Kingdom of Conquerors (止殺)

"It is not sufficient that I succeed: all others must fail"

-Genghis Khan--

In the 1200's arose a man so feared for his ruthlessness

and cunning that he was able to emerge as

the greatest empire builder ever known to mankind,

Genghis Khan - revered as the founder of the Mongol Empire.

Making history from the saddle of his unstoppable steed,

Genghis Khan and his formidable horsemen became known

both for their unrelenting strategic skills as well as

the wholesale massacres of any civilian populations that stand in their way.

In his lifetime he set his people on a path that

eventually saw them controlling large portions of present day China,

Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europa.

But by 1219 as he led his Mongol forces the West once more

to do battle he faced an enemy that he could not defeat;

a growing fear if his own mortality.

KINGDOM OF CONQUERORS

Grandpa, are we at the city where the sun sets?

No, it's still far.

When we get there, I'll be all grown up.

That's right. Every Mongolian grows up on the road.

We keep moving as long as we're alive, right up until we die.

What does "die" mean?

"Die" is when you stop moving.

Grandpa, why do we keep going in this direction?

Because that's where our enemies are.

Don't stop!

They killed our trade envoys

and now the Creator wants us to punish them

for their arrogance and their foolishness.

When I grow up, I'm going to fight your enemies, Grandpa.

You must chase down your enemies

and tear down their city walls

so that grass can grow in its place,

and so that your horses can run free.

Naya, open your eyes!

Look at me, Naya!

Great Khan, you should stay back.

Beware of the plague.

Naya?

The Western Campaign army was ravaged by plague.

When Kheshig Commander Naya succumbed to the disease,

the Great Khan began to fear his own death.

Great Khan, here is your plague medicine.

So long as my enemies are alive,

I will not die.

Great Khan, Yelv Chucai asked me to tell you

the baby may be infected with the plague.

It must be kept away from your queen.

No!

This child arrived at the wrong time.

His cries weaken my heart.

Go find him a good family.

With the blessings of heaven, he will survive

and will someday become a great man.

My queen.

Long Beard.

Do I...

look old to you?

I may be old,

but even so, I still have a long way to go.

Nothing could stop

the Great Khan's advance to the west.

Should plague and pestilence be an obstacle?

Great Khan's royal bodyguard Naya died because of plague.

I was ordered to take up his saber?

And seek out the great Taoist monk,

the Sage of Eternal Spring, Qiu Chuji.

The Sage Qiu has a world reputation,

and everyone knows him in the eastern plains.

I hope to persuade him to allay the Great Khan's fear of death.

We traveled day and night toward the rising sun.

13 horses died of fatigue under me.

And after three seasons passed,

I finally saw the legendary ocean.

Who comes?

Special envoy for Genghis Khan, Liu Zhonglu.

I come to present an invitation from the Great Khan to Master Qiu,

to instruct him in the Way.

Where is the Great Khan?

The Great Khan is traveling west

and is now campaigning in Khwarezmia.

My master is advanced in age and cannot travel.

We must decline.

Halt!

Give the plants very little. Save the water

- for the people down the mountain. - Move it!

- Move! - Take me to Qiu Chuji.

Wait.

I am Qiu Chuji. You can let him go.

Listen, old man,

I am looking for the Sage of Eternal Spring, Qiu Chuji.

And I am the Sage of Eternal Spring, Qiu Chuji.

I am sorry, Master. My apologies.

"I inquire after Master Qiu,

you who are the embodiment of the Way,

and in harmony with all in and under heaven,

whose wisdom exceeds the knowable,

whose conduct his name bears high,

who has meditated long in the valleys hidden in the shadows.

I have therefore dispatched General Liu

with an escort and chariots to request

that you delay your quest for immortality?

And make the instruction of myself?

In the Way your foremost task,

as this offends neither righteousness,

your station, or proper governance.

By order of Genghis Khan."

The honor that has been bestowed upon me

by the Great Khan

is far greater and nobler than an old man like myself deserves.

Master, when will you be ready to depart?

I will ready your escort.

Whether I go or not depends upon heaven's will.

Master, fool that I am, I request clarification.

Wendeng suffers from the worst drought in a century.

I must pray for rain here.

When heaven takes pity on the people of Wendeng

and grants them rain,

then I will follow you and your men west,

without delay or protest.

Master, you know that the Great Khan's edicts must be obeyed.

You've crossed mountains and rivers,

your journey was long. You must get some rest.

Master? Master.

Master! Master!

An emissary from the Jin Empire

requests your presence at their capital.

And a Song ambassador requests your guidance in Luoyang.

They come with full honors.

Tell them that right now

our crops are dying

at the hands of a severe drought,

and unless they can provide me with a rushing river,

I will not see any one of them.

Great Khan, your feet are cold today.

I am very old. My blood does not flow well.

Hoelun, these last few days

I have been dreaming about nothing but death.

I feel that I am really growing old.

Great Khan, you are not old.

You will never, ever get old.

You have been traveling for so long.

You are tired. That is all.

No matter how long the road is, I cannot stop.

Hoelun...

with you by my side, I will never be an old man.

The Great Khan's wife was the only one

who could understand him.

And she would be with him all the way

to the end of his endless journey.

The Great Khan said this was her fate.

Move! Move!

What are you doing?

Look up.

If heaven won't grant us rain,

don't blame my master for staying.

The only heaven or god I recognize

is Genghis Khan, and his orders are law.

Take me west with you instead.

Anything the Great Khan wants to know

I too am able to provide.

The Khan wants one man, and that's Master Qiu.

The drought will kill us whether he goes with you or not,

mm save m; trouble and massacre

He's right! Kill every one of us!

Yes, kill us all!

If you dare anger the Great Khan,

that is exactly what will happen!

That's enough!

Great Khan, I come to you with strange tidings.

In the dawn hours, there appeared an unusual beast

and it offered some guidance.

It said we should turn back east.

Long Beard. did you see it?

I did not. Your groom Batu saw it with his own eyes,

as well as your night guard Hadahei.

They did not dare tell you of it directly, sir,

so they confided in me.

And do you believe it?

They claim to have seen it with their own eyes

and I did not dare disbelieve them.

Very well, have them tell me themselves.

Yes. You may enter.

Great Khan,

my hands have only ever held the minister's pen.

I do not have the heart to whip these men.

Have mercy, your majesty!

The Khan had them whisper into his left and right ears,

describing what they saw.

What they described of course was different.

Great Khan, if anyone must be whipped,

then let that person be me. I asked them to lie to you

because I felt I had no other choice.

The plague ravages us

and the soldiers miss home.

The Great Khan despises nothing more than liars.

The Great Khan despises nothing more than a liar.

On that day I recommended you to the Great Khan

and he forgave both of them at once.