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 4 years older than you are
Brother-in-law is familiar with the way
I remove my make-up
Not just your make-up
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 much 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 step-mother?
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 Mother
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 in 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 enquire
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
I envy you
for having such a personable and astute son
gifted in both cultural and military affairs
Unlike my nephew
your Crown Prince
who only knows to sing and dance
If Your Majesty does not like
the snow leopard carving
it can be replaced at once
I like it
When it snows
this creature stays inside
the cave to groom his fur
When the sun comes out,
it emerges shiny and sleek
it knows about changing with the weather
This is a clever beast
May your servant suggest that
a tiger would be even more appropriate
According to the Book of Change
a great man descends from a tiger
a gentleman from a leopard
Your majesty is a great man
The tiger has an appropriate air of majesty
Governor Pei Hong of You Province
Your Majesty
Why are you silent?
I was thinking, perhaps
this snow leopard should be gifted
to Minister Yin
Why is that?
Because he too knows how to change
with the weather
Governor Pei's suggestion is excellent
We shall bestow on Minister Yin
this beautiful carving
My deepest gratitude to Your Majesty
As for a replacement...
let it be a tiger then
Better still, carve a flying dragon
Long live Your Majesty the Empress
Your servant Pei Hong
bows before the Empress Dowager
Governor Pei greeted the Empress
as Empress Dowager
Did you all hear that?
Yes
What does this signify?
Nobody dares speak?
Then let me explain
The late Emperor has ascended
to the heavens
if the Crown Prince succeeds the throne
the Empress will become
the Empress Dowager
Thus, I am the usurper
Have we understood you correctly,
Governor Pei?
No wonder you are a respected scholar
With three words
you have rearranged the hierarchy of the court
According to our ancestral customs
the Emperor kneels to the Empress Dowager
as a son to his mother
But the Empress kneels to the Emperor
as a wife to her husband
Are you the Empress Dowager?
Or the Empress?
Should I kneel?
Or should you?
Please advise us
Which is the correct procedure?
Your humble consort kneels
before Your Majesty
Your Majesty
Late Emperor
did your spirit in heaven
witness this vile exchange?
General Yin
Your Majesty
The province of You is now yours to govern
I am your servant, Your Majesty
Imperial Guards
Your Majesty
Pei Hong is condemned to be beaten to death
and his entire clan executed
At once, Your Majesty
What was it that you said we should carve?
A flying dragon
Let it be a dragon and a phoenix
This is too brutal
They say that Pei Hong himself invented this
form of punishment
for the late Emperor's use
Pei Hong is dying because of me
If you have any regrets
I can pardon him at once
No pardon
I am grateful to you
You don't have to be
Did you help the late Emperor
in this same way?
No
Then why are you being so generous with me?
You give me what the late Emperor
could never give
Lord Chamberlain
Present
I hereby proclaim
the Empress coronation will take place
on the fifteenth day of this month
Your Majesty
the traitor Pei Hong is dead
He has returned
He is not a threat to you
But you said that the people anticipate
his succession
Yin Sun
What do you think you're doing?
This gift from the Emperor
is an insult to father
It may be an insult
but more than that, it is a test
If your father had not been able to withstand
a little humiliation from time to time
he would never have reached his present rank
or been trusted by three successive emperors
What worries me is your little sister
She is far too innocent
I cannot get the eyes of the phoenix right
Imagine the eyes of Empress Wan
The Empress' eyes are
sometimes soft and charming
and sometimes frightening
A phoenix with a steady gaze
is what would please the Empress most
The coronation is only two days away
I fear this will not be ready in time
From now on
it is best if you stopped seeing the Prince
Why?
When the late Emperor was alive
this match was our family's blessing
Now that he is gone
I fear it may be our downfall
My heart will never change
Make it change
Learn from the Empress
Who cares about losing a kingdom
when in the presence of such rare beauty?
You can hardly be more secure on your throne
I can't ruin you anyway
Qing, why don't you leave us
Yes, Your Majesty
In the heart of hearts, do you not trust me?
The person I do not trust is my dear nephew
I wonder how his rehearsal
for the coronation is going
Your Majesty
this rehearsal
adheres to the usual rules
only wooden swords are employed
Please examine the weapons, Your Highness
Thank you
We have heard that Your Highness
is an expert swordsman
Mere childish endeavours
I have not practiced in years
It is the Emperor's wish
that our performance at the coronation
should impress the entire court
Swordplay is always impressive
and performance is my specialty
In that case, please begin, Your Highness
I am dead
You really meant to kill him
We would not dare
He said he is dead
What does the Empress think he died of?
He...
mistook a deadly combat for a show
Precisely
And I thoroughly enjoyed the show
How did you manage to lose so badly today?
Did you think I lost?
I hope that you will do better
at my coronation
Why do you wear a mask when you perform?
