Qin Dynasty Epic (2020): Season 1, Episode 55 - Episode #1.55 - full transcript
=Qin Dynasty Epic=
=Episode 55=
These people are cunning.
Once out of Hangu Pass,
they may
forget their promises.
Sneaky people are also smart people.
For example, Guo Kai.
He is clever and tactful.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
He is no less bright
than Zhao Yan.
(Minister of Justice of Qin, Li Si)
When I deal with Zhao Yan,
Guo Kai could play a role
no less important than
100 thousand elite soldiers.
But King Yan of Zhao
is anything but ordinary.
He won't rise to a bait easily.
That's right.
Zhao Yan is paranoid.
It takes a lot of work
to lure him into Qin.
I would go to Handan to
make arrangements for Your Majesty.
That would be nice.
But I want you
to do something more important
for me.
Wei Liao is right.
It's imperative that the six states
should be plagued by internal conflicts,
which will prevent them
from joining hands
to resist Qin.
Therefore, I need you
to associate with important dignitaries
of the six states.
Understood.
Get Yao Gu and Dun Ruo
in the palace tomorrow.
We'll be working
on the strategy
against Zhao.
Understood.
When we're closer to Handan,
keep a distance
from the carriages behind.
Why is that, My Lord?
That's a silly question.
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
If Lord Chunping's men see me,
how do I explain it?
(Prime Minister's Residence, Handan, Zhao)
Prime Minister, you've been suffering.
The bad news about Prime Minister
kept me up all night.
Yeah, we couldn't sleep at night.
Prime Minister.
How have things been in Handan
since I was away?
Knowing that Prime Minister
was captured in Qin,
His Majesty assumed that
you were unlikely to escape,
and ordered that a new Prime Minister
should be recommended.
Lord Chunping recommended Li Mu
as the new Prime Minister,
which has been agreed upon
by military generals.
His Majesty has
summoned Li Mu to Handan.
I went into great danger
for His Majesty.
But His Majesty treated me like dirt.
His Majesty is on safari.
Prime Minister, maybe you should
meet His Majesty at once,
to persuade His Majesty
out of the imperial order.
Where is the Queen now?
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Guo Kai?
Your Majesty!
Are my eyes deceiving me?
I thought you were captured in Qin.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, I escaped from Qin
by the skin of my teeth.
I thought I might never get the chance
to serve you again.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
I would have made it.
I was bringing Zhao Ji back to Handan.
However,
on that day,
King of Qin went to Yongcheng
to welcome Zhao Ji back.
When he found that Zhao Ji was missing,
he set a trap
to capture me.
I managed to land on my feet
by dealing with
all kinds of difficult situations.
I was just about to get out of Qin.
Unfortunately,
a hanger-on gave himself away
and got spotted by Qin soldiers.
I got arrested by them.
My entourage
was killed.
Your Majesty,
I'm sorry that I failed you.
I will accept your punishment.
You kidnapped the Queen Dowager of Qin.
Did they
let you get away with it?
Your Majesty,
Ying Zheng sent someone to torture me,
forcing me to frame you,
so he could have an excuse
to attack Zhao.
But I never yielded.
Your Majesty,
these injuries are the evidence
of what Ying Zheng did to me.
Then, how did you get out of Qin?
Your Majesty,
Ying Zheng kept me at Xianyang Prison.
A warder there comes from a line of
Handan people.
Impressed
by my courage,
the warder took me out of Xianyang
under the cover of night.
Where is the warder?
He was killed by Qin soldiers
when we were running away from Qin.
Oh, I see.
(Queen of Zhao)
I heard that Prime Minister is back.
Greetings, my Queen.
Prime Minister
has done an incredible job
by putting himself in great danger.
The country needs courageous people
like you.
Your Majesty, maybe
you should decommission Li Mu
and entrust Prime Minister
with important plans again.
What do you know?
He tried to kidnap
the Queen Dowager of Qin,
an act that
must have aroused the anger of Qin.
They will be waging a war against us.
I have to appoint Li Mu
the nominal Prime Minister,
who will fight for me.
Guo Kai almost got killed in Qin.
He has done a lot for Zhao.
He will certainly feel hurt
if you appoint someone else
the nominal Prime Minister.
I never thought
he could make his way out of Qin.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
I've been serving you
ever since I was a kid.
I'm nothing if not loyal.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
Li Mu...
Li Mu works for Zhao Yi.
Once he gets power,
Zhao Yi won't be nice to you.
I know the situation better than you do.
I have my own opinions.
Your Majesty,
we got news from Handan.
Zhao has appointed a new Prime Minister.
Guo Kai has not been appreciated
since he returned to Handan.
Understood.
Where is the traitor Dun Ruo?
He is still at the Zhao-Yan border.
Dun Ruo was about to enter Yan
when he was caught by Sir Guo Dan.
