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 57

I finally promised her that I would regard you as my own son

and raise you with utmost devotion to be a talented person before she could close her eyes.

Empress Dowager, are you telling the truth?

Emperor,

People says, it's better to be born than to be kind.

Although I'm not your biological mother

but I raised you for many years with utmost devotion.

Please think carefully.

All these years, have I ever neglected you?

I treated you like a pearl in my hand

just to let you interrogate me today?

Empress Dowager, you are right.

I was too rude. Please forgive me.

Emperor, Lady Wenshu left a letter.

Why wasn't it brought out for the past decade?

This must be a fake.

Her motive must be to estrange us.

The other party knows you are filial to me.

Upon reading the letter, it will definitely incite rage.

Empress Dowager. I will investigate this.

It was wrong for me to agitate you today.

I will seek your forgiveness on another day.

I'm taking my leave first.

Emperor. Emperor!

Empress Dowager.

It's over. Everything's over.

Empress Dowager, please forgive me.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop

but what you just said, is it really true?

His Majesty definitely won't hold any animosity towards you

just because his real mother is someone else.

Just based on this letter,

the Emperor's face wouldn't have turned that ugly.

I'm worried that the content

of that letter is not that simple.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, what's wrong with you today?

Zhen'er, leave first.

Yes.

Your Majesty. A husband and wife are as one.

If you have any difficulties, please tell me.

I will help you to share the worries.

About this matter,

I don't know who to tell

and how to say it too.

Your Majesty, regardless of what you want to say,

I will be here with you to guard you.

This is related to my personal background.

I'm now...

terribly upset

and doesn't know who to believe too.

Empress Dowager really said that?

Empress, do you have something to tell me?

In your heart,Empress Dowager is a loving mother to you.

I don't want to have any malicious speculations about her.

But I really want to hear the truth.

Your Majesty, think about it.

Although Lady Niohuru-hala is from a renowned family,

Empress Dowager is still not from a direct blood line.

Her father is just a fourth rank military official.

The clan is not that distinguished and powerful.

Empress, what are you trying to say?

When Empress Dowager joined the House of Prince Yong of the First Rank, she was just a concubine.

Above her, there was the main consort and secondary consort,

especially Empress Xiaojing that came after her.

During the 43rd year of Kangxi,

Empress lost her son and had no child to become the crown prince.

If the late Emperor really wanted to find a noble mother for you,

why would he choose Lady Niohuru-hala?

Empress Dowager said that I was entrusted to her by Lady Qian.

Your Majesty.

The main consort, secondary consort, and the other concubines were extremely jealous of her fate.

If Concubine Qian was really weak and couldn't raise any children,

wouldn't that attract intense disputes?

Empress Dowager rose above others and leaped to be the mother of the emperor.

For many years, no one queried about this.

I find this unimaginable.

Perhaps, there were no competitions and entrust in Prince Yong's manor

and she acted the old story of substituting a raccoon for the Crown Prince.

Could it be that Lady Wenshu's words are true?

Lady Niohuru-hala killed the mother and took the child

is the real truth.

Is Imperial Concubine Shu still bullying you?

Mistress is now not favored, but she's always with Empress Dowager.

Who would dare to bully her?

It's now not peaceful at Shoukang Palace too.

Go advise Consort Ling not to stay too close to Empress Dowager

or she will get into trouble.

Why?

Is it confidential and you can't tell me?

Treat it as I didn't ask then.

It's not that.

It's regarding His Majesty's personal background. You will be danger if you know about it.

But Consort Ling is attached to Empress Dowager. She will find out eventually.

I will tell you everything so that she can plan early.

His Majesty suspects that Empress Dowager is the mastermind behind the death of Lady Qian.

Hence, Hailancha wanted me to tell you,

not to go to Shoukang Palace or you will be implicated.

My Lady. Imperial Guard Suolun is right.

I can feel that the wind direction in Forbidden City has changed.

We need to change the direction of our sail immediately.

