Original subtitles

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

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION

Now that you have the chance to start over,

would you still want Zhenzhen to enter the palace?

You deliberately didn't ask the Crown Prince to come today

because you didn't want them to reunite, right?

That's good, Mr. Pei.

You must seize this opportunity.

Can you stop making these kinds of jokes?

I'm not joking.

Hopefully,

Qin Lin will come out of seclusion soon

and spare us from all those complications.

Excuse me, is anyone home?

Can I help you?

I am Pei Wenxuan

and this is Princess Pingyue.

The Crown Prince sent us here to pay our respects to Mr. Qin.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Greetings, Mr. Pei.

But my young master has long been in seclusion.

I wonder how His Highness would know about him.

Mr. Qin is good at fighting a war.

Back in Pingqiu,

he led a light cavalry of 800 to defeat 3,000 enemy troopers,

displaying unmatched valor.

His Highness is eager for talent

and has sent us to deliver a visiting card.

He will personally visit tomorrow and hopes to meet Mr. Qin in person.

Did you write this, Mr. Pei?

Yes.

In that case, I'll show you to my young master.

However, he can be quite eccentric.

He might still refuse to meet the Crown Prince.

That's not a problem.

Talented people can be a bit capricious.

If they possess both talent and good looks,

then their caprices are even more justified.

The princess truly has a great sense of humor.

It's getting late

and my humble abode has no room for guests.

You may go back now.

Goodbye.

Don't worry. Qin Lin has always been this way.

He spent his childhood at the border until he was 15.

Only after his father died in battle,

did he leave the military camp and return to Huajing,

retreating into Jiulu Mountain.

Chuan waited out there day and night, enduring harsh conditions

to persuade him to come out.

I know, but…

And then there's Cui Qinghe who we just saw.

He is Qin Lin's close friend

who became his military adviser.

I hope

that my letter will inspire him to speak well of us.

When Qin Lin first left,

he said he wanted to be buried here.

I joined him up the mountain

and was utterly exhausted when we reached this point.

But now,

after all this walking,

I still feel energetic.

Being young is truly wonderful.

Come back.

What is it?

Turn around.

Squat down.

You indeed lack stamina, Your Highness.

What are you doing?

Since you still have much stamina, let's increase the difficulty.

Carry me down the mountain.

This isn't appropriate, Your Highness.

No one can see us here. Hurry up.

Besides, I don't know "appropriate."

Hurry.

You are totally bullying me, Your Highness.

You'd better walk faster. It will be dark soon.

Your Highness, have you been eating too much lately?

If you think so, it shows you need to improve your stamina.

If you could be lighter, my stamina would be sufficient.

You want me to be lighter?

Right, you prefer a slimmer figure.

Were you disappointed that you didn't see Qin Zhenzhen?

Li Rong, you are one truly awe-inspiring woman.

That's to be expected.

After all, there are very few who are as outstanding as I am.

Young Master Pei, we've arrived.

The Ministry of Justice orders the arrest of Pei Wenxuan.

Mr. Pei, please come with me.

-I-- -Mr. Li.

I am Li Kui, Bureau Director of the Inspectorate.

It is an honor to meet you.

Long live the Princess.

Spare the formalities.

May I ask why you are doing this, Mr. Li?

Your Highness,

this morning, a merchant reported to the Jingzhao Prefecture,

claiming that Mr. Pei murdered his master.

So I have been ordered

to ask Mr. Pei to assist with the investigation.

Mr. Li,

I can assure you that I have never done anything illegal.

May I know who this merchant is?

Your Highness,

this person is a foreign merchant named Tuoba Yan.

Is Tuoba Yan dead?

Your Highness, I am merely following orders.

I ask for your understanding.

Your Highness, I have never killed anyone. Don't worry.

I have heard that your prisons are harsh.

There won't be any forced confessions, will there?

Rest assured, Your Highness.

Mr. Pei is an upright man and I trust him.

Besides, this is merely a procedural formality.

