Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty III: To Chang'an]

[Episode 39]

Your Majesty must not.

Please withdraw your order, Your Majesty.

His Majesty has given this matter careful consideration,

and it's also the Retired Emperor's wish.

Chief Minister Pei,

just accept the decree and carry it out.

Silence!

Diplomatic matters, whether great or small,

concern the dignity of our empire.

How dare a eunuch like you

speak so recklessly here?

How...

How dare you insult me?

Your Majesty,

please defend your servant.

Pei,

I made this decision reluctantly.

You needn't be so upset.

Quite the opposite.

This tournament

is hosted by our empire.

Your Majesty graced the opening match

with your presence.

Now, with the finals approaching

and our empire's team competing,

Your Majesty should also attend.

This is proper protocol.

Moreover,

your presence will surely boost

our polo team's morale.

Your Majesty must understand—

this match is worth more than countless battles.

Our polo team must win.

If we lose,

where would that leave our national prestige?

Chief Minister Pei,

it's just a game.

There will always be winners and losers.

You're being...

Shut your mouth!

What do you know?

Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty,

but on the day of the finals,

if Your Majesty shrinks back in fear

and doesn't dare appear in person,

you will be ridiculed by Emperor Taizong

and mocked by all under heaven.

The Emperor of the Tang Empire

should fear nothing.

The Emperor's bearing

is the bearing of all the people of Tang.

If Your Majesty avoids appearing now,

it will surely damage our empire's prestige.

The roads west of Anyuan Gate,

stretching over twenty thousand li, will become perilous

for us in the future.

Chief Minister Pei, you've gone too far.

What about His Majesty's safety?

His Majesty's safety

is your Imperial Guard's responsibility!

You...

And yours as well, Yongzhou Prefecture Office!

And you, Lu Lingfeng.

Since you failed to

capture the spies before the finals,

you ought to have resigned your position

as Judicial Official immediately!

Your Majesty,

this is Chang'an!

Your Majesty is

of the lineage of Emperor Taizong.

Remember how Emperor Taizong,

in this very place,

single-handedly defeated over 10,000 enemies on horseback?

And now,

just because of

some uncertain danger,

Your Majesty is to

hide in the palace

and refuse to be seen?

Lu Tong,

give me your sword!

What are you going to do?

Give it to me!

Pei Mian,

are you trying to threaten His Majesty with a weapon?

Guards!

Seize him!

You think I would threaten His Majesty?

I, Pei Mian, am not that senile!

I would never do such a thing!

If Your Majesty insists on not appearing

at the polo finals in person,

I, Pei Mian, may not have a blade to slit my throat now,

but today,

I can still bash my head against a pillar here!

I'd like to go meet Emperor Taizong

and Emperor Gaozu

and accuse you of cowardice and incompetence!

Pei.

Every word you've said—

I have taken it to heart.

I shall attend the tournament in person.

I won't bring shame to my ancestors!

Your Majesty...

Your Majesty... is wise indeed.

It's interesting, though.

Pei Mian must be about 70 years old now, right?

Yet at such an advanced age, he still has such spirit.

I can't help but admire him.

It's a pity, though.

He has no intention

of siding with Your Highness.

The gifts we sent him for the Dragon Boat Festival

were also returned.

It doesn't matter.

He hasn't joined their side either, has he?

We can use this man in the future.

We can use this man.

Then, will Your Highness

go to the finals?

Of course, I'll go.

I remember that when I watched

my first polo tournament,

I was still in my mother's arms.

[Crucial Nexus]

The National Polo Tournament

is the most important event

in Chang'an this year.

Envoys from all other nations will attend.

How could I not attend?

In my opinion,

Your Highness may attend,

or you may choose not to.

What do you mean?

To attend

would certainly display your dignity as the Grand Princess.

But since the matter of the Yenisei Kirghiz spies

remains unresolved,

the danger still exists.

Since there is danger,

why not

let the one on the throne bear it first?

Should something unfortunate truly befall him,

Your Highness could save the state from collapse

and gloriously ascend the throne!

Wouldn't that be perfectly natural?

You make a good point.

