Inside the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City 1965

宋宫秘史 sòng gōng mì 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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只是 只是 zhǐ shì merely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however HSK 3
为了 為了 wèi le for; for the purpose of; in order to HSK 3
死 死 sǐ to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid; extremely; damned HSK 3
所 所 suǒ actually; place; classifier for houses, small buildings, institutions etc; that which; particle introducing a relative clause or passive HSK 3
并 並 bìng and; furthermore; also; together with; (not) at all; simultaneously; to combine; to join; to merge HSK 3
就是 就是 jiù shì exactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也) even; even if HSK 3
被 被 bèi quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune); used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, if the doer is not mentioned, before the verb); (since c. 2009) (sarcastic or jocular) used to indicate that the following word should be regarded as being in air quotes (as in 被旅游 to "go on a trip", for example) HSK 3
把 把 bǎ to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; (used to put the object before the verb: 把 + {noun} + {verb}) HSK 3
晴天霹雳 晴天霹靂 qíng tiān pī lì lit. thunderclap from a clear sky (idiom); fig. a bolt from the blue Idiom ∼HSK 2
难过 難過 nán guò to feel sad; to feel unwell; (of life) to be difficult Xiehouyu HSK 2
够 夠 gòu enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really; (coll.) to reach by stretching out Colloquialism HSK 2
猫 貓 māo cat; (dialect) to hide oneself; (coll.) modem Colloquialism HSK 2
拉 拉 lā to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag; to draw; to chat; (coll.) to empty one's bowels Colloquialism HSK 2
开封 開封 Kāi fēng Kaifeng, prefecture-level city in Henan Province Proper Noun ∼HSK 2
上元节 上元節 Shàng yuán jié Lantern Festival, the final event of the Spring Festival 春節|春节, on 15th of first month of the lunar calendar Proper Noun ∼HSK 2
万岁 萬歲 wàn suì Long live (the king, the revolution etc)!; Your Majesty; His Majesty ∼HSK 2
陈 陳 Chén exhibit, display; plead; a surname ∼HSK 2
刘 劉 Liú surname; kill, destroy ∼HSK 2
实 實 shí real, true; honest, sincere ∼HSK 2
府 府 fǔ prefecture; prefect; government ∼HSK 2
言 言 yán words, speech; speak, say ∼HSK 2
身 身 shēn body; trunk, hull; rad. no. 158 ∼HSK 2
载 載 zǎi load; carry; transport, convey ∼HSK 2
狸猫 狸貓 lí māo leopard cat; raccoon dog; palm civet ∼HSK 2
知道了 知道了 zhī dào le OK!; Got it! ∼HSK 2
花灯 花燈 huā dēng colored lantern (used at Lantern Festival 元宵節|元宵节) ∼HSK 2
案 案 àn table, bench; legal case ∼HSK 2
华 華 Huá flowery; illustrious; Chinese ∼HSK 2
开道 開道 kāi dào to clear the way ∼HSK 2
办好 辦好 bàn hǎo to take care of (a matter); to get (a task) done; to handle (a project) expeditiously ∼HSK 2
诉 訴 sù accuse; sue; inform; narrate ∼HSK 2
一定要 一定要 yī dìng yào must ∼HSK 2
得很 得很 de hěn (after an adjective) very ∼HSK 2
林 林 Lín forest, grove; surname ∼HSK 2
河边 河邊 hé biān river bank ∼HSK 2
生下 生下 shēng xià to give birth to ∼HSK 2
有司 有司 yǒu sī (literary) officials ∼HSK 2
不得 不得 bù dé must not; may not; not to be allowed; cannot ∼HSK 2
只怕 只怕 zhǐ pà I'm afraid that...; perhaps; maybe; very likely ∼HSK 2
刚正 剛正 gāng zhèng honest; upright ∼HSK 2
天啊 天啊 tiān a good heavens!; oh my God! ∼HSK 2
不怕 不怕 bù pà fearless; not worried (by setbacks or difficulties); even if; even though ∼HSK 2
收成 收成 shōu chéng harvest ∼HSK 2
提篮 提籃 tí lán a basket ∼HSK 2
生孩子 生孩子 shēng hái zi to give birth to a baby ∼HSK 2
多嘴 多嘴 duō zuǐ talkative; to speak out of turn; to blab; to shoot one's mouth off; rumors fly ∼HSK 2
妖气 妖氣 yāo qì sinister appearance; monster-like appearance ∼HSK 2
查问 查問 chá wèn to inquire about ∼HSK 2
还嘴 還嘴 huán zuǐ to retort; to answer back ∼HSK 2
所为 所為 suǒ wéi what one does; doings ∼HSK 2