1
00:00:15,110 --> 00:00:15,910
Your Majesty.

2
00:00:17,710 --> 00:00:20,190
Are you still thinking
about the marriage alliance?

3
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,230
I have so many daughters.

4
00:00:23,030 --> 00:00:24,600
Which one should I send?

5
00:00:25,830 --> 00:00:28,390
This alliance concerns
the fate of the empire.

6
00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,480
(Le Tribe)
I wouldn't dare speak out of turn.

7
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:35,320
I'm not sending any of them.

8
00:00:35,710 --> 00:00:36,470
Your Majesty!

9
00:00:37,070 --> 00:00:38,390
Please reconsider.

10
00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:40,710
The tradition of marriage alliances

11
00:00:40,710 --> 00:00:43,560
has continued for nearly a century.

12
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,320
If we suddenly put an end to it,

13
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:46,430
the Le Tribe

14
00:00:46,710 --> 00:00:49,030
may not let this go so easily.

15
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:50,350
So what?

16
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:52,470
Peace or war,

17
00:00:53,070 --> 00:00:55,320
I'm ready for either.

18
00:01:04,432 --> 00:01:05,480
What are you doing here?

19
00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:47,696
=Blossoms of Power=

20
00:02:47,696 --> 00:02:50,570
(Adapted from the novel, After My
Bloom, All Flowers Wither by Jin Huang)

21
00:02:50,580 --> 00:02:53,540
=Episode 19=

22
00:02:53,910 --> 00:02:54,680
Father.

23
00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:55,960
I...

24
00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:56,680
Silence!

25
00:02:58,310 --> 00:03:01,910
After bringing such shame
upon the royal family,

26
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,710
how dare you weep before me?

27
00:03:10,870 --> 00:03:11,520
Your Majesty.

28
00:03:12,030 --> 00:03:14,310
Princess Pingling and I

29
00:03:14,448 --> 00:03:15,560
fell in love at first sight.

30
00:03:15,888 --> 00:03:17,470
We simply couldn't help ourselves.

31
00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,120
If anyone deserves punishment,

32
00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:22,310
it should be me, not the princess.

33
00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:34,840
I...

34
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,960
I'm in love with Prince Munuha.

35
00:03:40,190 --> 00:03:42,710
Princess Pingling's marriage
to Munuha is finalized.

36
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,288
What happened between them

37
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:47,520
is known throughout the court.

38
00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:48,688
She has no other choice now.

39
00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:50,750
She tried to set you up that night,

40
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,430
but it backfired on her instead.

41
00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,560
Besides, Father has always
despised marriage alliances.

42
00:03:56,750 --> 00:03:57,520
He believes

43
00:03:58,190 --> 00:04:00,400
that sacrificing a woman's future
for peace

44
00:04:01,030 --> 00:04:02,680
is nothing but a man's cowardice.

45
00:04:03,952 --> 00:04:05,960
Once a woman is married
off to a foreign tribe,

46
00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:07,470
she can never return home.

47
00:04:08,030 --> 00:04:08,800
Six years ago,

48
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,064
Princess Yun'an, who was sent to
the Le Tribe for a marriage alliance,

49
00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:12,840
died there.

50
00:04:14,430 --> 00:04:15,520
Princess Yun'an?

51
00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:19,390
She grew up in the palace.

52
00:04:19,392 --> 00:04:21,632
She was not only the late
emperor's adopted daughter,

53
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,310
but also Father's true love.

54
00:04:23,376 --> 00:04:25,510
But because she was
forced into a marriage alliance,

55
00:04:25,536 --> 00:04:27,008
they never saw each other again.

56
00:04:28,390 --> 00:04:29,830
Father opposes marriage alliances

57
00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:31,920
because he has felt
that very pain himself.

58
00:04:32,870 --> 00:04:34,430
How do you know

59
00:04:34,430 --> 00:04:35,680
about all this?

60
00:04:37,950 --> 00:04:39,000
If one wishes to know,

61
00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,040
one finds a way to uncover the truth.

62
00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:44,480
Fair enough.

63
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,480
I nearly forgot your formidable methods.

64
00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:51,870
You're the only one

65
00:04:52,190 --> 00:04:53,240
who fears neither thunder

66
00:04:53,312 --> 00:04:54,800
nor longs for the spring breeze.

67
00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,120
You're impossible to win over.

68
00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:29,720
Look.

69
00:05:31,070 --> 00:05:32,600
Even the flowers adore you.

70
00:05:33,750 --> 00:05:35,510
How can you blame me for not letting go?

71
00:05:50,190 --> 00:05:51,560
Take a look at this fabric!

72
00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:52,800
It's incredibly soft.

73
00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:54,270
Come on, have a look!

74
00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:55,480
Your Highness, look!

75
00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:56,630
It's so lively!

76
00:05:57,870 --> 00:05:59,430
I'd heard that foreign merchants

77
00:05:59,430 --> 00:06:00,880
set up a market outside the capital.

78
00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,680
It only opens once a month.

79
00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,040
I didn't expect it to be this bustling.

80
00:06:05,190 --> 00:06:07,950
The spices you couldn't
find in the capital,

81
00:06:07,950 --> 00:06:09,360
I'm sure we'll find them here today.

82
00:06:11,510 --> 00:06:12,270
Your Highness,

83
00:06:12,270 --> 00:06:13,510
the spice shop is this way.

84
00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:26,680
Your Highness,

85
00:06:26,750 --> 00:06:28,000
what flower is this?

86
00:06:28,630 --> 00:06:29,750
Slender-Leaf Qionghua.

87
00:06:30,190 --> 00:06:31,430
You have a good eye, miss.

88
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,870
There are several varieties of Qionghua,

89
00:06:33,870 --> 00:06:35,800
but this one's the rarest.

90
00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:36,850
It's incredibly delicate.

91
00:06:36,870 --> 00:06:39,240
Once it's transplanted, it wilts easily.

92
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,270
I brought nearly ten with me,

93
00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:42,830
and cared for them meticulously.

94
00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,600
Only this one survived.

95
00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:45,630
Zhen Zhu, pay her.

96
00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,870
Why did you suddenly buy
a Slender-Leaf Qionghua?

97
00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,240
It wasn't on the shopping list.

