Qin Dynasty Epic (2020): Season 1, Episode 48 - Episode #1.48 - full transcript
=Qin Dynasty Epic=
=Episode 48=
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
I implore you to employ your relatives
to help you
unify the states.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
You and Lord Weiwen
led the imperial family
to fight a bloody battle
and quell the revolt.
Your contributions
must not go unnoticed.
I have ordered handsome pensions
for Lord Weiwen
and the members of the imperial family
who died for the state.
I have also granted noble titles
to the other members of the imperial family
who participated in quelling the revolt
according to their contributions.
I do not understand
why you are still asking me
to employ them.
Do you know
the Ying family
is the foundation of Qin?
But few senior officials
in the court
are from the Ying family.
Therefore, I implore you
to promote your relatives
from the Ying family
and put them in important positions.
It is for the good of Qin
and the Ying family.
But the Qin's Law clearly states
that if we promote
those without contributions
or empower those without noble titles,
the state will fall into chaos
and the king will be in danger.
Has it occurred to you
that after you returned to Qin,
your relatives on your mother's side
interfered in government affairs
and foreigners took power?
It caused the Huayang Palace Plot
and Lao Ai's revolt.
The people of the Ying family
always fought at the forefront
of the battles,
destroying the rebels
and quelling the revolt for you.
Your Majesty,
your relatives are always
on your side.
My relatives from the Ying family
are the foundation of Qin.
But if I reward them handsomely
whenever they make
the tiniest contribution,
they will inevitably
become complacent
and make no attempt to progress.
Their blood ties with me
should be the reason
for them to start from the little things
and work hard to improve themselves
in order to truly become
Qin's backbone.
Am I right?
You are right.
I will decree that Lord Changping
should prefer my relatives
over other candidates
for official positions.
In that case,
I have nothing else to say.
Allow me
to excuse myself.
(Lord Changping's Residence, Xianyang)
I am seeing quite a lot of people.
It reminds me of the residence
of Duke of Wenxin.
Uncle.
Is it not rude
(Ying Jie)
to show up
without invitation letters?
Now Lord Changping
holds the power
to appoint people
to official positions.
I do not have time
to care about etiquette.
Bring out the gifts.
(Lord Changping of Qin, Mi Qi)
(Lord Changwen of Qin, Mi Dian)
Lord Weiyang.
Lord Changping.
No.
It sounds wrong.
I should call you
Prime Minister.
You are a pillar of Qin.
I do not deserve
to be called that.
His Majesty made you
the Prime Minister.
You deserve it.
After you.
This is the Mi family's gathering.
I do not understand
why the imperial family came.
Lord Changwen.
(Son of Lv Buwei, Lv Hui)
I seek an audience with Lord Changping.
Come in.
His Majesty views Duke of Wenxin
as his godfather.
I do not think
he will go hard on the Lv family.
That may be true,
but the people can talk him around.
After all, Lao Ai
was from the Lv family.
If His Majesty
continues the investigation,
the Lv family will inevitably
be implicated and convicted.
Please find a way
to save the Lv family.
I just took office.
I am still learning the ins and outs.
Give me some time.
I will talk to His Majesty later,
alright?
(Retainer of Lv Buwei, Sikong Ma)
My lord,
what you should do now
is to rein in the Lv family
and wait patiently.
Wait?
For how long?
Wait until the storm is over.
Prime Minister
shuns Lord Weiyang.
Is this how the Mi family
treats its guests?
Lord Weiyang has brought a list of gifts
that end in
about a dozen official positions.
Are you here
to extend his congratulations
or ask for official positions
on behalf of the Ying family?
If I were Lord Changping,
I would not know how to face you.
We killed Lao Ai
and nearly a thousand members
of our family died in the battles.
I do not see anything wrong
with Lord Weiyang putting in
a good word for our family
as the Minister of Imperial Affairs.
His Majesty has decreed
to compensate the killed and injured
and reward those with contributions.
Besides,
not all the names included
in Lord Weiyang's list of gifts
are brave warriors who fought the enemy.
The imperial family should not be jealous
of other people's promotion.
You...
Lord Changping,
(Chun Yuyue)
it is fine if you do not help.
Why make excuses
to shrink from your responsibilities?
I have over a hundred guests
at my residence today.
I kept them waiting
to talk to you
about the Lv family's future.
I am not shrinking
from my responsibilities.
Yuyue is short-tempered.
Lord Changping,
please do not take offense at him.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Uncle,
all the important positions
have been taken by
the Mi family and foreigners.
When will the imperial family rise?
Prince Jie,
that is not true.
You can have problems with foreigners,
but do not
get the Mi family involved.
Duke of Wenxin
was the Prime Minister
for over ten years.
Most of the important positions
of the Qin
fell into the hands of the foreigners.
If I were you,
I would ask Duke of Wenxin
for official positions.
Mi Dian,
enough with your nonsense.
Do not assume that I lack the courage...
Ying Jie.
Lord Changping.
I just came
to offer my congratulations
on Lord Changping's
promotion to Prime Minister.
I mean nothing else.
Our conversation involved
appropriate and inappropriate remarks.
Forgive us, Prime Minister.
Forgive me, Lord Weiyang.
Ying Jie.
Yes.
Let us go home.
My lord,
I have come up with a plan
to save the Lv family.
If we make
His Majesty take the Queen Dowager back,
the Lv family will be safe.
