l plotted the assassination and took the arrow for the Empress Dowager
in order to gain her trust and bide my chance to help His Majesty
l too can be a great emperor
Shum Chin-yat lied about his past
He is suspicious Bring him in for interrogation
You know where this shoe came from?
l knew you would go look for him so l tailed you. Give me a hand
Why did Uncle Shum want to kill himself?
lf a man wants to end his life
either he has nothing to live for or he wants to protect his kin from harm
To protect his kin?
A kin he dares not reunite with
lf his identity is blown his kin's life will be in danger
Hence he would rather take his own life
Only parents are willing to make such a sacrifice for their kids
Uncle Shum, you are...
You are my natural father?.
Your father's name is Kei Man-cheong Your name is Kei Chun-kit
lmperial Guard First Rank Kei To-ting was your grandfather. He was my mentor
Now you understand
Father!
You are my father
l am a Kei
My grandfather was Kei To-ting
What offence did you and Grandpa commit?
Why did you want to kill yourself?
Why did the Empress Dowager send her men after you?
Why?
Your grandfather wrote this letter to him Read it and you'll understand
Man-cheong my son, when l said l was stationed far away in the frontier
lt was a lie. There was a conspiracy
24 Years Ago
His Majesty, Shun Zhi feigned his own death
As his bodyguard, l kept Sire company in Coolness Monastery as a monk
Sire however, still had a load on his mind
He wrote a letter before his death and bid me take it to Prince Fook-chuen
lt concerns the Qing reign l made a copy in secret
l took one copy to the Empress Dowager and the other is enclosed in this letter
Keep Sire' s last will in safety. Don't read it unless you're in perilous danger
After reading this letter take my grandson Chun-kit and flee
The Empress Dowager means to silence you
lt's of paramount importance Don't tell anyone. Bear it in mind
These are my last words. Take care, Father
22 Years Ago
Your grandfather went to the palace and was never heard of again
Your father and l fled with you Let's separate...
But we were intercepted by imperial guards sent by Hau Chong
l'll lure them away That way
Amidst the chaos we lost you by the riverside
To save 38 members of his family your father went to see Hau Chong
To convince her of his loyalty he muted himself with poison
His life was spared
For fear Hau Chong changed her mind he became a recluse in Cloudy Monastery
The Empress Dowager?. That old hag
Both your father and grandfather were persecuted by the Empress Dowager
Maybe it's karma
Your father has moved on He doesn't want any blood on your hands
Now you know why l tried to prevent you from becoming an imperial guard
l didn't want you to be ruled by revenge
lf your identity is found it'll mean another bloodbath
The Empress Dowager is getting suspicious of your father
Your only option is to flee with him
No!
l can't just go away
lf l flee, the court will become suspicious
What about my adoptive parents?
Strange Monk, we must first make him well then we'll go from there
Alright, Father?
Dor-po, you are back Dor-po
You saw the shoe and rushed out We were so worried
We stayed up waiting for you
What did your shifu say?
He said he treated a woman in Tianjin
But she had no money so she gave him the pendant as medical fee
Did she say how she got it?
Did she pick it up by the riverside? ls she your natural mother?
l don't think so
She said she bought it from a pawn shop in Jinan
Someone picked it up from the riverside She got it after some change of hands
So even a jade pendant has a story to tell
lt's been lost for so many years it's now back with the owner
Yes, it's been lost for so long. But we finally found it. lt doesn't come easy
l know you miss your natural parents
Let things take their natural course
l know
Now l am worried again
What if the lmperial Guard learns of your identity? There'd be dire consequences
Don't worry. As long as l am alive no one can harm you
The Empress Dowager mobilized so many for a mute? What else have you found?
l was tailing him, but he was vigilant He shook me off. l've lost him
Why is he so important to her? What is his relationship with Kei To-ting?
