The Legend of Hao Lan (Mou Qin / 皓镧传)

~ Moonrise by Lu Hu & Huang Yali ~

The Legend of Hao Lan

Episode 11

If you dared to say that you'll look for a new partner just now,

I would have shouted it out loudly.

I would have revealed all your conspiracies and let everything you've worked for go down the drain.

You were testing me?

Lü Buwei, you were the one who held onto my hand first.

Once you held it, you're not allowed to let go.

If you dare to let go of my hand,

I'll definitely not forgive you easily.

Do you understand?

I thought that you had given up for real.

The more they want me dead,

the more I have to live properly.

What are you doing?

What are you burning?

These are all Lady-in-waiting Li's belongings.

She's will be dead tomorrow.

So I took the liberty of burning all these.

What if these are evidence of her treason?

You'll be her accomplice then.

It's a prayer? She prayed for the King and Empress to live a long life

and to be free of sickness and pain in our lives.

What else is there?

Lady-in-waiting Li said that war is looming at the front lines.

She's willing to contribute whatever little effort she can for Zhao state.

Hence, she sewed winter boots and cotton-padded jackets for the front line soldiers.

She has completed three sets, and another set that is half done is in her room.

Your Majesty, I'm only a palace maid who doesn't know anything about affairs of the state.

Everyone is saying that Lady-in-waiting Li has committed treason.

But she really doesn't seem like such a person.

His Majesty has arrived!

Your Majesty.

Li Haolan, aren't you going to bow to His Majesty quickly?

No... Don't move...

Haolan pays my respects to Your Majesty.

You're bleeding?

Let me take a look.

Isn't this too brutal?

Haolan, did you write the words on this bamboo roll?

Yes.

Your Majesty, Haolan has never betrayed

or committed treason. I have been framed.

Your Majesty...

What... What is going on?

We... We don't know either. Physician Yin said it wasn't critical when she came to examine her yesterday.

Hurry... Get someone to treat her quickly.

Your Majesty, she's a criminal who is about to be executed shortly.

I'm not done interrogating her. What execution are you talking about?

- Go carry out my orders! - Yes. Your Majesty.

Have you all gone stupid? Go carry out the orders quickly.

Yes.

This...

It's rare to see you so happy.

Royal Father could distinguish between right and wrong with clarity, and could discern the spy within the palace.

He then released the innocent Royal Descendant of Qin. That makes me happy.

Why are you so sure that Haolan is the spy?

The evidence was conclusive.

Weren't the nectarines sent by you?

You have grown up. You are bolder now too.

Just because of a man, you did something unethical.

You even touched my Lady-in-waiting.

Mother.

Li Haolan colluded with Marchioness Shu and betrayed Zhao state and you.

What does this have to do with me?

I heard that Royal Descendant of Qin meets Li Haolan frequently.

He considers her a close friend.

Thus, you consider her to be a thorn in your flesh and couldn't wait to get rid of her for your own happiness.

This is the only reason I can think of for you to harm her.

For sure, that Royal Descendant of Qin

is confident and suave, very attractive, and easily makes one fall for him.

But, you must not forget that the national politics of the Qin state has always been treacherous.

All the royal descendants vie against each other for power.

In an instant, everything would be in a total upheaval.

He came to the Zhao state only because he is still young and inexperienced,

and is merely scheming for self-preservation.

If Royal Descendant of Qin marries a princess of Zhao state,

he would immediately be abandoned by the people of Qin.

Will he be happy?

Will he be willing to marry you?

I advise you not to fall more deeply in trouble.

I understand.

But, Mother, even if you have thousands of reasons to stop me,

I only have one reason.

I like him.

Love...

What is love?

Any man in the nation may become your husband.

But a mother...

A birth mother.

There's only me.

Do you have the heart to do it?

How could you go against my order?

Because you don't know what love is.

In your heart, neither Royal Father,

nor me who is your biological daughter, is important to you.

Your heart is like a cold piece of ice. There's no affection at all.

As a noble princess of the Zhao state,

you are becoming a foolish woman because of love.

You are absolutely pigheaded!

His Majesty is here.

Come here, quick.

Come here. Place it here.

