Subtitles by DramaFever
[Secret of the Three Kingdoms]
[Episode 46]
Xiu.
Father.
There's no need to wait for him.
Fu Wan is under strict surveillance.
He won't be here.
As for that nobody, Lu Yu, I've told him not to come near our manor.
Why is that so?
Isn't it obvious?
This is an emergency situation.
If we were to have these people over
wouldn't that be telling Cao Cao that those who are against him
are gathered in Yang Manor?
Father, don't be worried.
Come and have dinner.
Perhaps you're right.
But I'm too anxious.
How can I not panic?
Xiu.
Do you have any good ideas?
Sima Yi won't confess any time soon.
Cao Cao doesn't have any evidence.
Even if he arrests Sima Fang and Sima Lang
that will take three days.
You should have dinner first.
Although Cao Cao is domineering
he's still wary of the gentries.
Why don't we use the same trick again?
We'll gather the scholars of gentries to the palace to protect His Majesty.
Those wet-behind-the ears scholars can only help with checks and balances
but not in times of danger.
This time, Cao Cao even plans to overthrow the emperor.
Would he care about some scholars?
Are we really going to raise armed forces against him?
Cao Cao has 10,000 soldiers in the city.
Xiu, we're discussing important matters regarding our nation's survival.
Why are you laughing?
Father.
Is this rice tasty?
This rice is fine rice from Shouchun.
When cooked, the entire room smells of its fragrance.
Ever since we moved to the capital
we've been having this rice.
What are you hinting at?
Shouchun is where Cao Cao manages his army farming.
Father, you've been having rice planted by Cao Cao for years.
It isn't as if you don't eat anything that he has to offer.
Why are you insulting me?
I'm just... trying to find a way out for the Yang family.
If this emperor had been willing to play the puppet
or just act as a bargaining chip
we'd have won by now.
However, he's been making his own decisions.
Father, you've also allowed him to do so.
His conceited righteousness and compassion
destroyed the great plans we made!
He's now at the point of no return.
Father...
Our only way out is to sever all ties with him.
We have to abandon this emperor.
Without Guo Jia, I'll become Cao Cao's best strategist.
Isn't it easier to assist him in unifying the nation than that foolish emperor?
Treacherous son!
The Yang family of Hongnong served as the Three Excellencies for four reigns.
How have I taught you since you were young?
Who knew that you'd now...
You've betrayed loyalty and piety.
So much for studying the classics of the sages!
Father...
I've heard you mention this since I was young.
Three Excellencies for four reigns.
I hear it so often that my ears are callused from it.
That's why I have to protect the honor that you hold dearly.
Cooperating with Cao Cao
he'll respect you with the honors of the Three Excellencies.
If you choose the imperial family
what can the emperor offer you?
Once the emperor's identity is exposed
the Yang family will be branded as rebels who brought in an impostor.
Centuries of our achievements and honorable records
will all go up in flames!
You're in your old age now.
You need servants around to attend to you.
You'll need warm meals.
You won't be able to withstand being in the commandant's office.
That's what I have to consider!
Treacherous son!
Treason and heresy!
I thought that I'd raised a talented son who was loyal and filial.
I thought you could contribute to our nation!
Who could have known?
You don't even understand the most basic principles!
I'm not boasting when I mention the Three Excellencies for four reigns!
It's the Yang family's gratitude to the imperial family!
It's my longing for Great Han's flourishing era!
Great Han's flourishing era...
I've never witnessed it.
Have you?
Just for the sake of an era that no one has witnessed
people die one after another like crickets and ants.
Is it worth it?
For the sake of such an emperor, it's worth it!
Someone!
Master, what are your orders?
Take him away.
Keep him under strict surveillance!
Yes!
Father...
You know very well, deep down.
There's no other way out.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Prefect Xun, please rise.
You are all dismissed.
Close the door behind you.
- Yes! - Yes!
Is His Majesty safe?
Prefect Xun.
Official Sima was imprisoned by the chancellor yesterday.
Do you know about that?
Yes.
