Original subtitles

Minister Zhang, where is the evidence you speak of?

Can you show it to me?

The messenger who met you at the inn

is a human testimony

and this secret letter from Liu Hao to you is material evidence

In the letter

Liu Hao explicitly invited you to Jingchu

to conspire for a great cause and partake in glory and wealth

Isn't this rebellion?

The evidence presented by you, my lord

merely proves that Liu Hao is suspected of plotting a rebellion

What's this got to do with me?

This missive was sent to you by Liu Hao's messenger

How can you say it has nothing to do with you?

Yes, indeed, this letter was sent to me specifically

and its contents did

hint at Liu Hao's rebellious intentions

But my lord, don't forget it

I was only a recipient of the letter

and have not yet read it

How can you prove that

- I would follow Liu Hao's rebellion in Jingchu? - This…

Also, how can you be so certain that

I definitely would join Liu Hao in rebellion?

Is it inconceivable that I would report this letter?

Lord Zhang

you are too hasty

You should at least wait for me to write a reply letter

or wait until I am on my way to Jingchu

Then you can take action

I don't understand

Lord Zhang, you, a disciple of Han Fei

a student of Shang Yang

could be so muddleheaded!

Do you have any further instructions, my lord?

You can't leave yet

Why?

It is His Majesty who ordered me to arrest you

I shall immediately meet His Majesty

Whether to kill or release you, it's up to His Majesty

Dongfang Shuo cannot be released

Don't worry, Your Majesty

I shall send someone to closely monitor his every move

If any unforeseen circumstance arises

he shall be promptly arrested

No, put him in jail first

Your Majesty, we have no convincing evidence!

Do what I tell you!

- Your Majesty, according to the law, I can only... - Zhang Tang!

Zhang Tang

I surmise that if Dongfang Shuo is in jail

agents from Jingchu would attempt a jailbreak

Yes, that's entirely possible!

When the time comes

ensnare them all in one fell swoop, and there'll be evidence

Your Majesty, you are wise!

Your Highness

the messenger and Dongfang Shuo have been captured

There's no turning back for you

I think the only way is to send troops at once

We can't!

Your Highness

His Majesty is already wary of us

If we act rashly now

I'm afraid we'll get into trouble

General Gan

the imperial forces have already been deployed to the northern front

Even if he prepares now

there are few troops left to mobilize

Lord Qiankun, did you forget it?

His Majesty once crushed the rebellion of the Dou clan

with only two thousand troops

That's because of the secret help of Dongfang Shuo

Now he has abandoned his trusted counselors and is left alone

He can't defeat our army even with tens of thousands of troops

Your Highness, you only wrote a letter

inviting Dongfang Shuo to Jingchu

and with that letter alone

His Majesty will not convict you

But

in my letter

I spoke of aspirations for a shared destiny and prosperity

Your Highness, the aspirations for a shared destiny

could also be construed as aiming to assist His Majesty

in safeguarding and preserving his realm

Words may take a thousand forms, reasons a hundred ways

but will His Majesty believe a single thread of it?

My lords, just like you

I can walk away if anything happens

but His Highness and the Prince have no way back

So I'm here to implore you, my lords

to never think only of yourselves

We should think of His Highness and the Prince!

Qiankunzi! My father and I have been serving the Prince

with loyalty and devotion!

What I've just said

was for the sake of the Prince and His Highness too!

Alright!

All of you are my pillars of support

steadfast in loyalty to the Prince and me

The great deeds aren't accomplished

Internal discord is absolutely forbidden!

Your Highness

we are all old ministers who have served the Prince for many years

- We shall heed your command. - Great!

If you don't fight, you'll die

I have obtained the Prince's permission

and made up my mind to revolt

We'll kill our way into Chang'an and share the glory and wealth

We're ready to serve Your Highness on the battlefield

Your Highness

What's the matter?

The Princess left the city with her maid

Where did they go?

Chang'an

Chang'an?

Mr. Jing

Dongfang Shuo

- Your Highness, what are you doing here? - I came to save you

Dongfang Shuo

Now let's see what you have to say!

Lord Zhang, you're really smart!

