Episode 61
Three Kingdoms
Miao Ze, let me ask you a question.
Do I treat you well?
Brother-in-Law, I'm deeply indebted to you.
Even my position right now was obtained through you.
Very good!
I want you to do something for me then.
Brother-in-Law, please tell me.
I'll obey your command no matter what.
Get up.
When you see three torches lit outside the city at midnight tonight,
you shall open Xuchang's southern gate.
What do I do that for?
To allow Ma Teng's forces into the city to destroy Cao Cao.
Destroy Cao Cao?
What, are you scared?
No, Brother-in-Law...
But... if this fails.
it's a crime punishable by clan extermination!
Ma Teng's army is well-prepared.
and he only needs us to open the city gates.
Cao Cao is a traitor.
and every lord of the realm wants him dead.
If you're willing to open the city gate,
the emperor will reward you with a noble
rank after the success of this mission.
His Majesty will reward me with nobility? Really?
Of course.
chief when he started off too.
The Supreme Ancestor was merely a precinct
The Supreme
If you miss this opportunity,
you'll never have the chance to rise in rank again.
I'll do it!
I'll open the city gate.
Excellent!
Has His Excellency gone to bed?
An hour ago.
Go wake him immediately.
Have you forgotten. Sir?
is to approach him when he's asleep.
His Excellency has ordered that no one
Move aside!
Your Excellency! Please wake up!
Your Excellency!
Your Excellency! It's me, Xun Yu. Xun Yu!
Wenruo? Why are you here in the middle of the night?
The gatekeeper Miao Ze has informed us that
Huang Kui is collaborating with Ma Teng.
At midnight tonight. Ma Teng will lead his forces into the city.
Is that true?
How did Miao Ze know about it?
Miao Ze is Huang Kui's brother-in-law.
He said, Ma Teng and Huang Kui are in collusion.
They told him to open the city gates once he sees torches lit outside, and let Ma Teng in.
It's already the second watch. We don't have much time left.
Where are the generals?
They are waiting outside.
Summon them in.
Generals, please come in
Father.
Your Excellency.
Your Excellency
Is everything ready?
I have 500 men waiting in ambush around the residence already.
Good.
Xu Huang,
you shall lead another five thousand men each
and set an ambush at the south gate.
When Ma Teng enters the city, attack him together and capture him alive.
Yes, Sir.
Xun Yu.
Here.
Send some soldiers to arrest Huang Kui immediately.
Since he has colluded with Ma Teng, they must still have some other accomplices in the city.
We must root them out this time.
Yes, Sir.
Is it time yet?
It's now midnight.
Light the torches!
Uncle, look.
Charge inside, charge inside!
Charge!
Capture Ma Teng alive!
Don't let Ma Teng escape! Capture Ma Teng!
Uncle! Uncle!
We've fallen into a trap. What shall we do?
We've come this far. Well fight to the last!
Capture Ma Teng alive!
Don't let Ma Teng escape! Capture Ma Teng alive!
Ma Dai, engage the enemy here.
Ma Tie, follow me to Cao Cao's residence.
We'll kill the traitor Cao Cao!
Yes, Sir. Brothers!
Follow me! Charge!
News! News!
Your Excellency, Ma Teng broke through the ambush and is heading straight here.
Why can't Xu Huang's army of 10,000 soldiers stop Ma Teng's 5,000 remnant men?
Your Excellency,
Tengs 5,000 were not remnant troops.
we only realized during the battle that Ma
They are all elite Xiliang cavalrymen. and are either corporals or sergeants.
They are all good fighters, and will not be forced back!
Our army is unable to kill them all yet.
I've underestimated those bearded warriors.
Open the door!
Your Excellency, please retreat to the backyard. It's too dangerous here.
What are you talking about?
This is my city.
Why do I have to hide in the backyard?
Xiliang has an elite cavalry, and I don't?
My son Cao Zhang is far mightier than Xiliang's riders!
I'm not going anywhere! I shall stay right here,
and wait for good news from my son!
Your Excellency!
Father!
This is the head of Ma Teng's son, Ma Tie.
I have completely annihilated the Xiliang troops!
Where's Ma Teng? Cone?
Yes, Sir! Bring him in
Ma Teng! I treated you like a brother,
but look at how you returned my favor!
Cao Cao! Traitor!
I am descended from loyal subjects, whereas you're a traitor who tries to usurp the Han!
How I yearn to eat your flesh and rip your filthy hide!
