Why wasn't I named the Crown Prince?
Li Tai realised he won't become the Crown Prince,
so he's taking the scholars from the Literary Hall
and all the guards from his mansion
to the Palace to challenge His Majesty.
Kill...
What are you doing, Your Highness?
Go away!
Your Highness!
Why are you doing this to me?
He also took Zhinu hostage.
That's rebellion!
Take the Imperial Guards to the North Gate, let Li Tai into the Palace.
Kill him on the charge of treason.
Take his head to Ganlu Hall,
and force him to yield the throne to you.
You're asking me to rebel?
If Li shimin refuses, kill him as well.
Mother!
You want me to kill Father and my brothers?
so what?
That's the only way to become the Emperor.
Don't forget,
your bloodline is from the Yangs.
If you take over Taiji Palace and become the Emperor of Tang,
what's wrong with that?
Mother, all these years
you served Father with humility and prudence,
taught me to be modest and exercise forbearance,
and let Chengqian get what he wants
all because you wish to cover up your hypocrisy and deception?
Your Highness, impatience can spoil the plan.
Because of you,
Milady has suppressed her humiliation
to serve the enemy who conquered her motherland.
she has lived in shame for so long,
under someone else's roof just so that she could see this day.
Given Father's brilliance,
even he didn't sense a hint of treachery in you.
And I didn't expect, inside the harem,
the cruelest and most malicious woman
is my own Mother.
Your Highness, for everything she has done for you,
how can you say something so unfilial?
shut up!
Tang or sui
that's your business.
Yes, I want to be the Emperor,
but I will not kill my father and brothers. I don't want to!
I won't resort to such despicable means!
I respect Father
and want to be an exemplary Emperor like him.
If I were to become the Emperor,
I would first prove to everyone
I have the capability to rule.
I want Father to pass me the throne rightfully and properly.
Exemplary?
All these means you find contemptible,
Li shimin has used them all.
He killed his brothers. He seized power by changing the will.
Don't be fooled by the thick coat of whitewashing by historians.
Do you know how they have been hiding the truth?
The father you respect,
does he treat you like his own son?
Does he?
Father has been nice to me.
He has indeed, like an adopted son.
Everyone knows I was a sui princess,
but no one knew I was Li Yuanji's wife
or that I was pregnant with his child.
He was killed at Xuanwu Gate,
and his head was hung on the gate tower by Yuchi Jingde
as an announcement to all.
Then Li shimin brought me to his harem.
I will never forget the humiliation.
Not a day has gone by that I didn't crave for revenge.
I want to kill everyone related to him.
Are you saying I'm not Father's son?
You were with him for over 20 years.
He has always shown you love and respect.
Don't you love him?
Love? How could I love him for destroying the sui dynasty?
For killing my husband?
My husband was decapitated!
How could I love him?
There's only hate inside me!
My only wish is to see you ascend the throne
and take your revenge.
Only you can do this!
I can't...
Mother, tell me...
Am I Father's son?
Need you ask?
Brother Mu!
Ruyi,
Consort Yang harbours treacherous intent
she instigated Li Tai to take Li Zhi hostage and force Li shimin to abdicate.
And arranged for Li Ke to take over Xuanwu Gate.
The Li's will repeat the fratricide that happened years ago.
There will be fighting in the Palace,
you must not get involved.
Wait here for me.
Why are you willing to help me?
Are you a former sui general as well?
Her Highness saved my life back then.
I made her a promise I intend to keep.
No matter what you ask me to do,
even if you want me to cut off my head,
I'll do it.
Good! I've made the arrangements,
just follow my orders.
The rebels are approaching! Guard your positions!
Open the North Gate!
Cairen Wu?
What are you doing here?
I came here to save you.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you know what you're doing?
I'd like a word with you in private.
Let her through!
Milady, His Highness has opened the city gate.
We're waiting for them walk into the trap,
and everything is going as planned.
Good! Come to think of it,
I feel rather guilty towards Zhinu.
He has trusted me wholeheartedly.
Yet I lied to him.
But without him to provoke Li Tai,
and make him lose his head,
he wouldn't be taking his brother hostage and force his father to abdicate.
Milady, it's too late to worry about anyone else.
I only wish that His Highness would not let you down.
