Your Majesty, I have something to report.
Go ahead.
Crown Prince Dan of Yan betrayed Qin and fled away,
which is a major crime of treason.
I wonder
if Qin should
send troops to pursue him
to pacify the public opinion.
Your Majesty,
I think this is up to you.
There's no need for others to raise their voices.
Commander of Justice, Yan Dan has been a hostage in Qin for many years.
He used to be close to His Majesty.
Although he escaped from Qin and betrayed His Majesty,
if Qin sends troops to pursue a hostage,
I'm afraid it can't pacify
the public opinion by then.
Indeed.
I welcomed Han Fei to Qin from afar.
Unexpectedly, he died unjustly in Qin.
This unjust case
is a shame to be laughed at by others.
They said I'm ungrateful.
Please forgive me, Your Majesty.
I was really worried
that Han Fei would endanger Qin,
so I acted recklessly.
It's all because of my foolishness and incompetency.
Please pardon me, Your Majesty.
Enough.
Killing Li Si
can't get Han Fei back either.
Now Mr. Han Fei is dead,
and our campaign against Zhao has repeatedly suffered setbacks.
Meng Wu.
After you develop a strategy, discuss it with me.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Highness.
It seems that we have already arrived in Zhao.
It's 300 miles away from the state of Qin.
We can take a break now.
I know,
but it's the warring time.
In a remote rural area far away from the city,
there are still many bandits.
We should be more careful.
And to protect the safety of His Highness,
we'd better pretend to be retainers following the young master.
This is more secure.
That's indeed considerate.
What's going on?
Nothing.
Unexpectedly, His Majesty
didn't send troops to pursue Crown Prince Dan of Yan.
Lady Li has a good relationship with him.
His Majesty must be allured by her.
If it weren't for her,
I wouldn't end up like this.
Lord Xiahou,
I didn't mean to vent my anger on you.
But you didn't complete the tasks well
and let her return to the palace.
Or I wouldn't be idle at home
and taste all the coldness.
Lord Li, my master's martial arts are unparalleled.
That was purely an accident.
Accident?
Lady Li's senior brother who rescued her
was just a small guard in the Qin palace.
Lord Xiahou, you can't even defeat him?
What else do you want me to say?
Han Shen?
What do you mean by that?
Han Shen?
Han Shen is nothing.
Han Shen is not
a match to my master.
Wasn't Lady Li being rescued by Han Shen?
He personally escorted her back to the palace.
How can it be false?
Han Shen didn't come.
If Han Shen came,
he would have been
killed by me already.
But Lady Li said
it was her senior brother who saved her.
Does she have any other senior brothers?
She has another senior brother.
Han Shen is the eldest senior brother.
The one who rushed to save her
was her second senior brother,
also her former lover, Jing Ke.
Jing Ke?
Former lover?
Before she entered the palace,
they were close and inseparable from each other.
They ate together
and must sleep together.
I have met them several times before,
and they were intimate.
Their relationship wasn't that pure.
Really?
I've been feeling unwell lately.
So I didn't visit you.
It's okay.
I've also heard about your thing.
Is this child really Mr. Han Fei's?
To be honest,
I didn't expect to get pregnant either.
I was also shocked when I discovered it.
I didn't know
how to tell you about this.
I didn't expect to get pregnant
with Mr. Han Fei's child.
A few months ago, I always felt sick
and couldn't even get out of the door.
But you can't always
hide in the palace.
Does His Majesty know about it?
To tell you the truth,
I was so scared
that I begged Concubine Li
to plead with His Majesty for me.
Concubine Li?
But please rest assured.
I just told her about my pregnancy.
I didn't reveal a word about anything else.
But after thinking it over and over again,
I'm not pregnant with His Majesty's child.
Although he won't kill my baby,
how long can we live in the palace?
Do you still want to leave the palace?
Yes.
I want to reunite with
my family in Zhao before I give birth to this child.
I haven't heard from them these days.
I'm a bit worried.
Zhao is far away.
It'll be quite tough all the way.
