Original subtitles

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

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION

PRINCESS' MANSION

-Is that all? -Yes. That's all for now

Recruiting talents?

Young Master.

RECRUITING TALENTS

I need to tell you something.

The Su Family is hellbent on recruiting talents.

They even asked Chancellor Su to join them for a while.

Everyone flocks to them.

But look at us…

Su Rongqing strongly opposed the imperial examination before.

But he changed his mind all of a sudden.

He's clearly trying to steal talents from me.

What did you say, Young Master?

Before?

That will cost a lot of money…

Hush now. Just go.

Go.

Okay.

Everyone. Everyone.

Well…

Her Highness and the Prince Consort said

that no matter whose article was selected

would be awarded with one tael of silver.

-One tael of silver? -One tael of silver.

This is better than meeting the Chancellor.

Of course.

The Prince Consort used to be a commoner,

so he knows what commoners like us want better.

-That's right. -That's right.

I wrote this today.

-Is this the place for signing up? -Yes.

Everyone. Queue up.

My friend.

They are so passionate.

Money sure is more persuasive than meeting the Chancellor.

-Of course. -Oh my.

The expenditure here will be paid with your wage.

-Let's go. -Please, no.

My wage will never be enough for this.

This Nature and Nurture discusses the idea

that the same nature varies based on nurture.

"Whether people harbor good or evil intentions

is determined by their dispositions and habits."

"Habits change as circumstances change."

"Disposition is an innate quality,

with calmness and contentment predominating."

This is the main point of this essay.

What a well-written passage.

Your Highness, do you know that it is written

by a candidate who's going to attend this year's imperial examination?

Your Highness,

you'll be counting on them in the future.

Consort Rou has arrived.

Your Highness, today's lesson shall conclude hereafter.

Please finish your assignment.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Su.

Your Highness.

Cheng, I wish to speak with Mr. Su in private.

You may leave now.

Sir, Mother,

I shall take my leave.

Pei Wenxuan is offering the candidates money now.

It has had a big impact on us.

We should do something.

Calm down, Your Highness.

Just make sure your men don't make any mistakes.

I will handle the rest.

You will be notified immediately of any changes.

Thank you, Mr. Su.

I will do my best.

We are now waiting for the perfect timing

before we can ask Prince Su

to recruit talents for us in person.

What brought you here, Mr. Su?

Mr. Shangguan, do you perhaps have a candidate in mind

as the imperial examination's chief examiner?

That's a decision for the Ministry of Personnel.

It is a thankless job.

Ask Liu Hangchun to do it.

Liu Hangchun?

He's not trustworthy.

He often makes a lot of mistakes.

If someone gets something on him,

it'll be…

Who do you suggest, Mr. Su?

My son, Rongqing, is very interested in this matter.

I wonder if it's possible

to let him…

Mr. Su, His Majesty promotes the imperial examination

to contend against noble families like us.

The chief examiner cannot be one of us.

Therefore, we must find someone

who isn't from a noble family

but is willing to do our bidding.

Your Highness, how is it?

You want me to get you the signatures of those handsome scholars.

But Pei Wenxuan won't cooperate.

Forget about it now.

Just give me Liu Hangchun's case file.

Your Highness, you can't break your promise.

When did I promise you that I'd bring the signatures back?

I did try for you.

Don't be insatiable.

But I told my friends I would give them the signatures.

They were all so excited.

The case files you want are all there.

Any updates? Tell me.

It's not just Liu Hangchun.

Su Rongqing

wants to do this job too.

Su Rongqing?

He used to look down on this.

Why the sudden change?

Right.

The noble families turned up their noses at the imperial examination.

But now, everyone wants them.

Based on what happened before,

this year's imperial examination

will be full of talented people.

Pei Wenxuan's disciples will fill the imperial court

and he will become fully fledged.

So why is Su Rongqing meddling in this suddenly?

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

It seems like

I have to secure Pei Wenxuan's position as soon as possible.

When will you carry out your plan?

Now.

QINGMEI RESTAURANT

Mr. Liu, I'm here.

Come and catch me.

-I'm over here. -I'm coming.

Mr. Liu.

I'm coming.

