Original subtitles

♫ Raising the wine cup, I toast to the boundless sky ♫

♫ In talks and laughters are vast mountains and rivers. ♫

♫ Love and hate, debt and feuds, have all dissolved. ♫

♫ Where's my soul's hometown and my kindred spirits? ♫

♫ Seasons rolling by, we dream for harvest. ♫

♫ Warriors and warhorses howl across the sky. ♫

♫ If only I could turn into the wind, ♫

♫ to blow away all the pain in mortal coil. ♫

♫ I toast to the blue sky, to courage in solitude, ♫

♫ to migrating gooses, to boats heading home. ♫

♫ With even three thousand days and nights, ♫

♫ Will it be enough to drain this cup I toast to peace? ♫

[Swords into Plowshares]

[Episode 20]

I have long said, among the offspring of the late king's maternal relatives,

only you are still somewhat commendable.

Back then,

those meritorious ministers and generals who followed the late king

have, over the years, all passed away.

And now,

those who can still attend before the king's carriage are only you, my lord.

In such times,

to live long is not necessarily a blessing.

After worrying about the state, one still need to worry about his own family.

No matter how great the merit or how close the bond,

after three generations, how much can remain?

When the old king passed away, the emperor in the Central Plains was still Li Siyuan, was he not?

Yes.

At that time, the Later Tang Emperor Mingzong was on the throne.

That fellow Shi Jingtang,

at that time, became the military governor of Hedong.

Though the old late king was ill,

his mind remained clear.

He told the previous king,

"Shi Jingtang,

will not live much longer.

If he manages to survive, then Li Siyuan's son will not live much longer."

Shi Jingtang was Li Siyuan's son-in-law.

Between father-in-law and son-in-law, there was still some affection.

But between brothers-in-law,

this bond is not very reliable.

The old king instructed the previous king not to do such things of burning the bridge.

These old comrades and ministers who followed him to conquer the realm should still be treated with leniency.

Do not let these people...

Do not let everyone meet a grim end.

You were there at the time, were you not?

I was then in the First Personal Guard Company,

serving as Company Chief, escorting the king's carriage.

King Wusu indeed gave such final instructions.

The previous king was kind-hearted and willing to heed the old king's words.

We old fellows were also very grateful.

Thus we did our utmost to assist the previous king.

This led to the peaceful days of the past ten years.

Unfortunately,

the previous king passed away too suddenly.

Many words were left unsaid for his descendants.

Young children, having experienced little,

are bound to think that this family estate was always theirs by right,

unaware of the hardships and dangers faced by the older generation.

So this sense of gratitude,

gradually faded.

My lord, what you say is indeed true.

However,

Wuyue is not the Central Plains.

Who went to the Xiaoshan camp, the Seventh Prince, or the Ninth?

The Ninth Prince.

Our young king here is not entirely foolish.

What if it were the Seventh Prince who went?

The Seventh Prince has lived to this age

without ever leaving the royal domain. [Royal domain: the area within a thousand li of the royal capital]

If he tried to seize the army in the dead of night, military discipline is strict,

and with someone like Shen Chengli, a stickler for rules, guarding it,

he probably wouldn't even get past the camp gate.

With the Ninth Prince going, Shen Chengli will have a headache.

Everyone is here.

Read it.

By the king's command:

Royal brother, Acting Ministor of Works, Commander of the Inner Guards, Hongchu,

is intelligent, brave, and resolute, well-versed in strategy.

During King Wenmu's reign, he was often praised.

He punished traitors to uphold loyalty and righteousness, executed the greedy and violent to pacify the people.

He is hereby appointed Right Commander of the Inner Cavalry and Infantry,

inspecting all land, water, cavalry, and infantry military affairs of West Court, Xiaoshan and Qiantang.

He shall reorganize camp affairs, strictly enforce discipline,

and temporarily oversee defense, garrison, and bandit suppression matters.

Authority related shall carry this out.

Shen.

