Original subtitles

♫ Those people, those affairs, those palace doors ♫

♫ One step into the commotions of this world ♫

♫ Listen to the wind, listen to the rain, listen to the endless ups and downs of life ♫

♫ Destiny indeed loves us ♫

♫ Look at the dreams sealed by the kiss of time ♫

♫ Remember half the life that's already been lived ♫

♫ In these red walls, remains one person ♫

♫ Wait for the dead of the night, wait for eternity ♫

♫ If the world is a storm, then everything in it must take refuge ♫

♫ I'll go with you ♫

♫ Traveling across thousands of mountains, don't be afraid of the wasteland ♫

♫ There'll be flowers on the side of the path ♫

♫ Love and hate are too messy; simply coming and going ♫

♫ The winds and clouds have not dissipated ♫

♫ Spring and fall are long; I can finally wander this mortal world with you ♫

[Rebel Princess]

[Episode 06]

The empress and crown prince have arrived!

Timing and Subtitles brought to you by The Emperor’s Conquests@ Viki

Your Majesty, may I ask... How is His Majesty's health?

His Majesty was poisoned. Fortunately, he was rescued in time.

There is no immediate danger to his life, but it is imperative that he rest quietly.

All the affairs of the court cannot be delayed by even one day.

The internal and external ministers are all here today.

I have already discussed this with the prime minister.

From today onwards,

Crown Prince will supervise the state affairs for the time being...

with the prime minister as the regent.

All of my beloved subjects, what do you think?

- I obey. - I obey.

Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Crown Prince.

I'm begging you. I'm begging you to save my family. I'm begging you.

Wanru! Noble Consort Xie has committed such a treasonous crime.

The evidence has been confirmed now. How do you want me to save her?

No, it definitely wasn't Auntie.

Auntie and His Majesty love each other very much. Everyone could see that.

How could she possibly poison His Majesty?

If it wasn't Noble Consort Xie, who else could it be?

I personally witnessed it.

If I hadn't personally witnessed it, I would have found it hard to believe, too.

All these years,

Imperial Father has only doted on your aunt and favored Zitan.

Empress Mother and Uncle have been unhappy about it since long ago.

They have a hold on her now.

Listen to me.

Don't forget that you are Xie Wanru. Your surname is also Xie.

Your Xie Clan is now all in prison.

You being the only person not investigated, it's already a blessing.

I think you shouldn't deliberately complicate this matter. Otherwise, you will bring trouble upon yourself.

Crown Prince, you are the only one who can save me now.

If anything happens to my father and auntie,

I don't want to live either.

Crown Prince, I'm begging you. Save them.

I understand.

We are now married;

thus, I will surely discuss with Empress Mother about keeping you safe.

However, as for Father-in-Law and Noble Consort Xie,

the only one who can save them is Imperial Father.

As long as Imperial Father can wake up, there is still hope.

Let's do this. I'll go see Imperial Father now.

Are you trying to seek death just like them?

Older Brother, I'm just giving it a try on behalf of you.

You should think more about serious matters.

Yes.

Wen Zongshen and the old ministers who are very close with the Xie family,

you must keep a close watch on them.

Yes, I understand.

But, Older Brother, with such a great opportunity today, why didn't you get the courage to take it

instead of sparing His Majesty's life?

His Majesty, in this condition, is perfect.

He can neither live nor die.

This is the only way we can control those feudal princes who rule beyond our borders.

Otherwise, those brothers who helped His Majesty seize the throne back then

will use the excuse of mourning to lead an army into the capital.

How many soldiers can those few thousand imperial guards of yours possibly resist?

The only thing that is a match to them

is the 200,000 Ningshuo's soldiers under Xiao Qi's command.

How do we deal with the Xie Clan, then?

There is also the Third Prince.

Older Brother, you—

Empress Mother.

How's your imperial father?

I have been keeping watch over him,

but he...

there's no response from him.

Your imperial father has misjudged you.

If he regains consciousness and knows how filial you are,

he will surely regret what he did to you before.

