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 40]

15
00:01:42,733 --> 00:01:43,900
You are?

16
00:01:45,566 --> 00:01:49,266
Another candidate who has failed in the
regular examinations. Please take a seat, sir.

17
00:02:00,866 --> 00:02:01,700
Have some wine.

18
00:02:02,533 --> 00:02:04,233
You are no scholar candidate.

19
00:02:04,566 --> 00:02:05,466
You are a military man.

20
00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:08,433
How can you tell?

21
00:02:10,700 --> 00:02:13,733
Your company's hands are calloused at the base of the thumb,

22
00:02:14,500 --> 00:02:16,666
clearly they have practiced martial arts for years.

23
00:02:19,566 --> 00:02:20,500
And look at you,

24
00:02:21,133 --> 00:02:22,833
sitting in this street-side eatery,

25
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,400
yet you show not a trace of timidity.

26
00:02:26,666 --> 00:02:30,133
Instead, you have the composure of one
sitting in a central command tent.

27
00:02:30,900 --> 00:02:35,366
Look at the waiter.
He's too timid to come near,

28
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,400
because your aura of battle is too strong,

29
00:02:38,900 --> 00:02:41,700
the stench of blood too thick.

30
00:02:43,733 --> 00:02:45,933
Even if you've never held a commander's banner,

31
00:02:45,933 --> 00:02:49,100
you must be a military commander
who has fought for many years,

32
00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:50,133
am I right?

33
00:02:53,533 --> 00:02:55,266
Sir, though you failed the examinations,

34
00:02:55,666 --> 00:02:58,766
you seem quite familiar with military matters.

35
00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:02,333
Having repeatedly failed, twenty years ago,

36
00:03:02,333 --> 00:03:04,400
I served as a secretary in a military governor's office.

37
00:03:06,700 --> 00:03:07,833
Since you held such a post,

38
00:03:07,833 --> 00:03:11,000
why not ask the governor to
recommend you for an official position?

39
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,566
He became a traitor who preyed on the people,
fled south to escape trouble, and I did not follow.

40
00:03:17,166 --> 00:03:19,366
Which military governor was that?

41
00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:21,733
Huangfu Hui.

42
00:03:21,733 --> 00:03:24,930
[Huangfu Hui: a famous general,
captured by Zhao Kuangyin in Chuzhou Battle]

43
00:03:28,033 --> 00:03:29,733
That governor... he was

44
00:03:31,133 --> 00:03:34,700
a fierce general who could challenge
the present Emperor on the battlefield.

45
00:03:35,166 --> 00:03:36,166
Isn't he also

46
00:03:36,166 --> 00:03:38,100
an Emperor who rose from the army?

47
00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:44,366
Can't one from a soldier's background become the Emperor?

48
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:46,266
He can.

49
00:03:47,166 --> 00:03:48,166
Most certainly.

50
00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:50,100
Zhu Wen was a soldier.

51
00:03:50,666 --> 00:03:52,100
Li Cunxu was a soldier.

52
00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,300
Shi Jingtang, Liu Zhiyuan, Guo Wei,

53
00:03:54,433 --> 00:03:55,866
were they not all soldiers?

54
00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,433
The late dynasty's Emperor Shizong was not a soldier.

55
00:03:59,866 --> 00:04:00,700
A pity,

56
00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,066
heaven did not grant him years.

57
00:04:03,066 --> 00:04:03,566
In the end,

58
00:04:04,100 --> 00:04:06,000
we got another soldier on the throne.

59
00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,900
I have lived to this age, and in this world,

60
00:04:11,033 --> 00:04:13,700
what I have seen most are soldier-emperors.

61
00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:15,033
If that is so, sir,

62
00:04:15,433 --> 00:04:18,300
why have you come to the capital for the examinations?

63
00:04:18,633 --> 00:04:23,133
I seek office through the examinations to govern
a prefecture or county, directly over the people.

64
00:04:23,133 --> 00:04:25,600
I have no desire to be the Emperor's private servant.

65
00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,500
All under heaven belongs to the sovereign;

66
00:04:27,666 --> 00:04:30,000
all within the realm are his subjects.

67
00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:33,633
Since you seek office through the regular examinations,

68
00:04:34,033 --> 00:04:36,400
whether in the academies or in prefectures and counties,

69
00:04:37,033 --> 00:04:38,933
you would still be a subject of the present Emperor.

70
00:04:39,666 --> 00:04:40,666
What is the difference?

71
00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:42,566
Let me ask you,

72
00:04:44,166 --> 00:04:46,966
whose subject was Lord Feng?

73
00:04:52,033 --> 00:04:54,533
The realm is in turmoil, great bandits rise everywhere.

74
00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,366
He who has strong soldiers and
sturdy horses becomes Emperor.

75
00:04:57,933 --> 00:04:59,533
The way of the sages is lost.

76
00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:02,600
To serve one man is to be his hound.

77
00:05:03,633 --> 00:05:05,433
One should emulate Lord Feng Dao,

78
00:05:09,866 --> 00:05:12,600
and serve the common people of the realm as the sovereign.

79
00:05:16,833 --> 00:05:18,100
Am I wrong?

80
00:05:20,433 --> 00:05:21,500
Come with me.

81
00:05:54,633 --> 00:05:56,700
The Emperor has arrived!

82
00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:03,000
We respectfully welcome Your Majesty.

83
00:06:12,033 --> 00:06:12,533
Lord Xue.

84
00:06:12,833 --> 00:06:13,366
I am here.

85
00:06:15,466 --> 00:06:19,066
For this year's regular examination,
those candidates not selected,

86
00:06:19,066 --> 00:06:23,633
and those who have taken the regular exam
fifteen times or more in past years without passing,

87
00:06:23,633 --> 00:06:25,600
compile their names into a separate roster.

88
00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,166
All are to be granted the jinshi title from this year's exam.

89
00:06:29,533 --> 00:06:32,300
Your Majesty, there is no precedent, no established custom.

90
00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,600
What happens today will be
the precedent for future generations.

91
00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:41,866
I am an Emperor unlearned in letters,

92
00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,033
ignorant of old customs.

93
00:06:46,033 --> 00:06:46,700
Therefore,

94
00:06:47,066 --> 00:06:49,866
I shall set this precedent for the realm.

95
00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:53,266
Your Majesty, selecting scholars through the regular exam,

96
00:06:53,266 --> 00:06:55,433
with the Ministry of Rites submitting the roster,

97
00:06:55,433 --> 00:06:57,500
is known to the world as the proper path.

98
00:06:57,500 --> 00:06:59,066
Now that Your Majesty bestows this grace,

99
00:06:59,066 --> 00:07:03,833
it should be distinguished and names rectified
to demonstrate fairness to the world.

100
00:07:04,666 --> 00:07:07,900
Selection through the regular exam
is called the Regular List.

101
00:07:09,133 --> 00:07:12,066
What happens today shall be called the Special List.

102
00:07:12,900 --> 00:07:15,000
The regular exam candidate Sima Pu,

103
00:07:15,833 --> 00:07:17,833
who for forty years never passed once,

104
00:07:18,300 --> 00:07:20,433
is now selected through the Special List,

105
00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:26,133
granted jinshi status, and specially appointed by decree
as Secretariat of Privy Council.

106
00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:31,433
We obey the decree.

107
00:07:34,700 --> 00:07:35,466
Sir,

108
00:07:35,933 --> 00:07:38,666
you have a heart that benevolently cares for the realm.

109
00:07:38,666 --> 00:07:39,233
I

110
00:07:39,866 --> 00:07:43,600
also have the will to benevolently rule the realm.

111
00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,500
Though I am a soldier-Emperor,

112
00:07:46,666 --> 00:07:50,000
I am not Zhang Yanze or Huangfu Hui.

113
00:08:13,700 --> 00:08:15,333
I, Sima Pu,

114
00:08:16,300 --> 00:08:18,166
humbly and thankfully receive the decree..

