How?
The Chu warriors fought like they were mad.
Though they are weak in number...
they have invincible morale.
Our front line was broken to pieces like rotten wood.
Before now, the last news was
that the general-in-chief Song Yi of Chu didn’t intend to fight, so,
So you didn’t take the war seriously.
Unfortunately...
you didn’t know the coup d’état in Chu camp.
Song Yi was killed and...
Xiang Yu has taken his place at the helm.
Xiang Yu?
Right.
Xiang Yu? Xiang Yu?
I need warriors. I need warriors.
Sima Xin, I need more warriors!
In Julu, we suffered a great loss.
But, General, you don’t think that we only lost warriors?
Sima Xin, grief may make men weak.
As general-in-chief, I have no right to be weak.
Our warriors aren’t as strong as before.
Whether we retreat or fight, we need to draft more warriors.
Send my orders. Tell the men left from Julu to join me.
Those who are homeless and with no army to turn to.
Tell them to join me! I’m still here!
Zhang Han is still here! Hurry!
Yes, sir!
Sima Xin, we have to build up and try again.
We must have confidence.
As men of Qin, we should hold our life in our own hands.
Sima Xin, please hurry to Xianyang
and tell them that I need warriors. The more, the better.
Please.
Yes, General.
Stop there.
Who are you?
QIN
Sima Xin!
Open the gate!
XIANYANG
Let’s go.
What's the meaning of this?
I come from the front line. I have urgent military information.
Get out of my way.
You...
It’s over. Loyal ministers are banned.
Who can save our Qin now?
It's the end for Qin! It's the end for Qin!
General Zhang, I have failed you.
Sima Xin, don’t lie to us.
The news of our warriors severely defeated in Julu has spread everywhere.
Everybody is discussing it.
What should we do now?
Get out.
Get out! Do not bother me again!
It's the end for us. It's the end.
Guards.
Guards!
Sir.
Gather all my men in this household, including my servants and guards.
Even if I can only gather 100 men,
I’ll take them all to the front line to fight our enemy!
We...
We must not tell the emperor about this.
Yes.
But Sima Xin has returned. He wants to see you.
Now he’s staying in the street.
Commoners are in panic.
They are talking about our defeat in Julu.
How dare Sima Xin, stir up rumors!
In order to see the emperor, he’s standing in front of the palace.
And he also intends to meet you, Premier.
It’s all right if he meets me.
But if he sees the emperor,
things will be complicated.
What do you think we should do?
Do your best to stop him from entering the palace.
Yes.
Sima Xin!
Reporting!
Sir, Shusun Tong requests to see you.
-Bring him here. -Yes.
-Shusun Tong. -Why did you return?
I came to report what happened and request warriors from the royal court.
I cannot return to the front-line without any warriors.
But nobody listens to you now.
My disciple told me that Zhao Gao wants to…
He wants to kill me?
Right. You’d better get out here!
Damn it! We're in the wrong direction.
Let’s turn back. Go!
Father-in-law, the situation has....
I know.
Defeated.
If the emperor learned
that the Qin empire might collapse at any moment,
something very bad would happen to us.
Though I know nothing about war,
but I understand now.
If Zhang Han also couldn't resist the attack from Chu, Qin will be doomed.
It means our empire may be overthrown soon.
It’s time to consider retreat.
What? What did you say?
No, no, I’ll not retreat.
I’ll stay here and be a noble of the new dynasty.
If there’s a chance, I’d still like to be head of the palace.
And if I still want to be the head here.
I must contribute to the incoming dynasty by taking someone else’s head.
Do you know what I mean?
What you mean is...
I can accomplish this plan by killing Huhai.
For the moment, I have an advantage over everyone else in the palace.
I can kill Huhai at any time as I wish.
But the right time is yet to come.
There are many guards in the palace. Many would die for the emperor.
When will be the right time to kill Huhai?
I can’t tell you now.
But I'm sure of one thing.
The very moment Chu warriors
reach Hangu Pass...
that’s the very moment we kill Huhai.
We can then present his head to the generals of Chu.
I think that’ll be quite a contribution.
I received reports,
that Chu vanguard army is marching toward us now.
The leading general is Liu Ji.
Liu Ji?
Send secret emissaries to contact him.
We should make contact with him right away.
Otherwise, things will not work out the way they should.
Father-in-law, I’ll be at your service at all times.
Now that the situation isn't very clear yet,
the emperor must be worried about it.
You should tell him that...
the world will be in peace soon.
And for our warriors,
tell them that they can’t be too cautious.
They mustn’t make careless remarks. Or else all is lost.
You mean, we shall say that we won the battle in Julu?
All right. Just don’t harp on it too much.
At present, the emperor is anxious and can't afford any irritation.
That is what happened when I want to Xianyang.
Think it over.
General, you dedicated all your life to the battlefield.
But what’s the point?
It means, though you have returned to the palace this time,
you didn't get the chance to tell the emperor that we need more warriors?
If I hadn’t made a wrong turn, I might have been killed by Zhao Gao.
General.
In Qin, you’re the only one left fighting.
People in Xianyang only worry about,
how they are going to protect their wealth and save their own lives.
