The Empress of China Episode 88
ai::bowo-subs
I believe in the years to come,
genuine loyalty
or faked ambition
will someday be revealed.
You're right,
as long as I keep my cool,
someone else will be panic-stricken,
especially those minions in hiding,
who blow my illness
out of proportion.
Your Majesty,
in 3 days,
at the Que Building banquet
to entertain the emissaries
from the Western Regions,
Your Majesty
would you like to host it
Or put the Crown Prince in charge
These 9 small vassal states
are only beginning
to show respect to my Tang.
They're coming from afar,
I must receive them,
I can't believe
the memorial
our Ministers drafted to the Emperor
was so easily dismissed by His Majesty
No, Empress Wu did it.
She seized the opportunity
to send Minister Shangguan to the Hongwen Pavilion.
Hence,
she expects us to just help
the Prince of Dai
We can't just
stand by and watch this woman
run Tang to the ground
Exactly! All these years,
while His Majesty's Cold
has weakened him day by day,
his loss became her gain.
The Empress is gaining
influence and power.
We were useless
in stopping her
Your Highness, your Highness
No! You mustn't
being applicable your Highness
Youshao,
these years you're my mentor,
without your help,
Perhaps
Empress Wu would have killed me already.
But I can't wait any longer.
The current Tang
needs a young
and healthy Emperor.
You mean.
If only
I remain loyal to Father Emperor alone,
that's blind devotion.
Youshao
Your Highness
You must be loyal to Tang.
Only when I become the Emperor
can we topple Empress Wu
and save Tang.
Your Highness, you...
you plan to
The banquet at Que Building
for the emissaries
may be an opportunity
Empress
(Eastern Palace plotting to assassinate His Majesty at Que Building banquet)
Your Majesty,
you have just recovered.
Don't drink so much.
It's alright, I'm happy tonight.
The Empress, tonight on Que Building banquet
all the food and drinks
have been carefully tested.
What about the cat
Don't worry, Empress
Sorcerer Ming hired
an animal trainer
who has been rehearsing
for tonight.
The Empress only need to go along with it
and everything will run without a hitch.
Excellent
You look at that new Emperor
looks weak.
He's nothing like the Tian Kehan.
But Empress Wu seems to be
a character.
I heard she defeated Empress Wang
and Consort Xiao
before she crawl became the Empress.
So we are
heard that the deposed Consort Xiao
who cursed her
before she died
saying she want to reincarnate become a cat to revenge,
That's why the Empress is
fearful of cats
All fellow Darens
What's that noise, meowing of a cat in here
What's wrong, Darens
why are you
suddenly so quiet
This silence
It is not our Que Building,
this is new here.
Empress, cat's meowing
it's a cat's meowing
So I heard.
We have cats everywhere.
There's no need to be alarmed.
Officer greetings to the Empress Mother
Your Majesty
Come here
I raises this cat
This is my pet cat
Pardon me, fellow Darens.
Here,
a toast to you all
as a token of
my apology to fellow Darens.
She's putting
on this act strictly for our benefit.
The parrot is a "ying wu", which is her last name.
If the parrot stands for Empress Wu,
who does the cat stand for
Mei Niang,
this is a brilliant move
I believe after tonight,
the gossip about the black cats
will vanish
like smoke.
A trick like this is not worth mentioning.
I learnt from you.
When everyone thinks she's scared of cats,
she shows people how she can command them.
This woman has a tough streak.
Pardon me
How dare you
I'm sorry to bother you, Your Majesty
Please forgive me, Your Majesty and the Empress
It's alright
Thank you, Your Majesty
You may go
Thank you, the Empress
Father emperor
While the emissaries are here
to pay tribute to Tang dynasty,
I'd like to propose a toast
to your health and the stability
of the Tang kingdom.
Good
Wait
Your Majesty
What is it, Mei Niang
Your Majesty
What the Crown Prince said
shows his filial piety.
However your Majesty,
you have just recovered,
you should not indulge in drinking.
How about
Your Highness Crown Prince,
I'll trouble you
to drink this wine
for His Majesty.
Father Emperor
What do you think. Your Majesty
Good idea
Zhong son, this a cup of wine
is regarded as father emperor
I'm awarding this wine to you.
You're the heir to the throne.
I hope you'll do
a better job
as the Emperor and won't
let Father Emperor down
Here
Your Highness Crown Prince
these many eyes
are watching you,
If you drink this,
it means
you're loyal to your Father Emperor
Drink it
Thank you, Father Emperor,
Empress Mother
You have a nice chamber,
but you choose to sleep in here.
Zhong son
Looks like
you're genuinely afraid of me.
My birth mother and Empress Wang
are dead because of you.
Who knows
when I'll be next
You can hate me,
but why...
go after your Father Emperor
Do you realise
if I had not
swapped the poisoned drink.
you'd forever
be guilty of
patricide
You'd be condemned
for all your life
Empress Wu
You made me do it
I’m anxious
to ascend the throne,
because
I want to settle
each and every score
between us.
I have always wanted to kill you.
Hateful
but what a shame I'm not as shrewd and calculating as you are.
If failed today. I failed
Perhaps it's my fate.
ai::bowo-subs
my fate.
ai::bowo-subs
Zhong son
In the past your mother
trusted me with you
and asked me to protect you.
I've kept my word.
I've treated you
like my own child.
You think by hiding in here
I can't touch you
What's the point of telling me this
You think I'd believe you
You can believe what you want.
I know
you hate me,
and have wanted to kill me.
I don't blame you for any of this.
But I will not tolerate
any attempt on your Father's life.
Do you realise,
despite your lack of talent
and poor character.
But your Father Emperor
has never considered
deposing you.
