When your mother was alive,
she always told me that you're like my younger self.
You're diligent and persistent. You never argued with other people.
You keep all grievances to yourself.
So she told me to care more about you.
Father, why are you suddenly talking about this?
Actually you're different from Yong'er. We never had to worry about you.
None of the other dukes and lords are as smart and capable as you.
Yong'er is the first and oldest son. He's several years older than you.
But he's far from your match.
Father.
Your mother and I were afraid of the objection from the officials.
So we gave Yong'er a chance and tried to train him.
I thought you would understand our position so you wouldn't mind.
Over time, I neglected your feelings. You're not mad at me, are you?
Father, how can you say that?
I wouldn't dare be mad at you. I understand your difficulties.
Too bad Yong'er is incompetent.
Father.
I decided to make you the Crown Prince. The officials strongly objected to that.
Even if there's a lot you don't know,
as long as you attend to the administration diligently
and remain selfless and fair,
I believe you will become a good emperor in due course.
I've never doubted that.
Ying'er, what's the matter?
Nothing.
Actually there's something else I want to tell you.
Nominating you as the Crown Prince
is the best decision I've made in my whole life.
Father, don't take this medicine. There's a worm in it.
I'm afraid it's tainted.
I'll ask them to make you a new dose. Just a moment.
Huff)'-
No more gifts. I'm calling it a day. Come again tomorrow.
Brother Qing, we wasted our time waiting in line.
Be patient. Let me talk to the guy in-charge...
Sir, I've come from Shandong Provincial Government.
My name is Qin Qiong.
I came here to deliver some birthday gifts to Duke Yue.
Can I make the delivery today?
I told you already.
I don't care if you've come from the palace or anywhere else.
I'm calling it a day. Take your gifts and leave.
Sir...
What did you say?
You...
I'll kill you with my hammer.
What are you doing?
Come on.
I don't want to argue with you.
Take the gifts in.
Darn it.
Brother Qin. What did you say?
Brother Qin. Brother Li.
How come you're here?
The Shandong Provincial Government
sent us to deliver birthday gifts to Duke Yue.
It's been a couple of years since we last met.
Right.
Officer Li, Duke Yue has boarded the wagon already.
We're just waiting for you.
OK. Tell the Duke I'm coming right away.
OK.
Brother Qin, heed my advice.
Something big is happening in Chang'an very soon.
If there's nothing urgent, you better leave the city as soon as possible.
What will happen?
I'm telling you the truth. Heed my advice. Goodbye.
Brother Li...
Master Qin, you know our Officer Li?
Yes.
I'm so sorry. I'm really ignorant. I didn't recognize you.
It's OK.
Please forgive me.
OK.
Where are the birthday gifts? Just give them to me. Where are they?
Give the gifts to him.
Give them to me. Don't worry.
Take them or I'll kill you with my hammer.
I'll kill you.
Yes...Sorry, sir...Let me... Take them inside...Move...
Come on.
Put them in the proper place.
Sire...Leave.
Sire.
At ease.
Much obliged, Sire.
Yu'er, why have you come here?
Father heard Sire's sick. He wanted to come in person.
But there's turmoil at the border. So he sent me.
What are you looking at?
Sire, you look pale. The whites of your eyes are cloudy.
You seem to have been poisoned.
What?
I follow father around all the time. I often see soldiers wounded.
I've learned medicine from the medics. May I check your pulse?
OK.
Your pulse is weak and hot. It's vague when it's pressed.
Your vein is enlarged.
Those are the symptoms of having been poisoned. But this is odd.
The poison is pretty mild.
One has to take it for a prolonged period
before it will accumulate and damage the blood and qi.
But there are special people to taste my food.
How could there be poison?
This is odd.
Apart from what he eats,
Sire also takes the medicine prescribed by the Imperial doctors.
Is something wrong with the prescription?
Prescription?
I know the Imperial doctors are prudent. They wouldn't...
But this is really a kind of herbal poison.
Why don't I go to the Imperial Pharmacy now and check it out?
OK.
Please excuse me.
Princess.
Which pot of medicine is for Sire?
This one.
There really are counteracting medicines rhizome arisaematis and gingko.
Who's in charge of preparing the medicine for Sire?
It's not prepared by Imperial Pharmacy staff.
The Crown Prince sends Xiao Lu here every day
to prepare and deliver the medicine to ensure that it's safe.
You said it's the Crown Prince?
Yes.
Officer Gao...
There's really a secret compartment in Prince Jin's residence.
A secret compartment?
There's a secret passageway behind the bookshelves.
