We have not played polo for a while
Let us have a big match, you and l
Your Majesty is throwing a banquet tonight
ls there enough time to play?
It is still eraly
l have a headache
Lord Chamberlain
Present
Send for the lmperial Physician at once
Yes, Your Majesty
There is no need
l just need to rest for a while
Let me
Your Majesty
Don't move
Look at you
An Empress
Mother to a nation
And you still kick off your blankets when you sleep
Did you catch cold last night?
Your Majesty
How long have we been together?
Why do you ask?
lncluding today
it would be one hundred days exactly
You have been counting
But to me
it feels like less than a single day
One hundred days, but
l have never surrendered all of myself before
Even if you are a piece of ice
you will eventually melt in my mouth
What if the ice
turns into fire?
A globe of fire in your mouth
Then l shall swallow it
and it will warm my heart
Do it now
Swallow it now
What did she say?
The Empress said that
her mind was made up
the moment the Prince was sent away as hostage
The Emperor is fickle and suspicious
She may be his favorite now
but sooner or later
he will turn his attention elsewhere
Rather than wait to be discarded
she has decided to take the risk and strike first
She wants to rule herself?
Exactly
Once she has succeeded
she intends to denounce the Emperor
as a fratricide and usurper
She will say that she is carrying out heavenly justice
on behalf of the late Emperor
She wants us to rally
and support her claim to the throne
This woman
Ah, this woman
Father
whose side should we take?
We have no choice, she has planned everything perfectly
First, your sister is in her hands
Secondly, when she asked you to save the Prince
it was not for personal reasons alone
lt was to turn us into her accomplices
so that we have nowhere to stand except by her side
She knows that we have no option now
lf this woman succeeds
we must denounce her straight away
as a traitor and an assassin
The person who deserves to ascend the throne is not her
but you
Father
Are you afraid?
No
lf Heaven bestows this gift upon me
to refuse would be
to disobey the gods
Ling
prepare the carriage
To the Minister of Law
Minister Yin and his son, Yin Sun
are guilty of the following crimes:
deceit of the Emperor and tyranny over the court
misuse of power and collusion of the enemy
They will be stripped of their titles
and exiled to the South
All their property will be confiscated
and deposited in the national reserve
By command of the Emperor
General Yin
My Lord Chamberlain
Present
l wish to say a few words
Yes, Your Majesty
Pour the wine
Yes, Your Majesty the Empress
Our ancestors used to roam the palace with candles by night
but our most gracious Emperor
throws brilliant banquets for his courtiers
His hospitality surpasses all who came before him
It is my privilege
to thank His Majesty with this toast
Also
tonight
l am going to take Your Majesty's life
Excellent
Esteemed courtiers
Let us drink together
To His Majesty
Your servant Qing and my dancers
beg permission to entertain Your Majesties with a performance
Minister Yin
Your Majesty
Did you organize this surprise for me?
Your Majesty
this is Qing's own idea
My father knows nothing about it
Good
What have you prepared for us?
A song from Yue
This sounds familiar
lt was the Crown Prince's favorite song
To commemorate him
l want him to know
that even if the whole world abandons him
l shall never do so
and my love for him will never die
This is very touching
Grant her some wine
Yes, Your Majesty
Take my cup
let me join you in remembering
the departed spirit of my dear nephew
Such an honor is too great for Wu Luan
Let us fetch another cup
Lord Chamberlain
Present
There is no need
Thank you, My Lord
But l do not know how to drink
You must not refuse His Majesty's gracious gift
Then l shall have a little sip
Sister
What blessed night is this?
Drifting down the river Qian
What auspicious day is this?
Dreaming beside my Prince
Too bashful to stare
A secret l cannot share
My heart fills with longing
to know you, dear Prince
Trees live on mountains and branches live on trees
My heart lives for your heart
but you do not see me
You do not see me
Qing
Wu Luan
lt's me
The moment the song started
l could feel you near me
My dearest Qing
Your Highness
do you still feel lonely?
With you
l shall never be lonely again
Your brother loves you
No one can harm you
You poisoned the wine?
Yes
You wanted me to die?
Yes
And all along l thought l was warming your heart
lt has been heated to the point of burning
Lord Chamberlain
Present
Carry out this edict:
Qing is to be given a lavish state burial
Minister Yin
What are you waiting for?
You...
venomous woman
Where are the lmperial Guards?
lmperial Guards
Protect the Emperor
Amyone who stands in my way will perish
This man
murdered my father like a coward
This is a matter
between the two of us
lt is nobody else's concern
l don't want to kill the innocent
Out of my way
Such majestic demeanor
as befits a nephew of mine
l knew that if you were alive
this day would come sooner or later
And here you are
Was it the desire for revenge
that hauled you out of the valley of death?
Or was it your melancholy
that touched the hearts of women
so that their tenderness
wove a web of protection around you?
Or perhaps
a million calculations cannot compare with one pure heart?
Or maybe it is you
my brother
who has been protecting your son all along
so that he can spill my blood and restore your honor?
lf this is what you want
Brother
then let me appease you tonight
You offered me a toast
How can l refuse?
The Emperor is dead
Your Majesty
Do with me what you will
Please do not lay this sinful title on me
Would killing you
bring Qing back to life?
The blade is poisoned
Wu Luan
lt is nothing
You are going to be fine
He was lying
There is no poison
The blade is not poisoned
Wu Luan
lmperial Physician
Lord Chamberlain
Ling, where are you?
Wu Luan
Where is everybody?
Little Wan...
Little Wan is here...
Your Little Wan is here
Look at me, look at me
Your Little Wan is here...
Little Wan is here
lt is so good
to be able to die
You cannot die
You must not die
Wu Luan
May your majesty live ten thousand times ten thousand years
Long live
Long live Your Majesty
Minister Yin conspired to usurp the Throne
By law, he should be executed
But considering his service to three successive emperors
he will only be exiled to the far North
and never to return
By command of the Empress
Little Wan
When was it that l started to forget my name?
Perhaps it was the day your father married me
You left
and nobody used my name anymore
Gradually even l forgot what it was
Then your uncle married me
and again l was called the Empress
But from now on
nobody will call me Empress anymore
lnstead, they will call me
Her Majesty, the Emperor
Do you know why I like this particular red?
Because it is the color
of the flame of desire
Yes
desire
How many lives
have been consumed by this flame?
Only l
shall rise out of it
like a phoenix
The breathless whisper of a single verse
And loneliness blossoms within my heart
The shimmer of a single dream
And my world is undone
The memory of a single tenderness
And the sting of love reignites my wounds
ln the moment when a single tear falls
All hatred becomes a distant blur
l can love you with all that l am
But even this cannot return you to me
From now on I will live as a shadow
Forever in the past...