Original subtitles

[The Princess Royal]

[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel, The Princess Royal on jjwxc.net]

[This is a work of fiction.]

[Episode 1]

- We wish to see His Majesty. - We wish to see His Majesty.

I am the Empress

and the biological mother of the Crown Prince.

Why does His Majesty refuse to see me?

Your Majesty, please forgive me.

Grand Chancellor Pei has given an order that no one is allowed

to step into Hanqiu Palace before he arrives.

Unit Zhun,

no matter what happens in Huajing,

no one can leave work without permission.

Unit Kun,

from this moment on,

no one may enter or leave the Imperial Palace.

Those who disobey will be executed.

Unit Meng,

come with me to Hanqiu Palace.

Grand Chancellor Pei has arrived.

[Pei Wenxuan]

[The Senior Grand Secretary of the Great Xia]

Grand Chancellor Pei.

Your Majesty, you came to Hanqiu Palace

in the middle of the night with these ministers.

Do you intend to force an abdication?

[Shangguan Ya, Empress of the Great Xia]

Grand Chancellor Pei,

His Majesty has been waiting for you.

Please.

You may all leave now.

[Hanqiu Palace]

Send a message to Second Young Master immediately.

Tell him to stay on standby.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You are awake, Your Highness.

This is freshly brewed pear soup.

[Second Young Master Su] Take a sip to wet your whistle.

[Vice Minister of Justice]

[Li Rong, Princess Royal]

Okay.

You are here.

[Li Chuan, Emperor]

Your Majesty,

do you want to leave a message?

Depose Crown Prince Li Xin

and let the Eldest Prince Li Ping inherit the throne.

I have already prepared everything

on my way here.

[Depose him from the position of Crown Prince]

Since the founding of the Xia,

power has always been in the hands of the noble families.

Although my Li Family is royalty,

we are merely puppets of the noble families.

It is only when facing death

that I realize my eldest sister,

Princess Royal Li Rong,

is the most powerful one among all the noble families.

After my demise,

if the Princess Royal plots a rebellion,

how should you, her nominal husband

and the representative of people from humble backgrounds, respond,

Grand Chancellor Pei?

The nation belongs to the people.

As long as I am here,

people from humble backgrounds

will not fall into decline.

What is the situation with the Crown Prince's succession?

Grand Chancellor Pei refuses to relent

and insists on following His Majesty's wishes

to appoint the Eldest Prince Li Ping as the Crown Prince.

Pei Wenxuan intends to make Li Ping the Crown Prince.

We, the noble families, are their biggest obstacle.

Therefore, before he makes a move...

Before Pei Wenxuan makes a move...

Your Highness, rest assured.

Everything has been taken care of.

That's good to know.

If I die,

Pei Wenxuan will have absolute authority.

If you die,

he won't live on either.

I'll kill him

to let him be buried with you.

I never realized

that our Young Master Su, so elegant and composed,

could also get angry.

There are lots of things that can make me angry,

for example...

Your Highness, Grand Chancellor Pei requests an audience.

If Your Highness prefers not to see him,

I'll go and send him away.

After all, we are husband and wife,

and we haven't divorced yet.

I shall go and see him.

Probably,

this will be our final meeting.

You may leave now.

Tell him to leave.

Rongqing.

Could you get me a cup of tea, please?

Then please take care of yourself.

I promise not to get angry.

What do you come to see me for?

I've come today

to discuss the matter of appointing the Crown Prince with you.

Xin is the biological son of Empress Shangguan Ya.

He is modest, respectful, and utterly worthy of the position.

What's there to discuss?

Third Prince Li Xin is arrogant and unruly,

which makes him unsuitable for the position of Crown Prince.

His mother, Shangguan, holds too much power.

If something were to happen to you and me in the future...

Why is he also wearing a sachet?

And the fragrance is so strong.

You're saying high-sounding words.

But you know exactly

what your true purpose is.

Do you insist on letting Li Xin ascend the throne?

Xin is the biological son of the Empress.

