Qin Dynasty Epic (2020): Season 1, Episode 21 - Episode #1.21 - full transcript
=Qin Dynasty Epic=
=Episode 21=
(Lao Ai)
(Queen Dowager of Qin, Zhao Ji)
Queen Dowager.
Don't move.
It's itchy.
That's what a palace attendant
should look like.
Later, His Majesty
and Crown Prince of Yan will be coming.
I must greet them.
I'll wait here then.
You've already been pretending
to recover here for a long time.
It's time to meet people.
When they arrive later,
go and serve them.
Queen Dowager, I'm scared.
Later, when I say
"Serve the honey syrup,"
then go and serve it
to His Majesty.
Yes.
Your voice as well.
It must sound more pinched.
Listen to how
the other palace attendants speak.
Go.
Get ready.
Prime Minister.
Give me 400 thousand troops.
I can surely take down Handan.
Aren't that too much?
The flood disaster was just over.
Do we have enough supplies?
We still need to recruit laborers
for Zheng Guo to build the water channel.
Lord Weiyang, you're right.
Yesterday, Zheng Guo reported
(Prime Minister of Qin, Lv Buwei)
that he needs 100 thousand more laborers
for the water channel project.
I'm still worrying about it.
If we send 400 thousand troops
to battle with Zhao,
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
in terms of finances and manpower,
we might not have enough.
(Top General of Qin, Meng Ao)
Zhao's new king just assumed the throne,
there is dissension among the ministers.
(Chief Minister of Qin, Yao Gu)
Lian Po was removed from his position.
Their state is unstable.
Now it is a prime opportunity
to eliminate Zhao.
If we missed this opportunity,
I wonder when we'd get another one.
Top General, you're right.
His Majesty shares the same sentiment.
It's just that
under the current circumstances,
if we build the water channel
and send troops at the same time,
there might be very little left
from the soldiers, horses,
weapons and equipment
that we've accumulated all these years.
Prime Minister.
Allow me to say something.
Oh, right.
You've met the new King of Zhao
and his Prime Minister.
Tell us about them.
Prime Minister.
In my opinion,
the King of Zhao, Zhao Yan,
and his Prime Minister Guo Kai
are very undisciplined.
They don't attend to state affairs.
They're very extreme.
With the two of them
controlling the state of Zhao,
I'm afraid it's like wild monkeys
in a crockery shop.
The crockery
will all be broken.
In my opinion,
let them be
in Zhao for awhile.
When Zhao's loyal officials are gone,
and their citizens are suffering,
wouldn't it be easy
to send troops and take Zhao then?
Originally,
I had the same thoughts as you.
It's just that His Majesty wants
to eliminate Zhao soon.
Yes.
Eliminating Zhao would be hard.
Little Gan Luo, why are you laughing?
I apologize, Prime Minister.
(Junior Attendant
of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence, Gan Luo)
I have a strategy
to solve your problem.
How can a little boy have
any good strategies?
Lord Weiyang, please hear me out
before giving your judgement.
We collaborated with Yan this time
to battle with Zhao.
Our objective
is to acquire Zhao's cities and lands.
My strategy
will allow us to take Zhao's cities
without sending a single army.
His Majesty's intention to invade Zhao
is motivated by revenge.
Prime Minister, you only need to send me
as an envoy to Zhao
and I will
make Zhao concede
their cities and lands.
This way,
we don't need to send out any troops,
yet we'll still be victorious.
We'll be able to please His Majesty
and acquire Zhao's cities and lands
at the same time.
Isn't that hitting two birds
with one stone?
You want to be an envoy?
I'm confident
that I can be Qin's envoy,
and persuade the various states.
In the past, famous talents have relied
only on their eloquence
to make states cede
cities and lands.
Nowadays, however...
I'm confident that
my eloquence is on par
with Zhang Yi and Su Qin.
Great nations don't necessarily need
to use troops during conquests.
Destroying our enemy's plans
and collaborations are beneficial to us.
Why don't we let Gan Luo give it a try?
This kid
can convince Zhao Yan?
Top General, do not look down on kids.
His Majesty is also merely 15.
Zhao Yan is only 20 years old as well.
I have my ways to convince him.
Prime Minister,
please allow me to try.
Even if I fail,
it won't be too late for Top General
to send troops to Zhao.
I don't feel at ease
sending you out alone.
What about you, Chief Minister?
Prime Minister, I'm willing
to go with him.
All right.
Thank you, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister,
if the Crown Prince of Yan inquires,
what will you tell him?
What I'm worried about
is that if we succeeded in this,
we would make His Majesty look unrighteous.
In the battle between the nations,
we prioritize what benefits us.
We can set aside righteousness for now.
(Qin)
How much further
before we get to Jingyang?
Around 25 kilometers.
If we're quick,
we'll arrive in a little over two hours.
No rush.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
Let's enjoy the sights as we go.
The mountains, plains,
forests, rivers,
these are all
Qin's fertile lands,
(Qin)
great mountains and rivers.
His Majesty has stayed
inside the palace for too long.
Since he's out now,
(Dong'er)
he won't return
until he fully enjoys himself.
Miss Dong knows His Majesty best.
I'm finally out on a trip.
What's the rush?
I want to take a look at the place
where Zheng Guo is building
(Qin)
the water channel.
Then we'll go to Yunyang,
Bindi,
and go to Yongcheng in the end.
I want to pay my respects to Duke Mu.
We'll go back to Xianyang
from Yongcheng.
On the way back, we'll pass by
our two major military camps
in Mei County and Chencang.
(Meng Yi, Meng Tian)
His Majesty can inspect them as well.
Good idea.