Take a look! This is your son's head.
Very soon, you'll part with your head just like he did his!
Though Ma Tie is dead,
I still have Ma Chao and Ma Dai to avenge my death!
Drag him out and behead him!
Aye!
Kill the traitor! Kill the traitor!
Kill the traitor!
Cao Zhang.
Yes, Father!
Convey my orders.
Have Xu Huang and Cao Hong
lead thirty thousand men and advance to Wei River,
to defend against Ma Chao's impending attack.
Xun Yu.
Here.
Compose a decree to announce to all that...
Ma Teng and Han Sui from Xiliang have rebelled against the court.
On His Majesty's orders, I shall lead an army to Xiliang personally to subdue the rebels.
The rest of the generals shall return to their stations and prepare for war.
Yes, Sir!
Xun Yu
has Huang Kui confessed yet?
Your Excellency, the interrogation is still ongoing.
Spit it out!
Who are your accomplices in the city?
Speak!
Throw water!
His Excellency has said that if you do not confess,you shall be chopped to pieces.
No... no... I confess...
No... no.. I confess...
Carry him over!
Write down the names of all your accomplices! Don't leave anyone out!
Faster!
Write faster! Don't leave anyone out!
Has Huang Kui confessed?
He did. This is his confession.
Who are his accomplices?
Assistant Minister Wu Zhong,
Internal Officer Liu Yixian,
Secretary Song Zhiyi,
and the innkeeper of Nanhong Inn, Chen Yuyong.
Arrest all of them. Let none escape.
We have already sent soldiers to arrest them.
Your Excellency, Huang Kui's confession...
has one more name written at the end.
Who is it?
The Young Master Cao Pi.
Has anyone else seen this confession?
No one except myself has seen it.
Bring Huang Kui here. I want to interrogate him personally.
After Huang Kui finished writing, he caught the guards unawares, dashed onto a blade and died.
He died?
He killed himself so no one can disprove his words?
Send Xu Chu an order.
Tell him to bring Cao Pi here to see me. Now.
What's wrong?
Your Excellency,
do you really believe Huang Kui's confession?
Personally, I will never believe it.
Xun Yu...
Whether you believe it or not is not important.
What matters most is,
if I really die by Ma Teng's hand, who will gain the most out of it?
Think of it this way. Among my sons,
who has the most followers and the strongest power base?
If I meet with any misfortune, who is most likely to succeed my position?
Young Master Pi.
Arrest him immediately.
Sir,
Ma Teng failed in his night raid attempt. He was defeated and executed.
Father scored a complete victory.
The city was quite a mess last night, wasn't it?
Yes.
You heard about it here too?
The danger has barely passed.
You should be serving by His Excellency's side.
You should not leave the city.
Yes, I know that.
But there are some matters...
that trouble me so.
I wish to consult your opinion, Sir.
What is it?
The Assistant Minister Huang Kui was arrested.
Father has ordered for him to be interrogated with torture.
That man is acquainted with me.
I'm worried that he might implicate me in his confession.
Are you the mastermind behind Huang Kui?
Are you Ma Teng's collaborator?
Do you intend to kill His Excellency through Ma Teng's hands?
Absolutely not. It's impossible...
Listen up, Cao Pi!
If you ever intended to use Ma Teng to kill His Excellency,
then nobody can help you, not even me!
One more thing—and I need to make it clear to you
His Excellency is the person whom I respect most in this world.
No matter how he treats me.
my loyalty and respect for him will never falter!
Sir, please believe me.
I'd rather die than betray my father.
Then why are you worried about Huang Kui?
Huang Kui used to be Cao Zhi's retainer!
I was acquainted with him.
Initially, I thought of making Huang Kui my spy,
to find out what Cao Zhi is doing. But...
But... little did I imagine that he would actually be in cahoots with Ma Teng!
He's being tortured and interrogated right now.
If he drags my name into this and claims that I'm the mastermind,
there's no way for me to explain myself out of this!
You... you shall return to the city immediately.
Find some means to have Huang Kui killed.
I thought of that too.
But he is being closely guarded.
It's impossible for anyone to get near him.
Young Master! Young Master! Young Master!
Bad news!
His Excellency sent General Xu Chu for you.
Please return to your residence quickly.
Got it. Wait out side for me.
Yes, Sir.
Sir, you heard that?
Huang Kui must have implicated me.
Ill die!,
Ill die!
Why do you say that?