It leads underground.
I'll be direct. Yang Guang pretends to be frugal,
but he's built an extravagant underground palace.
This is what I found there.
What is this?
It's Princess Qionghua's hairpin.
What?
Princess Qionghua must have found Yang Guang's underground palace by chance.
That's why she was killed.
Then he framed the Crown Prince for that.
I knew it.
What shall we do now?
Let's go see Sire right away. Go.
OK.
Brother Qiong, don't leave yet. Today is the Lantern Festival.
Just now, when we delivered the gifts,
the other people there said tonight's lantern carnival will be a lot of fun.
Look. It's just up ahead. Don't just stand here. Let's go...
Go, Brother Qiong...Go.
That's right, Brother Qiong.
We came to Chang'an to see how prosperous it is.
It will spoil the fun if we go home without seeing anything novel.
Let's go, Brother Qiong.
OK. Let's go take a look.
But remember to keep a low profile in the carnival.
OK.
I will. Remember.
We'll go ahead first and see what there is.
Go.
Over there.
Guoyuan, be careful.
Over there.
Be careful.
Don't be so impatient.
Look. They're so happy.
Come on...So yummy. Come on...
What is this game?
What is this?
Solving riddles.
What's this?
Solving riddles. Come on.
Interesting.
You guys got the right answer? Not yet?
Right. Let's go.
Let's play this again some other time, OK?
Take your time.
Why are you staring at me? Look at this.
You know the answer? Look...
Sir, you know the answer?
Yes, I do.
How's that? Is it correct?
Yes. You got the right answer.
Look there. It's so beautiful.
What does that mean?
The answer is: getting drunk and killing for money.
Yes.
Thank you, buddy.
Take care...
He just left?
He really made a killing.
He ate and drank and got a thousand copper coins.
Right. Next time I'll do the same.
It's a treat.
Killing for money.
Try the sweet dumplings.
Wait for me.
My sweet dumplings are big and sweet. They're mouth-watering.
Eat them one by one and finish the bowl. I'll give you money once I'm happy.
Give me a bowl.
OK. Here you go, sir. Enjoy.
Is it yummy?
It is.
Sir, you don't pay you after you eat my dumplings.
You even want to take my money?
Who's taking your money? I got the right answer.
What do you mean you got the right answer?
Just now, you said that your dumplings are big and sweet.
They're mouth-watering. Eat them one by one and finish the bowl.
Then you'll give me money.
I didn't mean that. Give me back my money.
Brother Qi.
Brother Qiong.
Why did you take his money?
I didn't. I got the right answer.
You got the right answer?
He runs a business. This isn't solving riddles.
Give the money back to him.
I got the right answer.
Give it to me.
I...
Guoyuan.
Sorry, sir.
Thank you...
I...
Cut it out.
I tell you. I...
You're a disgrace.
I...
Brother...
I'm...
Don't make a fool of yourself anymore. I'm embarrassed to be with you.
Why are you embarrassed? I paid already.
Come take a look. One copper coin for one arrow.
If you throw the arrow into the big pot, you get one copper coin.
If you throw it into the medium pot, you get five hundred copper coins.
If you throw it into the small pot, you'll get a thousand coins.
If you throw all the arrows into those five pots,
you'll get this gold leaf.
Boss.
Yes?
You mean I can get this gold leaf
by spending one copper coin to throw the arrows?
Yes. If you throw the arrows into all five pots,
you can take this golf leaf.
This is fun...I want to try.
Try it. You'll get the gold leaf if you throw all five arrows into the pots.
Boss, I want to play.
Thank you, sir.
Pay for me. I want to play too. Pay him.
How come you don't have any money with you?
Thank you.
Come on. Watch this, everyone.
Oh, no.
How come I missed? It was so close.
How come I missed?
It's really hard.
Watch this...Try it.
Watch.
You're so disgusting...Hurry up please.
Look.
You didn't throw that far either. He's not really that good.
How could I forget? We have a top archer with us, right?
Brother Wang!
Exactly.
Brother Wang.
Brother Qiong.
Brother Wang.
Come.
Over here.
Come over here.
Come...
What is it?
Come.
Spend a copper coin.
If you throw the arrows into that pot, we can get a gold leaf.
Brother Wang, I admire you the most.
Why don't you show us your skills or no one will know you're the top archer, right?
Right, guys? Come on, Brother Wang.
Quiet...Quiet. He's ready to throw the arrows.
Quiet.
Brother Wang, go ahead.
Amazing.
He's my big brother. He's amazing, right?
