The Princess Royal (2024) s01e11 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 11]
Your Highness.
Miss Qin.
You're here so early.
Is something the matter, Your Highness?
Not at all.
I was taking a stroll,
and before I knew it,
I found myself here.
So I thought I should visit you.
Jiulu Mountain and the capital
are at least an hour apart by horse.
A mere stroll cannot take you here.
I see dark circles around your eyes,
and your gait is weak.
You didn't sleep well at all.
Tell me. What's the matter?
None.
Did something happen to my brother
by the border?
Not at all, Miss Qin.
Don't worry.
It's something more private.
The phoenix landed
in the houses of noble.
And the flowers blossomed
for four generations.
Your Highness, you are worried
about the consort selection?
Are you overwhelmed by choices?
Quit mocking me.
I received
an invitation missive several days ago.
It says Her Majesty will hold
a banquet during the Qixi Festival,
where all noble maidens are invited.
Is this your concern?
Will you be there?
Far be it for me to defy a royal edict.
However, I do not want to.
While life in the palace
might be harsh on a woman,
I believe
that someone is willing
to traverse the rocky path ahead
with you, Miss Qin.
Together, you overcome difficulties
and devote yourself to each other
like any ordinary couple does.
That only exists in novels.
In reality, life is long
and humans are treacherous.
Women in the palace
are like the flowers in four seasons.
One wilts as the other blooms.
They get replaced often.
Who's to say the flower
won't lose its charm?
Who's to say the man won't lose
himself amidst the temptations.
Besides,
some flowers choose to live
in the nature.
The sky and earth are their home,
and they enjoy the freedom.
Your Highness, you are the Crown Prince.
You mustn't let romance distract you.
Come.
Let me see
if your swordsmanship has improved.
How thrilling.
The banquet is near.
You should head back, Your Highness.
Since you're attending it, Miss Qin,
why don't we travel together?
In this robe?
♪If the past was caught
in the turbulent waves of the storm♪
How foolish of me.
You're a lady.
Of course, you'll want to dress up.
♪Memories flash back♪
See you.
♪I am that solitary boat♪
Your Highness.
♪Tossed about in the waves,
unable to escape♪
Do you believe in those ideals
from the novels?
♪Until a pair of hands♪
When there's a will, there's a way.
I love that.
I hope you
won't run away
when faced with challenges.
♪No need to imprison myself in longing♪
You have my words.
♪Eyes like flickering fireflies♪
♪Lighting up the misty sea tower♪
It's getting late.
You should go, Your Highness.
♪Allowing you and me to dock safely♪
See you at the palace.
See you.
♪In this long and arduous journey♪
♪I'm fortunate to have met you♪
Will you be different from those
♪It is your tenderness♪
who live in the palace?
[Innocence]
♪That makes me willing
to set aside my pride♪
♪Even if the world falls into my grasp♪
What a great weather today.
Indeed.
We haven't seen such
great weather in so long.
What a great day
to celebrate the Qixi Festival.
Greetings, Your Highness.
At ease.
Thanks, Your Highness.
Ya and I were separated, and we haven't
seen each other for years.
I'd like to speak with her in private.
Will all of you mind?
Sure, Your Highness.
Your Highness.
I'm all ears.
I was worried
you'd become maladjusted
and start screaming.
I suppose I worried for nothing.
I appreciate
your concerns, Your Highness.
You're so early today.
You too, Ya.
Have you listened to the song?
Yet you
still want to enter the palace?
You can lie to me
but not to yourself.
If you wish to know my stance,
I can tell you here
that I don't want to stand there
and compete with
other women
for the affection of one sole man
on the throne.
Here presides Her Majesty.
Today is the Qixi Festival.
By right, you should
celebrate it with your family.
However,
I like the merriment of a crowd,
so I invited all of you here.
Please have fun.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Worry not, Queen Mother.
Young maidens are fond of festivities.
It is our honor to be invited
by you, Your Majesty.
I have discussed with Her Majesty.
We will introduce a new game today,
a perfume-making contest.
Since it's a contest,
I'd like to suggest something,
Your Majesty.
Pray tell.
The perfume concocted
by the maidens here
will be submitted.
The top three
will be awarded. What do you think?
I am married.
If I participate in this,
the nature of the contest will change.
Its outcome cannot be used
to select future consorts.
I beg to differ.
We're all attending this banquet.
How come they can
concoct perfumes and win prizes
but I can't?
I want to join too.
Rong,
today is the Qixi Festival.
You're married.
You cannot join in.
Consort Rou proposed the contest,
which means that she must
have persuaded Father
that the top three candidates
would be Chuan's
primary and secondary consorts.
Mother is planning
to play along.
Everyone is participating in it.