Just now outside the camp, I praised you for being disciplined.

In marching and setting up camp, the rules are strict.

Yet you are so easily spoiled by praise?

We, your humble officers, pay our respects to the Ninth Prince.

I did not know what kind of thing the 'Ninth Prince' is.

What is his rank?

What is his assignment?

In military protocol, besides generals and commanders, is there such a thing as a 'Prince'?

I have acted improperly in the army.

I beg Commander to punish me.

The soldiers are your soldiers. The generals are your generals.

There are rules.

There are military laws.

If I must punish every offense,

what use is there for the state to keep a commander like you?

False speech in the army: ten strokes.

Improper conduct in the army: twenty strokes.

Thirty strokes total.

Guards!

Drag them down and beat them.

Drag them down!

Yes!

False speech in the tent,

improper conduct in the army.

You are quite good at showing compassion.

If, according to the charge of disrespecting the commander-in-chief,

these people would probably be beheaded, would they not?

I beg you for mercy, Chief Command.

I do not like to kill.

But in the army, orders must be obeyed and prohibitions enforced. Punishments are strict.

If you do something wrong, if you apply the wrong code, you cannot go unpunished.

Misapplying military code, improper administration of punishment: twenty strokes.

I accept the punishment.

Thank you for your mercy.

Military matters are simple.

You only need to control the leader, and you control the entire army.

Shen Chengli has followed the Sixth Lord and commanded troops in Suzhou for many years.

He's weathered many storms.

To subdue him is not easy.

If the Ninth Prince had gone to seize military authority from Shen Chengli's hands,

he would already be dead by now.

If you were to go,

how would you proceed?

In the Xiaoshan camp, under Shen Chengli,

there are four commanders and nine deputy commanders.

I would win over these thirteen.

Enough.

You'd be dead too.

In his own camp, right in front of him,

you'd be currying favor with his own troops.

Do you think Shen Chengli is a fool?

That are his troops and his generals.

You are there to ask him to handle matters,

and he would worry that you might take the chance to seize his military authority.

What does being surnamed Qian matter?

What does holding the King's decree matter?

Even if you were clutching the military tally and command arrows, shouting all over the camp,

those are troops and generals he has nurtured for decades with wealth and personal bonds.

They are comrades who have risked their lives together,

who have risked their own heads to cut off others' heads.

This is a bond of sworn brotherhood,

ten thousand times stronger than relatives or marriage ties.

Do you think you can just befriend them?

Do you think you can just win them over?

Then, in your opinion, my lord,

what should the Ninth Prince do to make this Shen Chengli obey orders and follow commands?

Give him what he cares about.

Reassure him what he worries about.

His troops, his generals—

let him reward them himself;

let him punish them himself.

If there is favor to be curried and goodwill to be sold, let him do it himself.

You be the bad guy;

let him be the good guy.

Hierarchy, rank,

and friendship—

make it all clear.

He will be at ease, and your tasks will be accomplished.

Marshal!

Marshal! Marshal!

Marshal, It's all our fault for being foolish.

We've implicated you.

Slow down.

Where there is intent to blame, reasons will be found.

The Ninth Prince's arrival was never with good intentions.

Being so picky and demanding,

he merely wants to seize on a pretext to make trouble.

Even if the King came to the army, he would have to reason and consider human feelings.

Such groundless trouble-making... Even if the King...

Enough!

Shut up!

In the army, there is no King,

no Prince.

There are only generals, officers, and soldiers.

This matter,

is simply not on our side.

If you continue to speak recklessly,

don't blame me for disregarding our past comradeship.

Although the Chief Commander is young, he is a veteran of battles and values rules and discipline.

This time, he comes by the King's order,

holding the military tally.

The power of life and death rests entirely in his hands.

All of you, be careful.

Serve him with caution.

Yes.

Reporting to the Chief, we have completed our punishment and have come to report back.

Along this official road from Baode Gate to the Trading Office,

deploy half a capital's worth of troops to garrison.

