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 30]

Have...

Have you decided?

Do I have a choice?

Yes, you do.

If you don't wish to be, we can leave the city at once.

On Huanglong Island, we could still have thirty or fifty years of carefree life ahead.

The people outside...

might not be able to stop you.

My seventh brother was right.

My surname is Qian.

No one in the Qian family is innocent.

I do not have the fortune for such carefree happiness.

Since that is so,

I would have you, considering the lives and livelihoods of millions in the southeast,

be the Regent of the Zhendong and Zhenhai Armies.

Ge Qiang!

I am here!

Escort the Seventh Prince to rest in the side hall.

I obey the your command, Regent.

I thank you for your mercy.

Seventh Prince, please follow me to the side hall.

Lord Hu.

Yes.

Summon all civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above to the palace.

I,

obey your command!

I report to the Regent.

I am too old and frail to bear the burdens of the central administration.

I beg to be allowed to retire.

Minister Yuan.

I wish I could grant that,

but I cannot.

Both you and I will have to bear this hardship.

The Regent obeys the will of Heaven and people, succeeding to the royal line.

You discard old malpractices, correcting the deposed king's misrule.

This is fortune for Wuyue, fortune for the southeast land.

With a new ruler on the throne, it is improper for the deposed king to remain in the palace.

I urge you to issue a decree,

charging the deposed king with harming the state,

disrupting governance, treachery, arbitrary killing, extortion, and oppression of the people!

Let the law be upheld!

Lord Hu.

My order stands.

The Seventh Prince is appointed Deputy Militia Commander of the Anguo Yijin Army.

Regent!

The deposed king's crimes are monstrous, unforgivable by the heaven! I urge you to--

Minister Hu!

One hour ago, the Seventh Prince had already departed,

escorted under guard by Xue Wen, the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the First Personal Guard Company.

Lords.

I'm lacking in virtue, newly made Regent.

At present,

several urgent matters must be decided first.

First,

Minister Yuan is to draft a memorial for Bianliang.

I

obey the command.

Second,

Lord Hu is stripped of his title of Grand Marshal.

He is appointed Chancellor, overseeing state affairs.

Affairs of state are many, administration is complex.

Minister Yuan cannot manage alone.

I hope Lord Hu will not refuse this toil, considering of Wuyue's people, and condescend to accept.

I, Hu Jinsi, obey the command.

Third,

the Duke of Wuxing, Shuiqiu Zhaoquan, is appointed Chancellor,

to oversee state affairs and jointly deliberate on major policies.

He Chengxun of the First Personal Guard Company arrives.

Report to the Regent.

During the palace upheaval last night, Shuiqiu Zhaoquan

conspired secretly with the deposed king, gathered private arms, and plotted rebellion.

I, by the Grand Marshal's military order, exterminated him and all his accomplices.

Here is Shuiqiu's head.

Regent, inspect it.

Lord Shuiqiu... how could...

What did that bastard say?

How could this happen?

[Shuiqiu Residence]

Father!

Father!

Father!

Father! Save me!

Did you kill him?

I...

acted on the Grand Marshal's order!

I'm asking you, did you kill him?!

I followed the Grand Marshal's order...

What I'm asking is if you killed him!

Regent, this...

Grand Marshal.

Give me a hand.

Seize this traitor's arms.

Grand Marshal...

I am the Regent now.

Am I not?

Yes.

I order the Grand Marshal

to seize this traitor's arms.

I

obey the command.

Grand Marshal!

Minister Hu.

Come forward.

Grand Marshal...

Take it.

Grand Marshal! Regent!

I was only following orders!

I...

Lord Shuiqiu,

was a pillar of the state,

who rendered great service to Wuyue.

Yet he was killed bt a petty man!

You supported me

as Regent of the two armies.

Now I, with the Grand Marshal,

executed this villain together!

To give Lord Shuiqiu justice,

and to give Wuyue justice!

Wuyue is not the Central Plains.

And I

am not Sixth Brother or Seventh Brother.

I am impatient.

I do not tolerate evil.

Lords!

Do you still wish me to be the ruler of Wuyue?

Lord Hu.

do you still wish to enthrone me?

We

are willing to die for the Great King!

Long live the Great King!

I, Yuan Dezhao,

pledge allegiance to the Regent as the ruler of Wuyue.

Long live the Great King!

We pledge allegiance to the Regent as the ruler of Wuyue.

Long live the Great King!

I, your old servant, Hu Jinsi, is willing to die for the Great King.

Long live the Great King!

My King!

My King!

My King!

My King!

I killed He Chengxun.

It wasn't him.

I know.

I can't kill Hu Jinsi.

It wasn't him.

His body is so hot.

What if the fever ruins his health?

Summon the palace physician!

Summon the physician now!

Your Highness...