98
00:06:58,140 --> 00:06:59,420
(Scented Fans)

99
00:06:59,430 --> 00:07:00,070
Young Lady,

100
00:07:00,270 --> 00:07:01,560
would you like a scented fan?

101
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,040
We have agarwood, white
musk, and cedarwood.

102
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:06,920
Shopkeeper,

103
00:07:07,390 --> 00:07:09,430
do you happen to have
a Shuisheng incense fan?

104
00:07:09,430 --> 00:07:10,800
How did you know?

105
00:07:15,310 --> 00:07:16,390
I'll take this one.

106
00:07:16,510 --> 00:07:17,560
I'm sorry.

107
00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,390
Shuisheng incense is quite rare.

108
00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:21,750
This fan has been reserved.

109
00:07:21,750 --> 00:07:22,750
It's the only one.

110
00:07:23,070 --> 00:07:24,830
Why don't you take a look at the others?

111
00:07:26,270 --> 00:07:26,950
It's fine then.

112
00:07:27,070 --> 00:07:28,270
I was simply too late.

113
00:07:29,630 --> 00:07:30,390
If you like it,

114
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:32,510
it's yours.

115
00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:34,310
You're here, sir.

116
00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:36,680
Your custom-made fan.

117
00:07:44,750 --> 00:07:46,430
Qingzhi loved this scent.

118
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,950
I order one every year.

119
00:07:53,510 --> 00:07:55,070
Thank you for your kindness, Prince Xin,

120
00:07:55,184 --> 00:07:57,120
but I can't take what
someone else treasures.

121
00:08:20,190 --> 00:08:21,750
Prince Xin is unbelievable.

122
00:08:21,830 --> 00:08:23,600
He knows you and
Her Highness are engaged,

123
00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,510
yet he still won't give up on her.

124
00:08:27,750 --> 00:08:28,950
Why did Her Highness accept it?

125
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,270
When the moon shines bright,

126
00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:35,270
people can't help but admire it.

127
00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:37,670
If they are captivated
by its radiant glow,

128
00:08:37,750 --> 00:08:38,870
how can one blame the moon

129
00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:40,320
for being too brilliant,

130
00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:41,600
too worthy of admiration?

131
00:08:42,416 --> 00:08:44,750
Your Highness, you are truly
a man of magnanimous heart.

132
00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:03,270
Assassin!

133
00:09:38,528 --> 00:09:39,840
Protect the Commandery Princess.

134
00:09:42,670 --> 00:09:43,320
Your Highness!

135
00:09:43,870 --> 00:09:44,510
Your Highness!

136
00:09:47,030 --> 00:09:47,630
Your Highness!

137
00:09:48,390 --> 00:09:50,080
They've taken Her Highness!

138
00:10:20,270 --> 00:10:20,960
Close the door.

139
00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:21,360
Got it.

140
00:10:23,750 --> 00:10:24,240
Move!

141
00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:28,080
Get the rope. Tie her up!

142
00:11:00,670 --> 00:11:01,600
Xihe, are you alright?

143
00:11:02,030 --> 00:11:02,750
I'm fine.

144
00:11:03,008 --> 00:11:05,088
I dosed them with some
muscle-softening incense.

145
00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:16,360
After all these years,

146
00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:19,120
I finally have the chance

147
00:11:20,550 --> 00:11:22,030
to spar with you, Huayong.

148
00:11:52,790 --> 00:11:53,360
Come on!

149
00:12:11,220 --> 00:12:12,900
(Yong)

150
00:12:15,660 --> 00:12:19,780
(Yong)

151
00:12:24,048 --> 00:12:25,940
If I hadn't suffered a
poison attack last time,

152
00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:27,320
and was still recovering,

153
00:12:27,856 --> 00:12:29,440
he wouldn't have been able to hurt me.

154
00:12:56,390 --> 00:12:57,390
Do you know

155
00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:58,870
that what happened today

156
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:00,600
was connected
to Princess Ding Li Yanhui?

157
00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:02,870
How do you know?

158
00:13:03,024 --> 00:13:05,008
The falcon emblem
tattooed on their necks

159
00:13:05,150 --> 00:13:06,480
was the totem of Nanzhou.

160
00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:10,550
So that means

161
00:13:10,864 --> 00:13:13,030
when we ran into Li Yanhui
at the Lantern Festival,

162
00:13:13,390 --> 00:13:15,670
she wasn't just mourning her homeland.

163
00:13:17,270 --> 00:13:18,550
They were after me.

164
00:13:18,592 --> 00:13:20,200
This time, they changed their approach.

165
00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:21,440
They wanted to use you

166
00:13:21,630 --> 00:13:22,670
to bait me into their trap.

167
00:13:24,650 --> 00:13:25,840
Thankfully, you're unharmed.

168
00:13:25,936 --> 00:13:27,390
If you'd gotten hurt because of me...

169
00:13:27,390 --> 00:13:28,512
I wasn't doing it for you.

170
00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,790
Last time, Li Yanhui attacked
in the middle of a busy street

171
00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:33,550
and put innocent lives at risk.

172
00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:36,750
I've ordered the assassins to be brought
to the capital for interrogation.

173
00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:38,120
This time,

174
00:13:38,192 --> 00:13:39,760
Li Yanhui won't be able to get away.

175
00:13:40,150 --> 00:13:41,200
It's getting late.

176
00:13:41,790 --> 00:13:43,480
When do you plan to return to the manor?

177
00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,376
I'm staying somewhere for the night

178
00:13:47,408 --> 00:13:49,000
to wait for the flower to bloom.

179
00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,030
I'm not going back yet.

180
00:13:52,864 --> 00:13:53,910
Wait for a flower to bloom?

181
00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,030
I bought a Slender-Leaf Qionghua
at the market.

182
00:13:57,390 --> 00:13:58,670
It's an extremely rare flower.

183
00:13:58,790 --> 00:14:00,150
It only blooms at night,

184
00:14:00,510 --> 00:14:01,750
and its bloom is fleeting.

185
00:14:01,870 --> 00:14:03,550
It withers after just one night.

186
00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:05,600
I checked it in the carriage.

187
00:14:05,670 --> 00:14:06,670
If all goes well,

188
00:14:06,790 --> 00:14:08,120
it should bloom tonight.

