Three Kingdoms
Episode 53
I am the Marquis of Wu.
How could you take military action without my consent?
Are you the lord of the Southland...
Or am I?
I see.
I see now.
This is the military tally of the Grand Commander.
I shall humbly return it to you, my lord,
and await my punishment at home.
Gongjin.
My lord has taken back Gongjin's military tally?
Gongjin secretly sent an army of 60,000 to attack Jingzhou.
I had no choice but to dismiss him.
I don't know if I was right or wrong in doing so.
My lord has acted completely correctly.
The Sun-Liu alliance cannot be broken now.
We must on no account declare war on Liu Bei.
With these words of yours, my mind is slightly more at ease.
That is Gongjin's military tally.
Have someone take it to Baling and convey my orders.
All units that have marched forth are to return to camp immediately and standby.
My lord, my guess is that
the arrival of the military tally can make the troops halt their march,
but it will be difficult to make them return to camp.
Why?
The commanders at Baling only follow Gongjin's orders.
be insufficient to redeploy them.
I fear that word from you, my lord, will
I have been the Marquis of Wu for ten years already!
Does the Southland belong to Sun or to Zhou?
Dispatch my orders. Have them return to camp at once.
If anyone disobeys, kill him!
Grand Commander, your injury hasn't healed yet.
Your health is fragile. You mustn't drink wine anymore!
Are you going to tell me what to do too?
Leave me.
Grand Commander! You really mustn't drink anymore!
Get lost!
Grand Commander! Even if you beat me to death
I must still stop you from drinking more!
You!
Did I hurt you?
No. I am all right.
Your injury is worse.
of the Suns for over a dozen years.
I have dedicated my life to the service
Who knew...
I would end up like this?
Grand Commander,
our lord is young and not yet wise in the ways of the world.
Don't blame him anymore.
It's that Zhuge bumpkin whom I hate!
It must be him who perceived our lord's weakness for saving face,
and instructed Liu Bei to make a show of purchasing betrothal gifts in Jiankang,
thus making the marriage known to everyone
and forcing our lord to marry his sister to him.
Grand Commander, don't feel bad about it anymore.
Our lord has already made his decision.
There's not much we can-do about it.
The most important thing now is for you to take care of your health.
The Southland cannot survive without you!
The Southland is already without Zhou Yu.
My lord, I have just returned from Baling.
How is it? Have they withdrawn?
Ding Feng, Jiang Qing, Can Ning and the others all said that
Zhuge Liang had already mobilized. If,they were to withdraw,
Zhuge Liang would certainly strike eastward
and Baling would be lost.
Therefore they ask my lord to reconsider.
What?
They want me to reconsider?
Preposterous!
With Liu Bei in Jiankang, Zhuge Liang can only bluff.
How could he strike eastward now?
That is obviously an excuse for their defiance.
Take my sword. Send my orders.
Have all of them dismissed from office!
You think you're Cao Cao? That you have power enough to spare?
How many officers do we have here in the Southland for you to dismiss?
Mother.
Mother, I have had many vexing things on my mind lately
and I just lost my temper.
A lord over men must be able to put up with what a lesser man cannot.
He must be merciful and kind, sincere and humble towards his men.
Given Zhou Yu's prestige and reputation in the army,
your dismissal of him is likely to affect all those younger commanders' loyalty to you.
And without their support,
I'd like to see how long you'd be able to remain the Marquis of Wu.
Mother, but...
But we've already-hit a stalemate in this affair.
I am at a loss as to what to do.
Then I shall tell you what to do.
Send the military tally back to Gongjin immediately.
Ask him to continue in the position of Grand Commander.
Mother, if you tell me to return his military tally, I will take it over to him.
But Gongjin's plan is to attack Jing,
which will lead to an all-out war between us and them.
And it'll be the end of everything!
There won't be an all-out war. And it won't be the end of anything.
Mother has been through so much war and chaos.
I ought to know this.
Now, the most important thing is for you and your subordinates to be of one mind and purpose.
And most importantly, you must not fall out with Zhou Yu.
So, Mother, you think...
We'll have to marry Xiaomei to Liu Bei,
and have the families of Sun and Liu be united by marriage.
Mother,
weren't you unwilling to do so?
Yes, I am really not willing to have my eighteen-year-old daughter
to go wait on an old man of forty-eight.
However,
in order to protect what your father and your brother fought for,
I have no other choice.
Mother!
My lord! I will go announce you at once!
Gongjin and I are brothers. There's no need to announce me.
Grand Commander! Lord Sun is here to see you!
