Original subtitles

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

Examining love together with regret, both new and old.

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

Watching others meet as promised, as twilight falls.

The Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 16

I've always heard your knowledge is wide with mastery of medicine works, Consort Chun.

Today, I am truly gaining an understanding.

Noble Consort's generous compliment. I am humbled.

Let's go.

Examiner Zhang, can jujube and crystal sugar be added to the prince's clear porridge?

May your ladyship not panic. I shall try to find a way.

I trouble you then.

Zhen'er, go with Examiner Zhang to get the prescription.

Yes.

It seems you are in no mindset

to accompany me for leisure of tea and painting.

Thank you for helping me get out of the fix. I don't know how to thank you.

When 4th prince is recovered, I will invite you.

I am content knowing you feel this way.

However, your kindness almost fed to an wolf.

And you're still not angry at all?

As long as 4th Prince recovers, I seek nothing.

Attendant, this is your dinner.

It's so far and I can already smell it's rancid.

This is for human consumption?

Look here, you've entered the Northern Three (cold palace).

Someone delivers food to you.

That's a huge blessing so just be content.

No matter how I befall to demise,

I am still the birth mother of 4th prince.

But you treat me this way? Tell your supervisor to come.

If it weren't for 4th Prince's account,

you'd have to go and fetch the cold food yourself. Suit yourself if you don't want to eat.

Come back. Come back to me!

Did you come enjoy my plight?

Why do you torment yourself

Torment myself?

What right do you have to say that to me?

It was you who snatched away my son.

From the getgo, it was you yourself who did wrong.

Having a birth mother like you, 4th Prince can easily be implicated.

His Majesty loves his children, thus allowing him to go to Chengqian Palace.

If you sincerely want what's best for him, don't cause more trouble.

Do you think I wanted to?

What Empress?

What Noble Lady Yu? What huge grievance do they hold against me?

Useless.

I am just punished in someone else's stead.

You willingly aligned with Noble Consort Gao.

And you plotted the scheme and you willingly heralded.

Who can you blame now?

Noble Consort?

When I first entered the old prince manor,

she was only a handmaid.

She was even lower than me.

But so quickly, all because her father gained power in the court,

the late emperor promoted her as second wife.

Later, after His Majesty's ascension,

overnight, she became the noble consort.

Her whole family carrying the yellow banner, overriding crowds of people.

But what about me?

No love, no favor.

No one to depend on.

Barely birthing 4th prince.

And only promoted to imperial concubine.

Tell me, if I don't attach myself to her,

how can I preserve myself whole?

How can I preserve my son?

Precisely because I acted as her herald,

that my father and my brothers all received a tie.

You can lay such a vicious hand on Yongcheng, and you are undeserving to be a mother.

I have to survive first so I can take care of my son.

You all don't understand.

His Majesty doesn't understand either.

He only blames me for being sully, being vicious.

But for Yongcheng,

for my son,

I can be Noble Consort Gao's dog.

Whoever she tells me to go and bite, I will go and bite.

Even if my bones shattered into pieces, I have no regret.

Who would love my son more than me in this world?

Who else?

It's all you!

You all snatched away my son.

You snatched away my hope.

I didn't come today to hear you speak of these.

I only want to ask clearly, Prince Yi confiding the secret to His Majesty.

Was that Noble Consort Gao's idea?

I am asking you a question. Why won't you answer?

Since this is my plight already, there's nothing I can't say.

It's true. It was Noble Consort Gao who instructed Prince Yi.

To tell him to go and report the secret to His Majesty.

So my family's demise is linked to Noble Consort Gao?

Wrong.

All wrong.

Huifa Nara clan is demised.

It's all your fault, Consort Xian.

It was you who put on pretense of being lofty, rejecting Noble Consort Gao's advance.

It was you marking your steps by the rule.

You wouldn't beg favor for your brother.

It was your act of cruelty that led your mother to be knocked to death at Gate of Divine Might.

You are in the forbidden city. It's all your own fault.

Your plight is worse than a dog.

Who do you not owe?

Huifa Nara clan falls to demise.

It's all your fault. All my life!

The biggest regret.

Is to birth an incompetent daughter like you!

Even today. If it weren't for Consort Chun rescuing you,

could you have passed the disaster so easily?

The incompetent will be trampled over.

This is your reason for failure.

Ack.

I saw the nanny feed the meat porridge to the child that day.

I already had suspicion.

So I invited Consort Chun for tea.

Because Consort Chun is versed in medicines.

She debunking the incident is better than me doing it. Do you comprehend?

What did I do wrong exactly?

Where do I owe you all?

Why do you all force me.

