Original subtitles

Starring: tsung Yu, Li kuan—chang,

General Pei Li.

What's going on here?

General, these people have heard

that Kou Chien is inside the Shrine of Emperor Yu,

They're all stuck here and refuse to leave.

—Kou Chien is in the shrine? —Yes.

Let's go!

No, General!

Why not?

By Prime Minister Po Pi's order, nobody is allowed to pass the gate.

Am I not allowed either?

Don't, General Pei Li!

General, this is impossible!

General!

General!

Who is it? Halt!

Halt!

This is where the left army is stationed.

You right—flank man aren't allowed to trespass!

—Who is inside the shrine? —King of Yüeh, Kou Chien.

Who is Kou Chien, king of Yüeh?

His Majesty's prisoner.

So that's it.

Your knowledge is but partial.

The Prime Minister personally issued a military order.

Anyone who kills Kou Chien or robs Yüeh's shrine will be executed.

Your Prime Minister accepted goods stolen by Kou Chien as a bribe.

—What share have you taken? —This——

Let's go!

Councillor Hsi Ssu.

—General Pei Li. —Yes.

The military order to protect King Kou Chien came from His Majesty.

Who'd dare to defy it?

Greetings, Supreme Councillor.

What's the matter?

I have come here on your order to stamp out enemies of our Wu State.

Unexpectedly, Councillor Hsi Ssu deliberately blocked me.

—Councillor Hsi Ssu. —Yes.

Is this true?

The Prime Minister ordered me to safeguard King Kou Chien of Yüeh

at the Shrine of Emperor Yu.

I dare not disobey without seeing a military talisman from you.

The Prime Minister's order?

The Prime Minister's order…

Supreme Councillor, for the sake of Wu State's hegemony,

I, Pei Li, am ready to bear the blame

and go to the temple and eradicate the roots.

—Get my talisman. —Yes!

Follow me!

Hold it!

Who dares to move?

Supreme Councillor Wu,

what do you want?

Councillor Fan,

you're a prisoner of Wu.

The state treated you with generous gifts.

You're able to keep your sword and armour.

You are ungrateful.

You dare act against a Wu councillor and draw your sword?

A strong man is loyal, regardless of life and death.

There's nothing we dare not do!

What would you do?

The Supreme Councillor is a hero amongst heroes,

how can you commit an act of betrayal and injustice?

Since the king has accepted our surrender, how can we go back on our word?

I would expect you to keep your king's word.

Otherwise… within five steps, blood will be splattered on the temple.

I'm willing to die and bring you with me!

Good.

Your reputation is well—deserved.

You are indeed a loyal minister. Respectable and admirable.

—Pei Li. —Yes.

Retreat.

His Majesty departs!

His Majesty departs!

Your monarchs and ministers should prepare to see us off by the river.

On behalf of my master,

I express our gratitude for King Wu's grace.

—Leave me alone! Get your hands off! —No!

—Dad, don't go! —Leave me alone!

—Dad! —I'll report to His Majesty.

You murderers and bandits of Wu.

Stop! What is this?

I'll tell His Majesty what you have done!

You killed my wife, snatched my daughter, and burnt what you couldn't take away!

—Your Majesty! —Dad!

—Dad! —Let go of me!

I'll show His Majesty the rice you've burnt!

—Your Majesty! —Dad!

You bandits! Your Majesty!

—Your Majesty! —Dad!

You bandits!

Dad!

Go to hell!

Dad!

Child, don't forget this grudge against your parents' murderers!

Dad!

Dad!

Get out of here, or I'll kill you too!

Dad, rest in peace.

If they kill me, I'll turn into a demon and kill them!

—You… —Stop it!

Hsi Shih!

Hsi Shih!

If you want to kill someone, kill me!

Right, you unscrupulous people who don't fear death!

What's she to you?

—We are both people of Yüeh! —The people of Yüeh?

You think I dare not kill you?

Stop!

It's you again, shameless loser.

You seem to be everywhere.

General Pei Li,

why do you want to portray the king of Wu as unkind and unjust?

Fan Li! What audacity! You dare slander His Majesty?

I wouldn't dare, General.

Has the general forgotten?

The king of Wu promised to protect the king and ministers of Yüeh.

The promise not to kill the people of Yüeh State.

Fan Li, don't think the Supreme Councillor's respect

gives you the right to be arrogant.

I tell you,

killing you would be like killing a lost dog!

Pei Li!

—Prime Minister! —You must not be rude.

Greetings, Your Majesty!

I would never go back on my word.

Pei Li, do you know your wrongdoing?

Well…

I understand the offence.

You are Councillor Wu's trusted one.

I will forgive you once, but not next time.

Yes, Your Majesty.

What are you waiting for, girl?

Thank His Majesty now.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

It's settled.

Prime Minister, are the ships ready for our return trip?

They're already prepared.

Fan Li, why isn't Kou Chien here to see me off?

I was sent here to report to Your Majesty that my master Kou Chien is coming.

Let me first report to His Majesty.

Good. Very well.

Councillor Fan.

Councillor Fan.

Rise.

Don't say anything.

Just remember, always remember.

Yes, just remember, always remember.

Wherever my army goes,

they shall exterminate all dissidents.

I am willing to serve the world with virtue and righteousness.

Therefore, the Yüeh State was spared the immortal ancestral temple.

The lives of the monarch, ministers, and people were saved.

Kou Chien, are you grateful?

His Majesty raised troops to invade and occupy the territory of Yüeh State.

Massacred five cities and three towns.

I cannot bear to see my people suffer.

With your permission, Your Majesty,

cease burning and killing, and suspend fighting.

I shall never forget.

From your tone, it seems you don't appreciate the grace of mine.

Kou Chien,

you must know the lives and the property of the Yüeh people remain within my grasp!

But a promise is important to me, and I must keep my word.

I want to show the world

that I spared the lives of your rulers, ministers, and the people of Yüeh.

Offer gratitude to His Majesty now!

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Self—willed and conceited!

—Po Pi. —Present.

Kou Chien and his wife shall enter Wu before mid—May.

Station 10,000 soldiers at Mount Wu.

Should Kou Chien be overdue, destroy Yüeh and report!

Yes.

Those who defy Wu army's orders,

exterminate their family and their entire tribe!

—Yes. —Remember!

The last descendants of Emperor Yu must be escorted to Kusu on time.

Yes.

Let's go!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Councillor Fan,

I regret I did not take your advice in the beginning.

As a result, I suffered from this disastrous defeat.

If His Majesty learns from the shame of Huichi,

and is willing to listen to objectionable advice hereafter,

what will Fu Cha's words matter?

What has gone has gone. What comes can be determined.

Your Majesty,

I thought it would be better to discuss state affairs as soon as possible.

No more needless grief and indignation.

The Prime Minister's words are absolutely true.

Within the four borders,

Fan Li is inferior to me about the affairs of the people.

