The Empress of China Episode 79
ai::bowo-subs
Now
The more plans
you make these days,
the less you tell me.
But I understand.
Day and night,
at all times,
you're making plans
for Hong son.
Yes,
the better I plan for him now.
In the future Hong son
it'll be easier
My Lady, Princess
this morning His Majesty issued
an edict to send the Prince of Wu to Songzhou.
I know. You may go
Yes
Ninth brother banished third brother from Chang’an
He did it
Because of the assassination
I better speak to him
Gaoyang
His Majesty already issued the edict.
Everyone in Court bore witness to it.
What can you say to him
You expect your ninth brother
to rescind his own order
Mei Niang, this edict...
you knew about it, right
Yesterday I had heard, they said the assassin was
Yang Qingxuan
who served third brother.
Can't blame ninth brother for being suspicious.
Before Yang Qingxuan was killed,
did she say anything
Don't worry
She confessed
she plotted the assassination.
Prince was not involved.
Gaoyang, there are things
I can't tell you now.
But you must trust me.
Prince departure from Chang'an,
for Prince of Wu and His Majesty
it's a good thing
Let's have a drink.
Consider this our farewell drink. Cheers
If you give us your consent,
we'll submit a joint petition
and ask His Majesty to revoke the order.
Never mind,
You'll only
embarrass His Majesty,
and catch Zhangsun Wuji's
attention.
I'm leaving,
but you must stay in Chang'an.
Why did His Majesty
suddenly send Prince to Songzhou
Because of yesterday's assassination
But you saved His Majesty
His Majesty took it out on Prince
because he failed to name
Zhaoyi Wu as Consort.
If that's the case,
it's really too scary.
If the late Emperor were alive,
he would never let His Majesty,
because a woman so deliberately creates trouble
Oh, Yes, Yes
Certainly, the late Emperor
would never allow
His Majesty and Zhaoyi Wu
Shut up!
Whatever His Majesty is thinking,
we can't stop him.
As courtiers,
we must pledge our allegiance to Tang.
What you said
have insulted His Majesty.
Prince,
we’re loyal to Tang
but the state
should belong to
someone virtuous and capable.
Prince, you’re carrying
the late Emperor's blood.
We're more willing
to follow you than His Majesty.
We will follow the Prince
Enough!
In this case,
I don't want to hear this again.
We'll follow your lead.
If Prince forbid it,
we won't mention it again.
Good, get up
There’s one more thing
I must tell you.
I don't want
anyone to see me off tomorrow.
It's for your own good.
Yang Qingxuan deserved to die
for the assassination attempt.
What if she got you involved
I went to see Mei Niang this morning.
It's alright.
The things I told you,
did you repeat that to the third brother
I told him everything.
Told Prince of Wu
At that moment
we knelt before Prince of Wu
and we're willing to follow his lead.
But Prince of Wu
as you have expected,
he turned us down.
If you knew
he'd turn us down,
why did you
ask me to say those things
Words have magic power.
The ideas
often just linger
in one's mind.
It has received like that
like a seed not exposed to
rain and sunshine,
they cannot germinate.
After a while they will wither.
But if ideas were actually
put into words,
whether by oneself
or someone else.
They could keep one motivated,
keep one moving forward.
The idea
may become a reality.
Gaoyang,
are you sure about this
If not,
our clan will be finished.
If you're afraid,
go tell ninth elder brother.
Then
you can save your life
and protect the future of the Fang clan.
At this moment
Don't you know
how I feel
I'll do anything for you.
Focus on the game
It's a lost course.
I'll sleep in the study tonight.
Go to bed early
Wait!
The game is far from being over.
Who knows how it’ll end,
Maybe you'll win
Impossible
Gaoyang
Keep playing
if you lose,
get out of my room.
Very well
Li Yifu, I was told
you have something to tell me
Notice Zhaoyi Wu,
Around 10 p.m. tonight, Minister passed by
the Prince of Wu's mansion
Has discovered
Prince of Wu left in a coach through the backdoor.
He usually rides a horse,
but he was taking the horse-carriage
The coach was probably a cover up his departure.
Around 10 p.m. is the late night.
At that time
What were you doing
nearby Prince of Wu's mansion
You're trying to curry favour with him,
intention social climbing
Zhaoyi has my undying loyalty.
The Minister only want
an extra option so as to serve
Zhaoyi better.
Please understand
This is your way of survival,
I don't mind
and there's no need to explain.
Zhaoyi can see what others cannot.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne,
Minister has been optimistic
about the Prince of Wu's future.
But I have no way
of making his acquaintance
His Majesty just issued the edict.
Most people couldn't wait
to avoid Prince of Wu.
If you choose
to give him timely help,
it means you have a discerning eye.
You chose to act around 10 p.m.,
means you're very careful.
That's a good thing.
Tell me, what did you see
Yes
At that time Minister was thinking,
Prince of Wu was leaving soon.
At this late hour,
where is he sneaking off to
Out of curiosity, I followed him.
Then I found out
Prince of Wu was
in the woods outside Chang’an,
secretly meeting someone
Li Ji?
Yes.