When he found this letter,
he asked the scout
to rush back to Handan
to report this to Your Majesty
without delay.
Good.
Arrest this traitor at once
and bring him to Handan.
I will skin him alive.
Understood.
(The former official of Zhao)
(became the envoy of Qin.)
(This is the last thing)
(King Yan of Zhao wanted to see.)
(Step by step,)
(King Yan of Zhao
is playing into the hands)
(of King Zheng of Qin.)
Dun Ruo,
you betrayed me and served Qin.
Did it ever occur to you
that you'd end up in my hands?
I'm envoy of Qin.
I was visiting Yan
on the demand of my King.
(Official of Qin, Dun Ruo)
I don't understand
why I'm kidnapped to Handan.
You don't understand?
Explain this
to me.
Your Majesty will kill me
anyway.
I'd save myself the explanation.
You betrayed and left the country.
Now, you're delivering letters
between Ying Zheng and Ji Dan.
You and your family
shall be exterminated.
But if you tell me everything,
I may spare your life.
Can I count on Your Majesty?
Are you telling it or not?
Come on!
Take him out and pound him to a pulp!
Your Majesty!
I'll tell you.
I'll tell you.
Actually,
King of Qin not only asked me
to deliver the letter to Prince of Yan,
he also ordered me
to stop by the state of Qin.
Allying with states of Yan and Qi.
(Lord Chunping of Zhao, Zhao Yi)
These three states would join hands
to deal with our country, right?
Not really, Your Majesty.
Then for what?
It's true that King of Qin
wanted to ally with Yan and Qi.
But his target
is not the state of Zhao,
but...
But the state of Chu.
Go on.
Keep going with this story.
I'm telling the truth.
Qin and Zhao have been
at war for decades.
Zhao has suffered great loss
and Qin has also got damaged.
King of Qin found Zhao
too hard to crack
for the moment.
So...
So what?
So,
he wanted to annex Chu first.
However, he was afraid
that Zhao may reach out
to other states to rescue Chu.
Therefore, he sent me to Yan and Qi,
to persuade these two states
to send armies
to hold Zhao up.
In that case, you have to deal with
Yan and Qi,
while King of Qin can feel free
to invade Chu.
You really think
I believe that?
Your Majesty,
my life is at your disposal.
Why would I lie to you?
Chu is a big country
with a number of influential families.
The families of Qu, Jing and Zhao
have armies of their own.
King of Qin made this plan
because he saw the lack of unity
in the state of Chu.
Come on!
Drag him out
and make him get on his knees
for three whole days and nights,
without feeding him.
Your Majesty,
I told you everything!
Have mercy on me, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
(General of Zhao, Li Mu)
General,
what's your opinion on this?
Your Majesty,
I think it's true
that Qin tries to ally with Yan and Qi.
Qin's real target is still unclear:
our country or Chu?
I have no fear
for the alliance of the three states.
The thing is,
the attack against Chu
will be nothing but beneficial
to our country.
Your Majesty is wise.
Chu is a vast land
with millions of soldiers,
unlike Wei and Han,
which has been obedient to Qin.
The war between Qin and Chu
will undermine both countries.
When they are fighting,
We'll be growing the economy
and training the army.
Later we will be fighting with Qin
for the supremacy.
Your Majesty,
how can we make Ying Zheng attack Chu
without allying with Yan and Qi?
Bring Dun Ruo!
Dun Ruo,
you spent a few days
in Qin.
You must know something
about Ying Zheng.
I want to know
how to handle Ying Zheng.
Your Majesty,
I haven't tasted food
since my arrest.
Would Your Majesty allow me
to have some food
before I can think of any idea?
Your Majesty, hit him with heavy stick.
That would make him speak.
Give him food.
If you fail to offer any advice
after the meal,
I'll cook you up.
Thanks for the meal, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty,
here
is my proposal:
ally with Qin.
Come on!
Drag him out and cook him up!
Your Majesty,
you may want to hear me out
before killing me.
Your Majesty, don't get mad.
Maybe we should
hear him out.
Your Majesty, think about it.
King of Qin wants to attack Chu
without intervention from Zhao.
As for allying with Yan and Qi,
or allying with Zhao,
what difference does it make?
(Allying with Qin,)
(allowing Qin to attack Chu,)
(and taking the opportunity
to annihilate Yan.)
(That would be great!)
Dun Ruo,
write a letter to Ying Zheng
on my behalf,
telling him that I will ally with him.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty,
you may want to reconsider that.
Your Majesty, that's...
I don't think King of Qin
will accept the proposal.
Dun Ruo,
I'll cook you up
if you don't let Ying Zheng accept it
within one month.
(Prince of Zhao, Cong)
On the demand of King of Zhao,
I'm here to meet King of Qin.
Let him pass.
(Zhangtai Palace, Xianyang, Qin)
(Longtai Palace, Handan, Zhao)
Your Majesty,
it seems you're in a good mood today.
