Meiniang,
maybe...when I'm dead...
Your Majesty!
I won't say it if you don't want to listen.
Your Majesty!
You...you have taken these pills,
and you've not been well already.
You should get more rest.
Why exert yourself
and listen to Prince Lanling in Battle?
It's for old time's sake. I haven't heard it for decades.
Do you realise
while I was listening to it,
I was thinking
even the most impassionate song
will come to an end eventually.
Perhaps the glory of Tang
will also end with my generation.
No! It will not, Your Majesty!
Lu Jingui of the Imperial Office Bureau
has examined the Mengding tea submitted by the Prince of Yu.
One of the boxes was soaked in poison,
which will be deadly if you add water.
I have also found out
two of the Prince of Yu's hangers-on are from Luoyang,
and are closely connected to the Lady of Wei.
Also,
I've been investigating Xing'er's death
and found there's more to it.
I interrogated some of the deposed Crown Prince's attendants.
According to them, there was someone else involved
in the late Crown Prince Hong's death.
send the tea to Hebi Palace.
Dan'er sent me this batch of Mengding tea.
I've already told you,
I had nothing to do with your Mother's death.
she brought it upon herself. Why won't you believe me?
You came back to Chang'an for revenge.
I can understand it, if you plan to steal His Majesty or even kill me.
But Hong'er had done nothing to you.
Why? Why did you do it?
Because he was your favourite son.
Protect the Heavenly Empress!
stop!
she's dying. Don't worry! Back off!
You think I only want to take His Majesty away
and then kill you?
No! That's far from enough!
I want you to watch your favourite son die, killed by your other son.
I want you to lose His Majesty's trust.
I want him to abandon you.
I want to take away everything you cherish.
Tell me, Heavenly Empress!
You wake up to hatred,
close your eyes every night and count everything you have lost.
How does that feel?
Right! Whenever I close my eyes,
I'd see the despair in Hong'er's eyes before he died.
The way he looked at me,
I thought he hated and suspected me.
But then I realised, he wanted me to beware of you behind me.
As for Xian'er...
he killed his own brother for the Crown Prince title!
I couldn't sleep at night.
And there's His Majesty!
Forget it, Minyue! You got your wish.
I've lost everything I cherish indeed.
But not because of you.
You're trying to tell me your son lusted for power
and His Majesty couldn't help himself?
Like every other man in the world,
he prefers someone young and new?
Tell me, in your grand scheme of revenge,
was there a brief moment when you were hesitant or doubtful?
You didn't know how you got caught up in this?
After much deliberation, you're willing to risk everything
to have me killed
all because of revenge.
Tell me, what did Xian'er promise you?
Owner of the Harem? The Empress title?
People often over-exaggerate their kindness and hatred,
but are ashamed of their desire.
You remind me of myself in the beginning.
Do you remember what you told me?
You won't regret coming back to Chang'an.
If you don't regret it, it's time to move on
His Majesty the Emperor!
Minyue!
On my way over,
I was convinced
my Meiniang is not capable of such atrocity.
Those people must be lying!
I'm sorry to have disappointed you.
I really did it myself.
I let you down!
Even if you're jealous of Minyue,
and you're upset, you should take it up with me.
she's just a child.
You're her Aunt! How could you do it?
she seduced you and tried to take my place.
Isn't that reason good enough?
Meiniang, you must know...
I don't and I don't want to!
Your Majesty, perhaps I am as vicious as they say I am.
From now on, think whatever you like!
Meiniang!
submit your reports or morning assembly is dismissed.
Chancellor Li Yifu!
Yes, Your Majesty!
I have received numerous impeachments about you.
As a Chancellor, you've abused your power
and blatantly defied the law.
You coerced the Grand Court to release a prisoner
because you wanted her as your concubine!
During the investigation, in trying to cover up your crime,
you forced the secretary of the Grand Court to commit suicide,
right under my nose!
What is the punishment for killing a 6th ranked court official?
I have nothing to say in my defence.
Please punish me.
How can the Cat be so stupid?
He's been too powerful too long.
His Majesty is so angry he's taking action.
Perhaps he's not the one His Majesty is angry with.
Have my order sent:
Li Yifu, as a high official of the Court,
defied the law and let His Majesty down.
He is removed from office and his name stricken from official records.
He is banished to Xizhou, his sons Li Jin to Zhenzhou,
and Li Yang to Tingzhou.
Never to return to Chang'an again.
Thank you, Your Majesty!
Greetings, Heavenly Empress!
I exchanged my last meal for this jar of wine.
Please forgive me.
You ended up like this probably because of me.
You flatter me, Your Highness!
Without your help and support,
I would never have attained such a high office.
