A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
ADAPTED FROM TIANXIA GUIYUAN'S NOVEL HUANG QUAN
EPISODE 38
I believe
this is how Prince of Chu answered Your Majesty's question.
It's also a blessing for your birthday.
Great.
That's great.
Ning Yi is full of wisdom indeed.
This noble lady is also quick-witted.
In comparison,
the answer that I wrote earlier is too childish.
I also wish that Father will be able to cut out happiness, sadness,
anger, and fury.
May Father live together in nature and become one with the world.
Happy Birthday, Your Majesty.
Live together with nature.
Become one with the world.
You may rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Wait.
I wonder if Prince of Chu and this lady in front of you
share the same thoughts and opinions?
Father.
Please forgive me.
I already told you before.
I have no intention of choosing a wife today.
Even though this noble lady is quick-witted,
she looks...
She looks hideous.
So please wait for me
to pay attention to other girls going forward.
All right. You're dismissed.
Your Majesty.
This time,
let's see if Grand Secretary Yao's daughter and a royal son
are a match made in heaven.
This was written by Prince of Yan.
Your Majesty.
It's the word "love."
LOVE
Monks and priests spend their lives alone,
see through the world of mortals, and finally attain nirvana.
They appear not to have earthly love,
yet they have the love for mankind,
which is what they're pursuing in their lives.
They call that universal love.
I think
Prince of Yan is also not bothered with mortal love.
He probably wrote this word so that through me,
he can tell Your Majesty
to view the citizens as his love
so that the regime will live on forever.
Father.
What Grand Secretary Yao's daughter said was exactly what I was thinking.
From what I can see, the two of us share the same thoughts and opinions.
Please bless us.
Your Majesty.
I have a request. I hope Your Majesty approves.
Let me hear it.
I hope you'll allow me to select another sheet.
What do you mean by that?
How can you select another one when it's destined by the heavens?
Do you want to go against heaven's wishes
and the rules of His Majesty?
I don't dare.
Regardless of which royal son's sheet I choose,
it won't change the fact that my heavenly match is Prince of Yan.
In that case, why do you need to do that?
I'm just curious.
I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish.
I'm curious too.
Go ahead.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Read it.
Your Majesty.
It's also the word "love."
Did someone dare trick
and lie to me?
Don't be angry, Your Majesty.
I think maybe
another royal son shares
the same thoughts with his brother, Ning Sheng, and wrote the same word.
Ning Qi.
What did you write?
Your Majesty.
Noble Consort Chang.
I also
wrote that word.
Is that a coincidence?
Your Majesty.
I'm afraid it's hard to tell
which one is Lady Yao's heavenly match.
Is it Ning Sheng
or Ning Qi?
Since that's heaven's wish,
I'm afraid I'm not fortunate enough to marry into the royal family.
Your Majesty, it's getting late.
How about looking at the gifts given by His Highnesses?
Mother.
Do you really believe
-that Buddha exists? -Of course.
I've been a vegetarian and worshiping Buddha all these years.
How can I not believe that?
All right.
Then no matter what happens today,
you just need to believe
that Buddha will protect you.
Don't be anxious and don't be afraid.
And don't panic
and say things you shouldn't.
Ning Qi.
You and I shouldn't take the risk.
Just let me confess to your father.
You and I are one.
If you go back on your word,
you and I will both be in trouble.
Lady Wang and Prince of Wei
may present their gifts and wish His Majesty a happy birthday.
Your Highness.
-All set? -Yes.
I just don't understand.
Why are you doing this?
I'm just guessing.
Remember.
When you hear a lady cry in the palace, you can start.
It can't be too early
or too late.
Understand?
Prince of Chu, Ning Yi, is presenting his gift.
Your officials and relatives all sincerely pray
for your long life and the empire's prosperity.
I wish Father a very long life.
Prince of Chu presents Minhai's coin.
Father.
Lord of Minhai is really smart.
The Minhai coin he privately made
used fewer materials compared to the Changxi coin we make.
I'm presenting this Minhai coin
so that Father can see and learn the resource-saving way they made this.
How impetuous.
"Don't forget to mind the dangers in safety.
Safety is assured when we mind the dangers."
Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly.
"Safety is assured when we mind the dangers."
-Zhao Yuan. -Yes, Your Majesty.
Keep it well on my behalf.
Yes, Your Majesty.
-You may rise. -Thank you, Father.
