Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.
Watching the person in the mirror's countenance pale and grow haggard,
Examining love together with regret, both new and old.
Keeping watch still by a lantern though it is daybreak, drenched with tears,
Watching others meet as promised, as twilight falls.
Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 4
Wei Yingluo, what are you doing?
I should be asking you this question instead.
What woman doesn't want to pave a good path for herself? What did I do wrong?
Your so-called "paving a good path for yourself"
is to pretend to sprain your leg and make Fuca Fuheng support you,
and use this opportunity to climb up the social ladder?
Yes. Can't I do that?
He is a powerful child of a noble family.
He has seen many beautiful women.
Just by relying on your face, do you think he will carry you in a red sedan to enter the door? (T/N Marry her)
If I want to be a wife and not someone else's fool,
I'm willing to.
These people have pig's brains. Even a person without any sense of shame will think the same way too.
What is this place?
The Forbidden City. If a palace maid and an Imperial Guard commit adultery
and this is exposed,
he's the relative of the Imperial family and can easily get away with this.
As for you,
it's a dead-end for you.
I'm telling you this because we came out together today.
I don't want to be implicated by you.
If this were another time,
I won't stop you if you want to seek death.
The pot's calling the kettle black. You don't have the rights to lecture me.
- Say that again. - You!
I'm going to deliver the clothes. Okay?
"People with pig's brains"?
"No sense of shame"?
Isn't that so, Wei Yingluo?
Miss Yingluo. It seems like you are biased towards men.
What about me and His Majesty?
Imperial Guard Fuca, you must be mistaken.
In this world, there are definitely many of those who deceive ignorant and gullible young women.
They have pig's brains and are without any sense of shame.
But His Majesty is the true Imperial Son of Heaven.
You are among the brave and talented.
How could you be mixed up with those people without any sense of shame?
Wei Yingluo, you are really good at weaseling your way out.
Imperial Guard Fuca, you are right in lecturing me.
I will be cautious, behave in the future
and conform to the rules.
Wei Yingluo.
Imperial Guard Fuca, are there any further instructions?
Regardless of what bias you have,
don't look down on men.
Imperial Guards in the palace are warriors.
Yes, I accept your lesson with humility.
Imperial Guard Fuca is here.
Fortunately, he's here.
He can always enter and leave Changchun Palace. Mistress can have one more person to lean on.
Do you think just anyone can enter and leave the Imperial palace?
Even if he's her younger brother, it's still a taboo.
His Majesty allows Her Highness and Imperial Guard Fuca to meet frequently
because he is very kind to Her Highness.
Fuheng, what are you trying to do?
Fuheng, return it to me!
Return it to me! Where is my item?
Where did you leave the longevity lock?
Help me to look for it!
No one is allowed to look for it!
Where's the longevity lock?
My longevity lock.
Who gave you the right to take my item? What gives you the right to mind my business?
It has been three years since Yonglian had the tragedy.
Three years have passed, and you are starting to cry and refusing to see people.
Even now, you are still not in your right state of mind and depressed.
Elder Sister, when are you going to stop grieving?
- Imperial Guard Fuca... - Retreat.
Release me. Stop managing my business.
I don't want to manage it,
but I can't ignore it.
As long as you are still the offspring of the Fuca family
or the Empress of the Great Qing,
you shouldn't indulge in private grievances
and forget to shoulder your responsibilities.
I have never forgotten to shoulder my responsibilities.
Do you still dare to say that?
What the Empress ought to do?
What the Empress should be like?
Before you got married, what did your father repeatedly say, to avoid being embarrassed?
Once you stepped over the threshold of the Aisin-Gioro family, (T/N married into the ruling family)
you should make preparations for your life.
You!
What gives you the right to criticize me?
What gives you the right?
Just because I didn't manage the harem well?
Because I lack the ability to do so?
Why is it still so sad to have lost Yonglian?
I don't want to live with such extreme grief.
I was pregnant with him for ten months. (T/N by the Chinese calendar)
I was in pain for a day and a night before I gave birth to him.
He was the most important person in my life. My most beloved child!
If I really could,
I'd be willing to use my life to exchange for his life.
You have never experienced this kind of pain.
You don't have the right to criticize me!
- Elder Sister. - Stop calling me.
You are standing here today. Did His Majesty tell you to come?
Go and tell him.
I will always be Yonglian's mother. Yonglian has left.
He can be indifferent but I can't.
So, you have always resented His Majesty.
Do you think that regarding Yonglian's premature death,
he has always been indifferent?
Other than the five days after Yonglian passed away,
when he was in deep sorrow and grief,
he subsequently seems to have forgotten about the child.