Empress Mother,

are the culprits really Noble Consort Xie and Zitan?

The wine offered by Noble Consort Xie was indeed poisoned.

Then again, I should be blamed as well.

I shouldn't have been that hasty in presenting the treasure to Imperial Father.

But I really don't understand, why they would do such a thing?

Imperial Father doted on Zitan so much.

If it is indeed true, then "a man who's not content will be like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."

From now on, this empire and I will rely on you.

Empress Mother, I certainly will not disappoint your great expectations.

- You are forcing me? - No.

This is for the sake of the crown prince and my Wang Clan.

Fine.

Since you have drawn the bow forcibly,

the crown prince and I cannot reverse the released arrow.

- But you must promise me one thing. - Go on.

In the struggle for the throne,

I don't care about whatever desperate measures you take.

But if you harm Zilong, then that would be driving a knife to my heart.

If today's incident happens again,

I will surely break ties with you, Older Brother.

Your son is not the only person to be used as a pawn.

For the Wang Clan, everyone in the Wang family will be a pawn as well.

For the next step, bestow a marriage between Xiao Qi and A'Wu.

So then the Wang family can rest with no worries.

With you, how could I possibly fall?

Then, what if I'm not around?

Not around? Where are you going?

You are not allowed to go anywhere!

All right. I won't go anywhere.

I hope that, on this day next year, you and I will still—

If you say your wish out loud, it won't come true.

After our marriage, you won't be the daughter of the Wang Clan and I won't be the third prince.

We shall wander the world together, having a free and pleasant life.

So beautiful.

In this life, Older Brother Zitan and I shall never part again.

- Older Brother Zitan! - A'Wu!

Older Brother Zitan!

A'Wu!

Based on the investigation by the chief imperial physician,

His Majesty's wine was laced with a strange poison

called Chinese Aconite, which is mostly produced in Chen County.

I have already ordered that the Xie Manor be searched.

It was there. The evidence is indeed irrefutable.

The entire Xie family has now been arrested and shall be punished according to their crimes.

Your Highness the Crown Prince,

the Xie Clan is a lineage of important noble ministers in this imperial court.

Although the poison was found hidden in Noble Consort Xie's palace,

I fear that imprisoning the entire Xie Clan into the celestial prison

is not a good idea.

I suggest we wait for His Majesty

to regain consciousness and investigate the truth before the decision is made.

This is to avoid any trouble that may arise later on.

Advisor Wen, the crown prince is overseeing the affairs of the empire on behalf of the emperor.

Are you trying to disobey right now?

To answer Your Majesty, there's nothing wrong with the crown prince governing.

However, if there are things that do not seem right,

and even if His Majesty ordered it himself,

I, Wen Zongshen, must refute.

The crown prince just started governing, yet he must be restrained by you?

I do not dare.

However, everything about this matter is odd.

Moreover, there are no witnesses.

Wanting to uproot a centennial noble clan solely because of a bottle of poisoned alcohol;

I'm afraid it isn't this simple.

If Noble Consort Xie personally admits

that it is all of her and the Xie family's doing,

then what would you say about that, Advisor Wen?

Then I shall wait for that.

I ask Your Majesty to bring justice to the people of the world.

All right!

- Adjourn the imperial court! - The imperial court is adjourned!

Farewell, Empress and Crown Prince.

The Xie family is innocent!

We have been framed!

We have been framed! We have been framed!

Your Wang family should die!

The Xie family has been framed!

The Xie family is innocent!

I'm begging you!

The Xie family has been framed!

Spare me!

The Wang family deserves to die!

All of you from the Wang family aren't humans!

Please let me go! Please let me go!

If I, Xie Yuan, am fortunate enough to escape this place,

then I shall give up my whole life to make your entire Wang family pay for this.

If I do not get this revenge, then I shall not be human.

I never thought that even until now,

you still won't cry or make a fuss.

I usually don't like to say that you are pretending to be noble and virtuous.

However, today, it really makes me admire you a little.