189
00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,270
What's so special about this flower

190
00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,080
that you'd go to all this trouble?

191
00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:14,670
I just like its unique fragrance.

192
00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:17,200
Whether you stay or go

193
00:14:17,510 --> 00:14:19,030
is entirely up to you.

194
00:14:36,150 --> 00:14:36,910
Leave it here.

195
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:39,270
There are two rooms here.

196
00:14:39,390 --> 00:14:40,270
I'll take one.

197
00:14:40,432 --> 00:14:42,150
Zhen Zhu and Mo Yu will share the other.

198
00:14:42,510 --> 00:14:44,120
Mo Yuan will keep watch outside.

199
00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:45,120
Your Highness...

200
00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:45,904
I get cold easily.

201
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:47,790
I can't sleep in the carriage.

202
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,200
It could trigger the poison.

203
00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:51,480
Would you

204
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:53,600
mind sharing a room with me?

205
00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:58,200
Alright.

206
00:15:25,984 --> 00:15:28,000
You said you were waiting
for the flower to bloom.

207
00:15:28,750 --> 00:15:29,720
I didn't expect

208
00:15:30,550 --> 00:15:32,270
you to take it this seriously.

209
00:15:35,328 --> 00:15:37,200
I got some warming incense
from Zhen Zhu.

210
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,000
The night's getting cold.

211
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:40,320
Don't catch a chill.

212
00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:41,720
Thank you, Your Highness.

213
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,950
♪Time passes like a dream♪

214
00:16:19,020 --> 00:16:21,630
♪Pushing the sea of
stars to flow across♪

215
00:16:23,070 --> 00:16:25,650
♪Flowers wilt and bloom again♪

216
00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:28,440
♪In an endless cycle♪

217
00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,000
♪Soft voices in the moonlight♪

218
00:16:34,540 --> 00:16:37,650
♪Gently spreading through the blossoms♪

219
00:16:38,450 --> 00:16:40,320
♪How sweet this yearning is♪

220
00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,000
♪Yet who among us still roams
like we did when we were young♪

221
00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,630
♪Amidst the flickering lights♪

222
00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:51,080
It moved!

223
00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,700
♪Alone for several autumns♪

224
00:16:55,090 --> 00:16:57,540
♪How to choose the one♪

225
00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,480
♪To be with forever?♪

226
00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,850
♪When I gaze upon you♪

227
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,820
♪Flower petals twirl gently in my heart♪

228
00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:11,880
♪Gracefully♪

229
00:17:12,490 --> 00:17:17,650
♪For all eternity♪

230
00:17:18,090 --> 00:17:20,740
♪The timeless wind and moon♪

231
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:24,930
♪Quietly reflect in your sparkling eyes♪

232
00:17:26,100 --> 00:17:28,840
♪Scattered red petals fall like rain♪

233
00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:33,140
♪It's a wonderful time in the world♪

234
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,920
♪Bits of worries and sorrows♪

235
00:17:36,944 --> 00:17:38,040
♪Are gently gathered...♪

236
00:17:38,110 --> 00:17:38,640
There.

237
00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,680
Let's go back to the capital tomorrow.

238
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:15,070
We're both equally pitiful.

239
00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:26,590
Changqing,

240
00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,440
why have you come to see me

241
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:29,830
so early in the morning?

242
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:32,270
Father,

243
00:18:32,790 --> 00:18:34,720
outside the capital yesterday,
I encountered

244
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,400
a mysterious masked man.

245
00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,880
He was an exceptionally skilled fighter.

246
00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:40,550
After we exchanged blows,

247
00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:42,070
I realized

248
00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:43,030
that he was

249
00:18:43,510 --> 00:18:44,790
the Crown Prince.

250
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,000
Huayong has always been frail.

251
00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,030
Since when is he a skilled fighter?

252
00:18:53,350 --> 00:18:54,510
Didn't you say

253
00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:56,640
he was masked

254
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,350
and you couldn't see his face?

255
00:18:58,590 --> 00:19:00,640
How can you be so sure it was him?

256
00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:02,110
Huayong has an unmistakable bearing.

257
00:19:02,110 --> 00:19:03,270
I couldn't have mistaken him.

258
00:19:03,790 --> 00:19:04,680
Besides,

259
00:19:05,070 --> 00:19:06,510
he left something behind.

260
00:19:08,270 --> 00:19:09,350
I found it.

261
00:19:09,620 --> 00:19:11,860
(Yong)

262
00:19:12,830 --> 00:19:13,790
Bring it here.

263
00:19:20,030 --> 00:19:21,640
Father, have you ever wondered

264
00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:23,200
whether all those years away,

265
00:19:23,750 --> 00:19:27,000
he was truly recuperating
at Luotian Temple?

266
00:19:27,310 --> 00:19:28,880
Are you implying...

267
00:19:29,510 --> 00:19:30,790
Since the Crown Prince returned,

268
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:32,920
Prince Kang, the Minister of Revenue,

269
00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:34,000
and the Duke of Ying

270
00:19:34,096 --> 00:19:35,480
have all been brought to justice.

271
00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:37,310
Surely...

272
00:19:38,510 --> 00:19:40,200
that deserves some thought.

273
00:19:42,510 --> 00:19:44,310
You think Huayong was behind it?

274
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:45,680
I'd say

275
00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:47,440
you're letting your
imagination run wild.

276
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,070
Is this because of Xihe?

277
00:19:50,070 --> 00:19:52,640
Do you still hold a grudge against him?

278
00:19:53,904 --> 00:19:55,400
If you don't believe me, Grandmother,

279
00:19:56,070 --> 00:19:57,310
I have more evidence.

280
00:19:58,110 --> 00:19:59,200
What evidence?

281
00:19:59,550 --> 00:20:00,720
Your Majesty!

282
00:20:03,350 --> 00:20:04,070
Your Majesty,

283
00:20:04,432 --> 00:20:05,480
something has happened

284
00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:07,640
to the Crown Prince.

285
00:20:08,620 --> 00:20:11,620
(East Palace)

286
00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:12,750
Huayong!

287
00:20:13,790 --> 00:20:14,510
Huayong!

288
00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:16,720
- I...
- Rise.

289
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:18,680
- Huayong.
- I...

290
00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:25,550
What happened?

291
00:20:25,550 --> 00:20:26,880
Why did you suddenly faint?

