Inside the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City 1965

sòng gōng shǐ

It seems that Li Zhenfei was once an imperial concubine, who often found herself competing with her rival Madame Liu for the emperor's sole, undivided attention. When Li gives birth to the Emperor's child, the jealous Liu switches the boy with a cat and commands a servant named Kou Zhu to kill the baby. However, Kou Zhu ignores the order and gives the prince-to-be to the emperor's brother, a decision which eventually leads to the boy being adopted by the emperor himself! But as fate would have it, to go along with his new son, the emperor has a new wife as well - Madame Liu! As this strange new family unit is being constructed, poor Li Zhenfei has been confined to the forbidden palace, condemned to never see or speak to her son, the prince. But destiny reunites her with her son, but will this family reunion be a happy one? And will Madame Liu finally be punished for her treachery?

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6.59 Advanced

Vocabulary

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duō nián many years; for many years; longstanding HSK 4
chén to submerge; to immerse; to sink; to keep down; to lower; to drop; deep; profound; heavy HSK 4
cóng from now on; since then; henceforth HSK 4
thin or slender; finely particulate; thin and soft; fine; delicate; trifling; (of a sound) quiet; frugal HSK 4
fǎn ér on the contrary; instead HSK 4
secret; confidential; close; thick; dense HSK 4
to separate; to partition; to stand or lie between; at a distance from; after or at an interval of HSK 4
hán to keep in the mouth; to contain HSK 4
to move; to shift; to change; to alter; to remove HSK 4
sǎn scattered; loose; to come loose; to fall apart; leisurely; powdered medicine HSK 4
to meet; to encounter; to treat; to receive; opportunity; chance HSK 4
sōng pine HSK 4
jīn nowadays; now HSK 4
wàn just in case; if by any chance; contingency HSK 4
liáng to measure HSK 4
zhì to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); to treat (a disease); to wipe out (a pest); to punish; to research HSK 4
to substitute for; to take the place of; to replace; for; on behalf of; to stand in for HSK 4
guān government official; governmental; official; public; organ of the body HSK 4
jiū jìng to go to the bottom of a matter; after all; when all is said and done; (in an interrogative sentence) finally; outcome; result HSK 4
already; since; both... (and...) HSK 4
rán since; as; this being the case HSK 4
ān (bound form) calm; peaceful; to calm; to set at ease; safe; secure; in good health; content; satisfied (as in 安于); to place (sb) in a suitable position (job); to install; to fix; to fit; to bring (a charge against sb); to harbor (certain intentions); ampere (abbr. for 培) HSK 4
to leave out; to be missing; to leave behind or forget to bring; to lag or fall behind HSK 4
extremely; pole (geography, physics); utmost; top HSK 4
guài bewildering; odd; strange; uncanny; devil; monster; to wonder at; to blame; quite; rather HSK 4
gòng common; general; to share; together; total; altogether; abbr. for 共产党, Communist party HSK 4
gēn root; basis; classifier for long slender objects, e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings; radical (chemistry) HSK 4
tóu to cast; to send; to throw oneself (into the river etc); to seek refuge; to place oneself into the hands of HSK 4
yīng to agree (to do sth); should; ought to; must; (legal) shall HSK 4
dān bill; list; form; single; only; sole; odd number HSK 4
guǎn not to be concerned; regardless of; no matter HSK 4
kàn lai apparently; it seems that HSK 4
law; method; way; to emulate; (Buddhism) dharma; (abbr. for 家) the Legalists; (physics) farad (abbr. for 拉) HSK 4
xiē classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several HSK 4
dìng to set; to fix; to determine; to decide; to order HSK 4
self; oneself; from; since; naturally; surely HSK 4
shì fǒu whether (or not); if; is or isn't HSK 4
chǔ to reside; to live; to dwell; to be in; to be situated at; to stay; to get along with; to be in a position of; to deal with; to discipline; to punish HSK 4
ya (particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) HSK 4
this; these HSK 4
not to have; no; none; not; to lack; un-; -less HSK 4
zhī hòu after; behind; (at the beginning of a sentence) afterwards; since then HSK 4
ér and; as well as; and so; but (not); yet (not); (indicates causal relation); (indicates change of state); (indicates contrast) HSK 4
kāi ròu zhàn flesh lacerated from corporal punishment (idiom) Idiom ∼HSK 3
tuán - (idiom) to keep on the right side of everyone (often at the expense of principle) Xiehouyu ∼HSK 3
shēn yóu without the freedom to act independently (idiom); involuntary; not of one's own volition; in spite of oneself Xiehouyu ∼HSK 3
méi yòng useless Xiehouyu HSK 3
qīn parent; one's own (flesh and blood); relative; related; marriage; bride; close; intimate; in person; first-hand; in favor of; pro-; to kiss; (Internet slang) dear Xiehouyu HSK 3
yào shi (coll.) if Colloquialism HSK 3
xuè blood; colloquial pr. [xiě] Colloquialism HSK 3