What is your relationship with Wu Meiniang?
Why is it that when you passed by the Imperial Library every day,
you'd always stare at the door?
At precisely that moment,
Meiniang would be standing right there.
Tell me about your relationship with her
and why you came to the Palace.
That was purely incidental.
Wu Meiniang and I have never met.
You're reading too much into the situation.
st o p!
I'm talking to you!
If you don't answer me
I'll have you arrested by the Imperial Guards
and interrogate you under torture.
I should have killed you to be safe.
I didn't do it not because you're the Emperor's son.
But because it'll break Ruyi's heart.
If you're man enough,
don't ask me again who I am.
Don't give her a hard time.
I won't kill you
because Meiniang cares about you.
But I also know
you're nothing but a coward.
Except for taking a peek at her from a distance,
what have you done for her?
To me,
to love someone means giving her the right to choose.
That's right! I'd rather wait till the day she makes her choice.
sire? Wang De!
Do something for me.
I'd be most happy to, sire.
Can't believe I'm back here.
Long time no see, Wang Gong-Gong!
A long time indeed, Cairen...
I'm no longer a Cairen.
I'm just an ordinary Palace maid from the Imperial Library.
Please call me Meiniang!
Don't be discouraged, Meiniang!
His Majesty has not forgotten about you.
Just now he was looking at the painting shooting a Chrysanthemum at the Polo Match.
Really? Would I lie?
still...in his eyes,
he only saw a conniving woman with ill intentions.
If he saw me now,
he'd be full of disappointment and disgust.
In that case, why would you be here?
Don't sell yourself short and miss your perfectly good chance.
There's something I don't understand.
I must ask you about it.
When His Majesty suspected you of assisting the Crown Prince in his rebellion,
why would you rather die than explain?
Given the circumstances, no amount of explaining will help.
Besides, if even you can tell
I love His Majesty wholeheartedly,
how could he suspect me?
I've already cast pearls before swine.
What's the use of explaining?
Now you're just trying to pick a fight.
Who do you think he is?
His Majesty took poisoned wine handed to him by his own brother.
To him, the hardest thing to do is to trust someone.
The spectator can see the game better.
Don't be too harsh on him in this regard.
I've been a nag, all I'm trying to say is that
today is a good chance.
Don't make the wrong choices again.
Gong-Gong!
What are these?
You know our history well.
You must recognise these names.
They were defeated and killed by His Majesty?
Yes!
His Majesty has a big heart.
He gave their descendents a way out.
But Chancellor Zhangsun is worried.
He has been compiling registers like these
and submitting them every year,
detailing the names of their descendents,
age, residence and what happened to them.
some even include a drawing of what they look like.
Chancellor Zhangsun is worried they may come after His Majesty for revenge.
The registers keep tabs on them
and can remind His Majesty to remain vigilant.
Perhaps.
His Majesty was never hard on them.
sometimes when he's tired from going through the reports,
he would read the registers.
He takes an interest in what has happened to these people.
Li Mu?
His Majesty the Emperor!
Greetings, Your Majesty!
Copy for me the first 3 volumes on agronomy and irrigation.
Aye!
His Majesty has not forgotten about you.
Wake me when the joss stick is finished.
Aye!
Put it away!
Your Highness,
at the morning assembly the Prince of Jin really amazed everyone.
Courtiers who began to favour you are now neutral again.
They're obviously waiting to see what happens next.
We need to take action.
Action against the Prince of Jin.
Absolutely not!
Zhinu is the only person who can give me the feeling of kinship.
Unless I have no choice, I don't want to spoil it.
Don't worry about Zhinu. He's not the problem.
The one stirring up trouble behind him and instigating him
is Wu Meiniang.
If only Consort Wei was able to get rid of her back then,
it would have been great!
As I've heard, Father has summoned Wu Meiniang to the Imperial study again.
I thought after the Crown Prince's failed attempt,
Wu Meiniang was finished for good.
But...
For Father to get close to her again
may not be a bad thing for me.
After Chengqian was deposed,
Father has been dragging his feet on naming me the Crown Prince.
It's not about my ability.
But he has his misgivings.
Exactly what they are, I have yet to figure out.
Perhaps he would disclose them to Wu Meiniang,
and her best friend is Xu Hui who works for us.
Tell Xu Hui to try to keep contact with Wu Meiniang,
especially right after Father has summoned her.
I want to know everything Father has told her.
But Xu Hui is treacherous.
We can't believe everything she says.
she's a hanger-on who goes with the flow.
Maybe she'll side with the Prince of Jin and Wu Meiniang and lie to us.
You still don't understand the friendship between women.
Wu Meiniang and I will fight each other till the end.
That's why Xu Hui will take my side.
You know why?
Because of His Majesty?
That's one of the reasons,
but also because Wu Meiniang is her best friend.
