Original subtitles

Do you suppose Ming Chongyan has found any evidence?

I wish to take the liberty

to ask Your Highness to remember someone tonight.

Sun Wusheng.

You and I are the only ones

who know about Sun Wusheng.

Pardon me, Your Highness!

You look spooked!

Someone was trying to kill me. Luckily you passed by.

Thank you for saving me!

Inside Chang'an, under the Emperor's nose?

Who'd have the audacity to try to hurt you?

You must have arrangements for your trip.

I shouldn't bother you any longer! Goodbye!

You want to leave?

Very well!

That's right! I poisoned Li Hong!

What can you do about it?

I'll be waiting for you in Hell!

Really? How?

Heavenly Empress...Sun Wusheng!

Sun Wusheng?

Find out who this Sun Wusheng is!

Aye!

Mother! What's wrong, Hong'er?

Tell me, what is it?

Greetings, Your Highness!

At ease! Thank you!

What did you want to see me about?

When your Mother first came to the Palace,

she used to meet with me after lunch, and we'd come here to change.

Years have gone by,

I didn't expect you'd be the one keeping me company.

Who says history won't repeat itself?

But you're more amazing than your Mother.

I heard His Majesty made you the Lady of Wei.

You managed to get what your Mother couldn't.

I wouldn't dare fight you for His Majesty's favour.

This is just temporary. Temporary?

Your Grandmother suspected that I killed your Mother.

I'll tell you the truth today.

When your Mother came to the Palace,

like you, she fell for His Majesty.

She even poisoned my food.

When His Majesty exposed her,

she was so ashamed that she killed herself.

Lately, I've been thinking,

if I had been more forgiving and sympathetic,

perhaps she wouldn't have killed herself.

Now that you're an Imperial wife,

I will take care of you.

Whatever I owe her back then,

I'll make it up to you.

If you have time, feel free to visit with me.

Watch your step, Your Highness!

She didn't seduce His Majesty on an impulse.

I'm sure it was premeditated.

We must be careful!

Keep her under close watch! Aye!

Wu Meiniang, you used His Majesty to kill my Mother.

I will make you pay for what you owe her.

Minyue!

Your Majesty!

Tell me, Minyue,

what did your Aunt want with you?

Are you worried Auntie was upset after seeing me?

You still care about her!

It's alright!

She told me to spend more time with her.

We chatted about the past,

and talked about my mother.

What did she tell you?

Just tidbits of the past.

She also asked me

if I liked the purple jade bangles.

I said "yes" and I've been wearing them every day.

Don't worry!

Auntie told me, she wouldn't blame me for getting closer to you.

Your Majesty!

The Lady of Wei has been running a high fever since last night.

She's now in a coma.

Minyue!

To Hebi Palace! Aye!

Hurry!

Your Majesty,

she's been slowly poisoned.

Luckily she's rather weak and we caught it sooner.

She's fine now after my treatment.

Can you tell me...

How was she poisoned?

I noticed that black marks are appearing on the skin on her wrist.

I suspect this was where the poison went inside the skin.

Then we found,

someone has put venom

on the purple jade bangles that she wears every day.

Your Majesty!

Look, Minyue!

They're gorgeous!

Your Mother left you these purple jade bangles.

I kept them for you.

Take good care of them, understand?

Milady, His Majesty just sent word.

He said you have overexerted yourself.

Starting tomorrow, you should rest up inside the Harem

and need not attend the morning assembly.

How considerate of him!

Your Highness, Secretary General Di requests an audience.

You may go! Aye!

Greetings, Heavenly Empress! At ease!

What news did you bring me?

Sorcerer Ming has been murdered.

2 hours ago, my men found his body in an alley in the Western Market.

Long live Your Majesty...

At ease! Thank you, Your Majesty!

Gentlemen, the newly named Crown Prince needs experience and toughening.

I have decided to move to Luoyang next month

and let the Crown Prince be the regent.

Your Highness, this volume explains how the Empress Dowager of Late Han

and her relatives usurped power and toppled the state.

His Majesty will realise the danger of allowing Empress Wu to run the state

and the rise of the Wu clan.

Excellent! I didn't expect you to complete this so quickly.

I'll submit it to Father tomorrow.

Congratulations, Your Highness!

The Heavenly Empress did not go to Taiji Hall this morning.

His Majesty has announced,

you'll be the regent starting next month.

Congratulations...

An act of Heaven...

Your Highness,

the Heavenly Empress summons you to Ganlu Hall.

You suspect that I poisoned your brother?

I wouldn't dare!

You're worried I'd take your throne?

I only know, no matter how hard I try,

even if I stand out among the Princes in literary and military skills,

you have never once praised me.

Even now that I'm the Crown Prince,

in front of you,

I'm still scared as ever.

Perhaps I have been unfair to you.

But you must know

like fertile soil, ability and praise

will yield ambition and the lust for power if you're not careful.

The Great Tang is long on gifted princes,

but short on brothers who can live in peace with each other.