Go inform the Court of State Ceremonials

that I won't be attending.

Understood.

Now, I truly hope

those Yenisei Kirghiz do have some plot.

It's been 14 years.

Finally, you've come.

It's you, isn't it?

Not your brother Natie,

but you yourself, right?

That day at the polo field,

though we were far apart,

I recognized you at first glance.

Natie is at the border

leading 100,000 cavalry.

He's just waiting for my message

from Chang'an.

It really is you,

Nasha.

It's been 14 years.

We finally meet again.

Greetings, Khan.

You've been lying dormant for 14 years.

You've suffered.

Not at all.

I just miss the winds of the Yenisei Kirghiz lands.

I long to ride across the grasslands with you again.

When I sent you here,

you were only 16.

[Nasha, Yenisei Kirghiz Khan]

Back then, I was just

an insignificant general.

If you hadn't been willing

to come to Chang'an for me,

perhaps the former Khan

would never have noticed me.

It's been 14 years.

Do you still remember your promise to me?

I remember.

I promised to marry you.

But the former Khan wanted

me to marry his most beloved daughter.

Only with that marriage

could I qualify

to become his successor,

the Khan of the Yenisei Kirghiz.

So...

you must resent me deeply.

No.

All these years...

you didn't find another man?

No.

What about now?

What do you expect from me?

I only wish to return to the grasslands

with you soon.

My status

is certainly not

as noble as your Khatun's.

So I only hope

to stay by your side,

even if I'm just tending your horses

or cleaning your boots.

What you say...

is what I wish for as well.

But my Khatun—

she's been spoiled since childhood.

To her, I'm like

a wild hare caught beneath the talons of a hawk.

Her jealousy

is like a raging fire

that could engulf the entire grassland at any moment.

I'm the Khan of the Yenisei Kirghiz.

I cannot let

my tribe fall apart.

Therefore,

once this mission is done,

you shall end your life as

a heroic warrior of our people.

On behalf of our gods,

I now bestow upon you this sacred medicine.

You'll feel no pain

and will be reborn soon.

I'll build

the finest cenotaph

for you on the grasslands.

Your descendants

will disfigure their faces and cut off their ears in mourning,

worshipping you as a deity.

This is the highest honor

of our Yenisei Kirghiz...

and your glory as well.

Have you prepared

what I asked for

a year ago?

Ma'am, I'd like a premium room.

Would you prefer east-facing or west-facing?

I want a south-facing room.

You're in luck.

We have one left.

Everything is ready.

Then go.

If there's a next life...

when I'm 16 again,

could I marry you when you're still a general,

so we can raise cattle,

herd sheep,

and have children together?

If you long for that kind of life,

marry a herdsman instead.

Had I lacked ambition when I was a general,

I wouldn't have become Khan today.

Careful.

Pine oil?

Yes.

The back door of the Bafang Inn

connects to a secret underground room.

Those dozens of barrels of pine oil

were all moved out

of that secret room.

So they're planning a fire attack.

But the key question is—

how will they use it?

[Peace and prosperity]

[Tang Team] [Yenisei Kirghiz Team]

Who is it?

Lady Chong?

You finally came...

What's wrong? Are you alright?

Hold me tight.

Okay.

Hold me tighter.

I'm so cold.

You're cold?

Let me get you... a blanket.

I don't want a blanket.

Hold me closer.

I'm so lonely.

I'm dying.

If I die in your arms...

would you think it's bad luck?

Don't say that.

That wouldn't be bad luck.

It'd be a blessing.

Just being with you,

every moment, every second,

is my blessing.

What a pity.

This is the deadliest poison

of the Yenisei Kirghiz.

They say...

it sends one straight to reincarnation.

Poison?

You took poison?

If you don't mind,

could you just hold me,

please?

No. I won't let you die.

I will never let you die.

Su Wuming.

[Loyalty]

Official Lu is analyzing a case right now

and cannot be disturbed.

I have something urgent to see him about.

Go inform him now!

General!

You...

General!

How long did you sleep?

At least eight hours.

You've been too tense lately.

It's perfectly normal that you fell asleep.

Don't just stand there.

