01x16 - Episode 16

[bunniefuu]

[The Princess Royal]

[Adapted from Mo Shu Bai's novel,

The Princess Royal on jjwxc.net]

[This is a work of fiction.]

[Episode 16]

Pei Wenxuan

has so much on his plate right now.

Can he handle it all?

And you,

do you think you can take charge of it?

I'm genuinely trying to help,

so I take care of it on his behalf.

I don't care

Mother.

It's my turn.

It's just handling the accounts, right?

I'll do it.

Your Highness,

with your noble status

However noble my status is,

I'm still Wenxuan's wife, aren't I?

Wenxuan is busy with state affairs,

so as his wife, isn't it my duty

to help him with managing accounts

and such matters?

Don't you have many things to do

in the Inspectorate Office?

No matter how hard it is for me,

it's worth it for Wenxuan.

As for the finances,

it's actually not a huge amount.

I already have my own fiefdom,

so I'll manage them all together.

Second Uncle.

Please mind your own business.

Right, Wenxuan?

Yes.

My wife is quite formidable.

Second Uncle,

you'd better not get on her nerves.

Liming!

Say something.

Give it to them.

Give

Give it to them?

Alright.

I have nothing more to say.

I have nothing to say!

Alright then.

In that case,

I'll send someone tomorrow

to check the accounts

and then move them

into the Princess's Mansion, okay?

Move them into the Princess's Mansion?

Your Highness,

are you suggesting

that Wenxuan should sever ties

with our family?

Third Uncle, you misunderstood.

Her Highness is just checking our assets

and keeping the warehouse keys

on my behalf.

Besides, moving them

into the Princess's Mansion

is only because of her noble status.

Grandfather,

since no one objects,

let's settle it this way.

Those of the same surname

are bound by blood

and there is no bond

stronger than blood ties.

Please, everyone,

I hope we can all support each other

and move forward hand in hand

in the days to come.

I am truly gratified

by Wenxuan's thoughts on this matter.

Let's consider this settled then.

Thank you, Grandfather.

Careful.

Wenxuan,

Mother isn't feeling well.

I need to leave with her now.

Slowly.

I'll take my leave now.

I'll come visit you another day,

Grandfather.

Good job.

I was so scared.

So stupid.

What was I supposed to do?

You too.

Don't give it to them then

if you are so capable.

Those from the noble families

must have brought

these crucial witnesses here

to k*ll them once and for all.

Quickly report this to Her Highness.

Yes.

I'll come over tomorrow

to check your assets.

Who knows if Pei Lixian

will stir up trouble again?

Just get whatever you can get.

Pei Lixian is clever.

He won't make things difficult for you

because of these trivial things.

Tomorrow night, just send anyone

to check the assets.

Focus on retrieving the land deed.

Got it.

Most of my father's estate is elsewhere.

Just instruct Tuoba Yan

to get them back one by one.

By the way,

do you trust him to handle

your father's assets?

Why wouldn't I be at ease?

Tuoba Yan works for you.

And now, you and I are on the same side.

So why should I worry?

You said "now."

Then what about the future?

♪ May time itself ask me ♪

The future?

♪ How many glances does it take

in a lifetime ♪

As for the future,

we'll know when it comes.

♪ To be blessed

with your highs and your lows? ♪

That's not like you.

You're always so calculating.

Don't you have any plans

for the future?

Or is your future

something I'm not meant to know?

♪ Allowing the flower of love to bloom ♪

Not at all.

♪ I thought capturing your heart

meant forever ♪

I've long planned my future.

I will

certainly have a future with you.

♪ Even the hustle and bustle

can still feel lonely ♪

What do you mean?

Am I not making myself clear?

You and I

won't part ways in the future.

♪ Even if past moments

vanish without a trace ♪

After all these years being together,

even if we are not husband and wife,

we are still family, right?

♪ Grant me a ceaseless passion ♪

♪ Let me face trials and tribulations

with you ♪

Yes.

You are right.

So it seems

that you will have to bear the title

of Mrs. Pei for a while.

♪ May time itself ask me ♪

It's just a title.

I don't care about it at all.