Changshou, my mother's death,

I am responsible for all.

But others can't escape either.

Those who bullied me. Those who owe me.

I will harvest it back one by one and all.

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship, where did you go?

I was looking for you everywhere but found no trail of you.

Are you alright?

I'm fine. I was just feeling stuffy so I strolled around alone.

Your Ladyship, look how your clothing is all wet.

I will help you change.

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship, what's wrong?

What time is it?

It's only midnight. Please sleep more.

I will be on guard here.

No. Did you hear that crying?

I didn't.

Let me go see 4th prince.

Your Ladyship. Your shoes.

What's wrong?

What's wrong? You're fine.

Come.

Where did all the caretakers go? Where?

I will go find them now.

No need. I'll deal with that later.

Get me a bowl of water and some clean clothes.

Your Ladyship, put on your shoes first.

Hurry and go.

Yes.

Come.

From now on, I am your mother.

Are you full?

Something happened at Northern Three.

Are you full, Yongcheng? Go get the ring puzzle.

Mother will play with you.

Consort Xian, the woman in Northern Three hung herself to death.

How pitiful.

Send some memorial gifts for me.

Your Ladyship, she got what she deserved.

You don't need to heed attention to her.

On 4th prince's account.

I must put in some thought.

Want to eat more? More?

More?

Patience.

I told you to write forgiveness.

But you wrote a hundred pages of patience.

Why?

Forgiveness and patience,

aren't they the same?

Forgiveness is understanding.

Patience is hibernating.

Do you think I don't know what you are thinking?

You don't even think you were at fault at all.

In your opinion,

all your waiting is to save up energy.

When the time is ripe, you will give your enemy the final blow.

Yingluo. I taught you so much.

Why can't you understand?

I am a hard stone.

I worried you.

You are!

Empress. Attendant Jin of Nothern Three's funeral.

It's already finished.

Pitiful 4th prince.

So young and he already lost his birth mother.

If you are fond of 4th prince,

why not bring him to Changchun Palace to raise him?

I manage the six palaces and the affairs keep me busy.

Consort Xian is graceful natured and upright.

She is most suitable for raising 4th prince.

Furthermore, she just lost her family.

4th prince's existence is a consolation to her.

Your Highness. Forgive me for being wordy.

Changchun Palace is too quiet.

It's time to add a little prince.

Your Highness. You are the empress, the legitimate palace.

You need to birth a legitimate son for His Majesty.

So the tradition of Great Qing can be carried on.

Erqing, why would you say that?

I know.

You are magnanimous and mother of the world.

You regard other consort's children as your own.

But Noble Consort is always watching with tiger eyes.

- Chuxiu Palace... - Stop saying it.

If she beats you a step and births a royal son,

your position will be shaken.

I disallow you to say more.

Your Highness.

- Erqing. - Your Highness.

Why are you rushing suddenly?

In this palace,

a child affects the future of an imperial consort.

Even if His Majesty adores her highness and values her,

having no child of hers,

her position will just get more treacherous.

Every time I bring this up to her,

she would always get upset and I don't know what to do.

Maybe Her Highness has her own hidden feelings.

His Majesty cherishes her so much.

What hidden feelings?

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Your Highness, what's wrong?

Yingluo. I am . . .

Your Highness, hold on. I will fetch someone right away.

Don't go.

Don't alarm others.

Put another blanket on me. Hurry.

Yes.

Is it better?

What's going on?

Why is it that you're ill but you won't tell others?

Who said I am ill? I am not.

Your Highness! - Go now.

Yes.

Greetings to Empress.

No need to be so cordial.

I invited you here today to ask you a favor.

Mingyu, Erqing, we don't need any attendants here.

Go now.

Yes.

What do you suppose Empress wants to tell Consort Chun,

that she even sent us away.

Her Highness's business. Let's not ask much about it.

I just don't believe you're not curious.

Empress never hid anything from us.

This time, it must be something big.

Since she won't let us in there,

we guard the door here. Got that?

Guard the door.

I entrust everything to you.

Be assured, Your Highness. I will go and prepare.

I will return soon.

Erqing, come in with me.

This way, Your Ladyship.

What's happening?

Really?

Those two women are so strange.

Consort Chun has been ill for years and doesn't attend to bed.

Empress treats her like a real sister.

Those two are supposed to be love rivals.

How is there no grievance?

It's true. Consort Chun serving the empress.

She serves her more diligently than she does His Majesty.

Though Empress is magnanimous.

She's never as gentle to anyone else as she is with Consort Chun.

Those two must be up to something.

What's strange about two women. It's not like . . .

Right. In this world,

what's impossible?

