We'll have to tell Liu Ji.
He's over there.
Liu Ji.
We've got a hundred men.
And they weren't easy to find.
We had to threaten them otherwise they wouldn't go!
Finding a hundred people is hard!
Damn right it is! Thankfully we found enough.
Half the men in the village were drafted. What about farming?
A great wall and the emperor's tomb to build. They need laborers.
I think we've done an evil thing.
Take the men away, you've got widows and orphans.
Oh, shut up! We all know it's evil.
So what?
We all know the way Qin law works. Disobey and your family dies.
Anyway...
this assignment from Mr. Xiao is taken care of.
So, I'd like to thank you all.
You've all done Mr. Xiao a great favor.
I'll go tell Mr. Xiao that we've done the job.
This…
But what is this for?
-Hey! Mr. Xiao told me to see him! -Leave! Get out of here!
Leave him alone! Let him in!
You can just tell me that I'm not allowed in!
-Why did you push me? -Liu Ji, come here quick!
Mr. Xiao,
a hundred workers, that took a lot of cajoling, are ready.
You owe me a drink.
They changed the requirement to 300.
Mr. Xiao, this is no time for jokes.
Do I ever joke around with you?
There aren't even 300 men in Sishuiting.
I'm not asking you. In ten days, have all the men.
Where am I gonna get another 200 from?
You are the chief constable.
You don't have a choice. You are getting the men!
What kind of chief I am? I quit.
You think I even want this job? Find someone else!
You're quitting?
Do you think I want the job?
Do you think I want to do something so disgraceful?
You listen to me, do it or we die!
We will die! All your friends in town will die!
Every single man in Sishuiting would die too.
Their wives and kids would be sentenced to slavery.
They would be forever condemned by that!
That is what the law of Qin says.
How many constables are there in Qin?
And how many of their families are dead?
You are a man, and that means you have to hold up!
You'll be helping me and helping yourself.
I really can't get 200 more.
No more men out there!
All right. I'll help you get 50 more.
Can we extend the deadline? Hey!
Oh, my!
Why the hell did I ever take this job?
Ji, it's just 300 laborers. I can go kidnap the men!
Bullshit!
Easier to say. In the whole village, Including children…
do we have 300 who can pee standing up?
Hey, Zhou Bo, say something!
Right.
How can you be silent at a moment like this?
Listen, I have to make sure you all know this.
At first, I wanted to protect you, to keep you here...
but right now, we need more men.
If we can't find enough men, you all have to go too!
-What? We have to go too? -Of course you do!
Ji, what do you mean?
What do I mean?
If we need more men, you have to go! And I can't help you!
That's what I mean!
But I heard that…
the ones who go, most of them never come back.
That's right, Ji. It's too far away and too dangerous.
Do you think I want to go? I don't!
They want 300.
Ji, then what are we gonna do?
You, Zhou Bo...
you have an old mother, so you can't go, right?
You have property, so you don't want to leave, right?
-I... -You think it's far,
so you hesitate, right?
And me? I'm scared to die!
If you won't go…
I have to.
Ji...
I have to give Mr. Xiao something…
so, he can show his boss.
I'm the chief here.
If I don't go, who will?
Ji, if you go, I'll go too.
I'll go with you.
Ji, I have to settle my family first.
I'll tell you my decision in two days.
So with that out there…
I'll still…
try to protect you, and keep you guys here.
But you have to understand that...
I’m not the one who can decide whether you go or not.
Now go home. I'm tired.
Let's go.
Ji. Ji.
What is it?
I've decided. I'll go.
You mean it?
Yeah.
You really are a friend.
We don't want you to leave us.
What about your mom?
Stop sighing like that all right?
I'll think of something.
All right.
I have an idea.
Bring your mother to my home.
My sisters-in-laws can look after her.
-But-- -Don't worry.
They'll take good care of her.
Thank you, Ji.
No need to thank me.
I should be thanking you.
Your enlisting saves me a lot of trouble.
You in the bamboo hat, you stop right there!
-Officers. -Where are you going?
-I'm running errands. -Take off your hat.
Excuse me. Is this the way to leave the town?
