Original subtitles

It's cold and windy.

My Lady, take care of yourself.

It's alright.

I'm not that weak.

But An Su,

I'm really worried about her.

An Su must be heartbroken now.

It's not convenient for me to see her.

Go buy her some supplements.

Alright, ma'am.

Who is it?

Miss Su?

What are you doing?

Zhao.

Leave for now.

Yes, Your Highness.

My Lady, I'd like to ask you

where did you get this hairpin?

My Lady, my mother told me to give you this hairpin.

Thank you.

I can't accept it.

It was given as a gift from a mother and her son.

When Yan Tang rescued them,

their village has been massacred by the bandits.

The boy's arm was injured by the fire.

Fortunately, he was rescued in time.

Otherwise,

he would be dying on the streets.

The person you saved

were my mother and younger brother.

Can you take me to see them?

(Zhaowen Bookstore)

Your mother and brother are living well in Liaodong.

As long as you're loyal,

I will never ill-treat your family.

I will never forget your great kindness to my family.

I am willing to risk my life and devote myself wholeheartedly.

My Lady, please don't tell them I've been here

so as not to complicate matters.

Don't worry.

Goodbye, ma'am.

Yan!

Yan!

-Yan! -Mother!

Mother.

I was deceived by a villain.

I didn't know that Brother and you

had a hard life.

Yan!

I finally found you.

Mother.

Brother and you must live well.

-My Lady. -No.

You saved my mother and brother.

You also placed them properly.

This great kindness,

I will never forget about it.

If there is an opportunity,

I will definitely

return this favor.

(Blossom)

(Episode 30)

What are you doing?

The glutinous rice balls.

You're right. A palace banquet will be held.

That's right.

By the way,

Prince Qing is returning to the capital.

We can't take it lightly.

The more evidence we have,

the closer we are to danger.

We need to figure out what Prince Qing has in hand as soon as possible.

He is far away in Liaodong.

He can't possibly get to know the situation in the palace that fast.

Therefore, there must be an important people in the palace who help him.

And it's more than one.

It is too difficult for us to interfere in the Grand Secretariat,

unless we use the power of the crown prince.

The crown prince is unruly.

He and I can't get along, really.

It's alright.

Prince Qing dealt with you from behind.

We can also get the strength from behind.

The Crown Princess invited me to the palace to discuss the palace banquet.

This is a good opportunity.

Prince Qing also invited me to hunt at the hunting ground.

I'll pick you up after it's over.

It's fun to eat the glutinous rice balls like this.

It's creative and sumptuous.

No wonder the Empress specially told me

to leave the banquet arrangement to you.

After all, as the daughter-in-law,

I'm not as good as you.

It's a state banquet.

The Empress and Your Highness must be honored.

I'm just lending a hand.

Although the glutinous rice balls looks novel,

the dough and filling are from the imperial kitchen.

But after all, this is a banquet organized by the Crown Prince.

The Empress dislikes rigid banquets.

This...

What if elegance and integrity are the main focus?

The first song played by Court Entertainment Bureau

can be changed to "Qing Jiang Yin" or "Chao Tian Zi".

The Food Bureau can get the vegetables from places with the best harvest

and cook local dishes.

If His Majesty asks about this,

it can also make His Majesty happy.

Do as the Duchess says.

Yes.

I'm weak in archery.

Brother, please guide me.

If you want to show off,

you should do it in front of Father.

You got the wrong person

in the hunting ground.

That's right.

Yan Tang closed his eyes and shot.

I can never forget about it.

Yan Tang.

My brother is good in civil

while I'm good in martial arts.

Do you prefer civil or martial arts now?

The only thing I prefer now

is family peace.

I want to keep my wife company,

watch performance and lanterns with her.

I want to live a peaceful life with her.

That will be enough.

Yan Tang, you're good at avoiding now.

Family comfort...

Battle in court...

It's possible to have both.

-Look at the Crown Prince. -You form an alliance to seize power.

It has nothing to do with me.

This has a lot to do with you!

How many supporters do you still have in the court now?

And there are many impeachments.

Your Highnesses are discussing family affairs

which I'm not supposed to listen to.

I shall take my leave.

Song Mo!

You're the commander of the Imperial Guards.

It is your duty to protect the royal family.

If anything happens to the Crown Prince or me,

can you get away from this?

You Ting!

Aren't you going to hide your rebellious intentions anymore?

I can kill you

with what you said.

Brother, you still love to be an upright person.

You're quick to slander me.

But to accuse me of rebellious,

you must have evidence.

