Once his parents confess, Nip Dor-po will be found guilty of hoodwinking Sire
There is a way
lf there are no living witnesses to counter the testimony
Dor-po will be fine
Father...Mother...you can't die
l'll kill you!
How dare you!
Congratulations, Sire
Lady Man-kwan's pulse runs smoothly
She is pregnant
She is?
Sire
You're pregnant. l'm overjoyed
l really am blessed that l can carry your child
Congratulations, Sire, Lady Man-kwan
The pregnancy is an auspicious sign indeed
Lady Man-kwan is blessed she will bear Sire a son
From today on, take good care of Lady Man-kwan until the prince is born
You will be rewarded
l will prepare Lady Man-kwan the decoction for miscarriage prevention now
l'll take my leave, Sire Go ahead
So many bad things have happened
But we finally have an auspicious thing to counter the gloom
Sire, you are surrounded by capable men
Whatever happens, it will turn out well
You are right. l've Prince Yue and the imperial guards to ease my lot
Yes, Prince Yue is your brother Sibling bond runs deep
With him in charge of the lmperial Guards you'll have nothing to worry about, Sire
Don't worry about me Just take care of yourself and the baby
l have not spent enough time with you because of what happened in the palace
But don't worry, once the investigation is over, l'll make up to you
Work comes first. l understand
l hear that bamboo chicken is good for pregnancy
You mean to prepare it for me?
l mean to prepare it for Man-kwan lt is said she is pregnant
She is?
You don't know?
Sheung-hei, l entrust it all you
You won't give me a hand? lt will take a long time to tidy up
l don't mean this l mean Sheung Moon House
l know it's Uncle's wish. But it's a big establishment. l can't handle it on my own
You have to
The staff are supportive
The three men of Dashilan will help you out too
Quit your job. Stay here and work with me There are a lot important things
l must attend to at the palace
Be a good girl
Commander Nip
Greetings, Your Highness
At ease
Greetings, Commander Nip
What brings you here, Your Highness? What can l do for you?
Tragedy struck your family
l couldn't be here in person earlier on Hence l came to give my condolences now
Thank you for your concern
l knew this grief of separation when my adoptive mother passed away
Now that Sheung Moon House is back in business
l hope it can help ease your grief
Thank you for your concern
Many things have happened recently particularly at the palace
They have perplexed me
Once l report back to work tomorrow l will find out the truth
l hope you will too
Commander Nip
Greetings, Your Highness At ease
Thank you. Your Highness
Your parents passed away so suddenly my condolences
Thank you
Life is fickle, it's not for us to know
Since Her Highness is here, enjoy your chat
Thank you
Your Highness, a lot of have happened yet we could meet here. What a joy
lndeed, but l don't think we can be always this lucky
Talking about bad luck
You remember Uncle Kwan Kau who has always doted on you?
Yes, he owns three herbal shops
He has fallen ill lately. His life is spared but he's become a mute
He can only communicate through writing Poor him
He doted on me when l was small
l live at the palace now l can't pay him a visit
You are now a royal member You are pampered in the palace
But don't you forget
Accept and ponder on criticisms Favor can turn into disfavor
l understand, always reflect on one's deeds don't get carry away. l'll bear it in mind
Tsui-yuk?
Tsui-yuk!
You're alright?
My heart hurts again Sit down first...
Sit down...
lt's my heart pain again
The prescription l gave you doesn't work?
What's wrong with Miss Tsui-yuk?
lt's her recurring ailment. She has poor circulation and it causes ailments
She has heart pain from time to time
The imperial physicians couldn't help?
She has been to many physicians and have tried many prescriptions
But to no avail
Please help her out
Alright. l'll see if there are some circulation enhancing folk remedies
l'll have the prescription sent to the palace once l get it
You feigned a good heart pain
lf l didn't, l wouldn't be able to fool those minions, especially Nip Dor-po
He is suspicious of us We have to be on guard
His parents just passed away he must be heart-broken
Spare him your concern
Don't you forget why you pose as the princess
l haven't
You are not answering to me
You're answering to those Sun Moon brothers who have given up their lives
Let your heart rule, and it'll ruin our plan
Your Highness, a confidential letter from Benevolence Hall
Look after Po-tai
Milord
Something urgent just came up l have to go to the palace
On-wing
What happened? Why did His Highness left in such a hurry?
l don't know
Don't lie to me, tell me
lt seems to concern Benevolence Hall
Man-kwan will soon become empress What does she want him for?