Going to all those places
will take half a month at least.
(Qin)
If the Queen Dowager finds out,
she'll blame me for not watching
His Majesty well again.
So you're a spy
sent by the Queen Dowager?
I must watch out for you then.
I'm not! You...
I'll go ahead.
(Qin)
(Prime Minister Residence, Xianyang, Qin)
(Crown Prince of Yan, Dan)
Prime Minister is very busy.
Lately,
he really doesn't have time to see you,
Crown Prince of Yan.
(Steward of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence)
Please go to the inn first
(Zheng Huo)
and we'll inform you.
But Yan's troops
are already all prepared,
waiting for Qin to mobilize its troops.
I'm just a steward.
I know nothing of this matter.
Please rest and await news from us.
Let's go.
(Guard of Qin, Li Si)
Eat.
We need to travel afterwards.
Right.
Si.
Si, slow down.
After being assigned to Zhangtai Palace,
(Presenter of Qin, Wang Wan)
the food must've been so bad
that you're eating so hungrily.
I must eat fast.
Afterwards, I must go on duty.
Fan Wuji
is really out of line.
He's making you go on duty at night.
All right.
I'll go talk to him,
and arrange a better job for you.
Don't go to him.
If I can't even endure this,
how can I accomplish great things?
Si.
Slow down.
Here.
Have a drink.
Please excuse my manners.
Do you know
that Prime Minister sent Gan Luo
and Mr. Yao Gu as envoys to Zhao
for Gan Luo to convince Zhao Yan
to voluntarily cede cities?
Is His Majesty aware?
His Majesty is currently touring around
the counties,
and is yet aware of it.
Gan...
Gan Luo is still a child!
He doesn't think of himself as a child.
He compared himself
to Zhang Yi and Su Qin.
In that case,
Qin and Yan's collaboration
to battle against Zhao
would not push through.
If Gan Luo succeeds,
we won't need to go to war with Zhao.
Here, Wan.
Here's hoping that Gan Luo
will succeed.
Si.
What does Gan Luo's success
have to do with you?
What Gan Luo will do
might not be good for Qin
but it'll definitely be
good for me.
Cheers.
(Handan, Capital of Zhao)
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
(Handan)
Greetings.
When I heard that you were coming,
I immediately came to welcome you.
Greetings, Prime Minister of Zhao.
I don't dare to bother you.
I must come.
I must.
I owe you a favor,
and I won't dare to forget.
During this trip to Handan,
I'll surely trouble you.
However, I didn't come empty-handed.
You're too kind.
All right.
Let me introduce you.
Gan Luo
is the official envoy of this trip.
I'm merely his assistant envoy.
Greetings.
I'm Gan Luo.
This way please.
The Prime Minister of Qin is
so generous.
He sent me so many gifts.
Our Prime Minister
knows that you're a person of prestige.
Regarding the matter of the five cities,
we'll require your assistance in
informing the King of Zhao
of the pros and cons.
It's only five cities, right?
Tomorrow morning in court,
I'll have His Majesty cede them to you!
No!
Not just five.
Once Zhao wins against Yan,
and occupies its cities,
I'll have His Majesty
gift even more cities to Qin!
The Prime Minister of Qin'll surely
be satisfied.
You are indeed talented.
You have my admiration.
You're too kind.
Please inform Prime Minister of Qin
that I'll surely fulfill his wishes.
Of course,
I hope you'll come to Handan more often.
I'll be bothering you then.
Not at all.
Why should I cede five cities to him?
Am I scared of him?
I went through so much trouble
to become King.
I've just assumed the throne,
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
and now I am to cede five cities to Qin?
I'll be the laughingstock of the states!
Your Majesty, please don't be angry.
I am only suggesting this
for your sake.
You've only recently assumed the throne,
and you were only able to do so
after exiling Zhao Yi.
Among the officials,
some might refuse to submit to you.
In the imperial family,
many are coveting the throne as well.
If we were to war with Qin now...
Never mind if we win,
but if we lose,
I'm afraid some would use it
as an excuse
to appoint a new king.
Your Majesty.
Although I'm not knowledgeable
in matters of warfare,
Qin's troops are already at our borders.
If what the Qin envoy has said was true,
and Yan and Qin attacked us
from the east and west at the same time,
it would be hard for us
to defend as well.
Therefore,
we must settle the matter with Qin first
and give them the five cities.
As long as Qin doesn't assist Yan,
based on our military power,
it will be easy to defeat Yan.
Then we can get
those five cities back from them.
Your Majesty,
if you're still unsatisfied then,
when your position is steadier,
and the situation has stabilized,
we can collaborate with other states
to attack Qin,
just like the late king did.
By that time, you'd be the leader
of the allied forces.
The land seized from Qin
will be ours for sure.
You'd expand Zhao's territory,
and the history books will record
your accomplishments.
I didn't expect this,
you're quite an insightful one.
I've been your study partner
since young,
I studied a bit too.
I know a few things.
All right.
I'll endure this for now.
Lack of forbearance in small matters
upsets great plans.
Give them five cities first.
We'll get them back later on.
Your Majesty is brilliant.
Let me ask you,
who will you send to attack Yan?
You kicked Lian Po out.
We don't know where Yue Sheng is.
Qing Qin resigned.
Li Mu is in the north defending us
against the barbarians.
Who else do we have?
Your Majesty need not worry.
I've already sent someone
to get General Pang Nuan.
He'll arrive in Handan in a day or two.
We'll use Pang Nuan?
Let me ask you,
isn't Pang Nuan over 100 years old?
You must be joking, Your Majesty.
No, he's just over 80.
Over 80?
