Original subtitles

May King of Rui settle down and get his own family.

May there be a better woman in this world

that can love him.

Only this way

Fengqing will not be in danger

because of Wushuang

Mother, are you angry at your child?

Did you want me to give it back,

because I am unable to let go of this matter?

I will let it go along with you.

Fengqing.

I’ve known Your Majesty since our childhood together.

When I entered the palace,

we were the same age as they are.

Regard it as

people being unable to deal with the passing of time.

Her Highness the Empress handles Ziyan’s teaching

in such a loving fashion.

It can clearly be seen that Your Highness

although having very little time available

still manages to find the time.

Come here!

Imperial Mother, I like being outside in the heat!

Why did you tell me not to call

those pretty ladies “Elder Sister” and why can’t they come in the tent with me?

If you let them come in, how will

the King of Rui look them over when he arrives,

and see their “countenance of a flower, face like the moon” appearances?

Your Imperial Mother is in the process of providing King of Rui

a choice for his consort.

Imperial Physician Du,

why aren’t you out there with those Elder Sisters

playing with them?

Replying to Your Royal Highness,

this low-ranking official is worried

someone will come down with an injury.

It’s perfectly fine, how could I get hurt?

It hasn’t happened yet, if the King of Rui doesn’t fall for someone,

somebody’s heart will be broken!

Fu Xiang!

Bad news,

someone has hurt themselves outside!

It’s nothing!

Third Elder Brother, do you remember?

When we were children together,

you taught me how to ride a horse.

My first horse

was chosen for me by my Third Elder Brother.

Since you were young, your learning has been superior.

Anyway, now that you’ve grown up,

you’re even brighter.

Nowadays, you’re fully equipped

to protect yourself with your ability.

Third Elder Brother,

do you really want me to get married?

Third Elder Brother also desires what’s right for you.

Down by the spring, Imperial Mother has some people ready for you.

Don’t tell me you don’t want a marriage and children?

Okay.

Since my Third Elder Brother has acted for me in this matter,

I’d better go get what’s waiting for me.

Does it hurt? How is it?

Paying respects--

King of Rui!

Imperial Sister-in-law.

Fengqing has already found his true love!

May Imperial Sister-in-law help me complete this.

You must know

why I chose you to become the King of Rui’s concubine?

It’s only because you don’t say much,

and that’s the most important point.

Of all the women I’ve met,

you’re the one who seems to like to cry the least.

I’m crying because I hate to part from my father,

you have nothing to do with it.

I’m marrying you

merely as a means to

to ensure the safety of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

What a coincidence.

I’m taking a wife

just to set my Imperial Brother and Sister-in-law’s minds at ease.

You mustn’t be so arrogant.

I’m unlikely to grow fond of you.

Very well.

I’ll only like you a little bit.

Life being so short

and seeing you are this unwilling,

I won’t marry you.

King of Rui’s residence gates are open, if you want to

walk away, no one will stop you.

Mama! Why are you here?

The wedding festivities being tonight,

I am here to apprehend

the runaway bridegroom officially.

Mama.

Let me tell you...

that woman’s

dislike for me is more than a couple of cupfuls of wine

but I hate smelling like wine from head to toe,

so I’m afraid to get wildly drunk.

So I’ve hurried out here to catch up with you,

and you’re still lying to me!

Du Ruo is well aware of the rites of etiquette,

how would she deliberately provoke you?

Deshun saw it all.

King of Rui is now married,

but his mood wasn’t right when he was with the King of Rui’s concubine.

Mama.

Just let it go for now.

Give some consideration to Miss Du’s feelings.

I can’t consider her.

Just now at the wedding reception,

upon seeing her appearance, you smiled as though your heart was content,

and yet you think you want to set her aside.

I’ve finished taking a wife,

naturally I can set her aside.

What if you can’t let her go?

I’ve told you innumerable times,

so many women

besides His Majesty’s women,

are all fond of the King of Rui.

Since you chose the lady Du Ruo,

just settle down,

you mustn’t add

any additional injuries to your own heart.

Mama.

I got married.