Greetings, Grandmother
Please get up Thank you, Grandmother
How you are doing in the Southern Study? Any problems?
lt's due to Grandmother's grace l can help Sire with his workload
l'll devote myself to it
Brothers with one heart is invincible
Help Sire run the country
Our reign will flourish and the country will be prosperous
Thank you, Grandmother
Please grant a loyal subject your audience
Who is he?
Nip Dor-po, the imperial guard you've wanted to see. He is waiting outside
Summon him
Summon lmperial Guard Nip Dor-po
Your Highness, Third Rank lmperial Guard Nip Dor-po at your service
Nip Dor-po, at ease Thank you, Your Highness
When l went to Cloudy Monastery to pay an assassin attempted to kill me
Prince Yue and you exhibited bravery and saved my life
Prince Yue did it out of filial piety and you out of loyalty
lt's Qing's blessing to have such talents
Serve the court with loyalty l'll not let it go unnoticed
Thank you, Your Highness
l believe that the court will not forget it's loyal subjects
We'll let you get some rest
We'll take our leave, Grandmother
l'll take my leave
Nip Dor-po was duly respectful and not overly subservient. He is a talent
Allow me to say it
There's something strange about the look in his eyes, and the way he talks
Really?
Why so panicky?
My fault
Your Highness, Lady Wai is not feeling well She may miscarry
Greetings, Your Highness At ease
Greetings, Sire
Lady Wai, don't ever-exert yourself There's no need to curtsey
Sire, how's Lady Wai?
She has miscarried
Her constitution is greatly undermined
But as lmperial Physician said it'll be restored with proper care
My poor child
The royal child's lost?
Physician Chung!
lt's my fault. l was incompetent l failed to protect the royal child
Sire, Your Highness, l deserve penalty
l can take away your life but what's the use?
You told me yesterday that Lady Wai's pregnancy was stable
Why did it take such a bad turn? Why the miscarriage?
l hid nothing from Your Highness The pregnancy indeed had been stable
l don't understand why it happened
l had been fine
But after taking the miscarriage prevention decoction, my belly began to hurt
Could it be the decoction?
Sire, the herb Dragon Blood was not in the prescription
lt is cold in property
Taken by a pregnant woman it may lead to miscarriage
Who prepared the decoction for Lady Wai?
Sire, the lmperial Physician said the decoction should simmer in low heat
l tended the fire throughout
But Sze-kiu came in during the preparation and treated me to rice wafers
l had a stomach ache afterwards
She bid me to go to the toilet and that she would tend the fire for me
Thinking back, she meant to send me away she could put dragon blood in the decoction
Sire, it's not true
Her Highness gave us rice wafers as treats l ate it but l didn't have a stomach ache
l did bid her to go to the toilet and helped her tend the fire
But l had not laced the decoction She is framing me
Sire, what l said was true
The rice wafers from Her Highness couldn't have caused my stomach ache
You must have added something to it
Why would you tend the fire for me? You wanted to poison Lady Wai
Shut up! Who are you to shout here?
lt's not what it seems
Lady Wai had a miscarriage
But Sze-kiu is just a maid, how could she know about dragon's blood?
Moreover, prescriptions in court are under strict control
lmperial Dispensary will not give out herbs without physician diagnosis
Sire, allow me to report it
Lady Man-kwan didn't feel well a couple of days ago
l was called for a diagnosis She was suffering from heatiness
One item in my prescription was dragon blood
lf someone put dragon blood into Lady Wai's decoction
it could cause her the miscarriage
Sire, Your Highness, it's not me
As Physician Chung said Lady Man-kwan seemed to have it planned
You first fooled Physican Chung into prescribing you dragon blood
Then Sze-kiu sent Chau Kuk away and laced the decoction
l will not tolerate such wicked deeds
Lady Man-kwan is kind in nature
She has done nothing wrong ever since arriving at the palace
l believe she wouldn't do such a thing
The truth is still out there Sire, you have to look into it
l allow no conspiracies or plotting in my palace
Your Highness can rest assured l will find out the truth
lf the accusation is substantiated The law is the law, no one is above it
Milord, something serious happened in the palace
What is it? You look worried Sit down first
Lady Man-kwan is suspected of causing Lady Wai's miscarriage with poison
Some rumor!
