Episode 25
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.
Xiahou Dun is installed as the Chief Commander.
Thank you, my lord.
Cao Ren is installed as the General of Cavalry and Chariots.
Thank you, my lord. -Cao Zhen is installed as...
the General of the West.
Thank you, my lord.
Chen Qun is installed as the Chief of Secretariat.
Thank you, my lord.
Sima Yi is installed as the Vice Censor-in-Chief.
Thank you, my lord.
Sima Fu shall be a section director of the Secretariat.
Thank you, my lord.
May we conquer the world in unity.
Thank you, my lord.
My lord.
Ding Yi tied himself up and requested an audience.
Bring him over. -Yes.
Ding Yi, at least you still know your place.
I know I cannot escape death.
Why should I bother begging for your mercy?
You and your brothers fought right after the late king's death.
I did not even need to incite.
Cao Pi, you defied the late king's order...
and did not attend your father's funeral.
You are not the legitimate new king.
You are a traitor!
You know that you are about to die.
You want to take your last chance to slander and act holy.
You are just attempting to leave behind the reputation of...
a straightforward official.
I will not fall for it.
More importantly, history will not fall for it.
If I spare you today...
Xun Yu and Cui Yan would have died for nothing.
Aren't you asking for death? I'll do you the favour.
Execute all men in Ding Yi's clan.
The women shall be sold as slaves.
Take him away. -Yes!
You're headless.
You're headless!
Cao Pi! You're headless!
Traitor!
My lord, Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi...
have left the city under escort to their fiefs.
It is the state's law for brothers of the king...
to guard the border...
to fend off enemies for the state.
The two of them shall guard their fiefs at the border.
Guan Jun shall assist Cao Zhi, the Marquis of Juancheng.
Fa Jian shall assist Cao Zhang, the Marquis of Yanling.
The two of you shall depart with the two marquises.
Yes, my lord. -Yes, my lord.
The two marquises are my younger brothers.
You may report about the vassal states anytime...
to assure me and my mother. -Yes.
My lord, the state is in need of talents...
and the Marquis of Juancheng should stay.
Moreover, the queen dowager is old.
Zhong De, I think...
you are the old one.
You do not need to worry about my family business.
Dismiss. -Dismiss!
Say something. Yes, Zi Wen did something wrong.
He deserves punishment. But, Zi Jian is meritorious.
Without him, you'll have no control over Luoyang.
If it wasn't for him, Cui Yan and Xun Yu...
would still be alive today. -I know you hate him.
You hate me too, right?
Why don't you let me leave with them?
I dare not.
Your Highness, Sima Yi came.
Let him in. -Yes.
I am responsible for the rebellion in Luoyang.
I came to apologise to Your Highness.
That's not true.
My two useless sons are the ones at fault.
You saved them. You saved Wei as well.
I also know that...
if it is Zi Jian who succeeds to the throne...
he will do the same. But, if it is Zi Wen...
there is no telling what will happen to the state.
You saved Wei from collapsing.
Please rise. Servants, bring it over.
This is a small token of appreciation.
We owe the state's wellness to Your Highness.
I do not deserve this gift.
You still need to assist the new king.
The country has a long way ahead.
You may leave. -Thank you, Your Highness.
You may leave as well.
Yes.
Come.
Deliver these to Zhang Er and Zhi Er.
It's cold tonight. -Yes.
That is my father's mausoleum.
What did my father say to you...
on his deathbed?
The late king said that if his sons miss him...
they can come to this Bronze Sparrow Terrace...
and look at his mausoleum.
Whenever there is a special occasion...
we can organise shows here...
to celebrate with the late king.
My father was a proud man. He did not believe in fate.
I once thought that my father would be the one...
to put an end to this war. I thought that...
I would contribute as the crown prince...
and show my father that he did not choose the wrong one.
I didn't expect this day...
to come so soon.
My lord, the late king already knew...
since he made you the crown prince that...
he did not choose the wrong one.
You don't know. How do you know?
"Their brilliance came to an end. How Beautiful."
"Spread our kindness to the ends of the earth!"
"Come everyone and assist us in our imperial quest."
"And not scatter to the four directions to aid others."
"We will share the entire world together."
"And our brilliance will match the sun and the moon."
"Let us always be the noble rulers."
"And let our longevity match the East Emperor."
My lord.
Why are you reciting "Bronze Sparrow Terrace"...
composed by Young Master Zi Jian?
In the 17th year of Jian'an Reign...
Zi Jian and I came up to this terrace with father.
Each of us composed a poem. But, Zi Jian's poem is better
My lord, it's true that...
the late king favoured Young Master Zi Jian.