Mr. Pei will be fine.

Pei Wenxuan is now under my protection

and may continue to be in the future.

I will visit the prison daily to see him.

So, do you understand what I'm trying to say here?

I do.

Please rest assured, Your Highness.

The Ministry of Justice will arrange a suitable room for Mr. Pei.

Mr. Pei, please.

JIULU MOUNTAIN

TOP SECRET

Give it to the Crown Prince.

Yes, Your Highness.

Your Highness,

Xiao Su has gained a firm foothold in the Northwest.

Your Highness.

You may all leave now.

-Yes, Your Highness. -Yes, Your Highness.

Get my carriage ready.

I'll go to Huguo Temple tomorrow to pray for Mother's well-being.

It will be a low-key affair.

Yes, Your Highness.

THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

It's here, Your Highness.

-You may leave now. -Yes, Your Highness.

What are you looking at?

After spending a night in the cell,

you seem surprisingly energetic and pleased.

Of course I am.

The inns out there may be all fancy and cozy,

but they're too boisterous.

Here, it's calm and quiet, so I could have a good night's rest.

Then you should stay here for a few more days.

I will come over in a few days as well.

Why?

Have you become dumb after starting a new life?

The Yang Family won't stop at framing you for killing Tuoba Yan.

We'll need to put on a show in court to keep things in check.

When the time comes, I might end up in prison

alongside you.

Once Chuan goes to the front lines

and assists Consort Rou's brother, Xiao Su, in stabilizing the borders,

we will be released.

You stay here for now and find ways to settle in comfortably.

Share your experiences later.

I'm heading out.

Unfortunately, my young master is not in a good mood today

and wishes not to see anyone.

Please forgive him, Your Highness.

Then I'll wait until Mr. Qin's mood improves.

You wouldn't mind me waiting here, right, Mr. Cui?

But that will take a long time.

This food should last me for a few days.

Please tell Mr. Qin

that Jiulu Mountain is far from the hustle and bustle.

It's tranquil and beautiful,

perfect for nurturing the mind and improving one's mood.

I'm not in a hurry.

Your Highness, please feel free to do as you wish.

No wonder Li Rong kept reminding me

to be patient.

MINISTRY OF WAR

Your Highness.

Please have some tea.

You've arranged for me to check your accounts.

I appreciate it, Mr. Su.

I'm just

doing my job.

That day

at Tuoba Yan's mansion,

you happened to save me.

It was quite a coincidence.

Your Highness.

There is no such thing as coincidences.

There is only intention.

The one who tried to kill you

was Su Rongqing.

Being born into an imperial family,

deceit is inevitable.

However, you are a gentleman as pure as the moonlight.

You need not get involved in such matters.

I'll get cracking now. Feel free to do whatever you want.

I'll take my leave.

Quiet! Come with us if you want to live.

Miss Jinglan, has Her Highness returned?

No. I am about to go fetch her.

Inform her immediately

that we've heard from Tuoba Yan.

It hurts!

-Who are you people? -Stop it.

Help him up.

I told you to rescue him, not to hurt him.

Forgive us, Your Highness.

Long time no see, Sixth Master.

I…

I thought you had left Huajing,

yet here you are wandering around.

Who are you exactly?

I'm sure

you have already known that by now.

I just want to ask you for a favor.

I want to overthrow some nobles,

but accounts alone won't do.

Sixth Master,

could you be a witness for me?

Now that you've found me, you should know

my job demands full obedience and puts my life on the line.

You fear that if you betray the Yang Family,

the other nobles will gang up to have you killed, right?

But you should know

that one must be alive

to have a chance of being killed.

And now,

I'm in your hands. Isn't it the same?

I just saved you, didn't I?

Is that how you save someone?

That's how you save a person?

So am I going to die in this courtyard tonight if I don't accept your deal,

Princess?

Sixth Master, you jest.

Why would I kill you?

I heard that your wife is an embroiderer in the Qingshui Town of Luzhou

and your son has just reached schooling age.

