Acting Interior Minister.
By the order of the Prime Minister, no one is allowed in.
Please wait here, I will make a request.
Master, those carriages are from the Meng and Shu families.
Master! Kong Qiu is requesting to see you...
I won't see him.
They're all inside.
Master.
I'm sure those are Meng and Shu carriages.
Master...
Master.
Come... Let's drink.
All of you should drink more.
Listen! Once all the walls have come down,
we will truly become one big family.
Am I right? Right...
Father...
How far is the Qi army from our border?
Less than 30 miles.
But the Duke of Qi has sent an ambassador, Li Chu
bearing gifts.
Gifts? What gifts?
80 dancing girls and more than 100 horses.
Has Li Chu made any demands?
He demanded that Kong Qiu be dismissed.
Off to the palace, we must see His Majesty tonight.
The Acting Interior Minister is here!
Your Majesty.
We cannot pull back now!
We've won back 2 of the cities, we cannot abandon the 3rd!
Do you know?
Li Chu has 30,000 Qi soldiers amassed on our border
ready to invade.
If they form an alliance with the city of Chengyi,
we will be encircled.
But you have proclaimed the razing of the 3 city walls, Your Majesty!
A man of high principles must be willing to die by his word!
He cannot bend his principles to save his life!
Who will be left to care about ethics if we're defeated in battle?
Victory and defeat are what matter.
Not ethics!
Don't you remember?
My father Prince Zhao was driven out of Lu by the Three Families.
He died in exile!
If the Three Families turn against me now,
my fate will be much worse than his.
Your Majesty! Say no more!
I have supported you for the past one hundred days.
And so did the Ji family.
Last night Ji came to see me.
His words implied more than they said.
If the walls of Chengyi are demolished,
it seems the Qi army will seize the chance to occupy the city
with an army of 30,000.
Everything will be reduced to chaos.
Kong Qiu...
You should follow my example sometimes.
Play a little stupid.
Didn't your revered Laozi teach that
accomplish everything
by doing nothing?
Kong Qiu, the times are out of joint.
Chaos is everywhere.
But you still go your own way
with your rituals, music, benevolence and harmony.
I'm so ashamed. I've achieved nothing.
Then stop trying.
Men habitually long for fame and authority.
But such aims should detain no man for long.
Then what should I, your pupil, do?
I cannot hang useless on the door-beam like a dried-out gourd
making no contribution to the world.
Maybe no contribution is the true contribution.
The weak survive, the mild persist.
Nothing is softer than water.
And yet aggression and force never triumph over water.
So be like water!
The Master's words are profound, but I must be loyal to my chosen path.
The Master's way is magnificent and shapeless.
It's beyond time and space, beyond all worldly matters.
But my way keeps me in the world of men.
Then tolerate the misunderstandings of those in your world.
Unlike those who are rich,
I have no gold to give.
Only this simple advice.
The sacrifices for the year's end ceremonies are over.
Has the sacrificial meat been distributed to the nobles and officials?
Yes, it has.
And as you ordered,
none went to Kong Qiu's household.
Father.
Have some of this.
No point in waiting.
I don't think we will be getting sacrificial meat this year.
Good...
My lord. What is it?
My master wishes to see the king.
His Majesty has no time for him.
Well, give this to Kong Qiu.
Don't say I sent it. Tell him it comes from
His Majesty himself.
Kong Qiu is a clever man.
When he sees this, he'll understand.
Yes, Master, I'll take it to him now.
And this too!
Enough to buy yourself a piece of good land. Go home now.
Understand? Yes, sir!
Come.
Stable the horses from Qi.
It's going to rain soon. Yes, sir!
Yes, sir. Untie the horses and bring them into the stables!
Father! Gong Boliao came back.
The King told him to bring this to you.
A parted jade!
Father, why would the King send this?
Parted jade. A parting gift.
Someone wants me to leave.
Did this come from the King himself?
