If we compare Xiang Yu’s tyranny with your kindness,
the answer is clear enough.
He has a powerful military force, but he has already lost this war.
My Lord, a large group of refugees from Xianyang are here.
They want to meet you. I've sent our men to intercept them.
They want you to persuade Xiang Yu.
-Will you see them? -No.
My Lord.
What can I tell them?
Shall I comfort them? Shall I tell them that
I'll go and persuade Xiang Yu? That'd be lying!
Xiang Yu desires victory too strongly.
He wants to claim each and every victory in the world.
Fine. If that's what he wanted, I gave him that.
If I knew he was so merciless, I’d never have given him Xianyang.
My Lord, regret is of no use.
You needn’t feel too sorry for those commoners.
After all, Qin decimated the other six states.
-They're not that innocent either. -They are innocent!
They are mere commoners! Those are human lives!
This is my fault. I didn’t resist him,
and he ended up burning down the city and ruthlessly killing those people.
If I knew he'd do this,
I would never have yielded!
My Lord, we must endure it for now.
Only by enduring it now,
may we have a chance to hold him accountable someday.
Let go of my daughter!
-Father! Father! Father! -This is inhuman.
Is this how we celebrate our victory?
Why didn't Liu Ji, who first entered Xianyang,
have a ruthless celebration like this?
It's because Liu Ji’s forces were too weak.
Perhaps Liu Ji was afraid of Xiang Yu’s upcoming forces.
Help!
He was worried that if his men started looting,
he'd fuel the hatred of Xiang Yu and the other vassals.
Perhaps this is the reason
Liu Ji didn’t allow his soldiers to stay in Xianyang,
and even locked up all the treasures in the palace.
He neither killed men or women in the palace, nor took any treasure.
A cunning man!
If he was as strong and capable as Xiang Yu, what would he do?
Listen to me. I’m telling the truth.
We barely use that granary anymore. There’s almost nothing left in it.
How do you know without at least checking it?
Plus, there are so many starving children.
We must find some food for them.
If you act without his permission, he’d give me hell if he finds out.
Moreover, I’m a warrior. These kids are from Qin.
Do you know what that means?
They are General Xiang's enemies.
-Tell him that I made you do it. -But you--
You are so stubborn.
Take a good look.
There's nothing here.
The world is in chaos. Many have died of starvation.
Let's go.
She’s alive.
Wake up. Wake up.
I think we should take her to my camp.
What? You can’t do that.
If you bring her back, what do we tell Xiang Yu?
What did I tell you earlier? She comes from Qin.
Since we've found her, we can't just watch her die.
After all, she’s only a common girl.
No, you can’t. You must listen to me.
-Guards! -Yes.
Just listen to me. I’ll explain to Xiang Yu.
-Bring her to my camp. -Yes.
-Stop! -Help! Let go of me!
Thank you for saving me, Madam.
Don't mention it.
I didn’t expect that you’d be so beautiful.
You flatter me, Madam. Your beauty is truly matchless.
I wonder who is fortunate enough to have you as his wife.
We are either hated or feared by most Qin people.
You are different.
I’m actually from Zhao.
Where’s your hometown?
I'm not sure where my hometown is.
But an old servant said...
we were a wealthy family in Zhao.
Later, because of the war, our family was forced to Xianyang.
A year later, I was born.
Oh, I see.
You have a clear Xianyang accent.
So... do you hate the Qin?
No, I don’t.
Why not?
I know people from Chu hate people from Qin
because Qin made your people suffer.
But I’m different.
I was born and raised in Xianyang, so this is my hometown.
I hope you don’t mind me saying this.
That's how it should be.
It’s good to have a home.
It is fate that brought us together.
From now on, treat this place as your own home.
Thank you, Madam.
Mr. Fan, what are you saying? What do you mean, "out of control?"
The fire you set has turned Xianyang into a big old steaming mess.
-Are you blaming me? -I meant to give advice.
Fine, tell me what to do.
For now, you should grant fiefs as soon as possible.
They’re nothing but a rabble. What if they don’t agree?
Should I just gather and bury them?
No, no, no. If you want to avoid any disagreement,
you must have a military advantage over them.
Mr. Fan, don’t you understand? Who among them would support me?
Chen Yu? Zhang Er? Or that bumbling buffoon Wei Bao?
