Episode 25
Sima Yi, tell me.
Are you saying all these because Empress Dowager Guo...
...is close to your wife?
Your Majesty, you're the Emperor and I'm your subordinate.
It doesn't matter what her relationship with my wife is.
Even if you...
...decide to kill me today...
...for as long as we can remember...
...a subordinate has no choice but to die...
...if that's what the Emperor wants.
I'd definitely obey your order.
However, ...
...Your Majesty, if you plan to become a good Emperor...
...a noble Emperor...
...you shouldn't be committing such a heinous act!
You're the ruler of Wei!
How can you kill your own mother?
Did I make a mistake?
Yes, I did.
Get someone in here.
Get someone in here!
Hurry up. Retrieve the decree...
...that I issued just now. -Yes.
Go!
I was out of my mind and was mean towards Empress Dowager Guo.
Don't worry, Sir Sima. The decree will be retrieved in time.
Don't worry, it'll be retrieved in time.
It'll surely be retrieved in time, Sir Sima!
Brother Sima! -Chen Qun, how's everything?
Brother Sima! It's too late!
Empress Dowager has committed suicide!
Mother, it's all my fault!
I took too long to see my mistake! -Don't turn around.
You'd raised me for 12 years. I've let you down!
I'd been an unfilial son! I'll hold a state funeral for you...
...and present you with all the glory that...
...you deserved as Empress Dowager of Wei!
Help your Uncle Chen to get up.
Yes.
Uncle Chen, are you all right?
I'm all right.
Does he buy that?
Do you?
It doesn't matter whether he does or not.
I'm putting on an act for him.
He has no choice but to accept it.
Father!
Father! -Brother Sima!
Father!
Uncle Chen!
Bring it to Master. -Yes.
How's everything? -Lady refused to eat at all...
...while Master took a few sips of the medicine.
The porridge is ready. Let's try to persuade the Lady to eat again.
Prepare a bowl of porridge.
Try your best to convince the Lady to eat it.
Things are tough for our family now.
We have to support each other.
I grieve for the death of my mother.
She's been...
...a great Empress...
...and a loving companion of the late Emperor.
When she's in her middle age...
...she passed away unexpectedly.
She left me...
...and I'm deeply saddened.
Though she's gone now...
...I still miss her a lot.
"Wu hu."
"Ai Zai
Your Majesty.
What's the matter?
Minister Chen has passed away.
Wei...
...has lost another great minister.
I'm deeply saddened.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, Chen Qun's family is here to announce the bad news.
Look.
It's just like playing chess.
Indeed. There's only...
...one opponent left now.
Yes, he's the only one left.
If only he knows when to step down...
What would happen if he joined Chen Qun?
That would be excellent.
He would be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
He would be immoflalised.
It's a pity that these are just what-ifs.
Nothing more than that. -Your Majesty.
Men are known to have given up their lives for wealth.
Power is much greater than wealth.
Should I keep continue doing what I did?
If you let him return to Chang'an, he might gather his men.
If he stays in the capital...
...he has so many disciples and followers here.
I can't believe there isn't a place in Wei...
...where I can place him.
Enshrinement in Imperial Ancestral Temple.
He'd be known...
...throughout history.
Brother Chen, throughout the years...
...I was at wars and didn't get to see you.
When I finally saw you at Lingyun Tower...
...that day...
...you were already so old.
I didn't expect that...
...this would be...
...our last meeting.
Do you still remember?
Both of us were...
...the earliest to join Emperor Wen.
There were four of us...
...including Cao Zhen.
He disliked me and picked on me a lot.
You'd been defending me all the while.
I didn't expect...
...you to leave me...
...50 $00“ .
If I miss you in the future...
...I can only turn to...
...this tomb here.
Father, please take care of yourself.
It's windy here.
Let's go back.
Here.
Shi'er. -Yes.
Learn from your Uncle Chen.
He's an honest man with great vision.
The new policies we're having in Wei now...
...was his creation.
It's just that he was being too cautious.
I was the one who presented his nine-rank system.
Thanks to this new policy in Wei...
...Chen Qun, you shall be immoflalised.
Among the four of us, I'm the only one who remains.
I wonder...
...what I'd be known as...
...in history.
Uncle Chen had been loyal and diligent all his life.
He created the national policies, yet died so tragically.
Father, you're the only regent that remains.
The Emperor should have treated you well...
...yet he didn't.
The Emperor is ungrateful.
If a tree is taller than the rest...
...it will be destroyed by wind in no time.
What happened at the steps of Lingyun Tower...
...was the Emperor putting on an act...
...for me.
He's shown mercy.
I wonder...
...whether I'll be able to go on...
...until the very end?
Uncle Ji. -Brother Sima.
Are you looking for me?
Shi'er, kneel.
Kneel.
What are you doing?
Brother Sima, you can't...
Brother Ji.
I have a request.
This concerns my whole family.
Do tell, Brother Sima.
Sir Sima, you've finally recovered.
I'd been worried over the month.
I was worried that you might end up like Minister Chen.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
I'm lucky that I get to survive.
It's an opportunity for me to...
...repay your kindness, as well as the late Emperor's.
It's been only a few years...
...yet all the other regents are gone.
I'm old now.
However, as long as you still need me...
