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 63

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Greetings to my Mistress the Empress.

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I beg Your Highness, Mistress grant me a severe punishment.

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I've said nothing and you already know where you've gone wrong?

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I punished Consort Ling without authorization.

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My Mistress the Empress, I am easing your worry by doing so.

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What a pompous servant! When did it become your turn to read the Empress' intention?

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You bribed the royal physician and faked a record

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to have Consort Ling's medical history clearly structured.

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Too bad it was too rushed, and thus leaving a trail of wild geese. (T/N live clues and talk)

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Surely now something is left that can be used against you.

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Mistress, you mean . . .

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Even if Consort Ling is to die, she can't die by my hand.

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Hurry and prepare two items.

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One item, send it to Yangxin Hall. The other...

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send it to Yangxin Hall as well.

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- What are you doing now?

- I just don't like such simple orchid painting.

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The more gaudy, the better.

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Your Majesty, look! This can't do?

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You're being insensible.

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Your Majesty.

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Your Majesty? Yanxi Palace has summoned the royal physician.

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Who told you to solicit Yanxi Palace news? Arrogant assertion.

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I know my error.

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Go out.

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Yes.

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Come back.

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Your Majesty.

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What is the illness?

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Replying to Your Majesty, Consort Ling has on a vegetarian diet for years.

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Her neglect to her diet has left a stomach illness.

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Royal Medicine Bureau has already made a prescription

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to instruct her to drink clear porridge daily to nurse the stomach.

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Adjust slowly.

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A disaster lasts a millennium.

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I just know she can't die.

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Go now.

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Yes.

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Your Majesty.

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What now?

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Consort Ling, when she left Yuanming Garden, she left behind the qin "Sound of Moonlight Dew".

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I am asking Your Majesty whether I should deliver it to Yanxi Palace now.

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Where is "Sound of Moonlight Dew" now?

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Your Majesty. The zither.

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Burn it.

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Burn it?

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His Majesty's Imperial gift has left to neglect like this.

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It's clear Consort Ling doesn't even

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care about His Majesty. She brought it upon herself. Die!

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Burn it. Burn it.

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I really should burn it?

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Burn it!

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[ Sound of Moonlight Dew ]

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What is this?

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This is a letter Yanxi Palace wants to deliver to Yangxin Hall.

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I intercepted it in the middle.

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That whore is expecting His Majesty to turn back to her so you must take precaution.

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If you don't remove the root of a weed, it will be future disaster.

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Mistress, you must make the decision sooner.

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Everyone thinks...

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that it is I who wants to kill Wei Yingluo.

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Even you say so.

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Do you loathe me now?

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Everything I've done was to help you.

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Look at my plight now.

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This is how you help me?

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We fight desperately when confronting mortal danger.

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If I don't push you to the limit,

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how will you be willing to give up your life now?

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I don't know what you mean.

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Yingluo. Listen to me clearly.

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The Forbidden City has fame, honor and riches.

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But that is all just passing smoke and clouds.

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Without His Majesty's favor with your fierce disposition,

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how long can you live?

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Chenbi. How many faces do you really have?

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I have said so already. I am helping you.

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A great woman like you.

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You should be cherished in one's palm.

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What do you wish to accomplish?

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Why don't you understand still? I'm helping you.

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No, to be more precise, I am returning a kindness.

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Returning whose kindness?

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Lord Fuheng's. If it hadn't been for him, I would've fallen into the deep abyss long ago.

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He's young and courageous, and gentle and attentive.

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A woman's dream husband.

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All along, I've wanted to repay him,

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but I didn't know what to do.

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Until I discovered...

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he loves you.

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That's all in the past.

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But he's loved you all along, never ever changing.

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You forced Mingyu to die.

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That was to repay a kindness too?

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What a joke!

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I've said it many times.

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It's she who chose death herself.

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You can't always be fettered by affection.

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You should think about yourself more.

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Think about myself?

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Someone used your name to send a dried gardenia to Yangxin Hall.

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It came into my hands.

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Do you want to know who sent it?

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Empress.

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Yes. It was Empress.

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If you don't go now, you will die here in the Forbidden City for sure.

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What place is the Forbidden City

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that I can actually leave?

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I will help you.

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From now on, the world is wild and high and you can fly to your desire.

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You and Fuheng can be together forever.

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I was presented to His Majesty like a gift.

