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 42

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You can tell me the truth now, right?

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The silver needle in your body was Noble Consort Chun's doing?

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Is it?

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Yingluo. The two years I was in Zhongcui Palace,

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Noble Consort Chun was very good to me all along,

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especially in His Majesty's presence.

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But three days ago,

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I discovered Wang Zhong who was the supervisor at the Heating Office back then...

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with Yuhu.

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The oversight by the eunuchs in the Heating Office

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caused the Lucky Urn to ice up.

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The Seventh Prince died in the fire.

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Because Wang Zhong wasn't on shift that night,

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he luckily escaped the blame.

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But a eunuch and a palace maid smitten with each other is a common happening in the palace,

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so I didn't think otherwise.

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But Yuhu felt guilty.

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And she reported the incident to Noble Consort Chun.

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From that day on, they changed completely.

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You..! Let go of me! Let go!

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They wanted to force me to keep my mouth shut.

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So I started to suspect..

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that the Seventh Prince's death...

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is linked to Noble Consort Chun.

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You discovered them.

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But they didn't kill you immediately, because there are lots of people and lots of talking mouths in the Forbidden City.

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If you die suddenly,

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His Majesty would surely suspect.

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But they're still afraid you might show yourself.

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So this trip to Yuanming Garden,

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they never plan to let you go back alive.

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Mingyu.

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How are you so foolish? Why didn't you tell me sooner?

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I couldn't tell anyone.

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Yingluo. I couldn't tell anyone.

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Now Noble Consort Chun is the most favored consort in the Forbidden City,

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His Majesty's favorite.

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I have no evidence against Noble Consort Chun.

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It's one thing if I lose my life.

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My family will be hit by it.

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You're right.

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If we don't have a sure win, we can't act recklessly.

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Yingluo. Her Highness the Empress is gone now.

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If you commit a mistake again, who can protect you?

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Noble Consort Chun is high and mighty now. We can't be eggs throwing ourselves at rocks.

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Yes. No one will protect us.

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In order to avenge our Empress, we need to find a mountain to lean on first.

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Rescue them from the fire!

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I did not kill A'Man.

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If you don't believe me, you can use this dagger now

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to stab into my heart.

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Yingluo, everything you said to me before,

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every smile you blossomed at me.

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They circle my mind, over and over.

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Even if I know clearly you are deceiving me,

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I don't want to believe it.

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When you can give up your grudge

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and lay down your revenge, no matter how long it takes.

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Even if it's my entire life, I will wait for you.

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Hey.

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Your arm should be lower.

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Look at the bow well. Your gaze should follow here and there.

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Here. Straight to the front.

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Try it.

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Imperial Guard Suolun.

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Officer Hailancha, you have a sweetheart at Yuanming Garden too?

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I know! If Miss Mingyu finds out,

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she will be so sad!

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Yes, it's true.

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You're craving some floggings? Continue.

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Let's train.

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Guard Suolun.

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Miss Yingluo, you can just call me Hailancha.

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Actually I came today to see you,

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because I have a favor to ask of you.

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Alright.

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I haven't said it.

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Do you know what favor I might ask you that you just say yes?

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Before Fuheng left, he told me no matter what needs Miss Yingluo might have,

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I must help you no matter what. He's my best buddy.

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Someone he trusts, I trust too.

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Go ahead. What do you need help with?

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Brother. Time to eat.

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Yingluo,

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usually I am delivering food to you.

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Why the change for today,

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you're delivering food to me?

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Tell me. Did you do something guilty?

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Brother.

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These two years, I've remembered how well you've treated me.

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What's wrong? I suddenly become aware of my conscience and I'm nice to you.

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Can't I be?

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Yingluo. You promised me.

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No matter what changes happen in the outside world,

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the two of us will always stay together at Yuanming Garden.

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You agreed we will never part. Don't go back on it now.

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The food's getting cold. Let's eat first.

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Why are you staring at me like that?

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Hey..about my room. The roof's leaking a bit.

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I'm afraid a big rain will come one day.

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Brother. Tomorrow if you have time, can you mend it for me?

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No problem. I'll do it.

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Look, Sister. So beautiful over there.

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May the Empress Dowager release them.