It's Xu Chu who's here to get me.
Who the hell do you think Xu Chu is?
He is Father's most trusted warrior.
As long as it's Father's orders, he won't bat an eye even if he's told to kill his own parents!
Young Master...
you're indeed in a dangerous spot now.
But don't panic,
I have two words for you to try.
Please tell me, Sir.
The first word is "deny".
No matter what Huang Kui says, you shall deny everything.
Even if His Excellency (forces a knife to your throat,
you will rather die than admit anything.
I got that. Whats the second word?
The second word is "accuse".
Huang Kui was Cao Zhi's guest previously, right?
Now, you shall accuse Cao Zhi of being Huang Kui's mastermind.
You shall confound His Excellency, increase his suspicions and make things difficult for him to judge.
There's something more.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, Huang Kui hosted a feast in his residence.
He entertained Cao Zhi with dancers, and was blatantly currying favor with him.
Normally,
Huang Kui and Cao Zhi also have poetry recitals together.
You can use all this as your evidence and plead with His Excellency to judge for himself.
I got that.
I shall turn around and accuse Cao Zhi.Cao Zhi as Huang Kui's mastermind...
Goodness, I have no time to think of a better plan!
But these two words will-definitely be of use to you.
Please go home quickly, Young Master.
My respects to you, Father.
Your Excellency, I shall take my leave now.
No need. Stay where you are.
Pi, I told Xu Chu to bring you here.
Why did you delay coming here for almost six hours?
I was not in my residence. I went outside the city.
Peace in the city was only recently restored.
Why did you go outside?
I... I went to visit Sima Yi.
Why?
Today is Sima Yi's birthday.
He lives alone outside the city, with no one to celebrate his birthday.
I felt pity for him and gave him two rolls of silk and some meat and wine as gifts.
As a young lord, it's only right to show kindness towards a former subordinate.
I've got something here. You might find it amusing.
Pi, son.
Why do you wish to collude with Huang Kui and lure Ma Teng into the city to kill me?
Father, I'm innocent!
I've never been acquainted with Huang Kui.
Huang Kui is a lunatic.
Father, he must have thought that since the coup had failed,
and death was inevitable, he might as well drag someone down with him.
He wanted to use your hands...
he intended to use your hands to kill me!
In order to vent his hatred for the Cao family!
So you are not acquainted with Huang Kui at all?
Never.
Absolutely not.
They are interrogating Huang Kui next door.
Very soon, he will make his confession.
There will be nothing to hide.
So if there's anything you wish to tell me, better do it before he confesses.
Don't you think so?
There is no mortal man who has not erred.
Even I, your father, have committed many mistakes in my life.
Take a look. Every single strand of white hair on my head
represents a mistake that I've committed.
So...
If you've committed any wrongdoing, as long as you admit it,
I will forgive you.
Come on, tell me.
Father...
I've never been^acquainted/with Huang Kui in any way.
You still dare to lie to me in the face of death?
If you really wish for me to say something...
then l can only speak the truth.
That's right. Say it then.
Huang Kui's mastermind...
Huang... Huang... Huang Kui's mastermind is Fourth Brother, Cao Zhi.
Two years ago, he was a retainer of Fourth Brother's.
They were close.
Atrocious bastard!
You're about to die, and you're still framing Zhi?
Father,
I did not frame Fourth Brother.
He even went to Huang Kui's home for a feast, and Huang Kui lavished him with women and wine.
They often would...
recite poems...
You still dare to frame your own brother...
If I've uttered a word of falsehood...
Father...
you may kill me.
Xun Yu.
Here.
Co and interrogate Huang Kui now.
Yes, Sir.
Stand up.
Sit here.
Heard that?
In a while.
Huang Kui will confess everything.
He will prove that everything you said is false.
Father...
What I said earlier was the truth.
Fourth Brother was Huang Kui's mastermind.
Very well.
Let us, father and son, wait for Huang Kui's confession together then.
All right... We wait...
Lets have a game.
All right...
Oh my darling...
What are you doing?
Oh well, I've lost.
Pi, I've waited for half a day, and you still don't want to confess?
I've already said what needs to be said.
I've not uttered a word of lie.
Very well. Since I cannot persuade you,
I shall let Heaven decide your fate.
If the pieces in my hand
form an odd number, it means that you are whole-heartedly loyal to me.
If they form an even number, it means that you harbor sedition against me.
If that's the outcome. III kill you. Do you dare to try?
