Original subtitles

(East Palace)

The Crown Prince died saving His Majesty.

His Majesty has ordered the Ministry of Rites to hold a state funeral,

(East Palace) and bury him with an emperor's honors.

Court is suspended for three days, and the whole nation shall mourn.

Respect this.

(Spirit Tablet of the Late Prince Chen of Daxing, Xiao Huayong)

After we got married,

I made you so many clothes.

You didn't even get to wear them.

You were always afraid of the cold.

(Spirit Tablet of the Late Prince Chen of Daxing, Xiao Huayong)

Take them all with you.

Noble Consort Rong has arrived!

My condolences, Crown Princess.

The Crown Prince died so young.

His Majesty is heartbroken,

and his health is deteriorating.

The Empress Dowager is also overwhelmed with grief.

This massive inner palace

has lost its pillar.

Everyone is in a state of panic,

and there are many matters to attend to.

What you mean is...

As for the management of the Six Palaces...

Now that

you are newly widowed,

it seems you can no longer bear the burden.

I shall reluctantly step in

and temporarily assume this power to bring peace to the inner palace.

I ask you

to hand over the seal of the inner palace

to me.

The nation is in mourning, and our family is grieving.

Heaven and earth share our sorrow.

Instead of

comforting His Majesty

and attending to the Empress Dowager,

you come before his spirit tablet,

before the heroic spirit of the Crown Prince,

to demand power.

Crown Princess,

the Crown Prince has passed away.

According to ancestral rules,

you should move to a separate courtyard to rest

to show the royal family's compassion.

Noble Consort Rong is highly respected

and can temporarily manage palace affairs

to stabilize the situation.

You should know

to prioritize the greater good.

Please hand over the seal immediately

and move out of the East Palace.

The power to manage the inner palace

was granted to me by His Majesty himself.

You three clan elders

keep talking about ancestral rules.

May I ask, the Crown Prince died saving His Majesty,

yet in this mourning hall,

you do not kneel or bow

to comfort his heroic spirit,

instead, you force his widow to hand over her power

and move out of her home.

Is this your so-called etiquette?

Your so-called decency?

Your so-called prioritizing the greater good?

Crown Princess,

times have changed.

The nation is facing difficulties.

The nation is facing difficulties?

So you can commit such

unjust, unrighteous and shameless acts

before his heroic spirit?

You want power.

You want the East Palace.

Fine.

Then I will give you an answer.

The Empress Dowager's edict is here.

"The Crown Prince has recently passed,

and His Majesty is unwell.

(Empress Dowager's Edict) I am heartbroken and deeply grieved.

Crown Princess Shen

has always managed the Six Palaces with great merit.

In these extraordinary times,

I specifically order the Crown Princess

to temporarily manage all affairs of the East Palace

and govern the Six Palaces,

to comfort His Majesty

and console the Crown Prince's spirit in heaven.

Anyone who dares to cause trouble

or disrupt palace rules

will be severely punished."

You actually requested an edict in advance!

Noble Consort Rong

and the three clan elders,

your words and actions just now

disregarded etiquette and law.

Spouting nonsense before the Crown Prince's spirit tablet

is highly disrespectful.

Today,

you must, before this spirit tablet,

and under this imperial edict,

beg forgiveness from the Crown Prince.

Kneel!

Kneel!

(Mourning)

Noble Consort Rong,

tomorrow, please

move to His Majesty's palace to attend to his illness.

I

obey your command.

Three elders, please rest assured.

As long as I am here,

this East Palace

will be guarded by me.

The sky of the East Palace

will not fall.

- We obey your command, Your Highness. - We obey your command, Your Highness.

=Blossoms of Power=

(Adapted from the novel, After My Bloom, All Flowers Wither by Jin Huang)

=Episode 33=

Greetings, Your Highness.

You may rise.

Yunhuai,

I heard you refused to inherit the noble title.

Yes.

I will never forget the Crown Prince's kindness

to my mother for the rest of my life.

But I have grown tired

of the filth within these noble manors.

Furthermore, I lack the talent to govern the country.

Inheriting the title

would just be holding a position without doing any real work.

For the rest of my life,

I wish to find solace in the mountains and wilderness,

compile medical prescriptions to save lives,

and treat more patients.

This way, I won't

let down the good intentions of both the Crown Prince and you.

The rest of your life is long.

I respect your wishes.

But if one day,

you change your mind,

you can come find me anytime.

Thank you, Your Highness.

The Crown Prince once said

that what he couldn't let go of the most

were you, Crown Princess, and his child.

If you ever need anything in the future,

you can send a message to me using the Crown Prince's method.

I am willing to do anything for you and your child

even if it means sacrificing my life.

I will not hesitate.

