Original subtitles

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

[Episode 40]

This...

That shot was really accurate,

but

you still have to get it into the goal

to score.

Maybe you were too far away just now.

Try to get a bit closer

and take another shot, Khan.

We'll have to switch to another ball

if we want to score.

Score!

The Tang Team scores!

2 to 1!

Excellent! Nice shot!

This...

What's going on with the Yenisei Kirghiz Team?

Why aren't they aiming for the goal?

They hit the ball into the Qu River.

-What a pity. -It should've been a nice shot.

You...

What even was that?

How could you play like that?

How could you hit such a precious polo ball

into the water?

It's not a big deal.

We have spare balls.

Ball out of bounds!

Restart play!

Your Highness, please take the kick-off again.

[Peace and prosperity]

[Peace and prosperity]

Are you trying to make the Dragon Pearl catch fire

and then blow up the stands,

creating a bloodbath

targeting the imperial family of our Tang Empire?

What?

Are there your accomplices in the stands?

Your Majesty, what are you talking about?

I don't understand.

Nasha!

Your plot will never succeed!

Dismount and surrender now!

The name of Yenisei Kirghiz Khan

is not something you can just call casually!

Yenisei Kirghiz Khan,

since you've already come to Chang'an,

why use someone else's name?

In that case,

you can't blame our Court of State Ceremonials

for poor hospitality.

[Tang Team]

How did you know my identity?

We never doubted you identity

as Natie before.

But if there's anyone to blame,

it can only be yourself!

Su Wuming!

Su Wuming!

Save Lady Chong's life!

Su Wuming!

Help me find Su Wuming! Hurry!

Where am I?

This is my place.

Are you Old Lady Meng?

Give me that soup then.

You Yenisei Kirghiz people actually believe in Old Lady Meng too?

I've been in Chang'an for 14 years,

so of course I believe in it.

But I never expected

Old Lady Meng to be so young.

I'm not Old Lady Meng.

My name is Pei Xijun.

What? I'm still alive?

That's impossible.

What's impossible about it?

You Yenisei Kirghiz people's poison

is nothing in front of me, a miracle doctor of our Tang Empire,

just like a polo ball.

Of course,

we also have to thank this devoted candidate

for running so fast.

Otherwise,

even with my miraculous healing skills,

I couldn't bring someone back

from the dead.

So, you're the one who saved me?

Thanks to Sheriff Su here,

who foresaw

that you might be in danger.

[Tang Team]

That woman...

She actually betrayed Yenisei Kirghiz!

She did it to repay

our Tang Empire for saving her life!

Also,

the 28 barrels of pine oil

that you had your spies place

under the stands

were discovered long ago.

What if I refuse?

Then tomorrow, all of Chang'an

will be talking about how the newly appointed

Yongzhou's Chief Administrator, Xiong Qiannian,

is actually a spy of Yenisei Kirghiz

secretly stationed in a foreign land as a third-rank official,

which is unprecedented,

and has been executed on the spot.

You!

Take off your mask, old friend.

Don't think I don't recognize you.

You're not Natie.

You're Nasha!

I saw you

during the Battle of Wushan Gorge!

You're right.

That was my first time

representing Yenisei Kirghiz on the battlefield,

and I killed

your standard-bearer with a single arrow,

causing chaos in the Tang army.

That's how I later got the chance

to become a general,

and eventually,

the Yenisei Kirghiz Khan you see today.

I also never expected

a minor army adjutant

from back then

would become

the chief official of Chang'an today.

But what you're plotting

is impossible to accomplish!

As long as you cooperate,

I'm confident

I can kill the Tang Emperor

and the Grand Princess in one strike!

The Tang court will surely fall into chaos,

and Yenisei Kirghiz's hundred thousand valiant cavalry

will be unstoppable.

All the lands of the Tang Empire

will belong to Yenisei Kirghiz.

When that time comes,

you will be the greatest hero.

I will grant you a king's title

and give you

all the lands of Guandong.

Your accomplice being Chang'an's chief official

indeed provides an opportunity

to carry out your plan

and fulfill your plot.