The reason I left her behind was to protect her.

I think I’ll have to protect her from a distance,

to protect her well enough to keep her alive.

Perhaps there will be a day

after I have become the Emperor’s most valued subject.

The outfit my mother made for me

is the final set,

I’ll take part in my elder brother’s unification of the north and south,

and then i can possibly return home to finish this,

and set her aside forever.

Xia Lan, ever since entering the palace,

have never met so many

and seen so many bustling spectacles!

Comparing the time when His Majesty

married Her Highness Concubine Du,

It’s much more bustling!

Apparently His Majesty

really is truly loving toward the King of Rui,

and smiled today at seeing the King of Rui so happy!

Is that so?

He finally got married.

Even a little bit?

I’m different from other women.

I’ve hurt the King of Rui’s self-esteem.

King of Rui can have the hearts of all the young women in the world.

Why me?

I once rescued a person,

from the middle of the river where she was,

and a short while later,

I caught sight of the precious stone around her neck.

I saw that between us there was

some sort of fate.

A really wonderful fate.

She was on that boat

to get her revenge, and never hesitated at all.

I told myself,

“I want to help her to be reborn”.

Empress Dowager, in quick succession,

wanted to harm her.

At the time, I pretended to be indifferent.

I secretly guarded her.

She wanted to leave.

She was in the middle of leaving.

and ran into an ambush.

Finally she was saved and safe in the Lan Palace.

My one central thought was her happiness.

If only she would come around again,

I’d feel completely at ease.

My being unable to put out this fire

caused me to be feverish headed to the Jiuliao war.

Then I discovered

that in hating to part with her,

it wasn’t just me.

So I had to do something

before it was too late.

I untied the knot and let her go,

even though this woman,

she had never loved me.

I can’t.

This precious gem’s master

once informed me

that one day, if I fell in love, I would hurt myself and another.

Elder Sister, Xia Lan didn’t intend this.

It’s just that inside this whole harem,

everyone is watching Elder Sister for her reaction.

Xia Lan is also compelled to act too.

It’s nothing.

King of Rui got married,

and afterwards it’s unlikely anybody will gossip.

I only earnestly hope

from a distance to see him happy.

Look after him, Elder Brother,

and along with His Majesty, put an end to Li’s despotic rule,

and unify the north and south.

At that time,

I will then be at ease to leave,

and let him go forever.

King of Rui, we’re nearly there.

In front of the Empress,

you will be correct if you absolutely ignore me.

In front of other people,

you must act like my shadow.

We’re holding hands simply to stay warm, nothing more.

May Your Highness the Empress please take tea.

Thank you, Your Highness the Empress.

King of Rui nowadays is already married.

Hopefully he will settle down and things will change

from previous reckless behavior

to having some scruples.

Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your instruction.

I am determined to be more careful in my speech and deeds.

Well he’ll have to live carefully,

as he now has a wife who is virtuous,

and as King of Rui, the time has come to change his conduct.

and he’s determined to do it earnestly.

King of Rui’s Imperial concubine,

you have not yet served Concubine Du and Concubine Shu.

Your Highness of Jiwei Palace, please take tea.

Your Highness Concubine Du, please take tea.

I myself have a place in the Imperial palace,

richly residing but choosing to come out

today

specially for the purpose of congratulating

the King of Rui and his concubine.

I believe that King of Rui in marrying has a fate that is not shallow,

this jadeite bracelet

was part of my dowry when i married into the palace.

Now I bestow it to the King of Rui’s concubine.

From now on, in the middle of this palace,

if you meet with low spirits or something,

the doors of my Guanju Palace are always open

at any time to the King of Rui’s concubine without restriction.

Thank you, Your Highness Concubine Du.

Your Highness Concubine Shu, please take tea.

We finally got to see the King of Rui have a big wedding and take a wife.

Last night, no idea how many women

were weeping hard enough to rupture their insides.

Congratulations, King of Rui and concubine.

Thank you, Your Highness Concubine Shu.

At the end, Zhaoyi Nie has been waiting a long time.

