Episode 4
Yan Er.
Your servant is here.
Send word out
that we're going to have a wedding in the Palace.
Yes.
Ye Ye,
Ya Ya cannot implicate you further.
You're already old
but because of me
you were injured badly
I cannot bear to let you follow me any further.
The road to Northern Han is a perilous one.
Who knows what kind of danger
lies on the way there.
With your health in this state
how can you continue to protect me?
Ye Ye,
if this trip to Northern Han
allows me to gain the help of the Crown Prince
and reestablish the Kingdom of Chu.
then I will bring you back into the Palace
to live your retirement years in comfort.
But if I fail,
I will meet my parents
and from heaven
I will definitely
watch over you.
Lord Jin,
you promised me that you'll find the Princess.
What's the situation now?
Your Highness,
the man before you is the Emperor-to-be of Chu.
He's no longer the old Lord Jin.
Please be mindful of your manners.
The Emperor of Chu?
How awe-inspiring.
Unfortunately, in my eyes,
you're only an interloper
who killed his brother and stole his throne.
Listen up.
However, you want to handle the Chu Kingdom
I don't care.
But if
you dare to harm the person I want,
I will not let the issue rest.
Do you think that you can defeat
the hundreds of thousands of troops from Northern Han?
Crown Prince, you're misled.
The reason why I have placed such a large reward out
to the finder of Princess Fu Ya
is so that we can
send her to your Palace as soon as possible.
That way you can marry earlier
and be as blissful as a pair of mandarin ducks.
Do you take me, Liu Lian Cheng,
as a three year old child?
The reward is obviously
a bounty put on her head by your law enforcement.
I'm afraid, you've probably already
locked her up in the imperial prisons.
That... that cannot be.
The governmental notice must have made a mistake.
I will have them
post up another order.
Forget it, I will return to my kingdom now
and prepare for war with you.
Remember, your dragon gown,
you better not take it off even in your sleep
because you won't be wearing it for much longer.
Perhaps the Crown Prince has forgotten,
you're still in the Kingdom of Chu.
Why? Are you threatening me?
Your Highness!
Your Highness, we have found the Princess.
What did you say?
You...? What's this...?
Tell me now.
Has the Princess really been found?
She's been found
and further more
she's at our Han Palace.
Xiang Yun,
where was the Princess found?
I'm not too sure.
It was General Hai
who sent the missive, notifying me she had been found.
He didn't say
how he found the Princess?
It wasn't mentioned in the letter.
It only said that the Empress
found her for you.
That was about ten odd days ago.
Think about it.
The Queen has always been resourceful,
resolving such a matter would've been easy for her.
That's true.
But in the letter
why was Imperial Mother not clear on the details?
Perhaps the Queen is busy
preparing for your Highness' wedding.
As for the details,
after we return to the kingdom,
your Highness can ask the Queen.
Why rush your Highness?
That's right, I am anticipating for that moment.
Carry out the words, we need to move faster.
Queen is playing favor, when playing with your Highness.
Queen never tries to win
but playing with Yan Er
Queen has never let Yan Er win once.
Silly Yan Er.
Not only chess but
when a mother competes with her son
she can only give way to him
and lose everything to him.
Yan Er,
in the future
when you get the chance to be a mother
you will understand.
The Crown Prince has returned!
Look
my son has hurried back.
Imperial Mother, where is the Princess?
You've returned.
Cheng Er, how I have missed you.
Come, let Imperial Mother look at you.
You got thinner but became more energized.
Imperial Mother,
did you find the Princess?
Where is she?
You've returned to the Palace
not to greet me
but to seek the Princess.
After you get married
you'll no longer spare a thought for me.
Imperial Mother, you have on my behalf
made wedding plans?
Well, if it were not for the wedding
would you have come back this quickly?
I'm going to see her.
That won't do.
The rules of this country
states that the Crown Prince's concubine
cannot meet the Crown Prince for a month before the wedding.
Imperial Mother, I only want to know
whether the Princess is safe and sound.
Cheng Er, don't worry
I have arranged everything for you.
Just rest assured and go be your groom.
Imperial Mother is trying to delay.
Is it because you have not brought the Princess
to the Palace?
You still doubt me?
Yan Er,
bring me the Palace person registry.
I present to you
this month's records of
all persons entering and leaving the Palace.
Are all recorded down
on the gate entrance book.
Princess of Chu Kingdom,
8th of September
within the 4th of the twelve Earthly Branches.
