无颜再求娶上国五公主
“I don't think I'm worthy of courting your Princess Zhen for marriage.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
适才世子殿下那番话 振聋发聩 臣经此一事
“Your Highness, your speech is truly thought-provoking. After this incident,”
无颜 再 求娶 上国五 公主
“I don't think I'm worthy of courting your Princess Zhen for marriage.”
臣回朝后 必将励精图治
“Upon my return, I will devote myself to careful governance”
“I yield to your authority and will withdraw my marriage proposal gracefully.”
Admitting to having 'no face' (无颜) is a formalized diplomatic ritual in imperial China to yield conflict gracefully without escalating hostility.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to feel ashamed; to have no face to do something
A highly formal idiom for expressing that one feels unworthy or too embarrassed due to perceived fault.
to seek in marriage; to propose marriage formally
An archaic and formal literary term used when a suitor formally requests to marry a woman, especially royalty.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“There will be neither the legitimate young lady of Song family”
“she'll request His Majesty for her son's marriage.”
“he soon returned to the Capital to court Her Highness.”
“Now he's going to marry the princess and become a Prince Consort.”
“taking inventory of Princess Anning's gifts.”
“From then on, there would be no Fifteenth Princess.”