Can he still lead troops to battle?
Your Majesty,
Pang Nuan has been learning
about military tactics
from Heguanzi.
He also wrote a book
about military tactics.
He made many military accomplishments
for Zhao.
By the way,
please don't forget.
During the Battle of Handan,
he resisted our enemy,
so sending him
is definitely right.
Let me tell you.
If we don't win against Yan,
I'll surely beat you up.
We'll surely win.
Envoys of Qin, Gan Luo...
Yao Gu...
Are here to greet the King of Zhao.
There's no need for courtesy.
As a show of good faith to Qin,
I've decided
to cede five cities to Qin.
Five cities.
Guards.
Bring me the map.
I will personally map the cities.
Are you satisfied
with these five cities?
That's great.
The King of Zhao is most wise.
We'll be going to war with Yan soon.
I hope that Qin will not assist Yan.
We'd be happy to
share the acquired cities with Qin.
Thank you, King of Zhao.
(Inn, Xianyang, Qin)
Don't be anxious, Crown Prince.
Even if we didn't get to see
the Prime Minister,
it would be possible that the plans
to attack Zhao remain unchanged.
Since the Prime Minister refuses to see us,
things must have changed.
The King of Qin just so happens
to be away from Xianyang now.
If he was here,
he'd put in a good word for me.
I heard that the King of Qin
will be back in a few days.
You can talk to him when he's back.
I'm just worried
that if things change,
and Qin won't mobilize its troops,
while we've already mobilized ours.
Given Yan's military power alone,
it would be hard
to resist Zhao's troops.
I'm just afraid...
Ying Zheng,
you and I have been friends
since we were little.
Don't disappoint me.
(Qin)
(Qin)
Your Majesty,
10 kilometers ahead,
some people are disrupting
the water channel construction.
Who?
Lord Weiwen's steward and servants.
Let's go.
(Qin)
What are you doing?
Step back.
It is His Majesty
and Prime Minister's order
to build the water channel.
Step back.
The imperial edict was given
to each county.
(Yunyang County's Magistrate of Qin)
You're disrupting
(Hydraulic Engineer, Zheng Guo)
the water channel construction.
That's going against the law!
The law?
These are Lord Weiwen's lands.
We obey only Lord Weiwen's orders.
Am I right?
Step back!
-Back off!
-Step back!
Step back!
Building the water channel
will be beneficial
in the long run.
If the water channel is built,
Lord Weiwen's farmland
will also be irrigated.
But to do so, you must first occupy
100 acres of Lord Wenwei's fief.
Forget about 100 acres.
Without the owner's permission,
no one can occupy
even half an inch of it.
You... Do you even recognize Qin's law
and His Majesty?
In a fief, we recognize no one but
the feudal lord.
Can His Majesty interfere?
We only recognize the feudal lord!
His Majesty has arrived.
You're Zheng Guo?
I, Zheng Guo, greet Your Majesty.
I, Yunyang County's Magistrate,
greet Your Majesty.
Long live the king.
What's going on?
Your Majesty.
I've been tasked to manage
the water channel construction,
however, we've been unable to do so
because...
Because the land ahead
is Lord Weiwen's fief.
(Chief Guard of Qin, Fan Wuji)
Lord Weiwen's steward kept interfering.
Yunyang County's Magistrate,
is that true?
Your Majesty.
What Zheng Guo said is all true.
I've already showed
Lord Weiwen's steward
the order issued by the government.
Yet he said...
He said...
What did he say?
He said
that in a fief, they only recognize
the feudal lord.
Even Your Majesty can't interfere.
Where is Lord Weiwen's steward?
Long live the king.
Repeat what you said
to me.
Say it.
In a fief, we only recognize
the feudal lord.
No one else can interfere.
All lands belong to me,
and all its occupants are my people.
Can I, or can I not interfere?
Your Majesty is the king,
but this is Lord Weiwen's fief.
I'm just managing it for him.
Since the water channel would pass
through the fief,
shouldn't they
ask for my master's permission first?
Fan Wuji.
Yes.
What should we do to someone
who disobeys imperial orders?
At worst, we behead him.
At best, we remove his ears.
Show some consideration for Lord Weiwen.
Go lenient on him.
Yes.
Your Majesty...
I didn't do anything wrong!
-Let's go.
-I didn't do anything wrong!
-Let's go.
-I'm Lord Weiwen's steward!
You can't punish me!
Your Majesty, spare me!
Spare me, Your Majesty!
Zheng Guo, Yunyang County's Magistrate.
Yes.
Continue building the water channel.
If someone
dares to interfere
with Qin's plans again,
punish them according to Qin's law.
Let's go back to Xianyang.
Isn't that Crown Prince of Yan's
horse carriage?
Why is Ji Dan suddenly leaving?
It seems like he's in a rush too.
Did something happen?
His Majesty was only away
for a few days.
What can happen?
(Qin)
Fan Wuji.
Yes.
Ask the Crown Prince of Yan to see me.
Yes.
Stop.
Crown Prince of Yan, His Majesty
would like to speak with you.
Crown Prince of Yan, His Majesty
would like to speak with you.
Your Majesty.
I asked Crown Prince of Yan
to come over,
but he didn't answer me.
(Qin)
Is Ji Dan having a bad day again?
Let me go and check.
There's no need.
Wait here.
Ji Dan.
Why didn't you tell me
that you were leaving?
Ji Dan.
Ji Dan.
Did something happen?
Ying Zheng.
You tricked me.
You tricked my father.
You tricked Yan!
You let me and my father
become a laughingstock!
What do you mean?
I don't understand.
Damn you!
Just for a few cities,
you betrayed our alliance!
