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 35]

So

I've specially brought

this person here.

Who is he?

You found us

a substitute?

That's right.

One year ago,

I had some drinks with Su Rongqing

and he inadvertently reminded me

that His Majesty had two sons

and we were banking on Cheng.

If anything were to happen to Cheng,

what would we do?

It just so happened that Su Rongqing had a servant

who resembled Cheng very much.

So, I asked for the servant

and taught him about etiquette and how he should speak and act.

Even his voice

and the scars on his body are the same as Cheng's.

I have everything prepared.

When Cheng was injured that day, I came to visit him.

I observed his wounds and fabricated the same ones on this boy.

Rou, if Cheng...

I understand.

Keep him here.

I will use him

when I have to.

Rou, if we use this substitute,

we will be bound together with Su Rongqing.

It will be a gamble we have to take.

Su Rongqing has always been supporting Cheng wholeheartedly.

Whatever he wants from us,

just give him.

Right now, as long as Cheng can ascend the throne

and you can become the Empress Dowager,

nothing else can be more important.

I understand.

Rou.

I also want you to be frank with me.

Do you need me

to deal with Cheng?

Deal with him?

How?

I will find a desolate place

and burn his body.

If you want,

I can bring his ashes back.

Burn him?

He is Prince Su, a royal prince!

You're going to...

That boy lying there is not Cheng!

This...

This one is my son.

Mother...

Mother, I'm begging you.

Cheng is over there.

Cheng is over there, Mother.

Even if you have to bury him somewhere desolate,

at least keep his body intact.

Mother.

- Huayue! - Mother!

Don't you understand?

He's dead!

If we keep his body intact,

we may suffer a backlash from it someday.

If anyone digs his body out and asks

who he is,

how are you going to answer?

Mother, I'm begging you.

That one lying there is our Cheng.

Cheng.

My poor brother.

Mother!

Huayue!

Su.

Hurry up.

Mr. Su, run.

We're here to protect you.

Who sent you here?

Princess Pingyue.

Run!

Are you going back to the Ministry of Personnel later?

No.

But, I will be going out soon

to deal with other things.

Just stay at home and recuperate.

Your leg hasn't fully healed yet.

Don't go out and start any trouble.

What do you mean by,

"Don't go out and start any trouble?"

I have nothing to do out there.

Why should I go out?

Very well, then I need to go now.

Take care of Her Highness.

Yes.

Your Highness, we just received news

that as soon as Mr. Su showed up,

he was chased by the Prince Consort's men and fled into the woods.

They're still searching for him.

Our men are asking

if we should fight the Prince Consort's men directly.

Your Highness, are you sure

you don't want to tell the Prince Consort about this?

I...

I...

I don't know how I should tell him.

Prepare the carriage. I'm going out.

Your leg is still injured.

That's what the carriage is for.

Go.

Yes, Your Highness.

Actually, Su Rongqing was right.

Given Li Chuan's temperament,

no matter how many times we travel back,

as long as he becomes the Emperor,

we are bound to come into conflict

and fight each other till death.

Why should I put my life on the line for him?

The last time it happened,

I was foolish enough to spend my whole life assisting him.

This time,

other than Pei Wenxuan,

I cannot trust anyone.

Your Highness, the weather is cold today.

It's not a suitable day to go out.

You should return to your room.

Tell your men

to bring him here.

I want to meet him.

As soon as we detected your men nearby,

I already asked my men to retreat.

The Su Family has also sent their men to save him.

You don't have to worry

about his safety.

I have something to tell him.

Jinglan, take Her Highness back to her room.

What do you mean?

You won't be meeting Su Rongqing today.

Before the Crown Prince ascends the throne,

you won't be meeting Su Rongqing.

The Crown Prince ascends the throne?

Fine.

I'll go back to my room.

You must have a lot of questions for me.

I'm going back now.

What do you want?

I should be the one asking

what you exactly want.

I know you're Li Chuan's friend.

You've always been his supporter.

So, today,

let's make everything clear.

I'm not going to help him anymore.

