The Banquet AKA Legend of the Black Scorpion (夜宴 / Ye yan)

907 AD, China.

The once-mighty empire of the Tang Dynasty has fallen into ruin.

Rebellion has spread across the land,

and its insurgents have proclaimed their own kingdoms.

This is the period known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

It was an era plagued by widespread turmoil,

treachery amongst government officials,

and a bitter struggle for power within the imperial family.

Against this backdrop, our story begins.

What blessed night is this?

Drifting down the River Qian

What auspicious day is this?

Dreaming beside my prince

A tender affection has blossomed

between the maiden Little Wan and young Prince Wu Luan

but his father, the Emperor, marries Little Wan himself.

Desperate, Prince Wu Luan disappears into the southern heartlands

seeking solace in the art of music and dance.

Three years later,

Prince Wu Luan's uncle has killed his brother, the Emperor,

and usurped the throne and the Empress.

Empress Wan secretly sends her messengers

to warn Prince Wu Luan of the assassination and urge his return,

but she is unaware the new Emperor has already dispatched assassins

to prevent Prince Wu Luan's return.

Trees live on mountains

And branches live on trees

My heart lives for your heart

But you do not see me

From her Majesty the Empress to Prince Wu Luan.

Our country has suffered a great loss.

Your father, the Emperor, has passed away.

Your uncle has usurped the throne.

Return at once on receipt of this.

Father...

This helmet does not sit well on you.

To call your Emperor "you" is not appropriate.

The correct address is "Your Majesty".

It is hard for me to adapt so quickly, brother-in-law.

Indeed, this is not a good fit.

I shall have a new one made.

The kingdom shall not wait.

Seal the door.

Sister-in-law.

The correct address is "Empress".

Your brother should not have trusted you.

The death of the late Emperor had nothing to do with me.

Is the Crown Prince still alive?

Sister-in-law seems very concerned.

I am his step-mother, after all.

He is four years older than you are.

Brother-in-law is familiar with the way I remove my makeup.

Not just your makeup,

but also the way you enter your bath.

Will brother-in-law let the Prince go free?

Will you let my hand go free?

This theater is under the Crown Prince's protection.

Stay your swords now.

Your servant Qing bows before Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, is this the red you had chosen?

Hang it up.

This material was originally intended for your wedding to the Prince.

However, it is now used in my coronation.

Why did you run all the way here?

When I was summoned to the inner court,

I thought perhaps the Prince had returned.

I was just about to ask you,

have you not heard from the Prince?

He never writes to me.

Then how do you communicate?

Through dreams.

I dream of him every night,

and we talk to each other.

Did you dream of him last night?

Yes.

What did he say to you?

He told me not to eat too many sweets.

But then he also said,

"Young girls tend to like sweet things.

It is not really a bad habit."

I also used to like sweet things.

Brother-in-law really knows how to please a woman.

How do I compare with my brother?

The late Emperor was a wise and valiant man.

You mean to say, he was not very adept at pleasing you

No.

When he was willing,

he could be exceptionally virile.

But he was not often willing, am I right?

The tug between power and love

has tormented past emperors for centuries.

You do not seem to be tormented.

Before tonight, everything was simple.

I cared only for my kingdom.

But after tonight,

when there is you, Sister-in-law...

what need do I have of a kingdom?

You certainly know how to flatter a woman.

I speak from the heart.

Why don't you give away the throne,

so we can retire to the woods and live like hermits?

What do you think?

Sister-in-law, do you want me killed?

I was only teasing.

If it is my life that you want, you can have it.

You can have everything that is mine.

Your Highness.

My father...

how did he die?

They say that while he was taking his afternoon nap,

he was stung by a scorpion.

There are scorpions in the palace?

They say you can find everything in the palace.

Who are they?

The people who live there.

Including her?

She is about to be crowned Empress again.

By whom?

Your uncle, the new Emperor.

Wu Luan.

Yes?

You worried me to death.

Empress Mother...

You sound a little hoarse.

Why are you wearing such a strange mask...

and a battered old sword case?

What has happened to you?

This is a question I should be asking you.

What have you heard?

Did I come back to grieve for my father

or to congratulate my stepmother?

Do not use such a cruel tone of voice against a helpless woman.

I have sacrificed more than enough for you and your father

But my father's spirit still wanders restlessly outside the palace gate!

Empress Mother, look into my eyes and tell me...

did my father really die from the sting of a scorpion?

Wu Luan...

the pain in your eyes breaks my heart.

Don't ask so many questions.

Don't think too much.

Promise me?

The best way to soothe your father's spirit...

is to make sure we are both safe.

Especially you.

Your Majesty, forgive me.

My shabby clothes have soiled the Empress' bathrobe.

Show me what is inside your sword case.

The sword of the Yue Maiden...

best suited to close combat.

I only use it for paper cutting now.

When your father first taught us swordplay,

you were always the better pupil.

Is this your work?

These are the words of a song from Yue.

Can you sing it for me?

It is about a Prince sailing down a stream...

and the rowing girl falls in love with him.

She sings this song.

- So it is a love song. - No.

It is a song about loneliness.

You can sing to your young friend Qing.

She would not understand.

No one can really understand another person.

If we did, we would not feel so lonely.

When your father allowed you to pursue the arts,

I was against the idea.

To me, a man should not be a lonely musician,

a product of warm hills and soft streams.

A proper man is a prince...

who rules over his kingdom

with strength and courage

That is only your idea of a man, Empress.

Stepmother!

But you have responsibilities.

They're bestowed upon you by the heavens above,

passed on to you by your ancestors, expected of you by your people.

Hasn't my uncle assumed these responsibilities for me?

He--

His Majesty has commanded me to greet you here.

You have allowed the Prince to slip away,

insulting His Majesty with your incompetence.

What do you suggest you should do?

We shall offer up our lives as penance.

Very good.

Your families will be spared.

We thank his gracious Majesty for his lenience.

Clean the bridge.

This palace is falling to ruin.

The late Emperor was a thrifty man,

but I am not going to suffer the way he did.

Pave the ceiling with flowers in gold leaf.

Yes, Your Majesty.

May I inquire

should the central pillar be painted in vermilion

or ink black?

Vermilion is the color of blood,

and gold represents glory.

Which glorious dynasty has not been forged with blood?

Minister Yin.

Your Majesty.