Qin Dynasty Epic (2020): Season 1, Episode 22 - Episode #1.22 - full transcript
=Qin Dynasty Epic=
=Episode 22=
I must end
the wars.
But Prime Minister is in power,
and Queen Dowager is a regent.
Lately, Prime Minister is also
feeling benevolent.
He wants to rule the six states
with benevolent governance.
In that case,
when will I be able to complete
the late king's great ambition?
(King of Qin, Zheng)
It's not that benevolent governance won't work.
However, in these warring times,
Legalism
is still more beneficial in enriching
a nation and building its military power.
Since Xiao Gong's reforms until now,
for 120 years,
Qin has been the most dominant
among the seven states.
That's the proof.
Qin's rule of law began
with Xiao Gong and Lord Shang.
(Guard of Qin, Li Si)
While I learned from Xunzi,
I intensively studied
legalism's law, tactics, and power.
I'm willing to use everything I know
to assist you,
and help you unify
the six states.
Someday,
if I were to unify the states,
how should I govern the nation
so that it wouldn't be like
the Zhou Dynasty,
where states were constantly at war,
so that the citizens
wouldn't suffer as a result,
and that Qin could finally be stable
and thrive forever?
I have a plan.
Tell me.
Abolish feudalism.
You know me
so well.
Are you willing to assist me
in this great cause?
It is my greatest pleasure and honour
to serve a great king.
I will surely assist you.
(Ju)
(Because of Qin and Zhao's alliance,)
(Yan had no choice)
(but to face Zhao's army forces alone.)
(Ju)
(Yan General, Ju Xin)
Retreat!
(Ju)
Charge!
(Ju)
Release!
Stop!
Guard the right wing!
Front army, switch to the back. Defense!
(Zhao General, Pang Nuan)
Defend the back wing!
(Zhao sent Pang Nuan)
(to lead troops in battling
against Yan.)
(Yan's general, Ju Xin,
belittled his enemy,)
(General of Zhao, Pang Nuan)
(and was killed by Pang Nuan.)
(Ju)
(Yan was badly defeated.)
(The Zhao army took)
(Yan's 36 counties in Shanggu,)
(and gave 11 of them)
(to Qin.)
(Since then, Qin and Yan became enemies.)
(Zhangtai Palace, Xianyang, Qin)
Gan Luo requests an audience.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
I have returned from Zhao.
(Junior Attendant of
Qin's Prime Minister Residence, Gan Luo)
Gan Luo?
Good.
Without using a single soldier,
you managed to acquire several cities
for Qin.
Very good.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Prime Minister has
a sharp eye for talents.
That's why I had an opportunity
to accomplish this.
Everything I did
was actually the Prime Minister's idea,
and the Prime Minister's idea
must be what you desire, Your Majesty.
Moreover,
the Prime Minister intends to make me
Chief Minister.
All right.
Good.
(Longtai Palace, Handan, Zhao)
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
Officials.
This time, we defeated Yan
and obtained 36 counties.
Isn't that
a blessing from the late kings?
It is.
No!
Not at all!
It's me!
It was my strategy!
I just assumed the throne
and we had a big victory.
From now on, I'll lead you
to unify the states.
Attack Qin and eliminate Yan!
From now on,
Zhao will dominate the states!
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
Your Majesty is most wise.
As long as you're leading us,
we can surely unify the states!
Your Majesty is most wise.
Prime Minister has arrived.
(Prime Minister of Qin, Lv Buwei)
Greetings, Your Majesty.
I killed him.
Gan Luo is Qin's official.
His life is yours.
I'm your official too.
Someday,
if you want my life,
I'll surely give it to you as well.
Gan Luo was young and reckless.
I didn't discipline him well.
Please forgive me.
Godfather, you've been working hard
for Qin's sake.
Summon Li Si.
Yes.
His Majesty calls for Li Si.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Li Si.
I've arranged for you to be
by His Majesty's side,
hoping that he'd
benefit from your advice.
Why didn't you stop His Majesty in time?
You may go.
Yes.
I bid my leave.
Your Majesty,
what do you think of Li Si?
I'll make do with him.
I request for Li Si to be made
Chief Clerk.
What does Your Majesty think?
Li Si just arrived shortly in Xianyang,
and you're already
promoting him to Chief Clerk.
Do you think it's appropriate?
As long as he's a talent
who can serve Qin well,
we should use him.
I'm requesting you to make use
of Li Si's talent.
An imperial edict.
Li Si, come forward.
Li Si has a sharp mind.
His talent can be used greatly.
He is to be named Chief Clerk
and join discussions on state affairs.
I thank
His Majesty, Queen Dowager,
and Prime Minister.
Li Si,
you must work hard for His Majesty.
Do not disappoint me.
I surely won't disappoint His Majesty
and Prime Minister.