I'm over here, Mr. Liu.

Beautiful ladies, stop being naughty

and come to me now.

If I catch you,

I'll punish you.

INSPECTORATE OFFICE

I… I…

The Inspectorate Office even cares about this?

Her Highness wants to see you.

Please come with me.

Greetings, Your Highness.

I did not know that you were here.

Please forgive me for the lack of appropriate reception.

Mr. Liu, why are you so tense?

I'm just here to have tea with you.

No need to be so anxious. Please rise.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Take a seat.

You must be very busy lately, Mr. Liu.

It's all right.

I can tell.

I heard your spouse recently gave birth to a son.

This is my gift to you.

Open it.

Please spare me, Your Highness. Please don't give me a hard time.

Mr. Liu,

I'm not trying to give you a hard time.

I just need a favor from you.

I've heard you are in charge

of the mobilizations of officials below the fifth rank

in the Ministry of Personnel.

I'd like to recommend someone,

Mr. Liu.

Prince Consort is a talented man.

If no one plays a dirty trick,

he can easily excel in the role of a secretary of examinations.

So don't be scared.

I just want you to pay attention to him.

I know someone might have talked to you already,

but I hope

you can make a sound judgment.

Your Highness,

I do not have a final say in this.

The Prince Consort must rely on his talent

to earn that position.

I will handle this with fairness and impartiality,

so please rest assured, Your Highness.

I am relieved to hear that from you, Mr. Liu.

As long as you're satisfied, Your Highness.

If there's nothing else,

I shall take my leave.

Take care, Mr. Liu.

Your Highness.

In a few days, the list of staff mobilizations

within the Ministry of Personnel

will be out.

Once Liu Hangchun

adds the Prince Consort's name to it,

it'll be too late for Wang Houwen to do anything

even if he gets hold of this.

Indeed.

Once the Ministry of Personnel produces the list,

the Ministry of Justice will release its list of staff mobilizations soon.

Pei Liming is doing the follow-up work on Xie Lanqing's case.

So he should by right

be the Minister of Justice.

Young Master.

Any news from our informants?

Yes.

You asked them to keep an eye on the Princess' Mansion.

They went to see Liu Hangchun.

It must be to get an in with the Ministry of Personnel.

I need to know

whether it's Her Highness or Pei Wenxuan went to that person.

It's Her Highness.

I see.

I was looking for an opportunity.

Now,

it presents itself.

Your Highness,

Second Young Master Su sent a message saying that he was setting up a trap.

Let me see.

He asked you

to follow his plan.

He added that this operation would test if you two can be allies.

Your Highness, just tell me the truth.

Are they handsome?

I didn't pay attention to them.

Why not? They are charming.

Your Highness, Ms. Shangguan,

my young master asked me to deliver this to you.

He did it!

Many handsome bachelors came

to Huajing for a forum.

I asked Su Ronghua

to get me their signatures.

Many noble ladies are coveting their signatures.

It won't be a bad thing to do them a favor.

Su Ronghua is Huajing's most handsome man.

Su Ronghua is charming.

Su Ronghua is not only handsome but also talented.

You may hang this portrait of mine in your chamber.

It will brighten your day.

You want to do those ladies a favor?

Tell Su Ronghua he's done for.

I shall relay this message verbatim.

Both of you want to see me today.

I am so honored.

May I know

what I can do for you?

Come on, Mr. Wang.

Thank you, Second Young Master Su.

Mr. Wang.

We came to recommend someone for the Ministry of Personnel.

Is that so?

You can just dispatch a messenger to me.

No need to come to me personally.

But the Ministry of Personnel

can only offer the position of the secretary of examinations now.

It's a sixth-ranked position.

I'm afraid it's not good enough for you, Second Young Master Su.

Mr. Wang.

Isn't the Vice Minister of Personnel pending too?

You're right, Mr. Su.

Many people want that position.

I wonder who you'd like to recommend.

Mr. Wang.

The list of nominees for the position of the secretary of examinations

is here.

Please give written instructions or comments.

PEI WENXUAN, CUI SHUHE, SHANGGUAN YU, SHANGGUAN MINZHI…

PEI WENXUAN

Your Highness, to tell you the truth,

I saw with my own eyes that Mr. Wang circled the Prince Consort's name.

