Original subtitles

ADAPTED FROM MO SHUBAI'S NOVEL, THE GRAND PRINCESS ON JJWXC.NET

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION

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

I am the Empress and the birth 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 their position 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 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.

Here, take a sip.

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 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 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 elegant and composed Mr. Su

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 send him away.

We are husband and wife after all

and we haven't divorced yet.

I shall go and see him.

Perhaps,

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 worked up.

What did you come 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 worthy of the position.

What's there to discuss?

Third Prince Li Xin is arrogant and unruly,

which makes him unsuitable as the Crown Prince.

His mother, Shangguan, holds too much power.

If something were to happen to you and me,

-Why is he also wearing a sachet? -our relatives won't be able to stop him.

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.

Will we let a concubine's son ascend the throne instead?

You still hold a grudge against Zhenzhen.

Can you address her as Noble Consort Qin?

How can you call her Zhenzhen?

Don't forget.

The Qin Zhenzhen you adore is the deceased consort

of my younger brother, the current emperor Li Chuan.

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 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 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 so worked up again?

Fetch the medicine for Her Highness.

-Yes. -Yes.

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

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

I'm fine.

What's wrong?

Get the Imperial Physician now!

It's the Poison of the Fragrant Beauty.

Pei Wenxuan.

It's Pei Wenxuan.

The sachet he was wearing…

Rongrong, 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.

Sir, something's not right.

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 20 years,

I've been entangled with him.

I 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 out on you.

If only

I could have a great dream

and start…

everything anew.

The Princess Royal has passed away.

Where am I?

It has been a while,

warm sunshine.

Your Highness, you're awake.

Jinglan?

What's going on?

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 thank goodness, you're still alive.

That's great.

Your Highness, are you all right?

It's already nine in the morning.

His Majesty just finished the morning audience

and said that you join him for lunch.

I was just about to come and wake you up.

But you are already awake.

His Majesty just finished the morning audience?

That's great.

The message from the palace said his days were numbered.

By the way,

how about that scoundrel 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 I got 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 24th year of the Yongning Era now.

The 24th year of the Yongning Era?

This year,

I am 18 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 the old me lived too constrained a life?

You are just like your mother,

wanting to control the royal family with 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 scoundrel 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.

Here I am, facing a 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 ended up together,

now that we're married,

I'd like to live happily with you.

I am deeply honored.

I 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

when I was 18?

LI MING, EMPEROR

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 your favorite chestnut cake

that I brought for you from Changle Palace. Try it.

Eunuch Fu, this is inappropriate.

Quiet.

These are snacks brought by Her Highness.

FU LAI, CHIEF EUNUCH

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.

Father, why are you inviting me

to have a meal with you today?

-Fulai. -Come forward.

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 22nd 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 a partner, not 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 I could go out of the palace for a bit.

I've heard that the roasted duck at Linglong Pavilion is the best

-and the peach blossoms at Huguo Temple-- -All right.

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 around the corner anyway.

Then 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

Sir.

Sir.

Great news.

Incredibly great news.

Tong Ye?

Why do you look so young?

I look young?

Am I dreaming?

Sir, are you all right?

Are you upset about Ms. 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, 24th year of the Yongning Era.

Sir, 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?

Ms. Qin called off the engagement.

Ms. Tong is pressuring us for debts every day.

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.

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

And I went to offer incense to the 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 address the Princess by her name.

If they heard it and spread the word, it could mean death.

She has been waiting in the study for us.

So…

Think about it.

There's a reason why the engagement is called off.

Ever since Master passed away, your uncle has been oppressing you.

He doesn't give you the money or the power.

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 breaks off the engagement

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

Mr. 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…

Ms. 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.

This is a dream of starting over,

where everything begins anew.