I won't make
that much of an addition, will I?
Miss Qin.
Do you not make perfumes?
It doesn't matter to me.
What a unique lady, you are.
It seems like
Qin Zhenzhen doesn't want
to enter the palace at all.
What a contented lady.
The banquet
is attended by important ministers
and young officials.
Forsake the formalities.
Let's assess the perfume
and share ideas and insights
about governance.
Feel free to speak your mind.
Your Majesty,
a nation only has a future
if it has an heir.
The Crown Prince is old enough
to select his consort.
Official Xie is right.
I've been thinking about this too.
Any suitable candidates?
Feel free to suggest anyone.
What is Her Majesty's plan?
Winner of the perfume-making contest
will be the Crown Prince Consort.
Don't worry.
Her Highness will help you.
I appreciate that.
Your Highness.
Official Shangguan.
You grew up under my nose.
Please know
that no matter what,
your mother and I mean you well.
I believe you know who to pick today.
Consort Rou wants Xiao Wei to win.
Queen Mother wants Shangguan Ya to win.
[Three]
This chest
contains the numbers of the
perfume pouches, and their owners.
If I were Consort Rou
Time's up.
Miss Qin,
my jade pendant fell on your seat.
Can you get it for me?
[Eight]
Why did you swap our perfume pouches?
You said
you didn't care about the result.
You don't mind
saving a life here, do you?
Uhm
Miss Qin, what perfume is that?
It smells so unique.
Don't worry. I'm not trying to harm you.
You shouldn't take my pouch.
Will you believe me
if I say I don't want to fight
the same women
for a man?
But the perfume you made
Don't worry.
My perfume will not be under my name.
Your perfume will not be
under your name.
Okay. I trust you.
[Six]
Father doesn't care who Chuan marries
as long as it's not someone
from a prestigious family
like Shangguan Ya or Su Rongwen.
He will mandate the marriage
if Chuan picks a woman
from a less prestigious family.
Qin Zhenzhen is the best candidate.
[Sandalwood Perfume Pouch Three]
No, I have to stop this.
Send this to the consort.
Tell him to ask the Crown Prince
to pick my perfume pouch.
She insisted
on participating in the contest.
I knew it was odd.
Li Rong, you are shrewd.
The banquet is not over.
Where are you going, Miss Jinglan?
Pingyue.
You know your brother very well.
Whose perfume
do you think he will choose?
Turn around.
Lift it.
[Eight]
[Five]
Since it's a banquet for the young,
in my opinion, to select the winner,
we should remove their names
and replace them with numbers.
The Crown Prince will select
the winner of the contest.
The runners-up
will be chosen by everyone here.
What do you think?
[Nine]
This soothing perfume pouch
has a very elegant scent.
How remarkable.
What do you think, Your Highness?
[Six]
I wonder who made Pouch Six.
She mixed
lilies and roseleaf raspberries.
It's fragrant and calming.
This must be one of the winners.
I might even hazard a proposal
that its owner
must be the winner.
Watch your mouth, Ronghua.
Ronghua, just write your opinion
on the paper.
His Highness will decide the winner.
Worry not.
We can all express
and exchange our opinions.
Chuan,
who do you think should be the winner?
Ya will make
a lily perfume pouch tomorrow.
She will mix lily flowers
with roseleaf raspberry wine.
Upon mixing it,
the floral scent will invade your nose.
Remember now.
She must be the Crown Prince Consort.
All perfume pouches
are unique in their own right.
Why haven't I heard
anything from Li Rong?
Did something bad happen?
[Sandalwood]
[Three]
White sandalwood?
This must be Li Rong.
It's been so many years,
and she never forgets it.
I knew she would do something
for the consort selection.
F-Father.
I
I
I'd select
Three.
[Eight]
Third place, Pouch Eight.
[Shangguan Ya]
Soothing perfume by Shangguan Ya.
Second place, Pouch Six.
[Qin Zhenzhen]
Lily perfume by Qin Zhenzhen.
Miss Qin made the lily perfume?
First place, Pouch Three.
[Li Rong]
Princess Pingyue, Li Rong.
Where is Pingyue in there?
Father, while Rong wasn't good
at perfume-making,
she has done an excellent job this time.
I hope that you can discard
your prejudice against her.
You're right, Chuan.
I shouldn't doubt her.
She should be awarded.
Bring them here.
Pingyue won?
Mother,
I should claim my award from Father.
How can this be, Mother?
Xiao Wei is not within the top three.
My goal
is to show His Majesty
through this banquet
who is coveting
the Crown Prince Consort position.
They all show themselves now.
Please wait here, Your Highness.
Do you know she replaced
your pouch with hers?
Yes.
You didn't tell anyone?