115
00:08:29,266 --> 00:08:31,433
[Jiangning Prefecture]

116
00:08:31,433 --> 00:08:34,466
Your Majesty is blessed by heaven!

117
00:08:36,733 --> 00:08:39,166
The Song army is bogged down in Shu region,

118
00:08:39,466 --> 00:08:40,600
its strength sapped.

119
00:08:41,266 --> 00:08:45,000
They cannot seize Shu's wealth, population, or farmland,

120
00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,366
nor can they recoup the provisions
expended on the Shu campaign.

121
00:08:48,433 --> 00:08:49,900
Supplies and military stores—

122
00:08:51,066 --> 00:08:55,433
even if the rebellion is pacified and the army returns,

123
00:08:56,066 --> 00:09:00,466
the rewards for conquering a kingdom
will be enough to empty the treasury.

124
00:09:00,833 --> 00:09:05,733
Add to that the need to exempt taxes
to pacify the people of Shu,

125
00:09:06,266 --> 00:09:07,700
this outflow and loss of revenue—

126
00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:09,233
I suppose that,

127
00:09:09,900 --> 00:09:15,066
that within ten years, the Song will find it
hard to raise another large army to march south.

128
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,300
Your Majesty is safe,

129
00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:21,166
the state is safe,

130
00:09:21,766 --> 00:09:24,000
and the Great Tang is safe.

131
00:09:24,366 --> 00:09:27,200
Your Majesty is blessed by heaven!

132
00:09:31,233 --> 00:09:32,433
Will the Song Emperor

133
00:09:34,333 --> 00:09:35,633
think this way?

134
00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:37,133
Your Majesty,

135
00:09:37,900 --> 00:09:39,900
you could test him by reducing the tribute.

136
00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:41,033
Reduce tribute?

137
00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:41,700
Yes.

138
00:09:43,133 --> 00:09:47,833
Since summer began, seven prefectures and over
twenty counties in Jiangnan have suffered floods.

139
00:09:48,533 --> 00:09:52,233
We must aid the victims and also exempt grain taxes.

140
00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:56,633
This year's tribute payment will be
less than half of previous years'.

141
00:09:57,466 --> 00:10:02,333
With his heaven-like virtue,
the Song Emperor will surely not mind.

142
00:10:06,466 --> 00:10:07,633
That is risky.

143
00:10:08,933 --> 00:10:10,066
Risky?

144
00:10:12,033 --> 00:10:13,166
Then, Your Majesty...

145
00:10:13,633 --> 00:10:16,500
Test him instead by giving up

146
00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:18,800
the privilege of not being referred to by name.

147
00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:28,166
I have heard of the floods in Jiangnan.

148
00:10:29,866 --> 00:10:33,900
How many prefectures and counties were affected?

149
00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:34,766
Your Majesty,

150
00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:39,433
a total of seven prefectures and twenty-eight counties.

151
00:10:41,266 --> 00:10:42,566
How many people perished?

152
00:10:43,466 --> 00:10:47,700
Those who drowned number twenty-three thousand
five hundred and twenty-one.

153
00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:50,400
More than eight thousand
nine hundred houses were destroyed,

154
00:10:51,633 --> 00:10:54,866
and farmland silted over amounts
to nearly ten thousand qing.

155
00:10:56,533 --> 00:10:58,766
It has been a difficult year.

156
00:11:00,366 --> 00:11:01,066
Yes.

157
00:11:03,300 --> 00:11:06,433
This year's two hundred thousand
taels of silver and bolts of silk,

158
00:11:06,433 --> 00:11:07,266
I will not take.

159
00:11:07,833 --> 00:11:08,433
Xu Xuan,

160
00:11:09,100 --> 00:11:10,866
take all those back,

161
00:11:11,533 --> 00:11:12,800
and tell your master:

162
00:11:14,333 --> 00:11:16,466
The world has been in chaos for nearly a century;

163
00:11:16,466 --> 00:11:19,100
every household is having a hard time.

164
00:11:20,133 --> 00:11:21,733
Since he is in charge of Jiangnan,

165
00:11:22,633 --> 00:11:24,900
he should naturally cherish the common people.

166
00:11:25,866 --> 00:11:28,433
Taxes that should be exempted must be exempted;

167
00:11:28,433 --> 00:11:31,633
prefectures and counties that need relief must be relieved.

168
00:11:31,633 --> 00:11:32,166
I

169
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:33,766
will not hinder him.

170
00:11:35,733 --> 00:11:38,233
Only when poor and humble households live well

171
00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:42,333
can the court and the government prosper in turn.

172
00:11:43,633 --> 00:11:46,233
Your Majesty, your benevolence is vast as the heavens.

173
00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:47,766
Not at all.

174
00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,800
We have all survived these chaotic times;
we should understand one another.

175
00:11:54,366 --> 00:11:56,766
I am an Emperor who rose from the army;

176
00:11:57,333 --> 00:11:58,600
I never speak falsehoods.

177
00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:02,233
You and your master need not speculate and test.

178
00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,133
The protocol of not using the name,

179
00:12:06,133 --> 00:12:08,300
is a favor I granted to your master.

180
00:12:09,100 --> 00:12:10,133
Since it is a favor,

181
00:12:10,766 --> 00:12:13,766
if I do not permit you to decline it, you may not decline it.

182
00:12:14,866 --> 00:12:15,933
Do you understand?

183
00:12:19,733 --> 00:12:20,333
I...

184
00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:22,333
I understand.

185
00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:25,100
You and your master must govern well.

186
00:12:26,933 --> 00:12:32,066
As long as the prefectures and counties of Jiangnan
are prosperous and the people at peace,

187
00:12:33,433 --> 00:12:37,533
even if the Li clan usurps a noble title and stands as my equal,

188
00:12:38,266 --> 00:12:39,600
I may not necessarily be angered.

189
00:12:41,266 --> 00:12:42,966
But if you mishandle the disaster relief,

190
00:12:44,833 --> 00:12:46,533
causing the people of Jiangnan to suffer,

191
00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:49,966
even if I must abandon my own peace,

192
00:12:50,700 --> 00:12:53,700
I will still punish the guilty to succor the people.

193
00:12:56,300 --> 00:12:57,400
Do you understand?

194
00:13:00,366 --> 00:13:00,866
Yes.

195
00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:08,766
The Emperor shows great confidence.

196
00:13:09,866 --> 00:13:14,366
He regards the entire Southern Tang
as already within his grasp.

197
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,266
This is a warning,

198
00:13:16,766 --> 00:13:17,966
and more so a caution.

199
00:13:18,533 --> 00:13:21,000
He is telling the Southern Tang ruler and his ministers

200
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,433
not to think the Song army in Shu is bogged down
and unable to campaign south.

201
00:13:25,733 --> 00:13:26,666
Emperor Zhao,

202
00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:28,766
is the sovereign of the entire realm.

203
00:13:29,900 --> 00:13:32,633
And this realm includes not only
the Central Plains and Wuyue,

204
00:13:33,133 --> 00:13:35,333
but also the Li family of Southern Tang.

205
00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:42,366
Lords, you are overthinking this.

206
00:13:42,366 --> 00:13:45,633
Whether he is the present Emperor of the Great Song,

207
00:13:45,633 --> 00:13:47,533
or Emperor Zhao in Bianjing,

208
00:13:48,666 --> 00:13:51,300
he should still be the same man,

209
00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:58,566
the young and spirited Zhao Kuangyin
who roamed Bianliang, should he not?

210
00:13:59,533 --> 00:14:01,600
Please, Great King, enlighten us.

211
00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:04,133
The Zhao Kuangyin I know

212
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,666
does not speak in roundabout ways,

213
00:14:08,100 --> 00:14:11,366
nor does he use words to create mystery.

214
00:14:12,433 --> 00:14:13,533
What he says,

215
00:14:14,700 --> 00:14:16,133
is what he thinks,

216
00:14:16,666 --> 00:14:17,733
and what he will do.