You and I have fought for many years.

I heard that someone sentenced to death

will have a last meal when their time comes.

Are you here to send me off?

Aren't you afraid that I poisoned the wine?

I will die sooner or later. But seeing you come here,

I know His Majesty isn't well.

Is there a difference if I were to stay here?

You really do love His Majesty.

Come on. This cup of wine is a toast from me to you.

For the unbearable fate that we daughters of noble families must endure.

You coming here at this time,

is not just to drink with me.

You might as well directly say what you have to say.

A'Wu desperately begged me.

I am also not willing to ruin the relationship we have as aunt and niece.

I came to persuade you

to leave your son with a way to survive.

What's a "way to survive?" What's a "path to death?"

I didn't administer the poison at all.

What does it have to do with my son?

You've entered the palace for so many years now, yet you're still so naive.

Is the identity of the culprit still important?

Then, what do you want me to do?

What I want, from the beginning until the end, is your life.

Zitan can live,

but you... must die.

Or else, the whole Xie family will be killed.

What I want now

is your confession letter,

so I can give the court officials an explanation.

I can write it for you,

but you have to make a promise to me with the clasp of our hands.

If you break your promise, harming my son and family,

even when I turn into a ghost, I will haunt you.

[Letter of Confession to the Crime]

[Guilty Consort Xie Qinyi]

Your Majesty,

I shall go with you.

We shall become an ordinary couple in the under world.

Your Majesty the Empress,

guilty Consort Xie has committed suicide.

I can finally have a good sleep.

Guilty Consort Xie has left a confession letter and committed suicide.

There are physical evidence and an admission to the crime.

Both of these can prove that the Xie family was behind this.

They have poisoned His Majesty and schemed to usurp the throne.

For these crimes, what do you all think the punishment should be?

I didn't think that the Xie family would have such ambition.

Especially since he was a mere marquis.

Prime Minister, I think we should abide by the law

and exterminate the entire Xie Clan.

Duke Huan.

Second Prince, what news have you gotten?

Noble Consort Xie wrote a confession letter and then committed suicide in the celestial prison.

The entire Xie Clan has been ordered to be killed.

The third prince shall be punished for the same crime.

There is a rumor in the palace

that the empress wants to issue a decree, marrying Wang Xuan off to Prince Yuzhang.

Such a ruthless move.

Wang Lin is going to use his own daughter to exchange for Ningshuo's 200,000 soldiers.

That is indeed quite a good deal.

Yes. Think about that day.

After Zilong assaulted Xie Wanru,

that old geezer Wang Lin was able to keep his composure quite well.

Turns out that he had made plans long ago.

He is making his moves quicker now.

Second Prince, Wang Lin had actually been disloyal long ago.

However, the princes of the imperial family who rule the various provinces outside our borders are all very powerful,

thus Wang Lin did not dare make any moves.

His Majesty getting poisoned at this time,

if the princes found out, they would surely come to the capital with their armies.

If Wang Lin wants to go up against the princes, then he must rely on Prince Yuzhang's Ningshuo army.

He has taken down the Xie Clan and won over Prince Yuzhang now,

truly killing two birds with one stone.

Since I was able to prevent this Prince Yuzhang from marrying Xie Wanru,

then naturally I can prevent him from marrying Wang Xuan as well.

Your Highness... Third Prince, he...

Stop waiting. He won't be coming back.

Having such a serious incident occur at the palace, your father won't come back today.

This won't do. I must wait until he's back.

I want to know why Older Brother Zitan was arrested.

Older Brother Zitan is Emperor Uncle's own son.

Why would he possibly poison his own imperial father?

Mother, you are the Grand Elder Princess.

They all listen to you. Can you go to the palace and save them?

Older Brother Zitan was framed. He must have been framed.

Mother.

Mother, I'm begging you. Mother.

A'Wu, I couldn't even save my own imperial brother,

you tell me who I can possibly save.

Younger Sister, Mother is in a very difficult position right now as well.

You should just head back.