In dealing with the king and adapting to the situation,

I am inferior to Fan Li.

The Prime Minister will preside over state affairs.

Councillor Wen can prepare for farming and war. The people can live in harmony.

Your Majesty, you can rest your mind.

The one who can endure humiliation, assist Your Majesty,

and avenge for you, would be me.

Your Majesty, we only obey the king's orders.

Be at ease.

There is one last thing.

A country cannot be without a king for long.

Your Majesty, the whole state of Yüeh is waiting with one heart and one mind.

Councillor Fan.

Councillor Wen.

You have a great responsibility.

Councillor Wen, I have promised to accompany the king,

I vow to bring him back!

Good. Rise!

Although I am sad and angry about leaving the ancestral homeland,

I no longer worry by seeing everyone so united.

I feel relieved.

Your Majesty, everything is ready.

Your Majesty and My Lady can depart.

All right.

Do not alert the people.

Yes.

Long is the stream

Where we are busy washing the clothes

Shameful and hungry, we bear it for our king

We weave the cloth, and offer to the king of Wu!

The storage is full of food

The barns are filled with grains

And baskets filled with pearls and jades

We bear the shame and hunger

Carts of goods are offered to the king of Wu!

Long is the stream

The shame of Huichi is just as long

The shame is not forgotten

We shall bear this grudge in mind

We shall remain hot—blooded

One day, our king will return

To avenge our shame and destroy the king of Wu

Look.

This is what comes of overestimating your abilities.

An example of not surrendering to the state of Wu.

Your Majesty!

Councillor Wen!

Your Majesty!

Councillor Wen!

Rise.

Rise.

The sinful minister, Wen Chung, hopes His Majesty is well.

—Greetings, My Lady. —Greetings, Councillor Wen.

Greetings, Councillor Fan.

Greetings, Councillor Wen.

Councillor Wen, His Majesty is about to summon you.

Go, quickly.

Let's go.

Sinful minister Wen Chung bids farewell to His Majesty.

Take care, Your Majesty.

This is called bringing blame and consequences upon oneself.

What is there to laugh about?!

Although Yüeh is weak, it does not fear violence.

Our country is one of honour. What's so funny?!

Fan Li!

How dare you, a subordinate prisoner, be so presumptuous!

The minister bids farewell to His Majesty.

Lazy pigs, move! Quickly!

Quickly!

Lazy pigs!

Tolerance!

You must know that a little intolerance will botch a big plan.

You must remember,

we have to endure and tolerate, regardless of any difficult situation.

For three years, pleasing Po Pi

and paying tributes to Wu have exhausted our resources.

I know everyone has been wronged,

but to avenge shame and restore the country,

we must endure.

Think of how our king and queen and Councillor Fan

are being insulted by our enemies in Wu,

we will realise how important our responsibility is.

The king and ministers of Yüeh, hear the royal decree.

King Kou Chien and others raised horses in Wu Palace for three years

with diligence and loyalty.

The king and ministers of Yüeh can now appreciate my benevolence.

Tributes continue throughout the year.

Considering his loyalty and righteousness,

the edict orders the king and ministers of Yüeh to be released and repatriated.

His Majesty is back!

Hey! His Majesty has returned!

His Majesty is back!

His Majesty is back!

His Majesty!

After King Kou Chien of Yüeh returned to his country,

he slept on a rough bed and ate simple food.

He tasted gall to goad himself to his duties. Equip and prepare.

He was strict with himself and his family

and devoted all he could spare to his country.

He sent condolences on every death and donated to the poor.

He rewarded production and encouraged births.

He mapped out diplomatic policy and geared his country for war.

He gave body and soul to restore his country.

Kou Chien, have you forgotten the shame of Huichi?

I have not.

My Lady!

My Lady, Hou Chiang's wife gave birth to two boys.

Really?

Have you prepared all the gifts?

They're ready! Just awaiting your word.

You better go now, hurry.

—It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. —It doesn't matter?!

Your Majesty!

—Rise. —Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty,

these four performed the best during the training period.

Please, Your Majesty, declare your mission to them.

They won't leak state secrets?

Leak? Never.

They have not forgotten about the shame of Huichi.

They all vowed to sacrifice their lives to avenge the country.

Good.

That year, people from Wu State invaded our Huichi.

Our shrines were destroyed, and our people were slaughtered.

I slept on firewood and tasted gall

to goad myself for revenge.

In preserving the glory of our ancestors, our descendants can live with dignity.

Therefore…

I must send you to Wu State…

making you… leave your homeland.

Your Majesty,

it's better to be away from home than to be homeless.

You… don't have a home?

Without a country, how can there be a home?

You!

—What is your name? —I'm Hsi Shih.

Hsi Shih.

Hsi Shih, Councillor Fan's here to see you.

Councillor Wen.

Order received.

My Lady Hsi Shih,

if you have any trouble, I can help.

I will surely do my best to assist you.

Trouble of mine?

For instance… if you don't want to go to Wu State.

That is what you mean, Councillor Fan.

I mean, if you don't want to go to Wu State,

I can talk to My Lady for you.

Thank you, Councillor Fan.

But…

I would like to ask,

when you went to the state of Wu with the king,

was that done willingly?

Of course not.

It was a mission, a national one,

to protect His Majesty's safety in his swift return home.

To work hard in wiping the shame of Huichi.

So do you think that our going to Wu State is not a kind of mission?

Councillor Fan ensured humiliation and bore heavy burdens for the country.

Can't we die for our country?

My Lady Hsi Shih,

It surprises me

that you are so sensible and righteous.

I've misunderstood you.

It seems that Yüeh will surely turn from weak to strong.

The shame of Huichi will surely be wiped away.

Although this trip could be a long one,

I believe we will surely invade Kusu.

When that day comes, perhaps we can meet at Kusu Pavilion.

Fan Li. Fan——

Fan Li, the king has ordered

that Hsi Shih and the girls shall go to Wu State with the tribute tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Leaving tomorrow?

My Lady Hsi Shih, I have good news for you.

Councillor Fan will escort you there.

Me?

You can both talk more along the way.

The envoy from Yüeh State, approach!

The envoy from Yüeh State, approach!

Kou Chien, minister of the East Sea,

sends his accompanying minister, Fan Li, to pay tribute.

May Your Majesty be blessed with a thousand years of peace.

The king of Yüeh did not forget my kindness,

which is commendable.

I hope that his country will be blessed with stability and prosperity.

Thanks to Your Majesty's blessings.

My Lord is grateful for the kindness of the king and has nothing to repay.

Therefore, I dedicate five national treasure swords

handed down from Yüeh State

and 20 treasures our forefathers collected as a small tribute.

Good.

How many national treasure swords are there in the state of Yüeh?

Five.

—Did you bring them all? —Yes. Please examine, Your Majesty.

Wait.

May I ask Councillor Fan a few questions, Your Majesty?

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Councillor Fan, allow me to ask you a question.

