Original subtitles

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?

How many troops does His Majesty have?

Altogether, not more than 20,000

Duke Wang, think about it: who would win in the battle

200,000 or 20,000?

Well

What should we do?

What do you imply?

If Jingchu's army breaches the city, everyone will crash and burn!

I'm not like you, sitting on the fence

Regardless of the outcome, you'll be hailed as a meritorious minister

I am His Majesty's maternal uncle

Once Liu Hao captures the city

he won't spare me

Hasn't His Majesty made ample preparations already?

Even so

20,000 troops can't withstand 200,000!

No

you must think of a plan

to encourage Liu Hao and His Majesty to engage in direct negotiations

Peace negotiation? Well

Well

I'll try my best

However, Prince Liu Hao is

most amenable to Dongfang Shuo's idea

And Dongfang Shuo bears a grudge against His Majesty

and even you, Lord Wang

So, peace negotiation would be almost impossible

Lord Qiankun

kindly relay a message to Prince Liu Hao

Should the negotiations prove unsuccessful

I am prepared to serve as an inside contact

to open a city gate to welcome the Jingchu army

Is this your sincere offer?

Good

I will certainly inform Prince Liu Hao

and His Highness will reward you generously

Report!

Your Highness, Lord Qiankun has returned

He's back?

Greetings, Your Highness

Lord Qiankun, thanks for your efforts. Please sit down

Your Highness, I have obtained the information

The total forces in Chang'an amount to just over20,000

Has it been verified?

His Majesty's maternal uncle, Wang Xiu, personally confirmed it

So, you meet Wang Xiu?

He is well aware that, as His Majesty's maternal uncle

Your Highness won't show him any mercy

after the city falls

So, he sneaked into the inn at night

expressing a willingness to be a planted agent for Your Highness

He pledged to open a city gate to welcome Your Highness

- in exchange for clemency - Excellent!

Your Highness, we can't afford to let such an opportunity slip

as time waits for no one

Lord Qiankun

why don't you report His Majesty's current situation

to His Highness?

His Majesty said if Your Highness is willing to join the campaign

against the Xiongnu, he'll annul the Participation of Interests policy

However, this comes with a stipulation

that is, the surrender of Dongfang Shuo

How did you respond?

I conveyed that Dongfang Shuo is not in Jingchu

but Your Highness can assist His Majesty in apprehending him

Good

What did His Majesty say?

His Majesty indicated trust in Your Highness

given your shared lineage

His Majesty believes that with a grave external threat

the primary concern should be warding off the Xiongnu invasion

By the way, His Majesty has expressed

his sincere intention to

personally visit the camp tomorrow to reward the troops

- Does he really plan to come in person? - Yes

Hold on. Is it possible that he's up to something?

What could he be up to?

His Majesty's total force is just over twenty thousand

Even if they all come

it would be effortless for us to beat them up

This showcases His Majesty's bravery and excellence

What is your point, my advisor?

His Majesty must have assessed the situation thoroughly

A direct confrontation cannot withstand the 200,000 Jingchu troops

Therefore

His Majesty's optimal choice would be to take a risk, appear openly

express sincerity to the people

and try to persuade Your Highness in person

I am not a three-year-old

How could I be so easily persuaded?

But for His Majesty

rather than being trapped in a besieged city waiting for death

it's better to seize the opportunity to escape desperation

So, should I meet him tomorrow or not?

Of course

Your Highness should meet him and host a grand feast for him here

That's right, during the banquet, I'll toss the cup as a signal

Then, the concealed and armed assassins will capture Liu Che alive

Indeed, as long as we can capture His Majesty

Your Highness can command all feudal lords in guise of legitimacy

seizing Chang'an without any casualty

and ultimately achieving the goal of ascending the throne

Who are you? How dare you trespass the camp of Jingchu army?

Please inform His Highness and Dongfang Shuo that

Jing Kui requests an audience

Mr. Jing!

Brother Dongfang!

Mr. Jing!

