I never thought in the end,
you'd die for me.
I wish to plead Brother Mu's case.
I hope
on account that he saved your life,
please remit the conviction on him and his family.
I'll allow it and Li Mu deserved it.
Did you hear that, Brother Mu?
His Majesty agreed.
You suggested an inspection on the camp
so that I'll see the casualties.
I believe this is part of a plan?
I'm not stupid,
I don't need you to remonstrate me in such a roundabout way.
Your Majesty, you're good for your word.
Remember you promised me
you'll grant me anything I ask for?
Can I count on your word?
I said that?
Of course!
On behalf of the dead,
and all the wounded survivors,
I urge you to return to Chang'an.
That's all you ask of me?
That's it, nothing else.
I've been to war all my life.
This final battle will make me a laughing stock.
But Wei Zheng once said,
life is boring if there are no regrets.
Let me have my fun.
You unlatched my determination,
Ke,
tell the prisoners
they can go home if they want to.
Tomorrow morning, we'll return to Chang'an.
Aye!
By order of His Majesty, we shall return to Chang'an tomorrow morning.
Great!
We'll take our leave now.
Father is coming back today,
instead of greeting him at Chengtian Gate,
you chose to sulk and sigh in here.
You must be worried Father will check on you,
you unfilial son!
I sigh
because when Father left years ago today,
he brought a coffin with him.
Now that he can come home safely,
I'm very happy about it.
Gaoyang,
help me take a look at these
paintings of Liangdi Xiao.
What do you think? Any improvements?
since you took over running the state, you never stopped painting.
Now you can look at someone
and paint them the way you see them.
You're far from perfecting the technique
but at least you have a unique style.
You seem to be
quite fond of the one in the painting.
Right?
I do favor Liangdi Xiao.
I just said "the one in the painting"
I didn't say it's her.
Gaoyang, what you just said is rather odd.
The features are obviously hers,
who else can it be?
This painting is
Liangdi Xiao doing Prince Lanling in Battle.
I distinctly remember, though she's a good dancer,
she's only good with soft dances like the Green Waist and Rainbow skirt.
A vigorous war dance is not something she can manage.
When I first saw these paintings
I found something odd about them.
I get the impression they're not the same person.
Then I gradually realised
each one of Liangdi Xiao
has something different from the others.
sometimes the eyes, sometimes the hair.
I think if you take these different pieces
and put them together in a composite.
It'll yield a painting of someone totally different.
Legend has it, the expert on Prince Lanling in Battle
is Cairen Wu...
That's enough!
Pardon my impertinence.
You lunatic!
You caught onto the secret!
You're my kindred spirit. Get up!
You know I won't punish you.
Quit your act!
You know me and I know you.
We're connected. Connected?
Nobody knows about this.
My lips are sealed.
Other people don't have the good fortune of discussing poetry and painting with you.
They won't notice.
That's good!
Father will be back soon, you should tone down
and stop seeing Bianji.
Bianji and I love each other.
Who cares about trivial formalities?
I'm not worried even if you are.
If you want him to live longer,
stay away from him.
I...
I'll miss him if I don't see him.
Are you in love with Cairen Wu?
Why do you ask?
If you do,
when she disappeared the night before Father left for the expedition,
why didn't you look for her?
she wasn't really disappearing.
Father did issue an edict to banish her from the Palace for insubordination.
Don't you think the charges
were ambiguous and far-fetched?
I heard she tried to kill herself over a rebel called Li Mu.
No! she would never do that!
Your Highness, Chancellor Zhangsun wishes to see you.
send him in! Aye!
He must have come to see you over a state matter, I'd better go.
There's actually someone you're afraid of?
That would be a first!
Run along!
Hey...
It's best not to let him see these paintings
Anyone?
Are you hurt, Your Highness?
I sprained my leg. Give me a massage.
Your Highness!
Chancellor! Are you alright?
Thank you for your concern.
Your Highness!
