By order of His Majesty the Emperor
the grace of Heaven and Earth
has given Wu Meiniang to me.
I will not disappoint Heaven and Earth.
I hereby name Wu Meiniang as my Zhaoyi,
and so you have been told.
Greetings, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, if you won't revoke the order,
I will shed my blood in Taiji Hall to prove my stand.
Your Majesty!
It's a courtier's duty to remonstrate
and not agree with Your Majesty blindly.
It's Tang's good fortune to have such an able courtier.
If you allow Minister Pei's blood to spill over Taiji Hall,
you'll cast a chill over other courtiers.
Please reconsider, Your Majesty
and revoke the order to name Wu Meiniang your Zhaoyi.
Please reconsider, Your Majesty...
Please revoke the order, Your Majesty!
Very well...
since you have come to this...
Your Majesty, I wish to say something.
Minister Pei, the Tang Court
has always encouraged the courtiers to speak their minds.
An honest remonstration is a good thing,
but I have a question in my mind for Minister Pei.
Ask away, Your Highness!
I remember during the late Emperor's reign,
your remonstration was always gentle.
Even when Father rejected your opinion,
you would not relentlessly pursue the matter
and definitely would never pound your head on the ground to threaten the Emperor.
You serve both Emperors,
why the big difference in attitude?
Is it possible
in your mind the late Emperor is different from His Majesty?
There's no difference.
I'm only doing my duty as a courtier.
Duty? Over a domestic matter,
you're prepared to shed blood in Taiji Hall.
If word got out, you'd earn the fame of being a remonstrant,
but you'd make His Majesty seem heartless.
Is that how a courtier should behave?
No, that's not the case...
Enough!
I have just ascended the throne,
I'm not familiar with the way to run the state.
That's why I have been receptive to your advice.
since the Yonghui era,
I have approved whatever you have suggested.
We should keep a give-and-take relationship,
but the moon waxes only to wane and water brims only to overflow.
My leniency only encouraged
someone into thinking he could surpass me.
Pei Xingjian, your behaviour sends a chill down my spine.
It's not like that...
Guards! Banish Pei Xingjian from the Court.
That's not the case, Your Majesty...
It's nothing like that!
It's nothing like that...
Grand Chancellor Zhangsun, you lead the Three Chancellors.
What do you think I should do with Pei Xingjian?
As a key official of the Tang Court,
Pei Xingjian should be severely punished
for such presumptuous behaviour.
Banish him to the border of the Western Regions.
Very well!
Let him be the Chief Clerk of the Military Governor of Xizhou.
And Wu Meiniang will be my Zhaoyi.
Any objections?
The Court is adjourned!
Long live His Majesty...
Excuse me, Your Highness!
His Majesty summons you to the Imperial Garden.
That woman is really something!
We need to discuss how we are to deal with her.
We can't allow her to seduce His Majesty.
What about the Empress?
What I can put up with
doesn't mean the Empress can.
Let them have a go at each other.
I'll keep a low profile for the time being
and wait to benefit from the situation.
Wu Meiniang is to stay as a Zhaoyi?
What about Chancellor Zhangsun and the other courtiers?
Nobody tried to interfere?
Pei Xingjian came forward
and urged that Wu Meiniang be sent away.
He pounded his head on the floor until he was bleeding,
but Chancellor Zhangsun said nothing.
How can that be?
I must see Chancellor Zhangsun.
Hurry...Arrange for me to see my Father.
Aye!
Milady, Chancellor Zhangsun requests a meeting.
Just now in Taiji Hall,
I'm glad you came forward and refuted Pei Xingjian.
If you hadn't silenced him,
I would have killed him.
I know. That's why I came forward.
Pei Xingjian is an expert with both the pen and the sword,
he could have become a great general.
He should not get caught up in a fight within the Harem
and get himself killed for no reason.
Brother Ke! Your Majesty!
You can have any woman you want.
I really don't understand
why you had to make Meiniang your Zhaoyi.
Except for Gaoyang, you're the only person I feel close to.
I would have thought you'd understand my love for her.
But she's Father's woman.
If you object,
why did you come forward in Taiji Hall?
What's done is done now.