The imperial family is
bashing Duke of Wenxin
on the senseless grounds that
Duke of Wenxin recommended Lao Ai
to the Queen Dowager.
Now the Queen Dowager
lives in Yongcheng,
rumors begin to circulate.
If the Queen Dowager is forgiven
by His Majesty
and returns to Xianyang,
nobody will dare to
criticize Duke of Wenxin.
By then, blaming Duke of Wenxin
for introducing Lao Ai
will be bashing the Queen Dowager.
His Majesty will not sit by.
Will it work?
It will.
Once His Majesty
takes the Queen Dowager back,
the imperial family will show restraint
for His Majesty's sake
no matter how unhappy they are
about the Lv family.
The moment the Queen Dowager
returns to Xianyang
is the moment the criticism goes away.
Will Father agree?
My lord,
the lives of Duke of Wenxin
and the three thousand retainers
of the Lv family
hinge on your decision.
The Mi family has gone too far.
How dare they ignore
your request.
We cannot let this pass.
Uncle,
Lv Buwei was the Prime Minister
for over ten years.
Most of the important positions
of the Qin court
fell into the hands of the foreigners.
The dominance of these foreigners
is Qin's biggest underlying problem
for the present.
Now Lv Buwei has lost power,
but his followers
still listen to him.
In my opinion,
we must wipe out
the Lv family
to eliminate foreigners and His Majesty's
relatives on his mother's side,
let the people of pure Qin descent
resume control over government affairs,
and help His Majesty unify the states.
Lv Buwei made
great contributions to Qin, after all.
His Majesty is stuck
in a moral predicament
where he cannot bring himself
to eliminate Lv Buwei.
I know
Lv Buwei is His Majesty's godfather.
Even if His Majesty wants to punish him,
he hates to be called unfilial.
As members of the imperial family,
we should help His Majesty
out of this predicament
and ask him to punish Lv Buwei.
Only when the public is indignant,
can His Majesty ride the momentum
and take action.
Without Lv Buwei,
the foreigners
will find no support in Qin.
They will not stay long.
I need time
to think it through.
(Zhangtai)
The best a filial son can do
is to respect his parents.
Your Majesty is the ruler of this state
and the role model
for his one million people.
Only by following the way
of the late kings
and taking the Queen Dowager back
to show he rules the state
with filial piety,
can he make this world a moral place.
The Queen Dowager lives in Yongcheng
all alone.
She is deprived of
the joy of being around
her children and grandchildren
and spending time with her family.
How can you let her suffer?
Your Majesty,
the trouble with Lao Ai
was not the Queen Dowager's fault.
The Queen Dowager was deceived
by Lao Ai
into straying from the right path.
Spend time with her family.
Find joy in being around her children
and grandchildren.
According to you,
I should rush to Yongcheng
and take the Queen Dowager back
right now.
But I issued an imperial edict
when I imprisoned the Queen Dowager.
I need to ask the other officials
in the court
for their opinions.
Mi Qi and Kui Zhuang
are Senior Prime Minister
and Junior Prime Minister,
acting as the head of all the officials.
It is inappropriate
for me to not consult them
before withdrawing the edict.
You may leave.
Your Majesty.
If you approve,
I will talk
Prime Minister Kui Zhuang around.
I already visited
Lord Changping's Residence
and made inquiries.
The Mi family
held a celebration last night.
Lord Changping got drunk
and is sleeping right now.
I think
the Queen Dowager is
the foundation of the Qin.
If Lord Changping were here now,
he would agree with us.
The foundation?
What do you mean
by that?
Your Majesty,
the Queen Dowager is your mother.
Respecting and supporting
the Queen Dowager
is a filial thing to do.
Today's dukes
respect elders.
It is moral to respect
the Queen Dowager.
You ascended the throne as a teenager.
The Queen Dowager supervised
the handling of government affairs
as the regent and strove
to make this state prosperous.
It was proof of her loyalty.
You can find the embodiment of
loyalty, filial piety and morality
in the Queen Dowager.
Therefore she is the foundation
of the Qin.
The Queen Dowager associated with Lao Ai
and turned her back against me.
It was proof of her disobedience.
She let Lao Ai supervise
the handling of government affairs
and enabled Lao Ai to incite people
and muster troops to start a revolt.
It was proof of her defiance.
The Queen Dowager
betrayed the Qin.
Yet you came here to babble
and twist the facts
for personal benefits.
What am I
to you?
Your Majesty.
I do not seek personal benefits.
I do not seek personal benefits,
Your Majesty.
I offer ideas for your good.
Your Majesty,
you can show the people and the world
how to be a filial son by
taking the Queen Dowager back.
We are offering
this piece of honest advice
for the Qin's good
and your good,
not for personal benefits, Your Majesty.
We are risking our lives
to ask you to
take the Queen Dowager back.
You are a native of Zhao,
and you entered the Qin court
because you are
the Queen Dowager's distant relative.
You are a native of Wei,
and you asked Lao Ai
to seek the Queen Dowager's help
in order to put you
in an official position.
And you,
you gave your regards
to the Queen Dowager every day
and screwed up government affairs.
You ask me
to take the Queen Dowager back
not because you want
what is best for the Qin,
but because the Queen Dowager's return
is the only way
to maintain your official positions.
I already said
whoever advised me
to pardon the Queen Dowager
would be killed.
You went against my order on purpose.
