Rui'an will take some fabric to the Eastern Palace tomorrow.
Try to stall him on the way.
Don't ask.
Just do as I say.
Don't look!
Give me the note! No!
I will not help you with your evildoing.
If you won't stop
I'll tell Cairen Wu everything.
Wang De!
sire? What may I do for you?
You fell asleep?
Yes!
Yuan Gongyu sent me a report.
When Hou Junji conquered Qara-hoja,
he condoned pillaging among his troops,
allowed them to take Qara-hoja's womenfolk
as their concubines.
That's outrageous!
It's such a disgrace! Reaching out far too!
summon him for me!
I need to reprimand him!
Yes, sire!
Forget it!
Throw him in jail.
But...
He's getting too close to Chengqian!
He's not suitable to lead the army anymore.
This is a good chance to relieve him of his duties.
Make him the Minister of Personnel,
that should put him in his place
and make him stop to think before it's too late.
Aye!
step aside...
What are you doing? Move!
Oh no...
We have a business to run!
Don't push...
Anyone who stands in the way will be killed.
What's going on?
He's wanted by the Emperor.
Who'd dare stand in the way?
I would!
Even if General Hou is going to jail, let him sober up first.
He's completely out!
It'll take him 3 days to sober up!
I know how...fetch me some wine!
What is it?
General!
They said His Majesty ordered for your arrest.
What?
sir, if you're not wanted by His Majesty,
we wouldn't dare be disrespectful.
I'm used to living in an army camp.
I have never been inside a jail.
General!
I don't think the order came from His Majesty.
Fine...I'm tired.
Let me get some sleep in jail.
Let's go!
Go!
such bad luck, I lost...
What is that?
Clothes? Let's take a look!
Is it some clothes over there?
The coroner said
Wenniang fell into Jingchu Pond and drowned.
What about the wound on her forehead?
The pond has undercurrents and hard rocks,
wounds were inevitable.
But why just the forehead?
It's not possible!
Wenniang is very clever.
It's unlike her to be careless...
someone must have killed her!
sis Hui,
can I look around in her room?
But...
Please let me.
I beg of you...
Get up!
It's from the bottom of his heart.
Please let him.
Alright! Get up!
Come on...
Might as well,
someone needs to sort out her things.
Thank you, sis Hui!
You're fast asleep!
I didn't know you're here. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!
Get up! It must have been tough on you!
Where's that candle stand?
I know how you feel.
I felt the same when I went to war.
But it's different now.
The courtiers watch everything I say and do.
The whole world is watching. I'm in a difficult position.
There has been a complaint against you.
Even though this is just an act,
you must go along with it for my sake.
I don't mind.
Would you say "no" if I made you the Minister of Personnel?
I spent half my life on the battlefield,
I've had enough.
To sit in a mansion and
have someone try to please me...
When I need a drink or take a leak,
I could just cough
and people would rush up to wait on me.
Why would I turn down to such a cushy job?
Don't give me that!
Only you'd dare take such liberty with me.
I wouldn't dare!
Listen up,
the Minister of Personnel is a position I value.
Unlike going to war where you need to charge ahead,
you're helping me promote able and honest courtiers.
For which I need your discerning eye,
breadth of mind and the heart to forgive.
As you wish, sire!
When I passed through Huayin,
I heard rumours that felt like a bone in my throat.
I must tell you about it.
Go ahead!
Pardon me...
The rumour involved the rebel Li Xiaochang
as well as Consort Yang.
Ever since I wanted to name a new Empress,
rumours have been directed against her.
You're hopping on the wagon too?
Please don't be upset, I...
I know you're not a gossipmonger, go ahead.
Everyone knows the Prince of Qi, Li Yuanji
found Consort Yang in the sui court and brought her to you.
That was just part of the story.
And the rest?
Rumour has it Li Xiaochang was actually
the one who rounded up the royal family of sui.
The former princess
was then offered to the Prince of Qi.
Three months later,
the Prince of Qi offered her to you in his name.
Allegedly those who knew about this were killed,
that's why this secret was kept under wraps till now.
You're saying
Consort Yang had an illicit relationship with the Prince of Qi
and remains disloyal to me?
Li Yuanji is dead, if Consort Yang is conspiring against me.
It's a very long shot, don't you think?
s i re! It's just a rumour!
I'm sorry I put my foot in my mouth!
I won't take it to heart.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, Chancellor Wei is awake.
Awake?
Is he better?
The doctor said it's the last radiance of the setting sun.
He's dying.
Greetings, Your Majesty!
At ease!
How is he?
Chancellor Wei...
You may go!
Thank you, Your Majesty!
My dear Chancellor, how are you feeling?
I believe I'm moving on.
I will let Princess Hengshan marry your son.
Your family and mine will be related for generations to come,
until Tang no longer exists.
From the beginning to the end.
Wei Zheng,
you have any unfulfilled wish? Tell me.
Your Majesty, I'm harsh and mean,
but thanks to your leniency,
I came to the end of my life in one piece.
I dare not ask for anything else.
I just hope that should you find anything that I have done wrong,
please don't hold it against me.
I won't.
I'll send for your family right away.
You may have something to tell them.
Your Majesty, there's something I wish you'd tell me,
or else I can't go in peace.
What is it?
About deposing the Crown Prince...
Have you come to a decision?
Very well, I'll tell you.
I thought you'd given up drinking.
Is it for Chancellor Wei?
I've been thinking, if I hadn't visited Chengxin in Mount Mang,
shifu could have lived a bit longer.