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I lost the love of my kin.

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I've lost freedom.

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I can't leave.

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I can never leave.

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But you're not the same.

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You still have a chance.

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Yingluo.

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Before this frightening palace swallows you whole,

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go!

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Go far away,

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never to return!

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As the days and years go by,

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you will wear shackles and proceed in such a toilsome manner.

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Why can't you just remove them

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and bravely strive for the thing that you want?

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Really live for yourself this time.

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Even if it's just for a day.

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Who did that? Who did that!

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- Who?

- Your hands...

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You're awake?

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Your Majesty.

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Your Majesty. Greetings, Your Majesty.

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Borrowing wine to drown your sorrows.

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Hailancha, you've got nerve.

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I also don't want to be like this.

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But when I got home,

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seeing that house full of red, (T/N wedding decorations are red for joy)

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it became more piercing.

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I'm a crude person. I only know how to fight.

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It's my first time knowing what heartbreak is.

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Hailancha, you are a man.

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No matter how sad you are, you mustn't forget this.

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An Imperial bodyguard has the duty to protect.

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If everyone is like you,

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being so drunk while on duty,

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then wouldn't my head already been taken

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without you knowing?

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I have committed a crime! May Your Majesty punish me!

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I...

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can't let you stay here anymore.

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Your Majesty.

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Your Majesty, I was wrong.

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I really know that I made a mistake!

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You can hit or scold me!

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Don't drive me away, Your Majesty!

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Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I beg you to not drive me away!

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Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I'm sorry! Your Majesty!

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Do you still remember your promise?

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You said that you will join the battlefield

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and contribute great merit to the Great Qing Dynasty.

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I've received a military report

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that in the northern region of the Huolan Tribe, a small army has appeared.

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I suspect them of being the remnants of the rebel army.

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Do you dare go?

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I'm willing to sacrifice my life for Your Majesty,

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and not have any regrets even if I die!

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No woman...

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is worthy enough for you to lose your heroic spirit.

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Yes.

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If Mingyu can see you down there,

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she also would look down on you.

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Lord Fuheng.

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Desheng, please inform His Majesty that I need to have an audience with him.

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I have an important matter to discuss and must see him now.

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His Majesty is currently meeting with Imperial Guard Suolun.

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Please wait for a while.

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Lord Fuheng!

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Why are you in a rush?

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Desheng, please also inform His Majesty

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that I have an important matter to see him about.

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Yes.

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Looks like your rationality won, Lord Fuca.

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You'd rather watch her die...

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and stay loyal to His Majesty.

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That is...

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She agreed.

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Fuheng, you've disappointed her once.

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Are you going to fail her the second time?

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Your Highness Imperial Concubine Shun, His Majesty said that he still has something to attend to.

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Please return to Lijing Pavilion first. His Majesty will surely visit you this afternoon.

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Lord Fuheng, please go inside.

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Mistress, will he say it?

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Fame, wealth,

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power, and position, he has all of them.

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But he still is always melancholic.

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Being able to obtain the woman he wants

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is a great temptation for him.

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No matter how he suppresses it,

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he won't be able to suppress the desire in his heart.

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What is it?

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You've disappointed her once.

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Are you going to fail her the second time?

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Your Majesty, I'm here for the military report regarding the Huolan Tribe.

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I already know about that.

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Fuheng, His Majesty is sending me to lead an army

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and help General Zhaohui to pacify the rebellion.

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It's good that you're able to prop yourself up.

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There's nothing more?

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Since Your Majesty has already made the arrangements, there's nothing more.

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Leave then.

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I will take my leave.

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- Hailancha.

- Yes.

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How is Fuheng's memory?

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He has a photographic memory.

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A person with a photographic memory

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would forget that he has submitted a memorial last night?

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Your Majesty, he's very serious with his job.

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He probably is just asking for your decision.

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Hailancha, there's still one more thing

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that I want you to do for me.

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Imperial Concubine Shun made instructions

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that you mustn't be neglected.

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If I'm you,

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it's just deserving to die from starvation.

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Living like a dog.

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Don't know why you still want to live.

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

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Your Highness, Imperial Concubine Shun went to Yanxi Palace today.

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But after she left, Consort Ling was still alive.

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What are you smiling about?

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I can borrow a knife to kill someone.

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Of course, Imperial Concubine Shun can do the same.

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Greetings to my Mistress the Empress.