Meng Yi.
Yes.
Take it easy, you all.
Lord Weiyang has something to say.
His Majesty killed 27 officials
in a rage.
People are feeling panicky.
It will be harmful for the Qin
if we act now.
We should swim against the current
for the Qin.
If we do not fight now,
His Majesty might not remember
to put his relatives
in important positions
until it is too late.
Who knows
how many foreigners like Lao Ai
will take power in the Qin?
(Lord Pinyang of Qin)
By then,
will we have a place in the court
as members of the imperial family?
Yeah.
Will we have a place in the court?
Lord Weiyang,
(Lord Zhongquan of Qin)
we must waste no time
expelling the foreigners
and putting the people
of pure Qin descent in power.
Uncle,
the 27 officials
seemingly died today for their advice
about taking the Queen Dowager back.
But every one of them was a foreigner.
Every one of them
benefited from Lv Buwei.
All this must
be Lv Buwei's plot.
We should petition His Majesty
for the execution of Lv Buwei.
Execute Lv Buwei.
You all know
Lv Buwei is His Majesty's
godfather.
Uncle,
you should know the Lv family
is stirring up trouble
behind His Majesty's back.
Now they have annoyed His Majesty,
he surely hates the Lv family more.
By advising him
to eliminate the Lv family,
we will help His Majesty
and the Qin.
Lord Weiyang,
it has been over a hundred years
since Xiao Gong carried out a reform.
The Qin court is currently
controlled by foreigners
and the imperial family members
cannot hold important positions.
The late kings ignored
the decline of the Ying family.
If this goes on,
the state will be in peril.
Lord Weiyang.
Lord Weiyang.
(Gentleman of the Palace of Qin,
Meng Yi)
What is the matter?
Your Majesty.
Lord Weiyang has led
the imperial family members
to ask for an audience with you.
I will meet with them.
Yes.
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.
Spare the formality.
What are you here for?
I
and the imperial family members
implore you to kill Lv Buwei
to enforce the law.
Kill Lv Buwei
to enforce the law.
What made Duke of Wenxin
punishable by death?
He recommended Lao Ai
and brought trouble on the Qi court.
Is his crime not monstrous?
Lao Ai has been executed.
Duke of Wenxin neglected his duty.
So I removed him
from the Prime Minister's office.
He contributed to quelling the revolt.
I cannot just kill him.
Your Majesty,
we offer this piece of advice
for the Qin's good.
Qin's law is clear
and must not be violated.
If we do not maintain law and order,
how will the Qin
rule over the six states?
If we do not maintain law and order,
how will the Qin
rule over the six states?
I never shrank from the responsibility
of maintaining law and order.
But I have a question
regarding the crime of Duke of Wenxin.
Ask away, Your Majesty.
Lao Ai's revolt
involved a lot of people.
Duke of Wenxin
and more than half of the officials
were involved.
Even the Queen Dowager was involved.
What will happen
after I kill Duke of Wenxin?
Should I kill
all the involved officials?
Should I kill
my mother?
It comforts me to know
you seek benefits
for the Qin.
I will not let you down
on the matter
about Duke of Wenxin.
Announce my imperial edict
and tell godfather that
I will be with him soon.
(Zhao Gao)
Yes.
Duke of Wenxin.
The three of us did it together.
Prince should not be
the only one punished.
Duke of Wenxin.
I am willing to take the punishment
for Prince.
You incited officials
and pressed His Majesty.
If not for His Majesty's kindness,
your heads
would have fallen off.
Father,
we were trying
to save the Lv family.
27 people have been killed
and you still do not
reflect on yourself.
Beat him.
Duke of Wenxin.
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.
I want you to return
to your fief.
Do you understand my intention?
I understand.
I understand.
My disobedient son Lv Hui
caused trouble for you.
The sooner I leave,
the sooner you can concentrate on
government affairs.
Your son should be punished lightly.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
If the Mi family had not taken action,
His Majesty would not have
(Queen Dowager Huayang of Qin)
killed Lao Ai and taken back power
with the help of Duke of Wenxin
and Lord Weiyang.
A group of clowns
clamored for Queen Dowager's return
and His Majesty vented his anger on me.
Even if he did not care about
the Mi family,
he should show some respect
to Mi Hua and Fusu.
Lv Hui and Ying Xi caused trouble.
But the Mi family got punished.
It is unfair.
Right after I became the Prime Minister,
the Lv family and the imperial family
started making trouble.
I guess
being the Prime Minister is not
all that good.
Li Si.
Is he not His Majesty's
trusted subordinate?
He should be the Prime Minister.
Nonsense!
The Prime Minister's office
is for a capable person.
Do not speak nonsense.
Now the internal strife is over
and His Majesty has taken back power,
everyone in the Qin
is looking forward to
its expanding eastward
and destroying the other states.
Everyone wants to follow His Majesty
in making magnificent contributions.
As the Prime Minister of Qin,
you should take the lead
and help His Majesty as much as you can.
You should not speak nonsense,
complain to me
and disregard your responsibilities
just because
things are difficult for you.
I am telling you,
the king suffers the most
and faces the most hardships
in this world.
To be the King of the world,
he must care
about the world.
Have you ever seen His Majesty
admit he could not do something
or shed tears?
But...
His Majesty reproached me
for trifling matters.
Lv Hui caused big trouble
and Duke of Wenxin
is still safe and sound.
