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Subtitles and Timing brought to you by the Royal Troubles Team ⚜️ @viki.com

[The Princess Royal]

[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel, "The Princess Royal"]

[Episode 22]

What are you doing?

Why are you scared?

Don't you want to know the truth?

Official Xie, do you recognize it?

Where did you steal it from?

How did you get this?

I've seen this same pendant on a young lady from the Xie Family.

How did she know about this?

Imperial Father, with this pendant and the resemblance between the two of them,

as well as the red ink, I started getting suspicious.

So I sent someone to look into Official Xie's past. Then something surprising was discovered.

I found out that Official Xie had a love affair that was once the talk of the town.

It's said that when Official Xie was young, he fell in love with a woman from the martial world.

But they couldn't be together due to his family's objection.

That woman left when she was pregnant,

and gave birth to a child by herself, named Lin Feibai.

Her Highness was able to investigate it clearly in such a short time.

- And Official Xie... - Could it be that...

went to that woman after he was married.

But she didn't want to be his concubine

and didn't want her child to return to the Xie Family.

For some reason, Official Xie agreed to this.

He provided her with protection,

and helped her found today's Seven-star Sect.

After listening to this story,

do you think it is more likely that I was so insane

that I kept directing a man to kill his biological father?

Or is it more likely that the father and son conspired to falsely accuse me?

Nonsense.

Then we shall test your relationship with a drop of blood from both of you to see if I'm talking nonsense.

- Imperial Father. - Get a bowl of water.

Your Highness.

Official Xie, you're the Minister of Justice.

You're familiar with testing a relationship with blood drops. Right?

She traveled thousands of li to Huajing, got pregnant out of wedlock but was abandoned,

and then was alone ever since.

Young Master Lin, as a child, don't you feel sorry for your mother?

Official Xie, you're not moving.

Is it because you're not feeling well or because you dare not do this?

Official Xie.

Xie Lanqing!

Impossible.

This is impossible.

Your Majesty, someone's framing me.

This result is false.

It can't prove that this assassin and I are father and son.

- I don't know him. - Official Xie.

You tried to assassinate Her Highness and then colluded with your son to frame her.

And even now, you are still not willing to confess to your crimes

to ask for forgiveness from His Majesty and Her Highness.

Instead, you're still quibbling and resisting the law.

I'd like to know how come you dare

to disregard His Majesty, the law,

the principle of moral conduct, and the justice of the world.

Pei Wenxuan, you're making irresponsible remarks.

Your Majesty.

I've been an official for 30 years.

I've spared no effort in the performance of my duty for you and the country.

But now, I'm being framed by these two kids.

Your Majesty, I hope you investigate thoroughly.

Investigate thoroughly?

Xie Lanqing, as an official who has been working for the court for so many years,

I should have trusted your words.

But now the solid evidence is here.

How else do you want me to investigate thoroughly?

You said Pingyue framed you and set you up again and again.

How can a young girl who's not even twenty years old

be able to set up a cunning man like you

who has worked for the court for over 30 years?

Please calm down, Your Majesty.

This matter...

- has too many misunderstandings, Your Majesty. - What misunderstandings?

In the past, there was no evidence.

Now the evidence is solid.

If there's any misunderstanding, you can talk about it in prison.

- Your Majesty... - Someone, drag this traitorous minister out to the Censorate

for Pei Wenxuan to investigate and deal with accordingly.

Please don't do this, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, Pei Wenxuan is the prince consort.

It's hard to convince people without avoiding arousing suspicion.

Even if he's the prince consort, so what?

When you work, you don't distinguish between public and private interests.

But when it comes to me, I have to think about avoiding arousing suspicion?

It's decided. This case is assigned to Pei Wenxuan.

Anyone who says another word will be put on trial, too.

Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate for me to be the Chief Judge of this case.

- It should be handed back to the Ministry of Justice. - Hand it back to the Ministry of Justice?

Who in the Ministry of Justice would dare to interrogate him?

- I'd like to recommend someone. - Who is it?

Right Vice Minister of Justice, Pei Liming.

He's my uncle.

He's a man of integrity and honesty.

He's been working at the Ministry of Justice for years, and he knows the law well.

I raise the virtuous without avoiding relatives.

I would like to recommend this person to investigate this case.

I second the recommendation.

I also think that Vice Minister Pei is the most suitable candidate.

