Original subtitles

– Synced and corrected by VirusKiller – —=«O»=— – www.addic7ed.com –

[woman speaking Mandarin]

[speaking English] She says it is the work…

of the barbarian devil king.

[speaking Mandarin]

[man speaking English] Her village

was loyal to the rebel Song dynasty.

If one does not submit to the rule of the Khan…

this is what happens.

[whimpering]

[speaking Mongolian]

[Maffeo] Gerege !

[shouting orders]

[indistinct chatter]

[man shouting in foreign language]

[door creaking]

[speaking foreign language]

[Kublai speaking English] The Latins.

Yes, I remember.

But where are the Christian priests you were to bring, hmm ?

[Niccolò] Lord Kublai… please accept our remorse.

Our priests could not bear the rigors of the journey.

But we did bring you holy oil from…

Your men of God retreat, but this boy advances.

It says very little for your savior. Hmm ?

[court murmuring]

Loyalty… of a mortal son to a mortal father, Great Khan.

Hmm.

Holy oil

from the pontiff who wishes to spread

Christianity throughout my lands.

Is this not the same Pope who has called me “the spawn of Satan” ?

I will say this and you will listen.

Christianity is welcome in my kingdom.

As is Buddhism…

Judaism… Islam…

and the Eternal Blue Sky of my grandfather, Genghis Khan,

descended from a wolf.

So, tell your Pope that he himself must bow before me…

and pledge his fealty to me.

As for you merchants…

you crossed ocean and mountain…

the great Takla Makan Desert.

One not many men survive.

Describe for me my desert, hmm ?

It is a…

most barren region, Sire.

No water. No life, Lord Khan.

– Not even a bird. – Not even a bird.

It is, Great Khan… a sea of death.

Yet very much alive.

At night you hear it.

The shifting sands, they… sing.

Humble apologies, Sire.

– He does not yet know the rules of the… – [Kublai grunts]

Continue.

Voices like… spirits…

trying to lure you off course.

This is why men die out there.

The Uighurs called it…

[speaking foreign language]

You learned the tongue of the Uighurs ?

Three years was not long enough to learn it all.

[speaking Mongolian]

[speaking Mongolian]

[scoffs]

[chuckles]

[speaking English] Of all the lands a traveler passes through…

which province contains…

in your eye, the most beautiful women of all ?

I find that all women, no matter from which land…

they are all beautiful in their own unique manner.

In Italy, we have a saying…

[speaking Italian]

[speaking English] “The true sweetness of wine…

is one flavor.”

[scattered laughter]

[Kublai chuckling]

You have a clever mind.

For a Latin.

I made one request. It was not for oil.

It was for priests. With this, you failed.

Take your leave.

Go, Latins.

You’re banished forever.

You are most correct, Lord Khan.

The boy…

has a clever mind and… excellent perception.

He is my son…

and most dear to me.

But if it pleases Your Greatness, you may take him as your man and servant.

What do you wish in return ?

The opportunity to pay tribute to my Khan from my journeys…

along the Silk Road.

Father, what are you doing ?

Marco, trust this. Be silent.

– I am your son. – [whispering] Be silent.

You wish not the honor of service in the court of the Khan of Khans ?

What greater tribute can a man offer than his own flesh and his own blood ?

You Latin merchants may engage in trade along my Silk Road.

Ahmad, my Minister of Finance,

will discuss taxation and transit.

Take your leave.

– Marco, you have to trust me. – Father !

– This will not be forever. – Don’t do this.

We will secure the trade routes and be back for you.

And I still want those priests.

Father ! Don’t leave me here.

[gasping]

[guards speaking foreign language]

[theme music playing]

[conversing indistinctly]

[Marco speaking Italian]

– [bells tolling] – [gulls squawking]

[nun speaking Italian]

[speaking English] Of all the things I expected to come home to

after all these years…

[sighs]

“Marco.” She gave you a fine name.

When did she pass ?

I was six.

From Jerusalem.

It has guarded my heart for  years.

Psalms :.

“All kings shall fall before him.”

– Where were you ? – The Silk Road.

It ends here in Venezia.

It stretches , miles across the world.

Why did you never send word to Mother ?

It is not simple.

We had an arrangement.

But had I any idea of the birth of a son…

You have her eyes.

Well, now…

your Uncle Maffeo and I…

we have important business to discuss with the Bishop

before we set sail again.