Ying Zheng.
You're an unrighteous
and treacherous man!
What's the matter?
Now that you're the King of Qin,
you don't recognize your friend anymore?
I don't care anymore!
Kill me if you want to.
Ji Dan, what are you talking about?
What cities?
I just returned.
I don't know anything!
You don't know anything?
Without your permission,
would Lv Buwei have
sent Gan Luo as an envoy to Zhao
to take five cities from them
and form an alliance with Zhao Yan?
Yan already mobilized its troops.
The Yan army is fighting Zhao alone.
Qin backed out at the last minute.
Aren't you deceiving Yan then?
I didn't let him do that!
I don't know anything!
Stop feigning ignorance!
You intentionally left Xianyang
to avoid me!
Have you no shame?
Fine, call me names.
I'm the King of Qin.
Whatever Qin does,
whether it's right or wrong,
I must take responsibility.
I will call you names.
Others don't dare to,
but I will!
What's the matter?
Kill me if you dare!
I'm too embarrassed to return
to Yan anyway.
Come on.
Do it! Kill me!
I won't kill my friend.
Friend?
Do you regard me as your friend?
Do you remember what you said
back then?
You said if you became King of Qin,
you'd never attack Yan.
Have you forgotten that?
Forget about
childish words.
Qin will unify the states.
It must attack Yan.
Why must Qin eliminate the six states?
Because if the six states exist,
war will never stop!
Mr. Shen Yue
taught you and me about that!
Nonsense!
It's all because of your ambition.
Qin
is infinitely greedy!
If you won't kill me,
let me go.
I'd rather go back to Yan
and face Zhao's troops
than see you ever again.
Horseman.
Go, back to Yan!
Guess
what I am thinking about.
The Prime Minister certainly isn't
a loyal official.
Rather,
he's a powerful official.
Li Si, you're so bold.
Several times now,
you've slandered the Prime Minister,
my godfather!
As an official,
he didn't consider your will,
and did things for his own benefit,
making you look
like an unrighteous man.
That's what a powerful official does.
What is the definition
of a powerful official?
He does what he's not ordered to.
He violates the law for personal gain.
He exhausts the nation
for his own benefit.
One who's so powerful that he is able to
control the king,
that is a powerful official.
Go on.
The powerful official holds
all the authority.
He also appoints
the government officials.
If the heads of other states
aren't on the powerful official's
good side,
war will break out.
That's why even enemy states
would bribe him.
If officials in the nation
don't play up to the powerful official,
they won't be valued,
and they won't have a chance
to get close to the king.
Even their salaries will be low.
That's why in and out of the state,
you'll only hear
nothing but praises for that official.
If the king doesn't see the truth,
he'll be even more blinded,
and the powerful official's authority
will increase even more.
Go on.
If the king and his officials
are too close,
it will be dangerous for him.
If the official is too powerful,
he will threaten the king's authority.
If the king of a small nation
is unguarded,
hundreds of officials will be waiting
to control his citizens
and his nation.
If the king of a large nation
is unguarded,
thousands of officials will be waiting
to take his power and invade his nation.
Tian's usurpation of Qi and Jin's
partition into Han, Zhao and Wei
are examples of that.
The Prime Minister wouldn't do that.
Gifts from the six states
keep being delivered
to Prime Minister's Residence.
Government officials are all trying
to get on Prime Minister's good side.
The officials around you
were arranged by Prime Minister as well.
You can't deny that Prime Minister
is doing what a powerful official does.
Your Majesty.
If you didn't suppress him,
I'm afraid that his power
would keep expanding
until it could no longer be controlled.
When a powerful official
proposes a strategy for stability,
and adopts a strategy to deal
with other states,
it seems thorough on the surface,
but he's actually hankering
his position of authority,
he's not seeking for the nation
to be stronger.
Unifying the six states
is an unprecedented task.
Meticulous preparation alone won't be
sufficient to accomplish it.
It requires
unprecedented courage, determination,
and all the more.
The Prime Minister didn't mobilize
troops to attack Zhao this time.
It shows that something in him
has changed.
The Prime Minister
is losing courage.
The Prime Minister once intended
to help me unify the states.
However, the current situation
is very clear.
Your Majesty wants to eliminate
the six states quickly
for unification to happen soon,
whereas the Prime Minister
wants to delay it.
Since Xiao Gong's reign,
Zhou and the other states
have been in decline.
Qin has suppressed the six states
for six generations.
They submitted to Qin,
and act like its counties.
With Qin's strength
and your commanding presence,
eliminating the six states
would be as easy as wiping dust off
from a file.
We should go to war now,
eliminate brutality,
give people peace,
and build an empire!
This is
an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It only comes once.
If you slack off now
and miss the opportunity,
when other states
become strong someday,
and battle with Qin again,
I'm afraid we won't have
such a good opportunity
to unify the states anymore,
and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
will be gone for good!
♪I remember the cold wind last night,
look at the world♪
♪It's boundless and vast♪
♪Each year is sad and very tumultuous♪
♪Military exercises at the plateaus,
horses drinking by the Yangtze River♪
♪Communicating the unification
of the country♪
♪Brandishing the safety of the world♪
♪The land was given to officials for
500 years, lives flourished and decayed♪
♪Ruined structures, sorrows, heroes'
tears, I must have great ambition♪
♪In the vast mountains and rivers,
the weather keeps changing♪
♪Bring peace to the world, build a
new universe, be like the sun and moon♪
♪Armed for battle,
the soldiers are unstoppable♪
♪A land consumed by war,
the beginning of the king's law♪
♪Follow the footsteps of
our ancestors and martyrs♪
♪A great nation's
iron-willed representative♪
=Episode 21=
(Lao Ai)
(Queen Dowager of Qin, Zhao Ji)
Queen Dowager.