Since Official Su also said so, just let Minister Pei investigate the case.

Prepare the decree.

I'd like to test our blood again.

- Get the water! - Take him away!

I'd like to test it again. Your Majesty! Please get the water!

I'd like to test it again, Your Majesty!

I'm innocent! Your Majesty!

I'd like to test it again! Just once!

I'm tired.

You shall take your leave now.

Pei Wenxuan, you may stay. I have something to talk to you about.

Your actions today have taken me by surprise.

Official Su, your actions today have also greatly exceeded my expectations.

What did you think I would do?

I thought you wouldn't let go of Xie Lanqing's case.

He tried to assassinate you.

Of course, I wouldn't cover up for him.

However, Your Highness...

why must you establish the Inspectorate Office?

For the country.

For the people.

Also for justice.

Justice?

Is it that in your mind, justice means making enemies with the noble families?

Even if there are bad people in the noble families,

it's still the foundation of the Great Xia.

One should not demand absolute purity.

For a few bad people, the very foundation of Great Xia will be affected.

Then war will break out and the people will suffer.

How can there be any justice and well-being that you mentioned for the country and the people?

Let's drop the subject.

Your Highness,

how have you been...

since you married Pei Wenxuan?

Official Su,

honestly, I really don't need you to worry so much about my relationship.

Actually...

I have a small wish.

I hope that your relationship will not be related to power and politics.

I hope that it can be pure.

And you'll have no regrets.

Take care, Your Highness.

I hope you will proceed with caution in the future.

I shall take my leave now.

You two had a good time chatting, huh?

What did Imperial Father say to you?

His Majesty asked me why I recommended Pei Liming.

How did you answer?

For others, this opportunity is the icing on the cake.

But for the Pei Family, it's offering timely help.

There will be a big difference in their mentality.

Well said.

Oh, right.

What were you and Official Su talking about exactly?

I think you were touched by his words.

Feeling moved?

Yes. He just told me something very important that made me feel touched

and had even more feelings for him.

Had even more feelings for him? Don't you have enough feelings for him?

How much more do you want? Why not put him on the tip of your heart?

It's just that it'll be hard for Official Su.

Wait. Why is it hard for him?

Your Highness, there's only a small spot on the tip of your heart.

If Official Su is going to stand on it, he'll have to stand on one leg.

He will need to make a switch, and stand on different legs over and over again.

Don't you think Official Su will be tired?

Yes. He'll be exhausted.

If so, I don't think you can do such a tiring job, so I'd better find someone else.

Your Highness! That's not right.

You don't know that my unique skill is standing on one foot.

If you are willing,

I'm willing to stand on one foot on the tip of your heart for the rest of my life.

You weren't worried at all in there.

Especially during the blood drop test for relationships, you looked confident.

I worked on a shipwreck case before, and many people came to identify their families.

The blood drop test for relationships was used.

After using it many times, I found it strange.

Later, I learned that the blood of any two people can be fused.

There's no basis for the method of blood drop test for relationships.

In that case, does that mean that our blood drops can fuse, too?

Li Rong, you're unbelievable.

[Ministry of Justice]

- Your Highness. - Uncle.

Uncle, spare the formalities.

Uncle, has Lin Feibai arrived at the Ministry of Justice?

Yes.

Miss Shangguan has just sent him here.

I'll go and see him then.

I'll be waiting for you here, Your Highness.

Why did you recommend me?

With your help, we'll be able to go to the prison as we want now.

Although you recommended me, I still have something to say.

You're being a little reckless.

You should have told me about this earlier.

I didn't know this would happen today.

His Majesty needed someone on short notice, so I had to recommend you to help.

You call this help?

One dots, two dots, three dots.

Where's the four dots card?

Where is it?

- Your Highness. - Why are you still here?

I...

I guessed you would come to interrogate him, so I waited here.

Your Highness, I'm so curious.

Please enlighten me.

Young Master Lin, you...

Don't you have anything to say?

My mother never told me about him.

Two years ago, my mother held this jade pendant at the end of her life.

She said she wanted to meet the owner of the pendant.

She told me to go to the mountain gateway and wait.

Because at the gate, I could see the incoming people on the trail right away.

He'd be dressed in black.

It was snowing that day and he didn't come.

When I arrived at my mother's side in the early hours of the next morning,

she was already dead.