Li Chuan...

He's a capable person.

He has his own mind.

If he ascends the throne,

many unimaginable things may happen,

so I won't help him anymore.

Your Highness.

Was all this

told by Su Rongqing?

Right now,

instead of placing my bets on Li Chuan,

I'd rather bet on Li Cheng.

Li Cheng has to rely on someone else,

but Li Chuan doesn't.

As long as he gives up on me

and the Shangguan Family,

he will gain Father and the commoners' trust

and then ascend the throne.

So, both he and I have choices to make now.

He needs to choose whether he should give up on me

and I need to choose whether I should give up on him.

But, Your Highness,

you're choosing to give up on him

even before he makes his choice.

Can't I?

Are you blaming me as well?

Do you also feel that I shouldn't...

I shouldn't pursue the life I want

and that I should risk my life,

die for him,

and have my corpse smashed into pieces

without asking anything in return?

But why?

I married you, a commoner,

just to protect him back then.

I spent 20 years doing everything I could for him.

I devoted my whole life to him.

But what did I get?

This time, all I want is to live for myself.

Can't I?

Your Highness.

Do you think that marrying me was a humiliation to you?

Or, do you think

that it was not worth devoting your whole life?

Yes.

But not because of you.

It's because of them.

Your Highness.

How has the Crown Prince

let you down?

Is it just because he can't give you power now?

Or is it because in his past life,

he massacred Su Rongqing's whole family?

He didn't just massacre Su Rongqing's whole family.

Who else did he kill?

Me.

His own sister,

the Regent Princess Royal, Li Rong.

Happy now?

I failed to recognize his true color.

I brought doom upon myself and led myself to be utterly isolated.

Everyone I devoted myself to betrayed me.

Everyone who I loved hated me.

My life was a joke.

Li Chuan...

He was worried that I would harm him and his successor,

so he applied poison to the weiqi pieces he played with me.

Shangguan Ya

had an illegitimate son with Su Ronghua

and they were scared I would find out,

so they colluded with Su Rongqing

to make sure I wouldn't find out I was poisoned.

Su Rongqing...

He allowed everything to happen.

He stood by and watched me die in front of him.

No one believed

that a princess royal cared about relationships.

No one believed that I would spare their lives,

so all of them ganged up...

and killed me.

Pei Wenxuan.

I thought you were the only person

who would trust me till the end.

It's fine.

If you believe Li Chuan is suitable for being an emperor,

you can support him,

but you don't have to discuss it with me anymore.

I have neither friends nor family.

I don't need anyone,

including you.

All I need is power.

Go.

I don't want to see you now.

♪If the past was caught in the turbulent waves of the storm♪

♪Will there be arms to hold me in this lifetime?♪

Well...

I understand.

♪Memories flash back♪

♪I am that solitary boat♪

What do you understand?

♪Tossed about in the waves, unable to escape♪

I have realized my mistake.

♪Until a pair of hands♪

♪Guides me through the worldly remnants of old dreams♪

♪Wrapped in the wind's embrace♪

I also understand

that all you want

is that I can stay by your side.

♪Eyes like flickering fireflies♪

I don't want that.

♪Lighting up the misty sea tower♪

Then, it's me who wants to stay by your side.

I can't live without you.

Is that alright?

♪I'm fortunate to have met you♪

♪It is your tenderness♪

♪That makes me willing to set aside my pride♪

You don't have to remain in a lowly position.

♪Even if the world falls into my grasp♪

Do whatever you need to do.

♪Your eyes would still captivate me♪

I'm the one who lost my composure.

It has nothing to do with you.

♪I'll stay by your side till the end of time♪

How does it have nothing to do with me?

♪May we stay together in dreams♪

It's my fault

to make you feel aggrieved.

♪With the starry sky as our bed and our embraces as our quilt♪

♪Regardless of the seasons♪

However...

♪We will journey through life together until the very end♪

you can't pin all the blame on me.

♪Ever-growing fireworks♪

My wife almost ran away with someone else.

How could I not worry?

