The Empress...It must be her!
she repeatedly tried to hurt you.
You mustn't let her off easy.
Gaoyang is like a sister to me.
she has no reason to kill Anding...
...unless she wants to frame the Empress.
Bianji, you should be happy too.
But why...
You haven't been in my dreams.
Bianji...
Your Majesty!
Meiniang, you haven't eaten for a few days.
Let's go for a walk.
Meiniang...
shall we?
When I first came to the Palace,
everyone taught me
to be the most vicious one.
Because it's the only way to protect myself and those I love.
But I didn't believe them.
I wanted to do it my own way.
But...she's dead!
My beloved Anding is dead!
I'm right here...
she's dead!
Zhinu, maybe...
I shouldn't have returned to the Palace.
I shouldn't be with you.
I shouldn't have given birth.
Or else why would anyone kill Anding?
Why?
Zhinu, why didn't you protect us?
Why did Heaven do this to my baby?
Meiniang...
You didn't protect her!
I forbid you to say that!
Meiniang, I know how you feel.
I know your pain and guilt.
I feel the same way.
Anding was my daughter too.
I'm just as heart-broken as you are.
His Majesty didn't want to live in his Father's shadow.
He wanted to make a statement with you,
He could do whatever his Father could do.
What is it?
Meiniang!
Meiniang, what's wrong?
At Gaoyang's birthday banquet,
I had a miscarriage...you knew
there was something wrong with the chrysanthemum brocade.
Meiniang...
Why didn't you tell me?
I asked you repeatedly,
but you wouldn't tell me.
You're no different from the killer.
Meiniang...
You gave them your consent!
Why did you kill my baby?
What were you trying to prove?
You're as good as the late Emperor?
You could do whatever he could do?
Meiniang!
I want my baby back!
Why did you kill my baby?
Meiniang!
Nobody would tell me why!
Why are you doing this to me? Meiniang!
Why?
You can hate me or even kill me.
But you must never doubt me.
I failed to carry out my promise.
I promised to protect you, but I failed.
I'm sorry, Meiniang!
The Prince of Wu should attend the annual memorial service for the late Emperor,
but he should not bring 5,000 cavalrymen.
This is inappropriate.
since he took office in songzhou,
he had absolute authority
and started to groom troops that are loyal to him.
I believe he harbours treacherous intent.
Uncle, he's back to attend Father's annual memorial service.
Obviously he'd bring sacrificial offerings that require soldiers to guard.
His men would not enter the city gate.
They'd be stationed in the woods outside the city.
Chang'an has no less than 6,000 Imperial Guards.
What are you afraid of?
Your Majesty, the 6,000 Imperial Guards are deployed to different places throughout
the outer city, the capital city and the Imperial Palace.
If you insist on letting the Prince of Wu attend the ceremony,
he must trim down his entourage and bring no more than 1,000 men.
I have been on the throne for a few years,
I'm getting a hang of how I should deal with my courtiers.
I understand your misgivings,
but the Prince of Wu's loyalty has been more than proven a year ago.
He saved my life inside his mansion.
I owe him my life.
If I asked him to trim down his entourage, it'd send a chilling message to all.
Uncle, I have countless courtiers
but he's the only brother I have who's coming back.
Your Majesty...
you should separate state affairs from domestic affairs.
Chancellor!
If you have made up your mind,
I'll do as you wish.
Milady,
there's nothing unusual about Princess Gaoyang's activities.
The night the Empress was deposed,
she summoned male escorts to her mansion and got completely drunk.
If she would openly cavort with those men,
what was Fang Yi'ai's reaction?
Fang Yi'ai is a coward.
He was drunk that night too.
But he went out drinking alone and ended up on the streets.
Princess Gaoyang's attitude towards him
has become a callous indifference.
Fan Yi'ai often drowns his sorrow in liquor.
Good! They say Li Yifu is quite a drinker.
Tell him to invite Fang Yi'ai for a few drinks.
Aye!