[Marco] I will travel with you.

Father. Do not leave me alone again.

This is not possible.

You are not prepared for the rigors of the journey ahead.

– [wind howling] – [priest] Lord, help us !

Lord, help us !

Get over there !

I can help !

You defied me, boy !

You do not belong here ! Stay away from me !

[Marco speaking Farsi]

[man speaking English] No, no, no.

[speaking Farsi]

[repeats phrase in Farsi]

[speaking English] Very good.

[laughs]

[priest] This is not what we imagined. We must return to our flock.

You are not abandoning our factor.

Your Bishop gave you orders.

Then follow us back to Venice…

and bring the Bishop instead.

Uncle, Uncle, these are men of God.

– Godspeed. – Thank you. Thank you.

[Marco grunting]

Enough !

You have no knowledge of our world ! Do not act as if you do !

Take your donkey.

Follow the priests back to the ship.

Go home.

[Niccolò] Marco !

Marco !

– [Marco mumbling deliriously] – [Niccolò shushing]

[Maffeo] We have lost three days.

[Niccolò] We haven’t lost a thing, Maffeo.

The Khan and our trade routes slip away

while you make amends for your fatherly sins.

He is our blood.

Mark my words.

He will gut the foundation of everything we have labored to build.

– Get out. – What ?

Get out.

[faint rumbling]

Run !

– [Maffeo] Take cover ! – Everyone, run !

Run ! Go !

Go ! Run !

[Maffeo] Take cover !

[Niccolò] Move ! Move ! Move !

Were you frightened earlier ?

I was not.

I was terrified the first time I left home.

Venezia was all I had ever known.

Do you know how I persevered ?

Knowing just where home was…

and that I could always return to it.

Do you see those stars there ?

The Three Sisters.

The Three Sisters.

If you are ever afraid…

if ever you doubt your place in the world…

follow The Three Sisters and they will lead you home.

My only fear…

is that I might awaken in my bed…

destined to live a common life once again.

The blood of an adventurer courses through your veins.

I can see this.

You will enjoy the greatest adventure of all.

You will meet…

the richest…

most powerful king on the face of this earth.

The Great Kublai Khan.

[Kublai] The Song rebels of Xiangyang…

can no longer cast aside our dominion with impunity.

As my trusted advisors, I seek your counsel.

Jingim.

You will one day sit here where I do now.

Speak to your uncles and cousins who have traveled far.

Destroying the Song dynasty rebels is wise.

But is it not wiser to let them remain in their Walled City…

paying us tribute ?

What does my vice regent, Yusuf, say on this matter ?

Prince Jingim is correct.

[grunts]

North China already adores Lord Kublai.

Let South China remain within their Walled City.

Treat the rebels as a…

cow that we draw milk from…

rather than slaughtering the cow, and receiving no milk.

[Ahmad] Or silk…

in this case.

The Walled City of Xiangyang… guards the Yangtze River.

And the Yangtze is the gateway to all China.

You are the Great Khan of Khans.

You desire a unified China. It should be yours no matter the cost.

The Minister of Finance speaks well.

But this is a matter of security and defense,

not coin and commerce.

[Ariq] Hmm…

Little brother…

Ariq the Strong.

How are things in Karakorum ?

Things in the Old Capital

are just as our grandfather, Genghis, would have them.

[Kublai] Hmm.

[Ariq] But there are some in Karakorum who fear

that our Khan is becoming too Chinese… too cultured in his ways.

[Kaidu] Lord Khan…

may your western cousins from the House of Ögedei speak ?

Does the Great Khan desire to be Emperor of Mongolia…

or Emperor of China ?

[chuckles]

Cousin Kaidu…

you forget the mandate Grandfather was handed from heaven.

To erase dividing lines from country to country.

A mandate to spread our customs…

our cultures… our very way of life…

to every corner beneath the Blue Sky.

Only one thing stood in his way, as it now stands in mine.

Xiangyang… the Walled City.

I have already sent troops into South China.

They are amassing at this very moment.

My spies tell me that in order to starve the rebels out…

we must cut them off from the farming village of Wuchang.

I am sending horse soldiers to that position.

Jingim…

blood of my blood, will lead the assault on Wuchang.

[Kaidu] Jingim…

educated in Chinese ways.

Who better to lead an attack on the Chinese ?