That's the attitude of someone

who achieves great things,

not sweating the small stuff.

Right, Mrs. Pei?

What are you doing?

Why are you so shy now?

You were putting on quite an act

at Pei's Mansion earlier.

I

Yes, that was an act.

That wasn't enough. Let's continue.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, bad news.

Something bad has happened.

What is it?

All the witnesses are dead.

Your Majesty.

Something bad has happened.

How dare he!

He knew I ordered Pingyue

to investigate the case,

yet he still acted boldly

and committed m*rder

to erase all evidence.

Your Majesty,

please calm down.

If we look at it

from a different perspective,

the Inspectorate Office

has already played

a deterrent role against them.

You do have a way with words.

From my perspective,

they don't take the Inspectorate Office

seriously at all.

Nevertheless,

it seems the Inspectorate Office

must be kept.

Go

and summon Consort Rou.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Luo Juan, the crucial witness,

will definitely be eliminated

by the noble families.

The establishment

of the Inspectorate Office

poses a significant threat

to the noble families.

So,

they will definitely try to find ways

to force you out.

If you win

this battle,

the Inspectorate Office's position

will be secure.

But if you lose,

it will be even more difficult

in the future

for His Highness or His Majesty

to establish another force

that is capable

of deterring the noble families.

Also,

there will be no hope for our future.

I need to go to the Ministry of Justice.

Your Majesty.

If Pingyue can't handle it,

would you dare

to take over the Inspectorate Office?

I and the warriors of the Xiao Family

are all at your command.

Your Highness,

Princess Pingyue has sent someone

to deliver a message.

What did she say?

She wants to see Qin Lang.

- Rong.

- Chuan.

I'll go in with you.

What are you doing here?

You shouldn't have come here.

There are too many people around.

Let's talk inside.

Your Highness, this way, please.

Let's go.

Your Highness,

you need to keep it brief.

They'll switch shifts in an hour.

Please be quick.

Got it.

You may go out and keep watch first.

Yes, Your Highness.

General Qin.

Are you Princess Pingyue

and the Crown Prince?

General Qin.

I'm in charge

of reviewing the Qin Family's case now.

Did you know that?

Your Highness,

did Zhenzhen come to see you?

Your Highness,

is Zhenzhen well?

We don't have much time.

How about you go through the case

from start to finish?

Your Highness,

where would you like me to start?

Huangping County.

This case began with Wen Ping

from the Censorate.

He received a report letter

accusing you of accepting bribes

from the Yang Family

and instructing the Qin Family

to intentionally abandon the city

during the battle

in Huangping County years ago.

Later,

they confirmed it

with the testimony

of Deputy General Luo Juan

as evidence.

They also used the taels of gold

found in your courtyard

and the letters written by Yang Ye

as supporting evidence.

I initially intended to ask Luo Juan

to testify for you,

but I just learned

that Luo Juan has already died.

Luo Juan is dead?

Yes.

All the commanders

who participated in the battle

in Huangping County have all died.

General Qin,

Her Highness is investigating the case.

We need evidence to overturn it.

You just need to tell us what you know.

Leave the rest to Her Highness and me.

Okay.

Alright.

In the battle in Huangping County,

there were three thousand soldiers

defending the city,

while there were also

three thousand enemies attacking us.

Originally, Yang Ye intended to order us

to defend the city for five days.

However, facing defeat

and unable to withstand the enemy,

we had no choice

but to evacuate the civilians first

and then abandon the city.

You defended the city

while they attacked.

With equal forces, theoretically,

you shouldn't have lost.

Why did you lose?

We didn't have enough soldiers.

Quickly, ask the soldiers

to get some rest.

General.

The provisions and funds arrived?

Excellent!

They've arrived, but

What's wrong?

General, please take a look.

It's filled with sand inside.

These darn scoundrels!

General.

How many people do we have left?

Including these wounded soldiers,

it totals three thousand.

Here's what we'll do.

Let's rinse the rice thoroughly,

add more water,

and distribute the rice soup

and congee to the soldiers.

We need to sustain ourselves

for as long as possible.

Yes, sir.

Unable to even fill our stomachs,

we may have only half our forces

fit for battle soon.

