Episode 5
Sir, we didn't see Brother Shi among those who returned.
Master Shi! -Shi'er!
Masher Sh“!
Shi'er! -Put him there.
Shi'er! -Bear with it.
Sh? er'.!
Shi'er! -Brother Shi!
It's there.
Watch out. -Master Shi!
Shi'er! -Master Shi!
Sit down. -Mr. Xiahou.
General. -Where's my son?
While we're retreating, we're scattered around.
Is he not back yet?
I'll look for him now!
Focus on yourself first. I'll bring my men to go.
General, the enemy is out there. You can't do that.
We have to do it! We have to find him!
Yes, we should. Get my horse!
General!
Brother Yi! -The general is back!
The general is back!
Brother Yi!
It's Shi'er. Here.
Be careful.
General. -We suffered a huge loss.
We lost so many men...
There're so many of them...
...and I've failed to bring them back.
General, you've done all you could.
Bring the general in.
I am deeply indebted to you.
Shi'er. -Father.
Luckily you're alive.
My leg...
Here.
Get the combat medic!
Combat medic!
How's the situation?
Grand Marshal, around 50,000 men escaped.
Most of them are injured.
We haven't gotten the figure of those who died or were captured.
Maybe some of them escaped.
What about our supplies and equipment?
Our supplies, equipment, forage and the cans are gone.
Luckily Sir Sima prepared the forage and medicine in advance.
If not, more people would die tonight.
Luckily?
Thanks to him, I suffer such a great loss!
Thanks to him, 50,000 men died!
Sima Yi, I'll make you pay!
Grand Marshal!
Oh my God, the arrow almost caused a permanent damage.
Luckily the bone is unhurt.
We owe General Jia one.
Father, we lost.
Shi'er, you're very brave.
It has nothing to do with you. You've done all you could.
We shouldn't have lost the battle in the first place.
Sh? er.
I couldn't go there to rescue you.
Would you blame me?
I wouldn't blame you, father. I understand that...
...if you went there, both of us would have died.
Good boy.
Sima Yi!
You purposely delayed the trip to cause the defeat, right?
I didn't delay the trip. I was waiting for you at Jiashi.
Why didn't you provide backup? You defied the order!
My son was in your troop.
If I could, of course I would've provided backup.
Lu Xun only had less than 50,000 men while we had 150,000 men.
If you'd provided backup, our morale would be boosted.
We wouldn't have lost!
You wanted me to lose the battle...
...so that you can be the more powerful regent.
Since you defied my order, I'll execute you now!
Get someone in here! -Grand Marshal, my dad saved you!
Sit down.
Don't you dare move!
What are you doing? Are you rebelling against me?
Grand Marshal.
Then what are you doing?
So is this your tun' now, Sima Yi?
Come on, do what you want.
Strike me here! Kill me now!
Deng N.
How dare you! Get back!
You didn't attend the funeral of your father.
You also refused to save your son in a battle.
You don't respect me at all, even though I'm the Grand Marshal.
I will complain to the Emperor about you.
Yes, I'm thinking about meeting the Emperor with you.
Do you remember, before the war...
...in front of the Emperor, I warned you about...
...how Eastern Wu is good at faking surrenders.
I requested the Emperor to appoint General Jia Kui as your deputy.
Along the way, General Jia Kui had been warning you...
...that Zhou Fang might spring a trap on us.
It's not too long ago. Do you still remember this?
Grand Marshal!
Grand Marshal! -Get the combat medic now!
Get the combat medic!
Wei led 150,000 men...
...for the war in Shiting. It ended in Wei's defeat.
After the battle...
...Wei focused on its defence rather than attacks against Wu.
It would take another 23 years...
...before Wei launched another massive attack on Wu.
Lu Xun's brilliant plan...
...enabled Wu to score a legendary David-vs-Goliath-styled victory...
...that would be long-etched in the history of the Three Kingdoms.
It also paved the way for Sun Quan to become Emperor a year later.
The war influenced the three nations...
...in a much greater way than Sun Quan, Lu Xun and Sima Yi...
...could have imagined.
Chancellor.
Chancellor, here's a piece of good news.
Did Cao Xiu lose the battle?
Chancellor, you're farsighted.
Anyone would be vulnerable to attacks in Shiting.
Lu Xun is good at ambush.