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Your Highness.

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Mistress.

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Look at that.

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It has come.

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You know what to do, right?

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Zhen'er.

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Chief Steward Yuan.

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It's like this. I haven't thanked you yet for helping me last time.

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We are both working for Her Highness the Empress.

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It's just right that we assist each other.

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Moreover,

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I also won't help you for no reason.

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Say it. How do you want me to repay you?

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Yuan Chunwang, this year,

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I'm twenty-nine years old. (T/N palace maids as a rule are generally let out of the palace at 25 to marry)

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You're saying that Her Highness the Empress still hasn't let you out of the palace?

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Of course not.

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If Her Highness the Empress were that kind of person,

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would I still loyally serve her?

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Why then?

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Her Highness the Empress offered to reward me with a huge amount of money and choose a husband for me.

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I refused them all.

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Usually, a palace maid can leave the palace when she's twenty-five.

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But I've been serving Her Highness ever since.

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I couldn't bear to part with her.

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Moreover, if I leave, who will accompany her?

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Then...

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Hence, I told Her Highness

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that I chose you.

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Zhen'er.

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You didn't say that just to make Her Highness be at ease, right?

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Of course not.

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- Li Yu, call for an Imperial physician.

- Yes.

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Dancing, but unfocused.

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You're still accompanying Empress Dowager to Yaowang Temple tomorrow,

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but your injury hasn't fully healed yet.

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Your Majesty, didn't the Imperial physician already say

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that this injury is very shallow.

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No need to be worried.

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One still mustn't neglect a superficial injury.

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What if it leads to sequelae? What then?

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Your Majesty, you're so good to me.

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You are my most beloved Imperial Concubine Shun.

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If I don't treat you well, who should I be good to?

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But I'm not good to Your Majesty.

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Based on what you said, you're hiding something from me?

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I've been hiding a secret from you.

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I don't know how to tell you about it.

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But you treat me so well.

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If I still hide it from you,

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my conscience can't take it anymore!

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What has happened?

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Greetings, Your Majesty.

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Your Majesty!

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On the tenth of next month, Empress Dowager will go to Yaowang Temple to pray.

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She'll be taking most of the Imperial guards with her.

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On that day, the Imperial guards inside the palace will be halved. This is your best chance.

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She agreed.

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You've disappointed her once.

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Are you going to fail her this second time?

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She has offended so many people.

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Now that she ended up in this state, it's just natural for some to take advantage of it.

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Cutting off any news about her. Only serving her water every day.

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How long can she still last?

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You and she were supposed to be married, but you abandoned her.

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You're the mastermind that pushed her to her current situation.

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Yingluo was supposed to have a blissful life.

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Because of you, it completely got destroyed.

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[ Imperial Household Department Badge ]

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Hurry up! Hurry up!

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The sky is about to get bright. Empress Dowager is going out of the palace today.

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Her breakfast must be served an hour earlier.

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Be nimble! Be nimble!

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Hurry up now!

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Every midnight, we have to go to Yuquan Mountain to get some spring water.

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- Journeying from there to the Forbidden City, won't exhaustion simply kill you?

- Indeed.

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Say, what's the difference between the groundwater here with the spring water of Yuquan Mountain?

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Isn't it all just water?

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Gonggong...

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Water that will be served to His Majesty and Empress Dowager must of course be the best kind of water in the world.

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The water of Yuquan Mountain is so refreshing and sweet.

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Can the well water even compare?

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You are right, Gonggong.

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If you dare to speak nonsense again, I will pull out your tongue!

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Hurry up, all of you! Don't delay the meal time.

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The Cangzhen Gate by Yanxi Palace is where the daily water carriage must pass through....

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and it's also your only chance.

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Hurry.

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Your Majesty, it's meal time.

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Send my order. Seal off the Gate of Divine Might.

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- Your Majesty, Empress Dowager is going to Yaowang Temple today, if I--

- Close it!

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Your Highness Imperial Concubine Shun, you can't go in! Imperial Concubine Shun!

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Your Majesty.

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Your Majesty.

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Give Yingluo a path to life.

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Your Majesty. Consider it my plea.

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Let her go.

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I really regret so much why I told you.

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For doing so, I am deserving of death.

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I cannot redeem myself from this crime.

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At this hour, the Yuquan Mountain water carriage should be out of the palace, right?