Nobody cares for the fate of our state.
The foundation of Qin is shattered.
General...
you should think about your future.
My future?
All the military messages you ever sent were hidden by Zhao Gao.
He’s been telling the emperor...
that the rebels are just roving bandits,
and you would kill all of them.
If the emperor learned the truth...
I dare to say that although he is an imbecile,
and a fool, he would regain his senses.
I understand.
It looks like we can’t confirm any more soldiers.
I have to think hard about what to do next.
You’re known as an invincible general.
But that’s when you have soldiers.
If it’s just you...
how can you win battles?
Xiang Yu won the war in Julu.
Next, he’ll go looking for Zhang Han.
Whether he wins or fails, we can still reach the Qin heartland.
If he wins, we’ll have to share power with him.
If he fails...
then we will need to fight Zhang Han.
Yes. On the one hand we should attack Wuguan Pass.
On the other, we must send someone to go to Xianyang.
Who's willing to go?
-I'll go. -I'll do it. I'll go.
None of you can do it.
Only one man is qualified for this. Lu Wan, you go.
-Yes. -Lu Wan, please remember,
what we need the most is information about Huhai and Zhao Gao.
Wait a minute. Most important is you come back alive!
Ziying! Ziying!
My nephew. I’ve been waiting for so long.
All these are Zhao Gao’s fault.
I was forced.
It’s his fault!
Ziying, I’m severely ill.
My throne should be yours! It's yours!
We should unite with other loyal men...
and take back power from Zhao Gao!
Do you like it?
If you like it, you can take it.
Take it.
Everything else in this palace can be yours if you like it.
Bastard! What are you doing?
-What? -Are you crazy?
Don’t be angry, Your Majesty. Ziying’s mind is….
Ziying, come here.
Ziying, I wronged you.
I’m not mad. You’re not mad. We’re not mad.
Forgive what I did to you.
We should unite to protect Qin!
Ziying!
Have you forgotten what we have?
Your Majesty, please stop shouting.
Or else, Zhao Gao will send his men here.
Yan Le, you fool!
Didn't you tell me that we were winning on the battlefield?
Look at all these reports.
In Julu, a catastrophic defeat!
Our state will be overthrown. Overthrown!
Your Majesty, I don’t know who concocted that rumor.
You must not believe it.
You dare to fool me.
I’ll not talk to you. Not talk to you.
Hurry, tell Zhao Gao to come here!
The Premier is ill.
He's ill?
Bring that castrated dog here right now!
Yes.
Where’s Zhao Gao? Why isn't he here yet?
Be careful.
All right. Stop here.
Your Majesty, it’s all Zhang Han fault.
What about you? What about you?
How dare you are!
Are you treating me as a three-year-old?
Didn't you tell me that they were nobody but roving bandits?
Look what happened now!
You did not tell me the truth. You lied to me this whole time!
And all of you.
-You are all bastards. Bastards. Bastards! -Forgive us, Your Majesty.
I should have castrated all of you.
All of you.
You’ll not suffer with them.
You’ll have nothing to suffer.
Your Majesty.
I’ve been loyal to you for all these years.
You shouldn’t listen to such false charges.
Get out! Get out!
Wait.
It’s an opportunity. Do you understand?
Starting from today...
I will work hard. I will read the war reports myself.
I’ll direct the war myself!
Originally, we emperors ruled Heaven,
earth and mankind.
The first emperor of Qin united the world.
I am the second emperor who will solidify our state.
Send my orders to the world.
I’ll lead the war myself.
It seems that the responsibility to rebuild Qin...
rests upon my shoulders now!
Premier, be careful.
The emperor has gone completely mad.
Let’s go.
Huhai has gone completely mad.
He spends all day reading reports. He barely eats.
He’ll die soon if he goes on like this.
He said he would try,
to read reports from different areas…
and lead the Qin army to fight in Julu and restore the strength of Qin.
He said that all ministers should tell him everything they know.
Prince! You scared me.
I believe there is hope for Qin to survive!
Rise, please.
Prince, you suffered a lot these years.
You also suffered a lot.
You scared me.
I’m sorry. All this time, I’ve been helpless.
But I believe that our efforts will be rewarded.
I’ve been waiting for this day.
How dare! How dare he anger me!
Father-in-law, what should we do?
I’m determined. Dispose of Huhai immediately.
First, I must protect myself. Then, I’ll find a way to survive.
But about the timing.
Don’t be foolish. We can’t afford to wait!
You are the governor of Xianyang. You can find a way to kill him.
You can enter his palace and say that a cruel thief snuck in.
Tell him that you’ll check the palace...
then you can bring your soldiers into the palace
to capture this thief. And then tell your men to kill Huhai.
We can elect Ziying the third emperor.
Ziying is very kind. He enjoys rather high popularity.
In this way we can be safe.
But can we do that?
The palace law is very strict.
My men aren’t even allowed to enter the emperor’s palace!
Follow me.
I knew you’d worry about your safety.
So I had your mother brought here.
I’ll give you one day to prepare.
Find a way to kill Huhai.
Remember. You must act immediately.
If you can’t kill him, we’ll be killed.