What did Prince of Wu
say to Li Ji
He seemed to be explaining
why he left Chang'an.
After Prince of Wu said something,
General Li Ji
looked hesitated.
Prince, why did you ask the old man
to come here
Li Ji
Tomorrow, I'll be leaving Chang'an
and going to Songzhou
In that case,
allow me to congratulate the Prince
for leaving this troubled land.
I'll be gone temporarily
and staging my return.
One year later,
on His late Majesty’s death anniversary
I'll be back with an excellent cavalry troop
to break the Zhangsun Wuji
dominance.
Some conflicts are expected.
General, I hope
you can stay neutral as you always do.
To act
in accordance with the Tang rule,
I should do that.
Zhaoyi Wu,
one year later the Prince of Wu
will push the Prime Minister Zhangsun
out of the Court by force.
However, building an army in Chang'an
is the same as raising a revolt.
Why the Prince of Wu met with Li Ji,
so that's the reason
Li Yifu, under any circumstances,
Anything
you saw and heard tonight.
you must not tell anyone
Zhaoyi and His Majesty
knew about it all along
You're dismissed.
Yes.
Your Highness Prince of Wu,
Today Mei Niang
shouldn't have doubted you
Really sorry
So early in the morning,
thank you for seeing me off
If you really care,
please help Zhaoyi Wu out.
After today, The Harem
has become a perilous place.
Third elder brother
In your mind
Mei Niang really just a friend
Old slave report to your Majesty
Before he left, His Highness Prince of Wu
went to see Li Ji
He's leaving Chang'an right now.
Good to know
You're dismissed.
Yes, Your Majesty
Zhaoyi Wu gave birth Lizhi's daughther the great happiness named Anding, they take name in order to protect
Aren't you the sweetest thing
Good girl.
I wish I had a daughter like you.
It's great, isn't it
You see what it is
Anding is always fussy,
but every time she sees you,
she calms down
Compared to me,
you're more like her mother.
That's because you put all your energy
into "Instructions for the Inner Quarters"
and have no time for her.
I came over
to help you out as a favour,
but
this kid just like sticky candy
every time I hold her, I hate to let go
I think you simply love
Anding too much, that’s why
ai::bowo-subs
you don't want to put her down.
It's right
Perhaps
there's a special connection between us.
Let's go outside and talk.
She needs some-quiet time.
Here.
Come on.
In barbarian customs,
the ring is a symbol of marital bond.
Looks like the imperial son-in-law has finally
won your heart.
It's true that
he'll do anything to please me,
but how can I
possibly like such a wimp
Forget it.
I don’t want to talk about him.
I heard Empress Wang has recently
recommended a miracle healer
to treat my ninth elder brother’s illness.
I heard he's a Taoist monk.
He's been around the Palace
for quite some time.
All those recommended by Empress Wang
were either monks or Taoist monks.
They looked more
like swindlers than Physicians,
and none of them was able to treat
my ninth elder brother's condition.
She can never win his favour.
Maybe in her dreams.
Empress Wang hasn't come to see Anding yet
Not yet
Followed the Palace rules, if any concubines gave birth
Within a month a Prince or a Princess is born,
The Empress is supposed to pay a visit
and give her blessings.
It’s been almost three months,
but that woman still hasn't shown up.
Apparently her heart full of jealousy.
The Empress with Consort Xiao,
has joined hands
but the security in Penglai Palace
has become laxer since Hong son was born.
It's better if Empress Wang doesn't come.
I don’t want to see
her force a smile on her face.
But even though
her heart is full of jealousy and hate,
Fortunately,
Anding is in a safe position.
I guess
this is
the advantage of being a girl.
Supposedly,
if Empress Wang takes action,
her target should be Hong son.
Harming Anding won't do her any good.
But, over past two years, that woman has been
obsessed with spiritual mediums.
She doesn't think
like a normal person.
You'd better be careful.
Sooner or later she will come
to Penglai Palace.
If she gives Anding
something to eat or wear,
you must stop her.
I will, I will
don't worry.
My Ladies,
Rui'an.
Her Highness,
Her Imperial Highness Empress
recommended the sorcerer Ming Chongyan
to treat His Majesty's illness with golden needle,
and it worked.
His Majesty's headache was greatly reduced.
His Majesty was very much delighted
and granted Her Highness Empress generously
Tonight, he'll be staying
at Lizheng Palace
Thank you, Your Highness Empress.
Master Ming, you successfully treated His Majesty's
Chronic condition.
You deserve all these.
Honestly.
His Majesty's illness is highly obstinate.
With my medical skills,
I can only provide temporary relief.
If I said that is a permanent cure
for His Majesty's illness.
I honestly cannot guarantee
Anyway,
Master Ming medical treatment
far more skilled than
those so-called prestigious physicians.
Allow me to express my deepest admiration.
Here's to the cup of wine
Master Ming's gifted hands.
In fact,
golden needle acupuncture treatment
is not anything to speak of.
Head of the Imperial Academy of Southern Liang,
as the 5th-generation Ming Shanbin
eldest grandson
I actually have my areas of expertise
in voodoo and spell casting.
Spell casting
Sounds interesting.