(Sixian Hall, Mourning)

(Cultivate Virtue and Practice Righteousness)

Greetings, Your Highness.

(Submitted to the Crown Princess by the Imperial Household Department)

Reporting to Your Highness,

these are the reports submitted by the General Palace Service,

detailing the monthly allowance withdrawals for the Six Palaces.

Prefect of the Imperial Palace Chambers submitted the list of recruited servants

and the petition for dismissals.

The Imperial Household Department reported on the repair of utensils.

This is submitted by the Imperial Wardrobe Service,

detailing the materials for winter clothes for masters of the Six Palaces

and various ranks of palace servants.

Officer of Adornments submitted

the styles of crowns and jewelry for the year-end court greetings.

And the Imperial Household Department's report on cleaning the regalia.

(Cultivate Virtue and Practice Righteousness)

♪A wall that collapses at a single push♪

♪Frost that melts at a single smile♪

♪How can you be this wonderful♪

♪I've hidden so many words♪

♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

♪So never uncover♪

♪The sand that slips away with one grasp♪

♪The flower that withers after one bloom♪

♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

♪Every answer I gave♪

♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes when I hurt you♪

♪How hard it truly was?♪

♪The wounds that healed with just a little comfort♪

♪The lies made whole with a single embrace♪

♪Pretending to be brave as if I'd never been hurt♪

♪It's a shame I never could♪

♪Give you a moon in return♪

♪With the same open heart you loved me♪

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪Never knowing I was lost♪

♪Why don't you take me away?♪

♪Lead me out of this endless game of hide-and-seek♪

♪You'll never♪

♪Know how much I long to, long to♪

♪Wind that misses the grasp♪

♪Light that ignites at a single touch♪

(Clarity and Serenity)

♪A person can find strength time and again♪

♪Our past♪

♪Has been full of ups and downs along the way♪

♪Admitting my confusion♪

♪Just like your regret♪

♪How hard can it be?♪

♪The wounds that healed with just a little comfort♪

♪The lies made whole with a single embrace♪

But this bell is so loud.

I can't sleep either.

As long as you don't move,

the bell won't ring.

♪You understand my pride♪

♪It is actually just like yours♪

♪So please try your best to be open first♪

Just assume I did it on purpose.

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪The lies made whole with a single embrace♪

Your Highness,

when you wake up,

there's something I must tell you.

In my heart...

♪It is actually just like yours♪

You are the best.

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪Never knowing I was lost♪

♪Why don't you take me away?♪

♪Lead me out of this endless game of hide-and-seek♪

♪The flustered mortal world♪

♪Your eyes♪

Your Highness,

the Fifth Prince comes to seek an audience with you every day.

He says if he doesn't see you this time,

he won't leave.

I won't see him.

Why not?

I am the Crown Prince's widow.

Meeting a man privately during the mourning period

is inappropriate.

You have been

keeping to yourself lately.

After the chaos at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet,

my father fell ill.

I have become the Regent,

handling state affairs on his behalf.

Congratulations, Your Highness.

Your Highness, please do not be disrespectful.

You may leave.

Your Highness.

Leave us.

What he could do,

I can do as well.

This was given to me by my late husband.

Others

must not touch it.

My mother made things difficult for you again,

didn't she?

I won't let these trivial matters

cause trouble with my elders.

You don't need to worry.

The way you speak now

is exactly like the Crown Prince.

We were husband and wife, one entity,

closely connected to each other.

It's all his fault

for leaving you in such a dilemma.

He has passed away.

People...

must always look forward.

I offer the same words to you.

Please conduct yourself with dignity.

I know you have great ambitions,

but the palace is full of hidden dangers right now.

How can you alone

deal with the struggles in the court?

Trust me this once.

Let me protect you.

No matter what situation

I will face in the future,

I can face it myself.

Your Highness, these are prepared according to your orders

for the Crown Princess's child.

You did well.

You may leave.

Yes, Your Highness.

Prince Xin has entered the palace again?

Lately,

Prince Xin is in the palace every day.

Rumor has it

that it's all for the Crown Princess.

Li Simeng,

at age two, could speak of his past life

in great detail.

At age six, he went to Mount Li,

and met an old lady named Feng on Qifan Street.

He cried and threw himself into her arms,

saying Feng was his mother in his past life.

Everything he said about his past life was verified.

(Could it be)

(that Shen Xihe...)

Greetings, Your Highness.

Why do you wish

to see me?

The Crown Prince, to protect His Majesty,

unfortunately passed away.

You have been managing the funeral,

grieving day and night.

I have been worried about you

and wish to share your burden.

How can you even say such things?

I deeply regret my past actions.

I genuinely care about you.

Because

you are my only remaining family in this world.

What nonsense are you spouting now?

I have consulted historical records.

