Episode 24
- Sir. - Where's Zhong Da?
Cao Zhang led his army to surround Luoyang.
What? This... -They are all trapped in Luoyang.
How could he do this? -How dare he!
He's too audacious!
Zhong Da...
told me to bring this back.
The imperial seal of Wei.
Father.
Mrs. Sima. -Sister Chun Hua. Physician!
Send her to the royal harem. Let Lady Guo take care of her.
Servants!
Hurry. Escort Madam Zhang.
Sir, the country cannot survive one day without emperor.
Please succeed to the throne quickly!
Yes, Crown Prince Cao Pi! - Please succeed to the throne!
The crown prince has the right to the throne.
But, without the emperor's decree...
we dare not act on our own. - He's right! Please think twice!
We need a leader now!
Sir, the state needs a new king!
You overly conservative scholars!
The world is shaken by the demise of our king!
Today, we are threatened by Sun Quan and Liu Bei...
as well as our own corrupt officials!
The country will plunge into chaos by the time we receive the decree!
I'll be too late to regret it by then!
Crown Prince Cao Pi.
This is an emergency. For the sake of the state...
please succeed to the throne quickly!
No! Sir, please think twice!
Sir, please succeed to the throne!
Enough!
I have yet to attend my father's funeral...
or receive the emperor's decree.
Succeeding to the throne so soon...
will make me disloyal and unfilial.
This is exactly what they wish for.
Cao Zhi and Cao Zhang will have excuse to attack me...
in my father's name.
Chen Qun. Wu Zhi. -Yes.
Convey my order. Gather 50,000 soldiers...
to escort me to Luoyang. -Yes.
Sir, please think twice!
Sir! My sister-in-law put her life on the line...
to deliver the imperial seal...
and my brother put himself in danger...
for your ascension!
If you hesitate because of the rites...
the state will be in peril!
Please think twice! -Sir!
No one can go against my order!
Sister Chun Hua.
You finally regained consciousness.
- How did you fall so ill? - How long have I been asleep?
Has the crown prince succeeded to the throne?
The king has just passed away.
The coffin hasn't being brought back.
The crown prince can't succeed to the throne yet.
They have rebelled in Luoyang.
Zhong Da sent me out with his life at stake.
The crown prince must succeed to the throne immediately...
to save him.
Sister Chun Hua.
Drink some medicine first. I will go and take a look.
What do you want to say?
Sir, you've gone through so much with Brother Yi.
Do you understand why he sent Sister Chun Hua to...
deliver the imperial seal to you?
If I ignore the rites and succeed to the throne...
it'll seem like I'm afraid of them.
I won't let people find an excuse to criticise me.
I want to punish the rebels with a proper reason.
Sir, are you planning to attack Luoyang?
- They chose this themselves. - But, what about Brother Yi?
He's trapped in Luoyang. If you attack Luoyang...
Cao Zhang might kill him.
Women...
are not allowed to interfere in state affairs.
You could have left. Why did you come back?
I've sent out the imperial seal.
As the deputy funeral commissionen...
of course I must come back to join you.
It doesn't help.
It will help.
Come.
We are both imprisoned and the officials are confined.
This shows that the Marquis of Yanling...
has no confidence in usurping the throne.
Besides, his army and family of 400,000 people...
are not in Luoyang.
Who will dare to rebel with him?
Hopefully, the crown prince will succeed to the throne...
and assure the armies as the new King of Wei.
Wei cannot afford a civil war.
I'm most worried about the crown prince.
It's been too unfair to him.
He must not be swayed by emotions this time.
Did the crown prince agree to ascend the throne?
He refuses to go against the rites.
He intends to attack the rebels as the crown prince.
Sister Chun Hua, his status as the crown prince...
has always been unstable.
He has been subjected to a lot of unfair treatments.
He's too concerned about his reputation.
But, if he attacks, Cao Zhang will kill Zhong Da!
If he wants a proper reason, I will give him a proper reason!
Let's go to the queen.
You mean, if the queen...
approves his succession to the throne...
Yes. - It's not against the rites?
Tell Brother Fu to come. -Alright.
Your Highness, the fate of Wei...
is in your hands!
Sun Quan and Liu Bei are waiting for an opportunity to attack us.
