The battle for the state has just begun.
You mean you'll revolt?
Please tell the Crown Prince, when I'm dead,
if my coffin is covered with a black crape,
it means His Majesty plans to depose him.
If it's white,
he's still the Crown Prince.
sis Hui!
What will you do?
Wei Zheng's plan...
will you tell the Crown Prince or His Majesty about it?
If you were in my shoes,
how would you choose?
Help the Crown Prince and Wei Zheng,
keep quiet
or expose them?
If I were you,
I'd probably help them.
What?
Because he's the Emperor,
he has everything,
whereas, we have nothing but him.
Even if we beat all women in the harem,
we still have to let "power" defeat us.
A man with power
will not cherish the woman who loves him.
If you want him,
you must make him lose everything,
for instance, force him to yield the throne.
Only then, a devoted heart
is perhaps something he'd appreciate.
I'd better go.
How you will proceed
depends on how you choose.
Whatever you decide to do,
I'm always on your side.
My dear,
yesterday the House of Attire
sent me some fine liaoling.
This silk is best used for dancing dresses.
I intend to give them to the Crown Princess.
What do you think?
As I've told you, whatever you decide,
I'll always be on your side.
so you've decided to help the Crown Prince with the rebellion?
Then why tell him about Wei Zheng's plan?
Telling him about Wei Zheng's plan is best for His Majesty.
If the Crown Prince keeps his title,
then all is well.
If Wei Zheng's coffin is covered with black crape,
I can still go to His Majesty and tell him about the Crown Prince's plot,
including the reasons for my connections to the Eastern Palace.
If His Majesty were to hate me,
so be it.
This is the foolproof way to handle it.
In any event, it's safest for His Majesty!
All we can do now
is wait for Chancellor Wei's funeral procession to pass by.
You silly girl,
don't you ever think for yourself?
In any case,
it's dangerous for you to go to the Eastern Palace.
Let Rui'an send the silk over.
Congratulations, Your Highness!
General Hou is back from Qara-hoja.
The presentation of prisoners will be held at Taiji Palace tomorrow.
You're finally back!
Wenniang!
Why do you always run from me?
Because you're a pain and follow me everywhere.
Here's the candle-stand you wanted me to repair.
It's done! Open it...good enough for you?
It was just a chip,
what took you so long? so stupid.
Alright. Not bad!
Turn it over and take a look.
What's there to look at?
Just take a look!
All the candle stands in the Palace are exactly alike.
This one has "Wen" engraved on it.
Just like your name Wenniang.
What nonsense is this?
You ruined a perfectly good candlestand.
You should be punished!
sis Hui!
Come back, Rui'an!
Wenniang, Jieyu Xu needs you! Coming!
Rui'an is taking some fabric to the Eastern Palace.
Try to stall him.
Jieyu Xu! Don't ask!
Just do as I say.
Aye!
Wenniang!
You!
Where are you going, Wenniang?
Jieyu Chen of Hanxiang Hall likes Jieyu Xu's sunflower rouge,
Jieyu Xu wants me to send some over.
Wenniang!
Wait up! I'm going to the Eastern Palace, it's on my way.
Eastern Palace is not on the way to Hanxiang Hall.
You're right, it's not!
But I can make it on the way.
Let's go!
How pretty!
What is it? I hate...
I hate myself for being a eunuch.
Why do you say that?
I sprained my foot! Are you alright?
Don't worry, come...
I'll give you a rub.
Better?
Don't take advantage of me! stop staring!
Turn around... sorry!
Turn around!
Don't look!
Help me up! sure!
I still have to go to Hanxiang Hall. Come!
What are you doing now?
I want to say something! What?
Here's the deal...
Other eunuchs who are friends with me
have received a brocade handkerchief with mandarin ducks from Palace maids.
We've known each other for so long,
can you make one like it and give it to me?
I knew you're up to no good.
I know the rules.
Mandarin ducks mean the maid and the eunuch
agreed to be paired off.
It's a token of love.
Just because you repaired the candle stand
doesn't mean I'll pair off with you.
In your next life! Next life?
Watch your foot.
Don't follow me!
Or I'll never speak to you again!
This tribute silk came from Yuexi,
His Majesty awarded some to Cairen Wu.
she said this fabric is best used to make dancing dresses.
she knows the Crown Princess is a good dancer,
so she told me to bring some for Her Highness.
Please personally give them to Her Highness.
How kind of Cairen Wu!
Her Highness will like this very much.
Greetings, Your Majesty!
Get up! Your Majesty!
What is it?
There's something I must tell you.
That night... sire!
The courtiers are assembled in Taiji Hall.
The prisoners will be presented soon.
Where's Chengqian?