King of Rui and King of Rui’s concubine,

you had better quickly

serve Zhaoyi Nie her tea.

Zhaoyi Nie, please take tea.

Congratulations, King of Rui. Congratulations, King of Rui’s concubine.

Wushuang too has something coming up,

and thus have no gift prepared.

I can only give you four words:

Always together, united forever..

Thank you, Zhaoyi Nie.

Your Highness Imperial Concubine Yun, please take tea.

This low one pays respects to the Empress Dowager,

Your Highness the Empress,and to all of Your Highnesses.

Eunuch Lin, you seem quite rushed,

is there something going on outside?

Replying to the Empress Dowager, Jiangnan had an outbreak of flooding.

His Majesty is in the main hall

with a flock of his ministers discussing

the matter of opening the granaries for disaster relief.

I am to summon the King of Rui to quickly come over.

Ruo’er,

let Deshun bring you back.

In the south, the period of rains

is exactly the same as in the north.

It seems to flow endlessly,

like the tears of women in general.

Just speak bluntly if you have anything to say.

Your mood last night,

I wonder if anybody else would understand it.

That year, you were married off to

Gu Qinghong, that evening

I wondered if anybody else knew my suffering.

You entered the bridal chamber,

you put on the clothes of a bride as some sort of show,

and then

Gu Qinghong, whether or not it was

because of your beauty, renounced me.

But the best part is that

on his wedding day,

you and he were not together.

Before the wedding festivities,

I raided your Miao’s nine clans first.

Thanks to you, I’ve been unable to let that go.

I sympathize with you.

A person forever

who cannot ever entirely attain love as a woman.

When I entered Lan State

and became Concubine Du,

on my wedding night

when Xiao Fengming embraced me,

you could sleep soundly.

When the King of Rui held Du Ruo last night,

you could again sleep soundly.

Qianqian,

I’m so sorry for you.

You changed your name to be called “Nie Wushuang”,

but in the end, nothing has changed.

You want to love and are not fated.

Gao Yan, listen to me.

Between me and the three of them

there is only resentful feelings and hatred,

you need not come at me with wild talk!

I can undoubtedly

tell you

none of those three men have you centrally located in their hearts,

but me instead!

You’re talking nonsense!

You now are stationed inside Lan State’s palace,

yet have the nerve to touch their loins and gossip,

you are indeed shameless!

Whose personal grudge was it

that wanted to spread plague

using Li State refugees fleeing south

crossing into Lan State?

Heaven is playing with you.

At Donglin Temple,

I provided my epidemic-breaking prescription to someone,

and yes improbably it was Gu Qinghong,

your conduct and deeds have made him afraid of you.

Were it not for that prescription

and were I not a member of Lan State’s harem,

I would not have been able to stabilize

things up until now.

My skillfulness is all

thanks to you.

Nie Wushuang,

you cannot break me!

I am now carrying in my belly the Imperial heir,

you are simply jealous of me!

I have never held myself up to compare against you,

or been jealous.

I know you hate me,

If you’re like the rest of Lan’s rulers,

allow yourself to forget your hatred.

I really hope you can love again.

It was worth seeing you today looking this way,

and to know that you are still living surrounded by your hatred,

not at all happy.

Perhaps, besides Gu Qinghong,

you are already incapable of loving any other.

Or could it be that you have no idea

how to actually love anyone?

I’m really not you,

to do my utmost for one man.

Moreover, now you’re very aware

how happy I am to not be like you.

I’m with Xiao Fengming

at Guanju Palace holding me,

with continuous endearments of love at all hours.

You’re still back at the Magnificent Green Jade Pavilion,

sleeping distressed and alone by yourself.

Yes.

I’m happy by myself,

turning over trifling matters in my mind.

Time to remind myself

that I came to the Lan Palace for things other than love,

rather for my family’s enmity.

Gao Yan deserves to hate me...

because I’m alive for the sole reason

exactly to deal with

the two men she most cares about:

Li State’s ruler, Gao Yang, together with Prime Minister Gu Qinghong.

Nie Wushuang, you can’t do that!