♪For with you, each moment is timeless♪

Stop brushing me off

with such trivial matters.

You just want to bind me

with Li Chuan forever

so that you won't be put in a difficult situation.

Why would I want

to bind you with Li Chuan?

He has nothing to do with me,

but you're my wife.

Then, why were you arguing with me earlier?

You even asked your men to draw swords to my people.

I told you

it was because I thought you and Su Rongqing

had reached some kind of agreement

and that you would run off with Su Rongqing.

Actually,

when I detected the smell

of the sachet on Xie Chunhe,

I already knew

that it was not Su Rongqing who killed you.

But, before I could tell you,

both of you had fallen off the cliff together.

So what?

Su Rongqing loves you deeply.

When you fell off the cliff,

he jumped down along without hesitation.

Besides, you spent the night together.

I...

I just wanted an explanation,

but you refused to tell me anything.

What I mind the most

is that as your husband,

I can't do anything

when you're upset.

Forget it.

I'm sorry.

♪In this long and arduous journey♪

♪I'm fortunate to have met you♪

It's my fault.

I wasn't considerate enough.

♪That makes me willing to set aside my pride♪

You've already done well.

I was the one who didn't consider your feelings enough.

♪Your eyes would still captivate me♪

♪I'll stay by your side till the end of time♪

Then, can you tell me

what you talked about in the cave that day?

Let me analyze

whether Su Rongqing was deceiving you.

♪Regardless of the seasons♪

♪We will journey through life together until the very end♪

♪Ever-growing fireworks♪

I don't know whether he was deceiving me,

but I know

you deceived me.

♪For with you, each moment is timeless♪

It was a white lie.

Rongqing!

Rongqing, are you alright?

So,

you think they were wrong

and you want to take your revenge?

No.

They did nothing wrong.

I did.

What wrong did you do?

I was born into the imperial family and I craved power,

yet I couldn't let go of my relationships.

I thought I was rational enough,

but...

That's what I did wrong.

But, in this life, I want to live for myself.

I don't want to lose again.

What do you want to say?

I'm thinking

whether the Empress is right.

Is there really someone who only cares about power but cares for no one?

I can try.

Then, let me tell you

what I know.

Perhaps you may think differently, then.

You may leave now.

Ronghua, please have a seat.

Feeling better?

Much better.

I have some questions for you.

As for this attempted assassination of the Crown Prince,

was it you allied with Huayue and Consort Rou

and planned this?

Yes.

Since when did you ally with Consort Rou?

When Princess Pingyue founded the Inspectorate Office.

That's why I assigned you a position there.

Do you still remember...

the instructions from our ancestors?

Yes.

What's the first instruction?

Anyone from the Su Family must not participate

in the imperial family's fight for the throne.

You colluded with Consort Rou.

Do you need me to tell you

what you have to do?

I will tell Father about this.

Just wait for the results.

Ronghua.

Don't you want to know why I did so?

What Consort Rou did has become something

that can be no longer resolved by our family.

Regardless of your reason,

our family is now involved in this.

I managed to protect you in Hongde's case,

but how am I supposed to help you now?

But I have my reasons.

So does every other sinner in the world.

Get some rest.

Ronghua.

Let me tell you a story.

I had a dream

about our family's future.

You were in it too.

Don't you want to listen to it?

Ronghua.

Please listen to my story

before you make a decision.

You seem to know many things that I don't.

You probably have a rough idea of it.

But, you should know

that knowing just the rough idea and knowing the exact details

are two different things.

Tell me, then.

I spent five years investigating Su Ronghua

before I learned about his past with Shangguan Ya.

One day, you told me

that you met a girl.

She dressed up like a man to gamble in the gambling den.

She played ten rounds with you

and asked to gamble again someday,

but she lost again.

That day,

you smiled happily

and said she was interesting.

Then, you often mentioned her to me

and said that she refused to talk to you,

but you still tried to tease her.

To avoid you,

she switched to one gambling den after another,

but you would pursue her nonetheless.

What a nuisance.

Don't go.

One day, on your way home...

Beat him up!