You forgot Ying Bu.
What about him?
Since we got here, he's never left his residence.
He's disappeared like dew on a sunny day. Why is that?
He’s waiting for his chance.
If you want to grant fiefs to the other vassals,
without Ying Bu’s support, you’ll be in trouble.
Before we came here, Ying Bu was not vital to you.
Now that the situation has changed, Ying Bu is like a wedge that stops a cart.
With his support, things will be easier for you.
It's not easy for me either. He contributed so much.
Even kingship wouldn't be enough. But what? What should I grant him?
You could give him a wife.
And who should I give him? Huh?
Yu Ji and I have no daughter. Even if we had,
we wouldn't marry her to him.
Nice swordsmanship. But it lacks strength.
My greetings, General.
I told you about her. She’s my sworn sister.
Her name is Ruo Jiang.
Rise.
Yu Ji told me about you. You must have suffered a lot.
It’s thanks to Yu Ji that I’m alive.
May I ask, are you married?
No.
-Let me do it. -Yes.
You're queen. You should let the servant do it.
You’ll get married soon. I'd hate to part with you.
General Xiang Yu told me that Ying Bu is a good man.
How good?
He’s a great warrior. He's the bravest of them all. He can protect you.
You mean like how Xiang Yu protects you?
Is Xiang Yu protecting me?
A sharp sword is not necessarily protection.
A man can protect the self-respect of his woman with his sword.
A woman can protect a man's heart with tolerance and understanding.
If I live again in the next life,
I wish to take you as my sister.
For a lifetime.
Why do you say that?
Although you’ll marry Ying Bu and live with him,
we can still be sisters.
Yes. We’re sisters.
General. Mr. Fan.
Ying Bu.
How are you?
Are you fully recovered?
Yes. It’s just some old injuries. I'm fully recovered.
Ying Bu, take a look. Isn’t she lovely?
Yes. I'm extremely happy.
I’ll never forget your kindness, sir.
Come on.
You're like a brother. You and her are a good match.
It's my pleasure.
Ying Bu, ten days after your marriage,
we’ll discuss military and state affairs.
Say no more! I’ll stand with you.
General, whatever you say is my command.
Well?
Take your wife home! Don't just stand here!
General, we can now get down to granting fiefs.
There's a gift I must give them first.
A gift?
-General! -General!
Qin is gone.
On behalf of my uncle, Xiang Liang, I propose a toast to you.
Wait.
That year in Xianyang,
though you didn’t help me,
neither did you expose my family to the Royal Court of Qin.
Thus, this wine.
I'll drink first.
As I said before,
Xiang's family will definitely overthrow Qin and take over rule.
It’s our great honor to witness the great power of Xiang Yu.
This is not great power.
He's actually... like a deity descended to the world!
General Xiang is our God!
Yes, yes. Even emperors such as Yao, Shun, and Tang,
none compare to General Xiang in civil and martial virtues.
Don’t you agree?
They're incomparable. They're no match at all.
-Yes. -That's true.
A toast to General Xiang.
-A toast to the general! -Yes. Congratulations, general.
I can clearly distinguish between gratitude and resentment.
I’ve already proposed my toast to those who deserve it.
General, today is a day of celebration.
You are now the most respected and widely acknowledged.
We should let bygones be bygones.
Well said. Let bygones be bygones.
Send them off!
What are you doing?
Why did you do that?
It’s true they didn’t help Chu in the past, but things are different now.
What’s different?
They should be killed.
Petty men like them should just be killed.
Zhang Er, don’t you agree?
Yes, they should be killed. They should be killed.
General, you’re right.
Ying Bu, sit down.
Drag them out.
Yes, sir.
Those who remain here are heroes.
Drink up!
Come on. Drink up!
With Ying Bu’s support, Xiang Yu is more arrogant than ever.
We should just obey his command.
And then?
He’ll grant fiefs.
If you get big rewards, it means he's in a good mood.
If you get a small fief, you’ll have to accept it without complaint.
Ying Bu is a tough guy.
Yet he also seeks advantages and avoids disadvantages.
I wonder how Xiang Yu managed to subdue him.
You saw what happened at that banquet.
Ying Bu and Xiang Yu are obviously in the same boat.
