The Princess Royal (2024) s01e17 Episode Script
Episode 17
1
[The Princess Royal]
[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel,
The Princess Royal on jjwxc.net]
[This is a work of fiction.]
[Episode 17]
Wait for me outside.
Father.
Come and sit here.
No need for the punishment of flogging.
Thank you, Father.
It has been years
since I came to Beiyan Pagoda last time.
I have heard from Mother
that you specifically asked people
to build Beiyan Pagoda for her.
When it was built,
your mother was just pregnant with you.
It was my first time being a father,
and I was very elated.
On her birthday,
I asked her what she liked,
and she said she liked
seeing the stars in the sky.
So, in my first year of reign,
I sent many people
to build Beiyan Pagoda.
It was later that I noticed
your mother loved standing here
to gaze at the lights of the city.
Sometimes, I wonder
how nice it would be
if time could freeze
at that moment.
At least, your mother and I
would have been deeply in love.
And I would have been a good father.
Father.
You have always been a good father.
Rong.
You are a clever child.
You're cleverer than Chuan.
Chuan is still young.
So are you.
Yet, you are able to see things
in a clearer perspective than he can.
If only you were a boy.
Father, Chuan is actually
a capable person.
Perhaps you don't really know him.
Yes, Chuan is capable.
But he resembles me too much.
Rong.
There are many things
out of my control and wishes.
I don't expect you not to blame me.
All I ask is that one day
when I am no longer around,
you can understand
that I truly hope
for you and Chuan to lead a good life.
Has Pei Wenxuan left Huajing?
Yes.
He will bring you
what you want, Father.
Very well.
Have a good rest here.
If you need anything,
just tell Fulai.
I knew Princess Pingyue
would tell you to come to me.
So, what is it?
This list was written by General Qin.
They lost the battle at Huangping County
due to the lack of provisions
at the front lines.
[Tian Zhong]
These are the names
of the relevant officials involved.
The Princess wants their testimonies.
We can't do anything
about the higher-ranked officials here,
so we have to start
with the lower-ranked ones.
I'm at your service,
as the Princess ordered.
She sure knows how to slack off.
Let's start with this man
named Tian Zhong.
He's just a seventh-ranked official
in charge of
the Ministry of War's accounts.
Being the lustful man he is,
he loves visiting brothels.
Find a good time
to knock him out,
take him here, and tie him up.
Then, get another girl
to fake her own death
and make her lie on his bed.
Are you going to set him up?
No, we're just scaring him.
I'll come with you by then.
We'll get his testimony
and promise to cover the murder up.
When we've got that on him,
it'll be easier for us
to conduct our future work.
What about the others?
Everyone has a weakness.
We have 19 days.
Let's take them out one by one.
Why are you sighing, Your Highness?
I wonder where Pei Wenxuan is now.
Your Highness.
What are you worrying about?
Your Highness?
Your Highness?
Is everything fine?
Your Majesty.
Rong, have you realized your mistake?
What have I done wrong?
Did I thwart your plans
or seize your power?
You haven't been here
in a long time, have you?
Father asked people to build
this Beiyan Pagoda for you.
You haven't been here
in some time, have you?
You used to be a loving couple,
yet you're drifting apart.
Why?
That's because you only care
about the Shangguan Family.
You isolated yourself from Father.
Father dotes on Consort Rou so much now
because she has tied her interests
along with Father.
But I also know
that you will never go against
the Shangguan Family.
Still, please believe me when I say
that I wish my family
could lead a good life.
This has always been
something important to me.
Rong, you resemble your father too much.
Both of you like to mix
emotions and power together.
There are times
when I don't even know
if you mean what you say.
In the court, you said
that it's for the country,
and now you're saying
it's for your family.
I don't know which is true
and whether I should believe you.
I'm here today
to pass on a message from your uncle.
Pei Wenxuan
He's dead.
Rong.
When you go against the stream,
you'll have to pay the price.
Stop being willful from now on.
Did you say
that Pei Wenxuan is dead?
Was it you?
Even if it weren't us,
someone else would kill him.
Was it you?
No.
No?
Have you seen his dead body then?
I heard
that he fell off a cliff
with no remains to be found.
That means you haven't seen
his dead body.
Unless you bring his dead body to me,
I will never believe this.
Rong, as your mother,
I do not wish to see you
widowed at a young age.
I'm going back.
Rong, a woman in the palace
should never pin her destiny
on a man.
Take care.
Your Highness.
Now that the Prince Consort is
Nothing would happen to him.
They haven't found his body, right?
Find him first.
But
But Her Majesty
What is wrong with you?
Don't you know what kind of person
Pei Wenxuan is?
How could he ever die like this?
