01x08 - Episode 8

[bunniefuu]

= Dominion and Devotion =

= Episode 8 =

[Master, do you want more ice?]

[Master, do you want more ice?]

Master, do you want more ice?

Get out.

Understood.

[Master Pei.]

[Come and detoxify me.]

[What am I thinking?]

[Hallucination.]

[Must be a hallucination.]

Auntie.

You must be hungry.

I made some porridge.

Have some.

Auntie.

How did I come back last night?

Gao...

Madam Li and I brought you back.

So,

did I do anything out of line last night?

If Madam Li and I had arrived later,

Your Majesty might have slept

with Lady Gao.

[His expression looks just normal.]

[It must be a dream.]

Thank you for your help, Master Pei.

Lady Gao drugged you.

How do you want to handle it?

She delivered me the leverage.

How can I waste it?

Right?

This medicine

can relieve headaches.

You really don't

remember

anything from last night?

No, I don't.

But I think

I had a weird dream.

I dreamed that I

groped Master Pei.

Thankfully, it was a dream.

Or I wouldn't know how to face him.

Your Majesty.

That was not a dream.

What did you say?

[It's over.]

[It's over.]

[I actually groped a eunuch.]

His Majesty has arrived.

I pay my respects to Your Majesty.

Do you confess?

I confess.

I shouldn't have drugged Your Majesty.

Although it did no harm,
it enraged Your Majesty.

I'll accept any punishment.

I only hope Your Majesty

could show leniency,

considering that I did this out
of desperation, only to stay close

to Your Majesty.

Hmph.

Out of desperation?

You think

I don't know that you are sent
by Master Zhuo to keep an eye on me?

As a concubine in the harem,

you don't even know whom to side with.

I can lock you up in the cold
palace for the rest of your life,

completely unattended to,
starving throughout the year,

and freezing to the bone in winter.

No one will ever

care about you in this lifetime.

Do you think

that Master Zhuo will take care of you?

He will only send me more concubines
and never cast a glance

at a discarded pawn like you.

Your Majesty.

I sincerely repent.

Please show mercy.

You're scared?

Your Majesty.

Lady Gao.

Now you know

who decides your fate

once you've entered the palace.

I know your father

favors his concubine over his wife.

You're the Minister's legitimate daughter,

but your half-sister
lives a better life than you.

Therefore,

being sent here by Master Zhuo

was your only chance to rise again.

Therefore,

you desperately wanted my favor

and Master Zhuo's trust.

Am I right?

How do you know all this?

Bring them in.

Your Majesty.

They are...

I can promote your rank right away.

From now on, you won't
have parents-in-law to serve

or children to discipline.

Meanwhile, you have a husband

who only gives you money when you need it.

Otherwise, I'm as good as a dead man
who will never bother you.

Eat and drink as you please.

Go home when you are bored
and lash out at your malicious stepmother.

No one would dare to pick on you.

If you

feel lonely and bored,

and want several gentlemen
to keep you company,

I can also grant your wish.

Master Zhuo can't offer you a life like this.

But

I can give it to you now.

This is the perfect life
that many women dream of.

Do you

want it or not?

Such a great temptation.

Your Majesty.

What should I do for you?

Master.

Shaoyao, Lady Gao's maid, is here.

Bring her in.

Understood.

I pay my respects to Master Zhuo.

Rise.

Understood.

[Shaoyao, Lady Gao's Maid]

Speak freely.

Understood.

My lady said she should come in person,
but she couldn't get out of bed.

So she sent me here

to not keep you waiting.

My lady said...

My lady said that His Majesty
kept her busy all night.

The young emperor looks flimsy.

Yet he's quite capable.

My lady made it.

His Majesty sent her many gifts

and offered to promote her rank.

Let's see how fast she gets pregnant.

You may leave.

Understood.

Men can easily

lose themselves

once they fall for women,

especially the pretty ones.

That is true.

[Junlai Village]

[Huo Zheng, Hanlin Academy Scholar]
[Master.]

[I've come too late.]

[I know you've been wronged.]

[They say you were k*lled by bandits.]

[I won't believe a single word of it.]

[I've been keeping an eye on the Zhuo family.]

This case gives me a great opportunity.

I swear on my life that I shall k*ll
Zhuo Shangxian in front of everyone

to honor your spirit in the heavens.

[Grave of Mentor He Yanbai]

Master Zhuo.

The emperor has been absent for long.

Why is that?

I have told you.

His Majesty is unwell

and needs rest.

If you have a memorial, just present it.

His Majesty hasn't

replied to my memorials
in the past half month.

No matter what,

today, I must speak with His Majesty.