Later, there were less than two thousand

of them who could fight in the battle.

With provisions and funds

still not arriving,

if we persisted like that,

the remaining soldiers

would be trapped in the city

and eventually starved to death.

Have you reported these issues?

I've previously reported

and explained it.

It should be

at the end of the Military Record.

The Military Record

might have been gotten rid of

by the noble families long ago.

Let's do this instead.

Please write a list

of all relevant personnel for me.

Okay.

Your Highness, I'm done.

[Wang Pingning, Tian Ke, Tong Huangshi]

Your Highness, we have to go now.

Keep an eye on General Qin

and ensure nothing goes wrong.

Your Highness, rest assured.

I've already made the arrangements.

Your Highness, hurry

and leave quickly.

I'll take my leave now.

Your Highness.

Your Highness, how is Zhenzhen

doing right now?

She's safe. Please rest assured.

Good. Thank you, Your Highness.

You take care too.

Okay.

Let's go.

Xun Chuan.

Yes, Your Highness.

Hurry up and mobilize some manpower.

No matter what,

tonight, we have to get the Qins out

from the Ministry of Justice.

If there are any issues,

ask them to come to me.

Yes.

Rong, Xun Chuan

You go back first.

Don't let anyone find out

that you intervened.

Don't worry.

I know how to handle this.

Leave now.

Rong.

The Qins must stay alive.

You have my promise.

I'm leaving.

Walk with me.

Let's go.

Careful.

I really want to walk

while keeping my eyes closed for a bit.

I suddenly realized

that this seems to be the first time

we've ever worked hard together

on the same thing.

The first year after we got married,

our relationship was still okay, right?

Later on, when things happened,

we often argued.

The only time I felt touched by you

was when I was in prison.

Do you remember?

Back then, the Nie Family,

where one of the secondary consorts

of the Crown Prince came from,

committed atrocities.

Chuan was implicated

and I was imprisoned as a result.

The reason you felt touched

was because you thought

I would give up on you and His Highness

and join Consort Rou.

At that time, Chuan asked me

if you would help me.

Honestly, I wasn't sure

because I didn't think

we were on good terms.

It was all my fault.

I didn't give you a sense of security.

Pei Wenxuan.

I want you to take

the Inspectorate Office's and my tokens

and follow the route

the provisions and funds took

to Huangping Town back then.

Transcribe all the records

of the provisions and funds in transit

from the county offices along the way.

Now you trust me?

Don't flatter yourself.

You can more or less

put my mind at ease, I suppose.

Today, I interrogated Qin Lang.

They couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

Moreover, Qin Lang

provided a list of names,

which would put him in danger.

I've already arranged

for Xun Chuan to get him out.

Tomorrow during the morning audience,

I will also request

to be placed under house arrest.

This isn't the only way.

But it's the best way.

In twenty days,

the Qin Family

is scheduled to be ex*cuted.

By then

can you come back with the evidence?

The journey

might not be safe.

So you must be careful.

If I leave the capital

and investigate the accounts

of the grain depots along the way,

it won't just be unsafe.

It might get me k*lled.

But it doesn't matter.

I'm at Your Highness's beck and call.

I would always die for you

without hesitation.

I will set out immediately.

Pei Wenxuan.

I'll wait for your return.

There will be a reward

if you handle it well.

Take care.

It's no big deal.

The enemy is approaching, everyone.

By order of Her Highness,

secure the gates!

- Yes!

- Yes!

Ms. Xun Chuan.

The Qins have arrived.

Thank you.

Mr. Pei is a civil official,

yet he's traveling day and night

for Her Highness.

Can he take it?

I can barely

feel my legs.

Why hasn't Tian Sheng returned

from buying supplies?

What's taking him so long?

Mr. Pei, I'm back.

Take this.

Mr. Pei,

you were drawing when I left,

and now that I'm back,

you're still drawing.

Just sketching casually,

refining my character,

and elevating my mind.

By the way, sir,

here's the ointment you asked me to buy.

What ointment?

Shouldn't it be moisturizer?

Did I buy the wrong thing?