You guys leave now.
Yes.
In my opinion, the time is right now.
To avoid accidents,
you'd better leave the palace soon.
Really?
Are you willing to help me leave the palace?
The fewer people know about this matter, the better.
Just tonight.
Tonight, you will leave the palace.
I will order the Central Regular Attendant to buy the guards.
Someone will pick you up outside the palace
to help you leave here.
Thank you
for your great kindness.
Given your condition,
you're not suitable for a long journey.
But seeing you so concerned about your family,
I won't force you to stay.
You have to be more careful along the way.
Thank you for your care.
I don't know why.
Since I announced pregnancy,
I really like to eat sour food more and more.
This is gradually getting better.
You must feel that
you're pregnant,
so your body changes,
making you feel like being pregnant.
Really?
Anyway,
I'm happy today.
I also have a great appetite.
Go
ask them to cook make some snacks for me.
Yes.
Here comes His Majesty.
Why did he come?
Quick.
Hurry up.
Here.
Cover up.
Belly.
Belly. Quick.
Hurry up.
Come on.
Your Majesty.
What's wrong?
You're feeling unwell?
No.
I just feel a bit dizzy after waking up this morning.
So I kept lying in bed all the time.
Sorry for my impoliteness.
Take a good rest.
Many things happened recently.
I really have no intention of managing the harem affair.
I understand.
I was really angry with you before.
But since you have married into Qin
and become one of my concubines.
I was too cold towards you.
That's nothing.
What about the baby? How is he?
He is well.
He kicked me twice just now.
Really? Let me feel it.
But he stops now.
Don't worry.
Then take a good rest.
Take good care of her.
Tell Central Regular Attendant if you need anything.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I have to go.
That's really scary.
It's scorching hot.
It seems that he did not notice it.
Your Highness, you did a good job.
Forget it.
The belly of a pregnant woman is that big?
Is it very heavy?
I need to act better next time.
Your Highness.
I've prepared everything
for Senior Palace Woman Han's leaving.
After she leaves the palace for a few days,
we'll claim that she runs away without permission.
His Majesty won't investigate
the whereabouts of a seventh-rank concubine.
After she leaves the palace,
shut her up forever.
But she is pregnant.
A useless person can't be kept.
Moreover,
shouldn't all her families in Zhao
be killed as well?
She made a mistake
to turn to Concubine Li.
That means she trusts Concubine Li.
I just need ministers without support at court and princes born of a concubine fallen from grace.
If she trusts others,
that'd mean she betrays me.
How can I keep her?
Qing, you can leave now.
Yes.
Leave this to me.
I'll await orders outside.
Your Majesty.
I brought some red dates.
Red dates?
Have more.
I haven't come to see you these days.
I'm really sorry.
Please don't think that
I'm ignoring you.
Many things happened recently.
This red date is delicious.
So sweet.
But
it tastes like
those red dates from Zhao in the North Buwei gave me before.
The taste is very similar.
These red dates were given by Mindai.
She said these red dates
are only available in the palace.
I don't know exactly where they come from.
Sister Mindai?
Is it Mindai?
Yes, Mindai.
Has she given birth to a son for Zheng?
Not yet.
She doesn't like Zheng at all.
I don't know why
she was willing to marry into Qin.
What do you mean?
In Handan,
everyone knew that the daughter of the marquis, Mindai
was quite close to Prince Qian.
They enjoyed lanterns in winter and admired flowers in spring.
They were always inseparable
and intimate.
Prince Qian?
Could it be the current king of Zhao?
You should have heard about the Qin army rescuing Yan and attacking Zhao?
My state's previous king passed away suddenly.
The Crown Prince Qian ascended to the throne.
However, Zhao Qian has a bad character,
and is arrogant and stubborn.
Zhao may be perished soon.
I thought she detested him very much.
But everyone in Zhao knows that
Zhao Qian is known for his promiscuous behavior.
Not to mention that after he was appointed as the crown prince,
he took many beauties
as his concubines.
