Original subtitles

Consort Yun...

Did you have a nightmare?

Go to sleep quickly.

This female servant is just afraid

that this is nothing but a dream.

In a whittle while,

the dream will come to an end

and this female servant will not be by Your Majesty's side...

Your Majesty...

How can it be?

I have always been here.

You do not need to worry.

Your Majesty...

You Majesty, are you still in Minfu Palace (Bright Lotus Palace)?

Your Majesty...

Yu'an...

Did gaining the favour of the emperor

make you happy again?

It was me

who took away your voice in the past.

If you listen to me

from now on

I will make all your dreams of last night

come true.

You also do not have to

be afraid of the empress dowager from now on.

Elder Sister Pin Yu's embroidery

is truly delicate.

It is because Elder Sister Pin Yu

was honing her skills when she was

suffering from endless boredom.

Do not stay in the Ziwei Palace (Carpe Myrtle Palace)

all the time in the future.

I will accompany Elder Sister to take a stroll around the palace.

This way, your illness

will also get better faster.

Xia Lan, serve tea.

This is my jewellery box.

Just now, Xia Lan helped me organize it

and forgot to put it away.

Xia Lan, put it away.

Yes.

Wait.

Does Elder Sister want to see it?

They are nothing but not eye-catching things.

Elder Sister Yu wanted to see Meiren Nie's necklace. (Meiren - "Beauty" - one of the ranks of the imperial consorts)

The one with the gemstone

that you often wear.

Gemstone?

Eunuch Li from Shangyuan Palace has arrived! (The Supreme Palace)

Li Jin of Shangyuan Palace

pays respects to Meiren Nie.

Forego with all ceremonies, Eunuch Li.

I wonder what brings Eunuch here?

Imperial Concubine Pin Yu and Meiren Ya are also here

so it saves this little one

another trip.

I came here today to inform both Imperial Concubines

that Empress Dowager goes to the Dongli Temple to pray for blessings

and invites Imperial Consort Yu and Meiren Nie

to accompany Princess Yunle upon the road.

We thank Empress Dowager for bestowed grace.

Both Imperial Concubines should get ready without delay.

This little one shall take his leave.

Being able to accompany the Empress Dowager to pray in the temple

is a favour that

many concubines cannot hope for.

I did not expect Younger Sister

to obtain such good luck so quickly.

How could that be?

It's all thanks to Elder Sister's good fortune.

Eradicating Miao Weicheng

was Gu Qinghong's last mission.

He is

of no value to me now.

Imperial Brother...

The treasure map

that led to the Miao's annihilation of the Xie family

has never left my hands.

What do you mean by this?

This is merely my strategy.

At that time, the overall situation of the world was undecided,

and every family in the world was eager

to make trouble over these treasures.

In order to

transfer their eagerness to leave the north,

the late emperor specially

created a fake treasure map

and transferred it to the hands of

the Xie Family in Huainan.

That Xie Family...

became the target of public criticism that year.

Xie Family...

Since the Zhou Dynasty,

it has been a world-famous

sword casting family.

It is only natural that most of the people in the world

have the ambition to hold sway over it.

Miao Weicheng was willing

to become a butcher in order

to follow Gao Family's idea.

Miao Weichang's hands

were stained with Xie Gu's blood

when he set the Huainan's Xie Family

on fire.

But... why did Miao Weicheng die?

Because Miao Weicheng got the treasure map

but didn't report about it.

His little thoughts

have long been perceived by the late emperor.

He went to great lengths to hide it,

but it was just a fake copy,

prepared by the late emperor

way in advance.

Miao Weicheng

has made meritorious contributions to my border defense

and was also an important court official.

One naturally

needed a good reason

to deal with him.

There was even a greater need

for a suitable candidate.

I have

saved him from the fire that year.

Was it also a part of the Imperial Brother's plan?

A man who lives for hatred

will naturally do whatever it takes

for revenge.

He was but a sharp sword for me to eradicate

Miao Weicheng.

However, this Xie Chengxuan

did not live up to my expectations.

When talking about viciousness,

he is even worse than me.

Imperial Brother,

your plan is truly deeply concealed.

There is one thing I have still not figured out.

How could you

unexpectedly fall in love with Gu Qinghong.

