Episode 15
Can't you see?
I've come to sign up
You?
What's wrong with that?
We, here, do not accept female soldiers
Just go back quickly
Miss SuSu, stop creating a scene
Don't touch me
Which rule, which bit of writing says that
Women aren't allowed to become soldiers here?
I say you...
You should stop messing around
Quickly go back. behind you there are…
How did you come to be here?
Yue Dage, I want to sign up, become a soldier
This place is a military camp
Not some embroidery, flower village
It's not a place for women to play around
I've come to sign up sincerely
Brother Yue,
You have something secret to say to me
Here,
This place is a military camp, if you have something to say, let's talk about it later
I just want to tell you
This place is a military camp, quickly go back
I don't want to
Why? Why can't I stay here?
The army doesn't accept female soldiers
Besides,
It's very inconvenient.
What inconvenience is there?
What's wrong with women?
Isn't your mother a female?
I'll tell you again
This is a military camp!
This is the place that men are born to die
and fight
Now that's right!
I originally came here to enter the battlefield and fight
What's wrong?
Do you think women can't go into the battlefield?
There's a precedence
Mulan replaced her father as a soldier,
protected her home country,
and was rewarded!
Why can't I go?
Hey! Brother Yue!
Am I not as good as them?
Fighting-wise, dodging-wise,
in what aspect am I not as good as them?
Okay
Then you go do the same as them
Attend the military enlisting test
If you pass,
then I'll accept you
Okay! That's what you said!
Excuse me! Excuse me!
To the General's commands,
you must know the people first,
to see their capabilities,
to see if their skills are good or not.
to see if they can fit the position.
The first test:
"Dancing" stick (waving sticks)
two in a team
Waving it into a flower (smoothly)
until you are called.
Ready,
Start!
Brother,
The second test: Archery!
Recruits are selected into the army based on:
first, how much they can carry when walking.
Second, how far they can march.
Third, can they hit the target?
Fourth, how far can they shoot?
You each have three arrows in your hands
if you only use one arrow and can hit the bullseye
means that you pass.
You're Yue Fei's little brother
Yep. Is there a problem?
Why are you making that kind of sound?
Shoot!
It's okay
there're are still 2 more arrows
Hurry and get ready.
Ready
Shoot!
It's okay.
There's still one last chance.
Who's afraid of you?
Shoot!
The third test: horse-riding
Selection to the cavalry is based on:
primarily, good-riding skills.
The second is speed.
The last is to use short soldiers
Now among these horses,
you pick out one that you like
Go.
Brother,
General, give me Big White
Brother, give it to him.
Okay.
Thank you, General.
Big White!
Let me tell you, I'm depending on you.
Leave me a little face/honor, you hear me?
Everyone! Get on the horse!
Ready!
Go!
Brother Yue,
How is it? Am I accepted?
Starting from tomorrow, you're in the White Guard.
In the White Guard?
What does the White Guard do?
First duty, patrol the roads, stop hidden enemies.
Second duty, penetrate the enemy encampment and find out the situation.
Then, won't I be all day running around outside?
Right
B-But I want to...
I want to stay at the military camp
You're amazing at dodging
come from a good, honest family,
and are very observant.
The White Guard is very suitable for you.
Sign her up for the White Guard.
Yes!
Didn't you hear?
It's all settled.
If you're trying to shake me off,
it's not that simple!
Ay, Xiangzi! You!
An Niang!
At the time An Niang was born,
I joined the army.
Therefore, she doesn't recognize me.
Which one do you want to eat?
I don't think you look like a father,
but Miss Li definitely looks like a mother.
Father!
An Niang!
Father!
Don't go!
An Niang will behave well! Please don't go!
An 80,000 men army at three meals per day,
they all depend on us, these hundred-something men!
Governor!
Hurry up a bit!
Anyway, this army's top officers
are mostly northerners.
In peace time they would eat more wheat, ah?
Do you know who's that fellow over there?
No, I don't.
I heard that he is General Yue's younger brother.
How come he's in the kitchen?
Don't you know? When he came yesterday, it was a disaster.
Really?
Do you think that with the huge amounts we cook
we can compare with domestic cooks at home?
What do you think? Isn't it?
If afterwards
people pick on your faults,
you don't need to straighten them up.
Do they want to eat or not?
Today, we are cooking
stir-fried shredded meat.
Do you know it?
I think so.
Good!
Then have a go at making some. I'll look.
Right. Go over there,,
fetch the vegetables
and prepare them for me on this side.
I see that you ended up in the kitchen.
it really is beneath you!
You're talking baloney.
Afterwards, you can be in charge of this dish.
Good.
Get busy. Any problems, call me.
Good.
Spear practice strives to integrate attack and defence.
In defence there is attack...
in attack there is defence.
Of the 36 ways of the spear,
1 becomes 5,
3 become 9.
The momentum of the spear joins them,
and they become 10 million.
Using the imaginary, strike the real;
using the real, subdue the imaginary.
Imaginary and real are impermanent.
You must all move a little faster!
You rascal!
Here I am again stealing food!
Something here smells very good!
What spices you used to get this fragrance?
Niu, you have a sharp nose!