That's what he said, Father.
Gong Boliao handed this to me and then left.
He said he wouldn't be coming back.
Find a chance to return my robe of office and the crown to the king.
Father.
The crown symbolizes ethical behavior.
You have always treasured it.
It's no longer important.
Father, please wait till the rain stops...
Please at least wait for your disciples.
Look after your mother!
Master!
Yan Hui.
How did you get here?
The master is the body, the pupil is the shadow.
I will stay with my master until the end.
To be honest, I don't know where I'm going.
Master.
Yan Hui, you have talents.
You would have no trouble finding a good position in court.
But if you come with me,
you'll have no home or family.
You will always regret it.
No, I won't!
Yan Hui, look.
There are nothing but hardships ahead.
No prospects for a fortunate life.
Only a vast wilderness.
Aren't you afraid?
Tell me, in what respect am I wrong?
May I speak frankly?
Of course.
Master, you were wrong
to put all your faith in the ruler of Lu.
Master, you once told me that
if a man cannot change the world,
then at least he should try to change himself from within.
Good. Well said.
The humanity I sought stands before me, my complaints are groundless.
Master...
Master, Ran Qiu and I had some duties to finish.
That's why we're late getting here.
That's right, Master, look.
We've brought all your scrolls.
Master! Without me, who will drive your cart?
And, with me at your side,
nobody will dare be rude to you!
That's true. Master!
Who would have thought he snores louder than I do!
Let's go.
I am the special representative of the ruler of Wei.
I am instructed by His Majesty and the Royal Consort to welcome you to Wei.
Our Kingdom greets Master Kong and his followers.
Master, what is your impression of Wei so far?
Compared to Lu, Wei has a larger population.
Yes, a larger population makes it more difficult to govern.
There is more potential for disorder.
Tell me, how can my government remedy the devastation?
By making sure the common people have their due share of prosperity.
The vast majority of them are quite prosperous.
And yet there are signs of social disorder everywhere.
Then the moral climate is not good.
The people need education!
Good!
The master is truly a sage!
Then I hereby invite the Master to teach in our country.
We will provide land to build an academy.
And 60,000 stones of grain every year.
Will that suffice?
Thank you, Your Majesty.
And I wish to consult you on one other matter.
As you can see,
our Kingdom of Wei is vulnerable on all 4 sides.
Each one of our neighbors
would conquer us if it could.
So I'd like the Master
help training our soldiers.
As a mere wandering exile, dare I even speak of soldiering?
But I have heard it said,
the Master is a brilliant military tactician.
If Your Majesty speaks of sacrificial rituals,
I do have some small knowledge of them.
But of military matters,
I have no great knowledge at all.
Alright... I won't try to force you.
But there's one thing you absolutely must agree to.
Your humble servant is a guest here, your wish is my command.
My royal consort Nanzi is eager to see you.
You won't say no, will you?
Of course not.
Better not to see her.
Doesn't Master know? She has a very dubious reputation.
This woman is a great beauty.
But she is a succubus. Her very name taints the kingdom!
Master.
Do you know of this woman's past?
This Nanzi was raised in the house of the ruler of Song.
In Song, she had an affair with the ruler's son, there was a scandal.
This kind of gossip is trivial.
Do you know who now runs the Kingdom of Wei?
The King, of course!
I can see it isn't.
Wei's internal politics are very chaotic, there are many seats of power.
But I can see that the real power behind the throne
is Nanzi.
What kind of a man is this Kong Qiu?
In my view,
just poor and disheveled scholar.
His only pleasure is in books and rituals.
Poor he may be, but we could build up friendship.
This Kong Qiu is a worthy man.
You must treat him well.
I still hope
one day, we could ask him to be the teacher of our young prince.
I have already promised him
60,000 stones of corn every year!
Please be seated, Master.
Our lady will be here soon.
Your humble servant greets Madam.
You are the famous scholar Kong Qiu?
