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]

[Shanyue House]

Fetch water and put out the fire!

Ninth Prince!

The fire is too fierce, we cannot go any further!

The west wind soughs, and chrysanthemums bloom across the courtyard...

Can you hear that?

Petals cold, fragrance faint— no butterfly would dare come near.

If I, in days to come, become the Lord of Spring,

I shall let the chrysanthemums to bloom alongside peach blossoms.

If I, in days to come, become the Lord of Spring,

I shall let the chrysanthemums to bloom alongside peach blossoms.

A pack of cowards! Hahaha...

When autumn arrives, when it's Double Ninth Festival,

after chrysanthemums bloom, all other flowers will die.

Bursts of fragrance soar into the skies over Chang’an;

the whole city is clad in golden armor.

His Palace of Purple Spring has been taken by mist and cloud,

As he would have taken all Yangzhou to be his private domain.

But for the imperial seal being seized by the first Tang Emperor,

He would have bounded with his silken sails the limits of the world.

Fire‑flies are gone now, leaving only weathered grasses,

But still among the weeping willows crows perch at twilight.

If he meets, there underground, the Later Chen Emperor,

Do you think they will mention the song “Backyard Flowers” again?

Is this...?

Cheng Zhaoyue's posthumous memorial?

I am asking you.

Is this the traitor's final testament?

Your judgment is discerning, Great King.

This is a poem by Li Shangyin.

Cheng Zhaoyue was crude and unlearned, merely aping the cultured, a final rabid bark before death.

You need not trouble yourself over it.

‘Do you think they will mention the song “Backyard Flowers” again?’

This traitor is insulting me.

He is insulting me.

that I am Chen Shubao.

He is insulting me.

that I am Yang Guang.

When autumn arrives, when it's Double Ninth Festival,

[Kaifeng Prefecture, Bianliang City] after chrysanthemums bloom, all other flowers will die.

Bursts of fragrance soar into the skies over Chang’an;

the whole city is clad in golden armor.

The west wind soughs, and chrysanthemums bloom across the courtyard.

[Wang Pu, Secretary of Guo Wei's Household] Petals cold, fragrance faint—no butterfly would...

Sir.

Tong.

[Guo Tong, Guo Wei's second son]

Whose poem were Xin and Zongyi reciting?

You don't know?

Or you cannot say?

In reply,

concealing a kinsman's fault is a principle; I simply cannot speak of this.

Come forward.

Concealing a kinsman's fault is a moral principle upheld by the sages,

but you have applied this principle in the wrong place.

[Han Lingkun, Honorary Commander of Imperial Guards]

Eldest Young Master, welcome.

Besides me, did Rong invite anyone else?

No.

What do you need from me?

The Young Master now charges internal affairs.

He values rules above all else.

I dare not inquire about matters that are not meant me.

Rong,

Rong,

Rong, what do you need from me?

Oh let's not rush to talk business.

Send someone to fetch the leftover half-jar of aged wine we drank a few days ago.

I'll quench my thirst first.

I wondered where this loud, shouting butcher came from.

What do you take my Farther Marshal's Military Secretariat for?

A tavern near the city watchover?

I wouldn't dare.

I saw Secretary Guo wasn't here,

so I thought to beg a good drink to loosen up my bones a bit.

How did you know he wasn't here?

I just came from the palace.

I don't know what happened, but His Majesty and several ministers have been deliberating for two hours.

They're probably discussing just one matter.

What matter?

Hongchu wrote from Hangzhou.

He still remembers to write letters?

I thought after so long in the warm, gentle southern lands,

he'd forgotten you all the way to the Ocean.

[Guo Xin, Guo Wei's third son] Sir, this poem was one I wanted to recite.

Tong didn't recite it at all.

Zongyi followed me in reciting it.

If you wish to punish, just punish me alone.

For the ruler strokes meant for Zongyi, I'll take them in his stead.

Whose poem were you reciting?

Huang Chao.

Who is Huang Chao?

A rebel.

Xin, go back and sit down.

Huang Chao—

is he a rebel?

Yes.

And no.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, military governors rose everywhere,

factional strife was incessant, and eunuchs wielded power.

Throughout the entire country, no one devoted their mind to governance.

Taxes were levied for a hundred years,

and harsh policies harmed the land.

When people could no longer survive, they would rise in rebellion.

You being hungry and need to eat is not a crime.

You thinking of ways to stay alive is not a crime either.