lt baffles me too
Man-kwan is kind in nature She would never do such a wicked thing
But with the loss of his child Sire is said to be in a rage
He said if it's found out to be true He would not forgive her
Man-kwan is wronged
Milord, please plead with Sire Please plead on her behalf
Sire is a judicious man
He's upset by the loss of his child and he unjustly blamed Lady Man-kwan
l believe with his judiciousness
if Lady Man-kwan is innocent the truth will soon be known
This concerns the Rear Palaces lt's not for me to interfere
l pray that it'll turn out as you said that Man-kwan will survive it unscathed
He fails to cherish you, but l will
l will let no harm befall you
You'll investigate it for me?
Sire, it concerns the Rear Palaces l am your minister, it's my duty to do so
Sire, please grant me my request let me find out the truth
l was clouded with agitation
l totally believed what Lady Wai and Dr Chung said, l suspected Lady Man-kwan
But she's kind in nature, l don't believe she could do such a thing
Did Lady Wai set this up?
l don't believe a mother would kill her own child
Whatever the truth...
Find it out for me
Dispense justice for everyone involved
Yes, Sire
Prince Yue is here
Greetings, Milady
Greetings, Your Highness. Please sit
Thank you, Your Highness
Sze-kiu, serve Your Highness tea No, thank you
l am here on Sire's decree to investigate the cause of Lady Wai's miscarriage
Thanks for the trouble, Your Highness
Sire is suspicious about it too So l am ordered to dig into it in private
l know the general story
l want to know explicitly what happened when you summoned Physician Chung
l didn't feel well that day
After his diagnosis, he said l suffered from heatiness and wrote me a prescription
l sent Sze-kiu over to the lmperial Dispensary to get the herbs
Lady Wai had the miscarriage soon after when decoction was prepared
Such a coincidence?
Physician Chung gave you a diagnosis Sze-kiu prepared the decoction
You were accused of causing Lady Wai's miscarriage
by lacing the decoction with dragon blood
lt looks suspicious indeed
Your Highness, you suspect...
l believe Lady Wai, the Physician and the maid Chau Kuk colluded together to frame you
But l don't believe Lady Wai would kill her own baby
l will dig into it until l find the truth to clear your name
Thank you, Your Highness
Physician Chung, you have come to?
l am an imperial physician
How dare you knock me out, abduct me and put me on the rack? What do you want?
lt's my order
Prince Yue?
The Empress Dowager is here
You slut. How dare you cause such a scandal in the palace?
Your Highness, l just had a miscarriage my constitution is still weak
Hence Physician Chung is summoned here We have done nothing unbecoming
lf you two had nothing to hide Why were the maids and eunuchs excused?
You two were left alone in the chamber Obviously to carry out some illicit affairs
Ha Sin, search the chamber for further evidence
Yes Your Highness
l am wronged, Your Highness
Your Highness, there's several love poems in Physician Chung's handwriting
l wrote them for Lady Wai
Mind your words, l didn't receive any love poems from you, whatsoever
Have mercy, Your Highness
Lady Wai seduced me and forced me to set Lady Man-Kwan up
lt's her idea; l had nothing to do with it
Please understand, Your Highness
l am wronged, l am framed, Your Highness
What nerve!
The evidence is here you still insist you're innocent?
l am innocent
Grandmother, it's a serious matter
We'll locks them up first and leave their fate to Sire
l am innocent...
