1 00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:15,600 ♫ Raising the wine cup, I toast to the boundless sky ♫ 2 00:00:16,266 --> 00:00:21,100 ♫ In talks and laughters are vast mountains and rivers. ♫ 3 00:00:22,666 --> 00:00:27,233 ♫ Love and hate, debt and feuds, have all dissolved. ♫ 4 00:00:28,533 --> 00:00:33,100 ♫ Where's my soul's hometown and my kindred spirits? ♫ 5 00:00:35,566 --> 00:00:40,133 ♫ Seasons rolling by, we dream for harvest. ♫ 6 00:00:41,966 --> 00:00:46,533 ♫ Warriors and warhorses howl across the sky. ♫ 7 00:00:48,333 --> 00:00:52,900 ♫ If only I could turn into the wind, ♫ 8 00:00:53,866 --> 00:01:01,266 ♫ to blow away all the pain in mortal coil. ♫ 9 00:01:01,266 --> 00:01:05,266 ♫ I toast to the blue sky, to courage in solitude, ♫ 10 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,066 ♫ to migrating gooses, to boats heading home. ♫ 11 00:01:09,066 --> 00:01:14,766 ♫ With even three thousand days and nights, ♫ 12 00:01:16,233 --> 00:01:23,433 ♫ Will it be enough to drain this cup I toast to peace? ♫ 13 00:01:26,133 --> 00:01:29,933 [Swords into Plowshares] 14 00:01:31,033 --> 00:01:33,000 [Episode 34] 15 00:01:33,433 --> 00:01:34,166 Your Majesty. 16 00:01:34,266 --> 00:01:40,466 Now, the Yellow River's Golden Embankment in Chanzhou, is to be completed soon 17 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:43,833 The Marquis of Taiyuan, Guo Rong, 18 00:01:44,933 --> 00:01:48,900 has rendered great service to the state and brought benefits to the common people. 19 00:01:49,866 --> 00:01:51,700 He should be recalled to court 20 00:01:52,566 --> 00:01:55,700 to assume a major responsibility. 21 00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:00,633 Your Majesty, Chanzhou borders Yexia 22 00:02:01,233 --> 00:02:02,700 and is a key location in Hebei. 23 00:02:04,133 --> 00:02:07,366 It's garrison commander should not be changed lightly. 24 00:02:11,033 --> 00:02:11,533 Your Majesty, 25 00:02:13,433 --> 00:02:15,333 Minister Wang's words are gravely mistaken. 26 00:02:15,933 --> 00:02:19,733 In the military, rewards and punishments are paramount. Merit must be rewarded. 27 00:02:19,733 --> 00:02:22,033 Unclear rewards and punishments lead to disaster. 28 00:02:22,666 --> 00:02:25,266 According to Minister Wang's words, the generals of Yexia, 29 00:02:25,633 --> 00:02:30,166 even if they achieve the greatest merits, would spend their entire lives risking their lives in the army, 30 00:02:30,166 --> 00:02:31,066 unable to leave. 31 00:02:31,566 --> 00:02:34,066 If so, what would become of military morale? 32 00:02:34,700 --> 00:02:36,900 It's merely a stretch of embankment. 33 00:02:38,866 --> 00:02:39,900 Minister Fan Zhi, 34 00:02:40,466 --> 00:02:41,933 you exaggerate. 35 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:44,333 Your Majesty, 36 00:02:45,633 --> 00:02:50,566 The great river's Golden Embankment has not been repaired since the time of Later Tang's Zhuangzong. 37 00:02:51,533 --> 00:02:53,533 This has led to annual floods. 38 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:59,933 In the sixth year of Tianfu, the capital region was flooded. The water level reached four feet from the capital's walls. 39 00:02:59,933 --> 00:03:03,766 People were displaced, with countless casualties. 40 00:03:04,733 --> 00:03:05,360 [Li Gu, Commissioner of the Three Fiscal Agencies] Now, 41 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,333 [Li Gu, Commissioner of the Three Fiscal Agencies] the Marquis of Taiyuan has rebuilt the Golden Embankment. 42 00:03:08,333 --> 00:03:09,700 [Li Gu, Commissioner of the Three Fiscal Agencies] This year's summer flood 43 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:11,733 [Li Gu, Commissioner of the Three Fiscal Agencies] no longer posed a threat from the great river. 44 00:03:12,733 --> 00:03:17,600 For twenty years, the capital has not dared to open its gates during the summer flood season. 45 00:03:18,633 --> 00:03:19,766 Such merit 46 00:03:20,033 --> 00:03:22,666 cannot be compared even to conquering a state. 47 00:03:23,533 --> 00:03:26,633 You yourself have managed waterworks for over a decade, 48 00:03:27,266 --> 00:03:30,500 so you consider flood control the foremost achievement under heaven. 49 00:03:31,266 --> 00:03:33,433 If the Marquis of Taiyuan is rewarded today, 50 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:34,800 then tomorrow, 51 00:03:36,533 --> 00:03:38,666 how should the Emperor reward you? 52 00:03:39,166 --> 00:03:39,766 I am tired. 53 00:03:40,700 --> 00:03:41,233 Ministers, 54 00:03:42,100 --> 00:03:42,933 you may leave. 55 00:03:47,700 --> 00:03:50,033 We respectfully see Your Majesty off. 56 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:04,400 Regarding Feng Dao's proposal today, 57 00:04:05,666 --> 00:04:07,000 were you aware of this in advance? 58 00:04:08,833 --> 00:04:09,400 Yes. 59 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:13,666 Then why didn't you tell me earlier? 60 00:04:14,133 --> 00:04:17,166 Because of this, I faced such embarrassment in court. 61 00:04:18,066 --> 00:04:21,100 If I had told you, would you have refrained from opposing it? 62 00:04:21,100 --> 00:04:21,466 Well... 63 00:04:22,633 --> 00:04:25,033 This... this empire is yours. 64 00:04:26,433 --> 00:04:29,600 If you insist and issue an edict ordering Rong to return directly, 65 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:31,133 Could I... could I have stopped you? 66 00:04:33,166 --> 00:04:33,633 Yes. 67 00:04:35,133 --> 00:04:36,266 I do oppose that 68 00:04:37,233 --> 00:04:38,166 Rong become the heir. 69 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,333 But that doesn't mean I object to his return to the capital. 70 00:04:43,233 --> 00:04:46,133 The one who must be Emperor is you, not me. 71 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:47,600 Jun, 72 00:04:48,466 --> 00:04:50,566 now you remember I am the Emperor. 73 00:04:52,100 --> 00:04:53,400 Do you usually think of that? 74 00:04:55,133 --> 00:04:56,400 You wanted to be in charge, 75 00:04:57,166 --> 00:04:58,633 I let you be in charge. 76 00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:01,433 You wanted to appoint officials, 77 00:05:01,433 --> 00:05:02,466 I let you appoint them. 78 00:05:03,633 --> 00:05:07,633 You were already Chief of the Privy Council, and still wanted to be Chancellor. 79 00:05:07,633 --> 00:05:08,533 I let you become one. 80 00:05:09,666 --> 00:05:10,933 You keep saying 81 00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:13,833 this empire belongs to my family. 82 00:05:16,500 --> 00:05:17,633 Where is my family? 83 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:19,466 Do I have a family? 84 00:05:21,300 --> 00:05:23,630 A family with one hundred and sixty-eight people! 85 00:05:29,833 --> 00:05:32,333 Men and women, old and young, servants and maids, 86 00:05:32,466 --> 00:05:35,166 all together, one hundred and sixty-eight lives, 87 00:05:35,300 --> 00:05:36,733 died, and covered in blood. 88 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:40,533 You say this empire is my family's. 89 00:05:41,133 --> 00:05:42,566 Where is my family? 