217
00:14:18,900 --> 00:14:20,766
Our state has also suffered floods.

218
00:14:21,533 --> 00:14:23,866
There are also commoners displaced from their homes.

219
00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:25,833
Whether it is relief,

220
00:14:26,466 --> 00:14:27,466
or tax exemption,

221
00:14:28,133 --> 00:14:28,866
are they not

222
00:14:29,666 --> 00:14:31,266
what should be done?

223
00:14:32,333 --> 00:14:33,033
If it is not done,

224
00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:35,266
or done poorly,

225
00:14:36,066 --> 00:14:37,300
and the people cannot survive,

226
00:14:38,333 --> 00:14:41,266
then even if the Emperor does not ask, the court does not ask,

227
00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:44,800
would rebellion not arise within the state?

228
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,833
Whether a prefect or a county magistrate,

229
00:14:49,866 --> 00:14:54,266
if they sit idle and watch the people
under their rule suffer hunger and devastation,

230
00:14:55,900 --> 00:14:58,366
should they not be held accountable?

231
00:14:59,433 --> 00:15:02,533
Such a simple and clear principle,

232
00:15:02,933 --> 00:15:07,233
when applied to state affairs,
you all understand perfectly well.

233
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:10,666
Why is it that now,

234
00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,200
when spoken from the Emperor's mouth,

235
00:15:14,533 --> 00:15:15,233
you, my lords,

236
00:15:16,033 --> 00:15:17,966
instead fail to understand?

237
00:15:19,366 --> 00:15:20,233
My lords,

238
00:15:21,066 --> 00:15:21,833
you must remember:

239
00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:26,700
This realm has its people with hundreds of surnames.

240
00:15:28,266 --> 00:15:32,700
Zhao, Qian, Li, Liu—

241
00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:35,966
are but four surnames among them.

242
00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:39,766
I have thought long on this.

243
00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:42,633
This year's taxes and grain

244
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,666
still cannot be fully exempted.

245
00:15:46,733 --> 00:15:48,133
What do mean, Your Majesty?

246
00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:50,100
Now,

247
00:15:51,466 --> 00:15:54,633
the Song court's desire to destroy us remains undiminished.

248
00:15:54,633 --> 00:15:55,933
With the world as it is,

249
00:15:57,433 --> 00:16:00,133
it is far from time to lay down arms and rest.

250
00:16:01,033 --> 00:16:03,933
The Yangtze may be a natural moat,

251
00:16:04,366 --> 00:16:06,700
but without a strong force to patrol it,

252
00:16:08,466 --> 00:16:11,233
it cannot guarantee peace for a lifetime.

253
00:16:11,933 --> 00:16:14,766
Your Majesty's concern is indeed worth considering.

254
00:16:15,533 --> 00:16:16,633
But this year...

255
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:18,733
We must train a navy.

256
00:16:19,066 --> 00:16:20,800
A navy... A navy...

257
00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,300
Northerners excel with horses,

258
00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:25,500
southerners excel with boats.

259
00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:26,633
In land warfare,

260
00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:31,300
our army and cavalry would find it hard to fight
against the north's crack troops.

261
00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,866
Only a navy can make the Yangtze a true moat.

262
00:16:36,633 --> 00:16:37,633
Only a navy,

263
00:16:38,466 --> 00:16:39,800
can secure the Great Tang's

264
00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:41,933
lasting peace.

265
00:16:44,133 --> 00:16:44,733
Your Majesty,

266
00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:49,300
the navy proposal is indeed a fine strategy for the state.

267
00:16:50,066 --> 00:16:50,900
However,

268
00:16:51,766 --> 00:16:52,833
disaster relief

269
00:16:53,733 --> 00:16:57,433
and resting the people's strength
are the urgent tasks at hand.

270
00:16:58,200 --> 00:16:58,766
Your Majesty,

271
00:16:59,266 --> 00:17:00,333
perhaps next year...

272
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,200
My mind is made up.

273
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:04,666
Establish

274
00:17:06,533 --> 00:17:09,766
the office of Navy Commander, based in Hongzhou.

275
00:17:11,100 --> 00:17:12,600
Use Poyang Lake as the naval base.

276
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:14,633
Build warships,

277
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:16,300
recruit sailors.

278
00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:17,966
Bestow the army name

279
00:17:18,900 --> 00:17:19,933
"Longxiang".

280
00:17:20,633 --> 00:17:23,700
[ZHu Lingzhi, Longxiang Army Commander]
Appoint Zhu Lingyun as Commander.

281
00:17:23,700 --> 00:17:25,833
Appoint Li Yuanqing as Deputy Commander.

282
00:17:26,866 --> 00:17:28,700
Appoint Wang Hui as Army Inspector.

283
00:17:29,266 --> 00:17:31,933
Appoint Sun Zhen as Army Commissioner.

284
00:17:32,633 --> 00:17:33,866
Armor up and take up arms,

285
00:17:35,633 --> 00:17:36,933
to resist the Song state.

286
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:38,900
what is the meaning

287
00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:41,400
of His Majesty‘s decision?

288
00:17:43,133 --> 00:17:46,300
[Li Yuanqing]
The Song ruler is aggressive and overbearing.

289
00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:50,266
No wonder Your Majesty is seeing shadows
and jumping at every sound, frightened.

290
00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,100
What I'm asking is,

291
00:17:54,033 --> 00:17:56,800
this navy matter, what does it have to do with me?

292
00:17:57,700 --> 00:17:59,966
A navy is different from a land army, where,

293
00:18:00,566 --> 00:18:03,266
with food supplies, you can raise a banner

294
00:18:03,766 --> 00:18:06,333
and gather thirty or fifty thousand troops in short order.

295
00:18:08,566 --> 00:18:09,666
But a navy is not like that.

296
00:18:11,133 --> 00:18:12,866
Without usable warships,

297
00:18:14,466 --> 00:18:16,166
there is no navy to speak of.

298
00:18:17,266 --> 00:18:20,966
Timber suitable for keels needs to be air-dried,

299
00:18:21,033 --> 00:18:22,633
for two to three years.

300
00:18:24,333 --> 00:18:27,933
To build them into warships,
and for sailors to be properly trained,

301
00:18:27,933 --> 00:18:29,666
a rough estimate...

302
00:18:31,433 --> 00:18:32,366
It would still require,

303
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:34,933
five or six years.

304
00:18:35,566 --> 00:18:36,566
Five or six years?

305
00:18:37,566 --> 00:18:38,566
Why would it take so long?

306
00:18:39,633 --> 00:18:41,100
This is already fast.

307
00:18:41,633 --> 00:18:45,000
When Wang Jun attacked Wu, he began building ships
in Yizhou in the eighth year of Taishi,

308
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,933
and it wasn't until eight years later, the first year of Taikang
that he could finally dispatch troops.

309
00:18:50,933 --> 00:18:53,433
The Central Plains has no warships,

310
00:18:53,433 --> 00:18:54,266
but Wuyue has.

311
00:18:55,300 --> 00:18:57,133
To transport Wuyue's warships to Jiangling,

312
00:18:57,133 --> 00:19:01,266
would need to sail from the estuary up the Yangtze,
against the current all the way.

313
00:19:01,266 --> 00:19:04,000
How could the Southern Tang ruler and ministers
just stand there watching?

314
00:19:04,666 --> 00:19:06,366
Buy ships from Wuyue?

315
00:19:08,266 --> 00:19:10,533
A hasty stopgap measure, that's all.

316
00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,300
Your Majesty is being unrealistic.

317
00:19:16,433 --> 00:19:19,133
Why are the ministers also unrealistic?

318
00:19:20,333 --> 00:19:22,700
The Great Tang and Wuyue are century-old enemies.

319
00:19:23,300 --> 00:19:26,266
Whether the Qian family have
any surplus warships is one thing,

320
00:19:26,266 --> 00:19:28,933
even if they did, why would they sell them to us?