Erect camp fortifications, set up checkpoints,

inspect all passersby, and prohibit all movement.

At the Bibo Pavilion water stronghold here, send a full company.

Keep it under tight watch to prevent bandits from landing here and harassing the southern city.

To the Trading Office, send half a company of cavalry and a full company of infantry.

Secure the docks, piers,

fish markets, and wine shops, the marketplaces and warehouses.

Keep a close eye on everything.

Prohibit all entry and exit.

Tonight's mission does not require you to kill many people,

chop off many heads, or count many decapitations.

What is required is meticulousness and thoroughness.

What is required is that those who should not die must not lose a single life.

To those who should not escape, you must not let a single one slip away.

No disturbances, no harassment of civilians.

This tests your capabilities as generals, and even more so, your loyalty.

Having eaten the rice of the Qian family and the people of Wuyue for so many years,

I hope each of you will consider carefully how to carry out this mission,

to be worthy of your own conscience.

You, come here.

The matters that follow,

who to use, how to use them,

which troops to deploy, which tasks to assign,

who to reward, who to punish,

how to reward, how to punish,

are all for you to decide.

Whatever authority I have, I will fully support you.

For matters beyond my authority, you draft the memorial, and I will lead the submission to the Chancellor's Mansion,

and petition the King.

Make the arrangements.

Commander.

What do we do next?

What do you mean, 'what do we do'?

The Chief's orders have been issued.

Did you not hear them?

Deng Deyu!

Here!

Block the roads outside Baode Gate. Absolutely prohibit all pedestrians.

Yes!

Jin Yantao!

Here!

You lead seven hundred cavalry to reinforce Bibo Pavilion.

Yes!

Wang E!

Here!

You lead your troops straight to the Trading Office.

If even one person or one boat escapes,

then have your central army bring your head to see me.

Yes.

Go quickly.

You saved your own life, and also saved the lives of all the generals.

I am ashamed.

If it's in time, perhaps we can still save,

Lord Hu.

The situation in the palace tonight is not about whether the King has troops,

but whether he dares to use his generals.

To put it bluntly,

whether the King dares to trust.

Then whom would the King trust?

You are relatives.

Whom do you think the King dares to trust?

Lord,

what truly counts as trust?

Trust is trust.

Distrust is distrust.

In the army,

we act decisively, cutting the Gordian knot.

Trust, then use them.

Distrust, then behead them.

There's no room for such dithering.

What one fears most in great endeavors is hesitation and suspicion.

Minister of Works Hu Jing,

acting as the Grand Commissioner of Zhedong Land Office —

does this count as trust?

No.

This is clearly distrust.

Since it is so,

then Shuiqiu will go report back to the King.

I am old,

so I will not see you off.

Stop.

Father.

Be careful of this man.

He has insight and courage, is loyal to the royal house,

and is sharp-minded, able to discern people's thoughts,

both a strategist and a decisive man.

After I die,

you cannot contend with him.

Your son originally neither contended nor fought.

It was Father who kept contending and fighting.

Indeed a fool.

Lord Hu's actions were purely for self-preservation?

Yes.

That is my judgment.

Inside Hu's mansion servants are armored and armed.

Bows are strung, swords are drawn.

Even Lord Hu himself is wearing armor.

This is for self-preservation?

Yes.

Secretly colluding with Cheng Zhaoyue, knowing full well that he was plotting treason,

yet neither reporting nor stopping him.

This is for self-preservation?

Watching as Cheng Zhaoyue,

within the Personal Guards, extensively bribed and won over military officers and soldiers.

He, a senior minister, Cavalry Commander,

stood by and tolerated it, even secretly aiding his actions.

This too was for self-preservation?

Yes.

All of this was for self-preservation.

Great King.

Please consider this deeply.

The Cheng Zhaoyue before tonight and the Cheng Zhaoyue after today

are two different men.

Lord Shuiqiu, I grasp your meaning.

