Original subtitles

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

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.

Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 18

You must not let the people know about this.

Your Majesty, did you forget? During the lychee feast,

there was mention of a physician in Jiangnan.

- Why don't we invite him here to take a look? - Consort Xian. Are you clueless too?

How long are you going to procrastinate?

Your Majesty, you must not delay this any further.

Once it's daybreak, we won't be able to stop any gossips.

His Majesty only has a thin number of descendants.

If this child merely contracts any strange illness and it's handled this way,

it may harm the child.

Your Majesty, Empress Dowager is not in Forbidden City now.

If she's here, she will be very sad.

Relay this to Ye Tianshi.

Is this the renowned physician from Jiangnan?

Your Majesty. I think

you shouldn't waste your time.

Ye Tianshi sends his greetings to His Majesty.

Ye Tianshi.

Yes.

Take a look at the little prince and check what's going on.

Yes.

His Majesty wants you to diagnose the illness. - What are you doing?

Your Majesty, please forgive me.

The decorations here are very colorful.

I was dumbfounded by them.

Do your diagnosis now.

Yes.

To reply Your Majesty,

there's nothing serious with the little prince. It's just jaundice.

It can't be. It's not like I have never seen jaundice in children.

Even his pupils are golden yellow in color.

That's because you are lacking in knowledge.

A visiting physician even dares to make derogatory remarks.

When a common jaundice shows up in a child,

it will only appear on the face, neck and limbs. Why would it spread to the pupils?

That jaundice you're talking about is congenital.

Even if it's not treated, he can recover within seven days

but the little prince's jaundice is pathological and related to the bile of the expectant mother.

- It's usually connected with the pregnant mother having too much accumulation of bile. - What congenital disease?

He is clearly spouting nonsense.

I come from three generations of physicians. They passed down their skills to me. I have never heard of this.

Yes, I'm not that broad in my training compared to the Imperial Physicians

but I have been to everywhere as a physician.

I have seen many strange illnesses.

So to say, there's no problem with Second Prince?

He has only contracted some strange illness.

Your Majesty. What do you think?

I get it.

Ye Tianshi, can he be cured?

Your Majesty, don't worry. If I prescribe a formula to reduce the jaundice,

in less than two weeks, Second Prince's jaundice will subside.

Men, take Second Prince away now

and attend to him carefully.

Your Majesty, after Second Prince has met a renowned physician,

things have taken a new turn.

I should be blamed for being ignorant and inexperienced.

I couldn't even tell it's just a common jaundice

and placed Second Prince's life in danger.

Your Majesty, please forgive me.

Even the Imperial Physician couldn't tell the difference.

How could you blame yourself?

Your Majesty is merciful. I'm very thankful.

It's just that...

the rest will suspect my intention

that I wanted Second Prince to die.

Relay my decree.

Ban others from talking about this again.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Consort Chun, rise.

Are you here because of what happened to Second Prince and to visit him?

No, I'm here because of a major issue.

What major issue?

Carry him here.

Consort Chun, what are you doing?

Noble Consort. You are not afraid when you killed a person

but why are you afraid when you see a corpse?

Your Majesty, listen to what Consort Chun said.

I just said there must be someone

who will misunderstand by intention.

Look. Before I leave Changchun Palace,

the news have already traveled out.

Consort Chun is blaming me now.

Noble Consort Gao.

Do you really don't recognize this body?

How would I know him?

He's the Mongolian chef from the Imperial Kitchen.

He was also the one who cooked food for Noble Lady Yu.

Consort Chun, what are you implying?

This is a Mongolian snack. It's from my hometown.

I thought I wouldn't be able to eat this again when I enter the palace.

I didn't expect there would be a Mongolian chef in the Imperial Kitchen.

The scones that he baked, they are fragrant and crispy.

- Yingluo. - Yes.

Looking at you, something seems to be on your mind.

Noble Lady Yu loves Mongolian scones.

She would eat three pieces every day when she was pregnant.

She even preferred them to be hot before she ate them.

I was also astounded.

Your Majesty. The food that was made by the chef,

I instructed it to be brought here too.

Your Majesty, let me take a look.

It's very fragrant.

I wonder what this scone is made of.

Milk was added to the dough or perhaps, ghee to the skin.

You must mentioned that Noble Lady Yu loves to eat grilled scones.

What else does she usually eats?

Assorted confectionery to replace staple food.

No wonder. No wonder.

What do you mean?

Your Majesty. Her child contracted jaundice

It's mostly because the mother body is moist and hot, hence, the bile gets accumulated.

