可吃多了岐黄丹砂
“but consuming too many medicinal compounds”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“The Noble Consort has indeed maintained her beauty,”
可 吃多了 岐黄丹砂
“but consuming too many medicinal compounds”
“has made it impossible for her to bear more children.”
“You may look youthful, but your toxic remedies have cost you your chance at having an heir.”
In imperial court politics, bearing male offspring was a concubine's ultimate source of security; pointing out her inability to bear children is the ultimate strategic insult.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
traditional medicine; the art of healing
A literary classical term derived from mythical medical masters Qi Bo and Huang Di, referring to the medical arts.
cinnabar (mercuric sulfide)
Used in historical contexts to refer to the toxic mineral ingested in Daoist immortality pills by royal figures.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Why would you need an elixir for this?”
“I mean, the pills?”
“Healthy people who take this drug get very hyper.”
“that taking too much of this medicine can kill you?”
“Who takes this many? Are you refining elixirs?”
“So the so-called life-prolonging pill is poison after all.”