My humble greetings, my lord.
Gongjin, it looks like you are still angry with me.
Gongjin, I've brought you your military tally.
Whether you want to or not, you must take it back.
I am really the one at fault in this incident.
You were born in the same year as my brother.
You have treated me as your younger brother. and honored my mother as your own.
Back then, when my brother crossed the River to attack Liu Yao,
you rallied the men of your clan to follow him.
At that time, our family had little more than a thousand troops.
Without you, Gongjin,
the Southland would not be ours.
My late brother considered you his right-hand man.
Before he passed away, he said,
When uncertain on internal affairs, consult Zhang Zhao,
when uncertain on external affairs, consult Zhou Yu.
This goes to show that in my late brother's mind.
and in the minds of the eighty-one counties of the Southland, you are very highly thought of!
I am in the wrong this time.
I have neglected my late brother's last words.
I apologize to you.
My lord!
I beg your forgiveness, my lord!
Gongjin!
Although we are liege and liegeman in name. in reality we are brothers.
I am young and inexperienced.
I cant avoid making mistakes.
Would you, as the elder brother,
be unwilling to forgive me this once?
My lord,
say no more.
So, the military tally...
I will take it back.
However,
regarding Jing...
I will do as you say.
Just tell me what we should do.
Very well.
Then may my lord give orders for us to arrest Liu Bei and mobilize towards Jing!
My lord! You must not yield to Gongjin on this one!
Zijing?
My lord. I just paid a visit to the frontlines in Baling myself.
The 60,000 men sent to invade Jing
have all returned to their camps.
You!
Gongjin, Liu Bei is a scion of the Han House.
If we destroy him now, it would mean declaring war on the Han.
Everyone in the realm considers Cao Cao to be the nations villain.
If we remove Liu Bei now,
they will consider us to be the nation's villain instead.
Scion of the Han House? That's just in name!
He's just the same as Cao Cao
they are both men of ambition!
Behind his appearance of kindness and righteousness is his ambition for domination.
We must cut:him down now, before his power becomes full-fledged.
Or else, once he has built up his own power.
Cao Cao will not be the Southland's sole archenemy!
My lord, in the world today, three forces hold the balance of power.
Cao Cao is strong. Sun and Liu are weak. If we fight against each other,
and we will all be his captives.
Cao Cao will surely subjugate the world,
Until the very last moment, we must on no account take military action against Zhuge Liang!
My lord.
Some have speculated that the reason why Gongjin kept trying to destroy Liu Bei
was because he would not be bested by Zhuge Liang.
In fact, that is completely untrue.
Gongjin had, in his foresight.
discerned that Liu Bei, with his claims to legitimacy and with the valor of Guan and Zhang,
would be a source of trouble if unchecked.
Liu Bei is a man who
is skilled in opportunism, and takes advantage of whatever situation is before him.
Whoever he joins is bound to come to a terrible end.
First, he joined Tao Qian,
and soon after he wrested Xu Province from Tao Qian.
Next, he joined Liu Biao,
and then Liu Biao lost Jing Province.
Now, he claims again and again that he wants to ally himself to us.
But who can guarantee that he will not ultimately harm the Southland?
My lord, Tao Qian gave Xu Province to Liu Bei voluntarily!
Liu Biao lost Jing only because he named the younger son his heir. Internal strife led to external troubles.
And Cao Cao took over the area at the end.
This really has nothing to do with Liu Bei!
Lu Su, is this how you speak to me?
Insolence.
I have thought this through over the last few days.
If I hadn't made the mistake of listening to you.
how would we have lost Jing?
Go look at the military reports.
Zhuge Liang is about to invade Baling.
How could you still be speaking on their behalf?
Is this due to your friendship with Zhuge Liang?
My lord.
It's true that I am friends with Zhuge Liang.
However, we are each loyal to our own lord.
When our two states clash in war, I will still hold Zhuge Liang to be my enemy!
Right now, you were talking about him when you mentioned Gongjin.
I feel that Gongjin not only views Zhuge Liang as an enemy,
but also as his personal enemy, his nemesis.
Gongjin's hatred for Zhuge Liang
far surpasses his hatred for the national villain, Cao Cao.
Besides, it's hatred mixed with jealousy.
I don't think it's the right thing to do.
Because, when any form of hatred grows out of control, it will turn around and harm the hater.
Therefore, I do not wish to see Gongjin give in to his private grudge and neglect his greater duties!
Zijing.
Then what kind of man do you think Zhuge Liang is?
An enemy as well as a friend.
My lord. It's easy to deal with an enemy. It's easy to deal with a friend, too.