Oh, you're here.
Watch me shoot our enemy
with arrows.
Your Majesty,
it's been a while
since Prime Minister came back.
Why do you turn a cold shoulder on him?
You're a woman. You don't get it.
Ying Zheng would want him dead.
I'm nice enough
not to hand him over to Qin.
Besides,
he came back from Qin unscathed.
I need to keep an eye on him.
Report!
Your Majesty, Prince Cong is back.
Where is he?
Waiting in the side hall of the palace.
Ask Li Mu and Lord Chunping
to come to the palace for discussion.
Understood.
Your Majesty,
why do you leave Prime Minister
out of this?
The more people,
the more ideas.
Count Guo Kai in.
Understood.
I spent a lot of effort
and eventually persuaded King of Qin
into exonerating Prime Minister
for kidnapping Queen Dowager of Qin.
However, King of Qin
still wouldn't believe
that we would ally with Qin in earnest.
So, he added one condition.
What condition?
King of Qin said,
Your Majesty is expected to
visit Qin in person
to show sincerity
for the alliance.
What?
That I should visit Qin?
Your Majesty,
I think it is worth your trip to Qin
for the bound between Qin and Zhao.
Please don't!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, you mustn't visit Qin!
Ying Zheng is cruel.
If you visit Qin,
and...
and play into Ying Zheng's hands,
who shall be governing the state of Zhao?
Now I feel relieved.
Your Majesty,
what do you mean?
I've been skeptical about you
since your return from Qin.
I thought
you were in collusion
with the Qin people.
Now I can tell that you're innocent.
Your Majesty,
I've been serving you over the years.
There is no way
I would collude with Ying Zheng.
Get up. Get up.
I know you're loyal to me.
You're concerned with my safety.
You deserve reward.
But General Li
has got a point.
Your Majesty, be careful.
King Huai of Chu
was deceived by Ying Zheng's
great-grandfather
into visiting Qin.
That was then.
Your Majesty,
there is no reason for King of Qin
to swindle you.
You!
King of Qin
will be criticized worldwide
if he detains Your Majesty.
By then,
I will make sure that the alliance
of the six states deploys armies
to Hangu Pass,
to get Your Majesty
back to Handan unharmed.
All right.
I know that you guys are loyal to me.
What Qin wants is to conquer Chu.
He can't do anything to me.
Your Majesty is wise.
Your Majesty, before your visit to Qin,
two things need to be done
to ensure your safety.
Which two things?
First,
demand King of Qin
to write a Letter
of Credence on invitation
which shall be made known worldwide.
In that case, for the sake of his name,
King of Qin won't take the risk
of hurting you.
Your Majesty,
General has got a point.
Second,
the Crown Prince shall be appointed
before Your Majesty's visit to Qin.
With the Crown Prince appointed,
there will be no point in upsetting Zhao
by killing Your Majesty.
Your Majesty,
you have nothing to worry about.
As for the appointment
of the Crown Prince,
I need to think about it
before I make any decision.
Who is there?
The Queen?
Good evening, Prime Minister.
Are you here
for the appointment of Crown Prince?
Prime Minister, you really are smart.
I think we should
get straight to the point.
For the appointment of Crown Prince,
I want to make sure
His Majesty appoints Qian.
What can you do about it?
Prince Jia
has the great support
from Lord Chunping and Li Mu.
This is going to be difficult.
Get it done, no matter how difficult.
Don't you forget
that I've been talking you up
to His Majesty.
I shall never forget about that.
If Qian becomes the Crown Prince
and later King of Zhao,
you'll still be Prime Minister of Zhao.
If Prince Jia becomes the Crown Prince,
I'm not sure
who will become Prime Minister,
Lord Chunping
or General Li Mu?
I understand that.
Twenty thousand taels of gold
have been sent to your housekeeper.
I shall take my leave.
Take care, my Queen.
Your Majesty,
please grant our son Qian a fief.
I'll go there and live with him.
Come on,
why do you bring this up?
Your Majesty, you've made up your mind
to appoint Prince Jia
the heir to the throne.
Qian and I don't dare
to dream big.
All we want is a place of our own.
As long as I'm here,
there will always be a place for you
in Handan.
But you
will be visiting the state of Qin.
The city of Handan
will be under the charge
of Crown Prince.
I'm going to Qin to sign the covenant.
I will be back.
Come on, get up.
Get up.
Just get up.
What kind of King am I?
I'm in your carriage
to the brothel.
Your Majesty, did the Queen argue
with you again?
She is a woman.
She knows nothing about politics.
Your Majesty, don't be mad.
Your Majesty,
speaking from the heart,
I'd like to go to Qin with you
to sign the covenant.
Aren't you afraid that
people of Qin might kill you?
I don't mind
getting killed in Qin
for Your Majesty.
You must stay
in Handan.
I'll go to Qin for the covenant.