90 00:05:46,633 --> 00:05:48,300 What is so good about being Emperor? 91 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,366 Can it compare to having parents, a wife, and children? 92 00:05:55,166 --> 00:05:57,666 Emperors usually call themselves 'the Solitary One'. 93 00:05:57,666 --> 00:06:00,933 I, this Emperor, am the widowed, orphaned, solitary, and lonely one. 94 00:06:00,933 --> 00:06:02,366 Look through the history books, Jun. 95 00:06:04,366 --> 00:06:06,233 Has there ever been an Emperor as desolate as I? 96 00:06:07,866 --> 00:06:10,700 All of you, a few old comrades, 97 00:06:11,033 --> 00:06:12,766 one Lady Dong, and one Rong, 98 00:06:13,233 --> 00:06:14,466 you are all I have left. 99 00:06:19,066 --> 00:06:20,800 Since you mentioned Rong, 100 00:06:22,700 --> 00:06:24,666 then today, I won't address you as Your Majesty. 101 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:26,166 Wei, 102 00:06:28,266 --> 00:06:29,500 I urge you one more time. 103 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:41,566 You have not yet reached the age of the Lord of Taiyuan back then. 104 00:06:42,533 --> 00:06:44,666 Hurry and take more consorts. 105 00:06:45,533 --> 00:06:48,666 You must leave behind a biological son who can inherit the throne. 106 00:06:49,533 --> 00:06:51,333 It's true that, 107 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,133 Rong is a good boy. 108 00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:54,966 But in his veins, 109 00:06:55,266 --> 00:06:59,166 he carries the surname Chai, not Guo. 110 00:07:00,033 --> 00:07:01,700 Do not think it is the same. 111 00:07:02,466 --> 00:07:05,166 From the very root, it is a different matter. 112 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,933 The affair of Tang's Mingzong was not so long ago. 113 00:07:09,133 --> 00:07:10,833 The warning is clear before us. 114 00:07:12,033 --> 00:07:14,066 You must see this clearly. 115 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,833 Do not let a few sweet words from a junior cloud your judgment. 116 00:07:19,366 --> 00:07:23,300 This realm is your family's, it belongs to the Guo lineage. 117 00:07:23,500 --> 00:07:25,633 It cannot be ceded to those named Chai. 118 00:07:25,700 --> 00:07:27,000 Do you understand? 119 00:07:31,066 --> 00:07:32,766 The empire, the realm... 120 00:07:35,266 --> 00:07:36,766 What use are they to me? 121 00:07:38,733 --> 00:07:42,466 My wife is gone, my son is gone, my daughter is gone, my son-in-law is gone too. 122 00:07:42,466 --> 00:07:43,300 All gone. 123 00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:47,766 What use is a jade seal or an imperial robe to me? 124 00:07:51,300 --> 00:07:51,833 Wei. 125 00:07:52,333 --> 00:07:52,766 Wei. 126 00:08:06,533 --> 00:08:08,660 Being a soldier, living on rations... 127 00:08:10,333 --> 00:08:14,000 I was born to endure hardship and toil. 128 00:08:16,866 --> 00:08:19,566 But that should not have involved my family. 129 00:08:25,033 --> 00:08:25,700 Wei. 130 00:08:28,700 --> 00:08:29,900 You're drunk. 131 00:08:32,633 --> 00:08:34,133 Go and rest now. 132 00:08:38,266 --> 00:08:39,000 I will now 133 00:08:41,133 --> 00:08:42,233 take my leave. 134 00:09:02,233 --> 00:09:02,700 Lord. 135 00:09:11,733 --> 00:09:13,333 His Majesty is drunk. 136 00:09:15,300 --> 00:09:16,800 Take good care of him. 137 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,900 Do not let him catch a chill. 138 00:09:20,633 --> 00:09:21,066 Understood. 139 00:09:54,533 --> 00:09:55,066 Your Majesty. 140 00:09:57,066 --> 00:10:00,866 Kuangyin. 141 00:10:00,866 --> 00:10:03,200 Originally, you were to follow Rong to Chanzhou, 142 00:10:05,666 --> 00:10:07,766 but I kept you here to serve in the Imperial Guard. 143 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,066 I may have hindered your path. 144 00:10:12,466 --> 00:10:13,333 I dare not think so. 145 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:16,766 Wherever I serve, it is in your service. 146 00:10:18,666 --> 00:10:19,566 You and your father, 147 00:10:20,666 --> 00:10:21,966 are both in the Imperial Guard. 148 00:10:24,300 --> 00:10:25,833 Father and son fighting side by side... 149 00:10:27,633 --> 00:10:28,900 It is just like that. 150 00:10:30,866 --> 00:10:31,900 I kept you here, 151 00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:34,533 because I know 152 00:10:35,866 --> 00:10:37,933 you and Rong are just like brothers. 153 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:41,033 Brotherhood is good. 154 00:10:43,066 --> 00:10:45,233 As long as there is no strife, 155 00:10:45,233 --> 00:10:46,366 they can even hunt tigers, 156 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:48,600 and break metal. 157 00:11:02,133 --> 00:11:04,700 I wish to trouble you 158 00:11:06,700 --> 00:11:08,800 to take a message to Rong. 159 00:11:12,233 --> 00:11:13,166 Tell him, 160 00:11:15,266 --> 00:11:16,133 I would like 161 00:11:18,366 --> 00:11:19,600 he go back home for a meal. 162 00:11:31,633 --> 00:11:33,333 From the time he joined the army, 163 00:11:33,700 --> 00:11:37,133 Zhao Kuangyin had seen many princes in armor, bearing swords. 164 00:11:38,033 --> 00:11:43,066 But he had never seen a prince like Guo Rong, wearing dark work clothes, covered from head to toe in mud. 165 00:11:44,433 --> 00:11:47,066 This sole heir of the Later Zhou Emperor 166 00:11:47,333 --> 00:11:51,733 spent his days toiling and sweating on the worksite, repairing and dredging. 167 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:58,633 For years, the endless strife between military governors and the frequent change of regimes 168 00:11:58,633 --> 00:12:01,266 left governments with no will to maintain river works. 169 00:12:01,266 --> 00:12:04,100 Consequently, the people living along the Yellow River 170 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:08,500 suffered yearly from floods threatening cities, destroying homes and drowning fields. 171 00:12:09,833 --> 00:12:13,866 This river, which nurtured the heartland of the Central Plains dynasties, 172 00:12:14,233 --> 00:12:19,433 incessantly posed a question of conscience to every ruler of these dynasties. 173 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:21,266 Your Majesty, 174 00:12:22,133 --> 00:12:25,333 I am aged and plagued by illness. 175 00:12:26,433 --> 00:12:30,000 I beg to retire and return to the woods in my old age. 176 00:12:30,533 --> 00:12:33,566 I implore Your Majesty to grant this request. 177 00:12:36,066 --> 00:12:39,600 My lord, you are a statesman of four dynasties with great prestige, 178 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:40,700 the head of the court, 179 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:42,800 the pillar of the state. 180 00:12:47,133 --> 00:12:50,066 The world has been torn by disorder for so long. 181 00:12:50,066 --> 00:12:50,800 For even a moment, 182 00:12:52,733 --> 00:12:54,033 we cannot be without you, my lord. 183 00:12:56,466 --> 00:12:57,730 If you speak of retiring, 184 00:12:58,433 --> 00:12:59,366 I too wish to retire. 