He is just ordered to return
to his fief.
He also served as Prime Minister.
How could His Majesty
treat us differently?
You have trouble
coping with hardships.
Remember who Duke of Wenxin is.
The imperial family constantly bashes him.
But has he done anything?
If nothing else,
his composure is something
you could learn from him.
Queen Dowager,
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Queen Dowager.
No need to be so formal, Your Majesty.
Government affairs
must have kept you busy.
How did you find time
to visit Huayang Palace?
I just met with Duke of Wenxin
and am full of feelings.
I want to talk to you
about the way of a Prime Minister.
Great.
I am bored in the palace.
I would love to listen.
Come.
Sit here.
I have issued an imperial edict.
Duke of Wenxin
will return to his fief Luoyang soon.
Then
I will never get
to consult him
face to face again.
I will lose another good mentor
who knows and respects me
just like I know and respect him.
Can't Kui Zhuang
and Mi Qi take his place?
Kui Zhuang and Mi Qi are no less
competent than Duke of Wenxin.
But they lack sophistication.
Since I became the King of Qin,
I have spent every day
treading on thin ice.
Now the Qin
is about to expand eastward
and if I do not
have a magnanimous adviser
to help me,
I will have to shoulder
all the heavy responsibilities.
I will inevitably
make a lot of mistakes.
I will inevitably
fail to achieve my goals.
I want a Prime Minister
not as mediocre as the Prime Ministers
of the six states.
He must be of noble character
and able to convince people.
All the important officials
of the six states
have gathered in Ying of Chu
to discuss an alliance against Qin.
You are a native of Chu.
Can you recommend a talent to me?
The Qin is not
afraid of the alliance.
But if we break the alliance
with a strategy,
the elite soldiers of Qin
will not have to shed blood.
What do you think?
Mi Qi.
What did His Majesty's sincere words
make you feel?
Your Majesty,
I have realized my mistake.
I am willing to go to Chu
and break the six-state alliance.
(Ying, Capital of Chu)
Sir.
Check this out.
(Lord Lingyang of Chu, Li Yuan)
Li Yuan's younger sister
is with Lord Chunshen...
Who said this?
This rumor spread throughout Ying
overnight.
Tell the Minister of Justice
if he sees a person
spreading this rumor,
execute this person.
Yes.
Sir.
Sir. Sir.
What is the matter?
What is it now?
The Qin envoy has asked for
an audience with you.
I have no time to meet with him.
He told me
that he was Mi Qi,
Lord Changping of Qin
and His Majesty's relative.
Sir.
Scram.
His Majesty's relative.
Prime Minister,
we have planned out
the alliance.
We just need Chu's approval.
Let us put this aside.
I have something more important
to discuss with you.
(Prince of Zhao, Cong)
What is it?
The hostel which
the Zhao envoy stayed in
suffered loss by theft last night.
How come I have not heard
anyone report it to the government?
(Grand Mentor of Yan, Ju Wu)
(Official of Wei, Wei Zhan)
Thank you for your concern.
A thief did visit the hostel last night.
But I asked the people who came with me
and found that nothing of
importance was stolen.
After the theft,
I asked the Qi envoy,
the Yan envoy and the Wei envoy.
They all got a scare.
But they were not in danger.
Prime Minister,
do not worry
about a petty thief.
The six-state alliance
is more important.
That is not true.
You all are Chu's distinguished guests.
We must get to the bottom of the theft
or it will be the Chu people's fault.
Have you caught
(Prince of Qi, Tian Chong)
the thief?
I have caught him.
Servants.
Bring him here.
Yes.
You will see him
and determine
if he is
the thief.
Prime Minister.
Who is he?
He is the Prime Minister of Qin
and a relative of the King of Chu.
He is Mi Qi,
also known as Lord Changping.
Sir.
Why did you
invite a citizen of Qin here?
He is a villain
who came to damage the alliance.
Villains?
I am telling you,
you are in Chu's territory.
I will determine
if he is
a villain.
Come on.
Bring the stolen goods.
Look. Look. Look.
See for yourselves.
See for yourselves.
What a shameless group.
Did you come to Ying
to talk about the alliance
or overthrow the King of Chu?
Prime Minister,
this must be Qin's plot.
These texts written
in the languages of
Zhao, Wei, Han, Qi and Yan
were found
in your travel bags.
How can you blame Qin?
Qin and Chu have always been friendly
like a family.
Before I came to Chu,
Our King specifically told me
that if the five states
had improper thoughts about Chu,
Qin would stand with Chu
against them
and resist foreign invasion.
Prime Minister,
do not let him sow discord.
The alliance
concerns the fate of the six states.
Chu must not
leave the alliance.
Yes.
We have
confirmed this matter repeatedly.
You cannot change your stance on a whim.
You pretend to respect the Chu people,
but you spread rumors
against the King of Chu
behind their back.
Prime Minister,
is this the kind of ally Chu chose
to share its future with?
Guards.
Expel this group with evil intents
from Ying.
You...
Father.
There is no one around.
Did you reach an agreement with Meng Yi?
Yes.
He will come for it.
Meng Yi will come for it?
Yes.
He will come for it
and bring it to His Majesty.
Good.
Good.
Cover it up.
Yes.
Father,
you have stayed up late
for over ten nights
to copy this book.
Now you are about to go on
a bumpy trip to Luoyang,
can you take it?