Man Chong said that he's still investigating Yang Ping's case.
Could the chancellor have done so because His Majesty is too close to Sima Yi--
No.
It's because Yang Ping isn't dead.
He's right here in the capital.
Upon the posthumous decree of the late emperor
Xun Yu, receive the edict.
The late emperor?
Receive the edict!
Your subject, Xun Yu... receives the edict.
When the late emperor passed away...
he decreed to have his twin brother, Yang Ping, inherit his throne.
Exactly.
During fifth year of the Jian An Reign...
the late emperor passed away.
I stayed by the late emperor's sickbed and received this posthumous edict.
I was 100 times more shocked and upset than you are now.
His Majesty...
He is already deceased...
The empress... would have become the empress dowager.
Our nation is in such a disastrous state.
The late emperor...
has had to put up with such humiliation until now...
Since Prefect Xun is well aware of the current situation
you should understand why the late emperor had to come up with such a plan.
His Majesty didn't succeed the throne through illegitimate means.
For the imperial family
both he and the late emperor endured what others couldn't.
Does the chancellor know about this?
He does.
He's sent his men in a hurry to Wen County
to arrest the entire Sima family.
Prefect Xun, do you have any solution to that?
If His Majesty's identity is exposed to the public
it's bound to stir up public sentiment and many various opinions.
Plus, His Majesty and Your Highness are, in fact, in-laws.
However, you've been living together as a couple for years.
What will everyone think of the late emperor and Your Highness?
Judging by what you mean
under the circumstances of the current political situation
and using this edict as our evidence
the officials might be able to accept His Majesty.
The only scruple is that...
His Majesty and I have spent the past few years as husband and wife.
This will make His Majesty seem as if he's compromised his sister-in-law
and brought shame upon the imperial family.
Am I right?
I wouldn't dare say so.
I can understand Your Highness's difficulties
in carrying out the late emperor's edict.
Prefect Xun and I are well aware
that there's only one way we can save His Majesty.
After my death, use both the late emperor's and my posthumous edicts
to prove His Majesty's legitimacy.
Your Highness, you mustn't!
Prefect Xun, allow me to finish.
Neither of us is pedantic.
If there's a chance that I can survive
I'm definitely willing to stay by His Majesty's side for life.
However, we are already backed into the corner.
I'm only left with the choice of killing myself
for my beliefs and the imperial family.
His Majesty is a wise ruler with whom we're rarely blessed.
The officials would rather die than have their monarch humiliated.
Even if there are lives to sacrifice
it should be us, the subjects, who should fight for him at the cost of our lives!
Your Highness!
Prefect Xun.
Life can be easily sacrificed, but tasks are difficult to accomplish.
I have a favor to ask of you.
You're the head of hundreds of officials.
In the government, your reputation isn't inferior to Chancellor Cao's.
Cui Yan is the leading scholar of high standing.
I'd like to ask a favor of the two of you.
After my death...
lead the public opinion.
Tell everyone that His Majesty succeeded the throne legitimately!
His conscience is clear.
Assist His Majesty in fending off any assaults from Cao Cao.
Your Highness...
I...
Yes, Your Highness.
Thank you, Prefect Xun.
Your Majesty.
Although Prefect Xun gives it his very best for Father
he still keeps the imperial family on his mind.
His Majesty summoned Prefect Xun alone at such a time.
Father, you should be wary of him.
Prefect Xun has assisted me since the days when I was a nobody.
He's worked alongside me for the past 20 years
and accomplished much with me.
I don't believe that he will betray me.
Nor do I believe that he'd be hoodwinked by an impostor.
On the contrary
Prefect Xun has always been dutiful and stayed on the right path.
He's loyal and virtuous.
If he finds out about the emperor's true identity
he'll be the first to step up and defend the legitimacy of the imperial family.
Zi Huan, you need not be too worried.
Compared to Libationer Guo, what is Prefect Xun to Father?
I'll go and visit Prefect Xun.
Chancellor, the Princess Consort of Hongnong seeks audience.