Throughout history,

such shocking and bizarre events actually exist,

and they are not uncommon.

I have no choice but to believe it.

Qingzhi,

the Gu family suffered a massacre.

I was truly left all alone and helpless.

In order to protect myself,

the Empress Dowager promised me the position of Princess Consort Ning.

To not let our father down,

and the entire Gu family,

even if I had to resort to any means and be despised,

I had to survive.

What exactly are you trying to do?

This is our mother's only relic.

You must recognize it.

We were not born of the same mother,

but Mother treated me as her own.

Now,

I am returning this golden lock to you.

I can finally be at peace.

You tampered with

this golden lock.

You hid something dirty inside.

There is a rare poison from the Western Regions,

modified from an incense formula.

Once it touches the skin,

it corrodes the internal organs.

There is no cure.

You hid that poisonous powder

inside this golden lock.

You are trying to kill me.

Qingzhi.

Your tears come so easily.

It's just a pity

that your acting is terrible.

Qingzhi,

why do you wrong my sincere intentions?

I am not your sister.

Even the most heinous villains

have a fleeting moment

of conscience.

But your coldness

has chilled you to the bone.

A person as vicious as you

is truly rare.

Tell me,

who instigated you to come to me?

No one.

I just hate you to the core.

A helpless orphan like you...

Where did you get the nerve

to confront the East Palace?

Whether you are Shen Xihe

or Gu Qingzhi,

seeing this inherently noble and composed face of yours,

I just want to tear it to pieces!

Since you are so smart,

go find your answers in the underworld!

What can you do to me?

Whether you live

or die

is entirely up to you.

Gu Qingshu

attempted to murder the royal heir.

Her crime is punishable by death.

Mo Yu,

go invite His Majesty.

I will wait here.

Yes, Your Highness.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Empress Dowager.

Xihe,

what exactly happened?

Please allow me to explain, Your Majesty.

Since the Crown Prince passed away,

I have been living in seclusion in the East Palace.

Second Young Lady Gu said she wanted to bring me a pregnancy tonic.

Thinking she had good intentions,

I agreed to see her.

But who would have thought

she would give me a golden lock hiding poisonous powder?

After her plot was exposed,

she drew a dagger to assassinate me.

Ultimately, she fell into her own trap

and died from her own poison.

I have never had any intention to harm anyone.

Your Majesty,

Second Young Lady Gu's personal maid

is requesting an audience outside the hall.

Your Majesty,

coming to report at this time,

she must know some inside information.

Summon her.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I beg Your Majesty for justice.

My lady

was murdered by the Crown Princess!

She was murdered by the Crown Princess!

Did you see it with your own eyes?

Insolent!

Since you didn't see it,

how do you know?

When the Fourth Prince staged a coup and attempted to assassinate Your Majesty,

the East Palace knew about it in advance.

Yet the Crown Prince concealed it

and let it happen.

My lady

found out about this by accident.

Knowing she was in grave danger,

before entering the palace to see the Crown Princess this time,

she wrote a letter with her own hand

and instructed me

that if she didn't return for a long time,

I should present this letter

to Your Majesty.

The assassination attempt that day was extremely perilous.

If the Crown Prince truly concealed it,

even though he died saving Your Majesty,

the East Palace gained endless benefits.

Thinking about it this way,

if it was

a meticulously calculated scheme,

it's not entirely impossible.

Based on just a single letter,

you dare to falsely accuse the Crown Prince with empty words?

Insolent!

How dare you behave so recklessly before Your Majesty?

The Crown Prince sacrificed his life to protect the country.

Yet you, Noble Consort Rong, right here in the hall,

make such malicious speculations,

openly slandering a heroic spirit.

As the Crown Princess,

I must protect my husband's reputation.

How can I tolerate this any longer?

I beg Your Majesty for justice

to clear the East Palace's name.

Your Majesty,

I had no intention of slandering the Crown Prince.

I...

will never allow anyone

to speak nonsense

and tarnish the Crown Prince's reputation.

Anyone who violates this

will be executed!

Today,

Gu Qingshu ending up like this

is entirely her own fault.

(Prince Xin's Manor)

Your Highness, you invited me here,

is it about Gu Qingshu?

No.

I thought you were going to hold me accountable.

After all,

she has always been under your care.

I only care about you.

Since you have nothing else to discuss,

I'll take my leave.

Come with me.

Do you remember?

These are all the poems you left behind.

When you were still an unmarried maiden,

every time you released a new work,

all the young scholars and ladies in the city

would scramble to read it.

Among your many admirers,

I was the most passionate one.

What exactly do you want?

Supervising the execution of the entire Gu family back then

was my fault.

It was me who failed to protect you

and the Gu family.

Now, I want

to spend the rest of my life making up for it.

