent

to live out the rest of my miserable life.

Yingrao,

can you really accept that?

What choice do I have?

When you invited me

to the Jielu Poetry Gathering,

I met Young Master Wen.

I fell for him at first sight.

We met in secret a few more times afterward,

but we never crossed the bounds of propriety.

I don't know what came over me that day.

Perhaps the intoxicating scent of the flowers...

In a moment of passion, we...

I deserve to die!

How could loving someone be a sin?

Yingrao,

what if

I had a way

to preserve your reputation,

honorably end your engagement to the Second Prince,

and let you be with Young Master Wen?

Would you be willing to risk it?

Is there really such a perfect plan?

Yingrao,

this drug will stop your pulse completely.

Even an imperial physician

won't be able to tell anything is amiss.

You'll wake up on your own

three days later.

You want me to fake my death?

When His Highness visits Ningchun Garden,

I'll have someone ambush him.

All you have to do is take this drug beforehand

and pretend you were killed saving his life.

Then you can vanish from the capital without a trace

and start a new life with Young Master Wen.

That way,

the Second Prince will owe your family a debt of gratitude.

And you

won't have let your family down.

Qingshu,

thank you for everything you've done for me.

But the Second Prince is, after all.

I'm willing to marry the Second Prince in your place.

That way, even if something does go wrong in the future,

I'll be able to protect you as a princess

and protect your family, too.

I know you've never

had any feelings for the Second Prince.

You've done more than enough for me.

I don't want you

to sacrifice your lifelong happiness for my sake.

As the daughter of a convicted official,

I was shunned by everyone.

Now even my brother-in-law no longer protects me.

Only you

still treat me as you did when we were children.

If you leave,

I'll have no one left to rely on in the capital.

Rather than let others mistreat me,

I'd rather fulfill your duty to your parents in your place

and secure a future for myself as well.

This way, the two of us

can each have the life we want.

Are you certain about this?

(Yingrao,)

(you don't know what it's like to be scorned and humiliated.)

(Since power means so little to you,)

(let me have it then.)

Yingrao, look.

Has that flower just bloomed?

It's beautiful.

- Greetings, Your Highness. - Greetings, Your Highness.

Young Lady Hu, Young Lady Gu.

What a coincidence.

We didn't expect

to run into you here today, Your Highness.

The maple leaves in Ningchun Garden are beautiful right now.

Yingrao and I were just going to see them.

Would you care to join us, Your Highness?

It would be my pleasure.

Ladies,

this way, please.

Your Highness.

There's something in your hair.

Let me get it for you.

Thank you.

Watch out!

Young Lady Hu!

Young Lady Hu!

Yingrao!

Guards!

Assassins!

Someone come quickly!

Young Lady Hu!

Yingrao...

You were hurt protecting me.

I won't let anything happen to you.

Don't blame yourself.

I did this

of my own free will.

Your Highness,

not being able to marry you

is my greatest regret in this life.

Qingshu

is like a sister to me.

Your Highness, I beg you to grant my final wish.

Let her marry you in my place.

But...

Let her fulfill the wish I never could.

Please, Your Highness.

All right. I promise.

I'll grant you anything you ask.

Yingrao!

Yingrao!

Get a physician!

Get a physician!

Yingrao!

Yingrao!

Please stay with me!

Yingrao!

Please!

Please stay with me, Yingrao!

Yingrao!

(Serene and Clear)

As soon as Young Lady Hu's seven-day mourning period ended,

Prince Ning asked the Empress Dowager to arrange a marriage

to fulfill her dying wish

and make Gu Qingshu his new wife.

The match was secured at the cost of a life,

and it was endorsed by the Empress Dowager.

Naturally, His Majesty had no reason to refuse.

The Hu family even had Gu Qingshu

officially adopted by Madam Hu.

She's no longer a concubine-born daughter of the Gu family,

but a legitimate daughter of the Hu family.

However, because the family is still in mourning,

the wedding must be postponed for three months.

How did I never realize before

just how ruthless Gu Qingshu could be?

Are you saying

there may be more

to Hu Yingrao's death?

For now, it's only a suspicion.