It transports an actor to the highest state
of his art
Without a mask
happiness, anger, sorrow and joy
are simply written on his face
But with a mask
a great artist can convey to the audience
the most complex and hidden emotions
In that case, what do you see
on my simple face?
Six parts arrogance, three parts disquiet
and one part guilt towards your late husband
You are wrong
It is disappointment... disappointment in you
I no longer look to you to fulfill my dreams
I can only pray to the heavens to have mercy
and protect us both
You are incapable of even
the most basic play-acting
Your sorrow, anger, bitterness and uncertainty
are there for all to see
You permit danger to follow you everywhere
You think hiding behind a mask
can elevate your art?
The highest level is to use your own face
and turn it into a mask
You are here
Yes
This is what you asked for
Do not smell it
The poison
is a thousand times deadlier than arsenic
If I can't smell it
how do I use it?
You blow it into the ear with a quill
What is it made of?
Why is it so poisonous?
It's made of Erysipelas from the Northeast
ground together with
black scorpions of the Northwest
So nothing is more poisonous?
No
What can be more lethal than this?
The human heart
There aren't any...
Any what?
There aren't any scorpions in the palace
I hear you brought back a song
I heard it from the Empress...
Trees live on mountains
and branches live on trees
My heart lives for your heart
but you do not see me
How pitiful...
Who?
The boat girl
She loves him
but he does not see her
No
You are talking about me
You think I'm pitiful
She pities me too
Both of you
use my suffering
to lure me into your embrace
Is that not the case?
No
Admit it
No
I am not her
You are her
I am not her
You are her
I am not her
You are her
The coronation ceremony
of Her Majesty the Empress Wan
will now commence
The Empress' Seal
May the Emperor live ten thousand times
ten thousand years
May the Empress live a thousand times
a thousand years
A performance of swordplay
by the Crown Prince Wu Luan
and the Imperial Guards
Uncle
Empress Mother
I wish you both everlasting happiness
My apologies for being late
Please forgive me
I am not going to play with you tonight
Instead, I have prepared a play
for your amusement
Darkness has fallen
My dear nephew
I have been expecting you
Won't you take off your mask
and let me look at your face?
Your are covered in sweat
They are tears
Come
Let me wipe them away for you
No
Your sleeves are soaked with Erysipelas
They reek of black scorpions
Wu Luan, you are not acting in a play now
What a talented artist
I feel so gratified
Quickly bow and thank His Majesty
Thank you, Uncle
How much you have grown
in the last three years
It's time to take on some serious
responsibilities now
Minister Yin
Your Majesty
What was in the dispatch sent by the Khitans?
It says that to strengthen the trust
between our two nations
we should each send our Crown Prince
to live in the other's country
Have they sent their hostage yet?
They have, Your Majesty
But I hear
he is in fact the son of a herdsman
We shall not behave like the Khitans
We are a great country
and we live by our word
We shall send a real prince
No
Why not?
His nature is too gentle
All the better
It will be honed by the sandstorms
of the northern deserts
He is too emotional
He may offend the Khitan Khan
It appears you are emotional now
but am I offended?
Your Majesty's magnanimity
is vast enough to embrace oceans
But I will not tolerate a grain of sand in my eye
Lord Chamberlain
Yes, Your Majesty
Write this down:
The Crown Prince Wu Luan
is henceforth appointed Ambassador to Khitan
He will be escorted by the Imperial Guards
and will depart promptly today
By command of the Emperor
Imperial Guards
Your Majesty
Escort the Crown Prince
Yes, Your Majesty
His Majesty is doing this for your own good
Go...
Wait
Your Majesties, the Emperor
and Empress
Your servant Qing begs
to accompany the Prince
For what reason?
So that when he is lonely
there will be someone to sing to him
Who do you think you are?
Lord Chamberlain
Present
Take her away
and give her thirty lashes of the whip
Empress Mother
Does it hurt?
Yes
My dearest daughter
you have to learn to endure the pain
It hurts too much
but I shall listen to you and try to bear it
Her Majesty the Empress approaches
Does it hurt?
No
Look at you
Tears are welling up
and you still say it doesn't hurt?
No, it doesn't
Do you know why I punished you?
Because you are jealous
Qing
Let her speak
I like to hear the truth
And why am I jealous?
Because I have love
And I don't?
You only love yourself
Nonsense
Who does not love themselves?
Let us take him as an example
your father
My father loves my brother and me
more than anything in the world
Really?
Let us find out if this is true
Guards
Your Majesty
Brand her face
then have her exiled to the South
Your merciful Majesty
I always knew
that the Minister was a man of wisdom
Where are we?
We are 350 miles past the province of You
the Khitan boarder is just ahead
Really?
Why didn't you tell me
when we passed You Province?