See for yourself.
The 8th of September?
Wasn't that three days ago?
Yes.
The book is kept by the internal affairs department
even I have no authorities to change it.
How can it be fake?
I was wrong.
Imperial Mother, please forgive me.
Imperial Mother not only did not lay blame upon me
but has also
done so much for me.
Imperial Mother, your health is priority.
Please exhaust yourself
because of my wedding.
Making wedding preparations for you
is my duty.
Cheng Er, after you marry
I will return the ruling rights back to you
and quickly ascend you to
the throne of the Emperor.
I am already tired. I should rest already.
Imperial Mother,
whether I become Emperor or not
I do not care.
Don't care?
If you do not care
then you may not marry the Princess.
Afterall, she was born of royal blood.
If she marries into my kingdom
and cannot be the Empress,
she'll feel hard done-by.
Imperial Mother is right.
I will submit to your arrangements.
Crown Prince.
You're dismissed.
Yes. Go, go, go. Quick.
Princess,
these days, you have been through a hard time.
I am so excited
to the point I don't know what should I say.
Do you know
I've spent most of my life unhappy
beleiving I was cursed to live in gloom
until I died of old age?
But suddenly I'm so happy,
so much so, I don't know how to accept it.
Princess,
you know about my illness
yet you're still willing to marry me.
You really don't mind.
Princess,
you left the Chu Kingdom all alone.
You must have been scared.
Do not worry I am here.
As long as I am here,
I'll never let you suffer
in anyway.
Princess.
May I?
How is it you?!
How can it not be me?
Who did you expect me to be?
Ma Fu Ya?
Why did you deceive me?
Why?
I did not deceive you.
She is indeed the Princess of the Chu Kingdom
The person I want is Ma Fu Ya
not Ma Xiang Yun.
You knew and yet you . . .
You knew
she's a Princess in exile
and you still wish to marry her?!
For the sake of Northern Han,
I will not allow
you to marry an exile of a previous dynasty.
You're still a person who calculates all steps
and plotting evil schemes.
All those women's children,
you've killed them all.
You're out of targets
so you turn and try to harm your own son.
Is that right?!
Shut up!
Others can scold me
but you have no rights!
Scheming? Calculating?
If I am not scheming
and calculating
we, mother and son,
could still live to this day?
For you . . .
for protecting your princely status,
I have expanded so much
if it were it not all for you.
How would I have transformed
into such a venomous woman?
If I knew earlier how much you hate me,
I shouldn't have bore a son such as you.
I shouldn't have participate in this palace's power struggles
and work hard to scheme for you.
I shouldn't had risked my live to ensure your safety.
I thought there would be one day
us, mother and son, would be content.
I never thought,
I really never thought,
the son I protected with all my heart
will turn into a wolf.
One who hurts his own mother
and eat his mother's heart!.
You're regretful, yes?
Are you regretting
giving birth to a son like me?
You should have eliminated me long ago
and let the illness torture me to death.
I could have accepted such a fate.
But why must you, behind my back,
manipulate my life?!
I rather go to hell
than to endure this kind of pain living.
This is all thanks to you,
DO YOU KNOW?!
What is it? Are you also regretful?
Shame, you've already sweared to Heaven and Earth,
all you can do now is to accept your fate!
In your dreams!
I may not have the ability
to choose my own mother
but I can
choose my own spouse.
Ma Xiang Yun can have
you as a mother-in-law
but there is no way she can
have me as a husband.
You and Ma Xiang Yun
have already wed.
You cannot undo this.
Cheng Er,
you could be unfilial to your parents,
not respect the ancestors
and disrespect Heaven and Earth.
But you can't
forsake the interests of Northern Han.
You're right.
What of Heaven, Earth, spirits or gods?
What Ma Xiang Yun?
What do any of them matter?
I'm a person
of blood and of flesh.
Prince.
I, Xiang Yun, may not be Ma Fu Ya
but at the least
I am a princess.
Since I've married you
this life I will always be your Highness'.
Marry me? Who said I want to marry you?
You and your father Lord Jin,
both of you are people of sins.
Lord Jin killed his bother and you killed your sister.
Also, the day of the banquet
you perform the dance
and self proclaim yourself as Ma Fu Ya.
Is it
for today?
No, it's not like that. I . . .
It's not like that?
You're a woman with a snake heart,
the most posionous heart.
You're unworthy of being my wife.