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Alright. Good.

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Good.

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In the name of Amitabha Buddha.

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In the name of Amitabha Buddha.

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What is that?

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How is there a multicolored bird in Yuanming Garden?

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Sister Shu, look.

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Jaw of a swallow with the beak of a chicken, and multicolored.

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- Can it be..?

- So strange.

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Who raises these birds?

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Empress Dowager is asking. Who is raising these birds?

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Greetings to the Empress Dowager, to Your Majesty, to the Empress and all mistresses.

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These birds, before their release,

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were all taken care of by me.

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Then tell me, that bird,

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what is its name?

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I've never seen it either.

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I dare to guess,

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that it's a phoenix.

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Utter nonsense.

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Yuanming Garden raises common birds, so where would a phoenix come from?

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On Empress Dowager's birthday, the tradition of releasing lives.

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Such mercy has attracted the king of all birds.

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This is the heavens showing the Empress Dowager's merit.

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Hence the appearance of the auspicious sign.

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The world is full of rarities.

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But such an amusement is a first for me.

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Emperor, do you think she is right?

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Empress Dowager, once the sky showed the auspicious sign of five stars beaded together.

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Great Emperor Kangxi was a man of logic and would not believe.

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And he hated such hoaxing of auspicious signs.

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However, her diligent devotion is to court your merriment.

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Not rewarding and not punishing would do.

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Empress Dowager, His Majesty is right.

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It's surely that palace maid tinting the bird with multiple colors beforehand.

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Hiding it inside the bird cage to incite your merriment on purpose.

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She's anxious to seek a reward.

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Wei Yingluo, you sure are bold.

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This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor.

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She's just coaxing a smile out of the Empress Dowager.

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It's not as serious as all you sisters claim.

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Your Highness the Empress is merciful and lenient with everyone.

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However, this palace maid is showing off before the crowd.

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Trying to charm while everyone is watching.

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If everyone is like this palace maid, the palace...

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it will become so chaotic!

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Come. Take this palace maid down.

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Empress Dowager. I have a way to prove myself.

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How will you prove the auspicious sign is from heaven?

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On your birthday, the phoenix presents itself.

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Is it really the auspicious sign from above or am I trying a hoax to charm?

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We can know if we try it again.

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What's this? Are you are trying to use another fake sign that you prepared beforehand?

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Empress Dowager. Don't get tricked by her anymore.

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There are so many of us, but we're getting tricked by a palace maid.

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What a mockery to the world.

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I say she should be dragged out.

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Give her eighty strokes of flogging and we'll see if she will then speak honestly!

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Empress Dowager. This palace maid is trying to cheer you up.

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I dare to plead for leniency.

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Leniency? Then,

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every slave will copy her wily charms.

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And no one will do their chores diligently anymore.

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All of you mistresses are overly-worried. Yuanming Garden also has a decorative carp pond.

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There are lots of jinli. Why not try heaven's will through them? (T/N Colored pet carp, aka "koi"/Japanese)

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Let's see if I am really lying, or if it's heaven's will.

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Emperor, a matter of heaven's auspicious sign.

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Though it's my first time hearing it,

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I really do want to see.

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Is it my kindness that's touched the gods,

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or is this girl deceiving us wildly?

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Wei Yingluo, are you confident?

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Since the heavens are celebrating your birthday,

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auspicious signs won't present once only.

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Yingluo will wager her life to test the heaven's will.

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Let's see if the auspicious sign is real or if it's a fake.

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Empress Dowager, if you'd like to test it, then indulge in this amusement.

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But we can't let her pick out the carp.

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How about I bring someone to do the selecting?

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That way it's fair and square.

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Alright.

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Empress Dowager, did you see?

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That girl is obviously lying with her eyes wide open.

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The fish have swum away,

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and we still don't see even half of an auspicious sign.

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To think someone like her exists in the world

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to taunt the Empress Dowager in public like this!

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As if once wasn't enough, she did it twice!

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Her brazenness is unmatched.

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Your Majesty, I believe

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she must be punished severely.

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We cannot allow a trend of deception to start.

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Wei Yingluo, the carp have all swum away.

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It's clear your heaven's will is all rubbish.