I usually advise pregnant women to watch their food intake

and not to eat too much sweet, hot and unpleasant smelling food

to prevent damage to the spleen and stomach.

Grilled scones can't be eaten too?

No, you have misunderstood.

Food for pregnant women are not that restricted. They can eat whatever they like

but they must not go overboard.

If we take this grilled scone and butter as an example,

you can have it once a day as a meal.

But if you have it twice a day as your meals, it's overboard.

Mongolian women usually eat grilled scones.

Hunan women likes spicy food. They are safe and sound.

You are ignorant and inexperienced.

The spleen is a moist organ, hence, it's easy for moist air to enter the body.

Taking in spicy food is to eliminate the moistness.

As for the Mongolian wives, since they been taking these foods for a long time, their body has gotten used to it. So of course, they are fine.

Eating habits, the local environment,

and the state of one's health are intimately connected.

Noble Lady Yu has been living in the Forbidden City and things suddenly became abnormal

in her excessive diet. Naturally, it will cause disorders.

Physician Tianshi is saying that,

because of excessive usage of grilled scones and sweet cakes,

Second Prince contracted jaundice.

Of course, this is possible.

Consort Chun, how did this person die?

Drawing from the lesson of Fourth Prince,

I was naturally worried about Noble Lady Yu's food and ordered someone to investigate this first.

Who knew that when we just went into the Imperial Kitchen,

he has already killed himself due to escape punishment.

If we're going to ask who the mastermind behind him is,

we just have to look at who insisted to bury 5th Prince alive

and we will know who it is.

Consort Chun, you are making groundless accusations!

He's already dead. On what basis are you accusing me then?

Your Majesty, Fifth Prince is just a newborn.

What crime did he commit?

Unless someone doesn't want him to be born safely.

Carefully thinking about it, since Noble Lady Yu got pregnant,

Her Highness Noble Consort has repeatedly made things difficult for her.

First, the traumatic experience in the Imperial Garden.

And then repeating it during the Lychee Banquet.

When Noble Lady Yu gave birth,

the first person to charge into Changchun Palace was also Her Highness Noble Consort.

She insisted on having Fifth Prince buried alive.

To say that this matter has nothing to do with her, it's really hard for anyone to believe that.

Your Majesty, it's really not like that. I really didn't know.

You must not listen to the lies of this servant.

Your Majesty, when Consort Chun and Consort Xian

heard that prince is in trouble,

the first thing they thought of is to ask for an imperial physician.

But Her Highness Noble Consort want prince to be executed.

Even when Noble Lady Yu went up to her to stop her,

she didn't spare her.

If she doesn't have any intention to kill,

why must she be so hasty and resolute?

Your Majesty, the matter isn't like what she said.

Sentencing me for a crime just based on a corpse,

I will never accept such verdict.

Moreover, the person is dead.

Who knew if someone else forced him to kill himself so as to frame me?

Your Highness Empress, at this point,

you still aren't giving up defending yourself.

When I sent my men to the Imperial Kitchen, they discovered one blood letter and 20 taels of gold.

It shows that this person has sensed that something bad will happen to him.

He left evidences beforehand.

[The person who will silence me will surely be the mistress of Chuxiu Palace.]

Your Majesty, it wasn't like this.

It really wasn't like this. I really didn't know.

I'm being framed.

- Your Majesty. - Enough.

I don't want to hear your explanation.

Men.

Starting from today, Noble Consort Gao will be detained in Chuxiu Palace.

Without my consent, no one is allowed to go in and out from there.

Take her away.

Your Majesty.

I was framed.

- My Lady. - I was framed, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, I want to report someone.

How dare you? You even dare to block the way of His Majesty. Do you want to die?

I know I'm guilty and I can be punished later

but this concerns a major matter. I dare not hide this.

Noble Consort wants to kill Fifth Prince.

Wei Yingluo took out the golden seal of the Empress

to scare Noble Consort but the actual truth is,

Her Highness didn't pass the golden seal to her. She used it to fake the order.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, it was urgent.

I didn't had a choice then.

Could you fake the order even if you had no choice?

Wei Yingluo, this is a penalty by death.

Wei Yingluo, do you know your crime?

Your Majesty, I deserve to die

for deceiving Noble Consort.

Deceiving Noble Consort?

Your Majesty, please punish me.

What do you mean?

Zhenzhu.

Show everyone the golden seal

that I gave you.

How could I dare to use the Golden Seal of Her Highness?

This is a major crime for using the seal to relay orders.

But during that situation,

if I didn't protect Noble Lady Yu and Fifth Prince,

they wouldn't be able to wait for Your Majesty.