She's here for Sima Yi.
They are losing their patience.
Father.
Allow me to meet the princess consort.
Perhaps, she's the only one who can persuade Sima Yi.
Your Highness, are you here for the sake of Zhong Da?
I want to see him.
I mean to do so.
Your Highness, this way, please.
When you see Zhong Da, please try to talk him around.
Tell him not to be so obstinate.
Their torturing techniques are excruciating.
A scholar like him won't be able to hold out much longer.
I know what to do.
I really don't understand what you're so committed to.
But I truly do wish to save him.
Your Majesty...
Prefect Xun.
I feel guilty about what the empress just said.
The empress and I shared weal and woe.
We depended on each other.
She is already my empress.
I... understand.
Your Majesty, why would you bring that up?
No one else in the world will understand that.
But we both do.
When I was 18 years old
I met you for the first time.
It made me believe that there's another reason
that the gods made me the twin brother of the late emperor.
It was so I could meet you.
Your Majesty...
This isn't the time to talk about this.
Be it to Prefect Xun or anyone else
or even to my late brother
I dare to say this to them.
All of these years...
the two of us have endured a living hell
under two different identities.
In times of grave danger...
when life was beset with danger...
if we hadn't supported each other
I'd have been defeated and i'd have given up long ago.
For the sake of the people and me
you've suffered so much hardship.
Why can't the others empathize with my empress?
Your Majesty...
I, too, wish to stay by your side always.
Not just until the day the imperial family is restored to glory.
But forever... I wish to stay with Your Majesty forever.
However...
this really is impossible now.
I have a way to do so.
Prefect Xun.
What if I were to follow the example of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun
and abdicated my throne to Cao Cao?
Your Majesty!
You mustn't!
I have already thought it through.
Instead of sacrificing my empress and Sima Yi
I might as well abdicate my throne to Cao Cao.
Once he has what he wants
he will stop coercing me to act against my will.
The imperial family will perish!
What will we have achieved after making so much effort all these years?
We have a unified Central Plain.
We're all well aware that Cao Cao isn't Dong Zhuo.
Our duty lies in saving the lives of our people.
Not holding on to this throne.
I've confided in him.
If he's the one to unify the nation
it's better than having us fight among ourselves
and leaving the Central Plain in turmoil.
If so, the peace we have fought for over the past 10 years...
will then go up in flames.
It turns out...
all these years...
you never once changed your mind.
No.
I've never been so certain of what I really want.
Your Majesty is so virtuous.
It's a blessing to the nation and the people.
Your Majesty, please give me two more days.
I'll try to persuade the chancellor so as to save Sima Yi.
Your Majesty mustn't take any reckless actions before that.
I can't keep waiting any longer.
Official Sima has endured much torment because of me.
He can't hang in there any longer.
His life now hangs by a thread.
Chancellor.
You've been in there for hours.
What are His Majesty's orders?
His Majesty would like me to intercede with the chancellor for him.
Is that all?
Chancellor, why didn't you tell me in advance
that His Majesty was absent from the imperial court?
The current emperor is wise and able.
Chancellor, you've deliberately shunned him from governing the state.
Not only is this damaging to your reputation
but it also brings nothing but harm to the unification of the nation.
Since I first raised a resistance army, I've been working with you.
For the past 20 years, I've confided in you.
You've offered me your assistance and recruited many talents for me.
We've discussed strategies and planned secret plots.
There are too many to name.
Prefect Xun deserves to take credit for the stability of the world.
Your achievements were attained because of me.
I've always thought we were the role models
for all rulers and their subjects.
I hope that you won't let me down for an emperor of questionable origin.
The emperor inherited the throne according to the posthumous edict.
He isn't of some indecent origin.
I still remember that when we'd just pacified Dong Zhuo's revolt
I advised you to hold the emperor in high regard to suppress the rebels.
What was our initial intention?
Chancellor, have you already forgotten all about it?
You've spent the past 20 years being so studious and working nonstop.
In the end, you can't overcome the desire to usurp the throne.
I feel sorry for you.
