Brother Mu, take me away.
We should leave this heartless Palace.
If he's left with nothing,
he's likely to head for his doom.
But now at least he still has me.
You choose to leave the Palace
because you're worried about His Majesty's safety?
It's tough on you!
How is Jieyu Xiao?
After taking what I have prescribed,
she's gradually recovering.
But the effect of purslane
has left irreversible damage.
Jieyu Xiao can never bear a child again.
There's nothing you can do? she's still so young!
I have done the best I could.
I'm really sorry, Your Majesty!
You're excused!
Thank you, Your Majesty!
sire, Jieyu Xiao's father Xiao Yiquan is Wei Yuancheng's cohort.
Now that the Wei clan has fallen from power,
Xiao Yiquan and his family have been banished to Lingnan.
I'd like to know
what we should do about Jieyu Xiao.
she has suffered enough.
I don't want to make it worse. Let her stay.
Aye!
Have a tangerine.
Look at you!
Is it sweet?
Want some more? Yes!
Here...
Look at you, you're so sloppy!
Here...wipe your mouth!
At first I didn't understand
why you'd bother to spend time with Jieyu Xiao.
Now that she has lost her mind,
I feel sorry for her.
Her current condition
is probably a blessing in disguise.
Look, she can laugh heartily
and enjoy a carefree life.
Yes!
If she knew purslane has left permanent damage,
that she can never bear children again,
and His Majesty has confiscated her family's property
and banished them to Lingnan, she'd be heartbroken.
Rui'an, don't provoke her!
Right! I'm sorry!
I'll be leaving soon.
I hope you can go on living
and be happy like today.
Xiao Qiang, I will miss you.
Jieyu Xiao, it's time for your medication.
Come...
Xiao Qiang, take your medication!
No!
Don't be afraid, Xiao Qiang!
I don't want it...
Xiao Qiang!
No, I don't want it!
Jieyu Xiao!
Cairen Wu! Hurry!
Aye!
Jieyu Xiao! I don't want it...
Jieyu Xiao! Jieyu Xiao!
Jieuyu Xiao...
If she knew purslane has left permanent damage,
that she can never bear children again,
and His Majesty has confiscated her family's property
and the Xiao clan is banished to Lingnan, she'd be heartbroken.
Jieyu Xiao!
Go ahead and cry if you want!
Don't bother to cover it up.
Jieyu Xu, no...
I guess you're now a Chongrong...
You got what you wanted. What more do you want from me?
What I wanted?
spare me your act.
You used me to eliminate my Aunt,
and used purslane to stop me from bearing child.
From now on,
His Majesty will grace you and Wu Meiniang with all his love and attention.
Wasn't that your original plan?
Believe it or not, I really wanted to help you.
No doubt, you paid your price,
but at least you're alive today.
Alive? What kind of life is this?
I can't bear a child and am treated like a lunatic.
The Wei clan and the Xiao clan are finished.
And my life is over.
His Majesty will never look at me again.
The only thing left for me to do
is watch you and Wu Meiniang bathe in His Majesty's affection.
If that would come true, I should thank you for cursing me.
You and I are no different.
You're nursing a grievance,
while I appear to have the upper hand when in fact, I'm a loser too.
We didn't beat each other.
We both lost to our common enemy, Wu Meiniang.
Everyone in the Palace marvels at
the sisterly love between you and Wu Meiniang.
Who would have guessed Chongrong Xu hates her best friend?
I don't hate her.
I hate there's only one His Majesty.
That's why I genuinely want to help you.
Because between us
there's only collaboration without any feelings.
Collaboration? I'm of no use to you.
If I were you,
I'd make myself useful again.
Look at you...
You're still young and pretty.
Listen to me, the day is long,
don't be disheartened by a temporary setback or admit defeat.
Don't worry, I owe my current pathetic state
to that old hag Consort Wei
as well as Wu Meiniang!
Whatever I have to put up with today,
I'll make sure she gets twice the dosage.
That's good, my dear!
In this harem,
the only thing you must never lose is your will to fight.
Maybe you hate me now,
but together we should beat our common enemy first, right?
Jieyu Xiao, we came to visit you!
You are...
Who are you?
My dear...
sis... My dear...
sit down!
Tangerine?
I want tangerine.
Here!
For you?
No, help yourself!
And you?
No, go ahead!
I want more.
More...
You want more?
It's really sweet!
Here...this is for you.
It's sweet...delicious.
Butterfly...
After this wench lost her mind,
she has become much nicer.
she's such a lunatic.
still she sits here every day to wait for His Majesty.
But all she has is a piece of jade.
His Majesty has been benevolent enough.
Just imagine,
the Wei and Xiao clans should have been slaughtered for their crime.
But she gets to stay in Qianxiang Palace.
If I were His Majesty, I wouldn't come here either.
Who'd want to see her
and be reminded of the crime her clan has committed?
Qianxiang Palace was grand back then.