You are cheap.
YOU!
Your Highness.
The Princess
is true to you.
I'm begging you, please let her go.
Shut up!
A mere maid,
it's not your place to speak.
Get lost!
I'm not cheap. I'm not.
I'm not cheap.
I'm not cheap!
I'll admit.
When you were at my home
in your time of illness
I've fallen for you.
And it's for you
that I performed the dance.
Believe me.
I am not cheap.
I don't want to marry anyone else.
I only want to marry you.
Lian Cheng,
I've always been more obedient than her.
I'm well-read and talented.
More so, I am the Kingdom of Chu's
most beautiful woman.
And she, Ma Fu Ya,
has always been stubborn and willful
and has never heeded propriety.
How can she compare to me?
I'm more elegant than her,
more like a born noble.
Born nobility?
Aren't you
a little too conceited?
I'm telling you
you're not even fit to carry my shoes.
You're only a fake.
Scram back to Chu.
Otherwise, your fate
will be ten times worse than what it is now.
The man I married doesn't want me.
He looks down on me.
Am I not pitiful enough?
But no matter how pitiful I am,
I am still better off than Ma Fu Ya.
What did you do to her?
I am a woman.
What can I do to her?
If you want to know
how she is now,
go and ask
those shameless men.
Where is she?
In hell.
After she was arrested by my father
he made her a prostitute
and let her be used as the officials pleased.
Then her body was split apart.
Her corpse
was worse
than even her father's!
She was stripped nude
and thrown onto the streets
for everyone to trample on.
Lian Cheng.
Lian Cheng, what's wrong?
Lian Cheng. My son.
Why did you harm him?
I didn't.
Get lost.
Get away from my son!
Cheng Er, Cheng Er, don't be scared.
Cheng Er, don't be scared.
Imperial Mother, where are you?
Cheng Er, I am here.
I'm right here.
I'm right beside you.
I'm here.
Cheng Er, you're awake.
That's great.
In the future,
I won't leave your side.
No need.
I once thought
that you could be by my side for the rest of my life
but now
I only want to leave you immediately.
Cheng Er,
what are you saying?
We are in this world,
the closest mother and son.
You've been kneeling for 4 hours.
Have you clearly reflected on your thoughts yet?
Yes, I understand now my wrong doings.
I beseech your forgiveness.
Your daughter-in-law is young and acting on impulse.
Consider yourself lucky
Cheng Er's health wasn't greatly compromised.
Otherwise if he was unable to tolerate you,
I won't spare you.
Thank you, merciful Imperial Mother.
From now on
Xiang Yun will never
cross you nor Lian Cheng.
From now . . .?
Cheng Er is still recovering.
Please return yourself to the Chu Kingdom.
Please, no Imperial Mother, I beg of you.
Please don't let Lian Cheng divorce me.
I'm wedded to Lian Cheng.
I am his now.
If Lian Cheng divorce me
then I rather kill myself to remain pure.
Xiang Yun,
you are a
reasonable youth.
Cheng Er is my son.
His temperament,
I, as his mother, understand.
He won't censure you back
but neither will he take you as a Royal Consort.
Then the day he reigns as the Emperor,
he'll never allow for you as the Empress.
No matter what
you are but the Princess of a kingdom
who now rules this day.
Imperial Mother, it was not for a status boost.
Even as a concubine or a slave,
I only wish to remain by Lian Cheng's side.
I merely look upon him
and I will feel elated.
It's fate playing a joke.
So, if only Lian Cheng could've met you long ago
then there would not be this many
problematic situations?
Ah, I've just had a thought.
Back at the Chu Kingdom palace
you once danced in place of Ma Fu Ya.
Mother, whether you believe it or not
that dance . . .
my sole intention was to leave upon him
a lasting impression.
I never ever thought that
my Imperial Father would commit treason.
And I
can use the identity as the Princess of Chu
and become husband and wife with Lian Cheng.
Now,
I only wish this life
I can serve Lian Cheng well
and be filial to imperial mother.
Please grant me this wish.
Silly child,
I understand how you feel.
Come, rise.
I was the one that brought you here.
I won't make things difficult for you.
I bestow to you a saying,
"Even stones can be broken by dripping water."
I thank you for these words of wisdom.
Sir,
I request an audience with your Crown Prince.
Could you relay this message for me?
An audience with our Crown Prince?
Who do you think you are?
I am a friend of your Prince
A friend, is that so?