321
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,200
Times are different now.

322
00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:37,200
The Song state is powerful, its might overshadows the realm.

323
00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,700
It's not just Your Majesty and our court who are fearful.

324
00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:42,566
The principle of shared peril,

325
00:19:43,533 --> 00:19:45,233
King Qian should understand it.

326
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:47,566
So,

327
00:19:49,666 --> 00:19:53,166
His Majesty appointing me, this old fool
as Deputy Navy Commander

328
00:19:54,533 --> 00:19:58,333
is because he want me to go to that Qian's ninth boy,

329
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,766
and buy ships.

330
00:20:03,266 --> 00:20:05,800
Back then, the peace agreement was something you

331
00:20:06,300 --> 00:20:08,300
and the present King Qian worked hard to achieve.

332
00:20:09,033 --> 00:20:10,966
You could be said to have some old ties.

333
00:20:11,633 --> 00:20:12,766
Having you go to him,

334
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,770
is more fitting than sending someone else.

335
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,233
The proposal to buy ships from Wuyue is not advisable.

336
00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:26,900
Brother!

337
00:20:27,733 --> 00:20:31,970
if the court makes the request, Chu might not refuse me
considering my dignity and old bonds.

338
00:20:32,033 --> 00:20:33,066
That's not the issue.

339
00:20:35,333 --> 00:20:36,433
I have no money.

340
00:20:38,333 --> 00:20:39,433
Didn't Minister Zhao say

341
00:20:40,466 --> 00:20:44,066
the Three Departments this year still have a surplus
of a million in silver and silk?

342
00:20:45,066 --> 00:20:46,333
That is what I indend

343
00:20:46,333 --> 00:20:48,066
to use for shipbuilding in Jiangling.

344
00:20:48,066 --> 00:20:49,366
It's not for buying ships.

345
00:20:50,433 --> 00:20:50,933
Zhao Pu.

346
00:20:51,633 --> 00:20:52,166
I am here.

347
00:20:52,733 --> 00:20:54,100
Jing and Xiang suffered floods.

348
00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:56,400
How many victims lost their harvest this year?

349
00:20:57,333 --> 00:21:01,900
Three prefectures, twelve counties, roughly seven thousand
adult males, twenty-three thousand people.

350
00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:03,833
This surplus of a million in silver and silk,

351
00:21:04,833 --> 00:21:07,066
I would rather spend it on these disaster victims.

352
00:21:08,133 --> 00:21:09,633
Your Majesty means

353
00:21:10,133 --> 00:21:11,366
to provide work for relief.

354
00:21:12,566 --> 00:21:13,033
Pan Mei.

355
00:21:14,033 --> 00:21:14,566
I am here.

356
00:21:15,566 --> 00:21:18,433
I give you twenty-three thousand laborers.

357
00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:21,533
In three years' time, can you build three hundred warships?

358
00:21:23,666 --> 00:21:27,433
I will devote all loyalty and effort to live up to your trust.

359
00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:28,900
Brother,

360
00:21:30,033 --> 00:21:31,433
it will take five or six years.

361
00:21:32,433 --> 00:21:33,900
How many years has the world been in chaos?

362
00:21:36,066 --> 00:21:39,400
A century of turmoil, five dynasties in succession,
continuous warfare.

363
00:21:40,433 --> 00:21:42,633
Those who died by the roadside number in the tens of millions.

364
00:21:44,233 --> 00:21:46,433
It's merely five or six more years.

365
00:21:47,300 --> 00:21:48,366
I can wait.

366
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:23,333
Commissioner of the Yongxin Army of the Great Tang,

367
00:22:24,733 --> 00:22:25,566
I,

368
00:22:26,533 --> 00:22:27,466
Li Yuanqing,

369
00:22:28,833 --> 00:22:30,133
pay respects to the Great King.

370
00:22:31,566 --> 00:22:32,900
Sir, do you come here

371
00:22:33,700 --> 00:22:35,066
for the state,

372
00:22:36,066 --> 00:22:37,366
or for business?

373
00:22:39,100 --> 00:22:40,033
For the state,

374
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:43,266
and also for business.

375
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,666
Great King, you must not sell!

376
00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:52,633
The ancestral precepts of Wuyue
command us to uphold our duty as subjects

377
00:22:52,633 --> 00:22:54,333
and serve the Central Plains well.

378
00:22:54,333 --> 00:22:54,966
Now,

379
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,633
Emperor Zhao has shown intent for a southern campaign.

380
00:22:58,066 --> 00:23:00,966
Yet our state sells warships to Southern Tang.

381
00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:04,700
This violates our duty as subjects
and goes against the prevailing trend.

382
00:23:05,766 --> 00:23:08,433
If the Emperor in Bianjing questions you, Great King,

383
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,266
how will you defend yourself?

384
00:23:13,033 --> 00:23:14,570
Weijun, also share your opinion.

385
00:23:17,566 --> 00:23:20,900
In reply, Father, our two states have been
locked in conflict for a century.

386
00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:22,133
Hatred runs deep as an abyss.

387
00:23:22,133 --> 00:23:24,266
[Qian Weijun, Qian Chu's son]
Upon the waves, warships determine victory or defeat,

388
00:23:24,266 --> 00:23:25,933
[Qian Weijun, Qian Chu's son]
the outcome, and even the fate of our state.

389
00:23:26,933 --> 00:23:29,633
How can we possibly surrender the fate of our state to others?

390
00:23:31,833 --> 00:23:32,666
What is your view, Weizhi?

391
00:23:38,266 --> 00:23:39,100
In reply, Father,

392
00:23:39,533 --> 00:23:40,266
I do not know.

393
00:23:43,866 --> 00:23:45,233
Of course you wouldn't know.

394
00:23:46,033 --> 00:23:48,833
Such a major matter doesn't require your understanding.

395
00:23:49,933 --> 00:23:51,133
Just speak casually.

396
00:23:53,733 --> 00:23:54,866
[Qian Weizhi, Qian Chu's adoptive son]
May I ask that, what price,

397
00:23:55,466 --> 00:23:56,533
[Qian Weizhi, Qian Chu's adoptive son]
did that envoy offer?

398
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:00,100
Eldest Brother...

399
00:24:02,766 --> 00:24:04,466
For a hundred-man swift boat,
[swift boat: a kind of small warship]

400
00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:07,300
one thousand pi of silver and silk.
[swift boat: a kind of small warship]

401
00:24:08,100 --> 00:24:10,400
For a hundred-man assault ships or oared warboats,

402
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:12,733
fifteen thousand.

403
00:24:13,666 --> 00:24:16,700
As for the combat warships
that can carry three hundred men or more,

404
00:24:17,266 --> 00:24:20,633
one hundred thousand.
[combat warships: the mainline warships]

405
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,100
May I ask, Minister,

406
00:24:24,933 --> 00:24:28,733
how many newly built warships that
have not yet been deployed do we have?

407
00:24:29,933 --> 00:24:33,300
From last January until now,

408
00:24:33,933 --> 00:24:38,133
we have built eight new combat warships,
sixty-seven oared warboats.

409
00:24:39,466 --> 00:24:42,133
As to the rest, the small swift boats,
the exact count is unclear,

410
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:44,533
but there are certainly two to three hundred vessels.

411
00:24:45,766 --> 00:24:46,433
Eldest Uncle,

412
00:24:46,766 --> 00:24:49,866
those were built for our state's navy to
replace old and worn-out warships.

413
00:24:51,333 --> 00:24:52,166
The Heir is correct.

414
00:24:55,300 --> 00:24:55,733
Father,

415
00:24:56,766 --> 00:25:01,133
I wonder those replaced, old and worn-out warships,
according to precedent, how are they handled?

416
00:25:02,466 --> 00:25:03,933
What do you think should be done?

417
00:25:07,766 --> 00:25:08,900
So, Eldest Brother, you mean,

418
00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:12,333
to sell those replaced old ships
at a discount to Southern Tang?

