Original subtitles

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Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.

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Watching the person in the mirror's countenance pale and grow haggard,

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Examining love together with regret, both new and old.

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Keeping watch still by a lantern though it is daybreak, drenched with tears,

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Watching others meet as promised, as twilight falls.

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Story of Yanxi Palace

Episode 40

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Your Majesty. Her Highness the Empress has lost her mind because of extreme grief.

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You mustn't get near her.

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It's me.

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Empress.

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Our Yongcong is gone.

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You must pull yourself together, okay?

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- No! No! Yongcong!

- Your Highness!

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Yongcong!

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Empress!

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Yongcong...

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Empress!

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It's you.

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It's you who caused me to lose Yongcong.

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Let go of me. Let go of me!

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He's already dead.

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Empress.

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Yongcong has left.

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Pull yourself together.

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Don't lose your demeanor.

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Don't forget

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who you are.

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Who I am?

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Your Majesty,

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you tell me, who am I?

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You're my wife.

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The Qing Empress who is the motherly figure of the whole empire.

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Right.

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I'm the Empress of the Qing Empire.

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Since the day I got conferred that title,

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I have to attend to Empress Dowager,

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respect Your Majesty,

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be nice to the Imperial harem,

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do things in a cautious manner.

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I was afraid to make any mistakes

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and be criticized by the world.

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I'm virtuous and of good morals.

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I was afraid of getting spurned by Your Majesty.

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I didn't bear grudges.

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I didn't get jealous.

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I also didn't hate anyone.

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On Your Majesty's behalf,

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I protected the Imperial harem.

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I even treated their children

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as my own children.

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But Your Majesty,

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what did I get?

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Yesterday, New Year's Eve,

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the day of family reunions.

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I instead lost Yongcong on such a day.

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I used my life to give birth to him.

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He's the person I love the most in this world.

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Why? Why?

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All my life, I have never done

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an evil thing.

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Why did I end up in this state?

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Why, Your Majesty?

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Empress.

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You're tired.

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Your Majesty,

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even you can't give me an answer?

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You also don't have an answer.

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Am I right?

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Don't mind me anymore then.

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Where are you going?

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Let me just go!

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- You need rest. When you wake up, everything will be alright!

- Let me...!

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Everything will be fine!

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I'm going to save my son!

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- Calm down!

- Your Highness!

- I don't want to be an Empress!

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- Let go of me! I'm going to save my son!

- Rongyin...

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- Rongyin!

- Let me go see Yongcong. Your Majesty, I beg you.

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Let me go.

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I don't want anything. Let go of me!

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Rongyin!

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- Let go of me!

- Hand me a rope!

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Let go of me.

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I don't want anything!

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Bring me a rope!

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Let me go...

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I beg you.

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Rongyin, you are my Empress.

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The legitimate wife of the Aisin-Gioro family.

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You don't have the right to be unruly and willful.

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Even less may there be a possibility to withdraw midway.

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I don't care if you're sick

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or have gone insane.

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You must always remember

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the responsibilities on your shoulders.

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Responsibilities?

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In this life,

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what I have left are responsibilities.

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Starting today,

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you mustn't leave her side.

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Guard and take good care of her. Understand?

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Yes.

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Your Majesty, the funeral matters of the Seventh Prince have been arranged.

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Your-Your Majesty...!

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I want to personally handle the funeral of the Seventh Prince.

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Your Majesty, this is against rules.

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My words are the rules.

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Then...regarding Empress Dowager,

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should I order someone to inform her?

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She also loved Yongcong a lot.

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This news...

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- I will personally tell her.

- Yes.

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Your Majesty! Urgent news!

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Governor-General Zhang Guangsi of Chuanshan sent an urgent military report

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that the Tribe Leader Shaluoben of Dajinchuan attacked the territories of the Mingzheng tribes.

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He desires to conquer the said vassal tribes.

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Are you blind?

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The Seventh Prince just died.

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How could His Majesty be in the mood for that? Quickly withdraw.

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- Yes.

- Wait!

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Tell Prince He of the First Rank

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to handle the funeral matters of Yongcong.

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Call for the Grand Ministers of the State to meet me in Yangxin Palace for a meeting.

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Yes.

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Yes.

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Young Mistress, what's going on?

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Why did Young Master send men to put you under house arrest?

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Where did Fuheng go?

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An urgent military report reached the palace today and Young Master was called for an audience.

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At this time,

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he probably is in Yangxin Palace.

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The Empress just lost the Seventh Prince.

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His Majesty is the birth father and Fuheng is the biological uncle.

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Those two people are both not by her side.

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Men are so cruel.

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We just received the news today. Old Madam fainted from crying so much.

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I'm the Sister-in-law of the Empress.

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I should visit her on behalf of Mother-in-law.

