Episode 21
Do you want to die earlier than Yang Xiu?
My lord, control over Jingzhou is just a shod-term benefit.
Unification of lands cannot be achieved overnight.
Registrar Yang's suggestion is tactical...
but not pragmatic. It is a shod-term solution...
that leads to a serious consequence.
My lord, unless we destroy Sun and Liu's alliance...
Wei will forever be attacked from two sides.
My lord, never forget...
Forget what? Speak.
My lord, never forget the lesson from the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Well said.
I've been rude. My lord, please forgive me.
Are you happy to see Yang Xiu confined?
I have no desire to compete with Registrar Yang.
I only wish for your victory.
This is my responsibility as a commander of the forces.
You're good at hiding as well.
Yang Xiu can no longer assist Zi Jian.
I want you to assist Zi Jian.
What say you?
I am mediocre.
I'm not good enough for Young Master Zi Jian.
Moreover, Young Master Zi Jian...
will not let me assist him.
Please make a sound judgement.
You're right.
It's too late.
You may retire.
I shall excuse myself.
My lord, I have another request. -Speak.
I'd like to visit Registrar Yang.
You really love to visit prisoners.
Time slides away quietly. But, I have no enemy in my life.
I only see friends, teachers and elders.
Thank you, my lord.
My lord.
Time slides away quietly.
What do you think about...
his suggestion?
My lord, we should still gather a few advisers...
to discuss about it.
You all believe that I can join hands with Sun Quan?
Sima Yi's strategy is indeed the safest.
The truth is, everyone can tell that...
I can no longer conquer Jiangdong...
and unify the lands of China.
Is that so?
Why am I not surprised to see you here?
You are so concerned about me lately.
Have you thought of a solution that doesn't involve a relocation?
Joining hands with Eastern Wu to defeat Guan Yu.
That's feasible.
I'm impressed.
Zhong Da, have you ever feared me?
What a pity. We've fought for so many years.
Yet, we can only be enemies.
I've never seen you as my enemy.
You are like a mirror to me. Seeing you is like seeing myself.
When did our competition begin then?
It began that year...
under the blade in front of Hanzhang Hall...
when our eyes met.
It's been so many years. In conceit...
I helped Zi Jian to fight against Cao Pi, you...
and even the king.
But, in the end, I realised that...
I've only been fighting for myself.
I thought I'm 30 miles faster than everyone else.
But, it turned out that it is my intelligence...
that gets me killed.
Yet, what can I actually gain?
The truth is, we are all just...
“pawns to others. We can't change the outcome.
We can only fight for...
holding the black or white chess.
L...
firmly believe so.
I'm glad there's someone who understands me so well.
Zhong Da, if there's wine here...
we should really drink together.
Yang Xiu is guilty of weakening the army's morale...
by spreading a rumour.
He shall be executed immediately.
Zhong Da, my fate has changed for the better.
Wine came as I wished! Come! Bring the wine over!
Good! Come.
I wish I can drink with you.
But, this is my last cup of wine.
Zhong Da, forgive me for being rude.
I've to keep it for myself. -De Zu.
If you don't mind...
I'm willing to...
share the wine with you.
Share.
Fantastic!
Take me out!
Zhong Da, the king is an overly suspicious ruler...
and Cao Pi is an insidious man.
If Cao Zhi wants Zi Jian dead one day...
I hope you can protect Zi Jian.
This is my last wish.
I will keep that in mind.
Farewell.
By the way, do you know the difference between you and me?
I'm all ears.
You can endure while I cannot.
I'll be waiting for you in the afterword.
If you can endure until the end, come and tell me...
if there is a difference between...
leaving now and leaving then.
Farewell.
Father!
Stop him. -Father!
Father! Mercy!
It's all my fault! I give up the position of the crown prince!
I don't want to fight with Brother Zi Huan anymore!
Just spare Yang Xiu!
Please spare De Zu! Father!
My lord, it is time! -Execute.
Yes! -Father!
Father!
I beg of you, father! I beg...
Father, kill me instead!
Father!
De Zu!
My battle mount is never unsaddled.
My Armour is never away from my side.
