Episode 37
Let us welcome the bride and groom!
My dear, thank you for raising our children.
The bride and groom shall now wash their hands!
Gargle with wine!
Again!
The couple shall now seal the marriage with a toast!
Bow to your spouse!
The ritual is completed! The banquet shall now begin!
Thank you, dear all.
Thank you.
Sister Chun Hua, congratulations. -Thank you.
Congratulations. - Congratulations, teacher.
Thank you. -Old Mr. Sima, my niece...
has always been a pampered girl. You all...
must not bully her. -We dare not.
Come, Old Mr. Sima. No. We're relatives now.
Let's have a toast. -General Cao.
My father is old.
He is also not fit to consume liquor as he is ill.
I shall drink with you on behalf of my father.
Zhong Da, Old Mr. Sima is the eldest one here.
I should drink with him first. -Right.
Besides, the two of us often drink with each other.
Old Mr. Sima, you might not know...
but I made Zhong Da pass out the first time I drank with him.
General Cao, you can make me drink as much as you wish later.
But, my father really can't drink liquor today.
Old Mr. Sima, my niece is our precious little girl.
If you don't even drink with me today...
I'll worry about entrusting Hui Er to you all.
Right? -Correct.
Zhong Da, today is my grandson's wedding.
I'm happy. I must drink. -Alright then.
Just drink a little then. -Come, Old Mr. Sima.
Please just drink a little. -Alright.
Cheers. -Cheers.
Father. -That's enough.
Congratulations. -Thank you.
You came at the right time. Drink with Old Mr. Sima.
Alright. -Zhong Da, it's your turn.
Come. -Old Mr. Sima, congratulations.
Thank you. -I must drink with you.
Alright. -Generals.
Today is my son's wedding. Let me offer a toast to you all.
You're such an amazing lady. -Cheers.
Alright. Cheers.
Father, don't drink so much. -Fill your cup.
Thank you. -Bring the wine jar over.
Go and help him. -Father, don't drink any more.
Zhong Da, it's your son's wedding.
You need to finish this jar of wine.
Zhong Da, you can pass. General Cao.
From now on, we're relatives.
Since Hui Er is in our family now...
I will surely treat her as my own daughter.
Come. Let's have a toast.
I'll go first. -Alright. Thank you, Mrs. Sima.
Come. -Old Mr. Sima.
Make the good things double. You need drink with me as well.
Alright. -I'll go first.
Alright.
Congratulations, uncle. -Congratulations.
Fill your cup. -I drank.
Old Mr. Sima, let's have another toast.
Today is a big day for Sima Family.
You must drink. -Come. I'll drink with you.
Cheers. -I'll drink.
Zhong Da, you need to drink on your own.
Alright. -Come.
Bride, you are so beautiful today.
Shouldn't you put down your round fan...
and let us see you clearly?
Father! -Grandfather!
Master! -Father!
Master! -Hou Ji! Get a physician!
Yes! -Father!
Grandfather! -Father!
Summon and send all the imperial physicians over.
He must not die. -Yes.
Sima Fang must hang in there. Else...
both Sima Yi and I will face a huge problem.
Mr. Sima will surely prioritise the big picture.
This is loyalty to the ruler against father-son relationship.
Loyalty and filial piety make a common moral dilemma.
Go back. You're pregnant.
I'll inform you when I receive news.
I want to accompany Your Majesty a little longer.
I still have a lot of work to do.
Yes.
Ah Zhao, protecting yourself means protecting my crown prince.
Crown prince?
Young Master Zi Shang.
My sister-in-law. -ls grandfather alright?
He's alright. The imperial physicians...
are treating him. I...
You haven't eaten anything. So, I brought you some food.
Father.
Zhong... Zhong Da. -Father.
Go... Go tell...
Ling Yun to come over.
Alright.
Father called you.
Father. -Chun Hua.
Father.
Ling...
Father. -Ling Yun, you...
Father.
Zhong...
Zhong Da. -Father.
Father. -Father.
Master. -Father.
Master!
Master! -Father!
Master!
This is fate.
After attending their wedding today...
we'll attend their funeral tomorrow.
A few days later, we'll attend Sima Yi's...
farewell banquet.
Now that Sima Fang is dead, Sima Yi and Sima Fu...
will have to go home to mourn for 3 years.
