Cheuk Chi-ying, you posed as the princess
Tuen-man does have a butterfly birthmark on her back
The late Sire and the Empress Dowager have seen it
You really are Princess Tuen-man
lt's Cheuk Shu-tong's devious plot
The rebel should be sentenced to death by a thousand cuts
On the day of the execution Tuen-man should be present
to witness it with the princes and the ministers to prove her loyalty to Qing
l know you don't want to be here
Don't watch if you can't bear to lt'll soon be over
You must! Grandmother is testing you
However unwilling you'll have to prove it to her
But it's too cruel to make her watch the execution
Grandmother is making it difficult for her
She is my sister too
l just want to make her life at the a palace a little easier
Nip Dor-po, thank you
l entrust Chi-ying to your care
What do you mean?
Just the birthmark cannot remove their suspicion
But if they see l harbor evil intent they will believe it
But bear this in mind
Don't tell Chi-ying about it or her days at the palace will be hard to bear
Don't worry
Go in peace
lt's time for the execution
Watch no more l'll beg Grandmother to let you leave
No! She is watching Tuen-man
At least let her see her that Tuen-man stays to watch the first cut of the flesh
she'll then pass the test
Tuen-man is filled with terror and doubts
She catches a glimpse of Cheuk Shu-tong
Aflying kite in the sky take their minds back to a childhood incident
She was then eight years old
Her father took her to fly a kite in the countryside
She slipped and hurt herself She was in great pain
Cheuk Shu-tong picked her up immediately and said to her
Chi-ying, bear this in mind, whatever happens l'll be there to protect you
She suddenly realizes that her father has kept his promise
Proceed
Ever since the court sealed off Pak Hei Hall Dashilan has been filled with fear
Even the street looks deserted The wanted notices of Ho Yi are everywhere
Who would have guessed she is a Sun Moon member?
And Cheuk a rebel l wonder if Miss Chi-ying is alright
You're out of your mind ? She's a princess
What could happen to Sire's sister?
How many times have l told you? Don't talk about the palace happenings
He started it
You asked me first
Stop your blathering especially about palace intrigues
l don't want to hear about it
Sheung-hei
What made you so mad?
Dor-po Morning
But she's right Don't comment on palace happenings
Get to work Hurry up
Well, is it hard running Sheung Moon House?
No different from what l used to do But those three are a great help
That's good
l have to go to work
The meat buns are freshly steamed Take them with you
Save them for yourself
l'm leaving
Dor-po
l know you don't want to hear about this But so many things have happened
Pak Hei Hall has been sealed off
The palace is filled with intrigues
l am worried about you
l dreamt that you came back with your head in your hands
Silly, you know it's a dream How can you take it seriously?
l have survived them all and l am still in one piece
Moreover, it's not the time to meet my maker
Next time when l'm back make me hundred treasure duck
That day at the Hall of Heavenly Purity
l really thought that Father used me as a revenge tool
That he had this evil intent to make us kill each other
But it's just a sham
Your father did it to protect you
What makes you say so?
Whatever he did, it's to save your life
Bear it in mind
Not only you've to live on You must live life to the full
Don't disappoint him
Live life to the full
Sometimes when l look at myself l don't know who l am
l am a princess, Sire's sister
Sire, the Empress Dowager, Lady Sau Prince Kung, Prince Yue, they are my kin
But l don't know them at all They are strangers to me
You are the only person l can relate to and trust at the palace
Actually...l may not be so trustworthy
At least you won't harm me
lt doesn't mean l can protect you
l'm just an imperial guard commander Many things are out of my control
Maybe in the future...l'll have to harm you
lf only l really were Chiu Chi-lung - valor and invincible. Wouldn't it be great?
Just bear this in mind you can only trust yourself at the palace
Take care
l'll take my leave
l wonder if you two like my bird's nest cakes
lt tastes sweet and not heavy l like it very much
Bird's nest is good for the complexion lt's best for women
lt's also good for the pregnancy and the unborn baby
l have good news to announce
l am pregnant with Prince Ning's child
Congratulations! You've your wish l hope you will give birth to a boy
Congratulations
Since he knew he's going to be a father Prince Ning can't be more careful with me
He insists l stay home during the pregnancy
l had to plead before he would let me come visit you two
He really loves you very much
l wanted to tell you the good news myself
You'll soon be an aunt
There are things you should let go We are family
You too will get married
The Empress Dowager will find you a good husband
lf we take good care of the family and give birth to children
We'll have the love of our husbands like me and Lady Man-kwan
You are naive. Men are hard to tell
You don't know what they are thinking about
You think he only has you in his heart But there may be another woman
What do you mean?