However, one who is both enemy and friend is the most difficult to handle,
because he can turn into your greatest enemy at any time,
and can turn into your trusted ally any time as well.
Whether we treat his as an enemy or as a friend
will depend on our wisdom.
If we allow Gongjin to cling obstinately onto his own course,
it would mean disaster to my lord and our state. and the Southland will be lost!
Lu Su, so, in your opinion,
of Gongjin and myself, one is a traitorous minister and the other is an ignorant lord?
My lord!
Lu Su, you are too presumptuous!
My lord!
Considering your former service,
I cannot bring myself to punish you harshly.
The work of the chief Military Adviser will concern you no longer.
My lord, pray do not be angry.
Even though Zijing has been froward in his speech.
he has spoken out of loyalty. May my lord retract his command!
I have decided. Gongjin, plead no more.
If he does not consider me his lord,
why must I consider him my subordinate?
Thank you, my lord.
Grand Commander, this is Sir Lu's residence.
Zijing had been in the public service for many years.
How could he be living in such poverty?
Gongjin?
Gongjin!
I was just on my way home from the Marquis1, and thought I'd drop in to see you.
Good!
Come!
Go pick up some food and wine.
I will enjoy a good drink with the Grand Commander!
What are you still standing there for?
Master, your salary from last year was all spent on relieving the orphans from the Battle of Red Cliff.
We still haven't received the salary for this year.
We really don't have enough money to buy wine.
What's the problem?
Come, take this fur coat of mine and pawn it.
Go get us some good food and wine.
Well...
Go!
Come, this way.
After you. Come, this way.
Come.
Oh, Zijing.
You were a great benefactor of mine, after all.
Who'd have guessed that we would become political enemies over a simple dispute?
And still, when l/came, you traded your fur coat in for wine to entertain me.
I am very moved by that.
Allow me to toast to your liberality!
Gongjin, you have exaggerated.
You and I are not political enemies. It's just that our overall strategies are different.
Consider this.
Back then, I did not give up my entire family fortune to help just you yourself, Gongjin,
but to allow you to help the realm as well.
And now, the object of our dispute is not a personal matter,
but a matter that concerns the realm as well.
Lu Zijing will always be Lu Zijing.
Steadfast in his principles, yielding to no one.
Gongjin, you flatter me.
Actually, I have considered the possibility that your strategy of allying with Liu to repel Cao is correct.
If I had another 20 years,
I would certainly follow your strategy.
However,
Heaven will not give me so much time.
For over a dozen years, I've been fighting battles all over the land,
and the steel of war is not kind.
I have suffered many injuries.
Before the gates of Nanjun, I was hit by that poisoned arrow of Cao Ren as well.
My body...
my body is like a star, ready to fall.
And soon it will vanish from the evening sky.
I can no longer choose to go on the smoothest path.
I can only take the fastest route
in order to help our lord achieve his goal of reuniting the realm.
Therefore,
Jing, so that Guan and Zhang may submit to us,
I devised this plan to take Liu Bei hostage and annex
after which we may strike northward and vanquish Cao Cao.
Oh, Gongjin.
I completely understand what you're thinking.
However, you know perfectly well
that haste never leads to where you want to go.
Guan and Zhang are among the most valiant warriors of the world. They are steadfast and unyielding.
If you use this kind of method to force them into submission, will they truly accept you?
And if they don't accept you, how could they willingly offer their services to the Southland?
In achieving dominance, even extreme measures are justifiable.
That is not so.
The ultimate dominance can only be achieved through the way of humanity.
You see, Cao Cao used to rule by force alone.
However, after he lost at Red Cliff,
he returned to Xudu and did not march forth again in vengeance.
Instead, he bore his humiliation quietly, and focused on restoring the people's trust.
Why did he change so drastically?
It's because after such a grave defeat,
he finally came to realize that the way of humanity is greater than the way of force.
I am not necessarily wrong, and you are not necessarily right.
Let's have time prove who's right and who's wrong.
You know my temper.
Once I have decided on something, I will never change my mind.
Furthermore, our lord has already agreed with me.
It's true.
Our lord has agreed.
But what about the State Mother?
You lured Liu Bei here using her daughter as an excuse.
The State Mother is one who cannot lose face.
Can she ever agree to your plan?
Furthermore, ever since General Bofu died,
you have honored the State Mother as your own mother.
Can you really disobey her word?
You are the lord of the Southland, commanding an army a hundred thousand strong.
Yet you are incapable of taking Jing,
and would rather use my daughter as bait in a "beauty scheme" to lure Liu Bei here.
