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[Secret of the Three Kingdoms]
[Episode 3]
Greetings, Your Majesty.
My dear subjects, do rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Officials, you worked hard last night, coming to His Majesty's rescue.
This morning, you still came to seek audience.
It shows how diligent and loyal you are.
However, His Majesty has yet to recover from his illness
and he inhaled some fumes last night.
I hope you won't mind that he can't speak much.
As the county magistrate of Xu
I should be held responsible for Your Majesty's fright.
Please punish me, Your Majesty.
An accident within my private quarters is no oversight of the officials.
Lord Man, you need not blame yourself.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I feel very much at ease seeing that Your Majesty is well.
Previously, I asked Your Majesty for permission to visit a renown doctor.
He's been invited here.
May I summon him in to see to Your Majesty's illness?
Thank you, Elder Statesman.
I approve.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty.
The palace quarters caught fire and were completely burnt down.
It's no longer a suitable residence.
I ask that Your Majesty approve of renovating the Imperial Secretariat
to serve as your temporary residence.
All palace maids and eunuchs who serve you are to be relocated here.
Your Ladyship, His Majesty is discussing state affairs with the officials.
Please visit His Majesty later.
Commandant of Xu will offer half of his residence
to serve as the bureau of the Imperial Secretariat.
Prefect Xun, this must be hard on you.
I approve.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Although Your Majesty won't punish me for the fire
the accident has exposed much oversight and negligence.
No water was saved up in the urns for fire safety.
Hence, the fire couldn't be put out in time, causing it to spread.
I ask to have the five eunuchs in charge of the water urns beheaded
to serve as a warning to the others.
Although those eunuchs are guilty of such negligence
it's not a capital crime.
Caning them would be enough.
This fire is a warning from the gods.
Do not resort to such severe punishment again.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty is benevolent.
Although the eunuchs are at fault
the palace guards should also be disciplined and reorganized.
I ask that two to three highly ranked officials be chosen
to monitor the security measures of the palace so as to protect Your Majesty
and prevent any trouble.
Your Majesty.
General Dong is absolutely right.
However, the relocating of palace guards is a serious issue.
We should act cautiously.
Why don't we decide when Minister Cao returns?
If Minister Cao is away for a year
there will be no capable guards to protect His Majesty all year.
Minister Cao is occupied with military affairs.
Isn't Prefect Xun in charge of the capital for the time being?
What is there to worry about?
If so, as General Dong proposed, I approve of it.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You have to say this to Dong Cheng.
"Don't let me down with what I've entrusted you to do."
General Dong.
Don't let me down with what I've entrusted you to do.
I shall risk my life to repay Your Majesty's kindness!
General Dong, do rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
There's one other matter that I wish to report.
Yesterday, a renown scholar of Henei, Yang Jun, was recruited to the capital
by the Ministry of Works.
He was ambushed and attacked by bandits 70 miles from the capital.
Yang Jun is severely injured.
I ask for permission to hunt down the bandits.
I approve.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty has yet to fully recover.
You need to recuperate.
We should take our leave now.
How is Yang Jun's injury?
Yang Jun lost his arm but his life is not at risk.
He's now staying in the capital's courier inn.
That's good to know.
Your Majesty.
If there are no other orders, we will now take our leave.
We take our leave.
Your Majesty, I ask to see my father out.
It's only natural for a daughter to care for her father.
Go ahead.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Father.
Your Highness.
The late emperor is no longer with us.
But I didn't expect it to be so soon--
Fortunately, everything is still going according to His Majesty's plans.
Can he pull this off?
I'll make sure that he does.
However, you have to remain husband and wife
despite the difference in identity.
- Will you have to-- - Father!
I know what to do.
Your Majesty!
The officials are easier to fool as they keep a distance.
Consort Dong shared the late emperor's bed.
She's very simple-minded.
One word from her is enough to destroy our plans.
Your Majesty must act all the more cautiously.
Consort Dong is with child.
The late emperor was especially gentle to her.
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty can also be more caring to her.
Your Majesty, why do you look so...
Your Majesty?
Sister Dong.
Serve His Majesty some warm water.
Yes.
His Majesty has had a cold for several days.
You're with child now, so you have to be cautious.
Under your care, His Majesty first caught a cold
and then his private quarters caught fire.
Don't blame this on me.
You've misunderstood me.
His Majesty's health and your pregnancy matter the most now.
What matters the most now?
You had His Majesty's private quarters burned down
so I had to leave the palace and not see him.
You're just like Cao Cao.
You can't stand that His Majesty is still alive!
Shao Jun.
Don't be annoyed with the empress.
There's unrest in the palace.
It's best for you to take prenatal rest in your maternal home.
Head home with your father.
Come over when I'm much better.
Your Majesty, he moved a few days ago.
Here, feel him.
I...
My hands are cold.
