Judge Bao and the Swapped Prince · chapter 1 of 6
A Plot in the Palace
宫里的秘密
Two consorts wait for a baby, and only one of them is kind. On the night the prince is born, a terrible swap is planned, and a loyal maid stands in its way.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，皇宫里有两位娘娘。皇上说，谁先生下太子，谁就当皇后。
Hěnjiǔ yǐqián, huánggōng lǐ yǒu liǎng wèi niángniang. Huángshang shuō, shéi xiān sheng xià tàizǐ, shéi jiù dāng huánghòu.
Long ago, two consorts lived in the palace. The emperor said that whoever gave him a prince first would become empress.
- Consort Li 寇珠，你看！我给孩子做了一双小鞋子，上面还有一只小老虎！
Kòu Zhū, nǐ kàn! Wǒ gěi háizi zuò le yì shuāng xiǎo xiézi, shàngmiàn háiyǒu yì zhī xiǎo lǎohǔ!
Kou Zhu, look! I made the baby a little pair of shoes, with a tiny tiger on them!
- Kou Zhu 娘娘，这只老虎好小啊！它的脸，比我的拳头还小。
Niángniang, zhè zhī lǎohǔ hǎo xiǎo a! Tā de liǎn, bǐ wǒ de quántou hái xiǎo.
My lady, this tiger is so small! Its face is smaller than my fist.
- Consort Li 那是因为我绣得不好！等孩子出生了，我要天天抱着他。
Nà shì yīnwèi wǒ xiù de bù hǎo! Děng háizi chūshēng le, wǒ yào tiāntiān bào zhe tā.
That's because I'm bad at embroidery! When the baby is born, I'll hold him every day.
- Kou Zhu 娘娘要是生了太子，皇上一定高兴得睡不着觉！
Niángniang yàoshi shēng le tàizǐ, huángshang yídìng gāoxìng de shuìbuzháo jiào!
If you give birth to a prince, the emperor will be too happy to sleep!
- Consort Li 我不想当皇后，寇珠。我只想要一个健康的孩子。
Wǒ bù xiǎng dāng huánghòu, Kòu Zhū. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng yào yí gè jiànkāng de háizi.
I don't want to be empress, Kou Zhu. I only want a healthy child.
- Kou Zhu 嘘！有人来了。是刘娘娘。
Xū! Yǒu rén lái le. Shì Liú niángniang.
Shh! Someone's coming. It's Lady Liu.
- Consort Liu 李妹妹，你好呀！我给你带了一碗甜汤，快喝吧。
Lǐ mèimei, nǐ hǎo ya! Wǒ gěi nǐ dài le yì wǎn tiántāng, kuài hē ba.
Sister Li, hello! I brought you a bowl of sweet soup. Drink up.
- Consort Li 谢谢姐姐。您对我真好。
Xièxie jiějie. Nín duì wǒ zhēn hǎo.
Thank you, sister. You are so good to me.
- Consort Liu 你的肚子这么大，一定是个男孩。皇上会多高兴啊！
Nǐ de dǔzi zhème dà, yídìng shì gè nánhái. Huángshang huì duō gāoxìng a!
Your belly is so big, it must be a boy. How happy the emperor will be!
- Kou Zhu 她的嘴在笑，可是眼睛没有笑。我不喜欢她。
Tā de zuǐ zài xiào, kěshì yǎnjing méiyǒu xiào. Wǒ bù xǐhuan tā.
Her mouth is smiling, but her eyes aren't. I don't like her.
- Consort Li 寇珠，你在小声说什么呢？
Kòu Zhū, nǐ zài xiǎoshēng shuō shénme ne?
Kou Zhu, what are you whispering about?
- Kou Zhu 没……没什么，娘娘！我说，这碗汤真香！
Méi… méi shénme, niángniang! Wǒ shuō, zhè wǎn tāng zhēnxiāng!
N-nothing, my lady! I was just saying this soup smells wonderful!
- Consort Liu 妹妹，好好休息。我先走了。
Mèimei, hǎohǎo xiūxi. Wǒ xiān zǒu le.
Sister, rest well. I'll be going now.
- Guo Huai 娘娘，李娘娘的孩子就要出生了。她要是先生下太子，就会当上皇后，您就……
Niángniang, Lǐ niángniang de háizi jiù yào chūshēng le. Tā yàoshi xiān sheng xià tàizǐ, jiù huì dāng shàng huánghòu, nín jiù…
My lady, Lady Li's baby is almost here. If she has the prince first, she will become empress, and you will...
- Consort Liu 我知道。所以，我们要想一个办法。郭槐，你听好。
Wǒ zhīdao. Suǒyǐ, wǒmen yào xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ. Guō Huái, nǐ tīng hǎo.