- A'Wu. - He's here, he's here. The heir apparent is back.

Older Brother, how did it go?

I couldn't find Father.

Her Majesty said that if you want to save Zitan, you must marry Prince Yuzhang.

- A'Wu! A'Wu! - A'Wu! A'Wu! - A'Wu! A'Wu!

- A'Wu! - Your Highness! - Your Highness!

- Your Highness! Your Highness, be careful. - A'Wu!

Your Highness, be careful!

Your Highness, His Majesty is still not awake

and Her Majesty has ordered to not allow anyone in.

Uncle.

How is he?

Uncle, wake up.

Uncle.

Uncle.

Zitan was framed.

Uncle, hurry and wake up.

Wake up to save him.

Uncle.

Zitan was framed.

Save him.

Right now, only you can save Zitan.

I'm guessing that Su'er already told you.

If you want to save Zitan, you must marry Prince Yuzhang.

A'Wu.

I know doing this is very unfair to you.

My heart aches for you as your aunt.

However, as the empress,

I cannot let my heart ache for you.

I first wore this crown when I was sixteen.

Since then, there has not been one day where I don't shoulder great responsibilities.

Before I got married, I was just like you, not having any worries.

At home, I was treasured, as well.

I thought that everything would go as I wished in my life.

However, ever since I put on this Phoenix robe,

I came to understand that many beautiful things

are merely illusions.

There was also your youngest aunt.

She married Prince Qingyang, who is more than twenty years older than her,

simply for two words: military power.

A'Wu, you have already come of age.

You are an adult now.

You cannot be protected by the wings of your family forever.

You have to slowly understand

that, in life, there are many things you must reluctantly do.

Everyone must accept her own destiny.

Auntie, is there no other way?

Prince Qingyang is already old.

The Wang Clan needs someone with more power.

If you do not comply,

- tomorrow, Zitan will— - I'll comply with you.

I'll comply with you.

Imperial decree!

Princess Shangyang is virtuous and beautiful, unlike any other.

She is at the age to be married.

Prince Yuzhang, Xiao Qi,

is valiant in battle and a matchless hero.

I hereby specially bestow a marriage on Prince Yuzhang and Princess Shangyang.

This shall be announced to the world so that everyone knows.

This is my true coming-of-age ceremony.

The naive fantasy of my youth was shattered by a harsh and cruel reality.

Through my body, flows the blood of a family with generations of powerful officials.

The Wang Clan is the shackles from which I will never break free.

Sister Wanru was right.

Auntie couldn't escape it.

She couldn't escape it.

I cannot escape it, as well.

The A'Wu who used to know nothing about worldly affairs and only knew how to smile happily

died at this moment.

The empress was right.

The only one who can save Older Brother Zitan is me.

The princess is back!

As the Grand Elder Princess, you should know that this is a state affair

and not a family matter.

What state affair? What princess?

All I know is that I am a mother.

What parent wouldn't love their daughter more than their own personal interests?

Could it be that you are not A'Wu's father?

Does your heart not ache for her at all?

A'Wu's marriage is not just about us marrying off our daughter.

It is an alliance through marriage between the Wang Clan, a noble family,

and a powerful general.

You are using my daughter to form an alliance and to win over a general's heart.

Yet what has a court full of intelligence and skills done?

Could it be that once my imperial brother became ill,

you no longer regard me and our daughter

as blessings you must protect?

Do you think that the noble families now are as glorious as they used to be?

That the world now is as peaceful as back then?

You were born in the palace and married into the prime minister's manor,

so everything you witnessed has been beautiful.

Nowadays, the imperial court has been troubled by many problems for a long time now

and military power has gone to outsiders!

The well-known and prestigious noble families from back then

have long lost their glory!

You have also personally seen with your own eyes the downfall of the Xie and Gu families.

Which one of them was not powerful and influential?

Which one of them is not related to the imperial family?

Do you think that the glory of the Wang Clan

came only from the sacrifice of A'Wu?