lt's not easy to keep a man's heart
You're sure Prince Ning only has you in his heart?
l am sure about it
He takes care of everything for me especially my diet
He asked the imperial physicians about the safety of common herbs
Hawthorn, pearl powder are harmful to the unborn baby
Herbal medicines like pine needles have tranquilizing effect
But it will cause a miscarriage if you smell them too much
lt has to be used with care
He really cares for you
l mentioned it in passing only
Don't take it so seriously Or the baby will be affected
Oh yes, l have gone to Lady Man-kwan
The physician said her pregnancy is unstable She can't be agitated
Really?
She is weak in constitution, but she will benefit from the supreme Korean ginseng
Weren't there two ginsengs from Korea's tribute this year?
Sire was filial and presented them to Empress Dowager
She had consumed it already
l think we'll have to wait for next year's tribute
Sire has sent people to look for it But they are rare and not easy to find
Present this supreme ginseng to Lady Man-kwan
We've finally found the supreme ginseng
Milord, you're busy, yet you still spare a thought for Man-kwan. How very kind of you
Sire ordered the imperial physicians to look for Korean supreme ginseng
The lmperial Guard got news of it
that Lady Man-kwan is weak in constitution and her pregnancy is not stable
Supreme ginseng is good for constitution lt'll help stabilise her pregnancy
The imperial physicians find it hard to get but you could so easily get hold of it?
Lady Man-kwan is blessed
l have lately made a friend who has business connection with Korea
He has a way to get hold of supreme ginseng So l had him sent by express dispatch
You really care for Man-kwan You have spared your thoughts on her
She is your cousin and my sister-in-law
She is carrying Sire's child Of course l care for her
We are family, it's proper for you to do so
Well, l have papers to read in the study
Make sure you deliver the ginseng to Lady Man-kwan in person
l will
His Highness really cares for Lady Man-kwan
He spared no efforts to get the supreme ginseng
Lady Man-kwan will certainly give birth to a healthy prince
Are you finished? Such blathering is presumptuous
Please forgive me
What you said implies that His Highness and Lady Man-kwan are having an affair
that's why he is so good to her, right?
l never meant to offend Sire or Lady Man-kwan. Please forgive me
Don't let me hear it from you again Get out! Get out!
Since he cares so much for you l will deliver it for him myself
lt's not easy for him to get hold of this Korean ginseng
He bid me to deliver it to you in person
You should just have it delivered over You really didn't have be here yourself
lt's Prince Yue's order l can't delegate it to someone else
You two are very kind
lt's good news that you are pregnant
But you are weak in constitution and the pregnancy is not stable
You have to do as the physician said
Have more ginseng tonic then you will give birth to a healthy prince
He will be as cute as Po-tai
Oh yes, you told me that ever since you became pregnant, you've trouble sleeping
l have made you a perfume sachet lt's filled with tranquilizing herbs
Hang it over your bed lt will help you go to sleep
You really are caring
You are my cousin, we are family Of course l care for you
l can't wait to see you give birth to a healthy prince
Remember to hang it over your bed
So long as you won't let go of the chip on your shoulder
like the falling leaves it will never give you peace of mind
Let go? How?
Who will pay for the lives of the Kei and Nip families?
l say you killed your parents
lf you had not insisted on revenge they wouldn't have met this end
The hatred in your heart was the cause and it led to the inevitable consequence
Your adoptive parents, your father and Cheuk Shu-tong
They all died because of you
Look at your hands they are stained with blood
The blood-stained hands belong to the Empress Dowager that old hag, not me
So many innocent died because of her
lf l don't seek revenge You think poetic justice will befall her?
She is not the only person in the palace Others are just as vicious
Your revenge is a Herculean task
Moreover, you have to stoop to their level to harm righteous men like Cheuk Shu-tong
You reap what you sow
What if you have your revenge? You'll end up in damnation. lt's not worth it
Even if it means damnation l still want revenge
My adoptive parents worked hard all their lives
All they asked was a peaceful life
What happened to them?
And my grandfather and father were loyal all their lives
They only wanted to serve the court
What happened to them? They lost their lives
Loyalty is the prerequisite of an imperial guard
Your life is in the hands of your master
lf you want to stay alive, quit
Quit?