...I'll be at your service.
I'm ready to devote my life...
...to Wei.
That has been my lifelong wish.
Here, prepare a seat for Sir Sima.
Hold on.
Sir Sima.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Sir Sima, stop talking about dying.
I'm counting on you to settle Jiuzhou.
According to Confucius, at 50 years old...
...one should know better than to go against the law of nature.
I'm already 60 years old.
I don't claim to know everything about the law of the nature...
...but I know myself well.
At this age...
...there's little I can do over my destiny.
Don't you have other great aspirations?
One's desire to succeed may know no bounds...
...however, we have limited time.
I would love to see you reigning over the world.
Even if it's just a glance, that would be enough for me.
I'm counting on you to help me with that.
You're here in time.
I have something to discuss with you.
I sent someone to Liaodong last month to rope in Gongsun Yuan...
...and request him to come to Luoyang to greet me.
Who would've thought Gongsun Yuan...
...had already surrended to Wu.
He now owns his own army and named himself King of Yan.
Youzhou's regional inspector was useless.
He was defeated by Gongsun Yuan in no time.
What a traitor.
How dare he do that!
I'll get rid of him for you, Your Majesty...
...and restore peace to the area again.
Yes, I understand.
However, it's going to be a tough journey.
You're old and feeling unwell.
I can't bear to put you through this.
Your Majesty, if you still trust me...
was long as I live...
...I'll seize Liaodong for you.
I do.
I trust you.
L---
...trust no one but you now.
Liaodong is 2000km from here.
We can't engage in a war there for too long.
How much time do you think you need to seize Liaodong?
I need around 100 days to reach there...
...another 100 days to seize the city...
was well as another 100 days to return. 10 months...
...shall be enough.
Ten months. Can you seize the city within 100 days?
Here're the reasons I need 10 months.
Firstly, we can't afford to give Eastern Wu...
...time to send reinforcements.
Secondly, I think...
...I won't get to live...
...for another year.
I need to be back before I die.
That way, you won't be worried, Your Majesty.
Time flies.
Sir Sima, your beard has turned white.
I still remember...
...that stormy night...
...when you carried me to look for Empress Dowager Guo.
You pressed on my head and told me to call her 'mother'.
The gesture...
...saved my life.
Your Majesty, you're destined to be an Emperor.
It's your destiny. I...
...didn't do much.
You have broad shoulders, Sir Sima.
Can you carry me one more time?
Your Majesty.
You're an Emperor.
I'm already old. There might be an accident.
I'm already old.
I'm not strong enough to carry you now.
You're old...
...but I'm still young.
Why don't I carry you instead?
No, please don't do that.
Sir Sima, you're the pillar of our nation.
You're entrusted with an important task this time.
I wish you all the best.
I'll carry out the mission, Your Majesty.
Take care, Sir Sima. -Take care, Your Majesty. Goodbye.
Goodbye, Your Majesty.
He looks almost loyal.
Your Majesty, are you regretting it now?
Wang Mang was once behaving like a loyal subordinate, too.
If a subordinate is too powerful, that's not good for the ruler.
Liaodong is the perfect burial site for a hero like him.
Lingyun.
Master.
You seldom play your instrument these days.
It's getting dusty.
"It's sad that few understand the sorrow in the music."
After what happened, I'm in no mood to play any music.
Life is like the dust flying in the wind.
The dead are long gone. We should move on.
Master, do you plan to return to Chang'an?
The Emperor has a mission for me.
Instead of surrendering, Gongsun Yuan...
...named himself King of Yan.
The Emperor wants me to seize Liaodong.
Liaodong has been peaceful over the decades.
By waging a war there...
...Gongsun Yuan would surely rebel against Wei.
Liaodong is far. It's hard to transport provisions there.
Gongsun Yuan and his...
...family are based in Liaodong. He might gain the upperhand.
The Emperor is trying to use him to kill you. Please don't go.
The Emperor might be using him as a pawn, but I'm not dumb either.
As long as you remain a pawn...
...there'll be a day when you outlive your purpose.
Once that happens...
...you would be abandoned or worse, removed.
I've been looking forward to the day...
...when you can give up your blood-stained past...
...and choose a life of peace instead.
Please don't keep me waiting.
I'm worried.
Liang Fu Yin. It's by Zhuge Liang.
Back then...
...I led an army to trap Zhuge Liang at Xicheng.
This was the song he played then.
I'm a pawn for the Emperor.
I envy Zhuge Liang.
He was working for his Emperor...
...yet he's his own master.
In order to enjoy a peaceful life...
...I need to make sure I'm strong enough to protect myself.
Your Majesty, we've won the war in Liaodong.
All of you may leave.
So Sima Yi used only a few months to seize Liaodong.
Yes.
He's still capable despite his age.
What about Gongsun Yuan? - Your Majesty, Gongsun Yuan...
...is dead.
Was he killed in the war? - He's killed by Sima Yi.
You mean he killed him without my permission?
It's not just Gongsun Yuan.
Gongsun Yuan's family, followers, army...
...a total of 10,000 of them are all killed.
Please calm down, Your Majesty.
Great!
He's such a great minister!
He's the pillar of the nation!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty!
Summon the Imperial Physician!
Imperial Physician!