[Closed Captions were added by Moxi Media.] [Beijing Qisi Zhengwei Culture.] [Shandong Xinju Yihui Films.] [Taiyuan City.] In 617 AD, Li Yuan uprose in Taiyuan won great support of the people of Taiyuan. People actively volunteered for the Righteous Army and the soldiers of the army soon increased to more than 70,000. In July of the lunar calendar, Li Yuan, the General-in-Chief, appointed Li Jiancheng as Chief Commander of Left, Li Shimin as Chief Commander of Right and led over 30,000 soldiers and cavalries to occupy Chang’an in the west to recover the world peace and order. You You What the hell is going on? Didn't you tell me that Li Yuan wouldn't rebel? Then why he occupied my Jinyang Palace? He wants to be the Emperor, right? I'm guilty. I was blinded by his identity as imperial relative and his apparent loyalty. I never thought that Li Yuan had such great ambition. He was such a despicable man with a vicious mind that I'd never heard of. I'm guilty. Please punish me. Your Majesty. You'd never heard of. Is this your excuse? Didn't you send Feng Deyi to visit Taiyuan himself? Why didn't he find a trace of Li Yuan's rebellion? I'm guilty to death. Feng Deyi used to suspect Li Yuan. I sent a secret edict in your name, ordering Qvtu Tong to detain Li Yuan's family in Hedong. I wanted to hold Li Yuan by doing this. But I didn't know that I Li Yuan had prepared for this. He sent a troop to pick up his families secretly. Detaining his family is far from a good idea. Why didn't you arrest Li Yuan directly? I'm guilty. I ordered Wang Wei and Gao Junya to catch Li Yuan. But Li Yuan was a step ahead of us. He killed our men in the public. He's good at hiding his light under a bushel. He blinded both you and me. I don't blame you. Rise. Gramercy. Your Majesty. Shi Ji. Don't blame my losing temper. I hate such kind of treacherous deputy most. You are absolutely right. Your Majesty. Treacherous official like Li Yuan was hated by all the courtiers. He deteriorated our country, our world and all wise officials deceived by him. Do all of you think that my staying in Jiangdu is for natural views here. Well. You are wrong. Jiangdu is a place where dragon thrives. My staying here is for conserving strength and storing up energy. To nourish the spirit of dragon. After the jinx in the north fades, I will return to Chang'an and reform the country. Wise. Your Majesty. I'm looking forward that you can reform the country and rebuild another flourishing age. Flourishing age. Flourishing age. Such a flourishing age was decayed by Li Yuan and Li Mi's kind. They were trying to seize my country. I could never let that happen. Your Majesty. We are all inspired by your majesty. People like Li Yuan and Li Mi who wanted to usurp state power will never prevail. Shi Ji. Now. Draft an imperial edict in my name. Command Qvtu Tong and Song Laosheng leading an elite army to destroy Li Yuan. Yes. Your Majesty. Taiyuan Master. Jiangdu There's no way Qvtu Tong and Song Laosheng can occupy Taiyuan. They are completely no match for Li Yuan. I was in touch with both his sons. Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng are a couple of formidable heroes in an age of chaos. If we ignore rebel forces in Taiyuan, I'm worried that Li Yuan will join hands with Li Mi. In that case, the court would be in danger. Master. How such a wise man like you be so confused? What do you mean? If two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind. Both Li Yuan and Li Mi want to win the world. How can they join hands with each other? You have a point. But in such a time of chaos, I can't afford to make another mistake. Li Yuan's rebellion made His Majesty piss off at me. If I make another mistake, I will lose the His Majesty's grace. Right. We must make no mistake this time. Master. Now Chang'an is the weakest part. All guards came to Jiangdu with His Majesty. Chang'an has been unguarded. Li Yuan must be angling for Chang'an. If he got Chang'an, the court would be in real danger. You words do remind me as long as we bar Li Yuan on the east side of the Yellow River. Chang'an is safe. Yes. Deyi. Draft an imperial edict writing Order Qvtu Tong and Song Laosheng to stick to Hedong and Huoyi. And prevent Li Yuan from crossing the Yellow River to the west side. And find a chance to kill him. Yes. Hedong and Huoyi are natural shields for Chang'an. His Majesty let me in charge of Hedong, and let you in charge of Huoyi, because he trusts us. I'm aware. Huoyi lies next to Mount Huo and Fen River. It is an strategic place hard to attack and easy to defend. As long as you stay inside of the city wall. Li Yuan's rebel forces can't make it through Huoyi. General Qvtu. Though I'm not that experienced as you are in the battlefield. I'm not a green hand. Li Yuan has only 30 thousand soldiers. He can't pass Huoyi even if he has wings. Do not take them lightly. His two sons are heroes of the time. His second son Li Shimin in particular. He was intelligent and courageous. Even the Northern Hu feared him. So, they called each other brothers, forming an alliances with Li Yuan. You'd better be careful. I will. As long as you stall Li Yuan, I can lead the army in Hedong to block his retreat and kill them all outside of the city. Then we can recapture Taiyuan. Please rest assured. General Qvtu. I will stall Li Yuan in Huoyi. Don't attempt exploit. Don't be hot-tempered. Stall Li Yuan. Then you'll be the first to be awarded for eliminating rebel forces. I'll keep it in my mind. General Song. I'll leave General Sang in Huoyi to help you. Ho do you think? Great. I heard that General Sang is good at gaming. I was worrying that I couldn't find a match in Huoyi to kill time here. I'm flattered. Please. Please. Please. Jiahu Fort When will it stop raining? Hard to say. We didn't get off to a victory, first hit by continuous heavy rain. I don't know if it is good or bad. It depends on how to explain it. If we want a quick fix. It might not be good to us. But we are stationed at Jahu Fort. we can interact with Li Mi of Henan. In this way, it helps to strength the spirit and prestige of our army. Makes sense. But I wrote to Li Mi. He was slow to reply to me. I don't know why. Sit, please. Don't worry. Duke. Li Mi must wish to meet you. Maybe. His letter is on the way. Father. Li Mi wrote back. How arrogant Li Mi is. What did he say? He wanted to be the leader for his strong military power. He invited me to cross the Yellow River and to covenant with each other face to face. What's your opinion, Duke? Shimin. How do you say? Father. Li Mi is arrogant. If you don't make him your leader, He