Sire trusts me Prince Yue sees me as his brother
lt is working to my advantage l am this close to my goal
One more step and l can have my revenge
Dor-po
Look at the fallen leaves
They are blown here and there by the wind There is no beginning or end
Even the Empress Dowager is being swept along
How can you, a mere leaf fight it?
Falling leaves shake the branch Don't look down on this small leaf
Without leaves there is no swirling wind
lt's not just revenge for me l can help Prince Yue right the course
lt's what a man should do
Prince Yue is calculated man How do you know he's not using you?
We're both the old hag's victims We have the same foe
Once the old hag is removed, l will quit
Greetings, Sire
Brother Nip
Your Highness
You seem to have a heavy heart
l can understand why
Tuen-man is really a princess
She had to witness her adoptive father's execution
You know her well Surely you worry about her
The palace is filled with intrigue Things are beyond our control
lndeed, like Sire's sudden change of mind on the canal project
lf a ruler changes his decisions all the time, it'll lead to discontent in court
Sometimes l find it odd Sire is the supreme ruler
Why is it so hard for him to decide?
Sire is human too. He makes mistakes as well
lf like he said, the canal course is altered
it'll be a waste of government money a disturbance to the people
lt's also unproductive This casts doubts on his governance
But he is known to be judicious l think he's swayed
What do you mean?
To be honest, Naplan Sing-tak delivered a confidential letter to him last night
He looked troubled after reading it then he altered the canal course today
l think the two are linked together
lf we know what the confidential letter is about, it will help our cause
Only the Empress Dowager can sway Sire The canal project involves a lot of people
lf she sticks a finger into it then there must be a conspiracy going on
The letter came from Secretary Tsui of Qingshui Town
Why would Sire do as he said and altered the canal course?
l told you the truth so that you won't be put in the dark
From what the letter says the canal was meant to pass Qingshui Town
Sire has ordered the evacuation of the town 50 miles to the north
The people would be compensated
But Sire now listened to some schemer and changed his mind
lt's not the story l heard
Your Highness?
You knew about the course of the canal that Fengtai Town was the terminal point
lt's where the Banner men live
Hence you colluded with them in hoarding up lands, am l right?
You have put so much effort into it
With the change of course you will suffer a huge loss
What is your advice for me?
You are too kind But Sire can't be more wrong this time
Only a few thousand Hans live in Qingshui
Yet, based on Secretary Tsui's appeal Sire has offended the Banner men
l don't think it's a wise decision
How outrageous!
l heard that this Secretary Tsui incited the Hans there to oppose the evacuation
They are stirring up trouble to demand more compensation
But Sire has made his decision We can only follow his order
Not necessarily
lf you'll stage a show with me Fengtai will still be the terminus point
l summon you here is to finalize the canal course and construction
Sire, allow me to say this
The terminus of the canal is altered from Fengtai to Chengan
What is the reason behind it?
l have studied the canal course l find Chengan a better choice
Chengan is situated on a confluence a hub of land and water transport
Moreover, by making the canal flow north
it will pass three towns and facilitate their economic developments
Moreover, Fengtai is heavily populated
l mean to spare the people the ordeal of moving town
Hence Chengan is chosen
Sire is wise, the canal construction will benefit the people
But people from ten villages in Fengtai have already been allocated
The change of plan means they have to move back again
Sire, it is rumored that there is another reason for the change
Another reason? Go ahead
l heard that Secretary Tsui of Qinghai wrote Sire an appeal letter in blood
dissuading Sire to build the canal there
Sire, l have heard of it too
Secretary Tsui boasted it to others
that he saved the thousand year old town with his letter
He claimed that if the canal passes through Qingshui
the thousand year old town will be ruined and it will rouse Han resentment
Hence Sire backed down from the original plan
And Fengtai is no longer the terminus. ls that true?
Your Honor, why would Sire listen to a minor official?
Secretary Tsui's letter is indeed the reason for the change
As he says, l don't want a thousand year old town ruined
Sire, Qingshui may be a thousand year old town, but only a few thousand Han live there
Fengtai has a Manchu population of tens of thousands
lt seems that Sire is partial to the Hans Why sacrifice the Manchus' interests?
Sire, half a million taels have already been spent on the canal construction
lt's not worth to change the course for just three thousand Hans in Qingshui
lnterest shouldn't be the only concern
Sire, the Qing empire was won by Banner men
at the cost of countless lives and rivers of blood
Sire surely has not forgotten about it The Manchus will never forget it
lf the rationale for the change is so weak it will lead to discontent among the Manchus
That you only have Hans in mind there'd be dire consequences
How dare you!