Good.

When he has been officially appointed,

you will be rewarded again.

Thank you, Your Highness.

You may leave now.

I'll take my leave, Your Highness.

Your Highness, you seem happier

handling the Prince Consort's affairs than your own affairs.

Of course.

I'm used to handling my affairs.

It's my first time doing so much for someone else.

You're odd, Your Highness.

Men often feel happy

when they help women.

When the Prince Consort spoils you, you don't feel too thrilled.

Yet you are elated

when helping the Prince Consort.

Listen up.

Being spoiled is nothing to be proud of,

but spoiling others shows that you are a capable one.

Even if someone likes you,

you'll lose your good looks as you age.

However, it's different when you pamper someone.

You can spoil him when you want

and leave when you no longer like him.

You can feel free to do whatever you want.

How enlightening, Your Highness.

Don't believe what Her Highness says.

She just won't admit it.

What am I not admitting?

Your Highness,

one doesn't need a specific reason to feel happy

after helping someone else.

Maybe it's just because you like him.

This isn't something embarrassing.

That's right.

It isn't something embarrassing.

Don't tell me you didn't sleep last night.

Yes. I'm quite nervous.

You don't actually believe

that I could get things done for you, do you?

Of course, I do.

But this is my first promotion

and you helped me with it personally.

So of course, I am nervous.

All right.

Enter the hall!

See you later.

-Boundless fortune to Your Majesty. -Boundless fortune to Your Majesty.

-Long Live Your Majesty. -Long Live Your Majesty.

Please rise, everyone.

-Thank you, Your Majesty. -Thank you, Your Majesty.

Minister Wang,

tell me about the staff mobilizations by the Ministry of Personnel.

Your Majesty.

The new Minister of Justice

will be Su Rongqing.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

He actually took my second uncle's place?

Just how many dirty tricks did he play to get that position?

The new Vice Minister of Personnel

will be Pei Wenxuan.

Him?

Oh my!

It's supposed to be a sixth-ranked position, secretary of examinations.

How come it's a fourth-ranked position?

-Mr. Pei. -Mr. Pei.

-Your Majesty! -Your Majesty!

Mr. Pei.

Mr. Pei has fainted.

Mr. Pei.

Pei Wenxuan?

Pei Wenxuan?

What is happening?

Your Majesty, Prince Consort has fainted.

May I take him

to rest?

Bring him to the side hall.

Summon an imperial physician to check on him.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Hurry.

How's he?

Your Highness,

the Prince Consort suffers from exhaustion and his injuries are yet to heal fully.

He has fainted

because his mind is overwhelmed and gets impaired.

He will need a few days to recuperate.

Anything else to note?

Are there any herbs he needs to avoid?

There's only one thing.

He shall not restrain himself

from conjugal consummation…

That's enough.

I understand.

Anything else?

Sleep more. Eat more.

He should go out for a stroll more when he's free.

Relaxing his mind can be beneficial too.

Okay. Thank you.

-I'll take my leave. -I'll take my leave.

Your Highness.

Right. Ask them to investigate what happened to the staff mobilizations.

Yes, Your Highness.

He fainted at the court.

Isn't it great to be the Vice Minister of Personnel?

Did he faint from anger or happiness?

Anger, of course.

Pei Wenxuan is a cunning man who cannot be underestimated.

It isn't good news to him.

He received such a huge promotion.

Why was he angry?

Other ministers will not agree

with him being the Vice Minister of Personnel.

Not only will he not get that position,

but His Majesty will begin to doubt him too.

Additionally,

His Majesty will grow wary

when the Inspectorate Office becomes too powerful.

When he puts his guard up,

Pingyue's influence in the imperial court will end.

I must say

Mr. Su's plan is ingenious.

Mr. Su is so amazing.

You're awake.

How do you feel?

-Do you want water? -No need.

Your Highness.

Did you catch the rest of the staff mobilizations?

I'll get the list from the Ministry of Personnel later.

Your Highness, I know you're acting in my best interest,

but promoting me to the Vice Minister of…

I asked for the position of secretary of examinations.