No.
Why not?
My perfume pouch is empty.
If she wants to harm me,
I can prove that the pouch is not mine.
She said
she didn't want to fight
other women for one man.
I am of the same opinion too.
You're lucky today
because you met me.
If it weren't for you, Miss Shangguan,
I might not have lent assistance at all.
Why are you so certain
that she didn't lie?
Father told me
that to ascertain
if someone was telling the truth,
it sufficed to look into her eyes.
What about me?
You are a kind person, Your Highness.
You're wrong.
Her Highness
is a cunning person.
Insolence.
You've seen the worst of me.
What more is there for me
to be afraid of?
If you like, Your Highness,
let's hang out
at the poetry society one day.
Sure.
We should bring some taels with us
to gamble.
We're in the palace.
Don't make me look bad.
Gamble what?
Your Highness, follow me.
Greetings, Father.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
At ease.
- Thanks, Your Majesty.
- Thanks, Father.
I was of the impression
that you were bad
at making perfumes.
Somehow, you impressed everyone today.
It's all thanks to the prince consort.
He taught me
the recipe.
I knew it.
I know perfectly well
what Rong is capable of.
I have heard of Ya's talent,
but Miss Qin here
is a new face.
Come closer.
Let me take a look.
I need to know the face of the lady
who concocted such a perfume.
Yes, Your Majesty.
What defiant, heroic features.
Is Father mandating the marriage now?
Zhenzhen is never
interested in perfume-making.
Why is she here?
She doesn't admit it
but her intense gaze says it all.
Whether it's for Pei Wenxuan
or Chuan,
I have to stop this.
Your Majesty,
the ladies must be tired
from standing this long.
Perhaps you should award them
so they can get some rest.
Rongqing!
You're right, Official Su.
Award them.
Chuan,
help me
award them.
Yes, Father.
Rong.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Miss Qin.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Congratulations.
I am tired now.
You young ones should have fun.
I owe my father an explanation
so I must go now.
What about you, Your Highness?
I'm waiting for Pei Wenxuan.
Like I said previously,
you two are close.
Go back
and face your father's wrath already.
By your leave, Your Highness.
Miss Qin, can we talk?
Shangguan Ya took your pouch
so that you can become
the Crown Prince Consort in her stead.
I helped you at someone's behest.
Pei Wenxuan and I
do not love each other.
We agreed
to divorce each other
once we freed ourselves
from these impositions.
The palace is a chaotic place.
If you decide to stay here,
you have to be cautious.
Farewell.
Your Highness.
Mr. Su.
Your Highness.
Thank you so much for today.
Whatever for?
For your timely intervention just now.
Never mind.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Let's go.
I must go now.
Miss Qin.
Your Highness, we're at the palace.
You can risk it but I cannot
afford the risk.
I just want to tell you
that I like the perfume you made.
It makes me happy.
I don't like it.
Why not?
I don't like the perfume
or the palace.
Someone swapped her pouch with mine.
That was how I won.
Do not have the wrong idea.
Please write to me in time
if you have news of my brother.
You thanked Su Rongqing today
because Qin Zhenzhen
went to see His Majesty?
Yes.
I can't believe Su Rongqing
can read my mind already.
We won today.
You must be very happy, Your Highness.
Aren't you the same, Mr. Pei?
Other than when you bully me,
I do feel upset too.
Tell me.
What do you
plan to do after our divorce?
Why do you ask?
Qin Zhenzhen's death
must have filled you with regrets.
I know you still love her.
She died very early,
so you felt indebted to her.
For her sake, you must work harder
in this life.
Work harder on what?
Qin Zhenzhen is old enough
to get married.
If all goes well, it takes us
three years to get the divorce.
If you don't make a vow with her now,
she might give her heart away.
I came clean to her today.
I told her I helped her because of you,
and that we would get a divorce later.
You grew up with her.
Hang out with her more.
And once you two settle down
in the relationship,
I'll ask Qin Lin
to send her to the North.
Once everything's done
and we get the divorce,
I'll mandate the marriage
between you two.
What do you think?
Why the silence?
You think she'll be miserable
in the North?
If you have any issues,
you can tell me.
What's there to complain about?
What else can I add?
You planned everything.
Everyone has
a clear role to play.
What else do you want me to say?
Halt.
Your Highness,
what happened to the Prince Consort?
Who knows?
Have someone follow him
in case he gets into trouble.
Yes, Your Highness.
What is wrong with him?
Let's go home.
Resume.
This isn't fair.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop!
What now?
Li Rong, I'm telling you now.
From now on,
before you ask me to do something,
you have to ask for my consent.
What kind of person do you think I am?
What do you think I want?
What do you think I should do?
You need to consult me first.