All these years, Ke and I had to be very careful,
living under their noses.
The day has finally come I can turn things around.
This day has come because you've put up with so much
and worked so hard in planning.
You won't have to draw Empress Wende anymore.
I will never draw her again!
I'm sick of looking at her!
From now on, I'll draw myself.
You shouldn't be here, Cairen Wu!
I will try to save Zhinu.
Let me ask you, Your Highness...
The Prince of Wei is on his way to the Palace to start trouble.
Why did you open the gates instead of keeping them closed?
I can't stop him from seeing Father.
An honest man does not deal underhand.
Even a prince must be announced before he can see His Majesty.
Everyone on the gate tower can see Li Tai holding Zhinu hostage
and he is bringing his personal guards.
That is an unusual move.
If you got wind of it
and came to settle any disputes,
you should keep the city gates shut and try to dissuade Li Tai.
You should not have opened the gates and placed men in ambush.
You're in fact facilitating his treason.
You see that! What Qingque is doing is treasonous.
Anyone should kill a traitor like him.
If Li Tai is a traitor,
what about you?
What are you doing here at the North Gate?
A crackdown on Li Tai's coup?
Of course, if he plans to rebel,
I should put an end to it.
How?
By staging your own rebellion to end Li Tai's?
A rebellion is a rebellion.
You're no different from Li Tai!
When he passes through the city gates,
you'll resort to arms
and fight to the bitter end.
Then what happens?
You kill Li Tai, barge into Ganlu Hall?
If your Father refuses to step down
what happens then?
Kill him too and seize power?
What about Zhinu?
You want to kill him too?
Can you do it?
If Zhinu were alive,
he would have to witness your atrocity.
Keeping me or him alive,
will be asking for trouble for you.
Am I right?
Deputy Commander Fang has always been loyal to your Father.
How do you know if what he's doing is not part of a plan?
Given His Majesty's wit, how can you be sure
he knows nothing about
what is going on right here, right now?
If you launch your conspiracy,
the fish in the barrel to get shot will probably be you and not Li Tai.
Remember what happened to Li Chengqian and Hou Junji?
Li Ji received a secret order 2 weeks prior to the rebellion,
to return to Chang'an.
But before that, not a word came out.
That's how His Majesty operates.
What happened to Li Chengqian is a gory lesson for you to learn.
Are you telling me you can't wait to follow his footsteps?
I won't amount to a great cause if I worry too much.
Do you know
because my mother was not Empress Zhangsun,
Father never gave me the chance I deserved.
Throughout history, legitimacy belongs to the victor.
You were right, I wanted to take a gamble.
You mentioned a great cause.
Tell me, what exactly is it?
To be the Crown Prince and then the Emperor?
That's right!
If that's true,
you should have decapitated me with your sword,
instead of pointing it at me.
stay back! Or I'll kill you!
You're indecisive
because you have a guilty conscience.
You know for you to become the Emperor,
you must kill Qingque, Zhinu
and even your Father.
I really suspect
if this is what you really want
or it's the life-long wish of the person who put you up to this.
You want to gamble? Let's make a bet.
I bet you won't kill me today.
Perhaps what I really need right now is for someone to stop me.
Your Highness, you choose the path you take.
Nobody can choose it for you.
The future of Tang,
rides on your decision.
I remember Chancellor Wei once told me,
Don't ask what the future lies for you,
as long as you have no regrets when the curtain comes down.
No regrets when the curtain comes down?
No regrets when the curtain comes down.
Follow me!
Your Highness!
After I go down, close the city gates.
Tell everyone to standby.
Nobody makes a move without my order.
I'll intercept Qingque at the North Gate,
lead the Imperial Guards
to cut him off from the back.
Play by ear and try to save Zhinu.
Aye!
Go!
If you stop Li Tai at the North Gate,
he can't start a coup in the Palace.
Zhinu should be safe for now.
Li Tai's guards are a motley crowd,
attacking from the back
is the best way to apprehend Li Tai with minimal casualties
and save Zhinu! Good thinking, Your Highness
since I arrived at the North Gate,
I have been in a daze and felt helpless.
Thanks to you, I feel relieved and clear-headed.
You have forsaken the temptation
for your own peace of mind.
It's undeniably the good fortune of Tang,
and something I have the utmost respect for.
