Original subtitles

How lucky I am!

It doesn't even take much effort

If Brother Zhu sees this copper box

surely he will be surprised

I will just exaggerate when explaining

how I found this copper box

so that they won't

look down on me ever again

- Yi Huan! - Who is it?

Yi Huan, quickly go and rescue the eldest senior!

Quick!

Eunuch Li,

wasn't I summoned by the Grand Empress Dowager to perform some check-up?

Why am I being brought here?

Come in first

we will talk inside

Open the door

Eunuch Li

what is going on now?

The Grand Empress Dowage wished to gather all of you

who have contributed to the capture of Oboi

and reward each of you

a cup of imperial wine

Brother Long, I beg you to save my brother

and those imperial servants

What wrong did they commit?

They saw me slapping you

but

now they are going to lose their lives!

This is so unfair!

I have ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut

but still, it was leaked to the Grand Empress Dowager

Since she has made an order

it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go against her will

Isn't the lives of these people more important

than the Grand Empress Dowager's will?

The Grand Empress Dowager wants to maintain

the respect to imperial authorities

This is the Forbidden City

we are all bound by countless of rules

Not only the servants need to obey them all

even I have to be bound by them

It was my fault

they have nothing to do with it

Since I was the one who hit you

why don't you hit me back? Doesn't matter how many time you want

Stop being ridiculous

do you think this is some childish business?

It is too late to do anything

She will never let you go

After she is done with your brother and his fellows

it'll be your turn

Your Majesty

why don't you just kill me now?

If you kill me now

and let me die before my brother does

perhaps I won't be feeling so guilty after all

Yi Huan...

You have always called yourself my big brother

But when it comes to this kind of situation

all you do is to threaten me with your life

You are the Emperor who is above everyone

but I am just a servant girl

All I can ask for is your mercy

to spare my brother

Stop putting on an act

When have you even treated me as your king?

Didn't you always treat me like your little brother?

I don't dare to do that again

You are the Emperor

not my Brother Long

Your Majesty

It was my fault

if you want to punish someone, please punish me

Stand up

I won't stand

I said stand up

Kneeling there won't make anything better

Your Majesty

I am begging you

Please save them

If they really die because of me

I will regret it for the rest of my life

Brother Lo...

Your Majesty, will you help them?

Of course I will save them

But, what do you think I should say

to convince the Grand Empress Dowager?

You can tell the Grand Empress Dowager the story of

Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong

Once upon a time

Guan Zhong fired a shot at Duke Huan of Qi

in order to save his own master

But the arrow landed on the duke's belt

so he wasn't killed by that arrow

After that Duke Huan of Q did not seek vengeance

and instead appointed Guan Zhong as the premier

Guan Zhong was extremely grateful

he served Duke Huan of Qi with all his talents

and with his help, Duke Huan of Qi became the greatest ruler

among the 5 Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period

Your Majesty

surely you are better than Duke Huan of Qi, aren't you?

In terms of tolerance

surely I am not below Duke Huan of Qi

But what is your match to Guan Zhong?

If we are talking about talents in administrating the country

surely I am no match to Guan Zhong

However

it is easy for you to recruit such talents

but difficult to find someone like me

who can eat and drink with you

and enjoy life with you

This is a good point

Nonetheless

sooner of later you will have to leave the palace and get married

You won't be here to accompany me forever

Isn't that a deal breaker for me?

So, that is what you have in mind!

Then... What are you going to do?

Tell me about that childhood best friend of yours

What is his name?

How does he look like?

What is his family doing?

This is my own secret

I can't tell you

Then at least you should tell me

if he looks better than I do

or is he more talented than I am?

I can't tell you this either

Why can't you tell me?

I am just asking

If I tell you honestly, promise me you won't get angry

Nonsense

do you think I am that petty?

Surely he isn't as handsome

as Your Majesty is

But

he is very gentle

And he treats me well

He is very good to me

whatever I ask, he will do it for me

He is not very complicated

You are different

I may please you today

but offend you tomorrow

Then, do you love him?