Don't move.
It's itchy.
That's what a palace attendant
should look like.
Later, His Majesty
and Crown Prince of Yan will be coming.
I must greet them.
I'll wait here then.
You've already been pretending
to recover here for a long time.
It's time to meet people.
When they arrive later,
go and serve them.
Queen Dowager, I'm scared.
Later, when I say
"Serve the honey syrup,"
then go and serve it
to His Majesty.
Yes.
Your voice as well.
It must sound more pinched.
Listen to how
the other palace attendants speak.
Go.
Get ready.
Prime Minister.
Give me 400 thousand troops.
I can surely take down Handan.
Aren't that too much?
The flood disaster was just over.
Do we have enough supplies?
We still need to recruit laborers
for Zheng Guo to build the water channel.
Lord Weiyang, you're right.
Yesterday, Zheng Guo reported
(Prime Minister of Qin, Lv Buwei)
that he needs 100 thousand more laborers
for the water channel project.
I'm still worrying about it.
If we send 400 thousand troops
to battle with Zhao,
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
in terms of finances and manpower,
we might not have enough.
(Top General of Qin, Meng Ao)
Zhao's new king just assumed the throne,
there is dissension among the ministers.
(Chief Minister of Qin, Yao Gu)
Lian Po was removed from his position.
Their state is unstable.
Now it is a prime opportunity
to eliminate Zhao.
If we missed this opportunity,
I wonder when we'd get another one.
Top General, you're right.
His Majesty shares the same sentiment.
It's just that
under the current circumstances,
if we build the water channel
and send troops at the same time,
there might be very little left
from the soldiers, horses,
weapons and equipment
that we've accumulated all these years.
Prime Minister.
Allow me to say something.
Oh, right.
You've met the new King of Zhao
and his Prime Minister.
Tell us about them.
Prime Minister.
In my opinion,
the King of Zhao, Zhao Yan,
and his Prime Minister Guo Kai
are very undisciplined.
They don't attend to state affairs.
They're very extreme.
With the two of them
controlling the state of Zhao,
I'm afraid it's like wild monkeys
in a crockery shop.
The crockery
will all be broken.
In my opinion,
let them be
in Zhao for awhile.
When Zhao's loyal officials are gone,
and their citizens are suffering,
wouldn't it be easy
to send troops and take Zhao then?
Originally,
I had the same thoughts as you.
It's just that His Majesty wants
to eliminate Zhao soon.
Yes.
Eliminating Zhao would be hard.
Little Gan Luo, why are you laughing?
I apologize, Prime Minister.
(Junior Attendant
of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence, Gan Luo)
I have a strategy
to solve your problem.
How can a little boy have
any good strategies?
Lord Weiyang, please hear me out
before giving your judgement.
We collaborated with Yan this time
to battle with Zhao.
Our objective
is to acquire Zhao's cities and lands.
My strategy
will allow us to take Zhao's cities
without sending a single army.
His Majesty's intention to invade Zhao
is motivated by revenge.
Prime Minister, you only need to send me
as an envoy to Zhao
and I will
make Zhao concede
their cities and lands.
This way,
we don't need to send out any troops,
yet we'll still be victorious.
We'll be able to please His Majesty
and acquire Zhao's cities and lands
at the same time.
Isn't that hitting two birds
with one stone?
You want to be an envoy?
I'm confident
that I can be Qin's envoy,
and persuade the various states.
In the past, famous talents have relied
only on their eloquence
to make states cede
cities and lands.
Nowadays, however...
I'm confident that
my eloquence is on par
with Zhang Yi and Su Qin.
Great nations don't necessarily need
to use troops during conquests.
Destroying our enemy's plans
and collaborations are beneficial to us.
Why don't we let Gan Luo give it a try?
This kid
can convince Zhao Yan?
Top General, do not look down on kids.
His Majesty is also merely 15.
Zhao Yan is only 20 years old as well.
I have my ways to convince him.
Prime Minister,
please allow me to try.
Even if I fail,
it won't be too late for Top General
to send troops to Zhao.
I don't feel at ease
sending you out alone.
What about you, Chief Minister?
Prime Minister, I'm willing
to go with him.
All right.
Thank you, Prime Minister.
Prime Minister,
if the Crown Prince of Yan inquires,
what will you tell him?
What I'm worried about
is that if we succeeded in this,
we would make His Majesty look unrighteous.
In the battle between the nations,
we prioritize what benefits us.
We can set aside righteousness for now.
(Qin)
How much further
before we get to Jingyang?
Around 25 kilometers.
If we're quick,
we'll arrive in a little over two hours.
No rush.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
Let's enjoy the sights as we go.
The mountains, plains,
forests, rivers,
these are all
Qin's fertile lands,
(Qin)
great mountains and rivers.
His Majesty has stayed
inside the palace for too long.
Since he's out now,
(Dong'er)
he won't return
until he fully enjoys himself.
Miss Dong knows His Majesty best.
I'm finally out on a trip.
What's the rush?
I want to take a look at the place
where Zheng Guo is building
(Qin)
the water channel.
Then we'll go to Yunyang,
Bindi,
and go to Yongcheng in the end.
I want to pay my respects to Duke Mu.
We'll go back to Xianyang
from Yongcheng.
On the way back, we'll pass by
our two major military camps
in Mei County and Chencang.
(Meng Yi, Meng Tian)
His Majesty can inspect them as well.
Good idea.
Going to all those places
will take half a month at least.
