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 PalaceEpisode 68
I've already stayed at the prince manor for too long.
I've really had my fill of it.
Mother Ling says, if I still won't come out and face reality,
she might just tear apart that prince manor.
To leave me with no place to hide.
As you know, Royal Father,
Mother Ling is someone who does what she says she will.
Yingluo is acting too recklessly indeed.
Mother Ling said Royal Physician Ye is in Jiangnan.
I want to go and find him. Perhaps,
perhaps, my leg,
still has hope.
Alright.
Good! You go too.
Your father is very happy.
That you can pull yourself together so fast.
Royal Father, may you approve
Royal Mother to come too. Will you?
Royal Mother. Royal Mother.
Greetings to 12th Prince.
Royal Mother, greetings.
Yongji.
Royal Mother, Royal Father has approved.
You can go along on the southern tour too.
Royal Father consented. He did!
Yongji, how are in such a wreck?
Zhen'er, hurry and pour water.
Yes.
Mistress, Your Highness. How filial is 12th Prince?
To be able to persuade His Majesty to change his mind.
It wasn't me.
I knelt for six hours outside the door and Royal Father wouldn't agree.
But as soon as 5th Brother went, Royal Father changed his mind.
Royal Mother, 5th Brother is so good.
It was all thanks to 5th Brother this time.
We need to thank him well.
Thank him for what?
What a loser you are.
And to look so happy it at that!
Go out.
Royal Mother. Did Yongji do something wrong?
Get lost!
12th Prince, you should go out for now.
Royal Mother. Everyone says you're ill.
At first I didn't believe it, but now I see that,
you really are sick.
- 12th Prince! 12th Prince!- Don't go after him.
Your Highness.
He knelt for six hours but that's less than one word from another.
And he actually stands there looking so happy? How funny.
How funny is that!
Us mother and son, to His Majesty,
we are nothing.
We are nothing.
15th Prince!
Slower!
15th Prince!
Forgive me, 15th Prince.
What's going on?
Forgive me, 15th Prince. I deserve death.
Alright, move aside.
15th Prince, it's time to go to class.
Sister Nalan, it's all my fault.
This time, I beg pardon from you sincerely.
We've been together for so long.
In my heart, I've always respected you.
Since you like Yongyan,
let us look after him together in the future with no suspicion. Alright?
By the way, the brush and ink you sent are truly great.
Yongyan is so happy with them.
He said, Master Liu at the academy is an ink fool.
He loves to collect good inks stones and brushes.
Today, he took it to show off the master especially.
When I see Yongyan now,
I am more delighted than seeing His Majesty.
Would I harm him?
In the future, don't you calculate me with your pettiness.
Next time,
you watch if I will forgive you.
Yes, yes, yes. It's all my fault. I'll never dare again.
I will peel an apple for you personally.
You eat it and treat it as you've forgiven me.
Consort Qing, 15th Prince suddenly fell very ill.
He's been sent back to Yanxi Palace.
Let's go.
Don't be anxious. Let's ask what happened.
Noble Consort Ling. How is Yongyan?
He was fine in the morning. How is he ill so suddenly? Is he alright now?
Noble Consort Ling, what did the royal physician say?
The royal physician said Yongyan was poisoned.
Poisoned?
Show it to Consort Qing.
The royal physician already verified.
The bristles were soaked in poison.
The prince has a habit. Before he starts to write,
he likes to put the tip of the brush into his mouth to moisten it.
Thankfully the prince is lucky and he only wrote halfway.
And Master Liu saw and became fond of the brush so he took it to admire it.
What did you do?
What did I do?
How dare you use such a poisonous hand! You knew very well Yongyan is my only hope.
Why did you do this? Why?
How can you regard me as such?
I didn't do it. I really didn't do it.
The weasel bristle brush and the ink stone were both from you!
If it's not you, who would it be?
Yes, I did gift the weasel brush and the ink stone.
But I bought them at high price.
I can swear to heaven. I really didn't do anything to them.