I heard you arranged an identity for him,

planning for him to enroll in Fengshan Academy next year.

Am I right?

People shouldn't be too stubborn about certain things.

Don't you think so?

You're not in a good mood

and neither am I.

-Who's there? -Where did you pop up from?

I thought you were a wild animal.

What a pervert!

I saved you.

How could you be so ungrateful?

I can tell that you're a bookworm.

I don't need you to save me.

Take this!

Miss,

why did you just shoot an arrow at me?

If I really wanted to harm you, why would I aim at your side?

If you can scare away my prey, why can't I scare you a little?

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to--

That's enough.

Your Majesty.

Was Consort Ning making a scene again?

It's not her. Something happened at the border.

General Xiao has taken over control of the military from the Yangs,

but his subordinates are not cooperating.

The enemy has been clamoring for three days,

but our defenders refuse to fight.

General Xiao dares not to execute any more soldiers.

They are threatening me!

You must control your temper, Your Majesty.

It's outrageous

how the Yang Family dared to collude with the enemy.

They should have been executed,

but as we speak,

we're facing a major threat.

So I can only offer some solace for now.

Send word to Xiao Su

to guard the border at all costs.

I'll send reinforcements promptly.

-Yes, Your Majesty. -Also…

go notify Pingyue to endure it for the time being.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Xu,

His Majesty decreed today to have Pingyue detained, pending trial.

Judging from the looks of it,

Pingyue might indeed have obtained

evidence of the Yang Family embezzling military funds.

Even so, the Shangguan Family cannot take the lead

in opposing the nobility.

Do we really have to stand by and watch as these pieces of evidence

end up in the Emperor's hands, rather than benefiting the Crown Prince?

I'm afraid that they both are not aligned with us.

So you are the Crown Prince?

Yes.

Your intentions are good,

but you are a bit reckless.

Miss, your criticism is valid.

I failed to recognize who you are and underestimated you.

That was my first mistake.

Then, I rashly held a lady,

tainting her reputation.

That was my second mistake.

If that's the case,

then there's a third mistake.

You've been here for three days in a row,

disturbing my peace.

That's your third mistake.

And you are?

The younger sister of the person you want to see,

Qin Zhenzhen.

I'm wondering though, Your Highness, on what basis do you believe

my brother will help you?

So you are Miss Qin.

I have heard that your father, General Qin, was skilled in warfare

but weary of it.

Sadly, he fell in battle a few years ago,

leaving his ambitions unfulfilled.

My desire is also to find a capable general

to help end the conflict

and bring peace to the land.

These nuts are a token of my sincerity.

I hope you will accept them.

Thank you then.

Did you all hear what the Crown Prince said outside?

He's actually quite kind,

thinking of saving me even though I don't need his help.

You are kind and innocent.

Have you considered that he may have ulterior motives?

But he didn't even know who I was.

Lin, shouldn't you be very happy?

There's someone who fully understands your aspirations

and has both the ability and sincerity to help you achieve them.

Mr. Li,

can I choose my cell?

Of course, Your Highness.

Which room caught your eye?

I'll take the cell next to Mr. Pei's.

It's comforting to have an acquaintance nearby.

Your Highness, you're right. Please come this way.

Your Highness,

Princess Pingyue and Mr. Pei have been framed and imprisoned.

I believe she has a plan for this.

But now, we must seek General Qin's help immediately.

Who's this wild creature that's following me so closely?

Fengming.

Your Highness.

Miss Qin,

would you be interested in another sparring match?

If I win,

could you help me persuade your brother a bit more?

What if you lose?

Then persuade him a bit less.

If you lose, I'll advise him not to go.

How about that?

I won't go easy on you.

Fengming, step back.

Show me your real ability.

Miss Qin,

it doesn't matter anymore who the winner is.

I trust that with your brother's aspirations of saving the world,

he will go even without persuasion.

It has only been a few days and now you're here with me.

Eager to see me, right?

It seems that you haven't learned much else in jail,

apart from getting more glib-tongued.