[Ariq] Older brother…

if this is a call to war… you will have my horse and bow.

I will lead our Golden Horde down from the north…

and into battle with my nephew.

We will crush Wuchang, then take the Walled City.

And by the blood of Genghis…

I will cut their leader’s head off and tie it to the mane of my horse !

[Kublai chuckling]

Emperor of China ?

Emperor of Mongolia ?

I will be Emperor of the World !

[Jia Sidao] Empress Dowager.

Rise.

How may the Chancellor ease your pain ?

Tell me the barbarians are no longer marching toward us.

[Jia Sidao] I will not lie. The Khan’s troops advance.

But upon the soul of our Emperor…

I promise, they will never succeed.

Long live Song empire.

My mantis is great. Do you see ?

He feigns inferiority to encourage his opponent’s advance.

[Jia Sidao] I paid a visit to the Emperor’s bedside.

[Red Brow] How is he ?

Quite unwell.

[Red Brow] His legacy will live on within these walls.

It will be a sad day… but much more efficient once he’s gone.

No more mixed messages from an old king to his people.

I will give all orders and all orders will be followed.

Yes, my Chancellor.

And that goes for the Emperor’s favorite royal concubine.

Where is your sister ?

Doing that for which she is famous.

Improving diplomatic ties with the Governor of Suzhou.

[breathing heavily]

Do you know this game ?

[Mei Lin] How much did you pay my brother for this opportunity ?

More porcelain than he’s ever seen.

Do not fear, Governor.

This is part of the game you paid for.

– The Danger Game. – [whimpers]

You…

are but a lowly… worm.

[panting]

[door opens]

[guard] Come.

[Hundred Eyes] You have questions.

[Marco] Just one.

Am I a privileged guest or a prisoner in this hell ?

[Hundred Eyes chuckles]

A fiery one.

No wonder the Khan caged you for his own personal amusement.

You’re blind.

Not as blind as you, boy.

No roots.

You have spirit, Latin.

Of the Yin and the Yang, you have an abundance of Yang.

But without Yin, Yang dies on the battlefield.

We are all prisoners here.

Prisoners and privileged guests. One and the same.

If you are unable to protect yourself in the kingdom…

it is I… who will be killed.

Do you understand ?

Good. We begin with roots.

[Hundred Eyes] You have been conscripted into the court of Kublai Khan.

For what ? I do not know.

– I am Hundred Eyes. – [grunting]

I am kept here to train the Khan’s sons… his nobles…

his pets.

[neighing]

You shall be tutored in the Mongolian ways of the horse.

[children shouting in foreign language]

You shall be tutored in the great arts of the East…

by those scholars and artisans loyal to Lord Kublai.

Languages and letters.

Hawking and archery.

And in the end… you may discover the answer to your question.

[door opens]

[man pleading in foreign language]

[Kublai] A man found in possession of a stolen horse…

must return it to its owner, add nine horses of the same kind.

If he is unable to pay this fine…

his children must be taken instead of the horses.

If he has no children…

then he must be slaughtered like a sheep.

That man has no children.

I hear from my Minister of Falconry, you have taken well to the hawks.

Archery is improving, yes ?

Yes, Great Khan.

I, myself, was always a bit clumsy with the making of Chinese characters.

When you and your father crossed Central Asia…

you passed through Badakhshan.

Describe for me, in the way that you do…

how you made the passage, what you saw.

We saw sand.

Rode beasts.

Do you defy me ?

Describe for me the land of Badakhshan.

The footing was hard on our beasts.

The sun very hot.

Take him to the horse grounds. Stuff his mouth with the shit of pigs.

You enter a gate made of rock…

east of Bukhara…

and begin to ascend into the Pamir Mountains.

There are great numbers of all kind of wild beasts.

And the men of Badakhshan…

speak of a breed of horse which is said to be the direct offspring of Alexander’s.

[Kublai grunts]

Odd bit of trivia.

I’ve always been taken by the audacity of Alexander.

A great conqueror.

There are  cities that bear his name, huh ?

I now possess them all.

Do you blame me for your current station in life ?

No, Sire.

I simply wonder why you kept me.

I need no reason, Latin.

As my servant…

you will accompany a tax collector as he makes his rounds.

This will give you a view of my Imperial City and my subjects.

You will report back to me, describe what you have seen…

as you saw it.

