In the morning assembly tomorrow I intend to suggest
that you conduct the second offering at the Fengchan ceremony at Mount Tai.
I nominate the Empress to conduct the Fengchan ceremony.
Please grant your permission, Your Majesty...
I will kill this witch for Tang!
Your Highness!
An attempt on the Empress' life was made at the Fengchan ceremony at Mount Tai.
How is she?
she was unharmed.
Good! Thank you, you may go!
I'll take my leave.
Unharmed...
Think no more about this, Your Majesty.
Let Xu Jingzong look into it.
Why bother? This is a blatant conspiracy.
An open assassination attempt.
These Guanlong aristocrats show no regard for my dignity.
This crossbow is a masterpiece from the Western Regions.
It's durable and powerful.
The arrowhead is dipped in poison
and the assassin was only 10 paces from me.
Even with the soft armour, I should be dead.
Heaven is watching out for you.
Or maybe it's Buddha.
I don't know if it's Buddha,
but I've had this crossbow examined.
someone has tampered with it.
The string snapped for a reason.
someone wanted to save me.
The informer's letter to Minister Xu is from a dubious source,
but it contains information down to the last detail.
It's probably not a forgery.
That's why I had Wei Jifang arrested.
If the content of this letter is true,
the assassination at Mount Tai
was indeed engineered by Zhangsun Wuji.
Wei Jifang and other courtiers from aristocratic clans were all involved
This is the perfect opportunity to crack down on them.
Your Majesty, the Grand Court just sent word,
Wei Jifang admitted that Zhangsun Wuji was the mastermind.
Pass my word...
Tell the Imperial Guards to surround Zhangsun's residence.
Aye!
I was told you'd skipped the morning assembly and stayed home to write,
and you've finally come up with the New Rites for Tang.
You have the Chancellor's residence surrounded by Imperial Guards
just so that you can read this?
That's right!
Back when you compiled the Tang code, Honourable Zhangsun,
you suggested adding courtesy to punishment perfecting the mixing of law with discipline
That was most admirable.
I was hoping I'd get a glimpse of the New Rites for Tang.
But now that I have read it,
I must say I'm utterly disappointed.
I'm all ears.
Let's set aside the sloppiness of the work.
Take this chapter on National Mourning for instance.
This chapter deals with burial rites.
It's a highlight of the work. What's wrong with it?
While the Emperor is still alive,
no official would dare lay down the rituals of a state funeral.
Chancellor,
you're guilty of cursing His Majesty.
spare us your scandalous accusations!
Don't think you can pin such a trumped up charge on my Father.
That's an overstatement.
His Majesty is rather displeased with your piece of work.
In my humble opinion,
it's best you stay home
and put your mind to revising this book.
When you're done and I see nothing wrong with the revision,
you can attend the morning assembly again,
Pay special attention to that on national mourning.
Wait!
In your opinion,
even His Majesty finds this book unlucky?
I'll fix it right away.
You must be kidding, Chancellor.
This is a huge tome how can you possibly fix it right away?
What? What do you mean by this?
This book doesn't exist anymore.
Are you happy now?
Yes...I'll take my leave!
Father, you burnt your lifelong effort. How can...
At this point,
if I didn't do it, someone else would.
Father!
His Majesty must have found out something.
That's why he is keeping us under house arrest.
He's gathering evidence right now.
We can't stay here and be sitting ducks.
I heard you sent Imperial Guards
and placed Chancellor Zhangsun under house arrest.
Wei Jifang has already confessed.
Uncle was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt at Mount Tai.
I sense something fishy.
If he's behind it, there's not a chance I could survive it.
Life is full of surprises. It's fate!
Chancellor Zhangsun wrote this?
I was 9 when my Mother died.
I was bending over her coffin and I couldn't stop crying.
It was Uncle who consoled me and made me break into a smile.
He told me Mother was only fast asleep and would wake up soon.
I believed him.
Father died when I was 22,
right there at the entrance of the chamber,
I had an emotional breakdown.
It was he who reminded me of my duty as the Emperor.
That I should not display any streak of weakness.
In the letter, he mentioned
how he guarded me on the way to become the Emperor.
If the mastermind behind the assassination attempt was not Chancellor Zhangsun,
his letter to you should be full of criticism,
complaints and frustration.
But the letter contained none.
He only emphasised his contributions and affection in the past.
What does that mean?
Because he has been exposed for his crime, he wants to remind me not to punish him?
Don't you think it's time you met with him?
He was once my model and pillar of strength.
I didn't want any of this to happen.
I'm afraid...
There are things you must face.
Let me do this for you.
I have doubts myself. I'd like to hear it from him.
Thank you.
You're in a good mood!
As expected, it's the Empress!
You knew I'd be here?
Have a seat!
We used to battle against rebel forces.
Today, we're fighting each other.
Life is full of surprises.
Here's a toast to you.
We have been rivals for so long,
Deep down, I know everything you did were done for the late Emperor.
To fulfil his wish for national peace and order,
to carry on the kingdom of Tang.
You make an exemplary team of a wise ruler and a capable minister
and also the best of friends.