Are we really going to let a concubine's son

ascend the throne instead?

Are you still holding a grudge against Zhenzhen?

Can you please address her as Noble Consort Qin?

How can you call her Zhenzhen?

Don't forget

that the Qin Zhenzhen you adore

is my younger brother,

the current emperor Li Chuan's deceased consort.

Her child Li Ping cannot become the Crown Prince.

You can still talk this much with me.

It seems

you are not as frail as has been rumored.

If you disagree, so be it.

We'll each handle things our own way later on.

But don't blame me for not reminding you.

I'd like to know

what your way will be.

Whatever way you think it is.

What? Are you going to kill me?

Do you think I don't dare to do so?

Pei Wenxuan,

do you really want to sacrifice the well-being of the nation

for your own selfish desires?

What capabilities do I possess

to influence the whole nation?

However, the person favored by Your Highness

may not necessarily be of good character.

What's the point of him, a castrated man,

currying favor with you here?

What did you say?

Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan,

I won't allow you to slander Rongqing in the slightest!

We agreed not to get angry,

so why are you getting so worked up again?

Go fetch the medicine for Her Highness.

- Yes. - Yes.

He's definitely up to no good coming to see you here.

You're still unwell, so why bother seeing him?

I'm fine.

What's wrong?

Imperial Physician! Get the Imperial Physician now!

It's the Poison of the Fragrant Beauty.

Pei Wenxuan.

It's Pei Wenxuan.

The sachet he was wearing...

Rong, stop talking.

Conserve your strength.

I'm sorry.

I failed to protect you.

He finally made his move against me.

Heed my order.

If I die,

Pei Wenxuan...

cannot live.

Young Master, I feel something's not right.

[Tong Ye, Pei Wenxuan's valet] Could it be that the Princess

has sent someone to follow us?

Ignore them.

How can we ignore them?

She's just trying to scare me.

She won't actually kill me.

Whose order are you following?

By order of the Princess Royal,

you shall be killed without mercy.

I never thought

you would eventually try to kill me.

You are the only weal and woe...

that I cannot avoid in my life.

What's the situation with that person now?

It's all sorted.

For twenty years,

I've been entangled with him.

I've never expected it

to end like this.

It's all over between you and him.

None of us

are worthy of Your Highness.

My greatest regret...

in this lifetime...

is...

missing you.

If only

I could have a great dream

and I could start...

everything anew.

The Princess Royal has passed away.

Where am I?

It's been a while,

warm sunshine.

Your Highness, you're awake.

Jinglan?

What's going on?

How come she's not dead?

Jinglan, aren't you...

Watch out, Your Highness.

Could it be

that we're now meeting in the underworld?

Your Highness, it hurts.

You really are alive.

You are not dead.

Your Highness, why are you wishing me dead

out of the blue?

I don't know whether the past was a dream

or the present is a dream,

but luckily, you're still alive.

That's great.

Your Highness, are you all right?

It's already the hour of Si. [*9 AM to 11 AM]

His Majesty just finished the morning audience.

He has sent word for you

to join him for lunch.

I was just about to come and wake you.

But you are already awake.

You said His Majesty had just finished the morning audience?

That's great.

The message from the palace said his days were numbered.

By the way,

how about that rascal Pei Wenxuan?

Has he died yet?

Who is this Pei Wenxuan?

Do you have a grudge against him?

The Poison of the Fragrant Beauty

not only failed to kill me

but also had the miraculous effect of rejuvenating me.

Your Highness.

This isn't the Princess Royal's Mansion,

but the Changle Palace where I lived before getting married.

My body feels so light.

Your Highness, where are you going?

Please slow down.

Your Highness.

What's happening to you, Your Highness?

Tell me

what year it is now.

It's...

It's the twenty-fourth year of the Yongning Era now.

The twenty-fourth year of the Yongning Era?

This year,

I am eighteen years old.

I am not yet married,

and neither you nor Father have passed away.

What on earth is going on?