I’m giving you freedom.

But the walls of my kingdom stretch beyond the horizon.

Do you understand ?

Yes, Sire.

I give you leave.

Hmm ?

I assumed you would be riding to Wuchang by now.

The astrologers told you this morning was the most auspicious hour to march.

The Confucian advisors said it is better we ride at night.

Ugh.

They also believe a war can be won without fighting.

Why must they always speak in riddles ?

– “The supreme art of war,” Father. – Mmm.

Still…

tomorrow I ride to Wuchang as a Mongol…

and I carry my father’s flag.

You are your mother’s son, Jingim.

Educated… patient… noble.

There will be a time for all these things in the new dynasty.

I must prepare to ride.

My three wives each desire a visit before I go to battle.

[laughing]

You’re also your father’s son.

[both panting]

Give to me the nectar… so I keep it when you go…

and give you a son.

– And what if it’s a daughter ? – [chuckles]

Yang the Healer says to do it like this, in the Golden Lotus,

and I shall finally bear you an heir.

Yang the Healer will be promoted to the ministry.

[both laughing]

Tell me…

does your Chinese wife do it like this ? Huh ?

[Jingim] Shh.

[both panting]

[horses approaching]

[indistinct chatter]

[people clapping]

[woman] Nice. They’re so beautiful. You can let it go.

Are you ready ?

Here we go.

– [gasping] – [laughter]

[applause]

Ah…

the Venetian.

A pleasure to formally make your acquaintance.

She is my charge, so avert your gaze.

She is far past the reach of a foreign merchant’s son.

I followed the wrong path.

– Indeed you did… – [bell tolls]

and the clock tower just struck first bell.

My apologies to you.

The Governor said the songs they sing about you south of Quinsai are true.

You pleased him greatly.

[Mei Lin] The Emperor’s dying.

You must honor his wishes.

Anything he wants.

Make a truce with the barbarians.

That was not what the Emperor desired when he was well and strong.

Truce is the dying cry of the weak and the sick.

[Mei Lin] Kublai is too strong.

I worry for my daughter if the barbarians take our city.

Let your Chancellor manage military affairs.

You manage the imperial bed chamber.

Let the Chancellor not forget who it was who won him favor in this court.

When the strike of the praying mantis breaks the body of the cricket,

it is because of its timing.

Timing, Mei Lin.

Trust me, like my soldiers do.

And worry no more.

When the Emperor is gone, you will still be esteemed in this court.

[grunts]

[Hundred Eyes] Get up.

Get up.

I did not ask to train you, Latin.

There is no honor in this for me.

Nor did you ask to be left here by a man

who would trade his own son like  pounds of spice…

for the opportunity to open trade routes to the West.

Go ahead, take it.

Let him go, Latin.

Let him go.

Get up.

If you wish to survive here, get up at once.

The foreigner has been summoned.

It is quiet.

As it is before a typhoon.

By the Eternal Blue Sky, let us sing from our throats

and let them hear the devil that they are about to meet.

The sons of my father’s concubines always speak the loudest.

We must attack as Genghis would.

Ariq… he is not there.

What do you mean “he is not there” ?

– [panting] – No Ariq.

No Golden Horde.

Just grass and sky.

[Nima] Ah, yes.

Welcome.

Proceed down the hall.

And Master Marco… I will be watching you.

[women moaning]

[women giggling]

[Kublai] Enter.

Sire.

Your new quarters are more spacious than the last, no ?

Yes, very much. Thank you.

[Kublai] I have a test for you.

You will walk back down the Hall of Five Desires.

These girls are from Kungurat…

highly skilled in the arts of love.

A man who proves his loyalty to me can take whatever he wishes.

– You may not. – [women moaning]

Not yet.

Look… but do not touch.

[Chabi] The walls have eyes, Marco Polo.

[women moaning]

[distant chanting]

Do you hear them taunt us ?

They mock our blood.

Even without Ariq’s army, we should still attack like Mongols…

or retreat as cowards.

[Jingim] That is no farming village.

How many men did you say we have ?

Five hundred ?

And down there ?

[Byamba] More. Many more.

[Aruka] As your General…

I advise… retreat.

We do not return home until we conquer that village.

Give the command.

[yelling]

[theme music playing]

– Synced and corrected by VirusKiller – —=«O»=— – www.addic7ed.com –

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