Aren't you embarrassed?
Now that he is here, you don't want to go ahead with the marriage anymore, but hold him hostage instead.
Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
I am ashamed.
It was my idea to begin with.
Madam, this has nothing to do with my lord.
So it was you who came up with this rotten idea?
Even if it's your rotten idea.
as the Marquis of Wu, it's him who had the final word on it.
And if that's so,
he shouldn't be passing responsibility onto his subordinates.
Zhou Yu, I can't be bothered to reprimand you over this.
I'm only going to reprimand Sun Quan.
You lot have already caused my daughter to become the laughingstock of the world.
How is she ever to get married in the future?
You only care about your petty schemes,
and won't think twice about completely ruining my daughter's future!
Madam, you have reprimanded rightly.
If we use this scheme,
even if we come to possess Jing Province,
we will be mocked by all across the realm.
Madam
Xiaomei is the daughter of a marquis and of noble birth. She wont really be married to Liu Bei.
She needn't worry about getting married in the future.
Moreover,
As Xiaomei is the daughter of Lord Sun Jian,
she should also do her part for the sake of the Southland.
You still remember that Xiaomei is Lord Sun Jian's daughter?
Wentai was such a hero of his time.
If he knew that his offspring would sink so low,
he would be turning in his grave!
Even if you don't care for dignity, I do.
And I will make sure that the dead is not robbed of his!
Mother, calm down.
Leave me alone.
You are such an indecisive, useless thing to have created such an embarrassing situation.
The way I see it, since things have gone this far,
we can only turn the ruse into reality*
The Imperial Uncle is a scion of the Han House, and a hero of our times.
Having him as a son-in-law shouldn't be too much of a disgrace for my daughter.
Madam, you mustn't!
Why not?
Liu Bei and Sun Xiaomei may be well-matched in status.
but their ages are too disparate.
Liu Bei is almost fifty!
Then why, when you suggested this marriage idea to Sun Quan originally,
didn't you think of their differences in age?
I... I was only setting this up as a ruse.
I didn't think to really marry Xiaomei to him.
You've done the deed and now you regret?
No!
My lord and I are bound by fraternal love,
and Xiaomei and I are like siblings too.
If Xiaomei really married Liu Bei,
I would be distressed.
Madam, would you not be distressed too?
Madam, what about this?
We will arrange to meet with Liu Bei at Sweet Dew Temple tomorrow.
Xiaomei will observe from behind the screens.
If he is to Xiaome's liking, the match will be Heaven's will,
and we will all obey you and allow the two to marry.
But if Xiaomei doesn't like Liu Bei,
then we should not force her against her will.
My lord, Madam, you wouldn't really want Xiaomei to end up in misery, would you?
Mother, Gongjin is only saying this out of concern for Xiaomei.
Fine then, we'll do as you said.
If Xiaomei doesn't like him...
we'll worry about that then.
Grand Commander. The State Mother has never intervened in political affairs.
Why did she come to rule on,this matter today?
Someone asked her to come.
Who was it?
You shouldn't ask.
I am not at liberty to say either.
Would we really have Lord Suns sister marry Liu Bei?
Xiaomei is in the spring of her youth.
Row could she take a fancy to Liu Bei, a pathetic old man?
I understand now.
Grand Commander, you are trying to use the lady to quiet the State Mother.
But we must be prepared for all possibilities.
What if the lady falls for Liu Bei? Then what?
Heaven may will differently than we do.
If Heaven is not blind,
it will not let Liu Bei walk out of Sweet Dew Temple alive.
Yes, sir.
Little one, your hair is growing nicer and nicer by the day.
It makes Mother so happy.
What a pity that l won't be able to comb it as often in the future.
Mother, what are you talking about?
I will always be with you!
A grown daughter does not stay for long. You should be getting married.
But I don't want to get married.
Silly girl, did you really mean that?
I consulted with your brother, and found you a husband.
He's of imperial blood,
and is a worthy match for my daughter.
Mother, are you really going to marry me off to that old man?
You found out already?
Everyone in the city is saying that you are going to marry me off to Liu Bei.
I suppose I'm the last one to hear about it.
Are... are you willing?
Mother! He is a pathetic old man!
How can you talk like that?
He is the Imperial Uncle, after all.
You are too callous!
Do you know how old he is?
I do.
Forty-eight.
He is thirty years older than me!
Can you really bring yourself to marry me to him?
Of course I can't.
You are my most precious, darling baby.
But as much as I cannot bring myself to do this,
I will still do it.
Why?