Even with this dismal ending,
I have enjoyed several years of being on top.
It's worth it.
My only regret is that I can't see you
go all the way.
Honestly, your optimism is something I quite admire.
But I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.
His Majesty has just ordered that
I am to be grounded within Lizheng Hall.
Grounded? Because of the Lady of Wei,
His Majesty blames you and has dismissed me
That proves where his kingdom is placed in his heart.
That gives you all the more reason to guard this glorious kingdom for him.
You just had a brush with death.
You should watch your big mouth!
Your Highness, I'm already a living corpse.
In your presence,
I can always speak my mind.
His Majesty has been doing his best for this kingdom.
If it hadn't been for his illness,
I would never have gotten involved with state affairs.
If it was up to me,
I'd rather be an ordinary wife and mother who has no quarrels with the world.
Wife and mother?
Allow me to be bold, Your Highness!
From Cairen, Zhaoyi, Empress and Heavenly Empress,
along the way,
you only wanted to be an ordinary wife?
Whether it's for the late Emperor or His Majesty,
in my eyes,
this is just your excuse.
I fought for fame and fortune my entire life.
To this day, I have no regrets.
What about you?
If you had been an ordinary wife and mother,
before you die, would you have regrets?
Would you be truly satisfied?
Finish your wine, Minister Li.
Xizhou doesn't have good wine like this.
I urge you to reconsider.
Please reconsider, Your Highness!
Your Majesty, your guilty courtier Lu Jingui at your service.
Why did you come here at this late hour
and claim to be guilty?
I'm guilty of deceiving you, Your Majesty!
I knew all along
among the Mengding tea given to the Heavenly Empress by the Prince of Yu,
one box was laced with poison.
I reported to Her Highness right away
and she ordered for an investigation.
I found out...
What?
The Lady of Wei had ordered someone
to mix the poisoned tea into the gift to try to kill Her Highness
and frame the Prince of Yu.
say that again!
Please forgive me!
I should have reported to you right away.
But Her Highness would not let me tell you the truth,
for fear that it would upset you and worsen your health.
Please forgive me, Your Majesty!
Where is the Heavenly Empress right now?
Hong'er, go in peace.
I have avenged you.
Meiniang, since when did you stop trusting me?
You held out on me about Minyue to test me.
Am I right?
Yes, I wanted to test you.
And now I have my answer.
In your mind,
I'm a jealous woman from the Harem
who settles a personal score regardless of what's right or wrong.
And since when did so many people and things come between us?
I have remained true to you.
No one came between us.
If there was someone,
she no longer exists.
Meiniang, for me to find out from you
what's really on your mind,
is it really that hard?
My heart has never changed.
Perhaps it was you who has changed.
Even after all these years,
you still doubt my love.
And you have trusted me completely?
Can you say
you have never suspected me of killing Hong'er?
Had I denied it,
would you have believed me like you have in the past?
You're right! I have no right to judge.
Because I really can't trust you anymore.
You have been holding out on me.
You only stayed
because you wanted to use me to avenge the children.
Because you wanted revenge,
you helped me bring down the Guanlong aristocrats,
and secure my position as the Emperor.
Wu Meiniang, to this day,
please don't tell me you were doing everything for me.
Right! I didn't do it for you.
I did it for myself.
I plotted Zhong'er's downfall
because I wanted Hong'er to be the Crown Prince.
Hong'er is much kinder and smarter,
why shouldn't he be the heir to the throne?
Meiniang... As for Helan Minyue,
even if she hadn't tried to kill me,
I wouldn't have let her live.
One more thing has been heavy on my mind for years.
I have been hiding it from you
and never told you before.
I forbid you to say it!
All these years,
I have never once forgotten the late Emperor.
By order of His Majesty,
Li Xian, the Prince of Ying is talented and has vision.
His filial piety and virtues are exemplary
and is qualified as Crown Prince.
I hereby confer him with the title in this inauguration ceremony.
Tell me, Father-in-law!
Now I'm the Crown Prince,
but Mother still orders me
to read The Governing Principles each day.
she's treating me like an illiterate imbecile!
If you disobey the Heavenly Empress,
you'll stop being the Crown Prince.
Bear with it!
You'll get ahead when His Majesty is dead.
You're quite mistaken, Xiang'er!
Take a look at the Court.
It's filled with poor scholars promoted by the Heavenly Empress.
When His Majesty passes away,
Tang will fall into her hands.
By then, the Crown Prince
will be nothing but a puppet controlled by her.
How can he get ahead?
Father-in-law is quite right!
Power will fall into Mother's hands, definitely not mine.
What if she follows His Majesty?
What will happen then?
If they go together,
that would be a good thing.