Second Master

I'm feeling dizzy

Let me bring you back to rest

Second Master, Yi Huan is faking it

Don't fall for her trick

Later when everyone finishes their practice

you have to stand for another hour

Sister Yi Huan

don't be mad at me

Sister Yi Huan

this is for you

Can you forgive me?

Walnut cookies!

This isn't a good time for chit chatting, Your Majesty

why are you still asking all these irrelevant questions?

We must go and save them now!

I am a human being too

I, too, have my own emotions

and curiosity

And even jealousy

Brother Long, I beg you

If you don't go now

their heads will be gone in minutes!

Don't worry

We do not want bloodshed in the palace

All executions are done with poisonous wine

Poisonous wine?

Then... why aren't you doing anything about it?

Let's go... We have to save them!

Don't worry

The Grand Empress Dowager had arrested

so many of my men

do you think I will only know what to do

once you come and beg me?

It is not for me to openly disobey her will

but I've already ordered my men to prepare the antidotes

Really?

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

Wait a minute

Do you want something from me

in exchange of the antidotes?

Definitely

I want to ask you a question

Do you love this childhood friend of yours?

It is not that I don't want to tell you

But, I don't even know if I do or not

What I know is

we have grown up together

and he has been good to me all this while

Sooner or later

surely I will have to marry him

But whether I do love him or not

I don't know

All right, since I have answered your question

can you come with me now to save them?

Wait a minute

I still have one more question

How many questions do you have?

What do you want to know exactly?

Forgive me, Your Majesty

Please ask

Do you love me?

This is the imperial wine the Grand Empress Dowager rewarded you

Take one cup each

and drink it

This wine is poisonous!

Spare my life, Eunuch Li!

Eunuch Li

why does the Grand Empress Dowager want to poison us?

I can't do much to help you

but since you are going to die soon

I will just let you know the reason

Blame it on your bad luck

for seeing something you shouldn't have seen

Eunuch Li, we didn't see anything!

We don't understand what you are saying

Please help us

to beg the Grand Empress Dowager on our behalves

to have our lives spared?

Spare my life!

I don't have such authority

neither do I have such audacity

Since the Grand Empress Dowager

has made her order

no one is able to do anything

Either you drink this wine willingly

or you will drink it unwillingly

Either way, you will have to drink it

Spare us, Eunuch Li...

- Spare us, Eunuch Li... - Drink it...

Drink it...

I say drink it...

Drink!

Eunuch Li

I have something important to tell you

Eunuch Li

I know that all of us including yourself

had taken the pill

All of us are Oboi's pawns in the palace

If you choose not to

save these servants and me today

then I will no longer

keep your secret for you

Why don't you answer my question?

I don't know how to answer it

If I tell you the truth

I'm scared that you will get mad and choose not to give me the antidote

But if I lie to you

then it amounts to treason

Just tell me the truth

I promise you no matter what your answer is

I will save your brother and those servants

- Really? - You have my word

The King doesn't lie

I don't love you

How easy for you to say that

You didn't even take into account my feeling

I've told you long ago

that the Emperor is the only man

that doesn't deserve to be loved

As a big brother

I might fall in love with

my sworn brother Long San

But as a servant girl

I will never ever fall in love with the Emperor

Kill him!

Li De Fu, I didn't expect that you want to kill me

- Chase him! - Chase him!

Stop right there!

Faster!

Physician Li, if you kill me...

- you won't live either - Li De Fu...

don't assume that if you kill me

no one will know you are Oboi's spy

Don't you forget

I still have a sister, Yi Huan

and if I die

she will never let you go

Physician Li, if you kill me...

We... we both have the same surname and hail from the same town

I wanted to take care of you

But this is the Grand Empress Dowager's order

we are just servants

what else can we do besides obeying it?

I saved the Emperor's life

and also contributed to Oboi's arrest

it is impossible that the Grand Empress Dowager

wants to kill me without any reason

Your sister is to be blamed

She thought she can do anything

because she has the Emperor's favour

I've been in this palace for decades

and never had I seen any servant with the audacity to hit the Emperor

What about Yi Huan?