Yongshou Palace's Lady Wang
and Prince of Wei, Ning Qi, are presenting their gifts.
Your Majesty, I wish you prosperity
and a long life.
All right.
I'll live a long life.
You'll also accompany me for a long time.
You may rise.
-Thank you, Your Majesty. -Thank you, Father.
GOLDEN BOX
The golden box.
Lady Wang.
What is the meaning of this?
Ziyin.
Where did you get this?
This is not the gift you prepared for Father.
Your Majesty, please forgive me.
I just took the gift from Yongshou Palace.
Maybe I took the wrong gift.
Turns out you've already prepared this golden box.
Noble Consort.
I really don't know where this came from
and why it was in my palace.
You don't know anything?
How about Prince of Wei?
Do you not know what happened, either?
Noble Consort.
This appears to be
the golden box where Father kept his imperial edict.
Your Majesty.
You let me handle the Imperial Harem for over ten years.
Now, someone made a fake golden box.
This is very suspicious.
Good thing heaven has blessed us, and it was exposed during your birthday.
Please investigate this thoroughly.
I didn't do my job well.
I'll accept your punishment.
Prince of Wei, anything you want to say?
I only have one thing to say, as always.
Both rewards and punishments are granted by the grace of the Emperor.
As long as the name in the box is who Father wants to be the heir,
that's also who I want to be the heir.
All I want is for you to believe
that no matter when or what,
Mother and I will always be loyal to you.
I will always be
the Ning Qi who is obedient to you.
And Mother
will always be Lady Wang, who sees you as her whole world.
Please understand that.
Ning Qi.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
As long as the golden box's content is what Father wants,
then it's also what I want.
Now, this fake golden box
was hidden in your mother's palace.
Ning Qi.
It's hard not to be suspicious.
Do you want to do a switch and steal the Emperor's position?
No.
Ning Qi didn't do anything.
He doesn't know anything.
"He doesn't know anything"?
Then you planned it all by yourself?
I...
I didn't do anything.
Please investigate thoroughly.
Ning Qi.
Let me give you some advice.
Admit your fault to Father.
If you can change your ways,
I am sure Father will forgive you and your mother.
Your Majesty, Ning Qi doesn't know anything.
Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly.
I've never seen this object before either.
Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly.
Lady Wang.
Did you really not do anything?
If you don't want anyone to know about it,
don't do it.
Prince of Chu.
What do you mean?
Could it be
that you want to condone them?
Which part of what I said
made it sound like I'm condoning them?
Which part of what I said is not helping Noble Consort
force Lady Wang to tell the truth?
Didn't you get it?
Your Majesty.
Stealing the Emperor's position is a grave crime in the regime.
Please take both of them to Zongzheng Temple to be prosecuted.
Lady Wang, is this scene familiar to you?
They find something in your palace that doesn't belong to you.
Then you committed the crime of treason.
Yes.
It's exactly the same as what happened before.
Lady Wang.
Don't speak nonsense. It will only add to your crime.
What goes around comes around.
You had it coming.
The ghost from 18 years ago still remains.
Do you want to repeat your mistake, Lady Wang?
Karma.
It's karma.
-Your Majesty. -Mother.
Remember what I told you.
"No matter what happens today,
Buddha will protect you."
You didn't do anything.
Father.
I beg you
to please detain Ziyin and interrogate her carefully.
Then we'll know
who was truly behind this.
Your Majesty.
Lady Wang has already admitted that she committed a crime.
Please lock her up in Zongzheng Temple.
I'm very familiar with Zongzheng Temple.
I spent eight painful and helpless years there.
There's nothing there.
Aside from the prison guards,
I can only talk to the trees and the birds outside.
What exactly did you do?
Are you willing to let Ning Qi follow in my footsteps?
He didn't do anything.
-Ning Qi didn't do anything. -No, he didn't.
But what did you do?
-Mother! -My son is innocent!
Mother!
-What did you do? -Heaven will protect you, Mother.
-Your Majesty! -Mother!
-She's back. -Yes.
She's back.
-She's back. -Mother.
You didn't do anything.
Ning Qi.
Buddha cannot protect me anymore.
You didn't do anything, Mother.
I'm the reason she died.
Who did you cause to die? Speak.
-I'm the reason she died. -You didn't do anything.
Lady Wang, tell us.
You didn't do anything, Mother.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty.
It's all my fault.
I committed a crime.
Eighteen years ago...
What about 18 years ago?
What happened 18 years ago?
It was I.