But, do not be bothered by that.
You have something more impoflant to do now.
You may return.
I'm tired.
Shi Er, you are stronger than Zhao Er.
Zhao Er!
Excellent, Zhao Er. - Father, Zhao Er deceived me.
War is about deception.
Right. -Deception is fine in war...
but not in a martial art practise.
Shi Er is a good swordsman...
while Zhao Er is a good strategist.
I think Shi Er is like me.
Zhao Er took after you. -Again.
How come you don't go to the court meeting today?
The king cancelled the meeting.
The king cancelled the meeting?
Did he mention for how many days?
If you can take a break for 4-5 days...
we can have a vacation.
It depends on the king's mood.
I'll go to father.
Zhao Er. -Mother.
Let me teach you.
You don't have to hide it.
My lord. -A letter like this...
is really something power cannot erase.
He's really not at fault this time.
Can't you forgive him? After all, mother...
Don't use my mother as excuse.
Even if he's not the one at fault this time...
he must take responsibility for the misdeeds he committed.
You reap what you sow.
No one can escape this. The two of us are no exception.
Does my victory...
make Zi Jian a kind and innocent man to you?
Father.
You're not going to the court meeting today?
The king cancelled the meeting.
You don't look good. ls something bothering you?
Father, I've lived anxiously for so many years.
Now, I can finally relax. But, I feel like something is missing.
I feel like I've a lot of things to do. But, it's like...
it's all none of my business.
You all are going to run a country.
This is just the beginning of your life.
Father, the king has just succeeded to the throne...
and generals from the royal family...
are actively persuading him to declare himself an emperor...
"because they want to become sovereigns quickly.
But, the king...
hasn't given me any instruction. I don't know...
how the king plans to govern this state.
Do you think the king should declare himself an emperor then?
Wei can conquer by military force...
but not rule by military force.
We are presently surrounded by strong enemies.
This is not the time for it yet.
Yes. The generals in the royal family...
"established themselves by war.
They never consider things outside of the battlefield.
But, where do soldiers and food come from?
The Central Plain is in ruins today.
The state needs a new policy for rehabilitation.
This is what you should consider.
To establish systems, we must first gain...
support from the scholar-official families.
But, I don't dare to tell the king...
to pass the authority of the nobles...
to the scholar-officials.
If I do so, the noble generals will...
come after my life.
You want to give the scholar-officials more power?
Yes.
Father, what is this?
This is an inscription on a tablet...
written by Mr. Cai Yong.
Most of his works were destroyed in the war.
Only Cai Wen Ji, his daughter, still has some.
His works are very precious and valuable.
It took me a lot of effort to find this.
Look. His calligraphy is so extraordinary, dignified...
lively and impressive. This is good stuff.
Father, I'm not a calligrapher.
I wish I can keep it forever. -What do you mean?
You need to gift it to someone.
This is Cai Yong's work.
Uncle, you're brilliant. Yes.
This is indeed an inscription written by Cai Yong.
His handwritten works were mostly destroyed.
Today, only his daughter, Cai Wen Ji...
still has some. It took my father a lot of effort...
to obtain this.
Look.
His calligraphy is so extraordinary, dignified...
lively and impressive.
This is good stuff. -Yes.
This is indeed good stuff.
I'm glad you like it. My father instructed me...
to gift this to you. - That won't do.
It'll be insensible of me. This is something so valuable
I can't accept it. -That's not true.
You are a great calligrapher...
and this is an item that should be...
in your possession. Uncle, please don't turn us down.
I shall excuse myself. -No.
There is no free gift in this world. Zhong Da.
Do you need me to handle a case or something?
Uncle, it's just the beginning of a new reign.
There's no special case that requires your attention.
But, something has been bothering me lately...
and I wish to seek enlightenment from you.
Alright. Come.
Let's sit down and talk. -After you, uncle.
Tell me about it. -Alright.
Uncle, I've been thinking about one thing lately.
Wei was established by military exploits.
Our internal affairs are messier compared to Han.
The noble generals are in control of...
the recruitment of civil servants...
and abusing their authority.
It is difficult to execute the order of the central government.
Recently, these noble generals...
are encouraging the king to declare himself an emperor.
If the king does $0...
they might grow even more powerful.
At this rate, do you think Wei will...
repeat the history of the Rebellion of the Seven States?
Zhong Da, since you have been thinking about it...
I am sure you have thought of a solution.
In my opinion, Wei should implement...
rule of law...
and strengthen the power of the scholar-officials.
I am young and inexperienced. Our national policy...
should be implemented by a leader of the scholars like you.