(Presenter of Qin, Wang Wan)
(Li Si's Residence, Xianyang, Qin)
Sir.
The Chief Guard
and Presenter are here.
Let them in.
Yes.
I'm so happy
to have friends visiting me.
Congratulations for becoming
Chief Clerk.
Thank you, Wan.
I'm different from him.
(Chief Guard of Qin, Fan Wuji)
I came for the wine.
Come. This way please.
After you.
After you.
I'm sorry, Li Si.
You tirelessly made those plans,
but in the end,
not even a single soldier was mobilized.
It's really infuriating.
It's not a big deal.
Don't think much of it.
Let's drink.
However,
you both have worked longer
with His Majesty than me.
You must know how urgent and how firm
is His Majesty's desire
to unify the states.
But currently,
every mandate comes
from the Prime Minister Residence.
No matter how great
His Majesty's ambition is,
his hands are tied.
Si, don't worry.
When His Majesty governs
the nation himself,
Prime Minister will surely
give him the power
to make decisions.
When that time comes,
it won't be too late for Qin
to unify the states.
What is that supposed to mean, Si?
Based on my understanding
of the Prime Minister,
he will never give up
his power and authority.
Si, that's out of line.
Out of line?
Why do you think
the Prime Minister is writing that book?
Why?
The Prime Minister says that book
will serve as a governing guideline
for future generations
after Qin
unifies the states.
As they say, defining the general outline,
and the details will follow.
The Prime Minister
wants to use his own way of governance
to control and manipulate
the future Kings of Qin.
Therefore,
even if His Majesty governs
the nation himself,
the Prime Minister will never let him
eliminate the six states as he desires.
We still have the Queen Dowager
as regent.
The Queen Dowager and His Majesty
have depended on each other
since he was young.
Their relationship is closer
than other mothers and sons.
After His Majesty rules the nation,
Prime Minister will return power to him,
and the Queen Dowager
will surely assist His Majesty.
State affairs
have never interested Queen Dowager.
That's why she listens
to Prime Minister.
Si.
Regardless,
Queen Dowager and Prime Minister
are His Majesty's mother
and godfather.
As parents,
they always want what's best
for your child.
What's the matter, Queen Dowager?
(Queen Dowager of Qin, Zhao Ji)
I'll get the Imperial Physician.
(Lao Ai)
There's no need.
I'll get the Imperial Physician.
Come back!
You can't call the Imperial Physician.
Why?
You've fornicated
with the imperial harem,
and made the Queen Dowager pregnant.
You'd be punished to death.
Queen Dowager.
We're having a child.
We're having a child.
Why are you so happy?
A pregnant Queen Dowager
is the biggest joke on earth.
Do you want to live or not?
Queen Dowager, I want to live.
Spare me, Queen Dowager!
Queen Dowager, save me!
We can't
let His Majesty find out about this.
We also...
can't have this baby.
Queen Dowager.
We must have the baby.
It's our child.
If we have the baby, you will die.
I'm willing to die.
I'm begging you, Queen Dowager.
Forget about everything else,
His Majesty's temper alone
is very unique.
Ordinarily,
he's very nice and kind,
but if he's angry,
it's like thunder in a clear sky.
It's terrifying.
His Majesty got angry?
When?
Just a few days ago.
His Majesty was touring the counties,
and inspecting
the water channel construction.
There, he encountered
Lord Weiwen's steward disrupting
the water channel construction.
That person even dared to
spout nonsense,
and made His Majesty furious.
Lord Weiwen's people were punished
right then and there.
Tell me more about what happened
that day.
That day,
we were passing by the area of
the water channel construction,
and we heard people arguing.
It was Yunyang County's Magistrate
and Zheng Guo.
When we went over, we found
that Yunyang County's Magistrate
and Zheng Guo
were arguing with Lord Weiwen's steward.
Lord Weiwen's steward said
that the area belonged to Lord Weiwen,
and it had nothing to do with
His Majesty.
His Majesty was furious,
and he asked me what we should do.
I said that for disrespecting
His Majesty,
one's ears should be cut off at best.
So
we cut off the steward's ears
on the spot.
Si.
Si.
I'm afraid
something big is about to happen.
What can happen?
They just
punished a steward.
It seems trivial
but it actually affects the state.
A storm is coming.
(Xianyang)
(Xianyang)
Queen Dowager, please wait!
His Majesty has arrived!
Stop the carriage.
(Xianyang)
(Qin)
(Xianyang)
Mother!
Mother!
Why are you
suddenly leaving Xianyang
and going to Yongcheng?
I'm ill.
What illness have you got?
The wizard performed
a divination for me.
He said that Xianyang
wouldn't be beneficial for my illness.
I must go to Yongcheng
so I can recover.
Mother, you don't need
to go to Yongcheng.
I'll find the best physician
to heal you.
Mother!