I didn't ask for the position of vice minister.

Then…

Pei Wenxuan sure rose quickly through the ranks.

He's lucky.

Did you see

His Majesty's face just now?

I did.

His Majesty is getting mad because Princess Pingyue

is meddling in everything.

I'm afraid that the Prince Consort can't get the position of vice minister.

What brought you here, Mr. Su?

Mr. Shangguan, do you perhaps have a candidate in mind

as the imperial examination's chief examiner?

Who do you recommend?

Pei Wenxuan.

Second Young Master.

You jest.

He's our enemy, isn't he?

Think about it, Mr. Wang.

With His Majesty's temperament,

Pei Wenxuan will never get this position.

Because

he wouldn't dare to take it.

Mr. Su,

I know you are capable,

but you represent the interests of those noble families.

Your Highness.

What if I tell you I can give you the Inspectorate Office?

I heard

that you used to fancy Princess Pingyue.

That is the past.

You just have to tell me if you trust me or not.

What do you want me to do?

Go to Wang Houwen

and ask him to appoint Pei Wenxuan as the Vice Minister of Personnel.

Rongqing.

No matter what they say about you,

in my eyes, you're the best

and the most excellent one.

I trust you to take good care of our family.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Congratulations, Mr. Pei.

Mr. Pei, I shall see you in the Ministry of Personnel.

You flattered me.

It's just a list.

And I am too inexperienced

to take the position.

Don't be modest, Mr. Pei.

I have faith in you.

-Your Highness. -What's the matter?

I feel dizzy.

Let's go home. I'll feel better then.

Mr. Pei.

-Congratulations on your promotion. -Thanks.

Come on. Slowly.

That was a lousy act.

I know.

You're heavy.

Pei Wenxuan.

This is just the first gift I'll be giving to you.

Your Highness.

Mr. Liu, why are you kneeling here?

Did you do something wrong?

You may rise.

-Just speak then. -Your Highness…

last night, someone gave me the list of staff mobilizations

of fifth-ranked officials and above.

He asked me

to remove Mr. Pei's name

from the position of secretary of examinations.

I didn't want to defy your order.

But that person said it'd be beneficial for the Prince Consort.

I thought

being the Vice Minister of Personnel

was better than being a secretary of examinations.

Moreover, the list of the mobilizations

concerning fifth-ranked positions and above

would be submitted to His Majesty in advance.

If His Majesty first saw that the Prince Consort

was one of the candidates for the Vice Minister of Personnel,

then he saw the list I wrote,

he might think that I failed in my duties.

Therefore, I…

Therefore, you removed his name

from the position of secretary of examinations.

Isn't it great that Prince Consort is now the Vice Minister of Personnel?

Why are you so scared?

Who came to you?

What did they tell you?

It was Mr. Wang Houwen.

He told me Consort Rou wanted someone else

to be the secretary of examinations, and he wanted me to arrange for it.

I didn't dare to do that for him, so I told him

that someone already took that position.

He asked me who it was

and I told him it was the Prince Consort.

He then told me

that the Prince Consort had been appointed

as the Vice Minister of Personnel.

I thought it was odd.

But if he was already appointed as the Vice Minister of Personnel,

I supposed there was no point in making him the secretary of examinations.

But unexpectedly,

the Prince Consort fainted at the court today.

Everyone thought

that he was simply overwhelmed by happiness,

but I knew

that I must have done something wrong.

Please forgive me, Your Highness.

Stand up.

I now know what happened.

You may leave, Mr. Liu.

I'll take my leave.

In our next lesson,

I hope you can explain to me

how to enhance one's self-cultivation and be a self-disciplined ruler.

Yes, sir.

Greetings, Mr. Su.

Your Highness.

May I speak frankly, Your Highness?

Please do.

I believe His Highness should volunteer

to be the secretary of examinations.

As his mother,

you are from a humble background

which is perfectly justifiable.

The imperial examination only recruits commoners.

Why would I need individuals without any backing?

Mind your manners, Cheng.

Some of them are very knowledgeable.

You can pick and train them.

In time, they will become a noble family too

and work for you.

You're brilliant, Your Highness.

It's all your foresight, Mr. Su.