When Huang's Army entered Chang'an, wherever their proclamations to pacify the people reached,

the commoners of the capital brought provisions and followed them.

They welcomed them with food and drink.

Before their defeat in Guanzhong,

Huang's army could hardly be called "rebel."

How can rebellion not be rebel?

What is a rebel?

Oppressing the people for one's own gain is rebellion.

Harming the common people is rebellion.

Imposing harsh policies is rebellion.

Stealing and plundering people's wealth is rebellion.

When King Tang of Shang attacked Jie of Xia,

and Kings Wu of Zhou eliminated Zhou of Shang,

these acts were all rebellions in form—

but they cannot be labeled as rebels.

The Book of Changes states, it is called,

"Revolution."

What is revolution?

Governing the world with laws, disciplining the army with regulations,

eliminating tyranny and cruelty, quelling chaos and pacifying the people—

this is revolution.

The Book of Changes states,

"The revolutions of Tang and Wu were in accordance with Heaven and people's will."

However, now that Mr. Wang has just completed your new commentary,

those fortune-tellers in the market will presumably have to compose new verses all over again.

Eldest Brother.

I pay my respects to Father.

Since you have begun your education,

[Chai Zongyi, Guo Rong's first child] you should follow the teacher and learn more principles,

instead of fooling around with your Third Uncle all day long.

Yes.

Thank you for your instruction, Father.

Eldest Brother,

it is my fault.

Eldest Brother, do not punish Zongyi.

You truly are a little man of courage.

The Qian family wishes to reduce tribute this year?

The Ninth Prince's letter was rather vague,

but that is essentially what it means.

First, they fought a major battle with Southern Tang in Fuzhou.

Once the troops are mobilized, everything costs money.

Furthermore, during summer and autumn,

five or six prefectures experienced continuous heavy rain and suffered floods.

Just the relief efforts alone will likely empty Wuyue's treasury.

Moreover,

King Qian intends to exempt taxes across the entire territory this year.

Consequently,

the regular annual tribute to the court will be stretched thin.

Perhaps the Qian's Ninth Prince is just exaggerating the situation.

That Ninth Prince

is someone who dared to draw a blade against Zhang Yanze in the Chongyuan Hall.

I don't believe such a man

would lie to the court just to reduce some tribute payments.

In that case,

things might be rather difficult to handle.

Indeed difficult to handle.

Otherwise, why would I seek your counsel?

Yesterday, Father Marshal mentioned that after the new year, the rewards for the armies

still have a significant shortfall.

Furthermore, the Three Departments' Finance Bureau

has already accounted for those two hundred thousand strings.

[Western Court, Hangzhou]

Minister Wu,

the Ninth Prince mobilized troops overnight and couldn't issue timely rewards.

He relied entirely on the authority of flogging to suppress the army's morale.

Now that the rebellion is quelled,

the Zhenguo and Zhenwu armies, all units are meritorious.

Not rewarding beforehand might still be somewhat justifiable.

But not rewarding afterwards...

This is going to incite major chaos.

Marquis of Xuancheng, Cheng Zhaoyue rebelled, and

overnight, of the over sixty branch offices and shops

of the Shanyue House across the country,

forty-two were burned to the ground in a single fire.

The other twenty or so only left behind empty houses and vacant courtyards.

Goods and valuables, silver and silk, coins, grain, and rice—

not a single bit remains.

The court raised a great army.

Now even the annual tribute to the Bianliang court cannot be scraped together.

Previously, tribute matters were advanced by Cheng Zhaoyue's Shanyue House

and then reimbursed by the Ministry of Revenue and the palace.

Now that Cheng Zhaoyue is dead,

the Shanyue House has become an empty shell.

you can just go ask Cheng Zhaoyue for these eighty thousand units of silver and silk.

I have not a single coin here.

Lord Hu, you are the Grand Marshal, respected by all the generals in the army.

The Zhenguo and Zhenwu companies merely followed the Ninth Prince circling outside the city walls.

Their blades untouched by blood, arrows unstrung.

With such merit, do they deserve a reward of ten strings of large coins per person?

Seventh Prince,

those youngsters in the army are all reasonable.

Zhang Jun,

is too young.

He speaks incorrectly.

Whether there is a reward or not is not determined by before or after the event.

No merit means no reward.

Merit means reward should not be withheld.

Ninth Prince.

Yes.

That night, you were the commander leading the troops.

May I ask you to tell the Great King and the officials in the hall:

In quelling Cheng Zhaoyue's rebellion,

the soldiers under your command— did they have merit or no merit?