Cao Xiu was overconfident and went too far. Of course he would lose.
It's a massive defeat.
Because of Lu Xun, Wei lost 50,000 men.
Its commander Cao Xiu was severely injured...
...and sent back to Luoyang.
Lu Xun succeeded.
Jiangdong shall remain peaceful...
...in the next 10 years.
What a pity. If Jia Kui didn't retreat...
...and Sima Yi didn't stop Lu Xun's men at Jiashi...
...Lu Xun would've vanquished Wei's 150,000 men.
That's how Sima Yi is like.
He's inexperienced in fighting wars...
...yet he's farsighted and patient.
He has brilliant military plans.
He's much smarter...
...than we imagined.
It doesn't matter how great he is.
Our agents in Wei said that...
...Cao Xiu ordered Sima Yi to provide backup in the war.
Sima Yi defied the order.
Now Cao Xiu is blaming everything on Sima Yi.
He and Cao Zhen are complaining to the Emperor about Cao Rui.
Wei's army suffered such a great defeat in southeasL...
...they're weak and their spirit is dampened.
We can start...
...working on our plan.
Chancellor, are you planning to invade North?
No, before we do that...
...we have something else to complete.
Look what you've done.
I've just become the Emperor...
...and our army suffered such a great defeat in the hands' of Wu.
Your Majesty, we lost the battle...
...due to Eastern Wu's plot.
It has nothing to do with our military power.
You shouldn't worry about it.
Look what Grand Marshal had said about you.
Grand Marshal stated that you refused to...
...provide him with backup. What's your reason of doing that?
Your Majesty, I indeed didn't provide backup to Grand Marshal.
Your Majesty, Grand Marshal lost not because of Eastern Wu.
He lost due to a mistake of his own man.
Sima Yi had an agenda and caused a delay.
Your Majesty, please execute Sima Yi for what he did.
Sir Sima, what's your explanation?
Why didn't you follow the order?
Were you afraid? Or was it like what General had mentioned...
...that you purposely did it to cause the defeat?
Your Majesty, General Jia Kui and I...
...repeatedly warned Grand Marshal...
...that Shiting is surrounded by waters and we would be vulnerable.
It's the perfect spot for Wu to spring a trap on us.
If Lu Xun managed to trap 100,000 men...
...he would have been able to trap 150,000 men, too.
If I brought my men over, all of us would be killed.
You're glossing over your mistakes!
Sima Yi, Lu Xun had less than 100,000 men.
Our men were three times more than his!
If you provided backup in time, going by the figures...
...we would've defeated them!
You're framing the Grand Marshal!
General, you don't know Lu Xun well.
Lu Xun is good at trapping his enemies.
Back then, Liu Bei almost lost all his men in the battle of Yiling.
It's all Lu Xun's doing. - Stop making excuses.
Sima Yi, you're obviously... -Keep fighting!
Keep fighting. I shall see who wins the argument!
Your Majesty, please help the Grand Marshal.
If Sima Yi can shrug off his responsibility just like that...
...no one would want to lead an army in the future, Your Majesty.
Sir Sima. -Yes, Your Majesty.
I've listened to your explanation. It makes sense.
However, you defied the military order.
I have to punish you for that.
I'll dismiss you from the position of Palace Attendant.
You should stay at home.
Yes, Your Majesty.
I hope Grand Marshal get well soon.
Go back.
Your Majesty.
Why did you spare Sima Yi?
Uncle, please rise.
Your Majesty, please explain!
I'm young and have never been to a war before.
However, I understand what the ministers said in their memorials.
Man Chong, Jiang Ji, Jia Kui, Zhong Yao and Wang Lang...
...shared the same view with Sima Yi about the war.
Do you expect me to execute all of them?
Your Majesty, those are Sima Yi's men.
What about Xiahou Xuan? He's your nephew.
Is he one of Sima Yi's men, too?
You're a seasoned general.
You should know the battle better than me.
Please get up.
I've punished Sima Yi to save Grand Marshal's face...
...so that he'll pass away in peace.
As for SimaYi...
...be patient, uncle.
Come on. Accompany me to visit the Grand Marshal.
If we're late, we might not get to see him for the last time.
After you, Your Majesty.
Rou'er, recite the poem I taught you earlier on.
She's still young. How do you expect her to remember...
...those things you taught her? - I have to teach her since young.