His men are brave, and outnumber ours. If we don’t obey him,
we’ll soon end up like the others today.
You’re right.
This is a game doomed to failure.
Do you gamble?
I'm not you!
In gambling, you either lose a lot or lose a little.
Losing a little sometimes means winning.
-Do you get what I mean? -I know what you're saying.
When Xiang Yu grants fiefs, I will stand with you.
Shouldn't you?
It’s for your own good, you know.
My Lord, be careful.
-Help me off the horse. -Am I your servant?
I gave you some good advice. Shouldn’t you help me off the horse?
Yes, yes.
Darling.
Were they planning to kill all of us just now?
I’d say the same thing. Do you want to live?
Do you have to ask that?
-You didn't answer me. -Of course, I want to live.
Well, then, when they grant you fiefs,
you don't need to say a word.
Take whatever they give you.
Don’t argue with them.
If they ask, you just tell them, "Wei Bao is at Xiang Yu’s command."
Do you understand?
I understand.
-Who are you? -I’m Han Sheng.
Why are you here?
General, the emperor of Qin is dead. The world needs to be reestablished.
Xianyang has fertile land and strategic importance.
This is where you could dominate the world.
I don’t want Xianyang. Chu is my homeland.
Then... don't you want the world?
Are you going back to Chu?
It’s none of your business.
I, Han Sheng, would like to advise you.
You should not return to Chu.
Do you know why Qin was once so powerful?
The only reason is Qin controlled Xianyang, which is difficult to access.
Thus, no matter how the vassals fought against Qin,
they failed to conquer Xianyang.
On the other hand, Qin could freely
send their armies from Xianyang to any place.
No matter how many armies they sent,
the fertile land of Xianyang assured enough provisions for them.
The first emperor could conquer the other six states because of Xianyang.
General, you should stay as the first emperor did,
and dominate the world from here.
I don’t like it here. I hate it.
Then, General, where will you stay?
Pengcheng. I want to be the king of Western Chu.
Can’t an emperor of Xianyang be the Overlord of all other vassals?
Why would you rather give up what you have already?
Chu is only a small part of the world.
Can you stop being so long-winded?
Fine. I'll give you an example.
If I conquer the world, get all the treasure in the world,
but I do not return to my homeland, I'd just be...
I'd just be a wandering ghost with no home. Do you understand?
I didn't expect Xiang Yu, so esteemed in the world,
to be this ridiculously childish.
What did you say?
I intended to serve the new emperor.
But you seem dumber than the late Qin emperor.
The world mocks the people of Chu as silly monkeys.
And they're right.
The people of Chu are monkeys in human hats.
Do you know...
the consequences of insulting Chu people?
I know, and I have no plans to live.
But you don’t know how you'll die.
Guards!
General.
Drag him out. Boil him to death.
Yes.
I'll do as you please.
Move!
How pathetic!
Concerning the fiefs of the northwest, along this border,
how should I divide them?
Do you have any ideas?
I heard that it’s very cold there.
-Yes. -Who'd want to stay in the northwest?
I think that’s a good place.
-It's not a small piece of land. -I think that’s a good place.
I heard people died of cold in winter.
-What do we do with the king of Huai? -What’s your idea?
Mr. Fan, is it true that he’s a descendant of Chu royalty?
Back then, you recommended that we find a shepherd up in the mountains
and appoint him king of Chu.
But perhaps it was just part of your strategy or plan
to crown a commoner as king.
Mr. Fan, you are my adviser. You are a sage.
It's hard for me tell whether you would do that or not.
He has supporters.
So he became king.
Before the fall of Qin, in order to unite those who were loyal to the old Chu,
it was necessary to appoint a descendant of Chu royalty as king.
But now that Qin is destroyed,
do we still need to keep him?
At any rate, this isn’t the right time for you to mess with him.
Fine, I get it.
But I won’t show him any respect either.
Maybe we should just appoint him Emperor Yi.
Emperor Yi?
Emperor is a unique title. But Emperor Yi?
You can say he's the emperor. You can also say it's only a title.
Good. We'll call him Emperor Yi.
Is this your only concern lately?
How will you deal with Liu Ji?
Liu Ji.
Oh, Liu Ji.
I haven't considered this matter yet.
What do you suggest?
Why don't we do this?
