Song of Phoenix (思美人)

Song of Phoenix

Episode 49

You agreed last time to wed with me by dusk, but how come you changed your mind midway? - Li Sao (Grievances)

Prime Minister, you needn't worry at all.

With me Chu Li Ji here,

I'll kill one when one comes.

If two come, I'll kill a pair.

General Wei is to lead two forces tomorrow to guard Han Gu Valley.

Remember this. Defeat is not allowed.

Victory is not allowed either.

The remaining forces are to retreat thirty li (~15 km).

Prime Minister, how are you telling us to retreat?

Didn't we agree we are to guard the valley?

I am telling you to feign defeat. It doesn't mean for you to lose for real.

But to retreat . . .

Have General Wei lead the folks to retreat instead.

I, Chu Li Ji, in my lifetime,

I've never known the meaning of retreat.

General Chu Li.

In this army tent, do your words count,

or do the words of this Prime Minister count?

Who will spearhead tomorrow's battle?

Chu Nation's military power is the strongest. Furthermore, General Qu Gai is the bravest of all men.

So I believe,

General Qu Gai is the best suited to spearhead.

A bunch of cowards scared of death. You are just too scared to spearhead.

Stop wasting words here.

Alliance Commander, I am willing to spearhead.

Great. Great Marshall Qu is indeed the glorious hero of our Chu.

Tomorrow, I will personally command our great Chu army to take over Han Gu Valley.

General Zhang, you take an army to guard our base.

You other generals, spread and be on standby.

Yes, Sir.

Commander Qu, Han Gu Valley is a dangerous terrain and our trolleys cannot enter shoulder to shoulder.

Tomorrow, upon penetrating Han Gu Valley, do not engage in battle.

Let's set up our camp base first and get settled first before we draw up our next move.

You can take assurance in this matter as I have my plan.

I do not really comprehend the meaning of a talent like General Zhang staying behind the base.

To think, I, Su Qin, have spent half of my life campaigning for the Vertical Alliance to defeat Qin,

in the end, it's the Qi army that's acting overly cautious.

General Zhang is a brave man.

But today's decision was a command from the King of Qi.

The Qi King has a strong will.

But when facing a great mission, he often puts people first.

How can this be happening today?

I really don't comprehend it.

It was supposed to Six Nations attacking Qin.

But Wei has retreated its army first.

The remaining soldiers are spineless.

With what power will we attack Qin to gain peace on earth?

I won't believe it.

Join all the powers under the skies and we still can't break that Qin? We can't defeat that Zhang Yi?

It's time I make my move.

To where?

I will go see Zhang Yi.

We will start waging our battle tomorrow. To go now is to seek death.

I don't have full confidence I can persuade Zhang Yi.

But he will not go as far as taking my life.

Farewell.

Brother, long time no see.

Since you became the Prime Minister of Qin,

I fear you've all forgotten your friends of the past.

You are blaming me then.

These recent years, your foolish brother has been kept busy with trivial matters.

With not much success to show.

I haven't the pride to face you.

Your conquests to rule the entire world.

This is what you refer to as 'trivial matters'?

You've been busy doing your share of lobbying across the nations in these last few years too.

You even created some Six Nation Alliance.

Joining Six Nations to attack my Qin Nation.

Brother, I fear that was not such a gentleman behavior.

You attack Chu Nation today, and tomorrow you attack Han.

The entire world suffers by your Qin hand.

This is your gentlemanly behavior?

Our teacher taught me this once.

To discern the value of a monarch.

Your foolish brother here is a prime minister.

The Qin King desires to command the entire world.

Zhang Yi shall give him a hand, of course.

You only sing the virtues of Qin King.

But you know very well the atrocities against the world the Qin armies have caused.

Brother, you and I are just mercenaries.

The King of Qin gave me gold and mansion, a high title and a high salary.

Whatever did the Qi King give me?

Whatever did the Chu King give me?

Zhang Yi, you only care about power.

You will not think about the lives of the people?

You error in your speech.

Everything I do

is precisely for the sake of the people.

Alright. I can't win an argument with you.