His Majesty is wise

and has expected this from the rebels

I'm here, waiting for you to get into my boiling pot

Unfortunately, your pot is too small for me

Jing Kui

I knew it was you the second I heard it

How dare you talk back when you're about to die?

Soldiers, take them down!

Brothers!

Run!

Don't let them get away! Arrest them!

What are you waiting for? Go after them!

- Have you seen some people out there? - Yes, I have

Where are they?

A bunch of fast horses were waiting here

They got on their horses and left

Zhang Tang

what's your crime for letting a felon escape?

Your Majesty, I beg you to

dismiss me and let me take the blame for my crime

I'll grant your request

You are dismissed and shall take the blame for your crime

I further order you to immediately arrest the families of

Dongfang Shuo and send them to the death row

Behead them in public later!

Yes, Your Majesty

Your Highness, Dongfang, we're on the border of Jingchu

I'll see you around

You've done me a great favor

Mr. Jing, give my regards to Luo Qi when you get back

Mr. Jing

Maybe you're already a felon under arrest

Why don't you come with us to Jingchu?

My father and brother will treat you well

Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness

However, I can't. I'm an idler

I can't live with being an official

Thanks again, Mr. Jing

Your Highness, Dongfang, take care

Have a safe journey

Brothers, let's go!

Your Highness, we shall leave too

- General Gan. - General Tai. Cheers

Dear ministers

Ever since my ancestors

were enfeoffed to Jingchu

they have been diligent in governance and self-improvement

In just a few short decades, we have dominated Jingchu

and risen to the Southwest, becoming the most powerful feudatory

Now the sage Dongfang Shuo has come to Jingchu

adding another talent here

Like the icing on the cake, it's great!

Come on, let's welcome Mr. Dongfang

Cheers!

- Mr. Dongfang. - Your Highness

What's on your mind?

My wife, brother and sister-in-law

I wonder how they're doing now

I just can't get my mind off of it

- Report! - What's the matter?

The spies sent to Chang'an reported that

three days ago, the emperor

arrested Dongfang Shuo's family and beheaded them all

Sir!

Dongfang Shuo!

- Get the imperial physician! - Dongfang Shuo!

You're awake

Mr. Dongfang

Your Highness

I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Dongfang

I promise I'll get justice for you!

Your Highness, the imperial physician said

once he wakes up

let him take the medicine right away

I'll do it

- Your Highness, I'll do it myself. - Don't move

- Qiankunzi. - Here

I have a matter for you to deal with

I'll do my best

What do you think of the Princess and Dongfang Shuo?

What do you mean? I don't understand

You're pretending to be confused

I'm talking about making Dongfang Shuo marry the Princess

- What do you think of it? - It's…

It's…

Well, in my opinion

Her Highness is extraordinary. She's so noble!

But Dongfang Shuo already had a wife

though not alive now. It's just…

If the young Princess is going

to be the second wife of Dongfang Shuo

I think it's

just not appropriate

But Dongfang Shuo is a talent

If I aspire to accomplish great deeds

his assistance is indispensable

Dongfang Shuo has no place to go now

except to follow Your Highness

Even if he doesn't marry the Princess

he wouldn't dare fail to pledge his loyalty

But I can see it already

My sister is obsessed with Dongfang Shuo

Now that my sister wouldn't care

why would I?

Your Highness

It's settled

You're from the same hometown as Dongfang Shuo

and you studied together in childhood

You're the perfect matchmaker

Yes, Your Highness

Dongfang Shuo, I have to admit that I admire you

You are something else!

His Highness invited you

and now he wants you to marry the Princess

You must have dispelled all your worries now. Satisfied, aren't you?

His Highness has treated me with great kindness

but I can't say yes

For what reason?

Qiu Gu's corpse is hardly cold, and I've got blood feuds to avenge

If I get married now

not to mention Qiu Gu's resentment in the afterlife

I can't persuade myself either

Great!

You really are a man of affection and loyalty, Dongfang Shuo

It's been eulogized that you'd rather die than abandon your wife

Now you'd rather give up your wealth and rank for your late wife

You'll be a model for all time!

Qiankun

- Please stop flattering me. - No

It's mainly because…

What?

Is there any man who doesn't love beautiful women?