It's true. I . . .
I know it. It was your incompetence in caring after him.
But you want to push off the blame on me here.
Alright, Lu Wanwan.
What kind of a mother are you?
If it were me looking after Yongyan,
this would've never happened.
I have not looked after him well indeed.
But you who had poisoned him,
don't you think about getting out of this one. Let's go!
Go with me to His Majesty to testify.
- Let's go. - I'm not going. - Go!
- I didn't do it. - Enough!
Let go.
Yongyan is still resting.
You two want to wake the kid?
Consort Qing, you lost composure.
How many years have I been in the palace?
I finally got a son after so much trouble.
If someone dares to touch Yongyan,
I will seek their life!
Why don't you use that brain and think about it?
I gifted you the brush and the ink and if something happened, could I escape implication?
Someone framed me, clearly.
Right! That is a framing.
Brush and ink were only touched by you and me. Who would frame?
5th Prince was met with misfortune.
And 4th Prince was sent to a Imperial Clan Court.
If Yongyan was gone too,
shut your mouth! Yongyan is fine.
I'm just saying, in case.
If 15th Prince also loses the strength to fight.
Who would benefit?
It's 12th Prince!
12th Prince.
Great. They harm one and another.
Now, they've dragged me into it too.
No. This time, I must go to His Majesty and lodge a complaint on her.
Lodge a complaint? Where is your evidence?
Brush and ink were gifted by you.
How is that linked to Empress? No cause and no proof.
How will you confront Empress?
Then . . . I can't just sit and be framed like this.
Yingluo. Consort Shu is right.
We can't just sit idly about this.
You all be quiet.
This matter has too many slip-ups.
It doesn't seem to be Empress's conduct.
The one with best reason to harm Yongyan in Forbidden City,
is the empress. If it's not her, who would it be?
Think about it.
First, 5th Prince first met with misfortune.
Then 4th Prince was exposed. And now, Yongyan is poisoned.
These incidents in a row happened all too smoothly.
Empress always conducts herself prudently and cautiously.
She would have no need to rush to invite suspicion.
Wei Yingluo.
If someone tried to offend you in the past,
you would poke a hole in the sky.
Now, you're a noble consort.
And you're so easily scared of wolf and tiger already.
I think you're getting more and more useless.
You won't go, is that right? If you don't go, I'll go.
Even if His Majesty knows and doesn't do anything,
I still need to let Empress know!
Consort Shu. Don't rough up the grass to warn the snake.
Consort Shu! Consort Shu!
Empress still hasn't hit the target. Will she act again?
Shoukang Palace
Greetings, Empress Dowager.
Greetings, Your Highness Empress.
Empress Dowager, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave.
Empress Dowager suddenly called me for an audience. May I ask for what reason?
When Rongyin left,
Emperor was so heart broken.
He kept delaying naming a new empress.
It was me who reminded him
that you are dignified and virtuous.
Qualified to be a motherly model of the empire. Do you still remember?
I won't dare forget that it was you who helped my promotion.
Kneel.
I told you to kneel!
I don't know what mistake have I done that made you so mad.
May Empress Dowager enlighten me.
If you stayed contented with your lot,
focused in managing the inner palace, I would have stayed quiet
about the other things.
But never thought
that you've grown tired of being an empress.
Always just giving importance on 12th Prince.
Are you planning to continue with your success
and progress further?
Empress Dowager, I dare not even think of such treacherous act.
Don't know who is the one instigating behind my back.
This is groundless accusation and slander.
I've devoted all my attention in taking care of the inner place and attending to you.
I never had any disloyalty.
If a person doesn't stay contented,
he would become insatiable.
Kneel here for an incense time so you could be more awake.
Empress Dowager, even if I've done any mistakes,
allow me to defend myself.
Right now, I just want you to remember one thing.
An empress has the duty of taking care of the royal descendants.
From now on, if anything bad happens to any princes or princesses,
no matter who did it,
I will punish you for neglect of duty.
Your Highness, be careful.