What's more, even if someone really wants to rebel,

based on the situation you're in now,

only by giving up the position of Crown Prince

for the capable one

can you protect the people and the country

from falling into misery.

You're impudent!

Imperial Guards, listen to my order!

Yes!

Turn your back around!

Anyone who listens or looks at them will be punished!

Yes!

His Highness is capable and tolerant.

The Duke of Ying admires His Highness for this.

As expected, you're an educated one.

You turned that stubborn man into a nice guy.

All the wives in the world

agree to their husbands.

But they scold their husbands hard in their hearts.

Your Highness.

Are you pregnant?

How did you know?

The anchovies in this season are the freshest.

But Your Highness found it fishy.

When a woman is expecting,

she has the most acute sense of smell.

Food preferences will also change.

So am I.

The imperial doctor checked before.

He said that I am weak.

It's difficult for me to get pregnant.

Therefore we didn't make it public.

I still don't feel well.

Eunuch Wang.

Please get some magnolia flowers for me.

Sure.

Take that one for me.

Yes.

Be careful!

It's him.

If the Crown Princess gives birth to a prince next year,

the Crow Prince's position will be secured.

Prince Qing will definitely raise an army to rebel.

Your Highness.

The Crown Princess is very weak.

Send her to her room.

Go and get the imperial physician.

Your Grace, please be cautious.

After all, the Crown Princess is pregnant.

Why don't you wait for the physician to come and check on her?

That'll be too late. I need to do acupuncture on Her Highness now!

Please think twice, Your Grace.

Are you going against your superior?

I dare not.

You have many soldiers with you,

but I came here alone.

If something happens today and the courtiers know about it,

I wonder what will they think of you.

Crown Prince, Prince Qing.

You're adults now.

You can't fight like you did when you were kids.

Every punch you hit now

is related to the country.

Please think twice.

Song Mo!

In the past, you always help me in the fight.

Who do you help nowadays?

Crown Prince.

Crown Prince.

Yan Tang will always be by my side!

Prince Qing.

Song Mo! Are you crazy?

Haven't I treated you and your son well enough?

I allow you to get involved in the politics.

You Ting dominated a vast area of land

and his salary is far higher than that of You Sheng.

Can't you be contented?

What else do you want?

Father, if you hate Mother and I,

you can just kill us.

But you can't wrong my heart.

We've not seen for three years.

I didn't expect that after yearning for so long,

this is what happened.

Your Majesty.

I've disappointed your grace.

I will resign from the throne.

Please depose You Ting as a commoner.

I only wish for my son and I to live in peace until we pass on.

Your Majesty, you can't afford to get angry.

The arrival of Mr. Lu!

How is the Crown Prince?

Your Majesty, I've been to the Crown Prince's residence.

The Crown Prince was not seriously injured.

His Highness is fine.

Song Mo, oh, Song Mo.

How dare you help that scoundrel to hit me!

I'll keep this in my heart!

Hadn't Yan Tang gone to mediate,

you would have lost your limbs.

You're welcome.

Look at him!

He's so proud of himself!

He doesn't even respect me now!

You're presumptuous!

Hadn't Dou Zhao been here

and gave me timely treatment,

your little prince

wouldn't be here anymore.

Your Highness, you're flattering me.

This is what I should do.

Thank you, Duchess.

I know that Your Highness

disdain dirty tricks.

But if a noble gentleman dies due to some dirty tricks,

what's the point of being a king?

This time, Prince Qing must have come to the capital

to remove Your Highness and Yan Tang together.

Your Highness know the truth behind the death of the Duke of Ding.

If you can tell us

and we can find out the cronies of Prince Qing,

only then can we protect ourselves.

I swore an oath before my father that

I will

never mention this matter again until death.

What a coincidence.

You swore before, but I didn't.

If you don't want to tell them,

I will tell them.

Do you dare? Do you think I won't...

Divorce me?

Fine.

I'll remarry again with my son.

I will never die with you.

He doesn't want to talk about it

because it does involve the royal secrets.

Leaking a few words will lead to chaos in the country.

The Emperor never wanted to kill the Duke of Ding.

He told the Jiying Guards to escort the Duke of Ding to the capital

because at that time, the Emperor was already

critically ill

and almost died.

At that time,

my father was seriously ill.

The Duke of Ding got rid of the pirates and opened the maritime market.

He made great contributions to the country.

Although he violated the edict about the disaster relief operation,

it was indeed a timely help for the people.

Father, why did you suspect him

and send someone to escort him?