For the sake of Noble Lady Yu and Prince's safety,

I could only take that risk.

Of course, I deceived Noble Consort.

I indeed committed a mistake. May Your Majesty forgive me.

Your Majesty, had good intentions behind it.

Deceiving Noble Consort is a small matter, but saving Fifth Prince is a huge merit.

With such a contribution, if you punish her, won't that sadden the heart of a lot of people?

Take her away and cane her 50 times.

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

Your Majesty! Your Majesty!

I'll go check on Noble Lady Yu and Fifth Prince.

- I'll go with you. - Okay.

Consort Chun.

Can we talk privately?

Let me boldly ask a question.

Is the yellowing of Fifth Prince

really due to Noble Consort Gao?

Wei Yingluo, on what basis are you questioning me?

Consort Chun's reaction

exactly told me

that everything isn't as simple as it seems.

Why did you suspect me?

One, excessive intake of roasted pancake and sugar cakes

are voluntary actions of Noble Lady Yu.

Noble Consort Gao can guide her to it, but not truly control her.

Second, Doctor Ye only said

that intake of these food

can increase the chances of Fifth Prince getting sick,

but not really lead to an illness.

Why then would Noble Consort Gao risked that much danger

for something that's uncertain.

Third, if Noble Consort Gao would really make her move,

why then did she not search clearly

and left a blood letter?

Isn't that bringing oneself trouble?

Since you know that there are inconsistencies,

why then did you still renege to help me?

Because Noble Consort has went too far.

The child is innocent, but she insists on having him killed.

I only can bite back.

Yingluo, the children who grew up in Forbidden City

is destined to get involved in the struggle for power.

For those who dies young, it's their fate.

Even if they successfully grow up,

they still have to face a fierce battle for the throne.

If you want to enjoy a luxurious life, you then must pay a price.

If they have to blame someone, they can only blame being reincarnated into the wrong family.

I can understand your words, but I don't agree with them.

Only a ferocious beast

would eat young animals.

If a person harms a young child,

what is his difference with a beast?

Your Highness Consort Chun, forgive me for taking my leave.

If you continue to have such kind thought,

your life will soon be in peril.

Your Highness, eat something.

Greetings, Lord Gao.

Zhilan?

Eunuch Desheng. Can I speak with Lord Gao alone for a while?

His Majesty is still waiting for lord to discuss some state affairs. Don't delay it...

It won't be too long.

Why are you you here and not attending to Her Highness Noble Consort?

Replying to Master, Her Highness Noble Consort has been locked up at Chuxiu Palace and has already gotten sick from anger.

She won't eat all day and she's slowly getting thin.

When I was talking to her earlier, she didn't have any reaction.

As if she has completely changed to another person.

I got it. You go back first.

Master! Are you not going to visit Her Highness

and urge her?

I'll decide once I've seen His Majesty.

Eunuch! Let's go.

- Yes. - Lord Gao! Lord Gao!

Yongqi has grown so white and fat.

He's really so cute.

Replying to Your Highness Empress, it's all thanks to Doctor Ye's meticulous care

and...Miss Yingluo risking her life to save us.

If not because of her, our lives

would have been gone.

I will remember Yingluo's contributions.

I dare not forget the instructions of Her Highness Empress.

If not because everyone worked together, we wouldn't have deterred Noble Consort Gao.

What merit did she do? Always trying to be in the limelight.

So wanting everyone to know how good she is.

Kneel.

I can't order you around anymore now, is that it?

When I was not around,

what have you done?

I thought you would repent on your mistakes,

but never thought that I thought too highly of you.

The previous 50 caning isn't enough.

You want it to be 100 caning

before you'll understand your mistake, is that it?

With your attitude,

I also am to lazy to care about you.

Go out and kneel.

Your Highness, the lower palace maids are around.

Give Mingyu some dignity.

Mingyu, let me ask you,

do you know that you did wrong?

I'll just go out and kneel.

Mingyu!

Your Highness, Mingyu just have that kind of personality.

You're magnanimous, so just overlook it.

I'll go get her now to ask for your forgiveness.

Your Highness Empress, I've disturbed you for too long.

I should go back now.

Why not stay a while longer?

That is not appropriate according to the rules.

But Your Highness, don't worry,

I will frequently bring Fifth Prince over.

It's just that...don't know if Fifth Prince

can still stay by my side in the future.

You're worried that because your status isn't high enough,

Fifth Prince can't stay by your side and be raised by you, is that it?

I've already asked His Majesty in your behalf.