When a woman is consumed with jealousy
she'll want to kill Wu Meiniang more than anyone on earth, including me.
Because she can't live with her own betrayal
What time is it?
It's 7 o'clock.
Why didn't you wake me?
No reason.
I forgot. Please punish me.
The sections of Essential skills for the Welfare of the People...
Have you finished copying them?
Good, leave your copy and the original and you may go.
You have gone through many reports. You should get some rest.
Never leave today's work for tomorrow.
Leave your things and you may go.
Why the sudden interest in Essential skills for the Welfare of the People?
You're worried about irrigation?
Agronomy and water works
are topics I have not studied in a while.
You must be tired, sire!
Have some ginseng tea!
Look at you!
Forgive me, Your Majesty,
for messing up your reports.
Please punish me!
You're so clumsy! Are you hurt?
No!
Wang De, clean this up! Aye!
s i re!
You can go! Aye!
Meiniang!
Your Majesty?
You have something to say to me?
I knew the Crown Prince was planning to rebel,
but about forcing you to retire,
I really didn't know about it.
You're finally defending yourself!
Good! I'm very pleased.
Yes!
s i re? Wang De!
Did you tell her?
I told Meiniang what you wanted me to say.
I even shot off my mouth
and told her not to make the wrong choice again.
I think she's sorry for what she has done.
Take these back to Ganlu Hall.
Get me 4 pairs of hands to go through these files.
see if you can find the one on Li Mu.
Aye!
Mo Gong-Gong! Chongrong Xu!
I need you to get me the record of the Crown Prince's rebellion.
I want to know
what was said and done by all relevant parties.
Aye!
Alright, fine!...According to this,
it couldn't have been Gegan Chengji.
Wu Meiniang,
so you've long been suspicious of me!
Gong-Gong!
Did you find it? No!
Pack it up!
s i re!
I have personally gone through all the files,
I can't find one on Li Mu.
Aye! You may go!
Yes? Wang De!
Get someone to issue an edict,
reinstate Wu Meiniang as a Cairen.
Aye!
Also, put this painting back in Ganlu Hall!
Aye!
Cairen Wu!
Here I am!
What is it, Gong-Gong?
Congratulations, His Majesty summons you.
You lucky devil!
You have no idea how lucky you are!
First you rescued Cairen Wu.
Tonight, you have this important assignment
Only the most trustworthy officials like Yuchi Jingde
have such an honour.
Don't forget me when you're rich and famous.
Cairen Wu? Yes!
His Majesty has reinstated her title.
Cairen Wu has just
moved back to Qingning Palace from the Imperial study.
If you ask me, among all the women in the harem,
Cairen Wu is His Majesty's favourite.
Ganlu Hall is up ahead.
Brother Mu?
There you are! Your Majesty!
At ease! Thank you, Your Majesty!
I'm glad you're here.
The file containing Li Xiaochang's clique's descendants
is missing, for some reason.
Luckily Wang De sent me the summary.
Can you go through the summary
and find out whose file is missing?
Aye!
Are you done checking?
A file is indeed missing, Your Majesty!
Who does it belong to?
someone called Li Mu.
Li Mu?
I remember him.
His grandfather Li Yongshi was one of Li Xiaochang's students.
He was implicated but he didn't commit any major crime.
It's alright if you can't find his file.
It's not important. Get up!
Meiniang, I want to ask you something.
It's late, Your Majesty!
Let me help you get ready for bed.
I want to ask you.
Do you serve me wholeheartedly?
Have you been hiding anything from me?
Think before you answer.
As long as you tell me the truth,
I'll grant you whatever you ask for.
I'm asking you a question. Answer me!
The fact that you asked such a question
means you have doubts.
Deception and suspicion often go hand in hand.
That's why tonight
I refuse to answer any questions.
I only ask that you punish me.
Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!
Out!
Go!
Brother Mu!
Like you said,
meeting you tonight in Ganlu Hall was not incidental
Listen to me, leave Chang'an right away.
Leave the Palace, alright?
Then, what about you?
Me?
Why?
Why do you want to stay?
In front of that man,
you're not happy. You have no dignity.
Why do you ask me to see who you have become?
Why can't you see for yourself
what has become of you?
Perhaps you're right.
Neither of us is who we used to be.
As I recall, you were stubborn and defiant.
You would never accept a man's affection
that is given to you as a handout.
The old you was rough around the edges
and would never resign to fate like common womenfolk.
It appears to me
I won't need to wait here for 3 months.
And you won't need to live in fear.
But I want to tell you,
the anniversary of my parents' death is in a few days,
I will worship them in the Palace
and then I will leave.
Ruyi, just watch your step!
Brother Mu!
Brother Mu, wait up!
Brother Mu, I was wrong! Wait for me!
