Subtitles by DramaFever
[Secret of the Three Kingdoms]
[Episode 10]
In terms of politics or personal affection
they didn't regard you as one of them.
Why should you feel upset because of them?
Shut up.
It hurts more to have some matters said outright.
But you might not understand even if I tell you.
I believe...
the two of them would understand it better.
Last night, when you behaved like that...
Was it also because of the posthumous edict?
It seems that the two of you really got together.
If not, why is it said that
taking a man to bed is the easiest way to control him?
Yes.
Do you think that I'm such a cheap woman?
The late emperor only passed away a few days ago
and I'm already on intimate terms with another man.
I see.
Zhong Da.
Let's leave.
Go on.
The late emperor was wrong about you.
We were also wrong about you.
You're only fit to hunt and have fun in Henei.
You can't take on the responsibility of the Han Empire.
Your Highness.
Zhong Da, let's leave.
I'll kill you if you dare to step out of this door!
Let him leave!
The Han Empire doesn't need such a coward.
What about you?
I'm still the empress of the Han Empire!
Take care.
Stop!
Who is it?
Step out of the carriage for inspection!
Does the empress also have to get out?
I wouldn't dare to ask you that.
Greetings, Your Highness.
General Zhang.
When I left the palace, you inspected my carriage carefully.
Was there anything amiss?
No, there wasn't.
What reason do you have for making things difficult for me again?
It isn't that I dare to offend Your Highness.
I just took the post of the palace guards and dare not slack off.
According to the regulations
we have to confirm the list of accompanying personnel.
Go and retrieve the record of accompanying personnel.
Yes.
General Zhang.
All eunuchs in the palace are managed by me.
There isn't a problem.
This is a regulation of the palace.
This is my first day at this post.
- I dare not make any mistakes. - Zhang Xiu.
You've stopped me right outside the door.
Are you trying to make me look bad?
I wouldn't dare do so.
Zhang Xiu, you killed my eldest brother, Cao Ang.
If the gods hadn't taken pity on me
you'd have killed me along with my brother.
Today, I'm here to take your dastardly life
and avenge my brother!
Young Master, I'm sincere in pledging my allegiance.
Duke Cao has already accepted it!
Back then in Wan City, you also claimed to have pledged your allegiance.
Today, here you are, flaunting your airs in front of our family's manor.
Have you actually not given up the desire to kill me?
Do you wish to repeat what you did in Wan City?
Young Master, you're pushing me.
How will that make Duke Cao look?
I'll avenge my older brother first and then seek punishment from my father!
It was you.
It was you who led the army in Wan City to kill Dian Wei and my brother.
Young Master!
Duke Cao already promised to forgive and forget!
Tell me your name.
I've kept your face in my mind for 10 years.
Say it!
Young Master!
I'm the Assistant General of Western Liang, Hu Che Er.
We both fought for our respective masters back then.
I need not justify myself.
When Duke Cao brought us here
was it just so that he could seek revenge?
- Second Young Master! - Stop it.
Although the kinship between you and your late brother matters greatly
you should consider the current situation in the capital.
Apart from General Zhang, who else could protect the capital?
The Cao family has the ability to protect the capital and the emperor.
Never would I allow my brother's killer to come through our door.
Take your cavalry of Western Liang...
and get lost.
Second Young Master.
Lord Man invited me here to protect His Majesty.
Send Lord Man to me.
Yes!
I'll take my leave now.
Let's leave!
Your Highness.
Head inside.
Sister Dong is still waiting for me.
Yes.
Young Master, thank you for standing up for me today.
You saved me from being humiliated by those brutes.
It's filial to avenge my brother.
It's loyal to protect the empress's dignity.
Although I'm young, I dare not look away from filial piety and loyalty.
I'm very moved by your filial piety and fraternal duty toward your brother.
Zhang Xiu and his men are flippant in loyalty.
His Majesty is also furious at them.
Was Hu Che Er really the one who killed Young Master Cao Ang?
That night... I will remember it until I die.
Duke Cao recruited Zhang Xiu.