You can have all my money! Stop beating me!

Feeling offended,

you hatched a plan to retaliate.

While she was on her way to bet on a cock fight...

Who are you?

What do you want?

We're bandits. What else would we want?

Listen,

I'm Shangguan Ya, the young lady of the Shangguan Family.

Release me now.

I can give you

as much money as you want.

We...

We don't want money.

We only want you.

You jerks.

Stop it right there.

A few thugs like you

won't be hard to get rid of...

I guess.

Su Ronghua?

It's you?

Yes.

Untie me now!

I know I shouldn't have got you beaten up,

but must you do this to me?

It's not like I'd kill you. Run now.

Leave them to me.

Stop!

Stop fighting!

Stop it!

Stop!

Everyone.

You're robbing him for money.

We are from the Su Family in Huajing.

If you hurt us,

even if you take our money,

the Su Family

will go all out to eliminate you.

You can

take the money,

but as for my man,

give him back to me.

One day,

you came back home and told me seriously

that you were in love with her

and you had decided

to marry her.

But, you knew

that our family enjoyed a high social status.

If you were to propose to her,

that girl would be forced to say yes, whether she liked it or not.

Later,

you decided to ask her personally.

That day,

I chose a nice set of clothes for you

and you forged a nice jade hairpin yourself.

Then, you happily took it to go to her.

Ronghua, you...

I'm fine.

From that day onward,

you never left the mansion

until the palace held a banquet.

As Prince Su's tutor,

you were forced to attend it.

During the banquet...

Su Ronghua saw Shangguan Ya.

A palace banquet?

How could you refuse to marry Shangguan Ya?

Chuan.

You are the Crown Prince.

You cannot afford to be willful.

I am already stuck in the palace.

Why would I want to drag someone innocent down?

Your Highness, why don't you want to get married?

I can tell

that Ya doesn't like me

nor life in the palace.

I'm already miserable enough living in the palace.

Why make her join me?

Everyone says

I'm the Crown Prince,

a noble existence.

But, I have no control over anything.

I don't get to choose anything.

To be frank,

I can't feel

the noble perks of being the Crown Prince.

Right now...

I just want to escape from this.

That was just him being childish.

Shangguan Ya was much more mature than him.

Yes.

During the palace banquet,

Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua

didn't exchange a single word.

But, it was exactly this banquet

that made Su Ronghua realize

why Shangguan Ya rejected him.

Naturally, he wouldn't simply give up.

When you have a goal in mind,

you'd want to try anyway.

Father, I want to marry Shangguan Ya.

Do you have a death wish?

Everyone knows

that Shangguan Ya will be the future Crown Princess.

You're going to marry the future Crown Princess?

How could we accept this?

If this family cannot accept this,

I ask to be expelled from this family

and propose to her.

Whether I live or die,

I will bear the consequences.

You...

Ronghua.

Rongqing, don't persuade me.

I shall have no regrets about it.

Today, my son Su Ronghua, who's been harboring atrocious thoughts,

has requested to be expelled from our family.

According to our family rules, he shall be flogged

and expelled from the Su Family.

So,

do you accept this punishment?

Even if I die, I will never regret it.

Ronghua.

Don't you care about us anymore?

I hope you can support my decision.

Flog him.

Well...

That's what I was planning to do lately.

What happened after that?

Su Ronghua.

Love is just nothing.

So is fancying someone.

Since we're alive...

we have our responsibilities to fulfill.

I will enter the palace.

And I will become the Crown Princess.

I will also be the future Empress.

You won't like

the way I'll be in the future.

Just take it as if you've never met me before.

Leave Huajing.

Go as far as you can.

Visit as many places as you can.

Travel and see the world

for me, will you?

Whatever makes you happy,

please do it for me.

If there comes a day...

when you meet someone you fancy...

and you marry her,

that will be the best.

Su Ronghua.

Let me go.

Let yourself go.

Su Ronghua.

Stop forcing me.

You couldn't bear to force her.

Why do I feel like

you can foresee the future?

