01x15 - Episode 15

[bunniefuu]

Defying the law
by unlawfully imprisoning others,

attempting to m*rder
the heir of a marquis.

What punishment should you face?

Your Highness,

though your status is noble,

by ancestral law,
the women of the inner palace

may not interfere in state affairs.

This is a court of law,

not a place for Your Highness
to make a spectacle.

Please conduct yourself with dignity

and leave at once.

In that case,

I'll remain here

and go nowhere today.

Everyone in and around this yamen
is under my command.

Until the court sends someone

to uncover the truth of this case,

no one here,

including you, Prefect Yu,

may leave this yamen.

Commandery Princess Zhaoning,

how dare you place an imperial official
under house arrest!

This matter,

I will report to His Majesty at once.

Mo Yuan.

How dare you!

I am an imperial official!

Xihe!

Xihe!

Xihe!

Xihe!

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Magistrate Tang

has confessed everything.

The secret prison in Zenan

was orchestrated by Yu Zao.

I am willing to testify.

It was Yu Zao who ordered

the people to be secretly abducted,

forced to mine ore,

and illegally forge weapons

for a treasonous plot.

I have kept the account books

and correspondence as evidence.

Tang Juan, you wretch!
May you die a miserable death!

Throw Yu Zao into prison

and keep him under strict guard.

Kneel!

The prefectural office
is handling this case.

Drop your weapons
and you will be spared!

Run!

Cui Jinbai!

Cui Jinbai!

Cui Jinbai, where are you?

Don't move!

Come out!

Hurry!

Cui Jinbai!

Stone Cui!

=Blossoms of Power=

[Adapted from the novel, After My
Bloom, All Flowers Wither by Jin Huang]

=Episode 15=

Hurry!

Cui Jinbai!

Hurry!

Stone Cui!

I'm here.

How are you?

Are you hurt?

Did they... did they hurt you?

Seeing how worried you are about me

makes me very happy.

Cui Jinbai,

Yu Zao has been imprisoned,

and the Prefectural Residence
has been seized.

I'm grateful

that you helped me.

But what you said to me before,

I hope you'll forget it.

Do you understand?

But you were clearly worried about me.

That's because you helped me.

Let's go.

Greetings, Your Highness.

These past few days,

you have worked tirelessly.

You flatter me, Your Highness.

I'm not trying to interfere
with your investigation.

I simply wish to remain by your side

and be of some help to you.

There's no need to trouble yourself.

You should return to the palace at once,

lest His Majesty become concerned.

Though our wedding has been postponed,

our goal remains the same.

We both seek to eliminate corruption

and bring justice to the people.

I believe you

also wish to solve Bu Shulin's
case as soon as possible.

After all,

you are as close as sisters.

Throughout the interrogation,

you will preside.

I'll merely observe

and lend my support.

As you wish, Your Highness.

Your Highness,

there's no need
to waste your time on me.

Hasn't Tang Juan already confessed?

Whatever the sentence is,

so be it.

Yu Zao,

you secretly transferred

the imprisoned civilians
into the mountains to mine ore

and forge weapons.

But as far as I know,

you hold no influence in the military.

So the mastermind
behind the secret prison

is not you.

Who is the real mastermind?

It's me.

The secret prison
has caused countless tragedies.

Families have been torn apart,

and lives destroyed.

Even if His Majesty
sentences your entire clan

to death, it would not be excessive.

Then...

let it be.

Yu Zao,

have you not thought
of your wife and children?

Or your brothers and sisters?

Will you really stand by and watch them

be dragged to their deaths
because of you?

Yu Zao's attitude

is very unusual.

Indeed.

He's far too confident.

Your Highness,

do you still remember
the Moon Palace game?

Black can become white,

and white can become black.

In this world, it's more
than just a chess piece

that blurs the line
between black and white.

Truth can become false,

and false can become truth.

Yu Zao faces the punishment
of extermination of the whole clan.

Yet in prison,
he has remained remarkably calm,

without offering a single word
in defense of his wife or clan.

That means
there's a strong possibility...

The Yu Zao in prison

is not the real Yu Zao.

Whether he's real or not,

that depends on your next.

I've kept you waiting, Your Highness.

Not for long.

When it comes to waiting for you,

I have all the time in the world.