Not really.

You mentioned before that you would visit me daily,

but I haven't even seen you at all these past few days.

I got restless, missing you day and night.

My heart is filled with countless thoughts and emotions.

If I have offended you in any way,

please forgive me, Your Highness.

I'll take my leave now.

Your Highness, if there is anything you need,

just let me know.

Thank you, Mr. Li.

Have you sorted out everything?

One of the two matters is sorted.

I'll tell you about it later.

How did you mess this up?

How come Tuoba Yan isn't dead?

The butler Wang Shun said

that Tuoba Yan was stabbed to death on the spot,

but it turned out to be a decoy.

It was my negligence

which has caused you trouble.

I'll accept any penalty.

What's the use of killing you?

Don't come back until you capture Tuoba Yan.

Otherwise,

I will see

that your entire family will perish.

That looks good.

Come and see me every day at daybreak, noon and sunset.

Yes, Your Highness.

You can go now.

Which matter have you sorted out?

You don't have to write it down. It's just us.

I got the evidence.

What about Qin Lin? Is he on board with us?

Do you think it's that easy to get Qin Lin on board?

I was worried you might take it the wrong way

or I would already have a solution.

What solution?

-After all, he's Zhen's-- -Zhen's what?

He's Miss Qin's brother after all,

so he might do me a favor.

She broke off an engagement with you.

Why would he do you a favor?

When did she break it off?

She simply had no choice.

Pei Wenxuan,

I now find that your other abilities are average,

but your ability to deceive yourself is remarkable.

Her love for Chuan was so obvious.

And it was never about you.

That's not right.

She barely knew him when she called off the engagement.

Her family must have forced her to do it.

You think the key point

is when she started falling for Chuan?

Rather, she might not have liked you at all.

From what I see,

she called off the engagement entirely of her own volition.

Why are you so crabby today?

I thought we were both tired of discussing this.

What?

Did you resort to coercion when interrogating the person?

Is it Tuoba Yan?

I knew it.

You tend to lose your composure when there's blood around.

You should leave such matters to me next time.

No, thank you. It's none of your concern.

Of course it concerns me.

We will live together later.

If you get cranky from interrogating people,

you will take it out on me and I'll end up bearing the full brunt.

I beg of you, please,

spare me the torture.

Let me take care of matters like this next time, all right?

Fine, you have my approval.

I've got something for you.

TO YOUR HIGHNESS

THE PEONY'S UNMATCHED BEAUTY

CAPTIVATES THE CAPITAL WHEN IT BLOOMS

You're still in the mood for art?

AGED PEONY

I'm just joking.

The "aged" in "aged peony" means that you're mature,

while "peony" means you're beautiful.

So "aged peony" is actually a compliment.

It's not meant to insult you.

I'm not the kind of person that would insult you.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, the Crown Prince is here.

-Rong. -Chuan.

Rong,

are you doing all right here?

I'm doing great, don't worry.

Everything is going as I expected.

So, how about it?

Did you get Qin Lin on board?

Not yet,

but soon.

Soon?

I got her.

It's pretty much a sure thing now.

It has been a long time, Pei.

It has.

It has been about four years, hasn't it?

Indeed.

By the way,

Uncle asked me to check with you

if you could hand the evidence over to the Shangguan Family.

What do you think?

Definitely not.

We can't be tied to the Shangguan Family any longer.

I'm glad you understand.

Why is she here?

Do you

know her?

This is someone I met outside Qin Lin's house.

It was a chance encounter.

She said she could help me persuade Qin Lin,

but the condition was that she wanted to meet Pei Wenxuan.

I heard you were imprisoned and I was truly worried.

So I came here without notice.

Now that I know you're safe, I feel relieved.

No need to worry.

I can handle everything here.

Do you think there is something going on between these two,

Rong?

Keep listening.

Also…

about the break-off…

Break-off?

Pei's engagement with this girl got--

Sorry, I couldn't explain in person.

I hope you can forgive me.