Indeed, you'd have to put up with him.
However, you can't reconcile with the murderer of your brother.
He is just a cavalryman of the barbarians.
Yet he gets to run amuck in the capital.
I feel bad for you, Young Master.
The law of the Han Empire doesn't punish those who avenge their kin.
I believe Duke Cao wouldn't care much for a mere soldier, would he?
You must perform your duties and abide by the law.
Yes!
Minister Steward Kong.
We have drafted the proposal of rites for the ritual tomorrow.
It has to be explained to His Majesty.
This is...
His Majesty is unwell today.
Allow me to take the proposal of rites and itinerary to him.
Since His Majesty is unwell
officials should all the more be allowed to visit him.
Exactly. Moreover, the revision of this ritual
is the very first that we've had since we moved the capital here.
We must explain the entire ceremony to His Majesty personally.
Prefect Xun.
Are you trying to isolate His Majesty from the officials again?
Minister Steward, you've overstated.
I wouldn't dare do so.
Since it is so...
please come with me to the Ministry of Works.
I'll do my best to beg His Majesty to summon us to audience.
We're greatly sinned.
Are we?
Actually...
I really envy you.
At least...
you can be with His Majesty now.
Please tell His Majesty...
I'll do what he entrusted to me.
Stop looking.
This is just a nonsensical task.
We can finally leave this hell of a place.
Forget everything that's happened here.
But my father already said I was dead.
I can't go home anymore.
Our family doesn't only own one manor.
Once we get home, you can rest for a few days.
I'll pack things up and take you to Jiangnan.
We're going to Jiangnan?
Yes, I'll take you to a place where no one knows us.
A place without war and chaos.
"Gather lotus seeds all the way to Jiangnan!"
"How joyfully lotus leaves sway."
We can study together at night. We can travel by boat in the day.
We'll meet beautiful ladies among the lotus flowers.
The ladies in the south must be prettier than ours in the north.
You're leaving Henei for my sake?
But that isn't your ambition.
What is it?
Are you not willing to have me accompany you?
I am.
My mouth waters at the thought of Jiangnan's delicious perch.
The fertile lands of fish and rice will surely plump you up.
What if I'd turned out to be a chubby man?
We'd have sent you away.
In order to suppress the traitors
we'd announce that Cao Cao killed His Majesty.
As for me, the empress...
I'd die with His Majesty.
Shall we get going?
"Gather lotus seeds all the way to Jiangnan!"
"How joyfully lotus leaves sway."
"Among the lotus leaves fish play!"
Your Highness, would you like to freshen up?
Get out.
Your Highness.
Get out!
Don't utter a word.
Your Majesty.
Kong Rong is here at the imperial court with his subordinates
to seek audience with Your Majesty.
His Majesty is nursing his health.
Prefect Xun, please do not disturb him.
Have the officials leave their reports behind.
They may then leave.
This is...
I wonder how His Majesty is doing.
Please summon the imperial physician quickly.
His Majesty didn't get any rest last night.
He will be fine after a day's sleep.
Please leave now, Prefect Xun.
Yes, I will do as decreed.
Your Highness.
I'll hold off the officials for Your Highness.
His Majesty will be away from the palace for a few days.
We have to keep this from them.
Yes. How many days will that be?
I don't know.
Don't worry, Your Highness.
The commander of the palace guards, Yang Xiu, greets His Majesty.
Let him in.
Yes.
Where is His Majesty?
He's returned to Wen County.
What?
Did you let him leave?
Do you wish to die?
A cowardly and incompetent man can't revive the Han Empire.
Who expected that of him?
But without him, the Han Empire is doomed!
The empress of Great Han is still right here!
I will safeguard the Han Empire... until the very end.
Your Highness.
The officials and I are very worried.
Please allow Imperial Physician Zhao to read His Majesty's pulse.
If he really is fine, it will ease the minds of the officials.
Your Highness.
Prefect Xun, shouldn't you know very well what made His Majesty unwell?
I do.
However, ever since the rebellion was pacified
His Majesty has refused to see the officials.