Do you remember it? -Yes, I do.
Great, if you can memorise it, I'll give you sweets. Go on.
'How often can we have great times like this? Life is shod.
It's like the morning dew. Many days have passed by.
I sing loudly, but I'm overwhelmed with misery.
Overwhelmed with misery... - What's the line after that?
'What can I do to cheer up? I can only drink to forget my misery.
I admire the talented ones in green clothing.
You're the reason I remain down.'
Zhong Hui, you're here. - Sir and Lady Sima.
Rou'er.
Does that mean I won't get any sweet?
Should I give the sweets to you or uncle?
You should give the sweets to uncle.
I'm already an adult. Keep the sweets.
Thank you, uncle. -Good girl.
Rou'er, here are the sweets.
Remember to eat one at a time. Don't finish all at one time.
Thank you, grandpa.
Rou'er, come here. We'll play outside.
Go ahead with your chat. - Zhong Hui, take a seat.
Sir, you still have the mood to play with your granddaughter.
Of course. Do you expect me to keep to myself and cry out loud?
You should explain to the Emperor.
If not for you, Cao Xiu would've died in Eastern Wu.
Address him as Grand Marshal.
Grand Marshal died protecting the country.
Even if he lost a battle, we should respect him.
Zhong Hui, you underestimated the Emperor.
If the Emperor understood it, why did he punish you?
Grand Marshal is dead. He has to consider his relatives' feelings.
The Emperor gives in to his relatives.
As a result, Brother Shi almost died.
You're punished although it's not your fault.
What's next? Will your family and friends be affected?
Tell me, why do you think the Emperor gives in to his relatives?
The Emperor is still young. The generals are regents...
...as well as his uncles.
Why did the late Emperor fear the relatives, too?
It's because they have control of the army.
Wei was founded through wars.
The late Emperor's father...
...relied on his relatives to build what we have today.
That's why the Cao family holds military power today.
Things are uncertain yet, with one after another war taking place.
To boost the morale of the army...
...the Emperor has to give in to the Cao family.
Sir, you finally get to lead the army for once...
...but ended up being the scapegoat for the Grand Marshal.
As a minister, my job is to guide the Emperor.
I don't care whether I get to lead the army or not.
I got it. -Zhong Hui, do stay for lunch.
Sir, it's okay.
I'll make a move first. - All right, goodbye.
Good bye.
Brother Zhong.
Master Shi.
Master Shi, what's the matter?
Brother Zhong, do you think my father...
...doesn't want to lead the army?
You mean...
My father is not bothered with leading the army this time.
Zhuang Zhou said that, to have great achievemenL...
...one needs the right amount of strength.
My father is waiting for the right opportunity.
Master Zhong. -Uncle Hou Ji.
Uncle Hou Ji. -The meal is ready. Let's eat.
It's okay. I have something to do. I'll leave shortly.
I'll inform Master now.
Sir is waiting for the right opportunity somewhere.
Master.
We've suffered a great defeat. If I were Zhuge Liang...
...I would take advantage of the situation.
You're smart I'm impressed.
I'm flattered. Brother Zhong, you're the brightest...
...among my father's students.
I advise you to start preparing a map of Shu...
...and monitor what goes on there. It'll be useful for my father.
Sir Sima is lucky...
...to have a son like you. You'll contribute greatly to Wei.
Let me see you off. -All right.
Chancellor, Cao Xiu is dead.
Before that, he accused Sima Yi of disrupting the military plan.
Sima Yi is suspended from duty.
Chancellor, two of the regents are gone.
Isn't this a piece of good news?
It'd be pointless.
Chancellor, do you mean Sima Yi will make a comeback?
He was summoned back after he was dismissed back then.
The suspension was to appease Cao Zhen.
Chancellor, you mean, we'll end up warring against Sima Yi again?
Then I'll send someone to find out more about Sima Yi.
No.
The agents can only find out so much.
They can't find out what he truly wants.
Ma Su, Sima Yi...
...was punished for something that's not his fault.
What do you think he would want?
The power to lead an army. Cao Xiu landed him in trouble.
He saved Cao Xiu but ended up being punished.
That's because he was not the commander of the army.
He doesn't have any military power at all.
Make a few copies of this letter...
...and send them to Meng Da at Xincheng.
Is Meng Da rebelling against Wei?
He betrayed you and surrendered to Wei.