Mother!
Don't worry.
I'm fine.
My head just aches a bit.
Sometimes, there's tightness
in my chest.
I never told you
because I didn't want you to worry.
Perhaps,
I'll get better after staying
in Yongcheng
for a while.
I'll be back then.
But we've never been apart
since I was a child.
Your godfather and the Meng brothers
are like your family too, aren't they?
Dong'er.
When I'm away from Xianyang,
you must take good care of His Majesty.
(Dong'er)
I will.
Rest assured, Queen Dowager.
Mother.
Your Majesty.
You're not little anymore.
Why are you like a child
who can't be away from his mother?
That's enough.
It's a long way to Yongcheng.
Your Majesty, please let me leave.
Mother.
Queen Dowager is leaving!
(Xianyang)
(Xianyang)
Sir, you can't
just swallow the humiliation.
It's trivial for us to suffer,
but once the water channel construction
sets a precedent,
then...
(Lord Weiwen of Qin, Ying Sheng)
How will the people
in the fief
obey your orders?
Of course we can't give up the fief.
But this concerns His Majesty.
We can't be rash.
Are we going to let that thief Zheng Guo
invade your fief?
How many others' fiefs
will be affected?
Around six or seven.
Right.
They won't just sit and do nothing.
Let's wait a bit more.
Perhaps they'll come soon.
Yes, sir.
(Xianyang)
What happened?
I don't know.
Do you know?
I don't know, either.
However, based on the horse carriages
in succession,
they must be high officials.
Yes, indeed.
Building the water channel
is a state mandate.
After the water channel is built,
up to 400 kilometers of the area around
Qin's rivers in Guanzhong
will become
the world's most fertile land.
Won't your fiefs
benefit too?
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
So what if you give up
a few acres of lands?
That's easy for you to say.
The water channel
(Lord Weinan of Qin)
won't affect your fief.
Of course you'll say that.
The matter of land is secondary.
(Lord Zhongquan of Qin)
We can't let them set a precedent.
Right.
We can't do that.
We can't.
Since Xiao Gong's reforms,
the Qin clan has been
continuously suppressed.
Take a look.
How many people with the surname of Ying
hold any power in the state?
We can't interfere in state affairs,
and now, even the fiefs
we risked our lives for
are to be seized?
No, that definitely can't happen.
That's enough!
Be patient.
There is a process of doing things.
Endless bickering
won't do any good.
Let Lord Weiyang finish.
Ying Sheng.
What do you think
we should do?
Elder Brother.
I think,
you must go
and discuss this with Prime Minister.
You'll surely come up with a solution.
After Lord Weiwen
left Lord Weiyang's Residence,
Lord Weiyang went to
Prime Minister Residence.
(Meng Tian, Meng Yi)
I think he's discussing with the Prime Minister
on behalf of the imperial family.
How will Prime Minister handle it then?
Just for some petty benefit,
they're colluding with each other
and disregarding the state's mandate.
They even involved
the Minister of Imperial Affairs!
Your Majesty, please calm down.
The key to this matter
lies on which side
the Prime Minister is on.
Regarding what I said just now,
what do you think?
Lord Weiyang.
Let me think about it.
All right.
Have you heard it?
His Majesty and Prime Minister want
to abolish feudalism
across the whole state!
I have.
The feudal lords
all went to Xianyang.
They've been running around.
I'm afraid it's not the
Prime Minister's idea.
In Luoyang,
Prime Minister has over 100 thousand fiefs.
He's the biggest feudal lord in Qin.
Will he accept the abolishment
of feudalism?
-Right.
-Right.
His Majesty isn't even governing
the state himself yet,
and he's already punished
Lord Weiwen's steward.
I'm afraid he's in trouble.
His Majesty is tough.
There's nothing he wouldn't dare to do.
That's hard to say.
So many feudal lords are going there.
Can His Majesty handle them all?
Why should he handle them?
He's not governing the state yet.
I think
Prime Minister's the one who will
have a hard time.
If he doesn't handle the matter well,
he'll offend both sides.
His own fief is also at risk too.
Right.
You're right.
Zheng Yi.
How long have we been in Qin?
13 years.
13 years.
(Zheng Yi)
You've experienced
many perilous situations.
This time,
it's just a few feudal lords
making noise.
After a few days,
it'll all settle down.
I'm not worried about them.
You're worried about His Majesty.
New clothes are better than old ones,
but old friends are always better.
You're the one
who knows me the best.
Do you think His Majesty
just acted out of anger,
or did he do it on purpose?
Does he have other ideas
about the counties
and the fiefs?
We want to see Prime Minister!
Sirs.
Sirs.
Prime Minister is busy
with state affairs.
He doesn't have time
to entertain you today.
(Steward of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence)
Please go home. Tomorrow...
(Zheng Huo)
Come back tomorrow. Okay?