It hurts...
I did my best to stall him!
I hope you've put away the paintings in time
Let's go!
Hurry!
Be careful!
Uncle!
Aye! Run along!
What brings you to the Eastern Palace, Uncle?
His Majesty will be back today.
Don't worry, Uncle!
I've made the arrangements to greet him.
That's one thing, but more importantly,
His Majesty sent an order,
he wanted you to stand beside him at the morning assembly tomorrow.
He'll ask you to comment on any decisions that have to be made.
His Majesty wanted to see
if you've made any progress in running the state.
Don't worry, Uncle!
I'll try my best not to let him down.
You have done well in Court, but you need more training.
Allow me to be bold,
as the Crown Prince, you tend to be too soft and kind.
These qualities are considered virtues for most people,
but not suitable for an Emperor.
If His Majesty were as benevolent back then as you are now,
whether he could have seized power at the Xuanwu Gate incident
is still hard to say.
How to behave like an Emperor in running state affairs
is something you must figure out yourself.
You're quite right!
I'll try to do better.
Good! I'm glad to hear that!
I'll take my leave now, Your Highness!
Whether your son is a wolf or a sheep, you have to worry.
sis Wu, being the Crown Prince
is completely different from what I have expected.
something on your mind, Father?
Today at the Eastern Palace, I purposely mentioned Xuanwu Gate to the Crown Prince,
because I wanted to remind him he should rule with benevolence.
But he didn't have an original view on the matter.
He just nodded in agreement?
I'm a bit disappointed in this nephew.
Father, the Crown Prince is still young.
He was never considered a candidate as the heir apparent,
and was never trained as such.
Within just a few years, to expect him
to behave like the Crown Prince is a bit too much to ask.
You must give him more time.
Perhaps you're right.
Chong, do you remember
his favourite concubine Liangdi Xiao?
Liangdi Xiao?
she's from a land owning clan in Lanling of the southern Dynasty;
a descendent of the Liang's of Qi.
But her clan has no clout in Court,
and Liangdi Xiao is not a particularly calculating person.
And she's a good dancer.
That's right, she's a good dancer,
but she can't do Prince Lanling in Battle.
Why are you paying her attention all of a sudden?
Nothing...I've just been reminded of someone.
But she's not in the Palace anymore,
I should not worry too much.
Isn't that Rui Gong-Gong?
Rui Gong-Gong, you're still cleaning Cairen Wu's chamber?
Cairen Wu likes her chamber clean.
If she comes back to a dusty chamber,
that wouldn't be very nice.
You've been saying that for quite some time.
When is your Cairen Wu coming back?
soon...
Are you blind?
Forget it! You provoked him first.
Listen to me, you're a lunatic!
Even if you wait till you turn to ashes,
your precious Cairen is never coming back!
Let's go!
How interesting! Right!
We'll go again! We should.
Look!
It's that fool Rui'an!
Brother Liu, why do you call him a fool?
Don't you know?
Rather than trying to please the Able Consort who's on the rise,
he chose to remain loyal to a Cairen
who was banished from the Palace a few years ago and is probably dead by now.
Is he a fool or what? Don't say that...
He's also a dedicated fool. Really?
All the Palace maids think
meeting someone like him is very lucky.
You're exaggerating! Absolutely!
Let's go take a look! Come on!
Rui Gong-Gong! Rui Gong-Gong!
Did you come to see Wenniang?
Rui Gong-Gong, this courtyard
is our responsibility.
You should offer us something, to show us some courtesy.
You can't come and go as you please.
Exactly!
That's against our rules!
Look!
Mandarin ducks?
How lovely! Give it back!
You really can't tell Wenniang really knew how to have fun.
But... Right!
Give it back!
How dare you!
Which gown would you like, Milady?
I'll wear the rose ruqun made of cloud brocade.
Milady, today is a big day.
His Majesty is coming back to Chang'an.
The ruqun is nice, but that style is several years old.