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Yes, probably out of Gate of Divine Might already.

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What a pity that I won't get to see this great show.

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Your Highness already can fathom how it will play out on stage.

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What is there to really see?

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Well said!

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I just think I'm feeling a bit empty after losing a thorn from my eye...

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His Majesty's order. Seal off the Gate of Divine Might! Close the Gate!

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Hurry and stop the water carriage leaving the palace!

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What's happened?

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Yes, what's happened exactly?

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We need to rush to leave from the Xizhi Gate still.

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Nothing really. Some palace property is missing, and we were afraid it's smuggled in this water carriage.

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So the supervisors said to have a look.

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Empress Dowager. Gate of Divine Might has been sealed.

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What's happened?

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- Stolen?

- Yes.

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This matter isn't right.

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Unless a precious item was stolen, why would His Majesty get involved personally?

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The greater the fanfare, the greater the cover-up.

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Reporting to Your Majesty, the water carriage has been recovered.

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Your Majesty, Yingluo has always been proud and arrogant.

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How can she withstand the Yanxi Palace in dismal cold.

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That plea of hers, asking me to save her.

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I...I really can't bear to turn on her.

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I also owe Lord Fuheng a favor for saving me too,

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so that's why I agreed to help the two elope.

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But since I agreed,

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I have been tormented.

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I feel I owe Your Majesty, and that's why I told you the truth.

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Your Majesty. May you consider the old days,

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and spare the two lives.

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Your Majesty.

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You do it.

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Yes.

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Greetings to Your Majesty.

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How is it you?

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Your Majesty, may your anger dissipate. I was ordered by my mistress

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to hide in the water barrel.

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Your mistress?

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Yes. My mistress Consort Ling, naturally.

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She's playing this ghostly trick for what reason?

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Your Majesty, Mistress has said

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someone in the Forbidden City is trying to harm her.

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In order to lure this person out, she had me hide in the water carriage.

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- Summon Consort Ling.

- Yes.

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No need, Your Majesty. I'm here.

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Greetings to Your Majesty.

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What's going on exactly?

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Imperial Concubine Shun first lured me to run away for love,

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then installed a plan to catch me in the act.

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Such a simple trick, how can that deceive Your Majesty?

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Yingluo. Did you figure out that the plan wasn't going well,

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so you prepared this in advance?

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But even so,

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you shouldn't frame me.

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Your Majesty, this incident happened suddenly.

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Even if Consort Ling figured it out,

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that something strange was happening in the palace,

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her contacts to the outside world all depended on my help.

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If you want to know who is lying between she and I,

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go see if Lord Fuheng is still waiting outside Xizhi Gate

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and you'll know clearly.

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Imperial Concubine Shun, you are an eloquent speaker.

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I, Wei Yingluo, admire you.

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Yingluo.

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We are close sisters.

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I didn't imagine

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we'd have this happen.

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In my heart,

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it's just too agonizing.

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Greetings to Your Majesty.

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You've seen it now.

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We've caught him outside Xizhi Gate on the spot.

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Now this proves I told the truth, right?

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You tell His Majesty.

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Reporting to Your Majesty.

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There was only an empty carriage outside Xizhi Gate.

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It was on my way to report to duty at the palace that I ran into His Lordship at the Gate of Divine Might.

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Your Majesty, Imperial Concubine Shun presented herself to me suddenly one day,

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saying I should take Consort Ling and run away.

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I could not bear it and wanted to report it to Your Majesty.

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But when I thought about it, I had no evidence so if I were to accuse her,

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it would be difficult to believe, so I had no choice,

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but to set out a longer rope to catch a bigger fish, and feigned my consent to her.

426

Your Majesty, you must not listen to Lord Fuca's wild words!

427

He's just lying!

428

Earlier you said I had no access to news.

429

But that Lord Fuheng would surely be waiting at Xizhi Gate?

430

How is it that your tune's changed now?

431

Yingluo. I finally realize it now.

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You realize what?

433

Since the day you hurt me accidentally and His Majesty punished you,

434

you must resent me so much.

435

- So?

- So you colluded with this bastard servant

436

to put on a show of injury to gain my confidence!

437

To use your tears and our affection of the past,

438

to force me...force me to help you with your elopement!

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Actually, it was you and Fuheng all along.

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You two put on this show.

441

His Majesty didn't find the person in his search,

442

so naturally he would suspect me! You two...

