Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Palace of Devotion]

[This drama is based on historical data and legends.]

[The story and characters portrayed are fictitious.]

[Episode 27]

He... he's been patient for many years in Liao

and finally came back to capital for family reunion.

Why did he change his mind again and say that he wanted to go back?

Mu Yi is Yang's warrior

and also Song's courtier.

After he came back to Dongjing,

His Majesty rewarded him and treated him as a leading courtier.

But he's already married to Princess Tie Jing.

Song have alliance with Liao for many years.

We are friend and ally.

How could we detain their Consort Prince?

I knew

you and Ji'er had received cares from Mu Yi

when you were in Liao.

You and Mu Yi...

Sister,

did he do it out of free will?

Madam, come push.

Right!

Come, madam, push harder.

Almost there.

Madam, come. Breath and push hard.

Push harder! Madam, madam.

Right! Come, again.

Come, one more.

Great! Madam, good!

Congratulation, Your Highness. It's a boy.

It really shouldn't be.

It shouldn't be.

I remember at the day when You'er left,

I can't even see him one last time.

I was standing outside the door.

A door between us and we're living apart now.

I wished to see him,

hug him.

But I was scared at that time.

I wasn't afraid of being infected with smallpox.

If I could die with You'er,

it's my responsibility as a father.

[Classic of Filial Piety]

I was afraid of seeing the

desperation in You'er's clear eyes.

I, as an emperor,

couldn't do anything.

You'er knew his father loved him

and missed him.

Why would he blame you?

There's a reason

for everything that happens in the world,

but You'er was too young.

During that 11 short years,

what would be the cause for that?

I heard Yuan Fen was bestowed a seventh son today.

I was thinking

it must be me who dragged the prince

because of my unluckiness.

Yuan Kan,

I won't allow you to sell yourself short

and worry too much.

If Sister Guo knew,

she would feel uneasy too.

I'm really sorry for the Empress.

I shouldn't be harsh to her.

I shouldn't warn and punish her.

That worsened her situation,

caused her and You'er

left me early on.

I always dream about

You'er playing under

the buttonwood in the royal park every night.

I saw him

seriously attaching the arrow to the bow

with his tight little face.

Yuan Kan.

Ying'er,

I wish to perform a

proper service for You'er in this palace.

And for Ji'er.

Ji'er?

Yes, our Ji'er.

I've never forgotten him.

To my son, I go mad whenever I think about you.

I wrote this in deep sorrow.

Hope that you will hear about it.

[Though the body is destroyed, the spirit lives on.]

I only wish you, my son, could rest in peace,

[Not just a tear in the heart...]

not to suffer the pain from the six destinies of rebirth.

Although your body is gone,

may your spirit come back to us.

[List of betrothal gifts]

I heard that

the Chancellor of Treasury is over 40 years old,

and his son is already married.

Our Yu Ru has just turned 18.

How can they match?

Wife,

do you know who Ding Wei's son, Ding Xian Rong,

was married to?

Princess Ling Yang.

Princess Ling Yang had royal intermarriage with foreign land

but she is the Emperor's sister after all.

Ding Xian Rong became the rightful

Consort Prince after marrying her.

Wife,

do you understand my intention now?

But there's a large age gap

between Yu Ru and Ding Wei.

I feel

rather offended.

Not quite, wife.

We have to choose a talented spouse

for our daughter.

How could we choose them by their age

and appearance?

Ding Wei is the chancellor of treasury.

He manages the money and taxes of the imperial court.

Ding Wei's career is way beyond the chancellor of the treasury.

He has great potential.

That means

this is a good marriage for Yu Ru.

Of course.

This fragrance is strong but no dregs

and smells a bit spicy

but it's refreshing.

This is Suhe fragrance.

I heard it's a tribute from Dashi.

It was a gift from Sister Guo.

It's untied.

Why aren't Sister and His Majesty coming?

I've read it in a book before.

Mixing Suhe fragrance, magnolia, angelica,

and licorice together

works wonders in cleaning and nourishing the hair.

With long-term use, it can prevent the hair from turning Grey.

But unfortunately,

my hair has turned Grey long ago.

I'm afraid that your painstaking care

will be wasted.

Your Majesty is in the full bloom of youth.

It's simply because you've thought too much recently.

It's only some Grey hair, you don't have to worry.