Mr. Jing, please rise

I apologize, Brother Dongfang

I failed in my duty

to rescue your wife

It's not your fault

but rather the heartless Emperor's

Gentlemen

Gentlemen, there's no need for excessive grief

I promise to ensure justice for you both

Your Highness, this is Jing Kui, the renowned swordsman

I respectfully greet Your Highness

There's no need for such formalities. Please, come inside

Brother Jing

why didn't Princess Liu Nan return with you?

Her Highness has led over a hundred of my disciples

to infiltrate Chang'an

So, Liu Nan is in Chang'an?

I have made arrangements

As soon as the Jingchu army bombards the city

they will immediately ignite fires within

- open the gates, and welcome Your Highness. - Great

But

what if His Majesty recalls

the 200,000 reinforcements from the border?

Don't worry

Even if Wei Qing and Gan Fu want to return to aid

it will take them at least ten days

Furthermore, the situation has altered

I don't need to dispatch troops to attack the city

Liu Che will come to us himself

Tomorrow, His Majesty will visit the camp to reward our troops

His Highness has meticulously prepared everything to capture him alive

Your Highness, Prince Yan has dispatched General Tian Heng

and Prince Qi has sent General Chen Yue, each commanding 50,000 troops

They have already arrived in Lintong

- Arrange for someone to contact them immediately. - Understood

Who is it?

It's me, Dongfang Shuo

It's late. Why haven't you rested yet, advisor?

General, you're not resting either

I can't

It's always difficult to sleep on the eve of a significant battle

There's something I don't understand and I'd appreciate your advice

Please share your concerns, General

Prior to our departure, I had a private meeting with the Prince

What did His Highness discuss with you?

His Highness mentioned that

he had spoken with you

His Highness suggested that if the Crown Prince arrives in Chang'an

he should urge His Majesty to repeal the policy

of Participation of Interests, instead of committing fratricide

General, you might have witnessed

my endeavors on this. Unfortunately, it didn't work

I acknowledge your good intentions, advisor

However, the blame should be attributed to Qiankunzi

He attempts to cause chaos and deceive His Highness

It can't be entirely blamed on him

When you see ripe peaches ready to be plucked

it's hard to resist such temptation

Although peaches are easy to pick, they aren't necessarily easy to eat

Capturing His Majesty alive in Chang'an is simple

but who will handle the aftermath?

In the power struggle between the monarch and his subordinates

if the country descends into chaos

it's likely that the Xiongnu Chanyu will reap the most benefits

Advisor

I know you hold a grudge against His Majesty due to your wife's death

However

regardless of how grave your resentments against His Majesty may be

they remain personal issues

I implore you

not to risk the welfare of our country and its people

over these personal matters

General, you have a broad mind

worrying about the country and the people, making me feel inferior

You're too generous with your praise

Given your extensive knowledge and remarkable strategic abilities

could you devise a foolproof plan

to avert the impending disaster?

If my assistance is required in any capacity, simply instruct me

and I will comply

General

when the time arises, I will undoubtedly need to rely on you

Armed soldiers, prepare!

Halt!

I, Liu Hao, Crown Prince of Jingchu

pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long may Your Majesty reign!

Seize him!

Don't move, or I'll kill you!

By His Majesty's decree

Liu Hao, Crown Prince of Jingchu, is accused of conspiracy

and rebellion, thus shall be apprehended for justice

Attack!

If anyone attacks, Liu Hao will be killed first

Stop, don't move!

Step back! Do not risk the life of our Crown Prince

Order a retreat inside the gate

Everyone, retreat inside the gate immediately!

- General Gan. - Where is His Highness? What happened?

His Majesty has taken His Highness away

What? Hurry, let's take His Highness back!

No, if we attempt a forceful rescue now

they will surely execute His Highness

Lord Qiankun is correct

We must not endanger His Highness

Report! The forces of the Prince Yan in the north

have suddenly changed to the banner of General Wei Qing

The forces of the Prince Qi in the south

have suddenly changed to the banner of General Gan Fu

The two armies are approaching from the north and south

Order all soldiers to stay and defend the camp

No one is allowed to engage in battle without orders!