You boldly assert you are the Princess of Chu Kingdom,
our Princess consort?
Yes, I am indeed the Princess of Chu Kingdom.
More like the crazy person of Chu.
Shoo! If you don't remove yourself
I'll have you thrown in jail.
I honestly am the Chu Kingdom's Princess!
I want to see the Crown Prince.
No way!
You . . .
Get away from here.
Your Nobleness.
What the . . . it's you?
How is the Crown Prince?
Still bed-ridden,
not eating nor drinking,
like a dead person.
What about your mistress?
Very well, eating and drinking
and is energetic.
This concubine
is still very bothersome.
After all that has happened,
she can still stomach her food.
Huh? Like her mistress, just as strange.
Princess.
The situation has changed, the time has changed.
You're putting me in a difficult situation.
Princess Fu Ya.
Your Nobleness,
I am without other options.
I can only beg Prime Ministor.
I hope you can
help me meet the Crown Prince.
I know.
Princess, please rise.
Your Nobleness agrees to help me?
I . . .
I can only pass a message
whether I am successful
will be a decision out of my control.
To this day
life is governed by the Heavens,
I'm empathetic.
Please wait here,
I will go do my utmost.
What did you say? She's here?
Yes.
Princess, what should we do?
What's to fear? She's here in good time.
What, Princess Fu Ya?
This will not do, don't let her see Lian Cheng.
That is also subject's thought.
His highness' feelings for the princess
is deep.
He will definitely help her restore her kingdom
then the one at the northern chamber
won't just sit and watch.
That's right, this girl cannot linger.
Immediately send her away.
Subject obeys your order.
You're Princess Fu Ya, correct?
You are . . .?
The Prince instructed for me to receive you.
Please follow me.
Miss.
aren't you taking me
to see the Crown Prince?
Where is this?
This is the Crown Prince's
and his concubine's lodgings.
The Crown Prince's concubine? The Crown Prince is married?
Yes. The Crown Prince is currently out
but the Crown Prince's concubine heard
a friend of his is here.
We dare not to mistreat you
and so is meeting you on his behalf.
I'm sorry to trouble you.
Please wait here.
I'll inform them of your arrival.
How unexpected
in such a short time he's already got married.
Ya Ya,
it's really you.
Ya Ya,
my dear sister.
Sister?
I feared
I'd be denied seeing you again this lifetime.
I feared
that you had
left me by my lonesome.
Lonesome? You father Lord Jing,
isn't he the newly self appointed
Emperor of Chu Kingdom?
I don't have such shameless father.
What did you say?
I, Ma Xiang Yun,
acknowledge no such father!
He has wronged you,
he has wronged the late Emperor and Empress.
Our household had been privileged to many royal favors.
How could my father
do something so outrageous,
without any conscience?
I really didn't know.
I really didn't know
that he wanted to seize the throne.
So I couldn't stop him
I'm sorry, Ya Ya. I'm sorry.
You really don't know anything?
If I knew
then I would not have let him
do such a thing.
After the Palace burnt down,
I couldn't find you.
I was so angry, I confronted my father.
I wanted him to
return my little sister Fu Ya to me!
I never expected that my father . . .
Did he hit you?
His Royal Highness had not only beaten but
he even scolded the Princess for helping the enemy instead of her own family.
He threw the Princess into prison.
He didn't let her eat
and didn't let her drink water
until the Princess
was willing to admit her faults.
For the sake of her friendship with you,
honoring your sisterhood,
she chose to endure no food and no water.
Until one day,
she fell ill.
I didn't expect Imperial Uncle to treat you this way.
You are his biological daughter.
What happened afterward?
How did Jie Jie end up in Northern Han
and became their Royal Consort?
After I fell sick in jail,
no one seek for news of me.
In my heart, I thought this way was also good.
Maybe if I died
us sisters
would then be able to
see each other once again in the afterlife.
However, I didn't expect
my father to be so merciful
and called the Imperial Doctor
to save me at all costs.
I previously thought
that my father found his conscience
and was willing to change for the better.
Who would know . . . who would know he saved me
in order to
secure his throne.
How could he secure his throne by saving you?
Orginally the Kingdom of Chu promised
to ally with the Kingdom of Northern Han through marriage.
My father used this to his advantage.
After you went missing,
no one was willing
to marry the Crown Prince of Northern Han.
So he wanted you to take my place
and married you off to Northern Han?