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But Young Master won't let you out.

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If he doesn't let me out, can't I go out anymore?

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But...

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I'm pregnant.

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My health is very precious.

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While he's not around, let's see who can dare block me.

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- Where is Fuheng?

- Your Majesty, Assistant Minister Fuca hasn't arrived yet.

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Greetings to Your Majesty.

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Where did you go?

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Replying to Your Majesty, I went to Changchun Palace to visit Her Highness the Empress.

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Just follow what we've discussed. Order Neqin to be the commander and provide reinforcement. All of you can leave now.

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I'm taking my leave.

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Fuheng, stay.

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I called for you to discuss state affairs and you instead went to Changchun Palace?

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Who gave you the boldness?

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Your Majesty, the Empress is gravely ill.

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Please be merciful and allow Her Highness to leave the palace to recuperate.

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If Empress is sick,

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she should stay in the Forbidden Palace to rest.

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Your Majesty, Her Highness suffered extreme grief

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twice successively. She's about to lose it.

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If she continues to stay here, I fear that she might really go crazy.

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Go crazy?

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Go crazy?

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Fuheng,

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you started from being an Imperial guard to a post in the Council of State.

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Your progression in the ranks was so fast, that people are casting side glances.

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Why did I give you much importance?

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Because I saw your ability,

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and thus I treated you like an important high official.

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But today, you disappointed me so much.

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Your Majesty,

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I'm willing to give my everything

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in exchange for Sister's safety and happiness.

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Exchange?

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On what basis?

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Everything that you have is given by me.

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I can take them back anytime.

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Your Majesty can take them back. You will not hear any word from me.

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Fuheng.

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You don't give any importance to power, status, fame, or wealth.

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Do you find yourself so mighty and very righteous?

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But do you know

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that because of this war that Sha Luoben of Jinchuan started, the border citizens are now in turmoil.

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While you only are thinking of your loved one,

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thinking about your sister.

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Your Majesty, I just couldn't bear—

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Couldn't bear to?

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A great man has the nation and its citizens on his shoulders.

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What can't you endure?

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What can't you abandon?

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Let me tell you that not only Yongcong,

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but if the one who died is the Empress...wrong.

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If all the women in the Imperial harem died,

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I still attend court meetings as if nothing happened.

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Because I'm the Emperor.

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The ruler of Great Qing, the ruler of the empire.

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I give you all glory, splendor, wealth, status, and power.

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Those are all to be repaid with loyalty and sacrifices.

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When I need you,

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you then must go onto the battlefield.

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Go fight for the citizens. Sacrifice your life for Great Qing.

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When heavy burdens are on your shoulders, you are duty bound.

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I'm like that. You are too. And so are all the citizens of this empire.

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Hence,

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your sister will never get out of the palace.

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Even in death, she's the Empress of Great Qing.

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Do you understand?

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I understand.

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Erqing, why are you here?

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I took Mother's visiting request.

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I went to greet the Empress Dowager first,

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and then came over to check on Her Highness the Empress.

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Her Highness doesn't want to see anyone right now.

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I know.

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But the more she's alone, the more her heart will be anxious.

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- Just let me in to talk with Her Highness alone.

- But...

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Before, I'm best at knowing about the thoughts of Her Highness.

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Now, I'm also the daughter-in-law of the Fuca family.

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It's my duty to take care and ease the anxiety of Her Highness the Empress.

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Mingyu, just let me in.

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Even if I'm unable to convince Her Highness, it can be comforting to her.

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Okay. Go in then.

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Zhenzhu! Zhenzhu!

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Yingluo said that she'll be back before sunset.

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Go to the palace gates to check.

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Yes.

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Did the mood of Her Highness the Empress get better?

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With me talking with her, of course, it's better.

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I fear that she might think of killing herself.

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Don't worry. Her Highness is forgiving and magnanimous.

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She surely will figure it out. It's getting late.

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I must leave the palace before the gates are closed.

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You must serve her well.

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Hupo!

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Escort Young Mistress out of the palace.

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Yes.

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Mingyu.

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Your Highness.

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I'm hungry. I want to eat something.

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I'll go instruct the kitchen now to prepare them.

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I want to eat the polished glutinous rice cake that you make.

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Your Highness, if I go make it now, it would take some time.

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You haven't drunk anything all day.

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Why don't I let the kitchen prepare some pearl barley congee? (T/N Job's tears - Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen)

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It's fine.

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Go now. I can wait.

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Okay. I'll go right away.

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Have a good rest.

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Mingyu.

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Is Yingluo back?

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Not yet.

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I understand. Go now.

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My entire life, I've committed countless mistakes.

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Born into the Fuca House, but born despising restraint.

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Despite this, marrying into the Imperial family of all families, and becoming the Empress.