-Just follow the road. -Thank you.
No, there's nothing in here.
What do you have in the bundle?
Nothing at all.
Really, nothing at all.
-Go! Go! -Okay. Okay.
Stop!
A cart?
Impertinent slave! What are you doing out here?
Get in the cart right now. We're going home.
I'm so sorry. I'll go home now.
Go!
Thank you, sir. Thank you for saving me.
May I know your name?
Of course. I am Zhang Liang of Han.
Matters were pressing, so I was rude. Accept my apologies.
None are needed.
Thank you for saving my life. I will not forget it.
You say that your name is Zhang Liang?
Could it be that you are the Premier of Han?
I am.
It's an honor to meet you. No wonder...
you looked remarkable to me, one with great ambition and knowledge.
I am Xiang Bo of Chu, son of Xiang Yan.
A man of the Xiang family.
The soldiers are searching for you. You shouldn't show yourself in town.
I'll be honest with you.
My nephew, my brother, and I are constantly on the move
to avoid the soldiers.
I showed myself in town because I had no other choice.
If it suits you, you are welcome to travel with me.
But you'll have to disguise yourself as my servant.
Yes! I'm happy to!
If I may, I'd like to ask if Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu are also safe?
To keep our profile low, we separated and went different ways.
We will meet again in three years in Jiangdong.
As to whether they are safe right now,
or even where they are right now, I have no idea.
-Well. Step in. -Oh, okay.
Horses for sale!
I don't think your horse is worth much.
-Horses for sale! -Get on and ride it and you’ll understand.
Look at my horse! See how bright the mane is?
No, thanks. I'd like to see this one. I like the color.
Horses!
It's not bad.
I’ll take this one.
Horses for sale!
Sir, take a look at this horse, look at the mane.
Horses for sale!
Have a look. Excellent horses. Horse for sell.
Horses for sale!
Good horses here!
Horses for sale!
-Where are you from? -Me or the horse?
By "you", I meant you.
From Xiaxiang.
-From Xiaxiang? -Yes.
And this horse is also from Xiaxiang?
Yes. I rode it here to Wuzhong just last night.
Didn't even shoe it.
-Only this one? -Only this one. It walked whole day…
so it looks a little weak.
Hey, it's a common horse! It doesn't cost this much!
How can you say that Xiaxiang's horses are common?
You're also from Xiaxiang?
Is this…
a horse from my hometown?
The state of Chu is gone now.
Our state is gone now.
Just like our hometown is gone.
If that's the case, why bring it here?
This horse, so far from home
will never again eat the grass of home.
It won't grow strong, and won't be as proud.
A bad harvest, and high taxes.
We all hate the Qin, and we all pine for Chu.
Even men find life hard, horses too.
Qin has conquered the world.
The men and horses of Chu have nowhere to call home.
Now we have no home and no state. We are homeless…
with only this horse to keep us company.
When you left…
did the rain in Xiaxiang fall…
as before?
Yes. We had to wear bamboo hats
and pass through the rain to leave the city.
This is the most beautiful season in Xiaxiang.
And this horse…
has walked on the soils of home, and eaten the grass of home.
It came here through the drizzling rain of home.
And now, I am…
this homeless horse, alone and lost.
Ambitious heroes
Roam the expanse of land and sky
Many heroes died with their goals unaccomplished
Between heaven and earth
The meetings and farewells
through a pot of wine
They disappear with the rolling waves
Suffering is the soil in which they grow
There are heroes in the world
For the ideal world they dare to undergo the most intolerable.
Let's sing together!
They are the heroes of the world
They are the heroes
Of the world
Fresh pork!
New baskets!
Leave me alone.
-Mr. Xiang. -Morning.
-Mr. Xiang. -Oh, No. No. No.
Oh, right, this way.
Thank you for your help, Mr. Xiang.
Now the canals run through our fields.
We have fresh water, and our crops are growing.
-We’ll have a good harvest. -Excellent.
-But I still need a favor. -Tell me.
Ancestral sacrifices.
They are on the fifth of the month. Will you preside?
The sacrifice, we can discuss tomorrow.
You see,
I'm busy with the funeral for Mr. Li's mother.
