♫ The far and long roads, the man I miss is at a distant place ♫
♫ Seeking the truth in heaven and on earth, opening up the words deep in my heart, not looking back ♫
♫ Thinking of a beautiful woman, if one's heart could be fragrant ♫
♫ Thinking of a beautiful woman, desolate like the moon ♫
♫ I worry, when can I appreciate the grasses and flowers with a beautiful woman ♫
♫ The ancient people didn't have time to leave some Yimoxiang (a type of plant) ♫
♫ Thinking of a beautiful lady, heart becoming fragrant on its own ♫
♫ Thinking of a beautiful lady, fragrant dreams ♫
♫ The whole world is drunk, one's whole life just follows the blue water ♫
♫ I'll drive and go away for an adventure, flying as I want to in the nine skies ♫
Song of Phoenix
- Episode 17 -
I wiped my tears and heaved long sighs; I lamented over the numerous difficulties in the life of the citizens. - Li Sao (The Grievances), by Qu Yuan.
It's just, there are too many dancers in the palace.
How you make the dance new and interesting to receive the praise of others,
that's up to you.
I will not disappoint you, Your Highness.
It's not a problem if you disappoint me.
It's just, don't disappoint yourself.
I will obey your order.
Thank you, Your Highness the Queen.
This is wonderful! I never thought this chance would come so soon!
The Queen isn't providing an opportunity so easily.
She has her reasons for doing this.
No matter what, Your Highness can finally see the King!
Son.
Did I wake you up?
When you use the fan, I know it's you.
It looks like it's better if Lan Xing takes care of you.
Why did you come here as soon as morning court ended?
Soon it will be the day of your birthday celebration.
I have already ordered for an extravagant celebration.
I also want the entire State of Chu to celebrate.
That you are so filial,
I am already satisfied.
But right now, conflicts are erupting all over.
There's war erupting all the time.
Keep politics as the primary focus, and not waste resources.
Keep everything simple.
Don't worry Queen Mother, I won't forget.
It's just that Sister Bazi is far away in the State of Qin.
If she could come to your birthday too, that would be wonderful.
Now that you mention Bazi,
even though she isn't my child,
but I also watched her grow up.
I do miss her quite a lot.
This is the fate of royal women.
Beloved, you've been in the State of Qin for many years.
How do you think our wine
compares to the State of Chu's wine?
The Qin wine is very bitter, unlike that of Chu which is sweet.
Qin is to the northwest of Chu.
Our men from Qin grew up in the meadows, in vast wilderness.
Unlike Chu people who lived by the river.
Without strong wine, how can you dampen the cold?
That's why Your Majesty intends to swallow the State of Chu?
What I want to swallow isn't limited to the State of Chu.
Royal Brother!
I am here covered in dust while you two are in such great state.
You're here drinking wine!
Good wine!
Chu Li Ji, when
can you get rid of your addiction to wine?
Then I will be at ease.
Royal Brother, if I don't drink, where will I get the energy to fight in wars?
Royal Brother, I have bad news.
What is it?
Ever since Han crowned a king,
Zhao and Yan also crowned a king.
If this keeps going, won't Song,
and Zhongshan also crown kings?
Then what plans do you have?
Royal Brother, what plans do we need?
Royal Brother, give me soldiers!
I'll take the army and flatten them all!
Chu Liji, we just fought with the State of Wei,
we won, but we had major casualties.
If we fight again now,
where can I find you soldiers?
Royal Brother! If there aren't enough soldiers, then draft some more!
Alright. Call the prime minister over to discuss this.
Okay! I'll bring him over immediately!
Your Majesty, are you really going to draft more soldiers?
In these years, we've fought many wars. Now,
all the states treat us as their enemy.
This war, we need to fight
even if we don't want to.
But now, where are we going to find so many soldiers?
If we can't get volunteers, then capture them. If we can't capture them then we steal them.
No matter what you do, what I want are more soldiers!
Soldiers that can go to war!
Your Majesty, with those words, I am at ease.
Don't worry! Even if I have to abduct them,
I will get you soldiers!