It's fine!
Feel him!
Feel him, Your Majesty.
He's moving!
He's moving.
Your Majesty, can you feel it?
I did.
He really moved.
Your Majesty, this is your son.
Our child.
Shao Jun, don't worry.
I'll be sure to protect this child.
Father.
Do you find His Majesty a bit strange?
What is it?
His Majesty is ill and he had quite a fright.
He is a bit frail.
It's not that.
Then...
I can't put a finger on it either.
It's as if he's turned into a completely different person.
He takes Fu Shou's advice so seriously now.
Could that witch have cast some spell on him?
Don't make such wild assumptions.
His Majesty knows very well what he's doing.
Master.
It's my birthday.
General, join me for a drink in my manor tonight if you can.
Thank you for the invitation, Elder Statesman.
I'll surely be present for your birthday.
Father, isn't your birthday in August?
Why did you ask after Yang Jun?
I'm just very worried about my father.
I'm really concerned about his injury.
It's just expressing my concern for an official.
Why would they care?
You haven't had a taste of how sharp Man Chong can be.
What about those five eunuchs?
Why did you save them?
Because they are innocent.
Every word you say will be compared to that of the late emperor
and could cause our entire plan to fail.
But I truly hope that no other innocent lives are sacrificed again.
Innocent?
Your Majesty, do you know
how many people there are in three generations
of Grand Commandant Yang's and my family?
I know that I've made a mistake.
I'll be careful next time.
Be more imposing.
You're the emperor.
Don't you find His Majesty and Elder Statesman Dong slightly different today?
Having seized the chance to get the better of you verbally
Elder Statesman Dong couldn't help but get a bit excited.
His Majesty would actually spare those who made mistakes.
Do you think there might be some clues on those eunuchs?
We both know what His Majesty is like.
If those five eunuchs knew anything at all
His Majesty could have used me to get rid of them.
Allow witnesses to enter my office alive?
His Majesty wouldn't take such a huge risk.
His recent behavior makes it harder to figure out his intentions.
Then there's Yang Jun.
His Majesty seems to be particularly concerned about him.
Yang Jun is, after all, a renown scholar.
His Majesty must have heard of him.
No, it isn't so.
The concern in his voice was by no means usual.
You mean to say...
the attack on Yang Jun is also related to the capital?
Yang Jun's son is dead.
His corpse is tragically damaged beyond recognition.
Within a day, there were two corpses in the capital with faces
too damaged to be recognized.
Prefect Xun, have you wondered where that man in the fire came from?
I know what you're thinking.
However, before we find any solid evidence
as subjects, there are things that can't be said.
This fire seems to prove that Libationer Guo was right
about what he said before he set out.
What did Guo Jia say?
Libationer Guo said that the capital is sure to fall into chaos.
Prince of Hongnong...
Yi He really did get himself involved with the imperial family.
[The late Prince Huai of Hongnong's memorial tablet]
Who is it?
Who are you?
Yang Ping's older brother.
I've never heard of you.
Why did you have him change out of his clothes?
Was it to make it easier to take him somewhere?
I guess it must've been the burning palace.
Why was the palace on fire?
So you could replace him with a burnt corpse?
It's the same as having swapped him out with a trampled corpse.
You killed two men.
Then you had Uncle Yang's arm chopped off
just to send Yang Ping to the palace.
Does your emperor have no one else he could use
that he had to recruit a useless scholar like Yang Ping?
Yang Ping will find out--
There's no one here! How would he know?
I was right after all.
I'm sorry.
I had a few people who guided me here.
If I die in here, the entire capital will find out about this right away.
Leng Shou Guang.
Your Highness.
It's been two years since Grand Commandant Yang recommended you.
Yes.
Lately, you've done your duty and behaved well.
Last night in the fire, I noticed that you acted cleverly.
I serve Your Highness and you're all that I care about.
Should Your Highness have any orders for me
I won't dare make any mistakes, even at the risk of my life.
You are to handle a matter for me.
Yes.
Ask after that young eunuch who was killed in the fire
to see if he was buried.
Yes, Your Highness.
Man Chong is a skeptical man.
I understand.
I'll just say that a friend of mine is asking about him.
Lord Man won't be alerted.
You're very clever.
It's my duty to ease the burden of Your Highness.
But, Your Highness...
What is it?
Please do take care of your health as well.
Hand over His Majesty's medication to me.
Yes.
You're doing quite well.
Continue.
Do I need to finish the medication?
You don't need to.
Leave it to me.
Leave it to you?
Toward the end, His Majesty couldn't swallow any medication when I fed him.
I could only watch the medication dribble from the corner of his mouth.
His Majesty was always solemn and polished in his manners.
He was fond of cleanliness.
You stayed by his side every day.
You watched as my brother slowly...
Was it very tough for you to endure that period of time?