Why is it that you can always
say such flirtatious things

as if they were nothing?

Because every word comes from the heart.

If this is how
the conversation is going,

I'll be leaving now.

All right.

Let's talk about something else.

These documents

are evidence
that Yu Zao accepted bribes.

Every payment can be traced.

Yet not a single payment
went to his wife or children.

[Private Records of the Ningze Prefectural Treasury]
Nor did any of it go to his relatives.

All the money ended up in one place.

Yuzhou.

You dropped this the other day.

I'll be there on time tomorrow.

Prefect Yu,

your crimes warrant
the extermination of your whole clan,

yet you don't even flinch.

I've already made myself clear.

I know my crimes deserve death.

You two

shouldn't waste any more time on me.

You don't care
about your fake wife and children.

Do you really care nothing

for your real wife and children?

What do you mean by this, Your Highness?

You show no fear
of the extermination of your whole clan.

That goes against basic human nature.

Which leaves only one explanation.

Those people are not your real family.

That's why you remain unmoved.

You're not the real Yu Zao.

I don't know, Your Highness,

why you would make such baseless claims.

You may deny it all you like.

But of all the bribe money you took,

not a single payment

was sent to your wife
or relatives in the capital.

Instead, it all went to Yuzhou.

I imagine someone
very important to you is there.

The real Yu Zao

was ambushed by bandits

on his way to his post two years ago.

Your people k*lled him,

and you assumed his identity.

For the past two years,

you never returned home,

only kept in touch
with Yu Zao's family through letters.

You and the mastermind

planned, over those two years,

to make full use of the secret prison

and forge enough weapons.

Then you would find an opportunity

to disappear without a trace.

I never expected

you would uncover even this.

If you admit your false identity
and reveal the mastermind,

I will spare your
real wife and children.

What do you say?

Given the situation,

is there a better choice
than what Your Highness has offered?

[Zenan Prefecture]

The imperial decree has been issued.

You will pay
for your crimes with your life.

That will bring this matter to a close.

Your real wife and children

have now been spared.

You can tell us now, can't you?

It was the Duke of Ying.

Twenty years ago,

I joined the army
under the Duke of Ying.

The Duke of Ying
showed me great kindness.

I could not refuse

any of his orders.

The Duke of Ying

is in Anlan now?

Something has happened
to the Duke of Ying.

He had close dealings
with a Hu merchant.

In the past,

he secretly obtained poisons

through that merchant.

The merchant gained leverage over him

and became increasingly overbearing.

The Duke of Ying decided to silence him.

Unexpectedly,

the merchant poisoned
the Duke of Ying and escaped.

After being poisoned, the Duke of Ying

could barely eat anything.

His insides burned with unbearable pain,

leaving him in constant agony.

After that,

his whereabouts became unknown.

My fellow citizens,

I am the Deputy Chief Justice
of the Court of Judicial Review.

By order of the court,

I have come to resolve
the secret prison case.

The culprit impersonated Yu Zao,

and all his accomplices
have been arrested.

The secret prison

has been completely destroyed.

The court is fully aware
of the suffering you have endured.

His Majesty is deeply grieved as well.

By His Majesty's decree,

all victims of the secret prison case

and their families

will receive relief.

His Majesty has appointed
Commandery Princess Zhaoning

to oversee these arrangements.

Everyone,

those who suffered
in the secret prison case

and lost a family member,

please proceed to the green banner.

Each person
will receive 500 copper coins

and 25 kg of rice.

The elderly, the weak,
ladies, and kids

may proceed to the yellow banner.

Each person will receive
an additional 6.25 kg of millet.

Those who are ill or injured

may proceed to the red banner.

A physician will examine you personally.

Anyone wishing to file a complaint

may go to the white banner.

A legal clerk
will help prepare your petition.

Hot soup and rice cakes

have been prepared at every station.

Please help yourselves.

- Thank You, Your Majesty!
- Thank You, Your Majesty!

Thank You, Your Majesty!

- Thank you, Your Highness!
- Thank you, Your Highness!

Thank you, Your Highness!

Please, rise.

Please rise.

Please, rise.

Everyone, please rise.

Please, all of you, rise.

Please rise.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Go collect your relief.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Here, take it slow.

