The Empire

It seems the enemy has attacked.

My spies tell me his army is still holding position.

Why the warning drums then?

We should inform the King.

We won't need to.

Sire, the fog is quite thick.

We cannot see anything.

Open the gates!

Open the gates!

It could be a trap.

Shaibani Khan can go to any extent.

Open the gates and ask the soldiers to be prepared.

Jalal Khan?

Another messenger got caught.

How will we ever get any outside help?

"My messages are meant to be witnessed, not read.

"Let's test each other's patience, Babur,

"and find out who breaks first."

Sh...

The message is quite clear, sire.

Shaibani has laid siege twice before.

But, this time, our people have lost hope.

On top of that, this harsh winter is only adding to the woes.

There is someone inside this palace who is helping Shaibani.

Jalal is the third messenger who got caught on his way to Kabul.

My King, everyone in the palace is loyal to you.

Why would they do this?

That's what I need to find out.

Who has betrayed me this time?

If Shaibani knows everything,

he'll also know that our people have no food.

Open the royal granary for our people.

But, sire...

I need to ensure that my people don't die of hunger.

My King, the royal granary will also be empty in two weeks.

What then?

Then we have two weeks...

to find out who's the enemy within.

It has already been three months.

Since his birth and Shaibani Khan's siege.

There is a difference.

Shaibani Khan's siege is a sign of human selfishness and cruelty,

whereas this innocent soul is a sign of God's generosity.

Don't you ever mention their names together.

If Shaibani has brought us hardships,

then your son has brought hope and happiness for the future.

The question is... will there be a future?

This is the third time Shaibani has attacked in the past six years.

Today our subjects are starving.

We will be next.

Maybe it's best for us if Babur surrenders.

Neither is Babur that weak

nor Shaibani that strong.

Don't worry.

Shaibani will return empty-handed this time as well.

Babur is at breaking point.

He will surrender.

He can't see his people starve to death.

He is just like his father.

Soft-hearted.

You mean weak-hearted.

He would've never thought that an enemy could strike during winter.

But the severity of Shaibani Khan's enmity

is beyond the thought and capacity of his enemy.

You did well to find a traitor amongst his loyalists.

You've proved your loyalty well, Qambar Ali.

If Babur had not betrayed them, I wouldn't have had this opportunity.

Babur only has one dream.

To find a place for his family and his people.

Just a place to call home.

I guess that's what made him betray.

Home.

Make sure the bugle doesn't stop.

Babur should get the message that I won't back down this time.

Let him know Shaibani Khan's roar is mightier than Babur's full force.

Princess?

Queen Mother has called for you.

I will be there.

Opening the royal granary for the public is not a smart move.

Babur is just like his father.

This can harm the regime.

Father always made the right decisions.

And I am sure Babur too will decide wisely.

What you're doing isn't generosity but stupidity.

My stupidity is helping me feed my people.

Look over there.

Do you think they can dig a tunnel that will lead them to the other end of the world?

At least they will be happier there.

Better than dying of starvation here.

No one will die, Babur.

I don't know whether you did the right thing by opening the royal granary to the public.

But I do know that this is what a good king should have done.

Move along.

That's all?

Be grateful that you got that much.

Move along!

I have eight mouths to feed.

This isn't even enough to feed a single person.

Get lost, you old hag.

Keep the line moving.

Here, ma'am. Let's get you seated there.

Take her with you.

She is right.

The king promised to give two sacks of grains for every household.

You aren't even giving us a handful.

Oh, my, who do we have here?

The King's special friend.

Why are you standing in that queue, sir?

No one is talking to you.

You should follow the orders given to you.

We don't want your alms.

We have a right to get two sacks full of grain. We deserve it.

You don't want our alms? Fine then.

Lock the granary.

-How can you do that? -They don't want our alms.

-Let's go. -We have a right over it.

-Let's go. -We deserve it.

Come on.

We have a right over two sacks full of grains.

Get lost!

Throw him out!

Who does he think he is?

-The King's special friend. -Right.

Sir will be pleased.

We will get rewarded.

Don't worry.

The supplies in the granary will keep getting depleted,

and the hungry people will start rioting.

Not just outside the city, even the interiors--

Hey!

Out of my way!

Hey!

Get up! Get up!

Catch him! Don't let him enter!

I stole it from the King's room.

Won't you arrest me?

Stealing from the King can have grave consequences.

Don't you know that?

Where did you find this?

The King had given it to me.

Impossible.

The King's grandmother had gifted it to him.

He would never give it away.

You will be punished for stealing it.

Why don't you believe me?

The King had given it to me.

Sire, he was running away with Queen Mother's amulet.

Qasim?

So what if you forgot your promise, at least you still remember me.

I had given him this amulet.

But, sire, he told the soldiers--

What better way to meet the King?

And here we are.

Tell me why you wished to meet me.

I wanted to hold you accountable for your injustice.

Your people are starving to death. That injustice.

You forgot your people just like Abu Baksh. That injustice.

But on my way here, I learnt that even you are a victim.

What can be more unjust than your own family's betrayal?

He is unsettled because you seem rattled.

Who isn't?

Even he understands not to disrespect the King.

I wish the traitors understood that as well.

All possible moves are being made to overthrow the regime.

They are causing riots in the city, Mahmud.

What if Shaibani learns about this?

He won't.

We've found the traitor.

Bring him in.

Get him! Go!

You thought your men wouldn't let me go?

You forgot that Qasim can find a way even where there isn't any.

You didn't recognize me,

but, even after all these years, I haven't forgotten you, Mahmud.

You haven't betrayed your King.

You have betrayed your own blood.

You did the same by breaking your promise.

What did you do to get into Samarkand?

With his help, you crawled in like a rat through the tunnel.

Mahmud!

Keep your voice--

Would he have been here if not for Nishqa?

No.

She went against her father.

She lost everything, but who won in the end?

You.

No, Wazir.

Not us. The people of Samarkand will deliver his punishment.

He has wronged them.

Your wife and your child are my responsibility.

Mahmud?

He was declared a traitor by the King and sentenced to public--

You may leave.

I said leave.

Qasim, you have helped me once again.

A mere thank you wouldn't be enough,

so I appoint you as my special advisor.

But, sire--

Judge a man by his intentions, not his actions.

Uncle doesn't know that Mahmud was a traitor?