If you have time, I would appreciate the help.
All right then. Say no more. Say no more.
This way, please.
Mr. Xiang! Come here!
But, I... How...
Mr. Xiang,
can you take this meat over to the Li family?
-All right, okay. -Thank you.
When I finish work today, I'll buy you a few drinks at the tavern.
Great!
-Mr. Xiang, how are you? -Yes, good, Mr. Zhou!
As Mr. Zhang said, we'd like you to stay and have a few drinks with us! Right?
Yes, that's right.
After my work, I'll come meet you.
Mr. Li needs his meat.
On his behalf, I'll thank you in advance.
-It's fine! -Of course!
Great! See you.
Great. See you. See you.
To console the late General Xiang Yan's spirit.
We ask Xiang Liang to lead the restoration of Chu!
All rise.
Mr. Xiang, since the death of General Xiang Yan,
we have been prepared to avenge him. Now, I have a question.
Then speak.
Mr. Xiang, do you have confidence in us?
Why do you ask?
There are thousands who wish to restore Chu
in Wuzhong and the nearby counties.
We can easily call on tens of thousands.
But why have you asked us to a sacrifice in this place?
And why did you ask us to serve Magistrate Yin Tong's men? It's...
We even helped him gather 200 corvée laborers.
We heard that they were sent to build the great wall.
Two days ago, the Wang family's three men came to join us.
But you refused them. Could you tell me why you refused?
In my opinion, rebuilding Chu
will take more than finding more soldiers,
and more than acts of resistance.
What we need are loyal, outstanding men of Chu like you.
But it also takes more than just good men of Chu.
We still need to preserve and build up our strength.
Sometimes we have to pretend that we are compromised.
and make us look like we are weak,
while in fact we build our strength.
Thus, when the time comes, we will have an edge over our enemies.
Qin's power is precarious.
If we appear to be friends of Yin Tong…
and maintain our ties…
and let him think we are allies.
Then when the time is right...
I think we will be ready to strike.
How long will we have to wait?
I'm afraid that we have to wait another year.
-Still another year. -In this year,
we should stay calm and patient, and continue to prepare.
Mr. Xiang, we will then wait, and we are at your command.
Mr. Xiang, last time you said you need a valiant man to command fighters.
Have you found such a man?
No, I think Mr. Xiang's nephew Xiang Yu is the right candidate.
-I agree. -Xiang Yu is the best!
He is the best candidate! There's no one better!
He is a good candidate,
but Xiang Yu has gone missing!
Mr. Xiang, you should keep Xiang Yu at your side.
For one thing, he can join our discussions.
Also, he can help us to train our warriors.
-Right! -We need to train our warriors!
Xiang Yu knows nothing at all...
of what we're planning.
What? He doesn't?
My nephew is my sword.
Today…
I haven't drawn it.
First, I want to protect him.
He has no father, I have no son.
Since Chu's overthrow, Xiang Yu is the only heir to my family line.
To me,
he's a son...
and I love him.
Second...
Xiang Yu is an intelligent man.
And he has great strength, equal to Chiyou.
He has natural talent. But he is
far more impulsive than most men.
From what I've observed of him,
he has been true all his life.
He is like a grown-up child.
Just now I said...
we need another year...
most of you looked agitated.
If Xiang Yu was here...
if he were calm, he would be like a stone.
If he were angered...
before I finished explaining...
he would fly out the door to the street, draw his sword, and kill.
I jest, but I know him.
For now, I'll conceal him.
If I don't, he can't be stopped.
So remember,
before it's the right time, Xiang Yu must not be told.
-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!
Mr. Zhong, my nephew wants to learn martial arts.
Please accept him as your pupil.
For years, I've refused students.
I can teach him some sword skills. But I won't be his master.
Thank you, Mr. Zhong. It's kind of you to help him.
My honor.
Sir, what will I learn first?
First, learn manners.
I am Zhong Bixue.
This is the Shuixin sword.
Length, 85.5 centimeters,
width, 4.6 centimeters.
Now what should I say?
Just follow my lead.
You should say, I am Xiang Yu.
This is the Dingqin sword.
