Episode 7
Administrator, there's trouble!
Shu's army is just 5km away from the city!
Nonsense.
Isn't Shu's army fighting General Xiahou at Ji Valley now?
Why would they be at Anding?
It's true! Take a look, please, Administrator!
Zhuge Liang is here.
Administrator, what should we do now?
Open the city gate and surrender.
Open the city gate!
Uncle! -What's wrong?
An army is approaching Xincheng! -Whose army is it?
It's Sima Yi's army! -Sima Yi's army?
Yes. -They reach so soon.
They only have 5,000 men. There's nothing for us to worry about.
He's attacking the city!
He's attacking the city? -Yes!
Hurry up!
One! Two!
Hurl!
Hurry up!
Don't panic! Let's defeat the enemy! Hurry up!
Wei's army is trying to knock down the gate!
The gate is going to collapse soon!
Follow me there! -Hurry up! Follow us!
Hurry up!
Sima Yi! He lied to me!
Xian'er, we have to run! Let's escape to Shu! Come on!
Xian'er, what are you doing?
You're of no use to Zhuge Liang, but you are still useful to me.
I'm your uncle!
Waiting for the right price, uncle, that's what you taught me.
Traitor!
I'm Deng Xian. Greetings, General.
General Deng, please rise.
You chose to stay loyal to Wei instead of joining your uncle.
I'll surely inform the Emperor and give you the credit you deserve.
Thank you, General. -Did Meng Da plan to rebel?
Meng Da indeed colluded with Zhuge Liang.
He's been contacting Zhuge Liang and planned to surrender to Shu.
This is the letter between him and Zhuge Liang.
Is this a letter from Zhuge Liang? -That's right.
I have been framed!
Sima Yi, don't get the wrong idea. I'm a minister of Wei.
Do you remember the time...
...the Emperor, you and I travelled together?
You shouldn't do this. - Things are not as you imagine.
While the late Emperor was still around, I told him that...
...you're a double-crosser and shouldn't be...
...trusted to defend the border.
It looks like I was right.
Sima Yi, you wrote in the letter that...
...Zhuge Liang is trying to play us off against one another.
Why are you doing this to me now?
If I didn't say this, I would have been the one trapped instead.
I bet you didn't expect I only took eight days to travel 600km.
Sima Yi, I'm a close friend of the late Emperor.
I'm different from the rest. I want to see the Emperor with you.
Look at the things you're planning with Zhuge Liang...
...and you claim that you miss the late Emperor a lot?
You said you want to meet the Emperor.
You're close with the late Emperor, right?
Then you should meet the late Emperor.
Execute him. -Bring him out.
Sima Yi, you're killing an innocent to claim credit!
Shut up, double crosser! Execute him!
Take this for me, please.
General Deng, it's been hard on you.
Please get some rest.
Thank you, General.
All of you may leave. -Yes.
Is Meng Da his biological uncle?
Aren't you in pain? -I am.
Then sit down. -Yes.
General Sun, are you fine? -I'm used to getting hurt in wars.
Shi'er. -I'm fine, father.
Good boy.
Father, Zhuge Liang is not that smart
He left an important city to a loser like this.
Zhuge Liang didn't expect General Sima to...
...travel 600km in eight days.
Zhuge Liang should be on his way to Xincheng right now.
If so, we'll be facing Shu's army soon.
I heard that he's very clever. We shouldn't underestimate him.
We're in charge of defending the city now. Our men are exhausted.
We should be well prepared and...
...not give Zhuge Liang any chance to strike.
Brother, you have to stafl working on the defence of the city.
Meng Da's plan to rebel is thwarted.
Why did Zhuge Liang only send his general to the rescue?
Meng Da is a traitor and a double-crosser.
Maybe Zhuge Liang didn't trust him either.
Sun Li and Sima Fu.
Yes.
Check out the areas around Shangyong and Xincheng.
Get our army to camp.
Order everyone to be ready to decamp anytime soon.
Yes.
Father, where else are we going?
Xinoheng is an important city. Shu's army is here...
...without its main force.
Where is Zhuge Liang?
"Looking at the east from afar."
Administrator Ma, Shu's army is already outside the city.
Please issue an order for us to fight.
