Original subtitles

Zhaoyi Nie,

I will save you today

because I always felt that you

were a woman who grew up in the north.

There is a courage in you

that I have never seen before.

If I really get rid of you,

I am afraid that

no one in this palace can really

support His Majesty and love His Majesty.

Your Majesty...

Great things will happen in the palace,

which no one can stop.

Your Majesty does not love me,

he just treats me with respect as if I were a guest.

Your Majesty is hiding his capabilities and bids his time

practising diligent government.

Since he is taking responsibility of governing the country

and uniting the world, he never shows his true emotions.

Before you entered the palace

no one could disrupt his thoughts

except Fifth Younger Brother.

Therefore, no matter what story

is hidden behind this lotus flower and the scar,

I hope you can put down

what you should not

think about and restrain yourself.

This is probably

the biggest protection

I can offer to His Majesty.

Your Majesty, Wushuang shall remember

Your Majesty today’s instructions.

King of Rui's Consort,

let’s go.0

Your Majesty

Zhaoyi Nie has

a lotus flower tattooed on the back.

Its superb craftsmanship excels nature.

In order to pay attention to the interests of the whole,

I ask King of Rui’s Consort

to say that we saw it together

when we return to Shangyuan Palace later.

Du Ruo understands

and will do everything according to Your Majesty’s wish.

Empress,

is there a scar on Zhaoyi Nie’s back?

There is no scar visible

on Zhaoyi Nie’s back.

Concubine Du was overanxious.

What about King of Rui's Consort

Replying to Your Majesty,

official’s wife and Her Majesty

examined it together.

I saw

what Her Majesty saw.

How could that be?

No, it’s impossible.

Audacious! How dare you

question the Empress!

Would I allow

a spy from the North

to say at His Majesty’s side?

There are always people in the harem

who often fabricate things out of thin air.

I guess I will have to drive

all the horses that spoil the herd

out of the palace to sleep peacefully.

Your Majesty, pardon the offence.

This female servant was speaking the truth.

This female servant loyalty and devotion

lays only with Your Majesty.

If you hadn't been pregnant with an imperial heir,

I would have subjected you to a long-term torture.

If there is another incident

that will sow discord between Empress Dowager and I,

I will not tolerate it.

This female servant will comply with Your Majesty’s instructions.

Your Majesty,

then will the matter between Miao Minghu and Yunle

be concluded without conclusion?

Your Majesty...

Reporting to Your Majesty,

Princess Yunle has woken up

but she only wants to see you.

Yunle,

since they are not here now,

tell Third Elder Brother

what exactly happened.

Imperial Elder Brother,

Did emperors of past dynasties

sacrifice many innocent people

to obtain the imperial power?

Why do you ask?

This is the last battle

between Imperial Elder Brother and Imperial Mother,

am I right?

Everyone in the palace knew

Imperial Elder Brother and Fifth Elder Brother

went to Jiangnan these days.

Imperial palace was engulfed in deathly stillness.

The court was panicking,

Imperial Mother was praying to Buddha behind the closed door.

The sound of wooden fish

was drumming through the palace.

Imperial son-in-law Xue Bi

came looking for me,

begging me to save Xue Family.

I knew that

Imperial Elder Brother and Fifth Elder Brother

were out catching the big tiger.

Yes.

I have somewhat

expected all this.

Therefore, Imperial Mother wanted to apprehend Miao Minghu

Originally, I just overheard them talking about

poisoning Elder Brother Miao.

I never thought Imperial Mother

let me catch a wind of it

for another purpose.

Those who cannot be used

to acquire the imperial power

will be removed.

If that day Yunle

had really married Elder Brother Miao,

and Elder Brother Miao would become imperial son-in-law,

he would become Imperial Mother’s man...

Imperial Elder Brother would also kill him.

Yunle

do not ask me

about things that are difficult to answer.

Third Elder Brother is not dealing with right and wrong

the way you imagine it to be.

You just have to remember

that you are my most favourite imperial sister,

Princess Yunle.

Yunle is thankful to Imperial Brother.

Yunle has one request, Imperial Brother.

if you have to sacrifice someone

to achieve he great cause,

Yunle is willing to replace Imperial Mother.

King of Rui was badly hurt.

Who knows if the arrows

were also not poisoned.

I am an imperial physician but also his wife.

In both cases,

I should be the one who treats him.

Royal Highness King of Rui said

that he was only slightly injured

and that no one is allowed to enter,

especially King of Rui's Consort.

Strange.

Why does my energy

seem to be weakening?

Wushuang!

Who allowed you to touch my things?

Was it you who tattooed the lotus flower

on Zhaoyi Nie’s back?