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That was my first mistake. Becoming the example of the six palaces.

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Obeying rules of tradition yet still nostalgic of the past.

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Never awakening from such grand dreams. A mistake.

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Losing my true self. Becoming a wooden puppet with strings,

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yet coveting love.

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Wishing to gain the love of the Emperor.

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That is another mistake.

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Giving birth to Yonglian and Yongcong,

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yet without any power to protect them.

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Suffering the pain of losing beloved sons, unfit as a mother.

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That is a mistake. The world never had love.

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Etiquette and rites, rigorous and strict.

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Yet I deluded myself to think the Emperor is loving.

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Unwitting of the fact that human hearts are evil and ways of the world are cruel.

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Again and again suffering betrayal.

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One step as a mistake, and every following step a mistake.

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Your Majesty, you were right.

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I am not a good Empress.

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♫ Though I close my eyes, it's impossible to stop the vision.♫

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♫ Nothing you can do about being approached, ♫

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♫ not being inconsistent in love, ♫

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♫ Though merely holding onto it from the outside, prone to this sort of circumstance ♫

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♫ I hear the sound of the snow slowly falling ♫

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♫ As though you are holding me closely, and speaking sweetly. ♫

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♫ Opening your eyes ♫

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♫ to a sky filled with merciless snow falling, ♫

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I'm sorry, Yingluo.

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I agreed I'd wait for you to return to the palace.

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Regrettably, I can no longer wait.

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However, you must be happy for me.

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From now on, I will no longer be Empress.

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I'll only be Fuca Rongyin.

♫ Who, after suffering this loss for a lifetime, is fond of this scene?♫

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I am only Fuca Rongyin.

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Is that mourning bell?

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What happened in the palace?

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The Empress has left the world! The Empress has left the world!

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The Empress has left the world! The Empress has left the world!

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[ Changchun Palace ]

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[ Changchun Palace ]

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[ Changchun Palace ]

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[ "Govern the six palaces with merit" ]

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Why are you just coming back now?

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Changchun Palace suddenly met with a big fire.

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The Seventh Prince died unfortunately.

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Her Highness was struck by grief...

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and she jumped from the top of the building.

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Wei Yingluo, why are you late by a day?

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Why are you coming back so late?

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No. No! Her Highness is full of blood.

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Don't look.

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[ Changchun Palace ]

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Greetings to Your Majesty.

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Change the Empress' clothes and put makeup on her.

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I will have the Empress leave honorably and grand.

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Yes.

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Your Majesty.

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I will clean Her Highness' blood.

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But Her Highness already chose to give up jewels

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and accessories, these items of burden.

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May you spare them.

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She is the Empress.

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She can't leave unadorned.

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Your Majesty. If Her Highness really cared about these materialistic items...

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why would she go from the high place...

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and jump down?

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Yingluo. Are you crazy?

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May Your Majesty be gracious.

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Allow Her Highness

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to leave without care or burden.

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Mingyu, dress up the Empress.

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Your Majesty.

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She is my Empress forever.

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She cannot be without burden. Even more so, she cannot be free.

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That is her fate.

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You can brush it of so lightly, Your Majesty.

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Do you blame Her Highness for falling to death of her will?

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Committing a grave offense?

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As the Empress,

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to be so weak.

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So useless.

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I ...

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will never forgive this.

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Your Majesty.

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Her Highness had a body as cold as ice.

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Her bone-deep pain was unbearable.

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Yet she wagered her life to give birth to the Seventh Prince nevertheless.

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Everyone says she did it so secure her Empress position.

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Not so.

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Her Highness knew very deeply

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that Your Majesty wanted a legitimate son to succeed to the crown.

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For Your Majesty's need, she sacrificed herself.

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Even if she paid for it with her own life.

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And the result?

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New Year's Eve.

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The pain of losing her son.

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Piercing through her heart and her bones.

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Your Majesty.

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You sit at Yangxin Hall daily.

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Did you ever hear Her Highness's cry of despair?

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She was waiting for you to rescue her.

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Yingluo, don't talk anymore.

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Why shouldn't I talk?

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Her Highness loved Your Majesty sincerely.

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She was sincere in her dealing of everyone in the palace.

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But her sincerity earned her your oversight.

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It got back to her, the schemes and plotting of the harem.

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Everyone says Her Highness was a fool.

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No. She was not foolish at all.

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Her Highness was innately clever and she's the most kind-hearted person on earth.

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The best person. But she just couldn't bear.

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She couldn't bear to hurt the women who was bound to the dark palace along with her.

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And she couldn't bear even more so to hurt Your Majesty's feelings.

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But Your Majesty, why can't you,

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give her a bit of pity?

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Give her a bit of love?

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Why are you so cold?

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Is your heart

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made of ice?