Cheng, thank your mentor for his guidance.

Thank you, sir.

Answer me.

Is Pei Wenxuan very experienced now?

How dare you appoint him as the Vice Minister of Personnel?

I rarely meddle in affairs

in the Ministry of Personnel

because I have faith in your judgment.

But what are you doing here?

How can you give such an important position

to Pei Wenxuan?

Your Majesty.

Mr. Pei might be young,

but he is the Prince Consort.

-Her Highness-- -So what if she's a princess?

Can a princess be above the laws, the state principles, or even me?

Tell me.

Who helped Pei Wenxuan

get the position of the Vice Minister of Personnel?

Tell me honestly.

Your Majesty, Princess Pingyue seeks an audience.

Reject her request.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Wait.

Summon her in.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Leave now. Reflect upon yourself at home.

I'll have others investigate the truth later.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Mr. Wang, you're a third-ranked minister, who's served in the court for a long time.

No need to extend such formality to me.

A minister is just nothing.

The former Minister of Justice, Xie Lanqing,

also the master of the Xie Family,

was even taken down by you.

If I may advise you, Your Highness,

your honor

is contingent upon the Shangguan Family.

After all, the noble families are your allies.

Don't pick

the wrong side.

I'll take my leave, Your Highness.

Your Highness, please.

Your Majesty, Princess Pingyue is here.

Greetings, Father.

Rise.

Pei Wenxuan has been officially appointed.

What other complaints do you have?

Father, please choose another one

to take the position of the Vice Minister of Personnel.

Why? Isn't it a great thing that Pei Wenxuan

is a vice minister now? Why reject the offer?

Father, I made a mistake.

Please forgive me.

Speak.

In fact, I helped

Pei Wenxuan in secret

to secure his promotion.

How else could he become a vice minister then?

But I wasn't going after the position of vice minister.

I only wanted him to become a secretary of examinations.

You're saying

someone's framing you

by making Pei Wenxuan the Vice Minister of Personnel?

Yes.

Why would they do that?

Isn't it obvious?

They want to drive a wedge between us.

How is appointing Pei Wenxuan as the Vice Minister of Personnel

an act to sow discord?

Father, you asked me to establish the Inspectorate Office.

I solved many cases and gained more power.

If I used my power for my own good,

then for both our country and people,

you would want to eradicate me.

It seems like the mastermind of this scheme

harbors no good intention.

Father,

while I did make a mistake,

I couldn't bear it anymore.

I have had enough of the mockery.

Who mocked you?

After I was betrothed,

I was mocked by my younger sisters in the palace.

Huayue said

that it's because Pei Wenxuan held a lowly background and was powerless

and because you didn't like me,

that's why you made me marry him.

Nonsense!

Why would Huayue say such words?

Father.

Do you mean to say that Huayue wouldn't say that,

or that Huayue shouldn't have said it out loud?

Father,

why do you think I'm so scared

and come to see you in a hurry

to ask you to remove Pei Wenxuan from his position?

Do you think it's only because he is too young?

In terms of age,

Su Rongqing is also young.

How come he could be the Vice Minister of Justice,

and now, even get promoted to the Minister of Justice?

Yet my Prince Consort can't even be a vice minister.

However, I still have to come today.

I'm afraid if I did not,

you might believe

that I would continue helping Pei Wenxuan in secret.

I was so scared.

I fear that you and I will drift apart.

What makes you think I'll do that?

Because I know…

I'm not Huayue.

I am the daughter of the Shangguan Family.

You are my daughter.

But Huayue said

that you grew wary of the Shangguan Family,

so you made me marry a commoner.

She's gone too far!

Pei Wenxuan was ranked first in the Royal Selection.

He is handsome and a man of character.

I'm sure you know how excellent he is.

I do.

So please, Father,

do not doubt me.

I'm not that capable.

I did everything

to seek justice.

I just hope Prince Consort won't be denied the opportunity to work

as a sixth-ranked official because of me.

Father.

Please grant my request.

I need to think about it.

You may leave now.

Yes, Father.

Your Majesty.

All of them are playing tricks

to fool me.

And they are doing a remarkable job at it.

Pingyue was right.