is sure to take it out on his father. Now we want Chang'an. We cannot be enemies of Li Mi You should talk to him ina humble and tactful way. To embrace him. Let him focus on dealing with the the government troops in Dongdu. After we take Chang'an and quell the riots in Guanzhong area We stand by and watch the fight between the snipe and the clam inside and outside Luoyang We'll reap the benefits like a fisherman. How do you think? Good. That's what I thought, too. Xuan Zhen. Here. Come on. Write back to Li Mi on my behalf. Several points must be contained in the letter. Come. I am over 50 years old. the throne is not what I want. If I got a chance to assist the achievement of the great cause, it would be a great pleasure to me. I hope that you, my brother, can follow the will of god to take charge of the world and to settle the people down. Li Mi would be so pleased when he reads your letter and do his best to fight against the government troops in Luoyang. There will be no worries when you head west. No worries. No. I'm still worried about the rain. This is unnecessary anxiety, Duke. It will be sunny when it's rainy. Hope it will clear soon. The situation is grim. We are not blessed by the God. It keeps raining heavily. We have been stuck here at Jiahu Fort for nearly 30 days. Unable to move a single step. Song Laosheng and Qvtu Tong stationed their forces in Huoyi and Hedong which are strategic places hard to attack and easy to defend. Shibi Khan is so unpredictable. Liu Wenjing hasn't returned yet. We got the news from Taiyuan that Liu Wuzhou is going to attack Taiyuan. Taiyuan is in panic. As the general, I'm worried about the safety of our soldiers. I can't sleep or eat in peace. Where should we go? I'm hesitant. Please help me analyze the situation and give me some advice. Duke. I'm one of the first among those who suggest a west expedition. But now we are stuck at Jiahu Fort without provisions. I'm also worried that if we can continue our west expedition. Today, I heard that Liu Wuzhou wants to occupy Taiyuan. This is cutting off our back roads. Taiyuan is the base of our army. Most families of our soldiers are in Taiyuan. If Taiyuan falls into Liu Wuzhou's hands, the soldiers will have no home to return to. How can they still stick to the aspiration to defeat strong enemies despite difficulties and obstacles? So, I think we should return to Taiyuan first to consolidate the foundation of our army. When it is time, we will go on our west expedition. General. I agree that we should return to Taiyuan to strengthen our foundation. I disagree. Following the idea of great righteousness, we dedicated ourselves to saving the people Despite risking our lives and obstacles ahead, we need to enter Chang'an and call the world to arms. But now, we haven't seen the Yellow River yet, Are we really drawing back and giving up our west expedition for any trivial difficulties? Those who followed us for the righteous cause will be disappointed and leave us. Even if we have Taiyuan back in our hands, we can only live on as bandits. In the end, we won't be able to save ourselves. I agree with Shimin. From an overall perspective to view our righteous cause. Survival is the key. Question: Without provisions, how can you achieve the great cause? Um. Father Commander. The art of war says, A wise general seeks his provisions from his enemy. Not to mention that we can get our enemy's provisions from Huoyi if we occupy it. There are crops all over the mountains around our camps. They can be our provisions. How can we say there's no food? Huoyi is a place hard to attack and easy to defend. Song Laosheng defends the city by its geographical advantages. Song Laosheng is reckless and hot-tempered. Just a few tricks can get him out of Huoyi. I'll capture him alive outside Huoyi. What a tone! Father Commander. I can swear to you. If I can't take Huoyi, You can behead... Too young, too naive! If it's you alone, whether you live or die, I can let you do whatever you want. But it is a matter of 30 thousand soldiers. It's not a game! Father. This is the best time to go west. Li Mi wants the corn outside Luoyang. He has no time for long-term planning. Liu Wuzhou though apparently attached to the Northern Hu. it's just on the surface. They're suspicious of each other under the table. He said he's going to attack Taiyuan. But he is worried that the Northern Hu are watching Mayi. There are still 40,000 of our soldiers in Taiyuan. No great danger. If you give up going west at this time. By the time Li Mi come to his senses, it would be very hard for us to occupy Chang'an. You are exaggerating. Father Commander. Shimin has a point here. When Yang Xuangan revolted, Li Mi was the one who advised him to plan for Chang'an. But Yang Xuangan didn't listen, which led to his failure and death. Now you have told Li Mi that you intended to go west. How could Li Mi not realize the importance of Chang'an? Let me think it over. All right, Shimin. Stop moping. Drink with me. Brother. I'm worried that father won't listen to our suggestions in the end. Well. Although father didn't show us his attitude directly. He seems no desires for the throne. In the bottom of his heart. he wants it. What we said today has inspired him to be an emperor. I don't think he doesn't care. Come on. Let's drink! Brother. Hope father will understand the overall situation , uphold the righteousness, and strengthen his will of becoming an emperor. Yes. Commander. Both of you are here. The General have ordered the withdrawal of the troops. What? We're withdrawing? Shimin, what are you going to do? I'm going to see father and tell him to retract the order to withdraw the troops. Shimin, an order is an order. How can you take back an order that was given? Maybe father will... Forget it. We'll find another chance to go west. No. The opportunity is now or never. I can't just sit idly when father is ruining the great cause. Wait. Commander. Get away. I need to see the General. The General has an order. No one is allowed inside. I have an important matter. I must see the General. The General is asleep and will not see anyone. Guards. Guards. General. Who is so bold? How dare you cry outside my tent? General. It's Chief Commander of Right, Li Shimin. What is he crying for? I have no idea. Let him in. Yes. Commander. The General asks you to come in. Why are you crying outside the tent? We're about to lose. How can I not cry? That's crazy talk. We have strong army. How can we be defeated? Father. For the sake of righteousness, people with aspirations gathered into a righteous army. If we forge