You stay in Handan
to keep a close eye
on Lord Chunping and Li Mu
and make sure
everything is fine in the country.
Li Mu commands the army.
Prince Jia has the support
from Zhao Yi and the imperial family.
I'm not sure if I can do it.
What if...
I mean,
what if they take advantage
of your absence...
There is no "what if".
Sorry, I said the wrong thing.
I'll do as you say.
(Prince of Zhao, Qian)
(Prince of Zhao, Jia)
Your Majesty,
Prince Jia
is old enough to go to the battlefield.
His Highness is expected to
accompany Your Majesty
to inspect the army of Zhao.
Good.
I've been thinking the same thing.
Long live Your Majesty!
Long live Crown Prince!
It's... It's...
What's going on?
(King Yan of Zhao
didn't feel easy in his mind)
(about the fact that Zhao Yi and Li Mu)
(secretly support Prince Jia
to be chosen as the heir to the throne.)
(As the yell of
"Long live Crown Prince" burst out,)
(King Yan of Zhao made up his mind)
(to make Prince Qian the Crown Prince.)
Zhao Yan wouldn't visit Qin
unless I write a Letter
of Credence on invitation
which shall be made known worldwide.
Okay.
I'll meet his demand.
Here comes General Meng Yi.
Your Majesty,
(Qin's Gentlemen of the Palace, Meng Yi)
we got a secret message
from Guest Minister Dun Ruo.
Bring it to me.
Understood.
(Chief Minister of Qin, Yao Gu)
(King of Zhao has appointed Zhao Qian
the Crown Prince.)
(I'll be coming back to Qin soon.)
Great!
Deliver these two silk manuscripts
to Chief Minister
and Minister of Justice.
Understood.
Can you find anything wrong
with the silk manuscript
written by Zhao Yan?
The writing can be improved.
But the sentences make sense.
Compare the two silk manuscripts.
The written words of Qin and Zhao
are vastly different.
I got this idea
when I read
Zhao Yan's Letter of Credence.
The seven states speak similar language,
but write words in different ways.
Each state has its own
standards of writing.
For example, the word "horse"
is written differently in Qin and Zhao.
I'm leading Qin
to rule the world.
I need to make
our writing system universal.
By then, the laws and rules of Qin
will be adopted everywhere in the world.
Your Majesty,
you're right about
making our writing system universal.
In Shang and Zhou dynasties,
subinfeudation system was implemented.
Dukes had no dealings with each other,
each appanage
adopted its own writing system,
making education
confined to one corner of the world
and causing problems for communication.
When I studied in Jixia Academy,
I had trouble understanding
the classic books of the six states
which were written
in different languages.
By unifying the writing system
for the six states,
Your Majesty will certainly
bring benefits
to Huaxia people
for generations to come.
Li Si?
Here I am.
I trust you
with the whole thing.
You trust me
with such an important mission.
I will do the best of my ability.
(Suburbia of Yan)
(Grand Mentor of Yan, Ju Wu)
(King of Yan, Xi)
Grand Mentor, you're here.
(Crown Prince of Yan, Dan)
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Your Majesty,
(King of Yan, Xi)
we got news from the scout.
King of Zhao will be on his way
to Xianyang
to meet King of Qin.
The meeting between Qin and Zhao
doesn't feel like good news.
Your Majesty is wise.
I've been thinking about it.
With the Zhao-Qin alliance formed,
Zhao would have nothing to worry about,
and may launch another attack
against us.
Your Majesty,
we Yan people are the descendants
of King of Zhou.
We have the blood of the Ji.
If Zhao people,
the stablemen, invade us,
they're never going to
leave this country alive.
Father,
Zhao got a powerful army
and numerous competent generals.
Yan has not yet recovered
from the war where our army
led by General Ju Xin
was defeated by Zhao's army
led by General Lian Po.
In my view,
we'd best
prevent Qin and Zhao
from forming an alliance.
His Highness has got a point.
Given the current situation,
we must prevent the powerful states
of Zhao and Qin
from forming an alliance.
Do King of Zhao and King of Qin
take orders from me?
Grand Mentor,
do you think
they will follow my orders?
Well...
Your Majesty may send a royal heir
to Xianyang
as the hostage,
in order to gain the trust
of King of Qin.
Qin and Zhao may form an alliance,
but King of Qin won't just sit there
and watch Yan being conquered by Zhao.
Good idea!
Father,
though King of Qin
is an old acquaintance of mine,
I had issues with him
last time I was in Qin.
I really shouldn't go to Qin
this time.
You're the Crown Prince.
Only by sending Crown Prince
to be the hostage
can we appear genuine and trustworthy
to Qin.
Look at yourself.
You panic like a woman.
If you're a coward,
how are you ever gonna succeed me
as the King of Yan?
Father!
Are you going or not?
Yes,
Father!
♪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 55=
These people are cunning.