Back then, my two younger sisters were in their prime.

One married an emperor who does not love her

and the other married Prince Qingyang,

who held great military power but is advanced in age.

Doing that was the only way to support the reputation and power of the clan.

It was to suppress the aggressive attacks of our enemies and save the Wang Clan from decadence.

If not, how can you all

enjoy the honor and unmatched glory without worry?

Prince Qingyang is already dead now and his children have long lost their reputation as the "God of War."

If our Wang Family continues to not form an alliance with a powerful general through marriage,

how long do you think your glory as the Grand Eldest Princess

and the glory that daughters of the Wang Clan have will last?

Prime Minister, you seem to have left something out.

For the sake of this glory,

you were coerced into marrying me,

the Grand Eldest Princess Jinmin.

You also pretended to love me for so many years.

Now, you are going to make your daughter marry a man from a lowly, poor family.

Lowly, poor family?

Look at the wealthy families in the capital

and see who can still go to the battlefield and kill the enemy.

In today's world, if there were no soldiers from poor families dying

and there wasn't a Xiao Qi defeating internal as well as external enemies,

we would have been in chaos long ago.

Xiao Qi has been promoted again and again leading to his conferment as a prince.

That is just the imperial family winning him over for military power.

Disregarding a marriage to a daughter of the Wang Clan,

even if it is to a princess, I'm afraid the emperor would approve of it.

Father!

Using a woman's marriage to bolster a family's status is not the act of a man.

If Father agrees, I am willing to enlist in the military.

Su'er.

Good.

Such ambition.

Such ambition!

As long as you give birth to a grandson for me,

giving our Wang Clan a descendant,

you can go protect the border or you can lead troops as an officer.

I'll allow it all.

Whether you live or die, it's all up to you.

Tomorrow, can you give birth to a grandson for me?

Can you give birth to one?

Now you think to assume responsibility?

It's too late.

If you had understood earlier, would I have to use your younger sister

to form an alliance with a powerful general through marriage?!

Scram!

No one can take away my daughter.

Otherwise, I will die in front of them.

Father.

Mother.

The imperial decree has been made.

I am willing to marry Prince Yuzhang as his wife.

A'Wu.

A'Wu, what are you saying?

I have long admired Prince Yuzhang

and was saved by him.

Marrying a heroic man is my wish.

Mother and Father, please fulfill my wish.

You have been silent since you left the palace.

You also received the decree bestowing you a marriage just now.

I keep feeling like there is something very strange about this.

I really don't know if I should congratulate or pity you.

Why do you not know whether to congratulate or pity me?

This Princess Shangyang is the most unruly lady I've ever seen,

but she has unsurpassed beauty and temperament.

If you can really marry a woman like this, then I would definitely congratulate you.

But what is a pity is...

that you were clearly saving her, yet Prime Minister Wang made it known to everyone that you held his daughter.

First, the emperor is poisoned.

Right afterward, Prime Minister Wang is forcibly marrying his daughter off to you.

This forceful deal must be part of a scheme.

Then if it were you instead, what would you do?

If I were you...

I'd sleep as I should, eat as I should, and marry as I should.

In any case, we'd just not associate with evil-doers like Prime Minister Wang.

Where are you going?

I'm going to sleep.

Sleep?

Since His Majesty is not benevolent,

then don't blame me, Wang Lin, for being unrighteous.

I ask you, Bodhisattva, for guidance.

What else can I, Jinruo, do?

Grand Elder Princess, it's rare for you to come here to my Zhaoyang Hall.

I've made you wait.

Are you seeing me about something?

I just saw my imperial brother.

I wonder if the imperial physician has said when he'll awaken.

Someone, come serve tea to the Grand Elder Princess.

Please.

Speaking of this matter, I also feel extremely upset.

The imperial physician has said

that it is already a great fortune that His Majesty is alive.

As for how long it'll be until he wakes up or if he'll even wake up,

it is all dependent on the will of the heavens.

Your Majesty, could you let the servants leave?