It's all right.

This has nothing to do with you in the first place,

so you're not at fault.

Stop worrying about it.

You misunderstood.

The decision to cancel the engagement was my own choice.

We don't have feelings for each other, yet our parents thrusted us together,

making us pretend to be a couple and spend our whole lives together.

What's the point?

I've heard that you are an open-minded person,

so I believe you can understand.

I originally wanted to explain this to you in person,

but the elders kept stopping me from doing so.

I was at a loss as well.

I can totally understand. I mean it.

That's great then.

I was worried you might think we turned our backs on you

because of Uncle Pei's passing.

I've told them to cancel it many times,

but it kept getting delayed,

so it has been weighing me down all along.

But now that everything's clear, I feel relieved.

Your Highness,

may I ask why you're laughing?

I'm laughing at someone who reads too much into things.

You two can go ahead. Don't mind me.

Actually, this isn't a big deal.

I know you and your brother well.

So no need to worry anymore.

This isn't a good place.

You and the Crown Prince should leave first.

Tell your brother that His Highness is very--

My brother is aware of this.

Don't worry. He will go.

But it'll set us back a few more days.

Wait a second.

You said your brother would go, but you pledged to persuade him for me.

Did you lie to me?

He only agreed because I persuaded him.

-How is that a lie? -You…

Chuan, mind your manners.

Miss Qin,

if the Crown Prince is forced to be sent to the front lines,

are you sure your brother will go?

Rest assured, Your Highness.

My brother is just testing

His Highness's character by being difficult.

He has no intention to refuse.

I see.

Pei, I will take my leave.

Chuan,

at tomorrow's morning audience,

Father may send you to supervise the army in the Northwest.

Don't agree directly.

Keep rejecting the offer.

After Qin Lin joins you on the front lines,

don't let anyone know he's associated with you.

Arrange for him to stay in the military camp secretly.

We can't let anyone seize upon what we've long planned for.

Don't worry, Rong. I'll handle it properly.

I'll go get prepared now.

Go ahead.

Chuan,

don't personally escort Miss Qin later.

Send someone else to do it.

You have more pressing matters.

Rong, why do you always treat me like a child?

You…

All right. I'm off.

Are you worried

that Chuan and Zhenzhen will get together again?

Are you not worried?

They have indeed met earlier than expected

and it's uncertain what might happen next.

Li Chuan and Qin Zhenzhen

met a year later in the past.

When Her Majesty was selecting consorts for the Crown Prince,

Shangguan Ya became primary, and Qin Zhenzhen secondary.

The other three were selected from different families.

Yes.

Initially, Chuan was unwilling,

but after being scolded many times,

it was because of my persuasion

that he agreed to the marriage.

However, it was from that time onward

that Chuan became less like a passionate young man.

He became more reserved, calm,

and dignified in his demeanor when handling things.

It was only because Qin Lin had military power

that Mother asked Chuan to marry Qin Zhenzhen.

However, she came from a humble family,

so Chuan didn't favor her at first.

On top of that,

her stubborn nature

led her to have a hard time in the Eastern Palace.

I heard that her servants withheld her winter coal allowance

and took her monthly money,

but she never complained.

It wasn't until later,

when two consorts in the Eastern Palace

began to frame each other.

Your Highness,

the physicians have been warned against coming to treat you.

Why did you dive into the lake to save someone when you're so sick?

Don't worry, Ling.

I'm fine.

After that, her maid, Ling, came to see me.

Mr. Pei.

Please save my lady.

Get up.

What happened to Zhenzhen?

It's just a case of palace intrigue among the consorts.

Stay out of this--

What do you mean by palace intrigue?

She nearly died.

Your Highness,

as a husband, even if you don't love her,

you should at least not mistreat her.

Moreover,

Qin Lin is still out there fighting for you.

And please don't forget

that she nearly lost her life to save your Crown Princess.

Alright.

I will go.

Pei Wenxuan,

it was you

who personally presented your beloved to Chuan.