Please go ahead, Father.
I shall obey your wishes.
It's still not too late to speak the truth.
Father, you're an all-perceiving man.
I would not dare to speak a lie in your presence.
I'm going to start counting.
PI...Please count, Father.
An odd number!
Seems like you did not deceive your father.
Your Excellency.
Huang Kui has confessed.
What did he say?
Huang Kui was indeed closely acquainted with Young Master Zhi.
These poems were found after searching underneath Huang Kui's concubine's pillow.
Cao Zhi's poems?
How did they end up underneath Huang Kui's concubine's pillow?
That little bastard, he's pretty promiscuous!
I have wronged you.
Young Master, I don't want your reward.
These 500 taels of gold here
are His Excellency's gift to you as a birthday present.
If they are from His Excellency...
I shall accept them.
How did you guess that I could deny my way out of this?
That's because His Excellency is different from most people.
If you do something wrong and only know how to plead for mercy,
he will think that you're useless.
Whereas if you hold your ground to the end and deny all the way,
he will feel that you're someone who can accomplish great things.
My Young Master,
do you know what was in His Excellency's mind when he was grilling you with his questions?
What?
His Excellency was thinking,
Son, you must hang on! You must, you have to..."
Pi, I've waited half a day and you still don't want to confess?
It's still not too late to speak the truth.
how can you know my father's mind as well as the back of your hand?
If I tell you,
I hope you won't think I'm being disrespectful to His Excellency.
Just tell me!
This is because he himself is one who dares to deny, can deny and will deny everything to the very end.
Miao Ze, you've accomplished a great deed this time.
I should thank you properly.
Based on your deeds, I ought to make you a general.
Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Your Excellency!
I also have a presumptuous request...
Speak your mind.
Your Excellency, please give Huang...
Huang Kui's concubine, Xiangjun, to me.
What a man you are,'l'Miao Ze!
Now I finally understand why you chose to betray your own brother-in-law.
All my life, the people I've hate most are those who have affairs with their masters' women.
Why so?
That's because I myself have one primary wife. two secondary wives and nine concubines.
That makes a total of twelve women.
If my subordinates have affairs with my women and plot against my life,
don't you think my life will be in grave danger?
If I keep you around, then how am I going to discipline the rest of my subordinates?
How am I going to discipline the world?
Drag him out and execute him.
Your Excellency! Spare me, Your Excellency!
Your Excellency! Your Excellency! If not for me. Ma Teng would have captured the city!
I saved your life. Your Excellency! You cannot treat me like this!
I treated you very well, Miao Ze.
You should have perished gloriously in the battle against Ma Teng.
I'm just trying to give you an lavish burial.
Your Excellency! Spare me, Your Excellency! Your Excellency!
Your Excellency! Spare me. Your Excellency! Your Excellency!
Your Excellency, the scouts have reported that
Ma Chao and Han Sui gathered eight forces in Xiliang, and have a total of 200,000 men.
They have taken Chang'an and are now heading straight for Xuchang.
It takes twenty days to journey from Xiliang to Xuchang.
How can they be so fast?
It's not a matter of speed.
but rather, they had prepared their army beforehand and were waiting to reinforce Ma Teng.
Good that they've come.
I shall personally lead this expedition
to destroy the Xiliang army and eradicate the opposition once and for all.
Your Excellency.
Cao Hong,
I ordered you to defend Tong Pass for ten days and avoid engaging the enemy,
so why have you lost Tong Pass on the ninth day?
Your Excellency,
Ma Chao and his army hurled abuse at us day and night before the city walls.
He thoroughly insulted eight generations of our clan's ancestors!
I bore the insult for nine days. But my tolerance finally snapped.
I gave the order to sally and engage the enemy...
If you fight, you should win.
Why did you lose the city instead?
The Xiliang warriors were extremely brave.
I was unable to overcome them.
As a commander, you went against my order.
was defeated in battle and even lost the city.
Execute him.
Your Excellency.
Your Excellency, though Cao Hong was defeated,
to execute a commander when the enemy is nigh
would be most inauspicious, Your Excellency!
Please forgive Cao Hong,
and let him atone for his crime by defeating the enemy.
We beg you. Your Excellency, please let him atone for his crime by defeating the enemy.
Demote Cao Hong to corporal. Have him serve on the frontline.
Thank you for your mercy. Your Excellency.
All of you listen up!
If anyone is defeated again, I will not let him off so easily.
Yes, Sir.