He went to the Imperial court, as though nothing had happened,
to handle his government affairs. Of course,
it didn't matter to him.
He has many women to give birth to a child for him.
He can have many sons in the future,
but I don't have any.
I don't have any. I only had Yonglian.
I only had one son.
My lock.
Move aside.
Elder Sister, I know you resent me a lot,
but there are certain things which you detest but I still need to do them.
It's because I'm your biological younger brother.
Other than Father and Mother, I care about you the most.
Erqing said you are fine during the day.
When it's evening, you sit on the ground till daybreak.
Mother is very worried about you.
After she last saw you, she kept crying later.
She said you have changed into another person.
Although you still love to talk and smile,
none of your smiles are genuine.
Elder Sister.
She's our mother.
How could your pretense escape her eyes?
Mother also said if she had known earlier,
even if she fought desperately for her life,
she didn't want this splendor and wealth.
When Father heard this, he quarreled with her.
He felt bad for entrusting you under His Majesty's care.
He felt bad for the Aisin-Gioro family
for raising such a weak daughter.
When Gao Bin was the Governor of Jiangnan, the late Emperor trusted and re-used him.
He even rewarded Madam Gao and promoted her as Secondary Consort. (T/N lower than Princess Consort to Prince Bao)
Second only to you. (T/N Empress Fuca was the Princess Consort Bao - the legal difujin over the two cefujin)
Now, the power of the Gao family has greatly increased.
They are also involved in the internal strife between Zhang Tingyu's party and Ortai.
A slight change will affect the overall situation.
Elder Sister. As the Empress, if you don't stand up again,
you will only make it more difficult for His Majesty.
There's something which His Majesty wants me to hand over to you.
Once you have regained your good mood, open it and take a look.
Your Highness Consort Chun.
May I boldly ask Your Highness to help me.
Mistress, Her Highness Consort Chun is here.
Greetings to Your Highness the Empress.
Rise.
How is your body?
I'm quite fragile, I fall ill whenever I catch a little breeze during the changing of seasons.
After taking two batches of medicines, I'm feeling better now.
Those are old problems, Your Highness doesn't need to worry.
That's good, I was going to visit you initially.
When I was here the last time,
I noticed that your eyes were little red, I plucked some chrysanthemums,
I had Hongluo sieve them through boiling water.
Your Highness can put them under the eyes later on, and have some steam to infuse them.
You'll be feeling a lot better afterwards.
But careful to not hurt your eyes.
Consort Chun is so meticulous. the last medicinal cushion you brought over,
Her Highness has been using it well.
The wick grass and the peach tree branch need to be exchanged regularly.
When the cushion gets old, I'll have someone bring over a new one.
Consort Chun, you smell very fragrant.
Which fragrant powder are you using?
My mistress never uses any fragrant powder.
The fragrance you mentioned, do you mean the one from the clothes?
Besides the smell of soap on the clothes,
what fragrance is there?
When washing clothes in our palace, we'd add washing fragrance.
A powder made from peonies and spikenard essential oil. (T/N this oil comes from Nardostachys jatamansi)
Adding it during the rinsing phase, the clothes will have a natural scent afterwards.
This is habit my mistress always had before entering the palace.
Yuhu...
If Your Highness likes it, I'll have it sent over tomorrow.
Consort Chun, you are smart and talented.
If you'd spend half as much effort on
on His Majesty compared to me,
it would be such a good thing.
Your Highness, you are not a fish, how can you understand the happiness of being one?
I'm already satisfied when I can spend time around you.
I never have hoped for the graces from His Majesty.
You...
You only made a pot of tea, why are your eyes so red?
It's nothing, when I used boiling water just now,
I accidentally steamed them.
You were crying?
I didn't, didnt.
Empress, I'm speaking up boldly for Hongluo.
No, no, I'm okay, Consort Chun, please don't say anything.
Consort Chun, continue.
When I entered the inner court just now.
I saw Hongluo being sullen.
I asked her about it, she was being incoherent.
Later on, I found out
she turned twenty-five last year, she's qualified to leave the palace.
But apparently her betrothed didn't want to wait,
and wants to marry someone else.
Hongluo, why didn't you talk to me?
Your Highness, Hongluo by her age is qualified indeed to leave the palace.
- But... - They should normally report to Your Highness,
to let Hongluo leave the palace and get married.
But Your Highness was in a bad mood.
No one wanted to disturb you with a small matter.
One thing led to another, the matter has been put off.
The female servants who reach the qualified age to leave the palace,
is a small matter to me indeed.