Yes, Your Highness.
I'll start a search now.
He won't die.
Pei Wenxuan.
They said you died.
♪If the past was caught
in the turbulent waves of the storm♪
But you did not, right?
Pei Wenxuan.
♪Will there be arms to hold me
in this lifetime?♪
I will wait for your return.
There will be a reward
if you handle it well.
♪Tossed about in the waves,
unable to escape♪
Take care.
♪Until a pair of hands♪
It's no big deal.
♪Guides me through the worldly remnants
of old dreams♪
As long as you return alive
♪Wrapped in the wind's embrace♪
♪Hidden in my sleeves♪
whatever you ask for,
I'll give it to you.
♪No need to imprison myself
in longing♪
♪Eyes like flickering fireflies♪
♪Lighting up the misty sea tower♪
♪Allowing you and me to dock safely♪
♪In this long and arduous journey♪
[Pei Wenxuan]
♪I'm fortunate to have met you♪
♪It is your tenderness♪
♪That makes me willing
to set aside my pride♪
♪Even if the world falls into my grasp♪
♪Your eyes would still captivate me♪
♪I'll stay by your side
till the end of time♪
♪May we stay together in dreams♪
♪With the starry sky as our bed
and our embraces as our quilt♪
♪Regardless of the seasons♪
Young Master.
Pei Wenxuan's body has not been found.
As for Princess Pingyue
Go ahead.
According to the people inside,
when Princess Pingyue learned
about the Prince Consort's death,
she changed into plain clothes
and did not sleep for the night.
Pei Wenxuan wouldn't die that easily.
Since his body has not been found,
it's possible that he's still alive.
Get someone
to search for Pei Wenxuan now.
[Pei Wen]
Your Highness,
let me help you freshen up.
His Highness is here to visit you.
Why is he here?
Pei Wenxuan is not dead.
I don't need them to condole with me.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness,
the Princess
does not want to see you.
Fengming.
Your Highness.
Pass this letter to my uncle.
Your Highness,
if Princess Pingyue knows about this,
she will not allow you to do so either.
Just do as I say.
Yes, Your Highness.
I heard Pei Wenxuan is dead.
So did I.
So, this is a good opportunity
for you to get close
to Princess Pingyue.
But I feel
that Pei Wenxuan wouldn't die so easily.
Why don't you
send someone to verify then?
Ronghua, here you go.
Rongqing.
In my opinion,
if Pei Wenxuan is dead,
His Majesty might not stop you
from marrying Princess Pingyue.
Why do you say so?
That's because he thinks
you may work for Consort Rou,
which means you may
work for him as well.
But do you think
he would believe this?
That's not up to him to decide.
If Princess Pingyue lost,
he would need to win over
anyone who may work for him.
Mu Hong.
Young Masters.
Send Princess Pingyue a gift
on my behalf.
Yes, sir.
My dear brother,
you have finally wised up.
I'm glad to see that.
Ronghua.
Have you got any news?
Get me some Buddhist Scriptures.
Yes, Your Highness.
Pei Wenxuan.
They all said you died,
but I don't believe them.
That's why I'm writing a letter to you.
You'd love to know
what I'm writing, right?
If so,
please stay alive
so you can read my letter.
This is the first letter.
Speaking of which,
this is my first time
writing a letter formally.
How lucky of you.
[Yongzhou Prefecture Office]
I am the garrison general
of Yongzhou, Mei Qinghai.
Greetings, Mr. Cui.
Why did you
hand over the records to them?
He had Princess Pingyue's
and the Inspectorate Office's tokens.
I simply couldn't say no.
Fortunately, Pei Wenxuan
fell off a cliff.
Even if he took it, it's useless now.
Stay alert.
Yes, sir.
Sir.
I'll take my leave.
[To Uncle.
Sincerely, your nephew Li Chuan]
He's trying to give up his position
as Crown Prince to threaten me?
Very well.
What a good son our Empress has.
Your Highness.
Second Young Master Su
wanted to give you this.
Return it.
Yes, Your Highness.
Young Master.
This is the third time
she's returned your gifts.
Keep giving.
Yes, sir.
Miss Shangguan.
Well? I've brought the person here.
Good job.
Is there any news about Pei Wenxuan?
It's already been seven days.
Your Majesty,
we have not received any news yet.
What about Pingyue?
No news either.
And the Crown Prince?
None either.
They really can keep their equanimity.
Your Highness,
your handwriting looks more
and more like the Prince Consort's.
I misspoke, Your Highness.
Please punish me.
You didn't say anything wrong.
Get up.
But, Your Highness,
even though the Prince Consort
is gone
He's not gone.
It's been 10 days.