[Shoukang Gate]
Regarding 15th Prince getting poisoned,
Empress Dowager and His Majesty are filled with a lot of misunderstandings.
Her Highness Empress isn't able to defend herself no matter what she says. She has suffered so much grievances.
Think about it. Even if Mistress Empress indeed would make a move,
why would she time it when Fifth Prince has just gotten hurt?
Of course, this is just a thief framing someone else as the thief.
Noble Consort Ling.
People would say that even an evil tiger won't eat his own children.
But she's more sinister than an evil tiger!
She actually used 15th Prince to set up a trap.
Noble Consort Ling kept pressing hard.
Her Highness Empress has no more room to retreat to.
She doesn't know what else to do.
I surely will talk with Royal Brother again.
Talk? Prince, no matter how much you try to convince him,
will it work?
His Majesty is venting his anger on Her Highness Empress.
He surely won't make 12th Prince as the Crown Prince.
Once 15th Prince ascends to the throne,
would he let Empress and her son go?
What you mean is...
Prince, do you still remember the previous Acting Regent King?
Scoundrel!
You want me to follow Dorgon in acting as a regent and monopolizing the government's power?
That is rebelling!
Prince, don't speak as such.
Don't speak?
You disloyal and unfilial servant.
You should be immediately dragged out and sliced into pieces.
Prince, stay at this door and shout
that I, Yuan Chunwang, is scheming to rebel.
You!
Crazy!
If our discussion earlier gets out,
my death is not to be pitied.
But Prince, I'm just a servant.
Even if my master succeeds in obtaining power, I'm just a useless being.
I will never be able to man the court and overturn clouds and rains.
Prince, I risked danger to give you such an advice
not for myself.
I'm doing this for Her Highness Empress.
I'm doing this for your sake.
No. I can't.
I will never do it.
My words end here. May Prince take care of yourself.
Prince, do you want to be a hero of the Aisin-Gioro clan
or a dog just getting trampled on?
You decide.
Lord Fuheng.
Prince He of the First Rank, His Majesty has made clear orders
to strictly prohibit the eunuch of the inner palace in having close interaction with high court officials.
I don't need to remind you that, right?
Lord Fuheng, you probably are having some misunderstanding.
I gifted 12th Prince a parrot that can talk.
Chief Steward Yuan just came to thank me in his command.
Whether it's just a misunderstanding, you know it very well.
If I bump into it again, I can only enforce the law accordingly.
Hope you can understand.
You yourself isn't clean, so what right do you have
to lecture me?
What did you say?
Those fishy secrets between you and Noble Consort Ling,
you think people don't know?
Hongzhou, stop spouting lies.
What?
Angry now?
You've been guarding me for so long, wasn't it all because you're afraid that I'll harm her?
Too bad. She hasn't put any importance on you.
She's just focused on clambering over the dragon and following the phoenix (fawning the powerful), continue on her rise in position.
Because of what you said, you looked guilty.
Why would I feel guilty?
Before, I never suspected it. But rethinking it now,
there is indeed a talking parrot in Chengqian Palace.
It doesn't seem to have been gifted to 12th Prince.
Prince He of the First Rank is doing acts to cover your true intentions.
If you're not guilty, what could it be then?
How dare you!
Hongzhou, you're using force right inside the palace. Do you want to die?
I so want to see who's the one who doesn't want his life.
[Internal Right Gates]
Stop!
- Your Majesty.- Greetings, Your Majesty.
How are your injuries?
Hongzhou, what is this place?
You are getting more and more unruly.
Your Majesty, I—
Your Majesty, Prince He of the First Rank and I just had a sudden whim
of exchanging some fighting stances.
Exchanging stances?
I was excessively reckless.
I almost hurt Lord Fuheng.
You're exchanging fighting stances not in the practice arena,
but here at an the important office of the Council of State.
Fuheng, as the head of the Council of State,
you openly fought with another person.
I'm punishing you to have no salary for half a year. Do you accept your punishment?
I accept it.