Brother, this...
The Administrator has abandoned the city.
Brother, what should we do? We should get away, too!
We're all from Tianshui.
Our families are here. Where can we go?
We're not high-ranking officers.
If we run while the city is under attack, we wouldn't be spared.
The Luoyang officials were crooks.
They had been bullying the locals all this while.
Since they ran away instead of protecting us...
...why should we fight for Wei? Brother, let's surrender!
Brother, let's surrender! - Brother, you're talented.
The Luoyang officials had been mistreating us.
Why don't we just surrender to Zhuge Liang?
Brother!
Please do it for the sake of us! -Yes, brother!
Open the city gate!
Jiang Wei, the Administrator ordered us not to open the city.
What do you think you are doing?
The Administrator has abandoned the city.
For the sake of the people, open the city gate.
This is treason! -Save your breath.
Do you want to fight me instead?
Open the gate!
Open the gate.
This is the complete map of Xincheng.
The best spot for defence is Shangyong.
It's easy to defend, but hard to launch attack from there.
We have news!
General, Shu's chancellor Zhuge Liang's messenger is here.
Bring him in. -Yes.
Ham's chancellor Zhuge Liang has a letter for General Sima Yi of Wei.
Where are you from? - I came from Hanzhong.
Please get some rest.
"I've been thinking about it for long.
General Guan's soul still lingers and is watching it."
Instead of helping Guan Yu, Meng Da surrendered to Wei.
You've killed Meng Da.
Zhuge Liang is going to battle us in Xincheng...
...in the name of seeking revenge for Guan Yu.
They're coming to Xincheng. Luckily we're here first.
Zhuge Liang has always been thinking about Xincheng.
He never gives up on Chang'an and Jingzhou...
...the two routes in north and south.
Should I order our men to...
"strengthen our defence to stop...
...Zhuge Liang from entering the city?
We have news!
Shu's army is out of Ji Valley after General Zhao Yun...
...defeated General Cao Zhen and General Xiahou there.
You may leave. -Yes.
Ji Valley?
Where's Zhuge Liang's main force? Why is there an army at Ji Valley?
No one knows where he is. He moves far more mysteriously...
...than we imagined.
Zhuge Liang is good at military strategies and creating diversion.
Didn't the messenger say that he's from Hanzhong?
That means Zhuge Liang's army...
...is on its way from Hanzhong to Xincheng.
I wrote the letter to Meng Da at Wancheng...
...and claimed that I was in Luoyang.
One who fires the first shot gains the upperhand.
In this battle, Zhuge is having the upperhand now.
We should not act recklessly.
We can only act according to the situation.
Sun Li. -Yes.
Order everyone...
...to strengthen the city defence yet be prepared to leave anytime.
Yes.
Zhuge Liang waged a war in Qishan...
...and seized Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding almost effortlessly.
What is General Cao Zhen doing?
What is Xiahou Mao doing?
Didn't they claim that they had stopped Zhuge Liang...
...at Ji Valley?
Didn't Sima Yi say that Zhuge would go to Xincheng?
Where on eaflh is Zhuge Liang now?
How many Zhuge Liang are there in this world?
Your Majesty, Zhuge Liang is cunning.
The army led by Zhao Yun in Ji Valley was just a decoy troop.
As for Meng Da in Xincheng...
...it's a plot to divide our military force.
He seized this opportunity to seize the three districts.
You keep saying that Shu is weak and we have all the best people.
Zhuge Liang single-handedly fooled my two regents...
...and sent them to opposite directions.
He seized those three cities at the border almost effortlessly.
The new policy has been implemented for years.
Is this the best it can do?
Please forgive us, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, in my opinion...
...since Zhuge Liang is trying to divide our military strength...
...we should summon Sima Yi back immediately.
It'd be too late. Zhang He.
Yes, Your Majesty. -You'll be General Cansheng.
Yes. -I'll go for the war in Chang'an.
Your Majesty, you shouldn't go by yourself.
Please summon Sima Yi and assign him instead.
The border is dangerous. Please think twice, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, you shouldn't do this by yourself.
Your Majesty, please think twice. You shouldn't do this by yourself.
I'll never give up any inch of land left by my ancestors.