My mother had made many requests for me before she died.

One of them was that she owed Xie Lanqing three things, and asked me to help her.

That's why when Xie Lanqing went to Qinqu Mountain to ask for help from the Seven-star Sect,

I knew that getting involved in this would bring the Seven-star Sect to its doom,

but I still did it.

I just don't understand.

This man...

failed her, humiliated her,

and never even acknowledged her.

She hated him so much. But why did she ask me to help him?

She didn't honestly speak her mind.

Do you know why?

All I know is that your mother wanted you to stay alive.

And I'm here today to give you a chance.

What chance?

A chance to live.

And a chance for revenge.

Now, Xie Lanqing is bound to step down from the position of the Minister of Justice.

Whoever takes over Xie Lanqing's case now

means to take over the position of Minister of Justice.

You deserve to take this position.

Then, we'll have to rely on you to help us from now on.

Your words are like a slap in my face.

No.

On the way here, I was thinking that in the past,

I could have been nicer to you.

- But I... - Uncle, let bygones be bygones.

Let's move on.

Okay.

What's the condition?

No conditions this time.

All you have to do is tell the truth.

Xie Lanqing will get whatever punishment he deserves.

As for your attempted assassination,

I'll report to Imperial Father and ask him to absolve you of your crime

for you making amends for your fault by good deeds.

Your Highness, you're not using me again, are you?

But I'm willing... to identify Xie Lanqing.

That's good then.

I wish you can get out soon, Young Master Lin.

Young Master Lin, don't be too sad. The days go by fast when you're playing cards.

There are plenty of things that can bring you joy in this world.

I'll leave the cards here for you. I'm leaving now.

Let's go.

Your Highness, why do you think Lin Feibai's mother had such contradictory feelings?

She had been teaching Lin Feibai to hate Xie Lanqing her whole life,

but she asked him to help Xie Lanqing at the end of her life.

What did she want?

Do you know what it feels like when you're dying?

Of course, I don't know. I've never died.

Do you know?

I guess it's true that Lin Xia had hated Xie Lanqing all her life.

But hatred comes from love.

That's why she waited for him when she was dying.

But it didn't really matter if Xie Lanqing came or not.

When someone is dying, what they think about is not only regret,

but also the wonderful things in their lives.

Why does it sound like you've died before?

But Lin Feibai is really pitiful.

There are a lot of pitiful people.

He's not that pitiful.

That's true. The greatest sorrow in the world is poverty.

Birth, aging, illness, and death are the order of nature.

Only poverty always makes you doubt yourself.

It's like being stuck in a spider's web

and wondering if you're not trying hard enough to break free.

All right. Your Highnesses, I shall leave now.

Take care.

Your Highness, I wonder what you saw in your past life

when you were dying.

What about you?

What did you see when you were dying?

Me?

The Spring Festival.

That was the first time we spent the Spring Festival together.

There was a fireworks show.

It was right here on this street.

♫ A dream, like a trance, takes me through the seasons ♫

There are no fireworks here.

They're on the right.

On the right.

♫ A little later, you'll wave at me ♫

♫ Following the cool breeze ♫

♫ I enter your line of sight ♫

♫ A phoenix tree stands tall in the courtyard ♫

♫ With a brush, painting the beautiful scenery ♫

♫ Lightheartedly chatting about the vast world ♫

♫ In all my extensive travels, I'm glad to have you ♫

♫ Walking by my side ♫

♫ Watching the bright moon rise and set together ♫

♫ Sharing the same fate ♫

Can you promise me that you'll watch fireworks with me every Spring Festival?

Sure.

♫ The years spin and twist ♫

♫ Or our mistakes repeat ♫

♫ I know you will be with me ♫

I envy you.

I didn't expect you to think of something so wonderful when you were dying.

But then, you broke the promise.

Then, we'll watch it again this year.

I'll watch the fireworks with you again.

♫ To gain your companionship ♫

Promise me one more thing.

What is it?

This time, we'll either not say our promises out loud to each other,

or... we'll keep our promises till the end of our lives.

Okay.

Neither of us can break the promise.

In that case, let's make a pinky promise.

- One hundred years. - No change in lifetimes.

♫ Under the flourishing phoenix tree ♫

♫ Waiting for you to turn around as if you could sense me ♫

Official Xie, do you plead guilty to the accusation

of hiring someone to assassinate Princess Pingyue for you?