Once out of Hangu Pass,
they may
forget their promises.
Sneaky people are also smart people.
For example, Guo Kai.
He is clever and tactful.
(King of Qin, Zheng)
He is no less bright
than Zhao Yan.
(Minister of Justice of Qin, Li Si)
When I deal with Zhao Yan,
Guo Kai could play a role
no less important than
100 thousand elite soldiers.
But King Yan of Zhao
is anything but ordinary.
He won't rise to a bait easily.
That's right.
Zhao Yan is paranoid.
It takes a lot of work
to lure him into Qin.
I would go to Handan to
make arrangements for Your Majesty.
That would be nice.
But I want you
to do something more important
for me.
Wei Liao is right.
It's imperative that the six states
should be plagued by internal conflicts,
which will prevent them
from joining hands
to resist Qin.
Therefore, I need you
to associate with important dignitaries
of the six states.
Understood.
Get Yao Gu and Dun Ruo
in the palace tomorrow.
We'll be working
on the strategy
against Zhao.
Understood.
When we're closer to Handan,
keep a distance
from the carriages behind.
Why is that, My Lord?
That's a silly question.
(Prime Minister of Zhao, Guo Kai)
If Lord Chunping's men see me,
how do I explain it?
(Prime Minister's Residence, Handan, Zhao)
Prime Minister, you've been suffering.
The bad news about Prime Minister
kept me up all night.
Yeah, we couldn't sleep at night.
Prime Minister.
How have things been in Handan
since I was away?
Knowing that Prime Minister
was captured in Qin,
His Majesty assumed that
you were unlikely to escape,
and ordered that a new Prime Minister
should be recommended.
Lord Chunping recommended Li Mu
as the new Prime Minister,
which has been agreed upon
by military generals.
His Majesty has
summoned Li Mu to Handan.
I went into great danger
for His Majesty.
But His Majesty treated me like dirt.
His Majesty is on safari.
Prime Minister, maybe you should
meet His Majesty at once,
to persuade His Majesty
out of the imperial order.
Where is the Queen now?
(King Daoxiang of Zhao, Yan)
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Guo Kai?
Your Majesty!
Are my eyes deceiving me?
I thought you were captured in Qin.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, I escaped from Qin
by the skin of my teeth.
I thought I might never get the chance
to serve you again.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
I would have made it.
I was bringing Zhao Ji back to Handan.
However,
on that day,
King of Qin went to Yongcheng
to welcome Zhao Ji back.
When he found that Zhao Ji was missing,
he set a trap
to capture me.
I managed to land on my feet
by dealing with
all kinds of difficult situations.
I was just about to get out of Qin.
Unfortunately,
a hanger-on gave himself away
and got spotted by Qin soldiers.
I got arrested by them.
My entourage
was killed.
Your Majesty,
I'm sorry that I failed you.
I will accept your punishment.
You kidnapped the Queen Dowager of Qin.
Did they
let you get away with it?
Your Majesty,
Ying Zheng sent someone to torture me,
forcing me to frame you,
so he could have an excuse
to attack Zhao.
But I never yielded.
Your Majesty,
these injuries are the evidence
of what Ying Zheng did to me.
Then, how did you get out of Qin?
Your Majesty,
Ying Zheng kept me at Xianyang Prison.
A warder there comes from a line of
Handan people.
Impressed
by my courage,
the warder took me out of Xianyang
under the cover of night.
Where is the warder?
He was killed by Qin soldiers
when we were running away from Qin.
Oh, I see.
(Queen of Zhao)
I heard that Prime Minister is back.
Greetings, my Queen.
Prime Minister
has done an incredible job
by putting himself in great danger.
The country needs courageous people
like you.
Your Majesty, maybe
you should decommission Li Mu
and entrust Prime Minister
with important plans again.
What do you know?
He tried to kidnap
the Queen Dowager of Qin,
an act that
must have aroused the anger of Qin.
They will be waging a war against us.
I have to appoint Li Mu
the nominal Prime Minister,
who will fight for me.
Guo Kai almost got killed in Qin.
He has done a lot for Zhao.
He will certainly feel hurt
if you appoint someone else
the nominal Prime Minister.
I never thought
he could make his way out of Qin.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
I've been serving you
ever since I was a kid.
I'm nothing if not loyal.
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
Li Mu...
Li Mu works for Zhao Yi.
Once he gets power,
Zhao Yi won't be nice to you.
I know the situation better than you do.
I have my own opinions.
Your Majesty,
we got news from Handan.
Zhao has appointed a new Prime Minister.
Guo Kai has not been appreciated
since he returned to Handan.
Understood.
Where is the traitor Dun Ruo?
He is still at the Zhao-Yan border.
Dun Ruo was about to enter Yan
when he was caught by Sir Guo Dan.
When he found this letter,
he asked the scout
to rush back to Handan
to report this to Your Majesty
without delay.