But to them, it's no small matter. It's a matter that impacts their entire lives.
Go to the Imperial Household Department immediately and sign up Hongluo!
Yes.
Hongluo, I will grant you a set dowry,
so that you can get married extravagantly.
I will never forget about Your Highness' benevolence and mercy!
Rise.
You can leave now.
Your Highness is very tolerant, and leads the harem diligently.
There's no one better than you.
Hongluo is walking in front of me every day.
I was totally in the dark...
Changchun Palace is under my eyes,
how could such a mistake have happened?
Let alone, the entire Forbidden Palace?
How many mistakes are happening every day?
I'm an Empress who has neglected her duty.
Consort Chun, I understand now.
What?
Fuheng has asked you to help,
but you could not tell me directly.
So you let me see through this matter
the consequences of neglecting one's duty.
Your Highness, Young Master Fuca said
that you have to take a look at the box he left for you.
Maybe it'll open your mind.
The Emperor who was chosen by heaven proclaims
Yonglian, my legitimate child,
is intelligent, precious and extraordinary.
Implicitly showing the signs of bearing great responsibilities.
After I ascended to the throne, he kept to the established laws and regulations.
I hereby personally write down that he is to be named the crown prince,
this decree is to be hidden behind the "Open and Above Board" plaque at Qianqing Palace.
Qianlong, seventh (lunar) month, second day, first year of reign
Your Highness, what's wrong?
Your Highness.
He named Yonglian,
as the Crown Prince.
When Yonglian was alive,
he was already Qing Dynasty's Crown Prince.
This is a good thing.
The day he ascended to the throne, he had already named his successor.
For Yonglian,
he had high hopes.
But I hated him, blamed him.
I wanted him to be like me.
But he is the Emperor.
He's the Emperor of Great Qing.
He is the Emperor...
Your Highness...
His Majesty must have been heartbroken as well.
Please don't blame him any longer.
It's all my fault.
I couldn't protect Yonglian.
He didn't only lose a son,
he also lost his Crown Prince he just named.
And I... All these years...
I only let myself live in pain.
I didn't fulfill my duty as an Empress.
I was wrong, I was wrong...
I was so completely wrong...
My father was right,
I'm a sinner in the Aisin-Gioro family.
In the Aisin-Gioro family,
I'm the sinner...
No, Your Highness, you weren't at fault.
It's destiny's fault, it took the Second Prince away.
The destiny took away your life.
Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.
Your Majesty, it's already san-geng hour. (T/N 11:00 pm to 1:00 am. Twelve "hours", each two hours long)
You should rest.
Yes.
Erqing, Empress should be awake.
Her Highness is unwell in her health. Let her rest more.
But the consorts will come to pay respect to her soon.
Then do as usual, spare it.
All of you, come in.
Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.
Dress me.
Yes.
Usually when I have invited you for tea,
you'd put it off and won't come.
But now you're quite diligent.
It's my duty to greet the Her Highness the Empress and wish her health.
If Empress won't wake up, she shouldn't let us wait in vain.
Imperial Concubine Jia, let's go.
Yes, Your Highness.
I haven't arrived and someone wants to leave?
Are we too much in a rush?
Greetings to Your Highness the Empress.
I thought Your Highness forgot again about the greeting.
Noble Consort Gao.
I remember when you first came into the manor,
you were so good at pouring tea.
How come you're getting more unruly as the years pass?
Maybe once we came into the palace
and you were installed as the Noble Consort, you forgot what the hierarchy of status means?
All of my sisters, you are excused from formality.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Since we're all gathered today,
there are a few things I need to bring up.
I am usually sick.
So many things in the palace have gone undone despite my care.
Now I am much better,
so these matters should be tended to.
- Noble Lady Yu. - Yes.
You're pregnant with a royal heir but you've always suffered from weak health.
You need someone capable watching over you.
Other than the royal physicians required to check your pulse daily,
the Internal Affairs Bureau will send a few sharp and skilled hands to care after you.
Of course, if someone continues to be blind
and be offensive, you can come to me all you want.
I will seek justice for you.
Thank you, Empress, for your care.
Rise.
Also, Imperial Concubine Yi.
So young in age and she left.
Such a regrettable and lamentable matter.
I will ask His Majesty to bury her honorably.
As for her family, they will be settled well too.
Your Highness the Empress.
Imperial Concubine Yi killed herself.
If I am to speak ugly words, if it were a palace maid committing this grave offense,
the family would be beheaded or exiled.
Today you are speaking of an honorable burial?
Could it be that
Empress wants everyone to follow suit?