292
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,000
Yesterday, I felt a chill

293
00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:32,510
throughout my entire body.

294
00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:33,750
This morning,

295
00:20:33,750 --> 00:20:35,720
I went to soak in the
hot spring to ease it.

296
00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,270
I didn't realize I was so weak

297
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,310
that the heat would make me pass out.

298
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,830
I'm sorry I worried you and Father.

299
00:20:45,790 --> 00:20:48,070
I'm just glad you're alright.

300
00:20:48,270 --> 00:20:49,750
Yesterday,

301
00:20:50,352 --> 00:20:52,032
you stayed in the East Palace all day?

302
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:56,440
Of course.

303
00:20:56,550 --> 00:20:57,880
Outside the capital yesterday,

304
00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,110
I encountered a highly skilled fighter.

305
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,240
He dropped a jade pendant,

306
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,030
and it belongs to you.

307
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:07,960
How do you explain that?

308
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:12,510
Changqing.

309
00:21:14,830 --> 00:21:16,270
Just look at me.

310
00:21:16,590 --> 00:21:18,920
I wish I were strong enough

311
00:21:19,550 --> 00:21:20,790
to leap across rooftops.

312
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,160
You didn't answer my question.

313
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:26,440
When I fought that man,

314
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,400
I cut his left shoulder.

315
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,568
If you are willing
to remove your clothes to prove it,

316
00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,270
all suspicion against you
will vanish completely.

317
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:35,830
How preposterous!

318
00:21:36,350 --> 00:21:39,000
How can you ask Huayong to undress?

319
00:21:39,270 --> 00:21:40,030
Grandmother,

320
00:21:41,110 --> 00:21:42,960
I know you're protective of Huayong,

321
00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:45,000
but this is a serious matter.

322
00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,200
If Huayong simply shows his shoulder,

323
00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:48,720
the truth will come to light.

324
00:21:48,768 --> 00:21:50,016
What's so difficult about that?

325
00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,790
I can vouch for the Crown Prince.

326
00:22:12,270 --> 00:22:13,310
Greetings, Your Majesty.

327
00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:14,960
Greetings, Your Majesty.

328
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,110
Xihe,

329
00:22:18,830 --> 00:22:20,790
how are you going to vouch for Huayong?

330
00:22:20,790 --> 00:22:22,200
From last night until this morning,

331
00:22:22,550 --> 00:22:25,070
His Highness was with me
the entire time.

332
00:22:25,310 --> 00:22:26,000
What?

333
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:27,880
You and Huayong

334
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,240
were together all night?

335
00:22:31,550 --> 00:22:32,480
Father.

336
00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:35,510
Xihe often looks after me.

337
00:22:35,552 --> 00:22:37,510
When she saw how badly
I felt the cold yesterday,

338
00:22:37,510 --> 00:22:38,830
she was worried about me,

339
00:22:39,088 --> 00:22:40,688
so she stayed the night at my palace.

340
00:22:42,830 --> 00:22:43,750
Changqing.

341
00:22:44,550 --> 00:22:45,590
Surely now

342
00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:47,640
you can put your doubts to rest.

343
00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:58,110
You two kept postponing
the wedding before,

344
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:02,270
so I thought something
had come between you.

345
00:23:02,270 --> 00:23:05,400
It seems I was worrying for nothing.

346
00:23:05,590 --> 00:23:07,400
Since you love each other,

347
00:23:07,510 --> 00:23:09,510
the marriage should follow naturally.

348
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:10,480
Your Majesty,

349
00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,590
have the Ministry of Rites
set a date tomorrow.

350
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:14,920
Grandmother...

351
00:23:16,310 --> 00:23:17,030
I...

352
00:23:18,510 --> 00:23:20,030
still wish to postpone the wedding.

353
00:23:23,110 --> 00:23:24,000
Huayong.

354
00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:26,400
Didn't you

355
00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,240
want nothing more than to marry Xihe?

356
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:31,920
What happened yesterday

357
00:23:33,030 --> 00:23:34,270
made me realize

358
00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:36,750
how frail I still am.

359
00:23:36,832 --> 00:23:38,448
How can she entrust her future to me?

360
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:40,590
I don't want Xihe to worry,

361
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,070
so I should

362
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:43,640
take more time to recover.

363
00:23:44,256 --> 00:23:46,590
If you truly cared about
Commandery Princess Zhaoning,

364
00:23:48,070 --> 00:23:49,510
you'd call off the engagement.

365
00:23:49,590 --> 00:23:50,400
Insolence!

366
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,350
You've gone too far.

367
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:54,640
Grandmother,

368
00:23:56,030 --> 00:23:57,350
don't blame Changqing.

369
00:23:58,310 --> 00:23:59,510
Ever since he

370
00:23:59,790 --> 00:24:01,750
mistook Xihe for Gu Qingzhi,

371
00:24:02,110 --> 00:24:03,590
he's been obsessed.

372
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:08,030
I left the palace as a child,

373
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,550
so I was never close to my brothers.

374
00:24:11,510 --> 00:24:12,680
After I returned,

375
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:14,350
I was always in poor health,

376
00:24:14,550 --> 00:24:16,270
so I could never join in their games.

377
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,240
But I still remember

378
00:24:19,310 --> 00:24:20,790
one day when we were children,

379
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,400
I watched through the window

380
00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:24,720
as my brothers played outside.

381
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:27,720
Changqing

382
00:24:28,070 --> 00:24:30,270
secretly slipped me an osmanthus candy.

383
00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:33,400
I never thought that once we grew up,

384
00:24:33,750 --> 00:24:34,510
we would become

385
00:24:34,790 --> 00:24:36,160
such strangers.

386
00:24:38,790 --> 00:24:39,680
Alright, alright.

387
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:41,750
That's enough.

388
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:43,200
Huayong,

389
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,240
we'll do as you wish.

390
00:24:49,350 --> 00:24:50,310
I didn't expect

391
00:24:50,830 --> 00:24:52,640
you'd ask to postpone the wedding.

392
00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:57,680
I don't want to force you,

393
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,400
but I can't bring myself to call it off.

394
00:25:01,790 --> 00:25:03,310
This was the only compromise.