How shallow.
Prime Minister! What are you saying?
Your Majesty, Shang Yang's reforms rewarded the achievements of the military, that's why the previous King's rule flourished.
Now Your Majesty wants to abduct commoners to become soldiers?
Who would willingly fight for our State of Qin?
Prime Minister, you are right.
Pass down my order. Reward successes.
Those who do good deeds in war, will be rewarded. Those who don't, will be punished.
Those who die on the battlefield, will be heavily rewarded!
As they say, with abundant rewards, there surely will be a courageous man that will stand out.
But with abundant rewards, you cannot prevent deaths.
If the people still won't join the army with this method,
what will Your Majesty do?
If that's the case, get a complete count of the numbers of families.
Every family must have one person becoming a soldier!
If anyone hides it or knows of it
and keeps it a secret, execute them all!
To defend against the foreign enemies, recruiting men to join the army is a must.
But the rule of punishing also anyone associated with a criminal...
To capture and control the whole world, I cannot care about that much!
There's only so little this year?
I gave you land to farm on.
It wasn't to let you harvest so little food!
I'm telling you!
Don't think that you can scrape by like this.
Don't even think of lessening the tax money that should be given to me.
Master Liu, we suffered drought this year and it's now the scarce autumn season.
There's nothing we can do!
S-S-Scarce autumn?
I-I-I-It's again the scarce autumn season.
T-t-that thing, w-w-w-won't...
Stop talking!
W-White wolf?
Yes! T-This...
What? WHAT? What is it?
WHAT! WHAT!
It's a cat. It's just a cat. Look carefully!
You're scaring yourselves!
G-g-g-go away!
S-s-s-stupid cat.
Lord Jing, we're not scaring ourselves.
During the scarce autumn, he indeed is a nuisance.
Yes!
Or else, why would those commoners
go set up memorials for those slain by that thing?
Let me tell you. For example,
after one becomes possessed by that thing, r-r-really,
a-a-a-a person's spirit will b-b-b-be sucked away!
- And also, on the mountain--- Stop it already.
Stop talking, both of you!
-What happened?-Look!
What is this?
What is that?
This...it's white wolf! White wolf!
White wolf! Hurry and run!
Run! Run!
Big Brother Ling Jun, the kite won't fly.
Come! I'll teach you.
Look carefully. You have to do it slowly.
Follow the wind.
Look!
Isn't it flying? It's flying!
-Wow, it's so high up!-Didn't it go up?
Yes!
At this time, you don't need to pull it too hard. You just need to lightly pull on it.
Do you see?
Is it very high up?
-It's so high up!-Mo Chou, come try. Here.
Take this. Hold it tightly.
Got it? Like this.
Hey! Pull. Like this. Release the string.
Pull.
-It's flying so far up.-How is it, Ru Yi?
-Is it high enough?-It's so high up!
-Get it higher up!-Higher up?
-Get it up higher!-Okay, take the string.
Right.
You're only playing with each other and not me!
Big Brother Ling Jun, before marriage, you can't take advantage of my big sister!
Yi'er, come. Take the kite.
-Oh.-Take it.
Look!
Big Sister, the kite string broke! I'll go get it!
Don't run too far off!
Okay!
I really hope that we can always be like this.
Simple and happy.
Mo Chou, don't worry. I said that I'd give everyone a new Quan County.
I will definitely make you happy.
Help! Help!
Big Sister! Big Sister!
-What is it?-There's a ghost!
-What?-A ghost? Where?
Over there!
Let's go take a look.
Okay!
Don't be afraid.
Where is it?
O-over there.
What is it?
N-nothing.
It's just some bones.
T-the ghost was right here just now!
Dressed in white, it's mouth full of blood! Thankfully I ran fast!
It looks like there's some tooth marks on this.
Tooth marks?
It can't be the white wolf, right?
What white wolf?
Nothing, let's talk when we go back.
Let's go home. Go home. Hurry and go!
Sister, white wolf wouldn't really have come out again, right?
Let's hurry and go.