-Your Majesty. -Your Majesty.
Call the imperial doctor!
Your Highness, please stop.
Your Highness.
His Majesty needs to rest.
Please go back and wait to be summoned.
Father is sick.
How could I not stay with him?
Maybe he'll recover quickly if he sees me.
-Move. I want to see Father. -Your Highness.
I'm just following orders.
Please don't give me a hard time.
I want to see who can stop me today.
Your Highness.
Your Highness, please stop.
Your Highness.
Father.
-Father. -Shaoning, you're here.
Father.
Why are you sick?
I've never seen you so weak before.
You're scaring me.
It's normal to grow old and die.
I can't escape that even as an emperor.
Father, don't say that.
Now that you're here,
I am feeling better already.
Father.
I was naughty before.
I always made you mad.
Starting today, I'll change.
I just ask
that you recover soon.
Father.
Promise me.
I promise.
Really?
When have I lied to you?
You've never lied to me. I believe you.
You're more thoughtful than your brothers.
All right.
I'm tired. I want to rest.
Would you go?
No.
I want to stay with you.
Your Highness.
The imperial doctor said that His Majesty needs sufficient rest.
Please go back for now.
Father.
Shaoning.
I'm fine.
Father, I'll take my leave then.
You betrayed me first.
I asked you to look into the future of the empire, and you lied to me.
It shows you've never had real affections for me all these years.
Why did you give me your blood?
Your Majesty, you think you're extraordinary
and can make the empire last forever.
Why do you need me to tell the future?
I have also fed Ning Yi this blood.
This will save both of your lives.
Long live Your Majesty.
What should we do?
-Prince of Chu. -Prince of Chu.
Chief Imperial Doctor.
You look like you're at your wit's end.
Could it be that His Majesty's condition is troubling you?
Your Highness.
What's troubling us is not His Majesty's condition,
but His Majesty's refusal to take medication.
I'll go talk to Father.
Your Highness.
Please convince His Majesty to take his medication on time.
Prince of Chu.
-It's good that you are here. -Official Zhao.
Are you also anxious
because Father refuses to take his medication?
-Let me talk to him. -Wait, Your Highness.
Noble Consort and Prince of Yan came by earlier.
His Majesty
is not in a very good mood.
Your Highness came just in time.
Please have a talk with His Majesty. Maybe he'll feel better then.
Prince of Yan and his mother
must have come to check on Father's health.
Why is Father
not in a good mood?
His Majesty didn't ask for them to come.
Prince of Chu, let me just say something.
"Filial piety"
matters most to people who are sick.
Prince of Yan, on the other hand, can be a bit impatient.
I understand.
Is Ning Yi here?
Ask him to come in.
Ning Yi pays respect to Father.
Father.
Why aren't you taking care of yourself?
Please stop concealing illness and avoiding treatment.
Put it aside for now.
I'll drink it later.
Tell me first.
How has the Royal Court been these past two days?
You may go.
Father.
Drink it while it's hot.
It won't be effective if it gets cold.
Nothing much is happening.
I'll tell you after you drink this.
No.
It's too bitter.
Father.
You speak like a child.
I'll taste it for you,
and see if it's as bitter as you say.
Never mind.
I'm tired of pretending to be sick anyway.
Ning Yi, come.
Play Go with me.
-Play Go with me. -Father.
Official Zhao can play with you.
You and Official Zhao
have been having fun with this ruse.
I understand now.
I'll take my leave.
Father.
I'll take my leave.
Look at him.
He found out the truth and got mad.
Your Majesty.
Couldn't you see from that
how filial Prince of Chu is?
Ning Sheng.
I haven't been feeling well lately,
so I asked Imperial Doctor Zhang to check on me
and sought some information from him.
Lady Wang and her son have already seen His Majesty.
Ning Yi also went to see His Majesty.
Seeing the way things are,
the situation is unfavorable to us.
Mother.
It's too soon to say that.
I won't just sit around and do nothing.
Mother.
Don't worry about it.
I'm here.
I won't take this lying down.
You think you're the only one?
Your Father is sick.
For all my life,
I was only considered
as a concubine.
So the one who's going to be buried in the royal tomb with your father
is the late Empress,
and not me.
Don't worry, Mother.
I won't let you experience such unfair treatment.
I'll fulfill your wishes.
Mother shall be
Tiansheng's Empress Dowager.
Ning Sheng.
You're my only hope.
After experiencing these things, I finally understand.