You don't understand.
Precisely because I'm greeting His Majesty
I must wear that outfit.
You may go! Aye!
Greetings, Your Highness!
Time flies and it has been so long...
His Majesty went on an expedition today a few years ago.
That was the same day Meiniang disappeared.
Without His Majesty, I felt scared,
but without Meiniang in the Palace,
I quite enjoy that long lost tranquility and freedom.
The war is finally over.
Am I right, Wenniang?
Today, the pain I have experienced will finally end.
Today,
my only dissatisfaction will be rectified.
Today,
Wenniang,
your death will finally be meaningful.
Because His Majesty...
His Majesty will be back.
Milady,
His Majesty is only 20 miles outside Chang'an.
stop!
Who are you? Where is your pass?
Don't you recognise me?
Wang Gong-Gong! You must be kidding.
Everyone in the Palace knows you.
Please!
Open the gates!
I've reread this medical journal
and added 3 more herbs
but there are no signs of improvement.
His Highness the Crown Prince!
Your Highness! Your Highness!
Father!
Father, I'm here to see you!
How is he?
His Majesty is still in a coma, Your Highness!
Coma?
Just now at the triumph ceremony,
Father was doing just fine.
How can he be in a coma?
Your Highness...
Your Highness,
His Majesty was shot by a poisonous arrow,
the poison entered his system.
The trip back to Chang'an has also worn him out.
That's why he's suffering from a carbuncle.
shot by an arrow?
On this expedition,
Li Ji, Li Daozong, Xie Rengui and Ke
and other frontline generals all came away untouched.
Why did Father sustain such an injury?
Tell me, Wang Gong-Gong!
You were supposed to look after him.
I beg your pardon! I beg your pardon!
I'm very sorry, Your Highness!
Please punish me.
Your Highness,
His Majesty is in a coma and needs rest.
The way you accuse them
will only scare the Imperial doctors
and won't do His Majesty any good.
Father is in a coma
and I'm worried sick.
Fine! You may go!
Thank you, Your Highness!
Why didn't anyone advise Father to skip the long and boring ceremony?
There was no mentioning of his injury in any of the documents.
Wang Gong-Gong, why didn't you tell me?
Why did you hide it from me?
Your Highness,
His Majesty was shot by the enemy's poisoned arrow on a scouting mission.
Military intelligence must be kept confidential
and there must be no leaks.
Or else we wouldn't have had that battle at the Heli Mountain.
Everyone in the knowing was sworn to secrecy by His Majesty till today.
His Majesty would rather sit through the ceremony than nurse his wound,
so that he can prove to everyone he's in perfect health
in order to keep the treacherous crowd in line.
Exactly!
I must have picked the right person to run the harem for me.
His Majesty is awake! Your Majesty...
Father!
The ceremony was way too long.
I was not feeling well half way through it.
I passed out as soon as I reached my chamber
Zhinu, what time is it?
It's 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
It'll be dark soon.
Come to the Imperial study tonight.
I want to see the memorials you have gone over.
Your Majesty, you just woke up.
Don't overexert yourself.
Or you won't get well.
Why don't you get some rest tonight?
Father, we can go through the memorials anytime you like.
The doctor said
it's best you set aside everything
and focus on getting well.
That's right, sire! What is this?
I get sick and nobody listens to me anymore?
Don't worry! I'm fine! It's decided!
Zhinu, you may go!
You too, Wang De!
Yes, Your Majesty! Goodbye, Father!
Help me up...
Your Majesty, when you set out on the expedition,
you were hale and hearty.
But you became a different person when you came back.
You have greying temples and you look haggard.
It breaks my heart to see you like this.
It's alright. Give me a month.
I'll be good as new.
When I came back to Chang'an,
the moment I stepped inside the Palace gates I found everything so orderly,
and even better than before I left.
To achieve this,
you must have worked harder than anyone have expected.
To hear you say this,
even if I had to work hard for another 10 or 20 years,
it's well worth it.