In the end,

it is I who acted wrongly,

and misjudged a man.

My King.

Before tonight,

Cheng Zhaoyue was Commander of the Imperial Guards deeply trusted and favored by you.

His bribing and currying favor with Guards, in the eyes of outsiders,

would not be seen as the private actions of the Cheng family.

They would be seen as your instruction.

It would be you who bypassed the Commanders who hold military authority and command seals,

ordering Cheng Zhaoyue to use wealth and goods to win over officers within the army.

It would be you,

who used underhanded and secretive means to usurp the authority of generals.

Cheng Zhaoyue was personally chosen and trusted by you, King.

His collusion with Lord Hu

could only lead Lord Hu to believe it was also done under your instruction.

Even if Cheng Zhaoyue stated his intent to plot treason,

to a senior minister and general like Lord Hu, who feels he has lost your trust,

it would seem,

to be nothing more than your suspicion of Lord Hu,

and a test, or even a more malicious scheme and frame-up.

It is setting a trap,

luring the snake out of its hole.

When ruler and minister suspect each other so, the fault is mine.

Given tonight's situation,

Lord Hu could only gather his household guards.

Even if he cannot safeguard the whole realm,

he can at least keep his own home peaceful,

free from harassment by villains.

In recent years,

I have favored sycophants, alienated old ministers,

and allowed a rift to grow between Lord Hu and me.

This is what gave villains like Cheng Zhaoyue an opening to exploit.

Lord Shuiqiu,

I know what I must do now.

Your subject, Hu Jinsi, respectfully receive your command.

Esteemed minister,

your merit spans two reigns,

you have assisted the sagacious ruler, and were ordered to quell the rebels.

As a civil official, you have been promised temple enshrinement;

To be a marshal, you shall be loyal in serving your ruler.

Commander of the Inner Guard Cavalry and Infantry, Hu Jinsi,

has long devoted himself to royal affairs, serving over two reigns.

You are hereby appointed Grand Marshal, acting in charge of all internal and external military affairs.

In the capital region and counties, all military officers and soldiers are to be under your command.

All matters within the camps, I will not interfere.

Grand Marshal.

I, Hu Jinsi, humbly obey the Great King's command.

The silk edict and military tally are here.

Please, Lord, enter the office to handle affairs.

Saddle a horse for ME.

Father, you are advanced in years; it would be safer to ride in a carriage.

Have you ever seen a Grand Marshal who cannot ride a horse?

Saddle my horse.

[Inner Guard Cavalry and Infantry]

We pay our respects to the Grand Marshal.

By the Great King's command, I have been appointed to oversee all internal and external forces

and to reorganize the capital's defenses.

From this moment onward, all gates of the outer city are to be locked.

No one are permitted to enter or exit.

Without my military order, even if someone holds the Great King's command,

arrest them first and we will deal with it later.

Yes.

We respectfully obey your orders.

The royal capital is unsettled tonight.

There are traitors plotting treason.

From this moment, a city-wide curfew is in effect.

All Companies of the Inner Guard must dispatch personnel to patrol the streets.

If anyone is found on the streets, regardless of whether they are officials or commoners, arrest them first.

We will wait until dawn to screen them.

If,

anyone dares to resist, kill them on the spot without waiting for further orders.

Yes.

We respectfully obey your orders.

All generals must carry out their duties meticulously with loyalty and diligence.

Those who are negligent or careless,

will be beheaded.

We respectfully obey your orders.

Shao Keqian.

Here.

Go out of the city and contact the Ninth Prince.

Ask him how things are progressing there.

If anyone in the army dares to disobey the Ninth Prince's orders, you need not report back.

Take my command arrow and behead them directly.

Yes.

I obey the command.

Word has come from the Infantry and Cavalry Command.

Hu has been appointed Grand Marshal and has taken over all military authority.

He has ordered a city-wide curfew and martial law.

All officials and commoners are forbidden to enter or exit.