As long as we're together, other things don't matter.
I understand what you mean.
But as long as that golden box has Ning Yi's name in it,
someday,
when Ning Yi becomes an emperor, not only are you and I doomed,
the whole Chang clan is doomed.
What are you planning to do?
I asked to see Imperial Doctor Zhang.
He's responsible for Father's medication.
He may be of great help to us.
-Ning Sheng. -Mother.
We can't hesitate now.
We must take the risk.
As long as Father's condition is unclear,
I can do something about that golden box.
-I pay respect to Prince of Yan. -There's no need for courtesy.
Did Your Highness ask me to come here because of Noble Consort's condition?
No.
I have a condition
that requires your treatment.
Your Highness.
You mean...
Imperial Doctor Zhang.
I'll just cut to the chase.
Imperial Doctor Zhang,
you've been in the royal infirmary since the empire began.
Your skills are excellent.
You're good at acupuncture.
There's nothing you can't heal.
It's a shame that you're only in charge of Father's medication
with your brilliant medical skills
because the Chief Imperial Doctor
is your superior.
Am I right?
Why don't you replace him?
I can help you.
Your Highness.
I don't dare think about it.
Why not?
Of course, you may refuse me.
But my men should already be
at your residence now.
Your Highness, please spare me.
Imperial Doctor Zhang.
You may rise.
Rise to the top, or let your family die with you.
You can choose only one.
Your Highness.
What do you need me to do?
Father's medical records are with the Chief Imperial Doctor.
I want to see them.
What's the matter?
I dreamed that I was about to die.
It's the opposite.
-What? -Dreams are the opposite of reality.
Director Wei.
The head of the Yan family sent a letter.
Shaoning.
Is Father in really bad health?
Father's room
-is filled with the smell of ginseng soup. -Ginseng soup?
-Then isn't Father... -Ning Sheng.
I don't want to go to Qingming anymore.
-If something happens to Father-- -Shaoning.
You have to go to Qingming all the more
because Father isn't well.
Think about it.
Uncle is still ambitious.
If the golden box
contains someone else's name,
Tiansheng will fall into chaos.
I just hope that the golden box doesn't contain Ning Yi's name.
Don't worry.
I won't let him get his way.
If the golden box has Ning Yi's name in it,
you and I are both going to die.
Once Ning Sheng has looked inside the box, it will be sealed with wax.
Nobody will know.
The head of the Yan family says handling the long-haired sheep is not hard.
It's just that the Ship Services Division handles the shipping in Minhai,
so we can do it only if an order is issued to Minhai.
As you have mentioned, Huaishi,
His Majesty is sick now,
so it's hard to get an order issued.
He'll be well when something good happens.
Nanyi usually gets it right.
Director Wei, Prince of Yan and Princess Shaoning are here.
Prince of Yan.
Princess Shaoning.
Director Wei, my sister has never followed rules.
Father asked me to bring her back so that you can instill discipline in her.
I thank you on Father's behalf.
I'm not worthy
-of Your Highness' words. -Director Wei, you may rise.
Forgive me, Your Highness.
My old wound is acting up again.
Wei Zhi, do you need the imperial doctor?
Shaoning.
I'll handle it.
Let Director Wei rest.
I'll bring you to your study room.
Thank you, Your Highnesses.
-Let's go. -Wei Zhi, I'll check on you later.
He seems to have come with ill intentions.
Looks like my old wound
won't be healed anytime soon.
Your Highness.
You should go to the palace to take care of the sick.
If you don't act like a filial son now,
when would you?
My father is truly unprecedented.
He pretends to be sick to avoid addressing my mother's case.
I think that's a good move on your father's part.
With him feigning sickness, Prince of Yan's head is starting to ache.
Why was I born into the royal family?
Even the father-and-son relationship is being used in a scheme.
Your Highness.
You still have me.
I won't ever scheme against you.
I'd never scheme against my own children.
Your own children?
Where are they?
You should find a mother for your children first, right?
Ziyan.
When we were in Yilan Palace, Feng Zhiwei asked me
why I always used her and schemed against her.
How did you answer her?
I originally thought
I'd never scheme against her.
But now...
Maybe it runs
in the Ning family's blood.
Your Highness.
Look at me.
You've fallen for her.
Do you plan to marry her?
I can't even describe our relationship.
Let's not talk about the future yet.
You don't need to describe it. Let me tell you now.
Both of you are a bad match.
Subtitle translation by Coleen Chua