Episode 36
Let's get some rest in this inn.
Please come in.
Please mind your step.
Please come in.
Please have a seat.
Let's sit inside.
Please help my two companions outside.
Alright.
MY dear!
What are you doing? -Move!
Run.
Mr. Xiahou, do you wish to kill me?
If I really intended to kill you...
I would have stabbed right into your head.
My father died in your residence. You owe him this.
How dare you attack an impoflant official!
Do you have respect for the laws? -Ling Yun.
My dear.
Mr. Xiahou, your father visited me that day.
The two of us spoke to each other honestly.
Old General Xiahou knew it very well that...
the success of the new policies...
will benefit Wei greatly.
But, Old General Xiahou was the leader of the noble generals.
He was pressured by Cao Family and Xiahou Family.
He had no choice.
Old General Xiahou and I are like-minded.
I have no reason to harm him.
My dear.
Sima Yi, everyone knows that you are a clever man.
You're working on the new policies now.
If a leader of the nobles died in your home just like that...
you will get into trouble and the policies will be affected.
Since I've made you pay for it, Xiahou Family and Sima Family...
are EVEN HOW.
Thank you, Mr. Xiahou.
I know you're not stupid. I'm not unreasonable either.
Let me give you another advice. Deng Ai is in danger.
My dear, are you alright? -Mr. Sima!
I'll bandage your injury for you.
Help me to change into my official suit.
We need to hurry to Shouchun. -Yes.
Why are you people arresting him? -Who is that?
Isn't that the new official, Deng Ai?
But, he's a good official!
He's a good official! - He's a good official!
Deng Ai deserves execution for embezzling military rations.
That... That's not true!
Everything is recorded clearly in the account book!
I've no time for your stutter. The account book I received...
shows that over 860 barrels of grains are missing.
Since the right amount of grains...
was sent out from the agro-colony...
you must have pocketed the 860 missing barrels of grains!
The country is engaged in war and you embezzled the rations.
I have the right to execute you on the spot!
I'm innocent!
I hope you can speak properly in your next life.
Executioner! -Brother Ai!
Brother Ai!
Zi Ye! -Brother Ai! Sir!
The rations departed from here...
and 860 barrels went missing upon arrival!
Why do you arrest my husband instead of...
questioning the governor who transported the rations?
Women are not allowed to intervene in military affairs!
Guards! Gag her!
You can't do this! How can you all do this?
Zi Ye! -How can you soldiers...
bully us civilians? - How can you all do this?
You're abusing your authority!
Deng Ai deserves execution for embezzling military rations.
Drag him down and behead him on the spot!
Yes!
You can't kill him! - He's a good official!
You can't kill him! -You can't kill him!
You can't kill him!
He's a good official! -You can't kill a good official!
Sir, Deng Ai was appointed by the Secretariat after all.
Should we send him to the Court of Judicial Review?
I'm afraid it's against the law to kill him like this.
Military law is law. Military affairs are war affairs.
I've the authority to punish him.
That woman...
is his wife, right? -Yes.
Guards! Bring her up!
Let her watch and see her husband off.
You can't kill a good person! -You can't kill him!
Zi Ye! -You can't kill him!
Zi Ye!
Let... Let go of her!
You can't kill him! He's innocent! -Run!
Do you have any respect for the laws?
Leave, Zi Ye!
Whoever goes against the military law is a rebel!
Leave!
Kill her! I am law!
No!
Brother Ai.
You can't kill the innocent!
You can't kill them!
He's a good official! -ls law still in place here?
You can't kill the innocent! -Please make way!
The Vice Censor-in-Chief has arrived!
My dear, be careful.
Mr. Sima, aren't you supposed to be in Qingzhou?
What are you doing in Shouchun?
General Cao, even if Deng Ai is guilty...
he should be tried by the Court of Judicial Review.
How can you...
kill him without a trial? - He embezzled military rations.
I've the right to punish him. After executing him...
I'll go back to the capital to argue with you.
I didn't embezzle! You're lying!
Sir, does the identity as the emperor's relative...
allow you to kill as you wish?
Mr. Sima, this is not within your jurisdiction.
I advise you to return to Qingzhou to recuperate.
General Cao, you are abusing your authority.
Shouchun is an important fortress. To me...
whoever obstructs a military mission can be killed.