Tonight is the Mid-Autumn night.

We should put down everything in our hearts,

and try to enjoy.

Yuan Kan, what's wrong?

My head...

Are you having headache again?

I ask Eunuch Zhang to call for the court physician.

No!

No!

Yuan Kan.

It's festival night. If I call for the court physician,

it will cause panic in the whole palace

and that will make me feel unease.

Just told them that I caught a cold.

No need.

The court physician is going to say the same thing anyway.

I'm tired of hearing it.

Let me get some rest, okay?

I'll give you a massage then.

[Shou An, daughter of Noble Consort Pan]

I feel more comfort now.

Ying'er,

what is the time now?

It should be past nine at night.

Yuan Kan, if you wish to rest,

I can ask Eunuch Zhang to pass the message.

Forget it.

I'm fine.

After the Empress and You'er were gone,

it's been a

long time to have happy event in this palace.

In this Mid-Autumn Festival,

I wish

to make the palace become lively through it.

After all,

this is Ying'er's first Mid-Autumn Festival

since you entered the palace.

I wish to

spend the festival with you too.

Okay.

I'll listen to you.

Let me comb Your Majesty's hair.

Didn't Your Majesty said

you feel comfortable when I comb your hair?

This wooden comb...

Yuan Kan, do you still

remember this wooden comb?

This is a gift from Your Majesty when I first

entered Duke Xiang's Residence.

Of course I remember.

I still remember

you told me that

you'd never been to Dongjing

and wished to linger around.

That's why I took you

to the most lively market on the east of the city.

You looked extremely

happy at that time.

You'd been attracted by the things around you.

I wanted to buy you

everything as gifts.

But you only chose this

unremarkable wooden comb at last.

Then, I left in a hurry

and didn't have time to take this wooden comb.

I felt a deep sense of loss.

Luckily, Nanny sent

every item that I'd used in Duke Xiang's Residence

to me a while ago.

That's how I found it.

I'm glad since

it was recovered.

But not everything

could be recovered.

When the sun is gone,

prepare to watch the stars shine upon.

If you could keep praying in heart,

things could be different.

Hope everything in the world

could be the way just like you said.

Tie the hair for me.

People in Chun Luan Pavilion

should've waited for a long time.

You're feeling better?

Here comes the Emperor!

My deputies, as you were.

This is a family dinner.

Be at ease, my deputies.

Brother.

Look, it's untied.

Ying'er, take a seat.

In the past, during Mid-Autumn Festivals,

I would always hold a feast in Da Qing Hall

and have fun with the governors.

Although they got to bask in imperial favour,

they lost the opportunity to spend time with their families.

So I only held a family dinner this year.

Hope everyone can return home

and enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Your Majesty is wise.

Your Majesty, thanks for holding this dinner.

Come,

cheers to you.

Jing Zong, has Yuan Fen shown up yet?

Your Majesty might forget about it.

Before nightfall,

Duke Ji has sent someone to reply.

He said Duchess Ji's little prince

was feeling unwell.

They have to stay and take care of him.

So they will not enter the palace to celebrate.

They specifically sent someone to apologize

by sending mooncakes over.

Look,

Yuan Fen already has his seventh son.

But I haven't congratulated him in person.

Jing Zong.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Send the court physician there.

And bring me the golden longevity lock.

This is my gift for my nephew.

Wishing him well and healthy.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Distribute the mooncakes Yuan Fen brought to everyone

and share the joy.

Yes.

Your Highness...

Try this.

Your Majesty, I'm sick of hearing the stringed and woodwind instruments

of the musician in the palace.

Especially the music that plays in every festival.

There're always the same.

So what's your opinion?

I heard that

the Virtuous Consort is good at drumming.

Sister served as an entertainer in the residence of Duke Qin

who rebelled.

In every festival or party,

Sister would delight the crowd with the other entertainers.

Could you do me a great honor

and let us have the chance to enjoy

your drumming?

Your Majesty, today is a family dinner,

a day for family reunion.

I'm fine playing improvisations.

It's just that drumming is vigorous,

it's incompatible with this tenderness

ambiance.

It can work if there are other instruments

that can play chords.

Your Majesty,

I heard that the Noble Consort is good at playing Guqin.

Why don't we let the Noble Consort play first?