ahead for the great righteousness, we can make it. But if we shy away from the difficulties, we will lose our solidarity. The righteous will definitely leave us. Until then, We will be utterly isolated. And our enemy will take advantage to defeat us. How can we not be defeated? If we lose, I will not drag out my ignoble existence. How can I not cry when I'm about to die? Rise. If you don't retract your order, I will not rise. Shimin. I'm aware that you are doing this for our men and for me as well. Come on. Rise. Let me ask you. Are you sure you can conquer Huoyi? Since I came to Jahu Fort, I've been to Huoyi many times. The terrain around Huoyi. I've already carved it into my heart. Are you really sure you can lure Song Laosheng out of Huoyi? The art of war says, "knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory." I know well about Song Laosheng. Are you sure that Liu Wuzhou will not attack Taiyuan? Not in the near future. Where did you get the news? Prince Toli told me when I met him outside Taiyuan city. The Northern Hu has the intention to take Mayi. Campared with Taiyuan, Mayi is more favorable to them for its geographical advantages. Liu Wuzhou sensed Toli's intention. He won't risk losing Mayi to invade Taiyuan. But Shimin. The left army has begun to withdraw from Jahu Fort. The order. I'm afraid I can't take it back. Father. The right army is standing by. Although the left army has withdrawn. they can't be too far. Please allow me to get them back. Our future is all on you. Do what you want. Thanks. Father Commander. Song Laosheng. People say you're a famous General of the Sui Dynasty. I think you're no better than a turtle. A tortoise even bites when someone irritates it. But you don't dare to go out and fight. You have humiliated the Sui and your ancestors. Having a man like you who fears death, What a great shame to your family! It's better to die than to live in disgrace! You should not be called a human. Puss-head. You are a puss-head! Puss-head. Bastard! That's too overdone. Missed. Missed again. Puss-head. What a bullshit bow and arrow! General. It's been raining heavily these days. It is damp, so the bowstring is too loose to shoot far. Gather the cavalry and go out of the city. Flay these bastards alive! General! General! General, please clam down. That's Li Yuan's trick! General, don't go out. If I don't kill these bastards, I can't get rid of my hatred. General Qvtu had an order that anyone go out of the city without permission will be executed. I would rather die in battle, than die of anger. General. Go and open the gate. General. Are you going or not? Even if you kill me, I can't disobey the order. If you don't, then I will. General. General, please calm down. General. When it comes to battles, The wise man is the one who laughs until the end. This is what you said. General. Have you forgotten? Let go of me. General. A little impatience can spoil the great plan. The lives of the 20,000 soldiers in Huoyi all depend on you. General Song. I was playing with them. Are you taking it serious? Let go of me. Go back to the house and play chess. We haven't finished the last round. You are a better player and will definitely win. Song Laosheng. He's no longer what he was. We've taken him lightly. Father. We must find a way to dangle him out of Huoyi. We can't keep wishful thinking. With so many troops outside the city. Once Qvtu Tong's reinforcements arrive, We will be attacked front and rear. In that way, it's so dangerous. Duke. We need to st now. It's not too late to evacuate Huoyi. Lord Pei. We're just trying out Song Laosheng. The best is yet to come. How can we back out in the middle? Shimin. It's a big no-no to seek fight and worship victory when it comes to military strategy. Thanks for your advice. Lord Pei. If we don't fight and seek victory, how can we win the world? Rome wasn't built in a day. we must fight every day. All right. Stop now. Shimin. I'll give you two more days. If you can't lure Song Laosheng out of the city. I'll have to withdraw my troops. Father. Two days is not enough. It can't be long. Qvtu Tong might arrive here anytime with reinforcements. Then three days. Brother. Two days is enough. Shimin. There's no kidding in the army. Brother. I have my own way. Li Yuan probably doesn't have the mood to drink like us. Not to mention drinking, he has so much to worry about that he can't even have a good meal. Tomorrow, I'll drink on the city wall, like Zhuge Kongming irritating Zhou Yv three times. Great! Good idea. Come on. For your irritating Zhou Yu three times, No. irritating Li Yuan three times. Cheers. Cheers. General Song. The rebels burned our granaries. People are panic and rush for food. The rebels even said that What? That after burning the granaries, they will burn your mansion. How dare they! I must kill Li Yuan! Pass on my order. We will go out tomorrow Yes, sir. Wait. Please calm down. Although the granaries were burnt, We can still hold out for a few days If we send a fast courier to Hedong tonight, and ask for a quick backup from General Qvtu. Li Yuan despises me so much. Burning my granaries is not enough, he wants to burn my Office. If I don't fight back, I will be laughed at by the world. General. Back then, Zhuge Kongming He put up with it again and again. That's how he got three wounds on Zhou Yu. No one in the world would dare to laugh at him. But Zhou Yu's narrow-mindedness held him to ridicule. General. Now you are irritating Li Yuan. How can you not put up with it? I was just being angry. Not to mention three times. Even four times is okay. General Sang. Let's drink! General. What about reinforcements? Send a fast courier to Hedong to request reinforcements. Yes, sir. We burned Song Laosheng's granaries. But he hasn't made any movements. He may not leave the city tomorrow. Don't worry. Father. He will definitely leave the city tomorrow morning. You're so sure? I've sent many spies into Huoyi. Not only did they burn his granaries. I also spread rumors. Within tonight, the word will spread in Huoyi. If he doesn't go out to fight, He will be assumed to rebel and to surrender to us. Song Laosheng is a man who cares about his reputation. He would be worried that it would be reported to the imperial court. Then he must go out and fight. Rumors are rumors. The effect is limited. Father. I have one more plan. It's a good one. But it's too risky. Father. Risks are indispensable if you want to win quickly. That's all we can do. General Song. You're here so early. If I hadn't come earlier, I would have been overwhelmed by gossip. General. I don't