What kind of answer

do you expect to receive?

King of Rui

is best at drawing lotus flowers in the whole palace.

The lotus flower was tattooed by King of Rui

on Zhaoyi Nie’s back

in order to cover

an arrow would she received before falling into water

if that is so, why did you echo

what Her Majesty said

in Shangyuan Palace.

Do not flaunt your courage

if you cannot afford it.

How is your injury?

I am fine.

Your wound… why is your wound..

What, are you scared?

There is no need

to tattoo a lotus flower to cover my injury.

As Empress Dowager said,

I am an alien who comes

and goes without a trace

Maybe one day

I will also disappear

like my Mother.

Now you should understand

why I wanted you to

give up on such a terrible person like me.

No, I am not afraid.

I am not afraid of anything.

No one can discover it.

No one can learn about it.

I will make a wound

that hasn't healed yet.

I will cover it up for you

in my own way.

It’s all right. It’s all right.

It’s all right.

Come.

Sit here in a dignified manner.

Imperial Mother,

will all ministers come here

when the sun rises?

Yes.

They will come to sit here

when the sun rises

because you are the Great Lan’s monarch.

I am so young,

will they listen to me?

Remember imperial mother’s words.

Use “朕” instead of “我” in the future (royal “we” instead of singular common form)

because you are the emperor.

Great Lan’s courtiers and commoners

have to take orders from you.

I will also support you from behind.

All the troops

within the Lan State

will obey you.

Additioally, Fifth Younger Brother

Fengqing will also help me share my worries.

He cannot.

He is not a trustworthy person

because he and his mother

are not like us.

In this world,

only I will really

love you

because I am your mother.

Your Majesty, you have a sleepless night.

How about going back to the palace and rest for a while?

Today will be

the most critical juncture.

Officials will change the situation

because of their personal interests.

How can I sleep peacefully?

How is the matter

I have ordered you to do?

This humble one handed the note to Chunxiang.

I heard that Empress Dowager also stayed up all night.

Empress Dowager should take care of your phoenix body.

Empress Dowager has still not seen His Majesty’s

note for you.

Ci’An Yuan? (Garden of Compassionate Peace)

Is it within the Six palaces?

Maidservant has never heard about it.

This is

an unfinished site.

I have made the emperor

to change its name.

Is the emperor telling me

that he intends to return to the old politics in the days to come?

Your Majesty has built Ci'An Garden

for me because he wants me

to spend my remaining years in comfort.

Empress Dowager is greatly valued.

Things may still turn around.

Maybe Ji Rousang’s curse

is really effective.

This witch said that when the gemstone reappears,

it will be the end of me.

I am not reconciled with it.

When I see the late emperor again

I will definitely ask him

why did he treat Concubine Jing like this.

Empress Dowager Xue Mingyi was taken into custody.

He has something important to tell Empress Dowager.

I have nothing to say to him.

let him shoulder the responsibility

for his corruption.

Xue Mingyi wants to tell Empress Dowager

about the matter related to the

death of the prince back then.

Since ascending the throne,

I have been dedicated to the concerns of the nation,

always seeking peace for my country and its citizens.

However, there are some beetles in the court

who had gone against my intention of making peace,

forming a clique for selfish reasons

and ruining court discipline.

These people are always declaring themselves

loyal vassals in the Hall of Golden Chimes,

but they are perverting justice for bribes behind my back.

Your Majesty, calm your anger.

This official is guilty of a crime for which

he deserves to die ten thousand times!

I personally went to Jiangdu this time

to capture the number one worm in the court.

Guards!

Bring Xue Mingyi into the hall!

Bring offender Xue Mingyi into the hall!

Offender Xue Mingyi pays respects to Your Majesty.

Long live the Emperor.

Paying respects to Empress Dowager.

Long live Empress Dowager.

Xue Mingyi,

you still declare yourself

as a vassal

in the Hall of Golden Chimes.

Is what you did

really is how a vassal

should behave?

Replying to Your Majesty,

offender Xue Mingyi

has read the books of sages and men of virtue since childhood.

Upon entering adulthood, (when he was 20 years old)

he casted aside the pen and joined the army to assist the Late Emperor.

Now that he is in his declining years,

it was hard for him

to resist his obsession

for immediate gain.

He committed an awful mistake

and regrets it deeply.

This guilty minster allows Your Majesty

to dispose of him the way as he pleases.

Are you reminding me that your

contributions exceed your faults?

Guilty official dares not.

All the evil deeds

were committed by the guilty official alone.

I ask Your Majesty not to

implicate my fellow officials from the court

or this guilty minister’s family with him.