185 00:13:01,233 --> 00:13:02,333 But it is merely a wish. 186 00:13:03,666 --> 00:13:04,400 We 187 00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:08,166 must all work hard and bear our duties. 188 00:13:15,833 --> 00:13:16,300 My lord. 189 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:17,100 Your Majesty. 190 00:13:26,933 --> 00:13:27,400 Rong. 191 00:13:32,033 --> 00:13:32,766 I'm here. 192 00:13:33,533 --> 00:13:36,633 From this day forward, you are relieved of your duties on the riverbank. 193 00:13:37,433 --> 00:13:39,933 You will enter the Secretariat-Chancellery to learn state affairs. 194 00:13:39,933 --> 00:13:44,233 Lord Feng has long served at the imperial court, his prestige profound. 195 00:13:44,233 --> 00:13:47,266 You must treat him as your teacher. 196 00:13:48,766 --> 00:13:50,600 I obey the decree. 197 00:14:12,833 --> 00:14:13,300 Your Majesty, 198 00:14:16,133 --> 00:14:18,833 the Secretariat-Chancellery is the pivotal organ of the court. 199 00:14:19,533 --> 00:14:21,766 Appointing the right people is the foremost task. 200 00:14:21,766 --> 00:14:25,766 Fan Zhi and Li Gu don't have enough seniority and prestige, and neglect their royal duties. 201 00:14:26,633 --> 00:14:31,266 They fail to assist the Emperor in pacifying the realm, or steady the officials and govern the land. 202 00:14:32,133 --> 00:14:34,666 I request to send Fan Zhi out as Prefect of Xiangzhou 203 00:14:34,666 --> 00:14:36,866 and Li Gu out as Prefect of Xuzhou. 204 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,800 Replace them with Hanlin Academician Chen Guan and Acting Prefect of Kaifeng, Yan Kan, 205 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:43,933 to participate in government affairs 206 00:14:43,933 --> 00:14:46,066 I humbly request Your Majesty to grant your approval. 207 00:14:50,433 --> 00:14:51,133 Jun, 208 00:14:53,233 --> 00:14:54,833 today is the Cold Food Festival. 209 00:14:56,300 --> 00:14:58,800 All government offices are meant to observe a day of rest. 210 00:15:00,033 --> 00:15:01,533 Could anything be so urgent 211 00:15:02,466 --> 00:15:04,133 that it cannot wait until tomorrow? 212 00:15:06,533 --> 00:15:07,133 Your Majesty. 213 00:15:07,133 --> 00:15:07,933 Jun, 214 00:15:10,866 --> 00:15:13,266 The realm has only just settled down not long ago. 215 00:15:14,433 --> 00:15:15,900 Can we not stir up more trouble? 216 00:15:16,666 --> 00:15:17,766 You are the Emperor. 217 00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:21,900 You know an Emperor cannot act merely on personal whim. 218 00:15:24,366 --> 00:15:27,833 The great chaos has been the way of the world for decades. 219 00:15:28,366 --> 00:15:31,166 It is not that anyone who wishes for peace can simply have it. 220 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:38,533 Those who were unwilling to act decisively now have trees growing on their graves. 221 00:15:38,533 --> 00:15:39,600 In times like these, 222 00:15:40,133 --> 00:15:42,200 no one is fated to be an Emperor of peace. 223 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:48,533 You may leave. 224 00:15:56,033 --> 00:15:57,566 I take my leave. 225 00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:18,333 He still refuses to yield. 226 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:21,200 Lord, 227 00:16:22,933 --> 00:16:24,433 before I ascended the throne, 228 00:16:26,633 --> 00:16:28,333 my friends and I shared everything. 229 00:16:32,066 --> 00:16:33,333 Now that I am Emperor, 230 00:16:34,933 --> 00:16:36,666 my friends have all drifted apart. 231 00:16:37,666 --> 00:16:39,533 Lord, you have served four dynasties. 232 00:16:39,533 --> 00:16:40,566 Tell me, 233 00:16:41,533 --> 00:16:42,400 why is this? 234 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:44,933 Your Majesty, 235 00:16:48,633 --> 00:16:49,433 that's because, 236 00:16:51,133 --> 00:16:53,233 there is only one Emperor in the world. 237 00:16:55,433 --> 00:16:58,433 Thus, an Emperor has no private friends. 238 00:16:59,866 --> 00:17:01,733 When you were a subject, 239 00:17:02,766 --> 00:17:05,400 you could have friends and comrades. 240 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,166 Now, as Emperor, 241 00:17:08,733 --> 00:17:10,266 all under heaven, 242 00:17:11,100 --> 00:17:14,633 are your subjects, your children. 243 00:17:14,933 --> 00:17:17,633 They are all your friends and comrades. 244 00:17:19,033 --> 00:17:22,033 You cannot show favoritism. 245 00:17:22,566 --> 00:17:26,766 Your former friends will thus harbor resentment in their hearts. 246 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:30,233 If you wish to be a peaceful Emperor, 247 00:17:31,133 --> 00:17:36,366 the matter of Minister Wang is merely the first hurdle. 248 00:17:42,566 --> 00:17:43,300 By decree: 249 00:17:44,033 --> 00:17:44,566 We, 250 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,900 heeding Heaven's Mandate and ruling the four seas, 251 00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:51,433 deem that governance of the state must be based on virtue and ability, 252 00:17:51,433 --> 00:17:52,966 and guided by loyalty and integrity. 253 00:17:53,533 --> 00:17:58,866 Wang Jun, Chief of the Privy Council, Left Deputy Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Chancellor of Secretariat, 254 00:17:59,300 --> 00:18:02,766 had minor merits in the past, once entrusted with heavy responsibilities. 255 00:18:02,766 --> 00:18:05,500 However, his recent conduct has been erratic and perverse. 256 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,300 Abusing power and acting recklessly, he has failed his duty as a minister. 257 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:12,533 Yet, Wang Jun shows no remorse or reform, causing chaos in court affairs and unrest. 258 00:18:12,900 --> 00:18:15,066 Therefore, he is stripped of all his titles and posts. 259 00:18:15,066 --> 00:18:18,933 He is demoted to Military Officer of Shangzhou, and must leave the capital immediately. 260 00:18:18,933 --> 00:18:22,866 In this new post, he must discipline himself and be diligent, fulfilling his duties, 261 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,866 to repay imperial grace and bring peace to the people. 262 00:18:25,866 --> 00:18:29,000 Should he fail to correct his past wrongs and repeat his mistakes, 263 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,733 the law of the land is clear, and I dare not show favoritism. 264 00:18:32,333 --> 00:18:34,630 Let the responsible authorities carry this out. 265 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:40,666 It has finally come to this. 266 00:18:44,533 --> 00:18:45,633 Back in Taiyuan, 267 00:18:47,533 --> 00:18:50,833 Jun had the nickname "the Scholar". He was open-minded about everything, 268 00:18:51,766 --> 00:18:53,000 He also had a chivalrous spirit. 269 00:18:54,133 --> 00:18:55,366 On every day off, 270 00:18:56,733 --> 00:19:00,000 he would take a jar of wine from the storehouse, 271 00:19:01,833 --> 00:19:03,766 and invite all our comrades for a feast. 