Mr. Sima, don't challenge me.
Fine.
The Secretariat will try this case on the spot today.
If I accidentally kill you...
how will the emperor punish me?
Have me spanked?
How dare you!
Who do you think you are? - This is the emperor's token.
I'm the emperor's commissioner authorised to monitor and report
Nonsense! Why would the emperor appoint a lowly woman like you?
If you don't believe me, you can take a closer look.
If you have the guts, why don't you just...
kill Mr. Sima and the emperor's commissioner here?
You'll find out how the emperor will punish you.
Someone has stolen the military rations!
The Secretariat shall investigate on the spot!
Commandant of Shouchun. -Yes, sir.
The rations were sent out from here.
The people all witnessed it.
Why is it that 860 barrels went missing...
upon arrival at the military camp?
How come the 10 cans of grains disappeared?
This...
Before departure, Deng Ai ordered us...
to leave 860 barrels.
"Us"?
That means, you're not the only one...
who heard this from Deng Ai.
All officers transporting the grains...
heard it. Am I right? -Yes.
Yes. -Alright.
Where did Deng Ai order you to hide the embezzled rations at?
As far as I know, his house is too small...
to accommodate 860 barrels of grains.
This...
Deng Ai ordered us to hide the rations in a cave...
in the eastern hills...
for him to collect. -ls this a word for word account?
Yes. -How dare you!
There are dozens of caves in the eastern hills.
Which cave is it?
Who would try to hide something without specifying the location?
Is he going to search hill by hill afterwards?
Tell me the truth and I will reward you with 16 acres of land.
If you lie...
Guards!
It was the commandant who told us to hide the rations!
He said the general ordered so! -You...
No, Mr. Sima. I was ordered to do so.
Mr. Sima. General Cao.
General Cao... -Drop dead!
How dare you lie to me!
Sir, if you had...
thought of a good excuse prior to this...
you wouldn't need to kill him today.
Hiding military rations is a capital offense itself.
He deserves death.
I've an urgent military mission. I need to hurry back to my camp.
Shouchun County must return the 860 barrels of grains in 3 days.
Else, I'll hold the county governor...
and Deng Ai responsible.
Yes, sir.
Cao Hong! -Shi Zai!
Return Zi Ye to me! -Drop dead!
Cao Hong!
My dear.
Chun Hua. -Father.
Zhong Da... When will Zhong Da come back?
Father, Zhong Da will be back soon.
Please drink the medicine prescribed by the physician.
Yes, father. Brother Yi just suppressed the rebellion.
I'm sure he'll return from Qingzhou very soon.
That's great. I'm just worried about the delay...
putting off Shi Er's wedding for another 3 years.
Life is unpredictable.
Father, don't overthink. Just keep on nursing yourself.
Zhong Da will come back this month.
Alright.
Master. Young Master Fu. Eunuch Shi came.
Invite him in. -Yes.
I'm fine. Thank you. -Good.
Old Mr. Sima, I came to visit you.
Come. Shu Da. Help me.
Don't move. Sit down.
The emperor said that since you are ill...
you don't have to kneel. - Thank you, Your Majesty.
The emperor ordered me to...
deliver some precious herbs to you.
Bring them over. -Thank you.
Old Mr. Sima, even though the emperor is very busy...
he is always concerned about your health.
You must take good care of yourself.
I... I've let the emperor down. -Don't say that.
Old Mr. Sima, the emperor has ordered Mr. Sima Yi...
to return as soon as possible.
Just rest assured and recuperate.
Eunuch Shi, please help me to thank the emperor.
I will. Don't worry.
Madam Zhang. Mr. Sima Fu.
Please take care of Old Mr. Sima.
Feel free to tell me if you all need anything.
Old Mr. Sima, I shall excuse myself.
How is Old Mr. Sima?
I'm impressed that...
he's still hanging on at this age.
I'm afraid he has only 1-2 months left.
You must try your best to treat him.
Let him live as long as possible. -I understand.
Keep this in mind. Do not tell anyone about his condition.
Please rest assured.
My dear.
My dear, I'm sorry.
I hid the matter of the emperor's token from you.
Ms. Ling Yun, you've your own duty.
My dear, please don't misunderstand.
I did not tell Xiahou Mao about your plan.
I won't harm you.
I understand. If you know my plan...
another person will naturally know my plan.