It's already so dark and you still didn't go home. Be careful, that white wolf will eat you.
White wolf!
Looks like white wolf really has come back again.
Just what is going on?
Every scarce autumn year, there would be a ghost coming to the village causing mischief.
Father, we're back.
You're back? Yi'er.
Why did you come back so late?
Father, we met the white wolf on the mountain today.
What? Are you okay?
We're okay.
Uncle Mao, Ru Yi was just frightened.
Your mother was watching over you in the heavens!
Uncle Mao, what thing really is this white wolf?
We shouldn't talk about ghosts at night.
Just let me hear about it.
Big Sister!
Hurry! Hurry and pull us!
Stop right there! Don't run!
Stop!
Don't run!
I can't run anymore!
-Stop right there!-Mother!
-Mother!-Lan Niang!
-Get up!-I can't run anymore!
Run! Let's see where you'll run to!
Please spare us!
Who is there?
Go! Run!
This white wolf is really scary.
Those two bullies, one slipped to his death right there,
and the other went crazy after he went back.
Since then, the matter about the white wolf spread throughout the county.
These bullies have done much evil. Letting white wolf take care of them is good too.
Who says it wasn't?
But he also kills even the farmers and their families.
Ghost! Ghost!
Who's there?
Help! Someone come!
Lan Niang's family of three
all died like that.
There weren't even any bones left.
I'm really afraid!
So this is the white wolf you were talking about?
No one knows what it is.
Someone saw that it was entirely white.
Everyone then called him white wolf.
Afterwards, the white wolf became fiercer and fiercer.
To prevent the white wolf from coming to the village
to do evil, every year at this time,
everyone must bring out some offerings for him.
Those offerings, once they reach the offering platform,
they'll be all gone in two days!
What about this year?
It was the same. The things delivered a few days ago
-are also all gone.-All gone?
County Magistrate, it's already late. This is usually the time that white wolf is fiercest.
Just stay and leave in the morning.
I am a righteous person.
Even though I don't believe that there is a ghost in this world,
even if there really is a ghost, I'm not afraid.
Ghosts don't compete with humans for superiority.
Humans shouldn't also compete with them.
You should stay.
After one night, it's like this entire Quan County woke up.
I really like this time of day.
If we say the night represents death,
then dawn represents rebirth.
It's a shame that some people can't wake up ever again.
Do you see the house over there?
That used to be Lan Niang's house.
When I was little, when our family first moved here,
we didn't know anyone.
The entire village's children teased me for not having a mother.
At that time, Lan Niang hugged me.
"Mo Chou, be good. Mother is here, Mother is here."
Lan Niang helped me tie my hair into braids.
She taught me how to sing and dance.
Don't think about those sad things anymore.
Why is this world so unfair?
Good people don't live long.
Bad people can live so happily.
I believe that good and evil will eventually be rewarded.
The way of the world is fair.
♫ Clear memories stirred up a slight waning ♫
♫ Tears fall on the scrolls, dreams shattering ♫
♫ For whom am I painfully drinking, making an oath about love and hate ♫
Come,come!
♫ Wishing that in this lifetime, I can go through it with you with innocence ♫
♫ Water flows eastward; birds can be caught by a net at the door ♫
♫ Beauty that overruns cities and destroys countries, only willing to tilt during troubled times ♫
♫ Writing down that everything has its start and end, cannot understand this in this lifetime ♫
♫ Only wishing to sink with you in this unique world ♫
♫ War horses walked past in drizzle, vast and green wilderness ♫
♫ Watching the spring and autumn being dyed with red, for whom is my passion cooling off? ♫
♫ Don’t ask why flowers and waning moon wither ♫
♫ Don’t ask when the colorful lantern was placed, how come we are only left with separating? ♫
♫ My love went and didn’t return for so many years ♫
♫ Don’t worry since this spilled water would be hard to rob; The pen tip stopped to rest from the love and hate ♫
♫ Don’t ask why flowers and waning moon wither ♫
♫ Don’t ask when the colorful lantern was placed, how come we are only left with separating? ♫
♫ My love went and didn’t return for so many years ♫
♫ Don’t worry since this spilled water would be hard to rob; The pen tip stopped to rest from the love and hate ♫
My Lady?