When you talk about

your past achievements,

you assert everything eloquently

and speak with a flow of eloquence like that of a cataract.

But when you talk about your responsibility for the offence,

you slur over it, touching it only lightly.

Xue Mingyi , are you worried

that your sons and grandsons will suffer calamities?

Do you know that the wealth

amassed in the Pingnan prince’s manor

amassass to the amount of tax

that is being collected in Great Lan

for five years?

What do you think I should do with you?

Guilty official deserves to die! Deserves to die!

Your Majesty, calm your anger.

Calm your anger, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty...

Your Majesty,

I am aware of your anger.

But this matter

concerns Great Lan’s foundation.

I still have to remind Your Majesty

to think thrice before you act.

Xu Huanshan, do you have something to say?

This official will dare to offer his candid opinion.

The evidence of Xue Mingyi’s crime

is conclusive,

but he is a senior statesman of two generations.

If he is disposed of,

It will make the hearts

of other courtiers grow cold.

I beg Your Majesty to think thrice.

I ask Your Majesty to show mercy.

Your Majesty, show mercy.

Show mercy, Your Majesty. Show mercy.

Offender Xue Mingyi, listen.

Official is present.

Offender Xue Mingyi,

extortion of excessive taxes and levies,

blocking the chance of worthy persons to advance,

colluding with the Jiangdu’s governor, Chan Yunxi

to sell the grain privately and deceive the emperor

is enough to sentence you to death by beheading.

However, due to your old age,

you will be imprisoned in Pingnan Mansion

for the whole life.

All direct family members are to be exiled from the state.

Officials that supported him in the court

will be sent to a distant place for penal servitude.

Xue Mingyi’s eldest son, Xue Bi.

It was proven that he was not participating in the crime

and therefore will not be implicated by it.

The rest of the clique that is below the 3rd rank,

are to be sent to prison and await the trial.

This shall be obeyed.

Guilty official… Guilty official Xue Mingyi

appreciate Your Majesty’s kindness of not killing him!

Where is the governor of Jiangdu, Chen Yunxi?

Replying to Your Majesty, he has been held in prison.

take him to the Meridian Gate and behead him

as a warning to others.

Official shall obey.

Your Majesty... Your Majesty!

Father!

Your Majesty!

Father!

Your Majesty!

King of Rui and Miao Minghu

have contributed greatly to the Jiangdy’s corruption case.

I think that

Xue Mingyi’s position as the commander-in-chief’s seal

should be given to the King of Rui.

The position of the Jiangdu’s governor

will be temporarily given to Miao Minghu.

What do ministers think?

Official thinks that King of Rui and General Miao

are the best candidates.

Your Majesty, it is not that I worry too much,

but the commander-in-chief’s seal

is connected to the army’s morale

and Jiangdu’s granaries

provide food and clothing for all Great Lan’s people.

Although King of Rui and General Miao

have rendered greatest services,

they can be rewarded in another way.

Your Majesty should think thrice before making this leap.

Then what should be done about this matter

in Imperial Mother’s opinion?

I think

that offender Xue Mingyi’s son, Xue Bi,

has been working selflessly for the public interest.

There was no mishap in his work.

Therefore, his father's power

can be transferred to Xue Bi

Father’s sin does not fall on the son.

It will also show that Your Majesty

distinguishes right from wrong.

Empress Dowager wants

to take offender Xue Mingyi’ power

away

from me

and let me share it with others.

Asking while knowing the answer.

Do you want to monopolize the power

in such a critical time, King of Rui?

Can I then assume that

Xue Mingyi’s crime

can also be shared by a larger number

of his fellow officials?

I think

Xue Bi is still young and his merits are still not established

so it will be somewhat improper for him to inherit his father’s power.

I have made up my mind.

Xiao Fengqing, Miao Minghu,

come forward and listen to the imperial decree.

Brother Xiao Fengqing takes the order.

Official Miao Minghu takes the order.

Xiao Fengqing will bear

the seal of the commander-in-chief from now on.

Miao Minghu will hold

general commandery over the army,

command the five peasant armies, middle base and three battalions in Wuwei.

I expect you both to work selflessly for the public interest

and that you will never let me down.

Brother..

Official...

is grateful for the grand kindness.

Rise.

Fengqing,

is the arrow wound you have received

a few days ago healing well?

Replying to Your Majesty,

King of Rui's Consort has treated the wound.

It is healing well.

That’s good then.

You can go back and rest first.

Thank you, Your Majesty

Adjourn the imperial court session.

Cai Ying has not come back yet.

I do not know

who will win or lose in the imperial court today.

The victory

belongs to the emperor today.

