The Princess Royal (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

1
[The Princess Royal]
[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel,
The Princess Royal on jjwxc.net]
[This is a work of fiction.]
[Episode 1]
- We wish to see His Majesty.
- We wish to see His Majesty.
I am the Empress
and the biological 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 work
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 Senior 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.
[Second Young Master Su]
Take a sip to wet your whistle.
[Vice Minister of Justice]
[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 the 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 the Eldest Prince 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 Young Master Su,
so elegant and composed,
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 go and send him away.
After all, we are husband and wife,
and we haven't divorced yet.
I shall go and see him.
Probably,
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 angry.
What do you come to see me 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 utterly worthy of the position.
What's there to discuss?
Third Prince Li Xin
is arrogant and unruly,
which makes him unsuitable
for the position of Crown Prince.
His mother, Shangguan,
holds too much power.
If something were to happen
to you and me in the future
Why is he also wearing a sachet?
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.
Are we really
going to let a concubine's son
ascend the throne instead?
Are you still holding a grudge
against Zhenzhen?
Can you please address her
as Noble Consort Qin?
How can you call her Zhenzhen?
Don't forget
that the Qin Zhenzhen you adore
is my younger brother,
the current emperor Li Chuan's
deceased consort.
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 has been 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 him,
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
getting so worked up again?
Go fetch the medicine for Her Highness.
- Yes.
- Yes.
He's definitely up to no good
coming to see you here.
You're still unwell,
so why bother seeing him?
I'm fine.
What's wrong?
Imperial Physician!
Get the Imperial Physician now!
It's the Poison of the Fragrant Beauty.
Pei Wenxuan.
It's Pei Wenxuan.
The sachet he was wearing
Rong, 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.
Young Master,
I feel something's not right.
[Tong Ye, Pei Wenxuan's valet]
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 twenty years,
I've been entangled with him.
I've 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 you.
If only
I could have a great dream
and I could start
everything anew.
The Princess Royal has passed away.
Where am I?
It's been a while,
warm sunshine.
Your Highness, you're awake.
Jinglan?
What's going on?
How come 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 luckily, you're still alive.
That's great.
Your Highness, are you all right?
It's already the hour of Si.
[9 AM to 11 AM]
His Majesty just finished
the morning audience.
He has sent word for you
to join him for lunch.
I was just about to come and wake you.
But you are already awake.
You said His Majesty
had just finished the morning audience?
That's great.
The message from the palace
said his days were numbered.
By the way,
how about that rascal 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 getting 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 twenty-fourth year
of the Yongning Era now.
The twenty-fourth year
of the Yongning Era?
This year,
I am eighteen 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
that the old me lived
too constrained a life?
You are just like your mother,
wanting to control the royal family
with the support
of 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 rascal 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.
So here I am, facing another 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 end up together,
now that we're married,
I'd like to live happily with you.
I am deeply honored
and 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
[Li Ming, Emperor]
since I was eighteen?
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 the chestnut cake
that I brought for you
from the Changle Palace.
It's your favorite.
Please try it.
Eunuch Fu, this is inappropriate.
Shush.
[Fulai]
[Chief Eunuch]
These are snacks
brought by Her Highness.
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, Rong.
Father, why are you inviting me
to have a meal with you today?
Fulai.
Someone.
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 twenty-second 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 your partner
rather than his 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 you could also allow me
to go out of the palace for a bit.
I've heard
that the roasted duck
at the Linglong Pavilion is the best
and the peach blossoms
at the Huguo Temple are stunning.
Alright, alright.
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 right around the corner anyway.
Then why not 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]
Young Master.
Young Master.
Great news.
Incredibly great news.
Tong Ye?
How come you look so young?
I look young?
Am I dreaming?
Young Master, are you alright?
Are you upset about Miss 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
in the twenty-fourth year
of the Yongning Era.
Young Master, 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?
Miss Qin called off the engagement,
Ms. Tong is pressuring us
for debts every day,
and 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.
So I thought I should find a way
to turn things around for you.
And I went to offer incense
to 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 just address the Princess
by her name.
If they heard it
and spread the word,
it could mean death.
She's been waiting in the study for us
for quite a while.
So
Let's think about it this way.
There's a reason the Qin Family
called off the engagement.
Ever since Master passed away,
your second uncle
has been oppressing you.
He doesn't give you the money
when you ask for it.
And he doesn't give you the power
when you need it.
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's young lady
broke off our engagement,
and soon after, Princess Pingyue
would be selecting a consort.
Young Master 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
Miss 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.
[Invitation]
This is a dream of starting over,
where everything begins anew.
♪Who gazes at the sky from afar?♪
♪Who gazes at the sky from afar?♪
♪In the night's chill breeze♪
♪What is she singing for?♪
♪The wind caresses the hills♪
♪The wind causes ripples on calm water♪
♪Moonlight graces passing souls♪
♪Her steps get slower and slower♪
♪She's trod a long path♪
♪Memories lost then found♪
♪Gazing idly as clouds roll by♪
♪She holds a red candle♪
♪To brave the thick fog♪
♪Life can be bitter sometimes♪
♪Experience it 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 moon is reflected in her eyes♪
♪In her gaze,
the unwavering faith remains♪