This is logical. But, I still can't figure out...
how it reached a third person.
Still, I know that you...
weren't aware of the attack.
Thank you for trusting me.
If you think about it carefully...
this might be a good thing.
There's no better way...
to resolve Xiahou Mao's resentment.
Let's not bring up this matter again.
Yes.
How is Deng Ai?
Zi Ye has been buried. He won't leave her tomb.
I should go and take a look.
I'll recommend you if they won't recommend you.
Zi Ye.
How do I write the word "recommend"?
"Deng;- _llDeng -
"AR _..Ai.._
Zi Ye. Deng Ai.
Deng Ai. Zi Ye.
This is the nicest name in this world.
Teacher, this is unfair.
In this world...
nothing is fair.
I too wish to make Cao Hong pay with his life...
to avenge Zi Ye. But, he's the late emperor's aide.
We can't arrest him.
Xiahou Dun's death made us lose Qiao County.
Even if we can kill Cao Hong...
the nobles will protest.
By then, we might even lose Shouchun.
The new policies will fail.
By then, the lives that will be sacrificed...
might not just be 1,000.
It might be 10,000.
Mr. Sima!
The emperor ordered you to return to the capital quickly!
My dear, your wound is bleeding again.
Should we change the dressing first?
I want to see my father first.
Brother Yi, you're finally back. -Ms. Ling Yun!
You're injured. -Give me your coat.
Do you want to bandage it? - I want to see father first.
Be careful, my dear.
Brother Yi. Sister Chun Hua is inside.
Please return to your room.
Ms. Ling Yun. -Let's go back.
Father, Brother Yi is back.
Father. -Zhong Da.
Zhong Da, you're finally back. -Father, how are you?
I'm fine. Your return means everything to me.
Father, I'll never leave again. I'll stay with you.
Good. Zhong Da.
I acted on my own and made a decision for you.
Will you be angry with me?
Father, are you talking about Shi Er's marriage?
I need to thank you.
You found a good way to protect Shi Er.
I wish I can find a good way to protect you too.
Father, I'll be fine as long as our family is...
safe and happy.
Right. I feel so much better when I see you.
Father, I still have some work to do.
Go. Get back to your work. -Alright.
Father, I'll help Zhong Da. -Go ahead.
Shi Er, help your grandfather with his medicine.
This is great. Grandfather, drink your medicine.
Madam Zhang, is Zhong Da alright?
Don't you feel ashamed? Get out.
Madam Zhang, what do you mean?
You told Xiahou Mao about Zhong Da's plan.
Don't accuse without an evidence. -Xiao Yuan, go out.
I need to talk to Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang, I know what I should do...
and what I should not do.
Come with me.
No one apart from you knew that Zhong Da was...
travelling incognito from Qingzhou to Shouchun.
You set him up. -I won't harm Zhong Da.
What about the token? How do you explain that?
A commissioner authorised by the emperor.
Zhong Da must be so surprised to learn that his concubine...
has more authority than him.
What did the emperor instruct you to do...
when he handed you the token?
Are you too afraid to say it?
I can tell even if you don't tell me.
I'm sure he asked you to monitor Zhong Da...
and report to him anytime. Am I right?
Please stop asking.
You are just Cao Pi's marionette.
You are a sword that can kill a person anytime.
But, let me warn you.
If anything bad happens to Zhong Da...
I'll definitely kill you!
Leave our home immediately!
You're worried about Zhong Da. So, no matter what you say...
I won't take it personally.
I know that my marriage started in a wrong way.
But, since the day I stepped into this house...
I've never once thought of harming Zhong Da.
I have my own predicament.
But, please rest assured. I will give you an explanation.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
You've come to scold me. -I dare not.
I just want to ask Your Majesty a question.
How did Xiahou Mao learn about Mr. Sima's plan?
Since when did you stop kneeling to greet me?
And since when did you stop addressing Sima Yi...
directly by his name?
Unless Your Majesty clears my name...
I can only prove my innocence with death.
Love makes you lose your composure.
Your Majesty, I agreed to do as you said...
because I thought that you would not be this cruel...
and that you just want to assure yourself.
Your Majesty once told me that...
he is your confidant. -Yes.
Of course he's my confidant. We took so many risks together.
Countless of risks.
Cao Family hates him.
The Secretariat and the generals are like enemies.
