Episode 84
Three Kingdoms
On the Prince of Wu's orders:
Ma Su, envoy of Shu-Han, is to enter for an audience!
The Prince of Wu wants to reenact the story of Li Yiji talking to the King of Qi during the Chu-Han times.
It seems likely that either me or the Wei envoy will be cooked alive today.
Ma Su pays his respects to Your Highness.
Since you are an envoy, why do you not kneel before His Highness?
The messenger from an empire
does not kneel before the lord of a small state.
Ma Su, is your purpose in coming here to emulate Li Yiji and coax me with mere words?
Let me tell you this,
I detest nothing more than persuasive talkers.
Guards!
Here!
Throw this arrogant fellow into the oil cauldron and fry him.
Aye!
One moment!
I do not need you to lay hands on me.
I will throw myself into the cauldron.
Many claim that Wu is full of talented people,
but I never imagined they would be afraid of a mere scholar like me!
Wait.
Why would I fear a fellow like you?
If you do not fear me, why are you afraid to hear me speak?
Were you not sent as Zhuge Liang's spokesman
to persuade me to ally with Shu and fight against Wei,
therefore helping Shu out of a pinch?
Wrong.
Today I come here not to save Shu, but to save Wu.
Save Wu?
Save Wu? What a joke!
Shu is the one surrounded by enemies now, not Wu.
Your Highness, since you know the story of Li Yiji persuading the King of Qi,
how can you not know the story of Bian Que and Duke Huan of Cai?
In Bian Que's view,
lords who have contracted fatal diseases are often ignorant of the stage of their illness.
Go ahead and speak your piece.
If your words do not suit my taste, go throw yourself into the cauldron.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Your Highness,
you are an exemplary lord.
Likewise, our Prime Minister is one of the greatest talents of our time.
If we are allied, all the land shall know peace.
But if we are to become enemies. one will perish and the other will fall soon after.
Furthermore,
Shu has mountainous terrain for its defense.
whereas Wu is protected by the three rivers.
If we are allied and cooperate with each other,
we can advance together to conquer the world. or stay back and maintain the balance of power.
But if you help Wei to attack Shu out of greed for the small gains those scoundrels offer you,
and Shu thus perishes, may I ask how long Wu can defend against Wei?
Wu will be vanquished in the end!
On the other hand, if Shu can push back Wei's armies. will my lord still wish to ally with you?
No, Shu and Wu will then become deadly enemies!
Your Highness,
Wei, Shu, and Wu are like the three legs of this cauldron.
If one falls, the whole world will swing out of balance.
Likewise, Wu and Shu are like the two legs of a man.
If either leg is lost, the man cannot stand on his own.
Your Highness, have you ever seen anyone cut off his own leg with a sword?
Very well.
Since Your Highness wishes to betray our pact and hand over the Southland's 81 commanderies to Cao Pi,
l am willing to leap into the cauldron myself to retain my honor and reputation.
Wait.
What?
Is there not enough boiling oil in the cauldron?
What eloquence and courage you have, sir.
Please come to the rear hall to speak further.
Your Highness, such a huge cauldron full of oil should not be wasted.
What do you mean?
Since the envoy of Shu is not destined to climb into it,
please cast the messenger of Wei inside,
to make clear to the whole world your intention to ally with Shu against Wei!
Call forth the envoy of Wei!
On the orders of the Prince of Wu.
The envoy of Wei shall approach
My lord, our scouts reported that
the four armies attacking Shu have all been repelled by Zhuge Liang's strategies.
Oh?
Tell me how.
The tribal king Kebineng led his.troops to Xiping Pass.
But upon encountering the Shu General Ma Chao,
he retreated without a fight.
Meng Huo, King of the Nanman, rose against the southern four commanderies of Shu,
but he fell victim to Wei Yan's decoy ruse
and suffered great losses to his armies.
He was forced to retreat back to his lair.
Meng Da of Xincheng led his army midway, but fell ill suddenly
and could not advance further.
After moving out from Yangping Pass, Cao Zhen, Grand Commander of Wei,
had to face Zhao Zilong, who defended every strategic passage.
He was unable to gain ground. and thus pulled his troops back when he ran out of provisions.
Cao Pi is indeed not a match for Zhuge Liang.
If my lord did not cast the envoy of Wei into the cauldron that day,
I fear we would have made Shu our enemy again.
Even if we avoided making Shu our enemy, we have still sown a grudge against Wei.