Though Wu Meiniang is now a Zhaoyi,
I still don't approve of you being together.
But in any case, you're my brother.
I won't let anyone bully you.
This is something that will never change.
The princes need to practise. I should leave.
Your Majesty, Master Dugu wishes to see you.
You may go!
Father, Wu Meiniang has been named Zhaoyi.
There's nothing we can do?
It's over and done with.
Don't be hung up over it.
Yuyan, you should look ahead.
If she stays, she'll fight for His Majesty's favour.
she'll eventually threaten my position.
That's right! That's why what we must do now
is to secure your position.
What is your plan?
We must make your son the Crown Prince as soon as possible.
My son?
Yes!
But I don't have a child.
I see...Please give me more time.
I'm confident I can bear a child...
We don't have time, Your Highness.
Wu Meiniang is here to stay.
But you have had no children all these years
Can you guarantee you can beat Wu Meiniang in bearing His Majesty's child?
If her child is born before yours,
will His Majesty make her child the Crown Prince?
I don't know.
Nobody does.
Naming the Crown Prince will impact the future of Tang.
Just like what you said,
to secure your position in the Harem,
your Father and I have decided
to let you choose one of the princes and adopt him as your son.
Yuyan,
Chancellor Zhangsun and I have weighed the situation,
we believe this arrangement
should be best for you.
I believe you already have a candidate.
Your Highness,
the child's name, birth date and other information are in here.
If you were to become his Mother,
please read this carefully.
Allowing Wu Meiniang to stay as a Zhaoyi,
is a deliberate concession by the Grand Chancellor.
His Majesty knows this as well.
That's why if we jointly suggest to him
that your son should be named Crown Prince,
he probably won't object.
I'll make the arrangements right away.
As soon as the boy's mother agrees,
you can adopt him right away.
Thank you, Father!
I'm sorry I've let you down.
Whatever you and Chancellor Zhangsun have decided,
I'll go along with it.
But I won't trouble you with
such petty matter as convincing the boy's mother.
Very well! Let's not waste any time,
I hope you'll get it done soon.
I'll take my leave now!
Watch out!
Zhaoyi Wu!
Be careful next time you play by the water.
Have someone watch over you, understand?
Zhong'er!
You little pixie! You ran off so quickly.
Don't you want your wooden sword?
I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
What are you doing? Get up!
I didn't mean to lie,
but someone from Xianling Palace made me say those things.
If I didn't, they'd send my Mother to Yeting.
That's why I told them you beat up on sujie.
I'm sorry!
Get up!
If you're still angry, you can punish me.
But please don't tell my Mother.
she's weak and may get sick.
Did I say I blame you for it, silly?
Zhong'er, who are you talking to?
You are...
We have met,
do you remember Meiniang?
Greetings, Zhaoyi Wu!
At ease!
May I ask what brings you here?
Zhong'er is an insensible child.
He didn't mean what he said last time at the Attending Office.
Don't worry. That's between me and Xianling Palace.
It has nothing to do with Zhong'er.
Besides, we have great affinity.
I ran into him again by Jingchu Pond.
Yes. I almost fell into Jingchu Pond,
Zhaoyi Wu saved me so I invited her home.
Yes, that's what happened.
Will I be any trouble?
You flatter me!
This shabby room is not fit for such a distinguished guest.
Please have a seat.
Your Highness, Zhaoyi is not inside.
That's odd!
We've looked for her in Ganlu Hall, Penglai Hall and here.
Where is she?
serving you plain tea like this is rude of me.
This tea reminds me of the days at home before I came to the Palace.
Just now, Zhong'er said
this is his home.
I have never heard anyone in the Harem
call their residence "home".
This is the nonsense I often speak of and he picked it up. I beg your pardon.
I haven't heard the word "home" for a long time.
The word makes me feel warm.
Why would you say that?
Milady, unlike you, I'm ordinary and useless.
I came to the Palace when I was 12.
I was assigned to the Imperial Library,
to stand in the corner of a stairway.
There was an oil lamp
and I thought my duty was to keep that light from going out.
I stood there for 8 years
until I found out by accident that several decades ago,
the wall next to the stairway was being renovated,
so they needed a Palace maid to stand guard
to remind people not to go near the wall.