The king of Yüeh asked the master archer Chen Yin

and archeress Nanlin to teach his people how to shoot crossbows and fencing.

Is this true?

It is.

In this way, soldiers are trained and prepared for war;

they grew in numbers.

What is the intention?

We train to guard against theft

and practise martial arts to strengthen our bodies.

It's not recruiting troops. Where's the conspiracy in that?

Besides, our country is frightened after its new defeat.

There are less than 10,000 soldiers,

each merely armed with a wooden knife with a bamboo pole.

How can one dare take advantage of others when unarmed?

Aren't you pretending? Aren't you deceiving?

The people of Yüeh are now destitute, and their wealth is exhausted.

The country and the families are ruined.

We can do… nothing.

So the beautiful women weren't sent to distract His Majesty?

The Supreme Councillor might have worried too much.

This is our Lord's grace to thank the king for releasing him back to his country.

Having separated by mountains, he regrets that he cannot serve you at all times.

So he ordered me to choose 12 maids,

including Hsi Shih, Cheng Tan, Yu Kuang, and Hsi Po,

as an offering to serve His Majesty.

If Your Majesty is willing to grant them an audience in the palace,

it will be a great blessing.

—But… —Supreme Councillor.

It is great to see such loyalty from the king and ministers of the Yüeh State.

—Your Majesty—— —Supreme Councillor…

You have experienced hundreds of battles and are invincible.

Why are you so scared of some girls?

—Royal Secretary. —Present.

Instruct the maids of Yüeh State to enter.

Received.

Enter, the maids from Yüeh State!

Enter, the maids from Yüeh State!

Enter, the maids from Yüeh State!

—I, Hsi Shih, maid of Yüeh. —I, Cheng Tan, maid of Yüeh.

Wish Your Majesty a long life!

Your Majesty…

Rise.

Rise.

Long live the king!

—Cheng Tan. —Present.

Where are you from?

This concubine is from Chulo Village, Chulo Mountain, Chuchi County.

Chulo Village.

—Hsi Shih. —Present.

And you?

This concubine is also from Chulo Village,

Chulo Mountain, Chuchi County.

I never expected that a small mountain village

would bear two peerless beauties like you.

Hsi Shih…

Hsi Shih…

What's the matter with her?

—What's the matter with her? —Your Majesty, she——

She used to suffer from a heart condition, but now…

This humble concubine has been rude to you. I seek your forgiveness.

Please take her to the quarters to rest.

Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live the king.

Please wait!

Supreme Councillor, you have something to say?

I heard that the commander—in—chief of the three armies

would not ride on a horse which would hinder him.

A son of nobility must marry a wife who can bear a boy.

If His Majesty wishes to bring these Yüeh beauties to the quarters,

we ought to first see how they are?

I've long heard the Supreme Councillor is proficient in physiognomy.

Today, I will get a lesson in person.

I dare not.

Please wait a moment.

The Supreme Councillor will study your physiognomy.

Understood.

Raise your head.

This woman has bright eyes and white teeth,

and her smokey eyes are charming.

She is not shy about her seductive nature.

To say she is charming is an understatement.

But to topple a country,

not quite.

What do you think of that one?

Her?

Extend your hand.

—Strange… —Strange?

—How so? —This woman is as beautiful as a peach,

but not seductive.

Eyes like autumn water, but not slanted.

Seemingly solemn, but not serious.

Tries to conceal, but still noticeable.

Lacks the virtue of the saints,

but possesses righteousness.

She has the elegance to overshadow a moon, but not that of a wife.

It is difficult to separate between nobility and ordinary,

and also to distinguish between chastity and immorality.

I have studied many people,

but I've never seen such a woman.

Then do you think she is auspicious?

Or ominous, even?

Take a few steps forward.

I'd say she looks like a dragon flying and a phoenix dancing.

Cough again.

No less than a sound of gold and jade.

That frown…

Your Majesty,

didn't you see it?

Another heartache perhaps.

—What's strange about it? —Your Majesty,

don't you think that her frown makes her look even more charming?

Isn't it overwhelming to look at?

It is strange.

Cheng Tan, let me see you frown as well.

Yes.

It's different!

Your Majesty, I hear that it is unlucky to be abnormal.

All women smile, except Pao Ssu.

But a smile can make a country fall.

Ordinary people's frowns are ugly.

But Hsi Shih's beauty is the only one that can conquer a country

with just one frown.

Look. She's even more ecstatic when she's angry.

She's like Pao Ssu,

or Mei Hsi,

or Ta Chi.

Pao Ssu, Mei Hsi, and Ta Chi were all evil!

Therefore, she's also an evil portent!

Evil!

She's a tremendously unlucky evil portent!

Your Majesty,

King Kou Chien was so kind that he came all the way to offer his sacrifice.

Supreme Councillor Wu's words are extreme.

May diplomatic relations come first so as to not let down efforts from Yüeh.

Please consider this.

Your Majesty, although Hsi Shih and Cheng Tan are great beauties,

they may augur trouble.

Treasures can be accepted, but not disasters.

To avoid future calamity.

My father.

The Supreme Councillor's advice is far—sighted. Please accept it.

I also heard that Hsia ended in Mei Hsi, the Yin fell to Ta Chi,

and the Western Chou fell to Pao Ssu.

As Hsi Shih and Cheng Tan are evil spirits,

I suggest Your Majesty adopts the wise words of the Councillor.

For the good of our society, for the sake of our country.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, please adopt his good advice.

For the good of our society, for the sake of our country.

Rise, all of you.

Long live the king!

Because you have spoken with loyalty,

to put me amongst the great kings of the past.

Very well.

Treasures from Yüeh State will be accepted.

The beauties…

shall be repatriated.

Hsi Shih… mind your manners!

Hsi Shih!

How dare you laugh so wildly within the Golden Palace!

—I didn't expect… —Hsi Shih!

His Majesty would turn out to be a fool!

Hsi Shih, how dare you be arrogant!

Guards, get her!

Yes!

Hold it.

Your Majesty, Hsi Shih is young and ignorant.

It was a slip of the tongue. Please forgive her!

Hsi Shih.

How dare you be so rude?

Rude?

Do you know the punishment for insulting the king?

What punishment?

Do you not fear death?

Your Majesty, I did not insult you.

You didn't?

Then who did?

It was the physiognomist.

What nonsense! Such sophistry!

Hsi Shih, don't be rude!

You mean Supreme Councillor Wu?

—He's the Supreme Councillor? —Hsi Shih!

He mentioned Hsia ended in Mei Hsi, and Yin in Ta Chi.

He compared this humble concubine to Mei Hsi and Ta Chi.

Then he must have compared Your Majesty with those tyrants of fallen kingdoms?

Hsi Shih, you——

Don't confound right and wrong and make excuses!

Your Majesty, if you're not a fool,

even if we are indeed evil portents,

the Supreme Councillor has nothing to worry about.

Right.