Now that Cao Pi is dead, he wants to return to our side.
He's disloyal. Chancellor, you should be careful of him.
The letter is for Wei.
Sima Yi wants military power.
I'll give him that.
You're luring him out of his base. I'll do it now.
I'll send a normal messenger.
If Wei doesn't even manage to intercept it...
...then you'll have nothing to worry about.
Ma Su, be cautious.
Once Sima Yi gains military power...
...he'll be unstoppable.
We may be using him, but remember, he's smart and dangerous.
Yes, I get it.
Did Zhuge Liang really write this to Meng Da?
Yes, it's true.
Your Majesty, we found the letter on agents from Shu.
According to them, Zhuge Liang wrote the letter.
To avoid interception, he sent the copies...
...to Xincheng through multiple routes.
Meng Da should have received it by now.
Is Zhuge Liang trying to play us off against each other?
General, do you think...
...Meng Da will pledge his allegiance to Zhuge Liang?
Your Majesty, Meng Da was favoured by the late Emperor.
He's arrogant and has been abusing his powers.
He's unhappy after you succeeded to the throne.
Even if he's not rebelling, he'll seize the chance to threaten us...
...to reward him with wealth and position.
Is he going to strike a deal with me?
If I can't give him more than what Zhuge Liang is offering him...
...would he pledge his allegiance to Shu?
Your Majesty, Meng Da is a double crosser in the first place.
He betrayed Liu Zhang and Zhuge Liang.
He might do the same to us, too.
Your Majesty, people like this only want benefit for himself.
I think we should just fulfil his demand first.
His greed knows no bounds. I'll not give in to his demands.
General, if it's true that he's rebelling, just get rid of him.
Yes, Your Majesty.
He Yan, you looked so charming when you turned around.
No wonder all the girls in Luoyang are crazy about you.
He Yan, what have you done to be this charming?
One has to go through vigorous training to be this perfect.
I look at my reflection to perfect my posture.
Cao Shuang, do you want to learn from me?
Yes. -I'll teach you then.
All right.
Lift your head as if to look at the moon.
Lift my head as if to look at the moon.
Gaze around lovingly. - Gaze around lovingly.
Look up, stand straight, suck your belly in and show your curves.
Move your left feet. -Move my left feet.
Put it down. Then your right feet. - Put it down. Then my right feet.
Let your clothes fly in the wind. -Fly in the wind.
Fly in the wind. -Fly in the wind.
Turn around. -Turn around.
Gaze deeply... -Gaze deeply...
...like a flower by the water. -...like a flower by the water.
Cast a sidelong glance. - Cast a sidelong glance.
Father. -Brother Zhen.
What tricks are the two of you pulling?
You arrive here in time.
This will bring you happiness, try it.
Father, He Yan brough along Five Minerals Powder.
How dare you!
You're pan of the army! You shouldn't be touching this!
I'm sorry, father.
What a pity. This is good.
I went through a lot to get it and now it's all gone!
Since you have something to talk abouL...
...I shall make a move first.
What are you looking at?
Come here!
This is ridiculous!
Your cousin Xiahou is skilled and talented.
Take a look at yourself!
You keep hanging out with people like this!
Didn't Xiahou almost die in Eastern Wu?
How dare you talk back to me! -Father!
I may look like I'm not doing much now...
...but I'll surely shine someday.
If I were to lead an army, I would impress everyone!
Great.
You said you would impress everyone.
All right, I'll give you a chance.
After the defeat, Shu is planning something.
I have too much on my plate now.
The young Emperor wants to attack Meng Da's territory.
Why don't you go on my behalf?
Father, you're landing me in trouble. I'm not going.
You only know how to boast! Coward!
Father, I'm not a coward.
Think about it, it's dangerous in Xincheng now.
We've suffered a defeat. The army's spirit is low.
Moreover, Meng Da is colluding with Zhuge Liang.
I'd surely die if I were to go there.
I'm not going. -So is this a valid reason?
Is this a valid reason? -I won't go!
I can't believe my son is a coward!
The Emperor is entrusting me with the matter.
It doesn't matter who's going. We can't afford to lose the battle.
Father, we can, as long as that person is going instead.
Do you mean Sima Yi? -That's right.
No matter who's going, if we lose, you'll be blamed.
However, if it's Sima Yi, they would think he deserves it.