Your ruqun
is the one you wore at the Glass Banquet?
You do remember!
I can forget a state matter,
but what you wore, my dear,
I would never forget.
Because that time Meiniang took your place
and beat the chess player from Japan.
That's right! All thanks to Meiniang.
What a shame she's not in the Palace anymore
I'm going to the Imperial study tonight.
I must get some rest now.
You may go.
Don't forget to come to Ganlu Hall tonight.
Aye! But I don't want to leave now.
Let me watch you fall asleep first.
Very well.
No matter what happens,
I'm finally the only one here with His Majesty.
Rui'an!
sis!
What happened to your face?
Who beat you up? No one.
Did people bully you after I left?
No!
After you left,
I had a feeling you'd be back.
I just knew it.
Don't cry! Here I am.
Rui'an, these last few years,
you must have suffered a great deal.
And you took such trouble
to keep my chamber spotless and clean.
Thank you for the trouble!
As long as you're back, any trouble is worth it.
These last few years...
You want to know where I was?
sis...
I can sense that
whatever you've been through must be confidential.
If I found out, it might not do you any good.
You'd better not tell me.
For safety's sake, you shouldn't tell anyone either.
Not even people who seem trustworthy.
Rui'an,
I haven't seen you for so long.
Have you been thinking too much?
By the way, you still haven't told me who did this to you.
The Palace is full of bullies and those who kick you while you're down.
I've been involved in fights like this all the time.
This is nothing.
If people bully you, why didn't you go to sis Xu?
she's now the Able Consort.
If she said something, nobody would dare touch you.
Why didn't you go to her?
People change.
The Able Consort you see today is not the same sis Xu I used to know.
since she went from a Jieyu to a Consort,
everyone was so relieved.
Who would have guessed the way she runs the harem
was far more atrocious and harsher than Consort Wei.
In the first 3 months,
4 or 5 eunuchs and maids were caned to death
Harsh and atrocious? Aye!
That's not possible!
When Xiao Qiang wanted to kill us,
sis Xu saved my life.
Because of that, she has become sickly.
You knew about that.
How can someone like that
be harsh and atrocious?
since you came back, haven't you noticed
the Palace is more orderly than before?
You won't see anyone slacking off anymore.
Everyone seems to be in a hurry.
They always scurry along.
Because someone dozed off while they were on duty
and lost their lives over it.
Everyone is jumpy and scared.
The eunuchs and maids are not the only ones who suffered.
Even the Imperial wives with titles
are having a hard time.
Remember Meiren Chen and Cairen Feng?
They were good friends with Jieyu Xiao.
They were disrespectful towards Consort Xu
and not long after that,
they hung themselves on the same night.
Nobody knew why.
And... Don't say it!
sis...
Consort Xu started out gentle and kind.
But now her harshness and atrocity is quite unlike that of Consort Wei.
she doesn't victimise anyone with her evildoing.
she only punishes people who have made mistakes.
What I don't understand is that
why she'd choose such extreme measures in the way she runs things.
I'm a bit scared of her now.
Good...
In running the state,
you have shown great improvements.
In tackling certain issues, though,
you're kind but not tough enough.
It's human nature to bully the good and fear the evil.
sometimes you must be harsh to make things easier.
I will make amends.
Never raise taxes or disrupt the farming season.
Then we're already half way to stability.
Congratulations, Milady!
You're the first one His Majesty summoned.
You're worthy of being the head consort.
Who cares about being first or second?
Don't let anyone hear you or you'll be the laughing stock.
Your Majesty?
Your Majesty...
sis Xu!
It's me, I'm back!
Meiniang?
Why you?
sis Xu...
Where have you been?
since I left the Palace,
I went to the battlefield in the northern boundary
where I found His Majesty.
so you came back with him?
Yes, I came back with him.
Don't cry, silly!
We should be happy we're reunited.
Why are you crying?
I really missed you!