Hsi Shih is right.

If I returned them to their country,

I'd be regarded as a tyrant by my own admission

and become a laughingstock of the world.

I have the ambition to subdue the other states

and strive for hegemony in the Central Plains.

Would I not be… able to overcome several frail ladies?

—Royal Secretary! —Present.

An announcement: see that all 12 beauties of Yüeh are taken into the quarters.

—Received. —Hsi Shih.

You are pardoned. You will stay at the Kusu Pavilion.

My imperial physician will treat you.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, you'll let Hsi Shih live in the Kusu Pavilion?

The Kusu Pavilion, Royal Secretary.

Received.

What's going on?

What's going on with the floor?

Is it nice?

Tell me about it!

There are a lot of small copper pieces under this floor. Many urns too.

When there is vibration on the copper, it rattles the urns underneath.

It makes a sound.

The copper pieces may be long or short, and the steps may be heavy or light.

So the pitch of sound can also be high and low.

It is a corridor that makes sounds. Hence I call it 'The Musical Corridor'.

—The Musical Corridor? —The Musical Corridor.

The Musical Corridor!

What about this palace? Why is it called Wa Palace?

'Wa' is you.

The state of Wu calls a girl 'Wa'.

This palace is built for you, hence it is called Wa Palace.

I don't believe it.

Would Your Majesty build a palace just for me?

What's a palace to me?

If you want the state of Wu, I'll give it to you!

Wu State was already mine!

You're the king of Wu, so Wu State is yours.

And you're mine.

Therefore, Wu State was already mine!

Very good. Well said!

Well said.

I must beware of sycophants and villains.

Who are the sycophants? Who are the villains?

I am the current king, with ambitions as bright as a rainbow.

Don't tell me I am infatuated with Hsi Shih's beauty.

I am determined to strive for hegemony in the Central Plains

and become the leader of our generation.

Supreme Councillor, you may have underestimated me.

His Majesty's ambition is to conquer the Central Plains.

However, the neighbouring country, Kou Chien of Yüeh, has ulterior motives.

He trained his troops in preparation, slept on firewood, and tasted gall.

He has other motives and is up to something.

I heard that he is having naval training in Huichi

and rebuilding the city walls.

I hope Your Majesty judges wisely.

Are you saying Kou Chien would dare to betray me?

I don't believe it.

Aren't you training 5,000 new soldiers in case something unexpected happens?

That would be enough.

I don't think he'd dare try.

As a precautionary measure,

I beg Your Majesty to send Wang Sun Lo

as the general to suppress the state of Yüeh

to prevent it from revolting.

Very well, pass on the message.

Send Wang as a general to suppress Yüeh.

Grant him a sword too. Execute first, report later.

Get lost!

What's this for?

The new city of Huichi is being inaugurated.

Councillor Wen has ordered a drum ceremony.

A drum ceremony?

What kind of drum?

The alarm drum.

Why would you sound an alarm? Move it away!

The city belongs to Yüeh, and the drum belongs to His Majesty.

Why should we move it? Where should we move it to?

Let go of me!

Hou Chiang.

What? How can that happen? Catch the murderer immediately!

Fill up another 100 of their wells as punishment.

Yes.

How could this happen? Look. What have you done?

Minister, a report.

—What? —Report, the murderer cannot be found.

Not found? Is he in the sky or the ground? In a place as big as a palm?

Where could he run to?!

Have the murderer caught by sunset,

or all the youths in Yüeh will be arrested!

Make them pay with their lives! Fill up another 100 wells!

Yes.

The eternal victory or defeat depends on reason.

But how many days like today will it take to win this victory?

Today, the city was demolished and the cattle stolen.

Our people suffer. The king is humiliated.

Don't tell me humans are deprived of emotions.

Even a stone would be so angry that it would burst into flames.

Rise.

Rise.

Please rise, brave man!

You weren't wrong.

I shall not turn you over to Wang Sun Lo.

Your bravery is an emblem of Yüeh's uprightness.

How could I give up such righteousness? I would never betray the people's faith!

Your Majesty.

Wang declared the deadline has passed.

He's sending a large number of soldiers to arrest innocent people.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

What's the matter?

Your Majesty, soldiers of Wu are filling in our wells.

All the people are miserable.

They want a fight to the death with the troops of Wu!

A conflict will soon erupt!

Your Majesty, please make your decision immediately.

—Councillor Wen. —Present.

How many Wu soldiers are there inside the border of Yüeh?

Your Majesty, please don't be impulsive.

To exterminate Wang Sun Lo and 1,000 Wu soldiers is an easy task,

but the consequences would be dire.

I think that in taking revenge and avenging shame,

we must not act rashly.

The only solution for now is to set aside our swords and remember the grudge!

Councillor Wen is right.

Please issue an edict to the people to remain calm and be patient.

Your Majesty!

You ask me to be patient and endure humiliation.

But how can I ignore the fate of the people?

You are forcing me to be unkind and unjust.

Have you considered the morale and public sentiment?

Your Majesty, I am a sinner to you.

I did not understand righteousness

and failed to abide by the will of patience.

A moment of my raging impulse created such an unmanageable situation.

I am willing to turn myself over to Wang Sun Lo.

Please grant your permission, King.

No! I've said that I would never hand you over to the enemy!

Your Majesty, I do this for the country.

I am willing to pay for my life

for the sake of His Majesty and my compatriots.

It won't be the king who hands me over to the enemy.

The brave Hou Chiang truly is a good man of Yüeh.

You sacrifice your life to save others,

and, simultaneously, resolving a country's temporary crisis.

Your Majesty, please bear the future of your country in mind

and fulfil Hou Chiang's wish.

—Well… —Your Majesty.

My father died at the hands of Wu's troops.

Also, I have an elderly mother at home.

There are still two orphans waiting to be taken care of.

After I die,

I can only ask Your Majesty to take care of them.

Hou Chiang, I will have proper arrangements for everything.

I will never forget your sacrifice for the country.

I——

Your hands, they are smoother than ever.

Compared to the time when I spent all day weaving and washing in Huansha River,

it's so different.

Isn't it?

Getting pampered all day long and enjoying all the glory in the world.

Why bother mentioning what happened back then?

I know you've all been doubting me.

Although Fu Cha dotes on me,

have I forgotten our mission, coming to Wu State?

Yes, Fu Cha is infatuated with me,

but this is our first mission in Wu!

I don't know the next step yet, and no one has told me!

Back then, when His Majesty sent us to Wu,

we were to seduce Fu Cha and act according to opportunity.

Haven't I already done so?! Did I do something wrong?!

Perhaps we have misjudged you.

But seeing how loving Fu Cha is to you is really concerning.

Fu Cha is trying to please you, having built this luxurious Wa Palace.

If you want the moon in the sky, he dare not give you the stars.

The human heart is always made of flesh.

Sometimes I also think about it.

What would I do if it were me?

Yes, what about you?