Why won't Prime Minister see us?
Is he going to seize
our fiefs?
Tell Prime Minister to come out!
During the Huayang Palace incident,
we helped out a lot.
Right.
Prime Minister said he'd
take care of us.
Now, he's going back on his word.
Does... Does that make any sense?
Does that make sense?
Tell Prime Minister to come out
and see us!
We want to see Prime Minister!
We want to see Prime Minister!
Meng Tian and Meng Yi have arrived!
Greetings, His Majesty, Mr. Li Si.
What's going on outside?
Lots of feudal lords are surrounding
Prime Minister's Residence.
Prime Minister isn't seeing him.
Feudal lords from everywhere
are continuously arriving in Xianyang.
Your Majesty.
In my opinion,
the key to this matter
lies in the few feudal lords
in the imperial family affected
by the water channel construction.
Lord Weiwen, Lord Zhongquan,
Lord Weibei, Lord Pinyang.
On the surface,
they don't dare to disobey you.
That's why they secretly
incited feudal lords everywhere.
Their motive is to put pressure
on you and Prime Minister,
and protect their own benefits.
Despicable!
They're insulting the Ying family name!
I think,
since the imperial family started this,
we must suppress them.
As long as they cease causing trouble,
the other feudal lords
won't be able to do much.
How should we suppress them?
We split up into two.
First, Your Majesty should personally
convince Lord Weiyang, Ying Xi.
Since I came back to Qin,
Lord Weiyang has been very kind to me.
I can try.
Right.
Lord Weiyang is sentimental
and considers the greater good.
The current chaos
is not something he would want to see.
What about the other one?
I'll handle that.
Twice as much land
in exchange for the fiefs that the water
channel will use.
Lord Weiwen, what do you think?
That's great.
It won't embarrass us,
and we won't
suffer any losses.
How can I repay
your kindness?
Three years ago,
in the Huayang Palace incident,
the imperial family helped out.
I
still owe you a favor.
All right.
In that case,
His Majesty will have an out as well.
His Majesty is young.
On impulse, he punished
Lord Weiwen's steward.
As His Majesty's godfather,
I apologize on his behalf.
That's too much.
You're His Majesty's godfather.
Lord Weiyang and I
are His Majesty's uncles.
In that case, we're at fault too.
We're at fault.
(Zhangtai)
What I did
will not cause any delays
in the water channel construction
and it will also appease
the complaints
of the feudal lords against you.
We can say that it hits two birds
with one stone.
What a waste.
We lost thousands of acres
of rich and fertile farmlands.
Your Majesty.
We have the largest territory
among the seven states.
It's just thousands of acres of lands.
What's more, Your Majesty
has great ambition
to unify the states.
How could we not reward officials
and generals
to motivate them?
I want to ask you, godfather.
After unifying the states,
how should we reward those with merits?
We should give them
government positions.
If a great king and talented officials
rule the nation together,
the nation will be stable forever.
Anything else?
Then... I have something else to say.
Go ahead.
As the king,
your actions
should not be ruled by your emotions.
Your thoughts
will affect hundreds of thousands
of lives,
and may even cause
the nation's downfall.
Your Majesty is 15 years old.
You should control your temper,
and study how great kings rule nations.
When you govern the nation
in the future,
you'll surely become a great king.
Forgive me, Your Majesty.
I understand
what you're saying.
I bid my leave.
(241 BC,
Qin's King Ying Zheng's Sixth Year)
(Spring)
I've already talked to Prime Minister
about promoting you to Censor.
You'd handle the officials' reports
and supervise the officials.
Thank you for your kindness,
Your Majesty.
Don't mention it.
I'm promoting you
so that it will be easier for you
to do your work.
I understand.
Not only that,
I want to increase
the power of Grand Commandant.
You want to use
the Censor and Grand Commandant
to diminish Prime Minister's power.
Next year,
I'll be 20, and I can govern the state.
When I do that,
I'll immediately prepare the troops
for battle,
and eliminate the six states.
I'm planning
to promote you to Censor.
Didn't His Majesty
want Li Si to handle that post?
I'm very satisfied with your performance
as Presenter all these years.
I've long wanted to do so.
Prime Minister,
Li Si
is more talented than me.
I think...
What?
What is it?
Regardless of the times,
what Qin needs
is officials who work hard.
Going step by step and making
steady progress
is the way to go in developing a nation.
If you rush things,
the foundation won't be stable,
and it will ruin things.
What were you thinking?
You're right.
That's probably what Confucius meant
when he said
going too far is as bad
as not going far enough.
Just listen to me,
and become Censor.
If Li Si is unhappy about it,
that means he's narrow-minded,
and can't accomplish great things.
Yes, sir.
Si.
Regarding being the Censor...
I don't mind that.
I was thinking about
how His Majesty should make
his next chess move.