Before the King retired, he gave strict orders.

He forbade summoning the physician.

You heartless servants!

Will you just stand by and watch him burn to death?

Your Highness...

He only ascended the throne today. There is suspicion everywhere.

We haven't even settled the palace guards and staff.

If we call a physician, and word gets out the King is unwell,

it could stir panic and bring new disaster.

So you would sacrifice Hongchu's life?

Lord Hu is a veteran of four reigns, powerful, and prestigious in army.

If he learns the King is ill, there might be another upheaval.

He forced the Seventh Prince to abdicate. He wouldn't hesitate to force this King too.

You...

You heartless, filthy wretches!

All you care about is power and wealth!

He is my son!

My own flesh and blood!

Even if he doesn't become...

doesn't become this so-called wretched King,

I still want him safe and sound, healthy and well!

Huang Wei!

Your servant.

You have served three previous kings.

You watched Hongchu grow up.

How can you be so heartless?

He is this ill,

and you won't even call a physician?

If the former kings knew in the afterlife, they would not rest in peace.

You servants...

Would that please you?

This servant wouldn't dare!

On my authority,

order the palace physician to Yihe Courtyard to attend to him.

When Hongchu is fully recovered, if anyone must be blamed,

let them blame this old woman, his own mother!

I obey.

Go. Summon the physician.

You cannot summon the physician!

The outside is secured. Yihe Courtyard is guarded by the Zhongshun Company.

Anyone entering or leaving without permission will be charged with treason and executed.

Until Hongchu awakens,

no one leaves this courtyard.

What are you doing?

Please calm.

What good does it do you to harm Hongchu?

He is your husband,

your heaven.

If he is gone,

your heaven collapses.

Don't you understand?

Mother, forgive me.

I acted without permission.

The situation is extraordinary,

I had no other choice.

But it is Hongchu who is the master of this palace.

Even as his elder, Mother,

you cannot override his decisions.

You are trying to murder your own husband!

It indeed showed foresight that former king abandoned your mother.

As long as I draw breath,

I will never allow you to harm my son.

All of you, get up!

Summon the physician!

Summon the physician! Go and summon the physician now!

Go summon the physician!

After he awakens, I will come to you for punishment in person.

Please, Mother, retire to the side hall.

Please, Mother, retire to the side hall.

What are you doing?

Let go of me!

All of you, let go!

This is rebellion! Let go of me!

Let go of me!

Madam.

It's fine.

I know what to do.

Fetch a basin of cold water. Bring ten towels.

Yes.

Sixth Brother...

Sixth Brother...

Sixth Brother...

I can't figure it out.

However large the number,

it's just a number.

Be patient.

You can work it out.

What about Hu Jinsi?

Wrong question.

I've calculated for so long.

He's too powerful. I can't kill him.

If the question is wrong,

no matter how you calculate, it's wrong.

Sixth Brother,

what is the right question?

The right question is,

what about Wuyue?

Bring another basin of cold water. Fetch ten more towels.

Yes.

My lady,

will this really work?

He's suffering from acute internal heat. It's an illness left since last year's southern campaign.

I know my own husband.

He can pull through.

Father!

It's too difficult.

Is it really?

Wuyue is too vast.

I can't grasp it.

It's just a ship.

As long as it doesn't sink or capsize,

a bit of wind and waves,

can be taken as play.

Father.

I don't want to play anymore.

My ninth boy, weren't you the one who loved to play most?

I can't afford to play.

This is a mountain.

It's an ocean.

A ruler's few words, a single breath,

for the innocent, become towering waves, violent storms, a catastrophe that ruins families and wipes out clans.

Seventh Brother can't handle it.

I can't even more.

Hongchu,

are you innocent?

Father!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Father!

Father!

It's not him.

It's not him.

It's not him.

Yes, not him.

It's not him.

It's this world.

It's not him.

Lord Shuiqiu...

It's not him.

It's not him.

Are you innocent?

It's not him.

It's not him.

All palace gates monitored?

All the Guards Companies are supervised by our Zhongshun Company comrades.

Liu Yanchen in the outer city followed the King on the mission to Bianliang.

He is also a reliable man.

What about Hu Jinsi's residence? Any movement there?

Tonight,

who will go to the Hu residence?

None have come.

Zhang Jun, Zhao Chengtai, Luo Sheng and those scoundrels not coming is one thing,

but that scoundrel Shen Chengli

also pretends to be deaf and dumb like this, sitting on the fence.

What a despicable face he shows.

It makes one's teeth chatter with contempt.

Who could have imagined

that Hongchu couldn't even wait a single moment?

At the court assembly for his succession, in front of the imperial clan and nobles,

and all the civil and military officials, he drew his blade.

Not to mention the Seventh Prince, even the late king and the Sixth Prince, when they ruled,

never witnessed anything so reckless and violent.