This makes me really disappointed,

because I am worried

that he will take advantage of your weakness

to make things difficult for me.

Therefore, you must put him down.

No.

Do you want my feelings

to become victims of your

hegemonist accomplishments?

Presumptuous!

You come from imperial lineage!

Our feelings belong to Great Li alone!

I only want one Gu Qinghong.

I don't care whether he is Xie Chengxuan

or whoever else.

I, Gao Yan, have set my mind on him!

You’d better bury these feelings.

I will not let my younger sister

marry a dying man.

Besides,

you'd better

not touch a man

who won't let go of his wife.

I will definitely prove it.

Gu Qinghong has me in his heart.

If I were to lose him,

I would betray my last name.

Imperial Brother, please think thrice about it.

Yan’er… Yan’er!

Gu Xiangguo

has not seen this princess for many days...

If I hadn’t asked Jiao Tong

to call on Prime Minister’s mansion three times,

I am afraid

you and I

would have nothing to do with each other.

Come in.

Humble minister, Gu Qinghong, pays a courtesy call to Princess.

Has Princess been faring well these days?

Minister Gu, please rise quickly.

How can a person whose heart has already been

hollowed out be well?

I do not know why your heart

is no longer with me

since you accidentally injured King of Lan.

What is this?

This is a portrait of Nie Wushuang,

the favourite concubine of Lan State’ ruler,

who I sent someone to investigate for me.

What… does Minister Gu know her?

Gao Yan,

what game do you want to play?

I should be asking you this.

Who is this Nie Wushang to Minister Gu?

What does a favourite concubine of the Lan State’ ruler

have to do with me?

In my opinion,

this relationship

is inextricably linked.

I heard that Nie Wushang

is a female entertainer from a foreign country

that was recommended by King of Rui.

The King of Lan fell in love with her at first sight

and immediately conferred her as cainu (Selected Lady - 2 levels below the title of Meiren)

and personally brought her to the palace.

Gao Yan,

I'm telling you one last time.

Miao Qianqian that made you

suspicious is dead.

And I was the one who shot the arrow

that made her fall to the bottom of the cliff.

It does not matter

whether she is Miao Qianqian or not

to me now.

Because I will never allow

the one I love

to love another woman

in his heart.

This won’t do, no matter

if she is alive

or dead.

Do you know

that a large number of refugees have fled to Lan State?

Refugees cannot be blamed for moving to Lan State

when the country is suffering from a disaster.

Then are you also aware

that sheds are set up around the city to serve porridge?

Of course, I am aware of it.

It is me who is distributing it

and it was granted by His Majesty himself.

Minister Gu is really considerate.

They can eat their fill

so they can gather their strength

and leave the country while fleeing to the Lan State.

But I am not so generous.

I have already

hidden a small punishment in the porridge.

You have poisoned the porridge?

These lowlives

are enjoying my imperial grace but then betraying their country and fleeing south.

What is the difference

between them and Miao Minghu?

The deaths of those who turn away from me should not be regretted.

The poison...

can not only poison the villagers

who drink the porridge to death.

What I want

is for them to move south with their sick bodies

and bring

a nail-biting plague

to the Lan State.

When the time comes, neither the subjects nor the people will survive

will survive.

Including

your favourite Nie Wushang,

who will die in a foreign land.

You...

You are out of your mind!

Why do you want to use such a despicable means

to ruin everything?

Let go of me! Le go!

On meanness,

I am not as good as you, Gu Qinghong.

But burning both jade and stone (destroying everything)

lays in my temperament.

You let Miao Qianqian

accidently hurt King of Lan.

Do you think my imperial brother does not know

about the Xie Family’s treasure map

or that the demise

of the Miao Family was caused by you?

It was all arranged by my Imperial Brother!

You said that Yuan’er unexpectedly poisoned the porridge and rice

meant for the refugees in the south

to destroy Nie Wushuang?

Yes.

Princes proceeded without hesitation

for the sake of the prime minister Guo.

There are some things that Gao Yan

does more beautifully than me.

Once the epidemic spreads,

it will not only shake

Lan State’s people

but also shake

popular feelings and morale of troops.

Your Majesty is brilliant. Your Majesty is brilliant.

Your Majesty...