Why did you go out without a word?
Now that I look at it,
I should call YOU "My Lady".
I was just worried about you.
Also this way, the Master and Madam are worried too.
What they have on their mind, is nothing but their own careers and the Zhao's family face.
My Lady, you're wrong about that.
I've seen their love for you.
So what? They are still forcing me to marry Qu Yuan.
Now, Qu Yuan forced Cang Yun to leave.
How could I marry him?
Magistrate, what do you think of this "White Wolf" case?
All possible methods have been used.
We've even invited Master Yunzhong but it was still no use.
All the previous magistrates tried to get rid of the ghost.
In the end, nothing happened.
Lord Magistrate, I don't think you should touch this pan of hot water.
People can't fight with ghosts and gods.
It's not that I want to fight with him. It's he that wants to fight with me.
Sir, look.
A bloody hand print?
Sir, where is the person who first saw the White Wolf back then?
I heard that person used to work for Lord Jing.
Is there a way to find him?
I will go look right now.
Mm.
Lord Magistrate, it's him.
You...
Ghost! Ghost! Ghost !
Don't come over here!
Look carefully!
Anyone he sees now is a ghost.
Don't come over here!
That person used to go around harming people.
I never imagined he'd fall to such a state.
That is karma.
But, the clues have been cut off here again.
I think we should just forget about it.
If we don't find this ghost, it won't end like this.
Find it?
That's right! In the past, they always tried to get rid of the ghost.
They never tried to catch it!
That's right! We'll take the initiative to make it appear!
That makes sense. We have to know what type of ghost it is
before we know how to deal with it.
But...there's another problem. How are we going to make it appear?
Every time we hold a worship ceremony for White Wolf, he'd show up.
Then we shall play an act called "White Wolf Stratagem".
Mm!
Bite, bite bite!
-Go go go, kill him!-Master!
-Master!-What are you doing?
Such a panic! Keep biting!
- I...- And also, I hate people stuttering when they s-speak the most.
Not being steady at all.
- No. - Bite him, bite him!
-Master! Someone from the magistrate has come.-Bite bite bite!
The magistrate wants to ask you to go and discuss something.
He's asking me to go?
You can rise.
I asked you to come to discuss something with you.
Come up here.
L-lord Magistrate. You have things to discuss with me?
Recently, White Wolf is really causing quite a ruckus. Do you know about this?
I know. A-Aren't you going to go catch it?
You get news pretty fast.
Y-You're not trying to make me go too, are you?
-You want to go?-No no no, you must be joking!
I...how could I go? My body recently,
is really very weak. I've already gotten so thin.
My Lord, I cannot.
Since it's like that, I plan to organize an offering ceremony for White Wolf.
I need some offerings. You can provide them.
Wh-why?
Not willing? Then you go catch the ghost with everyone.
Hey! No no no, I'll go!
I...I...I...I'm w-w-willing.
Aiya!
- My sheep!- Thank you, Master Liu!
Thank you, Master Liu.
Thank you, M-m-m-master Liu.
Doesn't EVERYONE say that you are a person wherein one cannot even get a single hair from you. (a miser)
In any case, I won't believe it!
Get lost! A-a-all of you get lost!
He not only made me donate so much property,
he even made me give food to each of those ghost catchers!
It hurts!
I think Qu Yuan is swallowing you whole for sure.
This..! I-if Lord Jing doesn't step forward, w-w-w-what can I do?
I already told you not to be so short-sighted.
With Qu Yuan trying to catch White Wolf, then one of them will surely die.
If it is the White Wolf who dies, our giving some offerings
isn't really much of a sacrifice.
That's right. That's right!
On the other hand, if Qu Yuan dies,
then he chose to die himself! He can't blame us!
This is a win-win transaction.
How is it?
Ghosts are afraid of fire. We should use fire to drive White Wolf away.
I heard that ghosts are afraid of dog blood!