Good.
Arrest this traitor at once
and bring him to Handan.
I will skin him alive.
Understood.
(The former official of Zhao)
(became the envoy of Qin.)
(This is the last thing)
(King Yan of Zhao wanted to see.)
(Step by step,)
(King Yan of Zhao
is playing into the hands)
(of King Zheng of Qin.)
Dun Ruo,
you betrayed me and served Qin.
Did it ever occur to you
that you'd end up in my hands?
I'm envoy of Qin.
I was visiting Yan
on the demand of my King.
(Official of Qin, Dun Ruo)
I don't understand
why I'm kidnapped to Handan.
You don't understand?
Explain this
to me.
Your Majesty will kill me
anyway.
I'd save myself the explanation.
You betrayed and left the country.
Now, you're delivering letters
between Ying Zheng and Ji Dan.
You and your family
shall be exterminated.
But if you tell me everything,
I may spare your life.
Can I count on Your Majesty?
Are you telling it or not?
Come on!
Take him out and pound him to a pulp!
Your Majesty!
I'll tell you.
I'll tell you.
Actually,
King of Qin not only asked me
to deliver the letter to Prince of Yan,
he also ordered me
to stop by the state of Qin.
Allying with states of Yan and Qi.
(Lord Chunping of Zhao, Zhao Yi)
These three states would join hands
to deal with our country, right?
Not really, Your Majesty.
Then for what?
It's true that King of Qin
wanted to ally with Yan and Qi.
But his target
is not the state of Zhao,
but...
But the state of Chu.
Go on.
Keep going with this story.
I'm telling the truth.
Qin and Zhao have been
at war for decades.
Zhao has suffered great loss
and Qin has also got damaged.
King of Qin found Zhao
too hard to crack
for the moment.
So...
So what?
So,
he wanted to annex Chu first.
However, he was afraid
that Zhao may reach out
to other states to rescue Chu.
Therefore, he sent me to Yan and Qi,
to persuade these two states
to send armies
to hold Zhao up.
In that case, you have to deal with
Yan and Qi,
while King of Qin can feel free
to invade Chu.
You really think
I believe that?
Your Majesty,
my life is at your disposal.
Why would I lie to you?
Chu is a big country
with a number of influential families.
The families of Qu, Jing and Zhao
have armies of their own.
King of Qin made this plan
because he saw the lack of unity
in the state of Chu.
Come on!
Drag him out
and make him get on his knees
for three whole days and nights,
without feeding him.
Your Majesty,
I told you everything!
Have mercy on me, Your Majesty!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
(General of Zhao, Li Mu)
General,
what's your opinion on this?
Your Majesty,
I think it's true
that Qin tries to ally with Yan and Qi.
Qin's real target is still unclear:
our country or Chu?
I have no fear
for the alliance of the three states.
The thing is,
the attack against Chu
will be nothing but beneficial
to our country.
Your Majesty is wise.
Chu is a vast land
with millions of soldiers,
unlike Wei and Han,
which has been obedient to Qin.
The war between Qin and Chu
will undermine both countries.
When they are fighting,
We'll be growing the economy
and training the army.
Later we will be fighting with Qin
for the supremacy.
Your Majesty,
how can we make Ying Zheng attack Chu
without allying with Yan and Qi?
Bring Dun Ruo!
Dun Ruo,
you spent a few days
in Qin.
You must know something
about Ying Zheng.
I want to know
how to handle Ying Zheng.
Your Majesty,
I haven't tasted food
since my arrest.
Would Your Majesty allow me
to have some food
before I can think of any idea?
Your Majesty, hit him with heavy stick.
That would make him speak.
Give him food.
If you fail to offer any advice
after the meal,
I'll cook you up.
Thanks for the meal, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty,
here
is my proposal:
ally with Qin.
Come on!
Drag him out and cook him up!
Your Majesty,
you may want to hear me out
before killing me.
Your Majesty, don't get mad.
Maybe we should
hear him out.
Your Majesty, think about it.
King of Qin wants to attack Chu
without intervention from Zhao.
As for allying with Yan and Qi,
or allying with Zhao,
what difference does it make?
(Allying with Qin,)
(allowing Qin to attack Chu,)
(and taking the opportunity
to annihilate Yan.)
(That would be great!)
Dun Ruo,
write a letter to Ying Zheng
on my behalf,
telling him that I will ally with him.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty,
you may want to reconsider that.
Your Majesty, that's...
I don't think King of Qin
will accept the proposal.
Dun Ruo,
I'll cook you up
if you don't let Ying Zheng accept it
within one month.
(Prince of Zhao, Cong)
On the demand of King of Zhao,
I'm here to meet King of Qin.
Let him pass.
(Zhangtai Palace, Xianyang, Qin)
(Longtai Palace, Handan, Zhao)
Your Majesty,
it seems you're in a good mood today.