Your Highness,
by the Crown Prince's order,

the front of this stele

is engraved
with the Relief Proclamation.

Anyone left alone
because of official injustice

will receive 50 copper coins each month.

If a prisoner dies of illness,

[Relief Proclamation]
the body must be examined

by the coroner,
the family, and local elders.

The back of the stele bears
the Collective Accountability Order.

If three wrongful imprisonments
occur within a prefecture,

the prefect will be branded and exiled.

If there are more than five,

their entire clan
will be permanently barred from office.

The secret prison case
has now been solved.

The Crown Prince
deserves some credit as well.

What did the Crown Prince give you

to make you keep taking his side?

The Crown Prince
is always helping Your Highness.

I don't need any favors
from him to take his side.

If Your Highness and the Crown Prince
become husband and wife

and govern the East Palace together,

it would truly
be a blessing for the people.

Are you really no longer considering

marrying the Crown Prince?

Once you enter the palace,

there can be no room for a soft heart.

Your Highness,

Crown Prince's carriage
has been following us from a distance.

He hasn't come any closer.

Just ignore him.

♪A wall that collapses at a single push♪

♪Frost that melts at a single smile♪

♪How can you be this wonderful♪

♪I've hidden so many words♪

♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

♪So never uncover♪

♪The sand that slips away
with one grasp♪

♪The flower that withers
after one bloom♪

♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

♪Every answer I gave♪

♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes
when I hurt you♪

You truly are

a fairy beneath the Jade Terrace moon,

standing gracefully in the breeze.

And you

are no different from a snake
that won't leave my side.

That's quite true.

I do tend to cling to people.

The secret prison case in Zenan District

was brought to a successful close

thanks to your brilliant plan.

Though you keep saying
it's for mutual benefit,

you've also brought justice
to the people

with the greatest care.

If Bu Shulin

were not the heir
of the Marquis of Shunan,

I wouldn't have gotten involved

from the very beginning.

Then why don't we join forces

to bring down the entire
Marquis of Shunan's Manor

and absorb them all
into the Northwest Army?

What do you think?

See?

Why must you make yourself
sound so heartless?

Your Highness,

no matter what you say,

this engagement

must be broken.

You are bullying me again.

♪Light as a dream, time drifts by♪

♪Pushing the sea
of stars to flow across♪

♪Flowers wilt and bloom again♪

♪In an endless cycle♪

♪Whispers beneath the moon♪

♪Slowly spread across the branches♪

♪Longing is so beautiful♪

♪How many still wander
as they did in their youth?♪

♪Amidst the flickering lights♪

♪Alone for several autumns♪

♪How to choose the one♪

♪To be with forever?♪

♪When I gaze upon you♪

♪Flower petals twirl gently in my heart♪

♪Gracefully♪

♪For all eternity♪

It doesn't matter if some things

take a little longer.

♪Quietly reflect in your sparkling eyes♪

I'm willing to wait.

♪Scattered red petals fall like rain♪

♪It's a wonderful time in the world♪

♪Bits of worries and sorrows♪

♪Are gently gathered
into your elegant sleeves♪

♪Gradually, on the misty path♪

♪Not a trace of sorrow can be found♪

[Zenan Post Station]

Your Highness, look.

I'd like to travel with you.

We can look after each other
along the way.

What do you say?

I don't need that.

But I do.

Don't you want to know

the truth behind
Consort Liang's poisoning?

Before Yu Zao was ex*cuted, he told me

the mastermind
behind the secret prison case

was the Duke of Ying.

He also bought poison
from the merchant many times.

After committing so many evil deeds,

he was poisoned by that very merchant.

He should now be hiding
somewhere in the imperial capital.

You're exceptionally perceptive.

I'd like to join forces
with you again

to find his whereabouts.

This has nothing to do
with our engagement.

We'll work together

only to find the real culprit.

Very well.

I agree.

Return to the palace.

[Residence of the Heir
of the Marquis of Shunan]

You were injured in the black prison,

so you need to rest and recover.

Avoid cold and spicy foods.

I still can't eat that.

Then... then take a look at this.

Shouldn't I
be eating something nourishing?

You should listen to Physician Xie.

I was only

trying to appear a little
more delicate before Physician Xie

so he would take pity on me.