Listen.
He's not gone.
If you say something like this again,
just leave my mansion right away.
Yes, Your Highness.
I'm sorry, Your Highness.
Pei Wenxuan.
Have you been well?
Today, they told me again that you died.
I know this is impossible.
Given your wits,
as soon as you left the capital,
you must have formulated a plan.
Maybe you've planned all this.
After all, the dead are the safest.
Jinglan?
Any news?
Then, why are you here?
I'm just here to take a look around.
If only the Prince Consort
were still around,
Her Highness wouldn't be so sad now.
What are you saying?
My young master must be still alive.
He's just on a long journey.
He'll be back in a few days.
Yes, that must be the case.
The Prince Consort has always
been blessed with good luck.
I'm sure he will be fine.
Let me help you with it.
Well,
for now, no news is the best news.
Yes.
I watched my young master grow up.
Everyone describes him
as handsome and talented.
I've heard that a million times,
and it's nothing to me.
Still, there's one thing about him
that impresses me the most.
What is it?
Well,
since his childhood,
he has always done what he has said.
He never broke his promise.
It's not easy for the Prince Consort
to keep all his promises.
So, since he promised to return,
he would.
Moreover,
this was a promise
he made to the Princess.
Father, please make the call.
How should we
deal with Wenxuan's assets?
What do you think, Liming?
The Princess's Mansion
hasn't sent out an obituary.
Since they haven't sent out an obituary,
that means the news
has not been finalized.
Both the Shangguan Family
and the Su Family have spread the news.
They all said
that Wenxuan died.
He's not dead.
Even now,
do you still look forward to his death?
I'm here today with a message
that should put an end to your frenzy.
Even if Wenxuan were dead,
I myself
would do the needful.
Pei Wenxuan.
Jinglan.
Your Highness.
Any news about Pei Wenxuan yet?
Your Highness, the Qins
will be executed tomorrow.
General Qin Lin
will reach the capital today.
Pass a message to Xun Chuan.
Tell her to bring
General Qin Lin and the others
to the Princess's Mansion.
Yes, Your Highness.
- Long live His Majesty!
- Long live His Majesty!
His Majesty has ordered
that Princess Pingyue's Mansion
will be responsible for watching over
Qin Lin and the others.
Understood.
Release them.
Miss.
General Qin, it must have been
a tiring journey.
Please board the carriage.
[Princess's Mansion]
You may leave.
General Qin.
Princess Pingyue wants you to rest here
while she handles everything else.
Thank you, Miss.
If you need anything,
just tell the servants.
Yes.
Then, I'll take my leave.
Miss.
Princess Pingyue
Do not worry, General Qin.
Her Highness has put her future
on the line.
I'm sure that the Qin Family
will have their names cleared tomorrow.
I wanted to ask
that since you're working
for the Princess,
I heard that the last place
my sister visited
was Princess Pingyue's Mansion.
They said she died
General Qin.
She's fine.
Rest assured.
Now that I recall,
when I left back then,
her stature looked just like yours.
Your sister is blessed
with good fortune.
Just rest assured, General Qin.
I'll take my leave.
Your Majesty, are you worried
about how Pingyue will clean up her mess
if she fails to obtain any evidence?
So, in your opinion,
if Pei Wenxuan couldn't return,
how would this mess be cleaned up?
Your Majesty, you love throwing me
the hard questions.
I haven't figured it out yet.
But I do know
that you wouldn't want Pingyue
to leave the capital.
You're not answering my question.
If the Prince Consort is really dead,
Pingyue will be a widow.
She can still stay in the capital
with her in-laws, though.
So, who else do you think
is still capable of protecting Pingyue?
There is someone,
but that depends on Pingyue's attitude.
Xu!
You may leave.
Yes, Your Majesty.
As the Empress,
you must never
allow anyone to notice
that you're anxious.
Sit down first.
How can I not be anxious?
Tomorrow is the day.
Pingyue is my daughter, after all.
I don't want her to leave the capital.
We tried to persuade
and stop her.
What happens eventually
is a result of her own choices.
Xu.
You need to do something.
Just wait.
Wait for the Qin Family's end
and Pingyue's end.
Did you know that the Crown Prince
sent me a letter?
He threatened me
that if Pingyue is exiled,
he will give up the position
as Crown Prince.
Did he lose his mind?
No, he can't do that.
He can't do that.
Xu!
Do not worry, Your Majesty.
The Crown Prince and you
are not the only ones
who don't want her to leave the capital.
There's only one day left.
Sirs, there is still hope.
You need to have faith in Mr. Pei.
The Princess wants all of you
to eat and rest well.
She will handle the rest.
Right.
