Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略)

Watching the person in the mirror's countenance pale and grow haggard,

Examining love together with regret, both new and old.

Keeping watch still by a lantern though it is daybreak, drenched with tears,

Watching others meet as promised, as twilight falls.

Story of Yanxi Palace Episode 59

Chen Mixia before also offered a batch of western guns as tribute.

They are way inferior to the guns you confiscated from the battlefield.

The guns you gathered can hit farther and more accurately.

I've instructed the Imperial Armory and the Imeprial Workshop to imitate it.

Your Majesty, Zhang Tingyu has succumbed from illness.

His son is earnestly asking permission to bring his soul back to their hometown.

In his last years, he was muddled and did a lot of wrong things.

But he is after all an old subject that brought merits to the Qing Empire.

Spread my decree.

Follow the last decree of the former emperor and allow him to enjoy a spot in the imperial ancestral temple.

I thank you in behalf of Lord Zhang.

Get up.

I know that

since my 14th year of reign,

I've been demoting and reprimanding him a lot.

Haven't you all been discussing about in behind my back too? Saying that I'm too heartless.

But whenever I remember the hardships of Liu Tongxun,

I would get more irritated on how old and muddled Zhang Tingyu was.

Both are the stabilizing pillars of the Qing government. One has become ill from toiling too much to the point of vomiting blood,

while the other one only cared about the glory after his death.

I understand.

He and I

have been fighting for so many years. Now that he's suddenly gone,

I feel lonely and ashamed.

Your Majesty,

you are the best honor that a subject can have.

Lord Zhang's soul in heaven will surely feel very grateful for it.

He surely will curse me for frightening him before.

I heard that you went to Yuanming Garden to visit Empress Dowager.

I went to visit Empress Dowager there,

but too bad, she was praying to Buddha then and I wasn't able to see her.

I instead saw Her Highness Consort Ling.

I told her that Lord Aibida brought back a world-renowned beauty and offered it to you as a tribute.

In less than three days, she packed up her bags and returned to the palace.

Really?

Your Majesty, there is still a pile of memorials in the Council of State office.

I must immediately go back. I'll just return later to inform you of the important details.

I'll take my leave.

Fuheng, stop right there.

Your Majesty, do you still have any other instructions?

You usually are busy with official work.

Let Fuca An'er enter the palace to study with the princes.

Thank you for you grace, Your Majesty.

Get up.

How is the condition of Consort Ling?

Replying to Your Majesty, other than being unable to sleep at night,

she's also showing signs of disharmony between her liver and stomach.

I've prescribed some fragrant thyme and stomach soup to slowly nurse her health.

Disharmony between the liver and stomach?

Because of irregular meals, her stomach would ache.

How were you attending to her? How come she's having irregular meals?

Your Majesty, used blood to copy the Avatamsaka Sutra.

She continued to do so even when we were in Yuanming Garden. As days passed by,

she suffered a lot of blood and energy losses, and developed loss of appetite. Hence, the problem with her stomach.

Mingyu, organize the twenty pages

and tell someone to deliver them to Yuanming Garden.

Your Majesty?

Why did you come?

No need.

You're now sick, so stop acting tough.

Thank you for understand, Your Majesty.

What's wrong with your hand?

It's nothing. Just a small wound from bleeding myself.

I order you to stop writing!

Your Majesty, please forgive me but I can't obey you. - You...

Since I've promised Empress Dowager that I'll complete the 80 pages,

I can't stop midway.

I...

...so want to just let you emerge and perish on your own.

But giving considerations on how you meticulously cared for Empress Dowager,

hence, I gave you such an advice. However, if you insist to not listen,

you must bear all the consequences.

If Empress Dowager asks about it in the future, no one should be implicated.

I understand.

Do you still remember your promise?

You said that you won't let anyone bully me.

Tonight, you came to my Yanxi Palace. Everyone in the inner palace has already seen it.

If you just leave now, how could I make a foothold here in the imperial harem?

I fear that I won't be able to stay any longer here in the Forbidden City.

Tonight, I'll stay here,

just to preserve your honor. About others, don't even think about it.

Li Yu.

I'm here.

Go and clean up the side room.

Tonight, I'll sleep here.

This...

Yes.

Get out.

Your Majesty.