I was harsh on you

because I didn't want the tragedy of fratricide to repeat itself.

I hope you and your brothers can live out your lives peacefully.

Mother...

All these years, I've been too worried about the kingdom and its people.

I didn't expect that I'd end up like this,

with fallen sons and a broken up family.

Mother, I'm sorry for my disobedience.

Please punish me.

Come...

There's no need for punishment, silly!

As long as we resolve our differences,

I'll be very contented.

Xian'er, from here onwards,

I will not attend the morning assembly.

Ming Chongyan is dead,

I must attend to his funeral arrangements

and appease his family.

You'll be the regent from now on.

You must stay focused.

Speaking of Sorcerer Ming...

He once told me about a friend who's rather proficient in history.

I wish to recruit him into the Literary Hall to compile the Book of Later Han.

But now that Sorcerer Ming is dead,

I couldn't find his friend.

What's his name?

Sun Wusheng.

Do you know him?

No, I don't!

Xian'er, you may go! Aye!

Xian'er!

Mother?

From here onwards, you're on your own, I can't walk with you.

You must take care of yourself, understand?

Bury Ming Chongyan with full honours and help his family settle down.

Tell Di Renjie

he need not find Hong'er's killer anymore.

I want you to take over.

Aye!

You're late!

I need to make sure I'm not being followed.

You should be careful too.

Mother summoned you earlier, did she suspect anything?

She's getting old.

Li Hong's death left her at a loss.

Except for bluffing me, what can she do to me?

I pulled a little trick

and His Majesty banished her from Taiji Hall.

I ought to thank you for this.

Father has named me the regent.

You think she'll back off willingly?

What do you mean?

Killing Hong is not good enough?

You want Mother dead too?

Mother? Are you going soft again?

When we decided to kill Li Hong, that's exactly how you reacted.

You have regrets now?

Regrets?

I must replace him as the Crown Prince.

He was the eldest,

so I had to get rid of him.

But Mother...

There's already hard feelings between her and Father.

Do we have to go that far?

I tried my best to make His Majesty stay,

but that only worked one night.

Though he comes in and out of Hebi Palace,

he has never touched me again.

He only likes to talk.

His heart still belongs to that woman.

As long as she's alive, she'll easily gain his trust and favour again.

The Heavenly Empress is a blade above our heads.

If she ever found out we murdered the Crown Prince,

you think she'd let us off?

She summoned you to test you.

For us,

we planned this for years,

whether we live or die is up to you.

There's no turning back for us.

As I've heard, the Prince of Yu will send Mengding tea to the Heavenly Empress.

Greetings, Heavenly Empress!

Please get up!

What brings you here at this late hour?

Your Highness,

the dangerous situation you're facing,

leaves me so worried I'm unable to sleep.

You worry too much.

Over the years, I've been caught in dangerous situations before.

And I'm still sitting here.

Your Highness,

in the past, His Majesty was always standing behind you.

But now, he's in Hebi Palace.

He dotes on the Lady of Wei,

you're banished from Taiji Hall

and cannot get involved in state affairs,

not to mention you're a suspect in your son's murder.

Everything happened after Lady of Wei returned to the Palace.

We believe the pressing matter is to make sure Helan Minyue is dead.

We?

Tell me...who else share your idea?

All the North Gate Scholars who pledge their loyalty to you

agree with me.

Minister Li,

things must have been going well for you for so long

that you lost your mind.

Are the North Gate Scholars like an impenetrable wall?

If any one of them

should disclose your wish to remove Minyue,

you're as good as dead!

But Helan Minyu is obviously...

Without my consent,

I forbid anyone of you to touch her.

Is that clear? Yes!

You may go! I'll take my leave.

Please re-consider, Your Highness!

Li Yifi plotted with the North Gate Scholars

to try to kill Minyue?

I have a spy among them.

This was what he heard.

Does the Heavenly Empress know?

We're not certain of her involvement.

But Li Yifu went to see her just now.

It just so happened today,

when she found out Ming Chongyan was dead

she called off the investigation of Crown Prince Hong's murder.

Look into Ming Chongyan's death! Aye!

Milady,

per your instructions,

we've looked into Maid Xin'er's death.

As you have expected,

all the evidence leads to Crown Prince Xian.

When the child makes a mistake,

what should a mother do?

Dispatch the Imperial Guards to arrest the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.

Aye!

Your Highness!

We've checked Master Zhao's regular haunts, but still couldn't find him.

No?

Then look somewhere else!

A man can't just disappear!

Even if you turned Chang'an upside down,

you must find Zhao Daosheng.

Aye! Go!

It's time to confess!

Inside the Yeting torture room,

we have a 12-course menu.

If you won't reveal how Ming Chongyan died,

we'll try every course on you

and you'd wish you were dead.

Alright...the Crown Prince killed Li Hong.

He also killed Ming Chongyan.

I was just helping him.

I didn't kill anyone.

His Majesty the Emperor!