We need to have faith
in Princess Pingyue and Mr. Pei.
Come on, let's dig in.
[Beiyan Pagoda]
I, Su Rongqing, would like to request
an audience with Princess Pingyue.
Your Highness.
Young Master Su is here.
Greetings, Your Highness.
The Qin Family will be executed today.
Why are you here
instead of watching the execution?
I've heard that you will be
leaving Huajing today,
so I'm here to visit you.
Before your departure,
may I play a game of weiqi
and have some tea
with you?
Mr. Su, you're bidding me farewell
so early in the morning.
I wonder why you're so certain
that I'd lose this time.
Your turn.
That person
He's dead.
You must not show the evidence
that has been gathered by your men.
Why not?
There are too many people on the list.
If you show the evidence,
I'm afraid you'd die
before leaving the capital.
You know who are on the list?
Yes.
I thought
you wouldn't tolerate such evil acts.
When it comes to embezzling
military provisions and funds,
no matter whether it's me, my father,
or Mr. Shangguan,
none of us can tolerate it.
Is that so?
However, you should not
be the one to investigate it.
It should be handled in-house.
If you were to investigate this,
you would be putting the noble families
at huge risk.
That's why the noble families
cannot authorize you
to handle this case.
I didn't expect you
to tell me all that
so straightforwardly.
Even if I don't tell you,
you know all this, don't you?
So, you're here today
to show off.
You're showing off
that I have lost to you.
The Inspectorate Office
has died on the vine.
His Majesty will have no reason
to establish
a second Inspectorate Office.
You're no longer at risk now.
Happy now, Mr. Su?
I'm here today with a question.
I hope you can give me an answer to it.
I wonder what other questions
I can answer for you.
Your Highness, you're making enemies
with the noble families.
Is it for
Mr. Pei?
What a pity.
Here comes
the Supervisor of Decapitation!
I thought the Qin Family were wronged.
Why are they still going to be executed?
It's not just the Qin Family.
The Princess who was trying
to seek justice for the Qin Family
is being exiled from the capital today.
After all, no one can
win against the noble families.
Miss, when should we take action?
A while more.
The Princess has ordered
that we shouldn't take action
until we have to.
Your Majesty.
The criminals from the Qin Family
are at the execution site now.
We have solid evidence against them,
while Princess Pingyue
has not presented any solid evidence
to refute the claim.
Therefore, Your Majesty,
please give the command
to execute the Qin Family, who have
betrayed the country and embezzled
the military provisions and funds
to serve as a warning to the others.
Your Majesty, I agree
that the Qin Family
should be executed immediately.
Your Majesty,
please give the execution command now
in accordance
with the court's principle.
- Your Majesty,
- Your Majesty,
- please give the execution command now
- please give the execution command now
- in accordance
- in accordance
- with the court's principle.
- with the court's principle.
- I second that!
- I second that!
Why do you ask that?
There's something
I'd like to discuss with you.
Go ahead.
The noble families
are directing their anger at you,
and they're aiming
to banish you from Huajing.
I have a plan
that could protect you.
I wonder
who is capable of turning the tide.
I
I ask for your hand in marriage,
Your Highness.
Will you marry me?
Your Highness.
Over the past few days,
you kept sending gifts to me
because you assumed
that Pei Wenxuan was dead,
am I right?
What if I said
that Pei Wenxuan's death
gave me some courage and hope?
In the past, I'd been in love with you,
but because of my family's stance,
I dared not express my feelings for you.
His Majesty wouldn't have allowed you
to marry into my family either.
But now, I've finally realized
that if I miss this opportunity,
I will miss you forever.
I want to live for myself this once.
The biggest regret in my life
is missing you.
No matter whether
we are a couple or allies,
our destinies are intertwined.
Your Highness.
I missed you once,
and I don't wish to miss you again.
That's enough.
Fulai, prepare the decree.
I, Pei Wenxuan,
show my greetings to you, Your Majesty.
He's really hard to kill.
Pei Wenxuan?
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Long live Your Majesty.
That's enough. Get up.
Pei Wenxuan, aren't you sick?
Your Majesty,
Princess Pingyue must have told you
that I was feigning illness
while secretly leaving the capital
to thoroughly investigate
the Qin Family's case.
Continue.
I left the capital secretly,
but I found
that someone was following me,
so I set up a trap
to fake my own death
in order to fool them.
That's how I managed
to reach the Northwest
to thoroughly investigate the case.
Now,
I have obtained evidence
that can clear the Qin Family's name.
Therefore, Your Majesty,
please send someone
to the execution site
to halt the execution.
Fulai.
Send someone to the execution site
and stop the execution.
Your Highness!
Your Highness!
The Prince Consort is back!