- Seeing him in person today.
- Please.

Physician Xie truly has the grace
of a jade-like immortal.

Then how does Physician Xie
compare to Vice Minister Cui?

Physician Xie is as gentle
and refined as jade.

As for Cui Jinbai,

he's nothing but a dull,
useless lump of stone.

How can jade

be compared to stone?

Young Master, you do love to joke.

I mean every word.

I'll take my leave.

I have matters to attend to at home.

I'll be going as well.

- I'll come see you another day.
- Xihe...

What sweet words you have.

Looks like you've recovered.

Just now,

I was only complimenting our guest.

I didn't mean to put you down.

I'm glad you're feeling better.

Jin Shan, look at him.

Such a terrible temper.

Go see him off.

Yes.

Young Master,

I've escorted
Vice Minister Cui to his carriage.

If he's gone, then he's gone.
No need to tell me.

Jin Shan,

where's that box from Shiweizhai?

The one carved with peonies?

That's the one. Go bring it to me.

I saw Vice Minister Cui was quite upset,

so I already gave it to him.

Who told you to give it to him?

Who told you to give it to him?

Why are you so worked up, Young Master?

It's only a box of pastries.

Stone Cui!

Stone Cui!

Stone Cui!

I gave you the wrong box of pastries.

Then who was it meant for?

Wang Sanlang
of the Marquis of Zhenbei's Manor.

You're giving him something like this?

You two must be very close.

We're just drinking buddies.

I promised him long ago.
I couldn't go back on my word.

Don't take it to heart.

I'll give you a new box another day.

I've given instructions regarding
Your Highness and the Crown Prince's

search for the Duke of Ying.

Every apothecary
in the imperial capital,

if anyone tries to buy antidotes,

I'll know about it.

I'll have to trouble
Physician Xie again this time.

No need to be so polite, Your Highness.

Your wisdom and decisiveness

have earned my admiration.

To have you as a friend

is my great fortune.

You flatter me, Physician Xie.

Actually, there's something
I've always wondered.

Back then, Physician Xie,

why did you sever ties
with the Duke of Xie,

give up your title,
and become a physician?

The reason I studied medicine

was because of my mother.

She died from a prescription
mistakenly written by a physician.

The medicine wasn't poisonous,

but it wasn't the right treatment.

My mother took it for three years

and died without a cure.

And all of it

was arranged by the man I called father,

the Duke of Xie.

Why was the Duke of Xie so heartless?

He had someone he loved in his youth.

To marry again,
he m*rder*d his first wife

after careful planning.

Yet he pretended
to be a devoted husband,

showing endless care and concern.

That was why

I couldn't bear to stay in the
Duke of Xie's Manor another moment.

Being able to speak honestly
with Your Highness today

has eased the burden
I've carried in my heart.

I'm truly grateful.

Just remember, Physician Xie,

we are true friends.

If you ever face any hardship,

I'll do everything I can to help.

[Baicao Herb House]

Those people did indeed buy antidotes.

Do you know who they are?

Speak at once.

They were from the Duke of Xie's Manor.

Young Master,

should we

inform the Crown Prince
and Commandery Princess first?

No.

I'll go myself.

Three days from now,

if I haven't returned,

inform the Crown Prince
and Commandery Princess Zhaoning.

Yes.

[Duke of Wei's Manor]

Your Highness,

something has happened to Physician Xie.

Duke of Xie dared not invite a renowned
physician to treat Duke of Ying,

so he could only search
the city's apothecaries in secret

for antidotal herbs.

Your Highness,

what if

the Duke of Xie denies it?

Your Highness,

the message has already
been sent to the Crown Prince.

His Highness said

everything is up to Your Highness.

How wonderful.

Crown Prince respects Your Highness
from the bottom of his heart.

Your Highness's decisions

have always had
the Crown Prince's full support.

You two

never miss a chance
to speak for the Crown Prince.

[Duke of Xie's Manor]

Your Highness, my lady says she hasn't
been feeling well lately

and is unable to receive Your Highness.

Once she has recovered,

she'll send
Your Highness an invitation.

Your Highness's cat ran off.

- What? Your Highness...
- Catch it!

Having you announce my arrival

was merely to show her some courtesy.

What are you waiting for?

Go help!