Everyone tried so hard
to get associated with it
and prayed that they could someday be its owner.
Now it's cursed, just like the Cold Palace.
What a shame!
Butterfly...
Am I right?
Look, butterfly...
Anybody?
Anyone?
Don't cry...
Please don't cry!
Don't cry...
such is fate...such is my fate!
My baby...
Please don't cry, baby.
I will avenge you.
Those who cornered us,
Consort Wei, Wu Meiniang
and that hypocrite Xu Hui.
Don't worry. I took care of Consort Wei.
Next I'll go after those two wenches!
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty, why won't you see me?
Even just once...
I've finally realised
your love for me...
is no more than this jade pendant!
Your Majesty...
sis Wu!
You've spent a long time reading the file on the Crown Prince's rebellion.
You need a break.
You've made up your mind to leave.
Why do you still care about what happened?
After all, the Crown Prince has been deposed
The thought of having such a scheming person
in the Palace near His Majesty
leaves me very uneasy.
This person is scary.
I don't know what this person is capable of.
That's why before I leave,
I want to find this person and put an end to everything.
You've been reading for so long.
Have you found anyone suspicious?
Is it Chongrong Xu?
No! Of course not!
It shouldn't be.
Rui'an...
Yes?
Go find out
before and after the rebellion,
where sis Hui has been during that time.
Find out everything. Be thorough.
Aye!
Milady,
Jieyu Xiao wants to invite you to Jingchu Pond tomorrow
to pick morning juice.
she also invited Cairen Wu.
Jingchu Pond? I told you to keep an eye on her.
What has she done in the past few days?
she has been to Jingchu Pond every day
to pick the right boat.
sometimes she would stay in the boat for several hours.
I see.
Looks like I have overestimated her.
I can't believe she can be so stupid.
I'd like to see for myself what game she's playing by Jingchu Pond.
Look!
Milady, there's something wrong with this boat.
There are several holes inside.
If it carries someone onto the pond
it will definitely sink.
she plans to kill us both?
How heartless of her!
Milady, now that we have proof,
we should report her to His Majesty.
No, I still have use for that wench.
Just find me another boat!
Run along!
Aye!
sis Hui, you're early!
Where's Xiao Qiang?
I don't know, but she's late.
Chongrong Xu, Cairen Wu,
Jieyu Xiao caught a cold last night.
But she was fine yesterday.
I'm not sure.
she was sitting by the well all night last night.
I think that's how she caught the cold.
Where is she? Xiao Qiang...
There you are, I'm sorry I didn't greet you.
I thought you were sick.
Why don't you go lie down? Why did you invite us over?
If I didn't feign an illness,
how could I have lured you into this house?
You faked it?
Xiao Qiang, you've been faking?
You didn't lose your mind? Why did you lie?
You killed your own Aunt.
Now you want to kill us?
My Aunt?
You mean that vicious old hag who planned to kill me and take my baby?
As for you...
Wu Meiniang, we're destined to be arch enemies.
Though I can't beat you,
I can bury you with me.
Run!
Kerosene!
Run!
You can't get out!
Let all our old scores
burn with this house.
Help!
Have you gone mad, Xiao Qiang?
I thought we're friends! You're a lunatic!
Help! Help...
You came
because you wanted to see
how pathetic a lunatic with no future can be
I'd rather die than imagine
how His Majesty would dote on you both in the days to come.
Liars!
You're both liars!
I will haunt you even when I'm a ghost.
Wu Meiniang! Xu Hui!
I'll be waiting for you in Hell!
Xiao Qiang! Meiniang!
Run! No, Xiao Qiang!
Xiao Qiang!
I'll be waiting for you! Run!
No, Xiao Qiang...
Run...
Wu Meiniang! Xu Hui! Xiao Qiang!
I'll be waiting for you in Hell!
No...
Don't...Xiao Qiang!
Xiao Qiang!
Run...
I'm not going to make it...
You must go on living.
In the next life...we'll be sisters again!
sis Hui...
You must not die! I won't let His Majesty miss you for the rest of his life!
Wake up! I'm not done with you!
I'm not resolved...
Fire...put out the fire!
Fire...help!
Put out the fire! Help...
Your Majesty!
Why do I feel uneasy?
sire!
Bad news, sire!
What is it?
It's Cairen Wu... and Chongrong Xu!
sis Hui...
Meiniang! It's me...You're finally awake!
Your Highness, how is sis Hui?
Is she alright?
she saved you.
she covered you with her body in the fire and almost died.
Without her, I'd be dead by now?
Luckily the firemen arrived in time.
she inhaled too much thick smoke
and was injured by the falling objects.
she's still in a coma.
I must go see her, I must...
No, you should lie down!
You're still too weak.
The doctor is with her right now.
so is His Majesty.
You'll only alarm them if you show up.
Your Highness,
if anything happens to sis Hui,
how can I go on living?
Relax, Meiniang! Chongrong Xu is fine.
Heaven will watch over her.
What about Xiao Qiang?