Jiang Mei Sun is the only person

I trust in this world.

There's no way I'd be suspicious of him.

Why did you...

He obeys and trusts me.

But will he obey and trust you?

You

have no idea how to control the courtiers.

What's the use of secretly pleading for him?

After I reprimand him,

put him in jail and remove his rank,

only then you plead for him in the court.

He will be obliged by you.

He will obey and trust you.

The Duke of Ding is loyal, brave, and upright.

I don't want to humiliate and subdue a courtier like this.

I will ask for his help repeatedly

and treat him sincerely.

I know you best.

You're kind-hearted.

You'll definitely be a benevolent emperor.

But for the country to be stable,

kindness alone is not enough.

Come here.

My illness keeps coming back.

In case something happens to me,

Lizhen in the north

and the pirates in the south will definitely rise again.

The feudal kings elsewhere will also be ready to take action.

I would rather Mei Sun hate me

so that you can have him.

When I pass on...

Father!

When you ascend to the throne,

pardon him and release him.

Give him power.

That's the only way

to keep the country safe.

Remember this, my son.

Originally, when the Duke of Ding reached the capital,

everything would be fine.

But someone took advantage on the road.

Your Highness!

Come in.

Eunuch Wang is here.

Eunuch Wang is closer to my father.

Naturally, he knows better than I do

about the death of the Duke of Ding.

Eunuch Wang.

Since His Majesty knew the Duke of Ding was wronged,

why did His Majesty still gave out the sentence?

That's because Empress Wan persuaded His Majesty and said it was a done deal.

If the Duke of Ding was found not guilty,

in the eyes of the citizens,

His Majesty killed a loyal servant

and the reputation of the royal family would be lost.

The monarch

can never make mistakes.

My uncle

risked his life and death for His Majesty.

He dedicated his life to the country.

But it couldn't be compared to the reputation.

His Majesty couldn't take it.

Therefore, the punishment was lighter.

The Duke of Ding could be buried

and the Jiang clan was lightly sentenced.

Thank you, Eunuch Wang.

Based on the current situation,

if you two don't join forces

to save the monarch,

the peaceful and prosperous era built

by His Majesty and the Duke of Ding's painstaking efforts for years

will be over.

I've always had my doubts.

Even if Prince Qing intends to rebel,

he's far away in Liaodong.

Even if he has the moles in the palace,

it takes a long time for him to receive the messages.

How did he manage to change accordingly

and give a prompt order?

If I guessed correctly,

the person in a high position those rebels said

and the person who really wanted to rebel was not Prince Qing.

It was Empress Wan.

Am I right?

Empress Wan?

The people of Futing

knelt at the Duke of Ding's ancestral hall.

They wished him well.

He used his salary

to increase the military pay for the entire army.

The Duke of Ding's Army has become his personal army.

Your Majesty told the Crown Prince to go to the disaster relief.

Yet he refuted and provided relief on his own.

In the eyes of the people,

the imperial court is at fault, while he has gained merit.

Your Majesty, you might as well confer him the title of king

and let him have Futing as the fief.

You would be relieved.

(Xuanyue Palace)

I told you to keep an eye on the Crown Princess

so that she wouldn't get too close to the Duchess of Ying.

How could that happen?

I'm sorry, Your Majesty.

I was incompetent.

Please punish me.

You're useless.

Leave.

Yes.

Father's illness has been recurring for many years.

Every time he falls sick,

you work day and night to check on the memorials and the state affairs.

That's why you have issues with eyesight.

The imperial physician advised you not to cry.

What happened with the Crown Prince today,

it was because of my impulsiveness.

I am unfilial.

You Ting.

I know that you have endured humiliation for many years

just to come back to me.

So you're not unfilial.

Come on.

Come.

The tears I shed sincerely

has been drained long ago.

Your father is a boulder

who has been weighing on us for decades.

It's not easy for me to replace him.

Before every big event happens,

there must be calmness.

But I just can't stand it

when you kneel in front of him!

For so many years,

you sacrificed for the country and the monarch with your talents.

He should kneel to you.

Since things are on the verge of revealing,

there's no need for me to continue acting.

Let's get ahead of the game.

The Grudgebane I gave to His Majesty

should be taking effect soon.

I really want to see

if a selfish

and hypocritical person like him

will still shed real tears

when the country is overturned

and his children are fighting each other.

She got so involved in politics

and used poison to murder my father.

Why didn't you say it until now?

That's because His Majesty was born weak.

For decades,

His Majesty has long been inseparable from the cultivator's elixir.