♪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 the 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 48=
(Lord Weiyang of Qin, Ying Xi)
I implore you to employ your relatives
to help you
unify the states.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
You and Lord Weiwen
led the imperial family
to fight a bloody battle
and quell the revolt.
Your contributions
must not go unnoticed.
I have ordered handsome pensions
for Lord Weiwen
and the members of the imperial family
who died for the state.
I have also granted noble titles
to the other members of the imperial family
who participated in quelling the revolt
according to their contributions.
I do not understand
why you are still asking me
to employ them.
Do you know
the Ying family
is the foundation of Qin?
But few senior officials
in the court
are from the Ying family.
Therefore, I implore you
to promote your relatives
from the Ying family
and put them in important positions.
It is for the good of Qin
and the Ying family.
But the Qin's Law clearly states
that if we promote
those without contributions
or empower those without noble titles,
the state will fall into chaos
and the king will be in danger.
Has it occurred to you
that after you returned to Qin,
your relatives on your mother's side
interfered in government affairs
and foreigners took power?
It caused the Huayang Palace Plot
and Lao Ai's revolt.
The people of the Ying family
always fought at the forefront
of the battles,
destroying the rebels
and quelling the revolt for you.
Your Majesty,
your relatives are always
on your side.
My relatives from the Ying family
are the foundation of Qin.
But if I reward them handsomely
whenever they make
the tiniest contribution,
they will inevitably
become complacent
and make no attempt to progress.
Their blood ties with me
should be the reason
for them to start from the little things
and work hard to improve themselves
in order to truly become
Qin's backbone.
Am I right?
You are right.
I will decree that Lord Changping
should prefer my relatives
over other candidates
for official positions.
In that case,
I have nothing else to say.
Allow me
to excuse myself.
(Lord Changping's Residence, Xianyang)
I am seeing quite a lot of people.
It reminds me of the residence
of Duke of Wenxin.
Uncle.
Is it not rude
(Ying Jie)
to show up
without invitation letters?
Now Lord Changping
holds the power
to appoint people
to official positions.
I do not have time
to care about etiquette.
Bring out the gifts.
(Lord Changping of Qin, Mi Qi)
(Lord Changwen of Qin, Mi Dian)
Lord Weiyang.
Lord Changping.
No.
It sounds wrong.
I should call you
Prime Minister.
You are a pillar of Qin.
I do not deserve
to be called that.
His Majesty made you
the Prime Minister.
You deserve it.
After you.
This is the Mi family's gathering.
I do not understand
why the imperial family came.
Lord Changwen.
(Son of Lv Buwei, Lv Hui)
I seek an audience with Lord Changping.
Come in.
His Majesty views Duke of Wenxin
as his godfather.
I do not think
he will go hard on the Lv family.
That may be true,
but the people can talk him around.
After all, Lao Ai
was from the Lv family.
If His Majesty
continues the investigation,
the Lv family will inevitably
be implicated and convicted.
Please find a way
to save the Lv family.
I just took office.
I am still learning the ins and outs.
Give me some time.
I will talk to His Majesty later,
alright?
(Retainer of Lv Buwei, Sikong Ma)
My lord,
what you should do now
is to rein in the Lv family
and wait patiently.
Wait?
For how long?
Wait until the storm is over.
Prime Minister
shuns Lord Weiyang.
Is this how the Mi family
treats its guests?
Lord Weiyang has brought a list of gifts
that end in
about a dozen official positions.
Are you here
to extend his congratulations
or ask for official positions
on behalf of the Ying family?
If I were Lord Changping,
I would not know how to face you.
We killed Lao Ai
and nearly a thousand members
of our family died in the battles.
I do not see anything wrong
with Lord Weiyang putting in
a good word for our family
as the Minister of Imperial Affairs.
His Majesty has decreed
to compensate the killed and injured
and reward those with contributions.
Besides,
not all the names included
in Lord Weiyang's list of gifts
are brave warriors who fought the enemy.
The imperial family should not be jealous
of other people's promotion.
You...
Lord Changping,
(Chun Yuyue)
it is fine if you do not help.
Why make excuses
to shrink from your responsibilities?
I have over a hundred guests
at my residence today.
I kept them waiting
to talk to you
about the Lv family's future.
I am not shrinking
from my responsibilities.
Yuyue is short-tempered.
Lord Changping,
please do not take offense at him.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Sir.
Uncle,
all the important positions
have been taken by
the Mi family and foreigners.
When will the imperial family rise?
Prince Jie,
that is not true.
You can have problems with foreigners,
but do not
get the Mi family involved.
Duke of Wenxin
was the Prime Minister
for over ten years.
Most of the important positions
of the Qin
fell into the hands of the foreigners.
If I were you,
I would ask Duke of Wenxin
for official positions.
Mi Dian,
enough with your nonsense.
Do not assume that I lack the courage...
Ying Jie.
Lord Changping.
I just came
to offer my congratulations
on Lord Changping's
promotion to Prime Minister.
I mean nothing else.
Our conversation involved
appropriate and inappropriate remarks.
Forgive us, Prime Minister.
Forgive me, Lord Weiyang.
Ying Jie.
Yes.
Let us go home.
My lord,
I have come up with a plan
to save the Lv family.
If we make
His Majesty take the Queen Dowager back,
the Lv family will be safe.