His Majesty considered that you've contributed merit by bearing him a child, hence, he promoted your status.

He'll make a decree tomorrow to make you Imperial Concubine Yu, the mistress of Yonghe Palace.

I will never forget the great graces

of Your Highness Empress!

Get up.

Fifth Prince.

Look at this little thing, he looks so handsome.

Doesn't he look like His Majesty?

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Get up.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

There are a lot of discussion about your proposed water management proposal.

I need a reason to support you.

Explain it in details.

I've been managing the river systems for a long time.

I noticed that the Yellow River flows in a rapid manner from its origin to Qing River.

It is closely connected to the Neibi Canal.

Please earth up the southern dike to become the far dike of the northern bank of the Yellow RIver. This way,

we can prevent the yellow river from overflowing.

Continue saying it.

Jiangdu cuts through the river and its topography is quite low.

Have its gates redone, not to make it deeper but should surpass the Yellow River,

to decrease the amount of the Huai River getting into main river.

Doing that can decrease the chances of the Huai River causing any calamities.

Continue.

Yongding river as at the tail end and is unobstructed.

I ask that it be made into a triangular lake with opened side channels and for irrigation canals.

The upper part would be connected the the Zheng family reservoir. The lower will be connected to the old river head of Daqing River. Remove the soil.

As for the northern bank, surround them with sloping dykes

to guard against the north getting exceeded. For the southern bank, we also would build some dykes to restrict the water from slipping southwards.

The low river mouth under must always be cleared.

What about the upstream?

The upstream should have bleeders.

On Shuangying at the southern bank,

and on Hulindian and Xiaohuijia Village at the northern bank,

each should build a mortar dam.

And the embankment should be decreased to be lower than the dam.

On the southern bank, the Guojia Dyke is just an old grass dam.

It also should be rebuilt.

Gao Bin, do you know how many human and material resources

will this series of operations use up

and who can dare accept such a huge project?

Your Majesty, our Qing Empire

frequently suffers flooding and the affected areas are so vast.

Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of citizens

whose fields are completely destroyed, they are forced to leave their homes and wander, their family are left devastated.

Hence, this waster disaster must be put under control.

It must not be delayed.

I'm not talented but I'm willing to exert my measly efforts

in bending to a task and sparing no effort for the Qing Empire and for Your Majesty,

until the day I die.

Okay. I will then make you the governor of Zhili,

so you can supervise the river channels.

As for the several criticisms in the court,

I will suppress them all for you.

I won't let anyone destroy your proposed river management system.

Don't disappoint me.

The more you mustn't disappoint the citizens of Qing Empire.

I'm accepting the decree and thanking your graces!

Leave now.

What else?

Your Majesty, I heard that Her Highness Noble Consort...

Gao Bin, this is my private matter.

I'm scared. I dare not interfere with your family matters.

But this eldest daughter is the person that I most cared about.

I'll be leaving to manage the river channels.

I don't know when I can be back to the capital.

May Your Majesty have mercy and allow me to visit Her Highness Noble Consort.

Master.

I asked His Majesty to allow me to visit Noble Consort. I can only stay here for an incense time.

Yes, I'll tell Her Highness Noble Consort right away. She'll surely be very happy.

Your Highness, Master is here to visit you.

This is the graces of His Majesty. It means that His Majesty still cares about you.

I don't want to see anyone.

You and that man outside,

you all leave.

Leave!

Master, Her Highness...

I heard everything.

Her Highness is in a bad mood. Don't put it to heart. Wait for me to convince her.

No need.

Ningxin, you can be willful and behave unscrupulously,

decadent and dejected, but don't forget

that I have four daughters.

Other than my second daughter who married Orongshi,

you still have a third and fourth younger sisters.

They are currently in the prime of their youth with outstanding beauty!

Old man, you stop right there!

You daughter is currently being locked up in Chuxiu Palace.

Everyone in this palace is trampling on me.

Are you also looking down on me?

Also giving up on me?

I've been a government official for so many years.

From a little sixth rank director of Imperial Household Department,

to a current first rank high official.

Throughout my journey, you don't know how many storms and waves I've encountered,

but I was still standing and kept getting promoted.

What I relied on is

just striving my utmost effort

and swearing loyalty until death to the Qing Empire,

to His Majesty!

Towards my children, I treated you all equally

and meticulously cultivated each one.

I only have one request.

That is you must give everything you got and aim for the best

in doing anything wherever you are.

Go back and look at yourself in the mirror. Look at this useless self of yours.

How are you like a daughter of my Gao family?

Such awe-inspiring righteousness.