Sit down and tell me slowly.

No, that's not right.

Back when I served in the Imperial Guard,

I trained by day and patrolled by night.

I often stayed awake for three days straight!

But just this once,

when Chief Minister Pei

entrusted me with such an important task,

how could I possibly

have fallen asleep so carelessly?

And also,

when I woke up...

Although the change is extremely subtle,

I can still feel

that one of the polo balls has become a bit heavier.

It's heavier now?

Come on. Let's go take a look.

General,

this is just my feeling.

I'm not completely certain.

Therefore, we absolutely cannot

let Chief Minister Pei know.

Given Chief Minister Pei's temper,

it's normal that you're afraid of him.

No.

I'd face death without a flicker of fear.

But the final match is tomorrow,

and those two polo balls—

whether it's the beast hide used

or the gold thread for stitching—

are all treasures.

That beast hide is especially rare.

If, because of my suspicion,

we take apart the polo balls for inspection

and thereby delay tomorrow's finals,

wouldn't that make our empire

lose face in front of

all the foreign envoys?

And Chief Minister Pei

values our national dignity

more than his own life.

I understand.

Who went

to that room last night?

At 10 PM,

Chief Minister Pei came to check on me.

After that, Chief Administrator Xiong also came.

Did they both come on their own?

Yes,

and they both gave me some instructions

before leaving.

What do you think?

Good, very good!

Chief Minister Pei, Chief Administrator Xiong.

[Court of State Ceremonials]

Well, well, Li Zhuang.

You said you'd only be gone for a quarter of an hour,

but you were gone for two whole hours.

Did you go somewhere

to catch up on sleep?

I...

Greetings, Chief Minister Pei, Chief Administrator Xiong.

[Court of State Ceremonials]

Chief Minister Pei.

It seems he

went to fetch Lu Lingfeng.

That's reasonable.

After all, the balls

were designed by Xijun.

Lu Lingfeng, come on.

Take your time appreciating them.

Xiong Qiannian.

I was harsh with you

the other day

only because I was afraid

that, at this crucial time before the finals,

you might hold us back.

But seeing how diligent you've been

these past few days,

I'll let bygones be bygones.

Chief Minister Pei.

I'm your junior.

Your criticism is guidance for me.

Before the finals,

our Yongzhou Prefecture Office

still has many matters

to report to you in detail.

Very well.

Please take a look.

This way.

Li Zhuang.

Chief Minister Pei, please rest assured.

Until tomorrow's competition,

I won't let the polo balls out of my sight.

Lu Lingfeng.

You may watch,

but don't waste too much time.

Since you don't have the ability

to catch the spies,

at least put more effort into

protecting His Majesty.

Come on.

Yes.

[Peace and prosperity]

On this occasion of the National Polo Tournament

final match,

His Majesty of our empire

has specially ordered the creation of the Imperial Polo Balls!

We invite all foreign delegations

and people from all walks of life in Chang'an

to view them!

His Majesty of the Tang Empire

has specially ordered the creation of Imperial Polo Balls

and invites all foreign delegations

and Chang'an citizens present to view them!

-Excellent! -Yeah!

The Imperial Polo Balls!

We certainly came at the right time.

Indeed.

[Peace and prosperity]

The Grand Princess has arrived!

My aunt is here.

Wonderful.

[Peace and prosperity]

Her Highness said she wasn't coming.

Quickly,

prepare a seat for the Grand Princess.

-Yeah! -Your Highness the Grand Princess!

-Your Highness! -Yeah!

Your Highness the Grand Princess!

Today by the Qu River, the weather is perfect.

[Peace and prosperity]

Aunt, I'm really happy that you're here

to watch the match with me.

In the Polo Tournament four years ago,

Your Majesty, then Prince of Linzi,

led our polo team

to a glorious championship.

Your Majesty's brilliance that day

is still vivid in my memory.

Aunt, please.

Chang'an

hasn't been this lively in a long time.

Indeed.

We, aunt and nephew,

haven't attended

such a thrilling event together in a long time either.

I, Natie, along with the Yenisei Kirghiz Team,

pay our respects to Your Majesty

and Your Highness the Grand Princess!