His Highness...
Keep talking!
I wish to tell you...
don't drink so much.
It's bad for your health.
The Wu Meiniang I know
would never beat around the bush.
That was the you I like best.
Your Majesty!
His Majesty the Emperor
summons the Duke of Lu, General Hou Junji.
Commander of the Jiaohe expedition, Hou Junji, presenting the prisoners.
Former ruler of Qara-hoja Qu Zhisheng and his two sons
are brought before His Majesty after their surrender.
The Duke of Lu travelled far
and crushed the rebels for me and the state.
Congratulations on a job well done!
By law, I will
reward General Hou and his men
according to their respective merits.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Qu Zhisheng, do you admit your mistake?
I brought my sons to face you, Your Majesty
and thank you for sparing our lives.
Qara-hoja will pay tribute to Tang
and forever be a friendly state.
Qu Zhisheng, as long as you will repent,
reflect upon your sins
and turn over a new leaf,
I'll give you a suitable way out and future.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Come forward, General Hou!
Your Majesty?
Have you forgotten
you promised to drink 9 big horns of wine with me.
How could I forget?
Precisely because I promised to drink several horns of imperial wine
I won the war for you.
send word to the troops.
They are to enjoy getting drunk for 3 days.
Aye!
By order of His Majesty,
General Hou and his troops are allowed to drink for 3 days
in recognition of their merits.
Congratulations, General!
Your Majesty, where is the Crown Prince?
General Hou!
Don't forget you have a date with me
to drink 9 horns of wine.
Aye, Your Majesty!
Rui'an!
You're back!
What's wrong? Nothing!
Did you deliver the goods?
Yes, I took the silk to the Eastern Palace
and gave it to the Crown Princess' maid sheng'er.
It went very well.
That's good!
Why are you smiling?
You've had that silly grin since I came in.
I did not.
No?
Your mind is unhinged.
I get it!
Tell me...have you fallen for one of the Palace maids?
No!
It's a long shot.
she's mean towards me.
Let me tell you, you fool!
If she's polite towards you,
you can forget about her.
Listen...
maybe she appears to give you the cold shoulder. Don't worry!
Just let her know you mean it.
Understand?
What if I bare my soul
and she ignores me?
she ignores you?
Live with it, silly!
What does it say?
The less you know
the safer it is for you.
I know you're still angry with me.
But I want you to understand,
whether in prosperity or adversity
the person to spend the rest of your life with you
will always be me.
shifu will use his funeral to tell me about Father's decision.
Though I have not seen him,
I can imagine he's dying.
But he's still racking his brains to help me and worry about me...
Your Highness!
How was the ceremony?
His Majesty and General Hou drank several rounds, and they're both drunk.
Watch out, sire! Why am I here?
I'm going to the Eastern Palace.
No, to the Administration Hall.
You drank 12 horns of wine with General Hou.
It's time to get some rest.
To the Administration Hall... Aye!
I'll bring the reports to your chamber.
Go through them when you wake up.
General...
His Majesty is asleep in Ganlu Hall.
Watch out, General! Go away...
A few horns won't get me drunk!
stand aside!
Out of my way!
General Hou?
General!
Is he drunk? Get out!
Look again, I don't get drunk!
step aside!
Your Highness! General Hou!
I'd been waiting for you!
Your Highness!
I was drinking with His Majesty
and was interrupted by the eunuchs!
That's why I came to drink with you!
Very well! I'll drink with you! Please...
After you!
sis Hui!
Wenniang, what I wanted you to do...
Did you get it done? Yes!
Where's the note tucked between the silk?
The one I told you to swap.
sis Hui,
you and Cairen Wu...
are you still friends?
Of course!
Why do you ask?
Why did you ask me to lie to Rui'an?
Why did you copy Cairen Wu's handwriting?
The two notes seem identical,
but have totally different meanings.
Cairen Wu wrote,
"Crown Prince's position: white crape: safe; black, deposed".
Yours is the exact opposite.
Are you framing someone?
You saw what happened.
Why bother to ask me?
Yes, I want to frame Wu Meiniang.
I have wanted to do that for a long time.
Watch out, General!
Your Highness!
Don't worry, His Majesty did drank too much
but I'm still sober.
I see, let's drink to your heart's content.
Let's drink another 3 horns. Here...
Cheers!
Why are you drinking?
Do you know the Eastern Palace is in great danger?
Your Highness,
I risked my life to win the war
so I could do my part to put you on the throne.
I was afraid to let you down
and more afraid you'd let me down.
In any case, the person recounting victory to His Majesty,
or the one fighting the enemy in battle should have been you
and not Li Ke, that illegitimate son from some unknown place.
A man with courage and dignity should not be drinking at this juncture.