Master Kong, please be seated.
Thank you, madam.
I have heard one of your axioms is, true benevolence is the love of mankind.
Does this 'benevolence'
extend to a woman with a reputation like mine?
I hear that you are teaching "The Book of Odes" here.
Yes, I am.
I also love poetry.
That line...
A beauteous lady, a gentleman's fine match.
Can you tell me what that means?
The poem means
even while courting, a gentleman observes all proprieties.
Of the 300 poems in "The Book of Odes",
so many speak of love!
All 300 have one underlying point.
In true love, there is no evil.
I have liked poetry since I was a child.
Will you take me as your student?
I have taken on a new student in Wei, his name is Bu Shang.
Although still quite young, he is some sort of prodigy.
While studying "The Book of Odes" under me, he has shown much insight.
So I humbly recommend that he becomes your study-companion.
Our ministers consider your theories
of civility in government to be impracticable.
Do you truly believe they can work?
Ruling with civility will benefit the state, its community, and its people.
Why should it not be practicable?
Without civility, a state will descend into chaos.
Males are born lascivious.
Their desires lead them into war and bloodshed.
Since this is their nature,
it will be hard to rein them in.
The hardness of the task is the measure of the gentleman.
Master, do you really believe
that a gentleman's personal morality
is the most important thing?
My belief is that a man who wakes up living a life of civility
will go to his death a justified man.
Master, will you stay longer in our country? May we meet again?
That would not be convenient.
How so? Why inconvenient?
Because I have not yet seen anyone
who puts principles before licentiousness.
Worldly people could probably come to understand the master's sufferings.
But few will ever truly grasp
the depth and breadth of those sufferings.
It seems we should leave Wei now.
Why's that?
This land will soon descend into chaos.
Come on, hurry up...
Hurry up...
Come on!
Worldly people could probably come to understand the master's sufferings.
But few will ever truly grasp
the depth and breadth of those sufferings.
That's scholar Kong! Let's take a look at him!
By order of Commander Huan,
Kong Qiu and his followers must leave the Kingdom of Song immediately.
By order of Commander Huan,
Kong Qiu and his followers must leave the Kingdom of Song immediately.
2nd bow, 3rd bow.
Master, please begin.
Poetry, books, ethics, music...
a gentleman must understand all these.
So today we will begin a review of our practices.
Rulers should treat ministers with courtesy
as ministers should serve rulers with loyalty.
Loyalty and filial piety
are the keys to humanity and harmony.
All professions may prosper.
Close to home, attend your parents.
Further afield, placate your neighbors.
There is also much to learn
including the names of birds, beasts, grasses and trees.
By order of Commander Huan Kui,
leave the Kingdom of Song!
Stop!
The tree is coming down! Watch out!
Master, let's quickly leave.
Master, we must go!
Excuse me, friends.
Where's the river crossing?
The river crossing?
Who's that man sitting on the cart?
That's Master Kong! Master Kong?
The famous Kong Qiu from Lu?
Indeed!
Isn't he supposed to know everything?
Then he should know where the river crossing is.
You fellows should stay here and become farmers
instead of wandering around with him!
Avoid all the trouble out there!
That's right! Stay here as farmers!
Yeah, stay out of politics like us!
His thought would not be practicable.
Let's stay here!
Why are you laughing?
Let's go.
Let's move on, we will ask for direction later.
Go... Don't leave.
Come back!
Alright... Let's get back to work.
Fei, is there any news of Kong Qiu?
They say he spent some time in Wei,
then went to Zheng and is now in the Kingdom of Chen.
In time of war, we need generals. In time of trouble, we need thinkers.
Back when we held the alliance meeting,
Kong Qiu won back the 3 cities without waging war.
But we sent him into exile.
Now it's clear that Qi tricked us.
With our ruler dead and a mere child on the throne,
Qi seizes the chance to invade us.
Our strength is not what it was.