Heaven, and my love for my people,

all will help me assist my Elder Brother

to complete this great cause.

That absolutely won’t happen!

You are Xiao Fengming and Xiao Fengqing’s

heart’s thorn.

They are brothers at odds

over how exactly to deal with

my powerful brother the Emperor!

No matter how many are at your side,

there are a lot more in the dissenting group.

So long as I am in the palace every day,

I am unlikely to allow you to harm them.

Nie Wushuang,

you know you will always lose to me

isn’t that right?

IAs Li State’s Princess,

eminent and unapproachable in status.

Though Li is contracted to Lan by marriage,

my dignity is still beyond your reach.

I actually control wealth

as well as power and influence

sufficient to bribe along with transforming any person.

For example, just now the King of Rui’s concubine, Du Ruo,

can best attest to this.

Why was it important for you to bribe Du Ruo?

Was there some reason to believe she would help you

poison people in the middle of the palace?

Maybe it was something like that.

Or ..maybe I wanted

you to be the next one poisoned?

Or perhaps I simply want to find out

how she and King of Rui are together,

are they joined at the hip….

and afterwards, tell you.

I only want to see the King of Ru have a family,

to see him happy.

Such a sincere love...

I don’t say entirely the wrong thing like you do.

This inferior pays respects to Your Highness Concubine Du,

Zhaoyi Nie.

Aren’t you the King of Rui’s attendant?

This inferior is the King of Rui’s manservant Deshun.

King of Rui’s Imperial concubine ordered Deshun

to handle the return of this jade bracelet to you.

Said this is much too precious a gift,

King of Rui’s Imperial concubine is ashamed to have accepted it.

On earth, inevitably there will be insufficient might

to reach all people or affairs,

especially the ones you mind--

Nie Wushuang, stop pretending!

Although we ourselves are barely acquainted,

nevertheless stop trying to pretend to understand me!

We are capable of understanding

each others’ fundamentals without knowing them.

It seems that I have become your rival without realizing it,

and yet how to go about to defeat you.

So tell me how

we originally arrived at transferring the funds and provisions

now without a reliable source of funding?

Your Majesty,

Great Lan southern and northern army camps

expenses are truly immense,

really unable to reduce the military expenditure.

This was also the Empress Dowager’s idea.

This...

Reporting to Your Majesty

this round of flooding rains is not a lifetime event,

the most powerful storms

were ridiculously bad

and caused the Han Dynasty to build storm surge dikes

to remain intact.

In addition, the current dynasty has constructed tall upright dikes,

but they have been unable to withstand the blow.

And these tall upright dikes

are precisely what General Xue was commanded to manage the construction on.

As far as this official knows,

his construction costs far exceed the military spending.

Why can they not take a blow?

Tall upright dikes

yes were to be constructed before the Empress Dowager’s birthday.

Prime Minister Wang, I give my word that this was my idea.

I, along with the Empress Dowager,

would never do a greedy and corrupt circumvention of the law.

No matter who has done it,

they must be punished severely!

You!

Now the dikes have already collapsed into ruins

at this moment, we will investigate the “first person

to bury funerary dolls” (originator of this evil)

as stopping them is now useless!

I now at this moment want to know,

is there any virtuous minister among my officials

able to provide a good plan for me to go forth

to save the calamity-stricken common people!

Imperial Elder Brother,

this matter is actually very simple.

Regardless of which department’s subordinates

send disaster relief funds,

all will be using silver money to buy grains

and it may not be able to be done in time.

A number of villages just planted rice seedlings in a rice paddy,

all the water rushed through them.

Now there are many more victims of the disaster,

the top priority

is to provide the victims with enough food and warm clothing.

What King of Rui actually said

that since ancient times, Jiangnan region has grown grains in abundance,

and except for the capital city, apart from

the rest has the largest grain hoard stored.

Not only is Jiangdu in that region,

Li also will be disaster stricken in that region soon

and will also need the most speed.

for a solution as the fire burns their eyebrows (extreme emergency).

Don’t know which of my beloved officials

will want to run out and wade through this with me.