Maybe I'd fall in love with Fu Cha.

But I won't!

Because I'm from the state of Yüeh!

I'll never forget.

Wu soldiers were rampant and tyrannical in the territory of Yüeh State

and brutalised the people.

I will never forget that our hometown is still suffering.

I can't forget Councillor Wen's expectations of us.

And Supreme Councillor Fan…

Supreme Councillor Fan's parting words to me.

I understand.

My luxurious, pampered life in Wu Palace

will cause many people to misunderstand me.

Now even you misunderstand me!

Hsi Shih.

It's not that we blame you wrongly, we just remind you.

Also…

I want to tell you something.

Do you know there is a famine in your hometown?

That our parents and brothers are eating grassroots and tree bark?

Eating grassroots and bark?

Now even the grassroots and bark are almost eaten out.

Some people are so hungry that they're eating dirt.

Eating dirt?

Eating dirt will cause many people to bloat to death.

People are too hungry and eat dirt,

but the tributes paid to Wu every year must continue.

Not one less.

Yes, nothing can be missing.

They simply can't make a living.

I have heard that Councillors Wen and Fan were sent by His Majesty to borrow food.

Councillor Fan's here! When did he come?

Where is he now?

I'm not sure myself.

The news that they came to borrow food…

was told to me by Councillor Feng.

Councillor Feng? Which Councillor Feng?

Councillor Feng Tung.

Recommended by his fifth uncle.

He's preparing to be Po Pi's secretary in his mansion.

He said that the food borrowing depends entirely on you.

On me?

Yes, on you.

Isn't it Councillors Fan and Wen?

But…

Fu Cha only listens to you!

You must remember that the people of Yüeh are crying for food.

In other words, you can let them die.

You can also make them live.

Councillor Fan asked that this secret message be passed to you.

'Disparage Wu Tzu Hsü.

Reunite at Kusu Pavilion.'

Yes.

We want the king of Wu to demote Wu Tzu Hsü

so that the Yüeh troops can invade Kusu Pavilion.

Wu Tzu Hsü is the pillar of Wu State.

If the rock shakes, the state of Wu will collapse.

But…

I hope you can do your best against this person.

If this person is not removed, there is no hope of avenging his shame.

But… what about Fu Cha?

You must remember, we're from Yüeh.

Yes, you must remember we're all from Yüeh.

Hsi Shih, we are people of Yüeh. That cannot be changed.

Then… what do you want me to do?

—Kill Wu Tzu Hsü! —Me?

We want Fu Cha to kill Wu Tzu Hsü!

That's what the country requires of you.

His Majesty the King is here!

His Majesty the King is here!

Good morning, Your Majesty.

Rise.

What's the matter, Hsi Shih?

Hurry! Get the imperial physician!

Yes.

Come back!

Don't get that fat physician, Wu Chiu. He won't cure anybody.

Sister Cheng Tan, no need to go.

All right, it's okay, it's over.

All right?

No problem?

What on Earth was wrong? So quick to come and go!

Changed.

Changed.

Changed?

Since Lady Hsi Shih entered the palace, Your Majesty has changed.

I've changed?

Have I really?

How have I changed?

How did you not change?

Since Lady Hsi Shih entered the palace,

Your Majesty no longer listens to my good advice.

I listen to anyone's good advice

as long as… I regard it as good counsel.

Tzu Kung, the lobbyist from the state of Lu,

is inviting Wu to send troops to rescue Lu.

Your Majesty must reconsider.

Wu and Lu are brotherhood states, adjoined like teeth and lips.

When lips die, teeth are in danger.

Crushing Chi to save Lu would be sufficient reason to send troops.

Besides, defeating the strong Chi and saving the weak Lu,

the prestige of the state of Wu will be greatly boosted by this.

It matches my ambition of hegemony in the Central Plains.

What more is there to reconsider?

Your Majesty, don't you think this is a trap jointly set by Lu and Yüeh?

How so?

The expedition afar would leave our country unguarded.

Wouldn't Yüeh have an opportunity to take advantage of it?

Besides, Chi had no intention of attacking Wu.

Why create a strong enemy by saving Lu?

You're old. The Supreme Councillor is getting old.

You've become paranoid and fearful.

Take Hsi Shih, for instance.

Do you think I've actually believed what Hsi Shih says?

Have I been hoodwinked?

No, absolutely not!

But to show the world

that I am different from tyrants such as Chiao and Chou,

I shall forbid her from leaving the quarters.

Unless you act contrary to her.

She wants to go east, but His Majesty prefers to go west.

She says yes, but His Majesty says no.

This way, we can avoid falling into her trap and conspiracy.

This is easily done.

Easier said than done.

You look down upon me so much.

Would you take a bet?

—How would Your Majesty like to bet? —Whatever you say.

All right, how about asking His Majesty to bet on the Central Plains?

If Your Majesty can say it but cannot do it,

let's cease talks on striving for hegemony over the Central Plains.

All right.

If I should lose,

'hegemony in the Central Plains' will never be mentioned again.

A king's word is his bond.

Supreme Councillor, if I should win, what shall you do?

If His Majesty never again listens to Lady Hsi Shih,

my head is forfeit!

Supreme Councillor, how many heads do you have?

I won't take your head.

I only want you to go on a mission to Chi State before I send my troops.

On a mission to Chi State?

Since Tzu Kung has come a long way, we can't help but express our gratitude.

If the state of Chi disbands the army in Lu,

Then we wouldn't send troops?

Certainly.

The order is received.

Genuine advice can be listened to.

Come, let us seal the deal!

All right, it's settled.

Good!

You danced well and sang better.

Go change, quickly.

I'd like to drink with you and all the ministers.

Thank you, Your Majesty!

If you please.

—If you please, Councillor Tzu Kung. —Thank you, Your Majesty.

Why are you two not drinking?

My fellow ministers and I are present at this feast,

but our country and our people are in dire straits.

This trip was specially commissioned by our Lord

to ask Your Majesty to lend us food.

I hope Your Majesty will comply with the request.

His Majesty, ministers, and the people of Yüeh will never forget

the great virtue of providing relief throughout their lives.

I thank Your Majesty for this banquet. I don't intend to spoil the fun.

Please forgive me, Your Majesty.

About this food lending…

Disaster relief is a way to show sympathy to neighbouring countries.

And the king of Yüeh has already surrendered to the North.

How can there be any reason to sit back and do nothing?

Your words are very true, Councillor.

His Majesty is so magnanimous.

Not only will the government and Yüeh people be grateful,

but even the lords of other countries would admire you because of this.

Thank you very much for your advice.

Your Majesty, it is good to provide relief and show compassion to your neighbours.

But our country is building an army,

and food and hay are the most important thing.

Also, we should accumulate grain to prevent hunger.

If there is a flood or drought in the country, what would we do?

If you're unwilling to prevent deaths, how can you be the king?

I think that His Majesty must not forget his own worries

just because he wants to save others.