272 00:19:05,633 --> 00:19:08,000 [Lady Dong, Guo Wei's concubine] The ancients said, 273 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,900 "It's better to be a dog in peaceful times than a man in chaotic times." 274 00:19:12,766 --> 00:19:14,633 This wretched world, 275 00:19:16,300 --> 00:19:17,533 is constantly at war. 276 00:19:19,266 --> 00:19:24,000 If the people of the world cannot attain peace, how can civil and military officials hope to achieve it? 277 00:19:26,433 --> 00:19:28,566 My entire family died, leaving no one behind. 278 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:30,733 Even if one becomes the Emperor, 279 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:32,966 what meaning does it hold? 280 00:19:34,733 --> 00:19:36,066 That day, Jun said to me, 281 00:19:37,866 --> 00:19:38,600 "This world, 282 00:19:39,933 --> 00:19:41,600 is still far from peace." 283 00:19:42,866 --> 00:19:43,666 In these times, 284 00:19:44,866 --> 00:19:47,500 no one has the fate of a peaceful Emperor. 285 00:19:48,666 --> 00:19:50,166 A peaceful Emperor... 286 00:19:52,233 --> 00:19:54,733 Emperor Taizong of Tang was an Emperor. 287 00:19:54,733 --> 00:19:57,566 He brought peace at the age of thirty-five. 288 00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:00,900 I am now fifty years old. 289 00:20:02,033 --> 00:20:02,733 How pitiful! 290 00:20:04,533 --> 00:20:05,566 For fifty years, 291 00:20:06,566 --> 00:20:08,166 I have never seen 292 00:20:09,533 --> 00:20:12,533 what a peaceful year even looks like. 293 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:18,866 What's wrong? 294 00:20:20,933 --> 00:20:22,400 I'll go fetch more wine and dishes. 295 00:20:24,033 --> 00:20:25,730 You two, father and son, have a good talk. 296 00:20:34,133 --> 00:20:38,333 Some matters can no longer be as they were in the past. 297 00:20:40,033 --> 00:20:41,033 Which matters? 298 00:20:41,933 --> 00:20:44,566 Achieving a peaceful and prosperous age is no easy task. 299 00:20:44,566 --> 00:20:48,833 Rather than wallowing in self-pity here, it's better to tackle things one by one, and get them done. 300 00:20:49,566 --> 00:20:50,600 How to do it? 301 00:20:51,733 --> 00:20:52,266 First, 302 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:53,900 cease court disputes. 303 00:20:55,033 --> 00:20:56,666 Given the current dire situation, 304 00:20:57,766 --> 00:21:00,766 we, as compatriots, should not engage in internal strife. 305 00:21:01,233 --> 00:21:05,033 Whether civil or military officials, as long as they serve the court wholeheartedly, 306 00:21:05,033 --> 00:21:08,033 even the imperial family should prioritize the greater good, 307 00:21:08,033 --> 00:21:09,900 and endure what must be endured. 308 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:10,466 Continue. 309 00:21:11,733 --> 00:21:12,266 Second, 310 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:14,533 control Military Governors' elite soldiers. 311 00:21:14,533 --> 00:21:18,730 Most of the chaos stems from the arrogance of these elites, who overthrow their superiors, 312 00:21:18,730 --> 00:21:20,433 and even replace the ruling dynasty. 313 00:21:20,433 --> 00:21:25,200 Father, you are now master of the world. There should be no division between inner and outer. 314 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,466 The elites of the various military governors must be gradually integrated into the Imperial Guard. 315 00:21:29,466 --> 00:21:32,266 Incidents of Baima Station and Xingjiao Gate— I know these stories. 316 00:21:32,266 --> 00:21:32,933 Third: 317 00:21:33,533 --> 00:21:35,333 Advance civil governance. 318 00:21:35,333 --> 00:21:39,100 All great eras in history relied on cultural and educational work. 319 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:43,133 In court administration, we should use more civil officials who can accomplish things. 320 00:21:43,866 --> 00:21:44,800 The central court 321 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,333 should not be dominated by military men. 322 00:21:48,633 --> 00:21:49,300 Fourth: 323 00:21:49,766 --> 00:21:51,300 Curb the military governors. 324 00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:53,100 The world has been split apart too long. 325 00:21:53,100 --> 00:21:56,066 Prefectures and commanderies constantly war and annex one another. 326 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,833 The state's foundation is weakened, 327 00:21:59,433 --> 00:22:01,100 and the people endure displacement. 328 00:22:01,733 --> 00:22:03,566 A vast dream indeed. 329 00:22:05,333 --> 00:22:05,966 It is a dream, 330 00:22:06,866 --> 00:22:07,866 but we must dare to dream it. 331 00:22:09,066 --> 00:22:09,700 Fifth: 332 00:22:10,066 --> 00:22:11,833 Plan for unification. 333 00:22:11,833 --> 00:22:12,566 The world is vast. 334 00:22:13,333 --> 00:22:15,933 State taxes, agriculture, water conservancy, 335 00:22:16,233 --> 00:22:17,900 education, relief, commerce— 336 00:22:18,266 --> 00:22:19,966 these are all the court's duties. 337 00:22:20,666 --> 00:22:24,566 If the court cannot do them, or do them well, how can we speak of unification? 338 00:22:24,566 --> 00:22:28,133 The court's decrees are mere useless paper to those military governors. 339 00:22:29,266 --> 00:22:30,533 Consider the yearly floods. 340 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:35,566 Taming it is harder than reaching heaven, because upstream are the Guanzhong garrisons, 341 00:22:36,066 --> 00:22:38,900 midstream the breakaway Northern Han, and downstream... 342 00:22:39,466 --> 00:22:41,200 just last month, Murong Yanchao was there. 343 00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:45,700 Not to mention Southern Tang, Western Shu, Wuyue, and other such states. 344 00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:47,000 Each has its own separate rule. 345 00:22:47,666 --> 00:22:49,533 If the world cannot be unified, 346 00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:52,700 then what we call an Emperor, meaning Son of Heaven, 347 00:22:53,900 --> 00:22:56,000 is just a better-fed military governor. 348 00:22:56,266 --> 00:22:59,133 There are so many tasks. One generation cannot finish them all. 349 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:00,566 We must rely on effort. 350 00:23:01,766 --> 00:23:02,300 Father, 351 00:23:03,533 --> 00:23:06,600 if we cannot, like Emperor Taizong, bring peace at thirty-five, 352 00:23:07,466 --> 00:23:08,733 then we strive for forty-five. 353 00:23:08,733 --> 00:23:09,333 Fifty-five. 354 00:23:09,633 --> 00:23:10,333 Sixty-five. 355 00:23:11,233 --> 00:23:15,066 If one generation cannot finish, then two generations, three generations. 356 00:23:15,066 --> 00:23:19,233 As long as each generation continues, we will eventually give this world back a golden age of peace. 357 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,833 General of the Left Gate Guard, Prefect of Chanzhou, 358 00:23:31,533 --> 00:23:35,333 Military Governor of the Zhenning Army, Marquis of Taiyuan, Guo Rong, 359 00:23:35,733 --> 00:23:39,033 possesses great literary talent, and is courageous beyond compare. 