Replying to Imperial Elder Brother,

Jiangdu region is administered by

General Xue’s subordinate.

Your Majesty,

This minister does indeed

know the Jiangdu region.

Great!

General Xue always treated my Great Lan

by bending to the task and sparing no effort,

so

General Xue at once will make all the arrangements,

I will together with the King of Rui

leave for Jiangdu to take charge of the disaster relief.

This...

isn’t the fault of the Jiangdu administrator,

Official Chen Ling?

How can he not formally greet his superiors?

He seems to want it to appear as though he has

very important matters

on the day the Imperial entourage has arrived.

His Majesty wants to raise the subject of

opening the granaries for disaster relief.

Official Chen has always followed the General

blindly.

It seems this time the situation is

that the wind and waves are still rising.

Young Master,

is it your wish to circle around to your home to take a look?

First we should go to the new army’s barracks.

I will take the place of my father and seek out

Miao Minghu under these circumstances.

Yes.

All of you officials,

Old Master, Official Chen has arrived.

What’s to be done?

General.

Official Chen, you’ve finally seen fit to arrive!

Ministers, how can this low-ranking official be saved!

I’ve really been forced to the end of the road!

It seems you’ve all come down here

to investigate my county and

immediately afterwards I’ll be out of luck!

That’s right!

This...How can this be a good thing!

His Majesty flew into a terrible rage,

I’m afraid I’m really finished!

Even more so, they sent this King of Rui

who is acting as an Imperial Censor personally to supervise!

This King of Rui is exactly

the sort to send me packing!

That’s right, that’s right!

Everyone, just don’t put your foot wrong,

it’s General Xue overseeing this who has to answer.

Everyone, I have unsheathed my double-edged sword.

If you’ve no taste for blood, not even a single drop,,

there’s no other way than to give up.

General,

it’s His Majesty together with the King of Rui

entirely without giving us a break,

we’re not prepared to take up arms!

Empress Dowager has been our political ally for many years.

I (“this old man” for my Great Lan.

have made many heroic contributions!

Once again, what is the point of this matter?

As soon as possible, we need to grasp the advantage to

to either submissively yield or rise up.

His Majesty...

only promotes Miao Minghu,

his ability strengthens his lofty ambitions!

You can go back now.

Yes

General.

Miao Minghu has been summoned along with Wang Shijie

along with each one’s three most trusted aides

already to debate for an entire shichen (2 hour long time interval).

Evidently they’re discussing something?

Were a few of you in the middle of doing something?

Never mind, you’re dismissed.

Yes.

General,

if the Xue Family’s army scouts out ahead,

say we are in the barracks having a discussion about something.

They told us to stay here

and said nothing more.

General, we ourselves know what to do.

Isn’t that true?

It’s said that Xue Mingyi’s natural disposition is very paranoid,

he will definitely think

that these people are lying.

The eldest Young Master Xue is outside,

am I right?

As His Majesty expected,

Xue Bi supposes

we are part of a major conspiracy to overthrow the government

and hand him over to an outside group.

He’s outside right now, stamping with rage.

Then let’s give him another one,

he won’t calm down for a while!

Shijie, allow me to be crystal clear.

You are born of the right family and have grown up.

Isn’t that why I’ve followed you from childhood?

Naturally

there still is plenty of time

to indulge Young Master Xue’s flights of fancy.

Sit!

Yes.

Father.

for this matter, do we need to go to the palace

to the Empress Dowager with a proposal?

The palace’s eyes and ears (spies) are numerous...

Then how should we enter the palace ourselves.

but not equate this

to going to His Majesty and voluntarily confessing?

I will account to the Empress Dowager so she understands,

she now certainly will be staying out of it already.

Just calmly protect and stay together with me

so we have a way to confront this impasse.

In success or failure,

we ourselves determine the Xue Family’s destiny.

What if I, Xue Mingyi,

lacked even this much ability

all these years?

Why should I share this cup of soup!

Official Chen.

Your subordinate is here.

In your grain depots within the region,

how much grain remains?

Well...

Forget it! Don’t tell me.