"A superior man loves another on grounds of virtue."
I beseech Chancellor Cao to act upon benevolence
release Administrative Official Sima, and reconcile with His Majesty.
If so, when the world is unified
everyone will look up to Chancellor Cao's great virtues.
You'd have me reconcile with an impostor?
You have been my subject for 20 years now.
I valued our friendship.
Who would have known that you'd stray from the right path today?
As for how you will end up from now on...
you should think twice.
The commandant's office uses brutal ways of torture.
Man Chong is a bit too anxious.
This is high-quality medication for wounds.
It will help with his injuries.
When Zhong Da wakes up, please do try to persuade him.
He won't be able to handle the torture here in the commandant's office.
You are dismissed.
This is all I have to say.
Your Highness, you're on your own now.
I'll take my leave.
You're the only person who could still laugh at such a time.
Even when the emperor of Great Han passed away
you didn't cry, did you?
I'm still alive.
Don't cry.
You won't look pretty with tears streaming down your face.
Only someone like you would care about such insignificant matters
when you're on the verge of death.
How is my wife's rare beauty insignificant?
All right, now.
Stop crying.
If you give me a smile, my wounds won't hurt anymore.
Don't worry.
Tell Yi He that my father and Yang Jun have escaped.
Cao Cao can't do anything to him.
Tell him to remain calm.
What about you?
Me?
I need you to do me a favor.
Exit from the west gate of the commandant's office
and walk 10 miles to the west on the official route.
There's a small path.
Go down this small path 15 miles to the south.
You'll go through a village.
Once you go through the village, you'll see a river.
There's a raft by the river.
Take the raft to the south bank.
You'll see a huge rock there.
I've memorized it.
Then?
There's a house next to that rock.
It's the only house there.
It will be easy to find.
Who am I looking for?
When you get to that house, buy some furniture for daily use.
Keep it in mind.
You have to get a bed and a bookshelf.
As for the rest, buy what you see fit.
What do you need all of those for?
Because...
that's where we're going to live.
That bamboo forest and the house...
I bought them.
It only cost me 2,000 pennies.
Is this even the time to joke around with me?
I'm not joking.
It took me much effort to finally find that quiet place.
It's sunny and bright there.
It's cool in the shade of the bamboo forest.
Sunshine...
It stays in every dew drop on the leaves.
You'd definitely like it there.
When I was in the shrine
I never...
I never paid any attention to the sunshine.
From now on...
I'll appreciate the sunshine with you.
We'll admire and appreciate it slowly.
There's the refreshing scent of bamboo in that house.
In spring, we'll dig up some bamboo shoots.
I'll go fishing.
That will make a meal for us.
When we have a bunch of children
I'll chop off some bamboo and use it to discipline them.
Sima Yi.
What is it?
What are you going to say?
You're my wife.
You can't turn me down.
Listen up.
We'll share the chores and parenting together.
Have I ever told you that...
I love you?
I...
Even if you've never told me, I knew.
I'll furnish our home to make it pretty and clean.
Then I'll be waiting there for you in my wedding gown.
You make it sound so lovely that I can't wait for that day to come.
Elder Statesman Fu.
Do you still remember that year when Dong Zhuo killed Prince of Hongnong?
How could I forget?
It's just that neither of us was a faithful subject.
Minister over the Masses Wang was still alive then.
We always met up in his manor to discuss suppressing the rebels.
We always ended up in tears.
At that time, Cao Cao also attended our secret meetings at Wang Manor.
Once, he scolded us angrily saying
"Will you be able to cry Dong Zhuo to death?"
He took Minister Wang's Seven-Star Sword to assassinate Dong Zhuo.
Back then, he was also impassioned and he disregarded his own life.
I had really thought that he was a courageous and righteous man.
There are ups and downs in the nation, and everything changes with time.
Everyone changes.
Among those colleagues who used to cry with us during the gatherings
Minister over the Masses Wang is dead.
Yuan Shao is dead.
Cao Cao has turned on us.