I think...
we might as well grant him the fiefs along the north of Sichuan
and the south of Xi’an. We'll appoint him feudal king.
-What kind of a place it that? -It's...
a desolate and remote mountainous area in the southwest.
How will they go there if they set off from Xianyang?
There are no roads.
No roads?
Think about it, the name Bashu.
The character Ba looks like an earthworm.
People from the central plains constantly use this word to describe such places.
There is also the worm character in the word, Shu.
It means a place where people live like earthworms.
A place where people live like earthworms?
That's great.
I heard the south of Xi’an is also a rural and remote place.
Yes. Between Ba and Shu, there isn't much difference.
Plus, the route is full of obstacles and difficulties.
Liu Ji will have to bring all of his men there.
Before they’re even halfway there, I'm sure most of them would run away.
Oh, my!
After only getting halfway, a large group of people would escape...
leaving Liu Ji alone.
It makes me feel very, very sorry for him.
It's where Qin used to banish prisoners and criminals.
Even the most ferocious criminals,
the moment they heard they’d be sent there,
would quiver with anxiety.
Does this mean that once he gets there,
-he may never leave? -He'll be dead.
That place will imprison him tighter than a noose.
It's no different to an execution.
Don't you agree?
My only concern is what should we do with Xianyang.
It's endowed with unparalleled advantages.
I hate this place.
It was Qin’s nest. Tell me what we should do.
I have an idea.
We will divide it into three.
Grant them to Zhang Han, Sima Xin, and Dong Yi respectively.
We'll appoint them kings.
Zhang Han will be appointed as King Yong.
Dong Yi will be King Zhai.
It's better to have Qin ruling Qin.
Fine, let’s do that.
King Huai will be renamed Emperor Yi. What a cunning idea from Xiang Yu!
He actually despises King Huai. King Huai is merely his puppet.
What worries him most...
is his promise to King Huai. It's like a curse to him.
He fears that he may break his word.
He granted 18 fiefdoms, each titled king.
Zhang Han is King Yong, Sima Xin is King Sai,
Dong Yi is King Zhai.
Ying Bu is King Jiujiang, and Zhang Er is Changshan.
And him?
He neither wants to be emperor, nor a common king.
Apparently, he proclaimed himself the Overlord of Western Chu.
Neither emperor nor king.
Sounds like the leader of an alliance.
He won the war but refused to be emperor. What a fool!
It won't be easy for him to stay in power for long.
Why hasn't Liu Ji been rewarded yet?
Xiang Yu and Mr. Fan must be plotting something.
Sir!
-Sir, we're in trouble. -What’s wrong?
They're arguing in the camp. Please take a look.
Xiang Yu, the rascal! This is an insult!
-Yes. -Yes. We can't go there!
-We can't go! -We're not going!
-We can't go there! -We can't go!
We can't go. How will we survive?
-That's right. -We can't go there.
Even a bird couldn’t feed itself there.
-My Lord, say something! -Liu Ji, say something!
Liu Ji, say something!
-Say something! -At such a critical moment,
-please say something! -Please say something!
-We can't go there. Please say something! -Nothing to say? Let's go to see Xiang Yu.
-Let's go! -Let's go!
-We'll go and see Xiang Yu. -Quiet!
This will be decided by Liu Ji.
There's no use arguing here.
Mr. Xiao.
None of our men want to go there. What should we do?
Guys, you argued earlier that even a bird couldn't feed itself there.
That’s a rumor! Nonsense!
Before we left Xianyang,
I brought Qin maps and archives back to our camp...
and studied them carefully.
In the course of the rebellion, everywhere is ransacked,
refugees run rampant, and land goes neglected.
But Bashu, in Sichuan, has suffered the least.
The war has barely touched it.
Bashu has fertile soil,
excellent irrigation, and natural defensive barriers.
I think it’s the very place for us to strengthen our military power.
Bashu is a heaven-sent opportunity for us.
Do you mean that we’ve been handed an extraordinary deal?
Exactly!
Generals.
Xiang Yu takes it to be a desolate, barren land.
But, on the contrary, it’s a place filled with fertile land.
My Lord, I suggest that we not only accept the reward,
but also try to take over the south of Xianyang.
Will Xiang Yu agree to that?
My Lord, I have my ways.
Good.
We will...
move to the north of Sichuan.