When I put it that way,

everything that's not right can be comprehended.

Your Ladyship, you mean?

Now this, they delivered it to me themselves.

If I don't use it,

I'd be disappointing them.

Zhilan, spread a word for me.

Your Ladyship, do you mean it?

If you want to accumulate good reputation,

you'll need to commit yourself to good deeds forever.

If there's anything tint of filth,

then the big crumble.

It's nearby you.

Remember this.

Don't worry how absurd this is.

Just as long as someone believes it,

then it's true.

I think there's something unusual between the two.

Can't be. Impossible.

Did you hear? Changchun Palace mistress.

And Consort Chun.

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What are you looking at? So suspicious.

Look.

What's there to see?

Yingluo, don't you find it very strange?

Strange, how?

I mean, Consort Chun and Empress.

Consort Chun would stay at Empress's sleeping chamber daily

for four hours.

Maybe Empress and Consort Chun have matters to discuss.

It's seven or eight days already. What's there to discuss that's not ended yet?

This is the business of the mistresses.

What's it to you?

I already spelled it out to you but you still don't understand.

You are talking in circles. What exactly do you want to say?

Where did you hear such rumor?

Careful if Mistress finds out, she will rip your mouth.

It's already all over the six palaces.

Everyone says that.

Clearly someone is trying to damage our mistress's reputation.

How come you're adding to it?

Alright. I won't say anymore. Won't that do now?

Erqing?

How are you still not asleep?

This is Mistress's inner clothes?

She just had a nightmare and had a round of cold sweat.

So she took it off.

It's so late. Why don't you wait until tomorrow to wash it?

I just went ahead to wash it.

You're on duty tomorrow morning so you should go rest.

Alright. Then after you wash the clothes,

you should rest soon too.

Your Majesty.

Did you really find "Sunny After Snow"?

I heard you have in your possession Wang Xianzhi's "Mid-Autumn Post".

Wang Xun's "Letter to Boyuan".

You only lack Wang Xizhi's "Sunny After Snow".

So I especially asked my brother's favor.

To search everywhere in Suzhou. Finally he found it.

Would you like to go see it?

"Sunny After Snow" by Great Calligrapher, Wang Xizhi.

His strokes are gentle like flowing water.

Compared to Mid-Autumn Post and Letter to Boyuan,

it is clearly a step even above.

Indeed he's Wang Xizhi.

Just that, these four characters, shan-yin-zhang-huo. Compared to the strokes of the main text,

seem different in style.

Your Majesty has such good discernment.

This calligraphy post was in the hands of a collector in Suzhou.

I imagine he added that line himself.

Regrettable. It ruins the beauty of this post.

How regrettable indeed.

♫ Powder the juniper rouge

Who's singing opera?

Your Majesty. They are showing a new opera on stage.

This is close to Chuxiu Palace.

It startled you. I will go now to tell . . . - No need.

♫ Sniffing the plum blossoms

♫ by mistake..

Your Majesty.

♫ by mistake..

Exhibition Stage

♫ In this life you and I are knotted as sisters.

♫ In the next life, we are knotted as brothers. Will we?

♫ No. I am already married to Lord Fan.

♫ If you marry Lord Fan too,

♫ we are just sisters.

♫ We won't have ranks.

♫ Singing together, never apart.

♫ Closer than husband and wife.

Greetings to Your Majesty.

What are you singing?

Your Majesty, they are just singing Li Yu's "Fragrant Companion".

It's about two beauties that love each other and married the same man to be with each other.

Your Majesty, you don't know but woman to woman love,

is entertainment to third-rate literati.

Why are they singing that opera in the palace?

Your Majesty. Your Majesty.

What's wrong with His Majesty?

He just heard the two singers play out "Fragrant Companion".

And I hear the story is about Consort Chun and Empress.

What? Really?

That's why His Majesty was like that.

Your Majesty. How dare you audacious servant!

I deserve death. I deserve death. May you cast forgiveness.

What are you doing?

Your Majesty, it's all my fault. All my fault.

All my fault. Your Majesty.

I ask you. Why are you in such a panic?

Your Majesty, it was Empress that instructed me

to get a new bowl of water.

Your Majesty. Your Majesty!

Greeting to Your Majesty.

What are you looking at?

Just making a painting. Then why did you have to shut the doors?

Get up and talk.

Your Majesty. Actually,

I was secretly planning your birthday with Empress.

Birthday?

In two months, it's your birthday.

I had thought to throw you a surprise.

So I secretly invited Consort Chun to discuss.

We didn't know what to gift you.

But at last, Consort Chun suggested that I paint a scenery for you.

But today, I kept trying many pages.

But I still it lacks some beauty.