Your Majesty, it is the behaviour of a great country

to provide disaster relief and show compassion to neighbours.

When there was a famine in Chin, Duke Mu of Chin generously lent food.

Chin's benevolence and righteousness spread throughout the world.

Only then was Duke Mu of Chin able to complete his hegemony.

May Your Majesty follow this example.

Prime Minister, it's a pity that you only know one side and not the other.

Later, Chin suffered a famine and tried to borrow grain from Chin.

Chin refused.

If Chin hadn't repaid its kindness, that is their unrighteousness.

Po Pi, don't force excuses!

Don't be alarmist either.

Po Pi!

What's there to argue about?

Regarding the matter of borrowing food, we'll discuss it tomorrow morning.

Come!

Tonight, we welcome the guests. I hope you all have a good time and drink.

Regarding the matter of borrowing food, we'll discuss it tomorrow morning.

Come!

If you please.

Your Majesty!

You have come at an opportune time.

My Lady, may I ask you something?

Certainly.

My Lady,

Yüeh is suffering from floods and droughts, and famines are everywhere.

But is it true?

Is it really?

You don't know?

I am in Wu Palace. How would I know what's going on in my hometown?

I must inform My Lady right now.

The disaster in Yüeh is severe now. The people have no way of making a living.

They've already exchanged their sons to eat.

May I ask how many are left in your family?

Two parents and four siblings.

My Lady, the king of Yüeh has sent two special envoys here to borrow food.

Do you think we should lend it?

Agree or disagree?

This is a matter of the state. You should ask His Majesty.

This matter is related to Yüeh, and it concerns My Lady's family.

So I must ask you for your advice first.

My Lady, should we loan them food or not?

In my opinion…

We should…

It's better not to.

Not to?

Don't loan.

Are you being ironic, My Lady?

What do you mean ironic?

My Lady may not care about Yüeh,

but are you also indifferent to your parents and family members?

How could I be indifferent?

However, I believe that Councillor Wu's persuasion of the king to lend grain is

because he was righteous and courageous.

But if I do the same, that would be for my own private gain.

Instead of serving the public good for my own benefit,

why don't I let the councillor show his righteousness?

Right! Well said!

Good!

Since My Lady refuses to serve private interests for public benefit,

I have no choice but to show my righteousness.

You can rest assured, gentlemen.

I've decided to lend food to relieve you of your famine.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

—Your Majesty! —What's wrong?

Supreme Councillor.

His Majesty is so benevolent and righteous.

About rescuing Lu from Chi, I presume you wouldn't take any action?

Of course not!

I shall send my Supreme Councillor Wu as envoy to the state of Chi.

Peaceful measures before force.

Yes. Peaceful measures before force.

I hope Your Majesty will always be righteous and courageous.

And I wish Supreme Councillor Wu success in his mission to Chi.

We'll save lives from misery.

Cheers.

Kou Chien, have you forgotten the shame of Huichi?

No. Kou Chien will never forget.

Remember, don't miss the opportunity, and make an instinctive decision.

His Majesty the King is here!

His Majesty the King is here!

—It's too late! —What shall I do?

Follow me.

His Majesty the King is here!

No… I'm not——

I am no Ta Chi… I am no Mei Hsi…

Hsi Shih!

Supreme Councillor Wu… I beg of you…

—Hsi Shih. —I'm not——

None of you imperial physicians are useful.

Over the years, no one has cured my wife's illness!

If she doesn't get better treatment today, I'll skin you and use the fat as lamp oil!

Your Majesty, patients are most afraid of noise.

You're shouting like this.

If the illness has become serious, I cannot be responsible.

—Hurry up, then! —Please be gentler.

My Lady is weak,

experiencing anxiety and insomnia, and has a cold.

Ample perspiration will cure her.

She has just taken medicine.

—Has she taken the medicine? —She has.

The imperial physician said that Hsi Shih was thinking too much

and became ill from melancholy.

Melancholy?

How come?

She felt she was wrongly accused and didn't want to talk about it.

This is the worst.

Don't keep something in your heart if it needs to be said.

What do you mean? Who dares aggravate her?

Who else? It's, of course, Supreme Councillor Wu.

Always wrongly accusing good people.

Hsi Shih says good things about him, yet he says bad things behind her back.

The old goat!

Long live Your Majesty!

—Rise. —Yes.

There's an urgent matter. I dare not delay, so I'm here to report.

Your Majesty, forgive me for entering your chambers without permission.

The thing is——

—Speak. —Yes.

I have heard that Supreme Councillor Wu has secretly sent his son to Chi State

to be cared for by the Pao family, a powerful minister of the state of Chi.

Are you sure?

Yes, we have the evidence.

Supreme Councillor Wu considers himself a hero of two generations.

High in merit and esteem.

However, His Majesty didn't listen to his advice, so he felt resentful.

Supreme Councillor Wu's nature is that of a blazing fire:

everything goes to extremes.

If he now dares to have secret ties with Chi,

then… there must be a long—term plan.

Traitors like this seek glory and only care about their own interests.

If Your Majesty ignores this, there could be major trouble later.

Too horrible to contemplate!

I thought that, although he relied on his old age

and acted like an old man,

he was a loyal minister with all his heart.

I wouldn't have expected him to do such a thing.

Great judgment, Your Majesty.

Furthermore, the Yellow Lake Convention is approaching.

All countries will participate in the fight for hegemony.

I heard that both Chi and Chin have ambitions to compete for hegemony.

If Wu State does not participate, that will inevitably lead to weakness

and an inability to dominate other countries.

We certainly will participate in the Convention!

But Supreme Councillor Wu never advocated that you dominate the Central Plains.

The decision is for me to make. Who dares to waver?

Yes. His Majesty is wise!

For the past 15 years, Your Majesty has been campaigning south and north,

proclaiming your mighty virtue.

The purpose is to be able to unite with other lords

and dominate the Central Plains now.

At the moment, Chen, Wei, Chin, and Lu are all waiting at Yellow Lake.

Should we miss the date of the Convention,

not only would it break the trust of the lords,

but also make the world laugh.

Looking at it from this angle, Supreme Councillor Wu——

Your Majesty!

Supreme Councillor,

what's so important that it brings you and the prince into my chambers?

Lady Hsi Shih is currently ill.

I am afraid the illness of Wu State is probably more serious than Hsi Shih's!

What do you mean?

What I mean is,

the state of Yüeh will prosper, and the state of Wu will perish!

Supreme Councillor Wu…

you're old.

You're very loyal.

I understand all you have to say.

You… can leave.

Your Majesty, you didn't understand.

You are not a child.

You are already over 50 years old.

You should see clearly, inside or outside the court,

that there is no one who isn't your enemy.

The civil and military officials of the entire court

dare not tell the truth to you.

The lords from all over the world are keeping a close eye on Wu State.

They'll come to dig our ancestral graves!