It's over there! Hurry!

[It smells like medicine.]

To the south.

Greetings, Commandery Princess Zhaoning.

[Duke of Xie's Manor]

[Yuan, Wife of the Duke of Xie]

This is the Duke of Xie's Manor.

How can Your Highness
search it so openly?

My cat went missing here.

Naturally, I have to look for it.

Mo Yu.

How dare you!

Commandery Princess Zhaoning,

you certainly have some nerve.

Duke.

[Duke of Xie]
Your Highness,

do you take the imperial capital
for the northwest?

Neither princes nor princesses

would dare behave with such arrogance.

Greetings, Duke of Xie.

I'm only looking for my cat.

Guards!

Mo Yuan.

[Duke of Xie's Manor]

His Majesty has granted me 500 guards.

The Duke's guards

number only forty or fifty.

Do you truly intend
to stand against me, Duke?

I will never allow you

to disgrace the Duke of Xie's Manor.

The Duke of Xie's Manor
is heavily guarded.

If we remain at a standoff,

Physician Xie will be put in danger.

We should make this matter bigger

and bring
the Prefecture of Jingzhao here.

We'll use their authority
to our advantage.

Please calm down, both of you.

[Gathering Auspiciousness and Virtue]
Please calm down!

Prefect Zhang,

Commandery Princess Zhaoning
is abusing her authority

and insists on searching my manor.

Prefect Zhang,

the golden plaque bestowed
by His Majesty is missing.

The Duke of Xie and his wife
refuse to return it.

What utter nonsense!

Your Highness, do you have any evidence?

We'll have our evidence once we find it.

Do you realize, Your Highness,

that if the golden plaque is not
in the Duke of Xie's Manor,

you will be caned according to the law?

I'm certain the golden plaque
is in the Duke of Xie's Manor.

Duke of Xie,

the loss of the golden plaque
is a matter of great importance.

I dare not take it lightly.

Why not

allow me to bring two guards

to conduct a search?

You...

Thank you, Prefect Zhang.

This is the last room.

Your Highness, please stop.

This is the Xie family ancestral hall.

Outsiders are not permitted inside.

Your Highness,

this hall enshrines
our ancestors' spirit tablets.

Those outside the family
should not enter.

Perhaps we should leave it at that.

Precisely because of that,

this is the most concealed place.

Are you trying to disturb the peace

of my Xie ancestors?

If it's not found here,

I'll personally apologize

before the Xie family's
ancestral tablets.

[Xie Family Ancestral Hall]

[Spirit Tablets
of the Xie Family Ancestors]

My goodness!

[Spirit Tablets
of the Xie Family Ancestors]

[Ning]

The golden plaque!

That's impossible!

If the Duke of Xie refuses to accept
this, then appeal to His Majesty.

Once we're inside
the Duke of Xie's Manor,

it'll be your turn
to make your contribution.

[Ning]
We need to lure the Duke of Xie

out of his manor,

so the Crown Prince
can find the Duke of Ying

and rescue Xie Yunhuai.

Use this to lure Du Huo.

[To the south.]

Mo Yu.

How dare you!

[Xie Family Ancestral Hall]

[Xie Family Ancestral Hall]

[Sixian Hall]

Your Highness,

Commandery Princess suspects the Duke
of Xie's Manor has a secret passage.

To make it easier
to move the Duke of Ying,

it shouldn't have only one exit.

It must connect to a second exit.

Tian Yuan, bring me the map.

[The Imperial Palace]
A single passage can have many exits.

They're built by a waterside pavilion,

leading directly to the underground
waterway for an easy escape.

On the southeastern side
of the Duke of Xie's Manor,

there is indeed a river.

But there's only a bare dock.

There isn't a single building.

It's nothing but the riverbed and rocks.

How could there be an exit?

I once read
in the military defense records

that an exit

could be disguised as a mooring post.

On the surface,

it looks just like
any other mooring post.

But it's actually hollow,

with a hidden mechanism inside.

Tian Yuan,

bring me twenty guards
who are skilled swimmers.

There must be a secret passage
beneath the dock.

[Dock]

Your Majesty,

throughout the realm,

only the Commandery Princess

possesses this imperial golden plaque.

Even if I stole it, it would be useless.

You're mistaken, Duke of Xie.