I fear that since Wei did not succeed in invading Shu, they will take revenge on us for it.
Do not fear, my lord.
This time we granted a favor to Shu.
If Cao Pi dares to invade our borders.
we may request reinforcements from Shu.
All these years,
whether I have chosen war or peace,
I have decided solely based on our own strength.
Only if we are strong will others be willing to support us.
Ziyu.
Inform Lu Xun at jingzhou and Zhu Huan at Shangcai
that they must train their troops harder and be on guard for an attack by Cao Pi.
Yes, sir.
Your Excellency!
Your Excellency, all four invading armies of Wei have retreated.
According to the reports, Sun Quan did not send even a soldier to join them.
Youchang, you have played the most important role in repelling the enemy this time.
I must thank you for that.
This is the least I could do, sir, to repay you for having taught me these many years.
I do not dare claim the top honors.
Do you know who it was that advised Cao Pi to attack Shu from five directions?
The information may not be accurate,
but I have heard it was someone called Sima Yi who devised this plan for Cao Pi.
Sima Yi?
Sima Yi, styled Zhongda.
He is approaching his fifties.
He is currently a Deputy Secretariat
and has always held a civil position.
Before Cao Pi ascended the throne, he was his retainer.
As he has never before led troops into battle. we cannot gauge his proficiency in warfare.
Judging by the scheme that he proposed to Cao Pi,
this man will sooner or late become an important figure in court.
From here on, keep an eye on him for me.
Understood.
His Majesty arrives.
All officials, pay your [respects to His Majesty.
Long live Your Majesty!
Rise.
Thank you. Your Majesty.
Every army in this campaign against Shu returned empty-handed,
and it was a complete waste of money and provisions.
Tell me, what is the cause of this failure?
Your Majesty, I believe the cause of this failure lies with Sun Quan,
who ostensibly promised Your Majesty to send reinforcements. but secretly allied himself with Shu!
Moreover, he actually dared to fry the envoy of our great kingdom alive.
Isn't this utterly, intolerable?
That's right.
Hua Xin, how goes the construction of the warships I ordered you to supervise?
Your Majesty, the 3,000 warships have>all been built.
Fifty thousand naval troops are being drilled right now.
We also have 10 Imperial Boats, each 200 spans in length and capable of holding 2,000 soldiers.
Good.
Cao Xiu!
Yes, Your Majesty.
How are the preparations going for weapons and provisions?
All 1,500,000 bushels of provisions are ready.
Of these, 500,000 bushels have already been transported to the Hefei region.
Hear my orders!
I have decided to raise a combined land and naval force of 350,000 men
to invade Wu this fall!
This time, I will lead the army personally!
I swear I will not return until I have conquered the Jing region!
Yes, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, I am terribly ashamed for not having achieved success in the Shu campaign.
Please allow me to atone for my crimes by deploying me to the front lines!
Your Majesty, I volunteer to lead the vanguard against Wu. Should I fail, please execute me!
I volunteer to accompany Your Majesty on the campaign
I also volunteer to accompany Your Majesty on the campaign!
Good!
Your valor and bold aspirations greatly assure me.
Zhongda,
why have you been silent?
I implore you to punish me, Your Majesty.
What have you done to deserve punishment?
The plan of the recent attack on Shu was my idea.
That it failed, despite all of the generals' efforts. was my fault.
Although Your Majesty did not punish me.
how can I be at ease?
As I've already said, the failure of the Shu invasion was caused by Sun Quan.
You do not have to blame yourself.
Thank you for your leniency, Your Majesty.
However, there is something else that I deserve to be punished for.
What is it?
There is something I must say, which, once said, will certain incur Your Majesty's wrath.
Say it, say it, just say it already.
Your Majesty, I beg you not to send troops to attack Wu.
Why not?
Since the failure to conquer Shu was Sun Quan's fault,
if our armies attack Wu now. wouldn't Zhuge Liang go to Wu's aid?
In my opinion, as long as the Shu-Wu alliance shows no sign of breaking.
we will be unlikely to overcome either Shu or Wu.
Then what do you propose?
I propose that you emulate His Late Majesty's example, and spend ten years building up our military power.
After ten years, Wei will be even greater and more prosperous.
Also, in less than ten years, Wu and Shu will once again come into conflict.
Either Zhuge Liang will try to conquering, or Sun Quan will try to conquer Yi.
When that time comes,
Your Majesty may take advantage of the situation, and strike down both of them at once!