understand what you said. You're pretending, aren't you? I don't dare. I really don't understand. The whole city has heard that. You don't understand? Yes. Good. Today, I will show everyone in Huoyi what is the truth. That whether I am loyal or not. General Song. The one with the whip is Li Yuan's second son, Li Shimin. When I was following General Qvtu, I saw him in Yanmen. So daring. How dare he show off his power right under my nose? He is bold. He led 10,000 troops at Yanmen chasing after 300,000 soldiers of Northern Hu. He chased them for two days. That's because he hasn't met a match yet. Look. That man on the city wall must be Song Laosheng. Commander. You've seen him before? No. But I recognize him. How? Wait. I'll get him out. General Song. I'm Li Shimin. The second son of Li Yuan. The Chief Commander of Right of the Righteous Army. General Song. Can you see me clearly? If you can't see clearly, I can go up there. I've seen you clearly. Young as you are, How dare you challenge me? General Song. You're wrong. I'm not here to call for battle. I'm here to accept surrender. Didn't you make an appointment with my father to surrender to us and to settle the world? What? Have you forgotten? Li Shimin, you're full of nonsense! I, Song Laosheng, am loyal to the court. Why would I surrender to your treacherous rebels? General Song, how can you go back on your word? You had the idea of rebellion. Even if you regret, the court will not let go. Look what is this? This is the letter of surrender you wrote to my father. If I give this to the court, Will the court forbid you? Quickly open the gate and surrender! Otherwise, you'll be dead once I attack the city. Li Shimin. You... Stay put! Good. I'll wait for you here. If you don't keep your word, Then you are not the famous General of the Sui Dynasty. Let's go out. Go out. General you can't leave the city. Leave or trait. Do you understand? General, they're talking nonsense. Full of nonsense. How can you be a rebel? Your loyalty is unswerving. Neither your words nor mine count. Everyone in Huoyi said that I'm a traitor. I can't defend myself. We must fight today. My life can be given to prove my loyalty. Can you get it? I fully understand what you said. If you get out of the city, you can never go back to Huoyi anymore. I'm fully aware. But I have to fight. It's either Li Shimin's life or mine that can wash away my shame and prove my loyalty. General. Master. Master. Qvtu Tong sent a report. Song Laosheng has been killed. We lost Huoyi, Linfen and Longmen one after another. Qvtu Tong has failed the trust of the court. In just a few days, he lost so many places. I don't think he can be the Great General anymore. Alas. Master. It's no use saying angry words now. We still have to count on Qvtu Tong. Only he can stall Li Yuan's army in the east of the Yellow River. You're right. There's no military forces left under the Prince Dai in Chang'an. Deyi. We've lost so many places. How can we explain to the Emperor? We can't mention it. Not a single word! If Qvtu Tong can't stop Li Yuan from occupying Chang'an. It will be more troublesome. Master. The world is in such a mess. How much of the truth you think does His Majesty know? If you tell His Majesty the truth, there will be no more room for maneuvering. If we lost Chang'an, His Majesty will definitely look into it. What should we do? The same way you did before. That they didn't report it. That's the only way. Shimin. When Jahu Fort was besieged by heavy rain, I could never have imagined we would be standing by the Yellow River so soon. Nor could I imagine that we would receive such a warm welcome from the people on both sides of the Yellow River. Over 100 people per day give us ferries and boats. Not only the people on both sides of the Yellow River, but the heroes of Guanzhong all look forward to the day. Father. As long as we cross the Yellow River. They will take the wind and follow us to on this ground. Ren Yuan of Hedong County said the same thing that once we cross the Yellow River, our army will be unstoppable as the river, Father. We can cross the river from Mount Liang. Then we'll go straight to Hancheng and Heyang. We'll strike up the drum and march to occupy Yongfeng Warehouse. By then, even if we have not conquered Chang'an, Guanzhong will already be under the control of our Righteous Army. Shimin. It was your plan to rise up in Taiyuan. Once I win the world, you will be the Crown Prince. Thank you for your attention. I won't be the Crown Prince. I'm only doing it for yo. and the people, for the peace of the world. Chang'an Started from Taiyuan, the Righteous Army has settled Taiyuan, crossed the Yellow River and swept through Guanzhong within 6 months. Now we're here at the gate of Chang'an. We can achieve this not for how powerful we are, but for we follow the will of the people and God. Today, we're moving into the city. We must be strict in our discipline. We must not kill innocent people or and harm them. Anyone who disobeys the order will be severely punished. We're rising to enthrone Prince Dai of Sui and to settle its royal family. Therefore, the leaders of troops and I all agreed not to destroy the seven temples of the Sui dynasty and not to harm the royal family of Prince Dai after we enter the city Anyone who disobeys the order will be exterminated. Li Jiancheng, Chief Commander of Left. Lead the left army entering the city from the east. Yes, sir. Li Shimin, Chief Commander of Right. Lead the right army to enter the city from the south. Yes. Listen to me, everyone! By order of Prince Dai. If you keep Chang'an in our hands. Each of you will receive 100 taels of silver, Those who don't have an official position will be given one. Those who are officers will be promoted by three levels. All soldiers defending the city must do your best to fight. Those who retreat will be killed. Those who collaborate with the enemy will be executed! Hold the fort! Fight! Jiangdu It's time go back. Your Highness. You come here almost every day to watch the river flow. Why can't you get enough of it? You think that I'm watching the river flow? I refuse to see the singing and dancing as well as the besotted life in the palace. You're so right. Now the world is in chaos, the people in the palace are still unaware of it. They're aware. They just didn't say it. Yes. Many people are aware. Li Mi has besieged Dongdu. Dou Jiande has taken over Hebei. Li Yuan even entered Chang'an and enthrone a new King. What did you say? I said the world is in chaos. Li Mi has besieged Dongdu. What did you say about Li Yuan? Li Yuan and Li