Yet Your Majesty is still planning to invade the North

and attend the Convention as well?

Prime Minister Po Pi and General Wang Sun Lo

have kept their troops moving around the clock.

When I think of Your Majesty's situation,

I can't help but worry!

This is the decision of His Majesty.

—But—— —In the past 20 years,

I have been invincible, winning every battle.

What do you have to worry about?

I fear that by the time Your Majesty returns from the Convention,

Kou Chien's troops will have invaded Kusu!

You deceive with your lies!

What do you suggest?

Immediately retreat the troops heading north.

At this moment,

destroy Yüeh in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles forever.

Supreme Councillor, I thought you had some great ideas.

These are the same ideas.

Perhaps he fears that His Majesty's expedition will destroy Chi.

Nonsense!

Did you know that Chi had made peace with those two powerful countries

Chin and Chu since its defeat?

The reason is that if Wu attacks Chi, Chin, and Chu,

they will unite to attack Wu.

Then there is the Yüeh State, which is a serious problem.

You just insinuated that you still disapprove of His Majesty's domination

of the Central Plains.

Po Pi!

Supreme Councillor.

Don't you know anything about the current actions of the Yüeh State?

Fan Li is building ships in the East Sea. Chuchi is building chariots.

Kou Chien tasted gall

and slept on firewood every day for more than ten years.

What did they do that for?

Which country amongst the great powers is not like this?

They're all hostile too.

Only Kou Chien offers tributes with sincerity.

He also sent elite soldiers to support His Majesty.

The facts are all there, so why doubt it?

You invite our king to strive for hegemony.

Your intention of opposing us to go south and destroy Yüeh. You think I don't know?!

You may as well explain.

Advocating for hegemony would be a great achievement.

Opposing the destruction of Yüeh is to covet the tribute from that country!

In that case, you advocate the destruction of Yüeh

because Kou Chien never offered tributes.

You oppose the fight for hegemony out of fear that it'll endanger your son!

Po Pi! Just what do you mean?

Right!

Stop bickering!

The Convention and the fight for hegemony…

I have been working hard on it for more than ten years

I thought about it day and night.

Now that it is inevitable,

we must not back down or show any sign of weakness!

Besides…

it is the will of Heaven!

The will of Heaven?

Your Majesty's ambition is truly astonishing.

Amongst the northern countries, Chin is the most powerful.

At the time of the Convention,

the lords in the North would never agree with His Majesty

and become enemies of the king of Chin.

Therefore, I should lead the country's best soldiers and generals

in a showdown with the Chin State.

It also lets the northern lords know how powerful Wu is in the South.

Excessive military use is not a blessing to the country.

Besides, there is little confidence in the fight at Yellow Lake for hegemony!

This is a risky move. I object to it!

What?

Are you saying that I have no confidence?

Are you saying this is a risky move?

If the king doesn't care about the people or the foundation of our country,

the people will be impoverished before our very eyes!

You can't distinguish loyalty and treachery, good from bad,

—benefits and disadvantages—— —Silence!

How dare you speak so boldly!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Supreme Councillor Wu has served

two generations of this country meritoriously.

He offended with a slip of the tongue.

Please, Your Majesty, calm your thunderous rage.

Such anger won't be good for your health.

Forget it!

My Lady, you needn't flatter in front of people and slander by the pillow.

The state of affairs is as such because the king believed your rhetoric.

Wu Tzu Hsü!

I never thought you would be so unreasonable.

Lady Shih has never slandered anything or anyone before or behind their back,

yet you insulted the lady in her presence without hesitation!

Do you still have any distinction between king and minister in your mind?!

Your Majesty!

You're old and don't know your place. Treacherous and disloyal!

Your Majesty!

Always oppressing and bullying me and being dictatorial,

and endangered Wu State!

Your Majesty!

This old minister is loyal and can swear it till the end of time!

Supreme Councillor Wu, you secretly sent your son to the state of Chi to be raised.

Have you forgotten that?

That's right! I kept that matter to myself and never said anything about it.

Wu Tzu Hsü, what else do you have to say?

—Your Majesty! —Explain!

I——

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, Wu has been a loyal minister for over two generations.

He cannot be executed!

—Guards! —Present!

Fetch me the Shulou Sword!

Yes!

—Father! —Your Majesty!

You mustn't do that!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

My death is not to be regretted.

It's just a pity that the land the late king gained

with his blood and sweat will be lost in your hands.

Although you didn't kill Kou Chien, he shall never spare your life!

I am born of Heaven, carried by Earth, and sent by God.

Who would dare touch me?

After my death, please hang my eyes on the tower of Kusu.

I want to see the Yüeh army march into Kusu with my own eyes!

I want jackals to eat your flesh,

a wildfire to burn your bones, and strong winds to scatter your ashes.

Your bones and flesh will rot and turn into powder. What will you see?!

Your Majesty, please listen to these few words before I die.

King Kou Chien of Yüeh loved the people, respected the intellectuals,

and was willing to listen to loyal advice.

Unless this person dies, he will achieve great things.

Kou Chien, the king of Yüeh, could not sleep or eat well.

If this person doesn't die, he will get his wish.

Kou Chien organised his army and practised martial arts,

determined to destroy Wu.

If this person doesn't die, he will become a great enemy.

You——

What are you waiting for? Leave!

Leave!

482 bc,

the 38th year of Emperor Chin of Chou, 14 years into the reign of Fu Cha,

After Wu Tzu Hsü died, Fu Cha had no scruples.

Ignoring the suffering of the people

and striving for hegemony in the Central Plains,

he marched north from Hankou and gathered the lords at the Convention.

In the past ten years or so in our country,

we have equipped and prepared,

pooling the wisdom and efforts of everyone.

All preparations for avenging the country's humiliation

and restoring the country have been completed.

Our chance has now come.

I solemnly declare, from this moment on,

we can publicly proclaim to be the enemies of Wu.

We'll immediately deploy military forces to invade Wu and capture Fu Cha alive,

to wipe away the humiliation suffered by the Yüeh people for more than ten years.

Your Majesty, Wang Sun Lo and Pei Li have left abruptly

without taking a single soldier. Don't know where to!

—Who is it? —Seems to be a general of Wu.

It's outrageous. The Wu people are too arrogant.

Fu Cha covets leadership of the Convention!

Unworthy!

But he came all the way with troops on military chariots,

just to triumph at the Convention.

They're barbarians!

Can we let barbarians be our leaders?

No, we, in Chin State, will never agree to that.

And I believe that Chi, Sung, and other countries

will not really agree to let Fu Cha lead the Convention.

—That would be troublesome. —What trouble?

The Emperor sent me to officiate at the Convention.

It is hoped everyone can live in peace.

If this causes a war, would the Convention not lose its purpose?

Even if the lords shed blood for thousands of miles,

they cannot accept Fu Cha as leader.

To calm matters, I have made some concessions.