Greetings, Your Highness At ease
Thank you, Your Highness
Sze-kiu, you may go Yes, Your Highness
What do you want me for?
l just want to know if you had anything to do with the assassination?
Why?
You know why
Since the assassination attempt l have been filled with worries
lf you were behind it, should l expose you?
You won't
l will, if you have committed treason l will not tolerate it
Tell me, were you behind it?
Alright. Let me tell you. No
lf l had wanted Yuen-yip dead he wouldn't have been alive
Your Highness, think about it
The country is in peace The people are not in want
The merit goes to Sire's judicious rule
Please bear no unrealistic thoughts
Some things are indeed beyond your reach
Whatever l want, l'll get it
l understand your feelings for me
What happened between us is in the past
You should let go
l'll soon become empress
My son will be the crown prince
For my sake leave my son and l in peace
No. Since we last met l've thought about you all the more
Let go of me...
l think of you day and night
l saw Po-tai this morning
He is just like his mother A slight pain and he cried out loud
l was thinking what if his mother was not Kwai-lun but you
He would be as strong as you are
He would be the first warrior of Manchu The bravest man in the country
He is Your Highness and Kwai-lun's son How could you say such a thing?
Why not?
l just want you to know For you, l will do anything
Let go of me! Stop dreaming!
l'll never see you again
Can you?
You can't, you still have me in your heart l don't
Don't worry, the days of agony will soon be over
l will soon be on the throne l promise you
l will see your child as my own He will still be the crown prince
You will still be empress
Wait for me, just wait for me
Caught in Fook-chuen's obsession
Man-kwan, who is carrying Hong-hei's son feels conflicted and frightened
There is no way to escape Fook-chuen's grip
ln the meantime
Kwai-lun, seeing once again her husband has betrayed her, can only run and cry
She is baffled and her heart is torn
Pain turns to hatred and it is directed to Man-kwan
What have l done wrong? Why is this happening to me?
l am not at fault
His Highness is not at fault
lt's you slut!
You will soon be empress you are bearing a future emperor
Why? Why won't you leave milord alone?
l swear to heaven
You slut will rue the day you were born
Your Honor, it's just an ordinary letter
There's nothing special about the prescription
lt's indeed for heart pain
But there are so many ingredients and the dosage is heavy
lt's a folk remedy, hence the oddity
Or there are some tricks in it Cinnabar, l.9 mace
ls it about the numbers?
No invisible ink
Am l being overly suspicious?
Tai Shek, make two copies of the letter
And get the letter delivered to the Hall of Eternal Harmony
Keep your watch on Princess Tuen-man and her maid Tsui-yuk
Helmsman's plan is perfect
We'll just do as he says and Hong Hei will meet his death
Walls have ears
The tell-tale hair has been pulled off lt means the letters were opened
With their intellect they can't tell the trick
But we can't be too careful
They have read the letter We have to continue the charade
Go get the herbs from the imperial pharmacy or we will arouse their suspicion
How is it?
l got it
On the empress's coronation day
You'll get close to Hong Hei
l'll throw the toxic powder at him
lt will burn into his flesh and he'll die
But your life will be sacrificed
Once he's dead, Ming can be restored Not necessarily
Why are you here?
l was waiting for you at the imperial pharmacy
She is not well
She went there to fill her prescription What's so strange about it?
l found that l had left out baishu So l went back for it
Such a trivial thing concerns the lmperial Guard?
Of course not
l have read the prescription Baishu is not one of the ingredients
The prescription may look ordinary But it is written in codes
The key is the Thousand Characters
But don't you forget
Reflect on criticisms Favor can turn into disfavor
l understand
l found it odd whilst listening to what you said
Accept and ponder on criticisms Favor can turn into disfavor
They are lines from the Thousand Characters
When l saw the prescription
l figured out it should be read with the Thousand Characters
l checked it with the Thousand Characters
Just like l thought
1 .9 mace means the first line the ninth word
lt's Sun...
Sun and Moon for light lt means the Sun Moon Society
Herbs of four or five
lt means imperial pharmacy fourth row, fifth shelf
Where the baishu is
At the eighth hour of day two
lf l am right, it means the eighth day of the second month at eight in the morning
the coronation ceremony of the empress
l realized then
You are planning the assassination of Sire
The explosion at the Hall of Eternal Spring was your doing?
Dor-po!
l just want to ask you
Are you aware of the plan?