A great upheaval is imminent.

The young King,

has actually grown a spine.

Is there any news from the Qinhuai House outside the city?

No.

Wait a little longer.

Time is too short.

It's too late.

Our personnel from various places have arrived at less than thirty percent.

About seventy percent are still on the way.

As for Li Yuanqing's side,

he has five hundred veterans of the Black Cloud Longsword Army.

If a real fight breaks out,

the capital's green soldiers who have never seen blood might not be able to stop him.

What do you think?

By order of the Marshal of the Xiaoshan Camp, the Ninth Prince,

the Trading Office is under martial law.

No one is allowed to enter, exit, or move about.

Violators will be executed immediately.

Chief.

Let me slip out to check the situation.

Stay put and behave.

Halt!

Which Company are you in?

Attack!

Kill them on the spot!

Marshal.

Positions are taken inside and out. No unusual movements have been detected.

I do not enjoy killing.

Xue Wen.

Here.

Go and request an audience with the Master of the Qinhuai House of Jiangning, Li Yuanqing.

Just tell him that the old friend who owed a debt on the boat back then,

invites him to come out and talk.

An old friend who owed a debt?

Your young master

really said that?

Master, it's true.

Not a single word is wrong.

I have never heard of

a creditor condescending to visit a debtor.

If he is truly sincere,

then let him, the debtor,

condescend to come see me, the creditor.

This person is utterly unreasonable.

This is clearly harboring ill intentions.

Marshal. You are the commander of an army.

You absolutely must not lightly venture into danger.

How many people does he have with him?

Only one.

A sturdy man.

You saw him on the boat back then as well.

What he originally said also makes sense.

Then I myself will go to see him.

Marshal!

Marshal!

Marshal! Marshal!

You can't!

Marshal!

Marshal!

No, Marshal!

I entrust the military authority here to you.

After dawn,

if I have not yet come out, launch an attack immediately.

If I am dead by then,

then avenge me.

If I am still alive,

then kill me first.

I, Qian Hongchu, will absolutely not become a hostage.

Marshal!

All of you, withdraw for now.

Yuanqing,

Qian Hongchu is here.

I request an audience.

Wait here.

It won't take long.

Yes.

You go out and wait too.

Still so reluctant to speak.

Since parting in Bianliang,

you has been well, Ninth Prince.

Yuanqing,

how many men have you brought this time?

A hundred thousand troops.

Do you believe that?

I wouldn't have believed it back then, let alone today.

Three thousand armored soldiers. Do you believe that?

I might have believed it back then, but not today.

What about five hundred veterans? Do you believe that?

I believe it.

Where are they now?

You came here to find me precisely for this matter?

The Trading Office is the most prosperous area of the capital region.

I do not wish to see this place suffer the calamity of war.

I come to negotiate peace.

Negotiate peace?

For you and me,

for Southern Tang,

and also for Wuyue.

Although I travel between north and south, I am not like the ancient envoys with the authority to form alliances.

Yuanqing, who has entrusted you with this mission?

Is it Emperor's brother, or the Prince of Yan in Runzhou?

That is indeed speaking frankly, though we are not close.

In the Battle of Fuzhou,

over twelve thousand Southern Tang officers and soldiers were captured.

Deputy Military Commissioner Zha Wenhui was taken alive.

If you facilitate their return home,

whether before the Imperial Brother or the Prince of Yan,

it would be a significant favor and a great merit.

During the reign of your Emperor Liezu, our two states were harmonious.

For twenty years, there were no major wars.

But now, since your current emperor ascended the throne,

there have been three major battles and twelve battles involving thousands.

Many of our Wuyue soldiers and civilians have also been captured and taken to your country.

If a peace agreement can be reached, allowing Tang people to return to Tang

Wuyue people to return to Wuyue, and our two countries cease hostilities,

it would also be a great merit for you, Yuanqing, and for me.

You have made a clever calculation.