360 00:23:39,033 --> 00:23:43,800 He repaired the great river, and governed the people, easing their livelihood. 361 00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:48,633 He is appointed Prefect of Kaifeng, Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, 362 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,900 concurrently Merit Commissioner, and granted authority over all military affairs. 363 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:54,233 He is enfeoffed as Prince of Jin. 364 00:23:55,033 --> 00:23:57,466 May he not disgrace this most impartial appointment. 365 00:23:58,066 --> 00:24:01,200 Let this be proclaimed far and wide, that all may hear it. 366 00:24:01,533 --> 00:24:03,666 Let the responsible authorities carry this out. 367 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:07,500 I kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's heavenly grace. 368 00:24:17,666 --> 00:24:18,366 Chancellery: 369 00:24:18,766 --> 00:24:25,200 Deputy Director of the Secretariat, Chancellor, and Commissioner of the Three Fiscal Agencies, Li Gu, 370 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,833 is appointed Inspector of the Six Residences in Jiangnan, in Wuyue prefectures. 371 00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:34,600 Remonstrance Officer and Kaifeng Prefecture Judicial Officer Wang Pu, 372 00:24:34,866 --> 00:24:38,466 Chief Commander of the Imperial Guards, Zhao Kuangyin, 373 00:24:38,466 --> 00:24:41,333 are appointed Deputy Inspector of the Six Residences. 374 00:24:41,333 --> 00:24:45,066 They shall pacify the southeast area, to manifest the court's sincere intent. 375 00:24:45,066 --> 00:24:47,100 You all have long been known for your loyalty. 376 00:24:47,633 --> 00:24:51,500 Let this be proclaimed, that all may hear it. Let the responsible authorities carry this out. 377 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:53,366 We obey the decree. 378 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,933 Li Gu's mission to Southern Tang and Wuyue this time, 379 00:25:00,833 --> 00:25:03,466 is to cease warfare, forge alliances, 380 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:05,266 and promote trade. 381 00:25:05,833 --> 00:25:08,333 [Eastern Palace Guard Officer] Years of war, compounded by natural disasters, 382 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,033 [Eastern Palace Guard Officer] have left local granaries more than half empty. 383 00:25:13,466 --> 00:25:17,233 His Majesty intends to recuperate and build strength, to cease fighting. 384 00:25:17,233 --> 00:25:23,533 Huainan, Jiangnan, and Wuyue have been the land of fish and rice since the time of the two Jin dynasties. 385 00:25:24,933 --> 00:25:31,166 If grain from the south can be shipped north, the court's situation in the coming two years will be much easier. 386 00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:36,333 The lords have been divided for nearly a century. The realm must ultimately be unified. 387 00:25:36,900 --> 00:25:38,633 This journey south is also 388 00:25:38,633 --> 00:25:43,100 [Wang Pu] to observe the customs and bearing of the southern people. 389 00:25:43,100 --> 00:25:45,900 The Li clan of Southern Tang and the Qian clan of Wuyue— 390 00:25:47,666 --> 00:25:50,666 if they can submit to the king's rule without resorting to arms, 391 00:25:51,500 --> 00:25:52,600 nothing could be better. 392 00:25:53,733 --> 00:25:55,700 [Western Palace Guard Officer] This matter 393 00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,233 [Western Palace Guard Officer] is likely not easy. 394 00:25:57,233 --> 00:25:58,500 I know it is not easy. 395 00:25:59,866 --> 00:26:02,433 That is why I have Mr. Wang and Kuangyin 396 00:26:03,100 --> 00:26:07,500 accompany Li Gu on this journey south, to observe the situation. 397 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:09,733 Observe not just the court, 398 00:26:10,766 --> 00:26:11,833 but also the common folk. 399 00:26:12,666 --> 00:26:16,000 A state's strength lies not only in its arms, 400 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:18,433 but more in its people's hearts. 401 00:26:19,900 --> 00:26:22,233 If the people in Jiangnan favor the Li clan, 402 00:26:22,233 --> 00:26:23,733 and in Wuyue favor the Qian clan, 403 00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:25,933 even if their armies are weak, 404 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:30,433 the court should treat them kindly and await change. 405 00:26:32,266 --> 00:26:32,766 Therefore, 406 00:26:34,033 --> 00:26:36,533 Mei and Bin shall also go. 407 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:42,133 Bring back to me the true state of affairs in Wuyue and Southern Tang. 408 00:26:44,533 --> 00:26:45,166 Understood. 409 00:27:00,300 --> 00:27:02,566 I told you to go and rest early. 410 00:27:03,333 --> 00:27:04,966 I don't need anyone attending to me here. 411 00:27:19,233 --> 00:27:20,100 Stay up less late. 412 00:27:21,333 --> 00:27:24,400 [Lady Fu, Guo Rong's wife] Work is never finished. 413 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:26,100 Build your body to be stronger, 414 00:27:27,100 --> 00:27:29,200 and strive to add a few more years to your life. 415 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:31,433 You make it sound so easy. 416 00:27:33,100 --> 00:27:34,200 The times are hard. 417 00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:37,733 Even the imperial family can fall into ruin without a good end. 418 00:27:37,733 --> 00:27:40,566 Father wants to build a century of peace and prosperity. 419 00:27:40,566 --> 00:27:45,300 From the court down to the prefectures and counties, there are countless matters waiting to be handled. 420 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,666 When Luojia was alive, she could always understand these difficulties. 421 00:27:56,566 --> 00:27:57,833 She never spoke such angry words to me. 422 00:27:58,833 --> 00:27:59,733 Your words, my King, 423 00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:01,900 I do not wish to hear. 424 00:28:03,933 --> 00:28:04,800 The times are hard. 425 00:28:05,766 --> 00:28:07,300 Is it only your family that is broken? 426 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,200 You lost your wife of first marriage, and I too lost my young husband. 427 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,566 We are both lost souls in this world. 428 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:18,500 Who does not know the other's heart? 429 00:28:26,033 --> 00:28:26,666 Guo Rong, 430 00:28:31,333 --> 00:28:33,133 If you think I am not as good as Lady Liu, 431 00:28:33,666 --> 00:28:34,900 then just say it plainly. 432 00:28:35,466 --> 00:28:40,933 I will return to my parents' home with pregnancy. At least there will be a peaceful meal. 433 00:28:40,933 --> 00:28:44,400 I only said one thing, and you reply with so many complaints. 