But now
you planned to kill him
Your own Father
Zhong son, ask yourself
How could you have that heart for it
Even if Father Emperor
had no intention to depose me,
what about you, will you let me off
Don't make senseless arguing again.
Useless
Right now.
Xu Jingzong and Li Yifu
are in Taiji Palace
to expose Shangguan Yi's evildoing.
But who's the mastermind behind the conspiracy at Que Building.
His Majesty would never find out
But you must leave Taiji Palace.
I will not
let you near His Majesty again.
Only those with talents and competence
deserve the Crown Prince title anyway.
You're lost the qualifications
for the mistakes you've made.
Tomorrow,
Tomorrow go to His Majesty
and tell him
you're giving up the Crown Prince title.
I can guarantee your safety.
As for my promise for your Mother
I'm afraid I must go back on it.
If you still won't listen
to reason
and continue with your evildoing.
I told you when the time comes
I'll personally give you a cup of wine.
Officer Xu Jingzong,
Officer Li Yifu at your service
We came to ask you to punish us.
Punish you
What have you done
Reply to your Majesty
Officers have a memorial for your Majesty.
Your Majesty
Before the banquet at Que Building started,
Officers got word
someone was planning to assassinate the Empress.
It happened so quickly
I had no time to report it to your Majesty.
Officer took it upon myself
to swap all at the banquet,
the food and drinks
and changed the guards on duty.
I beg your forgiveness.
There's enough evidence in your memorial.
I know very clear
those Guanlong aristocrats
have been displeased with the Empress.
But Shangguan Yi,
Han Yuan and Lai Ji
have spent half their lives in the Court.
They have always been careful.
Did someone put them to it
Your Majesty about this matter,
perhaps the Eastern Palace was involved
Officer doesn't know
Should I look into it
Eastern Palace,
You mean Zhong son.
Impossible
Although he's scared of Mei Niang,
he's incapable of something so ruthless.
Don't talk nonsense
Notice your Majesty,
a memorial from the Eastern Palace.
Perhaps
you're right.
Zhong son wrote in the memorial
he wanted to give up the Crown Prince title.
Passes on my decree
Have Shangguan Yi executed.
Han Yuan, Lai Ji and the rest of the clique
will be exiled
and their assets confiscated.
You both have worked hard tonight.
You're excused.
Officers obey the aim
Zhu Gong-Gong
What can I do for your Majesty
Send this memorial to Dugu Ji
and ask him to look into the Que Building case.
I must know the truth.
Obeys the aim
Assassination attempt at the Que Building
This so-called assassination attempt
must have been orchestrated by Wu Mei Niang
to force the Crown Prince to step down,
execute Shangguan Yi
and exile Han Yuan
and Lai Ji.
That woman is obviously
coming after the Guanlong aristocrats.
Father Daren,
we must fight back.
Chong son
Did you know, before the banquet.
the Crown Prince secretly summoned
Shangguan Yi, Han Yuan and Lai Ji
No, I didn't know.
Even if some Darens were
involved with assassinator,
they were only doing it
for the Guanlong's.
They had no choice.
If they were
going after Wu Mei Niang,
it's probably
not a bad thing.
We've been biding our time,
perhaps this is it.
Between the Guanlong aristocrats and the poor scholars,
and between Wu Mei Niang and I,
it's time for a showdown.
Li Daren, what are you thinking
I’m thinking, you and I
were able to stand here today
and rise from decades of frustration
in the official circle,
all thanks to this woman.
Officers pay a visit the Empress
Li Daren,
why did you defy my order
and informed His Majesty
about
the assassination attempt at the Que Building
I...
I only have your best interests in mind.
We have chosen to be like vine
and cling onto the Empress,
obviously we'd like the Empress
to become a towering tree.
Looking ahead,
we must try to remove any obstacles for you.
I respect the fighting spirit in both of you, Darens
despite the scorn and contempt
others have shown you.
But now that you're on your way up,
you tend to forget yourselves.
Xu Daren,
taking concubines
it is not a big issue.
But if
you were fighting with your descendants over women,
so you trumped up charges against them
asked His Majesty to exile them
to Lingnan
so that they had to die away from home,
what should your punishment be
I lost my head
Li Daren,
because of
a pretty woman thrown in jail,
you ordered the Grand Court to release her
and coerced the warden
who set her free
to commit suicide.
How should I punish you
I'm unforgivable
However Empress
Officer and Xu Daren officer
have remained loyal to the Empress and Heaven
can be our witness.
I made a mistake
with the Eastern Palace incident.
From now on,
I'll only do as I'm told
and never argue again
Me... me... too
In that case,
that would be the best
Thank you to both of you, Darens
Since Shangguan Yi's memorial to depose the Empress,
someone seemed
to have cast a huge net
and reeled out more line
to catch more fish.
Right
Maybe the Crown Prince's abdication
was beginning from part of
the Empress' plan
If that's the case.
we were being presumptuous.
You suppose she'll groom
the Prince of Dai
Watch your mouth
It's just a wild guess.
This woman’s mind
is not something we can read.
Remember
to do as you're told,
or our heads...
With our help,
the Empress can go
much further.
And our position in Taiji Palace
will get closer to the dragon seat.
You'd better figure out
how long you'll live first.
Again!
It's a tie, brother.
Let's call it a day.
ai::bowo-subs
Thanks for letting me win, brother.
Good swordsmanship, brother
THANK YOU
Hong son! Xian son!
Come here
Empress, these two princes
Just now, has an audience with the Emperor
Xu Jingzong Daren
followed Empress's order
and submitted a memorial in Court
to suggest naming
the Prince of Dai as the Crown Prince.
There was no objection in Court.
What did His Majesty say
His Majesty...
postponed the decision.