He did it. Is this a dream?
Where did he learn that?
Right.
Brother Wang can even shoot five flying birds at once,
let alone just five pots.
Thank you for your compliment.
Right. This is so amazing. So we can take the gold leaf, right?
Sir...My gold leaf... Sir, please...I beg you please.
Look.
Please give it back to me, sir. I beg you.
This is cheating. You're cheating.
Please return the gold leaf to me.
You set the rules just now.
Brother Wang threw the arrows into all five pots.
Why are you asking us to return the gold leaf to you?
You're being unreasonable.
Guoyuan.
I beg you please.
He runs a petty business. It's hard for him to make money.
Return the gold leaf to him.
Right.
Let's go.
Thank you, sir...Please give it back to me.
Not so easy.
Give it to me.
Thank you, sir.
Go.
My gold leaf.
Go.
Listen. You got the gold leaf back. But I'm taking this.
OK. It's OK as long as you don't take my gold leaf.
Cheat.
Guys, I've come from Shanxi. This is my first time visiting the capital.
I came here for this bow.
Excuse me...
Does anyone know this bow?
Come over here. Take a look at this bow.
You want to sell your bow?
If you offered me money, I wouldn't sell it to you.
But whoever can pull it back five times can have it for free.
That's odd.
Swords are for heroes and blush is for ladies.
I won't charge you a penny if you can't pull it back.
I just want to meet heroes.
Wait...I think we can do that. We're good at archery.
Right.
We didn't win a prize solving riddles just now.
It'll be good to get a bow.
Let's do it then.
OK.
Buddy, you said I can take this bow if I can pull it back five times, right?
Everyone heard me say that.
OK.
Look, he's going to do it. Look. He's doing it now.
Bravo...
I'll do it then.
Can he manage?
Pull harder.
I'm from Shanxi too.
We depend on our parents at home and on friends when we're away from home.
I've fought in both South and North Mountains before.
I won't talk about other things today. I'll pull back the string now.
Come on. Pull.
Say Bravo.
Bravo.
Harder.
How come I can't pull it back?
I'll try again.
Harder.
Let me try...
What's the matter with you? You didn't pull hard.
Let me do it. I can do it...
Give me a hand.
You two are doing this together?
How about that?
You both can't pull it back, right? Anyone else?
There's a problem with the bow. You think so?
You all say that. He's cheating. The bow is stuck. It can't be pulled back.
Right. It's stuck.
It's stuck.
It can't be pulled back. You can't do it either, right?
If I can pull it back, then it's not stuck.
Of course.
Right. You pull it.
You pull it.
Bravo.
Shut up.
Bravo.
Anyone want to try?
Bravo.
Brother Qiong, I've made a fool of myself. You can't just stand there and watch.
Let's go.
Come on. Help me save face.
Get out of the way. Here comes my Brother Qiong...
Sir.
May I borrow your bow please?
I'm sure Brother Qiong can pull it back.
Bravo.
I'm sure he can do it.
Bravo...
That's it? Why didn't you pull again?
Sir.
One more time.
I'm returning it to you.
You're amazing.
Thank you.
Sir, why are you leaving?
No one could pull it back all these years.
Brother Qiong, why didn't you pull once more just now?
Then we could have won and gotten that bow.
Do you think everyone is like you?
What are you talking about?
You want to show off all the time. Now you've made a fool of yourself.
What did you say?
Listen, this is just a game. Don't take it too seriously.
Right. It's just a game.
Brother Qiong, I told you there are lots of games ahead.
I'll go first. Goodbye.
Wait for me.
Come on.
Don't run so fast.
Walk faster...Sire...
At ease.
Much obliged, Sire.
What's the matter?
Sire, please don't get mad when you hear what we're going to tell you.
Speak.
Yes. I found out that the Crown Prince
had built an underground palace while he was still Prince Jin.
An underground palace?
Yes.
Go on.
The underground palace is really extravagant with several hundred girls.
This is the opposite of the Crown Prince's
long purported air of frugality.
Sire, I also found
Princess Qionghua's hairpin in the underground palace.
Sire, forgive us for speaking frankly.
I'm afraid he's coveted the position of the Crown Prince for a long time.
He plotted everything.
Yang Guang killed Princess Qionghua
and framed the original Crown Prince Yang Yong.
Sire...
But the underground palace and the hairpin can't prove anything.
Sire, the construction of the underground palace in secret
don't constitute any evidence.
But it shows Yang Guang's ambitions.
Sire, he didn't just frame the original Crown Prince.
He wants to hurt you now too.