Miao Minghu is highly regarded.

Even if he and Nie Wushuang do not recognize each other now,

they will definitely

join hands to deal with my Imperial Brother

and Prime Minister Gu in the future.

Reporting to Imperial Concubine Du,

everything went as Jiao Tong expected.

Xue Mingyi has been removed from his official post

and was imprisoned in Pingnan Mansion for life.

His direct relatives will be sent into exile.

His fellow officials will be

sent to a distant place for penal servitude.

Only imperial son-in-law Xue Bi

has survived the calamity.

It seems that Empress Dowager Wang was rendered powerless.

Me and the child in the belly

have no patron now.

Has Imperial Concubine Du not said

that a woman who has played

politics for years

will not surrender so easily?

Empress Dowager will naturally

not accept the defeat so easily.

The current victory

is not necessarily the future victory.

According to Jiao Tong,

Empress Dowager returned

the military power to the emperor

because she wants the emperor

to pursue the supreme treasure

so she can sit idle and enjoy the fruits of others’ work.

Yes.

Only the emperor

knows the way to the secret treasure.

As long as one keeps calm until the end,

one will be able to benefit from the big gain.

It does not have to be Empress Dowager, right?

As long as they are aware

of their interests,

it is not difficult to break them apart again.

What trick does Jiao Tong have?

King of Rui’s mother, Ji Rousang

This person who we do not know if she is alive or not,

is a thorn

between King of Rui and Empress Dowager Wang

it will be perfect to

make fuss about her

Maybe we can implicate

Nie Wushuang again.

Push her beyond redemption.

Is this a flower

from the imperial garden?

Yes.

What do you think will happen

if the whole water in the imperial garden

will be sprinkled with this medicine?

Evil… who is really evil?

Ji Rousang... Xiao Fengqing...

or maybe Nie Wushuang?

Empress Dowager,

would you like to visit

Xue Mingyi in Pingnan Mansion?

There are many ears and eyes in the palace,

This is not the time to visit him.

I will keep his desperate efforts in mind for now.

No matter what he said

is true or not,

he won’t be able to escape to Wuzhi Mountain from me.

(Wuzhi Mountain - 1,840 m; highest mountain in Hainan)

Emperor and King of Rui,

enjoy your power and prestige now,

I will regain the lost ground

after you made great efforts.

Empress Dowager is wise.

Reporting to Empress Dowager,

His Majesty has just passed down the decree.

Nowadays, the national treasury is in difficulty

therefore all the palaces in the imperial harem

have to cut down their expenses.

This included Shangyuan Palace as well.

Shangyuan Palace as well?

Outrageous!

Yes… Yes...

I heard that

King of Rui reported to His Majesty

that we are spending money at Shangyuan Palace

in an extravagant and wasteful way.

He said that Empress Dowager is respected by all people in the imperial harem

so she should be a role model for them

by taking the lead in cutting the expenses,

cutting down the silver

and building Ci'An Garden for Empress Dowager.

Do they really want to build Ci'An Garden for me

so I spend my remaining years in comfort?

Yes, Empress Dowager.

Your Majesty has appointed King of Rui

as the Ci'An Garden’s construction manager

It should be completed next summer.

He wants me to relinquish

the administrative power by the next summer?

What a great emperor you are...

What a great Xiao Fengqing...

Deshun pays respects to Empress Dowager.

I was not aware that Empress Dowager has arrived

and failed to greet her properly.

I ask Empress Dowager to pardon the offence.

Deshun will immediately

notify Royal Highness King of Rui.

There is no need for that

Since His majesty went incognito to Jiangnan,

I have come to King of Rui’s mansion

to see if King of Rui has not hidden

that demoness Ji Rousang here.

There is no need for that.

Greetings, Empress Dowager

You have come to visit the orphan.

If Empress Dowager

can find my mother here,

I will be really grateful

for your kindness.

I shall build a splendid

Ci'An Garden for you in exchange.

Empress Dowager can search at will.

King of Rui, you feel secure in the knowledge of a strong backing.

Does it come from the fact that you won

His Majesty over me?

Your Majesty listens to the truth.

He is fair in judging

what is right and wrong.

And so you took the lead

to cut down

the expenses of my Shangyuan Palace

to show off your temporary prestige?

I dare not.

Nowadays, the expenditures of the palaces

need to be cut down due to the state treasury’s problems.

The imperial harem

is governed by Shangyuan Palace.

All the six palaces will follow

Empress Dowager’s example.

This is so-called “restraining favours beyond the normal customs”

it will make people respect and admire you.

Could it be that

Empress Dowager still wants to seek pleasure and luxus

even when you are

so old already?