Gu Qingshu likes to present herself as a savior

to the people she targets.

She wins their trust by showing them kindness.

But those people never even realize

that every misfortune they suffer

was caused by her in the first place.

By the way,

you asked me to investigate the roses in Taiji Hall.

It turns out

Gu Qingshu planted every one of them herself.

She even filled Yong'an Hall with them.

Their fragrance was so overpowering

that it made sleeping difficult,

causing the Empress Dowager's insomnia.

Gu Qingshu then presented her

with a sachet containing calming incense,

which cured her insomnia.

So she causes the problem, and then comes to the rescue.

She creates the very mess she later fixes.

We must investigate Gu Qingshu thoroughly.

Find everyone connected to her and Hu Yingrao

and uncover the truth.

- Yes, Your Highness. - Yes, Your Highness.

Changqing.

I've had little luck in life.

Everyone I've encountered

has treated me heartlessly.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager cares for me.

She has now arranged

for me to marry Prince Ning.

I'm on my way to pay my respects to her.

Congratulations.

You once told me

that marrying into the Chu family

was the best someone like me could hope for.

But now,

I'm about to become your royal sister-in-law.

I wonder

how you feel about that.

Personally, I think

you've passed up your best chance.

The next time we meet,

you'd better show me proper respect!

I heard you don't care for overly sweet food,

so I had the kitchen

prepare some lighter pastries for you.

Here.

Try some.

Thank you, Consort Rong.

His Majesty and the Empress Dowager

have always praised your intelligence.

They've even said

that the imperial household can't be managed without you.

Now that

you and the Crown Prince are married,

I can finally

lighten my burden.

What would you have me do, Consort Rong?

On the fifth of this month,

Fahua Temple will hold a grand prayer ceremony.

I'd like to entrust

the preparations to you.

It shouldn't be too difficult.

The palace follows much the same procedure

every year,

so there's no need to worry too much.

This is

the token authorizing you to command the palace staff.

(Rong)

(Rong)

Thank you for placing your trust in me.

I'll do my best.

(Hanzhang Hall)

Throw all of it away.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your Highness,

why did the Crown Princess agree so readily

without the slightest suspicion?

Shen Xihe knew the Crown Prince wouldn't live long,

yet she married into the East Palace without hesitation.

Her true ambitions are plain for all to see.

She'll certainly fight for control of the imperial household.

I was waiting for her to make the first move,

but she proved far more patient than I expected.

Then are you planning

to seize the advantage first?

Victory isn't decided

by who strikes first,

but by who lands the decisive blow.

Your Highness,

here are the records you requested for the prayer ceremony.

They cover the past five years.

Consort Rong said all the right things,

but I can't help feeling she's up to no good.

I feel the same way.

I just can't figure out

where she'll make her move.

What's wrong?

After a visit to Hanzhang Hall,

you've all returned looking upset.

It's nothing.

I've spoiled these two.

Even the slightest problem

shows all over their faces.

You may leave.

Even if you don't tell me,

I can guess most of what happened.

I'll speak to Changying later

and have him talk some sense into his mother.

Consort Rong is his mother.

What could he possibly do to rein her in?

Besides,

this is a struggle within the imperial harem.

You really shouldn't get involved.

Why shouldn't I get involved

in the affairs of the imperial harem?

We're married.

Anyone who makes an enemy of you

makes an enemy of me.

You've spent all this time

studying the imperial household records.

You didn't start preparing only after

Consort Rong made her move.

The shifting tides of the imperial harem and the royal court

have always followed the same rules.

Every smile and frown of an imperial consort

reflects the balance of power at court.

From the moment I decided to marry you,

I knew

that to keep northwest peaceful and my family safe,

I would have to take control

of the imperial harem.

Besides,

you've been investigating the poisoning through the royal court.

If I gain control of the imperial harem,

I can search for new clues from within.

So your plans

include me too?

That was our agreement,

to support each other and help each other succeed.

All right.

We'll do it your way.

What... What happened?

Abbot Xu Qing,

why did His Majesty's incense go out?

Well...

It's all right.

Perhaps the wind is simply too strong today.