There aren't as many gaps in the floors here as the palace.
I'll just drink it up.
My brother was ill for a long time, so he must have smelled of medication.
Won't they be suspicious if I don't smell of it?
It's so bitter.
You aren't often ill, are you?
No.
Although I'm interested in the medical practice
I'm in good health.
I rarely fall ill.
Although you are twins, you really are different from each other.
You were carefree out there
so you're much healthier and more energetic than he was.
You surely haven't had a woman either.
Empress... what were you saying?
You were supposed to caress Consort Dong yesterday
but you treated her as if she were burning coal.
What are you afraid of?
Shouldn't it be the woman who is frightened
when left alone with a man?
I...
Have you studied "The Mencius"?
Certainly.
Mencius once said
male and female dwelling together is the greatest of human relations.
What do you think it means for men and women to live together?
Zhong Da... told me about it.
You don't know anything about it, do you?
The late emperor didn't have many concubines
but it wasn't as if he didn't go near any woman.
His Majesty dwelled with Consort Dong.
Your behavior will arouse suspicion too easily.
Come here.
I'll teach you.
Come over here!
Have a seat.
Although the late emperor was stern and cold by nature
he was exceptionally gentle toward Sister Dong during her pregnancy.
He often had her in his arms and caressed their child.
Sister Dong said that when she was in His Majesty's arms
she thought he was the gentlest and toughest man in the world.
But if you behave like this
Sister Dong might think that she's leaning on a stone pillar.
Your Majesty has to know that...
it isn't some unfamiliar woman who is in your arms.
She's your wife.
My wife...
Exactly.
See?
It isn't that hard.
Is Sister Dong very lovable?
Yes.
Do you wish to... get closer to her?
Empress...
you'd teach your husband how to caress other women?
You're indeed of exemplary conduct and virtue.
The most outstanding in the harem.
It's just that I'm too keen on restoring the imperial family to glory.
You learn very fast.
While you're pretending to recuperate
it's time for you to study the art of governance.
[Dong Manor]
This is the imperial decree written on His Majesty's belt.
We've pledged our absolute allegiance to strike down the enemies.
It's now the time to do so.
Generals, please do get up.
This fire is an opportunity that His Majesty created for us.
[Wu Shuo] General, you mean...
This fire is His Majesty's second confidential decree to us.
The empress had me reassigned from the palace yesterday.
I knew then that His Majesty would soon take action.
However, I didn't expect it to be on such a grand scale.
Cao Cao has been building up his forces in Xu Chang for years.
His Majesty has long been under his control.
No ordinary man can pose a threat to him.
That huge fire now cracked a slit in the invincible metal barrel.
It's given us a chance to maneuver our way through.
His Majesty decreed to have me assign palace guards today.
We can now plant our men into the palace security.
It's also because of this fire
that His Majesty cleverly broke away from Cao Cao's control.
General Wang, how many men can you gather under your service?
Well...
[Wang Fu]
Speak quickly!
I only have 500 men.
But Cao Ren has 5,000 soldiers.
Even though we have fewer men, it won't be easy for Cao Cao!
He's already caught in a perilous situation in Guandu now.
Once they lose control of the capital
and Cao Cao can no longer manipulate His Majesty
Liu Bei and Sun Ce will wage war upon him as well.
Cao Cao will land himself in a very tight spot.
Liu Bei?
Can that man be trusted?
We don't have to trust him.
We need only make use of him.
Loyal subjects are rare in this great big world.
The others are but pawns to His Majesty.
Gentlemen, you're meeting up in here to set a trap for Minister Cao.
Why didn't you wait for me to join in such a great plan?
Hold on! He's one of us.
Young Master Yang.
The Wangs are known for their swift swordsmanship.
This is Grand Commandant Yang's son.
Yang Xiu, courtesy name De Zu.
He's here to devise strategies for me.
De Zu, you should have informed us of your arrival.
If it weren't for General Wang acting with caution
wouldn't we have injured our own comrade?
General Dong, you offended Man Chong today
and you already openly gathered your men for a discussion here.
Do you know how many men
Commandant of Xu has stationed outside your manor?
I...
It's just a gathering of friends and he can't prove anything.
What can he do to us?
If I were Man Chong
I'd have assassins waiting right outside the entrance
and I'd wait until you left the manor one by one.
Then...
The capital is now a mess anyway.
Why don't I show you the gift that I've brought you?
I took care of them for you.
Those belonged to the first batch of scouts.
If a second batch is to come here again...
Forgive me for being too lazy to worry about them.
I'll take my leave.
For the sake of our nation, look after yourselves.
Don't--
Father.
How is Dong Cheng?
Rest assured, Father.
It's all within my control.
Once Dong Cheng makes a move, you can't stay out of this anymore.
Now that so many of our compatriots are taking action
I can't be the only one to stand aloof.