Hurry up.

Paying respects to Your Majesty.

What did you

bring me again this time?

Replying to Your Majesty,

this time I have brought you

the phoenix that you have yearned day and night for.

Hurry up and open the cage for me.

Hurry up and open it.

Your Majesty, please take a look.

Cut off his head for me.

Your Majesty, spare my life.

This humble official thought it over.

The legendary phoenix

is an ancient divine beast.

If there is no Chinese parasol tree, it cannot sit down on it to rest.

But now

the world has turned upside down

and people are living in poverty.

This official...

And so you

wanted to fool me

with a peacock with a big tail?!

Cut off his head for me.

Hang it on the city gate

so that it dries completely!

Spare my life, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

This is the fourth official responsible for the birds

that you have beheaded.

Executing one as a warning to all.

Will other people dare to slack off afterwards?

Precious phoenix has no permanent place to rest.

All the birds pay homage to the phoenix...

This...

Let my birds

find the phoenix for me.

Dispatch people to chase after these birds.

Your Majesty, birds are flying in the sky.

No matter how fast a person is,

he will not be able to keep up with them.

Then cut off their legs

and see if they can’t keep up then!

Phoenix is an ancient divine beast.

The king of all birds.

As soon as this divine bird appears,

all birds will pay homage to it.

An auspicious sign from heavens!

Yunle, what are you looking at?

Nothing.

Elder Sister Wushuang, Elder Sister Pin Yu,

Look,

if you go over the mountain ahead,

you will reach Donglin Temple.

This is the first time

that Yunle is travelling

with both Elder Sisters.

Elder Sister Pin Yu,

Yunle has always been curious

whether you look exactly like

Elder Sister Concubine Yun.

Have your parents not mistaken you

when you were both at home?

Mother said

that Yunle was also supposed to be a twin.

Unfortunately...

Yunle, you talk too much.

You should meditate when you go to worship Buddha.

How can my heart be calm?

I heard that Meiren Nie

does not have to be given to King of Jiuliao

My heart has been excited for several days.

When I see Bodhisattva later,

I am going to prostrate myself before him.

You're willing to poke your nose into other people's business.

How much do you know about Donglin Temple?

The Buddhist dharma of Donglin Temple

is believed by all monarchs of all ages

to be a solemn place

propitious for giving birth to great men.

Yongle has known about long since.

Then mother will ask you

how many lotus flowers

are painted on the wall

on the west side of the temple.

The total number?

Can Wushuang reply

in Princess Yunle’s stead?

There are 12 in total.

They represent

twelve monks who died here.

Not bad.

I did not expect Meiren Nie

to be familiar with Donglin Temple.

Wushuang merely knows a thing or two...

It is to be admired that Empress Dowager

wants to pray for good fortune for the whole world

without fear of the long journey.

Donglin Temple is located at a junction

between Li State and Lan State.

It does not belong to any of the countries.

Now that the emperor is injured

and the relationship between the two countries is tense,

I do not know how long

this situation will last.

It is imperative

to go to Donglin Temple

to pray in this situation,

to give some people the opportunity

to make amends for their faults.

What egg is that big?

You are like Qingyuan. (he is talking about himself)

Are your parents not around?

So magical!

Whatever.

I’d better take you

back with me.

Eat some.

I am unwell...

I am unwell...

Be careful!

Protect Empress Dowager!

Mother!

What is happening?

Replying to Empress Dowager,

the crows came out from nowhere

and attacked our convoy.

It’s a bright and fine day.

Why are there so many crows?

Empress Dowager,

Donglin Temple is a peaceful and quiet place for Buddhists.

I hope that Empress Dowager

will often visit the clean and unpolluted of Dongling Temple

to avoid

the troubles that come from fame and fortune in this mortal life.

Great Master truly possesses mind which perceives both past and future.

You have noticed

that I was exhausted of the palace at first glance.

Empress Dowager is the paragon of motherhood,

cradling the whole world in her bosom.

We should therefore

attach most importance to Empress Dowager’s sacred body.

Great Master,

there is something I do not understand.

Please speak.

Birth, old age, sickness and death

is the cycle of Heaven.

No one can escape one’s fate

unless you break away from the consequences of the past life.