It's a great chance to get rid of him.
It would be a waste if we don't hand him over to Zhuge Liang.
What are you talking about? Think about it.
Sima Yi is extremely cautious.
If I recommend him to go, he would surely know the risks involved.
Besides, if we do it in front of the Emperor...
...it'd be too personal and obvious...
...don't you understand, son?
Father, get someone whose request he can't refuse.
Don't cry.
All our daughters are so beautiful.
Look at her eyes.
She has your eyes.
Don't cry. Be a good girl.
I was wishing for a son.
It doesn't matter whether it's a son or a daughter.
We're still young.
We will have many more children. We'll surely get a boy.
Be a good girl.
Brother Shi! -Brother is here.
Hui'er, I have something to talk to Brother Shi.
Go ahead.
Go to your mother.
Father will be back soon.
He'll be back soon. -Brother.
Mother is here. Don't cry.
Be a good girl. -What's the matter, brother?
Brother Shi, tell your father to feign sickness...
...to avoid fighting against Meng Da.
Meng Da? ls my father going to fight against Meng Da?
Why wasn't I told about it? -It doesn't matter.
Just trust me and ask him not to go.
You didn't hear it from me.
I'm sure you are unhappy about what happened.
Here's an opportunity for you to make a comeback.
Are you interested to know?
Thank you, Grand Internal Officer. What is it?
We intercepted a letter from Eastern Wu.
Zhuge Liang is persuading Meng Da to rebel against Wei.
Meng Da surrendered to us then. -That's right.
He's a double-crosser. - Precisely.
With the right reward, Meng Da would surely rebel against us.
Exactly. Sir Sima, you're so smart and observant.
The Emperor shares the same view and intends to strike first.
He wants to attack Xincheng.
If Meng stays loyal to us, he'll be spared and brought here.
Great. -If he's indeed betraying us...
...we can seize the chance to get rid of him.
Great plan. You're absolutely right, Grand Internal Officer.
What opportunity are you talking about, Grand Internal Officer?
Sir Sima, you're a smart person. You should have understood it.
Enlighten me, please, Grand Internal Officer.
Once you win the battle...
...do remember that I've helped you before.
I can't do it.
Sir Sima, don't you want to achieve success?
It's not that I don't want to. I am incapable of doing it.
I've only led the army twice. I've never really fought a war before.
Meng Da is a skilled general. He's been ruling Xincheng for so long.
Now Shu is helping him. He's going to gain the upperhand.
If I was assigned, I might not be able to do it.
Sir Sima, do you mean we should just give up on Xincheng?
No, that's not what I mean.
I know nothing about fighting wars.
We need a seasoned general to do this.
General Cao Zhen is the commander. He's the best candidate.
Sir Sima, you're good at passing the buck.
I'm only telling the truth.
It's a pity.
It's too late.
Sir Sima.
Please accept the decree.
Yes.
The Emperor appoints you as General Piaoqi.
You'll lead 50,000 men to Xincheng.
Please use your discretion in the war.
Grand Internal Officer, this doesn't sound right.
Do you mean the Emperor is wrong? -No.
I mean we have other great generals around.
Sir Sima...
...this requires someone with extraordinary talent.
General Cao Zhen is in charge of the West Route.
He has too much on his plate.
You're the only one the Emperor can trust right now.
Please accept the decree.
This is the first time...
...someone takes so long to accept a decree.
Then I shall repay the country with my life.
Please don't say that, General.
I don't think you would want to...
"sacrifice yourself just like that.
I'll accept the decree.
Grand Internal Officer, one more thing.
Which army should I lead for the war in Xincheng?
Which army do you want to lead?
The soldiers in Luoyang are led by General Cao Zhen.
I'm not confident in leading them.
Moreover, Luoyang is 1000km from Xincheng.
It would take up too much time.
Grand Internal Officer, please tell the Emperor...
...that I'll lead the army in Wancheng.
Wancheng is 600km from Xincheng. It's much nearer.
General, didn't you say that you know nothing about fighting wars?
You already start planning it.
I just have to, as there's not much time left for the war.
You'll be leading the army of Wancheng to Xincheng.
Sir Sima, please think twice.
I have. This is the only solution.
Grand Internal Officer, please inform the Emperor about it.
I mean, shouldn't you think twice about...
...asking me to pass your message to the Emperor?