I asked you to keep tabs on the people Gaoyang has been seeing.
What did you find out?
According to Li Yifu,
Princess Gaoyang has quite a large circle of friends.
There are 4 villas on the Chongnan Mountains alone
where she often goes hunting and meets all sorts of people.
There's something that Li Yifu finds rather unusual.
What is it?
Princess Gaoyang and the Prince of Wu got along rather well.
But this past year while he was in songzhou
they have not contacted each other.
It's as if they have been trying not to arouse suspicion.
Li Yifu wants to know if we should start investigating him and...
That won't be necessary.
someone else knows everything about him.
If there's anything we need to know, it's best to ask him.
Your Highness, Chang'an is further up.
Yes, I'm finally back!
Brother Ke!
Greetings, Your Majesty!
Ke!
Why insist on being courteous?
Blaming me for sending you to songzhou?
I wouldn't dare!
Is Zhangsun Wuji suspicious of the 5,000 cavalrymen I brought with me?
Don't worry. I have everything arranged.
Let's go back to the Palace.
Come! Good!
I've been practising the sword.
Today, I must challenge you.
I have prepared a lot of good wine.
Let's both get drunk tonight.
Great...
I'm surprised to see you offering sacrifices to Anding.
It broke my heart to see the Princess dead at such a young age.
While the Empress was deposed over some trumped up charge does infuriate me.
Because of the deposed Empress,
innocent lives have been lost inside the Harem.
The Crown Prince's birth mother was one of them.
Though the Empress has been deposed,
Li Zhong is still the Crown Prince up to this point.
You're worried
because the Empress has been deposed,
her son Li Zhong may lose his title as Crown Prince.
I may take advantage of the situation and let my son Li Hong replace him.
Am I right, Chancellor?
Are you threatening me, Zhaoyi Wu?
I wouldn't dare!
I only want a strike a deal with you.
If you answer my questions,
I guarantee Li Zhong's position will not be affected by the deposed Empress.
What do you want to know?
The Prince of Wu is now back in Chang'an.
I wish to ask you how much do you know about him?
Your swordsmanship has improved enormously.
You'll be able to beat the Prince of Wu.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty,
we just got word from Qianzhou,
the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian has passed away.
Bring my horse!
Aye!
Bring the horse!
Chengqian, I've already sent someone to bring you back to Chang'an.
I can't bury you in Zhao Mausoleum
but I know you'd like to be buried back home.
You loved freedom and loathed clamour.
I hope you'll like it here.
Brother Chengqian, I came to see you.
How did you find me?
I was waiting for you at the Imperial Garden for our practice.
When I heard of Chengqian's death,
I knew you two were close, and you'd mourn him.
The guards told me you were here, so I hurried over.
You know me too well.
You've always been kind hearted.
Everything you do comes from the heart.
That's why it's easy to guess.
sounds like it's my shortcoming.
I've been practising the sword for the past year,
hoping to change the weak image people have of me.
I'm getting used to running the state,
but I lack majestic presence.
What do you think I need to do
to make people respect and fear me?
Just like the way they respected and feared Father?
Even Father was not feared and respected by all.
If you want real power,
to establish prestige, you must kill and do it without any fear.
You must know, it was after the Xuanwu Gate incident
that Father got real power.
Your Majesty,
if you want these courtiers to kneel and worship you, it's simple.
Take for instance...
Kill me!
I was only joking, Your Majesty!
Don't take it so seriously!
Being an Emperor is not about being malicious and brutal.
You must be benevolent and forgiving,
and win people over with virtues.
Forget it! We're here to mourn Chengqian!
No more politics.
Consider this a friendly brotherly chat.
What a shame Brother Qingque is not here.
When we were all living in Chang'an,
we didn't cherish the time we had together,
and spent our time fighting.
Now, we're either dead or separated and at a loss looking back.
You know me,
I never fought for anything.
I only want us to get along.
That's why Father picked you.
In terms of gaining Father's favour,
I can't compare with Chengqian.