Sire, Lady Wai did frame Lady Man-Kwan for her miscarriage, it's substantiated
Lady Wai still tries to explain it away
Physician Chung, tell Sire the truth
Sire, l know what l did is unforgivable
l lusted after Lady Wai and it gave her the opportunity to use me
l colluded with her to set Lady Man-Kwan up
l found out that Lady Wai was pregnant
Her constitution was weak and a miscarriage was likely
l advised her that she should terminate the pregnancy, but she refused
She forbad me to tell you the truth
Five days ago, Lady Wai miscarried as feared
When l was tending her she tearfully begged me to cover it up
and used it to frame Lady Man-Kwan
Lady Man-Kwan didn't feel well 3 days ago
When l gave her the diagnosis, l told her she was suffering from heartiness
and prescribed her a remedy
One of the herbs used was dragon blood
Chua Kuku, how did you frame Lady Man-Kwan? Tell us
Lady Wai knew that Size-kid was preparing the decoction for Lady Man-Kwan
She bid me to prepare her decoction at the same time
After sharing rice wafers with Sze-kiu
l said l had a stomach ache so Sze-kiu would bid me to go to the toilet
l could then say she laced Lady Wai's decoction when l was away
Physician Chung had put dragon blood in the decoction beforehand
so Lady Wai had the evidence that Lady Man-Kwan caused her miscarriage
Sire, these are the love poems Physician Chung wrote to Lady Wai
lt shows that they were having an affair
Physician Chung diagnosed that Lady Wai had a miscarriage
They hid the truth and framed Lady Man-Kwan for causing it
Sire, please understand
How immoral and wicked
And l loved you so much you have disappointed me
This evil woman can't stay in the palace She'll only hurt others again
Sire, have mercy
Your Highness, have mercy
Lady Man-Kwan, you are kindhearted Please, plead for me
l gave you wide berth time after time. But you still framed me with such a wicked deed
How can l plead for you?
Sire has the country to run
l'll take care of the Rear Palaces
Sire, have mercy
l know l deserve death But my family has nothing to do with it
Sire, please spare them
Sire, Physician Chung has failed his duty He deserves capital punishment
But he family members are all loyal subjects with recognitions
Sire, please spare their lives
Granted
Sire, thank you
Come forth Yes
Sire, have mercy...
Slut, shut up
Sire, have mercy Shut up
l never received any love poems from Physician Chung. Why did you frame me?
Who's behind it?
Prince Yue?
Or Lady Kwan?
Or the Empress Dowager?
You old hag has always been partial to Lady Man-Kwan
Now you use this wicked deed to set me up
Sire, don't you believe her
Take her out
Let goes of me Sire, l am innocent
Sire...l am innocent...Sire...
Hall of Courtesy
The wind is howling, the fog is thick
Your Highness, enjoy your introspection here
l won't stay in this godforsaken place
You can't treat me this way
l am Lady Wai. l am Lady Wai...
Let me out, let me out
Milady, Lady Man-Kwan and Prince Yue are in the pavilion
She probably wants to thank him for saving her life. We shouldn't disturb them
The Empress Dowager only has Lady Wai moved to the Forsaken Hall
She got off lightly
She had her reasons
Sire cannot forget the late empress. Hence she resorted to all means to win his love
But one wrong step and it's her undoing
You are still on her side?
lf l had not intervened, it wouldn't just be the Forsaken Hall for you
You could have lost your life as well
Your Highness has done a good job Sire will see even more highly of you
l didn't do it to please Sire l did it for you
lt's very chivalrous of Your Highness
You knew l was framed. You wanted to find out the truth to clear my name
But Sire is judicious l am sure he wouldn't let me be wronged
lf he had really cherished you, he would've discredited Lady Wai from the start
You have suffered a lot of injustice l feel so sorry for you
lt's too much for you, Man-Kwan
Please show some self respect, My Lord
Sire favored Lady Wai because she looks like the Late Empress
Love runs deep. lt'll not be forgotten even when there are other women around
The beloved may have changed. But the happy days of old will not be forgotten
And a moment that ought to have lasted forever has come and gone before l knew it
Sire can't forget his true love neither can l
Remember the days of galloping in Hulunbeier with your loved one?
