Original subtitles

(Listening to the Stream)

Don't cry, okay?

I will play the rattle drum for you, how about that?

Time for sleep.

Be good.

He's asleep?

Here.

Soothing these two little ones

is harder than deploying troops and drawing up battle formations.

You've worked so hard, darling.

Hubby,

I've had an idea recently.

Tell me.

I want our two children...

one to be a scholar, and the other a warrior.

They'll complement each other.

What do you think?

You've thought this through carefully.

I'll do as you say.

Then,

what about us?

Since Shen Shijiu has already married Xiao Wenxi in my place,

I've decided

to assume the identity of the long-lost sister of the Marquis of Shunan

and marry you.

That way, we can be a real husband and wife.

For a lifetime,

my heart will never change.

Listen.

What is it?

That bird's call sounds like Baisui.

We've been living in seclusion in this paradise

for almost a year now.

We haven't had any news from the imperial capital.

I wonder how Xihe is doing,

and how the Crown Prince's health is.

If you're worried and concerned,

tomorrow,

I'll find a way to contact Zhao Zhenghao.

Be good.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

- There, there. Don't cry. - Don't cry.

Here.

Such good boys.

I will play with the rattle drum with you.

Be good.

=Blossoms of Power=

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

=Episode 34=

(Sixian Hall)

- What are you doing? - Don't move.

- Don't move. - Go.

- Go. - Let go of me!

- Let go of me! - Behave!

What are you all doing?

Let go of me!

(Sixian Hall) Don't move.

Don't move.

Let go of me!

Prince Xin, on what grounds

have you had my men seized?

Now that Father is bedridden,

a new rule has been issued in the palace.

The guards on duty

are to be rotated every three months.

Tian Yuan,

the guards of the East Palace

haven't been rotated in a long time, have they?

From this day forward,

they will be on duty with the Imperial Guard.

They are forbidden from setting foot in the palace again.

Do you think

that by replacing my men,

you've cut off my arms and legs?

When it comes to you, of course I have to be thorough.

If it's just a rotation of guards,

there's no reason to tie them up.

(Sixian Hall)

(Sixian Hall)

The importance of the East Palace

lies in upholding rules and etiquette.

Tian Yuan,

all of you will go for three months.

When the time is up,

you must all return safe and sound.

Yes, Your Highness.

Let's go!

What is it you truly want?

(Sixian Hall)

I want to be the father of the child in your womb.

You're truly insane.

Now that I can even obtain the entire world,

is there anything I cannot have?

I never imagined your grand ambition

was to be recorded by historians as a treacherous rebel.

You have more courage than a man.

You're not one to fear rumors.

Besides,

it is up to me to decide how history books

should be written from now on.

You obtained the imperial seal

just to satisfy your own twisted ambitions.

I'm just putting everything back in its rightful place.

You left me before

because I couldn't protect you.

Later, you married Xiao Huayong

because of his status as the legitimate heir.

Now, I have everything.

For you to come back to my side

is only natural.

Isn't it?

By the way,

I've instructed the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Wardrobe Service

to prepare for the wedding ceremony and your gown.

You don't need to worry about the formalities

of betrothal and inquiries.

Leave everything to me.

Changqing,

what in the world are you doing?

I'm going to marry Shen Xihe.

After the ceremony is over,

I will of course let you out.

She is the Crown Princess.

This is a flagrant disregard for morality!

She has always been my wife.

Rest assured,

I will give her the very best of everything in this world.

Watch him closely.

- Yes. - Yes.

Changqing!

Changqing!

Xiao Changqing!

Xiao Changqing!

(Life Flourishes in Splendor) You can't do this!

Changqing!

(Clarity and Serenity)

Your Highness,

none of the guards inside and outside the East Palace now

are our people.

The palace maids and eunuchs

are interrogated every time they enter or leave.

Where they're going, what they're doing,

what they're carrying,

everything is inspected.

Not even Mo Yu and I are exempt.

This is no better than being in prison.

Youyou, you are exceptionally clever.

This time,

I must inspect the pieces carefully,

lest you tamper with them again.

You must inspect them thoroughly.

Don't be a sore loser.

Youyou, you truly live up to your name as a general's daughter.

A game of Go is like a battlefield.

