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 48

Won't you?

Maybe in Your Majesty's heart, my existence is trifling.

But no matter how lowly my background is,

I do know what loyalty and having a sense of honor mean.

Your Majesty, in my life,

I only have one master

and only one husband.

But I...

hate being accused by mistake!

If Your Majesty is this petty again,

I won't see you anymore.

Who allowed you to address me as "you"?

If people hear it, do you want to die?

Your Majesty gets mad

because you care!

Although I got some slightly cold treatment,

I still am a bit happy.

In this world, only you

dare to talk with me like that. If this were anyone else...

Because I'm the one and only!

What did you say?

I've already said it once. I won't repeat it.

I know.

Didn't you say that Your Majesty admits your mistake,

that Your Majesty misunderstood me?

Your Majesty, what about those flowers of mine that you moved away?

I'll pay you twice the number.

No, three times.

Those flowers were used to remove the fragrance of commodes.

You just keep those for yourself!

Then I...will go look for a better, more beautiful flower for you.

It's exactly because Your Majesty treated me coldly

that I got bullied.

Look. Just to embroider,

my hands are full of pinpricks.

I guarantee that starting today,

I will never let anyone bully you.

What if someone spreads gossip to sow discord between us?

Kill without pardon.

Young Master, you rarely drink.

How come tonight...

Today is the first time I tricked His Majesty. It's worth getting drunk about.

Tricked His Majesty?

Yingluo caught Xiao Quanzi stealing.

She borrowed his hands to sell stolen goods in the palace market

and drag Noble Consort Chun down. That's the first step.

She keeps not making any move, fooling the younger Imperial Concubine Jia

that her tricks have worked.

She then blackmailed Xiao Quanzi to bite back the younger Imperial Concubine Jia.

That is the second step. But just those two steps are not enough.

Although she's favored, there's still one hidden danger.

Young Master is talking about the past of Imperial Concubine Ling?

I once asked His Majesty for marriage,

and repeatedly contradicted him because of Yingluo.

It left a thorn in the heart of His Majesty.

When I returned from the battlefield,

His Majesty surely has still remembered this grudge.

He's the Emperor...and also a man.

He can never allow his harem having any private affair with someone else.

Moreover, that someone is even his brother-in-law.

His trusted aide. As long as this thorn is still around,

regardless if Imperial Conbuine Ling is favored,

she will only be treading on thin ice, always in danger.

Rather than that, why don't I just actively

pull out that thorn?

You're saying that Imperial Concubine Ling did it deliberately?

How did you know?

From the time that she stopped me in Changchun Palace...

So, you haven't left yet.

Mingyu, go out and guard the doors.

Your Majesty, look. I was right.

The two of them are indeed having a tryst here.

I already guessed that I'm her third step.

Is getting out of favor within her scheme?

Endure what others can't endure to obtain what others can't.

For example, the heart of the Emperor.

Yingluo needs me

to catalyze the feelings of His Majesty towards her.

In her,

His Majesty experienced what failure, jealousy, and yearning all mean...

for the first time.

What is she trying to do?

Before,

she was just an out of favor Imperial concubine.

From now on, she will be the woman

that truly has entered the heart of the Emperor.

If His Majesty learns of the truth...

When he was still young and studying, His Majesty could recite a book just by reading it once.

We all couldn't surpass him.

When he ascended to the throne, he tried his best to destroy the alliances made by Zhang Tingyu and Ortai,

and disintegrate the plans of Hongshi to usurp the throne.

Whether within or outside the government, all were impressed.

For such a smart person, how could he not sense anything?

Maybe a feeling like that was so agitating and interesting,

so he willingly let himself get lost in it.

But Young Master, this is too unfair for you.

As long she needs it, I will be around.

No matter in what method.

This time, have you given up?

Even without that Imperial Concubine Ling, he still has this flower who can understand his words.

Third Brother will never look back.

This is my business.

It has nothing to do with you.

The artistic mood of an orchid should be made of loose flowers and simple leaves.

Have you seen the orchid painting of Noble Consort Chun?

The lighter your stroke is, the more it shows that your character is unique.

No...! What are you doing?

I don't like these simple orchid paintings.

The more vulgar, the better.

Your Majesty, look. Isn't this fine too?

You're being unreasonable.

Your Majesty, if you like looking at the drawings of Noble Consort Chun,

go and draw with her.

Anyway, I'm a vulgar person to begin with.

The paintings I make will of course be vulgar too.

Just a slip of the tongue.

Say, this painting of yours has improved a lot.

I was wrong.

Look at Wei Yingluo, she's the one and only.

Why must I compare her to others?

Are you no longer angry now?

I'll be vulgar with you. Are you satisfied now?

You're vulgar to begin with.

How am I vulgar?

Where are you going?

Chief Steward Li, say, what method did Imperial Concubine Ling use?

I just couldn't see it.

Here. You serve this by yourself.

I'm going? - You think about it.

This painting, "The Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains",

you still got it back?

What are you doing?

One stamp. Two stamps.

Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine...

A total of fourteen stamps.

All these are ink and stamp treasures Your Majesty left.

If you're happy, you put one on it! If you're not,

you put one on too.

This is the same with the dog-skin medicated plaster

that I saw under the Tian Bridge.

I was unable to remove it!

How preposterous!

Your Majesty.

I'm just pointing out how vulgar you are

and you're already this mad?

Try to put yourself in my shoes.

Your Majesty told me that I'm vulgar earlier.

Of course, I'm unhappy.

Okay already.

I'm not mad anymore.

Your Majesty also shouldn't be mad anymore.

Okay? Your Majesty...

You dare make up nonsense again,

I'm going to let you copy my poems a hundred times!

I don't like...

all those poems of yours.

If you're going to punish me, let me copy the Tang poems.

Wei Yingluo!

Fine. I'll copy your poems then.

But...I still don't have a good inkstone

in my palace.

This wujin inkstone of yours (T/N "black crow" - from the color, likely to be a She style black stone)

is precious and looks pleasant.

Just gift it to me, okay?

Unruly.

This wujin inkstone isn't publicly available

and is so valuable. I even only have a corner-style one of them! (T/N Qianlong has a 24-volume list of his inkstones!)

Fine, it's yours... I'll give everything to you.

Come over here first and finish your painting.

What are you drawing?

Mantis. - Mantis?

The foot...

Did you see it clearly?

I did! I did!

Chief Steward Li, I've been in the palace for so long.

It's my first time seeing a woman like Her Highness the Imperial Concubine Ling!

Not only you,

but me too!

Think about it. There are so many women in the Imperial harem.

Each one gentle, kind, respectful, and submissive.

Imperial Concubine Ling is the only strange flower among them.

Chief Steward Li, I heard earlier

that Imperial Concubine Ling called His Majesty vulgar.

That she doesn't like his poems.

His Majesty got so mad that he got speechless.

Oh my...my heart

almost jumped out from shock!

I even thought that a head would be falling in the next second!

Isn't that right? Let me tell you that everyone is treating His Majesty as the most respected person.

Only she

treats His Majesty as a commoner.

She laughs or throw tantrums all based on her mood.

When she's unhappy, she even scowls at His Majesty.

This Imperial Concubine Ling is so scary.

She kept stroking the chin of His Majesty.