Shimin... You said Li Yuan has entered Chang'an. What exactly did he do? No...Nothing. He just entered Chang'an. Chen Si. If you don't make it clear today, I'll have you killed. Mercy! Your Highness. Mercy! I'll tell you. I'll make it clear. Rise. What are you looking at? I told you to rise and say. Yes. Your Highness. It's been over a month. Li Yuan and Li Shimin led the Righteous Army no, no, no. the Rebels, entering Chang'an. They enthroned Prince Dai as the new King. who is just a thirteen-year-old boy. He's just puppet King. It was Li Yuan and his son who actually made the decision. Our soldiers are afraid that they can't go back to Chang'an anymore. Your Highness. Your Highness. Where are you going? Your Highness. Where are you going? How tranquil Jiangdu's pond is! The carp in it can see beauties through the water. While the beauties aren't aware that their beauties are all mirrored on the water. Your writing is as precious as gold. Your Majesty. All right. You can sell them for gold. You'll never use it all. I haven't finished yet. Precious as it is, I won't exchange it for a thousand pieces of gold. Well. Look. What a good speaker you are, Meiniang. I mean it. For your writing, not to mention a thousand pieces of gold, I won't trade it even 10 thouand pieces of gold. Your Majesty. I will not trade it for a thousand pieces of gold, too. No, 10 thousand. Write a poem for me. Your Majesty. I do, too. Please write a poem for me. I want a poem, too. Your Majesty. I will not exchange it for anything. Well. Fine. Fine. I am happy today. I'll write poems for each of you. Come. Come on. Smooth out the paper. Father. I have something to say to you. OK. Go ahead. Yuerong. I want to talk to you alone. OK. Then wait until I finish my poem. OK? Father. What do you think of the poem by the last Emperor of Chen? Why do you ask that? 28 years ago, as the Chief Commander of the Sui Dynasty, when you led the army to the capital of Chen, Jiankang, not far from Jiangdu. He was drinking and writing poem with his concubines. He was writing a poem about the splendor and beauties in his imperial harem. When he's done. The country was done, too. Right in you hands. Father. Yuerong. You've always spoken out of turn. I won't punish you. Give me the brush. And take your leave. Father. Li Yuan has taken Chang'an. He has enthroned a new King. Do you still have the mood to drink and write poems? What did you say? Great Sui is about to fall. Are you going to become the second Emperor of Chen? Shut up! No. I have to. Sui is going to fall! You're going to be the second Emperor of Chen. Guards. Take her out and chastise her! Your Majesty, Yueyong just made a slip of the tongue. Don't intercede for her. Father. I'm telling you the truth. The truth that none of them dare to say. Li Yuan, Li Mi and Dou Jiande. They want to divide your country. Father! You can't go back to Chang'an anymore. You Guards! Take her away! Beat her to death with a cane! Ah? Get her out of here! Get out! Get out of here! Your Majesty. Get out! All of you. Get out! Damn it! Master. Master. Master. Have you heard that Princess Yueyong was almost killed by His Majesty. Yes. Master. About Chang'an... If His Majesty asks, what should we do? Insist that we didn't receive any report about it. It's such a big matter. His Majesty won't buy it. Prince Dai in Chang'an has ascended to the throne. The eunuchs in the palace all know about it. How could you not know as the Minister of Internal Affairs? You're worried about yourself, aren't you? No. I'm not. I'm thinking of you. You are the mainstay of the court. You must be safe. Don't worry. I've already thought about it. I'll handle it. You You may have heard that Li Yuan has entered Chang'an, enthroned Prince Dai. and honored me from afar as the Father of the Emperor. This happened last month. But I have not heard of it so far. There so many ministers in the court. None of you know about it? Are you deliberately trying to deceive me? Say some words. Aren't you all usually very good at talking? Why are you all silent today? Yu Shiji. You are the Minister of Internal Affairs. All imperial documents must pass through your hands. Tell me why didn't you report it to me that Chang'an was lost? Your Majesty. I haven't received any reports about the loss of Chang'an. I don't know whether other colleagues have received any secret reports from Chang'an? Have you Have any of you received secret reports about the loss of Chang'an? Yes, I have. I will not blame you. As long as you report to me here today, you will not be blamed. Have you received it, Yuwen Huaji? Your Majesty. No one sent any secret reports. I haven't heard of the loss of Chang'an either. What about you, Pei Ju? I don't know about the loss of Chang'an either. None of you know that Chang'an is lost. Why are there a lot of rumors in the palace? and it sound like true. Even a new emperor is in place. Your Majesty. The rumor is just a rumor. It is not credible. Do you have proof? I have no proof. But I've been to Taiyuan myself. I know about Li Yuan. If he had entered Chang'an. He would never enthrone Prince Dai. Not to mention that he respected you as the Father of the Emperor. I'm afraid that the one who were enthroned would be Li Yuan himself. Your words make some sense. Back then, I should have killed Li Yuan. Your Majesty, I have something to report. It can prove that Chang'an is not in Li Yuan's hands. Didn't you say you didn't receive it? I received it from Qvtu Tong from Tongguan. Didn't Qvtu Tong go to Hedong? Sorry. I made a mistake. Qvtu Tong handed over Hedong to General Yao Junsu. He returned to Tongguan. They collaborated with each other across the Yellow River. Qvtu Tong knows how to fight. He was able to defend Hedong and Tongguan. Then Chang'an... Go on. A few days ago, Qvtu Tong sent a memorial to the throne, asking for one million taels of silver to reward 200,000 soldiers who were defending Tongguan and Hedong He asked for 1 million taels of silver. That means Hedong is still in his hands. Hedong is the gateway to Chang'an. Since Li Yuan couldn't take over Hedong. How dare he cross the Yellow River to attack Chang'an? Why didn't you report it to me? I thought that he's asking for too much. It's his duty to eliminate enemies. He should not ask for such a huge amount of silver from the court. This is his memorial. Please read it, Your Majesty. It is a little bit too much. But his memorial is very clear. Two hundred thousand soldiers. Five taels each. In that case, It's not too much. This way. Send someone to the treasury immediately. Transfer one million taels of