- Right, dog's blood! - I brought that!
Rumors say that there isn't only one White Wolf. We should catch all the White Wolves.
If there really is a bunch, then we'll split them up and then defeat each.
Only by doing that can we decrease the danger.
No matter what, we'll catch each one that appears.
As long as they come, we must get things clear. Got it?
-Okay.-Okay.
Hurry and get up there!
Let's go, let's go.
When Zhang San later leads Qu Yuan here,
make sure to end Qu Yuan.
Lord Cheng, what if Zhang San isn't able to lead Qu Yuan here
and instead leads the ghosts here, what should we do?
What are you afraid of?
Aren't you all ghosts right now?
Y-yes.
Is this White Wolf still coming or not?
Could it be that White Wolf has already noticed us and is currently looking at us from some place?
Let's not scare ourselves! Wait a bit more patiently!
Everyone be careful. You too.
Over there! Give chase!
Chase it!
Hurry and chase it! That way!
Hurry!
That way, hurry!
Hurry and give chase! Hurry!
That way! Hurry!
Hurry!
Hurry! Hurry and give chase! That way!
Don't let it escape! Hurry!
-That way!-Over there, hurry!
Hurry and give chase!
Hurry!
Hurry and give chase!
Over there!
You got it! Hurry and give chase!
Let's go! That way!
-There!-Here!
Look!
There's blood!
Could ghosts bleed too?
What should we do now? We don't know where White Wolf went again.
That way!
Give chase!
-Let's go!-Let's go!
Hurry! That way!
Lord Cheng, they're all coming!
They're coming? Good! Attack!
Lord Cheng! Lord Cheng! I..!
We've really attracted the ghost!
Lord Magistrate, we can't go any further forward.
There's a graveyard in front of us, all types of ghosts are inside.
No one has ever dared to go in.
Yong Ya Zi, I can't believe your surname is Yong ("brave"). You're as wimpy as an ant.
Since we came to catch ghosts, why should we fear a graveyard?
If there is really a ghost, could we have reached this place?
-I-!-Keep going forward!
Go!
It's a crow.
Yong Ya Zi?
-Ghost! Ghost!-Why are you?
What is it?
-Hey!-Ghost!
Hey!
Ghost!
What's wrong with you all?
What is it?
Why is your face covered in blood?
Huh?
How come there are so many White Wolves?
♫ Day and night, summer and winter, nonstop changes ♫
♫ Herbs and trees, prosperity and decline, would still depend on a beautiful woman ♫
♫ Rumors brought by wind from all over; inciting ministers with different dreams
♫ Asking Heaven if it can bear witness to one's loyalty ♫
♫ Muddy and clear, beautiful and ugly, overturning all living creatures ♫
♫ Angelica and magnolia, orchids and quan, have a hard time emitting their fragrance ♫
♫ Why must you proceed against the current? Why must a lonely flower admire herself? ♫
♫ No one knew that one's birthplace has become someone else's territory ♫
♫ Outstanding in a chaotic world, who can understand one's desire? ♫
♫ Going far to travel, yet one's heart is tied with one's home ♫
♫ Drinking one 'Li Sao', the pain of separation ♫
♫Getting drunk for a lifetime of dedicating oneself for one's country ♫
♫ Coping with the long, long road; hard to beg the heaven and the earth ♫
♫ I lamented the numerous sorrows in the life of the citizens ♫
♫ Singing one 'Li Sao', pain of separation, sighing how hard it is to keep a bosom friend ♫
♫ For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart, I’d not regret a thousand times to die. In the end, turning into ashes. ♫
♫ If this dream is difficult, let's just leave it to the next generations to ponder ♫
♫ Outstanding in a chaotic world, who can understand one's desire? ♫
♫ Going far to travel, yet one's heart is tied with one's home ♫
♫ Drinking one 'Li Sao', the pain of separation, sighing how hard it is to keep a bosom friend ♫
♫ For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart, I’d not regret a thousand times to die. In the end, turning into ashes. ♫
♫If this dream is difficult, let's just leave it to the next generations to ponder ♫