But...
Sire...Sire.
Yu'er, have you found out anything?
I found out what happened...
You haven't taken the medicine yet, have you?
It was delivered here just now. I haven't taken it yet.
There's a strong poison in the medicine...
I went to the Imperial Pharmacy just now.
I found counteracting rhizome anisaemais and gingko in the medicine.
But today's medicine is different from the usual one.
Someone has put strong poison in it.
Who did it?
I asked the people in the Imperial Pharmacy.
They said the Crown Prince sent someone there to prepare the medicine.
No one else has touched it.
But the medicine is completely different
from the prescription set by the Imperial Pharmacy.
Sire, I suspect it's the Crown Prince Yang Guang who put the poison in it.
Sire, this proves that the Crown Prince wants to kill you.
He set up the original Crown Prince Yang Yong. Now he's even trying to kill you.
Fine. I can't believe my most dutiful and mature son would try to poison me.
I'm so blind.
Sire.
Sire...
Sire, there's something else I need to report to you too.
The 480,000 taels of silver
that my father wanted to give to the government
were taken by Yuwen Huaji and his son Yuwen Chengdou.
The mastermind behind this is the Crown Prince Yang Guang.
Sire.
There's paper and brushes on the desk. Gao Jiong, draft a decree for me.
I want to remove Yang Guang and nominate a new Crown Prince.
Yes, Sire.
Let me go in.
Beat it...
Let me go in.
Beat it...
Brother Wang, what's going on?
What's going on? Go take a look.
Give me back my daughter...Sweetheart.
Help him up.
Sir, what happened?
Brother Wang, Brother Xie, look.
What's going on?
Sir, my daughter and I were looking at the lanterns on the street.
Yuwen Huiji found my daughter beautiful. He dragged her into his home by force.
Now I don't know whether she's alive or dead. My sweetheart.
Here's your daughter.
Sweetheart...She's my daughter... You died so terribly...Sweetheart.
Darn it.
Sweetheart...My daughter.
Wait.
You've left me behind.
Give him money. Put her on the cart.
This is yours. We want to buy your cart. Over here.
Sweetheart, don't leave me behind.
Old man, take the money. Take your daughter home and bury her.
We'll avenge her for you. Put her on the cart.
Sweetheart...
Lousy official...Kill him.
Go in.
What are you guys doing?
Shush. Tell us where Yuwen Huiji is.
Tell us if you don't want to die.
Over there.
Beast.
The law is just. You asked for this.
What is he writing?
No man of a just mind could stand this.
Wait till the clouds disperse to show the moon.
Kill the maniac and start a new era.
Help...Help...
What's going on? Go inside and take a look. Go.
Brother Qiong, you guys have come too?
Darn official. He took girls by force.
He's done so many wicked things. He shouldn't be allowed to live.
Stop talking. Let's get out of here before the soldiers come.
Right. Let's get out of here.
Go.
Come on. I'll take you with me. Come on.
Look.
Aren't these the birthday gifts that Shangguan Di gave to Yang Su?
Why are they here?
Doesn't matter. Let's take them from that darn official.
OK.
Right...
I'll take this one.
You guys are really fast.
Go.
Stay away. General Yuwen has come to inspect the streets. Everyone, give away.
Sir...
Go away.
Sir, I have a gift for you. I've come from afar.
I have a bow for you. It's an heirloom.
Nice bow. How much is it?
I will give it to you for free on one condition.
If you can pull it back five times, I won't charge you a dime.
If you can't.
Then I won't give it to you no matter how much you pay me.
Seize him.
There are lots of people here. Don't chase. Let's go.
Someone's been killed...Help...
General, someone's crying for help.
It seems to be coming from the Prime Minister's House.
Go.
Huff)'-
Run.
You guys get out of here. Forget about me.
No. We rescued you. How can we leave you behind?
Brother Qiong, let's fight them.
Brother Qiong, they've come to kill us.
Brother Qiong, let's fight them.
Brother Qiong...
Who are you? You can fight so well.
This guy Yuwen Chengdou can really fight.
How dare you hit my Brother Qiong!
Brothers, let's charge.
OK.
Brothers, run.
Run.
Don't go. We're outnumbered. This isn't a good idea.
Stop. This girl is not with them. Let her leave.
Brothers, run.
Run.
Give chase.
Yes, sir.
Go...Go...
Run faster...Be careful.
I'll kill you.
Yuwen Chengdou, let's see where you can go.
Interesting.
I knew you didn't really want to sell your bow. Kill them.
Run.
Everybody run.