But before the Polo Tournament,

Wannian County Sheriff, Su Wuming,

had already brought people to eliminate the threat.

In your plan,

your accomplice would use slumbering incense

to drug the Court of State Ceremonials officials,

so as to tamper with the polo balls, right?

[Court of State Ceremonials]

Please rest assured, Chief Administrator Xiong.

If I'm not mistaken,

the modified polo balls

should be filled with sulfur and saltpeter.

You know what?

Su Wuming should have

cut it open by now.

Sulfur and saltpeter.

Su Wuming, you guessed it right.

The golden threads embroidered into the dragon pattern

also contain highly flammable materials.

And the Dragon Pearl on that section of the stands.

In your plan,

the polo ball was supposed to collide with it,

and it would catch fire, right?

Too bad you miscalculated.

The current Dragon Pearl

was reforged from solid metal

by Feng Tai, the Ghost Market Magistrate.

Even if you used

your modified polo ball to strike it,

it wouldn't catch fire.

[Tang Team]

I feel sorry about the two pieces of Seven-Colored Beast Hides

Her Highness rewarded you with though.

But I still want to ask you,

Yenisei Kirghiz Khan,

why did you try to destroy our Chang'an?

With the Tang Empire prospering,

how could our Yenisei Kirghiz

ever dominate the world?

Khan...

Stop calling me that!

Attack!

W-What's happening?

What's going on?

What's happening?

What are they doing?

They've gotten into a fight!

-Someone got hit! -Exactly!

What's this about?

-Don't move! -Don't move!

-Sit down! -Don't move!

Watch out!

Xiong, you traitor!

I, Li Zhuang, under the General's orders,

have been waiting for you for quite some time!

[Peace and prosperity]

I'm here under Su Wuming's orders

to protect Your Highness.

Xiong.

If you know what's good for you, surrender now!

I didn't expect

you'd actually have some skill!

Did you think I only know

ceremonial protocols?

Don't move!

[Peace and prosperity]

Cover this place!

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

The finals aren't over yet.

Khan Nasha.

Although your plot has been foiled,

the match is not over yet.

You still have a chance to defeat

our Tang Empire on the field.

So,

do you have the courage?

Your Majesty!

Such a grand event—

wouldn't it be a shame to quit halfway?

If we continue the match,

aren't you afraid I'll strike at you again?

The rulers of our Tang Empire are all emperors on horseback.

What's there to fear from a mere Yenisei Kirghiz?

Then let's compete!

Alright!

The finals of the international polo tournament

will continue!

The Tang Team led by me

will face the Yenisei Kirghiz Team

led by Yenisei Kirghiz Khan once again!

Minister Pei.

I heard that.

The finals continue!

The Tang Team

led by His Majesty, the Tang Emperor,

will face the Yenisei Kirghiz Team

led by Yenisei Kirghiz Khan, Nasha, once again!

The match continues!

The Tang Team

led by His Majesty, the Tang Emperor,

will face the Yenisei Kirghiz Team

led by Yenisei Kirghiz Khan, Nasha, once again!

Yenisei Kirghiz warriors!

We must win it back

on the field!

Yes!

Xiong Qiannian.

[Peace and prosperity]

Do you have a grudge against me?

No.

Then why did you try to assassinate me?

Because I hate.

I hate your mother, Wu Zhao.

Why is that?

At this point,

what's the use of explaining?

Kill me or flay me as you wish.

Just do it.

You...

Let me explain it for you.

[Peace and prosperity]

Xiong Qiannian.

Back in Nanzhou Prefecture,

you were quite kind to me.

I, Su Wuming,

thank you for that first.

Save it.

How did you come to suspect me?

That Xiong Qiannian

is actually quite nice.

You all ignored my meals,

but he took care of me.

He came with his whole family, and he even brought good wine.

You met Xiong Qiannian?

Yes.

Right after I finished treating Sun Zi's wounds,

I ran into Chief Administrator Xiong.

When he treated me to drinks,

he also showed great interest in

your investigation progress.

Is that so?