You dare to be rude to the Empress Dowager!

Who are you?!

This is King of Rui’s Mansion!

Deshun!

Present.

Kick him out.

Dogs are not welcomed in King of Rui’s Mansion.

You… You dare?!

Eunuch Li, pass my imperial decree!

King of Rui considers everyone beneath his notice.

Burn the whole

King of Rui’s Mansion for me!

This humble one will obey.

Deshun!

Quick!

You cannot burn it! You cannot burn it!

Get out of the way!

You cannot burn it! You cannot burn it!

Don’t burn it!

Don’t burn it!

You have repeatedly

disgraced me many times in the court.

With today’s lesson

I want to let you know

that I am the Empress Dowager.

If you dare to encroach me again,

I will deal with

with the people you care the most about

and make you so grieved as to wish you were dead.

Eunuch Li,

bring the gold out of the carriage.

I shall give it to King of Rui

to repair the King of Rui’s Mansion.

Yes.

No matter where you come from,

you need my permission

to stay alive in the palace.

You!

King of Rui! King of Rui!

This old hag!

You must not! You must not!

King of Ru, you must not!

That’s bad!

The flowers from the imperial garden rotted away!

What is going on in the imperial palace now?

This female servant and Concubine Shu

went to the Four Seasons Garden

where all flowers have withered.

Yesterday, this female servant went to Qiuju Garden

and all flowers were in full bloom.

But overnight...

Zhaoyi Nie.

replying to Your Majesty,

Wushuang went to Huai’en Pool (The Pool of Heartfealt Kindness)

and nearly half of carps have died there.

Imperial Elder Brother,

Yunle went to the imperial garden.

The feeding birds in the imperial garden

shared the same fate.

Concubine Du.

Replying to Your Majesty,

it seem to be a bad omen,

but vermin has come out

of the Guanju palace’ old tree this morning.

What did you say?

Your Majesty, calm your anger.

Third Elder Brother,

could there be some kind of plague in the palace?

I am afraid that if it spreads out,

it will affect everyone in the palace.

I think so to.

Empress Dowager has arrived.

Son pays respects to the Imperial Mother.

Rise.

Thank you, Imperial Mother

I learned about Your Majesty’s sadness

so I especially came

to share Your Majesty’s worries.

Imperial Mother,

strange things happened in the imperial garden today.

Imperial Mother already knows about it?

I have personally witnessed it on the way

from Shangyuan palace to the imperial study.

Imperial Father!

This is the flower

that I planted in Shangyuan Palace last year.

Look, it blossomed this morning.

Ziyan...

Imperial Mother!

Ziyan misses Imperial Mother very much

These dazzling gardens

were brought by Ji Rousang

to Great Lan that year.

Since they have died

overnight,

I ask Your Majesty

what kind of omen it is.

Empress Dowager, what do you want to say?

I am more worried about Your Majesty’s

safety than anyone else.

These scenery

were brought in by your mother.

Now that she is gone,

the illusion disappeared as well.

It is so-called

demon way.

You are talking nonsense.

Seeing how calm you are,

I feel that this was caused by a man.

Some people want to deliberately

arouse superstitious beliefs.

Enough.

Do not put the blame on anyone

before this matter

has been ascertained.

Pass my verbal instruction.

This matter will be handed to Wang Sengbian for investigation.

Imperial Medical Bureau will assist him.

Regardless whether

it is a natural disaster or man-made one,

I will get

to the bottom of it.

For the sake of the safety,

wormwood should be burned everywhere in the palace.

Concubine Du, Concubine Yun,

you are both pregnant.

Pay special attention to your diet.

This matter will be handed to Zhaoyi Nie.

Wushuang shall obey.

I do not want

this matters to spread.

I will be really at ease if we find out

that it is not some kind of black magic.

Come, Ziyan.

Hurry to Imperial Grandmother

We should return to Shangyuan Palace

and take a nap.

I want Imperial Mother! I want Imperial Mother!

Imperial Mother,

how about letting Ziyan

go with this female servant back to Yi Palace for a nap?

I will send him back to Shangyuan Palace at night.

I am responsible for

where Ziyan stays

and not you.

Chunxiang.

I want Imperial Mother! I want Imperial Mother!

Eldest Prince, let’s go.

I want Imperial Mother!

Imperial Mother,

what child

does not want to be with his mother.

When they are small,

all the children in the world

love and listen to their mothers.

They do not seem to do so when they grow up.

I am now

an old woman, unrestrained and carefree.

I can only spend time with my treasured grandchild.

Your Majesty is not going to abuse your power, right?

Will you not let me to spend my

remaining days happily in my grandson’s company?