Not to mention a princess like Liu Nan

I'd wake up laughing even if I fell asleep

But you don't know that

I've been dumped by two beauties before

I've lost faith in myself

So

forget it

I can bear no more beauties

Dongfang Shuo

Forget it. Let's not talk about the second reason

I'll be sure to tell His Highness the truth about the first one

I believe His Highness

will surely have more respect and trust in you

Thank you, Qiankun

What? He is unwilling?

Dongfang Shuo really spoke from the bottom of his heart

His family had a sudden stroke of bad luck

If he marries someone else right away

- everyone will gossip about him. - Alright

Then tell him

he can hold off on the marriage

but get engaged first

They can live together when we're in Chang'an

Your Highness, what's the point of this?

That's what I want

Go tell him again. Make him understand that

he must accept the marriage

Then

I'll try again

- Don't just try! You must make it happen! - Yes

Your Highness, the Princess and her fiancé are here

Liu Hao has been keeping me here for quite some time

It's about time I knew what's going on out there

- Greetings, Father. - Greetings, Your Highness

- Rise. - Thank you, Your Highness

Father, are you still revising "Jingchuzi"?

Your Highness, you've worked so hard

on this book

I have revised it for four times

The more I revise it, the more I find it unsatisfactory in many aspects

Father, writing a book to advance your theory is truly important

but your health is more important

Your brother kept me here

because he wanted me to concentrate on my book

If I don't hurry up

I'm afraid there won't be time to finish it

Liu Nan, step back for a while

I'd like to talk to Dongfang Shuo alone

I'm leaving

- Dongfang Shuo. - Here

Let's take a walk in the back

- Please, Your Highness. - Please

What are the chances

of success for Liu Hao?

I'm afraid the chances are very low

Then why did you follow him down this dead-end road?

Do you simply have no alternative but to do it?

If even Your Highness cannot persuade him

I'm even more powerless to do it!

Are we really at the end of our rope now?

Well, not really. Just take a step back and the world will be wider

Dongfang Shuo

you're now my son-in-law

I have two requests

Please, Your Highness

If you sense any danger, make a timely exit

Take my daughter and go far away

Your Highness

The second thing is

"Jingchuzi" is my life's work

I've made several copies

You must keep one for me

Your Highness, I won't fail your expectations

Your Highness

Is everything okay?

It's fine

What did my father tell you?

He asked me to find an opportunity

to advise His Highness to stop

Now my brother

heeds your words without question

He also said

as we are family now

he'll soon appoint you as Prime Minister

No, Your Highness, I can't do it!

Why can't you?

Your Highness, I'm new here

If I'm appointed as Prime Minister

I'm afraid the other ministers of Jingchu will not be convinced

So what if they're unhappy?

Do they dare to rebel?

Your Highness

at this critical juncture of employing talent

unity within Jingchu is paramount

Only by working together, can we achieve great deeds

If there's any internal discord

it would jeopardize our career, Your Highness

That's a good point. It's important to stabilize people

But you need to have a title

What title befits you?

Your Highness, how about

you appoint me as your military advisor first?

So I can give you some advice

After we success

you can decide on the rewards

Then the other people will have nothing to say

Your Highness, a messenger has brought the emperor's edict

The emperor ordered that

I should send 200,000 troops

with our own provision

and join other feudal lords at Tongguan

to fight the Xiongnu with him

My lords, what do you think?

Your Highness

it's the emperor's ploy to divert our army

Your Highness can't be fooled

I think so, too

He's trying to trick us into going to Chang'an

Then he'll destroy us!

If 200,000 troops go there

can he swallow that all?

No matter if he can swallow it or not

the emperor can't mean to

let us follow him to fight the Xiongnu

So, in your opinion, what should we do?

Raise the flag and attack Chang'an!

Your Highness, someone has just made a good point

The emperor can't mean to

let us follow him to fight the Xiongnu

because the emperor is afraid of our 200,000 troops

staying by his side

Great insights, military advisor!

Your Highness, since the emperor

found out the secret letter you wrote to him

in his mind

we're already rebels

He's been determined to get rid of us

Be that as it may

I think

before the emperor turns his back on us

- we'd better not turn our backs first. - No

We should strike first and gain the upper hand

How come you don't

even understand such a simple truth?