I'm really curious,
what did that person say to you
to persuade you to open the gates?
she has her reasons.
The only person you'd protect at all cost can only be Consort Yang.
Yes, only Consort Yang
has such strategic thinking and impeccable arrangement.
I can imagine how long she has waited for this day to come.
she even had her own son kept in the dark.
Honestly, after all these years,
I only just found out what was really on her mind.
stop!
Everything looks normal, Your Highness!
Bring him forward!
Move!
Zhinu, the city gates are up ahead.
Once inside,
there's no turning back for you, me and Father.
Don't push me. If you'd listen to me
and give up the Crown Prince title,
I'll let you go right now!
Zhinu, remember when we were little,
whatever you liked, I always let you have it.
Can you yield just this once?
You have always been good to me.
I would never forget that.
Precisely because you love me more than any other brother,
I cannot do that,
or else I would be hurting you.
Listen to me,
send these people home and let me go.
We'll go see Father to apologise.
I will plead your case.
Tai...
You'll ask Father to punish me!
Is that how you love and respect me?
Brother...
The Prince of Jin,
how I have underestimated you!
Let's go!
Brother Tai...
Your Highness!
If we can undermine their morale,
it'll be more productive.
Ask Li Tai about the Crown Prince's scared horse,
and if he was the mastermind behind the Crown Prince's rebellion.
It was him?
Not only that.
It's very likely he was colluding with Consort Wei.
stop your approach!
How dare you! Get down from the city gate.
I wish to see Father on an urgent matter!
Brother Ke!
Qingque, if you wish to see Father,
there's no need for this entourage.
How dare you stand in my way!
The North Gate is not under your command.
Butt out of my affairs.
step aside, I want to see Father!
You may, after you let Zhinu go!
Then I'll open the city gates.
The three of us will go in front of Father.
I'm trying to help you.
He's helping me?
Anything is possible!
This is nothing personal.
Just think, first you hold Zhinu hostage,
then you barge inside the Palace with your guards,
even if I let you through,
can you imagine the consequence?
I don't wish to argue with you.
If anyone were to stop me,
it should be the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
It should be Cheng Zhijie or Fang Qingju's decision.
You have no right to deploy any soldiers,
unless you're plotting a coup.
Don't try to pin it on me!
I'm here on Father's order.
If you say I'm plotting a coup, let me ask you,
who gave Chengqian the permanent leg injury?
Who set a trap and led him to believe he has been deposed,
and pushed him onto the road of rebellion?
Who did all that?
What does that mean?
What is your name?
Li Yifu, Your Highness!
What the Prince of Wu just said, you must have heard.
Everything the Prince of Wei has done, Father is well aware of it.
You know very well he has already lost.
I...
You still want to be a fool?
But...
During the deposed Crown Prince's rebellion,
at least he had help from Hou Junji and his soldiers.
What do you have?
You think pedantic scholars like you,
and dozens of personal guards who have never fought in a battle,
can pull off a coup?
Don't make slanderous accusations!
What proof do you have?
Qingque, you have gone too far down the wrong path.
It's inexcusable for you to hurt Zhinu in any way.
You know what's the one thing Father hates the most?
For courtiers to band together with the harem for personal gain.
Why did Consort Wei fall from grace?
What happened to her in the end?
You know better than anyone else.
Listen to me,
you held me hostage and tried to barge through the palace gates.
This is a treasonous act.
Father may pardon the Prince of Wei because he's his son.
But the lot of you will be punished.
Even Hou Junji had to die despite his illustrious military service.
You look like a smart man, Li Yifu.
You should know what chances there are of your survival.
s i re!
General Liu Jian has placed 5,000 men in ambush at the watchtower of the North Gate.
As soon as the Prince of Wei enters the city gate,
Liu Jian can arrest him.
A while ago I was told,
Ke has also placed men in ambush at the North Gate.
It appears he plans to finish off Qingque.
You're not going there, sire?
Let the children fight it out.
Why should I be there?
But...the Prince of Wu failed to report the incident,
and deployed soldiers in ambush without permission.
That doesn't sound right.
If you don't go over there,
the princes may get hurt in the fight.
What happens then?
If they cannot stand a storm like this,
they're not worthy of being my sons.