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you two joined hands,

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joined hands to cast me as unjust!

445

You figured out an excuse so fast? My admiration to you.

446

Your Majesty, you must believe me.

447

Even if I were to frame Consort Ling,

448

why would I implicate Lord Fuheng too?

449

He is my savior! Consort Ling's words,

450

they hold no value.

451

I also want to know just why you tried to frame your savior.

452

Even if a million people won't believe me, (T/N note this is as her personal name and not speaking as her rank)

453

I, Chenbi, am not afraid.

454

But Your Majesty.

455

You must believe me. (T/N back to speaking with her rank in the "me" here)

456

Li Yu. Present the box Hailancha rushed eight hundred li to bring.

457

Fuheng.

458

These are the reasons why Imperial Concubine Shun framed you.

459

Your Majesty. These are?

460

The Huolan Tribe remnants have been pacified,

461

but Hailancha went to investigate Imperial Concubine Shun's past by the Imperial edict.

462

Aibida's young daughter went missing.

463

For many years she was searched for tirelessly and only recently was she found and presented to the royal palace.

464

This is a lie?

465

The finding of the daughter is true.

466

But this precious daughter they found wasn't happy to oblige coming into the palace.

467

Back then when she reached the marriageable age (fifteen), her foster father presided over her wedding.

468

Aibida realized her beauty was outstanding.

469

So he wouldn't spare her from being his great pawn.

470

So you already long suspected me.

471

Wei Yingluo would never over a momentary fury

472

raise her hand to harm someone.

473

Chenbi. You've married before.

474

She's married before and given birth to a child.

475

Yes.

476

I have married before and I have bore a child before, but I still had to come to the palace.

477

No matter how unwilling I was, I still had to come to the palace.

478

How did you pass the body check?

479

I had my way for that.

480

Do you wish to know?

481

Why didn't you say it sooner? If you had told me --

482

Told you what?

483

You're the lofty Emperor.

484

And you. Fuheng.

485

I wanted to end everything with my death, why did you have to save me?

486

So you fell off the cliff on purpose?

487

Yes.

488

Your meddling act,

489

pushed me into an endless abyss completely.

490

So when I discovered that scented pouch,

491

I purposely got closer to Wei Yingluo

492

to earn her trust and plot your reunion.

493

Then, lure His Majesty to misunderstand.

494

I wanted to use your elopement,

495

to throw you into a net together.

496

What a pity...

497

What a pity indeed.

498

The entire incident.

499

It has nothing to do with me.

500

Yes.

501

It is indeed unrelated to you whatsoever.

502

But too bad you were Fuheng's beloved

503

and His Majesty's pampered consort.

504

I just couldn't imagine

505

that this Fuheng was such a big fool.

506

He was so tempted by my suggestion,

507

but he still abandoned it.

508

What he abandoned was himself...

509

in order to help you.

510

Why are you always so lucky?

511

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

512

Forgetting Each Other

513

♫It's very likely that recalling vivid images will throw me into upheaval,♫

514

♫The past graceful, concerning passions have gone only into hibernation.♫

515

♫Along with my lord, my original aspirations are now distant, the promises and wishes to accompany each other♫

516

♫Are proof of yearning endured, trembling in the endless night.♫

517

♫How true our feelings were, even though our fate was shallow,♫

518

♫Hearts locked away in dark halls from the light, difficult to find and recover.♫

519

♫Other people envy my splendid, bright clothing, the warmth beside my pillow, (T/N the love of her lord)♫

520

♫Then turning round sigh admiringly, through wet tears in somber-colored robes.♫

521

♫Who clearly would cling to a moment of being in love and inseparable?♫

522

♫The end of passion becomes merely a sentimental entanglement.♫

523

♫If one uses separation to cut away the bindings,♫

524

♫Forgetting one another is also difficult in the depths of one's dreams.♫

525

♫Who clearly would still cling to these deep feelings and desire them again,♫

526

♫And give free rein to this state of mind over and over in their dreams?♫

527

♫Glory and splendor give shelter to appearing to forget the pain,♫

528

♫From dreams awakening after a time, with nothing new to worry about.♫

529

♫Treating them like smoke dissipating, ashes flying away, cold hoarfrost under the moonlight...♫

530

♫All the memories of love, memories of hate....♫

531

♫All the memories completely vanish.♫