I wonder if Great Master knows a method

that will make people immportal

after their death.

The mortal body is just skin.

To live and die is normality.

One should not persist to love and hate.

Everything has a cause and effect.

You cannot force it.

Xiao Kong... (xiao - little, small)

Add more firewood.

All right.

Add more firewood.

Where did you loaf off again?

You went to Mt. Hou

to give free porridge to the poor again, am I right?

The imperial family has arrived

and you did not even come back

to help with the food for so many people.

Senior Brother, calm your anger.

I am going to help out right away.

All right.

What is it?

I picked it up on Mt. Hou.

Let go.

This is neither an egg,

nor is it a stone.

Only you would bring it back

as if it was a treasure.

You are really dumb.

You do not have names yet, right?

My name is Qingyuan

and you will be called...

Xiao Wai... Xiao Dai (Little Crooked and Little Foolish)

Patroness... Patroness!

Why did Patroness pick the peach blossom?

This peach blossom is also a living thing!

Flowers first bud, then bloom and quickly fade; human affairs are fickle.

Buddha does not take pity on the common people's fate.

Why should Young Master

pay attention to a mere peach blossom?

This humble little monk does not know

what has happened to the Patroness,

so that her heart is filled with hatred to the brim,

but Master said

all living things are void, there is no need to attach oneself to them.

Buddha is not without pity when it comes to the common people's fate.

But common people's fate

is truly ruled by the fact that everything has a cause and effect.

Amithaba... (May Buddha preserve us...)

Does Young Master believe in retribution for one's sin then?

This young monk naturally believes in it.

Any cause and effect, whether bitter or happy,

must be put down eventually.

May I be so bold to ask for Young Master's monastic name?

This little monk's monastic name is Qingyuan.

I was sent to Donglin Temple

to become a monk

at early age.

I am an orphan.

Then you won't naturally understand

he pain of losing your home and loved ones.

Patroness, take a look!

How beautiful

everything in this world is.

Why should the temporal pain

blind the beauty

of everything in the world?

What is this sound?

Replying to Empress Dowager,

all the birds are gathering in the Peach Blossom Forest.

Who is there?

Maidservant heard other maids say

that Meiren Nie was accompanying Princess Yunle

to play over there.

Nie Wushang?

Go and call Pin Yu to me.

Yes.

It is so beautiful here!

Elder Sister Nie, look!

The sunset is much more beautiful

than in the palace!

Nature

inside the imperial city

is not as vast as here.

How beautiful.

You can fear nothing

as you have nothing.

But what about your younger sister, Concubine Yun?

I do not want

Nie Wushang return to the palace.

Elder Sister Nie, look!

There seem to be a fish!

- Pin Yu! - Elder Sister Pin Yu!

Pin Yu!

Call someone quickly! Call someone quickly!

Come! Come!

Elder Sister Pin Yu!

Come!

Pin Yu cannot get out of the water!

- Pin Yu! - Elder Sister Pin Yu!

Elder Sister Pin Yu!

Is there a problem?

How is it, Elder Sister Pin Yu?

Are you all right?

How is it, is everything all right?

You do not know how to swim.

Do not come near the water.

It is too dangerous.

I know.

I am going to check the situation at the refugee camp.

I will be going first.

Hurry up and go back.

- Help her go back. - All right.

All right.

Are you all right?

It was too dangerous. Is everything all right?

Is everything all right?

It's bad, General Miao.

There are more and more refugees gathering in the temple.

Some of them have foam on their mouths

and look like they are ill.

The situation is getting worse and worse.

Not good.

It seems that these refugees

have plague.

If Empress Dowager is affected,

it will implicate the whole Donglin Temple.

All these people

must be isolated at once.

Pass my order

to move all the refugees

to the hillside

30 miles outside the Donglin Temple.

Yes.

And immediately pack up

and send Empress Dowager

and the others back to the palace early tomorrow morning.

Yes.

Reporting to General Miao,

there is something strange about the horses in the stables.

It seems they have contracted the plague.

What?

It's getting late.

Let's go to sleep.

- All right. - All right.

Xiao Wai, Xiao Dai

Qingyuan will help you

find your parents.

This way

you will not have to suffer

with Qingyuan later.

Elder Senior... Elder Senior...

Look.