Your Highness, my lords

the emperor hasn't made a move for a long time

That means he is waiting to see how we'll behave

If we can act like we're at the beck and call

and send troops north

the emperor will definitely let his guard down

When we're near Chang'an

we can catch them off guard

Can't we get twice the result with half the effort?

Yes, that makes sense

We can pretend to be obedient

and revolt when we get to Chang'an

For the sake of safety

Your Highness, I have one more thing to report

Please go ahead

However, Your Highness, I can only tell you

It's only the two of us now. Now tell me

Your Highness, I have a good friend in Chang'an

I want him to be the inside man

to give you a hand, Your Highness

Who is he?

He is Jing Kui

who rescued me from the prison with the Princess

Jing Kui, the so-called "Great Warrior of the Capital"?

Yes, this is the man

Your Highness

How did you know it was me?

Just a feeling

Like this…

- Do I look good? - Sure

You are beautiful in any way

My brother announced it in front of all the ministers

From now on, we are…

What do you think?

I think…

I want you to go to Chang'an at once

to meet Jing Kui

You want me to meet Jing Kui?

For what?

It will help with your brother's business

What kind of help?

Your Highness, it's hard to explain

in a few sentences

You'll understand when the time comes

I'll do as you say

What shall I say when I meet Jing Kui?

Nothing really

Just tell him it's Dongfang Shuo who sent you

He knows how to arrange it

Okay

- But... - But what? Your Highness

You have nothing else to say to me?

Your Highness

let's discuss this matter after you return

Okay?

It's a deal

That is Jing Kui's home

Look, Your Highness

Greetings, Your Highness

Are you a fortune-teller, Mr. Jing?

How did you know we were coming?

I wait at the entrance of the village every day

Did you really know we were coming?

When we parted at the Jingchu River

Dongfang Shuo whispered it to me

He's a better fortune-teller than you

You worked together to keep me in the dark

Please, Your Highness

Great!

Mr. Jing has agreed to cooperate with us

"By order of the Princess". What does it mean?

This is what I told the Princess before she left for Chang'an

I told her to stay there after meeting Jing Kui

waiting for Your Highness's victory

Then she can live in Chang'an forever

I'm counting on your good advice, sir

- General Gan. - Here

- Give orders to the army to cross the river tomorrow. - Yes

Your Highness, you've traveled a long way

- You should eat some more. - Indeed

Thank you, ma'am. I'm full

Servants, serve tea

Your Highness, please rinse your mouth

Your Highness, please have some tea

Your Highness, do you find the dishes to your liking?

They are good

Jian'er

Jian'er, wake up!

Jian'er, wake up!

Your Highness

Where are we?

I don't know

I just remember

I was having dinner in the kitchen

Someone offered me a cup of tea

I took two sips

and after that, I remember nothing

I had a cup of tea, too

Did they put something in our tea?

Jian'er, we're locked up!

Why did they treat us like this?

- Open the door! - Is anyone there?

Open the door! Open the door!

You're awake, Your Highness

Jing Kui? How dare you!

You dared to poison me!

Please don't be angry. I'm just following orders

Orders? Whose orders?

Who dared to order you to treat me like this?

- Dongfang Shuo. - Nonsense!

Dongfang Shuo is my husband

He would never let you imprison me!

Besides

what authority does he have

to imprison me?

Your Highness

Dongfang Shuo said it's based on his care for Your Highness

Care? Is he caring for me?

He anticipated that this military expedition

would be fraught with more peril than fortune

So he came up with this idea

to meticulously place Your Highness and

the "Jingchuzi" with you in my tranquil abode

Well, even if Dongfang Shuo instructed you to trick me here

he intended for you to treat me with respect

Why are you imprisoning me here?

Dongfang Shuo said that Your Highness has a fiery temper

If we don't do this, you might cause great trouble in Chang'an

Jing Kui, Mr. Jing

Let me out of here. I'll do as you say

I'll stay here and won't go anywhere

Forgive me, Your Highness, I dare not take such a risk

Jing Kui, you're so rude to me!

Aren't you afraid I'll punish you later?

Your Highness, everything has a cause

If you're going to punish someone

- just go to Dongfang Shuo. - You!