Father,

we, used this man to replace the indecisive, outwardly fierce but inwardly weak Seventh Prince.

Did we really do the right thing?

It's late.

Sleep early.

Yes.

Hongchu.

Hongchu.

Hongchu.

Hongchu.

Hongchu.

Tell me,

if I were to return to the island with you now and become a live-in son-in-law,

would your mother beat me and throw me out?

My mother

would surely issue the Yellow Dragon Order, muster hundreds of ships, and blockade the Qiantang River again,

to seize back the crown you lost.

It seems

that I cannot but be this King.

My lord, please stay.

What is it?

The old master is unwell.

He has ordered that no one is to disturb him.

Father's ill?

We pay our respects to the King.

Long live the King.

Rise, all of you.

Report, Great King,

my father is advanced in age.

He caught a chill last night and cannot rise to attend the monthly court audience.

I humbly beg you to forgive his offense.

Lord Hu,

is a man who fought his way out from piles of corpses.

Would he also be troubled by a troubled heart?

Since childhood, I studied history with Mr. Pi, observing the rise and fall of successive dynasties.

Only today have I finally understood

what it means to say: "With each new ruler,

comes a new court."

Minister Yuan,

regarding yesterday's events at court, my father truly harbors some resentment.

Feelings of grievance and resentment may indeed exist.

But as to a heart of disloyalty, he absolutely does not possess.

For the King to personally inquire after his well-being—

since the founding of the state by King Wusu,

Lord Hu is only the third person.

This is an extraordinary favor, sufficient to ensure his descendants' glory and favor.

For the King to personally visit the residence to inquire after the illness well-being...

Since the founding of the state,

those who have received such grace—

one was Monk Gu, [Monk Gu: Gu Quanwu, Wuyue's general]

another was Scholar Luo, [Scholar Luo: Luo Yin, litterateur, poet]

and there have been no others.

Now,

this old man counts as one.

If the Grand Marshal were alive,

he would scold me for not knowing my place and what's good for me.

My grandfather has been gone for nearly twenty years.

Even when he was alive,

I don't think you, Lord, will necessarily fear him.

The tea is poisoned.

For what purpose have you come, Great King?

On that dark night, you, Lord, had the courage to come alone to my residence to see me.

Now that you are ill,

I should also visit you personally to fulfill the state's duty of caring for its veteran ministers.

A King should possess such courage.

Wuyue,

should indeed have such a King.

Lord, is your health much better now?

That depends on what medicine

you prescribe for me, Great King.

This state of Wuyue,

has a share that rightfully belongs to you.

The army and prefectures of Wuyue, its millions of soldiers and civilians,

were not conquered by my grandfather alone.

Naturally, it should not belong solely to the Qian family.

If we treat the entire state of Wuyue as a business venture and divide it into shares,

Lord Gu Quanwu, Lord Luo Yin, and you, Lord,

should all naturally have your portion.

The rulers of Wuyue

are not just my grandfather and father.

Lord Gu Quanwu, Lord Luo Yin, and you, Lord,

you are all among.

What about the Shuiqiu family?

Are they?

Indeed.

The Shuiqiu family,

are also rulers of Wuyue.

I,

have been overbearing with power, arbitrarily executed ministers,

shook the foundations of the state, and brought the country

to the brink of unforeseen peril.

I deserve punishment. I beg you to punish me.

I,

pardon you.

Not for the Hu family,

nor for the Shuiqiu family,

but for Wuyue alone.

My King,

you are benevolent and forgiving.

I, on behalf of the entire Hu family,

thank you for your grace of leniency and your virtue of preservation.

Lord,

many who should not have died are already dead.

Our Wuyue is not the Central Plains.

We cannot have any more innocent people dying unjustly.

Your words, my King,

are the law of Wuyue.

I thank you for your profound grace.

I am willing to serve you unto death.

Even to give my life to you, I will not regret it.

Long live the King!

We are willing to serve you unto death.

Long live the King!

We are willing to die for the King.

Long live the King!

Why did you not kill him?

He is guilty.

Killing him would not be unjust.

But what after killing him?

He is not alone.

Those of his generation,

risking their lives in battle, secured the peace for this land.

They bought this with their lives.

Kill him, and what about his old comrades in the army? Kill them too?

Kill him, and what about the entire Hu family, noble and commoner? Kill all?

Kill him, and what about officials in court who allied with him? Kill them too?

Do they

all deserve to die?

You were not originally this kind of indecisive character.

Emperor Liu Bei at Dangyang refused to abandon the common people to secure himself.

To achieve great things,

one must base them on the people.

Qian Hongchu would surely kill him.

But the King of Wuyue

must treat him with respect.

Hu Jinsi:

my personal nemesis,

yet a pillar of the state.

♫ 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. ♫