At any rate, you ought to withdraw your troops.

What did you say?

Withdraw your troops.

Why should I withdraw my troops?

You really don't know why we have our vertical alliance?

Of course I know.

It's also to prove to our teacher. Prove to the people in the world.

That your vertical alliance is superior than my horizontal alliance?

Alright. Forget it.

As long as you will withdraw the troops, I am willing to concede the seal of the Six Nations to you.

Seal of the Six Nations?

What? Not even the seal of the Six Nations can satiate your appetite?

Brother, I don't want some seal of six nations.

Zhang Yi only wants one seal.

The seal of the world.

You really think Qin Nation can command the entire world?

As long as it's got Zhang Yi, Qin can do it.

Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi.

When we were pupils, our teacher once said this.

"You two, one is vertical and one is horizontal."

"Don't ever meet in the battlefield."

Do you remember it still? After you became the Qin Prime Minister, you once swore to heaven.

That you would not be a foe to me in this lifetime.

It is well known to the world. That Zhang Yi is a man of honor.

How would I dare to forget that?

The physical body is an endowment from one's parents.

Hair exists and man exists. Hair is broken and man is dead.

What is the significance of your words?

Today, Zhang Yi cuts off hair and the Zhang Yi of yesterday is already dead.

I will return the foolish life to you.

If we are to meet in the battlefield in the future,

you can disregard our ties as disciples together.

Shameless. Shameless!

Chu

No.

No.

Yi'er.

Jie Jie. - Qing'er.

You had a nightmare again?

The same dream again.

Jie Jie, this is called, "worry by day and dream by night".

These days, you've been worried too much. Almost bewitched.

Also, earlier, you went on the hunger strike to get the message out.

And now, you didn't see how the Queen Dowager responded to Lady Ying.

Instead, you are getting thinner and your health has collapsed.

Greetings to Lady Zheng.

This way, Your Highness.

Your Highness. - You're cordial.

Since you returned, I've been thinking of you.

I didn't get to see you for so many days,

and I feel panic.

Your Highness is caring.

Tell me, isn't Her Majesty the Empress Dowager too much?

She's already investigated who set the poison.

Why does she really need to confine you?

Unless, it's because of the great witch of Chu?

Since you already know it, why bother asking me?

What I mean is, why won't you agree to be the great witch?

That's not something Your Highness needs to ask about.

I guess I just worried about nothing.

Alright. You rest up.

I should get going too.

Oh right.

Sometimes I really do admire you.

It's nice to be confined here in a way, to have some peace and quiet.

To spare the Queen Dowager and His Majesty from having to look for me all the time.

What is she?

Cheap wench!

Please dissipate your anger, Your Highness. Don't bother getting worked up by some forbidden person.

His Majesty is the one to plead for kindness on her behalf over the poison matter.

Qu Yuan lobbied for her and even the Queen Dowager can't do anything to her.

Do you think a person of that caliber can really be confined in the cold palace forever?

Do you mean then . . .

You want me to dispose Mo Chou Nu?

Exactly.

She's no treat to your position anymore whatsoever. Why bother?

I just want her dead.

What are you keeping from me?

What could I keep from you?

I can see that you are.

If you don't dispose her, I will die.

Does she have some unfavorable evidence against you?

No.

No? Then your strong desire to have her dead . . .

what exactly is the reason?

I . . .

I want to avenge for Xiao Qiao.

Avenge for Xiao Qiao?

Tell me, are you the one who poisoned His Majesty?

It really was you?

I did it.

You don't need to use poison on His Majesty just to kill off a consort.

If something should happen to His Majesty . . .

That is a grand crime of genocide.

My entire Zheng nation is long perished.

What genocide now?

But you should think about Lan'er.

You have the shame to bring up Lan'er? I take these risks today,

all because you are incompetent!

You are always weak and faltering.

You don't care if us mother and son die or live.

I am just taking matters into my own hands! Alright?

If His Majesty really dies,

the princes are all very young.

You're a mighty Uncle of the King.

Aren't you just right to ascend to the throne?

Crazy. You're crazy!

I've gone crazy a long time ago.