How can you bear to see the king's legacy...
destroyed overnight?
Zhang Er and Zhi Er are my sons as well.
That's exactly why you must issue an order...
to let the crown prince succeed to the throne immediately.
If he claims the title of King of Wei...
perhaps his two brothers will give up.
If we wait until...
the two princes declare their independence...
the state will be in danger and Your Highness' three sons...
will be killing each other. Your Highness...
can you bear to see this?
You want to save your brother and I want to save my sons too.
If I ask them to come back at a time like this...
they will be killed in Yecheng.
How did we come to this?
Your Highness, the crown prince isn't like that.
It's true that he has been treated unfairly...
and that he is bearing a grudge.
But, he has the ego of a ruler.
He is concerned about his reputation in history.
So, he definitely won't kill his brothers.
Your Highness, only you can save Wei now.
Let the crown prince succeed to the throne.
Please issue the order.
My late father favoured the Marquis of Pingyuan...
in naming his heir.
You all are the witnesses. My father left behind a will...
to pass his throne to his fourth son, Cao Zhi.
Tomorrow, we will hold Zi Jian's coronation here.
But...
The late king's will was written down by Sima Yi.
Where is Sima Yi?
Wei has a crown prince. There is no reason to...
let another prince succeed to the throne!
Forget it.
Your blood will dirty my hall.
Guards! Take me out and slash him to death!
Brother Zi Wen, you can't do that. -Traitor!
Traitor!
Who else dares to question my father's will?
Advisor Cheng, do you want to provoke me too?
Marquis of Yanling, I must capitalise on...
my seniority today.
I am 15 years older than the late king.
The late king had never pointed a weapon at me.
When the late king was dying, the officials present were...
Mr. Jia Kui, Mr. Sima Yi and me.
Since the two of them are not around today...
I need to say something fair.
All officials heard the late king's will.
There's nothing about reappointing the crown prince.
The Marquis of Pingyuan is the late king's favourite son.
You've sewed the late king for so long. How come you don't know?
You're in no position to speak.
Preference is one thing. But, this is state affair.
When the king was alive...
he did not let his personal preference affect his decisions.
Yet, two of you intend to divide Wei...
with your military power.
Aren't you afraid of angering the late king in heaven?
What if Sun Quan and Liu Bei take the opportunity to attack?
I've sewed the late king for 20 years.
We painstakingly fought and worked...
to build the State of Wei and conquer the Central Plain.
I can't bear to see Wei repeating Yuan Shads mistake.
If the two of you really wants to rebel...
please kill me.
I'm already 80 years old.
I'm tired of wars.
Old thing, you think I don't have the guts to do it?
Fine. Today, I will use your blood...
to paint this hall!
Brother Zi Wen! Stop killing!
Sir. -Move! Let go of me!
No! -Sir, you must not do this.
He is well - respected in the military.
Killing him will anger the soldiers.
No.
Fine. I will spare you for now.
Tomorrow, we will kill Jia Kui and Sima Yi...
and crown the Marquis of Pingyuan!
I don't believe that...
our army of 400,000 soldiers in Luoyang...
is not enough for us to establish our own state.
We've gathered all troops.
Please instruct us. -Depart!
Yes! -Sir.
The situation in Luoyang is unclear. You cannot go.
I'll pick up my father's coffin personally. No one can stop me.
The queen has arrived!
Mother.
The late king has passed away. There is no one leading the state.
I dare not hide like a coward in a crisis like this.
My son, Cao Pi, is the crown prince...
appointed by the late king.
He shall succeed to the throne immediately...
to assure the people. -Mother.
I don't want to be called a disloyal and unfilial son.
Sir, succeeding to the throne is loyalty...
and obeying your mother is filial piety.
Please ascend the throne immediately.
Zi Huan.
Look at the big picture.
Yes, mother.
Zi Huan.
Your younger brothers are immature.
For me and your father... -Mother.
That'll depend on whether Jia Kui and Sima Yi are alive.
If Zi Jian and Zi Wen have done something reckless...
I cannot spare them out of favouritism.
Sima Fu.
Yes. -Draft a decree.
Dispatch an army to Luoyang. -Yes.
It's you. Why did you move so quietly?
I suddenly recalled something.
Many years ago, I visited Brother Zi Huan...
and he pointed a sword at me as well.