silver to Tongguan. Wise. Your Majesty. I really didn't expect this. You made it so easy to turn the crisis into peace. The courtiers just wanted to to be safe. I'm just pushing the boat out. Master. His Majesty will know the truth sooner or later. Although you can get by for a while, it's not a long-term solution. Deyi. How do you think we suggest His Majesty build a Capital south of the Yangtze River? Good. Excellent! Wow. That's brilliant. When we build a Capital south of the Yangtze River His Majesty will not think about Chang'an anymore. Deyi. Then you should have a tour around the area and select a place for the capital. We will present to His Majesty after that. Yes, Master. Chang'an Shimin, I didn't expect that it's only a year since we separated that the Great Sui was falling apart. What surprised me more is that it's only 6 months since we rose up that you took over Chang'an. I knew it all along that you and your father are the heroes of the times. Not exactly heroes. We are just following the wishes of the people. Li Yuan. You are not a hero. You are a villain. Li Yuan. Villain! You killed people for your personal anger. You won't have the world. Villain! Li Yuan. Li Yuan. You are a villain. You won't have the world. You killed people for your personal anger. Li Yuan. The man in the carriage is Li Jing. Li Jing. The nephew of General Han Qinhu, a great general of the Sui Dynasty. He's a rare military talent. Stop. This prisoner cannot be killed. Take him back! I dare not disobey the order of the Chancellor. Stay put. And don't even lay a finger on him. Or else, You'll be the one who gets beheaded. Commander. If the Chancellor insists to kill Li Jing, I dare not disobey his orders. I will go to the Chancellor now. Am I clear? Yes. Father. We can't kill Li Jing. He's a rare talent. I'm aware. I know him. His uncle, Han Qinhu, said that "The only one who can talk to him about military strategies is his nephew." before he died. That is Li Jing. Father. Then why did you have to kill him? He's not on our side. He's going to Jiangdu to denounce us for conspiracy. If I don't kill him, there will be trouble in the future. Father. Li Jing is accusing us of conspiracy. Wasn't it before the rebels took Chang'an? That's right. He was the magistrate of Mayi. We rose up in Taiyuan. He had no way to denounce us. So he got himself into a prisoner's carriage. He had the officials to send him to Jiangdu via Chang'an to denounce me in secret. But just after his carriage arrived in Chang'an. The city was surrounded by our troops. The defenders of Chang'an didn't know what the plan was and threw Li Jing into the prison. Later, we entered the city. When clearing out prisoners, We found the case of Li Jing. After we got the details, Of course I had to kill him. Father, you're confused. You How are you talking to father? Father. Li Jing worked for Sui Dynasty. It's his duty to defend his country. He dared to go to Jiangdu to sue us. He must be loyal . Father. Lord Xiao Yu was asking me just now. How could such a strong dynasty fall apart in such a short time? Why? I said No one dared to tell the truth. No one dared to speak the truth to Yang Guang. Maybe to this day, Yang Guang still doesn't know that we've taken Chang'an. You have a point. But... I think Li Jing is man with great courage and insight. I'm worried you won't be able to handle him. Don't worry, Father. I have my own way of managing Li Jing. Since you think you can manage Li Jing. I'll let him go. You can have him. He'll be yours. Thank you, Father. Thank you for saving my life. Commander. Li Jing, please rise. Please rise. It wasn't me who saved you. It was you who saved yourself. What did you mean by that? Do you know what is the most important thing being courtiers? Loyalty to the King. What specifically? To do one's duty. and do one's best. And what's more important? I don't know what the you're referring to. To tell the truth. Li Jing. You dared to go to Jiangdu and tell the Emperor the truth about the situation. There are few people dared to . You are one of them. What I see in you is not only your talent, but also your straightforwardness. The straightforward words of a loyal man. Thank you your kindness and appreciation. How about coming to Tongguan taking over Qvtu Tong with me? I'm willing to follow you all over the world. Qvtu Tong's army has already disorganized. Nearly 40% of the soldiers have fled. His soldiers are less than 50,000 with the casualties. While our soldiers are in high morale. If we attack the city with all our might, in less than two days, I will have the Tongguan in my hands. I agree. The sooner we conquer Tongguan, the earlier Taiyuan and Guanzhong can integrate with each other. Then our military strength can cover half of the Central Plains. Li Jing. What is your plan? The Art of War says the best policy in war is to thwart the enemy's strategy. While the worst is to attack the city. To attack a city directly is not only costly for the people and money, but also a wreck our own forces. To conquer Tongguan, attacking is not the only choice. Without attacking the city, How can we conquer Tongguan? We can get Qvtu Tong out of the gate and get him killed. General Li is a newcomer. You don't know what kind of a man Qu Tu Tong is. I've heard of him. Qvtu Tong has experienced many battles. He's excellent. How would he leave the city so easily? Success comes with dedicated efforts Even the most brilliant general can make a mistake. Take advantage of his mistake when you find it. He'll do what you tell him to do. That's easy to say. It's not easy, is it? Commander! Commander! Sang Xianhe comes to surrender. Leave us alone for a moment. Li Jing stays here. Yes. Bring him here! General. Will Sang Xianhe take this chance to leave without return? Will he surrender to the rebels? Doubting a friend. Especially a sworn friend. I would never do that. You are the deputy of General Qvtu. Sang Xianhe? Exactly. Are you Li Shimin, the hero of the world today? I dare not call myself a hero. Untie me now! I'm here to surrender. What if you're a fraudulent surrender? The world will be Family Li's. Foolish as I were, I won't go against the current of the times. I mean it! ntie me! What are you laughing at? Don't you believe me? I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at General Qvtu Tong. He goes against the times. He's almost isolated. Since you're a hero, I don't think you should laugh at him. Why? Although he sticks to the wrong course. But his loyalty is more true than the sun and the moon. You're right. But I want you to go back to