Length, 92.5 centimeters, width, four centimeters.
I am Xiang Yu. This...
Why do you laugh?
It feels like I'm a stupid village boy...
or like I'm a carpenter.
Please, sir, is there another way to teach me?
Silence. To learn the sword, you must listen to me!
Do what I say, no compromises!
If you don't listen, then I won't teach you!
Sword skills, what are they to be used for?
Swords are your mind.
The highest attainment is when sword and mind are one. It nurtures you.
As for those only want to kill with the sword,
they are nothing but witless thugs!
Fine. I have a question I'd like to ask you.
-Then ask. -When you defeat me, I can tell you.
All right. I see you need a lesson today! You are too arrogant!
What are you doing? A children's game?
Sir, if this was a life-or-death fight, which of us would die?
I would die.
I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
You...
Don't you want to ask me a question?
I have the answer!
Excuse me, does the horse have a name?
Who is outside? What do you want?
My apologies, miss. The sweet sound of your guqin drew me here.
Is the sound of the instrument, or the sound my playing?
Both. In this mad world…
it's very rare to hear such graceful, refined melodies.
In this mad world…
grace is something only attainable in moments alone. I play for amusement.
Miss, goodbye.
Wait. The horse whip in your hand…
is exquisite.
Can you perhaps sell it to me?
No, miss, I apologize.
This whip is very significant to me.
To me it's the symbol of someone I miss.
Oh?
I guess...
that must be a woman who you love.
My apologies.
Understood.
I won’t insist on it.
Goodbye.
Who are you? Why did you follow me here?
I want to borrow something.
Really? What is it you want?
I wanted to borrow that.
Since you know I have a sword now, I'm afraid I have to take your life.
How about a bet? If I can take your sword, you should give it to me.
Now even your life is in my hands. What will you bet with?
You lost.
What is it you want?
Give my sword back.
As a gentleman, you shouldn't break your word.
You lost the sword to me. Am I wrong?
I won't break my word. I admit that I lost.
Wait!
Give my sword back, or kill me now.
I don't want to give it back, and I don't want to kill you.
Then I'll have to follow you.
I'll put it this way, either you or I will have to die here.
You are stubborn.
I think I'd like a friend like you. I am Xiang Yu of Chu.
First, my sword, then we'll be friends.
Yu Ziqi.
Xiang Yu.
Why did you offend your master?
You should know it was not easy at all to persuade him to teach you.
It's not easy to listen to him.
That idiot wastes too much time talking.
If we were in a life-or-death situation, would all that talk do any good?
It takes philosophy! Swords are not for killing!
Nor are they for talking. He has nothing to teach.
Well, then what do you want?
To defeat ten thousand people!
Military books say,
generals command… with authority.
But only training…
can make soldiers win wars.
When morale is high, warriors spare no effort to defeat enemies.
A general, must mean what he says.
And his orders should be consistent.
He must praise and punish…
both justly and fairly.
In this way, he can win trust from his warriors.
And with their lives, win countless battles.
Orders must stand. Understood.
Act based on facts, and use strategies to fight.
This is what a general should do.
But, winning battles and killing enemies...
depends entirely on a general's soldiers.
I understand all that you've said.
But this sounds to me like common sense. Need I learn these things?
Without studying, you understand?
That isn't what I meant.
An unruly general is a hopeless cause.
He can't train disciplined soldiers.
Undisciplined soldiers can never defeat an enemy.
A general that cannot lead…
creates decadent troops.
Decadent troops lead to low morale.
Using an army like that to fight wars...
leads to terrible results.
All this, I understand.
But, Uncle, after all that…
How should 100 men fight? How should 10,000 men fight?
What of battle tactics? When to counterattack? I heard nothing.
Because it's not the time to tell you.
Studying war requires a foundation.
Good chefs taste everything...
before they start cooking.
I want to learn to defeat t 10,000, not this silly pedantry!
How can you call this silly pedantry?
You don't want to learn sword, and you refuse the art of war?
If you won't study, what will you accomplish?
How will you avenge the invasion of Chu?
I swear to you, it will be done!
Subtitle translation by Vicky Wang