Young Official Pei,

didn't I teach you on the day you joined the Ministry of Justice

that you need evidence when handling cases?

Li Rong's assumptions alone won't convict me.

I have evidence!

The money Official Xie used to pay for the assassination is marked with the Xie Family's mark.

[Taiji Hall]

Your Majesty, the former Minister of Justice, Xie Lanqing,

instructed an organization in the martial world, Seven-stars Sect,

to assassinate Princess Pingyue and Prince Consort, Pei Wenxuan.

The evidence is conclusive.

According to the Great Xia's law,

the crimes of committing rebellion and hiring someone to assassinate others

should be sentenced to death.

But Xie Lanqing is a minister who's worked for both you and the late emperor,

once made contributions to the nation, and served you with sincerity.

So the Ministry of Justice suggests that the merits and demerits should offset each other

and he should be sentenced to exile in the Northern desert.

Any objections?

Your Majesty,

the Qin Family's case and the case of the embezzlement of military provisions and funds

have been investigated by the Inspectorate Office for months,

and have now come into clarity.

I request to close the cases.

Granted!

Your Highness.

Vice Minister Su.

I wonder if you are available.

Official Su, what's the matter?

Now that the cases have been closed,

there will be a break tomorrow to welcome the Spring Festival.

If there's anything you want to discuss, why don't you wait until after the Spring Festival?

Official Pei, don't be nervous. It's not about me.

It's Official Xie. He wants to see you, Your Highness.

Your Highness, have some tea.

Official Su, have some tea, too.

Thank you.

Why don't you pour yourself one?

There is a chip in the cup. I can't use it.

I'll just use yours.

Official Su.

Your Highness, do you still want some more?

There's no way there's a chipped cup in my mansion.

Just keep acting.

[Ministry of Justice]

Have you met her?

Lin Xia.

You've met her before, haven't you?

I haven't.

I've been in Huajing.

And she died two years ago.

She died two years ago?

You didn't know?

This is not surprising.

Twenty years.

You never went to see her in the past 20 years.

Although I haven't met her,

I may still know what you want to know.

Xie Lanqing, that old man.

His control over the Ministry of Justice has gone too far.

Don't be angry. I've found Xie Lanqing's weakness.

There's a swordswoman named Lin Xia, born into a famous martial family.

When she was young, she came to Huajing accidentally.

While she was in Huajing, she accidentally met Xie Lanqing, a young master back then.

They had a child named Lin Feibai.

Lin Feibai?

- Go ahead and ask me anything you want. - Is Lin Feibai...

really my child?

Yes.

You were in love with Lin Xia, but had to break up with her due to pressure from your family.

She was pregnant with Lin Feibai at that time.

But she didn't tell me.

Why would she tell you?

You couldn't marry her.

And she had no intention of marrying anyone else.

So this child was her only hope.

Because of this child, she could not be accepted by her family and clan

and had to follow her junior sister into hiding.

Finally, she had no choice but to write to you and ask for money.

You should have been relieved at the time, right?

You felt you would no longer owe this woman.

So you gave her Qinqu Mountain with a stroke of your pen.

Later, she established the Seven-star Sect and was surrounded by her right and left guardians.

Rumor in the martial world had it that she was having an affair

with her right guardian, her senior brother, Lin Fei.

So you thought Lin Feibai was Lin Fei's child.

After all...

Lin Feibai's existence was known to Xie Lanqing a year later.

In other words, Lin Feibai's real age is not 20, but 21.

Lin Xia hid the exact time she gave birth to her son.

When Xie Lanqing found out, it was already a year later.

So he never thought it would be his child.

Lin Xia spent her whole life on Qinqu Mountain.

Lin Xia spent her whole life on Qinqu Mountain,

and even when she was dying, she thought of you and asked people to get to you.

But you didn't want to go and see her.

Your Highness, I'm sure you're back, too, aren't you?

Official Xie, what else would you like to ask?

If no, I'll be leaving.

Did she hate me?

I don't know... about this.

But there's one thing I'm curious about.

Did you ever love her?

I dare not say it.

Love is nothing to you.

But I pity Lin Xia, for her life of wandering and loneliness,

being trapped by a man like you.

I wanted her to have a good life.

I was young and ignorant.

I thought if I risked my life, I could protect both of us.