The exhilarating ride, the exchange of vows lt was like heaven
The memory can never be forgotten
Stop it. We were young and naive then Let bygones be bygones
Bringing it up again is disrespectful to Sire
You have a bright future in front of you Why stumble over some past follies?
l talked too much, please forgive me
Memories of flying eagles over the desert galloping horses on the prairie
They are just as vivid They can't be wiped out by a mere denial
l'll take my leave
Greetings, Your Highness
Kwai-lun, you have made cake again? l remember this is called 5 generation cake
l didn't like it because it contained broad beans
We've got jumble-beans this time
Really? l have to try it
Very chewy
Lady Kin-ching was learning to make it just now
Prince Kung will be back in the capital soon
They are a loving couple. She wants to make it for him to show her love
He is blessed to have such a loving wife
Yes, a loving couple is a blessing
The key is mutual honesty You shouldn't hide anything from each other
Only then will there be mutual respect
Are you hinting at something?
You look pale
Make Lady some ginseng tea
Yes, Your Highness
What is it about?
Lady Kin-ching saw you and Lady Man-kwan together in the lmperial Garden
She said Lady Man-kwan probably wanted to thank you for clearing her name
Lady Wai was wicked you didn't like her anyway
You asked Sire if you could look into it?
Yes
You told me it concerned the Rear Palaces
lt wasn't for you to interfere So why did you?
l am in charge of the lmperial Guard l have the obligation to find out the truth
Hence l requested to look into it lt was my duty to do Lady Man-kwan justice
Or you had a hidden agenda? lt raised suspicions
She was framed, l cleared her name she's your cousin and my sister-in-law
You think l should have just looked on
You sound so righteous But you never mentioned it to me
You didn't want me to know?
What do you mean?
You know what l mean
Wrong words can be taken back
But wrongdoings can't be undone
You met Lady Man-kwan in private
Was it because you knew each other back in Mongolia?
The feeling is still there?
What nonsense! She just wanted to thank me There's nothing unusual about it
Don't you forget, she is Sire's favorite and my sister-in-law
How will l harbor unwholesome thought?
You sound like l still covet her What nonsense!
Lady Wai, don't be foolish
Get a hold of Lady Wai Don't let her leave
Milady
Don't let her get away You dogs, let go of me
Take her in Let go of me, let me go
The Empress Dowager is in no mood for plays today
Just pack and leave the palace
As for your tip, l'll send it over
Yes, Wo Goong-goong
Cloudy Monastery
See the look in your father eyes? He can't wait to leave here with you
Why won't you leave this scandalous place?
But l have to answer to my adoptive parents
lt's not about them lt's about the hatred in your heart
You can't answer to yourself
How can l? The Empress Dowager ruined us Keis. Why shouldn't l seek revenge?
She killed my mentor l too have a revenge to redress
lf l let my hatred get the better of me like you do
l wouldn't have been so carefree
Because you are a monk You can afford to be carefree
But this about my grandfather and my father
Don't tell me hate begets hate l just can't do it
Heaven or hell lies in your decision Think about it
After several setbacks we should bide our time
until we've come up with a fail-safe plan
When have you become so diffident?
l still can't figure it out
We got news the lmperial Guard has caught the assassins
But no one from Sun Moon Society was caught They are lying
Many in the court just meddle through
All they have to do is to get a death inmate to admit to the crime. The case is closed
Of course the imperial guards know of such despicable trickery
l am worried they did it to take us off our guard
They mean to lure us out Hence we shouldn't be careless
We'll carry on with business and make it big
Though the assassination attempt failed we shouldn't give up
We won't call it a day before the Manchu dogs are driven out
Kill all Manchu dogs kill all corrupt officials
Yes!
Right, blood for blood Revenge for martyred brothers
Yes!
And kill that dog of an emperor Yes!