I'm not as learned as Qingque.
In terms of civil and military skills,
I'm nothing like you.
Let's not talk about that! Let's drink!
I've brought some fine wine from songzhou for you to savour.
serve the wine!
Your Majesty!
Chengqian was lucky. Though he was reduced to a commoner,
he had His Majesty mourn for him from afar.
Whether as a commoner or the Crown Prince,
he's still our big brother.
I have never forgotten him.
I haven't forgotten about Qingque either.
You... Your Majesty!
I have a request.
What do you mean by this?
Please get up!
Hear me out, Your Majesty!
If there comes a day when I pass away like Chengqian,
will you mourn me like you do Chengqian?
Don't be absurd! We're alive and kicking,
why this talk about life and death?
Just answer me! Will you do it?
If there comes such a day, I will.
Now that I have your word,
I'll give you my all until I die.
His Highness won't rebel.
At the North Gate and outside Ganye Temple,
he has repeatedly saved His Majesty's life.
The Crown Prince Yin Li Jiancheng
had also saved the late Emperor's life on the battlefield.
In any power struggle, even flesh and blood
can be at each other's throats.
Just like the saying,
"the royal family is most heartless".
Zhaoyi Wu,
the Prince of Wu is in Chang'an to attend the late Emperor's annual memorial service,
yet he brought 5,000 cavalrymen with him.
Don't you find that suspicious?
That's just your wild guess.
If you're so certain,
I believe you have evidence.
When he was the Military Governor of Anzhou,
I placed one of my men in his mansion. His name was Li Gong.
After Li Gong's careful observation and investigation,
he made the conclusion the Prince of Wu was loyal.
But soon afterwards, he died under dubious circumstances,
outside Ganye Tample when the Prince of Wu saved His Majesty.
In appearance,
Li Gong was stabbed to death from the front.
But after the coroner's careful examination,
we found out he was killed by a thin and sharp dagger from the back.
Outside Ganye Temple?
A lot of people were there...including me.
But no one saw His Highness kill Li Gong.
Maybe Yang Qingxuan found out Li Gong's identity, so she...
No!
The Prince of Wu is an outstanding army commander
and everyone knows he's an expert swordsman.
The other day when Yang Qingxuan tried to assassinate His Majesty,
no doubt it was the Prince of Wu who stopped her.
Everyone saw he had a sharp and thin dagger.
And he acted quickly.
I'm certain Yang Qingxuan was only a scapegoat.
That's just your side of the story.
Whether or not His Highness has treacherous intents,
I will conduct my own investigation.
I'm pleased to know you're willing to do that.
But let me remind you,
if he rebels, he needs more than soldiers.
He also needs the support of the royal family.
Perhaps you can start thinking
which prince or princess in the family is on friendly terms
and has been in contact with him.
I should go!
Rui'an!
Yes, Milady?
Let's go to Yeting. I need to see the deposed Empress.
Aye!
shall we follow Zhangsun Wuji?
No need. Right now,
we must tell Gaoyang and the Prince of Wu
about Wu Meiniang's meeting with Zhangsun Wuji.
How is the deposed Empress?
she's rather calm.
Perhaps too calm.
I've worked in Yeting for over 10 years,
I have never seen a concubine in here who's as calm as she is.
Take a right turn, the second room.
What are you doing here? To gloat?
Or to enjoy my desolation?
In order to take Zhong'er,
you poisoned Maid Liu.
Then you became obsessed with spellcasting to harm me and my baby.
These charges were why you're in here.
You can't blame me, Wang Yuyan.
Look...you were once so quiet and composed.
How could you become so atrocious and
take away such a fragile and innocent life?
How did you do it?
What posture were you in?
Like this?
Wu Meiniang,
I wanted to see you in such pain.
Go ahead, kill me!
You won't get Anding back even if you kill me.
You killed Anding? I'll kill you...
I thought of you when I saw Anding the other day.
All the pain and anguish you brought me.
I held out my hand like this and reached for her neck.