♪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♪
[The Princess Royal]
[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel,
The Princess Royal on jjwxc.net]
[This is a work of fiction.]
[Episode 17]
Wait for me outside.
Father.
Come and sit here.
No need for the punishment of flogging.
Thank you, Father.
It has been years
since I came to Beiyan Pagoda last time.
I have heard from Mother
that you specifically asked people
to build Beiyan Pagoda for her.
When it was built,
your mother was just pregnant with you.
It was my first time being a father,
and I was very elated.
On her birthday,
I asked her what she liked,
and she said she liked
seeing the stars in the sky.
So, in my first year of reign,
I sent many people
to build Beiyan Pagoda.
It was later that I noticed
your mother loved standing here
to gaze at the lights of the city.
Sometimes, I wonder
how nice it would be
if time could freeze
at that moment.
At least, your mother and I
would have been deeply in love.
And I would have been a good father.
Father.
You have always been a good father.
Rong.
You are a clever child.
You're cleverer than Chuan.
Chuan is still young.
So are you.
Yet, you are able to see things
in a clearer perspective than he can.
If only you were a boy.
Father, Chuan is actually
a capable person.
Perhaps you don't really know him.
Yes, Chuan is capable.
But he resembles me too much.
Rong.
There are many things
out of my control and wishes.
I don't expect you not to blame me.
All I ask is that one day
when I am no longer around,
you can understand
that I truly hope
for you and Chuan to lead a good life.
Has Pei Wenxuan left Huajing?
Yes.
He will bring you
what you want, Father.
Very well.
Have a good rest here.
If you need anything,
just tell Fulai.
I knew Princess Pingyue
would tell you to come to me.
So, what is it?
This list was written by General Qin.
They lost the battle at Huangping County
due to the lack of provisions
at the front lines.
[Tian Zhong]
These are the names
of the relevant officials involved.
The Princess wants their testimonies.
We can't do anything
about the higher-ranked officials here,
so we have to start
with the lower-ranked ones.
I'm at your service,
as the Princess ordered.
She sure knows how to slack off.
Let's start with this man
named Tian Zhong.
He's just a seventh-ranked official
in charge of
the Ministry of War's accounts.
Being the lustful man he is,
he loves visiting brothels.
Find a good time
to knock him out,
take him here, and tie him up.
Then, get another girl
to fake her own death
and make her lie on his bed.
Are you going to set him up?
No, we're just scaring him.
I'll come with you by then.
We'll get his testimony
and promise to cover the murder up.
When we've got that on him,
it'll be easier for us
to conduct our future work.
What about the others?
Everyone has a weakness.
We have 19 days.
Let's take them out one by one.
Why are you sighing, Your Highness?
I wonder where Pei Wenxuan is now.
Your Highness.
What are you worrying about?
Your Highness?
Your Highness?
Is everything fine?
Your Majesty.
Rong, have you realized your mistake?
What have I done wrong?
Did I thwart your plans
or seize your power?
You haven't been here
in a long time, have you?
Father asked people to build
this Beiyan Pagoda for you.
You haven't been here
in some time, have you?
You used to be a loving couple,
yet you're drifting apart.
Why?
That's because you only care
about the Shangguan Family.
You isolated yourself from Father.
Father dotes on Consort Rou so much now
because she has tied her interests
along with Father.
But I also know
that you will never go against
the Shangguan Family.
Still, please believe me when I say
that I wish my family
could lead a good life.
This has always been
something important to me.
Rong, you resemble your father too much.
Both of you like to mix
emotions and power together.
There are times
when I don't even know
if you mean what you say.
In the court, you said
that it's for the country,
and now you're saying
it's for your family.
I don't know which is true
and whether I should believe you.
I'm here today
to pass on a message from your uncle.
Pei Wenxuan
He's dead.
Rong.
When you go against the stream,
you'll have to pay the price.
Stop being willful from now on.
Did you say
that Pei Wenxuan is dead?
Was it you?
Even if it weren't us,
someone else would kill him.
Was it you?
No.
No?
Have you seen his dead body then?
I heard
that he fell off a cliff
with no remains to be found.
That means you haven't seen
his dead body.
Unless you bring his dead body to me,
I will never believe this.
Rong, as your mother,
I do not wish to see you
widowed at a young age.
I'm going back.
Rong, a woman in the palace
should never pin her destiny
on a man.
Take care.
Your Highness.
Now that the Prince Consort is
Nothing would happen to him.
They haven't found his body, right?
Find him first.
But
But Her Majesty
What is wrong with you?
Don't you know what kind of person
Pei Wenxuan is?
How could he ever die like this?
Yes, Your Highness.
I'll start a search now.