No, sir,

you asked me to buy Jinchuang Ointment.

The physician also said

it was normal for your buttocks

and feet to get worn out

from long-distance riding.

What buttocks

It's not that severe.

It's just the shoes caused my skin

to peel off my heel.

By the way, sir,

the physician specifically instructed

that once you applied

his Jinchuang Ointment

and rested well for two days,

you'd recover.

So, shall we take a break here?

I already said it was not that severe.

It's just the shoes caused my skin

to peel off my heel.

I'll apply some Jinchuang Ointment

to my foot,

and then we can hit the road.

Yes, sir.

Take it.

It's just the shoes caused my skin

to peel off my heel.

I'll be fine once I apply

some Jinchuang Ointment.

Do not tell anyone about this.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

Especially Her Highness.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

Come here.

Look.

[Rong]

[Su's Mansion]

Please.

- Father.

- Master.

The Qins were rescued

from the Ministry of Justice by Li Rong.

Go keep an eye on Pei Wenxuan,

especially towards the direction

leading out of the city.

He will definitely take action.

Yes, sir.

There are many noble families involved

in the Qin Family's case.

If Her Highness keeps

investigating further,

she may be in danger.

This won't do.

I must go into the palace immediately

and ask Li Rong to send the people

back to the Ministry of Justice.

Father, please wait.

Let me go meet Princess Pingyue first.

Please wait for my news.

Your Highness, Ms. Xun Chuan is here.

Your Highness.

How is Mr. Qin?

Thankfully,

his life has been saved.

You two may leave now.

Yes, Your Highness.

Take a seat.

He brought you up, right?

Yes.

Have you thought

about telling him about your situation?

For now,

I'll hold off on saying too much.

If I tell him,

he'll be worried about me.

Just let him know I'm still alive

and he'll be reassured.

Okay.

Take this name list.

I might be trapped in the palace,

so you'll have two things to do.

First, protect the Qins.

Don't allow anyone to take them away

from the Princess's Mansion.

Got it.

Second, go and see Shangguan Ya.

Sort out the suitable candidates

from this list

and obtain testimony from witnesses

who embezzled military provisions

and funds in Huangping County back then.

Yes.

[Princess's Mansion]

The Ministry of Justice

is handling a case

and we are here to apprehend fugitives.

Your Highness. Your Highness,

it's Mr. Su who has come with people

from the Ministry of Justice.

They say that they want to see you.

Don't panic.

Help me get changed.

Sir, we've been followed.

Find an inn up ahead.

We'll get some rest.

Rest?

Yes.

[Princess's Mansion]

Mr. Su, you're showing

your authority here.

You've brought so many people

to my mansion this early in the morning.

May I ask what the reason for this is?

Your Highness.

The prisoners detained

by the Ministry of Justice

has somehow been brought

to your mansion.

According to our laws,

this action violates

national regulations.

It would be best

if you handed over the prisoners.

If you do, I will pretend this incident

of breaking into the jail

and rescuing prisoners never happened.

Breaking into the jail

and rescuing prisoners?

The Qin Family's case

is being investigated

by my Inspectorate Office.

Now, someone I need to interrogate

is in danger,

so I have specially brought them here

for interrogation and protection.

How can this be called

breaking into the jail?

Your Highness, even if you

need to interrogate a prisoner,

you must follow

the proper legal procedures

and obtain approval

from the relevant officials.

You should hand them over.

You must know this.

The Inspectorate Office

has not been fully established yet.

Your Highness,

this is the only way I can protect you.

Are you threatening me?

So you are threatening me.

Your Highness, I am doing this

for your own good.

You're not doing this for my benefit

but for the Su Family

and the power of the noble families

behind you.

Mr. Su.

It's natural for people

to do things for their own good.

You don't need

to justify yourself so grandly.

You don't need to threaten me either.

If you want to complain, go ahead.

The morning audience is about to begin

and I'll be waiting for you

to complain about me

in the hall.

Why don't you believe me?

Why do you always

interpret everyone's good intentions

as malicious intention?

Everything you're doing now

will only cause harm

and bring no benefits.

What are you seeking?

What am I seeking?