395
00:25:07,070 --> 00:25:08,830
I've never begged anyone,

396
00:25:10,112 --> 00:25:11,350
but I ask only this of you.

397
00:25:12,590 --> 00:25:13,960
Please give me a little more time.

398
00:25:19,020 --> 00:25:21,620
(Prince Ding's Manor)

399
00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:28,680
Cui Jinbai!

400
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,310
How dare you!

401
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:33,776
By what right do you come
to my manor to arrest my wife?

402
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:34,790
What crime

403
00:25:35,350 --> 00:25:36,480
has she possibly committed?

404
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,510
The assassins outside the capital

405
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,400
were found bearing Nanzhou's emblem.

406
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:43,350
They've confessed.

407
00:25:44,110 --> 00:25:45,000
His Majesty has ordered

408
00:25:45,184 --> 00:25:46,320
Princess Ding

409
00:25:46,340 --> 00:25:48,960
to assist with the investigation
at the Court of Judicial Review.

410
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:49,720
What?

411
00:25:59,750 --> 00:26:01,790
His Majesty has arrived!

412
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:11,830
The Court of Judicial Review found

413
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,200
Prince Ding's military seal
at the assassins' hideout.

414
00:26:15,790 --> 00:26:17,480
Did Changtai give it to you?

415
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:19,880
Prince Ding never guarded against me.

416
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:21,960
Whatever I asked for,

417
00:26:22,350 --> 00:26:23,880
he gave me without hesitation.

418
00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:25,680
Getting the seal was easy.

419
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,550
Since you knew how much he loved you,

420
00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:30,350
why did you

421
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,550
betray his trust?

422
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:34,720
I told him long ago

423
00:26:36,128 --> 00:26:37,750
that my heart held nothing but hatred,

424
00:26:38,510 --> 00:26:39,750
and that he shouldn't marry me.

425
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:42,848
So how did I betray him?

426
00:26:42,850 --> 00:26:45,152
Victory and defeat, it's always
been the way of the world.

427
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:46,240
Such is fate.

428
00:26:50,310 --> 00:26:52,000
I'm not one
of your empire's noble ladies.

429
00:26:53,310 --> 00:26:55,110
I don't have their grace or tolerance,

430
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:56,960
nor do I understand fate.

431
00:26:57,880 --> 00:26:59,720
I only know that
I'm a princess of Nanzhou.

432
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:02,000
You destroyed my kingdom

433
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:03,550
and killed my parents.

434
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,000
I'll never forgive you for that.

435
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,720
Nanzhou had many princesses.

436
00:27:12,590 --> 00:27:14,790
How do you think you survived?

437
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,310
Because you

438
00:27:19,030 --> 00:27:20,880
married me to Prince Ding.

439
00:27:22,270 --> 00:27:22,830
Yes.

440
00:27:24,110 --> 00:27:25,310
He treated me well.

441
00:27:26,830 --> 00:27:28,590
He knew nothing of my plans.

442
00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,550
I alone will bear the blame.

443
00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,480
Since you know your
crime is punishable by death,

444
00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:36,110
then I

445
00:27:37,310 --> 00:27:39,110
will grant you that death today.

446
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:41,350
Wait!

447
00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:43,550
Father!

448
00:27:45,310 --> 00:27:45,830
Father!

449
00:27:48,830 --> 00:27:49,680
Please,

450
00:27:50,790 --> 00:27:52,000
spare Yanyan.

451
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:54,960
Yanyan and I

452
00:27:56,310 --> 00:27:57,510
may have been

453
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,070
matched by your decree,

454
00:28:01,030 --> 00:28:02,200
and between us

455
00:28:02,750 --> 00:28:04,240
stood the hatred of a fallen kingdom.

456
00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:06,480
But after we married,

457
00:28:08,310 --> 00:28:10,440
I came to love her with all my heart.

458
00:28:16,350 --> 00:28:17,240
Changtai,

459
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,750
since you're pleading for her today,

460
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,480
then perhaps this cup of poisoned liquor

461
00:28:25,270 --> 00:28:26,510
should be yours instead.

462
00:28:27,264 --> 00:28:28,830
Then please grant me the liquor, Father.

463
00:28:28,830 --> 00:28:29,680
Xiao Changtai!

464
00:28:36,310 --> 00:28:37,440
Xiao Changtai...

465
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:39,000
Don't.

466
00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:00,640
Yanyan.

467
00:29:02,310 --> 00:29:03,350
It seems that in this life,

468
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:05,880
I wasn't destined

469
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,000
to grow old with you.

470
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:13,350
Take care of yourself.

471
00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:15,440
Xiao Changtai!

472
00:29:27,270 --> 00:29:28,640
Xiao Changtai!

473
00:29:30,790 --> 00:29:31,590
No!

474
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:34,350
No...

475
00:29:40,736 --> 00:29:43,110
Prince Ding really drank the
poisoned liquor for Li Yanhui.

476
00:29:43,590 --> 00:29:45,440
Is Prince Ding really
gone just like that?

477
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:47,070
He won't die.

478
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,590
If His Majesty punished
Li Yanhui too severely,

479
00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:52,240
it would alarm the other kingdoms.

480
00:29:52,830 --> 00:29:55,400
Even if foreign tribes wished to submit,

481
00:29:55,590 --> 00:29:56,830
they'd think twice.

482
00:29:57,270 --> 00:30:00,030
So His Majesty only
meant to teach her a lesson.

483
00:30:00,096 --> 00:30:02,200
He never intended to
kill her or Prince Ding.

484
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,680
Your Highness, you knew all along.

485
00:30:03,952 --> 00:30:06,200
The liquor His Majesty gave
him wasn't poisoned at all.

486
00:30:06,310 --> 00:30:07,920
Prince Ding woke up soon afterward

487
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,192
and has already been
taken back to his residence.

488
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:11,110
Zhen Zhu.

489
00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,160
Since when did you learn
to keep me in suspense?

490
00:30:16,110 --> 00:30:18,510
But His Majesty ordered Li Yanhui

491
00:30:18,510 --> 00:30:19,790
not to leave the residence.

492
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:21,400
The imperial princes

493
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:22,960
may all be formidable men,

494
00:30:23,024 --> 00:30:24,790
but every one of them
is hopelessly devoted.