Isn't Guqin more suitable in this festive occasion?

Ying Luo is right.

Noble Consort, what do you think?

Your Majesty...

Your Majesty, it's the right combination by

matching Guqin and drum.

It's been a long time since I played drums.

I wish to play it as well.

How about letting me and the Noble Consort play

a song together?

It's been a while since I've heard you play drums.

Why don't you play a song for me?

Your Highness! Sister!

Ying'er, are you hurt?

Your Highness!

I'm fine.

Why is there a raccoon falling from the sky?

My apologies for startling Your Majesty and Your Highness.

Jing Zong.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Pass my message, search the entire palace.

Make sure to find out the origin

of this raccoon for me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Don't spare any inch of it!

Search!

Do you see any anomaly?

Your Majesty, there's no moon and star tonight.

It's hard for me to observe.

It's been many years

since a raccoon has appeared in this palace.

It's already been more than 30 years.

Do you know

the origin of this injunction?

At a midnight in October during the ninth year of Kai Bao,

Emperor Taizu was dying.

He called Emperor Taizong to go to Wan Shou Hall.

What seemed like a discussion was in fact the passing of the throne.

Emperor Taizong carried stigma of killing Emperor Taizu

since there was no one around at that time.

There's a folk tale

saying that Emperor Taizong held a sharp axe and struck Emperor Taizu.

There was

a raccoon got a glimpse of it at that time.

Emperor Taizu killed the raccoon as well

because he was terrified.

After Emperor Taizu's accession, he was afraid the spread of the rumors.

So he ordered to forbid the entire palace to have raccoons as pets.

Raccoon has been disappeared for more than thirty years

but it appears tonight.

What do you think this happens?

Or did someone do it purposely?

Or

it's a signal from the god?

I'm well versed in astrology and divination.

If Your Majesty allows me,

I'll give tonight's incident a reading.

Forget it.

It's late, we'll have the reading next time.

Does this ointment really work?

When I pick up the medicine at the court pharmacy,

court physician Dong said that

this ointment can remove the rotten skin and regenerate it.

So it's a bit strong,

Your Highness needs to bear with it.

Quickly finish it.

Your Highness,

I heard that

Eunuch Zhang brought the servants to

search through the palace last night

but nothing was found.

This made the Emperor furious

and give strict orders

that the raccoons discovered in the palace

have to be killed.

Where's the dead raccoon now?

It's said to be buried outside the palace by the servants.

It's buried?

Your Highness, what are you thinking?

Yi Jian, you're here.

Your Highness, don't you think

it's a bit odd that Noble Consort Pan asked you to play drum

on stage?

But she plays the instrument with me as well

and she got scratched by the raccoon.

It's hard to deduced without evidence

and it's not good for us to have assumption.

Yi Jian,

other than that,

have you discovered other anomalies?

I asked the court physician to check that raccoon after that

but nothing odd was found.

But it attacked Your Highness as if it was mad.

It seemed like it was irritated.

Luckily, Your Highness didn't get hurt

and the Noble Consort was scratched.

If all of this was intentional,

someone must be trying to make a stink

out of the raccoon attack on the Mid-Autumn night.

Now, it appears that

this doesn't work.

What a poor creature,

died under a sharp sword for nothing.

Are you blaming me, Your Highness?

Of course not.

Then you're feeling sorry for that raccoon.

Fret not, Your Highness.

After the incident last night,

I've reminded everybody

about Emperor Taizong's prohibition

of raccoons in the palace.

That's very nice of you.

Actually,

I saw a raccoon the day I entered the palace

to treat You'er's smallpox.

It was carried by an old court lady.

I went to the Empress' chamber this morning

and I saw that old court lady again.

Mammy,

why are you here alone?

Who cut your tongue out?

But her tongue is gone.

Can Your Highness confirm that this raccoon

was the one you saw last night?

I can't.

When I saw the raccoon,

it was like a shadow.

The old court lady and the raccoon disappeared

in the blink of an eye.

No matter what,

I hope that Your Highness won't

meddle with that raccoon.

Do you think

the raccoon was a bad omen, too?

I don't know if the raccoon

had anything to do with the bad luck,

but I do know

that taboos in the Empress and the consorts' palace

tend to invite trouble.

Please bear that in mind, Your Highness.

Big things

have small beginnings.

Last night may be just a start.