434 00:28:46,733 --> 00:28:49,133 On our wedding day two years ago, I already told you: 435 00:28:49,133 --> 00:28:49,766 I, Guo Rong, 436 00:28:49,766 --> 00:28:50,966 am a man whose heart is dead. 437 00:28:51,666 --> 00:28:54,033 Unlike the young master of the Li family, 438 00:28:54,033 --> 00:28:54,933 in this life, 439 00:28:55,566 --> 00:28:57,933 it is unlikely I will ever live well again. 440 00:28:57,933 --> 00:28:59,566 If you seek wealth and peace, 441 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:01,533 I am truly not a good match. 442 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,466 But what did you say before? 443 00:29:11,266 --> 00:29:12,966 We are just two unfortunate people 444 00:29:13,533 --> 00:29:15,400 huddling together for warmth. 445 00:29:15,866 --> 00:29:17,500 I regret it now, is that not allowed? 446 00:29:18,633 --> 00:29:19,000 You... 447 00:29:19,700 --> 00:29:20,266 King, 448 00:29:20,766 --> 00:29:23,800 Zhao Kuangyin, Chief of the Imperial Guards, requests an audience. 449 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:43,960 Greetings, Great King. 450 00:29:48,100 --> 00:29:51,000 We are comrades. No need for such formality. 451 00:29:52,666 --> 00:29:55,666 To keep calling you by nickname would be rather inappropriate now. 452 00:29:56,866 --> 00:29:57,666 Enough of that. 453 00:29:59,133 --> 00:30:01,966 Coming here so late, if you don't have urgent business, 454 00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:03,866 then hurry back and get some sleep. 455 00:30:04,666 --> 00:30:06,100 We set off south tomorrow. 456 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:07,266 May I ask you, 457 00:30:07,933 --> 00:30:08,633 is the court 458 00:30:09,300 --> 00:30:10,633 planning a southern campaign? 459 00:30:27,866 --> 00:30:28,900 Who told you that? 460 00:30:33,566 --> 00:30:36,233 I wasn't intended to think about it, 461 00:30:36,233 --> 00:30:39,300 but today, the things you said at Kaifeng Prefecture, 462 00:30:39,933 --> 00:30:42,533 I've been turning them over, and it all feels somewhat strange. 463 00:30:44,533 --> 00:30:45,266 Strange? 464 00:30:46,700 --> 00:30:48,200 Southern Tang is one thing. 465 00:30:49,766 --> 00:30:50,700 But in Wuyue, 466 00:30:51,433 --> 00:30:52,966 it's Hongchu who's in charge now. 467 00:30:53,500 --> 00:30:57,233 If there were anything you worry, speaking openly wouldn't matter. 468 00:30:57,233 --> 00:31:01,366 Yet you deliberately mentioned none of it, sticking only to formal pleasantries. 469 00:31:11,833 --> 00:31:13,633 As expected, I couldn't hide it from you. 470 00:31:17,666 --> 00:31:19,860 So a southern campaign is truly coming? 471 00:31:22,733 --> 00:31:23,266 Look at this. 472 00:31:26,900 --> 00:31:28,233 This is Mr. Wang's writing. 473 00:31:28,833 --> 00:31:29,433 Read it. 474 00:31:33,933 --> 00:31:37,766 The disorder of the late Tang lay in the weakness of imperial authority. 475 00:31:37,766 --> 00:31:42,500 The scourge of the military governors stemmed from the excessive power of frontier commanders. 476 00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:47,033 Since the Zhenguan era onward, the primary criterion for appointment has been administrative skill. 477 00:31:47,033 --> 00:31:50,000 Moral was neglected, and serious governance became an empty name. 478 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,766 Control over the Secretariat was effective, but oversight of the regions was not. 479 00:31:55,733 --> 00:31:58,700 The sovereign's reliance on frontier commanders was not without cause. 480 00:31:58,700 --> 00:32:02,930 The court's practice of enfeoffing military governors would also cause bad consequences. 481 00:32:09,066 --> 00:32:12,266 I have been reading the Admonitions of Duke Wei Zheng. 482 00:32:13,766 --> 00:32:17,300 One who is illiterate cannot govern the officials. 483 00:32:18,633 --> 00:32:22,700 One who does not study history cannot understand the cycles of rise and fall. 484 00:32:25,133 --> 00:32:30,066 The issue of military governors and local rulers has always been an intractable knot. 485 00:32:30,066 --> 00:32:35,760 Ever since the First Emperor replaced the Duke of Zhou's feudal system with commanderies and counties, 486 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:36,833 this knot was there. 487 00:32:38,133 --> 00:32:39,366 In this vast China land, 488 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:41,466 a single dispatch 489 00:32:42,100 --> 00:32:46,533 from Guanzhong or Henan to Guangzhou or Quanzhou 490 00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:49,100 would take a fast horse two months. 491 00:32:51,233 --> 00:32:53,566 If sent to Qianzhong or the Baiyue lands, 492 00:32:54,066 --> 00:32:55,800 it might take over half a year. 493 00:32:57,066 --> 00:33:01,933 Thus, it is not a question of whether the court is willing to establish military governors, 494 00:33:02,933 --> 00:33:06,733 but rather that some places naturally have military governors. 495 00:33:10,766 --> 00:33:12,033 It is the force of circumstance. 496 00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:14,400 How can tactics 497 00:33:15,133 --> 00:33:16,266 halt it? 498 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:20,966 In the early Han, there were no such things as provinces. 499 00:33:22,333 --> 00:33:23,333 The Prefect, 500 00:33:24,666 --> 00:33:27,933 was merely an official for inspection and impeachment. 501 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:29,766 However, 502 00:33:30,566 --> 00:33:32,833 once this system lasted long enough, 503 00:33:32,833 --> 00:33:35,900 it eventually led to the establishment of thirteen provinces, 504 00:33:36,733 --> 00:33:38,033 akin to feudal states. 505 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:40,900 The court could not control them. 506 00:33:42,133 --> 00:33:44,966 The chaos of the Three Kingdoms truly originated from this. 507 00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:51,500 The Wei and Jin dynasties curtailed the power held by inspectors and governors, 508 00:33:52,733 --> 00:33:55,033 but still had to bestow 509 00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:58,700 white banners and yellow axes upon military commanders, [white banners and yellow axes: represent military authority] 510 00:33:58,766 --> 00:34:00,866 allowing them to govern the regions. [white banners and yellow axes: represent military authority] 511 00:34:01,666 --> 00:34:04,900 Over time, they amassed military power and acted autonomously. 512 00:34:05,033 --> 00:34:08,266 The chaos of the Sixteen Kingdoms also stemmed from this. 513 00:34:09,866 --> 00:34:10,600 In the early Tang, 514 00:34:11,566 --> 00:34:13,766 though prefectures and commanderies were established, 515 00:34:14,566 --> 00:34:17,066 they ultimately could not resist this trend 516 00:34:18,633 --> 00:34:22,000 and even gave rise to offices like the military governor. 517 00:34:23,133 --> 00:34:23,800 Your Majesty, 518 00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:26,033 if you wish to change this, 519 00:34:27,466 --> 00:34:29,500 you must first alter the underlying trend. 