You! Come in with me.
Respectfully sending off Your Majesty.
I didn't punish you in public because I took into account of the dignity of the Aisin-Gioro family.
Go and punish yourself at the residence of the clan.
Emperor Brother, Fuheng is just an outsider.
As for us, we grew up together.
We studied together. I'm your biological brother.
Beating up Neqin, insulting the clan
and even dared to tamper with military equipment.
If you weren't my biological brother, I wouldn't have repeatedly been lenient with you.
Emperor Brother.
Hongzhou.
Since young, you grew up under the knees of the Empress Dowager.
I regarded you has having been born from the same mother and entrusted you with an important post.
But as for you,
you conducted a grand funeral for the living in the He mansion.
Those were minor disturbances.
For the past two years, you even dared to invite the civil and military officials,
sat on the coffin and laughed out loud.
You were wild, arrogant and took the law into your own hands.
You wanted to tell everyone
of hidden pain in your heart, resentment and the unfairness!
You wanted everyone in the kingdom tknow that you have received unfair treatments. Isn't that so?
Emperor Brother, conducting a funeral for the living was merely just for fun.
You didn't do it to vent yourself. It was pretending to be absurd.
You used the live funeral as cover up to secretly commit a crime.
Emperor Brother, I can swear to heaven.
I didn't do such a devious deed.
The Imperial censures against you are piling up like a mountain!
If I didn't keep covering up for you,
you...!
Hongzhou, remember this.
This is the last time.
If you dare to touch my limit again,
don't blame me for disregarding our brotherhood.
Starting from today, I will speak and act cautiously.
Your Majesty, please forgive me.
Empress Dowager, do you still remember
when I squeezed myself into a cabinet?
Everyone thought something bad happened to me and panicked.
You were six years old then.
Everyone was jumping up and down the whole day.
You caused your mother to panic and she almost fainted.
It's just a cabinet and
you could even curled up in there.
Wasn't it just to skip classes?
I remember that Emperor Brother, in order to cover up for me,
he was punished with me.
Your Royal brother was beaten and punished many times because of you
but you simply refused to mend your ways.
What are you talking about that making you so happy?
Greetings, Emperor Brother.
The older and younger brothers have become cautious towards each other.
I'm not used to seeing this.
Why are you so free today to come to Shoukang Palace to chat with the Empress Dowager?
I already know about the matter.
Emperor, Hongzhou is now sincere about his mistake.
Spare him on my account.
You are sincere in admitting your mistake?
Emperor Brother.
Those thousand of mistakes were due to my absurdity.
Starting from today, if I commit a mistake again,
I request Your Majesty to personally issue the death sentence
and flog me to death.
I won't ask for clemency.
Emperor.
You are close relatives
with deep feelings.
When the late Emperor passed away, I repeatedly advised you
to take good care of Hongzhou.
Did you forget that?
Whatever happened in the past, I will let bygones be bygones.
Let's be close again just like in the past.
Okay?
Emperor Brother.
Enough.
It's already in the past.
No one is allowed to mention this again.
Emperor Brother,
There will be thousands of people going for the Southern tour.
It's extremely complex. The subordinates are doing a sloppy job.
I understand the kind intention of the Empress Dowager.
Why not let me have the authority to do it?
I will guarantee the Empress Dowager that the journey will be smooth sailing.
I'm happy that you have this good intention.
Assist the Internal Affairs Department with the preparations then.
I'm going there now.
Empress Dowager, Your Majesty. I'm taking my leave.
Hongzhou. Hongzhou!
Look at how old he is now.
He still do whatever he wants.
Royal Mother, what I previously discussed with you,
what do you think about it?
Imperial Noble Consort is equal to Vice Empress.
The Empress is still here.
Rushing to establish an Imperial Noble Consort,
I fear it's inappropriate.
I...
want to use Noble Consort Ling to manage the harem.
It doesn't need the establishment of an Imperial Noble Consort to manage the harem.
When the Empress was Consort Xian,
she also managed the affairs of the palace.