I...
l only suspected Tsui-yuk
Even if you were involved you weren't aware of it. You were being used
Be honest with me
Are you a member of Sun Moon Society? Why do you want to assassinate Sire?
Sire is my brother, l am a Manchu princess Why would l want to kill him?
What if he's not your brother?. Or what if you are not Princess Tuen-man?
You know too much
l dare you to kill me
No...
Not that easy
You are caught red-handed
Though you shook off my men you didn't know l had another plan
Your identities have been exposed
l have the evidence now You two plot to assassinate Sire
Take them back Yes, sir
Don't you come over, or l'll kill her
What are you trying to do?
l stayed by your side so l could wait for the chance to kill Hong Hei
She is just an imposter
lf you want to kill her, go ahead Get them
Try me
l want her alive Yes
Stand back... What is it?
Move it!
Confess! You had your adopted daughter pose as Princess Tuen-man
to carry out your assassination plot
Get out of my way. l want to see Sire l want to see the Empress Dowager
lt's Honorable Po's order Your Highness is not allowed to step outside
Greetings, Your Highness
They framed me as a rebel They won't let me out
l'm here to get you out
Let's go
Your Highness, it's Honorable Po's order No one can take her away
Who does he think he is? l am taking her away
Your Highness, forgive me for being rude
Who dares to stop me from taking her away?
What if it's the Empress Dowager?.
Greetings, Your Honor
Greetings, Your Highness
Po Chai, don't you throw the Empress Dowager's name at me
l am just doing my job
lf Your Highness insists on taking her away then forgive me for being rude
How dare you!
Cheuk Chi-ying is not Princess Tuen-man
She is here to assassinate Sire lt concerns Sire's safety
l'm just following the Empress Dowager's order
Before the truth is known no one can take her away
l am Princess Tuen-man Why would l assassinate Sire?
They framed me
What nonsense! She is my sister A Manchu princess
Why would she assassinate her own brother?.
We'll have Cheuk Shu-tong tell us if she's a real princess or not
You got my godfather?
And the staff of Pak Hei Hall
They are being interrogated
l don't think they can endure it for long
Your Highness, her maid Shum Tsui-yuk admitted that she was the assassin
She's her mistress how could she not know about it?
Shum Tsui-yuk was dead how can you verify it?
She might have outside help in her assassination attempt
and framed Tuen-man for it
lf we are held accountable for what our minions do
l can say, l suspect you as a rebel that you mean to harm Sire too
Whatever Your Highness cares to say
but this is not what Empress Dowager thinks
Whoever's connected to the assassination attempt has to be dealt with severely
Royalties are of no exception that includes Your Highness
How dare you! Just because you have the backing of Empress Dowager
you think you can do whatever you like?
l have been to countless battles
What is a minister of lmperial Guard to me? Not much more than a dog!
lf you won't get out of the way Don't blame me for being rude
Come forth!
Yes. Your Highness
Your Highness may be the Commander-in-chief
but your jurisdiction is limited to the capital
l am in charge of the palace
lf anyone creates a scene here l will take matters in my own hands
Halt! Greetings, Your Highness
Fook-chuen
What is going on? l'm taking her away with me
Don't be so impetuous Put your sight on the big picture
The truth be known
Once Tuen-man's identity is confirmed we will report it to Sire
Then is the time to bear responsibilities Am l right?
Stop it!
Commander Nip
You're alright?
Who gave you the permission to use torture?
This is a forced confession
lt's Minister Po's order Get his confession whatever the means
Proceed Halt
l only take orders from Minister Po
Carry on Yes, sir
l dare you
Stop it, l confess
Chi-ying is my daughter and not the princess
He has confessed. lnform Minister Po
Nip Dor-po What do you have to say?
For Chi-ying's sake, please, save her life
Cheuk Shu-tong has admitted Cheuk Chi-ying is an imposter
She is their mole in the palace
l had my suspicion about her when we tried to confirm her identity
Now the truth is known
She posed as a princess she should be executed
But a blood test was performed
There were the baby articles they were found to be genuine
We shouldn't believe she's an imposter so easily
Sire, the confession might have been obtained under torture
l will conduct a thorough investigation
in case Tuen-man is wronged and the innocent killed
Sire, the blood test was conducted by Physician Fu
l had him investigated and he admitted
Cheuk Shu-tong bribed him to make Pak Hei Tong a palace supplier
So it's easy for him to have Physician Fu fix the blood test
He admitted to the bribery but not fixing the blood test
Taking bribes is a serious offense But he alone will be punished
Fixing the blood test means hoodwinking the emperor
His whole family will have to die Of course he won't admit it
There's no way to prove his guilt if he had not done it?