Chess?
What chess?
♪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 keep 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 22=
I must end
the wars.
But Prime Minister is in power,
and Queen Dowager is a regent.
Lately, Prime Minister is also
feeling benevolent.
He wants to rule the six states
with benevolent governance.
In that case,
when will I be able to complete
the late king's great ambition?
(King of Qin, Zheng)
It's not that benevolent governance won't work.
However, in these warring times,
Legalism
is still more beneficial in enriching
a nation and building its military power.
Since Xiao Gong's reforms until now,
for 120 years,
Qin has been the most dominant
among the seven states.
That's the proof.
Qin's rule of law began
with Xiao Gong and Lord Shang.
(Guard of Qin, Li Si)
While I learned from Xunzi,
I intensively studied
legalism's law, tactics, and power.
I'm willing to use everything I know
to assist you,
and help you unify
the six states.
Someday,
if I were to unify the states,
how should I govern the nation
so that it wouldn't be like
the Zhou Dynasty,
where states were constantly at war,
so that the citizens
wouldn't suffer as a result,
and that Qin could finally be stable
and thrive forever?
I have a plan.
Tell me.
Abolish feudalism.
You know me
so well.
Are you willing to assist me
in this great cause?
It is my greatest pleasure and honour
to serve a great king.
I will surely assist you.
(Ju)
(Because of Qin and Zhao's alliance,)
(Yan had no choice)
(but to face Zhao's army forces alone.)
(Ju)
(Yan General, Ju Xin)
Retreat!
(Ju)
Charge!
(Ju)
Release!
Stop!
Guard the right wing!
Front army, switch to the back. Defense!
(Zhao General, Pang Nuan)
Defend the back wing!
(Zhao sent Pang Nuan)
(to lead troops in battling
against Yan.)
(Yan's general, Ju Xin,
belittled his enemy,)
(General of Zhao, Pang Nuan)
(and was killed by Pang Nuan.)
(Ju)
(Yan was badly defeated.)
(The Zhao army took)
(Yan's 36 counties in Shanggu,)
(and gave 11 of them)
(to Qin.)
(Since then, Qin and Yan became enemies.)
(Zhangtai Palace, Xianyang, Qin)
Gan Luo requests an audience.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
I have returned from Zhao.
(Junior Attendant of
Qin's Prime Minister Residence, Gan Luo)
Gan Luo?
Good.
Without using a single soldier,
you managed to acquire several cities
for Qin.
Very good.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Prime Minister has
a sharp eye for talents.
That's why I had an opportunity
to accomplish this.
Everything I did
was actually the Prime Minister's idea,
and the Prime Minister's idea
must be what you desire, Your Majesty.
Moreover,
the Prime Minister intends to make me
Chief Minister.
All right.
Good.
(Longtai Palace, Handan, Zhao)
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
Officials.
This time, we defeated Yan
and obtained 36 counties.
Isn't that
a blessing from the late kings?
It is.
No!
Not at all!
It's me!
It was my strategy!
I just assumed the throne
and we had a big victory.
From now on, I'll lead you
to unify the states.
Attack Qin and eliminate Yan!
From now on,
Zhao will dominate the states!
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
Your Majesty is most wise.
As long as you're leading us,
we can surely unify the states!
Your Majesty is most wise.
Prime Minister has arrived.
(Prime Minister of Qin, Lv Buwei)
Greetings, Your Majesty.
I killed him.
Gan Luo is Qin's official.
His life is yours.
I'm your official too.
Someday,
if you want my life,
I'll surely give it to you as well.
Gan Luo was young and reckless.
I didn't discipline him well.
Please forgive me.
Godfather, you've been working hard
for Qin's sake.
Summon Li Si.
Yes.
His Majesty calls for Li Si.
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Li Si.
I've arranged for you to be
by His Majesty's side,
hoping that he'd
benefit from your advice.
Why didn't you stop His Majesty in time?
You may go.
Yes.
I bid my leave.
Your Majesty,
what do you think of Li Si?
I'll make do with him.
I request for Li Si to be made
Chief Clerk.
What does Your Majesty think?
Li Si just arrived shortly in Xianyang,
and you're already
promoting him to Chief Clerk.
Do you think it's appropriate?
As long as he's a talent
who can serve Qin well,
we should use him.
I'm requesting you to make use
of Li Si's talent.
An imperial edict.
Li Si, come forward.
Li Si has a sharp mind.
His talent can be used greatly.
He is to be named Chief Clerk
and join discussions on state affairs.
I thank
His Majesty, Queen Dowager,
and Prime Minister.
Li Si,
you must work hard for His Majesty.
Do not disappoint me.
I surely won't disappoint His Majesty
and Prime Minister.
(Presenter of Qin, Wang Wan)
(Li Si's Residence, Xianyang, Qin)
Sir.