My night watch

at Dayan Pagoda

wasn't in vain after all.

I thought of someone

who's been appearing frequently,

someone with a special status

who could actually affect Chang'an's safety.

For the polo tournament to proceed smoothly,

I, Lu Lingfeng, must look into this.

You're referring to...

Xiong Qiannian.

[Peace and prosperity]

The reason we came to suspect you

wasn't just because

you used Chicken Fei to probe into the case,

nor merely because of

what you did at Dayan Pagoda.

It was also because of

that worn-out Heavenly King mask you brought from Nanzhou

and left behind at the Ghost Market.

And these are enough to count as evidence?

Su Wuming.

You did solve many cases

back in Nanzhou,

but luck played a big part.

As Master Di's disciple,

you're nothing special.

[Peace and prosperity]

Xiong Qiannian, oh Xiong Qiannian.

You're the chief official of the capital.

Without permission from above,

I, a mere Wannian County Sheriff,

would never dare

to search your residence.

But if I did search,

I'm certain

I would find the masks

of the Four Heavenly Kings,

and also

the items you used to impersonate Six Fingers.

Your impersonation of Six Fingers was brilliant,

which temporarily misled

our investigation,

until Official Lu brought

your file from the Ministry of War.

This is

the official personnel record

I borrowed from the Ministry of War.

Take a look.

Xiong Qiannian once served in the Heyuan Army?

Back in Nanzhou Prefecture,

he never mentioned that.

That's right.

Officials of our Tang Empire

usually take pride

in their military service.

So why didn't he mention it?

At that time, I served as an army adjutant

in the Heyuan army,

maneuvering against the Yenisei Kirghiz

under Heichi Changzhi's command.

Many battles took place,

but the one that changed my life

was the Battle of Wushan Gorge.

That should have been in the second year of Chuigong.

[Peace and prosperity]

Our vanguard was ambushed

by the Yenisei Kirghiz in the valley.

Three thousand soldiers were attacked from front and rear,

and the entire army was nearly wiped out.

Only you, Xiong Qiannian,

led the survivors

and, against all odds,

escaped the peril.

I never actually escaped.

We didn't get far before

the hundred or so men under my command

were once again surrounded

by the enemy in the peaks and valleys.

I knew the Yenisei Kirghiz

had the cruel habit of killing captives,

so I negotiated with them,

asking them

to spare the other soldiers' lives

in exchange for my surrender.

But they

insisted I become their spy.

I didn't want to submit.

But for

the lives of my hundred or so comrades,

I finally...

[Peace and prosperity]

We agreed on a story,

that when we were surrounded,

suddenly on the hillside,

the Four Heavenly Kings appeared

and helped us break through the encirclement,

and then we swore a blood oath

to keep the secret for life!

Thus,

though I was exiled to Nanzhou for over 20 years,

I finally made it to this day.

But I regret it.

I should never have

returned to Chang'an.

If I hadn't returned to Chang'an,

perhaps the Yenisei Kirghiz

would never have found me.

[Peace and prosperity]

When two armies are at war,

this is a common occurrence.

Those with integrity earn respect

and are remembered by future generations as heroes;

while those who failed to keep their integrity

like you, Xiong Qiannian,

will surely be despised by future generations!

Why do you think we were defeated?

It was all because your mother

sent her trusted followers to interfere with our military operations.

Otherwise, Wushan Gorge

wouldn't have been covered with corpses!

Your Highness,

I think there's no need to waste words on him.

I'll behead him immediately

and use his blood

to warn those

restless foreign nations!

Don't!

Today is the day of the finals.

Though accidents have occurred,

blood must not be shed.

If His Majesty were here,

he wouldn't allow you to act recklessly, either.

Take Xiong Qiannian away.

Your Highness, please wait a moment.

I have one more question for him.

Go ahead.

[Peace and prosperity]

Xiong Qiannian.

The Ghost Market Intel Stall's information

was provided by you, wasn't it?

What was your reason for doing so?

Do you think

I truly wanted to see

the Tang Empire fall?

I didn't.