I said Imperial Concubine Yi died from illness.
But you claim she hung herself, Noble Consort Gao.
Who is really right?
Consort Chun?
Surely Your Highness the Empress is right.
Consort Xian?
Yes.
And all you other sisters?
How would the Empress be wrong? Naturally it was death due to illness.
Look then.
Even a newly-entered Noble Lady is more aware of the rules than Noble Consort Gao.
How shocking.
Empress!
Sure. If Empress says she died from illness, then we’ll regard it as such.
I may be able to forgive and move on from what’s happened in the palace already.
However from now on, if anyone should cause disturbance
I shall absolutely not overlook it.
Is that all clear to you, Sisters?
Whore!
The Empress usually never pays attention to the inner palace matters.
Why did she go against the usual and suddenly appear today?
If you ask me, who do I ask?
In my opinion, if the Empress really gets back up...
A sickly cat is always still a sickly cat.
A rare roar, and that still doesn’t make her the tigress.
She’s not paid heed to matters for so long already.
She wants to reclaim the authority to mind matters now?
That’s not so easily done.
Your Highness' words are so precise.
However with the Empress watching now,
we may need to be more vigilant in our conduct.
We will see about that.
Let’s see how long she can make that breath last.
Your Highness, are you alright?
Forgive me, Consort Xian. I am with offense!
Where are your eyes? You bumped into her straight on!
You’ve dirtied up her nice clothes.
That’s enough, Zhen’er.
You’re not injured?
Rise.
Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.
Be careful walking in the future.
What’s wrong?
Consort Xian. My mother is gravely ill.
But the supervising ward won’t let me visit her.
I am so worried I won’t get to see my mother for the last time.
That’s why I walked in a daze.
Which palace do you belong to?
I am from Ruyi Hall.
If you’re telling the truth,
I will speak with Supervisor Wu to release you for a sick visit.
Thank you, Your Highness!
Your Highness Consort Xian, I will never forget your merciful grace!
Sister, you are titled as Consort Xian, meaning "virtue".
Everyone in the Forbidden City knows this,
And I have found out.
You are revered and loved by everyone in the palace.
That is not a title you earned for no reason.
Just a helping hand. Nothing worth mentioning.
Many helping hands added together.
Everyone in the palace sees it.
No wonder Noble Consort Gao wants to be on your good side too.
You are making a joke.
Today the Empress was drastically different than before.
I believe it’s your merit.
Sister, you are overthinking.
Before, Her Highness didn't like to manage the affairs because she's sick.
Now that her health has greatly improved, she surely must return in managing the harem.
In the past, when the eight of us were still attending at the Prince Bao Manor,
other than the deceased Consort Zhe,
there were Empress, Noble Consort Gao, Imperial Concubine Jia, Noble Lady Yu, and Noble Lady Wan.
I actually can see clearly what each one wants,
except for you, Consort Chun.
Until now, I can't see it clearly.
What exactly do you want to point at, Consort Xian?
Among we eight, in terms of appearance and talent,
you are the most outstanding.
But within a year, I never saw you showcasing this even once.
It's as if you're always sick.
My health is weak and it has dragged me down.
But when Empress needs you to be around,
you will be by her side.
I understand. Empress is the mother of the nation. She commands the six palaces.
Being close to her will indeed be beneficial.
But Sister, you never asked for anything.
Tell me, what do you really want?
Aren't you the one who is truly without worldly desires?
Glory, splendor, wealth, and fame, all those desires, you don't get involved with any of them.
In your heart, His Majesty is the most important.
Look at you. You can clearly see through everyone.
But what about you? I just couldn't fully understand you.
Since you're not attending the tea gathering of Noble Consort Gao,
will you accept my invitation to admire the flowers?
If it's purely just to admire the flowers,
of course, I will be happy too.
But if it involves others, then forgive for disrespectfully refusing it.
Sister, while living in the Forbidden City,
it won't be easy to isolate one's self for preservation of integrity.
I don't ask for that, but I ask to have a guilt-free conscience.
Sister, I'll take my leave.
Sister Zhilan.
You are?
We are embroidery maidens. Supervisor Zhang told us to bring the finished spring clothes here.
Is there an issue?
Look how we're all wearing the same palace maid outfits,
but when you wear it, you stand out so much.
And the embroidered flower by the collar is so pretty.
I can tell right away you're a skillful person.
You're pretty good at talking.
But pity that scented pouch.
If it's touched up with some cyan threads, it'd be prettier.
Sister, I actually have cyan-colored threads on me.
If you don't mind,
I'll add it on for you now.