You fully grasp the principle of encircling with 10, attacking with five.

I'm truly in a bind.

If I'm inferior to you in every way,

one day,

you might grow tired of me.

What would I do then?

Your tactic of creating a diversion to conceal your true goal

is just as impressive.

I've lost.

Then I'll punish you

by having you make

another bowl of wontons for me.

I'm turning into the East Palace's personal cook.

Create a diversion

and conceal the true goal.

We, as husband and wife,

were always of one mind.

Mo Yu,

find someone and tell Prince Xin

that tomorrow,

I am going to Fahua Temple.

Yes.

Why the sudden urge

to go to Fahua Temple?

These past few days,

I've been restless.

I keep dreaming of the Crown Prince.

When the deceased appears frequently in one's dreams,

it may be that their soul is not at peace.

I want to go and pay my respects.

If you're not sleeping well,

I can have the imperial physician prescribe

some medicine to calm your nerves and help you sleep.

The imperial physician said I'm grieving too much,

and my heart is heavy with sorrow.

If this continues,

it will be detrimental to me and the child

in my womb.

Fahua Temple is far away.

I'm afraid the journey will be exhausting for you.

As the months go by,

my energy will only wane.

While I'm still in the early stages,

I want to bring our child to him.

You know,

I don't want to hear this.

This is a family matter for my husband, my child, and me.

You manage state affairs.

Must you meddle in my family matters as well?

All right.

If you're feeling uneasy,

then go and offer some incense.

I'll go with you.

I can take care of myself.

Don't worry.

If I don't go with you,

I won't be at ease either.

If you are truly so suspicious,

all the arrangements for the trip

can be made by you.

Excellent.

(Shijia Pagoda)

Holy Buddha,

please convey a few words on my behalf to my husband.

Winter has come.

The persimmon tree we planted has borne fruit.

Zhen Zhu, Mo Yu, and I

dried the persimmons into cakes.

They are very sweet.

I brought some for you to try.

The leaves of the ginkgo tree have fallen.

I found the best leaves

and made a new pillow for you.

Also, your favorite Wuyang tea.

I brewed it in advance.

Its fragrance still lingers.

Your affection

will surely reach Huayong.

I once came here

and prayed countless times

to see my wife again

and to be reunited with her.

The Buddha here

really answers prayers.

Your hands are red from the cold.

Your Highness, you needn't worry.

From now on, whatever you do,

I can go along with your wishes.

But there is one thing

you cannot refuse me.

Do you really think

that threats will get you what you want?

I will ask the Buddha

to bless our family of three.

Your child

is my child.

I will treat the child as my own.

For you to say such things in this holy Buddhist place,

how can the Buddha possibly bless you?

Without you,

I am the one forsaken by the gods

and my future is bleak and uncertain.

Your Highness,

are you all right?

I'm fine.

Youyou and Luming,

you are perfectly matched.

Although this is a risky gambit,

you believe I can win.

Right?

Today,

I have invited all of you, my ministers, to my residence

to announce

my marriage to the daughter of the Duke of Wei.

The wedding invitations

will be delivered to your residences in the coming days.

Your Highness,

allow us to say something.

The Crown Prince died while saving His Majesty.

But the Duke of Wei's daughter is still the Crown Princess.

And she is with child.

For you to marry her

goes against the rites and ethics of our dynasty.

Your Highness, what are you doing?

For so many years, we have risked our lives for the Rong family.

Do you

resort to killing us?

The eldest son of Minister Ren of the Ministry of Personnel

colluded with salt smugglers from the two river regions.

Using twelve official ships,

he smuggled 30,000 jin of illicit salt.

In our dynasty, salt and iron are managed by Salt Administration.

Illegally opening salt wells and smuggling salt

are punishable by execution according to the law.

The nephew of Minister Liang of the Ministry of Revenue,

under the pretext of surveying farmlands,

forcibly seized over 700 qing of fertile land in Heyang County.

The commoners Lv Zheng, Dong Qi, and Miao Anping

jointly filed a complaint at the prefectural office,

but were intercepted and beaten to death with clubs.

Minister Chen of the Palace Secretariat,

who is in charge of the palace guards,

has been privately selling positions in the Imperial Guard.