Mr. Zhang, I regard you as a friend and a brother until my death.
You need not bring gifts for me.
These are from Liu Ji, as a token of appreciation.
I see. Liu Ji is indeed a man...
who repays kindness with kindness.
Yes. At that banquet,
you saved his life.
Liu Ji is forever grateful for that.
About the rewards,
my nephew, Xiang Yu, seems to have gone too far this time.
I didn’t expect that he’d send Liu Ji to Bashu.
He has decided and announced this to the vassals.
Now the whole world knows it.
Even if I try to talk to him,
I’m afraid there’s no way to change his mind.
Xiang Bo, I have an idea.
It’ll save Xiang Yu’s reputation and, at the same time, appease Liu Ji.
Most importantly, it won't violate the promise Xiang Yu made to King Huai.
Mr. Zhang, are you serious? Tell me your idea.
I need your help in suggesting that Xiang Yu grants Liu Ji another fief.
-Which fief is it? -The south of Xianyang.
The south of Xianyang?
Xiang Bo, the fief is also in Xianyang.
Both sides can compromise.
What do you think, Xiang Bo?
Mr. Zhang, don’t worry.
I’ll try my best to persuade Xiang Yu.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Fan, what do you think of my decision?
I agree to make him king along the south of Xianyang.
I told you, the south of Xianyang is as barren as Bashu.
The steep geography in these places is beyond description.
A grain of rice wouldn’t save a dying man.
As for Liu Ji,
he dares not express his anger. He has no choice.
As for you, you appointed him king and granted him fiefs.
Your decision will not make enemies. The world will not condemn you.
All right.
General, I’ll attend to my affairs.
I'm worried about something else.
Are you worried that I’m reducing our military strength?
Our warriors have followed me for years.
It's time for them to return home.
By doing this, we’ll have no military advantage.
Just as you said,
sometimes I need to put on a show to avoid being condemned further.
Now that Qin is conquered,
the other vassals loyal to me plan to reduce their forces.
Shouldn’t I set an example?
I don’t believe they’ll reduce their forces.
They have other intentions.
Mr. Fan.
Old men are inclined to be over-cautious.
Don’t worry.
No one is capable of defeating me, all right?
-Believe me. -I hope so. I hope you’re right.
What a stubborn man!
Interesting!
I’m Lyu Matong, from the cavalry. Greetings, Sire.
-Rise. Please rise. -Thank you, Sire.
You're the man who beheaded hundreds of Qin soldiers in Julu?
Yes, I am.
I heard about you from Zhongli Mei.
Please allow me to stay, Sire.
You did brave things in the war. You deserve to return home.
It’s what all our warriors expected.
Sire.
Don’t worry, I’ll pay you well.
I don’t need that. Please allow me to stay.
Why?
There isn't anyone left at home.
Moreover, I know nothing else other than how to fight in a war.
Lyu Matong.
The war is over. Go home.
Mr. Xiao.
My respects, sir.
Who is this?
He’s a cavalryman in Xiang Yu’s camp.
He wants to join us.
-You may leave. -Yes.
Rise.
I heard the king of Han is going to Bashu. I wish to come along
and be at his service.
Xiang Yu is reducing his forces.
I heard he's giving large sums for pensions.
-Aren't you happy with your pension? -No, you misunderstand me.
Other than fighting in wars, I know nothing else.
I can only survive in a military camp.
Please accept me, sir.
Lyu Matong.
Xiang Yu is now the Overlord of Western Chu.
My Lord, Liu Ji, will be moving to a desolate and barren land.
There are great dangers ahead.
And we don’t have enough money for our warriors.
I’m afraid we might not even get enough food on the road.
-Don't regret this later. -Mr. Xiao.
Since I’ve decided to serve the king of Han,
Heaven shall decide my fate.
Lyu Matong.
To you, is Xiang Yu...
Please don't misunderstand, sir. Xiang Yu is a good general.
But he's always high up there...
Unless it’s on a battlefield, we find it hard to get along with him.
Good.
Though you choose to join us, you're still grateful to Xiang Yu.
I’ll accept you into Liu Ji’s army.
You were a cavalry official before.
In our military camp, you’ll be a cavalry general under Guan Ying.
Thank you, Mr. Xiao.
Subtitle translation by Loretta Kok