Although Guo Jia isn't in the capital now
Man Chong serves as his eyes.
It's too difficult to fool Guo Jia.
Will you be able to win Guo Jia's trust by doing so?
Father... these men never had any trust in others.
They are just using one another in such circumstances.
I somehow felt that it's too much of a risky move.
Father, if we don't take a risk, how are we to gain any profit
in assisting an impostor to the throne?
The night has fallen yet again.
How am I going to get through it?
Your Majesty I've brought the medication.
Come in.
Your Majesty, please take your medication.
I'll serve it to His Majesty.
Yes.
I have some information on what Your Highness told me to inquire after.
Speak.
That young eunuch... is still in Commandant of Xu's office.
Lord Man seems to suspect his identity.
How so?
I heard from the coroner
that Lord Man suspected that the victim wasn't a eunuch.
I heard you.
You're dismissed.
Yes.
My brother's corpse was burned completely.
What could they possibly discover?
Tomorrow, I'll make a decree to Xun Yu to confer honors on that eunuch
so his corpse can be buried soon.
That's the late emperor.
He was your husband.
Do you really intend to bury him as a mere eunuch?
I'm just following the late emperor's instructions.
For the sake of the imperial family, the late emperor forsook his integrity.
The sacrifice he made...
You don't understand it at all.
I do.
If you really understand him, you should focus on playing your role.
You need not worry about other matters.
I...
What else would you like to ask?
I'd like to know what those words I said to Dong Cheng meant.
Why would he suddenly get so worked up?
It's a spell of the late emperor.
It's a spell that can turn the capital upside down.
You'll know.
You think that Cao Cao's men are just useless fools
so you've dragged my best friend into this foolhardy risk?
What exactly is it that you're making him do?
I can only save him if I learn of the truth.
This has nothing to do with you.
Besides, he doesn't need to be rescued by you.
The capital will soon descend into chaos.
That is why the emperor resorted to such an unwise plan.
Am I right?
It seems that you don't have a say in this plan.
I want to meet the true mastermind behind all this.
How do you know that I'll let you live?
It's simple.
You can't afford to offend me.
My personal servant knows that I made my way here.
So do my informants.
Moreover, I kept asking about this place on the way
as if for fear that no one knew I was coming here.
If I end up dead
everyone in the capital will learn of it.
Then, both Yang Ping and the Sima family will go against you.
Can you afford to make such a bet?
I believe that then your emperor won't be able to keep this under control.
You should find yourself fortunate.
In terms of protecting Yang Ping, we count as allies.
Not enemies.
Is your mastermind the highly respected Grand Commandant Yang
who served four reigns as one of the Three Excellencies
or the emperor who set the fire?
You made me the emperor.
Yet you refuse to tell me the truth.
You don't trust me.
Do you trust the late emperor?
Just do what you should be doing.
As for the rest, the late emperor already made arrangements.
Did the late emperor have everything arranged?
If I turned out to look very different from the late emperor
how would you have handled it?
We would've sent you away.
We'd have announced an official decree to suppress Cao Cao.
We'd claim that Cao Cao killed His Majesty.
As for me, I'd die with His Majesty.
An emperor and empress who died for their nation
can all the more stir up emotions in the people.
Did the late emperor plan that as well?
Yes.
Can you tell me what the late emperor was like?
I'd like to know.
What would you like to know?
How was it on the day of your wedding?
I'd like to know.
Our wedding day?
That year...
we were both only 14 years old.
That night, I waited for him in the wedding tent for a long while.
When he came in, he didn't drink the nuptial wine with me.
Instead, he threw the wine on the ground.
The late emperor pointed at the window and said...
"Now that Dong Zhuo seized all power and harmed our people"
"the imperial family of Han dynasty stands shakily amidst the storm."
"Why would you still jump right into this blazing pit?"
He behaved in such a way on your wedding day?
He told me that he didn't need a virtuous and able wife.
All he needed was a faithful subject who could help him turn the tide.
He asked me if I could do so.
You certainly said that you could.
You are so much like my brother.
I bit him.
I bit him hard.
The late emperor's hand bled from my bite.
He dripped his blood into the nuptial wine and drank it with me.
Upon drinking the emperor's blood, we made an oath to save the nation.
That was our wedding night.
An oath made at the age of 14...
You've kept it until this day.
The late emperor passed away
but we're now taking the path he laid out for us.
He and I will reach the same goal by different means.
I just wonder how long it will take for you to resemble him.
I was wrong.
Your Majesty.
Your veteran servant, Zhang Yu, seeks audience.
Come in.
Your veteran servant, Zhang Yu, greets Your Majesty.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Chief Eunuch Zhang, His Majesty hasn't summoned you.
What brings you here so late at night?
I'm puzzled about one matter.
I'd like to ask Your Majesty and Your Highness for an answer.
Speak.
Where is His Majesty?
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