In my life, only two women have earned my respect
and with whom I'm willing to have a drink.
My sister...and Your Highness.
His Majesty is not here
because he didn't want to be saddened by events of the past.
He's afraid if he came he'd feel worse than he already did.
If he wants to be a good Emperor he must be firm with me.
I'm here because I want to know the truth.
If you're the mastermind, who tampered with the crossbow?
Who disclosed the details of Wei Jifang's plan to Xu Jingzong?
Given your experience in the Court,
you must know by writing such a letter to His Majesty,
he would only suspect you more.
If I'm not mistaken,
you were the mastermind behind the assassination attempt,
but you also sabotaged the plan.
Can you follow me to a place where we can have a word?
Have a seat!
Thank you, Your Highness!
May I ask...
what's your most cherished dream in life?
Dream?
My lifelong dream is to do everything I can for the one I love
regardless of what people think of me and what they say about me.
I want a carefree life.
Carefree?
What a thought!
You maybe carefree,
and yet I have been treading on thin ice for 20 years.
My biggest wish
is to become a sage minister
and devote my life to Tang.
since Emperor Gaozu's uprising in Jinyang, I served under 3 Emperors.
I went through life and death with the late Emperor,
and fought for every inch of this kingdom.
Because of the late Emperor's benevolence
I ranked first among the 24 meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion.
To have such an honour,
I have no regrets for my life.
There's something I don't understand.
If you knew the danger of the Fengchan ceremony,
why did you choose to attend it?
Because I wanted to take a gamble.
On what?
To see what matters more to you. Tang or the Guanlong aristocrats.
We have been rivals our entire lives,
and I have threatened your life on many occasions.
I was doing it all for the sake of Tang.
Heaven and Earth can be my witness.
But that was then, this is now.
During the Zhenguan years, His Majesty worked with his courtiers.
All you had to worry about was the so-called predestination.
But now I'm not the same Wu Meiniang.
And the Guanlong aristocrats are not the same either.
Yes! You were blamed as a calamity to the state,
yet you saved the lives of the late Emperor and His Majesty.
But Guanlong aristocrats like shangguan Yi and his lot,
plotted to assassinate His Majesty!
That's why you took the bull by the horns.
After you found out about the truth, you decided to cut your loss
and destroy the Guanlong aristocrats.
Exactly!
When I first commanded the Guanlong aristocrats back then,
I was hoping to cultivate a new force for Tang.
I thought I could steer this carriage,
but the absurd truth is, I don't know when,
the carriage started steering me.
What I will not tolerate is that this force
has become fetters that are stopping Tang from moving forward.
After Li Zhong tried to poison His Majesty at Que Building,
I knew then I must make up my mind.
You have good intentions, but this is not fair to you.
If His Majesty knew the truth, I'm sure he would...
You must know which kind of truth
is best for Tang and for His Majesty.
I believe your wit will guide you to make the right decision.
But you must know if I present that kind of truth,
you'll go down in history as an imperious minister and not a sage minister.
Your descendants will be disgraced.
Don't you care about that?
Your Highness,
I care more about His Majesty's throne
and the stability and continuation of Tang.
His Majesty's resourcefulness and his iron fist,
have proved one thing.
Zhinu...is finally grown up!
The late Emperor wanted me to assist him.
Now I can finally unload this heavy burden.
What people will say about me,
is something that will happen after I'm long gone.
They can say anything they want.
Allow me to salute you for your high morality.
Your Highness!
We might have started out with different intentions,
but to this day,
what we care about and want to defend is actually the same.
We reach the same end by different means.
We have been rivals our entire lives, in the end
friends have turned into enemies, and enemies became buddies.
Good! But I'm old...too old
...and tired.
It's up to you and His Majesty to defend Tang alongside each other.
For the perpetuation of Tang, allow me to salute you.
Uncle confessed?
Not only was he behind my assassination attempt at Mount Tai.
He also colluded with Wei Jifang and his gang in a coup.
As a member of the royal family and a regent
he was revered for 2 generations, what more does he want?
He wanted Li Zhong to be the Crown Prince,
but Li Zhong was deposed and you're beginning to suspect him.
After his right hand men Han Yuan and Lai Ji
have been demoted and exiled
he's left in a state of consternation
that led him to do something so foolish for which he was truly sorry.
Your Majesty! Would you like to see him?
I believe he doesn't want to see me.
What are you going to do with him?
I have unshakable evidence against him.
He may be heartless towards me, but I can't reciprocate.
I'll spare his life and demote him to Yangzhou as the Military Governor.
He'll be banished from Chang'an for life.
His children will be spared and exiled.
But the Zhangsun clique is deep rooted.
We must guard against their counter attack.
send someone to take out all members of the Zhangsun clique throughout the state.
As you have expected,
Chancellor Zhangsun tampered with the crossbow
and saved the Empress' life.
He also disclosed to Xu Jingzong the details of the assassination attempt.
Very well!
Your Majesty,
inside the Chancellor's study, I found this unfinished letter.
It appears to be a letter of repentance.
Good job! You may go.
Aye!
I was a founding minister of Tang,
but as I become more powerful with age,
I lost my head and was so determined to protect the aristocratic clans
I made a fatal mistake.