He has already accepted 25 kg of gold.

My dear ministers,

you've all followed the Rong family for years,

and are also

people of honor and propriety.

If you have any advice,

I am always open to it.

However,

if anyone has,

regarding my marriage to the Duke of Wei's daughter,

any further objections,

I will make sure they die without a grave.

Qingqing,

this is the betrothal gift I prepared for you.

It's exactly the same as the one from back then.

Your Highness,

how long will you keep deceiving yourself?

I've been thinking

about what exactly I need to do

for us to be together again.

So,

I'm using our

original way

to marry you once more.

Your Highness,

His Majesty summons the Crown Princess to the palace.

Your Majesty,

the Crown Princess has arrived.

Send her in.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Come closer.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Father, you have been ill for a long time.

You should be resting well.

I wonder what is the matter today

that you summoned me.

I know

my own body better than anyone.

It is beyond cure.

It's just

that I still have one

unfulfilled wish.

It's Huayong.

When he was dying,

the only thing he begged of me

was to bestow a name upon the child in your womb.

I know

the only thing Huayong couldn't let go of

was you and your child.

His greatest wish

was for you both to be safe and sound.

Your Majesty.

Hurry, summon the imperial physician!

There's no need.

There's no need.

Huayong.

My Huayong

is the Daxing Dynasty's

legitimate bloodline,

the Crown Prince of the East Palace.

Xihe,

the child in your womb

is his only bloodline,

and my own imperial grandson.

I summoned you today

because I

just want

to fulfill his wish

and issue an edict to name my imperial grandson.

The child in your womb,

I bestow the name

Junshu.

I've also thought of a formal name.

Xiao Junshu.

The name Junshu

implies one who governs the state.

That carries too much weight.

Will Father agree to it?

Trust me,

he will agree.

(Imperial Edict)

Pass on the decree.

Order the Directorate of Astronomy

to choose an auspicious day.

The Minister of Rites, assisted by the Chief Minister

will preside over the grand ceremony to invest the Imperial Grandson.

- I receive the decree. - I receive the decree.

Thank you for your profound grace, Your Majesty.

(Special Edict: The child born to Crown Princess, regardless of gender,)

(is named Junshu and established as Imperial Grandson to succeed the throne.)

I heard His Majesty issued an edict.

Where is the edict?

Noble Consort Rong,

His Majesty has issued an imperial decree

bestowing the name Junshu upon the unborn child of the Crown Princess.

If a boy is born,

he shall be invested as the Imperial Grandson and primary heir

to succeed the throne.

The edict is with Her Highness, the Crown Princess...

Insolent!

I am here.

How dare you speak out of turn?

The imperial edict has not yet been read.

I have not seen it myself.

How can it be considered valid?

Calm yourself, Your Highness.

The Minister of Rites, the Directorate of Astronomy

and the ministers of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs

were all personally appointed by His Majesty.

They are the regents meant to assist the Imperial Grandson.

As for the edict His Majesty issued today,

we can all bear witness to it.

- We can all bear witness. - We can all bear witness.

Guards!

- Yes! - Yes!

Escort these officials out.

Keep them with the other ministers.

- Yes. - Yes.

Go.

Go.

Noble Consort Rong, are you trying to stage a coup?

His Majesty's health was already improving.

Shen Xihe.

But you held His Majesty hostage

and forged the imperial edict.

Since you have doubts,

you should follow the ancestral customs all the more.

Wait for all the ministers to assemble

and read the edict publicly.

Your Highness,

our men have surrounded the palace.

So you knew all along

that His Majesty summoned me today

to name an heir.

You've been preparing for this.

The Crown Prince has passed away.

The foundation of the state is unstable.

I,

as a Noble Consort,

for the sake of the Daxing Empire,

must naturally be thorough in my considerations.

The position of Crown Prince

is tied to the fate of the nation.

How can it be entrusted

to an unborn child?

(Chenning Hall)

(Taiji Hall)

By order of Prince Xin,

His Majesty is unwell.

All ministers are ordered to enter the palace

to pray for His Majesty's well-being.

Who sent you?

How dare you draw your blades on court officials?

Everyone,

remain calm,

and your lives will be spared.

Otherwise,

you will be killed without mercy.