I deliberately provided the information

to the Ghost Market

just to see

if there were any capable people

who would step forward to stop

this conspiracy of the Yenisei Kirghiz!

Su Wuming.

Although I knew about

your and Lu Lingfeng's methods,

you still

exceeded my expectations.

It seems

you truly have some skills.

[Peace and prosperity]

How did this turn into a compliment for me?

Your Highness,

I have no more questions.

[Peace and prosperity]

I still have something to say!

All these years,

I've been torturing myself

with regret.

It was the lie about the Four Heavenly Kings appearing

that kept me alive.

According to the Yenisei Kirghiz's plan,

this place would have been engulfed in flames.

I didn't run away

because I wanted to end my life.

When I came to Chang'an,

I bought

the masks of the Four Heavenly Kings from the Ghost Market.

I've already used 3 of them,

and only

the Guardian of the North's remains unused.

After I die,

let me wear that mask

when I'm buried!

You mentioned the Four Heavenly Kings just now,

so you must be a Buddhist believer.

I will fulfill your wish

and let the masks of the Four Heavenly Kings

be buried with you.

Take him away!

[Peace and prosperity]

Move!

[Yenisei Kirghiz Team]

The Yenisei Kirghiz Team scores!

[Yenisei Kirghiz Team]

Score: 5 to 5!

[Hour of Si] [Hour of Wu]

Time's running out!

Time's up!

The match is over!

The score is 6 to 5!

We won!

[Peace and prosperity]

I announce

the winner of the finals

of this international polo tournament

is the Tang Team!

Excellent!

The winner of the finals

of this international polo tournament

is the Tang Team!

We won! We won!

We won! We won! We won!

It doesn't count! This isn't fair!

It doesn't count! This isn't fair!

It doesn't count!

Although the finals are over,

this match was disrupted,

and I did not enjoy the game to my satisfaction.

Your Majesty, you mean...

Yenisei Kirghiz, Tulo, and the Kang Kingdom,

please each send one expert player.

Led by me,

they will form the World Team,

and they'll compete against the Tang Team

led by Lu Lingfeng.

Let's have another match!

I...

Minister Pei, what do you think?

Well... Um...

Alright! It's decided then.

Nasha,

I invite you to join

the World Team which I will lead.

Do you still have energy left?

I'm willing to participate.

Lu Lingfeng,

against the World Team I lead,

in this match,

you must give your all.

But...

This is a polo field,

not a battlefield between two armies.

However,

it's also a battlefield between two armies.

A general on the battlefield

must give his all.

Since this is a battlefield,

then I, Lu Lingfeng,

know what must be done.

Good! Let's begin!

Let's go.

[World Team] [Tang Team]

Nice!

Excellent!

Tang Team scores!

[Tang Team]

1 to 0!

World Team scores!

2 to 2!

The match is over!

[World Team]

The score is 5 to 4!

The World Team led by His Majesty, the Tang Emperor,

is the final winner!

The World Team wins!

[World Team]

The World Team wins!

Excellent! Great!

The Tang Emperor

leading a team of foreign players and galloping across the field

with the spirit of "all under Heaven as one"

fills us with utmost admiration!

Truly, the Heavenly Khan has been reborn!

Long live the Heavenly Khan! Long live!

Long live! Long live! Long live!

Long live the Heavenly Khan! Long live!

Long live the Heavenly Khan! Long live!

[Grand Princess's Mansion]

Your Highness, have you noticed

that this international polo tournament

has actually become an arena

for him to win people's hearts?

That's not a bad thing, actually.

It helped me figure some things out.

What things?

[Crucial Nexus]

For the things that can't be avoided,

the sooner they happen, the better.

Rather than waiting for the right moment,

it's better to strike first.

Your Highness,

you've made up your mind?

Yes, I have.

Your Majesty.

Regarding the position of Yongzhou's Chief Administrator,

the Princess's Mansion has been paying close attention.

I can't think of a suitable candidate at the moment.

How about letting

Pei take the position?

Pei Mian?

He...

That man has the talent of a Chancellor.