Tongguan and try to persuade Qvtu Tong to follow the trend of the times. General Qvtu will never betray the court. Even if he dies. If I can persuade him to surrender to us, General Sang, will you help me? Commander. You can drop the idea forever. General Qvtu used to rubbed his neck and said to me even if he got a cut in the neck, he would not betray the Great Sui. Untie General Sang! General Sang. Just do as I said. As for whether General Qvtu Tong will surrender, you don't have to worry about that. If I do as you command, How much reward can I get? A hundred taels of gold. I'm all ears. General. General. How is it? They say Li Shimin is super smart. I don't see it. He's been tricked. Commander. Commander. Sang Xianhe wrote back. Tonight he will lead 5,000 soldiers to surrender us under the pretext of striking. Meanwhile, Qvtu Tong will break out from the east gate of the city and head Luoyang. Good! We will be waiting for him at the east of the city. Commander. Could Sang Xianhe be deceitful? if you use a man, don't suspect him, and vice versa. He dare not. Commander. Even if Sang Xianhe doesn't dare. How about Qvtu Tong? Wouldn't he change his mind? Li Jing. What is your opinion? I think we should do this... This place in the west of the city... Tongguan General. Farewell. Mr. Sang. I've changed my mind. General. You're not going to break out? No. I'll select 5,000 soldiers to raid their station. General. I thought we agreed. You take the rest of the army to Luoyang The court needs you. My attack on the rebel camp was a cover. Actually We intend to get out from the west. Then head to south, cross the Yellow River to Luoyang. What about me? What about the 40,000 soldiers here? Mr. Sang. I know I know your heart is no longer here. You want to return to Chang'an. Nine out of ten of the soldiers defending Tongguan are from the Central Plain. Everyone has his own aspirations. I won't stop you. You have bosses,I have bosses. Take your way. General. I, Sang Xianhe, is so sorry. Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang. You've followed me from Hedong to Tongguan, through many difficulties, You've done your best. But I am different from you. I have served two generations of emperors. The court has treated me generously. To betray His Majesty and the court in times of crisis. I'm not that kind of person. Your loyalty is comparable to the sun and the moon. I dare not compare it with the sun and the moon. I am only doing my duty. Mr. Sang. Farewell. Farewell. Commander. Sang Xiange was lying to us. He led 5,000 soldiers out of the west gate. He didn't come here. Instead, he suddenly rushed south halfway. What is the strength of this army? I sent a cavalry to find out. These 5,000 soldiers are very brave and fierce. Mobilize the troops in the east and west of the city to besiege the enemy. Commander. Maybe they're just a front to attract our troops. Qvtu Tong will then lead the main force to break out from the east. Qvtu Tong is among the 5,000 soldiers. A fierce force must have a fierce general. I see. General. A large group of rebels has been spotted ahead. General. We are surrounded by rebels! Prepare to fight! Fight for the court to the last man. Tell the troops at Tongguan. I want to see Qvtu Tong. Yes. General. The rebel Li Shimin wants to meet you in front of the two armies. Tell him if he wants to see me, Come to me. Otherwise, I won't see him. Yes. Commander. Qvtu Tong said if you want to see him, You need to come to him. OK. Tell him I'll be there. Commander. Now Qvtu Tong is like a gambler who lost his heart. He can do anything! You can' t promise him. You don't know about him. No matter what time it is, he won't break his word. Even if Qvtu Tong doesn't do anything, his soldiers might take the risk. Commander. You can't take the risk. Few people take risks. Most soldiers of Qvtu Tong are from the Central Plain area. They don't want to go to Luoyang. They want to go home. It is not about the numbers. Because if there is one who takes risks, he'll get you killed. So, what do you think? If I don't go to him, he won't see me. Actually Qvtu Tong can't escape right now. What's the harm in not seeing him? As long as you give the order, within two hours, QvtuTong and he remnants of his troops will be destroyed. He would rather die than surrender. If we start fighting, I can't get him anymore. Why do you have to get Qvtu Tong? I want to get him just as I wanted to get you in Chang'an. To settle the world, I need more military talents which I don't have many now. They're rare. You are broad-minded. General. Li Shimin said OK. He said he would come here to meet you. Tell him I can meet him. General Qvtu. It's been over two years since we parted at Yanmen. How are you doing? Being besieged in the middle of nowhere, How can I say I'm well? You didn't lose. It's the brutal Sui that has been defeated. If you turn away from Sui, Your future will be glorious again. Li Shimin. That what I want to say, you can kill me. But if you want to persuade me to surrender to you. Unless the sun rises from the west. I am not here to persuade you to surrender. I am here to renew to renew our friendship in Yanmen. If you still value our friendship there, if you still respect me. Then you shall go back and command your army to fight with me for the last time. Let me end my life on the battlefield. General. You are a man who values high of righteousness. That's why I respect you. Stop saying that word. Your so-called righteousness is to betray the court and His Majesty. That is a shame for me. General. I really feel sorry for you. Your eyes are wide open. But you can't see what is right and what is wrong. All you see is His Great Majesty. But what did His Majesty you bring to the to his country? Poverty. War. Hunger. Go and ask soldiers. Ask their families. Which family did not have their members die in battle? Which family did not have their members starve to death? General. You can remain loyal to your fatuous King. But you shouldn't let your soldiers who have gone through fire and water with you, risk their lives for such a tyrant. General. I fought for the court, just like them, At Yanmen, I defended for the court and His Majesty with my own flesh and blood. But His Majesty went away, leaving behind poverty and hunger. He left the Central Plain, cowering in Jiangdu and living his dream life there. He forgot about his people, and put the world in chaos. People are suffering. For the sake of the people, we have to raise banner of righteousness and enter Chang'an. What we are doing is line with the people's wishes. So we have