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One and Only

Episode 18

You still blame me

for that matter.

No.

I just can't understand you.

You're my own child.

However,

you prefer trusting others

over trusting me.

When your great grandpa ascended the throne at five,

the empress dowager at that time held court.

And they ruled

in harmony.

If they could do that,

then why can't the two of us

do the same?

Over the years,

you've tried very means

to gather toy-boys in the palace,

and I just ignored it.

After Zhao Teng's plot,

I didn't want to get involved

in your private life.

However, you emptied the treasury

to fund your lavish lifestyle.

The Qi family merely sit on the fence,

while they persecute the faithful and honest.

I can't ignore it.

Hui,

without me,

you would have died.

I'm from the Qi family.

What if you give

your uncles more freedom?

I don't want to betray my people.

Well said.

Come on.

Why don't you pick up the cup?

Do you fear I'll poison you?

Drink it. There’s no poison.

I wouldn’t do that.

You're my own son.

At worst,

I'd force you to abdicate.

You should not drink it.

Why?

The imperial doctor said

you shouldn't drink these days.

I would like to abdicate.

I'm leaving.

Hui,

since you are a filial child,

you might as well

drink this cup of wine for me.

Haven't you tried this wine before?

I have.

Take this cup of wine to His Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Step back.

You deliberately

put poison into the wine.

Drink it.

His Majesty is tired

and determined to rest in my chamber.

Xianyang Palace

Mother.

Mother.

I beg you

to show His Majesty

his child.

Your Majesty,

the child didn't survive.

Take the child away first

Yes.

Mother. Mother.

I beg you

to give me back my child.

Mother.

My child.

Your Majesty, is it a boy?

Yes, I have a grandson.

Send out the news.

His Majesty has a son.

Lift the curfew in Central State.

Keep the lights in the palace on.

Celebrate for 15 days.

As you command.

Your Majesty,

General Qin rode out of the city in force

and headed south.

I won the world,

but he escaped.

No need to harbor regrets over that short-sighted man.

What about Concubine Jiang?

She has breathed her last.

What's your name?

Your Majesty,

my name is Yuan Wuchu.

I'm the deputy commander of the Royal Guards.

You will be in charge of

the Royal Guards in the future.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Put to death all the maidservants

and the chamberlains in His Majesty's palace,

and the imperial doctors

who delivered the baby for Concubine Jiang.

If you leave one alive,

you will forfeit your own life.

Understood.

Your Majesty,

Qin Yan is a member of the Nanchen Royal Army.

What if he spreads word of

His Majesty's death?

He dares not.

He is not afraid of me,

but his old master, the Junior Prince of Nanchen.

I guess he went south

to seek shelter in Nanxiao

as Liu Changshan did.

The celebration will remain the same.

The grand ceremony of the crown prince's canonization

will be held in 15 days.

Yes.

Here is the divorce settlement I wrote.

Put it away.

Once my aunt

gets the empress dowager's permission,

you can give this divorce settlement to the princess.

In this way,

she can leave here

free of restraints.

OK.

You should protect yourself

after you go to the palace.

Central State

Who left the city just now?

General,

it was the prefectural governor of Taiyuan.

Tai...

Let's go back to the mansion first.

You guard the gate.

Yes.

You come with me.

Look,

does this belong to Grand Mentor Xie?

Yes, it is.

Why do you have this?

Someone threw this into the Residence of Cui

wrapped in a brocade handkerchief,

saying it belonged to Grand Mentor Xie

and that you would know it if you saw it.

The letter says

there's been an accident in the palace and you should be careful.

Just now I found

the atmosphere strange at the city gate.

The common people were celebrating,

but the guards were primed and ready,

as if on guard.

Lady Cui,

a chamberlain came here

and said he would take Her Highness and Her Ladyship into the palace

to celebrate the birth of the prince.

It's reasonable for the princess to enter the palace.

But why should Shiyi go too?