Empress Wan knows this well.

The elixir given often has temporary effects.

But in reality, it reduces His Majesty's inner strength.

As the poison was low in dosage,

even Mr. Lu didn't realize it until very late.

Half poison, half drug, and taken all year round.

If His Majesty suddenly stops the medication when no solution is found,

I am afraid...

No wonder even the Emperor knows the truth,

he has to cover up.

Your father's fate,

the country and the throne,

do you want to save these or not?

If you want to seize power

and destroy and insult the monarch's reputation,

I swear that I will not let you fulfill your wishes.

The emperor is superior and the father is respectable.

Your Highness, in your opinion,

is the dignified manner of the monarch

more important than one person, one clan

or one troop's injustice?

Justice, law, honor,

benevolence, righteousness, and morality.

Are these just the false images

from the imperial family to suppress the citizens?

If that's the case,

there's no need for Song Mo and I to assist

one foolish and selfish emperor.

Dou Zhao, how dare you!

-Good scolding. -Right?

Dou Zhao, I'm willing to pay you

and invite you to here and scold him every day.

You...

There's another thing

about the Duke of Ying's residence.

There was once when I was in the residence of Empress Wan,

I overheard Prince Qing

told Empress Wan

about a letter hidden in the Duke of Ying's residence

which has not been found.

I know about this.

The Crown Prince once went to my residence to look for that letter.

What's going on?

What was written in the letter?

I don't know what's in the letter.

But I know this letter is important.

The messenger who was detained by me also confessed that

it was true that a servant from the Duke of Ying's residence received it.

I went looking for it several times, both openly and covertly.

But I couldn't find it.

And Prince Qing is also eyeing this letter.

So no matter what, Prince Qing can't get this letter.

I've told you all I can tell.

It's up to the two of you to decide.

I shall take my leave.

Thank you, Eunuch Wang.

You read the teachings of Confucius and Mencius before.

If a statue is overthrown and the religious rites are degenerated,

and everyone revolt like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang,

can there still be peace?

What you call the learning of Confucius and Mencius

is to assist a wise emperor to become better than Yao Shun,

and make the world a better place.

But the reality is that the royal family condones nobles.

Lands are seized and citizens are enslaved.

The citizens are in dire straits.

Should we hold their mouths

and let them shout "long live the emperor"?

In fact, for the Dou family, the Song family, and the royal family,

the cause of the tragedy is the same.

The emperor and father are supreme.

The wives, concubines, and children all have low status.

Those in a low position and those in an even lower position

fight with each other.

If we don't consider right or wrong

and only care about inferiority and coercion,

there will be no end to plotting and conspiracy.

Rituals and laws are meant to stabilize the citizens.

If the citizens become confused because of this,

sooner or later, the country will be in ruins.

The citizens are the foundation of a country.

If you will become a good emperor,

I will help you pacify the country and put an end to evil.

But I only have one condition.

No blood for blood

or seizing the throne.

Rather, the Emperor tells the world

the truth about this matter.

Return the reputation of loyal ministers

and console the victims of injustice.

If you agree,

then we are allies.

But if you don't,

I don't mind having one more enemy.

Song Mo, are you negotiating...

It's a pity if we're just allies.

The Crown Prince and I like Dou Zhao's temperament.

Why don't we arrange a marriage for our children?

How about becoming in-laws?

Who wants to be his in-laws?

Maybe one day, he'll become a traitor.

Then you must have become a headstrong and incapable ruler.

Look, you're bright and valiant.

Why did you get an arrogant husband like him?

Your Highness, keep your husband in line.

He has sharp-tongued, is old-fashioned, and arrogant.

It's difficult to get along with him

whether he's a father, husband, or a monarch.

Dou Zhao, you should keep your husband in line too!

If he keeps being arrogant,

you will die in the streets!

You should really reflect on yourself.

You have your eyes on your head

but you have a bad mouth.

You're right.

I should reflect on this.

Why did I get myself

a shrew who sided with the outsiders?

A shrew, huh?

-Come on... -No!

-Tell me who is the shrew. -I made a mistake...

Why are you still pulling your face?

We formed an alliance with the Crown Prince

and stayed away from Prince Qing.

This is a good thing.

You should be happy.

What's wrong with you?

I think...

The Crown Prince seems to admire you.

You only met a few times, right?

Something's wrong with your eyes.

It was the Crown Princes who admired me.

The next time you see him,

don't wear nice clothes like this.

Don't dress up.

Wear something black.

No.

You look good even if you wear black clothes without any makeup.