Qingqing,

don't leave me behind again.

Your Highness,

stop deceiving yourself.

You and I

are strangers to begin with.

No.

From beginning to end, and from now on,

I have always been your husband.

I only have

one husband,

and that is Xiao Huayong.

In this world,

no one can compare to him.

I also once thought

you were born cold and heartless.

I didn't expect your heart could be warmed.

But that person

wasn't you.

Tell me,

why is it Xiao Huayong,

and not me?

Your so-called love

is in the name of protection,

but in reality, it's just possession.

But the Crown Prince

risked his life

to help me become

the master of my own fate.

♪Time is like a river flowing backward♪

♪The story is sketched anew♪

♪The moonlight is sewn together by the dusk♪

♪The tide engulfs the lines on my palm♪

♪Pushing me to converge with you♪

♪Sifting for joy in a sea of sorrow♪

♪I step onto this winding path♪

♪What was swept away?♪

♪Joy and sorrow show no emotion♪

♪The clouds twist into a vortex♪

♪Reaching out to touch you♪

♪Only to find it's just a bubble♪

♪Scene after scene of yesterday♪

♪Lies between the sky and the water♪

♪The stars are sinking♪

♪Like a sunken vow♪

♪You drifted away alone♪

♪Without a single word of goodbye♪

♪Leaving no room to turn back♪

♪I can only stay there forever♪

♪In the coming years, I'll always remember that year, my graceful lover♪

♪Love hangs on the crest of the waves♪

♪Waiting for regret to swallow me up♪

What exactly are you trying to do?

You haven't eaten or drunk anything for three whole days!

Do you really want to die?

Say something!

Speak!

Speak!

How could I bear to die?

If even the gods refuse to save me,

then I'll save myself.

Your Highness,

His Majesty is currently in poor health.

You are the appointed regent.

In terms of civil and military prowess,

who among the princes can surpass you?

If you rally your supporters now,

the throne will be yours for the taking.

If you hesitate any longer,

and wait until the Crown Princess gives birth to an heir,

even with your monumental talents,

you will only be paving the way for others.

At most, you'll be appointed to the cabinet

to assist a young ruler.

Your Highness,

you must also consider the Rong family.

When the Duke of Ying was alive,

how illustrious our Rong family was.

Noble Consort Rong was also the most favored in the inner palace.

But now that the Duke of Ying has passed away,

Noble Consort Rong no longer enjoys her former favor.

You bear the responsibility of protecting our family

and restoring our family's honor.

If Shen Xihe's status rises because of her child,

the Northwest Army will dominate alone.

When that time comes,

in the imperial court,

there will be no place for our Rong family.

Your Highness,

forgive my bluntness,

but things have come to a point

where there is no turning back.

Although the Crown Princess is but a woman,

her intellect and methods

are well known to everyone here.

In my opinion,

we might as well go all the way

to kill Shen Xihe

and eliminate the threat once and for all.

Your Highness,

we have already devised a sound plan.

When the time comes, Shen Xihe's death

will be blamed on palace intrigue.

Even if they investigate,

they will only find an insignificant scapegoat.

- For Your Highness, we are all willing - For Your Highness, we are all willing

- to risk our lives! - to risk our lives!

Your Highness,

time waits for no one.

The rise and fall, the honor and disgrace of the Rong family,

all depend on your decision.

Your Highness,

I am willing to be that sword.

Once it's done, all the blame

will be borne by me alone.

My only wish is for you

to ascend the throne.

I have heard

everything you've all said.

For all these years, you have served our Rong family

tirelessly.

Your loyalty

is something I will never forget.

You are wise, Your Highness.

However,

I will not kill

Shen Xihe.

In fact,

she will become my princess consort.

This...

How can this be?

It's been a while since the East Palace guards have been replaced, right?

What exactly are you trying to do?

I want to be the father of the child in your womb.

You're insane.

Now that I can have the entire world,

is there anything I can't have?

Changqing,

what on earth are you doing?

I'm going to marry Shen Xihe.

I will give her the best of everything in this world.

♪I've hidden so many words♪

♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

♪So never uncover♪

♪The sand that slips away with one grasp♪

♪The flower that withers after one bloom♪

♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

♪Every answer I gave♪

♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes when I hurt you♪

♪How hard it truly was?♪

♪The wounds that healed with just a little comfort♪

♪The lies made whole with a single embrace♪

♪Pretending to be brave as if I'd never been hurt♪

♪It's a shame I never could♪

♪Give you a moon in return♪

♪With the same open heart you loved me♪

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪Never knowing I was lost♪

♪Why don't you take me away?♪

♪Lead me out of this endless game of hide-and-seek♪

♪You'll never♪

♪Know how much I long to, long to♪

(No animals were harmed in the making of this film)