495
00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:26,920
Now that the wedding has been postponed,

496
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:28,750
I wonder what the Crown Prince

497
00:30:28,750 --> 00:30:30,000
will do next.

498
00:30:33,100 --> 00:30:39,500
(Duke of Wei's Manor)

499
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,640
Dry weather! Mind your fires!

500
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,480
Dry weather! Mind your fires!

501
00:31:02,790 --> 00:31:06,880
Dry weather! Mind your fires!

502
00:31:21,790 --> 00:31:23,310
What are you doing here?

503
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:25,680
Watching over her, of course.

504
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:28,550
If you truly love her,

505
00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:30,680
you should keep it to yourself

506
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,200
instead of disturbing her.

507
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:37,880
Your wedding has been postponed.

508
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:40,990
What makes you so confident
in saying this to me?

509
00:31:43,310 --> 00:31:44,830
Some things work out better with time.

510
00:31:45,510 --> 00:31:46,830
Are you really so sure

511
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:48,590
she'll still marry you?

512
00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:53,790
I've never doubted it.

513
00:31:55,790 --> 00:31:57,960
She is my lawfully betrothed wife.

514
00:31:58,480 --> 00:31:59,240
Changqing,

515
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:01,640
your wife has been gone for years.

516
00:32:02,064 --> 00:32:03,550
I don't want to see you like this.

517
00:32:03,550 --> 00:32:05,270
Spare me your noble excuses.

518
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:07,920
The Crown Prince

519
00:32:08,384 --> 00:32:09,960
is trying to steal his brother's wife?

520
00:32:11,070 --> 00:32:12,400
What happened to your virtue,

521
00:32:12,590 --> 00:32:13,830
your kindness and devotion?

522
00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:16,736
Can't keep up the act anymore?

523
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,720
She never loved you.

524
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,270
So why act as though you've lost her?

525
00:32:59,550 --> 00:33:01,270
Zhaoning belongs only to herself.

526
00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,160
No one can take her away.

527
00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:11,160
She can only be won by her own choice.

528
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:58,310
What have you come

529
00:33:59,550 --> 00:34:00,960
to ask of me today?

530
00:34:01,270 --> 00:34:02,680
Father,

531
00:34:02,752 --> 00:34:05,648
please end Crown Prince's engagement
to Commandery Princess Zhaoning.

532
00:34:11,590 --> 00:34:12,920
I didn't hear you clearly.

533
00:34:14,030 --> 00:34:15,110
Say that again.

534
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:19,510
End their engagement.

535
00:34:19,510 --> 00:34:20,550
Absurd!

536
00:34:22,030 --> 00:34:23,960
I still can't let go of Her Highness.

537
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:25,840
If I don't marry her,

538
00:34:25,952 --> 00:34:27,590
I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

539
00:34:27,590 --> 00:34:28,630
How dare you!

540
00:34:30,110 --> 00:34:31,230
Did you come here today

541
00:34:31,670 --> 00:34:33,590
expecting me to believe

542
00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,880
that Commandery Princess Zhaoning
is Gu Qingzhi

543
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:37,320
and listen to that nonsense again?

544
00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,070
Then consider me mad, Father.

545
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:43,110
Please grant my request.

546
00:34:58,880 --> 00:34:59,760
Changqing.

547
00:35:00,550 --> 00:35:02,190
Of all my sons,

548
00:35:02,670 --> 00:35:04,070
you command the greatest respect.

549
00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:06,000
You are also

550
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,320
the son I value most.

551
00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:10,360
Huayong

552
00:35:10,550 --> 00:35:12,000
may be the Crown Prince,

553
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,670
but he doesn't have long to live.

554
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:15,760
For years now,

555
00:35:17,030 --> 00:35:18,800
my only wish

556
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,360
has been for him

557
00:35:20,510 --> 00:35:21,800
to live as he pleases,

558
00:35:22,190 --> 00:35:23,510
happy and free of worry.

559
00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:25,710
But you're different.

560
00:35:26,230 --> 00:35:27,760
You know full well

561
00:35:28,590 --> 00:35:29,960
that for over the past decade,

562
00:35:30,070 --> 00:35:32,590
I've been grooming you

563
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,760
as the true heir to the throne.

564
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:39,630
But look at you now.

565
00:35:41,150 --> 00:35:42,510
Consumed by love,

566
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,440
miserable every day,
with no ambition left.

567
00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,070
How can I possibly

568
00:35:48,030 --> 00:35:51,070
entrust this empire

569
00:35:51,070 --> 00:35:52,230
to someone like you?

570
00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:54,670
Back then,

571
00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:57,280
for Gu Qingzhi,

572
00:35:57,550 --> 00:35:59,110
you willingly clipped your own wings

573
00:35:59,590 --> 00:36:01,030
and vowed to mourn her for life.

574
00:36:01,190 --> 00:36:01,960
And now,

575
00:36:02,710 --> 00:36:04,840
are you going to give up the throne

576
00:36:05,070 --> 00:36:07,190
for Commandery Princess Zhaoning, too?

577
00:36:09,710 --> 00:36:10,960
My heart

578
00:36:11,150 --> 00:36:12,440
has never changed.

579
00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:13,190
You...

580
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,670
Well, well, Changqing.

581
00:36:41,630 --> 00:36:42,840
Greetings, Prince Ning.

582
00:36:43,230 --> 00:36:45,320
Why are you guarding the palace gates?

583
00:36:48,150 --> 00:36:49,710
Word around the palace is

584
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,190
you asked Father to let
you marry Commandery Princess Zhaoning

585
00:36:52,190 --> 00:36:53,590
and sent him into a rage.

586
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:55,400
So the rumors are true.

587
00:37:00,550 --> 00:37:01,670
Guarding the palace

588
00:37:02,190 --> 00:37:03,280
is an important duty.

589
00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:05,960
Father is giving me a
chance to prove myself.

590
00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:07,630
Unlike you,

591
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,360
who enjoys a generous salary

592
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:10,896
and spends every day at leisure.

593
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,190
Father must care for you deeply.

594
00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:15,000
All he wants is for you

595
00:37:15,190 --> 00:37:16,710
to live a peaceful, carefree life.

596
00:37:19,190 --> 00:37:21,110
Grandmother has just chosen

597
00:37:21,110 --> 00:37:23,320
the daughter of Vice Minister
Hu Zhengyang for me.