419
00:25:19,266 --> 00:25:21,933
I believe we need not discount the price.

420
00:25:26,633 --> 00:25:26,966
This...

421
00:25:27,333 --> 00:25:29,300
Could old ships also be sold at the price of new ones?

422
00:25:29,866 --> 00:25:31,100
Who said those are old ships?

423
00:25:32,566 --> 00:25:35,000
Apply a fresh coat of paint,
make the colors bright and vibrant,

424
00:25:35,833 --> 00:25:38,666
and along with the Southern Tang
navy's flags and signal drums,

425
00:25:39,133 --> 00:25:40,066
provide them all together.

426
00:25:41,266 --> 00:25:43,400
A splendidly decorated cassault ships or oared warboats,

427
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,233
let them pay thirty thousand in silver and silk for it.

428
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,300
Another brand-new fast shuttle or attack boat

429
00:25:48,433 --> 00:25:51,033
is worth three thousand, which is not excessive.

430
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:56,600
As for the giant combat warships,
they are unavailable on the market.

431
00:25:57,133 --> 00:26:00,266
There's nowhere else to buy them.

432
00:26:00,266 --> 00:26:03,533
A price of three hundred thousand is absolutely non-negotiable.

433
00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:08,933
Father!

434
00:26:11,033 --> 00:26:12,830
My son really knows how to manage a household.

435
00:26:21,866 --> 00:26:22,300
It moved.

436
00:26:22,766 --> 00:26:23,400
It didn't.

437
00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:24,133
It moved.

438
00:26:31,266 --> 00:26:31,800
Father.

439
00:26:32,566 --> 00:26:33,233
Mother.

440
00:26:35,766 --> 00:26:36,233
Sit down.

441
00:26:39,733 --> 00:26:41,800
How are the preparations going?

442
00:26:44,833 --> 00:26:47,900
Father, do you truly want me to go and negotiate with him?

443
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:49,633
Weizhi.

444
00:26:51,133 --> 00:26:52,500
Your father is a bad man.

445
00:26:52,933 --> 00:26:54,033
When he was young,

446
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:55,500
he tricked that guy once.

447
00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:56,900
Now he's sending you

448
00:26:56,900 --> 00:26:58,133
to trick him even more severely.

449
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:01,833
Do you know how to negotiate with him?

450
00:27:05,266 --> 00:27:06,133
Could it be that,

451
00:27:07,266 --> 00:27:08,900
I should really negotiate like that?

452
00:27:12,866 --> 00:27:16,770
I was just talking nonsense in the court hall.
It shouldn't be taken seriously.

453
00:27:18,833 --> 00:27:22,333
Military and state affairs indeed should not
be treated so frivolously.

454
00:27:23,533 --> 00:27:24,066
It's your turn.

455
00:27:31,666 --> 00:27:32,333
The price

456
00:27:32,766 --> 00:27:34,400
shall be set as you said.

457
00:27:36,100 --> 00:27:36,766
However,

458
00:27:38,066 --> 00:27:39,266
I do not want silver or silk.

459
00:27:40,733 --> 00:27:41,600
Let the Li family

460
00:27:42,066 --> 00:27:43,000
pay with grain instead.

461
00:27:53,033 --> 00:27:53,466
Understood.

462
00:27:57,700 --> 00:28:00,133
These Wuyue rats are going too far!

463
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:00,933
Your Majesty,

464
00:28:01,666 --> 00:28:04,133
I have a plan that can achieve both goals.

465
00:28:04,666 --> 00:28:07,833
Moreover, it can make the Qian clan of Wuyue reap what they sow.

466
00:28:08,666 --> 00:28:09,233
Speak.

467
00:28:09,900 --> 00:28:12,800
Qian Ninth wants grain, because this time,

468
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,966
not only is our Great Tang suffering greatly from the floods,

469
00:28:16,566 --> 00:28:18,800
but Wuyue is also affected by the disaster.

470
00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:23,233
The affected prefectures and counties,
their population is likely double that of our dynasty.

471
00:28:23,700 --> 00:28:25,933
Therefore, not wanting gold or silk,

472
00:28:26,333 --> 00:28:29,866
but grain, is truly because their country lacks food.

473
00:28:30,100 --> 00:28:31,970
Corpses of the starved lie everywhere.

474
00:28:31,970 --> 00:28:35,433
That's why they are using our
purchase of ships to extort us greatly,

475
00:28:36,466 --> 00:28:38,966
in order to solve their own crisis.

476
00:28:39,733 --> 00:28:41,033
Since that is the case,

477
00:28:41,033 --> 00:28:43,100
Your Majesty can turn their scheme against them.

478
00:28:43,100 --> 00:28:44,533
First, give them the grain

479
00:28:45,233 --> 00:28:47,633
and press them to deliver the warships.

480
00:28:48,566 --> 00:28:51,000
In seven prefectures, over twenty counties,

481
00:28:51,033 --> 00:28:53,133
tens of thousands of victims await relief.

482
00:28:53,733 --> 00:28:56,133
If we exchanged all government's
grain reserves for warships.

483
00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:59,266
Are we going to watch the victims
starve to death before our very eyes?

484
00:29:00,533 --> 00:29:04,866
Your Majesty, you may issue an edict to
the border prefectures and counties adjacent to Wuyue,

485
00:29:04,866 --> 00:29:09,500
ordering them to open the checkpoints and
allow the victims to head south for food.

486
00:29:12,533 --> 00:29:13,733
Your Majesty, you must not!

487
00:29:21,033 --> 00:29:21,900
Your Majesty,

488
00:29:24,466 --> 00:29:25,166
the people,

489
00:29:26,133 --> 00:29:27,433
are the foundation of the state!

490
00:29:29,533 --> 00:29:31,900
The Liaogian Company garrison is located west of Taihu Lake.

491
00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:33,400
We can set up a checkpoint nearby.

492
00:29:35,033 --> 00:29:37,733
Able-bodied men entering the checkpoint
can first be sent to dredge lake silt,

493
00:29:37,733 --> 00:29:38,466
working for relief.

494
00:29:38,566 --> 00:29:40,100
Dredging silt is strenuous labor.

495
00:29:40,433 --> 00:29:41,766
Porridge alone will not be enough.

496
00:29:41,766 --> 00:29:45,133
Just this one checkpoint can accommodate
no less than ten thousand Southern Tang refugees.

497
00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:47,400
Great King.

498
00:29:47,566 --> 00:29:48,433
Sir, please rise.

499
00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:50,700
Is everything prepared?

500
00:29:54,266 --> 00:29:56,700
Suzhou, Huzhou, and Quzhou.

501
00:29:57,733 --> 00:29:59,233
A total of sixteen checkpoints.

502
00:29:59,833 --> 00:30:03,000
Along the route, we have set up two hundred
and thirty-eight relief stations.

503
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,766
We have mobilized eight thousand garrison troops
and two thousand eight hundred clerks.

504
00:30:06,766 --> 00:30:11,100
From the central government down to the local,
one hundred and twelve officials will lead and manage them.

505
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:18,100
From the Zhexi Land Office, we have allocated
one hundred and fifty thousand hu of grain.

506
00:30:18,500 --> 00:30:21,400
Each relief station is equipped with
over ten porridge stoves.

507
00:30:21,533 --> 00:30:24,600
Physicians and various medicinal supplies
are also prepared.

508
00:30:25,100 --> 00:30:27,700
It doesn't matter if we use a bit more grain.

509
00:30:29,766 --> 00:30:31,033
Order must be maintained.

510
00:30:32,266 --> 00:30:34,366
The Chancellor's Office has issued a directive.

511
00:30:34,933 --> 00:30:37,566
This task will be included in this year's
performance evaluation.

512
00:30:37,933 --> 00:30:40,566
For each official's jurisdiction, if not a single person dies,

513
00:30:40,566 --> 00:30:42,633
the grade will be 'Upper-Middle'.