I was not resolved.
Not resolved? That's right!
You wanted to know
why I'm reluctant to leave His Majesty?
When I first came to the Palace,
His Majesty only loved Empress Wende.
Everyone else in the harem, including me was not good enough for him.
I refused to accept that.
I decided to make every attempt,
hoping that someday I could win his heart.
I wanted to prove how different I was,
from all the other women.
Whatever Empress Wende was capable of,
I could do it too and do it better.
Right! You always had a drive to excel.
This is what ruined me.
I forgot love is a gamble.
I'm a small gambler with little assets.
To challenge such a rich banker,
I have no choice but lose.
Rather than saying I love His Majesty,
it's more like I have invested too much
with hardly any return.
The more I lose, the more I want to gamble
hoping to win something back.
Perhaps he would just lose one hand.
In the end, in this debt of love,
I got myself in too deep.
I couldn't get out, but ended up in this current state.
Ruyi, did you come to your senses?
You were right about me!
I was so wrong!
I allowed the years to roll by.
My persistence is a complete waste of time.
Brother Mu,
take me away, as far away as possible.
We'll leave this heartless Palace, shall we?
Good!
Ruyi, we'll go away
and leave behind this heartless place.
You must promise me,
no matter what happens from now on,
you must go on living.
I don't want to travel by myself.
I promise.
For us to leave the Palace,
we need to plan it properly.
I'll ask Consort Yang to help us.
Have you confirmed Wei Yuancheng's clique in the Court and the army?
Arrangements have been made, Your Majesty.
Once you give the order,
members of Wei Yuancheng's clique in the army can be taken out.
His cohorts in the Court such as the Xiao clan and Chen clan
have also been taken care of.
"Wei clan is 3 feet from Heaven".
Those days should come to an end.
Aye!
An edict for Wei Yuancheng!
Wei Yuancheng is charged with forming a clique
and framing others to disrupt Court order.
All charges have been confirmed.
Effective immediately, he is removed from office and his wealth confiscated.
He will be taken into custody pending his final sentence.
Father summoned Wu Meiniang last night?
Yes!
But she didn't stay long
and was taken away from Ganlu Hall.
That's because before she was summoned,
Xu Hui had been to see His Majesty
to give him a detailed report of Li Mu.
What did she say?
Of course she added many coloured details.
How Wu Meiniang and Li Mu
were childhood sweethearts who pledged to get married.
Women can be so scary.
But Your Highness...
Father summoned Wu Meiniang for the night.
Is it really that simple?
Did he talk about naming the Crown Prince?
I've sent everyone in the Palace
to try to find out what His Majesty is thinking.
Don't worry, Your Highness!
About naming the Crown Prince, we'll find out soon enough.
You promised to leave with him?
My mind is made up. I hope you can help us.
If you have decided,
I'll do what I can to help you.
But I don't understand
you originally wanted to send him away.
Why did you change your mind overnight?
What happened last night?
I was burning the file
that contained Brother Mu's details.
Then I suddenly realise
his parents didn't die from an illness on the way in their exile.
They were locked up in a barn with over 170 prisoners
and were burned alive.
The guards holding the key
were afraid they would try to escape and didn't want to open the door.
Among more than 170 prisoners,
only Brother Mu climbed out from a small window
and managed to stay alive.
He saw his parents and kinsmen
burnt to death in the big fire.
If it hadn't been for His Majesty,
he wouldn't have lost his whole clan.
That's why
there's a blood feud between Brother Mu and His Majesty.
But he chose to keep it from me
and never brought it up.
You suspect he came to the Palace to assassinate His Majesty?
No! He would never do that!
I can guarantee it.
This is also the reason why I came to you.
In this harem,
I don't know who to turn to.
It seems only you can come up with a plan
to send me and Brother Mu away from the Palace.
If he's left with nothing,
he's likely to head for his doom.
But it's different now,
at least he still has me.
Meiniang, at a time like this,
you chose to leave the Palace
because you're worried about His Majesty's safety.
That must have been tough on you!
If you're doing this for His Majesty,
I will help you out and send you away.
Really?
Thank you, Your Highness!
I know what you're thinking.
But don't you care about naming the Crown Prince anymore?
Don't worry!
Before I go,
I will make all the arrangements.
Actually...
since Zhinu spoke up at the morning assembly
we'd cast the bait already.
All we have to do now
is to wait for the big fish to get hooked.
What do you mean?
Li Tai is like a cat on hot bricks,
trying to figure out
why His Majesty won't name him the Crown Prince.
Zhinu's appearance in Court must have made him even more anxious.
One thing he must be trying to do
is sending out all his spies in the Palace
to find out what His Majesty is thinking.
That would be the best time for us to spread a rumour.
To mislead the Prince of Wei?
To mislead the Prince of Wei.