Original subtitles

Scholars are protesting my order to burn books,

-aren’t they? -They are.

There's been fighting between officials and commoners since the order was sent.

Some prefectures have been in great turmoil.

But I’ve also learned that Confucian scholars...

are fostering these conflicts. They pose no real threat to us.

Fusu.

Come in.

Father.

Do you have anything to tell me?

You may be frank.

I wish to ask that you cease the burning of books.

You also oppose the plan?

The books should not be burned, and we should stop destroying Confucian halls.

But...

scholars gather in those places to spread heresies. Are we wrong to retaliate?

Father,

we won the war, but the discontent of the people prevails.

All the scholars follow Confucianism. If you incriminate them,

I fear the discontent will only increase between Qi and Chu. Please reconsider.

Father, our laws are too strict, our taxes too heavy.

The people are angry and rebellious.

And now,

you’ve ordered the burning of books. Though the Confucians may obey,

they harbor traitorous thoughts.

I fear they may lead uprisings in the lands of Qi and Chu!

That’s enough.

Father, if we don’t stop burning books,

and reduce taxes, uprisings could occur.

How dare you speak these words?

They criticize me for building the wall and moving people there! They slander me!

They should travel to the north and look!

We must hold down the north, or the Xiongnu will invade our homeland!

You’re my first-born son.

You should know my intentions well, even if they don’t.

Why do we need one king? What is unification?

Father, I don’t understand.

Please be calm, Your Highness.

-You really don't understand? -I really don’t.

Get up! Just kill me! Get up! Get up!

Stand up!

Father, please order a stop to the book burning!

All right.

I'll remember everything you've told me.

But...

I want you to do something in return.

What is it, Father?

Go to Shangjun, join General Meng Tian.

See for yourself the real hardships people suffer there.

Learn how to manage armies from him.

You'll benefit from the experience.

Go now. You’ll set off today.

I don’t want any delays.

The two of you, leave.

My son.

Have a safe trip.

You are my son.

If you can’t understand me,

who else in the world...

could understand me?

Upon the order to burn ancient books...

Get them!

...from the Liaodong Peninsula in the north to the South China Sea,

from Pingdi in the east to Lintao in the west,

scholars and academics

of the Qin Empire suffered catastrophic raids.

Within 30 days,

the soldiers seized several thousand years' worth of books,

written by great minds of the ancient past,

and burned them all.

Back off!

Back off!

Stop pushing!

If you keep pushing, I’ll kill you!

Die!

You stay down there!

Get down there!

Who is it?

I hear you're a very skilled assassin. I’d like your help to kill a man.

Who told you I’m an assassin?

I beg of you.

I don't kill for money.

Waiter, we’d like some more wine.

Coming right up!

Your wine. Please enjoy.

Sir...

you don't kill for money, or you don't kill at all?

I won't lie to you. I was a soldier in Qi once,

and I’ve killed men. But I hated it.

I hunt for a living.

Life can be difficult. Nothing from the mountains sells,

so I have to hunt bears. Bearskins can be sold for a good price.

Tyrants exercise power in a harsh manner. The world is suffering at present.

You're absolutely right.

The world is in great turmoil.

Weapon-making is forbidden by the emperor. Even weapons for hunting are banned.

The injustice is intolerable!

The officials only care about pleasing their superiors, but not doing their jobs.

When commoners ask officials for help,

they're accused of treason and killed for it.

Heaven and mankind are both furious. Of course the world suffers!

You are a remarkable man.

Although we are distant acquaintances, you don't hesitate to speak the truth.

-I respect that. Cheers. -Cheers.

You flatter me. The rage grows in my heart.

I want to speak my mind, but nobody dares to listen.

I disagree with the state of things, but I lack the power to change anything.

My friend, I have searched the world to find brave men.

And meeting you today makes me wish I’d met you sooner.

You are a strong, brave, extraordinary man.

I would like to request your help in a certain endeavor.

Tell me.

But, friend, revealing it may kill us both. Are you afraid?

Speaking one's mind causes no harm.

In all my years on Earth, I’ve never known the meaning of fear.

Good. We’ll talk further at my house.

You were indeed born with divine strength!

Heaven, help me...

kill the emperor with the aid of Canghai!

Will you join me?

Thank you for giving me this chance.

I was born to do this. I've been waiting for this moment.

Good.

Mr. Zhang, we are worthless commoners,

but you are the son of a Han minister. You need not lose your life along with us.

You should leave.

Remember,

I’m staying here not because I’m an impulsive man.

I want Ying Zheng to die not because I want fame and renown.

I'm not Jing Ke or Gao Jianli. They had chances to get close to him,

but we’ll have an army between us and the emperor.

-I need to take every chance I can. -Yes.

-I'm counting on you. -Okay.

Zi Fang, don’t worry.

Even if it costs me my worthless life, we’ll kill the emperor.

Thank you.

When should we strike?

Wait a moment. Wait for the chariot to get closer.

General Zhang, this spot feels rather dangerous.