514
00:30:42,633 --> 00:30:43,770
Should be 'Upper-Upper'.

515
00:30:44,933 --> 00:30:49,100
Great King, according to court precedent,
the 'Upper-Upper' grade is typically not awarded.

516
00:30:49,100 --> 00:30:51,666
'Upper-Middle' is already marvelous achievement.

517
00:30:51,666 --> 00:30:52,400
I know.

518
00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:55,533
If not a single person dies,

519
00:30:56,033 --> 00:30:57,866
The performance shall be recorded as 'Upper-Upper'.

520
00:30:59,266 --> 00:31:01,500
Those awaiting vacancies will be appointed locally,

521
00:31:02,433 --> 00:31:05,366
and those already in substantive posts
will be promoted one rank.

522
00:31:06,133 --> 00:31:06,566
But...

523
00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:10,000
We lack population, Yin.

524
00:31:12,266 --> 00:31:13,533
I understand.

525
00:31:16,866 --> 00:31:17,666
To put it plainly,

526
00:31:17,666 --> 00:31:20,300
we have one army, thirteen prefectures, eighty-six counties,

527
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,500
but in terms of registered households,

528
00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:26,930
we don't even match three or five
large commanderies in the Central Plains.

529
00:31:32,066 --> 00:31:32,966
Do you understand now?

530
00:31:36,633 --> 00:31:37,633
So, Father, this deal aims

531
00:31:38,466 --> 00:31:40,200
not just for Southern Tang’s grain.

532
00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:41,100
Remember this.

533
00:31:43,866 --> 00:31:44,566
The people,

534
00:31:45,533 --> 00:31:47,033
are the foundation of the state.

535
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:56,200
Everyone,

536
00:31:56,733 --> 00:31:57,800
form two lines!

537
00:31:58,333 --> 00:32:00,166
Line up, line up!

538
00:32:01,533 --> 00:32:02,600
Do not linger here!

539
00:32:02,833 --> 00:32:03,900
[Roadside shelter in Suzhou at the border of Wuyue and Tang]
Get your food,

540
00:32:03,900 --> 00:32:05,700
[Roadside shelter in Suzhou at the border of Wuyue and Tang]
then keep moving forward!

541
00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:07,700
[Roadside shelter in Suzhou at the border of Wuyue and Tang]
Do not linger here!

542
00:32:07,700 --> 00:32:08,900
[Roadside shelter in Suzhou at the border of Wuyue and Tang]
Get your food,

543
00:32:08,900 --> 00:32:10,566
[Roadside shelter in Suzhou at the border of Wuyue and Tang]
then keep moving forward!

544
00:32:10,566 --> 00:32:12,300
Line up, line up!

545
00:32:12,900 --> 00:32:14,900
The shelter is five li ahead!

546
00:32:15,266 --> 00:32:17,466
The shelter is five li ahead!

547
00:32:18,633 --> 00:32:19,366
Everyone,

548
00:32:19,866 --> 00:32:21,100
form two lines!

549
00:32:21,633 --> 00:32:22,733
Do not linger here!

550
00:32:23,433 --> 00:32:26,000
Get your food and keep moving forward!

551
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:28,433
Come on, everyone, line up!

552
00:32:28,533 --> 00:32:29,533
Get your food up ahead!

553
00:32:31,066 --> 00:32:32,000
Let me tell you all,

554
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,000
one household gets one tally.

555
00:32:34,866 --> 00:32:35,766
Only one per household.

556
00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:36,866
Good. Thank you.

557
00:32:36,900 --> 00:32:38,533
One household gets at most one tally.

558
00:32:38,633 --> 00:32:39,333
Don’t take more.

559
00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:41,033
One tally

560
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:42,666
is ten mu of land.

561
00:32:43,433 --> 00:32:44,066
Ten mu of land!

562
00:32:44,766 --> 00:32:45,766
Don’t push! Don’t push!

563
00:32:47,466 --> 00:32:48,366
Once you reach Taizhou,

564
00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:50,566
you’ll have land this year,

565
00:32:50,833 --> 00:32:51,766
build a house next year!

566
00:32:53,033 --> 00:32:54,033
King Qian has decreed:

567
00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:55,366
For three years,

568
00:32:55,933 --> 00:32:57,700
all taxes and grain levies are exempt!

569
00:32:58,400 --> 00:32:59,900
The core heartland of Wuyue

570
00:33:00,066 --> 00:33:03,666
has flat terrain, fertile soil, and ample rainfall.

571
00:33:04,066 --> 00:33:07,433
It is highly suitable for fishing and farming,
especially for growing rice.

572
00:33:08,133 --> 00:33:11,300
This area is also far from the borders and conflict zones,

573
00:33:11,333 --> 00:33:12,533
making it safe and stable.

574
00:33:13,233 --> 00:33:17,666
Settling refugees here to open up land both
solves their livelihood and aids their development,

575
00:33:17,666 --> 00:33:21,866
and also accelerates the development of Wuyue’s core region.

576
00:33:22,133 --> 00:33:25,300
It strengthens state power and
consolidates the ruling foundation.

577
00:33:25,866 --> 00:33:27,933
It can be said to kill multiple birds with one stone.

578
00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:33,766
King Qian's action,
providing Southern Tang with weapons and boats,

579
00:33:34,466 --> 00:33:37,233
undermines the court's grand plan for unification!

580
00:33:38,133 --> 00:33:41,466
He's measuring the nobility of unification with petty gains,

581
00:33:41,833 --> 00:33:45,400
and divide the overall situation
with partial, lowly actions!

582
00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:47,866
What exactly are you trying to say?

583
00:33:47,866 --> 00:33:50,900
I believe an imperial edict should be issued
to reprimand them.

584
00:33:53,933 --> 00:33:57,300
There are always some people who treat my words
as wind past their ears.

585
00:34:00,033 --> 00:34:02,133
Even if I wished to leave him with some dignity,

586
00:34:03,866 --> 00:34:05,300
I'm afraid I hardly can.

587
00:34:06,633 --> 00:34:09,466
Since the Han and Tang dynasties,
capitals were established in Qin and Luo,

588
00:34:09,466 --> 00:34:11,433
relying on their strategic locations.

589
00:34:11,433 --> 00:34:12,900
Since the usurpation by the Zhu of Liang,

590
00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:15,133
it was moved to Bianliang, a vulnerable strategic hub.

591
00:34:15,133 --> 00:34:17,000
Powerful military governors have been everywhere.

592
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,900
The state has been repeatedly relocated.
From Jin to Zhou, none of them lasted long.

593
00:34:20,900 --> 00:34:25,066
Now that Shu region are pacified, the southern lands
also secure, we have deliberated for a long time.

594
00:34:25,066 --> 00:34:27,366
This is truly the opportunity to move the capital.

595
00:34:28,133 --> 00:34:29,133
Where to?

596
00:34:29,866 --> 00:34:32,266
Guanzhong is desolate, its royal aura has faded.

597
00:34:32,633 --> 00:34:34,366
Luoyang commands Hulao to the east,

598
00:34:34,833 --> 00:34:36,933
Tongguan to the west, Luo River to the north,

599
00:34:37,066 --> 00:34:38,700
and has take advantage of Mang Mountain.

600
00:34:38,700 --> 00:34:41,400
It is fit to be a foundation for ten thousand generations.

601
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:43,533
How much would it cost?

602
00:34:44,266 --> 00:34:47,033
Luoyang originally had the Southern and Northern Palaces.

603
00:34:47,033 --> 00:34:48,433
There is no need to build new palaces.

604
00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:53,266
Moreover, it was an old capital, government offices
are complete, and the outer city is vast.

605
00:34:53,266 --> 00:34:54,966
It only requires some repairs

606
00:34:55,266 --> 00:34:56,966
and will not be excessively wasteful.

607
00:34:58,066 --> 00:35:01,866
The entire court's officials and nobles have lived
in Bianliang for nearly forty years.