Mindai,
now the state of Zhao has been attacked by Qin
and Handan is in a precarious situation.
Will it affect your mood?
You know
I've never inquired about matters related to the court.
Since I've married into Qin,
everything in Handan is far away from me.
No.
What if I eat them up?
I need to save some.
What…
What's going on?
This is the tea I entrusted someone
to bring back from Zhao.
At present, it is a tumultuous season.
It's always good to replenish the body more often.
Thank you for your concern.
Actually, I'm fine.
I don't think so.
You just visited the Crown Prince Dan of Yan.
But unexpectedly you were kidnapped.
Why is this not a big deal?
This tea is really refreshing.
Thank you
for sharing it with me.
Qing, take a sip.
Qing.
Qing. Qing.
Sorry, Your Highness.
I just lost my mind.
Never mind.
What are you so engrossed in?
Mindai is our partner.
If you have anything, just say it directly.
Mindai, do you mind listening together?
Of course not.
I heard from other palace maids that
Senior Palace Woman Han
is dead.
What? She's dead?
She died of illness?
She was killed.
She was killed?
How could this be possible?
The palace is strictly guarded.
How could someone possibly enter the palace and kill her?
I'm not clear about this.
I just heard that
she died in a mountain ditch in the suburbs.
A farmer discovered her body.
Because of her noble attire,
the officers and soldiers pursued her identity.
At last,
she was recognized by the Huben guards.
That's weird.
She is just a seventh-rank concubine.
How could she
exit the palace gate at will?
Why did she secretly leave the palace without permission?
I don't know.
They said
her death was terrifying.
And her belly was cut open.
The baby in her belly must be...
Both of them were killed.
Who on earth
killed her?
She was good.
This matter is weird.
Her death must have something to do
with Han Fei's death.
And the largest suspect of
poisoning Mr. Han Fei
is Li Si and Gracious Lady Chu.
Although they still deny it,
no one else
except them would do this.
I wonder
if Senior Palace Woman Han was also
killed by them?
How come she is weird today?
She doesn't like Zheng at all.
What do you mean?
In Handan,
everyone knew that the daughter of the marquis, Mindai
was quite close to Prince Qian.
They enjoyed lanterns in winter and admired flowers in spring.
They were always inseparable
and intimate.
His Majesty, there are also other Chu people in the palace.
They can also get the colored glass beads.
Actually, I'm still keeping
the colored glass beads given by Gracious Lady Chu.
But I don't think
Gracious Lady Chu
would kill her.
Why?
The incident of Gracious Lady Chu and Li Si poisoning Han Fei
has been already settled.
They have also been punished by His Majesty.
Gracious Lady Chu was demoted
and Li Si was punished with a cane.
Although they are to blame,
they have taken the punishment
and borne the liabilities.
Gracious Lady Chu really doesn't need to
take the risk of aggravating the crime
and kill her.
Perhaps Gracious Lady Chu
wanted to stop Senior Palace Woman Han
exposing what she ordered to do.
Or maybe Gracious Lady Chu
killed Senior Palace Woman Han
who had threatened her?
It makes sense.
But that's
just our wild guess.
It's far from the truth.
Yeah.
She has been dead.
The evil deeds of Gracious Lady Chu
might be deep buried
with Senior Palace Woman Han.
She has always wanted to shift the blame onto Gracious Lady Chu
What is she trying to cover up?
Sure enough, Zhao is wealthy
and prosperous.
We haven't reached Handan yet.
I see people dressed brilliantly here.
Handan must be
more affluent.
Mr. Jing, thank you
for showing us the Swan Falling Swordsmanship.
Thanks to you,
we can smoothly save
His Highness from Qin.
I'm flattered.
Before successfully arriving in the state of Yan,
there are still many dangers along the way.
We must always remain vigilant.
Thanks for your hard work.
Let's find a fine inn.
I'd like to treat you to a drink.
Thank you, Young Master.
Young Master.
You guys go first. I'll catch up soon.
Who are you?
Your Highness.