Send this to Master Zhao of Sima Mansion immediately.
Ask him to send it to Xincheng. -Yes.
Hurry up. -Hold on.
Father.
This is a great opportunity for Sir Sima to defeat Cao Zhen.
That's only if he defeats Zhuge Liang.
If he loses the battle, he would be dead once he's back.
Do you think he'll win the war? -He's never lost before!
Well, you don't know anything about Zhuge Liang!
You...
Father. -Father, Zhao'er is here.
Father.
Why are you here? -This is a letter from Zhong Hui.
I'm worried, so I decided to deliver it myself.
Let him sit. -Okay.
I can't sit down. Father, I'll just stand.
What's wrong? -I'd been travelling...
...and didn't take a break. I ended up scraping my feet.
Hou Ji. -Yes.
Let him lie down. -Yes.
Master Zhao, please don't move.
Come here.
Here.
What's the news about?
Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding...
...have all been seized by Zhuge.
The Emperor is on his way to Chang'an now.
How can the three districts...
...be gone so soon?
Sima Shi.
Father. -Tomorrow you and I...
...will lead 100 men to Chang'an. -Yes.
Brother, you and Sun Li shall bring the army there later.
Brother, things are uncertain yet. Cao Zhen is still in Chang'an.
If you go there with our men...
...that's deploying the army without the Emperor's permission.
Things are uncertain yet in Xincheng.
Uncle is right. Father.
Why don't you wait until Cao Zhen loses Chang'an?
He wouldn't be able to do anything by then.
Then it'd be up to you to save the day.
Father, don't you want to see Cao Zhen becoming a failure?
You're smart, aren't you?
Do the three districts belong to Wei?
Yes. -If Zhuge claimed Chang'an...
...Wei would be gone...
...yet you're still thinking about...
...nothing but political trickery.
Repeat what you said just now.
Do you still consider yourself a citizen of Wei?
Go back to Luoyang! -Father!
I will never say anything like this again.
I know the situation you're in. I just...
...want to join you and share your burden.
Please give me a chance to hone my skills in a war.
Feel free to punish me if I make any mistake.
Please don't leave me behind.
If you don't agree to it, I shall continue to kneel here.
Father, since Zhao're is already here, just let him stay.
We don't know what he would do if he're to go back to Luoyang alone.
If he's here, we will know what he's doing.
Help him to apply some medicine. -Yes.
Father, have you agreed to it? -Get lost.
I can walk by myself. -Be careful.
Brother, the Emperor has always been distrustful of our family.
The Emperor may blame you for acting without his permission...
...even if you managed to protect Chang'an.
Brother, Zhuge would never stop until he claims Chang'an.
Cao Zhen won't be able to stop him.
If I seek the Emperor's permission...
...I'd have to wait for his reply.
By the time I depart from Xincheng, it might be too late.
Brother, even if you go now...
...are you confident to fight Zhuge Liang?
It looks like..
...he's trapping me in Xincheng...
...to avoid fighting me in a war.
It shows that he fears me to a ceflain extent.
If Zhuge Liang views me as a rival...
...I consider that a compliment.
I respect Zhuge Liang a lot, too.
If I don't go to Chang'an...
...and fight him in a war...
...I would surely regret it for the rest of my life.
I have made up my mind.
You don't have to persuade me any further.
Yes.
Wei's Emperor Cao Rui will lead 100,000 men to fight us.
There're two routes from Chang'an to Hanzhong.
General Zhao Yun managed to stop Cao Zhen at Ji Valley.
Another one is the path for us to transport our provision.
Jieting is the most crucial point there.
We need to guard it well.
If Jieting is safe, then the entire Longxi will be safe.
Even if Cao Rui is here...
...he won't be able to stop us.
Chancellor, I'll lead the men to protect Jieting.
General, I know you're courageous...
...but it's a tricky spot.
One will need more brains than brawn there.
General, I have other missions for you.
Yes.
I will defend dieting.
Ma Ji, you've been following me in planning military moves.
I'm sure you know the impedance of...
...the path for transporting provision for an army.
If we lose Jieting, our army would not get to move forward.
Wei's army would go all in...
...and all we had been doing in the war would be in vain.
We might even lose the three districts in Longxi.