What happened to her?

I have no idea

But I know for a fact that the Grand Empress Dowager won't spare her

Physician Li

why don't you just let me go

and continue to keep my secret safe with you

so that I can beg the Grand Empress Dowager for mercy

I'll do what I can

what do you think?

What about those servants?

It is not a good time to think about them

We can't even guarantee our own safety

how are we going to save them?

No

I can't bear to see them die in vain

I want to see the Emperor!

Stop!

Your Majesty!

- Greetings, Your Majesty - Greetings, Your Majesty

Rise

Physician Li, I will pardon you

Go with Songgotu now

and save those poisoned servants

Yes, Your Majesty

Yes

Faster!

Li De Fu

it seems like you are doing your best for this task

Forgive me, Your Majesty

My lady

I didn't have a choice

I hope that Your Ladyship will forgive me

and not hold any grudges against me

Your Excellency

Save the courtesy, eunuch

Is everything all right in the palace?

Your Excellency

don't worry

Everything is under your control

How is the Emperor?

The Emperor is still playing with his friends

like he always does

and shows no intention of governing

I think he is just putting up

a show for me to watch

I still remember clearly

the late Shun Zhi Emperor's deathbed wish

It is a shame that now he has grown up

to have no respect for the ministers

It is time to teach him some lessons

Then Your Excellency

what do you want to do?

Give the Emperor a jug of tonic soup every day

and make sure he finishes the soup

do you get it?

I understand...

You... How did you know about this?

Eunuch

my mimicking skills aren't that bad, don't you think?

So... you were on the cart that night

But how did you know it was me?

Eunuch

indeed you were very careful that night

and even wore a black cloth

to cover your face

but

I still saw the mole behind your ear

That is why

I am still able to recognise you

Li Yi Huan

the Grand Empress Dowager is right about you

You aren't just a simple servant girl

But Eunuch Li

Her Highness was wrong about you

Neither are you a simple and loyal servant

What do you want?

Eunuch Li

you know that

I am a kind person

who will not set other people up

But the people that I hate the most

are those who set others up

Therefore

if you don't have anything

against my brother and I

surely I won't have any against you

But if you do have something

against my brother and I...

Your Majesty!

Please wait for me!

Brother Long

thank you so much

Even if you didn't come to me

I will still have to save those servants

I knew this wouldn't please the Grand Empress Dowager

but since I have captured Oboi

and officially assumed personal rule

I must stand by my decisions

But

this Eunuch Li

is indeed troublesome

I'm sure he is the one who told the Grand Empress Dowager

How can I not know this?

But this Li De Fu has been here since he was 10

He has served three generations of Emperors

The Grand Empress Dowager favours and trusts him very much

Since I was young

he has been reporting my every single action

to the Grand Empress Dowager

This has become a convention

Even if I am not happy with it

there is nothing much I can do

I didn't know there are things an Emperor can't do

There are plenty of things I can't do

By the way

have you found the antidote for the pill?

My brother hasn't found the cure yet

I'm sure Oboi is determined

to have my brother and I join him in death

Then, what should we do?

Although we have captured Oboi

he is still a veteran minister after all

It is difficult to determine his contributions and wrongdoings

I have yet to decide how to deal with him

And he has a stubborn character

No matter how

he will never surrender the antidote

Brother Long, I'm your big brother

As the saying goes, heaven will favour those he loves

Don't worry about me

I'm a useless Emperor

I can't even protect you

Brother Long

please don't treat me this good

I will feel guilty for it

Quickly give them the antidote!

Feed them!

Be quick!

Open their mouths and force feed the antidote

Open their mouths!

Feed them!

Be quick!

- Your Majesty - Save the courtesy...

Save them first

Quickly, help them

Your Majesty, we have fed all of them

with the antidote

So, are they safe now?

They have had the antidote

and escaped death

- But... - What but?