(Qin)
If the Queen Dowager finds out,
she'll blame me for not watching
His Majesty well again.
So you're a spy
sent by the Queen Dowager?
I must watch out for you then.
I'm not! You...
I'll go ahead.
(Qin)
(Prime Minister Residence, Xianyang, Qin)
(Crown Prince of Yan, Dan)
Prime Minister is very busy.
Lately,
he really doesn't have time to see you,
Crown Prince of Yan.
(Steward of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence)
Please go to the inn first
(Zheng Huo)
and we'll inform you.
But Yan's troops
are already all prepared,
waiting for Qin to mobilize its troops.
I'm just a steward.
I know nothing of this matter.
Please rest and await news from us.
Let's go.
(Guard of Qin, Li Si)
Eat.
We need to travel afterwards.
Right.
Si.
Si, slow down.
After being assigned to Zhangtai Palace,
(Presenter of Qin, Wang Wan)
the food must've been so bad
that you're eating so hungrily.
I must eat fast.
Afterwards, I must go on duty.
Fan Wuji
is really out of line.
He's making you go on duty at night.
All right.
I'll go talk to him,
and arrange a better job for you.
Don't go to him.
If I can't even endure this,
how can I accomplish great things?
Si.
Slow down.
Here.
Have a drink.
Please excuse my manners.
Do you know
that Prime Minister sent Gan Luo
and Mr. Yao Gu as envoys to Zhao
for Gan Luo to convince Zhao Yan
to voluntarily cede cities?
Is His Majesty aware?
His Majesty is currently touring around
the counties,
and is yet aware of it.
Gan...
Gan Luo is still a child!
He doesn't think of himself as a child.
He compared himself
to Zhang Yi and Su Qin.
In that case,
Qin and Yan's collaboration
to battle against Zhao
would not push through.
If Gan Luo succeeds,
we won't need to go to war with Zhao.
Here, Wan.
Here's hoping that Gan Luo
will succeed.
Si.
What does Gan Luo's success
have to do with you?
What Gan Luo will do
might not be good for Qin
but it'll definitely be
good for me.
Cheers.
(Handan, Capital of Zhao)
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
(Handan)
Greetings.
When I heard that you were coming,
I immediately came to welcome you.
Greetings, Prime Minister of Zhao.
I don't dare to bother you.
I must come.
I must.
I owe you a favor,
and I won't dare to forget.
During this trip to Handan,
I'll surely trouble you.
However, I didn't come empty-handed.
You're too kind.
All right.
Let me introduce you.
Gan Luo
is the official envoy of this trip.
I'm merely his assistant envoy.
Greetings.
I'm Gan Luo.
This way please.
The Prime Minister of Qin is
so generous.
He sent me so many gifts.
Our Prime Minister
knows that you're a person of prestige.
Regarding the matter of the five cities,
we'll require your assistance in
informing the King of Zhao
of the pros and cons.
It's only five cities, right?
Tomorrow morning in court,
I'll have His Majesty cede them to you!
No!
Not just five.
Once Zhao wins against Yan,
and occupies its cities,
I'll have His Majesty
gift even more cities to Qin!
The Prime Minister of Qin'll surely
be satisfied.
You are indeed talented.
You have my admiration.
You're too kind.
Please inform Prime Minister of Qin
that I'll surely fulfill his wishes.
Of course,
I hope you'll come to Handan more often.
I'll be bothering you then.
Not at all.
Why should I cede five cities to him?
Am I scared of him?
I went through so much trouble
to become King.
I've just assumed the throne,
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
and now I am to cede five cities to Qin?
I'll be the laughingstock of the states!
Your Majesty, please don't be angry.
I am only suggesting this
for your sake.
You've only recently assumed the throne,
and you were only able to do so
after exiling Zhao Yi.
Among the officials,
some might refuse to submit to you.
In the imperial family,
many are coveting the throne as well.
If we were to war with Qin now...
Never mind if we win,
but if we lose,
I'm afraid some would use it
as an excuse
to appoint a new king.
Your Majesty.
Although I'm not knowledgeable
in matters of warfare,
Qin's troops are already at our borders.
If what the Qin envoy has said was true,
and Yan and Qin attacked us
from the east and west at the same time,
it would be hard for us
to defend as well.
Therefore,
we must settle the matter with Qin first
and give them the five cities.
As long as Qin doesn't assist Yan,
based on our military power,
it will be easy to defeat Yan.
Then we can get
those five cities back from them.
Your Majesty,
if you're still unsatisfied then,
when your position is steadier,
and the situation has stabilized,
we can collaborate with other states
to attack Qin,
just like the late king did.
By that time, you'd be the leader
of the allied forces.
The land seized from Qin
will be ours for sure.
You'd expand Zhao's territory,
and the history books will record
your accomplishments.
I didn't expect this,
you're quite an insightful one.
I've been your study partner
since young,
I studied a bit too.
I know a few things.
All right.
I'll endure this for now.
Lack of forbearance in small matters
upsets great plans.
Give them five cities first.
We'll get them back later on.
Your Majesty is brilliant.
Let me ask you,
who will you send to attack Yan?
You kicked Lian Po out.
We don't know where Yue Sheng is.
Qing Qin resigned.
Li Mu is in the north defending us
against the barbarians.
Who else do we have?
Your Majesty need not worry.
I've already sent someone
to get General Pang Nuan.
He'll arrive in Handan in a day or two.
We'll use Pang Nuan?
Let me ask you,
isn't Pang Nuan over 100 years old?
You must be joking, Your Majesty.
No, he's just over 80.
Over 80?
Can he still lead troops to battle?