I know I deserve to die, but before I go,
I'd like to leave one piece of advice,
whether it's the aristocrats or the poor scholars,
don't let either party be dominant, only...
Check and balance is the only means to stability.
Uncle, that's what you're trying to tell me.
Am I right?
Your Majesty!
What is it?
Chancellor Zhangsun has been taken to the Grand Court.
He'll be exiled after he's done giving his statement.
How did the interrogation go?
When I arrived, I saw how His Honour
made a full confession of what he had done.
When the secretary of the Grand Court asked him,
as a renowned sage minister, revered by all,
he resorted to kill for the interests of the aristocrats,
and ended up ruining his reputation in his old age.
Did he regret it?
What did he say?
He said he knew he's guilty but he had no regrets.
What are you looking at, Milady?
Nothing! I came to say goodbye to an old friend.
Uncle, I know what you're doing.
Don't worry! I won't let you down.
With you gone, the aristocrats are finished.
Don't be too pessimistic.
With a tiny spark,
even ashes can burn again for the Guanlong aristocrats.
You mean...
We still have you.
You have gained the Empress' trust
and become the mentor for the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince's mentor is nothing.
You're wrong.
The influence on the Crown Prince lies in you, Mr Guo.
I placed you among the poor scholars for several years,
because I was preparing for this.
Mr Guo,
you're the spark I'm leaving behind in Chang'an.
Please explain to me.
When I brought you back to Chang'an from the Western Regions,
I had other plans for you.
But I noticed then
the aristocrats were facing the danger of being wiped out.
That's why I placed you among the poor scholars instead.
Just as I have expected,
the Court is now full of poor scholars like the lot of Li Yifu and Xu Jingzong.
Unlike the aristocrats,
when they come into power,
they'll satisfy their personal gains at the expense of state interests.
When that day comes,
it's time for the aristocratic clans to launch a comeback.
That's right!
Empress Wu may contain the aristocrats for the time being,
but she's still a lady of the Harem.
As long as His Majesty has ideas of his own,
she won't be able to stop the aristocrats' comeback.
In the meantime,
you have gained her trust.
That's a gift from Heaven.
But you must remember,
neither the aristocrats nor the poor scholars should become dominant.
Check and balance is the best way to run the state.
I won't let you down!
I will wait for your return.
You should go!
Goodbye, sir!
Heaven above and the late Emperor,
please bear witness to my undying loyalty to Tang.
I heard you were angry.
so you have. Can you tell me...
What does this mean?
It's one thing for the courtiers to suggest that I take more imperial wives,
but what is this list supposed to mean?
Ming Chongyan told me
your condition has worsened.
Meiniang, I've already made myself clear
you're the only one I want.
Why should I take more Imperial wives?
Your Majesty, I know very well how much you love me.
But your condition has worsened
and this illness is very hard to cure.
The courtiers might not have said anything,
but it's obvious they're panicking.
I had no choice but to come up with this solution.
By taking on more Imperial wives,
you can prove to the world
you're in your prime and in good health and can have more children.
As long as you love me,
a few more women in the Harem is not an issue.
You even picked the names.
Can I not listen to you?
Among these new comers,
the majority are commoners.
To show your support for poor scholars,
marriage is their biggest guarantee.
They'll be eternally grateful to you
and will do their best to serve you.
You're always doing this.
You do what's best for me and suffer the consequence.
suffer? No!
I disagree.
These days, I've been thinking about what Chancellor Zhangsun asked me.
He asked me what my lifelong dream was.
Guess what I told him.
Tell me what you said.
I told him my lifelong dream
was to do everything I could for the one I love.
since times immemorial,
who would treat the Palace as a home?
I think it's very difficult.
Perhaps none of the Emperors, Empresses and Princes in history could figure it out.
But whoever is presiding over the Court,
I think the Palace is its own master.
We're nothing but guests in transit.
You're right!
The power struggles and rise and fall are temporary.
No clever calculations and manipulation can help you monopolise the Palace forever.
The curtain must come down.
Indeed...
I hope that all the struggles and sacrifices for the kingdom of Tang
will end with our generation.
And our children can forever be carefree just like this.
What is it?
speaking of children...
I'm reminded of one thing...
Zhong'er?
He had a hand in the assassination attempt at Mount Tai.
I also found out, the conspiracy at Que Building was engineered by him.
He wanted to kill me.
And you covered up for him.
Zhong'er is a pitiful child.
I wanted to give him another chance.
No, not because you felt sorry for him.
You kept it from me because you didn't want to break my heart.
In order to take the throne, my own son tried to assassinate me.
Your Majesty!
You have done too much for me.
I would never let anyone try to hurt you again.
Not even my son.
Your Majesty!
Her Highness wanted to know
if you remember back in the Eastern Palace,
the last thing she said to you.
If you continued with your evildoing,
she would personally give you a drink.
Here it is. Drink up!
Pass a word for me to Empress Wu.
What a shame I didn't kill her at Mount Tai!
I only hope I'll reincarnate and avenge my mother soon.
Mother, forgive me for not avenging you!