Your Highness.
General Fan?
Your Highness.
Bad news!
What makes you such panic?
You may affect my health.
Senior Palace Woman Han left the palace without permission
and died in the suburbs.
What?
Senior Palace Woman Han is dead?
Just now, news came from the palace.
The doctors and Huben guards
have verified this.
It was really Senior Palace Woman Han.
and the child in her belly.
The fetus is gone.
Your Highness, what should we do?
His Majesty already knows that you're pregnant.
Should we continue to pretend
or just buy a child from the outside
to replace it?
Don't say that for now.
Let me think about it.
Who killed Senior Palace Woman Han?
Why are there people always blocking my path?
To find out who
had learned about our plan,
I've been investigating in recent days.
As a result, some palace maids told me
Concubine Mindai
sometimes went to Senior Palace Woman Han's place
quietly and secretly.
Only her personal maid Xiaoli
was allowed stay with her.
Mindai?
She used us?
Yeah.
I never thought about it before.
Senior Palace Woman Han knew
our poison strategy
and leaked it to Mindai.
It must be them.
They framed me up.
No way. I must tell His Majesty.
Your Highness.
Please wait.
You are currently pregnant now.
Don't expose yourself
in front of His Majesty.
What should we do then?
Calm down.
We have to gather all the evidence first
before we seek justice to His Majesty.
Please calm down.
Mindai.
I won't spare her.
Greetings, Gracious Lady Chu.
Your Highness, Gracious Lady Chu comes.
Your Highness.
Mindai.
Are you dead
or pretending to sleep here?
What brings you here?
You look so angry.
Mind your baby.
I originally wanted to visit you.
Stop pretending.
I came to settle accounts with you.
You killed Gracious Lady Liang
and Senior Palace Woman Han.
Why did you frame me up?
Looks like
you're concern about
the death of Senior Palace Woman Han.
That surprises me.
You don't even cast a glance at
those who are useless to you.
Why do you care about
the matter of Senior Palace Woman Han so much?
Did she tell His Majesty
that you poisoned
Mr. Han Fei,
so you hold such a grudge against her?
Mindai, stop slandering me.
It was you who used her
to learn my plan and used us to kill Han Fei.
How dare you still pretend to be innocent
in front of me?
You killed Senior Palace Woman Han just to silence her.
You're so ruthless.
I killed them through your hands?
Gracious Lady Chu,
do you dare to tell His Majesty
the person you wanted to kill was not Mr. Han Fei
but Lord Changping?
Lord Changping is the Prime Minister of the Left in Qin,
while Mr. Han Fei is just a guest.
The crime of murdering
a high-ranking minister
should be more serious
than framing a guest, huh?
You frame me up!
Stop.
What's going on?
Gracious Lady Chu came to make a scene for no reason.
She also framed me.
Sorry for letting you see this.
You're talking nonsense!
Gracious Lady Chu, since you're pregnant,
go back and rest earlier
for the sake of your health.
Are you okay?
Since there's nothing else, I'd like to go now.
Gracious Lady Chu.
Gracious Lady Chu.
Gracious Lady Chu.
What's up?
Are you happy that
I'm in decline now?
If I want to laugh at you,
I would help Concubine Mindai
to go against you just now,
instead of letting you leave first.
You two are good friends.
If you want to mock me,
you have private opportunities.
There's no need to show it to me.
Gracious Lady Chu. I have some questions.
The death of Gracious Lady Liang
really had nothing to do with you?
The last thing
I would do is to kill her.
What about Mr. Han Fei?
Did you poison him?
I have no grudges or grievances with him.
Why did I harm him?
That's strange.
Senior Palace Woman Han told me
she still kept
the colored glass beads you gave her.
Whose colored glass beads
in the prison then?
I have been in this palace for so many years.
I have given colored glass beads to Queen Huayang and also Mindai.
But His Majesty insisted that I did it.
Why didn't he doubt about Mindai?
Mr. Han Fei insisted on attacking Zhao,
Mindai should hate him
more than me.