520 00:34:30,666 --> 00:34:31,400 Otherwise, 521 00:34:32,133 --> 00:34:35,166 laws and tactics are merely minor arts. 522 00:34:36,866 --> 00:34:37,966 Within a hundred years, 523 00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:39,900 there may be no trouble, 524 00:34:40,866 --> 00:34:41,966 but after five dynasties, 525 00:34:43,333 --> 00:34:45,066 it will surely become a calamity. 526 00:34:48,066 --> 00:34:49,300 What is to be done? 527 00:34:50,900 --> 00:34:53,933 If Your Majesty lacks long-term foresight, 528 00:34:53,933 --> 00:34:58,766 then reducing the vassals' power is merely drinking poison to quench thirst. 529 00:35:00,066 --> 00:35:01,466 You may manage it for the present, 530 00:35:02,566 --> 00:35:03,900 but not for future generations. 531 00:35:05,233 --> 00:35:07,900 If Emperor Taizong of Tang had employed enfeoffment, 532 00:35:10,033 --> 00:35:12,100 could he have avoided the chaos of later times? 533 00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:13,766 He could not. 534 00:35:14,666 --> 00:35:15,566 Why is that? 535 00:35:16,233 --> 00:35:18,233 The Duke of Zhou's enfeoffment 536 00:35:18,233 --> 00:35:21,900 was to transform wild frontier lands into core territories of the Central Plains. 537 00:35:22,933 --> 00:35:26,066 Emperor Gaozu of Han's enfeoffment was to turn impoverished wastelands 538 00:35:26,066 --> 00:35:28,133 into lands governed with non-interference. 539 00:35:28,133 --> 00:35:30,033 But Emperor Taizong of Tang's enfeoffment 540 00:35:30,233 --> 00:35:33,533 was to carve up the national territory to enfeoff princes and meritorious officials, 541 00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:38,900 merely bequeathing a source of calamity, with little achieved in governance and transformation. 542 00:35:40,066 --> 00:35:42,666 If Emperor Wen had possessed great wisdom, 543 00:35:43,533 --> 00:35:47,033 enfeoffing Prince Wei to the Baiyue and East Sea, 544 00:35:47,833 --> 00:35:51,133 enfeoffing Gaozong to the frontier of Yanji, 545 00:35:51,166 --> 00:35:51,633 then 546 00:35:52,733 --> 00:35:55,666 the Zhenguan era would have seen no Xuanwu Gate Rebellion, 547 00:35:55,666 --> 00:35:58,466 the glorious Tang would have had no An-Shi Rebellion. 548 00:35:58,633 --> 00:36:02,500 Only this kind of enfeoffment reveals its true purpose. 549 00:36:04,166 --> 00:36:05,200 Yet, 550 00:36:06,866 --> 00:36:08,366 with Prince Wei's favored status, 551 00:36:09,333 --> 00:36:12,100 sending him to the southeast with little actual power. 552 00:36:13,433 --> 00:36:14,300 Emperor Taizong 553 00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:16,400 could not bear it. 554 00:36:18,100 --> 00:36:19,433 But if we do not weaken the vassals, 555 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:22,933 how can the realm be unified? 556 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,266 How can the warfare cease? 557 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:28,633 How can the people, 558 00:36:30,466 --> 00:36:32,033 live in peace, health, and prosperity? 559 00:36:32,900 --> 00:36:33,533 Your Majesty, 560 00:36:34,133 --> 00:36:36,433 weakening the vassals is not the fundamental way. 561 00:36:38,700 --> 00:36:40,300 Nor does it mean they cannot be weakened. 562 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,266 The so-called reduction of vassals does not mean weakening every vassal we see. 563 00:36:48,533 --> 00:36:52,300 Whom to weaken and whom not, why to weaken, why not to weaken— 564 00:36:53,300 --> 00:36:54,466 this is a profound study. 565 00:36:55,300 --> 00:36:56,633 I ask for your guidance, Rong. 566 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,930 Reducing vassals is the state's foremost important matter. 567 00:37:04,166 --> 00:37:05,300 The Qian clan of Wuyue, 568 00:37:06,033 --> 00:37:09,666 since Qian Liu seized control of the southeast, for fifty years, 569 00:37:10,066 --> 00:37:12,700 has served the court well and diligently paid tribute. 570 00:37:12,700 --> 00:37:16,333 They can protect their borders and pacify their people. 571 00:37:16,333 --> 00:37:20,333 Even if the current ruler were not Hongchu, there would be no hurry to weaken them. 572 00:37:21,866 --> 00:37:23,633 But as for the Li clan of Southern Tang, 573 00:37:24,700 --> 00:37:29,500 the Li family has proclaimed itself emperor, like Yuan Shu at the end of the Eastern Han. 574 00:37:29,733 --> 00:37:31,866 Thus all should join in condemning them. 575 00:37:33,566 --> 00:37:38,633 But that also depends on whether the matter of transporting southern grain north can be accomplished. 576 00:37:38,633 --> 00:37:41,566 Therefore, reducing vassals depends not only on the situation, 577 00:37:42,066 --> 00:37:43,633 but also on communications. 578 00:37:43,633 --> 00:37:44,433 Communications? 579 00:37:45,100 --> 00:37:48,000 If the people and merchants can interact without hindrance, 580 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,900 trading goods and facilitating commerce, 581 00:37:50,733 --> 00:37:51,566 over time, 582 00:37:52,300 --> 00:37:54,833 even the incompatible will become one. 583 00:37:54,833 --> 00:37:55,666 Conversely, 584 00:37:56,700 --> 00:38:00,100 if the two sides are isolated, with no contact between officials and people, 585 00:38:00,500 --> 00:38:01,366 over time, 586 00:38:02,466 --> 00:38:04,133 separation becomes custom and precedent. 587 00:38:05,166 --> 00:38:08,900 That land and its people will truly no longer belong to the central authority. 588 00:38:10,900 --> 00:38:13,000 Therefore, on this southern journey, 589 00:38:13,633 --> 00:38:15,833 we first discuss communications with Hongchu. 590 00:38:17,433 --> 00:38:18,366 Hongchu, 591 00:38:19,866 --> 00:38:21,566 surely has his own difficulties as well. 592 00:38:30,866 --> 00:38:31,400 Reduce the army? 593 00:38:32,733 --> 00:38:33,433 Reduce the army. 594 00:38:33,933 --> 00:38:34,433 Whom to reduce? 595 00:38:44,866 --> 00:38:45,800 Reduce how many? 596 00:38:46,466 --> 00:38:47,700 And under what pretext? 597 00:38:54,933 --> 00:38:55,800 Reporting to you, Lord. 598 00:38:57,066 --> 00:38:58,400 Since the third year of Changxing, 599 00:38:59,066 --> 00:39:01,700 [Shen Yin] Wuyue has had thirteen Companies of troops. 600 00:39:01,700 --> 00:39:05,233 Among them, eight Companies were established when King Wusu raised his army. 601 00:39:05,233 --> 00:39:06,233 Five were added later. 602 00:39:06,633 --> 00:39:09,500 During King Wenmu's reign, the Imperial and Personal Guard were established, 603 00:39:09,500 --> 00:39:14,133 including Zhongzhi, Kuangwu, Cifei, Left and Right Halls, Yue Cavalry and so, twenty-four in total. 604 00:39:14,533 --> 00:39:16,833 King Zhongxian established three new companies. 605 00:39:17,733 --> 00:39:21,900 In addition, there are the Liaoqian Company guarding the seawall and the Taihu Lake dike, 606 00:39:22,933 --> 00:39:28,466 the Zhedong and Zhexi, two major Land Offices responsible for cultivation, construction, and military settlements, 607 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,166 the Ruijin Company responsible for repairing armor and weapons, 608 00:39:32,566 --> 00:39:35,033 the Louchuan Company responsible for repairing warships, 609 00:39:35,466 --> 00:39:37,533 The Chejia Company responsible for repairing vehicles. 