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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狼心狗肺 狼心狗肺 láng xīn gǒu fèi lit. heart of wolf and lungs of dog (idiom); cruel and unscrupulous Idiom ∼HSK 6
谋财害命 謀財害命 móu cái hài mìng to plot and kill sb for his property (idiom); to murder for money Idiom ∼HSK 6
嫁祸于人 嫁禍於人 jià huò yú rén to pass the misfortune on to sb else (idiom); to blame others; to pass the buck Idiom ∼HSK 6
雷 雷 léi thunder; (bound form) (military) mine, as in 雷 land mine; (coll.) to shock; to stun; to astound; (Tw) (coll.) spoiler; (Tw) (coll.) to reveal plot details to (sb) Colloquialism HSK 6
嘛 嘛 má used in 吽; (Tw) (coll.) what? Colloquialism HSK 6
有没有 有沒有 yǒu méi yǒu (before a noun) Do (you, they etc) have ...?; Is there a ...?; (before a verb) Did (you, they etc) (verb, infinitive)?; Have (you, they etc) (verb, past participle)? HSK 6
娘娘 娘娘 niáng niang queen; empress; imperial concubine; Goddess, esp. Xi Wangmu 王母娘娘 or 西王母, Queen Mother of the West; mother; aunt ∼HSK 6
奴婢 奴婢 nú bì slave servant ∼HSK 6
殿下 殿下 diàn xià Your Highness ∼HSK 6
宫人 宮人 gōng rén imperial concubine or palace maid; imperial secretary (old) ∼HSK 6
启奏 啟奏 qǐ zòu report to the emperor ∼HSK 6
冤情 冤情 yuān qíng facts of an injustice; circumstances surrounding a miscarriage of justice ∼HSK 6
冷宫 冷宮 lěng gōng (in literature and opera) a place to which a monarch banishes a wife or concubine who falls from favor; (fig.) the doghouse; a state of disfavor ∼HSK 6
平身 平身 píng shēn rise (to subjects bowing) ∼HSK 6
伸冤 伸冤 shēn yuān to right wrongs; to redress an injustice ∼HSK 6
遵旨 遵旨 zūn zhǐ obey the decree ∼HSK 6
御医 御醫 yù yī imperial physician ∼HSK 6
臣妾 臣妾 chén qiè (literary) I, your servant (self-appellation of a lower-rank female); (archaic) male and female slaves; subjects (of a ruler) ∼HSK 6
开恩 開恩 kāi ēn show mercy ∼HSK 6
显灵 顯靈 xiǎn líng (of a supernatural or divine being) to appear; to make itself manifest ∼HSK 6
皇儿 皇兒 huáng rén imperial child ∼HSK 6
邪气 邪氣 xié qì evil influence; unhealthy trend; (a person's) evil air; aura of wickedness; (TCM) pathogenic energy (opposite:, vital energy) ∼HSK 6
串通 串通 chuàn tōng to collude; to collaborate; to gang up ∼HSK 6
太师 太師 tài shī Grand Tutor ∼HSK 6
纵有 縱有 zòng yǒu even if there were ∼HSK 6
喊冤 喊冤 hǎn yuān to cry out a grievance ∼HSK 6
君王 君王 jūn wáng monarch ∼HSK 6
不舒服 不舒服 bù shū fu unwell; feeling ill; to feel uncomfortable; uneasy ∼HSK 6
宫女 宮女 gōng nǚ palace maid ∼HSK 6
奉天承运 奉天承運 fèng tiān chéng yùn in compliance with Heaven and the imperial mandate (idiom); opening phrase of imperial edicts ∼HSK 6
谢恩 謝恩 xiè ēn thank for grace ∼HSK 6
旨意 旨意 zhǐ yì decree ∼HSK 6
鬼魂 鬼魂 guǐ hún ghost ∼HSK 6
怀胎 懷胎 huái tāi to become pregnant; to carry a child in the womb ∼HSK 6
亲临 親臨 qīn lín to visit in person; to personally attend ∼HSK 6
屏退 屏退 bǐng tuì to send away; to dismiss (servants etc); to retire from public life ∼HSK 6
公案 公案 gōng àn judge's desk; complex legal case; contentious issue; koan (Zen Buddhism) ∼HSK 6
妖孽 妖孽 yāo niè evil omen, monster ∼HSK 6
作祟 作祟 zuò suì haunted; to haunt; to cause mischief ∼HSK 6
御花园 御花園 yù huā yuán imperial garden ∼HSK 6
传旨 傳旨 chuán zhǐ convey an edict ∼HSK 6
受尽 受盡 shòu jìn to suffer enough from; to suffer all kinds of; to have one's fill of ∼HSK 6
洪福 洪福 hóng fú good fortune; great blessing ∼HSK 6
圣旨 聖旨 shèng zhǐ imperial edict ∼HSK 6
微臣 微臣 wēi chén this small official; humble servant ∼HSK 6
灭口 滅口 miè kǒu to kill sb to prevent them from divulging a secret; to silence sb ∼HSK 6
受刑 受刑 shòu xíng beaten; tortured; executed ∼HSK 6
招供 招供 zhāo gòng to confess ∼HSK 6
收监 收監 shōu jiān to imprison; to take into custody ∼HSK 6
枉死 枉死 wǎng sǐ to die in tragic circumstances ∼HSK 6