Now, it's just the two of us trying hard to defend the imperial family.
After I sent His Majesty into the palace
I prepared myself to die at any time.
Over the past few years
we've experienced shocking events and overcome life-threatening crises.
I think of myself as having done all that I should as a patriot.
I watched as the nation grew stronger and better.
I think that everything I've done was worthwhile.
Worthwhile...
However, could it be...
Could it be that in the end... it was still all for nothing?
It won't be.
It won't be for nothing.
We've worked so hard to assist His Majesty
and strengthen the imperial family to its current status.
I won't allow another traitor to kill an emperor again.
Nor will I allow Cao Cao to influence the imperial family.
Elder Statesman, what do you have in mind?
We'll have to cut off all means of retreat.
We must launch all of our forces.
Rid the emperor of treacherous subjects!
However, if our armed forces in the capital are to go against Cao Cao's
it's as good as throwing an egg against a rock!
Then may my blood be spilled to motivate the chivalrous
into coming to the capital to rescue His Majesty!
Elder Statesman.
We're not competing to see whose blood is shed first.
You might be one man, but you'll implicate the empress.
If you take action
Cao Cao is bound to kill the emperor and empress!
Besides, it will be against His Majesty's wishes
if we raise a rebellion here in the capital.
It's best... to leave this matter to me.
Elder Statesman, I've retired from my post as the Grand Commandant.
According to the tradition
I have to host a farewell banquet at home for my colleagues and friends.
I believe Cao Cao will show up out of respect.
By then, I'll invite him to my manor and right in there, I'll--
I'll take him down with me.
Grand Commandant...
There are 100 members in the Yang family!
It's still much better than raising a rebellion in the capital
and endangering His Majesty!
Besides, it isn't as if you're not doing anything to help.
Once Cao Cao is dead, his army will surely raise havoc.
We'll need your military power and His Majesty's prestige
to reform the nation!
You and I are both...on our last legs.
If we could bleed ourselves dry for the sake of the Great Han Empire
what else would there be to regret?
Therefore...
it doesn't matter which of us dies first.
Grand Commandant...
All right.
[The memorial tablet of the late Prince of Hongnong]
None of your plans will work.
Leave it to me.
Grand Commandant, you must be here for the Sima family as well.
Indeed.
Back then, Chancellor Cao was recruited as the county commandant.
It was your first official post and Duke Sima recommended you.
In a blink of the eye, our hair already turned gray.
There was an unexpected change of worldly affairs
and only a few friends are left.
Chancellor.
For the sake of our past friendship
please show the Sima family some mercy.
Don't wipe them out.
Great!
Grand Commandant, you said it well.
An unexpected change of worldly affairs.
Only a few friends remain.
However, my friends never seem to make me feel at ease.
For instance...
it isn't as if I don't know about what the Yang family of Hongnong
has been doing behind my back.
It's just that I've always respected Grand Commandant for your virtue.
Secondly, my son and yours are very close friends.
Therefore, since this matter is of no concern to you
I'd advise you to avoid trouble and play it safe.
You're the chancellor, so it means there's no longer a grand commandant.
Chancellor, you need not mock me.
I'm going to hand in my resignation.
I can't hold a post without contributing.
I'm too ashamed to stay.
You're resigning from the government?
Indeed.
Now that the nation is in danger
I've ended up with a post that allows me to do nothing at all.
It doesn't do the nation any good for me to stay on in the imperial court.
I'll host a banquet in my manor tomorrow.
To bid farewell to my friends.
Once His Majesty consents to my resignation
I'll set out back to my hometown.
Duke Yang's family served four reigns as the Three Excellencies
and many look up to you.
Back during Dong Zhuo's revolt
Guo Si and Li Jue held the emperor hostage.
It was only because of your great virtues and command
that the nation was saved from harm!
It isn't your fault that we're now in such a predicament.
Since Duke Yang is resigning voluntarily...
I won't make things hard for you anymore.
Tomorrow, I shall attend your banquet.
I will see you off personally.
I thank Chancellor Cao for your kindness.
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