Emperor, what's going on?
Mishaps keep happening to Yongji.
I think the Empress is bad at management.
It's hard not to be blamed.
I think it's still better to replace the person in managing the harem.
It's more appropriate.
Emperor, you are suspicious about what happened to Yongji?
There is no concrete evidence.
I will not suspect anyone.
The Empress is definitely sick.
I can't count on a sick person to manage the harem.
It's still better for her to recuperate in peace.
Prince He.
Hongzhou was clueless.
I forgot the snuff bottle that was rewarded to me by Empress Dowager.
Why are the faces so solemn after I have just left?
What happened?
Leave now.
Just manage the Southern tour well and I will be very grateful.
I'm really leaving now.
Establishing an Imperial Noble Consort is just like letting the Empress become a mere figure head.
What will the civil and military officials think?
How will the commoners criticize us?
Emperor, this must be carefully considered.
Carefully consider this again.
Royal Mother is circumspect.
I will go according to your opinion.
We will discuss this again when we are back from the Southern tour.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Mistress, there is news from Prince He.
Prince He said that,
His Majesty has the intention to establish Noble Consort Ling as Imperial Noble Consort Ling.
What did you say?
His Majesty wants to establish Noble Consort Ling as Imperial Noble Consort Ling.
No. This can't be.
Impossible.
I'm the Empress of Great Qing.
Why would the Great Qing want to establish an Imperial Noble Consort?
Mistress, I have always thought that in the Great Qing,
other than Empress Xiaoxian and Madam Dong E,
if the Noble Consort is gravely ill and difficult to heal,
granting the title of Imperial Noble Consort is to show consolation.
If there is no Empress in the Forbidden City,
by establishing an Imperial Noble Consort as a replacement to manage the harem,
it means that there is no Empress in place.
What other reasons could there be to establish an Imperial Noble Consort?
His Majesty also said...
What did he say?
His Majesty also said that
you are seriously ill and must take care to recuperate well.
His Majesty wants to completely remove your power.
If this information goes out,
what will the civil and military officials think? What will the commoners of Great Qing think?
They will think that Your Highness has committed an unpardonable sin.
Your Highness will be deprived of your glories.
When will it be?
When will it be officially established?!
When he's back from the Southern tour.
- Yuan Chunwang. - Here.
Relay a message to Prince He on my behalf. Say that...
Mistress, look at the time now!
Noble Consort Ling is going to take over your power.
Mistress, you must not hesitate any longer.
Tell Hongzhou,
no matter what, I must see him today.
I will abide.
Why?
Hongli, why must you do this to me?
Why?!
Your brother greeting Your Highness the Empress.
This Empress seat is already just in name.
Empress.
Can you help me?
How do you wish me to help you?
These last ten years,
I have managed the harem earnestly without committing any grave wrongs.
Yet His Majesty blames me and distances himself from me so much.
And he's carrying out the installation of Imperial Noble Consort.
That is all illogical.
Now you are Prince He of First Rank that everyone respects.
If His Majesty wishes to install Imperial Noble Consort,
but the imperial clansmen and high ranking military and scholarly ministers join hands to oppose,
then His Majesty can't just carry it out stubbornly either.
Even now.
You still hold out hope for him?
Hongli's methods are unyielding.
Our only hope,
it's to remove and replace.
What are you saying?
I said, remove and replace.
You're crazy.
Treat it as I never came today.
All these years, how have you treated him?
Why can't we rebel him?
Why can't we go after all that we deserve?
What do you want to do?
Kill him.
You . . .
You've lost all your reason.
He's the emperor! This is scheming a revolt!
Even if I am mad, I'm mad because he pushed me into it.
After the return from southern campaign,
you.
You will become just a puppet.
Treated as fish flesh by others all day long.
Only Yongji.
Yongji is still a prince no matter what.
Even if he can't ascend the throne,
My life today.
It's Yongji's tomorrow.
Yongji will be more wretched than me. Do you know that?
Shushen.