I'll wait here for the result.
Tell General Liu Jian not to interfere.
But if either side wins the fight
and move towards Taiji Hall, arrest them on the charge of treason.
Aye!
Don't listen to him!
He's lying with his alarmist talk.
Father is now trapped inside the Palace and is in great danger.
Follow me into the Palace to save him!
Protect the Prince of Jin...
Are you alright?
I'm fine!
Your Highness, you held your brother hostage to force His Majesty to abdicate.
That's high treason!
Forgive me for not going along with it.
I can't serve you anymore!
Li Yifu, you're a double-crossing traitor!
I'll kill you!
Your Highness!
Charge! Aye!
Arrest the Prince of Jin!
Drop your weapons!
Or you'll end up like Du Chuke!
Qingque, give it up!
You should learn your lesson from Chengqian!
Chengqian failed because of wrong timing.
I failed because I have no support.
What about you, Li Ke?
Even if you have favourable timing, location and support,
you can't beat your destiny!
The great kingdom created by the Li clan
will be ruined by a Wu.
Your Majesty!
The Prince of Wu and Cairen Wu
resolved the conflict without any bloodshed.
All three princes are safe.
The Prince of Wei has been taken to the Attending Office.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, the Prince of Wei...
What about him?
On his way to the Attending Office,
his followers tried to rescue him
by fighting off the Imperial Guards.
His Highness was stabbed in the stomach...
Take me to him!
Aye!
Why didn't you listen to me and grab your chance?
You destroyed your future.
You! You tricked him into doing something so stupid!
Please forgive me, Your Highness!
I treated you and His Highness like friends and family.
That's why I stopped him from making a fatal mistake.
shut up!
Mother, the choices I made
I made them alone.
It has nothing to do with Cairen Wu.
When I was standing at the city gate, I felt enlightened.
It dawned on me
even if I could never become the Emperor,
I still would not have killed my family.
I want to be able to go to sleep at night.
I want to have a clear conscience for the rest of my life.
Family? You can't even tell them apart!
Milady...
stand back! Milady!
I raised you for over 20 years.
In order to protect you
I feigned compliance and politeness
hoping you could carry out my dream
of killing the Li's
and snatch the kingdom.
I never expected you to be so gullible and listened to this woman!
Mother!
Milady!
What is it? Mother...
I was wrong, I raised you like this.
You're too good and honest.
You can never commit patricide!
You're not my son!
You're a cursed son of the Li's...
Mother!
Milady...
Mother!
When Her Highness heard the coup had failed,
she decided to die for her motherland.
Your Highness!
Mother...how could you be so silly?
send for the doctor!
Cairen Wu promised she'll keep us safe.
she'll plead our case to Father.
Why did you listen to her, silly boy?
You'll regret it!
Milady, if you harboured ill intentions.
Why did you repeatedly save my life?
Because I believe
you're "the woman ruler named Wu", Venus, the star of Calamity.
I might have failed, but as long as you remain in the Palace,
Tang will one day meet its doom!
But I really don't understand.
Why didn't you meet up with Li Mu,
but went to the North Gate instead?
Did you send three eunuchs to kill me?
Before I take over the kingdom, I can't bear to kill you.
I was worried you'd get in the way.
I only told them to detain you.
You were wrong about one thing.
Before I entered the room,
the eunuchs had been killed.
Brother Mu left me a note about the events at the North Gate.
That's why despite your clever calculations,
you're still one step short.
Don't you think this is your retribution?
Retribution?
Then why is Li shimin still alive despite his evildoings? Why?
Your Highness, is it possible
you only have hate and no love towards His Majesty?
I think His Majesty's leniency towards you,
is something every woman in the harem is ready to kill for.
Perhaps deep down inside,
His Majesty is not only the enemy who destroyed your motherland,
but also the husband who kept you alive
and gave you warmth and status.
Too bad you refused to admit it.
No...I hate him!
I have only one husband.
Only Li Yuanji.
I am not beaten yet.
In a while,
Li Mu will kill Li shimin!
His Majesty? No...His Majesty!
Mother!
Your Highness!
Your Majesty!
How is Qingque?
I have done all I could.
His Highness' injuries are too severe.
I'm not sure if he'll make it through the night.
What are you waiting for?