3 years will be enough for us to get things done.
Well, you can't say that. I...
The grandfather of Hui Er's husband...
died on the day of her wedding. What if they...
mistreat Hui Er? -Do they dare to?
This...
Bo Ren.
Why do you worry so much?
Think about it. If Sima Yi leaves the court...
Sima Shi will have to rely on you, his father-in-law.
Right? Besides...
he has no choice but to respect and pamper Hui Er.
Else, I'll break his leg!
Let's g0!
Your Majesty, we must not let Mr. Sima resign to mourn.
If Mr. Sima is away from the court for 3 years...
the new policies will be shod-lived.
You believe that the court needs Sima Yi as well?
Mr. Sima is crucial for the country's development.
Alright. You'll write the decree.
Sima Yi shall be exempted from the obligation of filial mourning.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Teacher, I have come with the emperor's decree.
I, Sima Yi, humbly receive the decree.
"I am aware that your father has passed away...
and that you are extremely sad and spiritless."
"I feel this way myself...
let alone you, the son of the deceased."
"However, the state is about to relocate its capital."
"You are in charge of the relocation of the capital...
and should prioritise the state affairs."
"Please set aside your sadness for the greater good...
and return to the cour1 after the burial 7 days later."
Your Majesty.
I should mourn for 3 years.
I dare not cast my obligation aside.
I dare not obey Your Majesty's order.
Please retract the order.
Teacher, Deng Ai told me what you said to him...
before Zi Ye's tomb. Those words should apply...
to your current situation as well.
When my father was alive...
I...
did not spend much time with him.
If I do not mourn...
I will be...
too ashamed of myself.
I beg of His Majesty to retract his order.
Father!
I am...
a bad son.
Master!
Sister Guo Zhao.
Sister Zhen Fu, you came.
I've heard about Mr. Sima Fang.
Your sadness might affect your health.
So, I prepared some snacks and lily soup for you.
You can't take any medicine since you're pregnant.
So, it's better to just take some supplements for the body and mind.
Thank you. Please sit down.
I lived with Sima Family for many years.
Mr. Sima Fang treated me as his own daughter.
Yet, I can't even go and pay my last respect to him.
I'm sure Mr. Sima Fang will understand.
Taking good care of yourself and the prince in your body...
is the best way to help Sima Family.
Sister Zhen Fu.
You misunderstood. -I misunderstood? About what.
I'll tell you secretly. I prefer to have a princess.
Why? The emperor wishes for a prince.
I only want to bear a child for His Majesty.
I don't want to get involved in the political competition.
More importantly, I don't want my child...
to be involved as well.
So, Rui Er will be the crown prince of Wei.
Sister Guo Zhao, all these years...
apart from Rui Er, you are the only one keeping me company.
If Rui Er cannot be the crown prince...
I hope that your son will be the crown prince.
At least I know that you won't kill Rui Er.
Sister Zhen Fu, don't imagine things.
The eldest son should be the heir to the throne.
Whether I...
give birth to a prince or princess...
I will advise the emperor to make Rui Er the crown prince.
I'm not trying to take advantage of you.
I'm begging you.
I don't expect Rui Er to be the crown prince.
I just want him to be safe.
Sister Guo Zhao, please do me a favour.
If I'm gone, you must take care of Rui Er for me.
Just treat him as your own son.
What's wrong? Did something happen in the palace again?
I don't know. I feel very restless.
Mr. Sima Fang passed away so suddenly.
Mr. Sima Yi might need to be away from the court for 3 years.
No one knows what will happen in 3 years.
Everything is unpredictable.
Madam Chun Hua.
Go and get some rest. -I'm not tired.
Get some sleep. I'll stay here.
When father was alive...
I was always away from home.
I thought I could come back and take care of him...
after finishing my work.
I carried on...
one task after another.
In the blink of an eye...
I used to think that...
we still have many days ahead.
But, the truth is...
time flies.
This is why they say...
"children regret in the later days...
when their parents...
are gone...
We all know that you are busy doing impoflant things.
While you were away...
father got up very early every day...
to go out for a walk.
He said that he must not collapse and make you worry.
Loyalty and filial piety make a common moral dilemma.
If you're worried about the new policies...