The imperial family is
bashing Duke of Wenxin
on the senseless grounds that
Duke of Wenxin recommended Lao Ai
to the Queen Dowager.
Now the Queen Dowager
lives in Yongcheng,
rumors begin to circulate.
If the Queen Dowager is forgiven
by His Majesty
and returns to Xianyang,
nobody will dare to
criticize Duke of Wenxin.
By then, blaming Duke of Wenxin
for introducing Lao Ai
will be bashing the Queen Dowager.
His Majesty will not sit by.
Will it work?
It will.
Once His Majesty
takes the Queen Dowager back,
the imperial family will show restraint
for His Majesty's sake
no matter how unhappy they are
about the Lv family.
The moment the Queen Dowager
returns to Xianyang
is the moment the criticism goes away.
Will Father agree?
My lord,
the lives of Duke of Wenxin
and the three thousand retainers
of the Lv family
hinge on your decision.
The Mi family has gone too far.
How dare they ignore
your request.
We cannot let this pass.
Uncle,
Lv Buwei was the Prime Minister
for over ten years.
Most of the important positions
of the Qin court
fell into the hands of the foreigners.
The dominance of these foreigners
is Qin's biggest underlying problem
for the present.
Now Lv Buwei has lost power,
but his followers
still listen to him.
In my opinion,
we must wipe out
the Lv family
to eliminate foreigners and His Majesty's
relatives on his mother's side,
let the people of pure Qin descent
resume control over government affairs,
and help His Majesty unify the states.
Lv Buwei made
great contributions to Qin, after all.
His Majesty is stuck
in a moral predicament
where he cannot bring himself
to eliminate Lv Buwei.
I know
Lv Buwei is His Majesty's godfather.
Even if His Majesty wants to punish him,
he hates to be called unfilial.
As members of the imperial family,
we should help His Majesty
out of this predicament
and ask him to punish Lv Buwei.
Only when the public is indignant,
can His Majesty ride the momentum
and take action.
Without Lv Buwei,
the foreigners
will find no support in Qin.
They will not stay long.
I need time
to think it through.
(Zhangtai)
The best a filial son can do
is to respect his parents.
Your Majesty is the ruler of this state
and the role model
for his one million people.
Only by following the way
of the late kings
and taking the Queen Dowager back
to show he rules the state
with filial piety,
can he make this world a moral place.
The Queen Dowager lives in Yongcheng
all alone.
She is deprived of
the joy of being around
her children and grandchildren
and spending time with her family.
How can you let her suffer?
Your Majesty,
the trouble with Lao Ai
was not the Queen Dowager's fault.
The Queen Dowager was deceived
by Lao Ai
into straying from the right path.
Spend time with her family.
Find joy in being around her children
and grandchildren.
According to you,
I should rush to Yongcheng
and take the Queen Dowager back
right now.
But I issued an imperial edict
when I imprisoned the Queen Dowager.
I need to ask the other officials
in the court
for their opinions.
Mi Qi and Kui Zhuang
are Senior Prime Minister
and Junior Prime Minister,
acting as the head of all the officials.
It is inappropriate
for me to not consult them
before withdrawing the edict.
You may leave.
Your Majesty.
If you approve,
I will talk
Prime Minister Kui Zhuang around.
I already visited
Lord Changping's Residence
and made inquiries.
The Mi family
held a celebration last night.
Lord Changping got drunk
and is sleeping right now.
I think
the Queen Dowager is
the foundation of the Qin.
If Lord Changping were here now,
he would agree with us.
The foundation?
What do you mean
by that?
Your Majesty,
the Queen Dowager is your mother.
Respecting and supporting
the Queen Dowager
is a filial thing to do.
Today's dukes
respect elders.
It is moral to respect
the Queen Dowager.
You ascended the throne as a teenager.
The Queen Dowager supervised
the handling of government affairs
as the regent and strove
to make this state prosperous.
It was proof of her loyalty.
You can find the embodiment of
loyalty, filial piety and morality
in the Queen Dowager.
Therefore she is the foundation
of the Qin.
The Queen Dowager associated with Lao Ai
and turned her back against me.
It was proof of her disobedience.
She let Lao Ai supervise
the handling of government affairs
and enabled Lao Ai to incite people
and muster troops to start a revolt.
It was proof of her defiance.
The Queen Dowager
betrayed the Qin.
Yet you came here to babble
and twist the facts
for personal benefits.
What am I
to you?
Your Majesty.
I do not seek personal benefits.
I do not seek personal benefits,
Your Majesty.
I offer ideas for your good.
Your Majesty,
you can show the people and the world
how to be a filial son by
taking the Queen Dowager back.
We are offering
this piece of honest advice
for the Qin's good
and your good,
not for personal benefits, Your Majesty.
We are risking our lives
to ask you to
take the Queen Dowager back.
You are a native of Zhao,
and you entered the Qin court
because you are
the Queen Dowager's distant relative.
You are a native of Wei,
and you asked Lao Ai
to seek the Queen Dowager's help
in order to put you
in an official position.
And you,
you gave your regards
to the Queen Dowager every day
and screwed up government affairs.
You ask me
to take the Queen Dowager back
not because you want
what is best for the Qin,
but because the Queen Dowager's return
is the only way
to maintain your official positions.
I already said
whoever advised me
to pardon the Queen Dowager
would be killed.
You went against my order on purpose.
Meng Yi.
Yes.
Take it easy, you all.