Yes.
Where’s Zhao Gao?
He’s not recovered yet.
I’m very angry now!
I want him to discuss the matter with me. Why doesn’t he come here?
What’s in his mind?
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty!
We just received this news.
Liu Ji is marching toward Wuguan Pass with his men!
Hurry to the premier’s house and try to meet Gao Zhao.
Once you see him, tell him that the late emperor…
entrusted him to help me. He should not forget that!
Now that Liu Ji has reached Wuguan Pass.
Xianyang is in great danger. Great danger!
Tell him that I called for him to discuss this matter with him,
yet he didn't come to see me. Why?
Tell me why. Why?
Your Majesty, please calm down.
Call him here, or else, he dies!
Yes.
Father-in-law, will you go meet him or not?
I want to.
But once he learns what we are planning, will he spare me?
But we can’t delay any more. I need a wise way to deal with this.
I know many men want to kill me.
Were it not for the emperor’s help, I would have been killed for years.
But if the emperor means to kill me...
all my enemies will rush to attack me.
When that time comes, none of you will be spared.
I’m at your service, Premier.
All of you have won my trust.
I gathered you all here to discuss...
this rather urgent matter.
Do you have any ideas to solve this problem?
What an ungrateful man!
I’ve been loyal to him for so many years.
I helped him greatly.
Without my help, he wouldn’t have become emperor.
But now that he has changed and become such a heartless man!
It’s true. He’s a heartless man!
Definitely! A heartless man.
As he is merciless, I will not be kind to him.
I’ll kill him.
What?
You don’t agree with my plan?
Zhao Cheng, what’s your opinion?
Gao, I agree with you.
If he wants to kill you, all our family will not be spared.
And what about you?
I’ll do what you tell me.
But after we kill Huhai, who will be the emperor?
Ziying is very kind-hearted.
He is quite popular among the commoners.
I will elect Ziying.
I’ll send some men to the palace today.
They’ll inspect for thieves.
For our safety and to maintain our secrecy,
and to mitigate consequences...
before you came here,
the premier has ordered me to bring your families here.
They are here with my mother now.
It’s up to you now.
You decide. Will you live, or die? Decide today.
Who are you?
Why, don’t you remember me?
I’m Yan Le, the governor of Xianyang.
What do come here for?
A thief has entered the palace. Why didn’t you stop him?
Yan Le, don’t talk nonsense.
The palace is heavily guarded. How can a thief enter it?
You must be an accomplice of the thief. That's why you're lying!
-You-- -Capture him.
Stop. Stand out there.
Yan Le, how dare you rebel against us?
Your Majesty, how do you feel? Comfortable?
Here. Your Majesty, have a tangerine.
Reporting!
Your Majesty! There's trouble outside!
They are fighting!
Don't panic! Tell me what happened.
Fight-- Fight--
Stand there. Don’t run.
You…
Do you know what happened?
Your Majesty, it’s obvious that...
this was planned by premier himself.
Zhao Gao? He’s rebelling?
Zhao Gao planned to rise in rebellion for a long time.
He even changed the governors and guards in the palace.
It’s well-known in the palace.
Bastard!
Why didn’t you tell me earlier?
If I had told you, I would have been killed.
Would I still be alive today?
Then, why aren’t you leaving?
I couldn’t leave you alone at such a moment.
What’s your name?
Han Tan.
Who’s there?
Go in! Hurry.
You live a luxurious and dissipated life. You killed many innocent men.
You are hated by the world.
I hope that you'd execute yourself.
How dare you!
How dare you speak to me rudely? Are you crazy?
Can I meet the premier?
No.
All right.
I won’t be emperor anymore.
Can I be a king?
No.
A marquis?
No, you can’t. Stop your nonsense.
Then can you...
spare my life?
I’ll take my wife to lead a life of a commoner.
Premier ordered me to kill you so that the world can be consoled.
You need not talk so much. The premier won’t hear your request.
-Guards. -Yes.
Behead him!
Wait!
I never thought…
the Qin empire...
founded by my father...
would be ruined in my hands!
My father had hoped that...
the empire would last for generations.
I think he never expected…
that the empire could exist for such a short time.
I regret…
I regret that I killed Li Si.
I regret that I killed Meng Tian.
If even one of them lived...
they would never allow Zhao Gao rebel!
I understand now.
It’s Heaven’s will. Heaven sent Zhao Gao to punish me...
to punish Qin.
Zhao Gao, you dog!
Why are you hiding?
If you want to kill me, why don’t you come yourself?
Come and kill me yourself! Come and kill me!
-Guards! -Yes.
Wait.
At such a moment, I’m filled with regrets.
Let me recite my last poem!
Can you hurry it up?
I’ll count to three. If you haven’t started, I’ll execute you.
One, two…
Wait.
Never mind.
I never would’ve expected that at this moment...
I can’t even recite a poem!
-Guards! -Yes.
-Tie him up. -Wait!
Wait.
I’m an emperor after all.
Let me take my own life!
Qin is in peril!
Han Tan.
Here.
Can you help me?
Farewell, Your Majesty.
Subtitle translation by Loretta Kok