Only then did I realize that I was not qualified to talk about love

when I was a member of my family.

If I married her, my family's centuries-old reputation would become a laughingstock.

My family couldn't tolerate me being with her.

Death was nothing to me.

But what about her?

Why did a heavenly being... end up in the mortal world?

Even though Lin Xia was a respectable swordswoman,

she was also a foolish woman infatuated with her feelings.

Why did a heavenly being end up in the mortal world?

I let her go because I wanted her to live well.

I didn't go to see her

because I knew it would be meaningless, so why make her become more heartbroken?

It's not that I didn't love her.

It's just that I was not worthy of it, and I dared not love her.

That's because of your status.

I didn't expect you to understand so much at such a young age.

But I've spent my whole life thinking these through.

I want to protect my family, this noble name, and this noble lineage.

You're a descendant of the royal family, but you married a man who's a commoner.

It's fine that he's a commoner, but you listened to him

and cut off the noble families from the crown prince.

Your Highness, I'd like to ask you why you're doing all this.

For the sake of making the son of that humble woman, Consort Rou, ascend the throne?

All Her Highness has done

is to stop people like you from asking why.

What she seeks in the world is not for the family to be the most important

but for all people to live a happy life with hope.

It may not be realized today.

It may not be realized in a hundred years or a thousand years.

But Her Highness still hopes that one day,

there will be no more people like you asking what you did wrong,

and no more people like you accusing Her Highness of being a royal descendant married to a commoner.

Pei Wenxuan has already answered your question.

You can leave in peace on your journey.

Vice Minister Su.

If there's nothing else, we'll be going.

Your Highness, please.

The biggest mistake in Official Xie's life

is that he shouldn't have allowed himself to be carried away even if he was deeply in love.

Are you the same, Vice Minister Su?

In your world, you can even kill your beloved for the sake of your family?

Why are you saying such an unfortunate thing out of the blue?

I'm just asking.

Vice Minister Su won't mind.

I do mind.

Official Pei, please don't make fun of my beloved.

Vice Minister Su, do you have a beloved?

♫ It's like standing on the edge of a bottomless abyss ♫

Yes or no...

it's not something you should make fun of, Official Pei.

I'm sorry for speaking out of turn.

But you haven't addressed me as Your Highness, have you?

♫ But the wind in the valley gently ceases ♫

Now, the prince consort's rank is higher than that of the investigating censor of the Censorate.

You come from a prestigious family, so you should abide by the rules.

Don't make that mistake again.

Let's go, Your Highness.

Your Highness.

♫ The moment I see the sunset ♫

As the Spring Festival is approaching,

I would like to wish you a happy new year, and all the best early.

♫ The budding branches gradually collapse as spring doesn't understand summer ♫

Official Su, I also wish you a happy new year and a bright future.

Thank you, Your Highness.

♫ Unable to bring myself to move forward ♫

What's on your mind?

♫ There's no need to be afraid ♫

I think... he's a bit familiar.

You mean...

I think he's more like the old him now.

♫ You understand I only wish to pacify the chaos of the world for you ♫

♫ The sound of rain ♫

I hope I'm overthinking this.

Let's go.

[Su Mansion]

The conversation at the Ministry of Justice has proved that Her Highness is back.

No wonder she treated me that way at the Spring Banquet.

Her Highness must remember our time together at the Princess's Mansion.

But last time, Her Highness and the prince consort ended so badly,

why is she still with Pei Wenxuan this time?

Is Pei Wenxuan back?

This time, I have to protect both my family and Her Highness.

Your Highness, wait for me.

Subtitles and Timing brought to you by the Royal Troubles Team ⚜️ @viki.com

♫ Who gazes up at the sky? ♫

♫ Who gazes up at the sky? ♫

♫ In the night's piercing winds ♫

♫ Why is she singing? ♫

♫ The wind caresses the hills ♫

♫ The wind causes ripples in the water ♫

♫ Moonlight graces passing souls ♫

♫ Her pace slows ♫

♫ As she walks the long path ♫

♫ Memories are forgotten and recall again ♫

♫ Gazing idly as the clouds pass ♫

♫ She holds a red candle ♫

♫ Traversing the thick fog, unafraid ♫

♫ Life can be bitter sometimes ♫

♫ Experience it and carry on 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 moonlight reflects in her eyes ♫

♫ In her gaze, an unwavering faith remains ♫