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Now even I can't speak on your behalf.

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Hurry and drag her down.

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You all look!

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It's the character "shou"!

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[ "Shou" (longevity, birthday wishes) ]

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Empress Dowager didn't see it wrong. It's shou indeed.

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For Your Highness the Empress Dowager's longevity celebration, you released lives which touched the heavens,

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so such a rare auspicious sign is appearing.

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Empress Dowager, may you be blessed with a long and prosperous life!

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An auspicious sign from heaven! Congratulations, Empress Dowager.

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Good, good...Great!

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An auspicious sign from heaven!

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It means my years of devotion to Buddha were not cultivated in vain.

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Everyone, rise quickly! Rise.

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You're a good child.

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Tell me. What do you want as a reward?

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Empress Dowager. I miss the Forbidden City very much.

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I want to return to it.

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So simple?

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Empress Dowager's merit has touched the heavens above.

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I am brazen, but I wish to go and serve the Empress Dowager.

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No.

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This child is clever and fine. I like her.

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What's wrong with her serving me at Shoukang Palace?

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Empress Dowager, that girl has a sharp and slippery tongue, very tricky.

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She's going to serve me, not to serve you.

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She is eloquent and knowledgeable. Perfect to make everyone happy.

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I was thinking my days were so boring actually.

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I, Yingluo, thank Her Highness the Empress Dowager for her grace!

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Empress Dowager, it's not that I don't want to.

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Just that...I was going to confer her as my Second Class Attendant! (T/N 8th rank below Empress, Imperial Harem...!)

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I won't let you get near the Empress Dowager. Forget your vain dream.

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Second Class Attendant?

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Wei Yingluo is the daughter of an official,

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a former servant of the Imperial Household Department.

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To promote her as a Second Class Attendant is indulgent to her.

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That child is clever and quick.

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She spent so much effort to cheer me up on my birthday.

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And she's delicate in looks.

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I think a Second Class Attendant rank is compromising her.

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Promote her as Noble Lady, that's more suitable.

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I thank Empress Dowager for the grace.

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Noble Lady Wei, hurry and rise. (T/N ..up to 6th rank below Empress!)

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Yes.

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Hurry and come over.

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Good girl. In the future, you will be blessed.

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Yingluo is bold. I have another request.

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Wei Yingluo, don't push your luck.

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Empress Dowager, have I stepped over my limit?

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Say it first.

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Noble Consort Chun. Mingyu and I served together at Changchun Palace.

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We are very close and hard to separate.

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May Your Highness the Noble Consort Chun be merciful and allow Mingyu to accompany me.

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Noble Lady Wei, you just got promoted to Noble Lady.

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Now you're asking a person from Her Highness the Noble Consort already? That seems in defiance of the rules.

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I am only attached to an old mate.

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If Your Highness the Noble Consort Chun can't spare her, I will seek a different wish.

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Enough. Just a palace maid. If she wants her, give her the maid.

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Yes.

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Your servant...

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No.

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Your concubine thanks Your Majesty for his grace.

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Empress Dowager, on the top of the mountain and long river,

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we've prepared a fire show. Let's go see the show.

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Alright.

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You come too.

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Yes.

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Yingluo, was it for my sake?

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Mingyu. In the past, I was a palace maid.

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Now, I am a Noble Lady.

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You can say I made it big and you should be happy for me.

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- But . . .

- No more but's. Hurry and pack up.

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Wei Yingluo, I must talk to you.

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Yingluo, then I'll go out first.

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Why?

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- Why what?

- You promised me

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that you'd stay at Yuanming Palace with me forever.

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Why are you becoming Hongli's Noble Lady?

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Brother, weren't you always anxious to climb up high?

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In the future, we will never need to suffer hardship at Yuanming Garden again.

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Let's go back to the Forbidden City and be above the others. Isn't that good?

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Furthermore, I was only trying to garner the Empress Dowager's favor.

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I didn't think I'd become a Noble Lady. This was unexpected.

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You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool me.

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Wei Yingluo, Hongli is very suspicious of you.

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He's long determined you have an ulterior motive. Why would he allow you to stay by the Empress Dowager?