the support from everywhere. General. Now the Righteous Army has entered Chang'an, and occupied Guanzhong. We have a new Emperor. Most of your soldiers are from Guanzhong. Don't they want to go home and visit their parents, wives, and kids? General. Take us home. General. Go home. Take us home! Home. Home. General. Take us home. General. Home. Home. General. His Majesty. I dare not betray the Great Sui and the court. The gods of heaven and earth can prove this! But my soldiers want to go home. I've done my best. General. You can't die. Your soldiers still need you. General. Master. Jiangdu Emergency. We lost Tongguan. Qvtu Tong surrendered to Li Yuan. Li Yuan appointed him as the Minister of National Defense and gave him a title. Deyi. Have you chosen the location for the capital of Jiangnan? Yes, I have. Danyang. Good. A good choice. Deyi. I'll present it to His Majesty tomorrow. Master. What What about Tongguan? I told you before that Don't report anything about the rebellion anymore. They are no big deal. Master. I'm worried about His Majesty. Something will happen one day. Don't worry. As long as His Majesty has a capital in Jiangnan, nothing's going to happen, We don't have to worry. But Then I'll take my leave. OK. It's rare for us to get together. Please feel at home here. Let's have a good drink today. Come on. Raise your cups again. Come on. Cheers. Come on. General Yuwen. If you didn't mention home, it's OK. But you did. Those of us from Chang'an really want to go home. Alas. Don't mention home. The word 'home' makes my heart shiver. General Yuan. How many of your men have escaped? Twenty? Two hundred. Fifty were caught and killed. More and more soldiers are escaping. His Majesty knows nothing but to kill. He never mentions when we will go back to Chang'an. This is not the solution. General Yuwen. You are a courtier, General of the Right. You can see His Majesty. Can you advise him that he should return to Chang'an as soon as possible. Even if not recently, we need to know the plan. and know exactly when we'll leave here. Otherwise, My soldiers will all flee. His Majesty will not listen. He's going to build a capital in Danyang, south of the Yangtze River. I'm afraid we can't return to Chang'an within years. This is pushing us to suicide. Isn't it? If His Majesty doesn't return to Chang'an, The imperial guards will all flee. If they flee, we can' survive either. If we can't survive, we'll flee. Flee with them. Fleeing is not the best choice. Dou Xian, the Captain of the bodyguards, led his men to flee west. His Majesty sent cavalry after them. Dou Xian was executed on the spot. We can't flee. Nor can we survive. General Yuwen. Please show us a way. What can I tell you? I'm the same as you all. I don't dare to speak in the court. Off court, I drink to relieve a thousand sorrows. Live one day at a time. Come on. Wait. General Yuwen. I have a way out. I don't know if you dare to take it. It's better to live than to wait for death. There is no reason not to dare to go. General Sima. What is your way out? To kill the tyrant Emperor Yang Guang. General. This is treason! He will slaughter our clans. Our clans are in Chang'an. He can't reach. He can't exterminate our clans! I agree with General Sima. Waiting for death is no difference from fighting to death. Maybe we can find a way to live! Yes, I also agree with General Sima. We will regret if we don't fight. Yes. General Yuwen. What about you? Um... This is huge. It is a matter of Sui and the court. Our lives as well. It's not our business anymore. We can only mind for ourselves. How many of our men did he kill? Just because they missed their home. Yes. The lives of our men are in danger. as light as worms. If we don't rebel, someone else will. You're right. Now the soldiers can't stand anymore. If we can't kill him, we will be dead at worst. Only when we kill the tyrant, can we have the chance to live. Master. That's how they discussed about the revolt. In addition, Yuwen Huaji planned to call the rebels into the city tomorrow night. The morning after tomorrow, they're going to attack His Majesty's living palace. Yuwen Huaji. His Majesty is so kind to him. How dare he defy the world and plot treason! Deyi. This is a false imperial decree. Take this to deploy the military immediately. Arrest Yuwen Huaji and take them down. OK. Don't worry. I will not fail you. I'll go tomorrow morning. No. Do it now. The sooner the better. Yes. Who is that? Lord Yu. Lord Feng sent us. Where is Feng Deyi? He's gone to the palace. So early? Lord Yu. Open the door. What do you want? What What do you want? What do you want? Lord Yu. We're here to take you home. Her Majesty. Where is His Majesty? What do you want with him? We want him take us home. He's at court. He's at court so early? Yuwen Huaji. Barged into my palace with weapons. What should be the punishment? You are Sima Dekan, right? Laughing wantonly in the court is capital offense. Do you know? Of course, I do. Today either you die or us. Yu Shiji. Shiji. He's already one step ahead of you. What is my fault? Why are you treating me like this? You abandoned hometown toured all the time. Keep waging war abroad. Living extravagantly and lasciviously at home. No one is worse than you. People lived a hard life. Bandits swarmed everywhere. The imperial court preferred treacherous villains and whitewashed reality, rejecting advice from the loyal. Such a good country was torn apart by you. This is not even a fault. It's sin. Countless, deadly sin. I may have treated the people not well. But I treat you, all of you, well. I provided you a lot of glory and wealth. Why do you treat me like this? Anyone tells me! Yuwen Huaji. Did you take the lead in this matter today? Why are you treating me like this? Tell me. Everyone hates you. Not just me. Feng Deyi. It's time to reckon with the sins of the tyrant. Feng Deyi. You are an intellectual. Why did you do such a treacherous thing? What are you afraid of? He is no longer the Emperor. How can you say I'm not the Emperor? I am still the Emperor, even you kill me. Fine. Then we will do it for you. Wait. The Emperor has his own way of dying. How can you kill me with a sword? In 618 AD, March of the lunar calendar, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed in Jiangdu. A great dynasty that flourished for a while, then fell. Emperor Yang of Sui lost because he tyrannized the people, rejected listening to the truth. wantonly engaged in military ventures. and indulged in extravagance and desires. His downfall taught the later rulers of the Tang Dynasty a never-forgotten lesson.