He won't die.
Pei Wenxuan.
They said you died.
♪If the past was caught
in the turbulent waves of the storm♪
But you did not, right?
Pei Wenxuan.
♪Will there be arms to hold me
in this lifetime?♪
I will wait for your return.
There will be a reward
if you handle it well.
♪Tossed about in the waves,
unable to escape♪
Take care.
♪Until a pair of hands♪
It's no big deal.
♪Guides me through the worldly remnants
of old dreams♪
As long as you return alive
♪Wrapped in the wind's embrace♪
♪Hidden in my sleeves♪
whatever you ask for,
I'll give it to you.
♪No need to imprison myself
in longing♪
♪Eyes like flickering fireflies♪
♪Lighting up the misty sea tower♪
♪Allowing you and me to dock safely♪
♪In this long and arduous journey♪
[Pei Wenxuan]
♪I'm fortunate to have met you♪
♪It is your tenderness♪
♪That makes me willing
to set aside my pride♪
♪Even if the world falls into my grasp♪
♪Your eyes would still captivate me♪
♪I'll stay by your side
till the end of time♪
♪May we stay together in dreams♪
♪With the starry sky as our bed
and our embraces as our quilt♪
♪Regardless of the seasons♪
Young Master.
Pei Wenxuan's body has not been found.
As for Princess Pingyue
Go ahead.
According to the people inside,
when Princess Pingyue learned
about the Prince Consort's death,
she changed into plain clothes
and did not sleep for the night.
Pei Wenxuan wouldn't die that easily.
Since his body has not been found,
it's possible that he's still alive.
Get someone
to search for Pei Wenxuan now.
[Pei Wen]
Your Highness,
let me help you freshen up.
His Highness is here to visit you.
Why is he here?
Pei Wenxuan is not dead.
I don't need them to condole with me.
Yes, Your Highness.
Your Highness,
the Princess
does not want to see you.
Fengming.
Your Highness.
Pass this letter to my uncle.
Your Highness,
if Princess Pingyue knows about this,
she will not allow you to do so either.
Just do as I say.
Yes, Your Highness.
I heard Pei Wenxuan is dead.
So did I.
So, this is a good opportunity
for you to get close
to Princess Pingyue.
But I feel
that Pei Wenxuan wouldn't die so easily.
Why don't you
send someone to verify then?
Ronghua, here you go.
Rongqing.
In my opinion,
if Pei Wenxuan is dead,
His Majesty might not stop you
from marrying Princess Pingyue.
Why do you say so?
That's because he thinks
you may work for Consort Rou,
which means you may
work for him as well.
But do you think
he would believe this?
That's not up to him to decide.
If Princess Pingyue lost,
he would need to win over
anyone who may work for him.
Mu Hong.
Young Masters.
Send Princess Pingyue a gift
on my behalf.
Yes, sir.
My dear brother,
you have finally wised up.
I'm glad to see that.
Ronghua.
Have you got any news?
Get me some Buddhist Scriptures.
Yes, Your Highness.
Pei Wenxuan.
They all said you died,
but I don't believe them.
That's why I'm writing a letter to you.
You'd love to know
what I'm writing, right?
If so,
please stay alive
so you can read my letter.
This is the first letter.
Speaking of which,
this is my first time
writing a letter formally.
How lucky of you.
[Yongzhou Prefecture Office]
I am the garrison general
of Yongzhou, Mei Qinghai.
Greetings, Mr. Cui.
Why did you
hand over the records to them?
He had Princess Pingyue's
and the Inspectorate Office's tokens.
I simply couldn't say no.
Fortunately, Pei Wenxuan
fell off a cliff.
Even if he took it, it's useless now.
Stay alert.
Yes, sir.
Sir.
I'll take my leave.
[To Uncle.
Sincerely, your nephew Li Chuan]
He's trying to give up his position
as Crown Prince to threaten me?
Very well.
What a good son our Empress has.
Your Highness.
Second Young Master Su
wanted to give you this.
Return it.
Yes, Your Highness.
Young Master.
This is the third time
she's returned your gifts.
Keep giving.
Yes, sir.
Miss Shangguan.
Well? I've brought the person here.
Good job.
Is there any news about Pei Wenxuan?
It's already been seven days.
Your Majesty,
we have not received any news yet.
What about Pingyue?
No news either.
And the Crown Prince?
None either.
They really can keep their equanimity.
Your Highness,
your handwriting looks more
and more like the Prince Consort's.
I misspoke, Your Highness.
Please punish me.
You didn't say anything wrong.
Get up.
But, Your Highness,
even though the Prince Consort
is gone
He's not gone.
It's been 10 days.
Listen.
He's not gone.