Your Majesty,
Pang Nuan has been learning
about military tactics
from Heguanzi.
He also wrote a book
about military tactics.
He made many military accomplishments
for Zhao.
By the way,
please don't forget.
During the Battle of Handan,
he resisted our enemy,
so sending him
is definitely right.
Let me tell you.
If we don't win against Yan,
I'll surely beat you up.
We'll surely win.
Envoys of Qin, Gan Luo...
Yao Gu...
Are here to greet the King of Zhao.
There's no need for courtesy.
As a show of good faith to Qin,
I've decided
to cede five cities to Qin.
Five cities.
Guards.
Bring me the map.
I will personally map the cities.
Are you satisfied
with these five cities?
That's great.
The King of Zhao is most wise.
We'll be going to war with Yan soon.
I hope that Qin will not assist Yan.
We'd be happy to
share the acquired cities with Qin.
Thank you, King of Zhao.
(Inn, Xianyang, Qin)
Don't be anxious, Crown Prince.
Even if we didn't get to see
the Prime Minister,
it would be possible that the plans
to attack Zhao remain unchanged.
Since the Prime Minister refuses to see us,
things must have changed.
The King of Qin just so happens
to be away from Xianyang now.
If he was here,
he'd put in a good word for me.
I heard that the King of Qin
will be back in a few days.
You can talk to him when he's back.
I'm just worried
that if things change,
and Qin won't mobilize its troops,
while we've already mobilized ours.
Given Yan's military power alone,
it would be hard
to resist Zhao's troops.
I'm just afraid...
Ying Zheng,
you and I have been friends
since we were little.
Don't disappoint me.
(Qin)
(Qin)
Your Majesty,
10 kilometers ahead,
some people are disrupting
the water channel construction.
Who?
Lord Weiwen's steward and servants.
Let's go.
(Qin)
What are you doing?
Step back.
It is His Majesty
and Prime Minister's order
to build the water channel.
Step back.
The imperial edict was given
to each county.
(Yunyang County's Magistrate of Qin)
You're disrupting
(Hydraulic Engineer, Zheng Guo)
the water channel construction.
That's going against the law!
The law?
These are Lord Weiwen's lands.
We obey only Lord Weiwen's orders.
Am I right?
Step back!
-Back off!
-Step back!
Step back!
Building the water channel
will be beneficial
in the long run.
If the water channel is built,
Lord Weiwen's farmland
will also be irrigated.
But to do so, you must first occupy
100 acres of Lord Wenwei's fief.
Forget about 100 acres.
Without the owner's permission,
no one can occupy
even half an inch of it.
You... Do you even recognize Qin's law
and His Majesty?
In a fief, we recognize no one but
the feudal lord.
Can His Majesty interfere?
We only recognize the feudal lord!
His Majesty has arrived.
You're Zheng Guo?
I, Zheng Guo, greet Your Majesty.
I, Yunyang County's Magistrate,
greet Your Majesty.
Long live the king.
What's going on?
Your Majesty.
I've been tasked to manage
the water channel construction,
however, we've been unable to do so
because...
Because the land ahead
is Lord Weiwen's fief.
(Chief Guard of Qin, Fan Wuji)
Lord Weiwen's steward kept interfering.
Yunyang County's Magistrate,
is that true?
Your Majesty.
What Zheng Guo said is all true.
I've already showed
Lord Weiwen's steward
the order issued by the government.
Yet he said...
He said...
What did he say?
He said
that in a fief, they only recognize
the feudal lord.
Even Your Majesty can't interfere.
Where is Lord Weiwen's steward?
Long live the king.
Repeat what you said
to me.
Say it.
In a fief, we only recognize
the feudal lord.
No one else can interfere.
All lands belong to me,
and all its occupants are my people.
Can I, or can I not interfere?
Your Majesty is the king,
but this is Lord Weiwen's fief.
I'm just managing it for him.
Since the water channel would pass
through the fief,
shouldn't they
ask for my master's permission first?
Fan Wuji.
Yes.
What should we do to someone
who disobeys imperial orders?
At worst, we behead him.
At best, we remove his ears.
Show some consideration for Lord Weiwen.
Go lenient on him.
Yes.
Your Majesty...
I didn't do anything wrong!
-Let's go.
-I didn't do anything wrong!
-Let's go.
-I'm Lord Weiwen's steward!
You can't punish me!
Your Majesty, spare me!
Spare me, Your Majesty!
Zheng Guo, Yunyang County's Magistrate.
Yes.
Continue building the water channel.
If someone
dares to interfere
with Qin's plans again,
punish them according to Qin's law.
Let's go back to Xianyang.
Isn't that Crown Prince of Yan's
horse carriage?
Why is Ji Dan suddenly leaving?
It seems like he's in a rush too.
Did something happen?
His Majesty was only away
for a few days.
What can happen?
(Qin)
Fan Wuji.
Yes.
Ask the Crown Prince of Yan to see me.
Yes.
Stop.
Crown Prince of Yan, His Majesty
would like to speak with you.
Crown Prince of Yan, His Majesty
would like to speak with you.
Your Majesty.
I asked Crown Prince of Yan
to come over,
but he didn't answer me.
(Qin)
Is Ji Dan having a bad day again?
Let me go and check.
There's no need.
Wait here.
Ji Dan.
Why didn't you tell me
that you were leaving?
Ji Dan.
Ji Dan.
Did something happen?
Ying Zheng.
You tricked me.
You tricked my father.
You tricked Yan!
You let me and my father
become a laughingstock!
What do you mean?
I don't understand.
Damn you!
Just for a few cities,
you betrayed our alliance!
Ying Zheng.