You just need to come up with a good policy...
and call for support
Juniors like me will all bravely support your proposition.
I am no leader of the scholar-officials.
Don't get me into trouble.
I'm too old for it.
Those noble generals are all tough military leaders...
who fought alongside the late king.
In terms of seniority, they are the king's...
uncles and brothers. In terms of reputation...
they are all meritorious and respected.
What can you capitalise on?
I can't be the leader in this.
But, as an experienced one, I do have an advice for you.
It's good that you're sharp in identifying the state's problems.
But, you must keep this in mind.
Check and balance, but never restrain.
Zhong Da, what say you?
You're right, uncle. I'll keep that in mind.
Uncle, if I put my life at stake one day...
will you support me?
You must be kidding. Zhong Da.
You're a filial son and a good official.
Why would you put your life at stake?
Alright. I shall not disturb you any further.
I shall excuse myself.
Have a safe trip back.
Uncle, please stay. You do not have to see me off.
Good bye.
Father, Sima Yi exchanged this copybook...
for your valuable advice.
It's so worth it. - Why do I feel like...
I shouldn't accept this gift?
He is no ordinary man. I think...
what he has in mind...
is more than my advice.
My lord, we're in an eventful period.
I'm surprised you still have the mood for this.
It's advisable to refrain from this.
Everyone in the world sees me as a man like that.
Ah Weng, do you believe so as well?
I've been over-thinking.
Greetings, King of Wei.
Rise. -Thank you, King of Wei.
Remove your veiled hat. -Yes.
Bai Ling Yun.
You're indeed an exceptional beauty.
Thank you, my lord.
Huainan Prefecture sent you to serve my father.
Unfortunately, my father passed away when you arrived.
According to the governor of Huainan...
you love to read...
and you are very clever. Is this true?
It's not true.
Not true? -If I am clever enough...
I would not be selected. - You are a clever one indeed.
Alright. I have two options for you.
You're originally a gift for my father.
Do you want to stay at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace...
and live with the women who make sandals?
You can also join my royal harem.
What is the third option?
How do you know that there is a third option?
If it's the first one...
you don't have to meet me personally.
If it's the second one...
you have even more impoflant things to do...
and you won't ruin your reputation while mourning.
So, I really want to know what the third option is.
I think I should change my mind.
Come to my royal harem. -I am not an obedient woman.
You have great ambitions. I'm sure you don't want...
a disobedient woman.
Come.
Look at my country.
It's truly a land one can die for.
My lord, what do you want me to do for your country?
Saying it out now ruins the mood.
It's such a beautiful night.
Why don't you guess?
I'll reward you if you guess it right.
I'm just a woman. Even though I'm educated...
I can't be a soldier or an official.
It's my beauty you wish to utilise.
I'm sure you want me to monitor someone for you.
Who is so impoflant to you?
There's a lot of work to be done in Wei.
Talents are needed for governance.
This man must be very capable. You see very highly of him.
Else, you can just send the Bureau of Investigation.
He is one of the new prominent figures you appointed.
It can be Mr. Chen Qun or Mr. Sima Yi. I don't know.
Chen Qun is not a romantic person.
Sima Yi, the Vice Censor-in-Chief?
My lord, do you feel threatened by him?
Come.
When the late king was alive, to me, the world was...
the distance from my residence to the palace.
Back then, Sima Yi and I were friends...
who entrusted each other with our lives.
He would always hide behind me but never leave.
But today, Sima Yi and I are lands apart
Still, I need him in ruling this country.
But, Sima Yi doesn't make any mistake at all.
He has no personal agenda either. -I understand.
A person who seems selfless...
might just be waiting for an opportunity.
I've a presumptuous request. - Since it's presumptuous...
you can forget about it.
My lord, you asked me to choose.
I wish to borrow a few of your inspectors...
to investigate several matters.
Also, I want to see for myself...
what kind of person Sima Yi is...
and if he is worth all the fuss.
All beneath the sky belongs to the royal family...
and those who lead are subjects of the royal family.
Politics is a game of chess.
The chess pieces will know who is in control of them.
Say no more. Else...
I'll be too reluctant to let go of you.
Young Master Yi, Chen Qun came.
Invite him in. -Yes.
Mr. Chang Wen, please come in.
Brother Chang Wen, you're such a busy person.
It's my honour to have you in my humble abode.
Welcome. -Zhong Da.
Ever since you went to the battlefield with the late king...
we haven't had a chance to meet in private.
What are you busy doing lately?
I'm writing a memorial. I'm drafting some new policies.
But, it's not going so well.