We, the Great Tang Polo Team, pay our respects to Your Majesty

and Your Highness the Grand Princess!

[Peace and prosperity]

The Polo Tournament is held every four years.

This time, with so many masters assembled,

it's truly a grand event of Chang'an—

of the entire realm!

Polo not only

strengthens the body

but also

fosters friendship among nations!

[Peace and prosperity]

As the ruler of the Tang Empire,

now that I'm here at the championship field,

how could I not mount a horse and wield a mallet

to display my might?

Today, I intend to lead the Tang Team

in the final match against the Yenisei Kirghiz Team!

Aunt, what do you think?

Your Majesty,

[Peace and prosperity]

you must not.

I've already explained

my reasons to Your Majesty before.

Why shouldn't His Majesty do so?

I think it's appropriate.

-But... -Your Majesty has just taken the throne.

If you take the field,

foreign nations will witness your majestic power.

If you win,

all under heaven will submit to you.

But that doesn't conform to proper protocol.

The Yenisei Kirghiz Khan

isn't on the field.

The Emperor's dignity

lies in bilateral equality

and, moreover, in fighting for the nation!

Never mind whether their Khan

is on the field or not.

Our Emperor's

polo match against the Yenisei Kirghiz

is a display of our national power,

meant for all under heaven to see!

Chancellor Cui.

Chief Minister Pei,

since His Majesty has shown such passion

and Her Highness supports it,

you should not stand in the way.

Alright.

In that case,

I shall change into my polo attire

and take the field.

[Peace and prosperity]

Your Majesty,

you must beware of conspiracies.

Don't forget the intelligence

we received about the Yenisei Kirghiz.

You fear that the Yenisei Kirghiz

might harm me on the field?

Then, what do you think

the polo mallet in my hand is for?

[Peace and prosperity]

Your Majesty,

I, Lu Tong, am willing to join you on the field.

Grand General, 20 years ago,

you were also outstanding on the polo field.

But now, you've advanced in age

and have lost one eye,

so let's forget it.

I've already chosen someone to play alongside me.

It's the one who helped

our Tang Team win the championship

four years ago, Lu Lingfeng!

Your Majesty,

I, Lu Lingfeng, am ready.

Pei!

Yes, Your Majesty.

I'll personally enter the match.

Please fulfill your duty as the tournament host!

Yes, Your Majesty.

The Great Tang Polo Team,

led by His Majesty himself,

will battle against the Yenisei Kirghiz Team!

The Great Tang Polo Team,

led by His Majesty himself,

will battle against the Yenisei Kirghiz Team!

That so-called Natie...

is actually Nasha, the Yenisei Kirghiz Khan himself?

Indeed.

That aligns with the intelligence

I received.

Grand General, look at this.

Nasha, the Yenisei Kirghiz Khan,

has infiltrated Chang'an

with some scheme in mind.

Now that it's confirmed,

I shall personally lead the team in the match!

First, I'll defeat them on the polo field

as a warning

to the Yenisei Kirghiz army thousands of miles away.

Unfortunately...

Pei Mian will certainly try his best to stop me.

I'm afraid

that when the time comes,

we might make a scene

in front of all the foreign envoys.

If Her Highness the Princess attends in person

to support Your Majesty's participation,

Chief Minister Pei won't be able to stop you, will he?

Aunt has already informed the Court of State Ceremonials

that she won't be coming.

No, Her Highness has changed her mind.

Her Highness said

that in times of crisis,

she's willing to stand with Your Majesty

against foreign enemies!

Did my aunt really say that?

The Tang Team and the Yenisei Kirghiz Team

[Peace and prosperity]

are both ready

to begin the match!

According to protocol, it should be His Majesty who serves the ball.

But now...

I shall serve the ball.

Stick to the original plan.

After we deal with

those people on the viewing platform,

we'll kill him on the field during the chaos.

[Peace and prosperity]

What a beautiful polo ball.

But whether it can bring lasting peace and prosperity

depends on those who hold it.

Your Highness threw the ball

with both heroism and grace.

But...

do we really have to do this?