The Chief Guard
and Presenter are here.
Let them in.
Yes.
I'm so happy
to have friends visiting me.
Congratulations for becoming
Chief Clerk.
Thank you, Wan.
I'm different from him.
(Chief Guard of Qin, Fan Wuji)
I came for the wine.
Come. This way please.
After you.
After you.
I'm sorry, Li Si.
You tirelessly made those plans,
but in the end,
not even a single soldier was mobilized.
It's really infuriating.
It's not a big deal.
Don't think much of it.
Let's drink.
However,
you both have worked longer
with His Majesty than me.
You must know how urgent and how firm
is His Majesty's desire
to unify the states.
But currently,
every mandate comes
from the Prime Minister Residence.
No matter how great
His Majesty's ambition is,
his hands are tied.
Si, don't worry.
When His Majesty governs
the nation himself,
Prime Minister will surely
give him the power
to make decisions.
When that time comes,
it won't be too late for Qin
to unify the states.
What is that supposed to mean, Si?
Based on my understanding
of the Prime Minister,
he will never give up
his power and authority.
Si, that's out of line.
Out of line?
Why do you think
the Prime Minister is writing that book?
Why?
The Prime Minister says that book
will serve as a governing guideline
for future generations
after Qin
unifies the states.
As they say, defining the general outline,
and the details will follow.
The Prime Minister
wants to use his own way of governance
to control and manipulate
the future Kings of Qin.
Therefore,
even if His Majesty governs
the nation himself,
the Prime Minister will never let him
eliminate the six states as he desires.
We still have the Queen Dowager
as regent.
The Queen Dowager and His Majesty
have depended on each other
since he was young.
Their relationship is closer
than other mothers and sons.
After His Majesty rules the nation,
Prime Minister will return power to him,
and the Queen Dowager
will surely assist His Majesty.
State affairs
have never interested Queen Dowager.
That's why she listens
to Prime Minister.
Si.
Regardless,
Queen Dowager and Prime Minister
are His Majesty's mother
and godfather.
As parents,
they always want what's best
for your child.
What's the matter, Queen Dowager?
(Queen Dowager of Qin, Zhao Ji)
I'll get the Imperial Physician.
(Lao Ai)
There's no need.
I'll get the Imperial Physician.
Come back!
You can't call the Imperial Physician.
Why?
You've fornicated
with the imperial harem,
and made the Queen Dowager pregnant.
You'd be punished to death.
Queen Dowager.
We're having a child.
We're having a child.
Why are you so happy?
A pregnant Queen Dowager
is the biggest joke on earth.
Do you want to live or not?
Queen Dowager, I want to live.
Spare me, Queen Dowager!
Queen Dowager, save me!
We can't
let His Majesty find out about this.
We also...
can't have this baby.
Queen Dowager.
We must have the baby.
It's our child.
If we have the baby, you will die.
I'm willing to die.
I'm begging you, Queen Dowager.
Forget about everything else,
His Majesty's temper alone
is very unique.
Ordinarily,
he's very nice and kind,
but if he's angry,
it's like thunder in a clear sky.
It's terrifying.
His Majesty got angry?
When?
Just a few days ago.
His Majesty was touring the counties,
and inspecting
the water channel construction.
There, he encountered
Lord Weiwen's steward disrupting
the water channel construction.
That person even dared to
spout nonsense,
and made His Majesty furious.
Lord Weiwen's people were punished
right then and there.
Tell me more about what happened
that day.
That day,
we were passing by the area of
the water channel construction,
and we heard people arguing.
It was Yunyang County's Magistrate
and Zheng Guo.
When we went over, we found
that Yunyang County's Magistrate
and Zheng Guo
were arguing with Lord Weiwen's steward.
Lord Weiwen's steward said
that the area belonged to Lord Weiwen,
and it had nothing to do with
His Majesty.
His Majesty was furious,
and he asked me what we should do.
I said that for disrespecting
His Majesty,
one's ears should be cut off at best.
So
we cut off the steward's ears
on the spot.
Si.
Si.
I'm afraid
something big is about to happen.
What can happen?
They just
punished a steward.
It seems trivial
but it actually affects the state.
A storm is coming.
(Xianyang)
(Xianyang)
Queen Dowager, please wait!
His Majesty has arrived!
Stop the carriage.
(Xianyang)
(Qin)
(Xianyang)
Mother!
Mother!
Why are you
suddenly leaving Xianyang
and going to Yongcheng?
I'm ill.
What illness have you got?
The wizard performed
a divination for me.
He said that Xianyang
wouldn't be beneficial for my illness.
I must go to Yongcheng
so I can recover.
Mother, you don't need
to go to Yongcheng.
I'll find the best physician
to heal you.
Mother!
Mother!
Don't worry.
I'm fine.
My head just aches a bit.