Huo Zheng.

Are you plotting a coup?

I wouldn't dare.

But the empire needs a ruler.

His Majesty neglects court affairs.

We

need an explanation today.

If His Majesty does not meet us,

we

will kneel in this hall

and keep waiting.

His Majesty is no longer unwell.

If he wishes to see His Majesty, let him do so.

I will be watching over,
and nothing will go wrong.

Fine.

Since Master Huo insists,

Shenzhi,

take Master Huo to see His Majesty.

Understood.

I know you pulled the strings

and promoted me

to fulfill my ambitions.

But if you intend to win me over like this,

you've miscalculated.

I have no interest in winning you over.

I only helped you

at someone's request.

At someone's request?

Who is that?

I'm afraid that only one person in this world

could look after you.

Before I go back,

I want to ask you for a person.

You may have

whoever you want.

Naturally,

that would be His Majesty.

His Majesty cares about his people.

Of course, I believe that.

But I wonder why Master Pei

would agree to help me.

What are you after?

Don't you think

that His Majesty

has some charm?

Master Huo.

Let's go.

Bring Huo Zheng in.

I pay my respects to Your Majesty.

Master Huo.

Please rise.

You spoke out for Master He
in court that day.

I admire your relationship with your mentor.

Has your wound

fully healed yet?

Thank you for your concern.

It has healed.

But my mentor was ambushed

and m*rder*d

on his way back home.

The m*rder*r is still at large.

It's such an important matter.

Why the delay in reporting?

Your Majesty.

I submitted ten memorials in a row.

Someone is hiding them from you

out of his guilty conscience.

Master Huo.

Be cautious with your words.

What?

Someone doesn't want me
to speak about his evil deeds?

Master Pei.

Master Huo.

You'd better not make accusations
without evidence.

Or you may get into trouble.

Master Pei.

Did you do it?

Your Majesty.

Do you also believe in
such groundless rumors?

As long as you deny it,

I will believe you.

Master Huo.

Did you come here to complain about me?

[Could there be some hidden truth?]

Master Pei.

Sooner or later, I will find the evidence.

Your Majesty.

I am here to present my memorial.

Please issue a decree

to execute Zhuo Minghua,
Magistrate of Jinghua Prefecture.

[Master Zhuo?]

What happened?

As the Magistrate of Jinghua Prefecture,

Zhuo Minghua harbored
the wealthy merchant Luo Fuhai

and k*lled 36 innocent people
from Junlai Village in Qinnan County.

That is a heinous crime.

Your Majesty,

please do justice to the deceased.

What did you say?

Who died?

Qinnan County.

Junlai Village.

All 36 villagers were k*lled.

[Memorial]

Master Huo,

please elaborate on the details.

Does Your Majesty

remember the case of Junlai Village

from over a month ago?

Yes, I do.

There was a broker
named Sun Daqiang in Qinnan County.

After Hu Quan's incident,
Sun Daqiang was also flogged

and couldn't make money.

He held a grudge

and instigated the merchant Luo Fuhai

to as*ault Zhao Rulan.

Zhao Rulan hanged herself

in the village due to the humiliation.

After that,

Zhang Guifen and the village women
sought justice at the court.

But Zhuo Minghua accused them
of causing a disturbance,

and sentenced all 36
of them to death right away.

[Zhuo Minghua is Zhuo
Shangxian's only cousin.]

[If not handled properly,]

[her life as the emperor]

[could very likely end here.]

As Zhuo Minghua's close relatives,
Master Pei should excuse himself.

It's not for you to decide.

Your Majesty.

I will report this to Master Zhuo
for a full investigation.

Full investigation?

Who knows what you're plotting?

Even if I'm plotting something,

what can you do?

You...

Shut up!

I will

visit Junlai Village
to look into this case in person.

Master Pei,

you won't stop me, will you?

♪ Candle lights the halls
through springs and autumns ♪

♪ Love and hate are written in a few strokes ♪

♪ Imperishable ♪

♪ Bloodstained vows with a touch of tenderness ♪

♪ Fate is written by the universe ♪

♪ Unending ♪

♪ Heaven falls ♪

♪ No concern for cause and effect ♪

♪ On the throne ♪

♪ Is it a shackle ♪

♪ Locking you and me up ♪

♪ Break through the wind and clouds ♪

♪ A dream lasts a lifetime.
The world has changed ♪

♪ One step forward, gaze back at the youth ♪

♪ At a glance, all beings bow their heads ♪

♪ I'm in the midst of chaos ♪

♪ At the end of the night ♪

♪ Having the loneliest dream in this world ♪

♪ Move on ♪

♪ Don't look back ♪