When all nations have come to pay tribute,

any plot against the Emperor

is a threat to our Tang Empire.

I'll set aside my dispute with him for now.

We'll be killing enemies while chatting and laughing.

But the safety here...

Don't worry,

the ball is very safe.

Nice goal.

Score!

-Yenisei Kirghiz Team scores! -Yenisei Kirghiz Team scores!

-One to zero! -One to zero!

[Yenisei Kirghiz Team]

-We will prevail! -Yeah!

-Yenisei Kirghiz warriors! -Yenisei Kirghiz warriors!

-We will prevail! -Our Yenisei Kirghiz Team will win!

-We will prevail! -Yeah!

-Nice! -Yeah!

-Our Yenisei Kirghiz Team will win! -Yeah!

-Our Yenisei Kirghiz Team will win! -Nice!

Yenisei Kirghiz Team!

[Crucial Nexus]

How did you know

I have the Seven-Colored Beast Hides?

Well,

I checked the records at the Court of the Imperial Treasury.

In the first year of Yongchun,

the Byzantine Empire also presented

two pieces of Seven-Colored Beast Hide as tribute.

At that time, Empress Wu Zetian

bestowed them upon Your Highness.

I imagine your mansion

must be full of rare treasures,

so you might not

have used those two hides.

You sly Su Wuming.

You're eyeing my things now?

I do have two pieces of Seven-Colored Beast Hide,

but they're spoken for.

I won't lend them.

Not to borrow them, but to take them.

Because once they're made into a polo ball,

they can't be returned intact.

So it's not really borrowing.

Although it's still speculation,

Li Zhuang has been by my side

ever since he joined the Imperial Guard.

I know him well.

He's extremely meticulous.

This lead must be taken seriously.

If the Yenisei Kirghiz spies

have truly tampered

with the Imperial Polo Ball,

then what might happen

at tomorrow's final match

is simply unimaginable.

Therefore, I, Lu Lingfeng,

request those two pieces of hide from Your Highness.

[Crucial Nexus]

When I say they're spoken for,

I mean I plan to gift them

to my son at his wedding.

If you take them today,

you won't have any at your wedding.

Thank Her Highness now for this generous gift.

[Crucial Nexus]

Rise.

Yes.

Even if I give you the beast hides,

can you make

an identical polo ball?

If you use craftsmen from the Tribute Office,

how will you keep it secret from Pei Mian?

And then His Majesty will find out.

It's like this.

Those polo balls

were originally designed by Xijun.

We have the blueprints ready.

Feng Tai, the current Ghost Market Magistrate,

has also agreed to help craft it.

Feng Tai?

He's an eccentric genius of our empire.

So the mechanism won't be a problem.

But the hides require embroidery work.

As luck would have it,

Feng Tai has recently become obsessed with embroidery.

I've seen his embroidery work with my own eyes.

It's exquisite.

Very well, then.

Lu Lingfeng, let me ask you,

how is the investigation of the Yenisei Kirghiz spies going?

Though we haven't captured them yet,

we've basically identified the targets.

Then why not arrest them immediately

to eliminate future trouble?

If we do that,

I fear it might affect

the smooth running of the Polo Tournament.

Moreover, there are still many mysteries

unsolved.

If we alert them prematurely,

not only will we fail to catch them all,

but we might also drive those spies

to hatch even bigger conspiracies!

Therefore, I believe

the final match

is the best opportunity

to unravel those mysteries!

In that case,

I shall go to see the spectacle myself!

The Yenisei Kirghiz harbor treacherous ambitions,

daring to come to Chang'an with sinister intentions!

I'd like to witness my son

annihilate them in one stroke!

[Peace and prosperity]

Score!

-Tang Team scores! -Tang Team scores!

-One to one! -One to one!

-Great! -Nice!

Luck! Pure luck!

-Yeah! -Nice!

Nice!

Excellent!

Nice!

Nice goal!

[Tang Team]

Lu Lingfeng,

you scored a goal!

You should do a victory gallop!

Your Majesty.

Very well. I'll gallop with you.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

[Yenisei Kirghiz Team] [Tang Team]

[Peace and prosperity]