Year after year I battle.
Year after year I return in failure.
I'm 65 years old this year.
Though the holy tortoise lives long...
its days have their allotted span."
"An old battle mount might be stabled...
yet it longs to gallop for a thousand more miles."
My lord.
My...
Kill!
Kill the horse!
My lord, you...
Zhong De.
I just had a dream.
My lord, what did you dream of?
I dreamt of three horses eating from the same manger.
I don't know what it indicates.
Three horses eating from the same manger?
Three horses?
Could it be three men related to horses?
Go. Tell De Zu to come.
I want him to interpret my dream.
My lord.
Registrar Yang is gone.
Yes. De Zu is gone. -But, my lord...
before he died...
I heard him saying something to Sima Yi.
Speak.
Alright. Go.
Tell Sima Yi that since it is his idea...
he shall go to Eastern Wu to obtain the covenant for me.
Yes.
Who do you take Sun Quan for? Will he accept the king's offer?
He had a glorious victory at the Red Cliffs back then.
I can't believe you came up with such idea.
A conqueror should not just possess...
charisma and power.
He needs the wisdom to size up the situation too.
In this era of war...
there is no eternal victory or enemy.
But, rumour has it that Sun Quan...
has purple beard and green eyes.
Purple beard and green eyes? Doesn't that make him a monster?
I wonder if we will meet Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao.
Rumour has it that they are exceptionally beautiful.
I'll meet Sun Quan with you. - My dear, you don't have to...
meet the King of Wu with me.
I'm disguised as a man. Others won't mind.
Besides, I'm not here for a vacation.
Whether they welcome us with weapons or shows...
I'll stay by your side.
If you meet King of Wu with me, King of Wu will say...
"the envoy of Wei looks so ordinary...
but his guard looks so handsome and graceful."
What if Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao fall for you?
I'll take them away.
Alright. King of Wu will surely attack Wei by then.
My dear, look. We've arrived.
Who is Sima Yi? How come I've never heard of him?
My lord, Sima Yi...
is just a man in his 30's. He is a low-ranking official.
He used to be a civil official under Cao Pi.
He just managed to get promoted to...
the position of the commander of the forces.
From what I gathered, Sima Yi has not made...
any contribution in the court of Wei.
He is an incompetent man who relied on his father...
to secure a position.
Cao Cao is having a hard time in this war.
By right, he must have sent an envoy for an important reason.
But, why did he send someone so insignificant?
Wei is facing both internal and external threats.
Cao Cao is out of capable men.
We must not underestimate our enemy.
My lord, you may rest assured.
Cao Cao is at a major disadvantage now.
He sent Sima Yi to Jiangdong...
only because he wants to borrow our strength.
My lord, you must not be careless.
You can leave this matter to us.
I understand.
I shall excuse myself.
Mr. Zhang, when Zhuge Kong Ming came as an envoy back then...
he was only 27 years old.
I don't believe that...
there is another man like Kong Ming in this world.
I hope so.
Guards. -Yes.
Summon Lu Xun. -Yes.
The king summons Sima Yi, the envoy of Wei!
I am Sima Yi, commander of the forces of Wei.
Upon the order of my king, I came to pay my respect to...
the general guarding Jiangnan.
Since the 13th year of Jian'an Reign...
I've been eliminating the rebels with King of Wei.
I've long admired King of Wei.
But today, King of Wei is stuck outside of Fancheng...
with no aid. How regretful.
Our king knows that you are loyal to Han Dynasty.
As such, he sent me to deliver...
a decree of installation by the emperor.
The emperor has installed you as...
General of Fast Cavalry...
Governor of Jingzhou and Marquis of Nanchang...
to join hands with King of Wei in eliminating rebels.
Sir, please set up a censer as per the rites...
and receive the decree.
Wait.
I am Zhang Zhao. May I know if this decree...
was written by the emperor or King of Wei?
It's a decree. Of course it's written by the emperor.
The emperor is confined in Xudu.
King of Wei is commanding the warlords in the emperor's name.
Everyone knows this much. I don't think my king should...
accept this decree. - Mr. Zhang, you're wrong.