Oh, you're here.
Watch me shoot our enemy
with arrows.
Your Majesty,
it's been a while
since Prime Minister came back.
Why do you turn a cold shoulder on him?
You're a woman. You don't get it.
Ying Zheng would want him dead.
I'm nice enough
not to hand him over to Qin.
Besides,
he came back from Qin unscathed.
I need to keep an eye on him.
Report!
Your Majesty, Prince Cong is back.
Where is he?
Waiting in the side hall of the palace.
Ask Li Mu and Lord Chunping
to come to the palace for discussion.
Understood.
Your Majesty,
why do you leave Prime Minister
out of this?
The more people,
the more ideas.
Count Guo Kai in.
Understood.
I spent a lot of effort
and eventually persuaded King of Qin
into exonerating Prime Minister
for kidnapping Queen Dowager of Qin.
However, King of Qin
still wouldn't believe
that we would ally with Qin in earnest.
So, he added one condition.
What condition?
King of Qin said,
Your Majesty is expected to
visit Qin in person
to show sincerity
for the alliance.
What?
That I should visit Qin?
Your Majesty,
I think it is worth your trip to Qin
for the bound between Qin and Zhao.
Please don't!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty, you mustn't visit Qin!
Ying Zheng is cruel.
If you visit Qin,
and...
and play into Ying Zheng's hands,
who shall be governing the state of Zhao?
Now I feel relieved.
Your Majesty,
what do you mean?
I've been skeptical about you
since your return from Qin.
I thought
you were in collusion
with the Qin people.
Now I can tell that you're innocent.
Your Majesty,
I've been serving you over the years.
There is no way
I would collude with Ying Zheng.
Get up. Get up.
I know you're loyal to me.
You're concerned with my safety.
You deserve reward.
But General Li
has got a point.
Your Majesty, be careful.
King Huai of Chu
was deceived by Ying Zheng's
great-grandfather
into visiting Qin.
That was then.
Your Majesty,
there is no reason for King of Qin
to swindle you.
You!
King of Qin
will be criticized worldwide
if he detains Your Majesty.
By then,
I will make sure that the alliance
of the six states deploys armies
to Hangu Pass,
to get Your Majesty
back to Handan unharmed.
All right.
I know that you guys are loyal to me.
What Qin wants is to conquer Chu.
He can't do anything to me.
Your Majesty is wise.
Your Majesty, before your visit to Qin,
two things need to be done
to ensure your safety.
Which two things?
First,
demand King of Qin
to write a Letter
of Credence on invitation
which shall be made known worldwide.
In that case, for the sake of his name,
King of Qin won't take the risk
of hurting you.
Your Majesty,
General has got a point.
Second,
the Crown Prince shall be appointed
before Your Majesty's visit to Qin.
With the Crown Prince appointed,
there will be no point in upsetting Zhao
by killing Your Majesty.
Your Majesty,
you have nothing to worry about.
As for the appointment
of the Crown Prince,
I need to think about it
before I make any decision.
Who is there?
The Queen?
Good evening, Prime Minister.
Are you here
for the appointment of Crown Prince?
Prime Minister, you really are smart.
I think we should
get straight to the point.
For the appointment of Crown Prince,
I want to make sure
His Majesty appoints Qian.
What can you do about it?
Prince Jia
has the great support
from Lord Chunping and Li Mu.
This is going to be difficult.
Get it done, no matter how difficult.
Don't you forget
that I've been talking you up
to His Majesty.
I shall never forget about that.
If Qian becomes the Crown Prince
and later King of Zhao,
you'll still be Prime Minister of Zhao.
If Prince Jia becomes the Crown Prince,
I'm not sure
who will become Prime Minister,
Lord Chunping
or General Li Mu?
I understand that.
Twenty thousand taels of gold
have been sent to your housekeeper.
I shall take my leave.
Take care, my Queen.
Your Majesty,
please grant our son Qian a fief.
I'll go there and live with him.
Come on,
why do you bring this up?
Your Majesty, you've made up your mind
to appoint Prince Jia
the heir to the throne.
Qian and I don't dare
to dream big.
All we want is a place of our own.
As long as I'm here,
there will always be a place for you
in Handan.
But you
will be visiting the state of Qin.
The city of Handan
will be under the charge
of Crown Prince.
I'm going to Qin to sign the covenant.
I will be back.
Come on, get up.
Get up.
Just get up.
What kind of King am I?
I'm in your carriage
to the brothel.
Your Majesty, did the Queen argue
with you again?
She is a woman.
She knows nothing about politics.
Your Majesty, don't be mad.
Your Majesty,
speaking from the heart,
I'd like to go to Qin with you
to sign the covenant.
Aren't you afraid that
people of Qin might kill you?
I don't mind
getting killed in Qin
for Your Majesty.
You must stay
in Handan.
I'll go to Qin for the covenant.