That chamberlain said that

the Prince of Guangling grew up in the palace

and there were deep feelings between His and Her Majesty.

Her Majesty has always regarded

the Prince of Guangling as her own son,

so to celebrate the birth of the prince,

she will naturally ask

the Princess of Guangling to go

and enter the palace to celebrate together.

Please prepare a generous gift for me to bring

before I enter the palace for the celebration.

This is the empress dowager's imperial edict.

No one can act against it.

Mother, don't worry.

I'll take things as they come.

Residence of Grand Mentor

Shiyi,

why won't you come with me?

People are celebrating

the birth of the new prince.

They have long forgotten that

Zixing is the crown prince.

Life is most unpredictable.

Shiyi,

he suffers in the palace

to win the throne and marry you.

Be nice to him.

As long as you treat him well,

I'll try my best to fight for you.

I don't think

I heard what you said.

You can't say it again in the future.

Even if you are a princess,

you can't say that.

Zixing.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

Shiyi, I'll take you to the palace.

Her Majesty is giving a banquet,

accompanied by the imperial concubines.

It is inconvenient for me to attend the banquet.

So I'll leave after I take you in.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Have you ever seen the little prince?

Her Majesty was very nervous

when the eldest son of His Majesty was born

and took care of him in person in her chamber.

Even the prince's biological mother never saw him,

let alone anyone else.

People have died before in every palace here.

So it's much colder

than outside the palace.

The Cui family pay attention to etiquette and law.

Are you

doing this just to me,

or are you doing this to everyone?

Let's go.

Don't keep the empress dowager waiting.

Shiyi,

the relationships

between people

are really unpredictable.

Your cousin is the prefectural governor in Taiyuan

in order to monitor my father,

but you and I drink happily at this banquet

in the palace.

So you are Honored Concubine Jin.

I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.

I have doubts in my heart.

I want to ask you something.

Go ahead.

His Majesty sent Cui Feng

to be the prefectural governor of Taiyuan County.

Was there a verbal command

to kill my father at any time?

The prefectural governor of state and county

is not just a supervisory role.

It also has the duty of dispatching troops and horses

to suppress

rebellions by local vassals or princes.

The thirteen prefectural governors

including my cousin in thirteen counties

are the same.

I think as long as General Jin

is loyal to His Majesty,

my cousin

will never use military power without authorization.

Thank you.

Get some rest.

The honored concubine drank a lot tonight.

How can she see His Majesty?

His Majesty dotes on Concubine Jiang only

and rarely summons other concubines,

especially Honored Concubine Jin.

It is well known in the palace that

she is not at peace with His Majesty.

Since Concubine Jiang gave birth to a son,

no concubine can see His Majesty.

Jiafu Palace

What are you looking at? Do you not want to keep your head?

What's going on?

Something big.

His Majesty

passed away.

My son

is gone.

Jiafu Palace

-His Majesty. -His Majesty.

After shaving your heads,

you can temporarily live in the palace

and chant scriptures

for His Majesty.

I don't want to shave my head.

I had already guessed that

you would be the only one in His Majesty's harem

who will disobey me.

I have also guessed that

among the imperial concubines in the harem,

you dare not touch me alone.

Among the thirteen counties in the empire,

the Western State has the most troops and horses,

followed by Taiyuan County.

My father is never at the mercy of others.

You want me to cut my hair,

so that I can be trapped justifiably

in the palace

and you can use me to threaten my father.

Of all those in the harem,

you really are the smartest.

Unfortunately,

your man, my son,

is now the late emperor.

Send the concubines to the nunnery.

I'm afraid your marriage with Zixing

will be delayed.

His Majesty passed away, and all the people are grieving.

How dare I talk about marriage again?

Then you can

stay with me in the palace for a while.

It's my honor, Your Majesty.

Not really.

You are the only daughter of Cui Wenjun,

the unmarried wife of the Prince of Guangling,

the cousin of the prefectural governor in Taiyuan County,

and the disciple of the Junior Prince of Nanchen.