If it comes to war, we have no outstanding general.
Now I have a mission for you.
Bring Kong Qiu back to Lu!
Father, we mistreated Kong Qiu before.
We forced him into exile.
If we invite him back now,
people will mock us.
We could invite his disciple Ran Qiu back first.
He is Kong's foremost disciple, he has good military skills.
He would know how to counter the Qi army.
Alright, invite Ran Qiu back first.
Wake up...
Wake up, Master! It's terrible!
The Kingdom of Wu is invading! We have to leave at once!
Hurry up...
Have you seen an elderly foreigner?
At the city's East Gate...
The Qi army is poised to attack Lu.
Master, Lord Ji asks you to allow
Ran Qiu to come back to protect Lu.
Master, please agree,
for the sake of Lu!
Master, we cannot let Ran Qiu go!
They turn to us only when they're in trouble.
Remember how badly they treated us!
Yes...
How did you find me?
An old farmer told us
he saw a foreigner near the East Gate.
A forehead like King Yao's.
Shoulders like Zichan's.
Had the air of an important man
but looked as scraggy as a stray dog.
We guessed it was you.
I'm not brave enough to be important.
And my features don't resemble anyone famous.
But that old farmer got it just about right when he said stray dog!
Master, you teach us to practice what we learnt.
Our homeland is in peril!
The Prime Minister asks Ran Qiu to return.
Lu's very survival is at stake.
As men of Lu, we cannot stand idly by.
Well said, Yan Hui.
Lu is in danger, I should allow you to return
to save the kingdom from disaster.
Ran Qiu, you should go.
I will wait for good news from you.
Master, once the battle is won,
I'll come back for you.
Pull!
Greetings, Prime Minister.
Father.
General Ran has lived up to our hopes.
He has routed the Qi army in the Battle of Lang.
The Qi army has retreated back across the border.
This won't go unrewarded.
I will petition the king to put you in charge of the Wen Shang Cities.
Prime Minister, this simple man does not want to be in charge of the Three Cities.
I only have one simple request.
Speak.
My teacher, Master Kong,
has been wandering for many years.
He's destitute, but goes on teaching.
But there has never been a moment
when the Kingdom of Lu wasn't in his thoughts.
This simple man's request
is that you have him invited back to Lu.
Well.
I'll need to discuss your request with His Majesty.
I fully recognize your talents.
Stay here as our retainer.
No more aimless wandering with Kong Qiu.
Look, a 9-tailed sparrow!
Seeing that bird fly past
means there must be a village not far ahead.
Really? That's great!
We can finally get some food in our bellies!
Hurry, everyone!
Quick! I'm dying of hunger!
Nobody around.
Looks like this is another village torched by the Cai army.
We're all very tired. Clean this place up a bit.
I think we can spend the night here.
Master, look.
It seems that the Cai troops have us trapped in this valley.
Master, I've found a small mountain path.
It's very narrow,
but I think it may lead down the mountain.
Why don't I see where it leads?
I might be able to find some food
or at least someone who can help us.
You can all rest here and wait for me.
Zigong, you always find a way!
Come back soon.
Let's go, Zigao.
Father, doesn't heaven reward those who are kind?
What wrong have we done to deserve this?
How is it
that heaven allows us to starve like this?
He's right!
Master is wise.
Maybe some cannot understand
because their thinking is too backward.
Master taught us.
Only in winter, does the pine tree show its true strength.
Master has been playing that instrument for days now.
Yes, as if the music would fill his belly!
Master, you haven't eaten for days.
This soup is the last of the horsemeat.
Please drink some.
Are you alright, brother?
Brother.
Zilu, drink some soup.
Master, I'm not hungry.
You have some.
Look, I'm having some, you have a little too.
Each of us should have a little.
I'm not hungry. You have some.
Master, at last you're awake! Master!
Are you alright? Master!
Do you feel better?
I'm back at last.