Attention, everyone within the camp

I, Wei Qing, the Marquis of Guannei

requests your commander, General Gan Qi, to come out and converse

I, Gan Qi, offer my respects to you

General Gan, please rise

By His Majesty's decree, Liu Hao of Jingchu

despite being a royal and the Crown Prince of a feudatory

has neglected his duties to the court

He has even conspired with the Xiongnu in acts of rebellion

and has consequently been apprehended

Soldiers of Jingchu, you are hereby ordered to

immediately lay down your weapons and surrender to the court

so that His Majesty may grant you a pardon

Should you continue in your obstinacy and rebellion

you will be deemed an accomplice of Liu Hao and will face annihilation

I have established eight sets of

the Eight Diagrams of the Spirit of Wu around the camp

making escape as difficult as ascending to heaven

The Spiked Wagon formation, an invention of Dongfang Shuo

is extremely powerful. Don't act recklessly

Since Dongfang Shuo created this formation

he likely knows how to dismantle it

General Gan, what is the current situation outside?

As of now, there are no developments

- Hurry, send for the advisor for discussion. - Understood!

- Dongfang Shuo? - Yes, it's urgent

and we need him to take charge

We have all been deceived by that very man!

Lord Qiankun, why would you say that?

I witnessed it with my own eyes just moments ago

Dongfang Shuo's wife, Qiu Gu, disguised herself as Noble Consort Wei

and captured His Highness together with Jing Kui

Do not consider him our advisor

That traitor and His Majesty feigned vulnerability to earn our trust!

- Let's apprehend that traitor and execute him! - Let's go!

Let's kill him!

You are all present

What is happening?

Get him!

Come back!

We can talk

I am all alone

I won't sprout wings and fly away

Moreover

if each of you were to spit just once

it could drown me

There's no need for such a fuss

Release him

Generals, take your seats

Please sit

Dongfang Shuo

let me ask you

Did you and His Majesty conspire to feign vulnerability

in order to deceive His Highness?

While we did feign vulnerability

it was not to deceive him but rather to help him

Stop your chicanery!

Generals, let me explain

When His Majesty learned of His Highness's rebellious intentions

he could not bear the idea of

internal strife among close relatives

Therefore, His Majesty sent me in this unique way to Jingchu

with the purpose of convincing His Highness to align with the court

command the army, and confront our actual enemy

However, His Highness, blindly trusting someone's slander

ignored my repeated dissuasion

and insisted on rebellious actions against the court

Consequently, His Majesty was left with no choice

but to venture alone to capture the rebel

Dongfang Shuo

you're talking nonsense!

His Majesty harbored rebellious intentions himself

How dare you accuse me of inciting him?

Lord Qiankun, your contributions are undeniable

I shall end you now, avenging His Highness!

Hold on!

General Gan, Dongfang Shuo is a favored courtier of the Emperor

We can use him as a bargaining chip to secure His Highness's return

I must confess that

His Majesty detests my silver tongue the most

and has thrice sought my execution

Thanks to the interventions of

the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager

that I escaped death

If you plan to use me as a means to retrieve His Highness…well

I doubt it possible

If it's not feasible, I'd kill you now and deal with them later

Yes, end him!

- Kill me? - Yep!

Go ahead. My wife, Qiu Gu, will collect my remains and bury me

What pains me is that

the 200,000 soldiers from Jingchu

will become lonely and homeless souls here

General Gan, as the supreme commander of the entire army

you are responsible for the lives of the 200,000 soldiers of Jingchu

These soldiers should be heroes serving their country

and earning accolades on the battlefield

If they perish in internal conflict

they will be forever branded as rebels against the court

and their deaths will be meaningless

Lord Dongfang

can we find a way to settle this matter?

Of course

By taking a step back, we can ensure a positive outcome

As long as the Jingchu army pledges allegiance to His Majesty

you can enjoy freedom and pursue your dreams in the wide world

Generals, please express your thoughts

We all listen to you, General Gan

General Tai, what is your stance?

I am prepared to follow your plans in all matters

You!

