Episode 16

Scene 1: Taiwan, Royal Palace: Tang Fei’s chamber

Tang Fei is lying in her bed, coughing. Her son Zheng Keshuang enters with a bird in a cage. He tries to cheer her up. Tang Fei complains that he is still acting like a child. She urges him to grow up and be cautious, otherwise his enemies would easily take his life. A servant enters and announces Feng Xifan’s arrival. Tang Fei orders her son to receive Feng Xifan in the reception hall.

Scene 2: Taiwan, In front of the Royal Palace

Haikui sees Feng Xifan´s sedan chair in front of Tang Fei´s residence.

Tang Fei and Feng Xifan discuss how to proceed after Zheng Jing’s death. A plot is made to bring Zheng Keshuang on the throne instead of his elder brother Zheng Kezang. Tang Fei wonders about who sent the assassin pulling her into the sea assuming that it was the regent. Despite knowing better, Feng agrees with her suspicion.

Feng Xifan leaves the house and is hit by an arrow in the arm. The arrow was shot by Haikui.

Feng Xifan’s wound is being dressed. Feng and Tang Fei talk about this assassination attempt. Feng Xifan supects Haikui, whereas Tang Fei supects Zheng Kezang. Feng Xifan tells Tang Fei to go to Zheng Jing, her husband, and accuse Zheng Kezang of both assassination attempts.

Shi Shizong and Yao Yun hide a coastal defense map as soon as someone knocks at the door. Haikui enters and tells them about her assassination attempt on Feng Xifan.

Jin Hanchen is summoned by Feng Xifan’s soldiers to his residence.

Zheng Jing is lying in bed, fatally ill. Tang Fei is with him, telling him about the assassination attempts on herself and Feng Xifan. She wants to convince him, that Zheng Kezang is the leader of the conspiracy against her, Feng Xifan and Taiwan. She also suggests that Zheng Kezang conspires with the Qing government.

Jin Hanchen is brought to Feng Xifan. Feng Xifan tells Jin Hanchen that he knows about his role in the conspiracy against him and Tang Fei. He tells him, that he knows that it was him who pulled Tang Fei into the sea and that he will bring him to court. At the same time, Feng promises the distraught Jin Hanchen that he will be set free if he tells the court that Zheng Kezang is the head of a conspiracy and has hired him.

Shi Shizong and Haikui fear that Jin Hanchen will betray them. Shi Shizong advises Haikui to tell Zheng Jing the truth about Tang Fei and her conspiracy.

Zheng Jing and his mother Dong Taifei are sitting together. A servant enters, reporting that Haikui has asked several times for an audience. Dong Taifei wants her to be sent away because Zheng Jing is too ill but he wants to see her. Haikui enters and by a trick she manages to be alone with Zheng Jing. Now she tells him the truth about her mother Tang Fei and the plot against his oldest son, Zheng Kezang. Because her mother wanted her own son Zheng Keshuang to be heir to the throne, she conspired to abandon Zheng Kezang on a lonely island. By accident it was not Zheng Kezang who was left on the island but her, Haikui.

Court hearing against Jin Hanchen. Jin declares that it was Zheng Kezang who gave him the order to push Tang Fei into the sea. Subsequently he is set free. Feng Xifan as the head of the council pretends to be surprised and shocked by this testimony. The council decides to inform the Prince of Yanping about Zheng Kezang’s alleged plot. Fu Weilin is ordered to do this.

Liu Guoxuan arrives and discusses the alleged plot with Fu Weilin. He is shocked by the news but does not trust Feng Xifan and Tang Fei. Fu Weilin replies that Feng’s power is well entrenched. To remove him is next to impossible. The only one who could stop him from replacing the heir apparent was Dong Taifei.

Emperor Kangxi is very concerned about the situation in Taiwan and expects advise from Li Guangdi. However, Li Guangdi pretends to be not qualified to answer any questions concerning the issue. Indirectly, he criticizes the emperor for sending the only qualified person – Shi Lang – into exile.

Shi Lang and his younger son are sitting at the beach. Shi Lang is very concerned about his son Shi Shizong in Taiwan. He recites a poem “Song about the Princess of Heaven” which is about the local god Mazu, the protector of the seamen, and talks about parting and longing. Behind him is standing Hu Ganjiang who has been sent by Feng Xifan to kill Shi Lang. While the assassin unsheathes his sword, at the same time, the secret guards sent by Wu Qijue to protect Shi Lang are also seen on the scene hidden in the environs. Suddenly, Hu appears to touched by the poem, or, possibly, sees that it is impossible to kill Shi Lang because of the guards, so he changes fronts. He stands up and tells Shi Lang that he doesn’t need to worry. One day Taiwan will be conquered and his son will be rescued.

Zheng Jing is very ill, he breathes his last. Tang Fei wants to give him soup but he angrily pushes her away. Tang Fei complains asking what her mistake was. Zheng Jing tells her that the attempt of pulling her into the sea was nothing else than the retribution for herself throwing somebody [implicating her child] away.

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