Brother Chang Wen, are you here to enlighten me?
No. I obtained a good stuff lately.
So, I came to show it to you.
This is an inscription Cai Yong wrote personally.
Most of his handwritten works have been destroyed.
Only his daughter, Cai Wen Ji, still has some.
His works are very precious and valuable.
It took me a lot of effort to obtain this.
Look, Zhong Da.
His calligraphy is so extraordinary, dignified...
lively and impressive.
This is good stuff. -indeed.
Is it for me?
A gentleman does not take an0ther's prized possession.
I don't deserve this.
Zhong Da, it's a waste to leave something so valuable...
to a man like me. I know that your father loves...
to collect calligraphy works. So, I brought it over.
You must accept this gift.
Brother Chang Wen, you must have a request to make.
Zhong Da, we've known each other for so long.
Does it take a request to offer you a present?
Zhong Da.
You just said that you're having problems...
writing your memorial.
Why?
I can't seem to pinpoint the problems.
I'm not a clever man. Zhong Da.
Why don't you take a look at my memorial's draft?
The Nine-rank System.
I thought for a long time to come up with this system.
It started from the day...
you took pan in the Monthly Review.
Back then, it occurred to me that...
utilising talents is crucial in governing.
Talents should be appreciated and put to use.
But, why is Han Dynasty's system of selection so messy?
Why do they have to wait for the folks...
to organise the Monthly Review?
Why can't the country devise a set of rules...
to select talents...
to ensure that only the competent ones are chosen?
So, I thought of dividing the talents selected...
into nine ranks.
This is the flag of the scholar-officials.
What flag?
Nothing. -Zhong Da.
Do you disagree with my proposal?
I'm afraid certain parts...
requires further discussion. -Yes.
That's why I came to you.
Many details require further discussion and adjustment.
Zhong Da, please do not hesitate to correct me.
Young Master Yi, Madam Chun Hua learnt that Mr. Chang Wen came.
So, she prepared food. Please come to the dining hall.
Please tell Chun Hua to...
prepare some plain porridge and dishes for us.
Mr. Chang Wen and I are going to...
stay up to write a memorial.
Young Master Yi, the court meeting hasn't resumed.
Why are you all so busy already?
Mr. Chang Wen is such an impoflant official.
If we let him sleep here on the floor...
people will ridicule us. - This is a very impoflant matter.
Go. Close the door. -Yes.
Close the door. -Yes.
Let's make some changes. -Alright.
Zhong Da, wake up.
Come and see if I still need to change anything.
Hurry.
Excellent. Brother Chang Wen.
This is perfect to me.
If that's the case, I can rest assured now.
If I can accomplish this...
I'll die with no regret. Zhong Da, thank you for helping.
Brother Chang Wen, Wei is bound to prosper...
"because of your proposal.
I'm too sleepy. I need to go back and sleep.
Let's not flatter each other.
I need to take a bath and prepare for the court meeting.
Alright. -I shall excuse myself.
Thank you for the hard work.
Brother Chang Wen.
Another revision? -Where are you heading to?
The court meeting. -Here you go.
I... But... Why are you handing it to me?
You need to present it. -You present it.
You wrote it. -But, I revised it...
according to your instructions.
You should be the one to present it.
I shall accept it then.
You deserve it. -Alright.
Brother Chang Wen.
Please accept this copybook.
It's a gift for you.
Brother Chang Wen, where did you obtain this from?
It took me a lot of effort to obtain it. As you can see...
this is a genuine piece of Cai Yong's work. It is...
Extraordinary, dignified, lively and impressive.
It's good stuff.
Zhong Da, you've excellent memory.
I memorised those lines first. -What?
Did you visit Uncle Zhong yesterday?
How did you know? -This belonged to my father.
My father told me to pass it to Uncle Zhong.
He... How could he do this?
He... What a sly old man.
In this case, I shall be frank.
It's true that I went to Uncle Zhong first.
I wanted to ask for his help. But, he asked me to come to you...
and told me to hand this copybook to you.
I'm ashamed.
Brother Chang Wen. I'll be frank.
This memorial...
might attract aversion from the noble generals.
If the king holds me responsible...
I might be imprisoned.
You're over-thinking.
This is a proposal that benefits the state.
Rest assured and propose it bravely.
I will surely do my best to support you...
from the side. -Alright.
I shall take on the challenge then.
But, I will surely tell the king that...
you wrote this with my assistance.
Brother Chang Wen, you must accept this copybook...
and support me. -I shall accept it then.
Brother Chang Wen.
Freshen up. -Thank you.
I shall excuse myself.
Support me. -I will.