Now,

the key ministers of the court

have all been invited by me to the side hall.

Shen Xihe,

you've already lost.

If you hand over the edict,

I will grant you a white silk sash

to preserve your dignity.

Your maternal grandfather's Tao family

and the Duke of Wei's manor

may be spared.

Today, I

will announce to the world

that my son, Prince Xin, is virtuous and talented,

and shall inherit the throne.

You seem certain

that victory is in your grasp.

You are all alone.

What do you have to fight me with?

While I command a great army.

Who wins and who loses,

isn't it obvious at a glance?

- We'll protect Crown Princess to death! - We'll protect Crown Princess to death!

And here I was wondering who it could be.

It's just this group

of delicate, beautiful ladies from the inner palace.

Who dares?

I am the Crown Princess personally appointed by His Majesty.

My father is the Duke of Wei.

The tens of thousands of soldiers on northwest border

all take orders from my father and brothers.

My maternal family, the Tao family of Wuxing,

is a prominent clan south of the Yangtze.

Their students and former subordinates are spread throughout the court.

Before you make a move against me,

have you considered the consequences?

You,

Captain Sun.

Your father, Marshal Sun,

once served under my father's command.

It was my Shen family who recommended him,

allowing him to reach his current position.

Are you going to repay our kindness with enmity?

And you,

Captain Li.

Your esteemed brother, Commander Li,

once served under my brother, Shen Yun'an.

If not for my brother's strong defense,

he'd have been punished for dereliction of duty.

Has the Shen family

ever treated you unfairly?

Don't you forget,

I am the Princess of Lanhai.

Under my father, the king,

are hundreds of thousands of skilled archers.

If I were to meet an unfortunate end here today,

the alliance between our two nations would be immediately void.

Once war breaks out on the border,

can you afford

to pay the price?

For her own selfish desires, Noble Consort Rong

disregards the fate of our nation.

If today,

you heed her slanderous words

and raise your swords against the women of the palace,

once word gets out,

the northwestern tribes and the foreign tribes of the southern desert,

upon hearing of this great upheaval in our court,

will surely reignite the flames of war on the frontiers.

The cities and homes that those soldiers

traded their blood to protect,

the peaceful days the common people have so desperately awaited,

will all, because of you,

be for nothing.

The soldiers who shed their blood alongside you,

and the people you swore to protect with your lives,

how will they view

your actions today?

And how could you possibly face

your ancestors and fallen comrades in the afterlife?

What are you standing there for?

Gag them for me!

Your Highness, please forgive us!

- Your Highness, please forgive us! - Your Highness, please forgive us!

A bunch of useless fools.

Just a few delicate women,

and you're actually afraid of them?

For you to be so calm,

it seems you still have another move to make.

In less than an hour,

this royal city

will belong to us,

the Rong family.

It seems you'll have to use Xiao Wenxi.

Shen Xihe,

the final victory

doesn't depend on who has a flawless plan,

but on who can control people's hearts.

Xiao Wenxi remained unmarried for years,

waiting for Xiao Huayong.

She never stopped loving him.

And you?

You made her marry Bu Shulin.

You stole the one she loved most.

And you actually thought she would be grateful

and become your ally.

But for all your scheming,

you failed to account for a woman's heart,

which turns love to hate

and is driven mad by jealousy.

The real show

is about to begin.

(Residence of the Heir of the Marquis of Shunan)

The governor of Yingzhou is asking for help.

I must lead troops to reinforce them.

(Bu)

It's the Bu family's token for mobilizing the household troops.

I'm entrusting it to you now.

You must come back alive.

Take care.

(Bu)

The time has come.

Is everything ready?

Everything is ready.

Young Master Bu is already on his way to Yingzhou.

I have the token.

Are the men all here?

Yes. They're all waiting for orders outside the residence.

(Cultivate Virtue and Pursue Studies)

(Cultivate Virtue and Pursue Studies)

(Bu) Bu's Soldiers, hear my command!

- Yes! - Yes!

Move out!

I'm warning you one last time.

Do not interfere in anything.

Do you really think

I would give the throne to a mere child?

In today's struggle,

I will not back down.

Fine.

Today, except for you,

everyone else will die here.

♪How can you be this wonderful♪

♪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)