I am telling you,

only fools

are talking to the stones.

All right, go to sleep.

All right.

Fifth Younger Brother.

Fifth Younger Brother.

What is it?

Nothing.

I shouldn't have carried out the words

of breaking diplomatic relations so quickly.

I wanted to set up porridge sheds

in various countries and counties to relieve people in stricken areas.

I did not expect those victims

to actually bring the plague over.

I am afraid

that this disaster will spread to Donglin Temple

Reporting to Your Majesty.

A pigeon brought a letter

from Donglin Temple right now.

Empress Dowager was infected with plague

and is in critical condition.

I will personally go over.

This is the will of Heaven!

Your Majesty can reclaim the imperial power this time.

I ask Your Majesty to think thrice.

Is imperial physician Du Zhi

or any of his colleagues accompanying Empress Dowager?

Do Zhi lives in Yuzhang,

adjacent to Jiujiang.

He has a good knowledge of local customs.

He, therefore, accompanies Empress Dowager on this trip.

His son, Du Ruo

has discovered a problem

while treating a patient.

He is currently waiting outside the hall, seeking an audience with Your Majesty.

Announce him to enter the hall.

Humble minister of Imperial Medical Bureau, Du Ruo

is paying a formal visit to Your Majesty.

Long live the Emperor!

Paying formal call to King of Rui.

Do not stand on ceremony. Please rise.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

I have long heard that Imperial Physician Du

has an only son with excellent medical skills.

Have you discovered

anything while treating

the patients with plague?

Replying to Your Majesty,

The humble minister has identified the plague

as a mix of the plague and gangrene,

which is very serious.

If we do not prevent and cure the epidemic soon,

nine of ten dwellings in the stricken areas will be empty.

But the strange thing is

that the humble minister

found the traces of flaming saltpeter and mercury

on the bodies of the refugees from the North.

But I have not found these elements

on the bodies of people from Lan State.

Humble minister suspects

that the plague was caused by

someone poisoning the refugees

who left the country.

The plague was caused by poisoning?

Is it really a plot of leaving the country

at the cost of the lives

of one's own people?

King of Li is truly unscrupulous.

It seems that King of Li

saw a large number of refugees

fleeing to Lan State because of the disaster

so he simply dragged them,

in an attempt to infect Lan State

so he can reap

the benefits of others.

Even if it is like this,

we cannot let anything happen to Empress Dowager.

If something happens to Empress Dowager,

the whole Lan State will be thrown into chaos.

When the time comes,

Gao Yang will take advantage of others.

I must go to Donglin Temple

in person.

Your Majesty, you cannot take such risk.

If someone has to go, let your younger brother go instead.

Humble minister

also dares to ask Your Majesty to dispel this thought.

Your Majesty is a true Son of Heavens,

sitting on the imperial throne.

How can you go to the epidemic area in person?

Since I am the true Son of Heavens,

how can I catch

a disease that comes from the mortal world?

Besides, my mother,

Yunle, Meiren Nie

are all in Dongling Temple.

How can I feel at ease if I don't go?

Be careful, it's hot. Come.

Empress Dowager, please drink the medicine.

Bring the medicine over.

What are you afraid you?

Are you afraid I will pass the disease onto you?

Empress Dowager, pardon the offence.

This is not what maidservant meant.

Even if something happens to me,

you will go together with me.

Reporting to Empress Dowager.

Has the source of the disease been found?

The small source of the disease has been found out.

This plague is called wart gangrene plague.

It was caused by the refugees

from the North that gathered near Dongling Temple.

The bodies of the refugees from the North

that we saw on the road

were also affected by this plague.

Who set up the porridge shed?

Replying to Empress Dowager,

it was Qingyuan, a monk from Donglin Temple.

he took in the refugees from the North

to the temple without authorization,

causing people from the temple to fall sick.

General Miao has ordered

to move all the refugees ten miles away to isolate them

and to cremate all the dead bodies.

Go.

Bring the abbot

of the temple to me,

together with that

charitable Qingyuan.

Yes.

Amithaba.

Empress Dowager, please appease your anger.

Under the rule of this old monk,

I hope Empress Dowager will forgive us.

I did not expect the Buddhist' holy land

to become a plague land

because of your generosity towards the refugees.