If you say something like this again,
just leave my mansion right away.
Yes, Your Highness.
I'm sorry, Your Highness.
Pei Wenxuan.
Have you been well?
Today, they told me again that you died.
I know this is impossible.
Given your wits,
as soon as you left the capital,
you must have formulated a plan.
Maybe you've planned all this.
After all, the dead are the safest.
Jinglan?
Any news?
Then, why are you here?
I'm just here to take a look around.
If only the Prince Consort
were still around,
Her Highness wouldn't be so sad now.
What are you saying?
My young master must be still alive.
He's just on a long journey.
He'll be back in a few days.
Yes, that must be the case.
The Prince Consort has always
been blessed with good luck.
I'm sure he will be fine.
Let me help you with it.
Well,
for now, no news is the best news.
Yes.
I watched my young master grow up.
Everyone describes him
as handsome and talented.
I've heard that a million times,
and it's nothing to me.
Still, there's one thing about him
that impresses me the most.
What is it?
Well,
since his childhood,
he has always done what he has said.
He never broke his promise.
It's not easy for the Prince Consort
to keep all his promises.
So, since he promised to return,
he would.
Moreover,
this was a promise
he made to the Princess.
Father, please make the call.
How should we
deal with Wenxuan's assets?
What do you think, Liming?
The Princess's Mansion
hasn't sent out an obituary.
Since they haven't sent out an obituary,
that means the news
has not been finalized.
Both the Shangguan Family
and the Su Family have spread the news.
They all said
that Wenxuan died.
He's not dead.
Even now,
do you still look forward to his death?
I'm here today with a message
that should put an end to your frenzy.
Even if Wenxuan were dead,
I myself
would do the needful.
Pei Wenxuan.
Jinglan.
Your Highness.
Any news about Pei Wenxuan yet?
Your Highness, the Qins
will be executed tomorrow.
General Qin Lin
will reach the capital today.
Pass a message to Xun Chuan.
Tell her to bring
General Qin Lin and the others
to the Princess's Mansion.
Yes, Your Highness.
- Long live His Majesty!
- Long live His Majesty!
His Majesty has ordered
that Princess Pingyue's Mansion
will be responsible for watching over
Qin Lin and the others.
Understood.
Release them.
Miss.
General Qin, it must have been
a tiring journey.
Please board the carriage.
[Princess's Mansion]
You may leave.
General Qin.
Princess Pingyue wants you to rest here
while she handles everything else.
Thank you, Miss.
If you need anything,
just tell the servants.
Yes.
Then, I'll take my leave.
Miss.
Princess Pingyue
Do not worry, General Qin.
Her Highness has put her future
on the line.
I'm sure that the Qin Family
will have their names cleared tomorrow.
I wanted to ask
that since you're working
for the Princess,
I heard that the last place
my sister visited
was Princess Pingyue's Mansion.
They said she died
General Qin.
She's fine.
Rest assured.
Now that I recall,
when I left back then,
her stature looked just like yours.
Your sister is blessed
with good fortune.
Just rest assured, General Qin.
I'll take my leave.
Your Majesty, are you worried
about how Pingyue will clean up her mess
if she fails to obtain any evidence?
So, in your opinion,
if Pei Wenxuan couldn't return,
how would this mess be cleaned up?
Your Majesty, you love throwing me
the hard questions.
I haven't figured it out yet.
But I do know
that you wouldn't want Pingyue
to leave the capital.
You're not answering my question.
If the Prince Consort is really dead,
Pingyue will be a widow.
She can still stay in the capital
with her in-laws, though.
So, who else do you think
is still capable of protecting Pingyue?
There is someone,
but that depends on Pingyue's attitude.
Xu!
You may leave.
Yes, Your Majesty.
As the Empress,
you must never
allow anyone to notice
that you're anxious.
Sit down first.
How can I not be anxious?
Tomorrow is the day.
Pingyue is my daughter, after all.
I don't want her to leave the capital.
We tried to persuade
and stop her.
What happens eventually
is a result of her own choices.
Xu.
You need to do something.
Just wait.
Wait for the Qin Family's end
and Pingyue's end.
Did you know that the Crown Prince
sent me a letter?
He threatened me
that if Pingyue is exiled,
he will give up the position
as Crown Prince.
Did he lose his mind?
No, he can't do that.
He can't do that.
Xu!
Do not worry, Your Majesty.
The Crown Prince and you
are not the only ones
who don't want her to leave the capital.
There's only one day left.
Sirs, there is still hope.
You need to have faith in Mr. Pei.
The Princess wants all of you
to eat and rest well.
She will handle the rest.
Right.
We need to have faith
in Princess Pingyue and Mr. Pei.