598
00:37:23,424 --> 00:37:25,320
The Hu family has been
prominent for generations

599
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,150
and holds great influence at court.

600
00:37:27,230 --> 00:37:29,320
That shows how highly she values me.

601
00:37:31,710 --> 00:37:32,710
Then allow me

602
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:34,110
to congratulate you.

603
00:37:34,630 --> 00:37:35,840
But then again,

604
00:37:36,030 --> 00:37:39,440
Commandery Princess Zhaoning has never
given you a second glance.

605
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:42,400
Changqing,

606
00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,670
you've always been praised by everyone

607
00:37:45,670 --> 00:37:48,550
as a gifted man of
both letters and arms.

608
00:37:50,550 --> 00:37:51,760
How could you

609
00:37:52,710 --> 00:37:54,320
be so foolish?

610
00:38:14,230 --> 00:38:15,510
Greetings, Prince Xin.

611
00:38:16,976 --> 00:38:18,030
What are you doing here?

612
00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:20,280
Today is the day

613
00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,150
I pay my respects to
the Empress Dowager.

614
00:38:22,992 --> 00:38:24,496
I heard that for asking to marry me,

615
00:38:24,576 --> 00:38:27,480
His Majesty punished you by
making you guard the palace gates.

616
00:38:28,208 --> 00:38:30,160
Even if I were sent to
guard the imperial tombs

617
00:38:31,630 --> 00:38:33,000
or exiled to the frontier,

618
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:37,150
I wouldn't complain.

619
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:44,710
Are you willing

620
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:47,710
to leave with me?

621
00:38:52,912 --> 00:38:55,280
We could leave the capital's
power struggles behind,

622
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,320
withdraw from the world,

623
00:38:59,110 --> 00:39:00,760
and live a peaceful, free life.

624
00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:04,304
Even those with power and status

625
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:05,710
must tread carefully.

626
00:39:07,230 --> 00:39:08,800
Why would becoming commoners

627
00:39:09,110 --> 00:39:10,630
guarantee peace and freedom?

628
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:12,720
The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

629
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:14,030
turned their backs on society

630
00:39:14,464 --> 00:39:16,110
and lived as freely as they pleased.

631
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,030
But how did they end up?

632
00:39:20,110 --> 00:39:20,920
Escaping the world

633
00:39:21,670 --> 00:39:23,320
is nothing but self-deception.

634
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:27,070
Your Highness.

635
00:39:30,150 --> 00:39:31,190
Prince Xin,

636
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,630
even if you asked me a thousand times,

637
00:39:35,190 --> 00:39:36,590
my answer would still be no.

638
00:39:46,180 --> 00:39:49,740
(Favorable Weather)

639
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:54,150
I wish to report corruption!

640
00:39:54,192 --> 00:39:56,110
(Corrupt Appointments and Fraud)
Someone bribed the evaluating official,

641
00:39:56,144 --> 00:39:57,440
altered the candidate rankings,

642
00:39:57,710 --> 00:39:58,880
smuggled notes into the exam,

643
00:39:59,030 --> 00:40:00,280
and cheated!

644
00:40:00,630 --> 00:40:02,960
The newly appointed top
candidate is an ignorant fraud

645
00:40:03,150 --> 00:40:04,960
who has deceived everyone!

646
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:07,590
I wish to report corruption!

647
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:09,536
Someone bribed the evaluating official

648
00:40:09,568 --> 00:40:11,150
(Favorable Weather)
and altered the candidate rankings!

649
00:40:11,150 --> 00:40:12,710
There was cheating in the exam!

650
00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,230
I heard this year's top
candidate is barely qualified

651
00:40:16,230 --> 00:40:17,550
and bought his way in.

652
00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,000
Nothing matters more than scholarship.

653
00:40:21,150 --> 00:40:23,710
We've never heard of
exam fraud in this dynasty.

654
00:40:23,710 --> 00:40:25,760
But these shocking rumors

655
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:27,360
are so detailed

656
00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:28,800
that they're hard not to believe.

657
00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:30,710
Who's the new top candidate?

658
00:40:31,150 --> 00:40:32,150
His surname is He.

659
00:40:32,176 --> 00:40:34,550
He's a distant relative of the
Imperial Academy Chancellor.

660
00:40:38,670 --> 00:40:40,070
Someone has accused you

661
00:40:40,630 --> 00:40:42,360
of bribing the examiner

662
00:40:42,510 --> 00:40:43,840
and being unworthy of your rank.

663
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:46,590
Today, I'll set the question myself

664
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:48,800
and test you personally.

665
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:20,590
This is utter nonsense!

666
00:41:21,056 --> 00:41:22,880
You're nothing but an incompetent fool!

667
00:41:24,304 --> 00:41:25,590
Please calm down, Your Majesty.

668
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,400
I failed in my duty as proctor.

669
00:41:27,630 --> 00:41:28,630
I accept my guilt.

670
00:41:29,070 --> 00:41:31,230
Tell us exactly how you cheated.

671
00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:32,400
Leave nothing out.

672
00:41:32,670 --> 00:41:34,760
I happened to meet a scholar

673
00:41:35,190 --> 00:41:36,550
who was exceptionally talented.

674
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:38,550
But his grandfather had passed away,

675
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:39,840
so he was in mourning

676
00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:42,000
and couldn't sit this
year's examination.

677
00:41:42,010 --> 00:41:44,360
So I gave him the question
and asked him to draft an answer.

678
00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,360
Then I memorized it word for word.

679
00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:48,672
Have mercy, Your Majesty!

680
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:50,840
How did you get the exam question?

681
00:41:54,190 --> 00:41:54,590
The...

682
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:56,464
The exam question...

683
00:42:06,230 --> 00:42:06,880
Your Highness.

684
00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:09,440
Prince Xin has openly

685
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:11,216
asked His Majesty for
Her Highness's hand.

686
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:13,590
Yet you're still sitting here so calmly.

687
00:42:14,070 --> 00:42:16,110
Aren't you afraid he'll steal her away?

688
00:42:19,030 --> 00:42:20,550
Rather than worry,

689
00:42:20,670 --> 00:42:22,190
I'd rather focus on what matters.

690
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:24,880
You mean the exam fraud case?

691
00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:27,000
That's right.