Well, take your time to discuss

Take your time

Lord Dongfang

we can accept to pledge allegiance to the court

but only under certain conditions

Please elaborate, General Gan

Firstly, once the Jingchu army pledges allegiance to the court

His Majesty must not hold any soldier responsible for past actions

You were all kept in the dark, and that's only fair

Secondly

should any officer wish to leave

they must be allowed to do so without hindrance

Sure, but they cannot take any soldiers with them

Lastly, the Jingchu army will follow the court's orders

but maintain its structure and leadership without arbitrary changes

I believe His Majesty would agree

If His Majesty can promise to do so

I am willing to accompany you to the capital to meet with His Majesty

Dongfang Shuo

they say you have an extraordinary foresight

Didn't you anticipate that

Qiankunzi was also a pawn

I arranged in Jingchu?

I am not that insightful, and indeed, I didn't see it coming

However, Lord Qiankun's role this time is

undeniable and widely acknowledged

Yes, Qiankunzi deserves credit

Your Majesty is right

Without Lord Qiankun

fanning the flames and instigating

Liu Hao

wouldn't have rebelled

If he didn't rebel

there wouldn't be a reason for Your Majesty to deal with him

Dongfang Shuo, what are you implying?

Are you suggesting that I incited Liu Hao to rebel?

That's why I said Lord Qiankun has made a significant contribution!

No, both of you have jointly achieved great deeds

especially my dear Minister Dongfang, who has worked tirelessly

- You both deserve substantial rewards. - Thanks, Your Majesty

Your Majesty, I have a question that concerns your safety

Please go ahead

Does Your Majesty really intends to subdue the 200,000 Jingchu troops?

I have agreed to the three conditions proposed by General Gan Qi

and they have surrendered

Your Majesty, having spent many years in Jingchu

I know that Liu Shanshui and his son have deep roots in the region

The critical military leaders in the Jingchu army

are loyal followers of them

What are you trying to say?

I propose that Your Majesty, under the guise of bestowing, order

the major leaders of the Jing army into the city and capture them all

Once the army is leaderless, we can easily eradicate future troubles

No

I intend to use these 200,000 troops

to eliminate the Xiongnu

As long as we remove their leaders

the soldiers are no longer a concern

We can disrupt their organization and scatter them among various camps

and they will still serve Your Majesty

- Your Majesty, please don't! - Why not?

I would like to ask

does Your Majesty only want to resolve the matter of Prince Jingchu

or do you want to address the affairs of all feudal lords?

Of course, the latter

In that case

I earnestly implore Your Majesty

not to believe Qiankunzi's nonsense

which could jeopardize Your Majesty's grand plans!

- Dongfang Shuo, why do you think I am talking nonsense? - You tell me

If you don't explain it now, you will have a big problem!

Your Majesty, please consider

If the news of the massacre of surrendered soldiers of Jingchu spreads

will any other prince dare to align with Your Majesty again?

Isn't this instigating them to oppose Your Majesty endlessly?

- Your Majesty! - Enough

Both of your intentions

are for the sake of my ruling, and you both deserve rewards

Dongfang Shuo, for your arduous efforts in eliminating the traitors

you deserve 1,000 taels of gold as reward

Also, Qiu Gu, for protecting me, she shall be rewarded with

- a yearly salary of 109,000 kilos of grains. - Thanks, Your Majesty

- You and Jing Kui are titled as Grand Master of the Palace. - Thanks

Zhang Tang will be reinstated as the Judicial Commissioner of Jinwu

All the leaders of the Jingchu army

will be promoted by one rank

Cut the crap. Let's start

Fight it is. How much is the wager?

Master!

Stop howling! Can't you see I'm busy? Get lost!

Master, His Lordship is looking for you

Tell him I'm not here, dead

- I say 500 taels of gold, dare you? - Come on!

- Master, His Lordship is furious. - Screw him!

- What's got him riled up? - I don't know

but he seems to be quite incensed

Hold on to this for me

I'll be back right away, okay?

Dad, did you call me?

I'm asking you

did you take the 1,000 taels of gold from your mom's room?

No, I didn't

It is unacceptable to lie!

How much did you lose in that cricket fight just now?

Tell me!