Can this vast palace

ever be free of raccoons?

Noble Consort,

His Majesty said

Your Highness was quite frightened

and scratched up yesterday.

So I was specifically ordered to send ointment and sedation over.

Thank you, eunuch.

Please thank His Majesty for me.

Noble Consort, if there's nothing else you need,

I'd like to excuse myself.

Your Highness,

this is the ointment which can regenerate skin too.

Looks like His Majesty still cares about Your Highness.

His Majesty never cast a glance at me

at the critical moment last night.

Ying'er, are you hurt?

Sister!

Why is there a raccoon falling from the sky?

Your Highness, you're hurt!

Jing Zong, pass my message.

Search the entire palace.

Make sure to find out the origin

of this raccoon for me.

All he can see is only Liu E.

I heard that

Consort Jie Yu, who entered the palace with the Virtuous Consort,

hasn't slept with His Majesty until now.

She hasn't slept with His Majesty?

I heard it from the servant

of His Majesty.

It shouldn't be wrong.

That lowly slave, Li Wan'er,

has been serving Liu E since they were at Duke Xiang's Residence.

She has been very supportive

and catering for many years.

Even she entered the palace and became master,

she still can't change her nature of slavery.

She has to listen to Liu E

let alone it's a big matter to serve the Emperor.

As long as the Virtuous Consort doesn't allow Consort Jie Yu to serve the Emperor,

does it mean

Consort Jie Yu won't have the chance to give birth to a prince

and compete for His Majesty's favour?

Then it's good for Your Highness.

In this palace,

only Your Highness and the Noble Lady

gave birth to two princesses for His Majesty.

What do you know?

What His Majesty wants is a prince.

But that's up to fate.

If fate has yet to come,

Your Highness can't force it.

Fate?

After Liu E entered the palace, Zhao You died first,

followed by Empress Guo.

At the Mid-Autumn dinner last night,

a raccoon appeared again

and injured me.

This is fate.

What do you think?

Your Highness is right.

Did you go to the Mid-Autumn dinner?

No.

So you haven't heard?

About what?

You don't know, right?

Why did you stop halfway?

Have you seen a raccoon?

No.

No? Then this will be a real surprise.

Hold on.

Tell us. What happened?

I tell you a thing.

What is it?

The Noble Consort got scratched by a raccoon.

The Noble Consort got scratched by a raccoon?

Yes.

Then?

Don't go, tell us more about it.

Right, tell us.

What's wrong? What happened?

Let me tell you.

That day at the Mid-Autumn dinner,

The Virtuous Consort summoned a raccoon by playing drum.

Really?

I saw it with my own eyes.

That raccoon originally pounced on the Virtuous Consort.

Your Highness was incriminated.

Many things have happened in the palace recently.

Right, many things.

Don't you think

all this is related to the Virtuous Consort?

First is the Empress and the Eldest Prince.

They were dead right after

she entered the palace.

Right.

Emperor Taizong ordered not to let

the Virtuous Consort enter the palace back then,

but His Majesty didn't follow the order.

Now that you mention it, that may really be the case.

The raccoons keep showing up in the palace in these few days.

Would it be a warning from Emperor Taizong?

No way! Watch your tongue!

Raccoons are bad luck.

Is the Virtuous Consort really a jinx?

Jinx could bring bad luck.

Consort Jie Yu.

Your Highness.

If you dare to gossip again,

I'll send you all to the laundry department.

Yes.

Your Highness,

are we still going to the Virtuous Consort's place now?

Sister, everyone said

it was you who attracted that raccoon.

It turned out that my drumming could attract raccoon.

How surprising.

I heard it for the first time too.

How could you be this calm?

But these rumors are related to the taboo of the raccoon.

If the deputies from the last dynasty knew it,

they would insinuate things and it's bad for you.

I think the incident happened at the Mid-Autumn night

is already going around.

That doesn't mean you should let them be.

How about we ask His Majesty to issue a decree to forbid the rumors?

If someone dares to criticize you again,

just lock him in the prison.

Do you still remember His Majesty controlling the flood

of the Yellow River in the third year of Zhi Dao?

There were Gun and Yu who controlled the flood in ancient times.

Gun used the soil of the Emperor to control the flood.

And Yu had land planning to pacify the nine states and all the islands.