Though the renovation was completed,
for some reason they kept the post.
Milady,
can you imagine how I felt then?
I realised then my life is meaningless.
Who'd dare say his or her life is meaningful?
Don't be too hung up on this.
Until one day,
His Majesty came to me.
I was with him for 3 days.
suddenly people started trying to please me
and I've seen my share of fancy clothes and food.
His Majesty stopped coming on the 4th day
and I was back to being a lowly Palace maid.
Given my background and appearance
I know His Majesty's grace and the perks he brought
would disappear sooner or later.
If I were to lose them anyway,
sooner would be better than later.
To have such an open mind in the Harem is not easy at all.
But after Zhong'er was born,
I'm no longer a living corpse.
I have a home.
My home is wherever Zhong'er is.
My son is everything to me.
That's great. The son makes you feel contented!
How I envy you!
I've taken up enough of your time. I should go.
And I've been talking too much!
I hope you won't find me annoying.
No, you're someone who deserves respect.
I have learnt so much from your story.
Why would I find you annoying?
If you need me for anything,
feel free to come to me.
Zhong'er, come here!
My son and I thank you for everything.
I'll never forget your great kindness.
Come here!
Yes, Your Majesty?
Where is Zhaoyi Wu?
she went out during the morning assembly.
said she wanted to take a walk
and wouldn't let me go with her.
so...I don't know where she is.
I see. You may go!
Aye!
Might as well...
Meiniang, I'll give you time to think.
Meiniang!
You're finally back!
You have thought things through?
What about the brocade?
I'll send it to Ganlu Hall.
I will take out my baby's killer.
I remember when I was in Ganye Temple and I felt hopeless,
the baby gave me strength.
It gave me hope and the courage to go on living.
It gave those miserable days a shred of hope.
But now...
the killer destroyed everything.
I want revenge.
The Empress title, Zhinu's favour
and everything else Empress Wang values
I will take them away from her!
I will make her pay.
I want her to know
how it feels to lose everything she values.
Meiniang, are you sure?
If you want to topple Empress Wang,
you'll be going up against Zhangsun Wuji and his lot.
Yes and I already have a plan.
That's why I need help.
I need someone to give me a hand.
What's the next step against Empress Wang?
Do you have a plan?
In the long run,
we must promote poor scholars like Li Yifu and Xu Jingzong.
When they're fully plumaged,
we'll find a chance to publicly impeach the Empress in Court.
Only people like them can help His Majesty
break Zhangsun Wuji's absolute control of the Tang Court.
That's right!
If His Majesty wants to seize power from Zhangsun Wuji,
he must count on these poor scholars.
But this is a long term plan,
what can we do now?
The Empress has produced no sons.
It's the worst offence against filial piety.
It's also her weakest spot.
To topple the Empress,
this is where we should start.
Now that I can stay on as a Zhaoyi,
the pressure on the Empress is enormous.
she'll try everything in her power to secure her position.
The only thing she can do,
should be...
to make her son the Crown Prince.
But she doesn't have a son.
You mean...she'll adopt one?
You plan to stop her?
Brother Zhinu has 4 sons, which one will she pick?
We must find someone
who is in contact with these princes,
someone who knows them,
to help me choose.
Please pass on my message...
If Zhaoyi Wu plans to fight for control of the Harem,
I'll pledge my undying allegiance.
I know you're a smart man
and will make the right decision.
What does Zhaoyi Wu want me to do?
she wants you to contact
other courtiers from humble background
and shortlist those who will be useful,
someone like Xu Jingzong.
Minister Xu is no doubt a talent,
but he has been banished to Zhengzhou.
I'm afraid he can't be of much help.
Go ahead and contact him.
Within a year,
Milady guarantees he'll be back in Chang'an.
In that case, I believe Minister Xu will pledge his allegiance.
Meiniang!
Your Majesty!
Greetings, Your Majesty!
You're back!
Your Majesty...where else can I go?
Before you came back,
I kept telling myself
if you still wanted to leave,
I wouldn't stop you or try to dissuade you.
I could only wait here
for you to make your decision.
But you came back!
Meiniang, I'm so happy.