Linglong, we need to rush back to the embroidery house.
What's there to be scared of? Go back and tell your Momo Zhang
that I thought this girl was pretty sharp, so I kept her for a chat.
You come with me.
The skills of the embroidery house maidens are good indeed.
The added color adds more balance.
This is nothing though. There's a girl named Yingluo in our house.
She's not only exceptional in her embroidery skills, she's also a sharp mind.
Last time, if it weren't for her, none of us would have known the loquat ointment was so complicated!
What did you say? Loquat ointment?
Yes.
Yingluo mentioned in Yonghe Palace last time about her childhood days, when she accidentally ate a loquat pit.
If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have known the young leaves are poisonous and can't be used for medicine.
Sister, did I say something wrong?
Of course not. We're just chatting.
I am relieved then.
Sister, I thought you'd be bored by me coming to chat out of nowhere.
I didn't realize what a nice person you really are.
By the way, that palace maid you mentioned.
Her name is Yingluo?
Wei Yingluo.
Pretty good.
- Yingluo, what are you embroidering? - I'm embroidering the clouds tinged with sunset hues.
You can embroider all things in the world,
except that the clouds at sunset are hard to embroider.
Every time you embroider it, it just looks like a cloud. How meaningless.
You all come look.
She embroidered it so well.
Yingluo, you used the full embroidery technique?
I thought only the full embroidery technique can show the clouds tinged with sunset hues.
Look. This is red, gradually fading to white.
Then progressing to blue.
Then you can experience the gradation of the sunset clouds.
The red glow against the blue sky, contrasting each other.
It's indeed quite beautiful.
Supervisor, I want to embroider it on clothing.
Maybe the noble women would like them.
Miss Zhilan, what brings you here?
Is Her Highness unhappy with the spring attire?
We needn't have troubled you for your personal trip here.
You could send a palace maid with word and I'd come to Chuxiu Palace right away.
Noble Consort is indeed unhappy with the embroidery, so she wants a different look.
I hear you've got a Wei Yingluo here with exceptional skills.
Have her come with me.
Alright then. Let me give her some instructions.
Noble Consort sent an order, so we don't dare to delay.
Let's go, hurry up!
Yingluo. Yingluo!
Supervisor Zhang, I feel like something's off!
Did that Wei Yingluo commit some grave crime?
Who knows.
I guess the good show is about to begin.
What's going on?
I bid the two mistresses wellness!
You are Wei Yingluo?
Yes. Your Highness!
Why are you so loud? I'm not deaf.
Quieter.
I have been a loud talker since I was young.
Supervisor hit me many times already.
No. No.
I can't change.
You said young leaves of loquat are poisonous?
Yes.
It's poisonous. You can't eat it.
Noble Consort, look.
It really is her.
Noble Consort, you want to eat loquat too?
But you can't eat the pit and don't touch the young leaves.
They are both poisonous.
When I was little, I loved to eat so much. Once...
I accidentally ate too much.
Vomiting and diarrhea.
I almost died. Last time!
The mistress in Yonghe Palace wanted to eat loquat too.
I told her not to.
So dangerous.
What is this mess?
Incoherent and unintelligible!
What are you staring at?
Noble Consort, what are you eating?
I've never eaten rice glue balls before.
This is lotus-root powder balls.
I'm talking to you, stop sidetracking.
Noble Consort, this foolish maid seems to be a little stupid.
You, approach me.
Have you ever eaten lotus-root powder balls before?
I will grant this bowl to you.
Do you want more?
So delicious!
Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.
♫The Forbidden Palace's walls surround them, feeling like a good place to reside.♫
♫As the walls sever the setting sun's rays, they lose their past dreams as it grows cold.♫
♫Decaying leaves cover the neglected shuttered window, that remembers the cold winds of twenty harvests.♫
♫Knowing only how to go with the flow, and pass the years.♫
♫Unmarried and hopeful, the heavy, dark gates are locked, ♫
♫Cultivated and proud, gem-like beauties, and yet somehow♫
♫Flowers who stay may endure breakage, causing them ask to change their karma♫
♫Can not an empty branch give them a carefree place to rest upon?♫
♫Longing to be together with him, separated as the illumination in the western window declines,♫
♫At leisure to be melancholy, also perplexed and worried about it all.♫
♫Who will pity her, and record her lifetime full of misery?♫
♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫
♫Longing to be together with him, separated as the illumination in the western window declines,♫
♫At leisure to be melancholy, also perplexed and worried about it all.♫
♫Who will pity her, and record her lifetime full of misery?♫
♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫f
♫A pretentious, showy vision on a stage.♫