But...

This is too poisonous

Even if they had taken the antidote

the poison had already corroded their throats

From now on

they can no longer speak

Open your mouth, let me feed you

You mean...

From now on

they are all dumb?

It is all my fault

I'm so sorry

It is all my fault

Li De Fu

how useless you are

You can't even handle such a small task

Forgive me, Your Highness

I was just about to get it done with Nasai

when the Emperor suddenly arrived with Li Yi Huan

His Majesty ordered me to save them and let them go

how can I disobey him?

Surely the Emperor is so deeply intoxicated

by this Li Yi Huan

Eunuch

summon this Li Yi Huan to see me

Yes, Your Highness

Brother Long

I didn't know just one slap on you

will make so many people suffer

I also didn't expect

things to end up this way

I have always thought that

a good Emperor

will be respected and loved by his subjects

instead of feared by them

No wonder it is said that serving an Emperor is like serving a tiger

Now, you will understand

why I told you that

you are the only man

that doesn't deserve to be loved

Yi Huan

I understand that

this incident has surely traumatised you

and made you feel bad

It is even more impossible for you to fall in love with me

Perhaps you are right

The palace is indeed not a place for you

Perhaps you should leave the palace

and marry your fiancée

Perhaps you will be happier that way

Greetings, Your Majesty

Li De Fu, how dare you!

You still have the audacity to come and see me?

Forgive me, Your Majesty

I know very well that

surely Your Majesty is mad at me now

But the Grand Empress Dowager had summoned Lady Yi Huan

to meet Her Highness in Cining Palace

I didn't dare to disobey her order

Your Majesty, is the Grand Empress Dowager

going to give me another cup of poisonous wine?

Don't worry

I'll go with you

His Majesty has arrived!

Long live, Your Majesty

- Rise - Thank you, Your Majesty

You just wait here

let me go in and have a word with Her Highness

Your Majesty, my life

is in your hands now

Don't worry

Surely this Grand Empress Dowager isn't easy to talk to

If even the Emperor cannot persuade her

then should I just run away?

Greetings, grandmother

Rise

You have just captured Oboi

and still have many things to settle

why do you suddenly have the time

to come and accompany your grandmother?

You have always taught me, grandmother

that to do great things

patience is important

I've always remembered it

Luckily, Father and the masters had foreseen this

They allowed me to slack on other skills

but made sure I mastered my Qinggong

Indeed it has been saving my lives every time I get into danger

But the copper box which I spent so much time searching

and those jewels are still in Yong Le Home

What should I do about them?

Forget it

I have no time for them

It is my life that matters now

No wonder Oboi fell in the hands of this girl

She isn't even nervous

in a situation like this

Your Majesty, since you have assumed personal rule

there are many things that

you can decide on your own

without actually coming to me

and listening to my naggings

Why do you say that, grandmother?

I'm afraid, grandmother

is there anything that I've done wrong?

please give me your advice, grandmother

All right, take it away

You may all leave

Leave us

Your Majesty, I heard that

you have pardoned Imperial Physician Li and the servants?

Yes, I did

This Physician Li

had not only helped in capturing Oboi

he had even saved my life

Furthermore, all these servants

had been serving me all these years

I can't bear to see them die

Hence, I pardoned them

Also, by sparing lives, am I not doing good

so that Heaven will favour you and grant you longevity, grandmother?

Your Majesty

you have only assumed rule not long ago

yet you are already soft towards them

How do you

even make others fear you?

What is her name again?

That Li Yi Huan

she is merely a second class attendant

yet she had the audacity

to slap you in front of your ministers

And not only you didn't punish her

you even appointed her

as your lady assistant

and gave her the Yong Le Home!

These servants are indeed careful

They are all standing far away

so that they won't hear anything that they are not supposed to hear

I can't care much about this

I have to pay attention to what they are saying

If Brother Long can't persuade her

I will have to run at once

Your Majesty

where is your respect for authority?

I wanted to help you in handling this issue

Little did I know

you have already pardoned them