Now, please tell Fu Cha

Chin is a traditional hegemony and must lead the Convention.

That's nonsense, and now you're still trying to defend him!

Kou Chien, the ungrateful thing.

I can't wait to eat his flesh, cramp his tendons, and skin him!

Your Majesty, please be patient. You should think of something quickly.

In your opinion…?

I believe the situation is quite serious.

Alas, we can't go back in a hurry.

—Po Pi! —Present.

Tomorrow morning, order Hsi Po to lead a group of troops back to Kusu.

Kou Chien!

Your Majesty, this matter must not be made public.

If Chi and Chin knew about it, it would be terrible.

Your Majesty, Kou Chien's army is overwhelming

now that the prince has died in battle and the army is panicking.

If His Majesty doesn't return soon, I fear… Kusu will be in danger!

Your Majesty!

—Your Majesty, please—— —That's enough!

Leave!

—Your Majesty! —Leave!

Yes.

Come back!

Yes.

Come closer.

Your——

Your Majesty,

let's hurry back to Kusu. Let them go to the Convention.

Your Majesty, this isn't possible!

In doing so, the other lords will know that something's wrong here.

The Chin people will probably catch up and attack us.

That… would be even harder to contemplate.

But we can't wait here either.

Otherwise, we will transfer the troops from Hanchiang to Kusu,

then retreat Ai Ling's troops to Hanchiang.

In my opinion, we can now only use offence as a defence.

—Advance through withdrawal. —This?

Tomorrow, we shall dispatch all our chariots,

set a formation at Yellow Lake, and observe the reaction of Chin.

If they appear dissatisfied, we will attack.

Fighting on two fronts, being attacked from both sides.

It's taboo to military strategists.

The Chin dare not move against us.

If they dared to fight, they would have attacked us in Chi at the time.

We now have 400 chariots left in Yellow Lake.

But the Chin State have more.

Your Majesty…

It looks like…

there are a thousand chariots.

I think there are more than that.

It seems that Fu Cha's pursuit of this empty title of Leader…

is not slowing down.

I think the title of leader——

All right.

Let him have a taste of what it's like to be a leader.

It's a tough responsibility to be a leader.

The 639th year of the Great Chou Dynasty

in the fifth month of Kengshen, and summer of Chiwei,

Wu Fu Cha, Chin Wu, Wei Che, Lu Chiang,

Sung Tou Man, Chen Yüeh, Tsai Shuo, and Tsao Yang

hereby covenant at Yellow Lake of Sung State,

and pledge our alignment before the God of Brightness.

We shall be aligned through good and ill.

From now on,

we will serve the Emperor together and not bring harm upon one another.

Any infringement on Wu will be countered by all countries.

For Chin, Lu, Sung, Wei,

Chen, Tsai, and Tsao, it will be the same.

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Any who violates this oath, may the gods strike them down!

Something's wrong.

Are you talking about Kou Chien?

According to my reports,

seven dead bodies were carried out one after another from Wu's army tents.

They were all envoys from Kusu.

King of Chin.

How can you break your vow

when the blood in your mouth is not even dry?

Any infringement on Wu…

will be countered by all countries.

473 bc,

the third year of Emperor Yüan of Chou, 24 years into the reign of Kou Chien,

nine years after Fu Cha fought for hegemony in the Central Plains,

Kou Chien attacked Wu four times in nine years.

Wu's army and people were exhausted and demoralised.

But, entrenched in Kusu, Fu Cha is making his final struggle.

The soldiers of Yüeh were united,

none of them forgetting the shame of Huichi.

Although it was freezing cold, they still fought hard

to achieve their goal of avenging the country's humiliation.

We must avenge our humiliation.

They trampled our Huichi.

We must invade their Kusu.

We have to hold on. We have to hold on until the end.

We'll witness the fall of Fu Cha!

As long as we persist to the end,

our children and grandchildren will be happy

and have peace of mind!

There's no need to shed blood and sweat on the battlefield anymore,

so we should endure it.

Let's endure for the well—being of our children and grandchildren.

We'll endure it until Kusu is captured!

Any news from Kusu?

Nothing special.

Prime Minister Po Pi was imprisoned by Fu Cha.

The purpose of having Councillor Feng there is now lost.

Then… Hsi Shih should act.

According to Councillor Feng's several reports,

Hsi Shih has done her best.

—Could she have—— —We'd better pay more attention.

People always have emotions.

Fu Cha was too kind to her.

—Councillor Fan. —Present.

Can we try digging tunnels again?

It's difficult and impractical.

We can't conquer Kusu if we enter the city from the tunnel.

We're trying an attack by flood.

But can our soldiers survive?

Three hundred suffered frostbite today. They were sent back on a boat.

We can survive!

We must survive!

We must reach Kusu City alive, or we shall die under its walls!

Who are they?

Your Majesty, do you still remember the honourable Hou Chiang?

Sure.

Your Majesty, according to Councillor Feng's letter,

he really wanted to test a new plan amongst the people.

A new plan?

What plan?

Your Majesty!

What's the matter?

Your Majesty,

someone's spreading rumours in the city that the Yüeh army's about to invade Kusu.

Spirits underground are being led by Supreme Councillor Wu, wailing.

The army and people are panicking.

—Please, Your Majesty—— —Enough!

Go and look again. Arrest their leader.

Yes. Let's go.

Received.

Sister Cheng Tan!

Did you hear that?

—What? —Spirits wailing!

Spirits wailing?

—You hear it? —I do.

You do? You mean spirits really are wailing?

Indeed.

Are there really spirits?

Why wouldn't there be?

Spirits wailing?

—What's he doing? —Your Majesty!

I want to see the Yüeh army march into Kusu with my own eyes!

Halt!

Go to bed, don't wait up for me.

I've mobilised all the troops from Kouchu…

to prepare for a fight to the death with Kou Chien!

Kou Chien!

Kou Chien!

Fu Cha!

Your Majesty!

Kou Chien!

Fu Cha!

My Lady, we have lost.

His Majesty retreated to Mount Hsi. Prime Minister Po Pi surrendered to Yüeh.

Po Pi's secretary Feng Tung colluded with Yüeh army from the inside.

My Lady, please hurry up…

—Go and look again! —Yes!

Hsi Shih.

Hsi Shih.

You haven't let down your country.

Our revenge was…

not only a credit to our soldiers but also to you.

We agreed to meet at Kusu Pavilion.

Seventeen years!

I've been waiting for you for 17 years!

Councillor Fan…

Come.

Didn't you say that, after invading Kusu Pavilion,

you wanted to meet Hsi Shih?

Come.

This is Lady Hsi Shih, whom you've admired.

Come here.

Good day, Lady Hsi Shih!

The story of Hsi Shih was passed down through thousands of mouths

Remembering Kou Chien for sleeping on firewood and tasting gall

Equip, prepare, grow in numbers, and endure humiliation

Follow the examples of ancestors and avenge the country's shame