Could it be that even Heaven feels

that the old me lived too constrained a life?

You are just like your mother, wanting to control the royal family

with the support of the Shangguan Family.

If one day I ascended the throne,

would you also pressure me like how the noble families

pressured Father?

What is your relationship with her?

Childhood friends.

I wonder

how Rongqing is doing now.

I must have been out of my mind

to have chosen that rascal Pei Wenxuan.

It brought me nothing but my own demise.

This time, just you wait.

Your Highness,

we shall get going.

We can't keep His Majesty waiting.

Do you know

why Father wants me to have lunch with him?

His Majesty

wants to choose a prince consort for you.

So here I am, facing another meal with a hidden agenda.

It's such a coincidence

that I've come back to this day.

Since Heaven has given me

another chance,

I won't repeat my past mistakes.

Pei Wenxuan, you'd better not be on the list.

Help me get dressed.

Your Highness.

Pei Wenxuan,

no matter why we end up together,

now that we're married,

I'd like to live happily with you.

I am deeply honored

and will be eternally grateful and repay your favor.

In that case, our primary concern going forward

will be honesty.

Despite our initial vows,

he, like everyone else in this palace,

inevitably leaned towards power and personal gain.

[Hanqiu Palace]

I haven't seen Father in over ten years.

Has he already aged so much

[Li Ming, Emperor] since I was eighteen?

Father,

if everything were to start over,

could we just be a common father and daughter from an ordinary family?

Why are you standing at the doorway?

I...

I'm here to greet you, Father.

You may rise.

Come join me for the meal.

Father,

this is the chestnut cake that I brought for you

from the Changle Palace. It's your favorite.

Please try it.

Eunuch Fu, this is inappropriate.

Shush.

[Fulai]

[Chief Eunuch] These are snacks

brought by Her Highness.

Your Highness, please forgive him.

The newcomer doesn't understand the rules.

Leave now.

It's really good.

Father, have a taste.

Okay, I'll have a taste.

That's very thoughtful of you, Rong.

Father, why are you inviting me

to have a meal with you today?

Fulai.

Someone.

Your Highness, please take a look.

The first one is Lu Yu, the son of Marquis Ningguo, Lu Tingwei.

He was granted the title of hereditary marquis by royal decree.

The second one is Yang Quan,

the second son of Grand Marshal, Yang Ye.

He was granted the title of first-class major general

by royal decree.

The third one

is the newly acclaimed scholar, Cui Yulang.

It's exactly the same as before.

The fourth one is Pei Wenxuan,

the son of the former Vice Minister of Rites, Pei Lizhi,

He was the top candidate recommended

in the twenty-second year of the Yongning Era.

What is meant to come has come.

There's no escaping it in the end.

Father.

Recently, everyone in the court has been talking about your marriage.

I was thinking it was about time for you to get married,

so I called you over to see

if any of these four young men

catch your eye.

What's the matter?

None of them attract you?

I've carefully selected them for you.

Just pick one that you find agreeable

and I will take care of the rest.

Everything is just as before.

I am merely a pawn for Father

to keep the noble families in check.

It's not that I don't find any of them appealing.

It's just that they all look

so handsome.

I want them all.

Don't be ridiculous.

All of you, leave.

I'll take my leave, Your Highness.

If I did allow you to do that,

then I might receive countless memorials from the ministers

complaining about you.

Father, I was just joking.

Isn't one's moral quality

the most important thing when it comes to choosing your partner

rather than his appearance?

I can't tell much just by looks alone.

How about this?

Let me dress up

as an ordinary girl

and then you tell these gentlemen

to meet and talk to me.

We can build some early rapport.

It would be great

if you could also allow me to go out of the palace for a bit.

I've heard

that the roasted duck at the Linglong Pavilion is the best

and the peach blossoms at the Huguo Temple are stunning.

Alright, alright.

Are you planning to meet your future husband

or just wanting to go out and have fun?

Father.

Father, please agree to my request.

Father, please.