Your Majesty. I interrogated the people who served at the Prince's manor.

Someone could recall the previous Concubine Qian. She indeed came from Jiaxing.

She was sold into the Prince's manor at nine years old.

When she was sixteen years old, the Prince of the First Rank contracted an infectious disease.

She meticulously tended to him and received grace.

She...

Does she still has a family...

Hailancha?

Qian Zhengyuan is her older brother.

Qian Zhengyuan?

Yes.

It's as shown in the Chunhui drawing given to Your Majesty by the Vice Minister of Rites.

The Qian family was poor. Fearing that their daughter would starve to death, they placed her under the care of a relative.

Who knew there would be a major drought in that year. She was sold.

Madam Qian searched for miles to find her daughter.

She spent countless years before she found her at the Prince Yong Manor.

But that time, she has already became a concubine couldn't be taken away.

Qian Zhengyuan took the imperial examination later.

That's how the Qian family could be promoted.

Li Yu!

Spring Sunshine Painting.

Spring Sunshine Painting.

Is Qian Zhengyuan trying to remind me in this drawing

And that I should repay him?

not Madam Niu Hulu?

Deliver the Imperial decree to summon Qian Zhengyuan.

I must clarify this.

Empress Dowager, look at the time now.

You should find a solution.

If His Majesty meets Vice Minister Qian,

all your years of hard work will be destroyed.

Empress Dowager! What's wrong with you?

Men!

Where's Qian Chengyuan? Why isn't he here yet?

Your Majesty, we have already sent someone to announce him.

Please wait for a while more.

Majesty!

Your Majesty, Imperial Guard Feima is here to report that Vice Minister Qian was careless.

He fell off his horse and broke his skull and died.

Empress Dowager.

The Imperial Physician said that it was an attack caused by something unpleasant and anxiety.

He wants you to keep calm and recuperate.

I'm fine.

It's just seems like a heavy rock is pressing on my heart

and I can't breathe.

Is the Emperor back yet?

He's back.

He is busy with the Imperial court.

When he's free, he will definitely visit you.

In the past, when I coughed,

he would immediately set aside his task and rush here.

Now that I'm really sick,

he doesn't care anymore.

Empress Dowager, you are mistaken.

The military ministers are at the West Hothouse having a conference.

His Majesty really couldn't leave.

But when he found out that you were sick, he was very worried.

Hence, he wanted me to come here immediately to serve you.

Let me do it.

Empress Dowager, good medicine is bitter and good for one's illness.

You should take this medicine so that you can recover.

Empress.

Did you deliver that letter to His Majesty?

Empress Dowager, Prince He of the First Rank was the one who delivered the letter.

Grand Imperial Consort Yu was the one who hid the letter. I'm not that brave.

I finally understand now.

What do you understand?

You waited patiently for a long time

just to find the opportunity to take revenge for your father.

Madam Nara, I have really underestimated you.

Empress Dowager, anxiety is a taboo for sick people.

Don't let your imagination run wild. Take this medicine.

Imperial Physician said that your middle energy lack harmonization.

I think Empress Dowager is upset and agitated. That's why you are sick.

I'll instruct the Royal hospital to do a new diagnosis.

They must not delay the condition of your illness.

Get lost.

I almost forgot something.

Your nephew was prosecuted for participating in the corruption of food relief.

He's being held in custody now because the corruption amount is huge.

I fear he will be sentenced.

Your elder brother's wife rushed into the palace and is kneeling outside Shenwu Gate.

His Majesty said Empress Dowager knows the principles of rights and wrong.

Knowing that the relative has committed a crime, the first priority is

to place righteousness above the Royal family

Not going after your negligence in disciplining him as his aunt

is already giving you great leniency.

Even if she kneels till the end of the world, he will still be beheaded.

Do you think when I first insisted on killing your father,

it was to protect my nephew?

Wasn't that so?

Those who were greedy over the food relief,

did you think he was the only one?

It easy for His Majesty to kill