We found her in the deepest corner.
she was...
There is now an investigation.
The house was splattered with kerosene.
someone set the house on fire.
What happened inside the house?
Xiao Qiang faked her insanity.
she wanted to bury us with her.
How is she?
Chongrong Xu is out of danger.
she'll wake up soon.
But she has inhaled too much smoke
that damaged her lungs and veins.
I used acupuncture to expel the toxin
but her vitality has been damaged,
and there'll be after-effects.
Do something! Recruit the best doctors.
Use the best herbs. I want her to recover.
Understand?
Aye! Aye!
We'll do our best!
Your Majesty!
stay still!
Don't be punctilious. Lie down!
Where's Meiniang? How is she?
Consort Yang just sent word.
Meiniang is fine!
All thanks to you! I must reward you!
I saved Meiniang
because she's my best friend
and also because I know if anything should happen to her,
it'll break your heart.
I can't bear to see you in pain.
It'll break my heart too, if anything should happen to you.
I know I owe you so much these past few years.
Before I came to the Palace, everyone said
the harem was a bottomless abyss.
But I don't get that feeling.
On the contrary,
Taiji Palace is the happiest place for me.
Whether or not you love me,
I still love you with all my heart.
You have been too good to me.
You don't owe me anything.
I know how you feel.
I'll issue an edict tomorrow and make you my Able Consort.
Your Majesty!
sire!
Consort Yang has clarified with Cairen Wu.
she confirmed Xiao Qiang set the fire.
Her statement is in line with the firemen's assessment.
Your Majesty!
Don't plead her case!
I've been more than kind to the Xiao clan.
And what did I get in return?
I almost got you both killed.
Yes? Wang De!
Draft an edict and send it to Lingnan.
Execute the Xiao clan according to the law.
Aye! I'll get on it right away.
Focus on getting well. As of tomorrow,
you're the lady of Jinle Palace.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Is your source reliable?
Don't worry.
It came from Ganlu Hall.
It's very reliable! His Majesty
still favours the Prince of Wei as the Crown Prince,
but he has misgivings about one thing...
What is it?
His Highness is resourceful and makes good judgment.
But he's not as benevolent as the Prince of Jin.
His Majesty is worried when he becomes the Emperor,
he won't go easy on his brothers.
Besides, someone resourceful tends to be over skeptical,
when the time comes to pass the throne to his son,
he may want to secure his heir's position
and kill his brothers, including the Prince of Jin.
That thought alone keeps His Majesty awake at night.
Milady, recently
His Majesty rooted out Wei Yuancheng and his clan,
and awarded the Prince of Wei heavily.
It's hard to tell what he's thinking.
Even I don't understand him.
Obviously he's very fond of Wu Meiniang.
Yet he made Xu Hui his Able Consort.
I waited long enough to rule the harem.
Now out of the blue, I have a new consort to contend with.
But never mind, the important thing right now is the Crown Prince position.
If an outsider like me can't understand,
a contender like Li Tai won't either.
Mo Gong-Gong of the laundry room works for him?
Yes, he's been there for over 20 years.
Only because he tried to find out what's on His Majesty's mind,
and blew his cover.
Or else we'd never know he works for Li Tai
since I made up that story,
I'm sure he'll pass it on to Li Tai.
Let's wait and see what he'll do.
What does that mean?
What is it?
Father executed the Wei clan
but rewarded me heavily.
What has he found out?
What can he possibly be thinking?
Your Highness!
A message from Mo Gong-Gong about the Crown Prince position.
Give it to me...
What did he say?
Father is worried if I become the Emperor and when I die,
I'd kill my brothers to protect my son's throne.
If we can solve this issue and ease his mind,
you won't be caught in such a passive position.
You can recommend yourself to His Majesty.
You'd prefer this proactive approach.
No, I need to think about this.
Mull over it seriously.
Your Highness!
Open up... Open the door...
Hurry! Open the door!
Over there, Mu!
Hurry!
Run...
Run, Mu...
Go...
Go!
Don't come back!
Go!
Father!
Mother!
Who is it?
You're really going away?
How can you answer to your parents?
I knew you saved me for specific reasons.
I'm surprised. since you came to the Palace,
you've had your chance.
But you didn't want to avenge your parents.
You can't prod me into doing anything.
My parents told me not to take revenge,
but to go on living.
Fine! What about Wu Meiniang?
she promised she'll make the arrangements
and leave Chang'an with me.
Looks like you still don't understand.
Meiniang agreed to leave not because she loves you.
But because she loves His Majesty.
she's afraid you'll assassinate him.
Of course she's also worried if you fail,
His Majesty will kill you.
Your parents died because His Majesty exiled them.
I know that and she knows that.
You're telling me what's between us is old friendship
but true love between her and Li shimin.
Her leaving is merely a choice between love and loyalty?
All I'm saying is that even if she's going away with you,
you're only taking her body from the Palace.
Her heart is still inside the Tang Harem.