Gracious Lady Chu.
Don't trouble her these days.
Or you may be in danger.
Why do I have to listen to you?
If you don't want to end up like Gracious Lady Liang
and Senior Palace Woman Han,
just listen to me.
Actually, I'm very sad
about the death of Senior Palace Woman Han.
She was young
and full with the joy of being a mother.
Unexpectedly,
she was killed.
Mr. Han Fei's sudden death
was already heartbroken enough.
But he could have an offspring,
which was hopeful.
But I didn't expect they would all die.
It's really heartbreaking.
Although Senior Palace Woman Han died outside the palace,
prepare her funeral
as if she was a concubine in the palace.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I'll order them.
What about her families in her hometown?
Have you notified them?
That's the strangest part.
I tried several days,
and found that shortly after she left the palace,
all her families died.
She probably didn't know when she left the palace.
I don't know why
she had to leave the palace.
In your opinion,
did she have something to do with the incident
of Mr. Han Fei's death?
I once thought so.
But when I inquired her,
she seemed to blame herself
for his death.
I still keep the colored glass beads
Gracious Lady Chu gave me.
Yes.
I was indeed
instructed by Gracious Lady Chu.
But...but I really thought
His Majesty would just lock him up for a few days.
Now Mr. Han Fei is dead.
No one wants to
listen to my explain anymore.
What I regret the most,
is that Mr. Han Fei is a good person.
If it weren't for me,
he wouldn't have died unjustly in Qin.
Was she killed by Gracious Lady Chu?
That's what I used to think.
But
Gracious Lady Chu was demoted due to Mr. Han Fei's death.
There is really no reason for her
to again more guilt at this critical moment.
Your Majesty.
Gracious Lady Chu has been demoted
and is prone to feel anxious.
Now she is pregnant.
In the future, she will give birth to your prince or princess.
Don't be too harsh on her.
You're really strange.
She repeatedly tried to harm you.
You don't hate her, but speak for her instead.
Actually, we both are women.
I understand what she's thinking.
What she wants is the post of queen.
But I don't want it.
We are
not competitors.
You don't
want to be the queen.
All this wouldn't have happened if you lead the harem.
Actually, after entering the palace, I also saw it through.
I won't harm others unless they harm me.
I just want to
raise Tianming up safely.
I don't need anything else.
Do you need me then?
That's obvious.
Your Highness, I want to ask you to do something.
But don't get angry.
When you are free,
can you go to see your mother in the South Palace?
Days ago,
I visited her.
She was quite haggard
and in a bad condition.
If someone else advises me to do this,
I will definitely be very angry.
But because it's you.
Okay.
I will go see her with you tomorrow.
Your Highness, this is a great crime of deceiving the king.
It would kill me.
I dare not do it at all.
Please spare me this time.
Of course I know it.
I also know that's a capital crime.
But Dr. Lu, don't forget that,
we are accomplices.
You diagnosed my pregnancy.
If other doctors found that
I have never been pregnant,
you still can't get rid of it.
It's still a capital crime.
So,
there is only a way now.
Li.
I feel a little uneasy.
My relatives around are getting farther and farther away from me.
My mother is haggard.
My concubines had a miscarriage suddenly.
Chengjiao and Yan Dan also turned against me.
I only have you by my side.
After I entered the palace,
I heard someone once say that
Lord Chang'an was exiled to a foreign state because of betraying Qin.
It's not that he betrayed me.
It was that I betrayed him.
I want to leave the palace for one month
for something important.
I will return on time once the matter is completed.
What's the matter?
It was entrusted by Concubine Li.
Is it something that I cannot know?
I can only say
it is harmless to the Qin and Your Majesty.
Can you protect your junior sister
for a lifetime without getting married?
Are you satisfied once you just stay by her side?
As long as she is safe and happy, I am satisfied.
Keep your word.
Please rest assured.
I will keep my word.
Last time, you said you would investigate the death of Senior Palace Woman Han.
So how
is your investigation
going recently?
I already know who killed her.