Today we have a special dish.
What special dish?
White radish and shredded meet stir fry.
I must go and have a look!
Good...Where is it? - Good.
Brothers!
Allow me.
Brother Yue!
Come here! - Come Here!
Elder Brother, come this way.
Brothers, allow me in.
Elder brother, quickly, sit down!
Mmh! This is delicious!
Excellent!
After eating so much, dear old me could cry!
Brother, this really tastes like home!
It'd be even more interesting
if we had a jug of wine!
Quite so!
This reminds me so much of my mother's cooking.
Delicious!
Truly delicious!
I think that the brothers Yue
are both really smart!
Xiangzi!
Is it you who cooked this dish?
Yes!
Come, come! Come over here!
Go!
Not so rash!
Xiangzi, well done!
With your talents, you'll soon become Prince of the Kitchen!
Good skills!
After this, your brother Niu gives you his stomach!
I salute little brother Xiang!
Brother Niu, you exaggerate.
Very good Xiangzi.
Between us here,
we have a spare general.
A Kitchen General!
That's right!
Kitchen General!
Quite right.
You all eat. I leave now.
Well done you!
This youngster is good.
Brother, why haven't we been called to attack Cao Cheng yet?
Marshal Du volunteered,
he's gone with his troops.
When is he coming back?
Are there any news?
The day he was enthroned, the Emperor ordered
ordered to strive for the return of the two emperors.
But by now
we should have been ordered to lead the troops North.
Instead, we're made to stay here fighting bandits.
I really don't know
what plans is the Emperor following.
Damn it!
The bandits on these hills must be eliminated,
and the two emperors must be brought back.
But with these two matters,
there should be an order of priorities.
Brother,
Marshal Du has been gone quite a few days,
do you think there's been a problem?
A 20,000 enemy force
is not easy to dispose of.
Brother! They're back!
Looks as if it's like you just said.
After a 3 days long battle
we weren't able to take Cao Cheng.
What's the reason for this?
I am incapable!
We were caught in sly Cao 's pocket battle formation.
Pocket battle formation!
Who of you knows this formation?
Your training is in guts,
their training is in tactical deployments.
Yue Fei,
if you have anything to say, just say it!
I dare ask Marshal Zong to instruct me,
if the armies' vanguards lack courage,
what use is it to talk of troop formations?
To use only courage without battle tactics
is mere dogfighting.
Look here!
The ancients could successfully apply
all these tactical deployments in battle.
They applied their entire lives to study the art of war.
Troop deployments are formations chosen
according to the terrain's features
and the strengths of both adversaries.
Each soldier, squad, column, up to the whole army,
are arranged in formations that can move unhindered,
especially when the smoke of gunpowder fills the air.
The drums and gongs are the commands.
Hearing the drum, the troops advance. Hearing the gong, they stop.
If you understand these troop deployments,
you can use soldiers to control soldiers,
and arrays to change arrays.
In my view, there troop deployments
are all front end military planning.
Cao Cheng's pocket deployment is an ancient formation,
it relies on the terrain lay-out to develop new formations.
If we use an ancient tactical deployment
against a modern one,
isn't that much too inflexible?
I reckon that what soldiers need
can be summed up in one word: surprise.
Victory belongs to whoever is beyond surprise.
Those who stand still end up behind.
Surprise comes first.
But if the opponents' strengths are evenly matched,
it's still necessary to rely on tactical deployments,
to seek victory within the configuration.
Although the deployment is important,
it is still necessary to change and adapt to time and terrain.
A deployment isn't necessarily stable.
Non-deployment isn't necessarily unstable.
I just feel that on the battlefield,
a deployment isn't the most important requirement.
If deployment isn't the most important requirement,
then tell me,
what's the most important factor?
Of course, capacity for victory is the most important.
After all, troops deployment is a method,
but the ultimate objective is victory,
On the battlefield,
there's a rapid succession of changes,
therefore we need to follow the changing conditions,
with great agility and dexterity.
The key is in one word: change.
If we stick to conservative conventions,
the tactical deployments are a hindrance.
Then, isn't it lamentable to miss an opportunity for victory?
to lose a war situation?
Presumptuous!
That a mere young trainee officer
with an inflated opinion of his own abilities,
ventures to contradict the Marshal's words.
I wouldn't dare.
All I'm doing is let go some thoughts I have.
On the battlefield everybody equally thinks of victory,
but how can victory be achieved?
On the battlefield, acting according to the circumstances.
Acting according to the circumstances?
And if one encounters a pocket formation?
Let me see, how do you change?
The officer dies, the men live.
The advantage of the pocket formation lies in its agility.
If we can have one nail
to nail this formation dead on its tracks,
the strength of that formation can be weakened a lot.
Why not send a contingent
to act as bait
and be voluntarily eaten up by them?
It is enough for them to encircle us,
and this bait functions very much as a nail,
it can nail down the enemy dead on the spot.
When we send out this contingent,
from outside the circle comes a counter-circle.
The pocket formation has been transformed into a broken pocket formation.
Not bad!
And who is going to be this bait?
Marshal Zong,
Yue Fei requests a war mission. I'm willing to act as bait.