So you're confronting me.
Sure.
Tell me.
What is the misunderstanding
that upsets you so?
I do not like Qin Zhenzhen.
I know
you're still stung
by her rejection.
It's been many years,
so perhaps you don't love her
like you did.
However
Stop.
Whether in the past or present,
I never like Qin Zhenzhen.
I do not miss her.
I do not care about her.
Everyone tells me
that she's meant to be my wife,
that I have to treat her well.
Therefore, I
I assume I must like her.
Until I met someone.
When she's sad,
I become nervous.
When she smiles,
it feels like winter doesn't exist.
If she fancies a hairpin,
I'll make sure
I remember what it's like.
If the weather changes,
I'll be worried if
she is soaked under the rain.
If she goes away for a few days,
I'll pine for her.
I want to write her a missive every day.
I will wonder
how many kids we should have.
I will wonder
if we can spend the rest
of our lives together.
Li Rong,
I do not have any regrets
toward Qin Zhenzhen.
My regret, if anything,
is you.
I loved
and lost
Li Rong.
I know you used to love me.
But
You don't like Qin Zhenzhen?
Because you never tried
to understand what I want.
Once you make up your mind,
no one can persuade you otherwise.
Shangguan Ya is meek and obedient,
yet you never discern her duplicity.
Su Rongqing's family was murdered,
yet you never discern his thirst
for revenge.
Li Chuan lost his father and wife,
yet you never discern his heartbreak.
What about me?
Li Rong,
I loved you.
And I lost you.
Can you see now
what I want?
What I desire?
I will
think about it.
It's raining heavily. Come back in.
You could have scolded me,
given me your advice,
loved me, hated me,
or
But it shouldn't have been this way.
You shouldn't have been indifferent
toward me.
You should go back.
I'll return to the bureau.
Why are you doing this?
Why am I doing this?
When faced with anything,
you keep emotions to yourself.
You believe your rationality
provides a solution for everything.
But remember this, Li Rong.
Behind power is a human being.
If you cannot empathize
with a human being,
your pursuits
will be in vain.
I'm tired.
Let's live separately now.
Your Highness!
Let's go back.
Let's go.
What a jerk.
He gets emotional
and he starts saying hurtful things.
Behind power is a human being.
If you cannot empathize
with a human being,
your pursuits
will be in vain.
Fine.
If you're that upset,
let's not stay together anymore.
Why did I say I didn't want us
to be together?
You mean it.
I was just telling you that
♪Falling into the whirlpool of dream♪
Li Rong, I'm tired.
I don't want to argue with you anymore.
♪I forgot to lock both our memories♪
From now on,
I don't want to have anything
to do with you anymore.
We'll
go our own ways, all right?
♪The journey might be windy♪
Take care.
♪You whisper into my ears♪
♪Why don't we risk it all again?♪
♪Forget about the world♪
♪Flowers blossom and wilt,
even if it's futile♪
♪We must be brave enough to love♪
♪To take the risk, to make the decision♪
♪To break through♪
♪In the shower of petals,
and the stars twinkle♪
Your Highness!
♪Make the decision
to love you to the moon and back♪
♪Don't be afraid of changes,
there's no escaping destiny♪
♪The dream
from the previous life is fading♪
Pei Wenxuan.
♪What is the right choice in this life?♪
Sorry.
I should have asked you
before I made a decision
for you and Qin Zhenzhen.
But I truly meant well.
Back then, I asked
what she was to you.
You said you were worried about her.
I thought
you not only loved me,
but also her.
I did not want a relationship like that
so I quit.
Qin Zhenzhen does not like the palace.
I thought you still loved her,
and that as long as she was with you,
you two could lead a peaceful life.
Then, you wouldn't have any regrets.
That was the best solution
I could come up with.
Also,
power isn't all I care about.
If someone treats me with kindness,
I want to return the same favor.
I'm not using you
to solve Chuan's predicament.
I did care about you.
Besides,
didn't you decide that I should
be together with Su Rongqing too?
Li Rong.
I match-made Su Rongqing and you
so that you could face your heart.
You never tell me the truth.
You bury your emotions
under rationality.
I'm always left with confusion.
I'm sorry.
I'm so used to my way.
Li Rong.
I know what I want.
Do you?
Do you know what you want?
Do you understand what I said
to you today?
Yes.
Are you happy?
I'm glad.
But
Pei Wenxuan,
those were in the past.
I do not know
how to answer you now.
It was my regret back then,
and it was yours too.
You can be rational
but you're still a mortal.
Mortals have emotions.
There's nothing wrong about it.
If back then, we
had told each other
about our feelings,
perhaps
we would have had a better ending.
Let's go home.
♪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 lengthy 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♪