And now, the anger of the nobles is pressuring me.
These are all the risks we took.
I once entrusted him with my life. But now...
we entrust each other with the country.
Neither of us can run away.
Like the marriage between Sima Family and Xiahou Family.
Like accepting a concubine sent to spy on him.
Like using his life to appease Xiahou Mao.
Let me remind you. Without my help...
do you think you can stay with him?
I just need to say a few words to change you back.
You need to talk and act properly.
You must remember to be loyal.
The price to pay for this loyalty is too big.
Your Majesty governs the whole country...
and leads all the people.
The life of Deng Ai's wife...
and even Sima Yi's life might not matter to you at all...
but you must remember these sacrifices...
if you want to have loyal servants.
You told him already? -I did not even say a word.
I dread it when you become increasingly suspicious of him.
But, Mr. Sima and his wife are no fools.
Even if he knows it, he won't say it out.
I'm used to seeing hypocrisy behind fear...
and hearing vileness hidden within righteous speeches.
But, it doesn't matter. I can find their weaknesses...
and control them. But, Sima Yi is different.
He's so selfless that he's almost perfect.
Selflessness is a shortcut that makes all talented men...
gather around him. But, who should talented men...
gather around?
You clearly know that he's not a person like that.
Yes, he's not a person like that.
But, I'm sick of his perfect selflessness.
The king's way of manipulation is never the cleverest of tricks.
You can never manipulate good men.
A man as wise as Your Majesty...
should not limit yourself to a narrow mind like this.
The king's way of manipulation?
Let me tell you something. Consort Guo is pregnant.
If Consort Guo gives birth to a son for me...
this child will surely become the future crown prince.
What is the relationship...
between Zhang Chun Hua and Guo Zhao?
Would I want my crown prince...
to be manipulated by Sima Family many years later?
This empire is mine.
The throne is mine as well!
I won't let anyone steal what belongs to me.
This is the king's way of manipulation.
"Man's life is but the morning dew."
"Past days many, future ones few."
Now I understand the anxiety of the late emperor.
Stop feeling sad.
Go back quickly and continue to be my spy.
I promise Your Majesty that...
I will continue to keep an eye on him.
I have only one request.
Please do not hurt him again.
I can see that you genuinely love him.
I wish I can have a pure head as well.
But, human heads are unfathomable.
Lives are at stake.
Please remember that your love for him...
must not exceed your loyalty to me.
Greetings, Madam Zhang.
Why are you back? -I made a trip to the palace...
to complain for Zhong Da.
Who did you complain to?
The emperor really went overboard this time. But...
I'd like to remind you that...
despite living in a peaceful period...
Zhong Da is in a greater danger than in war.
The emperor can no longer withstand...
the pressure and protest from his relatives.
So, he resorted to using Zhong Da to appease the nobles.
So, the pressure he faces justifies his action of...
putting the life of his subject at stake?
Is this his ruling method?
We've been through a lot. If things get serious...
we might decide to go all out against those nobles.
Let's see if the emperor still wants some peace in Wei.
Madam Zhang, from the day I entered this family...
my life has been tied to Sima Family.
If anything bad happens to Zhong Da...
I won't live on either.
Don't curse him. I'm still alive. He won't die.
You must not die either.
Madam Zhang, now I know why Zhong Da loves you so much.
Don't try to sweet-talk me.
If something like this happens again, just tell us.
Don't argue with the emperor.
You don't have to get yourself killed by the emperor.
Thank you, Madam Zhang.
Look! It's a bride! - It's a bride's palanquin!
Welcome. Thank you.
Mr. Chen. Welcome.
Congratulations. -Welcome.
One gift box from Mr. Chen Qun! Welcome!
Congratulations. -Congratulations.
Father.
Father, it's crowded in front. -Father.
You shouldn't go. -Zhong Da is right.
It's my grandson's wedding. How can I be absent?
I must go. I must show them that...
I am healthy. -Father.
Should I tell them to come in and meet you?
No. I'll go over.
Alright.
Congratulations. -Congratulations.
Welcome.
Uncle Zi Lian.
Why do you look so surprised? Uncle Zi Lian came all the way...
from Shouchun to attend her grand-niece's wedding.
Thank you for coming. Please proceed.
Uncle, after you. -Alright.
Let us welcome the bride and groom!