It's a given that everyone feels ill at ease.
Kong Rong has led his subordinates here into the quarters already.
Your Highness, I hope that you can understand my plight.
Prefect Xun has a point.
I'll go and meet the Minister Steward and his subordinates.
Leng Shou Guang.
Do not allow anyone to disturb His Majesty.
Yes.
Greetings, Your Highness.
My dear subjects, please do rise.
Thank you, Your Highness.
His Majesty is well aware of your sincere concern for him.
He has yet to summon you over
but not because he's ignoring the officials.
Since we moved the capital to Xu Chang, we've gone through frequent disturbances.
Over the last five or six years, there was first Dong Zhuo
then Li Jue and Guo Si.
They were all treacherous subjects who rose in rebellion.
The country is unlike a country, and the ruler unlike a ruler.
I believe that all of you are well aware of what happened last night.
If His Majesty were to see you now
it would only make him feel embarrassed.
All His Majesty wishes is that today...
he can uphold his dignity as an emperor.
Therefore, I ask that all of you retire for the day.
Can you do so?
When the monarch worries, his subjects are put to shame.
When the monarch is humiliated, his subjects would rather die.
We're deeply ashamed.
Hence, I'd like all of you to head back first.
I have faith in His Majesty...
I believe that he will...
He will pull himself together very soon.
Will His Majesty still attend the ritual for the Green Emperor tomorrow?
His Majesty will make a decree later.
We shall wait patiently to hear from His Majesty.
We will take our leave now.
Your Highness and His Majesty, please take care.
I'll take my leave.
Have some wine to warm yourself up.
Aren't I thoughtful?
You still can't bear to leave her?
The two of you...
Was there really something between you and her?
Move it! Quickly!
Hurry up!
Keep up!
Hurry up!
- Hurry up! - Move it!
Hurry up!
- Keep up! - Move it!
The one at the back! Hurry up!
Hurry up!
You didn't find it tiring when you rebelled with Dong Cheng!
Why are you pretending now?
Get up! Get up now!
Get up!
Hurry up!
Move it!
Get up!
Hurry up!
You mustn't.
Why do you keep pretending?
What are you staring at? I dare you to stare!
Get up!
You can't save them.
Hurry up!
Get her up!
Get up!
Move it!
Stop staring! Faster!
Keep up!
Hurry up!
Move faster! Move it!
After making mistakes several times, you still don't know any better.
Zhong Da.
I can't leave yet.
What did you say?
If I leave now, they will die.
Don't flatter yourself.
Them?
They aren't young women like the ones you just saw.
They are much more clever.
And way more ruthless.
They might even count the money after they have you sold.
They could kill another man and disguise him as the emperor.
Cao Cao will be pleased to pick another emperor.
They won't starve.
That empress is greedy for power and insists on vying against Cao Cao.
You're not to be blamed for it.
No, she isn't one to covet power.
There's also Princess Consort Tang
Grand Commandant Yang, my father, and even Dong Cheng.
None of them covet power and authority.
They would sacrifice themselves for the Han Empire.
Yi He, we're all entitled to die for what we believe in.
This is their problem.
It doesn't concern you.
It does concern me.
After all, the blood of the imperial family courses through my veins.
Hit me if you wish.
But I can't leave with you.
Do you see that path ahead of you clearly?
It leads you to bloody rivalry, deception, and schemes.
If you make this choice today, there will be no point of return.
Even if that's the life you hated the most.
Do you understand?
I do.
But I have to head back to save them.
I'd quite like to know how you intend to save them.
If I'm no longer as timid and weak as I am now...
How will you overcome that?
I'll become like my brother.
Wrong!
True benevolence isn't cowardice.
Only those without a belief are weak.
Yi He.
If you choose to be a puppet, you can't save anyone.
Without a belief...
only then are you truly cowardly.
Zhong Da, thank you.
I'll get going, then.
The wind in Western Liang is so rough.
The wine in Western Liang is so strong.
I believed in that old fellow and surrendered.
Here I am drinking this bland wine!