Yue Fei, your words are good to listen to,
this old officer still wants to see what your action is like.
Yue Fei, listen to the orders!
Sir!
I order you to form the vanguard.
Wang Xie!
Sir!
You'll form the flank.
You two join hand to fight Cao Chang.
Yes Sir!
The Jin are attacking from the South.
Cao Zei is playing jackal to the tiger,
he's not following any orders.
Today we come to punish this horde of bandits,
capture and kill Cao Zei.
and bring order to the land.
Capture and kill Cao Zei! Bring order to the land!
Go!
Yue Fei!
We meet again.
Under Imperial orders
surrender at once!
Yue Fei, last time I already paid you back for my life.
This time it's you who has entered into our circle,
you ought to be the one who surrenders.
I see you still consider yourself a good man,
you should see the light and choose a better life.
You'll be treated leniently.
Yue Fei, have you seen this?
If you come over to us,
I'll protect your family. You'll have boundless glory, wealth and treasures.
Unfortunately, my mother loves radish soup
If you give her chicken soup,
she won't like it because it's too rich.
Yue Fei, don't give me all that shame shameless stuff!
I only look at your skills.
I want to see how you are in defeat.
Go!
Brothers!
Let's meet them!
Fight! Fight!
Look!
Ahead is Cao's crane wing deployment.
That crane doesn't look like a crane,
and the wing doesn't resemble a wing.
It's only a lame bird!
Attack! Attack!
Bandits need soldiers, that's how things are.
Everybody stay together, follow me and attack through the crane's mouth.
At the right time, General Wang Xie will bring reinforcements.
This is a battle we have to win.
Have you listened?
Listened!
Fu Qing,
hold the left flank behind ready to change and protect us, just in case.
If you hear the horns, come to help straight away.
Yes, Brother!
Attack!
Brothers! Attack!
Go!
General,
Yue Fei's troops were surrounded in Jiulong Mountain.
Why is this wine so rough on the palate?
Bring another jar!
General
This red is better than a woman,
so mellow and fragant, after only a small sip
the bouquet is extraordinary!
General! Yue Fei has been surrounded.
We must take reinforcements immediately.
What's the hurry?
This battle...If Yue Fei wins
then all the glory is his.
All we are is helping soldiers.
If he loses,
he'll only have himself to blame.
He so much loves to try being brave!
Why don't we help him achieve perfection?
Let him have his turn.
Brother, we 're surrounded!
General Wang Xie's reinforcements haven't arrived yet. What do we do?
Move the troops there. We attack.
Attack!
What's the situation now?
The whole 3,000 strong battalion has been surrounded at the entrance to Jiulong.
Cao Zei's 10,000 troops are blocking the exit road.
And Wang Xie's reinforcements?
I haven't seen them.
Zong Xin!
Sir!
Convey my orders.
Order Wang Xie to send troops to the rescue immediately.
Yes!
First put down what you have in your hands.
Everybody. Come over here!
Marshal Zong ordered to prepare relief provisions urgently.
Something has happened. What happened?
Something to General Yue.
He?
What about my brother?
General Yue fell into Cao Cheng's trap.
He's been seized.
Seized?
What did Marshal say about going to rescue him.
I don't know, ah!
How can you not know?
You have to go and ask.
Eh, Xiangzi.
Where are you going and to do what, you?
I'm going to rescue my brother!
You're mad!
Can I look and do nothing while my brother is sent to his death?
Xiangzi! You come back here!
Come back!
This rascal!
What are you standing there for?
Hurry up to catch up with Xiangzi. Go!
Go!
Faster! Go!
Let's go!
Brother! There's no going out!
We can't resist any further, but we must resist.!
Why haven't the reinforcements come?
They won't come.
You stay nailed here and hit!
Send them towards me.
I'll break through the circle, we'll destroy the formation and get out.
Good! Pass them to me! Brothers! Fight!
Brothers! Charge!
Attack!
Blow the horns! Blow the horns!
Charge!
Attack!
Withdraw!
Xiangzi. Well done! Get up! Follow me to the attack!
All right!
Kill him!
Attack!
Go!
Withdraw! Quickly, withdraw!
Yue Fei!
Xiangzi.
Brother!
Bring soldiers to chase Cao Cheng. Mustn't let him run away! All right!
Brothers. To me!
Brother. I come to cover your back. You withdraw quickly! All right.
Come to break the chase. We'll talk when we reach the camp.
All right! Go!
Brother! Come quickly to look at Xiangzi.
Xiangzi!
Brother.
Don't talk.
You insisted to be here. Ah, Xianzi.
Xiangzi!
Brother. I didn't make you lose face.
How did your little brother do today?
Was I like a general or not?
Very much. so
You set up a great attack.
You did very well.
Xiangzi!
Brother.
Let's go!
Until now,
Yue Xiang only dreamt of going on a frontier campaign.
He also reckoned that to die there would be a worthy death.
Xiangzi,
in our hearts you have always been a general.
Great General!
Xiangzi, you have realized your wish,
don't think of anything else.
Have a good journey!
Zong Xin,
the Yue family place isn't far from here,
invite them to come for a while.
Yes Sir.