Sometimes, there's tightness
in my chest.
I never told you
because I didn't want you to worry.
Perhaps,
I'll get better after staying
in Yongcheng
for a while.
I'll be back then.
But we've never been apart
since I was a child.
Your godfather and the Meng brothers
are like your family too, aren't they?
Dong'er.
When I'm away from Xianyang,
you must take good care of His Majesty.
(Dong'er)
I will.
Rest assured, Queen Dowager.
Mother.
Your Majesty.
You're not little anymore.
Why are you like a child
who can't be away from his mother?
That's enough.
It's a long way to Yongcheng.
Your Majesty, please let me leave.
Mother.
Queen Dowager is leaving!
(Xianyang)
(Xianyang)
Sir, you can't
just swallow the humiliation.
It's trivial for us to suffer,
but once the water channel construction
sets a precedent,
then...
(Lord Weiwen of Qin, Ying Sheng)
How will the people
in the fief
obey your orders?
Of course we can't give up the fief.
But this concerns His Majesty.
We can't be rash.
Are we going to let that thief Zheng Guo
invade your fief?
How many others' fiefs
will be affected?
Around six or seven.
Right.
They won't just sit and do nothing.
Let's wait a bit more.
Perhaps they'll come soon.
Yes, sir.
(Xianyang)
What happened?
I don't know.
Do you know?
I don't know, either.
However, based on the horse carriages
in succession,
they must be high officials.
Yes, indeed.
Building the water channel
is a state mandate.
After the water channel is built,
up to 400 kilometers of the area around
Qin's rivers in Guanzhong
will become
the world's most fertile land.
Won't your fiefs
benefit too?
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
So what if you give up
a few acres of lands?
That's easy for you to say.
The water channel
(Lord Weinan of Qin)
won't affect your fief.
Of course you'll say that.
The matter of land is secondary.
(Lord Zhongquan of Qin)
We can't let them set a precedent.
Right.
We can't do that.
We can't.
Since Xiao Gong's reforms,
the Qin clan has been
continuously suppressed.
Take a look.
How many people with the surname of Ying
hold any power in the state?
We can't interfere in state affairs,
and now, even the fiefs
we risked our lives for
are to be seized?
No, that definitely can't happen.
That's enough!
Be patient.
There is a process of doing things.
Endless bickering
won't do any good.
Let Lord Weiyang finish.
Ying Sheng.
What do you think
we should do?
Elder Brother.
I think,
you must go
and discuss this with Prime Minister.
You'll surely come up with a solution.
After Lord Weiwen
left Lord Weiyang's Residence,
Lord Weiyang went to
Prime Minister Residence.
(Meng Tian, Meng Yi)
I think he's discussing with the Prime Minister
on behalf of the imperial family.
How will Prime Minister handle it then?
Just for some petty benefit,
they're colluding with each other
and disregarding the state's mandate.
They even involved
the Minister of Imperial Affairs!
Your Majesty, please calm down.
The key to this matter
lies on which side
the Prime Minister is on.
Regarding what I said just now,
what do you think?
Lord Weiyang.
Let me think about it.
All right.
Have you heard it?
His Majesty and Prime Minister want
to abolish feudalism
across the whole state!
I have.
The feudal lords
all went to Xianyang.
They've been running around.
I'm afraid it's not the
Prime Minister's idea.
In Luoyang,
Prime Minister has over 100 thousand fiefs.
He's the biggest feudal lord in Qin.
Will he accept the abolishment
of feudalism?
-Right.
-Right.
His Majesty isn't even governing
the state himself yet,
and he's already punished
Lord Weiwen's steward.
I'm afraid he's in trouble.
His Majesty is tough.
There's nothing he wouldn't dare to do.
That's hard to say.
So many feudal lords are going there.
Can His Majesty handle them all?
Why should he handle them?
He's not governing the state yet.
I think
Prime Minister's the one who will
have a hard time.
If he doesn't handle the matter well,
he'll offend both sides.
His own fief is also at risk too.
Right.
You're right.
Zheng Yi.
How long have we been in Qin?
13 years.
13 years.
(Zheng Yi)
You've experienced
many perilous situations.
This time,
it's just a few feudal lords
making noise.
After a few days,
it'll all settle down.
I'm not worried about them.
You're worried about His Majesty.
New clothes are better than old ones,
but old friends are always better.
You're the one
who knows me the best.
Do you think His Majesty
just acted out of anger,
or did he do it on purpose?
Does he have other ideas
about the counties
and the fiefs?
We want to see Prime Minister!
Sirs.
Sirs.
Prime Minister is busy
with state affairs.
He doesn't have time
to entertain you today.
(Steward of Qin's Prime Minister's Residence)
Please go home. Tomorrow...
(Zheng Huo)
Come back tomorrow. Okay?
Why won't Prime Minister see us?