610 00:39:37,900 --> 00:39:41,333 And also, the three Zizhong Companies responsible for transporting supplies. 611 00:39:41,933 --> 00:39:44,100 In total, it's forty-eight companies. 612 00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:47,733 Troop, two hundred and forty thousand, three thousand, five hundred and eighty-one men. 613 00:39:48,466 --> 00:39:51,366 This military reduction will include the old eight companies, 614 00:39:51,366 --> 00:39:53,066 and the five established at the founding. 615 00:39:53,333 --> 00:39:54,266 All will be disbanded. 616 00:39:54,900 --> 00:40:01,633 The two major Land Offices, their affiliated officers will be transferred to the Ministry of Revenue as subordinates. 617 00:40:02,133 --> 00:40:04,000 The soldiers will all be disbanded. 618 00:40:04,733 --> 00:40:08,800 The Ruijin, the Louchuan, and the three Zizhong Companies will merge into the Ministry of War. 619 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,533 The Chejia into the Ministry of Works. 620 00:40:11,066 --> 00:40:14,033 In total, twenty-one Companies will be disbanded, reducing troop strength by 621 00:40:14,233 --> 00:40:16,566 eighty-seven thousand, three hundred and twenty-one men. 622 00:40:17,033 --> 00:40:18,966 Do you also intend to destroy Wuyue? 623 00:40:26,733 --> 00:40:28,466 Does the King know what soldiers are? 624 00:40:29,700 --> 00:40:30,933 Without the old eight companies, 625 00:40:32,166 --> 00:40:33,466 there would be no Wuyue. 626 00:40:34,633 --> 00:40:36,700 Without these soldiers, 627 00:40:37,633 --> 00:40:42,800 the old king would have been nothing but a fish and salt peddler struggling for life on the mudflats. 628 00:40:43,266 --> 00:40:45,800 And I would have been nothing but a filthy butcher 629 00:40:45,933 --> 00:40:48,100 in Chang'an, slaughtering pigs and sheep. 630 00:40:48,900 --> 00:40:49,900 In this chaotic age, 631 00:40:50,533 --> 00:40:51,833 human life is as cheap as grass. 632 00:40:52,466 --> 00:40:54,800 Soldiers are the foundation of the realm. 633 00:40:55,466 --> 00:40:55,933 Soldiers, 634 00:40:56,533 --> 00:41:00,000 are the ballast stone for our Wuyue's peaceful time. 635 00:41:01,033 --> 00:41:02,100 Without soldiers, 636 00:41:03,100 --> 00:41:04,300 or with weak soldiers, 637 00:41:05,333 --> 00:41:06,400 let alone the realm, 638 00:41:08,833 --> 00:41:09,733 the future, 639 00:41:10,633 --> 00:41:11,466 even now, 640 00:41:13,666 --> 00:41:16,800 the Li family of Southern Tang to the north will pounce fiercely upon us. 641 00:41:19,233 --> 00:41:21,766 With sharp teeth and claws, bite by bite, 642 00:41:22,266 --> 00:41:25,333 they will devour this paradise southeastern land until nothing remains. 643 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:27,633 There will be no more state of Wuyue. 644 00:41:34,833 --> 00:41:38,633 Not only your family, but the entire Qian clan 645 00:41:39,466 --> 00:41:41,500 will be left with nowhere to bury their dead. 646 00:41:42,900 --> 00:41:43,400 Is that 647 00:41:44,233 --> 00:41:45,300 truly so? 648 00:41:46,566 --> 00:41:48,200 Does the King doubt my words? 649 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:52,400 I am asking: 650 00:41:53,133 --> 00:41:57,366 Can today's old eight companies still serve as Wuyue's protective barrier? 651 00:42:01,333 --> 00:42:01,800 Yin, 652 00:42:05,533 --> 00:42:09,333 according to the inner guard roster, what is the listed strength of the old eight companies? 653 00:42:10,433 --> 00:42:13,833 Thirty-one thousand, eight hundred and eighty-two. 654 00:42:15,466 --> 00:42:16,533 How many are actually present? 655 00:42:17,666 --> 00:42:22,500 According to inspections by the Inner Guard Surveillance Office, the actual number is 656 00:42:22,833 --> 00:42:24,600 eleven thousand and fifty-four men. 657 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:27,666 Vacancies, 658 00:42:28,233 --> 00:42:28,900 ghost soldiers, 659 00:42:29,633 --> 00:42:30,233 false accounts. 660 00:42:31,500 --> 00:42:32,833 The three great military evils, 661 00:42:33,033 --> 00:42:33,700 are you 662 00:42:34,233 --> 00:42:35,333 all unaware? 663 00:42:44,700 --> 00:42:45,966 Lord, 664 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:48,000 can such an army, 665 00:42:49,300 --> 00:42:51,600 still serve as our Wuyue's protective barrier? 666 00:43:24,433 --> 00:43:27,400 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles stretch towering mountains. ♫ 667 00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:30,866 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles run surging rivers. ♫ 668 00:43:31,433 --> 00:43:34,400 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles cry warhorses. ♫ 669 00:43:34,900 --> 00:43:39,000 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles there are emotions unspoken. ♫ 670 00:43:39,933 --> 00:43:42,900 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, flowers are blooming along the road. ♫ 671 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,366 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, gooses are returning to the north. ♫ 672 00:43:46,933 --> 00:43:49,900 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, we stand through storms. ♫ 673 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,500 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, we hope for a safe return. ♫ 674 00:43:58,700 --> 00:44:01,366 ♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫ 675 00:44:01,966 --> 00:44:04,866 ♫ for a lifetime's sorrows and joys. ♫ 676 00:44:05,500 --> 00:44:08,166 ♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫ 677 00:44:08,766 --> 00:44:11,666 ♫ for the endless seas and rivers. ♫ 678 00:44:12,466 --> 00:44:15,133 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 679 00:44:15,733 --> 00:44:18,633 ♫ love will overcome all barriers. ♫ 680 00:44:19,333 --> 00:44:20,633 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 681 00:44:21,300 --> 00:44:25,033 ♫ we are together in life and death. ♫ 682 00:44:25,966 --> 00:44:29,000 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫ 683 00:44:32,700 --> 00:44:35,733 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫ 684 00:44:39,633 --> 00:44:40,966 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 685 00:44:41,333 --> 00:44:42,766 ♫ the moon shines in the boundless world. ♫ 686 00:44:43,100 --> 00:44:46,333 ♫ My heart has its hometown to return. ♫ 687 00:44:46,533 --> 00:44:47,866 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 688 00:44:48,233 --> 00:44:49,666 ♫ who is the one crossing the waves with me, ♫ 689 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:53,233 ♫ with our hearts unrepentant, through countless lifetimes. ♫ 690 00:44:53,433 --> 00:44:54,866 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 691 00:44:55,133 --> 00:44:56,666 ♫ oceans and lands witness that♫ 692 00:44:56,900 --> 00:44:59,666 ♫ the world will be safe and sound. ♫ 693 00:45:00,066 --> 00:45:03,100 ♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫ 694 00:45:11,266 --> 00:45:15,433 ♫ my heart is unchanging. ♫