What you described in the story

matches my upcoming plans.

But...

But, is that truly the outcome?

That was why you returned home.

When Father saw you,

he gave in eventually

and he forgave you.

Our family and her family covered up this incident.

Shangguan Ya entered the palace

and became the Crown Princess.

As for you, you left Huajing

and visited many places.

And then?

Then, as you had expected,

since Li Chuan married someone from the Shangguan Family,

it triggered His Majesty's deepest fears.

His Majesty wanted to make Prince Su his successor instead

and deposed the Crown Prince.

After it happened,

Pei Wenxuan persuaded the noble families

to deploy their armies

and help Li Chuan regain his position.

The noble families must have hesitated.

By doing so,

they would be declaring war against His Majesty.

Actually, while the noble families

were still hesitating,

the first person to agree to the plan...

was you.

If we send our armies, there will be no turning back.

That would mean we're siding with the Crown Prince.

Our family would be in great danger.

Rongqing, do something.

Father.

I believe

we can deploy our troops.

Why?

This time, it's the Crown Prince.

Next time, they'll target the noble families.

Once Li Cheng ascends the throne,

he will not let the noble families go.

But, I knew that whatever your reasons were,

they could never conceal your intentions

that shouldn't have existed in the first place.

You were actually worried about Shangguan Ya.

I wouldn't gamble our family's future

for my personal feelings.

You weren't gambling.

It just so happened

that it was a suitable decision.

You made the right choice.

Back then, it was actually obvious

that our family should support Li Chuan.

Li Chuan was known to be virtuous

and he was a trueborn royal prince,

making him the most legitimate successor to the throne.

- Greetings, Your Majesty. - Greetings, Your Majesty.

- Long live Your Majesty! - Long live Your Majesty!

You may rise.

After Li Chuan ascended the throne,

Shangguan Ya became the Empress.

It was the first year of Dexu Era.

When Li Chuan just ascended the throne,

war broke out in the North.

The entire imperial court wanted to negotiate for peace,

save for Pei Wenxuan, Qin Lin, and Li Chuan, who wanted to fight.

In order to help Qin Lin establish a troop,

Li Chuan and Pei Wenxuan did all they could

to gather resources and money from everyone.

You worms!

You've never paid any taxes for your fiefs

and you have all sorts of privileges that you refuse to give up!

Here in the palace, you try to take advantage whenever possible.

At the borders,

you steal the military provisions and funds for your own gain!

When the money comes into your mansion,

you are just secretly pleased!

Now, I need to wage war

against our enemies in the North.

Just when I need all of you

to contribute in any way,

you retract your heads like a bunch of tortoises

and refuse to react positively!

Don't you think

you fail our people?

Don't you?

Starting a war at this stage sounds like a bad idea.

After the war began,

they realized they were wrong.

They knew all about strategies

but had zero battlefield experience.

The funds they gathered

weren't enough to sustain our troops in the North.

So, they had to retreat.

Then came the plague in the South.

The national treasury was out of money.

I tried to think of solutions.

Li Chuan and I traveled south to relieve the people in disaster.

But when we reached there, we realized

that the noble families had been hoarding food to sell at high prices.

The disaster relief funds couldn't reach the people.

Your Highness.

You had never seen the country beyond Huajing.

On the battlefield, dead bodies were strewn everywhere.

In the plague-ridden lands, there was nothing but pure misery.

Only in Huajing could you see people indulging in debauchery.

It was like heaven and hell.

However, back then,

we were childish and reckless.

After we returned,

we started drafting policies

to aid the disaster relief efforts in the South.

It was then that Li Chuan made his mind up.

What did he plan to do?

A radical reform of the system.

The imperial examination

would become the only channel to select officials.

Taxes were imposed on noble families.

A limit was set on the number of lands and servants they could own.

A merit system was also introduced.

When the Ministry of Personnel wanted to promote any official,

it was done based on their merit scores.

As for the grading process,

ten marks would be deducted if the one was from the noble families

and ten marks would be awarded if the one was a commoner.

♪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 lengthy 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♪