Please try it!
This is...
since Mount Mang,
my wine bag has only carried water.
Good! One who knows shame will be brave.
I was right to choose you!
Your Highness, you just said
you'd been waiting for me.
Do you have a plan to secure Eastern Palace
and your position as the Crown Prince?
Get out, all of you!
My plan has nothing to do with the Crown Prince position.
What do you mean?
You know very well
since Father brought me back from Mount Mang
this Crown Prince has lost the support of courtiers.
In fact, since I became a cripple,
Father no longer likes me.
Not to mention Li Tai's repeated sabotages.
The only people I can rely on
are you and my shifu Wei Zheng.
Father killed Chengxin and is likely to depose me,
while he seems to favour Li Tai,
allowing him to run the Literary Hall and compile the Journal of Geography.
I have no way out
but force him to yield the throne through an armed remonstration.
That's my only chance.
You mean...
you'll revolt?
simply put,
if Father deposes me a month from now,
yes, a rebellion.
No one would expect me to force Father to abdicate.
As long as we take them by surprise, we'll succeed.
And no one will get hurt.
Father can retire like Grandfather did.
All I need is your help to make this happen.
I don't think the situation is as bad as you think.
I'm waiting for Father's final decision.
I know this is about your future,
and your lives are at stake.
You should have your misgivings.
I believe you won't betray me,
you need not decide right now.
Take a few days to mull over it.
What does Chancellor Wei have to say about your plan?
since the last assembly,
he has become so ill
he cannot even set foot outside.
I have his support and it has been arranged
On the day of his funeral
we'll know Father's final decision.
If he's determined to depose me,
the next morning will be the best time to strike.
I suspected Cairen Wu before,
but now, I believe she has done nothing to hurt you.
she has been very good to you.
You're right!
What an incredible coincidence
she gave me the poisoned fan
and took His Majesty from me.
I've had enough.
I finally understand
this harem is not big enough for both of us.
As long as she's around,
His Majesty will never notice me.
You want His Majesty
to kill Cairen Wu?
No, if I wanted her dead,
I'd have plenty of opportunities.
But His Majesty would only hate me
and miss her for the rest of his life.
I want him to hate her
and think she collaborated with the Crown Prince to betray him.
Wenniang,
enough said.
Give me the note!
Hurry up and give it to me.
Where is it? No!
Wenniang, I promise
if you give me the note,
I won't hurt anyone else.
No!
I will not help you with your evildoing.
Please don't make any more mistakes.
If you won't stop
I'll tell Cairen Wu everything.
Very well, Wenniang!
Like everyone else, you'd abandon me
and want to please Wu Meiniang.
No!
I'm willing to wait on you,
but no more evildoing.
Or else,
you'll be no different from Consort Wei.
You're right!
Wenniang, I'm thirsty.
Go make me a cup of tea.
Aye!
Don't blame me.
You made me do this!
Wenniang!
Wenniang, I need to tell you this,
but I can't tell you in person.
I'm not lying,
I sincerely hope to pair up with you
and spend time with you in the Palace.
But I'm a eunuch, I'm not worthy of you.
You're so pretty,
you deserve an Imperial guard
or a learned scholar
and have children together.
I'm content to have
the brocade handkerchief you made for me.
Rui'an!
You... Rui'an!
...gave me no choice!
Rui'an!
What about the Duke of Lu?
Your Majesty,
after the Duke of Lu got drunk,
he barged into the Eastern Palace
and stayed there for 2 hours.
He seemed to have been drinking.
He was carried out of the Eastern Palace,
but he did not return home.
He went to Chunyu Fang on Zhuque street.
He pretended to be drunk both inside the Palace and out.
Must be tough for him.
Anything your end?
Your Majesty,
Cairen Wu never went to the Eastern Palace.
Before the presentation of the prisoners,
her eunuch went there once
to bring bolts of silk to the Crown Princess.
Be careful, these are expensive clothes.
Don't burn them!
Be careful! Mo Gong-Gong!
Jieyu, your clothes have been ironed.
This way...
What can I do for you?
My maid died in her lodge with a head injury.
The Prince of Wei promised me
whatever problem I run into
I can look you up! Fine!
I'll take care of it.
I'll do that right away!
There are undercurrents and hard rocks underneath Jingchu Pond.
Fill the body with water and drop it into the pond
to make it look like she drowned.
Tell the Prince of Wei
I did what he told me to do.
I've changed Wei Zheng's message and sent it to the Eastern Palace.
It doesn't matter what colour the crape is on Wei Zheng's coffin,
the Crown Prince will do the opposite.
Check again! Thank you, Jieyu!
The Prince of Wei should be very pleased.