It seems I will not be able to escape this calamity.

Empress Dowager has the luck of Heavens on your side,

you will definitely pass this situation safely.

Are you that bodhisattva (a kind hearted and merciful person)

who gives alms to the refugees living their country,

monk Qingyuan?

I am.

His Majesty is a man of great filial piety.

If anything happens to me,

I am afraid abbot's life

will not be spared

and the Dongling Temple will be implicated as well.

May Empress Dowager be merciful.

Hurry up, everyone.

All right.

Are you all right?

Thank you, Senior.

I am sorry, Elder Senior.

In a moment we will split the ones

that have not been splitted before.

All right.

As for this dish...

wash it a little bit more.

Hurry.

I understand, I understand.

The food will be cut in a moment.

Senior,

where are the two eggs

that I put over there?

Qingyuan, have you been beaten silly?

What eggs?

There clearly are just two broken stones.

Senior, do you know

where they are?

I know.

I lost them

when I was sweeping.

Lost them?

Two days have passed

Empress Dowager's condition has not improved yet.

There is not enough medicinal material in here.

In this humble minister's opinion,

it would be better to return to the palace as soon as possible.

Eunuch Li.

The humble one is here.

Quickly prepare the horse carriage to return to the palace.

Horse... horse...

What's wrong with the horses?

All the accompanying horses are infected with plague

This humble one will try to find other horses

to bring Empress Dowager back to the palace.

Heavens are playing tricks on people.

Do they really want me to die in Donglin Temple?

Empress Dowager is greatly blessed.

This humble one will carry the Empress Dowager

step by step

and bring Empress Dowager back to the palace.

Eunuch Li,

call Princess Yunle

and Miao Minghu to me.

Let them wait outside the door.

They must not go near the bed.

Yes.

Mother!

Mother! Mother!

Mother!

Eunuch Li, stop Yungle.

Do not come near. Be careful of not getting sick.

Yunle, I am afraid mother

cannot back to the palace this time.

Get out of Donglin Temple

and head back to the palace

before you catch the plague.

I don't want to! I won’t go!

I cannot leave Mother

here all alone.

I will not leave!

Donglin Temple has become an epidemic area.

You are the descendant of the imperial lineage. (lit. gold branches and jade leaves)

Leave Donglin Temple immediately.

Miao Minghu.

Humble subordinate is here.

Did anyone get sick in the imperial army?

Nearly half of the imperial army has been infected

as a result of the conflict with the refugees a few days ago.

What about horses?

Are they also infected with the plague?

Most of the horses are sick.

Only Fiery Dragon

that was bestowed by His Majesty to this humble official

did not get sick.

Heavens have left me

a glimmer of hope.

Miao Minghu, listen to my command.

Humble subordinate is present.

I am commanding you

to take Princess Yunle back to the palace as soon as possible.

You are only allowed

to travel through no densly populated areas.

Take the wild and remote paths and set off immediately.

Who will be

responsible for the Empress Dowager's safety then?

The news about the plague was sent to the palace already.

I believe that His Majesty

will send the reinforces to Donglin Temple tomorrow.

You...

Who let you make your own decisions?

When His Majesty arrives and contracts the plague,

then Lan State will fall into chaos!

The official is guilty of a crime and deserves to die ten thousand times

but no one can afford endangering

Empress Dowager's safety.

Imperial Brother and Fifth Brother

are omnipotent.

They will definitely come to save us.

They will definitely come...

Yunle!

Princess!

Yunle... Yunle!

Not good.

Princess is also infected with plague.

Yunle!

Yunle! Yunle!

How are Empress Dowager and Princess' illness?

The disease is getting heavier and heavier.

It didn't get better after taking the medicine.

Maybe

we are really lacking the medicine...

Lacking what medicine?

It is probably moonlight grass

that is missing.

This moonlight grass...

I have heard about it before.

However, this grass is a plant

that grows in Liaodong

that distributes it in small amount in the north

but rarely in the south.

Where can we find

the moonlight grass

at this critical moment?

Everything about setting up a shed to serve a porridge

started with this humble monk.

This humble monk is willing to go to the mountains

and look for the moonlight grass

and save all living beings from the epidemic disease.

I will go with the Young Master then.