In the past, when the emperor was in trouble, no one lent a hand...
and Han Dynasty was on the verge of collapse.
King of Wei aided the emperor with respect...
and even built a palace for His Majesty.
He led the army personally...
to attack the rebels and gather loyal warlords.
He unified the Central Plain.
Without King of Wei...
the emperor and country would be non-existent today.
Yet, you accuse him of confining the emperor.
Your treacherous words are shocking and appalling.
Allow me to ask you a question.
Back then, when the emperor was having a hard time...
where were you?
When Dong Zhuo rebelled, 18 warlords attacked him.
Only General Sun's father and King of Wei went all out to fight.
General Sun's father and King of Wei made a blood oath...
and swore to support Han Dynasty together.
King of Wei still cherishes and respects this bond today.
Mr. Zhang, questioning King of Wei...
is no different from questioning General Sun's father.
Do you want to use your disloyalty...
to make General Sun an unfilial son?
I'm talking about the present and not the past.
Confucius said, "a filial child does not...
deviate from the way of his father."
In the past, General Sun's father...
was given the authority to attack the rebels by the emperor.
Today, General Sun is also given the authority...
to attack the rebels.
What is wrong?
Attack the rebels? Who are the rebels?
Guan Yu in Jingzhou.
Guan Yu holds the title of Marquis Shou of Han...
granted by the emperor himself.
Jingzhou is a former territory of Eastern Wu.
Why would we attack our own territory?
I see. Jingzhou is a former territory of Eastern Wu.
But, why is it that Guan Yu is the one...
who keeps all the money from the land tax?
In the 19th year of Jian'an Reign...
General Lu Meng led an army to attack Jingzhou.
He captured Changsha, Lingling and Guiyang Prefectures.
Why did your general attack your own prefectures?
That... -Mr. Zhang, please sit down.
The incident at Jingzhou was just a misunderstanding...
caused by many years of conflicts.
It's unimportant.
I lend Jingzhou to Liu Bei as his temporary base.
Liu Bei is my brother-in-law.
We're one family. He'll return it in a few years.
This is my family business.
I shall not trouble King of Wei.
In the past, King of Wei confronted me at the Red Cliffs...
with an army of millions.
He can't be afraid of Guan Yu, right?
I'm afraid his soldiers have been drowned by Guan Yu.
After the Battle of the Red Cliffs...
the king often claims in grief that...
if Zhou Yu is still alive...
Liu Bei will not be so unrestrained.
Guan Yu is just Liu Bei's general.
Yet, he has no respect for Eastern Wu.
If Jingzhou is not returned in a few years...
I'm afraid the entire Jiangdong...
will fall into Liu Bei's hands.
King of Wei intends to help you to...
get rid of your closest threats.
Unfortunately, you all are still delusional.
One family? May I know whose son...
Guan Yu's daughter will not marry?
How dare you! Sima Yi! How dare you speak so rudely!
I'm going to teach you a lesson!
Take this!
Who are you? -Just an envoy.
As if I care!
Is this the magnanimity of Eastern Wu?
- How rude! -My lord!
Retire.
Yes! -Yes.
Mr. Sima, please tell me the details of Cao Cao's proposal.
I dare not be dishonest.
Wei has dispatched an army of 450,000 soldiers...
to attack Guan Yu. On the other hand, Guan Yu...
has less than 50,000 soldiers and 100 ships.
He might have won once, but he was just in luck.
He might be brave, but his is unsustainable.
The army of Wei have the options of attacking or guarding.
Even if we withdraw, there will not be any loss.
But, if Guan Yu's army of 50,000 soldiers...
turn to the east...
General Sun, what can you do?
Guan Yu is just a small threat to Wei.
But, to Jiangdong, he is a direct threat.
If you all cannot see the urgency of this matter...
aren't you all delusional?
That's not the truth.
Clearly, King of Wei sent you to beg for our help...
"because he cannot win against Guan Yu.
Yet, you are claiming that he is trying to help Eastern Wu.
How shameless and laughable.
Mr. Sima, you are truly eloquent.
However, I still need to discuss with my subjects.
Please wait in the inn. Do you mind?