Your Majesty, I...
It's alright, as long as you'll stay,
I'll be content with whatever the reason.
Is it worth it? Yes!
For you, anything is worth it.
I don't have a heart of stone.
You have been so good to me.
I can't possibly run off.
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Whatever hardships there may be ahead,
I'm willing to see you through them all.
We'll deal with them together!
That's wonderful!
Meiniang, I'll never feel lonely again,
or that I'm in over my head.
Your Highness, are you reminiscing the days when you used to practise here?
Pardon me, Zhaoyi Wu.
I have no intention
to get involved in your fight for control of the Harem with the Empress.
If you wish to solicit my help
you'll need to find someone else.
We're old friends.
I helped you stay in Chang'an.
If I were to topple the Empress,
it would be a heavy blow to Zhangsun Wuji.
Why are you turning me down?
Why did you become Zhinu's Zhaoyi?
Are you still the Wu Meiniang I once knew?
Have you forgotten about Father?
Or else how can you so willingly
throw yourself into Zhinu's arms?
Or is it possible
you're no different from the other women of the Harem?
Whoever is on the throne is the man you love, isn't it?
Love is temporary,
but power lasts forever.
You're a smart man.
Why can't you understand something so simple?
I can't believe that's coming from your heart.
Do you have ineffable reasons?
someone is forcing you to stay?
It's alright, you can tell me.
I can help you leave Chang'an.
No, nobody is forcing me.
I wanted to stay.
The Empress killed my baby.
I'll make her pay for it.
I won't go easy on her.
But...you're betraying Father!
Not to mention,
you're betraying yourself.
The late Emperor...
The late Emperor...Maybe you're right.
Perhaps I have betrayed him.
What about Zhinu?
He knows nothing.
He doesn't know I'm after Empress Wang.
I hope you'll keep it to yourself.
But...he should know well that you're Father's Cairen.
Why have things turned out like this?
Life is full of surprises, Your Highness!
Just like the wind is blowing,
no one knows where the leaves picked up in the wind will land.
What do you want me to do?
Tell me...
If the Empress were to adopt a son,
which one of these boys would she pick?
I only know it won't be sujie.
I don't know what she's thinking.
But I know Zhangsun Wuji would pick that boy.
Li Zhong? Is that possible?
The boy's mother
is a Palace maid who doesn't even have a title.
You know him?
Uncle Zhangsun prefers boys who are weak and obedient.
Besides, this boy and his mother have nothing.
That's why I believe
they won't turn down this good fortune from Heaven.
Not necessarily.
The boy means more to his mother than her own life.
I don't think she'd hand him over so easily.
so?
They're like mayflies in the Harem.
Even if they wanted to turn it down,
I don't think they could.
Wu Meiniang has been meeting with the Prince of Wu in private?
That's right!
someone saw them meeting in the Imperial Garden,
while His Highness was teaching the princes swordplay.
I heard they were old friends and got along rather well.
Rumour has it the Prince of Wu
saved Wu Meiniang's life on the battlefront up north.
If His Majesty should find out these two were rather intimate,
what would be his reaction?
I see! I'll get on it right away.
send someone to bring Li Zhong to Lizheng Hall.
It's time I met with the boy.
Aye!
Mother!
Zhong'er, say hello to Xu Gong-Gong!
Greetings, Xu Gong-Gong!
You flatter me!
Let's go, Your Highness!
Don't be afraid, Zhong'er.
The Empress wishes to see you.
Just behave and go with Gong-Gong.
I...
Gong-Gong, Zhong'er is still young,
and has not seen much of the world.
I'm afraid he might offend the Empress.
Can you make an exception and let me go with him?
I was told to bring the boy to Lizheng Hall.
I wouldn't dare act on my own and bring someone else.
I didn't mean to put you on the spot.
I beg your pardon.
When you reach Lizheng Hall,
please look after Zhong'er.
Don't worry, Maid Liu.
The Empress is fond of children,
everyone in the Harem knows about it.
If the Empress is fond of the young Prince,
he'll be heavily rewarded.
If she doesn't like him,
I'll bring him back.
He'll be alright.
Let's go, Your Highness!
Come on...
You'll be just fine...