Come on, let's dig in.
[Beiyan Pagoda]
I, Su Rongqing, would like to request
an audience with Princess Pingyue.
Your Highness.
Young Master Su is here.
Greetings, Your Highness.
The Qin Family will be executed today.
Why are you here
instead of watching the execution?
I've heard that you will be
leaving Huajing today,
so I'm here to visit you.
Before your departure,
may I play a game of weiqi
and have some tea
with you?
Mr. Su, you're bidding me farewell
so early in the morning.
I wonder why you're so certain
that I'd lose this time.
Your turn.
That person
He's dead.
You must not show the evidence
that has been gathered by your men.
Why not?
There are too many people on the list.
If you show the evidence,
I'm afraid you'd die
before leaving the capital.
You know who are on the list?
Yes.
I thought
you wouldn't tolerate such evil acts.
When it comes to embezzling
military provisions and funds,
no matter whether it's me, my father,
or Mr. Shangguan,
none of us can tolerate it.
Is that so?
However, you should not
be the one to investigate it.
It should be handled in-house.
If you were to investigate this,
you would be putting the noble families
at huge risk.
That's why the noble families
cannot authorize you
to handle this case.
I didn't expect you
to tell me all that
so straightforwardly.
Even if I don't tell you,
you know all this, don't you?
So, you're here today
to show off.
You're showing off
that I have lost to you.
The Inspectorate Office
has died on the vine.
His Majesty will have no reason
to establish
a second Inspectorate Office.
You're no longer at risk now.
Happy now, Mr. Su?
I'm here today with a question.
I hope you can give me an answer to it.
I wonder what other questions
I can answer for you.
Your Highness, you're making enemies
with the noble families.
Is it for
Mr. Pei?
What a pity.
Here comes
the Supervisor of Decapitation!
I thought the Qin Family were wronged.
Why are they still going to be executed?
It's not just the Qin Family.
The Princess who was trying
to seek justice for the Qin Family
is being exiled from the capital today.
After all, no one can
win against the noble families.
Miss, when should we take action?
A while more.
The Princess has ordered
that we shouldn't take action
until we have to.
Your Majesty.
The criminals from the Qin Family
are at the execution site now.
We have solid evidence against them,
while Princess Pingyue
has not presented any solid evidence
to refute the claim.
Therefore, Your Majesty,
please give the command
to execute the Qin Family, who have
betrayed the country and embezzled
the military provisions and funds
to serve as a warning to the others.
Your Majesty, I agree
that the Qin Family
should be executed immediately.
Your Majesty,
please give the execution command now
in accordance
with the court's principle.
- Your Majesty,
- Your Majesty,
- please give the execution command now
- please give the execution command now
- in accordance
- in accordance
- with the court's principle.
- with the court's principle.
- I second that!
- I second that!
Why do you ask that?
There's something
I'd like to discuss with you.
Go ahead.
The noble families
are directing their anger at you,
and they're aiming
to banish you from Huajing.
I have a plan
that could protect you.
I wonder
who is capable of turning the tide.
I
I ask for your hand in marriage,
Your Highness.
Will you marry me?
Your Highness.
Over the past few days,
you kept sending gifts to me
because you assumed
that Pei Wenxuan was dead,
am I right?
What if I said
that Pei Wenxuan's death
gave me some courage and hope?
In the past, I'd been in love with you,
but because of my family's stance,
I dared not express my feelings for you.
His Majesty wouldn't have allowed you
to marry into my family either.
But now, I've finally realized
that if I miss this opportunity,
I will miss you forever.
I want to live for myself this once.
The biggest regret in my life
is missing you.
No matter whether
we are a couple or allies,
our destinies are intertwined.
Your Highness.
I missed you once,
and I don't wish to miss you again.
That's enough.
Fulai, prepare the decree.
I, Pei Wenxuan,
show my greetings to you, Your Majesty.
He's really hard to kill.
Pei Wenxuan?
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Long live Your Majesty.
That's enough. Get up.
Pei Wenxuan, aren't you sick?
Your Majesty,
Princess Pingyue must have told you
that I was feigning illness
while secretly leaving the capital
to thoroughly investigate
the Qin Family's case.
Continue.
I left the capital secretly,
but I found
that someone was following me,
so I set up a trap
to fake my own death
in order to fool them.
That's how I managed
to reach the Northwest
to thoroughly investigate the case.
Now,
I have obtained evidence
that can clear the Qin Family's name.
Therefore, Your Majesty,
please send someone
to the execution site
to halt the execution.
Fulai.
Send someone to the execution site
and stop the execution.
Your Highness!
Your Highness!
The Prince Consort is back!
♪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♪