I'll take our sons back to our hometown...
to mourn for father.
Greetings, Your Majesty. -Zi Dan.
Stand up and speak.
You may all retire.
Alright. You can speak now.
Your Majesty, did you issue a decree...
to exempt Sima Yi from the obligatory filial mourning?
The country is young. There's a lot of work to be done.
The Secretariat needs their Vice Censor-in-Chief.
Your Majesty, Wei is a big state.
Why can't we move on without Sima Yi?
Who forced Sima Fang to drink wine and who exactly...
sent Xiahou Mao to attack Sima Yi?
You all hate Sima Yi to the core.
Yet, I need him. Don't you all understand?
Your Majesty, even if we didn't make him drink...
Sima Fang wouldn't live past this month either.
Else, why did you have to...
send the imperial physician over every day?
If Your Majesty didn't willfully allow Sima Yi to suppress us...
I wouldn't hate him.
Willfully? You finally said something honest to me.
I'm the one you really hate.
I dare not hate Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, I only hate Sima Yi who misleads you...
incites the scholars and threatens you with criticism.
Your Majesty, this is Cao Family's empire.
Now, we finally have a chance to get rid of Sima Yi.
Why is Your Majesty still trying to keep him?
Your Majesty! -I need to stabilise the policies!
I still need to earn the favour of the scholar-officials.
If he leaves to mourn, the court's small achievements...
will be destroyed by you all.
The one who has the support of the scholars will win.
L...
aspire to unify China!
I understand...
Your Majesty now.
Your Majesty, you were hurt by your brothers too deeply...
and badly.
So, you want to suppress your own relatives now.
Alright. If it is fine with Your Majesty...
I dare not have any complaint.
The new policies have been implemented.
Sima Family and Xiahou Family have become related by marriage.
Conflicts between the generals and ministers...
are detrimental to the country.
From now on, please be tolerant.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty! Consort Guo...
What's the matter? -Her abdomen hurts.
I've sent for the imperial physician. Please visit her.
I beg of you. Please save my child.
I beg of you.
Ah Zhao. -Hurry.
Your Majesty, I beg of you. Please order them...
to save my child.
Don't worry about me. I'm alright.
But, please save my child. -Ah Zhao.
Ah Zhao, listen to me. It's alright.
We still have many days ahead. We can still have many children.
Many, many children. -No!
Your Majesty! This is our child!
I must save him, Your Majesty! No!
Your Majesty, please think of something!
You can't do this!
Your Majesty! No!
No! You must save our child!
Wait.
What exactly did I do wrong? - You didn't do anything wrong.
Ah Zhao, you didn't do anything wrong.
Your Majesty, Consort Gu0's body is weak.
She needs to rest. -No, Your Majesty.
No. -Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
Ah Zhao, rest well. -No.
Your Majesty. -Come out with me.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty.
Speak. What exactly happened?
Your Majesty, Consort Guo is no longer young.
This has dealt great damage to her body.
I'm afraid she won't be able to get pregnant again.
Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!
Your Majesty coughed up blood. - Summon the imperial physician!
Go! Hurry! -Tell me.
What caused the miscarriage?
Judging from the excessive loss of blood...
she probably ate harmful food for pregnant women.
What did she eat?
What did she eat? -I don't know.
What did she eat? -I don't know, Your Majesty.
Zi Dan, arrest all of them...
and interrogate each of them! -Alright.
Find out the reason for me! -Alright.
Investigate! -Alright. I will investigate.
Your Majesty, please calm down.
Please calm down.
Princess, they said that Consort Guo had a miscarriage.
The emperor and all imperial physicians rushed over.
I was wondering why the emperor came personally.
Sometimes, having a higher position...
doesn't guarantee better luck.
So, Sima Yi won't resign to mourn? Isn't this...
a waste of our effort? -No.
Today, I finally realised that...
we shouldn't fight against Sima Yi for the present.
We should fight for the future.
The future?
What do you mean by that?
Zi Dan, what do you mean about fighting for the future?
The crown prince.
The crown prince? -The crown prince?
I thought Cao Rui will be the crown prince.
Not necessarily.
Even though Cao Rui is the emperor's eldest son...
his mother, Zhen Fu...
has been on bad terms with the emperor. Moreover...
the emperor's favourite Consort Guo...
has become infertile.