I know. That's why we need a plan. Guo Huai, listen carefully.
- Guo Huai 是，娘娘。您说，小的都听您的。
Shì, niángniang. Nín shuō, xiǎo de dōu tīng nín de.
Yes, my lady. Tell me, and I will do whatever you say.
- Consort Liu 孩子出生的那天晚上，你在门口等着。孩子一出来，你就把他抱走。
Háizi chūshēng de nà tiān wǎnshang, nǐ zài ménkǒu děng zhe. Háizi yì chūlái, nǐ jiù bǎ tā bào zǒu.
On the night the baby is born, wait at the door. As soon as the baby comes out, take him away.
- Guo Huai 抱走？那……那孩子的位置上，放什么呢？
Bào zǒu? Nà… nà háizi de wèizhì shàng, fàng shénme ne?
Take him away? Then... what do we put in his place?
- Consort Liu 一只狸猫。
Yì zhī límāo.
A civet cat.
- Guo Huai 狸猫？！娘娘，这……这样做，太可怕了！皇上知道了，会杀了我们的！
Límāo?! Niángniang, zhè… zhèyàng zuò, tài kěpà le! Huángshang zhīdao le, huì shā le wǒmen de!
A civet cat?! My lady, this... this is too terrible! If the emperor finds out, he will have us killed!
- Consort Liu 你怕什么？只要你不说，我不说，就没有人会知道。
Nǐ pà shénme? Zhǐyào nǐ bù shuō, wǒ bù shuō, jiù méiyǒu rén huì zhīdao.
What are you afraid of? If you don't talk and I don't talk, no one will ever know.
- Narrator 几个月过去了。那天晚上，风吹得很大。
Jǐ gè yuè guòqù le. Nà tiān wǎnshang, fēng chuī de hěndà.
Months went by. On that night, the wind blew hard.
- Kou Zhu 娘娘，别怕，我在这里。您握紧我的手。
Niángniang, bié pà, wǒ zài zhèlǐ. Nín wòjǐn wǒ de shǒu.
My lady, don't be afraid, I'm here. Hold my hand tight.
- Consort Li 寇珠……我好疼……
Kòu Zhū… wǒ hǎo téng…
Kou Zhu... it hurts so much...
- Kou Zhu 用力，娘娘！好了，好了！孩子出来了！
Yònglì, niángniang! Hǎo le, hǎo le! Háizi chūlái le!
Push, my lady! There, there! The baby is here!
- Consort Li 让我看看他！是男孩，还是女孩？
Ràng wǒ kàn kan tā! Shì nánhái, háishi nǚhái?
Let me see him! Is it a boy or a girl?
- Kou Zhu 是男孩！娘娘，您生了一位漂亮的太子！
Shì nánhái! Niángniang, nín shēng le yí wèi piàoliang de tàizǐ!
A boy! My lady, you have given birth to a handsome prince!
- Consort Liu 让开，寇珠！孩子先给我看一看。
Ràngkāi, Kòu Zhū! Háizi xiān gěi wǒ kàn yi kàn.
Move aside, Kou Zhu! Let me see the baby first.
- Kou Zhu 不行！他是李娘娘的孩子！您不能碰他！
Bùxíng! Tā shì Lǐ niángniang de háizi! Nín bù néng pèng tā!
No! He is Lady Li's child! You cannot touch him!
- Consort Liu 你敢拦我？郭槐，来人，把这个丫头拉开！
Nǐ gǎn lán wǒ? Guō Huái, lái rén, bǎ zhège yātou lākāi!
You dare stop me? Guo Huai, guards, pull this girl away!
- Consort Li 寇珠！我的孩子！你们要把他带到哪里去？
Kòu Zhū! Wǒ de háizi! Nǐmen yào bǎ tā dài dào nǎlǐ qù?
Kou Zhu! My baby! Where are you taking him?
- Consort Liu 妹妹，别急。等皇上来了，我会告诉他，你生下的，是一只狸猫。
Mèimei, bié jí. Děng huángshang lái le, wǒ huì gàosu tā, nǐ shēng xià de, shì yì zhī límāo.
Don't worry, sister. When the emperor comes, I will tell him that what you gave birth to was a civet cat.
What changed in the story?
- What does Consort Li want most?
“我只想要一个健康的孩子”
- Why doesn't Kou Zhu like Consort Liu's visit?
“她的嘴在笑，可是眼睛没有笑”
- What does Consort Liu order Guo Huai to do?
“孩子一出来，你就把他抱走”
- What will be put in the baby's place?
“一只狸猫”
- What does Kou Zhu do when Liu's people come for the baby?
“不行！他是李娘娘的孩子”