I suppose I am seeking peace of mind.

♪ It's like standing on the edge

of a bottomless abyss ♪

♪ But here,

the blossoms you adore abound ♪

♪ How do I shout out the words

I want to say? ♪

♪ But the wind in the valley

gently ceases its whispers ♪

I once thought

we were the same kind of people.

♪ Snow falls silently, petal by petal ♪

But now I see that may not be true.

You may be willing

to sacrifice everything,

conscience, righteousness,

even your life,

for the sake of your family.

I can't say for sure

if one day,

you'll become someone like Yang Ye.

♪ The moment I see the sunset ♪

He started with youthful idealism,

but later for the power

and glory of his family,

he betrayed the country.

♪ My world gradually falls apart

as we fail to understand each other ♪

But I cannot do that.

If I did,

I would never

find peace

in my life.

Today, I cannot stand by and watch

the Qin Family suffer injustice

and meet a miserable end.

If one day,

the Su Family faces injustice

I will also not hesitate to intervene,

just as I am doing now.

You're right.

If I were only pursuing power,

everything I'm doing today

wouldn't benefit me much.

I should align myself

with the noble families

and not establish

the Inspectorate Office

or investigate the Qin Family's case.

But my pursuit of power

isn't about elevating myself

above others.

It's about living in a world

that aligns with my values.

It's a world of justice and fairness.

Fairness.

The word fairness

is too precious

and seldom encountered a term

in this world.

Mr. Su, there's no need to persuade me

or try to stop me.

Your persuasion won't change my mind,

nor can you stop me.

If you truly disagree,

feel free to confront me directly.

The Crown Prince and I

are not on the same path.

I will walk

my own path.

- Mr. Pei.

- Mr. Pei.

How come only you two are here?

Where are the others?

They're having diarrhea

from the change in environment,

so they won't be dining with you.

Got it. Sit down and eat.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

Pei Wenxuan's purpose on this trip

must be to collect the Military Record.

Since he won't work for us,

he must be eliminated.

Pingyue,

last night, I received a memorial

reporting that you broke

into the Ministry of Justice at night

and took away the entire Qin Family.

What?

Has it become your habit

to cause trouble

at the Ministry of Justice now?

Your Majesty,

please punish Her Highness severely.

Please punish her severely.

Please punish her severely.

Please strip her of her fiefdom

and punish her severely.

Pingyue, you heard them

and you saw their reaction.

After causing such a big trouble,

have you managed to find anything?

Not yet.

However, during the investigation,

I found that all the witnesses

had been k*lled

and most of the evidence

had been destroyed.

I'm still investigating.

Please give me some more time, Father.

They are actually all dead?

It was on the outskirts of the city.

Their corpses were left in the wild

after they were all k*lled.

Father,

if the witnesses of a case

were all k*lled,

don't you think there must be

something wrong with the case?

Your Majesty, the witnesses are dead,

but the evidence is still there.

Yang Ye's letters are verified.

The taels of gold they took as bribes

were also found in Qin's Mansion.

These pieces of evidence

have been verified

by the Censorate, Ministry of Justice,

and Court of Judicial Review.

Do you think

that all these three organizations

are deceiving you here?

Isn't that possible?

When I established

the Inspectorate Office,

what you've been thinking

is to seize power

and make me yield.

You are the Minister

of the Ministry of Justice.

When faced with such a case

that's full of doubts,

you're not thinking

about how to investigate it

to uncover the truth.

Yet you only think

about pulling strings behind the scenes.

You don't take people's lives

seriously at all.

How can I not be furious?

I know very well

what you are planning to do.

But let me tell you.

The Qin Family

who have been wronged and k*lled by you

are not just a few ministers

or a few living and breathing people.

They are the walls defending our border

and the backbone of the Great Xia.

What you seek to ruin today

is the prosperity

and future of the Great Xia.

Therefore,

I will never back down.

Go after them!

I'll bear the responsibility

for intruding

into the Ministry of Justice.

But let me ask you this.

Do you dare to leave

the Qins in my hands?

Do you dare to let me investigate

the Qin Family's case?