Once someone leaves
the imperial capital,

local officials recognize
only the imperial golden plaque.

Seeing it is the same
as seeing His Majesty himself.

They need only obey.

Your Majesty, the Xie family has served
with distinction for generations.

I have never
harbored disloyal intentions.

Your heart lies within your own body.

How could His Majesty know

whether you harbor disloyal intentions?

Minister Tao is unmatched
in the art of debate.

I can't outargue you,

but I will never allow
such slander and false accusations.

Who's there?

Your Highness?

The Duke of Ying is gravely ill.

How can you recover

in this dark chamber?

Why not come with me?

I'll find another renowned physician
to treat you.

I have no desire

for Your Highness renowned physicians.

Since Your Highness

has walked in here,

I'm afraid

you won't be walking out
through this door again.

The Duke must be so ill

that you've forgotten
how to judge the situation.

Move!

Let us go!

Let him go.

Your Highness...

I still have many questions

to ask you.

Your Majesty,

the imperial golden plaque

was not stolen by the Duke of Xie.

Your Highness,

wasn't that what you said yourself?

I never said

the Duke of Xie stole the golden plaque.

It had been lent to Xie Yunhuai.

Xie Yunhuai?

He has lived on the outskirts
of the capital these past few years,

treating the common people.

To make traveling easier,

I lent him

the golden plaque.

But he disappeared a few days ago,

while the golden plaque
turned up in the Duke of Xie's Manor.

That is why I concluded

he was being held in the manor.

Duke of Xie,

is Yunhuai

really in your manor?

Your Majesty,

Prefect Zhang has already
searched my manor.

Did he find my son?

Your Majesty,

I did not.

Your Majesty,

Crown Prince requests an audience.

Let him enter.

Greetings, Father.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Rise.

What exactly happened?

I was held in a secret chamber

behind the wall
of the Xie family ancestral hall.

I was fortunate to escape.

Your Majesty,

my son

has long resented my remarriage.

He has always been
prejudiced against me.

I did not imprison him.

I only

wanted him to stay at the manor
so we could spend more time together

and resolve the rift between us.

Duke of Xie,

you denied it outright
and concealed the truth.

You have committed
the crime of deceiving your sovereign.

As this is your first offense,

your salary will
be suspended for one year.

You are confined to your manor

to reflect upon your conduct.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy.

I shall return and reflect on
my actions behind closed doors.

Thanks, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

I have one more request.

Speak.

Lady Fan, the mother of Xie Yunhuai,

was virtuous and wise,
managed the household with distinction,

raised her children well,

and was respected by the whole clan.

I humbly ask Father
to issue another imperial decree,

posthumously conferring upon Lady Fan
the title of First Rank Lady,

so that both justice and propriety
may be upheld.

Huayong,

your proposal is most appropriate.

Lady Fan's virtue

deserves this honor.

Why aren't you thanking His Majesty?

Thank you
for Your Majesty's great grace.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

[Receiving the Mandate
and Establishing the Foundation]

He refused to send reinforcements,

causing Prince Qian's death,

then claimed the throne himself!

How dare you!

Duke of Wei has returned.

Youyou,

my daughter

isn't someone
who can be married off so easily.

He's far too scrawny.

How could he become
a son-in-law of the northwest?

Only a real man like your father

and brothers will do.

♪I've hidden so many words♪

♪Too reluctant to tell you♪

♪So never uncover♪

♪The sand that slips away
with one grasp♪

♪The flower that withers
after one bloom♪

♪Silently buried deep inside my heart♪

♪Every answer I gave♪

♪Was both bittersweet and absurd♪

♪Hiding my tear-filled eyes
when I hurt you♪

♪How hard it truly was?♪

♪The wounds that healed
with just a little comfort♪

♪The lies made whole
with a single embrace♪

♪Pretending to be brave
as if I'd never been hurt♪

♪It's a shame I never could♪

♪Give you a moon in return♪

♪With the same open heart you loved me♪

♪I've crossed the wasteland of memories♪

♪Never knowing I was lost♪

♪Why don't you take me away?♪

♪Lead me out of this endless game
of hide-and-seek♪

♪You'll never♪

♪Know how much I long to, long to♪

[No animals were harmed
in the making of this film]