Lord Weiyang has something to say.
His Majesty killed 27 officials
in a rage.
People are feeling panicky.
It will be harmful for the Qin
if we act now.
We should swim against the current
for the Qin.
If we do not fight now,
His Majesty might not remember
to put his relatives
in important positions
until it is too late.
Who knows
how many foreigners like Lao Ai
will take power in the Qin?
(Lord Pinyang of Qin)
By then,
will we have a place in the court
as members of the imperial family?
Yeah.
Will we have a place in the court?
Lord Weiyang,
(Lord Zhongquan of Qin)
we must waste no time
expelling the foreigners
and putting the people
of pure Qin descent in power.
Uncle,
the 27 officials
seemingly died today for their advice
about taking the Queen Dowager back.
But every one of them was a foreigner.
Every one of them
benefited from Lv Buwei.
All this must
be Lv Buwei's plot.
We should petition His Majesty
for the execution of Lv Buwei.
Execute Lv Buwei.
You all know
Lv Buwei is His Majesty's
godfather.
Uncle,
you should know the Lv family
is stirring up trouble
behind His Majesty's back.
Now they have annoyed His Majesty,
he surely hates the Lv family more.
By advising him
to eliminate the Lv family,
we will help His Majesty
and the Qin.
Lord Weiyang,
it has been over a hundred years
since Xiao Gong carried out a reform.
The Qin court is currently
controlled by foreigners
and the imperial family members
cannot hold important positions.
The late kings ignored
the decline of the Ying family.
If this goes on,
the state will be in peril.
Lord Weiyang.
Lord Weiyang.
(Gentleman of the Palace of Qin,
Meng Yi)
What is the matter?
Your Majesty.
Lord Weiyang has led
the imperial family members
to ask for an audience with you.
I will meet with them.
Yes.
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.
Spare the formality.
What are you here for?
I
and the imperial family members
implore you to kill Lv Buwei
to enforce the law.
Kill Lv Buwei
to enforce the law.
What made Duke of Wenxin
punishable by death?
He recommended Lao Ai
and brought trouble on the Qi court.
Is his crime not monstrous?
Lao Ai has been executed.
Duke of Wenxin neglected his duty.
So I removed him
from the Prime Minister's office.
He contributed to quelling the revolt.
I cannot just kill him.
Your Majesty,
we offer this piece of advice
for the Qin's good.
Qin's law is clear
and must not be violated.
If we do not maintain law and order,
how will the Qin
rule over the six states?
If we do not maintain law and order,
how will the Qin
rule over the six states?
I never shrank from the responsibility
of maintaining law and order.
But I have a question
regarding the crime of Duke of Wenxin.
Ask away, Your Majesty.
Lao Ai's revolt
involved a lot of people.
Duke of Wenxin
and more than half of the officials
were involved.
Even the Queen Dowager was involved.
What will happen
after I kill Duke of Wenxin?
Should I kill
all the involved officials?
Should I kill
my mother?
It comforts me to know
you seek benefits
for the Qin.
I will not let you down
on the matter
about Duke of Wenxin.
Announce my imperial edict
and tell godfather that
I will be with him soon.
(Zhao Gao)
Yes.
Duke of Wenxin.
The three of us did it together.
Prince should not be
the only one punished.
Duke of Wenxin.
I am willing to take the punishment
for Prince.
You incited officials
and pressed His Majesty.
If not for His Majesty's kindness,
your heads
would have fallen off.
Father,
we were trying
to save the Lv family.
27 people have been killed
and you still do not
reflect on yourself.
Beat him.
Duke of Wenxin.
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty.
I want you to return
to your fief.
Do you understand my intention?
I understand.
I understand.
My disobedient son Lv Hui
caused trouble for you.
The sooner I leave,
the sooner you can concentrate on
government affairs.
Your son should be punished lightly.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
If the Mi family had not taken action,
His Majesty would not have
(Queen Dowager Huayang of Qin)
killed Lao Ai and taken back power
with the help of Duke of Wenxin
and Lord Weiyang.
A group of clowns
clamored for Queen Dowager's return
and His Majesty vented his anger on me.
Even if he did not care about
the Mi family,
he should show some respect
to Mi Hua and Fusu.
Lv Hui and Ying Xi caused trouble.
But the Mi family got punished.
It is unfair.
Right after I became the Prime Minister,
the Lv family and the imperial family
started making trouble.
I guess
being the Prime Minister is not
all that good.
Li Si.
Is he not His Majesty's
trusted subordinate?
He should be the Prime Minister.
Nonsense!
The Prime Minister's office
is for a capable person.
Do not speak nonsense.
Now the internal strife is over
and His Majesty has taken back power,
everyone in the Qin
is looking forward to
its expanding eastward
and destroying the other states.
Everyone wants to follow His Majesty
in making magnificent contributions.
As the Prime Minister of Qin,
you should take the lead
and help His Majesty as much as you can.
You should not speak nonsense,
complain to me
and disregard your responsibilities
just because
things are difficult for you.
I am telling you,
the king suffers the most
and faces the most hardships
in this world.
To be the King of the world,
he must care
about the world.
Have you ever seen His Majesty
admit he could not do something
or shed tears?
But...
His Majesty reproached me
for trifling matters.
Lv Hui caused big trouble
and Duke of Wenxin
is still safe and sound.
He is just ordered to return
to his fief.
He also served as Prime Minister.