Since you claim

that the death of witnesses

has no connection

to the Qin Family's case,

then why are you afraid

of my investigation?

Your Majesty, it's not that I'm afraid

of Her Highness investigating the case,

I'm just worried

that she'd continue to cause trouble.

What if I vouch for her?

I'm afraid you can't

restrain Princess Pingyue.

What do you want then?

I'll definitely continue to investigate

the Qin Family's case.

You still need to be punished.

Your Majesty,

as the Minister

of the Ministry of Justice,

I cannot tolerate someone

flagrantly disregarding the law.

Even if you are a princess,

you should still abide

by the principles set by His Majesty.

Very well.

I will do as you wish, Mr. Xie.

Father,

I was wrong to intrude

into the Ministry of Justice.

I willingly accept the punishment

of being flogged thirty times

and reciting scriptures

at Beiyan Pagoda for a month.

However, the Ministry of Justice

failed in their duties

by not adequately protecting

key witnesses,

indirectly leading to their deaths.

This is their first wrongdoing.

Father appointed me to take charge

of the Inspectorate Office,

but the Ministry of Justice

refused to follow imperial orders

and did not fully cooperate

with the investigation.

Instead, under the guise of regulations,

they obstructed me in every way,

disregarding Father's authority.

This is their second wrongdoing.

Your Majesty

Now, upon learning of the deaths

of the witnesses

and the doubts in this case,

they have neglected their duties,

refusing to investigate thoroughly.

This is their third wrongdoing.

That's completely nonsense.

Mr. Xie is the Minister

of the Ministry of Justice

and he's in charge of it.

Yet now, the Ministry of Justice

is plagued with numerous problems.

Mr. Xie has to be held accountable.

I voluntarily accept my punishment.

However, cleaning up the Ministry

of Justice is imperative.

Although these three wrongdoings

are mainly shown

through the Qin Family's case,

the overall situation

can still be deduced.

The Ministry of Justice's usual ways

of handling cases

are indeed harmful to the state.

Father, please thoroughly investigate them

without any leniency.

My niece is different now.

What Her Highness said is reasonable.

I request you to thoroughly investigate

those in the Ministry of Justice,

Your Majesty.

- Please punish

- Please punish

- the Ministry of Justice severely.

- the Ministry of Justice severely.

Father.

Since I've already

intervened in the Qin Family's case,

I will not quit so easily.

Please grant me another twenty days.

Your Majesty, please don't

If nothing is uncovered

after twenty days,

it will prove that there is no injustice

in the Qin Family's case

and that I have been unreasonable.

I shall willingly accept my punishment

of being expelled from the capital

and return to my fiefdom.

I'll never enter the capital again.

Your request is granted.

Your Highness.

[Beiyan Pagoda]

Guard our residence.

As soon as you hear something

from my husband,

come and let me know.

Yes, Your Highness.

[Beiyan Pagoda]

Rong has completely betrayed

the Shangguan Family.

As her mother, did you know this?

I don't know

what happened to this child.

Ever since her wedding day,

it's like she's become

a different person.

It seems Pei Wenxuan

has had a significant influence on her.

I guess

it's the only explanation.

You should go to Beiyan Pagoda

and tell her

not to wait for Pei Wenxuan.

♪ Who gazes at the sky from afar? ♪

♪ Who gazes at the sky from afar? ♪

♪ In the night's chill breeze ♪

♪ What is she singing for? ♪

♪ The wind caresses the hills ♪

♪ The wind causes ripples on calm water ♪

♪ Moonlight graces passing souls ♪

♪ Her steps get slower and slower ♪

♪ She's trod a long path ♪

♪ Memories lost then found ♪

♪ Gazing idly as clouds roll by ♪

♪ She holds a red candle ♪

♪ To brave the thick fog ♪

♪ Life can be bitter sometimes ♪

♪ Experience it with grace ♪

♪ Like a fleeting dream ♪

♪ Like a fleeting dream ♪

♪ Neither warmth nor cold will last ♪

♪ Like a fleeting dream ♪

♪ Like a fleeting dream ♪

♪ The moon is reflected in her eyes ♪

♪ In her gaze,

the unwavering faith remains ♪