So, we don't know who will become...
the crown prince yet. -So what?
Even if we can find an obedient prince to support...
we've to wait until he's all grown up.
We don't have to wait long.
One thing the imperial physician said today...
reminded me of something.
Consort Guo is no longer young.
The same goes for the emperor.
I saw the emperor coughing up blood today.
What? His Majesty coughed...
Are you saying that the emperor...
He's only in his 30's. He's in the prime of his manhood.
He's younger than us.
No way. -The emperor was...
overly repressed by the late emperor.
He acquired chronic insomnia when he was only in his 20's.
Dear all, can a man in his 30's who coughs up blood live long?
What should we do?
Your Majesty.
Have you identified the reason? -Your Majesty.
It must be a misunderstanding. - I'm not asking you.
Your Majesty, I suspect that Consort Guo ate harmful food.
So, I checked the recipes of her meals over the past 2 days.
Nothing is wrong. But, I took the liberty to...
taste the leftover soup Consort Guo consumed that day.
It's bitter with a strange scent. So, my peers and I studied it...
and deducted that musk water and snake bile were added.
So? Speak.
Musk water stimulates the blood and snake bile is cold in nature.
The combination can cause metrorrhagia.
Are you saying that someone poisoned her?
Consort Guo was less than 3 months pregnant.
Even one of those could cause a miscarriage.
The combination could have killed her. Consort Guo...
is lucky to have survived.
Where did this soup come from? - Your Majesty, I have no idea.
Where did it come from?
Don't know?
Send every person related to this bowl of soup...
to the Court of Judicial Review!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, that soup wasn't from the kitchen!
Where did it come from? - Consor1 Zhen brought it over.
Consort Guo cried all day and lost her appetite that day.
She only ate some food Consort Zhen brought over.
Your Majesty! -We don't know the truth yet!
Your Majesty, please calm down!
Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, we don't know the truth yet!
Zhen Fu! We've been married for more than 10 years!
What's going on? -Now I see your true colours!
You're so cruel and headless! -No, Your Majesty!
No, Your Majesty! -Why can't I?
My child is gone! Why can't I?
You spiked Ah Zhao's soup because you're jealous of her!
Your Majesty! -You're too cruel!
Your Majesty! -Your Majesty! I'm innocent!
Why would I poison Ah Zhao? We've been as close as sisters.
Why would I harm her? - Because you know that...
I will make her child the crown prince!
Your Majesty! -Father! Mother is innocent!
Go away! -Mother won't harm Consort Guo!
My son. -Mother.
Please don't hurt the prince.
Prince Rui is the late emperor's favourite grandson.
Your Majesty can't hurt him. Please calm down, Your Majesty.
Mother. -Your Majesty.
Send this despicable woman to the Cold Palace!
Monitor her strictly! Don't let anyone visit her!
Guards! -Yes!
Consort Zhen, you must take care.
What are you all doing?
Let go of my mother! -Let go of me!
Let go of my mother! - Go to Sima Yi! Hurry!
Rui Er! -Let go of my mother!
Let go of my mother! Mother! -Rui Er!
Mother!
Consort Guo, Mrs. Sima has come.
Sister Chun Hua. -Ah Zhao.
Sister Chun Hua. -I came to visit you.
Sister Chun Hua.
My child is gone.
You'll have another child. Just nurse yourself properly...
and you'll get pregnant again.
I won't get pregnant again.
I don't get it. I just wanted to...
bear a child for the emperor. I promised her that...
I won't compete with her.
I treated her as my only friend in the palace.
Why did she do this to me?
You may all retire. -Yes.
Have you thought of another possibility?
Perhaps Zhen Fu is innocent.
No way. The emperor told me that...
they have gotten to the bottom of it.
But, think about it. If your child is gone...
and Zhen Fu is demoted for the crime...
who will benefit the most from the situation?
You mean, someone framed her deliberately?
You know Zhen Fu better. Servants!
Servants! -You finally came to see me.
I came to appeal on behalf of Consort Zhen.
This case is fishy.
Please investigate. Do not be swayed by emotions.
You want to poke your nose in my family business?
The emperor has no privacy.
Moreover, this matter involves the eldest prince.
Your Majesty must be cautious.