There's a rat in my sleeping chamber. I'm afraid.

If there's a rat, go look for someone to catch it for you.

I'm not leaving!

Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I didn't wear any shoes.

If I go down like this, my feet will get cold.

Your Majesty!

Wei Yingluo, I haven't forgiven you. Immediately get out.

I'm not coming down. - Get down!

You...

Your Majesty, I take contraception because I'm afraid.

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid to die.

I don't understand.

When a woman gives birth,

one of her leg steps into the gates of hell.

I'm selfish. I'm afraid to die.

I don't want to be like my mother...

...dying in bed because of difficult labor. I'm so afraid.

Afraid...

Hence,

I asked Ye Tianshi for contraception.

Your Majesty, I don't have the courage to get pregnant and have children.

I'm not yet ready to be a mother.

Why didn't you tell me about this in the past?

When my mother passed away,

everyone said that she was great

for continuing the descendants of the Wei family.

But does a woman live just to give birth to children?

Don't tell me there's no other meanings for them.

Your Majesty.

When I told you this,

would you think that I'm a heathen?

I understand.

If you are not willing, no one will force you.

Your Majesty, are you still angry with me?

You distinctly know that

I'm angry with you not only because of this matter.

Regardless of what the reason is,

it's already in the past.

Your Majesty, don't be angry with me anymore.

Come here.

Yingluo, you knew what I wanted to ask.

Why did you avoid answering me?

What are you laughing at? - It's rare to see the failure of your strategy.

His Majesty left in the morning. He didn't even pass his greetings.

You are still happy?

Who's side are you on? - Enough, don't be angry.

If it doesn't work this time, try again next time.

With your ability, are you still afraid that you can't hold on to His Majesty?

I fear it won't be that easy this time.

Come in.

My Lady, His Majesty has gone to Li Jingxuan to have breakfast with Imperial Concubine Shun.

Greetings, Your Highness.

You can forego the formality. - Thank you, Your Highness.

Consort Ling stayed for a long time at Yuanming Garden. Now that she's back,

does everyone not recognize her?

Consort Ling is proud and arrogant.

She actually showed up here today?

Did she lose her position to Imperial Concubine Shun

and remembered us thereafter?

Consort Jia, the grudge between you and Consort Ling is already in the past.

You have been pardoned, had Eleventh Prince and been promoted.

What else are you still embarrass with?

That's right. Whether we were friends or enemies in the past,

we have a common enemy now.

Why can't we get along?

Consort Ling, I have offended you many times in the past. Please forgive me.

Consort Shu is now a fourth-ranked consort, unlike the past.

There's no need to be so formal.

Enough. Since you are here,

take a seat then.

In treating Imperial Concubine Shun,

His Majesty would hold him so carefully in his hands, afraid of her getting broken;

hold so carefully in his mouth, afraid of her getting dissolved.

If we talk about the divine grace,

even Consort Ling at that time, can't be compared to her.

She's just a woman from the wild mountain.

Does she still think she's a fairy?

Your Highness, we are just like headless flies.

After encountering this, we still need to take your decisions?

There are many consorts and concubines in the harem. I have never been jealous and fought for favors.

I have never asked who His Majesty favors.

Imperial Concubine Shun is behaving improperly now.

She doesn't stop singing and dancing daily at Li Jingxuan

and draws His Majesty to indulge in sensual pleasures, causing the Imperial court to debate on this.

Your Highness, what should we do?

I have a proposal on how to deal with Imperial Concubine Shun.

When that time comes, I will need the co-operation of the three of you.

You only need to exert half the efforts but the result will be doubled.

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Yingluo, I feel uneasy about your gathering just now.

Doesn't it seem like the gathering of bad women?

I want to see what they will do

to ascertain the realities and falsehoods of Imperial Concubine Shun.

But I'm afraid you will be misguided by Her Highness and will find it hard to get out.

You will never be able to go back again.

Whatever I want, His Majesty will give it to me.

But I still want to go out of the palace.

The green tiles on the red wall in the Forbidden City

makes one feel suffocated.

When I'm feeling bored,

I would ride my pony

and circle Li Jingxuan

again and again.

This way, it will seem like I have gone back to the past.

Imperial Concubine Shun, the bottom must be stable.