Your political career now is so successful, rapidly going up the ranks.

But have you ever thought about my mother?

Have you every thought of me?

Have you ever felt any guilt towards us?

Could you have forgotten?

How did my mother die?

Your mother...was washed away by the Yellow River!

No! She didn't!

You clearly know very well

that she died for you.

Old man, you remember this.

As long as I'm around, don't even think of sending those two bitches into this palace!

Don't that Ma woman ever think of replacing my mother.

Never.

If you want to fulfill that dream,

I fear that you must stabilize your foothold here in the palace more.

Old man, let me tell you this!

I haven't toppled yet and will never topple!

You want to easily replace me?

You better give up on that idea right now!

Your Highness.

It must be that woman who is sowing discord.

- Who are you talking about, Your Highness? - Who else?

That bitch Ma.

Third and Fourth little sisters are all her daughter.

Even if I die,

I wouldn't let her and her daughters get their way.

Your Highness, she's currently the main madam of the Gao family.

I must pull myself together. I mustn't give them any chance to exploit.

♫ A human life is akin to a spring dream

Wait.

Stop.

[Chuxiu Palace]

♫ Help yourself

Lower down the carriage.

♫ drink your fill

Your Highness, please have some wine.

Your Highness.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty!

How come what she drank was real wine?

Replying to Your Majesty, Her Highness Noble Consort was in a bad mood.

She said that she wants to drown her sorrow with alcohol,

so she ordered me to prepare a jar of wine.

I dare not stop her.

Wanton.

Noble Consort.

Your Majesty.

Let me assist you back to your room.

Eunuch Li.

Eunuch Li, why are you so idle tonight

to visit this cold and cheerless place of ours?

Miss Zhilan, you're joking with me.

This is the Chuxiu Palace of Her Highness Noble Consort. How could it be cold and cheerless?

A few days ago, I repeated asked for your help, but you kept refusing.

Today, you're quite eager.

If not because His Majesty personally entered here, I think you wouldn't think of coming.

It's all my fault, okay?

Miss Zhilan, this..forgive me, okay?

What's the use of me forgiving you?

It depends on Her Highness.

Noble Consort, why are you crying?

Your Majesty, why don't you call me Ningxin'er anymore?

Don't you used to like calling me that?

I don't want to be a noble consort anymore.

I just want to be your Ningxin'er.

Noble Consort, you're drunk.

I'm not.

Before, I...loved to sing.

I also dance.

Your Majesty also loved to come watch me.

But now...

Your Majesty isn't coming anymore.

You also have become distant from me.

It's not me who changed.

It's you.

I changed?

I'm your noble consort.

The noble consort of the Qing Empire.

If I just continue to sing and dance,

everyone will laugh at me

for not acting appropriately.

Hence, I can't sing.

I also can't dance.

Your Majesty, is it because of this that you don't love me anymore?

I don't want to be well-behaved or act in proper decorum.

Without your tender affection, what's the point of all these?

Your Majesty, don't leave me.

In this huge Forbidden City,

you're the only one

that I can rely on.

The floor is cold.

Your Majesty, father came to visit me yesterday.

I remembered my mother.

Your mother got washed away by the Yellow River when she was accompanying your father in mitigating the flood.

No. It's not like that, Your Majesty.

That time, Yellow River kept causing flooding.

There was a group of water pirates that settled there and frequently robbed the nearby houses.

Father advocated the elimination of the pirates and flood prevention.

This invited revenge from the water pirates.

That year, I was just 5.

I floated on the river for a long time.

I got saved by a fisherman.

And they searched for 7 days, 7 nights.

What they found was the pitiful corpse of my mother.

If a woman falls into the hands of the water pirates, what can happen to her?

Anyone can imagine it.

And the Gao family denied her to be buried in their tomb estate,

denied her a place in the ancestral chamber.

My mother bore my father children and raised them all her life.

She was filial to her in-laws, maintained the household well, and supported the family's career.

In the end, she died without a full corpse.

And father would actually say that since he's always out,

he need a new wife to run the house.

In less than a year,

he married that Ma woman home.

That...

Since she entered our home, she repeatedly abused me and my siblings.

From then on, my days felt so long like they were years.

It was living hell, Your Majesty.

I know that you've suffered.

Your Majesty, I didn't harm Fifth Prince.

I really didn't.

I can swear.

I believe you.

Really, Your Majesty? You really believe me?

I'm not lying to you.

You've drank too much.

Be careful of hurting your health. Rest early.

Your Majesty, don't leave tonight.

Okay?

Your Majesty.

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.♫