You're almost thirty

Why are you so immature?

Do you know

I needed those 1,000 taels for an important purpose?

Just to purchase a woman in the regions south of the Yangtze River?

Indeed

It's not for myself, but to offer her to His Majesty

Over these years

you've sent countless women into that palace, one after another

Yet His Majesty never rewards you with the position of prime minister

You brat

how dare you speak to me with such disrespect? Kneel down!

Kneel!

Guards!

Administer the domestic discipline and flog him accordingly!

My Lord, Lord Qiankun is outside requesting an audience

- Bring him to the study. Tell him I'll be there shortly. - Understood

Lord Qiankun

sorry to keep you waiting

Duke Wang, you're finally here

Lord Qiankun, what brings you here?

His Majesty has appointed you as the ambassador to reward the troops

What do you feel about it?

Who am I? I'm His Majesty's maternal uncle!

Oh, Duke Wang

I don't know if you're really indifferent

or just pretending not to care

You

What do you mean?

Last time, you asked me to

inform Liu Hao that you were ready to be his inside contact

- Don't you remember? - Are you… - No

Duke Wang, don't get me wrong

That's not what I mean

I intend to tell you that

when I reported that to Liu Hao

Dongfang Shuo sat beside him

How could you discuss such an important matter

in front of that guy?

But at that time, I didn't know

- he was a spy sent by His Majesty. - You

What should we do?

What can we do?

Lord Qiankun, please think of a solution for me

If you can get me through this

I'll show my gratitude

Alright

Since you say so, this matter is easy to handle

Duke Wang

about rewarding the Jingchu army, how are your preparations?

I can't delay His Majesty's command

but the newly surrendered Jingchu army is unstable in their morale

so I figure I should arrange it after they settle down

Duke Wang, what do you think

these 200,000 Jingchu troops

mean to Dongfang Shuo?

Well, they are like his living achievements

If such great achievements are mishandled

they will become a huge bonfire

and burn Dongfang Shuo to ashes

You just said that the morale of the Jingchu army is unstable, right?

If we can manage to

make them feel constantly mistreated

many in the Jingchu army will likely start slacking off

Once one person starts

it will infect many others

And eventually, it could lead to a mass desertion

It's better if they all run away clean!

No, when the time comes, we mustn't let them run

You should notify the commanders in Tongguan to catch deserters

and kill them all

But there are 200,000 of them! How can we catch and kill them all?

Duke Wang, it's not going to go that way

They won't sit idly and will definitely fight back

In that case

all 200,000 Jingchu troops

will become rebels

The living achievements of Dongfang Shuo

will then go up in smoke

Better still

you can accuse him of colluding with Liu Nan in an attempt to rebel

and everyone will believe it

Oh, Lord Qiankun

This way, please

Duke Wang, as soon as things get chaotic here

I'll immediately suggest His Majesty

to send Dongfang Shuo to negotiate in the Jingchu camp

My men in the Jingchu camp

will end him there

The crucial point is that

those dark secrets of yours

will vanish with Dongfang Shuo's demise

Greetings, Your Majesty

Here you are

Did you verify

the situation with Prince Jingchu's family in his feudatory?

I have confirmed it

When Prince Jingchu heard the news of Liu Hao's failed rebellion

he killed his entire family and then took poison to end his own life

The bodies have all been inspected

Prince Jingchu's clan

has been completely wiped out

Father!

You died so tragically!

Your Highness

please restrain your great grief

and care for your health

I'm on the verge of losing my life

What's the point of caring for my health?

Your Highness

didn't Dongfang Shuo promise to protect you?

He has promised

so Your Highness would be safe

No eggs can remain unbroken when the nest is ruined

My whole family is gone

How am I supposed to

live in dishonor all alone?

Your Highness, please don't think like that

You still have Dongfang Shuo

You two had an engagement

Engagement?

Was it ever a valid?

At that time, everyone thought his wife

had been beheaded by His Majesty

I never imagined that

they would conspire together to deceive me

Dongfang Shuo

you've deceived me so ruthlessly!