Please, Your Highness, be at ease

If anything is lacking, call out

Servants will bring what you need. I'll take my leave

- Jing Kui. - Don't go!

Stop right there! Jing Kui!

Jing Kui!

Report!

Your Highness

His Majesty sent the Imperial Envoy, Ming Fei

with fat lambs and fine wine to reward our troops

Your Highness, I'd like to withdraw for a while

- Lord Ming, take your seat. - Thank you, Your Highness

Your Highness has traveled a long way

His Majesty ordered me to reward the troops

demonstrating the benevolence

Thanks to His Majesty

His Majesty also ordered me to ask Your Highness something

What's the matter?

Your Highness, please look

Someone secretly contacted Dongfang Shuo

This is a secret letter recovered from Dongfang Shuo

This… this letter is fake

I have never written anything like this

It must be a frame-up

There's one more thing

His Majesty has received reports indicating that

the wanted criminal Dongfang Shuo has fled to Jingchu

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

If he's really hiding in Jingchu

I'll bring him to justice

Lord Ming Fei, please tell His Majesty

Prince Jingchu is loyal to His Majesty

We're in the middle of a big battle

I implore His Majesty not to believe malicious words

and suspect us

It is crucial for us to unite against external threats

preventing our nation from falling

into the hands of the Xiongnu

Right

Both my father and I are steadfastly loyal to His Majesty

Our loyalty is evident

If that's the case

why don't you explain it to His Majesty in person, Your Highness?

- You… you want me to go to Chang'an? - Yes

Such a gesture

will undoubtedly eliminate any lingering grievances

What do you think, Your Highness?

Allow me to think about it

Servants, take Lord Ming Fei down to rest

Treat him well. Don't let him down

Yes

Thank you, Your Highness

Please, Lord Ming

Sir

You heard what Ming Fei said just now?

Your Highness, you can't enter Chang'an

Of course

we have to deal with His Majesty as well

How about this?

Your Highness

send someone as your representative to meet His Majesty first

On one hand

the representative can explain it to His Majesty in person

On the other hand

we can also find out what His Majesty is thinking

Your Highness, I will go there for you

Qiankun, are you willing to go in my stead?

What a relief for me!

Lord Qiankun, during the audience with His Majesty

you shall handle any requests from His Majesty with flexibility

However, there is one crucial point that must be conveyed

That is, His Highness's stance on fair distribution

You should get His Majesty to agree to abolish the policy

Of course

Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live, Your Majesty!

Rise

Thank you, Your Majesty

What's the situation with the Jingchu Army?

Your Majesty

Liu Hao has revealed his intentions and will attack the capital soon

Your Majesty must be prepared

You don't have to worry about that

If Liu Hao dares to rebel

I'll make sure he doesn't come back

Well…

I'm so relieved for Your Majesty

So did Dongfang Shuo come with Liu Hao?

Yes. He has been appointed by Liu Hao as his military advisor

becoming the mastermind of this rebellion

You go back and tell Liu Hao

Now we're facing a great enemy

There's no reason for the Han family to be in turmoil

We're all brothers in the same family

Everything is negotiable

Your Majesty, do you really want to accept their offer

and abolish the Participation of Interests policy?

That's all we can do for now

Let's settle the matter with the Xiongnu first

Then we'll talk about it

Your Majesty, you are wise

However…

What?

Your Majesty, you have indeed been overly kind to Liu Hao

So what's your opinion?

Your Majesty should attach a condition

Ask him to hand over the criminal, Dongfang Shuo

Yes, it should be added

You must ask him to hand over Dongfang Shuo

Who's it?

It's me

- Wang Xiu. - Lord Wang?

Lord Wang!

Keep it down

His Majesty doesn't know this

Please come in

Lord Wang

what do you want from me in this late night?

You…

You came to Chang'an

Why didn't you come to see me first?

Please forgive me, Lord Wang

It was not that I didn't want to see you

I entered the capital this time

under the guise of a special envoy from Liu Hao

It was indeed inconvenient

Tell me the truth

Is it indeed true that Liu Hao is rebelling?

With the enemy forces at the gates, can there be any doubt?

If Liu Hao attacks the city

what are his chances of success?