The Spring Banquet is right around the corner anyway.

Then why not use the Spring Banquet as an opportunity to meet them?

Invite these four young men over.

You can meet them and have a chat.

What is it?

Do you have any other concerns?

I think

if we only invite those four,

it might be too obvious.

Why not invite more young men from the noble families?

We will only know if a man is good

when there's a comparison.

With so many young gentlemen standing together,

I'll be able to tell

who's good and who's bad at a glance.

What do you think, Father?

That's quite an idea.

You do have a lot of clever ideas.

Thank you, Father.

[Princess Royal] Young Master.

Young Master.

Great news.

Incredibly great news.

Tong Ye?

How come you look so young?

I look young?

Am I dreaming?

Young Master, are you alright?

Are you upset about Miss Qin calling off the engagement?

Don't take it to heart.

Her calling off the engagement is her loss.

Hold on.

What date is today?

The first day of the third month

in the twenty-fourth year of the Yongning Era.

Young Master, please remember today.

It's a hugely auspicious day.

What auspicious day?

I'll be brief.

Things haven't been going well for us lately, right?

Miss Qin called off the engagement,

Ms. Tong is pressuring us for debts every day,

and your second uncle is holding onto the family's money.

Isn't this the time when I was at my poorest?

How could it be an auspicious day?

Say, if...

Enough.

I thought you said you'd be brief.

Okay.

So I thought I should find a way to turn things around for you.

And I went to offer incense to ancestors.

Get to the point.

Here comes the point.

As soon as I made a wish

for you to have a good marriage,

Master seems to have blessed us.

Do you know?

Princess Pingyue sent her maid

to deliver you an invitation

asking you to attend the Spring Banquet.

Princess Pingyue?

You mean Li Rong?

You can't just address the Princess by her name.

If they heard it

and spread the word, it could mean death.

She's been waiting in the study for us for quite a while.

So...

Let's think about it this way.

There's a reason the Qin Family called off the engagement.

Ever since Master passed away,

your second uncle has been oppressing you.

He doesn't give you the money when you ask for it.

And he doesn't give you the power when you need it.

I'm telling you, it's probably

those scoundrels

causing all this trouble.

Can you be quiet for a moment?

From now on, don't ever mention this matter anymore.

Yes. Then you should stop being sad.

Is this my karma?

I've returned to my most destitute time.

The Qin Family's young lady broke off our engagement,

and soon after, Princess Pingyue would be selecting a consort.

Young Master Pei,

this is an invitation

to the Spring Banquet from Princess Pingyue.

When he received the invitation,

was he surprised and delighted?

Did he ask you in astonishment,

"I'm just a minor eighth-ranking official,

why would Princess Pingyue send me an invitation?"

Was he overjoyed?

The situation at that time was...

Miss Jinglan,

I just want to confirm again.

Is this invitation

meant for our young master?

He just got promoted to the eighth rank.

The invitation is meant for me.

It must be from Her Highness for me.

Though I'm not that capable,

I'm blessed with good looks.

Blessed with good looks?

He actually said that?

In that case, I'll make sure

that you suffer because of your good looks.

[Invitation] This is a dream of starting over,

where everything begins anew.

♪Who gazes at the sky from afar?♪

♪Who gazes at the sky from afar?♪

♪In the night's chill breeze♪

♪What is she singing for?♪

♪The wind caresses the hills♪

♪The wind causes ripples on calm water♪

♪Moonlight graces passing souls♪

♪Her steps get slower and slower♪

♪She's trod a long path♪

♪Memories lost then found♪

♪Gazing idly as clouds roll by♪

♪She holds a red candle♪

♪To brave the thick fog♪

♪Life can be bitter sometimes♪

♪Experience it with grace♪

♪Like a fleeting dream♪

♪Like a fleeting dream♪

♪Neither warmth nor cold will last♪

♪Like a fleeting dream♪

♪Like a fleeting dream♪

♪The moon is reflected in her eyes♪

♪In her gaze, the unwavering faith remains♪