You need to expedite setting up

handling of the Jiangdu warehouses centrally with the foodstuffs.

All of that is in the process of being gathered up

within a few granaries.

I understand.

Should His Majesty wish to investigate anything,

and the ultimate blame falls on me,

follow this old subject’s next plans.

If this is the case, His Majesty will turn out everything

including this general’s own pockets!

Fine...

I’ll give him a surprise!

Miao Minghu, how’s he doing over there?

As expected, Imperial Brother,

Xue Bi thinks

that we ourselves are in a conspiracy to overturn the government,

How’s the secret investigation going?

All the appropriate arrangements have been made.

This time, Jiaongsu’s rank and file

will be like an arrow from a bowstring,

unable to turn back.

Xue Mingyi, that old traitor,

ordered a rehearsal that very night.

How we should handle this individual

and such a beautiful scene?

Well,

I will go and surprise him.

Third Elder Brother, you seem more than a little relieved?

Xue Mingyi collapsed later,

and I will confront him along with the Empress Dowager.

Fifth Younger Brother,

you clearly have been waiting for the day along with Third Elder Brother

when the waiting would end.

Third Elder Brother,

often the final step in victory

is the most difficult.

In making the rounds of the Jiangsu graineries,

I am already aware of this.

Your Majesty, it seems I have embarrassed you,

your subject younger brother is willing to bear this crime!

Fifth Younger Brother,

you prudently returned to the palace after getting married

precisely to help us with this great undertaking.

Your subject younger brother is anxious about

the Imperial Brother facing Empress Dowager

and possibly an unfavorable result.

Third Elder Brother, in the affairs of the world you cannot satisfy both sides,

you have to choose.

That is something Third Elder Brother is entirely clear about.

Now Fengqing’s most cherished wish

is to help Imperial Brother unite the north and south

and on behalf of Wushuang, eliminate Gao Yang,

no one can stop me!

Why is that your greatest wish?

Yesterday, the Empress Dowager decreed that the Zhaoyi is to copy scriptures,

even if it is throughout the night.

Empress Dowager, everything she does

shows her intentions.

Empress Dowager is in discussion with His Majesty in an Imperial villa

so he will not return in time to call on Elder Sister.

This is clearly a threat.

It’s supposed to make the Zhaoyi wish to let go of His Majesty’s hand.

Only Elder Sister is just being cheated so much more!

I accompanied Elder Sister

directly to the top of the city walls,

to look on as His Majesty along with the King of Rui went out on their journey

until their figures could no longer be seen clearly.

These people are dangerous.

The hunter went to the fox’s banquet

without realizing

whether or not they will succeed.

Elder Sister,

How about if Xia Lan would

accompany you to Donglin Temple to pray

and hide from these events?

I have to remain in the palace

to give the Empress Dowager the opportunity to dispose of me.

If she to some extent takes action,

in that case His Majesty

will then have just cause to deal with her.

Zhaoyi,

this subordinate believes you are in His Majesty’s heart,

it must count for something.

Before leaving for the front,

he specially sent Eunuch Lin

to deliver something.

Xue Mingyi, what’s he doing behind us?

Xue Mingyi is calm and composed,

along with the King of Rui, they are laughing cheerfully.

Then in front of that old fox,

provide Fifth Younger Brother with a set of the evidence.

Your Majesty, this is a distant place with many beautiful pleasure boats.

At this very moment,

Fifth Younger Brother and that old fox must be

secretly happy

King of Rui,

the scenery here is not bad.

What is that noise?

That is a government official’s pleasure boat.

This decadent music

really “reverberates around the rafters for three days” (sonorous and resounding).

Of course, it’s bathed in spring breezes.

It’s said that on these boats

outside the capital there are few

singers and dancers who are beautiful women with a heavenly appearance.

Bathed in spring breezes?

I never thought that I would in this world

find a good place I have not been to.

What a pity

I’m a newlywed,

and accompanying His Majesty on this journey down south.

Burdened with official business,

what a pity!

King of Rui,

there are some things on this earth

like an opportunity missed,

that’s the real pity!