692
00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:30,860
Why don't we use this chance

693
00:42:30,870 --> 00:42:32,110
to promote a few more of them?

694
00:42:32,110 --> 00:42:33,280
We'd gain more capable people

695
00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:35,190
and uncover who's behind this.

696
00:42:36,224 --> 00:42:37,472
If their ranks are too low,

697
00:42:37,504 --> 00:42:39,490
they won't investigate
anyone close to the throne.

698
00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:42,320
No need.

699
00:42:44,630 --> 00:42:46,710
They all come from humble families

700
00:42:47,190 --> 00:42:48,710
with no connections at court.

701
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:50,960
I've given them a chance,

702
00:42:51,190 --> 00:42:52,440
but from here on,

703
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:54,190
they must make their own way

704
00:42:54,190 --> 00:42:55,670
and prove what they're capable of.

705
00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:58,000
Only then will they earn their place.

706
00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:14,230
Say what's on your mind.

707
00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:15,960
I just feel that

708
00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,150
you used to act decisively,

709
00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:21,230
rather than take things
step by step like this.

710
00:43:23,190 --> 00:43:24,150
Back then,

711
00:43:25,230 --> 00:43:27,030
all I wanted was to find

712
00:43:27,104 --> 00:43:28,960
who poisoned me as quickly as possible.

713
00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:30,760
But now,

714
00:43:32,670 --> 00:43:34,440
I want to think about
what's best for Xihe.

715
00:43:43,590 --> 00:43:46,070
Although Yunhuai has
gone beyond the frontier

716
00:43:46,070 --> 00:43:47,440
to seek treatment for me,

717
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:49,110
I'm still not sure

718
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:51,110
I'll survive what's coming.

719
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:53,030
I never should've drawn Xihe into this.

720
00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,230
She deserves someone
who can stay with her longer.

721
00:43:58,000 --> 00:43:59,440
But I can't let her go.

722
00:44:00,550 --> 00:44:02,590
For this selfish desire of mine,

723
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:05,510
all I can do is make it up to her.

724
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:09,190
So everything you're doing now

725
00:44:10,150 --> 00:44:11,360
is for Her Highness?

726
00:44:15,070 --> 00:44:16,760
Xihe cares deeply about the northwest,

727
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:19,110
and wants control over her own fate.

728
00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:22,400
Then I'll do everything I can

729
00:44:22,590 --> 00:44:24,150
to clear every path for her.

730
00:44:29,230 --> 00:44:30,480
Even if, in the end,

731
00:44:31,230 --> 00:44:32,630
I'm no longer by her side,

732
00:44:33,510 --> 00:44:36,360
she'll still have loyal officials
supporting her at court,

733
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:37,960
and she'll be able

734
00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:40,110
to live the life she wants.

735
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:51,340
(Taiji Hall)

736
00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:52,360
Talent

737
00:44:53,340 --> 00:44:54,960
is the foundation of a nation.

738
00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:56,960
Only with capable people in office

739
00:44:57,110 --> 00:44:58,480
can the people

740
00:44:58,512 --> 00:45:00,230
be educated and taught proper conduct.

741
00:45:00,670 --> 00:45:02,360
This examination fraud case

742
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:05,230
is extremely serious.

743
00:45:05,248 --> 00:45:06,976
It must be thoroughly investigated.

744
00:45:07,008 --> 00:45:07,840
Ministers,

745
00:45:08,670 --> 00:45:09,670
is anyone willing

746
00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:11,880
to take on this responsibility?

747
00:45:23,190 --> 00:45:24,880
Not one official in this court

748
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:27,590
has the courage

749
00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,320
to take on this difficult task?

750
00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:48,150
Father.

751
00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:49,880
I'll do it.

752
00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:04,230
Now,

753
00:46:04,256 --> 00:46:06,000
I don't even have
three or five years left.

754
00:46:06,230 --> 00:46:07,510
How much time do you have?

755
00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:08,320
A year.

756
00:46:08,710 --> 00:46:10,000
For that one year,

757
00:46:10,150 --> 00:46:11,800
I'll be a good wife to you.

758
00:46:12,512 --> 00:46:14,440
Each dawn, each dusk,
each moment together,

759
00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:15,440
that will be a lifetime.

760
00:46:15,450 --> 00:46:18,140
(An Auspicious Day for Marriage)
I chose the nearest auspicious date.

761
00:46:18,150 --> 00:46:20,192
The bridal procession
from the East Palace is here!

762
00:46:25,430 --> 00:46:28,370
♪I've hidden so many words♪

763
00:46:28,990 --> 00:46:31,790
♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

764
00:46:32,660 --> 00:46:39,630
♪So never uncover♪

765
00:46:39,820 --> 00:46:42,180
♪The sand that slips away
with one grasp♪

766
00:46:43,310 --> 00:46:46,040
♪The flower that withers
after one bloom♪

767
00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:52,340
♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

768
00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:56,920
♪Every answer I gave♪

769
00:46:57,720 --> 00:47:00,570
♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

770
00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:04,730
♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes
when I hurt you♪

771
00:47:04,990 --> 00:47:08,300
♪How hard it truly was?♪

772
00:47:11,270 --> 00:47:14,710
♪The wounds that healed
with just a little comfort♪

773
00:47:15,700 --> 00:47:18,030
♪The lies made whole
with a single embrace♪

774
00:47:19,300 --> 00:47:25,060
♪Pretending to be brave
as if I'd never been hurt♪

775
00:47:26,470 --> 00:47:29,600
♪It's a shame I never could♪

776
00:47:30,050 --> 00:47:33,060
♪Give you a moon in return♪

777
00:47:33,170 --> 00:47:39,810
♪With the same open heart you loved me♪

778
00:47:39,810 --> 00:47:43,480
♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

779
00:47:44,350 --> 00:47:47,110
♪Never knowing I was lost♪

780
00:47:47,550 --> 00:47:50,680
♪Why don't you take me away?♪

781
00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:57,070
♪Lead me out of this endless game
of hide-and-seek♪

782
00:47:58,470 --> 00:48:02,020
♪You'll never♪

783
00:48:02,300 --> 00:48:11,770
♪Know how much I long to, long to♪

784
00:48:37,940 --> 00:48:41,420
(No animals were harmed
in the making of this film)