Your Highness, I'll find Dongfang Shuo

and ask him to fulfill your engagement

Madam

I don't want to trouble you

Your Highness!

Lord Dongfang!

Greetings, Lord Dongfang

Who are you? What do you want from me?

A madam entrusted me to deliver something to you

Thank you

Anyone who betrays Liu Nan is more despicable than pigs and dogs

Your Majesty

I've made a list of those to be exterminated along with Prince Jingchu

Your Majesty, please review it

I see Prince Hengshan, Prince Wu, and Prince Sanjiang

Zhang Tang

why implicate so many royal princes?

Your Majesty

we have not yet defeated the Xiongnu, our formidable enemies

So it's unwise to implicate so many people

for it might cause panic and chaos

Traitorous acts warrant the nine familial exterminations

which is stated explicitly in the laws of the Great Han

Lord Ming, I am just carrying out the laws

- laid down by our forefathers. - Stop arguing

Ministers, please share your opinions

I would love to hear different views

Your Majesty

I would like to review Lord Zhang's list, if I may

- Your Majesty, I have something to say. - Go ahead

Lord Zhang has committed high treason of deceiving Your Majesty

He's intentionally omitting those who should be implicated

The Empress Dowager is Prince Jingchu's sister-in-law

Grand Princess Pingyang is his niece

and Marquis of Guannei is his niece's husband

They are all Prince Jingchu's close relatives

However, Lord Zhang deliberately excludes them

because they are Your Majesty's closest families

It seems that Lord Zhang has made concessions

in his enforcement of the law!

- Dongfang Shuo. - At your service

According to your perspective

should I also be implicated?

No, Your Majesty is not included

Because Liu Hao's rebellion targeted Your Majesty directly

indicating he no longer considers Your Majesty

as his brother

In that case, it wouldn't make sense

to implicate Your Majesty

I excluded the Empress Dowager and Princess Pingyang

for the same reason

I hold that excluding His Majesty is fair and logical

But Lord Zhang's insistence on

excluding the Empress Dowager and Princess Pingyang

is without any logical basis

The Empress Dowager is His Majesty's mother

and Grand Princess Pingyang is His Majesty's sister

But according to Lord Zhang's perspective

Prince Hengshan is His Majesty's uncle

and his wife is His Majesty's aunt

Their relationship with Prince Jingchu

is the same as that between the Empress Dowager and Prince Jingchu!

Your Majesty, Dongfang Shuo makes a valid point

This case should not recklessly implicate others

Lord Ming, you misunderstood my intention, too

I am not suggesting sparing anyone from implication

On the contrary, I propose Your Majesty

includes all those overlooked by Lord Zhang

- Dongfang Shuo. - Yes, Your Majesty

Are you suggesting I order the execution

of my own mother and sister?

Yes, Your Majesty

I believe that, apart from Your Majesty

all Liu-surnamed nobles across the realm

should be entirely eradicated, sparing none

How audacious!

Please don't get mad, Your Majesty, and allow me to explain

Your Majesty, since the founding of our dynasty by Emperor Gaozu

although several generations have passed

yet all feudal lords and Prince Jingchu

have still been closely related

This rebellion by Liu Hao provides the perfect opportunity

for a ruthless crackdown

Your Majesty should end them all and leave no one behind

kill until the ghosts wail and the gods tremble

slaughter until corpses pile up and blood flows like a river

Henceforth, Your Majesty will be a genuine loner

and can sleep peacefully

comfortably, and carefree

Fine

Dongfang Shuo, I will approve your proposal

For the rebellion of Liu Hao, the Crown Prince of Jingchu

only his closest families will be exterminated as a punishment

Henceforth, all rebels will only receive the punishment of

exterminating their closest families and those who doesn't report

From this day forward

the law of the nine familial exterminations will be annulled

Long may Your Majesty reign!

- You may all dismiss. - Thanks, Your Majesty

Wait!

Your Majesty!

Do you have anything else to share?

One person should not be left out

She is one of the closest families of Liu Hao

Lord Zhang, who is this person you speak of?

Liu Nan. She is Liu Hao's sister and the Princess of Jingchu