Should they be rewarded or not be rewarded?

In reply to Lord Hu, I am a fisherman who cannot lead troops, and only knows how to cause trouble.

Hongchu.

Do not be disrespectful to Lord Hu.

Reporting to the Great King,

I am unruly and lacks the talent of that of the Grand Marshal.

In the army,

I have had many men flogged.

Yet I have never given out any rewards.

You fool!

What place is this?

This is my court, not a tavern or fish market in the Trading Office.

The Grand Marshal is here with the ministers to discuss state affairs.

This is not child's play.

I sent you to the southeastern army so that you could

learn from the marshals and generals the skills to settle yourself down.

Not to teach you to fool around.

In the army, rewards and punishments are paramount.

If rewards and punishments are unclear, it will ruin state affairs.

You have been mischievous since childhood.

People call you a fisherman.

Is that a good reputation?

I originally thought that after all these years, you had improved,

and could do something for the state.

But now it seems

that I was deluding myself.

Enough.

I have so many important matters to attend to daily. I have no mind to quarrel with you.

I strip you of your position as Right Commander of the Inner Guard.

Hand over your military tally.

Hongzuo,

take his military tally.

Brother...

Even you dare to disobey orders?

Fine.

Very well.

Fine.

You have backbone.

You have grit!

Take his military tally!

And give it to the Grand Marshal!

Fortunately,

I still have the Grand Marshal and the generals.

Since you cannot lead troops, I will not make things difficult for you.

Get out to Taizhou.

Serve a term as prefect,

to truly experience what hardship in the world means.

I respectfully obey your command.

Depart early tomorrow morning, not delay along the way,

nor cause trouble or disturb the localities.

If I hear again that you dare to cause trouble...

I will not let you off lightly.

No need to wait until tomorrow.

I will go home now and pack my belongings,

set off overnight, and not stay in Hangzhou to be an eyesore to you.

You, you fool!

You good-for-nothing!

This,

little brat.

Lord.

Lord.

This reward...

My comrade and I truly dare not accept it.

The Ninth Prince is the Great King's beloved brother, yet because of this matter, he was demoted to Taizhou.

Even if at this moment, the Great King is in a fit of rage,

and, he hasn't thought it through.

When he recalls it in the future, he will inevitably

harbor resentment in his heart towards us.

Then...

Wouldn't that become a disaster?

The Night of the Suppression.

The Ninth Prince really entered the camp alone？

Completely alone.

Night curfew was in effect in the camp, the gates could not be opened.

The Ninth Prince was lifted up to the watchtower in a bamboo basket.

I saw it with my own eyes.

He didn't even bring a single attendant.

Not one.

Was he carrying any weapons or tools?

No, he wasn't.

All he had on him were

the King's written edict and the military tally to deploy troops.

Lord, is there something improper about that?

It's nothing.

Just a child, that's all.

The reward that is due must still be given.

If one has merit, one must be rewarded.

That is the natural and proper way of things.

Even the Emperor in the Central Plains cannot disrupt this principle.

However,

the state has many affairs, and the treasury is depleted.

So we can give less.

Eighty thousand strings and bolts is indeed a bit much.

Cut it in half,

then each common soldier can still take home five or six thousand coins.

That would still be respectable.

Then we won't put the King in a difficult position.

You are really wise.

Lord, actually, in this matter,

although we are credited with merit, we merely toiled through the night.

We did not engage in any real fighting, nor did we take any heads.

Not to mention five or six thousand, even seven or eight hundred— our comrades wouldn't dare to complain.

This is the rule. You don't understand.

That minister Wu Cheng doesn't understand either.

But the King must understand.

Great King.

Great King.

Great King.

You must still take the medicine.

Drink it while it's hot.

Give it to me.

Brother.

While the medicine is still warm, please drink it quickly.

Hongzong.

I am here.

Great King.

Great King!

Brother!

It's nothing. It's nothing.

You may go.

Go.

Order,

the Tongru Academy,

to draft an edict.

Wu Cheng

is dismissed as Chancellor.

Appoint him,

Military Commissioner of the Weiwu Army,

and Prefect of Fuzhou.

Brother,

this...

Don't you understand yet?

The Xiaoshan Camp has

six thousand guards, over a thousand officers,

plus one Grand Marshal of the court.

One Ninth Prince— was that weight sufficient?

You exiled Hongchu to Taizhou to appease the military.

A Chancellor of the court and a royal brother of the clan

should be sufficient.