Peace negotiation is an affair between two nations.

You have calculated correctly that proposing peace talks

means I absolutely dare not make a decision.

I will inevitably have to request instructions from the court and His Majesty.

This back-and-forth will take at least three to five days.

But Wuyue's crisis tonight

cannot be delayed for three to five days.

Once you propose this,

regardless of whether the peace proposal is genuine or not,

at least for tonight, I absolutely cannot take action.

Exactly so.

Yuanqing,

if what you value is personal wealth and status,

then of course you can pretend you never heard the words I spoke.

But if you still harbor thoughts of family and country in your heart,

then tonight, you must certainly stop the war.

Why are you so certain that

I do not care about personal wealth?

So what you value is personal wealth?

That makes it even easier.

The position of Prefect of Taizhou in Wuyue has been vacant for half a year.

I am willing to personally draft a memorial and submit it to the current Great King, to recommending you, Yuanqing,

as Prefect of Taizhou, to govern the affairs of this prefecture.

Time truly flies.

The child on the boat in the past

has now become a pillar of the state.

The Qian clan of Wuyue's reign is to endure.

Yuanqing, have you made a decision?

I

indeed desire personal wealth.

But alas, in my heart,

I still hold thoughts of family and country.

Master.

It is the hour of Yin.

Master of Qinhuai House outside the city...

Still shows no movement.

You may leave.

I, Hu Jinsi, pay respects to the Great King.

Old Lord.

Old Lord.

It was my fault.

I have caused you

to suffer injustice.

Great King.

I am ninety years old.

What have I not seen?

A little hardship cannot be considered injustice.

I only wish that you can draw close to worthy ministers and distance yourself from petty men,

continuing the aspirations of the two previous kings.

Even if I were to die immediately,

I could rest in peace and follow the two Great Kings in the underworld.

You are Wuyue's Grand Marshal.

You are honored to be called by title and enter the hall with sword and shoes.

I rely on you, Lord, to support the royal family, protect the throne,

and to expand our territory.

Kneeling all night?

Seventh...

Seventh Prince.

Handled major affairs all night.

Your crimes have not yet been discussed.

According to regulations, habitual corruption, secretly colluding with bandits,

plotting rebellion, setting fire to the inner treasury, causing the late king's demise...

With these charges alone, the punishment of dismemberment is inescapable.

I beg you, Seventh Prince, to save my life.

Why should I save your life?

And how could I possibly save your life?

I know my crimes are unforgivable.

I am willing to atone for my crimes by earning merits. I only beg the Prince to speak something for me.

I swear here that for the rest of my life,

I am willing to be your loyal hound before your steed.

Whatever you command, even if it means sacrificing my life,

I will not dare refuse.

The edict has been issued:

Cheng Zhaoyue privately hoarded armor and harbored assassins,

colluded with enemy states, and plotted high treason.

He should be publicly executed according to the law, three clans to be exterminated.

The edict has been sent to the Censorate.

To send one hundred men from the Imperial Guard to escort the censor to Shanyue House

and arrest Cheng Zhaoyue to face justice.

I do not need you to sacrifice your life,

just carry out the task meticulously.

Do not let others find fault.

I,

kowtow in gratitude to you for the grace of sparing my life.

Shanyue House?

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles stretch towering mountains. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles run surging rivers. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles cry warhorses. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles there are emotions unspoken. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, flowers are blooming along the road. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, gooses are returning to the north. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, we stand through storms. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, we hope for a safe return. ♫

♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫

♫ for a lifetime's sorrows and joys. ♫

♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫

♫ for the endless seas and rivers. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ love will overcome all barriers. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ we are together in life and death. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ the moon shines in the boundless world. ♫

♫ My heart has its hometown to return. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ who is the one crossing the waves with me, ♫

♫ with our hearts unrepentant, through countless lifetimes. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ oceans and lands witness that♫

♫ the world will be safe and sound. ♫

♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

♫ my heart is unchanging. ♫