So there are eight keywords in controlling a flood.

"Open channel to divert. Guide action as appropriate."

I understand.

You mean

the more the rumors are suppressed, the more it'll spread.

We should act according to the circumstances.

Since it's only a rumour, it'll fall apart

as time passes.

So we don't have to overreact

lest someone takes advantage of the situation.

Compared to the way of dealing with the rumors,

there's a bigger thing

in my heart.

What are you referring to?

I ascended that hill in the south, and gathered the turtle-foot ferns.

While I do not see my lord, my sorrowful heart is very sad.

Let me have seen him, let me have met him,

my heart will then be at peace.

Lin Lang,

why can't I see the scene outside the palace?

Your Highness,

the palace is nine li and 13 paces across.

How can the outside world be easily seen?

The palace gate seems so heavy

and the palace itself is as deep as the ocean.

Your Highness is now Consort Jie Yu

and is noble in the palace.

There's needless to think about the matters outside the palace.

Your Highness.

Nanny, you're here for?

I specially bring you some soup.

Today, I woke up and

started making this soup at dawn.

I used the chicken which was fed by corn.

It's suitable for someone who has deficiency-cold syndrome to eat.

It's so kind of you.

The Virtuous Consort is the one who is truly decent.

She has muttered to me many times

about how your ordeal in the cold North back then

had weakened your body.

And how she'd been feeling sorry for you ever since.

So she asked me to find a way

to nourish your body.

There're always

deceptions in this palace.

Real friends are hard to come by.

You should cherish it.

Actually,

I'm not trying to fuss about

anything with Sister.

Just that I can't get across the barrier in my heart.

Nanny, do you understand?

I understand.

But I'm afraid there's one thing

you've misjudged the Virtuous Consort.

You're referring to?

About Mu Yi going to North,

that wasn't the Virtuous Consort's idea.

The fact is he

can't get over that Liao princess.

Her Highness didn't tell you the truth to

keep you from grieving.

Eagle soars in the sky.

Its spouse should be an eagle as well.

How could it be a sparrow?

I should have known that.

I was being paranoid.

Thanks for telling me this, Nanny.

It's so rare to speak my mind

with Your Highness like this.

Nanny, you should come visit me more often.

You have no idea

how much I envy Ying Luo and Sister who have your care.

Every time I come,

I'm mostly in the Virtuous Consort's chamber.

You should go to the Virtuous Consort's chamber more often.

We'll naturally meet then.

I understand.

I've always liked you since back then

in Duke Xiang's Residence.

You have a great personality and orderly mind.

Do you still remember that year

you and I delivered the baby in the earthquake

for the late empress together?

At that time, the ground was shaking

and the houses were collapsing,

you desperately protected the late empress

and Lin'er with me.

That's when I know

you will succeed in the future.

Unfortunately, Lin'er was eventually killed by the bad guys.

And now the late empress is gone too.

Right.

They are gone.

Lin'er incident

has been haunting the Virtuous Consort.

Not to mention her subsequent loss of Ji'er and You'er.

It was a great blow to the Virtuous Consort.

She thinks she has failed the Emperor.

Sister never talks about

what's on her mind

but I knew it.

In the few months when I was in the North with Ji'er,

I treated him as my own child.

Losing him

tore me apart as well.

I wish I could suffer for him.

That way,

Sister could reunite with Ji'er and have a happy ending.

There's something

that the Virtuous Consort can't tell you.

Let me be frank with you.

It's true that the Virtuous Consort asked the Emperor

to grant you the title of Consort Jie Yu at first.

She did that to stop you from longing for Mu Yi.

Mu Yi!

She is Princess Tie Jing from Liao,

the apple of Empress Dowager Xiao's eye.

When the Liao envoy returned,

Mu Yi followed them back to Liao as well.

Sister,

did he do it out of free will?

I understand.

She was afraid you might get hurt,

so she decided to play the bad guy.

But if you keep isolating yourself in the palace,

wouldn't that cause people

to criticise the Virtuous Consort?

Your Highness,

the wind blows when the nightfall.

Your Highness has a weak body,

you should get back to the chamber and take a rest.

I'll bring some soup over tomorrow.

Thanks, Nanny.

Goodbye, Nanny.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

Pack up, we're going to Hui Ning Hall.

Yes.

[End of Episode 27]