I should have paid a visit to Yin Sun
His Majesty commanded
that there must be no delay
Who is that?
That is you
The Prince
The hostage
In which case
I shall not reach Khitan
No, you will not
When do you plan to kill me?
Now
You think you are capable of killing me?
It will be either your death or ours
I am Yin Sun, Governor of You
My greetings to Your Highness
Why did you save me?
It was an order from that woman
Her?
Her
You follow her orders?
My sister is in her hands
I am sorry
Don't be
What will you say to my uncle?
I shall report that
all the envoys were slaughtered by the Khitans
There is not one single survivor
But I am alive
You will have to hide
I do not want to live like a mole
This is only temporary
Temporary?
How long is that?
Three years?
Five years?
Or until my hair turns gray?
It is still better than returning
and dying needlessly
I am not afraid of death
But you cannot let other people die
because of you
Will you not be satisfied until my sister
my father
and our entire clan
have sacrificed themselves
the way these poor guards have done
so that you can play at your revenge?
Will you not be satisfied until rivers flow
with blood
and the world is submerged in turmoil?
Looking at this mask
what do you two see?
Destiny at play
Your Majesty is the true son of Heaven
Nobody can oppose you
But if I had not made the right move in time
it would have been my blood
you are staring at now, wouldn't it?
You seem nervous...
is the Minister not feeling well?
Why are you sweating so profusely?
Governor Yin
Your Majesty
Your father has worked too hard all his life
Stay at home and keep him company
My military duties
keep me away from home, Your Majesty
Your military duties?
Without you,
the sky is hardly going to fall down
Your Majesty's kindness
has moved your servant to tears
We are most grateful
for Your Majesty's consideration
I have never liked masks
You may leave
Yes, Your Majesty
Lord Chamberlain
Present
We shall give a banquet for the entire court
The day after tomorrow is an auspicious day
for feasting
That would be too late
make it tomorrow night
Tomorrow is not auspicious
for receiving guests
I will not bow to superstition
Write this down:
Tomorrow at midnight
all courtiers are invited to a royal banquet
to be given in the hall of gold
Yes, Your Majesty
Anyone who fails to attend
will be executed
Since the departure of the Crown Prince
your sister has not touched
a single grain of rice
Then let me tell her
that he is still alive
No
Give this to her
Drifting down the river Qian
What auspicious day is this?
Dreaming beside my Prince
Brother
I dreamt of him again last night
He was dancing somewhere white as snow
There were a lot of people
He even invited me to join him
Little sister
stop fooling yourself
You are not in his heart
I know
But I promised I would wait for him always
You are in your brother's heart
I will not let anybody harm you
Is there anything more poisonous than this?
Yes
What?
The human heart
Well said
Why didn't the Prince take it with him
on his last visit?
He was not ruthless enough
This is your payment
Arsenic?
There is not much
but it should be enough for one
His Majesty the Emperor approaches
We have not played polo for a while
Let us have a big match, you and I
Your Majesty is throwing a banquet tonight
Is there enough time to play?
It is still early
I have a headache
Lord Chamberlain
Present
Send for the Imperial Physician at once
Yes, Your Majesty
There is no need
I 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?
Including 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
I 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 I 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
It 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
If 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
If 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
General Yin
My Lord Chamberlain
Present
I 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
I 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
It was the Crown Prince's favorite song
To commemorate him
I want him to know
that even if the whole world abandons him
I 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 I do not know how to drink
You must not refuse His Majesty's gracious gift
Then I 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 I 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
It's me
It's me
The moment the song started
I could feel you near me
My dearest Qing
Your Highness
do you still feel lonely?
With you
I 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 I thought I was warming
your heart
It 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 Imperial Guards?
Imperial Guards
Protect the Emperor
Anyone who stands in my way will perish
This man
murdered my father like a coward
This is a matter
between the two of us
It is nobody else's concern
I don't want to kill the innocent
Out of my way
Such majestic demeanor
as befits a nephew of mine
I 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?
If this is what you want
Brother
then let me appease you tonight
You offered me a toast
How can I refuse?
The Emperor is dead
Your Majesty
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
It is nothing
You are going to be fine
He was lying
There is no poison
The blade is not poisoned
Wu Luan
Imperial Physician
Lord Chamberlain
Ling, where are you?
Wu Luan
Where is everybody?
Little Wan...
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
It 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
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 I started to forget my name?
Perhaps it was the day your father married me
You left
and nobody used my name anymore
Gradually even I forgot what it was
Then your uncle married me
and again I was called the Empress
But from now on
nobody will call me Empress anymore
Instead, 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 I
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
In the moment when a single tear falls
All hatred becomes a distant blur
I can love you with all that I am
But even this cannot return you to me
From now on I will live as a shadow
Forever in the past...
Forever in the past...