Yes, I know. I've been following you since I was young.
You want to restore the Han dynasty to repay the late Emperor.
I know it perfectly well and I have been thinking about it, too.
Chancellor, you've taught me everything.
You've never miscalculated nor made a mistake in a war.
You're willing to risk everything to repay the late Emperor.
I will do the same for you, too, Chancellor.
If I'm assigned to defend dieting, I'll kill all enemies.
Chancellor, don't worry.
Though you've been following me for years...
...there're rules and regulations in an army.
If you fail to defend dieting, I'll not spare you.
I'm prepared to risk my life. I know you would be fair.
I promise I'll win the battle. I'll do a written pledge.
Prepare the written pledge.
You'll be the reason whether our Northern Expedition succeeds.
You have to be cautious. Never underestimate your enemies.
Yes, Chancellor.
Chancellor, though Ma Ji is knowledgeable...
...he has not led an army before.
If he defends dieting, will he be able to stop Zhang He's army?
One relies more on brains than brawn in a war.
I'm well-read in military strategies.
I will not act rashly just to claim credit.
You...
Chancellor, General Wang Ping is experienced.
You should appoint him as General Ma's deputy.
Chancellor, Jiang Wei is right.
Ma Su and Wang Ping.
Yes. -You shall lead 25,000 men...
...to defend Jieting.
Yes.
Ma Su.
Yes, Chancellor?
Remember to camp at the main path...
...so that the enemy won't get to sneak in.
Once you've camped there, send me a drawing...
...of the paths and the terrains. -Yes, Chancellor.
Ma Su.
Chancellor. -Consult Wang Ping before you act.
Once the military order is issued, it can't be changed.
If you manage to defend Jieting...
...you'll contribute greatly in helping to seize Chang'an.
Remember that.
Yes, I will. I'll be careful.
Good bye.
Chancellor, General Wei had brought most of our men.
You're alone with 10,000 men, mostly old and weak, in Yangping.
Wouldn't it be risky?
I'd sent Zhao Yun to stop Xiahou Mao...
...and used Jieting to lure Wei's army.
There'll not be much of Wei's army...
...along the route from Qishan to Chang'an.
Wei Yan can seize the oppoflunity to claim Qishan.
We'll go straight to Chang'an.
By then, we shall be able to restore Han dynasty.
Jiang Wei, I trust you just like how I trust Ma Su.
Don't worry. Just voice whatever that's in your mind.
You'd managed to...
...trap Cao Zhen and Xiahou Mao with your clever plan.
However, dieting is a crucial part of the plan.
If we ever lose dieting, we'll never get to proceed.
Ma Su is good at devising military strategies.
I hope he can live up to my expectation.
Stop!
General, the Chancellor told us to camp at the main path.
This is the perfect spot. Please order them to chop the woods...
...and camp here. -We'll go up the hill.
General.
The Chancellor had planned everything...
...yet he missed the fact that the hill is a strategic location.
This is the perfect spot. We can station ourselves here.
General, the Chancellor told us to camp at the main path.
Instead of using the main path, you're thinking of camping here.
What if Wei's army strikes and surrounds the hill?
General Wang, you only know how to repeat the Chancellor's words...
"instead of being flexible.
You're as naive as a child.
General. -According to theories...
...on a higher spoL...
...one stands a higher chance to win.
When Wei's army is here, we'll hurl stones at them from here.
They'll surely panic.
General Wang, Lu Xun stationed his men at a higher spot...
...for an ambush on Cao Xiu and Sima Yi...
"scaring Wei's 150,000 men away.
This hill is different. The water source is down there.
If Wei's army blocks our water supply, our men would panic.
We have news!
The Chancellor sent his order in a letter for General Ma.
See, the Chancellor ordered us to camp at the main path.
General Wang, you're only a deputy.
Who are you to call the shots on where we should camp?
Order everyone to camp on the hill and wait for Wei's army here.
What do you plan to do if Wei's army cuts off our water supply?
Sun Tzu said, one will fight to live when he's in modal danger.
If that indeed happened, our men would fight to the death...
"instead of giving up.
I'm well read about wars.
Chancellor discusses everything with me.
Who are you to call the shots? Order everyone to camp here!