“皇后之玺”

The Empress’ Seal.

皇上万岁万岁，万万岁。

May the Emperor live ten thousand times ten thousand years.

皇后娘娘千岁千岁，千千岁。

May the Empress live a thousand times a thousand years.

剑术，表演，太子殿下，羽林卫。

A performance of swordplay by the Crown Prince Wuluan and the Imperial Guards.

无鸾：叔叔，母后，万寿无疆。

Uncle, Empress Mother, I wish you both everlasting happiness.

对不起 我来晚了。对不起，爷今儿不陪你们玩了，我今天排了一出小戏。黑夜降临了。

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.

厉帝：可爱的侄儿，朕知道你会来的。能除掉面具，让朕看看你的脸吗？你满脸汗水。

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.

无鸾：泪水。

They are tears.

厉帝：来，让朕给你拭去。

Come. Let me wipe them away for you.

无鸾：不。你衣服上有鹤顶红，还有毒蝎子的气味。

No. Your sleeves are soaked with Erysipelas. They reek of black scorpions.

婉后：无鸾你太投入了。

Wuluan, you are not acting in a play now.

厉帝：天才的艺术家，朕很欣慰。

What a talented artist, I feel so gratified.

婉后：还不快快叩谢皇上。

Quickly bow and thank His Majesty.

无鸾：多谢叔叔。

Thank you, Uncle

厉帝：吴越三年 终成大器，你可以担当重任了。殷太常。

How much you have grown in the last three years. It’s time to take on some serious responsibilities now. Minister Yin.

殷太常：臣在。

Your Majesty.

厉帝：契丹的国书上是怎么说来着？

What was in the dispatch sent by the Khitans?

殷太常：他说为了表示两国友好的诚意，双方应派各自的王子互为人质，并留驻对方。

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.

厉帝：他们的王子派来了吗？

Have they sent their hostage yet?

殷太常：派来了。

They have, Your Majesty.

婉后：不过据臣妾所知，他只是个牧马人的儿子。

But I hear he is in fact the son of a herdsman.

厉帝：朕不学他。我泱泱大国，以诚信为本，我们派真正的太子去。

We shall not behave like the Knitans. We are a great country and we live by our word. We shall send a real prince.

婉后：不行。

No

厉帝：为什么不行？

Why not?

婉后：他性格太柔弱。

His nature is too gentle

厉帝：正好，塞外的风沙能磨砺出他的坚强。

All the better. It will be honed by the sandstorms of the northern deserts.

婉后：他容易冲动，会得罪契丹可汗。

He is too emotional. He may offend the Khitan Khan.

厉帝：你现在好像也很冲动，得罪朕了么？

It appears you are the emotional one, but am I offended?

婉后：皇上的胸怀，容纳百川。

Your Majesty’s magnanimity is vast enough to embrace oceans.

厉帝：可朕的眼里掺不得沙子。内侍监。

But I will not tolerate a grain of sand in my eye. Lord Chamberlain.

在。

Yes, Your Majesty

厉帝：拟旨，着太子无鸾，出使契丹，羽林卫护送，即日启程。钦此。

Write this down: The Crown Prince Wuluan is henceforth appointed Ambassador to Khitan. He will be escorted by the Imperial Guards and will depart promptly today. By command of the Emperor.

内侍监：羽林卫。

Imperial Guards.

羽林卫：在。

Present.

内侍监：随太子启程。

Escort the Crown Prince.

羽林卫：诺。

Yes, Your Majesty.

婉后：皇上也是为你好，去吧。

His Majesty is doing this for your own good. Go…

青女：等一等！禀皇上，皇后娘娘，青女愿与太子同行。

Wait! Your Majesties, the Emperor and Empress. Your servant Qing begs to accompany the Prince.

婉后：为什么？

For what reason?

青女：他寂寞的时候，我可以唱歌给他听。

So that when he is lonely there will be someone to sing to him.

婉后：你以为你是谁？内侍监。

Who do you think you are? Lord Chamberlain.

内侍监：在。

Present.

婉后：把她拖下去鞭笞三十。

Take her away and give her thirty lashes of the whip.

无鸾：母后。

Empress Mother.