I came all the way to the capital only to seek my doom!
I might as well die fighting on the battlefield with my comrades!
Be careful.
My stall--
What are you doing?
Go away!
Go away! Go on!
I might not be a gentleman for sneaking up on you.
But I wanted you to have a taste of being stabbed in the back.
Do you really think that I killed your brother?
What's the point in making up excuses to plead for mercy?
I'm not pleading for mercy.
There's one matter that I can't figure out.
I'll tell you about it as a gift.
Or as torment.
Speak.
Look for a person.
Ask him a question.
What person is it? What should I ask him?
Ask him...
about Wei Wen subduing the older Cao in Wan.
The older Cao?
The older Cao refers to my brother.
What does this mean?
Who exactly do you want me to ask?
Ye City...
Xu You...
Yuan Shao's subordinate.
My comrades are all dead.
It's my turn now.
The wind in Western Liang is still the best.
Why have you changed your mind again?
If I leave you here to be devoured by those greedy tigers and wolves
who will I be able to bully?
Yi He.
If the imperial family of Han comes to an end someday
I'll be sure to rescue you.
I know that you deem it beneath you to take part in our plans.
I've dragged you into this.
This game is a lot more interesting now that you're taking part in it.
However, so as to avoid arousing suspicion in Man Chong
we mustn't meet up again from today onward.
Don't ask about what I'm doing either.
If there's anything I'd like you to know, someone will inform you.
When will I get to see you again?
When we win.
Bear this in mind.
Even if you're the emperor
I'll still beat you up should you make any mistakes.
- Hurry up! - Faster!
Faster! Keep up!
Keep up!
When Qu Yuan was falsely accused
the entire world was indignant at the injustice.
Blood spilled from loyal subjects shall one day transform into jade.
General Dong will surely be cleared of this injustice someday.
Who are you?
Are you speaking up for them?
How arrogant!
An ignorant frog down in the well knows not of the dragon in the sky.
How do you know that I can't speak up for them?
You've been the emperor for quite a few days.
Have you thought of a powerful remedy
to feed the waning imperial family of Han to revive it?
I've been kept in the dark about their actions.
I now know that General Dong truly is faithful to the imperial family.
Yet he was tricked into falling from grace.
Young Master Yang might be clever, but he's too arrogant.
The empress and Princess Consort Tang are just caught up in individual heroism.
It's easier for them to seek death than open up.
There might be loyal subjects in the Han Empire
but there aren't many.
There's no turning the tables.
Are you just heading back to play the individual hero
in a doomed round of this game?
Since you'd let me head back there, how could you let me die?
What a glib tongue.
We definitely can't save the Han Empire with those fools in the imperial court.
The warlords are on the rise.
Every feudal lord keeps their own army and defies orders.
But they still, more or less, serve under one imperial court.
Cao Cao coerced the emperor into commanding the feudal lords.
What's the harm in having the emperor use that to his advantage?
We don't have military forces.
If we attacked from within, we'd be dooming ourselves.
However, if we make use of external forces
we might still have a chance.
Exactly.
Yuan Shao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, and Liu Biao all rose to power.
They are all great threats to Cao Cao.
While he's still away fighting against Yuan Shao in Guandu
it's a great opportunity for you and me to take advantage.
Yuan Shao's family served as one of the Three Excellencies over four reigns.
He holds power over the north with forces that exceed Cao Cao's.
He indeed holds leadership we can make use of.
When I get back to the palace, I'll have Yang Xiu contact Yuan Shao.
No, Yi He.
You just have to focus on playing your role as the emperor.
Don't let Man Chong and the others doubt your identity again.
As for your path, I shall pave it out smoothly for you.
We'll leave our names behind in history.
You'll become the emperor who restored the imperial family to glory.
However, I'll do so on one condition.
Is it that we can't meet up again?
Exactly.
When we finally turn the tables
I'll appear before Your Majesty with a new identity.
It's a deal.
Deal.
Your Highness.
Did Your Highness cry?
I didn't.
I witnessed my brother's death.
I often saw it in my dreams.