How could the rebel impose as a princess and fool Sire?
Sire, we learnt from staff of Pak Hei Hall
that it's the capital branch of Sun Moon Society
Cheuk is their branch helmsman
lt is quite clear now
The rebels knew that the court was looking for Princess Tuen-man
They had an imposter infiltrate the palace to look for the chance to assassinate Sire
Now we have the evidence
Cheuk, the rebel should be executed
Cheuk Chi-ying posed as the princess to hoodwink Sire
She should be executed as well
Why?
Dor-po
Your father has confessed under torture
l want you to tell me yourself Are you Princess Tuen-man?
What difference does it make now?
lf you were framed, if you had never taken part in the assassination
be it hell or fire, l will get you out l won't let you die wrongfully
With many imperial guards out there you'd get yourself killed if you do that
l have owed you too much already
What do you mean?
You still don't get it?
l am not a princess l am a member of Sun Moon Society
l had been using you so l could assassinate Sire
You mean it? Yes
The Manchus killed my mother
Whatever they will do to me l won't regret it
From the day l came to the palace l never thought l'd get out alive
But l don't want you implicated
Bear this in mind. Whatever happens l am still the Chi-ying of Pak Hei Hall
l am not afraid of death But please save my father, please
Honorable Po...
Honorable Po
Commander Nip
Cheuk Chi-ying, you posed as a princess for an assassination attempt
There's no doubt about it
lt's His Majesty's decree that you'd be put in jail and await execution
Take her away Yes, sir
How dare you be rude to her!
Nip Dor-po, she is a rebel
You'll be beheaded if you stand up for her
Commander Nip
Take her away Yes, sir
Your Honor Uncle Cheuk
Lock up and leave us alone Yes, sir
Your Honor, how's Chi-ying?
Sire has learned that she is an imposter
There's nothing l can do for her, l'm sorry
l know...it's not easy to save her
What will they do to her?.
According to Qing Code assassinating Sire means death
They really will kill her? Sire really will kill her?
They really will kill her?
Sire really will kill Chi-ying?
Good! Let them do it! Let them!
l'm sorry, it's beyond me
l know you have done your best
Though you are the commander you are still under Sire
He wants to kill me and my daughter!
Sun Moon Society members are Ming loyalists We are not afraid to die
Come on
l am not afraid of death. But l have a wish
lf it can be fulfilled l will die with no regrets
Only you can help me
What is it?
Pak Hei Hall has a secret chamber there is a locked cabinet
lnside is an urn of pearl powder ln it is a waxed pill
After our deaths break it up and do as it says
l am here for Princess Tuen-man
You can save her?.
Lady Sau, does the Princess have any birthmarks?
Birthmark?
Nip Dor-po, what is going on?
Now you have reminded me
She does have a butterfly birthmark on her back
The Late Sire and the Empress Dowager have seen it
Then we can save her
Greetings, Your Highness
How dare you! Let the Princess go
Your Highness, she is a rebel, an imposter Etiquette doesn't apply to her
lt's Sire's order
Princess Tuen-man's identity awaits further confirmation
Sire doesn't want to see wrongful deaths
The Princess must undergo more tests to confirm her identity
Lady Sau has recalled that you have a butterfly birthmark on your back
How did she know? She could've known about it
Greetings, Sire, Empress Dowager
Please get up
Thank you, Sire
We still don't know if she is the real Princess Tuen-man
Commander Nip has found new evidence
Lady Sau has recalled the Princess has a butterfly birthmark
Sire doesn't want to see wrongful deaths He hopes that you're the real Princess
Just a birthmark proves nothing
l will interrogate the rebel Cheuk Shu-tong myself to find out the truth
Summon him
Father!
Kneel down
What do you Manchus want of me and my daughter?
You are the emperor?
Heaven is kind to us
Before my death, l get to swear
and curse the Qing dog emperor!
Manchu dog... How dare you insult Sire
Yung-yurk!
l know you are filled with hatred for Qing l know reconciliation is not easy to obtain
Reconciliation? My family of 36 were killed in the Yangzhou massacre
The people of Yangzhou were slaughtered by you Manchus
You Manchus ruined my family There's no reconciliation!
How dare you insult Qing's forebearers Take him out for execution
l am not here to talk about grievances
l just want to know
This woman here
ls she your daughter or a Manchu princess?