I have some things I want to say to Your Majesty alone.

All of you may leave.

Grand Elder Princess, directly say what you must.

A'Wu cannot marry Prince Yuzhang.

Regardless of whether Prince Yuzhang and Wang Lin form an alliance or not,

we shall just detain Xiao Qi in the barracks once the marriage ceremony is over.

Even if Wang Lin rebels,

Ningshuo's 200,000 soldiers will all think that Xiao Qi is Wang Lin's people,

so they won't do anything.

Based on Wang Lin's forces right now,

as long as Xiao Qi doesn't do anything...

even if the princes of the Ma Clan raise an army,

they may not be his rival.

What you say is very true, Duke Huan.

This marriage between A'Wu and Xiao Qi must not happen.

Or else, the Wang Clan will have Prince Yuzhang's Ningshuo army of 200,000

and my Ma Clan's dynasty will be in danger.

You are very wise.

It is not suitable for you to personally deal with this matter, Second Prince.

I understand.

For this to succeed, we must find someone.

Grand Elder Princess, you are the emperor's blood sister.

You grew up in the palace.

But have you ever witnessed the precedent of an imperial decree being retracted?

A month ago, Imperial Brother once spoke to me.

He said, "Jinruo, you have been married to the prime minister for many years now."

"How well do you actually understand him?"

Right now, I want to ask Your Majesty.

Regarding your blood brother,

how well do you actually understand him?

My older brother has always prioritized the Wang family and the crown prince.

He is a patriarch who assumes responsibility.

Assumes responsibility?

Why doesn't Your Majesty say that the prime minister is a man with ambitions?

What man doesn't have ambitions?

But what if this ambition is to put himself above the ruling family

and change the dynasty?

Your Majesty, you are the daughter of the Wang family.

However, you are also a daughter-in-law of my Ma family and the mother of the crown prince.

If, later on, the prime minister tells you to take the crown prince's empire

and give it to the Wang family,

would you not care at all?

Grand Elder Princess, please be careful with your words.

Could it be that for the sake of A'Wu's marriage you would accuse your own husband

of usurping the throne?

My imperial brother being in danger this time, could it really be the Xie family's doing?

I once personally heard a secret discussion between my husband and Wang Xu.

What he wants isn't to just be the uncle of the prince,

but the Ma family's empire.

You're spouting nonsense.

The crown prince is older brother's blood nephew.

A'Wu is even his own daughter.

In order to gain military power, he can even sacrifice A'Wu.

When you compare the two, why wouldn't he do the same to the crown prince, his blood nephew?

Grand Elder Princess, please go back.

Just pretend that you never came here today.

Timing and Subtitles brought to you by The Emperor’s Conquests@ Viki

♫ The fear of rain and tears stain your plume ♫

♫ Time chases the distance of soldiers ♫

♫ There is still a limit to what you can miss ♫

♫ Why are there guests in this world? ♫

♫ Tears can be deceiving, love is hard to fake ♫

♫ I hear the wind withers and dies as if it's singing a thousand songs of sadness ♫

♫ In my dreams, I see you smiling like a painting ♫

♫ I'll be going to you on my horse ♫

♫ Return to your gentleness ♫

♫ I can't let go of my heart, I can't let go ♫

♫ Waiting for the sea to changed and wash away the burden ♫

♫ Spend time with you ♫

♫ Because of you, I've lived a lifetime of prosperity ♫

♫ Waiting for the sea clouds to fade away ♫

♫ Home at all corners of the earth ♫

♫ We will meet again in spring, autumn, winter, and summer ♫

♫ For us, the moment that we've met ♫

♫ With the pace of a lifetime ♫

♫ To struggle, to worry ♫

♫ I will leave the world for your promise ♫

♫ Waiting for the sea to wash away the lead ♫

♫ Spend time with you ♫

♫ Because of you in this life ♫

♫ When the sea has changed, the universe will already be changed ♫

♫ Home at all corners of the earth ♫

♫ We meet again in spring, autumn, winter, and summer ♫