You stay in Handan
to keep a close eye
on Lord Chunping and Li Mu
and make sure
everything is fine in the country.
Li Mu commands the army.
Prince Jia has the support
from Zhao Yi and the imperial family.
I'm not sure if I can do it.
What if...
I mean,
what if they take advantage
of your absence...
There is no "what if".
Sorry, I said the wrong thing.
I'll do as you say.
(Prince of Zhao, Qian)
(Prince of Zhao, Jia)
Your Majesty,
Prince Jia
is old enough to go to the battlefield.
His Highness is expected to
accompany Your Majesty
to inspect the army of Zhao.
Good.
I've been thinking the same thing.
Long live Your Majesty!
Long live Crown Prince!
It's... It's...
What's going on?
(King Yan of Zhao
didn't feel easy in his mind)
(about the fact that Zhao Yi and Li Mu)
(secretly support Prince Jia
to be chosen as the heir to the throne.)
(As the yell of
"Long live Crown Prince" burst out,)
(King Yan of Zhao made up his mind)
(to make Prince Qian the Crown Prince.)
Zhao Yan wouldn't visit Qin
unless I write a Letter
of Credence on invitation
which shall be made known worldwide.
Okay.
I'll meet his demand.
Here comes General Meng Yi.
Your Majesty,
(Qin's Gentlemen of the Palace, Meng Yi)
we got a secret message
from Guest Minister Dun Ruo.
Bring it to me.
Understood.
(Chief Minister of Qin, Yao Gu)
(King of Zhao has appointed Zhao Qian
the Crown Prince.)
(I'll be coming back to Qin soon.)
Great!
Deliver these two silk manuscripts
to Chief Minister
and Minister of Justice.
Understood.
Can you find anything wrong
with the silk manuscript
written by Zhao Yan?
The writing can be improved.
But the sentences make sense.
Compare the two silk manuscripts.
The written words of Qin and Zhao
are vastly different.
I got this idea
when I read
Zhao Yan's Letter of Credence.
The seven states speak similar language,
but write words in different ways.
Each state has its own
standards of writing.
For example, the word "horse"
is written differently in Qin and Zhao.
I'm leading Qin
to rule the world.
I need to make
our writing system universal.
By then, the laws and rules of Qin
will be adopted everywhere in the world.
Your Majesty,
you're right about
making our writing system universal.
In Shang and Zhou dynasties,
subinfeudation system was implemented.
Dukes had no dealings with each other,
each appanage
adopted its own writing system,
making education
confined to one corner of the world
and causing problems for communication.
When I studied in Jixia Academy,
I had trouble understanding
the classic books of the six states
which were written
in different languages.
By unifying the writing system
for the six states,
Your Majesty will certainly
bring benefits
to Huaxia people
for generations to come.
Li Si?
Here I am.
I trust you
with the whole thing.
You trust me
with such an important mission.
I will do the best of my ability.
(Suburbia of Yan)
(Grand Mentor of Yan, Ju Wu)
(King of Yan, Xi)
Grand Mentor, you're here.
(Crown Prince of Yan, Dan)
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Greetings, Your Highness.
Your Majesty,
(King of Yan, Xi)
we got news from the scout.
King of Zhao will be on his way
to Xianyang
to meet King of Qin.
The meeting between Qin and Zhao
doesn't feel like good news.
Your Majesty is wise.
I've been thinking about it.
With the Zhao-Qin alliance formed,
Zhao would have nothing to worry about,
and may launch another attack
against us.
Your Majesty,
we Yan people are the descendants
of King of Zhou.
We have the blood of the Ji.
If Zhao people,
the stablemen, invade us,
they're never going to
leave this country alive.
Father,
Zhao got a powerful army
and numerous competent generals.
Yan has not yet recovered
from the war where our army
led by General Ju Xin
was defeated by Zhao's army
led by General Lian Po.
In my view,
we'd best
prevent Qin and Zhao
from forming an alliance.
His Highness has got a point.
Given the current situation,
we must prevent the powerful states
of Zhao and Qin
from forming an alliance.
Do King of Zhao and King of Qin
take orders from me?
Grand Mentor,
do you think
they will follow my orders?
Well...
Your Majesty may send a royal heir
to Xianyang
as the hostage,
in order to gain the trust
of King of Qin.
Qin and Zhao may form an alliance,
but King of Qin won't just sit there
and watch Yan being conquered by Zhao.
Good idea!
Father,
though King of Qin
is an old acquaintance of mine,
I had issues with him
last time I was in Qin.
I really shouldn't go to Qin
this time.
You're the Crown Prince.
Only by sending Crown Prince
to be the hostage
can we appear genuine and trustworthy
to Qin.
Look at yourself.
You panic like a woman.
If you're a coward,
how are you ever gonna succeed me
as the King of Yan?
Father!
Are you going or not?
Yes,
Father!
♪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♪