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But you earned Empress Dowager's amusement so to him,

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the most proper and smooth way to deflect that is to keep you by his side.

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Yingluo. You already schemed all this.

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You had already figured it out and you were afraid I'd stop you.

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So you lured me away on purpose, right?

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Yes. I did do so on purpose.

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Because I don't wish to stay at Yuanming Garden anymore and I don't wish to be a palace maid forever either!

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I won't allow you to go. I won't let you!

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Brother.

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Yingluo, listen to me.

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It's not that I am opposed to your marrying another.

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It's fine whoever you marry.

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Not only will I not object, I will help you with your wedding and marrying you off with dowry.

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Just not Hongli. Only he can't be the one!

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- Why not?

- There's no why! Just not him!

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Brother. My becoming a Noble Lady only benefits you.

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Tell me. Why do you really object?

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Yingluo, let me beg you. I'm begging you.

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Can I defy the royal decree coming now?

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There's no problem! There are fresh produce deliveries in and out daily of Yuanming Garden.

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If we plan it soon, we can escape this place for sure.

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Yingluo, I don't want anything else now. I seek nothing.

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I just seek for us to leave peacefully. Let's go together.

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Brother.

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You've gone mad.

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Wei Yingluo, think clearly.

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If you go to Hongli,

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then you are betraying your promise to me.

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If you are a traitor to me, I, Yuan Chunwang, never forgive you.

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You will really part ways from me?

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Brother.

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I'm sorry.

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Alright.

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Alright.

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Wei Yingluo, you remember this day.

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You betrayed our promise first.

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From now on, you walk on your bright and broad road.

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I will walk on my single-planked bridge.

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The two of us have no more ties.

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Brother.

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Brother.

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Why do you see His Majesty as your enemy?

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Why?

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You were born with everything.

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I was born with nothing.

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You indulge in everything...

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and you must snatch the only thing I have!

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Heavens, you are so unfair!

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Unfair!

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Wei Yingluo.

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Today, you betrayed me.

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Tomorrow,

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don't blame this brother of yours.

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From now on, you walk on your bright and broad road.

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I will walk on my single-planked bridge.

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Chief Supervisor Li, what brings you here?

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Noble Lady Wei. His Majesty summons you to attend him in bed tonight.

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Tonight?

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Noble Lady, this is a heavenly blessing.

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May you prepare thoroughly.

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You two help dress the Noble Lady.

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Yingluo. You can't avoid tonight somehow?

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His Majesty summons the new Noble Lady to serve him in bed.

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It's completely natural. How will I avoid it?

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His Majesty really wants you to serve in bed, he would arrange for this in his administrative residence.

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That's where His Majesty resides at Yuanming Garden Palace.

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Why would it be at Changchun Immortal Hall?

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That's the late Empress' residence.

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His doing so is clearly having an ulterior motive.

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Maybe he will pick on you.

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Even if I know clearly he's up to something,

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I must go still.

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Or else I am defying the royal decree.

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Yingluo, it's all my fault.

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If I said nothing,

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then you'd be living in peace at Yuanming Garden.

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If nothing comes to me, I will not seek out trouble.

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But if something comes to me, I will not be afraid either.

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Managing life is all about finding appropriate ways to fight troubles that come your way.

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If you're always worried and frightened,

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there's no fun in living.

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[ Changchun Immortal Hall ]

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His Majesty is busy with state affairs. May Noble Lady Wei wait momentarily.

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Fine.

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Your Majesty, Noble Lady Wei is in the cold.

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She's been waiting for over two hours.

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Is it time to summon her in now?

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Noble Lady, what are you doing? It's too rude.

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Mingyu.

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I think this snack is a bit tough.

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Did you not add enough water?

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Next time I'll be sure to remember it.

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Well...

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Yingluo, can you really do this?

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His Majesty, will he get furious?

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Whether it will work?

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We'll find out.

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- Tell her to roll in.

- Yes.

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Your concubine greets Your Majesty.

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Wei Yingluo, how bold of you!

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Your Majesty summoned me to attend to your bed tonight.

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I obeyed and came.

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But I was waiting in the cold and it's easy to catch a disease.

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How can a sick person serve you in bed?