Sire is not an ungrateful man He is impartial in his decisions
He strives for Manchu-Han harmony He won't be partial to either side
Sire, this has caused discord among the courtiers
A spark can lead to a fire lt may lead to Manchu-Han conflict
Sire, please reconsider
Sire, the ministers were impertinent
They implied that you were being partial to the Hans
Not only were they being presumptuous they smeared your name as well
Sire is not worried about his name
Sire doesn't want to provoke Manchu-Han conflict
and put the people through the ordeal
The canal construction cannot wait
lt is meant to alleviate flooding not for my personal glory
But my good intention was distorted as a partiality for the Hans
That it would lead to Manchu-Han conflict
Why did Secretary Tsui put me in this difficulty?
Sire, l have questioned him he cried innocence
He said he's grateful to Sire for your consideration for the Hans
He would never blather about it
l too believe he's in the dark Something is going on
He leaked it out or not is no longer important
The ministers are in an uproar Manchu ministers accuse me of partiality
lt has tensed up the Manchu-Han relationship. lt's not what l meant to do
Sire, things don't always go as we planned
You always have the people in mind You have a clear conscience
Please don't blame yourself
l accepted Secretary's plea because ever since my ascension to the throne
anti-Manchu sentiment has not died down
The quelling of the three feudatories Taiwan and the Sun Moon Society
has exhausted the country
l don't want to provoke Manchu-Han conflict again
Hence the appeasement of the Hans
But my good intention has led to resentment in court
l can honestly say l have never been partial to either side
ls it because of my incompetency that it has ended this way?
Though there are only three thousand Hans living in Qingshui
Sire has the Han's sentiment in mind
What you did is for Manchu-Han harmony Sire, you have to stand firm
Don't let the ministers sway you
Dor-po, what do you think?
l believe Sire's every decision is for the benefit of the people
Sire, you should ignore what the Manchu ministers say
Yung-yurk
Dor-po
you two know me well
lt concerns people's livelihood
lf the canal is not constructed, it'll mean disasters when the floods come next year
Good. Do as l say
The terminus is Chengan Town
That is what people-based governance means
Sire, you are wise
Your Highness, l've found it out for you
What is the truth?
Secretary Tsui did write an appeal to Sire
But he had not mentioned it to anyone not even his family
So he didn't leak it out
l think someone read the letter in secret and leaked it out
framed Secretary Tsui for it and put Sire in difficulty
Who had the audacity to read Sire's confidential letter?
lt's kept in the Southern Study So it's someone who has access to it
Dozens go in and out of it everyday
15 eunuchs are allowed to go in and there are maids and imperial guards
More than fifty in total l have them checked out
There are three likely suspects
You mean Cheung Naplan Sing-tak and Nip Dor-po?
Cheung and Naplan have waited on Sire for long
Nothing like this has ever happened
lt's Nip Dor-po again
Father, how long will you stay in the capital this time?
l missed you so
Actually, l mean to stay in the capital for good to nurse my health
l am not leaving again
What about your military position?
My health is failing l just went to see the Empress Dowager
l meant to hand over my military position to Fook-chuen
But she opposed to it. She said he is not experienced enough
That he can't command two banners
lf l think l am no longer up to it she will ask Sire to find a replacement
l thought your relationship with her had improved. But she still bears you prejudice
She must have her reason for it
Since the Empress Dowager disapproves of it we'll move and live with you in Manchuria
The climate is harsh there You and Po-tai can't adapt to it
Moreover, l have to assist Sire lt's not for me to go at will
You want to stay in the capital forever
to be under Empress Dowager's thumb and never be your own man?
You won't be on her leash there
You are free, you can do whatever you want
You won't go because there is something you can't tear yourself away?
Why get mad all of a sudden?
Don't force him Very often it's not up to us to choose
lf he will, he can
Kwai-lun, leave it for later
Father, the military position is of major importance
lt hasn't been decided yet. Why don't you stay here for a few days more?
Good. that's what l thought
l told you to keep an eye on Lady Kwai-lun What have you found?
Your Highness, she has been acting strangely
When you are home she is all caring and considerate
preparing you tonics and exhibiting care
lndeed, she has been very caring lately
But when you are not around she loses her temper easily
One wrong word from the maids and they are punished
What wrong words?
Several days ago, you got Lady Man-kwan the Korean ginseng
Hiu-ming said you cared for Lady Man-kwan
She lost her temper and slapped Hiu-ming
saying that Hiu-ming was implying there was an affair between you and Lady Man-kwan
She used to be good in nature She had never ill-treated Hiu-ming before
Anything else?