Abbot,

bring me three more incense sticks.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Abbot Xu Qing,

Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau,

Minister of Rites,

this is how you carry out your duties?

- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!

I failed in my duties.

Please punish me!

Your Majesty,

I am also at fault.

I...

will accept any punishment.

Consort Rong,

what do you mean by this?

Your Majesty,

I thought

the Crown Princess was exceptionally capable.

That's why I entrusted

this blessing ceremony to her.

But before the gods and Buddhas,

such a suspicious incident has occurred.

I'm also to blame

for rushing the arrangements and failing to oversee them properly.

Your Majesty, please mete out

strict punishment.

Your Majesty,

although the incense sticks broke,

you needn't worry about any rumors of a bad omen.

What do you mean?

I reviewed the procedures

for the past five years' prayer ceremonies.

Every one of them went smoothly,

yet something went wrong this year alone.

The only difference this year

is my involvement.

Your Majesty, I ask for permission

to inspect the incense.

If there's nothing wrong with it,

it simply proves I'm unworthy of my position.

But if it has been tampered with...

It means someone tried to frame the Crown Princess,

disgrace the imperial family,

and undermine your authority, Father.

They must be severely punished.

Fragrant ingredients form the core of an incense stick.

They determine the quality and character of its scent.

In addition, they're mixed with large amounts of fir powder

or powdered nanmu bark.

A binding agent is then added,

along with saltpeter, to help it burn.

Once lit, a normal incense stick

will burn all the way down

without going out.

Its ash should also be gray.

But the incense His Majesty used

left behind white ash.

When it was lit, it immediately gave off a shower of sparks

before suddenly going out.

This means these thick incense sticks

contain something that cannot burn.

These are pieces of waste earth,

which cannot burn at all.

They're what caused the incense to go out.

Please examine them, Abbot.

Your Majesty, this...

This is indeed waste earth.

The ceremonial incense

has always been made under the supervision of Fahua Temple.

How dare you use such shoddy incense

for the prayer ceremony?

It's all my fault.

Please punish me, Your Majesty.

Arrest every monk involved in making the incense.

They will be severely punished!

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

if the monks who made the incense did this themselves,

once their actions were exposed,

wouldn't they be bringing disaster upon themselves?

I believe

they've been framed.

Precisely.

There's more to this waste earth

than meets the eye.

Bring it here.

It's gold dust.

That's right.

My guess is that

whoever tampered with the incense

accidentally mixed in some gold dust.

Your Majesty,

seven monks were responsible for applying the gold paint.

After questioning them,

we discovered that this man tampered with the incense.

He also accepted 20 taels of gold from the palace maid Yu Wan.

Yu Wan?

Isn't she your personal maid?

How could you do such a thing?

I deserve to die!

I deserve to die!

You were devastated by Duke of Ying's death.

It pained me to see you suffer.

That's why I came to resent the Crown Princess.

I lost my senses and made a terrible mistake.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, I'm innocent!

You stupid wretch!

You'll be the death of me!

Stop!

Take Yu Wan and this colluding monk

out immediately.

Flog them to death!

- Yes, Your Majesty. - Yes, Your Majesty.

- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty!

Please forgive me!

Your Highness!

Your Highness!

Your Majesty!

- Move! - Please forgive me, Your Majesty!

Please show me mercy!

- Father, please show Mother mercy! - Spare me!

Consort Rong failed to discipline her servants.

Effective immediately,

she is stripped of her authority over the imperial harem.

Your Majesty!

I knew nothing about this!

I had no part in it, Your Majesty!

The Empress Dowager is advanced in years

and must not overexert herself.

Effective immediately,

the Crown Princess is hereby appointed

to assist in overseeing the imperial harem.

Crown Princess, from this day forward,

you must not only maintain order in the imperial harem,

but also uphold the rules laid down by our ancestors.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I will attend to my duties morning and night,

and share the burdens of Grandmother.

I won't fail you, Father.

Once you see what I can do,

I'm afraid you'll never be able to do without me.

I see you as someone

I can weather any storm with.

I don't want to weather storms with you.

I'd rather

share your bed.

What's this?

The line.

If you keep looking at me like that,

I might not be able

to restrain myself much longer.

♪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)