When Pei Wenxuan was announced to be the Vice Minister of Personnel,

I questioned their fidelity.

Your Majesty.

I believe

something more sinister must be at play

behind Mr. Pei's new promotion.

Send someone to investigate the truth for me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Highness, a letter from the Northwest.

Is it from Zhenzhen?

Your Highness, it has been a while.

The distance between us is vast.

I wonder when you'll receive this letter.

Perhaps you'll receive it in the third month of the year

when swan geese are flying back to the North?

The soldiers in the Northwest

believe that the returning swan geese

carry the yearning of their families with them.

When I see them,

they remind me of you

and my family in Huajing.

Thus, I named the sword you gave me

"Hongyu."

I was like a swan goose's feather,

carried by the wayward breeze.

Fortunately, I met you and Her Highness.

I was given the chance to take destiny into my own hands

and pursue my ambition.

I hope this feather can convey

my blessings and longings to you.

May this feather remind you of my presence and this letter brighten your day.

Zhenzhen, I am sure

we will meet again one day.

Hongyu.

Hush.

If I'm getting married,

I definitely won't marry someone like Pei Wenxuan.

He's good for nothing

except for his pretty face.

He's from a humble background and married Pingyue.

Yet he couldn't even secure the position as the secretary of examinations.

Pingyue has been arrogant all her life.

To have a husband like him…

Father.

Your Majesty, why did no one inform us of your arrival?

Is this how you raised your daughter?

She's a princess, yet she's talking behind others' backs.

It's all my fault for not disciplining her well.

Huayue, apologize to your father now.

Apologize?

Is she the one who should apologize?

Get out!

I'll take my leave, Father.

Everyone else should leave too.

Your Majesty, Huayue is young and naive.

She must have picked up bad habits in the palace.

I was about to lecture her.

Was it your idea to let Pei Wenxuan

be the Vice Minister of Personnel?

What do you mean, Your Majesty?

I mostly keep to myself in the harem.

I can't possibly have a say in such an important matter.

Perhaps the rumors mislead you

into misunderstanding me, Your Majesty.

Rumors?

I know very well

what you're capable of.

Otherwise,

how could a lowly person like you

be who you are today?

I know it's because

I'm lucky enough to earn your favor, Your Majesty.

I truly have nothing to do with it.

There must be a gossipmonger.

Perhaps I can confront him?

Quit pretending!

You can plot schemes.

You can also pull dirty tricks in this harem.

But don't try to deceive or take advantage of me.

I can put you in this position

and I can take it away from you just as easily.

I do not like others deceiving me.

For today's matter,

I can

let it go.

But Xiao Rou,

remember what you said to me.

You said

you'd be my blade.

Don't forget who you are.

If one day,

I realize that the blade is pointing at me,

I…

will melt it.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Highness.

Pei, my family did send me

an odorless, colorless, and chronic drug,

didn't they?

Yes, Your Highness.

You mean to…

Young Master.

Your Highness.

Young Master.

Young… Your Highness!

-Young Master. -What's the matter?

-Something bad happened. -What is it?

Daoist Hongde was summoned to the palace at night.

And then?

-Then-- -What's the matter?

Your Highness, Daoist Hongde was summoned to the palace at night

by Consort Rou, or so I heard.

In the palace, he made an accusation against you.

He said that it came from our mansion that the Crown Prince's marriage

must be postponed till five years later.

What?

His Majesty was infuriated

and he wanted to summon you right away.

But the messenger,

who was going to come out of the palace to convey the edict,

was somehow brought back in.

Brought back in?

Anything else?

Nothing.

Wait.

I heard His Majesty wasn't going to look into this.

Leave the city

and head to Qingshui County.

Find a laundrywoman called Tian Fang

and give her 300 taels of silver.

Tell her that her husband has been found

and she can bring her mother-in-law to Huajing to reunite with him.

That much money?

-Just go. -Okay.

You're trying to take advantage of Hongde's scandal?

Yes.

And it must be something that comes with solid evidence.

Did you talk to Hongde after you came back?

No.

Neither of us has talked to him.

So he was ordered to falsely accuse us.

But with Consort Rou's capability,

she isn't smart enough to devise this plan.