Yes. I accidently

even splattered ink all over Empress.

I see then.

Empress, you're being to secretive.

It actually doesn't matter what you gift me.

I will be happy with anything.

Your Majesty. Your clothing is all wet.

It's thanks to the gifting by your favorite palace maid again.

Yingluo. Why are you clumsy?

Hurry and beg forgiveness from His Majesty.

Yes.

I deserve death.

May Your Majesty forgive.

Your Majesty. She's just rushing that caused her troublemaking.

If you have the leisure to be angry, why not go and change?

Your Majesty.

Who said you could come in?

Your Majesty. It was Empress that told me

to make amend for my mistake with a merit.

No need. Go out and kneel.

Yes.

Your Majesty. Why are you so upset today?

Empress, do you know someone's spreading rumors in the palace?

Rumors? About what?

They are saying Empress and Consort Chun,

have a relationship that is too close and that's unfitting.

Your Majesty. Such rumors.

Can't be that even you believe it?

When I think about it, it is indeed absurd.

I believed too easily.

Don't worry, Your Majesty.

I will investigate who was the one to spread it.

And govern the rules of the harem properly.

But Empress, you need to manage your close attendants too.

Your Majesty, I think Yingluo,

was just careless for the moment.

That girl is usually very careful.

And very detailed in her chores.

Don't you see anything?

See what?

She clearly ran into my embrace on purpose earlier.

It means what I said before was true. That palace maid is relying on her little bit of beauty,

to lure the dragon for her own advancement.

Lure the dragon for advancement?

Your Majesty, from what I understand about her,

she isn't someone who would.

I saw it clearly.

And I am wrong? If I have not guessed wrong,

she is trying to lure me for sure.

It could be she's in love with me. Or she wants vanity.

Whatever the reason, she is clearly a fox.

Coming to seduce the king!

Look at her gaze. Her smile. She clearly . ..

You clearly hold bias against her.

Because you misunderstand her, every action and word of hers,

you take it wrongly.

Forget it. I will not argue this with you.

But one day you will come to know what I said is true.

That Wei Yingluo wants to behold wealth.

She is calculating.

You must manage her well.

I understand.

I send Your Majesty off with honor.

Shameless.

Shameless.

Yingluo. You don't know what Consort Chun and I doing.

Why did you rush back to warn us?

Get up and talk.

Yes.

I didn't know what happened indeed.

But since your doors are shut.

It means you didn't want others to know your hushed matter.

So I wagered my life to rush back to alert you.

You knew nothing.

But you just guarded me?

Empress, you taught me to read and write.

To conduct myself as a person. You are a rare good person.

Since you don't want to speak of it, you have your reason.

Yingluo's duty is to secure your secret.

It's not to snoop.

Show it to her.

Yes.

This is?

After I birthed the second prince, an air of chill spread in me.

Until after this winter, it got more severe.

Every night, the pain pierces into my bone and I am unable to fall into a sleep.

My whole body sweats in cold.

Half an hour and I need to change already.

So Empress invited me to come and treat her.

This matter isn't good for others to know but I didn't imagine. - I didn't imagine the palace is . . .

Spreading such rumors.

It's absolutely absurd. - If His Majesty had burst in here to discover our secret,

the consequence can't be imagined.

The women of the harem is valued by their heirs.

Think about it.

A woman who is weak to her bone. How can she birth children?

How is she capable to take up the ranking of Empress?

So I am not inclined to trouble the royal physician's court.

I can only plead Consort Chun's help.

Yingluo, from now on,

you and Erqing help me and guard Changchun Palace.

Yes.

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

♫The Forbidden Palace's walls surround them, feeling like a good place to reside.♫

♫As the walls sever the setting sun's rays, they lose their past dreams as it grows cold.♫

♫Decaying leaves cover the neglected shuttered window, that remembers the cold winds of twenty harvests.♫

♫ Knowing only how to go with the flow and pass the years.♫

♫Unmarried and hopeful, the heavy, dark gates are locked, ♫

♫Cultivated and proud, gem-like beauties, and yet somehow♫

♫Flowers who stay may endure breakage, causing them ask to change their karma♫

♫Can not an empty branch give them a carefree place to rest upon?♫

♫Longing to be together with him, separated as the illumination in the western window declines,♫

♫At leisure to be melancholy, also perplexed and worried about it all.♫

♫Who will pity her, and record her lifetime full of misery?♫

♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫

♫Longing to be together with him, separated as the illumination in the western window declines,♫

♫At leisure to be melancholy, also perplexed and worried about it all.♫

♫Who will pity her, and record her lifetime full of misery?♫

♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫

♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