Good. We are of one mind But so many things have happened
the lmperial Guard will tighten security to protect the dog emperor
They will pour out in droves with the slightest hint of trouble
lf we are over-hasty, it'll be our undoing
Since the lmperial Guard is our biggest foe
Let's take the initiative and take on the lmperial Guard
We can make use of the imperial guard we know Nip Dor-po
Madam Kwan's son has turned over a new leaf and will take her back to Tianjin
l don't have to play her daughter-in-law anymore
Something happened at the Guard camp?
lt's too big to handle even for our Dashilan Chiu Chi-lung?
You are rarely this quiet Really that serious?
Madam Kwan is reunited with her son
He is taking her away from the capital to start a new life elsewhere
You think it's good or bad?
A prodigal son returns and reunites with his mother. Of course is a good thing
What if Madam Kwan doesn't see it that way? Some things can't be let go
lf it were you, what would you do?
l will do whatever Father says
lf everything follows our will life will be so much simpler
l don't know what's troubling you
But if there is something you can't figure out
Take a leaf from Madam Kwan's book
Tragedy struck her but she survived it She is even reunited with her son
lf she can do it, l am sure you can too
Sweetie...l have a daughter Have you seen her?
You are crazy, if l were your daughter l too would leave you
What nerve! You know who l am? l am the Queen Mother
His Majesty has to call me Mother
l have a daughter too
But l lost her
You underlings, how dare you disrespect me?
lmperial guard, this is my order Take them back for execution
Poor her
l have some money here, take it
Who shot me with an arrow? lnjured, l can only walk with difficulty
Chiu Wan, where are you?
Sometimes losing one's mind is not a bad thing
You don't have to bother with realities
l am incompetent
Please forgive me, Your Highness
l only have a brief description of her look and height
l know nothing about her background
Your Highness, could l have more details to facilitate my search?
Just do what you are told, ask no questions
You call yourself Minister of lmperial Guard? How useless
Were you not my kin l would have you dismissed
My fault. Please forgive me l will find her, l won't disappoint you
Don't just pay me lip-service
Do all you can to find her and Shum hin-yat as well. Dead or alive
Yes, Your Highness
Your Highness, Physician Chung killed himself in prison
What a pity
Your Highness can rest assured
lt's all taken care of No one will suspect it
Well done
He meant to frame Lady Man-kwan He deserved this fate
l also found that the Empress Dowager has sent Po Chai out on a secret mission
to look for a crazy woman in the capital
A crazy woman? Who is she? Why is the Empress Dowager looking for her?
l heard that there is a crazy woman wandering the streets lately
She tells others she is the Queen Mother That His Majesty is her son
She knows an lmperial Guard Kei To-ting
Kei To-ting?
The Empress Dowager is looking for Shum Chi-yat. He's linked to Kei To-ting
The crazy woman is linked to him as well
The three must have a story to tell
or the Empress Dowager wouldn't have sent Po Chai to investigate in secret
Go dig up more about Kei To-ting Yes, Your Highness
l got news that Po Chai is looking for a crazy woman
She calls herself the Queen Mother
And she claims to know an imperial guard Kei To-ting
Kei To-ting?
He was very close to the late Sire Shunzhi
He was more than an imperial guard first rank. He's the late Sire's confidante
Then who is the crazy woman? What is her relationship with Kei To-ting?
l want to know about it too
But l've no information about her l'm clueless
To be honest l met a crazy woman in Dashilan
She called herself the Queen Mother
l wonder if she is the one
Dig up her story. Maybe we can get a handle on the Empress Dowager
Brother Fook-chuen, don't worry
l will find her and get to the bottom of it
How is it?
Nothing
Carry on
Po Chai is really looking for the crazy woman
Dor-po
What is it?
What?
Please help me
A crazy woman took away my daughter Please help me
Ma'am, calm down first You know where they have gone?
l don't know
We were in the market, then that crazy woman pushed me to the ground
She said she had found her princess then she took away my daughter
ls it her?
l think l know where they are. Come with me
She's crazy
Mother's here, you'll be fine
Mother...
Ma'am, please, leave my daughter alone
What nerve Mother...
Shut up, who are you to disturb me? You know you can be executed?
What should we do, lmperial Guard? Mother!