I am approaching my fourth decade!
How can I wait another ten years?
Furthermore, if their alliance does not disintegrate. and they instead come together to attack Wei,
would I not have lost a perfect opportunity?
My decision to attack Wu is final.
I will not change my mind.
Sima Yi,
I will not punish you, but you need not waste any more words on this.
Go home.
I am going to discuss military matters now.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Close the gate.
Father, why did you advise His Majesty not to attack?
Aren't you bringing disgrace on yourself by doing this?
If I did not do so, he would punish me even more severely.
Why?
Are you saying this campaign against Wu will fail?
There is no doubt about that.
Why is that so?
At this point. His Majesty's desire to annex Wu is no less than that of Liu Bei mere years ago.
What sort of people do you think Sun Quan and Lu Xun are?
How can Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu be a match for them?
Moreover, Zhuge Liang will undoubtedly dispatch a powerful general from the Riverlands
to attack Chang'an while His Majesty is campaigning against Wu.
The outcome of this campaign is easily predictable.
I will offend him whether or not I speak.
Since punishment is unavoidable, it's better to ask for punishment directly
than to wait for someone to malign me and claim that I harbor treachery and deceit.
Father, you've brought this minor disgrace upon yourself today
in order to avoid a disaster in the future.
I am deeply impressed.
Besides, you might also have noticed that
His Majesty still refuses to use me.
Those campaigning with him are still his royal kinsmen.
Just as Si ma Yi predicted
while Cao Pi was away on the campaign
Zhao Yun of Shu marched, from Yangping Pass and attacked Chang'an.
Lu Xun also led his troops to victory at Guangling completely routing the Wei forces.
Utterly defeated, Cao Pi, Emperor of Wei, nearly lost his own life as well
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty.
Zhongda, come in and sit down.
I dare not do so.
Sit!
You see this?
I contracted a lung disease when I was 17,
and it could not be cured.
It only got worse after my ascension.
I knew nothing of this.
You are not the only one.
Even His Late Majesty was in the dark.
If he knew that I would not live long.
would he have allowed me to succeed him?
You are right.
Zhongda,
do you understand now
why I desperately wanted to invade Wu?
Yes, I understand now.
Tell me then.
Your Majesty wanted to achieve something great within your lifetime.
You are absolutely right.
Zhongda,
if I had only listened to your advice earlier.
maybe I wouldn't have lost this battle.
But on the other hand, I would have become a ruler with no accomplishments to my name.
Why didn't you send me to attack Wu then?
Even in my dreams, I have wished to accomplish great deeds for you in battle.
I will definitely make use of you.
His Late Majesty mentioned before, only you...
only you are fit to oppose Zhuge Liang.
Zhongda.
I want to ask you something.
If you receive command over the military.
who can keep you in check?
I understand.
Never in my lifetime will I take control of the military.
Enter.
Your Majesty.
Announce the decree.
Sima Yi has served the imperial family loyally for 25 years.
He diligently carries out his orders and is of exceptional wisdom and valor.
He bears hardship unwaveringly and without complaint.
Thus, he shall be appointed as Chief Commander of the Elite Cavalry.
He, together with Commander-in-Chief Cao Zhen and Regent General Cao Xiu,
will be in charge of all military affairs of Wei. Thus We have decreed.
Thank you. Your Majesty.
Zhongda, Zhongda, oh Zhongda.
My son Cao Rui...
please take good care of him.
Support him well.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Huh?
Yes, Your Majesty.
I am exhausted.
Leave now.
Your Majesty.
In the seventh year of his reign, Cao Pi, the emperor of Wei
passed away at the age of 40 without any accomplishments.
Master, your soup is ready.
What is the matter?
He is dead.
Who?
Your master.
But aren't you my master?
He is also my master.
You mean His Majesty?
Indeed.
His Majesty...
but he was only 40!
he passed away at the mere age of 40...
but I, Sima Yi, had to wait until I was over 50 before I was granted military power.
Oh, Jingshu...
Your master was a good emperor and ruler.
What a shame that the Heavens will to ruin us!
If the Heavens want to ruin us,
what can I do?
What can I do?
With him succeeding the throne. our kingdom will definitely achieve hegemony.
Your servants Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu pay their respects to Your Majesty
Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, there is no need for such courtesy.
Come and sit.
Thank you. Your Majesty.
Goodness, goodness.
Goodness!
Your Majesty is such an outstanding man!