Is he going to seize
our fiefs?
Tell Prime Minister to come out!
During the Huayang Palace incident,
we helped out a lot.
Right.
Prime Minister said he'd
take care of us.
Now, he's going back on his word.
Does... Does that make any sense?
Does that make sense?
Tell Prime Minister to come out
and see us!
We want to see Prime Minister!
We want to see Prime Minister!
Meng Tian and Meng Yi have arrived!
Greetings, His Majesty, Mr. Li Si.
What's going on outside?
Lots of feudal lords are surrounding
Prime Minister's Residence.
Prime Minister isn't seeing him.
Feudal lords from everywhere
are continuously arriving in Xianyang.
Your Majesty.
In my opinion,
the key to this matter
lies in the few feudal lords
in the imperial family affected
by the water channel construction.
Lord Weiwen, Lord Zhongquan,
Lord Weibei, Lord Pinyang.
On the surface,
they don't dare to disobey you.
That's why they secretly
incited feudal lords everywhere.
Their motive is to put pressure
on you and Prime Minister,
and protect their own benefits.
Despicable!
They're insulting the Ying family name!
I think,
since the imperial family started this,
we must suppress them.
As long as they cease causing trouble,
the other feudal lords
won't be able to do much.
How should we suppress them?
We split up into two.
First, Your Majesty should personally
convince Lord Weiyang, Ying Xi.
Since I came back to Qin,
Lord Weiyang has been very kind to me.
I can try.
Right.
Lord Weiyang is sentimental
and considers the greater good.
The current chaos
is not something he would want to see.
What about the other one?
I'll handle that.
Twice as much land
in exchange for the fiefs that the water
channel will use.
Lord Weiwen, what do you think?
That's great.
It won't embarrass us,
and we won't
suffer any losses.
How can I repay
your kindness?
Three years ago,
in the Huayang Palace incident,
the imperial family helped out.
I
still owe you a favor.
All right.
In that case,
His Majesty will have an out as well.
His Majesty is young.
On impulse, he punished
Lord Weiwen's steward.
As His Majesty's godfather,
I apologize on his behalf.
That's too much.
You're His Majesty's godfather.
Lord Weiyang and I
are His Majesty's uncles.
In that case, we're at fault too.
We're at fault.
(Zhangtai)
What I did
will not cause any delays
in the water channel construction
and it will also appease
the complaints
of the feudal lords against you.
We can say that it hits two birds
with one stone.
What a waste.
We lost thousands of acres
of rich and fertile farmlands.
Your Majesty.
We have the largest territory
among the seven states.
It's just thousands of acres of lands.
What's more, Your Majesty
has great ambition
to unify the states.
How could we not reward officials
and generals
to motivate them?
I want to ask you, godfather.
After unifying the states,
how should we reward those with merits?
We should give them
government positions.
If a great king and talented officials
rule the nation together,
the nation will be stable forever.
Anything else?
Then... I have something else to say.
Go ahead.
As the king,
your actions
should not be ruled by your emotions.
Your thoughts
will affect hundreds of thousands
of lives,
and may even cause
the nation's downfall.
Your Majesty is 15 years old.
You should control your temper,
and study how great kings rule nations.
When you govern the nation
in the future,
you'll surely become a great king.
Forgive me, Your Majesty.
I understand
what you're saying.
I bid my leave.
(241 BC,
Qin's King Ying Zheng's Sixth Year)
(Spring)
I've already talked to Prime Minister
about promoting you to Censor.
You'd handle the officials' reports
and supervise the officials.
Thank you for your kindness,
Your Majesty.
Don't mention it.
I'm promoting you
so that it will be easier for you
to do your work.
I understand.
Not only that,
I want to increase
the power of Grand Commandant.
You want to use
the Censor and Grand Commandant
to diminish Prime Minister's power.
Next year,
I'll be 20, and I can govern the state.
When I do that,
I'll immediately prepare the troops
for battle,
and eliminate the six states.
I'm planning
to promote you to Censor.
Didn't His Majesty
want Li Si to handle that post?
I'm very satisfied with your performance
as Presenter all these years.
I've long wanted to do so.
Prime Minister,
Li Si
is more talented than me.
I think...
What?
What is it?
Regardless of the times,
what Qin needs
is officials who work hard.
Going step by step and making
steady progress
is the way to go in developing a nation.
If you rush things,
the foundation won't be stable,
and it will ruin things.
What were you thinking?
You're right.
That's probably what Confucius meant
when he said
going too far is as bad
as not going far enough.
Just listen to me,
and become Censor.
If Li Si is unhappy about it,
that means he's narrow-minded,
and can't accomplish great things.
Yes, sir.
Si.
Regarding being the Censor...
I don't mind that.
I was thinking about
how His Majesty should make
his next chess move.
Chess?
What chess?
♪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 keep 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♪