It was so tiny, I could have snapped it so easily.
But she smiled at me
and I let go.
I was one step short because of that smile, and ended up like this.
But it's alright. she's dead just the same.
see? Even Heaven is helping me.
This is your retribution.
What did you say? You let go?
You didn't kill Anding?
I'm grateful to whoever that did it.
shut up!
Wu Meiniang,
don't think you can be the Empress after you kill me.
Listen to me,
your pain is just the beginning.
I'll be watching you from Hell,
and watch how you lose your love in order to keep your position.
Watch you in so much pain you'd wish you were dead.
Maybe you did not kill Anding,
but you already had the intent to kill.
Whoever killed my child will have to answer to me.
I will make each of you pay with your blood.
since you helped me see the truth,
I can help make your wish come true.
You love His Majesty, right?
You crave for his love and affection?
No...
I'll satisfy you, Wang Yuyan.
Before you die,
I'll ask His Majesty to come see you.
Would you like that?
No!
I don't want him to see me like this!
No!
Gaoyang!
Meiniang, why did you go to Yeting?
I went to see Empress Wang.
That vicious woman has no heart.
Why did you want to see her?
I can't imagine anyone could kill such an adorable baby like Anding.
I wanted to ask her something,
but I came back empty-handed.
she hates me and wouldn't tell me anything.
she shows no remorse!
she has repeatedly tried to hurt you,
but in the end, she only remembers what you have done to her.
If she didn't soak that chrysanthemum brocade in wuhua,
you wouldn't have suffered so much.
Why waste your breath on someone like her?
Let's go!
What's wrong, Meiniang?
What do you mean?
Didn't you want me to help you
to clean up the mess after Consort Xiao's downfall?
We have one question about her daughters Yiyang and Xuancheng.
According to the Tang code,
they should be exiled to Lingnan.
But they're so young,
if we go by the book,
they probably couldn't survive the long journey,
and may die on the way.
How about...
we say they're too sick to travel.
send them to the Palace in Luoyang for 2 years.
In the meantime, I'll plead their case to His Majesty
so that he would pardon them.
As for sujie, let him become the Military Governor of shenzhou
and send him away from Chang'an.
As you wish!
Meiniang,
you're finally willing to leave Penglai Hall
I'm so relieved.
I should get going.
As you have expected,
Wu Meiniang failed to get any answers from Empress Wang.
They hate each other to the core,
they won't talk to each other.
Your Highness, if we send Princesses Yiyang and Xuancheng to Luoyang,
will you let them live?
Let them stay there for a while.
After 6 months,
we'll announce they died of an illness
and secretly ship them back to Yeting.
They can live, but not well, as long as they're alive.
Let them believe their ill fate is courtesy of Wu Meiniang.
Aye!
These two pawns may someday become useful.
she'll be drinking with those gigolos till 11 o'clock tonight.
Thanks to you, or else I'd be drinking all by myself.
How miserable!
Am I a coward or what?
No...not at all.
I think you are...
You're definitely not a coward.
You're too devoted.
speaking of which...
to be able to devote yourself to a woman is considered your good fortune.
Good fortune?
You're so good at consoling me!
Everyone in Chang'an knows
in terms of quantity and quality of gigolos engaged,
the Fang's stands No 1!
Who'd want this sort of good fortune?
Master Fang,
I'm sure someday,
the Princess will understand your devotion.
Let's have another drink!
Yes, someday she'll realise
I'm the one who'll be there for her till the end.
And only me.
Let's have another drink!
Here...
Cheers! Cheers!
Milady, I've just checked with the Bureau of Costumes.
One month before Empress Wang,
only two people touched the golden silk threads in stock.
Guiren Chen of Hanxiang Hall and... Princess Gaoyang.
It was my fault, Anding!
I mistook the Empress as my enemy
and completely overlooked the real killer behind my back.
Gaoyang, if you can be so vicious,
I won't go easy on you either.
You will pay for this with your life.
I will destroy you!