That's why

I want you to stay in the palace.

I predicted it.

Taiji Palace

When His Majesty was six years old,

I took his hand

and walked into Taiji Palace.

Now suddenly

he passed away,

but I'm still here.

Your Majesty, if you are sad,

you might as well go back to your chamber to have a rest.

When the late emperor died,

your uncle

and three of the royal family

worked together

to help His Majesty ascend the throne overnight,

which helped determine the overall situation.

Uncle told me about it.

It was a dangerous night.

If they were careless,

they would lose everything.

Tonight, I feel a lot of peace

when there is a member of the Cui family around me.

This is the place where emperors of all dynasties

handled government affairs.

Write three letters for me.

Yes.

This letter was sent to the Junior Prince of Nanchen,

telling him that

His Majesty has passed away

and my grandson is about to succeed to the throne.

The situation in the court is complex.

Ask him if he can enter the capital alone

as he did before

and kowtow to the new emperor

in front of all the officials.

Why are you not writing it?

I can't write it.

Why can't you write it?

Please find another person to do this for you.

I must not

write this letter.

Tell me what you're afraid of.

What do you fear

from a mere letter?

Are you afraid that Zhousheng Chen

will recognize your handwriting,

and venture into the city out of concern?

Do you two

really love each other secretly

as rumored?

Master treated all the eleven disciples

like relatives.

If my elders were asked

to write this letter today,

as long as Master recognized the handwriting,

he would come to save them for sure.

But if on this day,

my elders were to be present,

then absolutely no one would

do such a thing,

that would put Master at risk.

You're not afraid to die, huh?

Leave it to Your Majesty.

You're trying

to conceal

your love for him.

The Junior Prince of Nanchen

is really untidily romantic.

Shiyi,

your uncle saved me twice,

so I won't kill you.

Come here.

If my father finds out

you treated me like this,

he’ll kill you all.

Your Highness, calm down.

Other concubines

have been sent to a nunnery

and only you're still here,

which shows Her Majesty's

special care for you.

Her Majesty's care for me?

She's just afraid of my father.

Your Highness, as you were a child,

you might not know

the Empress Gao's brother

had more troops than your father.

But what happened in the end?

He was killed

on a narrow path in the palace.

It's exactly that one you just passed by.

You're honored women.

As long as you don't hurt yourselves,

no one can do that to you.

Close the door.

How did Empress Dowager Gao's brother die

at that time back then?

After His Majesty ascended the throne,

he was tricked into the palace

by Her Majesty Empress Dowager.

On a path in the palace,

he was surrounded

and strangled by soldiers.

Does Her Majesty want

to deal with my father or your master

using this old trick?

Your Majesty.

How is the situation outside the palace?

The city people are still taking part in the grand ceremony.

It's very crowded and lively.

Hasn't Counselor-in-chief come?

He's on his way.

Close the gate.

Without my instructions,

no one enters the Central State.

Yes.

Central State

Central State

Move it, now.

This is His Excellency Counselor-in-chief's carriage.

You're surrounded.

Who are you?

Nanchen Royal Army.

Xuanguang Palace

How boring.

Your Highness,

you don't seem sad about His Majesty's death.

He didn't have me in his heart,

so I am not sad.

But you held a wedding witnessed by heaven and earth

and consummated your marriage.

Do you have no special feeling

for His Majesty?

As he was the emperor,

I married him.

We consummated our marriage

as I wanted to have a son

and be the Empress Dowager.

He has feelings

for Concubine Jiang,

but I had no feelings for him.

My father

will control the whole country

sooner or later.

By then,

he'll be close to death.

It seems

we can only

be allies tonight.

Yes.

You and I are destined to be mortal enemies later.

But before that,

we should first manage to come out of this alive.

Your Highness.

Your Excellency has a clear conscience.

Why do you kneel down?

I,

I finally got to see you, Your Highness.

We'll be saved.

Qi Zhenzhen wants

to command vassals with her grandson.