This matter concerns the legacy of Eastern Wu.
Please consider carefully.
My lord, why are you going easy on him?
King of Wei found a gifted man.
- You won. - Only if they can defeat Guan Yu.
You still won. I thought I would need to...
fight to take you out of Eastern Wu's palace.
It's a pity they don't get to see...
Brother Chun Hua's grace.
Brother Zhong Da, I didn't expect you...
to be so eloquent either.
You must have held back for a long time.
Please enjoy. Are you from the north?
Try this. It's delicious. -Thank you.
My dear, please go ahead.
It's freshly caught fish. -Yes.
You should try it too. -After you.
It's really fresh and tasty.
Even though I'm so relaxed at this moment...
I cannot forget about the longstanding war out there.
When will the war end?
Brother Bo Da, I'm sorry for disturbing.
General Bo Yan, please help yourself.
Brother Zhong Da, our eyes only met once in the court
I can't believe you remember me.
General Bo Yan, you are an outstanding man.
I dare not be ignorant. - Brother Zhong Da, I'm flattered.
Your personal guard is such a remarkable heroine.
You are a real charismatic figure.
I'm flattered. General Bo Yan, the truth is...
this is my wife, Zhang Chun Hua.
My wife is 10 times stronger than me in martial arts.
I brought her along for the sake of my own life.
I see. Greetings, Mrs. Sima.
Greetings, sir. -Alright.
Please sit down. -Alright. You too.
Brother Zhong Da, you are so observant of our customs.
Have you learnt anything? - Jiangnan is a fertile land.
The Central Plain cannot be compared to this place.
Jiangnan has 100,000 elite soldiers...
millions of people...
fertile lands and the Yangtze River.
Will King of Wei emerge victorious?
The millions of people will all defend the cities.
King of Wei has travelled far to come here.
He cannot win.
There is continuous war in the Central Plain...
and in Jiangdong, the influential families compete.
The people here live in peace and do not desire war.
I'm afraid Eastern Wu...
is unable to acquire the north as well.
What do you suggest?
We should form an alliance to attack Guan Yu...
and give the people a break with an armistice.
Does King of Wei desire an armistice?
The continuous war has exhausted our state.
The same goes for Eastern Wu.
This is why Liu Bei rose to power.
But, he knows that he cannot attack the north.
So, where do you think he will attack?
But, how do you convince the King of Wu that...
Wei does not intend to attack and acquire Eastern Wu?
Are you able to make decisions for King of Wei?
I cannot make decisions for King of Wei.
In this case, how do you gain our king's trust?
General Bo Yan, King of Wei is already 65 years old this year.
Brother Zhong Da, are you saying that...
you can make a promise on behalf of the crown prince?
This is all I will say.
I get it.
Bo Yan, what is your opinion?
I believe Cao Pi will become the crown prince of Wei...
and the one who will affect his decisions...
will surely be Sima Yi.
You'll be the deputy general. Trick Guan Yu by claiming that...
General Lu Meng is ill and attack Guan Yu from the back.
Do you think you will stand a chance?
My lord, I am young and inexperienced.
We have many strong generals.
You should not send a young man like me.
When Gong Jin defeated Cao Cao at the Red Cliffs...
he was younger than you.
Sima Yi is around the same age as well.
You are capable but not yet famous.
Guan Yu is conceited. He will surely underestimate you.
We can catch him off-guard.
But, most senior officials...
assert that we should remain as Liu Bei's ally.
I'm worried about...
Since I dare to send you...
you are surely capable of doing it.
I will not disappoint you, my lord.
Liu Bei has Zhuge Liang and Cao Cao has Sima Yi.
Eastern Wu has a young and sharp general like you.
Bo Yan, do you dare to contribute?
My lord, I will not let you down.
You encouraged him?
What did Sun Quan say?
Sun Quan said that...
he'd rather pledge allegiance to you...
than obey the emperor...
because you are the destined supreme ruler.
This green-eyed man is trying to get me into trouble.
How did you reply him?
What? You agreed with him?
I told Sun Quan that...
our king is destined to be...
another ruler like King Wen of Zhou.