Back then, when the Crown Prince was selecting for his bride,

he liked someone who was smart, tough, and well-informed.

Isn't that you?

Everything you say is ridiculous,

but I like to hear every word.

Stop the carriage!

We're not even home yet.

Your shoes seem dirty.

No, it's not.

-What are you doing? -I figured it out.

I must cure the poison.

I want to live a long life

and take care of my appearance

so that when the Crown Prince sees me,

he will be ashamed of himself.

Put me down now.

Many people are watching.

I want everyone in the capital to know that

you, Dou Zhao, are my wife.

This is embarrassing!

It's not like I've never carried you like this before.

I didn't even go and visit him.

Will it hurt You Sheng?

Your Majesty is concerned about the overall situation.

The Crown Prince will surely support you.

The Crown Prince and Prince Qing are relatives.

But they got injured while fighting.

If someone provokes this,

the first person to be held accountable

is Yan Tang who is responsible for guarding.

If he is found to have neglected duties, he will be dismissed from office.

It will be difficult to balance the situation in the court.

Your Majesty.

The medicine is getting cold.

Your Majesty don't do divinations anymore?

Yes.

In my heart...

I already have the answer.

An Ping, it's your seventh day after your passing.

Those people still treat you as they used to.

They paid homage to you.

They were respectful to you.

It shows that everyone knows clearly

that Dong Qi deserves to die.

I would rather stay in Futing forever

and be a lowly businesswoman for the rest of my life

than having wealth and status

like I have today

but without my brother...

Indeed An Ping was a bit arrogant.

But he wouldn't be so ignorant.

If we don't strive for high position,

we can only watch our loved ones being bullied.

The same was true for me in the past.

But now,

I am the commander of the Tengxiang Guards.

About the real power I have,

I am as good as Song Mo.

From now on,

we don't have to be subservient to others.

Tengxiang Guards?

Among the 26 types of guards, we rarely hear about this.

The most important thing about Tengxiang Guards

is that it controls most of the supplies of food, grass,

and war horses in the capital.

It sounds like an officer who takes care of horses.

It's a job that no one wants to do.

But when there's a war,

whether it's at the border or elsewhere,

the infantry on the plains and the invincible cavalry

will become the key to victory.

The Imperial Guards and Shenji Battalion might have firearms,

but if they don't have the war horses,

it will still be useless.

There is peace in the capital now.

But you made it sound like there was a battlefield.

Just because it's peaceful for now

doesn't mean it's peaceful forever.

Song Mo encountered bandits

and had his luck.

I'll have my share of luck, too.

I just want to be able to protect you

and your parents by then.

Mu Yu.

Thanks for taking care of my parents these days.

You can't get a job without making friends.

Go get the money if you need it.

One day,

I'll pay you back a thousandfold.

(In Memory of Miao An Ping)

(The Duke of Ying's Residence)

Be careful.

Are you familiar with this place?

Your Graces, please.

Come on, sit down.

Think carefully.

What were you looking for?

Medicine.

Someone.

Medicine.

The Duchess of Ying was sick.

She was seriously ill, right?

She was sick. She had medicine.

Fan.

Fan the fire.

Nine medicinal herbs.

Six hours.

Fan the fire.

Nine medicinal herbs.

Is there a letter?

A letter...

A letter...

From whom? To who?

What was the letter about? Where is the letter?

A letter...

Give me the letter now!

The letter!

Give me the letter!

Give me the letter!

Here.

My Lady!

There is a letter from the Duke of Ding!

There is a letter from the Duke of Ding!

Let's go!

My Lady!

My Lady, there is a letter from the Duke of Ding.

My brother is playing the guessing game with me again.

Go get the brush.

Dip the brush into the water.

Yes, ma'am.

My Lady!

Why are you vomiting blood?

Qi Xia, go now.

-Dry the painting and hide it. -Never tell anyone.

Do not give it to anyone.

You can only tell Lord Mo.

-Yes, ma'am. -Go now!

Yes, ma'am!

Hide it...

My Lady, where should I hide it?

Where should I hide it?

Hide it...

My Lady!

Where should I hide it?

Qi Xia!

Qi Xia!

My Lady.

We can't hide it anywhere. We can't...

Yes, we can't hide it.

Go now.

Stick it.

The more visible, the better.

Let's go.

When the ruler changes,

your husband and you

will not have a way to survive!

If I can't be Prince Qing's man,

he will have to remove this thorn of his.

Song Mo went crazy

and set off gunpowder in the street.

He endangers the people and should be killed on the spot!