She is my daughter
l did take your princess home But she died early on
l had my daughter to pose as the Princess
l proved her identity with the princess's clothes
And l bribed Physician Fu as well
She is my daughter. You're lying!
l am not. Your daughter's dead
You got us father and daughter Kill us if you want to
Father will die with you. Don't be afraid
Even if your life is sacrificed the people will remember you
Don't you pull wool over our eyes That's not what Commander Nip discovered
Nip Dor-po, tell us the truth Yes, Your Highness
You told me in jail that you had a last wish
And it's in this waxed pill, right?
You broke it? You betrayed me!
You reminded me again and again
it could only be broken after the Princess's death
That's because it contains a secret
l trusted you with the secret But you betrayed me. You're despicable!
You wanted Sire to kill the Princess
Who is the shameless one here?
What is this all about?
Lady Sau is right, you are the real Princess Tuen-man
You have Manchu blood
l am a Manchu?
Yes, you are my sister
You are indeed Princess Tuen-man
lt's Cheuk's devious plot
Heaven is not on my side
Cheuk Shu-tong
This is your last wish
lt is written here that Cheuk Chi-ying is the princess you saved from the well
She has a butterfly birthmark on her back
lt's in your handwriting
Manchu royals killing each other! What a joy
You want me to kill my own sister so l'll regret it all my life
You want me to become a laughingstock How wicked you are
Father...
Don't call me father, you Manchu dog
l raised you up, but you ruined my plan l was this close to success
Don't you insult her
Don't hit my father Please, stop it!
He is not your father
Slut! You are not good enough to be my daughter. l'm not your father
l had trusted the wrong person or you would have been executed
The people would've laughed at you for killing each other
What a pity! l failed in the end
Nip Dor-po, l'll pay you back in my next life
You meant to kill your adopted daughter How wicked of you! You dare boast about it!
The death of a princess is a bargain for you
You said you would protect me no matter what
Sire, Your Highness! Please, have mercy! Spare his life!
Sire, have mercy...
Spare me your kindness, slut!
l may die today, it's just one more stain of Han blood
You Manchus have stained the country with Han blood
Rebel, you had it all planned out
You colluded with Ming loyalists for a rebellion
You made use of the Princess, plant a rebel in court in order to assassinate me
You have committed the most heinous crimes
Take him away Yes, Sire
No...Father! Go...
Don't go after him don't leave your mother behind
l am not your daughter, l am not a princess
The rebel has made it clear He used you, he wanted you dead
He doesn't deserve your sorrow
Forget the past Be a Qing princess, be Mother's daughter
Sire, you are blessed
The rebel's plot is exposed
Princess Tuen-man's identity is confirmed Congratulations
The credit goes to Commander Nip or l would have to live regrets
Commander, you have done a good job
Sire, it's just luck l dare not claim the credit
lt' s alright now, Tuen-man, let's go back
Hold it, though Tuen-man's identity is confirmed
But from what the rebel said
it was a long-term plan to make us kill our own
Tuen-man was brain-washed and took part in the assassination
The rebel should be executed but her life shouldn't be spared
Your Highness, don't kill my daughter
Your Highness, she was fooled by the rebel She didn't know the truth
lf she had known her real identity she wouldn't have done this treasonable act
Your Highness, allow me to beg for mercy
Who are you to speak here?
Your Highness, if you kill the Princess you'll fall into the rebel's trap
His wish will be fulfilled
Your Highness, please reconsider
You are right
But she was raised up by our enemy She was taught to rebel against the Manchus
lf we let her stay at the palace she'll pose as a threat to Sire
Your Highness, Commander Nip is right We shouldn't fall into the rebel's trap
Tuen-man did make a mistake But she was manipulated by the rebel
She was lost when she was a baby and was raised up by her adoptive father
She shouldn't be held responsible
She is filial to her adoptive father it's only human
As a ruler, l should see to it that filial piety prevails
lf l don't cherish my own sister
How can l be a model to the people? How can l win respect?
l have decided to pardon Princess Tuen-man
Tuen-man, don't ever cross the line again You are pardoned
Sire is just
Thank you, Sire Tuen-man, thank Sire. Tuen-man...
l understand how she feels. Leave her be
Sire is kind and forgiving You are the model of the people
Tuen-man should cherish the chance given to her
But the rebel is so wicked he deserves death
He should be severely punished
The rebel should be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts