Episode 6
The soldiers in Luoyang are led by General Cao Zhen.
I am 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.
Imean...
...you're asking me to pass your message to the Emperor.
Shouldn't you think twice about it?
Yes, I should.
I can't believe he took so long to get it.
Grand Internal Officer, I am poor.
I just got back recently and I don't have much with me.
This is the most I can give you.
Grand Internal Officer, please help me to talk to the Emperor.
You're good at this, aren't you?
Thanks for your reminder. - Don't worry, I'm going back now.
As for the army in Wancheng... -Don't worry.
Two hours later, come to the palace to collect the tiger tally.
Thank you, Grand Internal Officer.
Sir Sima.
Wise choice. -It's all I have.
Father.
What if you don't get the Wancheng army?
Cao Zhen will never allow me to use his men in Luoyang.
Wancheng is the only place I can get 50,000 men.
Why did you give him money? -He refused to go.
How much did you give? - Our two-week living cost.
Don't tell your mother. Get your uncle and Hou Ji.
Hou Ji, pack up now. Prepare some food and water.
Get 20 fine horses from our place.
There're four of us, three horses for each.
Two hours later, we shall depart to VVanoheng.
Yes. -Two hours later?
Father, mother is not back yet. Will you wait for her?
We can't wait. We're competing with Zhuge Liang for time.
Brother, settle the handover...
...of the right to allocate forage in Wancheng.
Shi'er, go to Grand Marshal's to gain control of Wancheng's army.
Prepare your luggage and armours.
Once I get out of the palace two hours later, we'll depart
Yes. -Yes.
Father, what should I prepare? - Stay at home and study.
Leave the war to me and your brother.
Father.
Go to Imperial Secretariat and bring me my seal.
Brother is going. Why can't I?
This is an important matter. Go. -Yes.
Sir Sima, do you blame me?
I wouldn't mind dying to protect the country.
Please don't say that.
If that's what you're thinking, I wouldn't let you go.
A loyal person doesn't necessarily have to die nor sacrifice himself.
All I need are talented people.
You may rise. -Thank you, Your Majesty.
I suspended your position...
...to appease uncle back then.
Yes, I understand.
Sir Sima, despite objections from others...
...I'm allowing you to lead an army this time.
There's no obstacle for you now.
You will be solely responsible for the outcome of the war.
Don't do a Cao Xiu on me.
Your Majesty, I'll never let you down.
Go ahead and bring Meng Da to me...
...dead or alive.
Yes, Your Majesty. I'll leave now.
Your Majesty, do you just hand him an army like that?
So What if I did?
I can always reclaim...
"whatever I've handed out.
"The late Emperor passed away...
...before he got to finish what he set out to do.
There're three powers left now, each weakened.
This is a moment of life and death for us.
The ministers' loyalty has not wavered for a bit.
They place the country above themselves, as...
...they're grateful for how well the late Emperor treated them.
They want to repay his kindness.
Your Majesty, you should listen to the opinion of the ministers.
You should learn from the late Emperor...
...and boost the morale of the army.
Don't underestimate yourself.
Avoid saying the wrong things...
...that might stop the loyal ministers from giving advice.
Listen to the loyal ones instead of the weasels.
This was the key to Han's success.
When an Emperor did the opposite...
...Han fell.
Whenever the late Emperor spoke to me about this...
...he's upset about...
...how Emperor Ling and Emperor Huan had trusted the weasels.
I was originally a farmer in Nanyang.
I was born in troubled times and merely wanted to survive.
I was not after fame nor glory.
Despite his status, the late Emperor...
mvisited me frequently...
...and sought my opinion on world affairs. I'm grateful...
...and hence, agreed to work for him.
The late Emperor knew that I was a meticulous person.
That's why he's entrusted me with the country.
Since then, I was worried that...
...I might not be able to do it and may let the late Emperor down.
To achieve it, I got across waters and tread barren lands.
Now the south is peaceful. We are once again, strong.
It's time for us to lead our soldiers to defeat our enemies.
We'll try our best to vanquish our enemies...
...restore the Han dynasty and reclaim our former capital.
This is my duty and my way of repaying the late Emperor.
Your Majesty, leave the job of vanquishing the enemy to me.
If I fail, you may punish me.
Your Majesty, you should also work on improving yourself...
...and be open to constructive suggestions.
I remember the late Emperor's advice.
I'm grateful for that.
I'm about to go for war and shed tears when I wrote this.
I don't know what I'm talking about."
Sun Li, how's the preparation of the forage?
General, the amount we have can only last for a month.
We're borrowing from other districts.
A month only? Make an urgent request.
Order the relay station to prepare more water and forage.
Get as many horses as possible. -Yes.
Sima Fu, please handle the forage. -Yes.
I wrote this for Meng Da. It has the seal of Imperial Secretariat.
Ask someone to send this to Meng Da as soon as possible.
He'd think you're still at Imperial Secretariat.
Correct.
I got it. I'll send someone reliable to do it.
General, we've been travelling. Do you need to rest?
I'm fine. Ask everyone to speed up.
We're 600km away from Xincheng.
We need to get there within eight days. Let's do it!
Yes. -Yes.
Is there any?
Why is it so difficult?
Your Majesty.
Here it is! -Really?
Hurry up. Do it while it's still hot.
Chancellor!
Hurry up! Chancellor!
Hurry up!
Chancellor!
Chancellor! -Your Majesty.
Chancellor, please rise. -Your Majesty.
Chancellor.
Everyone, please rise.
Chancellor, it's going to be a long and tough trip.
I can't bear to pan with you.
Your Majesty, I'm going to reclaim Chang'an...
was our capital.
We'll get to restore the Han dynasty.
Once you're gone, there're so many things to do.
I don't think I can do it. -Your Majesty.
Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi and Dong Yun...
...are good ministers.
They'll help you with everything.
Don't worry, Your Majesty.
Then I'm relieved.
Your Majesty.
When I'm not around, you should study hard.
Don't neglect your studies.
Apart from the politics, you should find time to read.
Don't go after fame. Focus on achieving peace of mind.
That way you'll get to realise your ambition.
Yes. -Remember, don't overindulge.
Yes, I won't.
Your Majesty, always remember...
...what I wrote in Chu Shi Biao.
When an Emperor trusted weasels instead of the loyal ones...
...Han fell.
Yes, I remember. I can recite it.
Listen to the loyal ones instead of the weasels.
This was the key to Han's success.
When an Emperor did the opposite, Han fell.
Whenever the late Emperor spoke to me about this...
...he's upset about what Emperor Ling and Emperor Huan had done.
The Palace Attendant, Master of Writing, Chief Clerk and Adjutant.
These are loyal ministers. Please trust and listen to them.
It'd be just a matter of time...
...before the Han dynasty is restored.
Good.
If we get to restore the Han dynasty...
...I will have no regret.
Your Majesty, I'll make a move first.
Chancellor, please hold on.
Hurry up!
Chancellor. -Your Majesty, what is this?
I'll share the Ju Chang wine with you as a farewell gift.
Your Majesty, I'm not allowed to take this.
All right.
Your Majesty.
I'll use the wine...
...as a blessing for Han's army.
May our army...
...win the battle.
May the late Emperor Zhaolie...
...bless us in winning the war!
We'll win the war!
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, I'll make a move first.
Chancellor.
Chancellor, take care! Have a safe journey!
Chancellor, take care!
Chancellor.
Go on.
Princess, let's have fun.
How dare you!
You're assigned to defend Chang'an...
...yet you've been indulging in your vices.
You've let down the late Emperor.
The late Emperor spent most of his life fighting wars...
...to give his offspring a life of peace and joy.
I am a marquis, the husband of a princess.
Why can't I play with a few girls?
Princess, this is none of your business.
None of my business?
I'll tell the Emperor that you're neglecting your duty.
Princess!
Shu becomes weak since the battle in Yiling.
My brother wrote to me...
...telling me that Zhuge Liang plans to attack Xincheng...
...and fight against Sima Yi.
Don't worry, Princess.
Let go of me! -If you'd been nice to me...
...I wouldn't have looked for other girls.
We have a report!
General, Zhuge Liang's army is marching towards east.
Good, let's see whether Sima Yi can fight him.
I hope he defeats Zhuge Liang.
Find out more. -Yes.
How's the situation in Chang'an?
Chang'an's head Xiahou Mao is still having fun.
He's not wary at all. -He's hoping we'll go to Xincheng.
There isn't any experienced general in Wei...
...while Chang'an is defended by a spoilt brat.
It's a great opportunity.
Please allow me to lead 10,000 men to the east through Ziwu Valley.
I'll reach Chang'an in less than 10 days.
I shall seize Chang'an when Xiahou Mao is least prepared.
Then we shall be able to reclaim our former capital.
Ziwu Valley is a dangerous place.
It's surrounded by cliffs.
The map shows that it'll only take 10 days.
However, when you're bringing an army...
...you need at least a month to get out of the valley.
If Xiahou Mao set up traps in the valley...
...all of you would be trapped in the valley, with nowhere to go.
It's too risky.
General Wei, we can't just rely on the map.
Chancellor, we need to take risk to achieve success.
If I don't reach Chang'an within 10 days, you can execute me.
We're fighting with a powerful country. We need to be cautious.
We shouldn't take any risk.
General Wei, why don't you try to walk across Ziwu Valley first...
...then only talk to Chancellor?
The Chancellor already has a plan. We don't have to risk anything.
Do enlighten me, Chancellor.
Sima Yi will be in Xincheng.
Once Cao Rui finds out that our army is out of Xie Valley...
...he'll surely send General Cao Zhen.
I need a decoy troop to distract Cao Zhen...
...and spread the rumour that we're going to seize Meixian.
Cao Zhen will then lead his men to wait for us at Meixian.
Who among you can deal with Cao Zhen?
I'll go.
We don't have enough men to send to Meixian.
General, you're old. You should just stay with us.
We used only 5,000 men to seize Changsha.
Today, I'll need 5,000 men as well...
...to stop Cao Zhen.
General, you're still as brave as before.
All right.
Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi.
Yes. -I'll assign 5,000 men for you...
...to bring to Meixian...
...and mislead Cao Zhen that we're there.
Yes. -If Cao Zhen is really stupid...
...we might as well just seize Meixian.
Cao Zhen might not be too bright, but he has 100,000 men.
General, never underestimate the enemy.
Having fought so many wars, I know I shouldn't.
Chancellor, don't worry.
The rest of you, follow me to Pingyang...
...to seize Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding.
Yes.
Watch out!
Run!
Follow me! Hurry up!
General, it's snowing. There might be accidents.
Should we take a break? - Speed is everything.
Meng Da might be alerted. I'll create a path in front.
No, General, I'll go!
Order everyone to proceed! - Yes! Everyone, proceed!
Chancellor.
Hurry up!
Didn't you tell me that Zhuge Liang would be in Xincheng?
Why did Shu's army show up in Xie Valley?
How many Zhuge Liang are there in this world?
Don't worry, your Majesty. Since the battle ofYiling...
...Shu becomes weak. Though they're over the border now...
...the experienced Xiahou Mao shall be able to defeat them.
You're in charge of Yongliang's defence.
That's why I assigned Sima Yi to Xincheng.
Now there might be a war in West route.
You're telling me you're going to wait for Xiahou Mao.
I'll join General Han De...
...to suppofl Xiahou Mao and defeat the enemy.
General, before Sima Yi went for war...
...I told him something.
Now I'm going to tell you the same thing.
Sima Yi and you are the only ones who can protect our country now.
Please don't let me down.
I won't, Your Majesty.
Besides, we will...
malways be a family.
Please rise.
The Emperor intercepted the letter Zhuge Liang wrote to me.
Sima Yi has written to me, too. I'll read it aloud.
"General, you betrayed Liu Bei and surrendered to us.
We entrusted you with important duties.
Regarding the rumour about you trying to betray us...
...we trust that you're an honourable man.
The people of Shu are foolish. They all hate you.
Zhuge Liang is trying so hard to frame you.
It'd be a big deal...
...if you have the intention to go back to Shu.
Why would he let it be known?
I know Zhuge Liang did this to play us off against each other.
That's why I'm visiting you with only 5,000 followers...
...to let you know that we trust you."
Uncle, what Sima Yi said makes sense.
If Zhuge Liang wants you to get on his side...
...why would he let it be known?
Uncle, you have to watch out.
That's right, administrator.
Maybe Zhuge Liang is trying to play us off against Wei.
You don't get it. Whether or not I'm surrendering to Shu...
...it's not up to Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi.
Then who will get to decide? -I will.
Help me write a letter.
Tell Zhuge Liang that Sima Yi is coming to see me.
I don't get it. Why are you doing that?
If Zhuge Liang knows that Wei wants me to stay...
...he'll have to offer me a greater reward.
By then, I'll have 30,000 men with me.
If Zhuge Liang makes a better offer...
...I'll capture Sima Yi and hand him to Shu.
If Sima Yi's offer is better...
...I'll capture the messenger from Shu and hand him to Sima Yi.
Either way, you'll win.
Then we shall follow you and wait for Wei and Shu to make bids.
Xincheng is of strategic impedance. We need a good price.
Yes, we need a good price.
Yes, I'm offering my loyalty. I'm just waiting for the right price.
However, Sima Yi is bringing his men.
Uncle, you should be prepared.
He signed off the letter in Luoyang.
How far is Luoyang from here?
1,000km. -Yes, 1,000km.
He's bringing so many men. It's snowing. The roads are blocked.
1,000km. It'll take him two months to get here. Don't worry.
You're an experienced general...
...while Sima Yi has never been to wars before.
He's no match for you. -That's right.
If the late Emperor was still around...
...I wouldn't be in such dilemma.
Wei is lack of talents nowadays.
Sima Yi is a coward while Chen Qun is a nerd.
Cao Zhen is not bright, yet he's one of the regents.
The good old days are long gone.
Chancellor, how did Meng Da reply?
Meng Da has high aspirations yet little talent.
He's still trying to bargain with us.
He is unaware of what is truly going on.
I initially hoped that he would help me...
...to delay Sima Yi for a ceflain period of time.
Chancellor, you can reply to him and ask him to beware of Sima Yi.
I don't think he'll receive my reply.
Get someone here. -Get someone.
Send this letter directly to Xincheng.
Tell Sima Yi it's from me.
Seal the letter. -Yes.
I bet Sima Yi will be upset.
If Sima Yi is not this cunning...
...I wouldn't have given up Xincheng to lure him there.
Once Cao Zhen loses the battle, Sima Yi will control Wei's army.
That will not be good for us.
Chancellor, you know what Sima Yi is eyeing...
...yet he has no idea what you're truly after.
While he's still unaware of it...
...we'll seize the three districts and Chang'an.
Is Zhao Yun leading the army?
He's about 70 years old, right?
Zhuge Liang has no one else to assign.
Let me kill their vanguard first before I get Zhuge Liang.
All right, I'll cover for you.
Old man, your hair is all white...
...yet you're still required to fight.
Zhuge Liang is cruel.
I can't bear to do this. Why don't you surrender to us?
I'll follow the rules of not capturing old men...
...and spare your life. How about that?
Kid, I'll kill you!
Protect Sir Xiahou!
Charge!