Why does Your Majesty look angry? Who made you angry?

Haolan is going to die soon.

Today is the execution of Haolan?

Did your Highness go to the prison?

After thinking about the matter in earnest,

I feel that Haolan is not this kind of person.

Royal Father, there are witnesses and evidence. What doubts do you still have?

I have thought about it.

Now is not the time to talk about this. Let's save her first.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

No need for formality. Save her first.

Yes.

Your Majesty, she was poisoned.

Poisoned? What poison?

Based on the symptoms, it's probably cinnabar.

How is this possible? Cinnabar is used for medicines. How could it be poisonous?

All medicines are somewhat poisonous, should never overdose.

In particular, cinnabar is not suitable for smelting.

After smelting, it will become poisonous.

What's going on?

Your Majesty, the meals in the prison have always been normal. It's impossible for poison to be added.

Yin Xiaochun, could your diagnosis be wrong?

- I've been in the palace for many years. I didn't know the princess knows how to treat illnesses. - How presumptuous!

- Could it be that the princess really knows how to treat illnesses? - Of course, I don't.

How would you know that my diagnosis is wrong?

Royal Father, Li Haolan could have committed suicide to escape from punishment.

Not everyone can handle the punishment of a cart split . [Capital punishment: Using a five horse-drawn cart to tear a person's limbs and head apart.]

Princess, look at her tongue.

Before the execution, to bite if off quickly.

Isn't that more convenient than serving medicine?

Moreover, the burned cinnabar is nowhere to be found in the prison.

You!

Stop fighting. When you fight, I have a headache.

Your Majesty, Treasurer Lu seeks an audience with you.

- Announce. - Yes, Your Majesty.

Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highness.

- What's the matter? - I heard there's a criminal on the run in the palace.

I dispatched men to chase after him and found Marchioness Shu.

You found Marchioness Shu?

It's a pity that I was a step too late.

As she was hurriedly attempting to escape, she fell off the horse.

When I rushed there, her neck was already broken.

You talked so passionately about this. Ultimately, the dead still can't talk.

Your Majesty, did you encounter any problems?

It was a big problem.

Haolan was poisoned by cinnabar and Marchioness Shu is now dead.

I fear that the dead can't talk.

Your Majesty, Lady-in-waiting Li was sentenced to be punished via a cart split .

Who's that anxious and determined to kill her?

I surmise that someone is afraid of being revealed.

That's why that person took action first.

Before Haolan was poisoned, who visited her in prison?

Who went there?

To reply Your Majesty, before Lady-in-waiting Li was poisoned,

the princess visited her.

Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Highness.

Xiuyu, you went to the prison?

What did you do there?

Your Majesty,

Li Haolan is my older sister.

I went... to send her off in her final journey (of death).

Li Haolan had been expelled from her family long ago.

At the final moment, Princess Consort, why are you suddenly showing sisterly affections?

The affection between sisters is hard to set aside.

She can be ruthless but I can't be cold-blooded.

Soldier, what did Princess Consort say during her visit?

Your Majesty, Princess Consort gave me a bag of knife coins

- and wanted me to— - Silence!

How dare you speak nonsense!

When did I give you knife coins?

What did she want you to do?

She ordered me to threaten Lady-in-waiting Li and to punish her.

How dare you!

Spare me! I wouldn't dare to do such a thing. I didn't follow her order.

You are really evil-hearted.

You would even dare to harm your own sister.

Your... Your Majesty!

This is definitely a plot to frame me.

Did everyone hear carefully?

Did the Princess Consort really say that?

It's the absolute truth.

This... This is the money bag Princess Consort gave me.

You...

All of you...

Whose order are you following that you are speaking such nonsense?

Li Haolan was sentenced for punishment via a cart split , she was already doomed to die.

Why would Prince Consort need to cast poison in the prison?

That was an unnecessary action.

This is hard to say. When a person is about to die,

they still want that person to be guilty for the rest of her life.

One who is so toxic at heart,

and afraid that her secret will be exposed, is capable of doing anything.

What secret would I have?

I visited her out of good intentions but she spoke insolently.

I was momentarily enraged. That's why I sent them to scare her.

As for poisoning her, how would I dare to do that?