As the Minister of Ceremonials,

he could also serve as Yongzhou's Chief Administrator

and would certainly excel at it.

Noted.

What punishment should be given

to the Yenisei Kirghiz Khan, Nasha?

According to the law of the Tang Empire,

depending on whether he shows remorse,

the relevant officials will handle it at their discretion.

After all, I've only recently ascended the throne,

and the people need respite.

Waging war at this time

would not be the best course of action.

According to our secret agents,

the Princess's Mansion

seems to be busily

planning something.

Would Your Majesty like to strike first?

You bastard!

Your Majesty.

What nonsense are you talking about?

Though fully aware

there might be danger in the international polo tournament,

my aunt

still chose to stand by my side.

With a princess like this,

what's there to guard against?

The discord between my aunt and me

was exactly stirred up by people of you!

Get out now!

Yes, Your Majesty.

Yin.

What did you hear?

I didn't hear anything.

Darling!

Where did this donkey come from?

I bought it.

From now on,

it can help you grind beans

to make tofu.

Then it can carry

the finished tofu to the market to sell.

Most importantly,

if you miss your hometown,

you can ride it

to gallop around Leyouyuan.

Who gallops on a donkey?

It may not run as fast as a horse,

but at least I can lead it.

This way, I can be sure

you won't fall off.

Honey.

Will they really not come to arrest me?

Sheriff Su said

although you were involved in Nasha's plot,

you provided important information,

so your merits offset your crimes.

You've lived in Chang'an for 14 years,

so you should be considered a Chang'an resident,

which makes you a Tang citizen.

You can register your citizenship tomorrow.

Really?

But

if you marry me,

wouldn't it waste all those years

of your hard studies?

How could it?

What if they don't let you

become an official because of me?

Studying is not just for becoming an official.

Some things are more important than fame and fortune.

From now on,

I'll farm and you'll weave,

and I can write poems for you every day.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Farming and weaving together,

writing poems every day—

that sounds lovely.

[Great virtue can carry the world]

Come on!

Cheers!

This time, Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng

have once again—yes, once again— achieved great merit!

I wonder

how His Majesty and Her Highness

will reward them.

They deserve high positions. The higher, the better.

Or perhaps like me,

they could get a gold medal.

No worries about food and drink—

that's practical, isn't it?

In my opinion,

[Great virtue can carry the world]

the one who truly accomplished great things this time

is Xijun.

The Imperial Polo Ball

and the Golden Dragon paired with the Five Grains

symbolize that the nation depends on the people,

and the people are the foundation of the nation.

This ingenious design

will surely influence our nation

for generations to come!

You flatter me.

Not at all.

No matter how much we praise Xijun tonight,

it wouldn't be too much.

I propose

that each of us

drink a toast to Xijun.

Good!

Starting with me, Lu Lingfeng.

Xijun,

meeting you in this life

is my greatest fortune.

And meeting you

is the greatest joy of my life.

Great!

[Soaring Pavilion, Flowing Crimson]

Su Wuming.

You once said

that danger and poetry together

define Chang'an.

So whose Chang'an

is this Chang'an?

Of course

it's the people's Chang'an.

You once said

that sword and poetry together define our Tang Empire.

So,

whose Tang Empire

is this?

It's the Tang Empire's Tang Empire.

Just like you, Su Wuming,

are Su Wuming's Su Wuming.

And I, Lu Lingfeng,

am Lu Lingfeng's Lu Lingfeng.

The Tang Empire

is the Tang Empire's Tang Empire!

Your words are quite a tongue twister,

but

they're quite profound.

Look,

west of Zhuque Avenue

is Chang'an County where I once served as sheriff,

and east of it

is Wannian County where I now serve as sheriff.

These two counties have such wonderful names.

Chang'an

and Wannian.

Blessed with

everlasting peace.

Chang'an belongs to its people,

belongs to the Tang Empire,

and moreover, it belongs to the world!

[Soaring Pavilion, Flowing Crimson]

[Departing from the capital, the Road to Shu fraught with peril]

[Eliminate the treacherous and the wicked, the realm stretches boundlessly]