608
00:35:02,066 --> 00:35:04,666
Their descendants, servants, family homes and properties

609
00:35:04,866 --> 00:35:08,100
have branched out extensively,
entangled in countless layers.

610
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:09,933
If we move the capital to Luoyang,

611
00:35:10,300 --> 00:35:12,733
at least fifty or sixty thousand people will be involved.

612
00:35:13,300 --> 00:35:14,533
The cost this time

613
00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:17,900
may amount to the military expenses of the Shu campaign.

614
00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:19,033
Furthermore,

615
00:35:19,566 --> 00:35:21,700
in the relocation, and all related matters,

616
00:35:22,066 --> 00:35:24,566
considerable manpower and laborers are required.

617
00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,866
If it damages people's lives and
shifts resentment onto the court,

618
00:35:28,133 --> 00:35:28,766
I fear

619
00:35:29,266 --> 00:35:31,533
it may shake the very foundation of the state.

620
00:35:32,100 --> 00:35:33,566
What you all said just now

621
00:35:33,900 --> 00:35:35,233
are not the major issues.

622
00:35:35,900 --> 00:35:36,933
The major issue is,

623
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,066
I have no money.

624
00:35:39,533 --> 00:35:41,866
The funds for the southern campaign cannot be touched.

625
00:35:41,866 --> 00:35:45,500
The disaster-stricken areas have had their taxes
waived and cannot have them reinstated.

626
00:35:45,866 --> 00:35:47,000
And there's another major issue.

627
00:35:48,133 --> 00:35:49,566
That great river to the north.

628
00:35:51,133 --> 00:35:53,733
Emperor Shizong of the previous dynasty
built the Golden Dike,

629
00:35:53,733 --> 00:35:57,266
so at least we're not faced every year
with floods pressing against the city walls.

630
00:35:58,133 --> 00:36:02,833
But the prefectures downstream still suffer from
dike breaches and collapses year after year.

631
00:36:02,933 --> 00:36:05,600
Farmland is abandoned, and people die or are injured.

632
00:36:06,266 --> 00:36:08,900
Minister Zhao once explained history to me:

633
00:36:08,900 --> 00:36:09,966
Since the Han Dynasty,

634
00:36:10,300 --> 00:36:11,300
this great river

635
00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:13,233
has shown the conscience of the court.

636
00:36:14,300 --> 00:36:16,333
If one cannot control the Yellow River,

637
00:36:16,333 --> 00:36:18,800
how can one claim to be the legitimate ruler?

638
00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:21,266
So,

639
00:36:22,933 --> 00:36:24,833
where do I have the money

640
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:26,000
to move the capital?

641
00:36:26,733 --> 00:36:27,466
We can have

642
00:36:30,900 --> 00:36:32,433
What... what did you say?

643
00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:35,666
I said,

644
00:36:36,066 --> 00:36:37,166
money can be had,

645
00:36:37,333 --> 00:36:39,233
but not for moving the capital.

646
00:36:41,733 --> 00:36:45,200
Your Majesty wishes to
have riverbank garrison farmlands, and there's money.

647
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,100
Your Majesty wishes to control
the great river, and there's money.

648
00:36:48,100 --> 00:36:51,966
But if Your Majesty moves the capital,
not a single coin will be available.

649
00:36:52,266 --> 00:36:53,100
Sima Pu!

650
00:36:54,133 --> 00:36:56,766
Mind your decorum when responding before His Majesty.

651
00:36:57,066 --> 00:37:00,433
Does Your Majesty know why Shi Jingtang
moved the capital to Bianliang?

652
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,933
It's because when the local transport grain to Luoyang,

653
00:37:04,133 --> 00:37:05,666
compared to transporting it to Bianliang,

654
00:37:05,666 --> 00:37:08,366
for every ten catties of grain,
there's an extra three catties of loss.

655
00:37:08,933 --> 00:37:10,166
Over the Five Dynasties,

656
00:37:10,533 --> 00:37:14,433
the court has been poor and scared,
unwilling to part with these three catties of grain.

657
00:37:15,133 --> 00:37:17,566
Your enterprise is inherited from the Five Dynasties.

658
00:37:17,566 --> 00:37:19,333
It cannot compare to the Great Tang's golden age.

659
00:37:19,333 --> 00:37:21,166
We, a small household, must live frugally.

660
00:37:21,466 --> 00:37:23,000
Thrift is better than extravagance.

661
00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:24,000
We are poor.

662
00:37:24,466 --> 00:37:26,333
We poor must live like the poor.

663
00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:27,233
Sima Pu,

664
00:37:27,500 --> 00:37:28,600
do not overstep!

665
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:29,533
Lord Xue.

666
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:37,033
You just said that if I want to have
riverbank garrison farmlands,

667
00:37:37,266 --> 00:37:38,466
there's money.

668
00:37:38,833 --> 00:37:39,266
Yes.

669
00:37:40,566 --> 00:37:41,400
Where can it come from?

670
00:37:42,133 --> 00:37:44,800
If Your Majesty wishes so, you must issue an edict to the realm,

671
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:48,433
implementing the strategy of weakening the local
and strengthening the center.

672
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:50,700
Sima Pu, do not speak recklessly!

673
00:37:50,700 --> 00:37:52,533
The realm is not yet pacified and settled.

674
00:37:52,533 --> 00:37:54,466
To implement that strategy is not the right time.

675
00:37:54,466 --> 00:37:56,900
The malpractices have been there since the mid-Tang Dynasty

676
00:37:56,900 --> 00:38:00,033
If changed abruptly, it would inevitably
shake the foundations of the state.

677
00:38:00,033 --> 00:38:01,133
We must proceed gradually.

678
00:38:01,300 --> 00:38:02,900
Let him finish speaking.

679
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:05,266
You, continue.

680
00:38:06,100 --> 00:38:08,133
All you ministers know this perfectly well.

681
00:38:08,833 --> 00:38:10,600
It's just that no one will say it out loud.

682
00:38:11,100 --> 00:38:13,733
Why are the court's finances so strained and impoverished?

683
00:38:14,233 --> 00:38:16,466
Since then, military governors have sprung up everywhere,

684
00:38:16,466 --> 00:38:18,266
with recklessly bestowed authority,

685
00:38:18,266 --> 00:38:21,033
and local finances are all grasped in the hands of them.

686
00:38:21,033 --> 00:38:23,800
The periphery is strong while the center is weak.

687
00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:25,633
Thus, if the court wants to garrison fields,

688
00:38:25,633 --> 00:38:28,733
to train troops, to control the river, it is all unsustainable.

689
00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:33,166
If you let the Three Departments to survey
the past local revenues and expenditures,

690
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,533
and from next year, we set fixed amounts.

691
00:38:36,533 --> 00:38:40,833
Leave one portion in local government,
and escort the remainder back to the capital.

692
00:38:40,833 --> 00:38:43,400
In just three to five years,
training troops, garrisoning fields,

693
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,166
controlling the river, campaigning, we can do these all.

694
00:38:50,833 --> 00:38:53,533
Military governors hold financial power
to enrich themselves.

695
00:38:53,533 --> 00:38:55,500
This is a malady accumulated over two hundred years.

696
00:38:55,733 --> 00:38:56,833
How could Your Majesty not know?

697
00:38:57,433 --> 00:39:00,666
Now, the military governors are either
veteran commanders over several dynasties,

698
00:39:00,666 --> 00:39:04,166
or are old friends and former comrades
who shared hardships with Your Majesty.

699
00:39:04,166 --> 00:39:07,700
The court still relies on them to send troops
and pacify the realm.

700
00:39:08,666 --> 00:39:10,200
If we now seize their financial power,

701
00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,300
enacting this strategy of weakening the periphery
and strengthening the center,

702
00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:15,466
I fear it will provoke turmoil across the realm.

703
00:39:15,933 --> 00:39:18,633
Then, failing to collect even a single coin
would be a small matter.