Your Highness, I came here today
actually on behalf of several old aristocratic courtiers,
to discuss with you the future of Tang.
What solutions do you have?
We think you should go see His Majesty.
On behalf of the courtiers, in defiance of condemnation by all,
I wish to ask you to order
Mother be buried with you when you die.
What are you saying?
Please contain your anger, Your Majesty!
Don't be angry, Father!
I know I'm Mother's son,
but I'm also the Crown Prince of Tang.
The officials in Court
were groomed and promoted by Mother.
When you pass away,
I have no idea what Mother would do.
I'm scared. I'm really scared.
Get up! You're too old to whine and whimper!
Look at you!
Your Majesty...
You and me both!
I have no idea what your Mother would do.
What about this edict?
You're thinking about your future.
That's a big step forward.
But you should stay on the right track.
About your suggestion,
I'd pretend I never heard it.
His Majesty really thinks so?
Yes!
You may go!
Aye!
Minister Xu wishes to see you, Milady!
Minister Xu!
Your Highness, I just got word.
The Crown Princess' father, Inspector Wei Xuanzhen of Yuzhou,
is rallying support from across the land
and secretly meeting with aristocratic courtiers banished to other prefectures.
In the past, they wouldn't amount to anything,
but I just intercepted an Imperial memo
from the Administration Hall to the Eastern Palace.
I hope you'll take precautions.
The Heavenly Empress and I are inseparable.
I hereby will that she be buried with me.
I hereby will that...
she be buried with me.
Calm down! I'll make the arrangements.
Well? Did you say what we told you to say?
Yes, I said it.
As you have expected, Father banned the idea
I don't understand, Father-in-law,
if you knew Father would not want
Mother to be buried with him
why did you make me bring up the idea?
Now Father will think I'm an unfilial son.
You don't understand, Your Highness!
When you left the Administration Hall,
I arranged to have an Imperial memo dispatched to the Eastern Palace.
The memo was intercepted by the Heavenly Empress.
she couldn't tell it wasn't His Majesty's handwriting?
she couldn't see it.
There's only one memo
from the Administration Hall to the Eastern Palace
straight into the hands of the Crown Prince.
If it's stolen along its way, His Majesty would know right away.
The Heavenly Empress is too shrewd to take such a risk.
she'd only see a copy of the original but not in His Majesty's writing.
That's why you asked His Highness to make the trip,
to make people believe there had been such a memo.
When His Majesty dies,
a fake one will become real
and even the Heavenly Empress must obey it.
What if Mother wants to check the seal?
What happens then?
she won't get the chance.
"The woman ruler named Wu" is nonsense.
Do not allow it to go adrift.
If Wu Meiniang is pregnant when I'm dead,
kill the child, regardless of gender.
The Heavenly Empress and I are inseparable.
I hereby will that she be buried with me.
From today onwards, I'm not Wu Ruyi anymore.
I'm not Meiniang either.
Like the sun and moon in the sky, the brilliance of Wu Zhao
will shine throughout the state.
General Li Xiaoyi at your service, Your Highness!
Your Highness, the troops I command
have secretly been moved to Luoyang,
waiting for your orders.
Good job!
Milady, His Majesty is awake.
He summons you to his chamber.
Greetings, Heavenly Empress!
Does His Majesty show any signs of recovery?
Though His Majesty is conscious,
his circulation and energy are weak, we can hardly detect a pulse.
I'm afraid it's the last radiance of a setting sun.
How much longer does he have?
He won't make it through the night.
Very well! You may go!
I dreamt about you galloping away on a horse.
I tried, but couldn't catch up with you.
Then you ought to punish me.
I order you to stay here with me.
I'm not going anywhere.
I'll be right here beside you.
We haven't talked like this in a long time.
Anything you wish to tell me?
The courtiers are waiting outside,
they're prepared to come in.
Your Majesty!
I have a lot I want to say,
and people I wish to summon.
Tubo in Jiannan District, the rising Qidan
my Heir Apparent Xian
the Imperial Li clan and courtiers who needed reassurance...
On their death beds, all Emperors
make plans for their descendants and the state,
leaving something meaningful, but...
Your Majesty!
I have wasted too much time.
I don't want to talk about such nonsense.
Meiniang... Your Majesty!
Let's go for a walk.
standby outside the Palace gate, the chamber
and the main hall and wait for my order to assist the Heavenly Empress.
Aye!
Let's go!
Your Highness, Minister Wei!
According to the doctors,
His Majesty won't make it through tonight.
He just summoned the Heavenly Empress.
Father-in-law...
Your Highness,
His Majesty didn't summon you at this crucial hour,
it's time to make a decision.
What about the assassins?
They're waiting in the side chamber.
All right! We'll make a move when Father is dead.