One more thing
Lady Kwai-lun asked Hiu-ming to buy perfume sachet and pine needles
But she had not said what they were for
Pine needles have tranquilizing effect, but they're not to be used by pregnant women
You keep bringing me tonics lt's too hard on you
As long as it's good for you and the baby l don't mind at all
When l was carrying Po-tai
l had sickness in the morning and evening
l wonder if it happens to you
lt did, but l'm much better after taking Korean ginseng
The credit goes to Prince Yue
You've to be careful with your diet during pregnancy. Don't eat the wrong thing
How could l? You bring me tonic everyday l'll continue to do that then
You're alright, Your Highness?
lt hurts...
My belly hurts
Hiu-ming, go get the imperial physician
Sze-kiu, get Her Highness to her chamber l'll take you in for a rest
Man-kwan Your Highness
Hang on, the physician will be here soon
Be careful...
Kwai-lun, it hurts...
How preposterous! The ministers won't stop arguing about the canal terminus
l have given my decision, how dare they!
Sire, it must not be a hasty decision Please reconsider
Sire, Minister Naplan is right Please reconsider
Stop it! l have made it clear
For the people, of the people
What's more important than people's common good
The canal terminus is Chengan Town
Greetings, Sire
At ease
Thank you, Sire
Sire, Lady Man-kwan is not feeling well The Physician is there to see her
Proceed to the Benevolence Hall His Majesty fares forth
Sire
Dear
l have failed you
You are weak, you need more rest
Here comes the Empress Dowager
Greetings, Your Highness At ease
Thank you, Your Highness
How's Lady Man-kwan? How is the baby?
Greetings, Your Highness
How's Lady Man-kwan?
Forgive me. Your Highness Lady Man-kwan had a miscarriage
A miscarriage?
How come?
You were not doing your job?
Forgive me, Your Highness
Don't be mad, Your Highness
There must be a reason for the miscarriage Maybe she had eaten something she shouldn't?
What has Lady Kwan eaten, tell me
Her diet was as usual, except...
What?
Lady Kwai-lun has brought her tonics for pregnancy
and has given her a perfume sachet
Your Highness, imperial physicians have checked the ginseng tonic again and again
There's nothing wrong with it
l have checked the sachet she brought for Lady Man-kwan
lt's just some tranquilizing herbs and nothing else
l think Lady Kwai-lun had nothing to do with the miscarriage
They are close, l don't believe Lady Kwai-Lun would harm her
Your Highness, l have a report to make Go ahead
A eunuch reported that Lady Wai's body is found in the royal garden
Lady Wai was under house arrest for her wrongdoing
But she's found dead in the royal garden lt's baffling indeed
lt appears that Lady Wai had killed herself
A packet of dragon blood was found in her hand
This was what caused Lady Man-kwan's miscarriage
Who knew this could be so complicated?
lt was Lady Wai who harbored evil intent on Lady Man-kwan
l will investigate this and report it to Sire
Sire, l have found out that Lady Wai poisoned Lady Man-Kwan
She once used dragon blood to frame Lady Man-kwan for her miscarriage
Dragon blood was found in her body lt's the tell-tale clue
Lady Wai was the culprit
She slipped out when the eunuchs were not watching
sneaked into the imperial pharmacy to get the dragon blood
and laced it in Lady Man-kwan's tea
Dragon blood has no smell or color
Lady Man-kwan took it without realizing it and it caused the miscarriage
Sire, Lady Wai bore Lady Man-kwan grievance
She probably learned that Lady Man-kwan was pregnant and would soon become empress
She resented it so she hurt Lady Man-kwan and killed herself out of fear
l was too soft-hearted and spared her life
l just had her locked up. lt's my mistake and Lady Man-kwan had to pay for it
Sire, allow me to say this
Though what Prince Yue said makes sense l still have doubts
The Hall of Courtesy is tightly guarded
Lady Wai got away when the eunuchs weren't watching?
She slipped into the pharmacy for the drug waited for her chance to lace the tea
And she was never spotted all this while ?
Sire, what Naplan said is right
The palace is heavily guarded. lt's not easy for her to go in and out at will
lt concerns Lady Man-kwan's safety lt has to be thoroughly investigated
l am worried there's a mastermind behind it
l'll leave the investigation to you both Yes, Sire
This is the sachet Lady Kwai-Lun gave to Lady Man-kwan?
Yes, they've checked the content Just some tranquilizing herbs