Your Highness!
Didn't you want to know
why I hit it off so well with Chengxin?
That's because Chengxin looked like my childhood playmate Chengxun
He was Uncle Jiancheng's son.
Crown Prince Yin?
On the day of the Xuanwu Gate Incident,
I was playing with Chengxun.
Among Uncle Jiancheng's sons,
he was the last one taken away by Father.
Run, Chengqian!
Hurry!
Run! Watch out!
Take him away!
Help me, Chengqian! Chengxun!
Help me!
Chengxun...
That day on Mount Mang,
I saw Father chop off Chengxin's head at so much ease!
It was just like back when he made Chengxun and the others disappear.
If you had told me this earlier,
wouldn't that have been great?
I wouldn't have done anything stupid.
Let me have a drink with you. Alright?
Tomorrow is Chancellor Wei's funeral.
I'm praying to the gods
that his coffin will be covered by black crape tomorrow.
That would be best.
But I wouldn't mind even if it's white.
I've made the arrangements.
Everyone in the swordplay academy is standing by.
I thought General Hou hadn't made his position known.
Besides, he won't be released till tomorrow.
He's still thinking.
since he came back from Qara-hoja,
Father has thrown him in jail.
He's actually giving General Hou a big push in our direction.
What a cruel twist of fate.
There's no need for you to take such great risks with me.
If you see a white crape tomorrow,
will you really resort to arms with His Majesty?
Whichever way you choose, I'll be there for you.
Your destiny is to be the Crown Prince,
my destiny...is you, Your Highness.
It's Chancellor Wei's funeral tomorrow.
We'll know then if it's a blessing or a curse.
General!
Welcome, General!
I'm not a general anymore!
I'm just a stupid Minister of Personnel.
Whatever you are,
the men will follow you anywhere.
We'll go anywhere you go...
No doubt it's quiet in jail, but too many fleas.
Allow me to scratch your back.
Yes....good!
General, you risked your life against the enemy.
We won the war, how can you take this humiliation?
That's enough!
The bow is cast aside when the birds are gone.
We're lucky to be alive.
Quit moaning inside Chang'an.
Aye!
Any word from the Crown Prince?
Everything is ready to go.
We're waiting for Chancellor Wei's funeral procession
to pass by the Eastern Palace.
We strike if the coffin is covered with white crape.
If it's a black crape, the Crown Prince is still the Crown Prince.
Everything stays the same.
What about our men?
Our elite troop of 10,000 men
is stationed in the valley.
They can fall in within an hour.
What are we waiting for?
Let's check out Wei Zheng's coffin.
You have decided to strike?
Get my horse!
Bring the horse!
stupid fleas!
I'm not afraid of you!
Let's go!
You miss Chancellor Wei, Your Majesty?
You use copper as a mirror to get dressed.
You use history as a mirror to know the rise and fall of dynasties.
You use people as a mirror to know right from wrong.
With Wei Zheng gone,
I have one less mirror to use.
Your Highness, His Majesty is likely
to announce his decision on deposing you.
We're running out of time.
Tomorrow morning, during the changing of the guards,
the Imperial Guards will be least vigilant.
Gegan Chengji will lead your men from the swordplay academy
and surprise the Imperial Guards
and take His Majesty hostage.
By the time the 3,000 Imperial Guards know how to react,
I'll be leading my elite troop of 10,000 men into the Imperial city.
Everything will be under our control.
success will be at hand.
Tomorrow is my Mother's birthday.
Father will be in Chengqing Hall in the morning.
The Administration Hall is heavily guarded,
we only have a 30% chance of ambush.
But in Chengqing Hall,
our odds will increase to 70%.
Cheers!
General, say in a 100 years' time,
what would people say about me
and the things I have done?
If you succeed, you'll be like His Majesty.
If you fail, you'll be the second Li Jiancheng.
That's all.
Most people are fools.
Despite the bloodshed tomorrow,
if the people are fed and clothed,
in a few years, no one will remember the smell of blood.
Don't think too much about the future.
Worry about what's before you.
I need to dispatch my troops outside the city.
Your Majesty!
Get up!
Wang De said you had something urgent to report?
What is it?
I didn't mean to bother you,
but your safety is at stake.
I had to come.
The matter I'm talking about
involves the Crown Prince and Meiniang.
You'll understand after you see this.
"Crown Prince's position..."
I see.
Let's see what will happen.
Meiniang!
What is it?
The Crown Prince will strike!
What?
You can't go in, Your Highness! step aside!
No one stands in my way inside this Palace.
You stupid woman!
I told you to take the children away
and stay with your parents for a few days.
If I fail, you can claim ignorance.
They won't punish you.
But you...
You've wasted my effort.
I don't care. It's just a rebellion.
I'm prepared to die with you.
I'll go anywhere you go.
What's the point?
Wait for me.
Impossible!
The coffin was covered with white crape.
You saw it too.
I had a bad feeling about it
especially when you're involved.
I asked the eunuch on duty.
I found out...
What?
The Crown Prince replaced the black crape with white.
Black crape? His Majesty wants to depose him?
There's no turning back for him now.
His Majesty will be in Chengqing Hall soon.
I think that's where the Crown Prince would choose to strike.
No, I must do something
to stop him from taking such risks.
Only you can help me.
Go find His Majesty.
Use any way you can to stall him.
Leave him to me.
You want to dissuade the Crown Prince?
Isn't that too late now?
I don't care, I must give it a try.
Or else, there'll be bloodshed in Chengqing Hall.