Because I am a woman of the Sun family.
I have to act for the sake of the Southland,
for the lives of millions of our people!
I will not suffer to be sent away like a gift.
No matter how unwilling you are.
you must marry him,
because you are a daughter of the Sun family.
Little one,
after I was married into the Sun clan.
before I turned thirty, I lost my husband.
And before I turned forty, I experienced the pain of losing a son.
The tears I have wept
are more than those wept by any other woman in the world.
But why did I grit my teeth and continue to live?
It was all for that the Sun clan has worked for!
If even I, who married into the family, can do this
you, in whom flows the blood of the Suns,
have even more of a responsibility in ensuring the future of the Sun clan!
Who I marry has nothing to do with the future of the Sun clan!
Cao Cao in the north is far too powerful.
Only by allying with Liu Bei can the Southland continue.to flourish.
And now, only by your marriage can the Sun-Liu alliance be maintained,
and can the Southland be safe!
I only realized today
that you are the most loving mother on the world,
and the cruelest mother as well.
My lord.
Zilong, how many days have we been here?
Today is the seventh day.
Seven days.
And no news from the Marquis of Wu.
A few days ago, Lu Su was still dropping by every now and then.
But even he has disappeared in the last few days.
The men we sent to buy things reported that people were rumoring
that Lu Su had been dismissed from office.
My lord, I have an ominous feeling.
Perhaps this meeting at the Sweet Dew Temple is some kind of a trap.
Your worry is not baseless.
The one who invited me to be married here
was a messenger sent directly by the Marquis.
If there hadn't been any complications,
it wouldn't take so long for us to see Sun Quan.
My guess is that an internal rift has arisen within the Southland.
If it is true that Lu Zijing was dismissed,
it would further confirm this.
Imperial Uncle. I'm the housekeeper.
Sir Lu wishes to see you.
Hurry and invite him in!
Imperial Uncle!
Zijing.
Things have come to a head.
Gongjin has set a trap in Sweet Dew Temple.
If the lady is unwilling to be wed to you,
the 300 armed men hidden in the corridors of the temple
will not let you walk out alive.
Is this real?
Oh, Imperial Uncle.
Would I risk being labeled a traitor against my lord,
and come to the guesthouse just to tell you a lie?
Zijing, I believe you.
foremost gentleman of the Southland.
Kongming said long ago that Lu Zijing is the
With a man like you, no matter if we are friends or foe,
it would still be a delight.
Kongming flatters me. Let's not tarry.
Please, take my carriage and leave here.
I have already sent someone secretly to prepare a small boat on the River.
It will take you back to Jingzhou overnight.
Thank you, Zijing
However,
I cannot leave.
Why not?
If I leave, what kind of awkward position would I be leaving the Marquis in?
Moreover, those in favor of war here hold the most sway.
Between you and us there will be nothing but war.
And who will benefit from all this?
Cao Cao!
Furthermore,
at the Sweet Dew Temple meeting tomorrow,
the lady might just take a liking to me.
If she does,
Zhou Yu will have no way of getting his men to act.
Oh, Imperial Uncle.
Can you still be ignorant of what kind of man Gongjin is?
He has calculated every possibility.
Right now, your safety is completely contingent on the lady's feelings.
However, she is only eighteen this year.
And you, Imperial Uncle, are already forty-eight.
are no better than ten to one.
Under normal circumstances, your chances
In case the lady would not assent,
it would be most difficult for you to leave even if you wanted to.
Zijing, say no more.
Even if there is just a sliver of hope,
I must give it a try.
Mother.
I had them prepare some soup for you.
It's quite late. You're not in bed yet?
I couldn't fall sleep.
You must be worried if your little sister will do as I told her to.
I have never met Liu Bei.
He is half a century old, after all.
And in all these years he's been through much destitution and hardship.
What if his looks...
What if his looks aren't completely satisfactory, and Xiaomei doesn't fancy him?
Then it'll all be over.
Don't worry.
I know my daughter better than anyone else does.
The children of the Sun family are all heroes.
Can one hero not appreciate another?
You bear a great destiny.
You must be calm and composed.
Even if the sky is falling, you must be able to sleep.
Co back and sleep.
Mother, you are right.
Mother, you should rest soon too.
Our lord is truly calm and composed.
He is sleeping soundly still.
Our lord is quite something.
From the first day I served him, I could tell
that he must be the incarnation of a star.
Gongjin has set a trap in Sweet Dew Temple.
If the lady is unwilling to be wed to you
the 300 armed men hidden in the corridors of the temple
will not let you walk out alive.