You were gone for 7 days. If you'd come back one day later,
you might have been too late!
Master, you're awake.
Zigong, tell me.
What's happening out there?
Master, we left the valley.
We were hunted down, we almost died.
Thanks to Yan Zhuoju, Zilu's brother-in-law.
He brought others to rescue us.
That's when we found out how chaotic the world has become.
Men from Wu have conquered the Kingdom of Zheng.
Men from Chu have devastated the Kingdom of Cai.
The people of Cai were forced to move south.
Come on... help me.
Quickly...
Master.
The ruler of Wei is dead, and his successor greatly respects Zilu.
He wants to appoint Zilu governor of the city of Puyi.
What are you men waiting for?
I'm waiting for a roast gigot!
Let's boil the water and start cooking!
I am proud to see one of my students so honored.
But enter not a dangerous state, dwell not in a chaotic state.
The political situation in Wei is not stable.
To be frank, I do not much approve of you taking this post.
Master, just wait for me to show my mettle in Puyi.
Then I'll be able to raise a powerful army.
I will deal with the chaos inside Wei
and appoint you the new Prime Minister.
Undue haste has no place in politics!
Zilu, you are headstrong and demanding.
That's very dangerous in this chaotic world.
Master, I know this.
But my undue haste reflects my wish
to realize your ideals
of harmony and civility in government.
An official wears his robes of office
but it's his inner character and spirit which reflect his true mettle.
Never forget this.
Don't look at,
listen to, speak to, or do anything
which offends propriety.
Master's words will stay with me all my life.
Qi Sigong, take care on the road.
Master...
Take care of yourself, Master, your students bid you fare well!
Master.
What's that sound?
The ice is cracking! Hurry up! Move!
The ice is cracking. Hurry up!
Hurry up! The ice is cracking.
Yan Hui...
Hui, where are you...?
Hui Yan Hui.
Grab the rope!
Yan Hui, come back up!
Come back up!
Master, please eat something.
It has been 8 hours.
He will not revive, Master.
Let go, Master.
Master...
Master!
Please eat something.
Kong Qiu hasn't come back.
Father, I have sent men to look for him.
It's reported that they're approaching the border.
He will never forgive what I did to him.
Go in my place.
When you see him,
give him this.
He'll come when he sees this.
Master...
Qi Sigong, you are back?
Master, Qi Sigong is back...
Master...
Why are you back alone? Where is Zilu?
Brother Zilu... he's dead.
Wei was in chaos,
Yang Hu of the Jin Kingdom has taken over the capital.
Zilu tried to protect the young heir to the Wei throne.
He went out to face the invaders alone.
He...
He was killed!
Master says.
When a gentleman dies,
he should maintain his dignity.
Well said.
Mighty Zilu!
You were a true gentleman!
My father asked me to present Master with this jade.
Master Kong, my father...
He is dying.
Subtitles: Arigon
Master!
I've found you at last!
Ran Qiu, you've found your way here?
Master, I...
For the past years, Master, Minister Ji has been taking off from the court
because of his sickness.
I'm afraid he doesn't have much time.
Whenever he looks back,
he deeply regrets having you forced into exile.
He has sent his own son to invite you back.
He hopes to apologize to you in person.
Master, please come back to Lu.
A ring of jade.
Stand up.
Master, for the sake of Lu's future, come home!
I can return.
But you must tell them
that I only want to teach.
They must no longer trouble me
with politics.
I will stress this point to him.
We will respect your wish.
Master.
Start packing up, we are going home.
We're going home...
Father, Master Kong is on his way.
He'll be here soon.
Go!
Welcome him on my behalf.
We're home, we're finally home!
Lu! We're back.
Lu, land of my parents.
I have finally returned.
Master, did you say something?
Nothing.
Pack up "The Spring and Autumn of Lu" and have it delivered.
Yes.
If the world will come to know me,
it will be through this book.
If the world will think ill of me,
it will also be because of this book.