-Assign someone to check the road. -Yes.

Which is the emperor's chariot?

Can you see the man there riding the dark-brown horse?

He is Zhang Han, Ying Zheng’s personal bodyguard.

The chariot closest to him probably contains Ying Zheng.

Stop.

But, My Lord, why have we stopped?

This is mountainous terrain.

The roads are bumpy.

Something here doesn't feel right.

Since unification, the world is at peace.

We are on a main road in broad daylight,

and the army is here as well. What could go wrong?

Can’t you see? Look.

The sun is setting, the moon rising.

You call that broad daylight?

And the road is so bumpy.

Is this a main road?

All right,

I'll send soldiers to check the surroundings.

Let’s pass this place quickly.

-Go on. -Yes.

This place feels ominous to me.

Soldiers, let's keep marching. Go!

Mr. Zhang, they have found us.

-What should we do? -I'll kill them all!

They're in military formation. They’re just scouts. Don’t attack yet.

Stop. There’s an ambush!

Protect the emperor. Hurry up!

-Protect the emperor. -Hurry up!

Protect the emperor! Quick, quick!

Hurry!

Hurry!

Protect the emperor. Protect the emperor.

-Charge! -Kill them!

General Zhang, save me!

Princess, take my hand!

Take my hand!

Guard the Princess!

Go!

Hurry!

-Run! Hurry up! -Run! Run!

Run!

Your Majesty,

a wounded assassin escaped. His accomplices were all killed.

Escaped? Who is he?

I’ve sent our men to capture him.

How are things here?

The emperor and Princess Chenxi are both well.

The emperor’s uncle was in the carriage.

I don't think he should have been in there.

But that old fool lusted after status. He felt that as royalty,

he should sit higher than the rest.

And he got pretty high up. What a pity he can't get back down now.

We were lucky. Very lucky.

This was a big operation led by Jing Ke.

I deserve the blame.

Capture him and have him beheaded within ten days.

Yes.

And kill anyone you find within a hundred-mile radius.

Yes.

Premier Li, Commandant Zhao.

General Zhang. Among hundreds of flying arrows, you didn't blink an eye.

And you neutralized the assassins with such courage.

But now it seems you are anxious. What is it that troubles you so?

The world is massive, and full of cracks.

I don't know where I should start searching for him.

If we can't capture the man, if we can't deliver his head,

the emperor will demand more killings.

I'm sure of that.

We can find people and kill them.

I'm just afraid that if His Highness is angered,

his health will be affected.

Commandant Zhao, do you agree?

Yes, Commandant Zhao, do you have any ideas?

Premier Li, have some corpses ready tomorrow.

Why?

Of course, it's best to catch the assassin.

But if we can't catch him,

we'll have to borrow one of their heads.

Commandant Zhao, that's a good idea.

Thank you for being the most helpful person here.

That's very kind of you to say. You see,

I'm merely a shadow.

You brute! You startled me!

-Take it away and kill it! -Yes.

Shadow. He is the emperor’s shadow.

THE EMPEROR WILL DIE. HIS LANDS WILL BE DIVIDED.

What’s this?

"The emperor will die. His lands will be divided."

What’s this?

Heaven’s will?

For twenty long years,

I’ve endured loneliness...

and struggled...

a great deal.

Is Heaven displeased?

Within a hundred-mile radius,

young or old,

dogs, pigs, cows, or sheep,

kill them all...

and burn the bodies.

Within a hundred-mile radius,

poison the soil so nothing will grow here.

-Yes. -Yes.

Come in!

Good, Mr. Xiao.

Mr. Xiao, perfect.

A question...

what does this word mean?

-Worm. -Worm? What does that mean?

It’s part of an old saying.

It means, "Running water is never stale."

It also means, "The hinges...

of an oft-used door never get rusty."

That’s complicated.

And this word too. I think I’ve seen it before. This one.

"Butt." You should know it.

Your own butt.

Butt!

-Liu Ji. -Yes?

Let’s talk business.

The corvée levy.

This time...

how many do they want?

Sishuiting...

I fought to get our quota reduced.

-One hundred. -What? How many?

-A hundred. -One hundred?

Impossible! Where will I find that many?

And you say that’s reduced? Like hell it is!

One hundred people. I can’t help.

One hundred, and not a man less.

Have them ready within ten days.

There's nothing I can do, either. This is straight from the court.

The court’s about to go down!

In the past, they came for laborers in the low season.

But this is right in harvest season!

If the crops rot,

-we'll all starve to death! -Enough of that talk!

Watch your language, all right?

If someone heard, they could take your head.

All right, where to now?

Lishan.

Lishan? Where is Lishan?

Not far from Xianyang.

That isn’t corvée labor! They want people dead up there!

A few of the lucky ones might return.

Mr. Xiao, can you try to...

reduce it? By about five?

By three?

You have to meet the quota.

I know you’ll think of something.

The quota isn’t negotiable.

I’m stuck, just like you.

Subtitle translation by Chia-Chin Wu