How could His Majesty
treat us differently?
You have trouble
coping with hardships.
Remember who Duke of Wenxin is.
The imperial family constantly bashes him.
But has he done anything?
If nothing else,
his composure is something
you could learn from him.
Queen Dowager,
His Majesty is here.
I pay my respects to you, Queen Dowager.
No need to be so formal, Your Majesty.
Government affairs
must have kept you busy.
How did you find time
to visit Huayang Palace?
I just met with Duke of Wenxin
and am full of feelings.
I want to talk to you
about the way of a Prime Minister.
Great.
I am bored in the palace.
I would love to listen.
Come.
Sit here.
I have issued an imperial edict.
Duke of Wenxin
will return to his fief Luoyang soon.
Then
I will never get
to consult him
face to face again.
I will lose another good mentor
who knows and respects me
just like I know and respect him.
Can't Kui Zhuang
and Mi Qi take his place?
Kui Zhuang and Mi Qi are no less
competent than Duke of Wenxin.
But they lack sophistication.
Since I became the King of Qin,
I have spent every day
treading on thin ice.
Now the Qin
is about to expand eastward
and if I do not
have a magnanimous adviser
to help me,
I will have to shoulder
all the heavy responsibilities.
I will inevitably
make a lot of mistakes.
I will inevitably
fail to achieve my goals.
I want a Prime Minister
not as mediocre as the Prime Ministers
of the six states.
He must be of noble character
and able to convince people.
All the important officials
of the six states
have gathered in Ying of Chu
to discuss an alliance against Qin.
You are a native of Chu.
Can you recommend a talent to me?
The Qin is not
afraid of the alliance.
But if we break the alliance
with a strategy,
the elite soldiers of Qin
will not have to shed blood.
What do you think?
Mi Qi.
What did His Majesty's sincere words
make you feel?
Your Majesty,
I have realized my mistake.
I am willing to go to Chu
and break the six-state alliance.
(Ying, Capital of Chu)
Sir.
Check this out.
(Lord Lingyang of Chu, Li Yuan)
Li Yuan's younger sister
is with Lord Chunshen...
Who said this?
This rumor spread throughout Ying
overnight.
Tell the Minister of Justice
if he sees a person
spreading this rumor,
execute this person.
Yes.
Sir.
Sir. Sir.
What is the matter?
What is it now?
The Qin envoy has asked for
an audience with you.
I have no time to meet with him.
He told me
that he was Mi Qi,
Lord Changping of Qin
and His Majesty's relative.
Sir.
Scram.
His Majesty's relative.
Prime Minister,
we have planned out
the alliance.
We just need Chu's approval.
Let us put this aside.
I have something more important
to discuss with you.
(Prince of Zhao, Cong)
What is it?
The hostel which
the Zhao envoy stayed in
suffered loss by theft last night.
How come I have not heard
anyone report it to the government?
(Grand Mentor of Yan, Ju Wu)
(Official of Wei, Wei Zhan)
Thank you for your concern.
A thief did visit the hostel last night.
But I asked the people who came with me
and found that nothing of
importance was stolen.
After the theft,
I asked the Qi envoy,
the Yan envoy and the Wei envoy.
They all got a scare.
But they were not in danger.
Prime Minister,
do not worry
about a petty thief.
The six-state alliance
is more important.
That is not true.
You all are Chu's distinguished guests.
We must get to the bottom of the theft
or it will be the Chu people's fault.
Have you caught
(Prince of Qi, Tian Chong)
the thief?
I have caught him.
Servants.
Bring him here.
Yes.
You will see him
and determine
if he is
the thief.
Prime Minister.
Who is he?
He is the Prime Minister of Qin
and a relative of the King of Chu.
He is Mi Qi,
also known as Lord Changping.
Sir.
Why did you
invite a citizen of Qin here?
He is a villain
who came to damage the alliance.
Villains?
I am telling you,
you are in Chu's territory.
I will determine
if he is
a villain.
Come on.
Bring the stolen goods.
Look. Look. Look.
See for yourselves.
See for yourselves.
What a shameless group.
Did you come to Ying
to talk about the alliance
or overthrow the King of Chu?
Prime Minister,
this must be Qin's plot.
These texts written
in the languages of
Zhao, Wei, Han, Qi and Yan
were found
in your travel bags.
How can you blame Qin?
Qin and Chu have always been friendly
like a family.
Before I came to Chu,
Our King specifically told me
that if the five states
had improper thoughts about Chu,
Qin would stand with Chu
against them
and resist foreign invasion.
Prime Minister,
do not let him sow discord.
The alliance
concerns the fate of the six states.
Chu must not
leave the alliance.
Yes.
We have
confirmed this matter repeatedly.
You cannot change your stance on a whim.
You pretend to respect the Chu people,
but you spread rumors
against the King of Chu
behind their back.
Prime Minister,
is this the kind of ally Chu chose
to share its future with?
Guards.
Expel this group with evil intents
from Ying.
You...
Father.
There is no one around.
Did you reach an agreement with Meng Yi?
Yes.
He will come for it.
Meng Yi will come for it?
Yes.
He will come for it
and bring it to His Majesty.
Good.
Good.
Cover it up.
Yes.
Father,
you have stayed up late
for over ten nights
to copy this book.
Now you are about to go on
a bumpy trip to Luoyang,
can you take it?
♪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 the 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♪