704
00:39:18,900 --> 00:39:20,033
If they rebel or defy orders,

705
00:39:20,033 --> 00:39:23,700
damaging the court's authority and
bring chaos to the overall situation,

706
00:39:23,700 --> 00:39:25,566
it will surely invite a terrible disaster.

707
00:39:25,566 --> 00:39:26,833
The Khitan are still there.

708
00:39:26,833 --> 00:39:29,066
Southern Tang and Northern Han refuse allegiance.

709
00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:30,533
Wuyue has not submitted.

710
00:39:30,533 --> 00:39:33,900
To weaken the military governors now is not the right time.

711
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,400
It is not the right time!

712
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,666
What a fine "it is not the right time"!

713
00:39:45,533 --> 00:39:48,000
But isn't that exactly what everyone thinks?

714
00:39:48,433 --> 00:39:49,666
Since the mid-Tang Dynasty,

715
00:39:50,166 --> 00:39:51,233
every single emperor,

716
00:39:52,233 --> 00:39:53,133
Zhu Quanzhong,

717
00:39:53,333 --> 00:39:54,200
Li Cunxu,

718
00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:55,733
Shi Jingtang, Liu Zhiyuan,

719
00:39:55,866 --> 00:39:58,133
and the previous dynasty's Taizu and Shizong Emperors,

720
00:39:58,133 --> 00:40:00,066
didn't they all think this way?

721
00:40:00,866 --> 00:40:04,400
All let the military governors
restrain and attack each other,

722
00:40:04,533 --> 00:40:07,266
using the realm's bandits to pacify the realm's bandits.

723
00:40:08,166 --> 00:40:12,400
So generation after generation, it has always been that
the ruler is usurped by a bandit,

724
00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:14,000
and the bandit then becomes the ruler.

725
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:16,466
The world turns in cycles, endlessly, without resolution.

726
00:40:17,300 --> 00:40:19,733
Your Majesty, you speak of emulating Tang's Taizong Emperor,

727
00:40:19,733 --> 00:40:22,933
yet you take bandits as your model,
following in their footsteps.

728
00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:26,733
And you still dare to speak extravagantly
of achieving great peace?

729
00:40:29,333 --> 00:40:31,433
How laughable!

730
00:40:43,933 --> 00:40:45,233
Laughable!

731
00:40:56,700 --> 00:40:57,800
Laughable!

732
00:41:00,266 --> 00:41:01,533
This Sima Pu,

733
00:41:02,300 --> 00:41:03,766
though his temper is bad

734
00:41:04,033 --> 00:41:05,333
and his words not pleasant,

735
00:41:05,333 --> 00:41:07,600
is rare in possessing sincere conviction.

736
00:41:10,333 --> 00:41:11,666
What others dare not say,

737
00:41:11,833 --> 00:41:12,966
he dares to say.

738
00:41:13,466 --> 00:41:15,166
What others dare not do,

739
00:41:15,833 --> 00:41:17,266
perhaps he would dare to do.

740
00:41:18,533 --> 00:41:22,233
But knowing how to do something and
truly setting about doing it

741
00:41:23,166 --> 00:41:24,900
are not the same thing.

742
00:41:25,733 --> 00:41:29,233
This man has no ties to any of the military governors at court.

743
00:41:31,533 --> 00:41:35,100
Regarding the matter we two discussed,
perhaps we can let him handle it.

744
00:41:35,700 --> 00:41:37,300
He has no foundation in the army.

745
00:41:37,933 --> 00:41:39,366
Such harsh and severe means...

746
00:41:39,900 --> 00:41:40,800
I fear he is not capable.

747
00:41:41,500 --> 00:41:42,666
Precisely because of that,

748
00:41:42,666 --> 00:41:43,666
if he truly acts,

749
00:41:44,166 --> 00:41:48,366
he will not hesitate or be constrained,
held back by personal connections or power.

750
00:41:49,933 --> 00:41:50,733
Elder Brother,

751
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:52,333
since you have doubts,

752
00:41:53,100 --> 00:41:56,266
why not summon him for a private audience
and discuss it with him face-to-face?

753
00:42:00,333 --> 00:42:00,866
Prince,

754
00:42:01,233 --> 00:42:01,766
Minister,

755
00:42:02,033 --> 00:42:02,933
please wait a moment.

756
00:42:02,933 --> 00:42:04,666
I'll go in and report it.

757
00:42:09,500 --> 00:42:10,600
Prince, do you know

758
00:42:11,100 --> 00:42:13,166
why His Majesty has summoned me here?

759
00:42:13,833 --> 00:42:19,333
His Majesty wishes to create a new position below
the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, to await orders.

760
00:42:20,300 --> 00:42:21,066
A new position?

761
00:42:21,666 --> 00:42:23,600
Assistant Minister of the Privy Council.

762
00:42:25,166 --> 00:42:26,066
From today,

763
00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:27,100
Sir,

764
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:29,800
you will be ranked among the highest ministers.

765
00:42:31,866 --> 00:42:34,900
Rank is awarded for merit, office is assigned for ability.

766
00:42:34,900 --> 00:42:36,333
Since taking up my post,

767
00:42:36,733 --> 00:42:39,733
I have achieved no merit and displayed no talent.

768
00:42:39,733 --> 00:42:42,966
Why would His Majesty open the door of favoritism for me?

769
00:42:43,566 --> 00:42:47,166
Extraordinary affairs require extraordinary men.

770
00:42:52,433 --> 00:42:54,966
Prince, Minister, you may enter for discussions.

771
00:42:56,033 --> 00:42:56,700
After you.

772
00:43:24,433 --> 00:43:27,400
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles
stretch towering mountains. ♫

773
00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:30,866
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles
run surging rivers. ♫

774
00:43:31,433 --> 00:43:34,400
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles
cry warhorses. ♫

775
00:43:34,900 --> 00:43:39,000
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles
there are emotions unspoken. ♫

776
00:43:39,933 --> 00:43:42,900
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles,
flowers are blooming along the road. ♫

777
00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,366
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles,
gooses are returning to the north. ♫

778
00:43:46,933 --> 00:43:49,900
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles,
we stand through storms. ♫

779
00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,500
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles,
we hope for a safe return. ♫

780
00:43:58,700 --> 00:44:01,366
♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫

781
00:44:01,966 --> 00:44:04,866
♫ for a lifetime's sorrows and joys. ♫

782
00:44:05,500 --> 00:44:08,166
♫ Tens of thousands of miles is not enough, ♫

783
00:44:08,766 --> 00:44:11,666
♫ for the endless seas and rivers. ♫

784
00:44:12,466 --> 00:44:15,133
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

785
00:44:15,733 --> 00:44:18,633
♫ love will overcome all barriers. ♫

786
00:44:19,333 --> 00:44:20,633
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

787
00:44:21,300 --> 00:44:25,033
♫ we are together in life and death. ♫

788
00:44:25,966 --> 00:44:29,000
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫

789
00:44:32,700 --> 00:44:35,733
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles. ♫

790
00:44:39,633 --> 00:44:40,966
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

791
00:44:41,333 --> 00:44:42,766
♫ the moon shines in the boundless world. ♫

792
00:44:43,100 --> 00:44:46,333
♫ My heart has its hometown to return. ♫

793
00:44:46,533 --> 00:44:47,866
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

794
00:44:48,233 --> 00:44:49,666
♫ who is the one crossing the waves with me, ♫

795
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:53,233
♫ with our hearts unrepentant,
through countless lifetimes. ♫

796
00:44:53,433 --> 00:44:54,866
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

797
00:44:55,133 --> 00:44:56,666
♫ oceans and lands witness that♫

798
00:44:56,900 --> 00:44:59,666
♫ the world will be safe and sound. ♫

799
00:45:00,066 --> 00:45:03,100
♫ Across tens of thousands of miles, ♫

800
00:45:11,266 --> 00:45:15,433
♫ my heart is unchanging. ♫