I've met
a lot of people with special powers
who said
they had such abilities,
but
they were not as good
as they claimed.
Master Ming,
I'm impressed
with your medical skills.
I wonder if you can
give a demonstration of spell casting.
I'm afraid I can't.
Deep-seated resentment
is the basis of the ability to
communicate with demons and spirits.
It doesn't work
unless deep hostility is present.
This technique cannot be applied
after all evil and cruel
against natural harmony.
It should not be used
unless absolutely necessary.
This sounds,
that makes sense,
but those are
just excuses.
Since you have the power
to communicate with demons and spirits,
So,
are you also able to read minds
Of course I know
how to do such an easy trick.
Then show me.
If you win,
I'll give you
three chests of treasures.
If you lose,
your tongue will be removed as punishment.
I hate those
who use their silver tongues
to cheat others
out of money.
Well then,
allow me to show you a trick.
Now
The Empress, please pick a number between five and twelve
and write it on a piece of paper.
See if it's the same
as the one I write.
Sure.
Maids come here
Bring forward ink and paper.
Alright, let me see.
Elder sister, what did he write
"Military" ("Wu")
What?
Looks like the bright Taoist priest has lost.
He wrote "military" as in civil and military.
"Military" as in civil and military.
Empress, I wrote on this side
What I write is in Consort Xiao mind,
she hate the surname of the person the most
I wrote the number
on the back.
Your Highnesses,
please forgive my rudeness
and excuse me.
Elder sister,
I wrote the number seven.
What about him
Also seven
He's quite something.
Elder sister, why don’t
we ask him
to try it on Wu Mei Niang
to cast a spell
Thanks for your advice,
but it's against my conscience
to practise vicious voodoo
in the Palace.
I feel sorry eventually
Elder sister's great kindness
is a blessing to the Royale Harem.
Today, I've spent much time
in Lizheng Palace,
it's time for me to go.
The elder sister still need
to prepare dinner for His Majesty,
so don't bother to see me out.
Thanks for your understanding.
Gao Gong-Gong.
Yes, the Empress, what can I do for you
As I remember,
before I recommended Ming Chongyan,
I was told that he practiced medicine in Luoyang
with a good reputation.
Indeed, the Empress.
Send some men
to look into this person,
check his family background and origins,
especially his experience before he went to Luoyang.
I need to know every detail.
Yes.
I heard
Your Majesty has not visited
Consort Xiao sister at Xianling Palace many days
This time you have been lucky
for recommending the bright Taoist priest
I can finally have a good night's sleep.
My pleasure, Your Majesty.
So, how has Zhong son been
He's been fine.
His sword-fight and academic performance
he always gets praised
It's getting cold these days.
I wonder if Hong son and Anding
are warm enough.
What's the matter
While your body is in Lizheng Palace,
your heart remains in Penglai Palace.
Allow me to ask you one question.
What else has Zhaoyi Wu done
Besides dragging you in danger,
and has made anything wrong
Do you know
why I no longer go to Xianling Palace
As Sujie grows up,
every time
I get intimate with Consort Xiao,
she has so many things to say,
but after all she just wants to say
the same sentences
Zhong son is not worthy of the throne,
so Sujie should be the Crown Prince.
I don't like
women who gossip indiscreetly,
because they remind me of
the annoying sounds crows make.
I'm not blind,
nor am I deaf.
I don't need
their hints and advice.
If something belongs to you,
no one can take it away.
If something doesn't belong to you,
you won't be able to keep it forever.
I'm terribly sorry.
Please forgive me, Your Majesty.
To protect your reputation as Head of the Harem,
I'm not leaving tonight.
At the side chamber of
Lizheng Palace.
I'll be there, sleeping alone
Let's eat.
I still remember
the first time
your Majesty said that to me.
You are my Empress,
to protect your pride
is my responsibility
You were holding my hand.
I'd sacrifice everything
to make time stop
at that moment.
From that moment onwards,
I've been trying
to earn a place in your heart.
Every time your Majesty look at me,
you see
expectations of Zhangsun Daren and my father.
I know very well
that in your eyes
our marriage is
merely a political tool.
I wish I knew
what to do
to make your Majesty
see my true heart.
I've seen it.
All these years, I know
what you have sacrificed
as Head of the Harem
Your Majesty, do you remember back then in the Eastern Palace
my father set Consort Xiao up
to punish her
But she did make a mistake,
so I must punish her
At that time, I came to realise
that in order to survive in the Harem.
no one
could escape from antagonism
I've been trying my best
to avoid
becoming a heartless woman
by reflecting on myself constantly
All these years
I’ve done nothing shameful
Empress
Are you sure you've done nothing shameful
No,
there's one thing.
I haven't been able
to have children for your Majesty
ai::bowo-subs
and become
your Majesty friend.
Good
Good girl.
My Lady
"Instructions for the Inner Quarters"
has been revised.
THANK YOU
Wonderful. What about Li Yifu
Is his memorial
ready for audience
It was ready days ago,
Li Daren will present it tomorrow morning.
Finally
Everything is going as planned.
It's finally happening.
Right,
I've been waiting for this day.