So many years have passed. I still don't understand why.
Yes, you're clueless. Else...
you wouldn't lose the position of the crown prince.
You're right. If it isn't for you...
even if I return to Yecheng, Brother Zi Huan won't spare me.
I'm glad you figured it out. Brother Zi Huan...
is a hypocrite who is only sincere on the surface.
He's actually the most paranoid and meanest.
We gave him a lot of troubles over the years.
Do you think he will cherish our brotherhood?
We've occupied Luoyang.
We are commanding an army of 400,000 soldiers.
He only has an army of 50,000-60,000 soldiers in Yecheng.
Even if we cannot capture Yecheng...
we can still compete on equal terms with him...
in Luoyang. Then, we will conquer Jiangnan.
Isn't this way better than...
being confined in Yecheng like him?
I know nothing about military affairs.
From now on, I'll leave it to you.
Don't worry. We share the same mother.
We're also very close.
I can't bear to let him bully you.
Brother Zi Wen, let's drink. Ever since father passed away...
I've been confused and restless.
Tonight, we shall celebrate our reunion...
and wish ourselves good luck tomorrow.
You really love liquor.
Alright. Come.
Come. Let's drink for our reunion.
I'll congratulate you for your coronation tomorrow.
Sit down.
Servants! Serve wine!
Brother Zi Wen.
Stop right there.
Brother Zi Wen ordered me to take them out for interrogation.
He wants to give them a chance before they die. Open the door.
How come the general isn't here with you?
Brother Zi Wen has so many things to handle tomorrow.
He can't waste his time on trivial matters like this.
This is Brother Zi Wen's token.
I'll become King of Wei tomorrow.
Do you dare to stop me? -I dare not!
Leave. I want to interrogate them alone.
What's wrong? You think I can't handle them on my own?
Am I so useless? -We dare not think so.
- How's your injury? - It's nothing serious.
Sir, aren't you going to interrogate us?
I've been disappointing my father.
But, I don't dare to rebel.
I have Brother Zi Wen's token which can take one of you out.
Tell Brother Zi Huan about the situation in Luoyang...
and persuade him to succeed to the throne.
I thank you on behalf of the crown prince.
Without further ado, please send Mr. Jia out.
You're younger. You're also the crown prince's trusted aide.
You should be the one to leave. -Let's not argue.
If I want to leave, I would have left 5 days ago.
You're an important official. You're more influential than me.
We need you to gain the officials' trust.
Mr. Jia, this is for the sake of the state.
If you stay, how do I explain to the crown prince?
The crown prince will understand.
Sir, without further ado...
please send Mr. Jia out out of the city.
What about you? -I only need clean clothes.
I'll prepare food for you. You may get some rest first.
Thank you, sir. -Let's move.
Who are you?
The Marquis of Yanling ordered to not let anyone...
leave the city!
I'm the Marquis of Pingyuan.
This is the messenger the Marquis of Yanling...
sends to Yecheng.
What is your proof?
The token of the marquis.
One token only allows one person to pass through.
What a joke.
I'll become the ruler of Luoyang tomorrow.
How can I leave?
Open the gate! -Open the city gate!
Mr. Messenger.
Have a safe trip.
"Good wine is sewed in palace high."
"Friends are invited from far and nigh."
"Cooks have prepared a sumptuous feast."
"They have slaughtered fat sheep, cattle and beast."
"The western lutes play lofty strains."
"The eastern, harmonious refrains."
"The host offers pieces of gold."
"The guests wish him to live till old."
Zhong Da, how's your injury? Can you drink liquor?
I've just escaped death. This injury doesn't matter.
However, I'm an unrefined man.
I'm not good at composing poems. But, I know that you love liquor.
I'm willing to drink with you.
Only liquor can make me forget my problems.
For this turbulent night, cheers.
Cheers, Young Master Zi Jian.
Zhong Da, I'm quite envious of you sometimes.
If it isn't for you, I'll still be in the prison now.
Why do you envy me? -I envy you...
"because you are in full control of your head.
I envy you for your relationship with Brother Zi Huan.
It was Brother Zi Huan who taught me to read and fight.
There was a bond of brotherhood between us.
Ever since he found you and I found Yang Xiu...
the two of us started drifting apart.