No.

In fact, the baby

wasn't His Majesty's son.

Didn't Concubine Jiang give birth to a son?

Yes, she did,

but the baby died that night.

To keep it a secret,

Her Majesty killed

29 people in Concubine Jiang's living palace,

including the imperial doctors, palace maids and chamberlains.

She even killed Concubine Jiang.

I was forced to,

so I didn't dare to resist.

Your Excellency's family is safe in your residence.

Don't say that.

No.

She...

My master doesn't want to look into it.

If you do as he says,

you'll have a chance to redeem your crime in due course.

I'd like to follow His Highness's orders.

From tonight on,

they will follow you

wherever you go.

OK, OK.

What will

she do next?

Help the new emperor ascend the throne and hold court.

Since she wants the new emperor to ascend the throne,

help her do it.

Um...

We should let

a non-existent prince ascend the throne?

Yes.

Do you still remember

how Liu Yuan was executed?

Yes, surely.

Yes, surely.

Do everything as I said.

Don't have an ulterior motive,

or you'll be the first person

who goes to accompany His Majesty.

I'll atone for my past crimes

and act at your command.

Uncle, thank you

for guarding the frontier for my father these past years.

There is a patterned sword and an axe decorated with gold for you.

In the future, report to me at any time you want.

You can go to court by sedan

and enter the hall with a sword.

I only have the wooden sword

Your Majesty gave me with me today.

As your uncle,

I think

you are more important than the throne.

Uncle.

Sorry for not

keeping you safe.

Taiji Palace

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.

Your Majesty. Why did

you die so young?

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Our country can't be without an emperor.

Though His Majesty passed away,

he left

a newly-born son for us.

I think we should

help him ascend the throne

to stabilize the court and appease the people.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty Empress Dowager,

it concerns the security of our kingdom.

If the newly-born prince

ascends the throne,

I'm afraid the vassals will resist and stir up great turmoil.

Your Majesty, please think it over.

It's common for a young prince to ascend the throne in our dynasty.

Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne at 5,

and the late emperor at 6.

Both of them were assisted by the empress dowager.

Why can't it work that way now?

Not exactly.

Your Majesty,

it was a temporary expedient

for the late emperor to ascended the throne at 6.

The Gao family monopolized the court affairs back then.

If the late emperor didn't ascend the throne,

then the Central State

would be controlled by the Gao family for sure.

We're not in imminent danger.

Why don't we

choose a man of the right age

from the royal family to be the heir?

The late emperor's remains are scarcely cold yet.

His newly-born son is crying in my chamber.

But you can't wait

to support another now.

Without any selfish motives,

I just think of the interests of our country.

Don't make excuses to me.

Explain to Her Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Prepare for the enthronement.

Yes.

Mingguang Palace

The Cui family's opposition

upsets me a lot.

After the enthronement, everything will be settled.

It's useless

even if the Cui family opposes us

together with other prominent families.

But we

can't hide the baby's not existing

for long.

Do you still remember

the deceased Prince of Lintao

has a 5-year-old son

named Liu Zizhen?

Besides Zhousheng Chen,

he's the clansman most closely

related to the late emperor.

I'll bring him into the palace tomorrow.

Your Majesty, after this matter,

you can make an edict to the public that

you were tricked by Concubine Jiang

into believing her pregnancy

and so put

all the blame on her.

But she already died.

People outside the palace don't know it.

Then you can make an edict

sentencing Concubine Jiang to death

and letting Liu Zizhen ascend the throne.

In this way, you can convince

the officials and vassals.

A 5-year-old child

is at your mercy.

I'm afraid the old officials

wouldn’t believe such an absurdity.

I'm behind you.

Send Liu Zizhen to the palace.

Yes.

You're worried about Shiyi?

Shiyi is in the imperial palace...

Her Majesty knows

she can hold back many forces at play,

so she won't be in immediate danger.

If so, why are you

still worried?

Go to the Residence of Cui.