The rewards for quelling the rebellion should be able to be reduced somewhat.

It's absurd.

There are no small matters in the army.

The mutiny of the Wuyong Corps back then—

its root was also money.

In our father's time,

whenever he drove the troops,

rewards were always placed at the forefront.

Now in this world,

this is simply the rule.

Not just here in our Wuyue,

even Liu Zhiyuan, sitting in the Chongyuan Hall in Bianliang,

would not dare break this rule.

As to Wu Cheng,

it's not that he doesn't understand.

He truly has no money left.

Go and tell him,

that I know he has been wronged.

He is the uncle of us brothers.

Our own family.

I know he can understand.

However, on this trip to Fuzhou,

he cannot be idle.

Whether by invitation or by force,

tell him to bring that Li Renda back to the capital for me.

Yes.

I will go immediately.

What is it?

Great King.

The Ninth Prince has come to take his leave from you.

Seventh Brother.

Ninth Prince.

The King summons you for an audience.

Go in.

Do not annoy him again.

Don't worry.

I have come specifically to bid farewell to you.

All packed?

All packed.

How many carriages?

How many attendants?

Only one carriage,

ten attendants.

Home is always comfortable, but even a single day outside can be hard. Better to take enough property.

One carriage is sufficient.

Besides, I did not plan to travel by land.

Once I leave the city and reach the Trading Office, I can board a ship.

I am lazy, unable to endure great hardship.

By ship?

If I were to go to Taizhou empty-handed, that would be too unworthy of your public display of anger in the hall, wouldn't it?

Of course, I can't go for nothing.

So, you know why I'm sending you to Taizhou?

I know.

This burden is too heavy.

It's a bit unfair to you.

I may be young and weak, with little strength,

but I have to try at least.

Today in the court,

you were a bit reckless, you know that?

Lord Feng is already ninety.

He probably won't hold it against a junior like me.

There are some words you can't say, but I'm just a fisherman.

I have no reservations about anything— I speak my mind whenever I wish to.

Offending the military is no joke.

Actually, Seventh Brother's words today shouldn't have been said.

The old lord has spent his whole life in the military.

From Grandfather to Father to you, he has served three generations of our family.

What isn't he clear about?

He's obviously playing dumb, forcing us three brothers to offend people.

If Seventh Brother's words spread to the military, those bastards would hate him to death.

Don't learn rude words from the military.

You are a prince and royal brother, not a common soldier.

You did it,

to save Seventh Brother.

Yes.

With my outburst and your anger in court,

probably few will remember Seventh Brother's words.

When it comes to the task of distributing rewards, you will still assign it to him.

Among brothers in a family, someone needs to be the good guy,

and someone has to be the bad guy.

Anyway, I've been a fisherman since childhood.

Besides, this past year, I've gotten used to being the bad guy.

It was still too risky.

Don't do it again next time.

Yes.

Uncle.

The Great King also acted out of expediency.

The military is full of rough men. They don't understand grand principles,

let alone the difficulties of state affairs.

Uncle, please go to Fuzhou to settle matters.

The Great King says that Li Renda has been entrenched in and controlling Fuzhou for too long.

We must think of a way to recall him to the capital to keep him under control.

Seventh Prince,

do not act so rashly again in the future.

Uncle,

why do you say this?

Seventh Prince, do you still not understand?

In the court,

there are some words that I can say, the Ninth Prince can say,

but you cannot.

What does this mean?

Because,

the Great King's eldest son is only five years old this year.

In these troubled times, whether in the Central Plains or in Wuyue,

a child ruler cannot be established.

Because over the past five years,

first you led the inner army, then participated in the affairs of the ministerial council,

and now, you are even the only chancellor among the Qian clan relatives.

The Great King places great hopes in you.

Uncle,

I absolutely do not have such intentions.

You fool!

Such is the situation and anyone with clear eyes can see it.

If the Great King's health were robust, there might still be room for maneuver.

But now, the Great King eats little and is burdened with many affairs, sleeping only two hours each night.

Once he falls,

you, as the head of the Qian clan, if you cannot uphold the family's standing,

the state will face unspeakable calamities.

After Zhu Wen and Li Siyuan died, their sons fought for the throne,

turning the capital into a battlefield.

Brothers slaughtered each other, human bonds collapsed.

Civil and military officials formed factions,

throughout the court and the country, heads rolled in slaughter and rivers of blood flowed.