I have brothers as well.
We've always been supporting each other.
Sir, you and General Cao Pi share the same parents.
Blood is thicker than water.
The two of you will make amends one day.
That's impossible. You know Brother Zi Huan better.
Human head is like a block of jade.
If it's broken, even if you put it together again...
you can't restore it to its original condition.
When I chose to compete with him...
I predicted this outcome.
Zhong Da, you must find me really pathetic.
Sir, in my opinion...
many wonderful things in this world...
are more worth pursuing than power.
For example, your poems.
Even after a thousand years...
they will still remain splendid and inspiring.
Cheers, Young Master Zi Jian.
"Man's life is but the morning dew."
"Past days many, future ones few."
Fate is so cruel.
Cheers. -Cheers.
Greetings, sir.
Sir.
Sir!
Who is it? -Sir.
Did you free Sima Yi and Jia Kui? -When did I free them?
Last night, the Marquis of Pingyuan...
took them out of the prison.
Then, someone left the city with your token.
If it wasn't you, how did they obtain the token?
My token?
Cao Zhi! You fool!
Guards! -Yes!
Lead some men to pursue them! -Kill Cao Zhi!
No! Don't kill him! -Go!
Yes! -That's my younger brother!
Wei is yours. Whoever stops you shall die.
"The melancholy my head begets...
comes from cares I cannot forget."
"What can unravel these woes of mine?"
"I know but one drink, wine."
Cheers!
Brother Zi Wen. -Where's my token?
Your token? It flew away without wings.
It flew away. -You ruined my plan!
I can't believe you're still here. -I can't leave.
If I don't leave, you'll kill me.
If you kill me, the officials will be enraged.
If the officials are enraged, you cannot build your own kingdom.
You're right. -Fine. I'll do you the favour.
Not everyone is stupid enough to seek death like you!
Guards! Seize both of them! -Yes!
I got arrested again.
Come. Arrest me.
Sir, the Marquis of Pingyuan is your biological younger brother.
Of course I know.
You stupid thing. Even Ding Yi betrayed you.
I can't believe you're still drinking here.
Fine. Today, I'll use Sima Yi's life...
to sober you up! Take him away as well!
Zhong Da, it's alright. I'm joining you.
Alright!
Zi Wen! Are you rebelling? - I'm not rebelling against Wei!
I'm only overthrowing unfilial sons!
Ridiculous! The king has ordered to...
escort Sima Yi, Jia Kui...
and the late king's coffin to Yecheng!
What king? The king has just passed away and his coffin...
is still in Luoyang!
The crown prince has succeeded to the throne...
upon the order of the queen dowager! We have a decree!
Whoever resists us will be treated as a rebel!
Those who surrender will be forgiven!
Those who open the city gate...
will be rewarded with 1,000 taels of gold!
Capture Cao Zhang...
and you get a land of 100 households!
Kill whoever backs out!
Zi Wen, your mother wants you to go home!
Don't ruin your own life!
Uncle, are you going to disregard my father's wish?
My father never wanted to make him the crown prince!
He was just pressured by those civil officials!
Your father's wish is to restore peace...
and not make his sons fight against each other!
What a pity.
I can never drink with you again.
Thank you for the wine.
Now, I wish...
I had drunk a few more cups of it.
Sir, please enter the city!
Enter the city!
It is 12.45 p.m. This is the end of you.
What are we waiting for? Execute!
The King of Wei has ordered to release Sima Yi!
Father!
Father. -Shi Er.
Father.
- How's the situation in Luoyang? - General Xiahou Dun has arrived.
There's no bloodshed. All soldiers surrendered.
God blessed Wei.
Shi Er.
You're so tall and big now.
Father.
Uncle.
The crown prince managed to succeed to the throne...
and secure Luoyang...
all thanks to you.
It's all thanks to you.
General Xiahou, the late king's coffin...
is in the main hall of the palace.
The king has arrived!
Kneel!
Long live the king! -Rise!
It has been 31 years since the late king...
revolted against the traitors.
He overcame all hardships and painstakingly built this kingdom.
Today, I am inheriting a legacy which I cannot take credit for.
The credit goes to our wise and brave officials.
The world is still in war.
I will work hard to restore peace...
"alongside my wise and brave subjects.
Read it.