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Li Yu.

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- Your servant is here.

- Wei Yingluo has been offensive repeatedly.

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Acting rebellious.

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Grant her suicide, to be buried with the Empress.

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Your Majesty. Your Majesty, you can't. Your Majesty!

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Yingluo. Hurry and beg His Majesty.

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Yingluo.

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- Guards.

- Your Majesty, you can't do that.

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Your servant...

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Is willing to follow Her Highness the Empress with her life.

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Thank you for Your Majesty's grace.

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Her Highness wouldn't want you to do so. Beg His Majesty.

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Yingluo.

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Yingluo. Yingluo!

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Your Majesty. Her Highness was most fond of Yingluo.

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You can't do that.

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It's precisely because she is the Empress's favorite handmaiden...

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that I am sending her to accompany the Empress.

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Continue to dress and brush the Empress.

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Miss Mingyu, hurry now.

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She would never want this! Her Highness was so kind.

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She only wanted Yingluo to be happy.

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Your Majesty, you don't understand Her Highness at all!

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Not at all.

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Miss Yingluo, this is also on the account of your fidelity to the Empress,

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that you get this kind treatment.

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If it's another, it's just a rope.

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But you can choose.

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Wei Yingluo. Wei Yingluo!

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His Majesty has spared you. You don't need to die anymore.

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The Empress left a will

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to preserve your life.

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Your Majesty, I, Rongyin, am leaving and we will part forever.

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Only my handmaiden Yingluo with her iron devotion and conviction is unbending

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and unsuitable to remain in the palace.

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May Your Majesty allow her to leave the palace to pursue her freedom,

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in hopes that she will cherish herself.

Honorably Yours, Fuca Rongyin.

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This letter only mentions Wei Yingluo.

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Not a word left for me.

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Empress.

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The grudge in your heart,

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is it so deep as this?

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Your Majesty. By custom, we should report to the generals, the ministers and the Imperial clansman,

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the cause of the death of the Central Palace. (T/N Empress)

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But the matter happened so suddenly, and I truly don't know what to tell them.

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The Empress...

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due to the Seventh Prince's death, was overtaken by grief.

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In addition, she had not overcome the serious illness brought on by the labor of the eastern tour before this.

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Thus her sudden departure from life.

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This. Everyone in the palace,

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I fear we can't keep it a secret.

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If you fail to stop the mouths of the servants,

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I will pluck your head.

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Then, what about Wei Yingluo?

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Since it's the last will of the Empress.

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Naturally, I can't kill her.

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I don't ever want to see her again in the Forbidden City.

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Miss Yingluo, His Majesty has allowed for your immediate departure from the palace.

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You are to report to Yuanming Garden's celestial hall,

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to guard the Empress' portrait.

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Never to return to the Forbidden City.

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Didn't you come to work?

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Brother. What are you doing here?

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I got transferred to Yuanming Garden.

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You are already in charge of Internal Affairs Bureau's storage and you are appreciated by Noble Consort Xian.

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What are you doing transferring to Yuanming Garden?

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Yingluo, we agreed.

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You and I, no matter if it's the golden temple,

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or the infernal hell, we will be together forever.

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You promised me. You said so yourself, so you had better not go back on it.

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That's not what was said originally.

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Who even remembers the original words. Anyway, the gist of it was that we share the blessings,

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and we carry the troubles together.

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Have you gone mad?

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You worked so hard to climb up and you finally got this chance.

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But you just gave up on it yourself?

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Therefore, Wei Yingluo, you must remember everything I gave up.

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Yingluo, from now on,

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you and I stay at Yuanming Garden.

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We will forever never be parted.

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If you don't say anything, I will regard it as you having agreed.

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Wei Yingluo.

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Wei Yingluo?

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Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.

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♫Softly falling into the hollow of my palm,♫

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♫Resting frozen in the center of my palm.♫

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♫Our meeting across past incarnations was inevitable,♫

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♫Joined together, deeply experiencing and holding onto the end of happiness.♫

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♫Though plainly given words of discouragement,♫

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♫Pretending to hear nothing but exhortation.♫

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♫ Endless tears, believing it cannot be true,♫

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♫ In this life, being born under an unlucky star.♫

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♫I hear the sound of the snow slowly falling♫

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♫ Though I close my eyes, it's impossible to stop the vision.♫

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♫ Nothing you can do about being approached, not being inconsistent in love,♫

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♫ Though merely holding onto it from the outside, prone to this sort of circumstance.♫

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♫ I hear the sound of the snow slowly falling♫

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♫ As though you are holding me closely, and speaking sweetly.♫

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♫ Opening your eyes to a sky filled with merciless snow falling,♫

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♫ Who, after suffering this loss for a lifetime, is fond of this scene?♫