The time of the southern campaign is our best time to make our move.
For you. For 12th Prince.
You need to think about what I said thoroughly.
Empress.
Your Highness, you've been distracted all day.
What's happened?
Nothing.
You say it's nothing,
but I've served Your Highness for so many years.
I've never seen you looking so anxious and distracted.
Just earlier, I've suddenly gained,
an opportunity to stand back up.
Your Highness, you mean . . .
Prosperity to Your Majesty. Prosperity to Your Majesty.
A small mind makes not a gentleman, and a real man lacks not in venom.
Desperate times need desperate measures.
Zhen'er. How many times have I told you?
You stop doing those chores.
These chores can be left for the lower servants.
I am willing.
Our Empress really said that?
Empress, has she really made up her mind?
To cooperate with Prince He?
Our mistress, you know,
she needs your help to push her a bit.
Me?
Zhen'er, help me from Empress's jewelry box,
fetch out an item.
Lord Fuheng. Is there an urgent matter today?
Usually when you see me, you'd just nod and leave.
But today you saw me from afar.
And you came up to me especially.
So I can see that there's urgent matter.
I am about to go to battle.
Aren't you supposed to escort His Majesty to the southern tour?
Two days ago, Myanmar soldiers launched a fierce surprise attack.
Now they're pressing us at Simao City.
They intend to take away 12 autonomous prefectures.
His Majesty has ordered me to leave for battle right away.
To help Yungui governor in war efforts. I leave tomorrow.
So suddenly?
May we talk in private, Noble Consort?
You have to watch out for Prince He.
Prince He?
A few days ago, he and I had a fight exchange.
Today at royal court, he disregarded our past enmity.
And recommended me to His Majesty.
Why did you fight?
I saw personally a meeting between Yuan Chunwang and Prince He.
Prince He was furious from the humiliation and resorted to physical act.
I understand now.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lord Fuheng. And I wish you a smooth journey.
May you win victoriously.
Is there anything else?
These years, small and big battles.
You won them all.
Everyone says you're a lucky general.
His Majesty is only full of praises as well.
This time, it won't be an exception either, of course.
I will await the great news of your great victory.
Thank you for trusting me.
Yingluo.
Take care.
Xiao Quanzi.
Your Ladyship.
Go take my badge and leave the palace right away, and investigate a person for me.
Your Ladyship, the southern tour is in three days.
If I leave now,
I'm afraid I won't be back in time to serve you.
After you find out, you rush to join us.
Tell others your family member is ill and I allowed you to leave to visit.
Yes.
Mistress. It's time to attend the banquet.
Subtitles brought to you by The Gentle Empress Team @ Viki.
Forgetting Each Other
♫It's very likely that recalling vivid images will throw me into upheaval,♫
♫The past graceful, concerning passions have gone only into hibernation.♫
♫Along with my lord, my original aspirations are now distant, the promises and wishes to accompany each other♫
♫Are proof of yearning endured, trembling in the endless night.♫
♫How true our feelings were, even though our fate was shallow,♫
♫Hearts locked away in dark halls from the light, difficult to find and recover.♫
♫Other people envy my splendid, bright clothing, the warmth beside my pillow, (T/N the love of her lord)♫
♫Then turning round sigh admiringly, through wet tears in somber-colored robes.♫
♫Who clearly would cling to a moment of being in love and inseparable?♫
♫The end of passion becomes merely a sentimental entanglement.♫
♫If one uses separation to cut away the bindings,♫
♫Forgetting one another is also difficult in the depths of one's dreams.♫
♫Who clearly would still cling to these deep feelings and desire them again,♫
♫And give free rein to this state of mind over and over in their dreams?♫
♫Glory and splendor give shelter to appearing to forget the pain,♫
♫From dreams awakening after a time, with nothing new to worry about.♫
♫Treating them like smoke dissipating, ashes flying away, cold hoarfrost under the moonlight...♫
♫All the memories of love, memories of hate...♫
♫All the memories completely vanish.♫