Your countenance glows with such imperial grace that it blinds my eyes!
When I stepped into the gates of the palace,
I was overwhelmed by your heroic aura!
Such an exemplary ruler must be-Heaven's gift to our kingdom of Wei.
A heavenly gift indeed!
Not only are you my seniors in the family. you are the most important officers in the empire.
I look to you for guidance in the future.
The unfulfilled cause of the Founding Emperor and His Late Majesty
must be accomplished during my reign.
Your Majesty's great ambition dazzles me like the mid-day sun.
We will contribute our utmost efforts.
I think, before we take care of foreign aggression, we must settle internal affairs first.
If Your Majesty desires to achieve hegemony, you should reform the imperial court and rid it of treacherous officials.
Oh? Who are the treacherous officials, then?
Your Majesty, the late Martial Emperor once told me in secret
that Sima Yi has preying eyes and must not be entrusted with military power.
Otherwise, he will eventually bring disaster on our state.
Sima Yi secretly harbors great ambition.
He has patiently laid low for all the years he served under His Late Majesty.
Back then, even His Late Majesty would only employ him with proper precautions.
Unexpectedly, His Late Majesty, in a moment of carelessness before his death,
allowed Sima Yi to steal the rank of Chief Commander of the Elite Cavalry.
This is truly alarming.
our Majesty, please forgive my bluntness
As you have only come to rule recently. you should only grant military power to those of the Cao family.
Sima Yi has long held great ambition. and is well-versed in military strategy.
Both his eldest son, Sima Shi, and his second son. Sima Zhao, have an unusual aura about them.
The Sima clan has flourished for the past 100 years.
Their disciples, old acquaintances, trusted followers, and cliques
are everywhere both inside and outside the court.
Your Majesty, I had a nightmare last night.
In my dream, I saw three horses feeding from the same manger.
and I felt terror upon awakening.
Your Majesty, the three horses are in fact Sima Yi, Sima Zhao and Sima Shi.
Feeding from a manger—they will devour us!
So what shall I do?
In my opinion, you should banish him from the capital. send him to a border town,
and deal with him slowly in the future.
Very well.
Sima Yi has yet to commit any wrongdoing.
If I get rid of him suddenly, there will be trouble.
Lets do this.
I shall make him Grand Commander of Yong-Liang and have him defend the border.
Without my orders. he will not be allowed to return to the capital.
Father!
You must have some good news.
Really?
Oh. That is bad.
I shouldn't show it on my face. No, I really shouldn't.
So what is it?
Close the door.
Hurry, close the door.
Father, do tell me already!
Careful.
The fish finally swims into the great ocean, and the dragon now soars into the skies!
If I .continued to stay in the capital. I would eventually have been killed by those schemers.
But-who would have guessed that those morons, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu, would have me exiled to Yong-Liang?
Little did they know
that is the place of my dreams!
it is a crucial stronghold of our state.
Furthermore, while Yong-Liang is remote,
If Zhuge Liang dares to invade us, Heaven itself would be granting me a chance to earn merit.
Before his great task was finished. the late Emperor was taken from us."
The realm is now split in three, while Yi Province is exhausted "
this is truly the juncture at which our survival hangs in the balance."
remain diligent in their domestic duties,"
Despite that, those who serve you
while brave and loyal men defend your borders with their lives."
This is because they remember the late Emperor's kindness. and wish to repay him through service to you.
I once wore the cloth of a commoner, tilling the fields of Nanyang,"
desiring only to preserve my life in this era of chaos,"
and not to make myself known in the courts of the nobles."
The late Emperor spurned not my humble origins"
but deigned"
to visit me at my cottage thrice,"
inquiring of me the way to settle the world."
Moved by that, I pledged myself to the late Emperor's service."
Later, when we were met with defeat, I was appointed to office at the critical moment,"
and took up command when all hope seemed dim. And it has been 21 years since."
Knowing of my prudence, the late Emperor entrusted the future of the state to me.
Since I took my post, I have worried from dawn to dusk every day,
worrying that I would not live up to this trust, or that I will tarnish his reputation as a judge of character."
Now that the south is secure and we have soldiers and arms in abundance,
we must rally and inspire our troops and march north to retake the Central Plains."
Despite my inability, I will do my utmost to cleanse the world of villains,"
to renew the Han dynasty, and to reinstate the old capital."
I implore Your Majesty to entrust to me the task of destroying the rebels and restoring the dynasty."