It felt as if I was pierced by blades and shot by arrows.
Yet I didn't dare to cry out loud.
I was afraid to affect the army's morale.
Sometimes, I only hid in my tent and let my tears run quietly down my face.
When I saw myself in the mirror, I was just like how Your Highness is now.
How about now?
I've grown up now.
I understand that crying doesn't help.
Some nightmares I have to tackle myself.
But once some nightmares become deeply rooted
they will be with you for life.
Do you often have nightmares as well, Your Highness?
Your Highness?
You're right.
Some nightmares have to be tackled by oneself.
Your Highness's encouragement got me through one of my nightmares.
You're indeed a handsome, resolute, and talented man.
Your Highness, I--
Fret not, Young Master.
I was just chatting casually with you.
I know nothing about matters that happened outside the palace.
I usually see Your Highness right by His Majesty's side at all times.
Why haven't I seen His Majesty all day?
His Majesty is simply too upset about Consort Dong's death.
He refuses to see the officials.
His Majesty doesn't wish to see anyone because he's sad.
But Your Highness had to end up tackling Kong Rong and those annoying officials.
Your Highness, you need not worry.
Whatever misunderstanding there is between the imperial family and my father
I'll protect Your Highness.
And His Majesty.
If Your Highness has any troubles, I'll surely do my best to help.
Today, I've seen how talented you are in civil and military skills.
You're even better than rumored.
I studied martial arts at the age of six and joined the army as a child.
I learned these skills so as to protect my country.
When troubled, I also often practice the sword dance.
I... I'm willing to perform for Your Highness.
Mother!
Mother.
Unfilial son.
Get down on your knees!
What is it, Mother?
Get down on your knees!
Mother!
Stop it, Mother!
What is it?
You asked me what it's about?
You'd even wield a sword at a general of the imperial court!
Speak!
Who allowed you to drive Zhang Xiu away?
He is our family's enemy.
Shortsighted fool!
You've sabotaged your father's plans.
Mother!
Stop hitting him, Mother!
Lady Bian.
Madam!
Zhang Xiu treated me impudently.
Second Young Master only intervened as he couldn't stand it.
I have to thank him for saving me from being humiliated by a brute.
Your Highness, you might not think that he acted too insolently.
However, if I spare him the rod
who knows how his father will punish him when he finds out?
Mother! Mother!
I'd ask Minister Cao to spare him
for my sake.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Do rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
You were keen on showing off before Her Highness
but you ended up being saved by His Majesty.
Shut up.
Stop blabbering on.
His Majesty arrives!
Greetings, Your Majesty!
Do rise.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
We'll hold the ritual tomorrow according to Minister Steward Kong's arrangements.
I'm ready.
The empress enters the imperial chamber.
You're all dismissed.
- Yes! - Yes!
I don't mean to do anything else.
I just wish to speak with you.
Does Your Majesty think that I wish to do something else?
Why have you returned?
You could've forgotten all about the capital
and been Young Master Yang again.
Isn't that what you've always wanted?
I can no longer forget...
that my brother and I have the same blood in our veins.
Wen County is my hometown.
As for this place...
This is my home.
Prove it to me.
Show me that you've given up on your cowardly benevolence.
How can I prove it?
Kill me with this hairpin.
Tell Cao Cao that I was the mastermind behind Dong Cheng's case.
I'll neither obey you again nor hurt you.
Devising strategies and in the imperial court, I'm the emperor.
I'll use my method to save the imperial family of Han.
And you.
I don't need you to save me.
You don't have to save someone who once deceived you!
Every life is equally precious.
From now on, don't think so little of your own life.
I won't allow such sacrifices anymore.
I don't want to hear you say so again.
Your Majesty, please don't be affectionate to me anymore in private!
Since we've made things clear to each other now
any forced tenderness toward me is humiliating.
In turbulent times, lives are treated slightly, like straw dogs.
In order to end the turbulent times, many were defiled
and their honor trampled to dust.
Your Majesty! Please don't... overlook their sacrifices.
[Ministry of Works]
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