Tell me what you just said again.

Please spare me, Your Majesty!

If you don't believe me,

search the stable in the Eastern Palace.

You'll find several thousand suits of armour and weapons.

The Crown Prince ordered me to smuggle them in.

Your Majesty,

the Heavenly Empress has already had the Eastern Palace surrounded by Imperial Guards

Your Highness...big trouble!

Imperial Guards outside have had the Eastern Palace completely surrounded!

I still don't have the Mandate of Heaven.

Your Highness!

Search the premises carefully!

General,

we've found armour and weapons in the stable

Show me... Aye!

Your Highness, care to explain this?

Did Zhao Daosheng betray me?

Where is that traitor?

Let me skin him alive!

Mother...

Mother, I know you're out there!

Come inside!

Come in and take a look at your over-ambitious son!

Come inside!

When it comes to plotting and scheming,

I'm nothing compared to you.

Mother, come in...

Keep the Crown Prince and his staff within the Eastern Palace,

pending his sentence.

Since when

did we face each other

but had nothing to say?

It's not entirely bad,

silence sometimes can prevent unnecessary quarrelling.

This is how husband and wife should spend their time together

so that their love can last longer.

Am I right, Your Majesty?

You always have your reasons.

We should talk...for example

about our son.

Your Majesty,

when did you start to suspect Xian'er?

Xian'er?

I didn't really have any evidence.

I only felt rather uneasy.

Meiniang, have you noticed

since Hong'er became the Crown Prince,

Xian'er was always smiling?

Nobody can smile all the time.

8 Chancellors presided over his trial

and found him guilty of high treason.

What about you, Your Majesty?

What will you do with Xian'er?

Treason is already unforgivable,

not to mention he's guilty of fratricide.

The crime is unforgivable, but excusable.

If I hadn't put him down all these years,

he might not have harboured such ambition and hatred,

and ended up in this plight.

As you wish...I'll depose him,

spare his life and banish him to Bazhou as a commoner.

Thank you, Your Majesty!

Something on your mind?

Our children are either dead or exiled.

Who will inherit this kingdom?

Don't worry, Your Majesty!

There's plenty of time,

and we have other children.

We'll find someone who can ease your mind.

Ease my mind?

All these years, in handling state affairs,

except for you,

who can truly ease my mind?

We'll definitely find someone

who can inherit the kingdom of Tang.

We have other children, Your Majesty!

We still have Xian.

If not, we still have Dan'er.

Xian is too sentimental.

He's like a pool of water, shallow and naive.

Dan'er is smart.

But he only cares about his personal pleasure.

Meiniang, neither one is suitable to be the Emperor.

They simply cannot bear the responsibility.

Jade must be polished.

I don't think our children are that bad.

We should give it a try.

Very well!

Since Xian'er was put under house arrest,

all the courtiers who were friendly with him

couldn't wait to draw the line.

Only his brother, the Prince of Ying,

cared enough about him

to visit him in the Eastern Palace.

Back then Father and Uncle

chose me because of my benevolence.

Even if the Crown Prince is of no use,

he should at least be benevolent.

Plant the mellow under the patio...

Pluck one to make it good.

Pluck another to make it scarce.

Milady, the Crown Prince should have a lot of friends,

and is well connected.

Why is it none of them have shown up?

They're smart people,

they all know how to judge the situation.

Who would bid farewell to a deposed Crown Prince?

I came to see you off!

I thought Xian would be here.

I didn't expect to see you.

He wanted to come,

but before he got out of the door, his wife stopped him.

Might as well, we need to talk.

You shouldn't be here.

We have known each other for years,

I should see you off.

Even if His Majesty should find out,

he'd be impressed I'm sentimental.

The Mengding tea has been sent to the Heavenly Empress.

It's not entirely a lost cause.

As long as you keep your mouth shut,

when I rule the Harem,

it's possible I can bring you back to Chang'an.

Even if you kill Mother and replace her,

how can I return to Chang'an?

You're only here to make sure I didn't finger you.

You're thinking too much.

Minyue, listen to me.

Quit while you're ahead.

I have taken the blame for everything.

Don't be pig-headed.

You can't fight Mother!

I'm different from you.

You're the Heavenly Empress' son.

No matter what you have done,

on account that she's your mother,

she'd spare you.

But for me, it's win or die in this fight.

There's no turning back! Take care!

You...

Hong'er! Mother!

What is it, Hong'er?

Tell me, what is it?

Your Majesty!

There you are!

You may all go! Aye!

Have you forgotten?

Your fengji is just getting better.

Why are you drinking again?

What if your condition gets worse?

I know all about my condition.

It's because of my ill health,

this once stable kingdom

has to go through wind and rain.

We have to try everything.

Didn't you tell me that?

Didn't we discuss this?

We still have 2 sons.

Look...

Courtiers have submitted reports

objecting to naming Xian the Crown Prince.

They seem to think

if I hand over the throne to him,

Tang will be finished.