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I did so not only to protect myself,

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I did it more to protect Your Majesty.

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This way word doesn't get out that Your Majesty is mean to your concubines.

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That will damage Your Majesty's good reputation.

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Do you know where this is?

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This is the late Empress' residence at Yuanming Garden.

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Why did I summon you here?

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Your Majesty is shaming me.

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No.

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I want the late Empress to see...

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the person she pampered before.

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For the sake of wealth and status,

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just how she betrayed her.

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Since Your Majesty has no intention to be served in bed,

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I shall take my leave.

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Stop right there.

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What other instructions do you have for me, Your Majesty?

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Isn't it your turn to serve me in bed tonight?

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Where are you going?

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Come here.

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You're waiting for me to undress you personally?

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You!

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Your Majesty, to you,

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the late Empress is already a deceased person.

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But to me, Her Highness wasn't just my mistress.

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She was my gracious teacher and older sister.

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Hence, I must devote the mourning period of twenty-seven months to her.

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My mourning period isn't completed yet. Even if it's Your Majesty's order,

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I would still not dare to tend to you in bed.

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Since you want to devote yourself to mourning, why did you come?

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To Your Majesty's eyes,

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I am just a glutton for wealth and status.

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There's nothing to explain in that.

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AS the days go by, Your Majesty will realize what I am.

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But I know

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defying the royal decree is punishable by death.

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So I could only come to express my intention to Your Majesty.

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If His Majesty insists on casting blame,

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I am willing to take on all punishments.

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Dismissed.

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Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.

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Don't you think you were too bold,

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treating His Majesty like that?

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But you wore the mourning clothing head to toe

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and wagered death to go and serve in bed.

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It must be because you still miss Her Highness the Empress.

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You were so good to the Empress.

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You're such a fool.

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Did I say something wrong?

444

To respect a person sincerely,

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it is to respect them in the heart.

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It's not to put on a longing show,

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that's meaningless to the deceased.

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Since I am now a Noble Lady already,

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if I insist on preserving my chastity,

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that's being hypocritical. But I had to do so today.

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If I had really served in bed tonight,

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it would be equal to me telling His Majesty

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that I am truly a woman who is an ingrate.

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One who can ignore the mistress' grace and at her own residence

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to climb up into the royal bed without any shame.

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Hence, even if I have to risk the danger of infuriating His Majesty,

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I could not serve in bed tonight no matter what.

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Yingluo.

459

Now, I am a Noble Lady...

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but this is only the beginning.

461

But Noble Consort Chun, in order to secure her current position,

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it took her many years.

463

Then we'll bide our time and see.

464

You're in charge of security at Empress Lake.

465

If Wei Yingluo wanted to do a trick, it wouldn't fool you.

466

If you don't confess now, you shall leave the Forbidden City.

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Your Majesty, Miss Yingluo didn't want to keep you in the dark.

468

She said Your Majesty had keen discernment

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and sharp wits, so surely Your Majesty would investigate and find out the truth.

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She told me to report the truth to you.

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Don't put on such loftiness on me. Speak.

472

You can fake the phoenix...

473

but what about the shou character?

474

Miss Yingluo sought my help

475

to find eighty cicada nets.

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Mixing buns with fish baits.

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Dispatching a few guards good at swimming

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to dive to the bottom of the lake

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and stick poles deeply into the silt.

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The carp would be lured to try the food. Eighty dots...

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Link them together, and the character shou for longevity is made.

482

How tricky!

483

Your Majesty, Miss Yingluo said Your Majesty toiled to prepare the birthday celebration to cheer up Empress Dowager.

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Her goal was the same. As long as Empress Dowager is happy,

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whatever she does, it's worthwhile.

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You're dismissed.

487

Yes.

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From now on, mark these words.

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She is my Noble Lady Wei.

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Don't refer to her erroneously again.

491

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

492

♫Softly falling into the hollow of my palm,♫

493

♫Resting frozen in the center of my palm.♫

494

♫Our meeting across past incarnations was inevitable,♫

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

496

♫Though plainly given words of discouragement,♫

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♫Pretending to hear nothing but exhortation.♫

498

♫ Endless tears, believing it cannot be true,♫

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

500

♫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?♫