You're an unrighteous
and treacherous man!
What's the matter?
Now that you're the King of Qin,
you don't recognize your friend anymore?
I don't care anymore!
Kill me if you want to.
Ji Dan, what are you talking about?
What cities?
I just returned.
I don't know anything!
You don't know anything?
Without your permission,
would Lv Buwei have
sent Gan Luo as an envoy to Zhao
to take five cities from them
and form an alliance with Zhao Yan?
Yan already mobilized its troops.
The Yan army is fighting Zhao alone.
Qin backed out at the last minute.
Aren't you deceiving Yan then?
I didn't let him do that!
I don't know anything!
Stop feigning ignorance!
You intentionally left Xianyang
to avoid me!
Have you no shame?
Fine, call me names.
I'm the King of Qin.
Whatever Qin does,
whether it's right or wrong,
I must take responsibility.
I will call you names.
Others don't dare to,
but I will!
What's the matter?
Kill me if you dare!
I'm too embarrassed to return
to Yan anyway.
Come on.
Do it! Kill me!
I won't kill my friend.
Friend?
Do you regard me as your friend?
Do you remember what you said
back then?
You said if you became King of Qin,
you'd never attack Yan.
Have you forgotten that?
Forget about
childish words.
Qin will unify the states.
It must attack Yan.
Why must Qin eliminate the six states?
Because if the six states exist,
war will never stop!
Mr. Shen Yue
taught you and me about that!
Nonsense!
It's all because of your ambition.
Qin
is infinitely greedy!
If you won't kill me,
let me go.
I'd rather go back to Yan
and face Zhao's troops
than see you ever again.
Horseman.
Go, back to Yan!
Guess
what I am thinking about.
The Prime Minister certainly isn't
a loyal official.
Rather,
he's a powerful official.
Li Si, you're so bold.
Several times now,
you've slandered the Prime Minister,
my godfather!
As an official,
he didn't consider your will,
and did things for his own benefit,
making you look
like an unrighteous man.
That's what a powerful official does.
What is the definition
of a powerful official?
He does what he's not ordered to.
He violates the law for personal gain.
He exhausts the nation
for his own benefit.
One who's so powerful that he is able to
control the king,
that is a powerful official.
Go on.
The powerful official holds
all the authority.
He also appoints
the government officials.
If the heads of other states
aren't on the powerful official's
good side,
war will break out.
That's why even enemy states
would bribe him.
If officials in the nation
don't play up to the powerful official,
they won't be valued,
and they won't have a chance
to get close to the king.
Even their salaries will be low.
That's why in and out of the state,
you'll only hear
nothing but praises for that official.
If the king doesn't see the truth,
he'll be even more blinded,
and the powerful official's authority
will increase even more.
Go on.
If the king and his officials
are too close,
it will be dangerous for him.
If the official is too powerful,
he will threaten the king's authority.
If the king of a small nation
is unguarded,
hundreds of officials will be waiting
to control his citizens
and his nation.
If the king of a large nation
is unguarded,
thousands of officials will be waiting
to take his power and invade his nation.
Tian's usurpation of Qi and Jin's
partition into Han, Zhao and Wei
are examples of that.
The Prime Minister wouldn't do that.
Gifts from the six states
keep being delivered
to Prime Minister's Residence.
Government officials are all trying
to get on Prime Minister's good side.
The officials around you
were arranged by Prime Minister as well.
You can't deny that Prime Minister
is doing what a powerful official does.
Your Majesty.
If you didn't suppress him,
I'm afraid that his power
would keep expanding
until it could no longer be controlled.
When a powerful official
proposes a strategy for stability,
and adopts a strategy to deal
with other states,
it seems thorough on the surface,
but he's actually hankering
his position of authority,
he's not seeking for the nation
to be stronger.
Unifying the six states
is an unprecedented task.
Meticulous preparation alone won't be
sufficient to accomplish it.
It requires
unprecedented courage, determination,
and all the more.
The Prime Minister didn't mobilize
troops to attack Zhao this time.
It shows that something in him
has changed.
The Prime Minister
is losing courage.
The Prime Minister once intended
to help me unify the states.
However, the current situation
is very clear.
Your Majesty wants to eliminate
the six states quickly
for unification to happen soon,
whereas the Prime Minister
wants to delay it.
Since Xiao Gong's reign,
Zhou and the other states
have been in decline.
Qin has suppressed the six states
for six generations.
They submitted to Qin,
and act like its counties.
With Qin's strength
and your commanding presence,
eliminating the six states
would be as easy as wiping dust off
from a file.
We should go to war now,
eliminate brutality,
give people peace,
and build an empire!
This is
an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It only comes once.
If you slack off now
and miss the opportunity,
when other states
become strong someday,
and battle with Qin again,
I'm afraid we won't have
such a good opportunity
to unify the states anymore,
and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
will be gone for good!
♪I remember the cold wind last night,
look at the world♪
♪It's boundless and vast♪
♪Each year is sad and very tumultuous♪
♪Military exercises at the plateaus,
horses drinking by the Yangtze River♪
♪Communicating the unification
of the country♪
♪Brandishing the safety of the world♪
♪The land was given to officials for
500 years, lives flourished and decayed♪
♪Ruined structures, sorrows, heroes'
tears, I must have great ambition♪
♪In the vast mountains and rivers,
the weather keeps changing♪
♪Bring peace to the world, build a
new universe, be like the sun and moon♪
♪Armed for battle,
the soldiers are unstoppable♪
♪A land consumed by war,
the beginning of the king's law♪
♪Follow the footsteps of
our ancestors and martyrs♪
♪A great nation's
iron-willed representative♪