Great state ended up benefiting outsiders.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, at this very moment,

you are the heir apparent of Wuyue.

I can afford to offend the military. The Ninth Prince can afford to offend the military.

But you cannot.

Because you are the heir apparent.

At all times, you must not lose the support of the army.

This is an obvious fact.

The Great King knows it.

Hu Jinsi knows it.

The chancellor and ministers there all understand it.

Even the Ninth Prince understands it.

That's why today in the hall, he stepped forward and kicked up a fuss.

That's why the Great King must exile me and the Ninth Prince to outer prefectures,

to give an explanation to the generals in the army.

Because you are the heir apparent.

To protect you,

only throwing out one young Ninth Prince is not weighty enough.

Even Hongchu in the hall saw it clearly,

yet I have only just awakened as if from a dream.

The Ninth Prince's fuss today was both to protect you,

and to give an explanation to the Great King and the nobles and generals in the court.

His reckless offense against the military was to tell everyone

he has no ambition for the heir apparent position.

Uncle and Hongchu have shown such deep consideration,

I am utterly ashamed.

I'm exiled.

Yuan Dezhao has served as Associate Chancellor for five years; his promotion to Chancellor is a natural progression.

Within the capital, as long as the imperial clan does not cause trouble,

and the Great King stays safe, there will be no major upheaval for the time being.

Right now, the mess in Taizhou,

is the top priority.

If you are not confident in handling Taizhou,

do not take risks.

There are still two months left; I will think of other methods.

Sixth Brother, there is no time.

If we miss the spring planting season, I fear before autumn harvest arrives, Taizhou will be in chaos.

Who could have imagined Cheng Zhaoyue would be so fierce?

We were originally counting on digging up some hidden wealth from the Shanyue House.

Although this man is cunning and treacherous, rebellious and presumptuous,

when it comes to getting things done,

he is more capable and diligent than most of the nobles and officials in the capital.

There are indeed people who are diligent in their work.

It's just that they have likely never been properly utilized.

Are you referring to Shen Yin?

I knew I couldn't hide it from Sixth Brother.

To be honest,

on this trip to Taizhou, without this person,

I would feel much less confident.

You may go.

Tomorrow, I will issue a decree ordering him to go to Taizhou.

No, no, no.

Issuing a royal decree is too conspicuous.

An official dispatch of Chancellor's Office would be better.

Otherwise, once the decree is issued, everyone inside and outside will be watching.

If it alerts those in Taizhou, things will become even more difficult.

Sixth Brother, did I say something wrong?

I was thinking...

of Father.

If he were still here,

seeing how you are now,

I don't know how delighted he would be.

What took you so long?

I'm getting tired from waiting.

Be more patient.

We'll board the ship in half an hour.

Can you tell me now?

Why must we return to Huanglong Island before going to Taizhou?

Well...

not yet.

Suit yourself.

Once we're back on the island, I'll see if you still won't tell me.

You are a royal relative and a senior court official, who has received great royal favor.

You should repay it with utmost loyalty.

The flames of war in Fuzhou have just subsided.

The people's livelihood is in ruins; all industries await revival.

We hope you will govern with civility and inspect with martial prowess,

educate the common people, and nurture the local area,

so that the people of Taizhou may revere the royal teachings and know the royal grace,

be content with farming, and prosper the region.

So you are dismissed from the post of Chancellor, appointed as Commissioner of the Weiwu Army,

in charge of Fuzhou affairs. Let the responsible authority implement this.

I humbly obey the royal decree.

Then the court's affairs— would they not fall to Lord Yuan?

Why bother about him? He's a Qian, anyway.

Congratulations, Associate Chancellor.

What joy do I have?

Minister Wu is leaving.

The day of your appointment as Chancellor is just around the corner.

Not congratulating the Associate,

but congratulating the Chancellor.

Congratulations, Chancellor.

You gentlemen are all clever men,

yet I have been unaware and I have kept you gentlemen here in a low position,

treating you as mere clerks.

It seems I have wronged you gentlemen.

Where is the duty clerk?

What are your orders?

Draft a document.

Send these two clever men back to the Institute for Talent Selecting.

Yes.

It was my discourtesy.

I beg your forgiveness.

No need for formalities.

You may leave.

Just mediocre men.

Dezhao, why bother getting angry with them?

Right and wrong in this world are all stirred up by such mediocre men and vulgar officials.

The Chancellor's office is a vital central institution.

Such men must not be suffered to stay.

Shen Yin...

♫ 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. ♫