If I do not succeed, may I be punished"
to appease the late Emperors spirit."
Words would not be able to convey my gratitude."
In tears I wrote you these lines, and know not what more to say."
Minister Father, you have recently pacified the southern lands with your seven captureVof*Meng Huo.
You have barely settled down, arid you already wish to lead a campaign to the Central Plains?
How...
how can I feel at ease letting you go?
My main reason for the southern campaign was/to prepare for the-northern one.
If our hinterlands were not secured. we could not safely march forth.
Now that the south is pacified. and we need not worry about our back.
is this not the best time for us to campaign north and retake the Central Plains?
Your Excellency, I have deep admiration and respect for your aspirations.
However, Wei is powerful, and defeating them will be truly difficult.
Our territory is a land of plenty protected by steep mountains, with vast farmlands and abundant food.
Even if we don't set our eyes on the Central Plains, we can still hold our own.
Why would you desire to plunge yourself into peril. Your Excellency?
Zhengfang, you are mistaken.
Our country may be vast, but it is constrained to a remote corner.
If we only strive to defend ourselves, we could hold out for maybe 10 or 20 years.
But what happens 50 years later will be hard to say.
If the Riverlands could really guarantee everlasting peace,
why did the Founding Emperor Liu Bang have to march north 400 years ago
and conquer the Central Plains in order to achieve hegemony?
Because he had foresight.
He concluded that, even if he did not attack others, others would attack him.
Those who,only seek self-preservation will be least able to preserve themselves.
Only through expansion can hegemony be achieved.
Your Majesty, I observed the constellations last night.
The royal presence of the north is strong.
I fear we cannot best it.
I too have observed the constellations of Heaven, but I have also seen their movements.
I understand very well that the ways of Heaven are oft-changing. and Man must hot hold rigidly to them.
Your Majesty, after I launch the expedition,
so that l can observe Luoyang carefully.
I shall station the troops at Hanzhong,
Once the situation is clear, will march directly on the Two Capitals.
If I am not victorious, I am willing to accept your punishment.
Hear my orders!
I hereby appoint Zhuge Liang as Grand Commander Who Conquers the North,
in addition to his positions of Prime Minister,, Protector of Yi, and Marquis of Wuxiang.
Select an auspicious date to invade Wei!
Yes, Your Majesty.
All the generals of Shu shall be yours to command, Minister Father.
Generals, heed my orders!
General of the Leaping Dragon, Guan Xing, will be the leader of the Left Guard.
General of the Winged Tiger, Zhang Bao, will be the leader of the Right Guard.
Wei Yan, Marquis of Duting,shall be General Who Subdues the North.
Ma Dai, Marquis of Chencang, shall be General Who Racifies the North.
Military adviser Ma Su shall be General Who Pacifies.the Distant Lands.
Yes, Sir.
Li Hui shall be General Who Secures the Han.
Liao Hua shall be Lieutenant-General of the Vanguard.
Wang Ping shall be Major-General.
Yuan Lin shall be General of the Front.
Wu Yi shall be General of the Left.
Cao Xiang shall be General of the Right.
Deng Zhi shall be Inspector of the Army.
Ding Xian and Liu Min will be the Left and Right Guard Captains.
Du Yi shall be Military Adviser.
Yan Yan shall be Deputy Military Adviser.
Fan Qi shall be Deputy Registrar of the Army.
Fan Jian shall be the Secretary of the Army.
Your Excellency, why did you not name me?
Zilong, you are already over fifty years old.
A couple of days ago. Ma Chao died of illness.
Among the Late Majesty's Five Tiger Generals, only you remain.
I am unwilling to let you continue risking your life on the battlefield.
Please stay and defend Chengdu instead.
Ever since I joined His Late Majesty,
I have fought on the front lines of every battle, major or minor.
Today, four of the five tiger generals have passed away,
and I feel all the more lonely as a result.
If you do not appoint me to lead the vanguard today,
I shall kill myself right here by ramming my head into this column!
Heed my orders, Zilong.
I will appoint you as General of the Vanguard.
You will command 20,000 elite soldiers*ahd 10 lieutenants.
Yes, Sir.
After Zhuge Liang pacified the south
he sought to fulfill Liu Bei's wish to restore the Han and repay the trust given to him.
Thus, he rallied Shu's troops, marched forth from Qishan and began his first northern campaign.
The entire world trembled as the Shu army marched to war.