♫ 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 33
Resolute mind and spirit, heroic ghosts worthy of excellence. - Guo Shang (Hymn to the Fallen) from Nine Songs by Qu Yuan
In the past, you were in high and vigorous spirits.
Look at yourself now. You are already not that Ling Jun from before.
Then tell me.
Who am I? Tell me, who am I!
You are some drunkard. A puddle of mud!
They all don't understand me.
You also don't understand me!
But do you really understand yourself?
Do you still remember what your mission is?
Have you done drinking? Look at yourself now!
Other than drinking, what else can you do?
Uncle, I am useless.
Get up! Get up!
Look! Your father, your mother, and your older brother,
they all are here waiting for you to take revenge for them!
But how about you?
There's no one.
- All of them are gone.- Who told you that our Qu family has no one anymore!
Look at me. Look at me!
If you still are our Qu family's descendant,
if you are still a real man with guts,
go and beg the King now!
As long as the Chu army can immediately start another war with the Qin army,
we then can surely kill all those Qin dogs!
We will use the heads of the Qins as an offering to your parents
and your older brother!
You said it right.
I'll go to the palace now
to find the King and get his order to start a war.
Orchid Dais Palace
Lord Qu, what are you doing! His Majesty is already sleeping.
I want to have an audience with His Majesty.
The King has just gone sleep. You must not disturb him.
I want to see the King!
His Majesty has just gone to sleep. You must not disturb him!
Get lost!
Lord Qu, Lord Qu! His Majesty has already fallen asleep. You really must not disturb him!
Lord Qu, Lord Qu!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
What's wrong?
Your Majesty, Lord Qu has charged in here.
Lord Qu, you cannot disturb His Majesty.
Ling Jun, what are you planning to do?
Your Majesty,
I beg you to immediately order the Chu army to attack Qin
and seek revenge for our country,
seek revenge for my father and older brother that died in the battlefield.
Get up first.
If Your Majesty won't grant it,
I, Qu Yuan, will then continue kneeling and won't stand up.
I understand your sentiments.
But right now, our Chu State has suffered great casualties.
It's not the same now compared to when we were at our peak time.
If we go into battle with Qin again,
before we were at the offensive, but now, I fear that we will be fighting with our backs to the river (for survival).
Your Majesty, as the ancient sages remind us,
"there is no greater disaster than belittling one's enemies. " (T/N humiliate an enemy and face extreme retaliation)
"Belittling one's enemies can only cause me to use up all my powerful war weapons."
"That's why, when two armies with similar strength face each other,
the one who can inhibit oneself wins."
Right now, the Qin army is soaking within the happiness of their victory.
Right now, using grieving soldiers to attack an arrogant army,
how can it not be successful?
Let me think about it again.
Your Majesty, in these past nights,
I never felt that time is this long.
I don't dare to close my eyes.
Because once I close my eyes,
I can then see my father and older brother shouting and fighting on the battlefield.
Once I close my eyes, I can see a sky filled with blood and a land filled with corpses.
I am sincerely asking Your Majesty to allow me,
allow me and my uncle to go to battle and attack Qin.
You think I don't hate the Qin?
My heart is more painful than anyone else's!
I also want to seek revenge for our country.
But the Chu now
can't endure another great loss.
Your Majesty, don't you even have the courage to give it a try?
If Your Majesty won't grant it,
I'll die in front of you today
to comfort the souls of my father and older brother in Heaven!
Your Majesty, your hand...
Get out.
Leave. Leave.
Wait! Bring us wine!
Yes.
You may leave as well. Do not mention the things that happened today to anyone.
Yes.
If you wish to get drunk today I'll accompany you.
Come.
Your Majesty.
Ling Jun,
do you think I've not been mournful recently?
All those loyal soldiers who've died on the battlefield, all one of them were my people.
In the future if you wish to drink, you can come find me.
The doors of Lantai Palace will always remain open for you.
Your Majesty, I was too rash.
You're right.
I am a King with no courage.
If we cannot even avenge such a great blood debt, on what basis can I be a King for all the ages.
Your Majesty.
Qing'er, recently you've been
looking after me,
it's hard on you.
Uncle Mao, when Sister Mo Chou is not at home, I'll be your daughter.
I wonder how Mo Chou is.
Father! Sister is back!
Mo Chou is back?
Father.
You're back?
Mo Chou.
It's good that you're back.
I never thought that you'd be able to achieve such deeds.
Just as well, I will find you a husband and take a load off of my mind.
Mo Chou, are you listening to what I'm saying?
Father, I still don't want to marry.
Why?
Just let me accompany you for a few more years.
Silly girl, you are not that young anymore,
continue keeping me company and not marry? There's no such reasoning.
Could it be that you're still thinking of Qu Yuan?
Lantai Palace
Mo Chou!
Your Majesty.
Your Majesty, were you dreaming?
What you think about in the day, you dream of it at night.
Your Majesty, the Palace is missing a musician.
Previously, I heard that Miss Mo Chou is very good at playing the guqin.
Why don't we invite her to be the musician? What does Your Majesty think?
Good, we'll settle on that.
Yes.
Miss Mo Chou receive the Royal edict.
Mo Chou, kneel!
"In knowing that Miss Mo Chou has achieved great valor on the battlefield,
and also is good in the art of music, she Is now specially awarded the title of Master Musician,
and is to enter the Palace in three days."
Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grand magnanimity.
Su Qin, it appears that now
His Majesty has made Mo Chou a Master Musician.
She'll need to head to Ying Du in three days to be conferred.
The Palace is a place of much deception and suspicion, with dangers at every step.
All these years, Yi'er and Mo Chou
wandered from place to place and endured many hardships along with me.
We thought we could get away but in the end,
Mo Chou stepped onto the same path as you.Memorial Tablet of Su Qin of the Lu Branch
Su Qin, if your spirit is the heavens,
you have to look down and bless and protect our daughter,
so that she can come safely back home.
Why have you come to find me?
I heard that you'll be entering the Palace.
News sure travels fast.
Of course, the news of the Palace conferring a new Master Musician has spread throughout Ying Du.
It is true.
Your father must be happy. Congratulations.
What is there to congratulate?
I never wanted to enter the Palace and be some musician.
To me, being an ordinary girl is much freer.
If there's nothing else, please leave.
Mo Chou, is it that in the future, I can only come find you if I have something.
It's better that you don't come even when you have something.
Why?
Didn't we agree? That we'll forget our past.
But I can't.
What can you not forget?
How do I forget? We experienced so many things together.
Every corner of Quan County contains a piece of our memory.
Every piece of land has an imprint of our footsteps. You tell me how I am to forget!
Slowly, over time, you'll forget it all.
Anyway, it's meaningless for us talking about this now.
Then what is?
To avenge your Elder Brother and Father and,
look after Zhao Bixia.
Don't make it difficult for me anymore, and don't make it difficult for yourself anymore either.
Mo Chou, don't leave.
We can never return.
Continuing like this will only hurt the two of us deeper.
Just as we promised, forget each other, okay?
Qu Yuan.
What is it?
Promise me, never come find me again. Ever. Please.
♫ The far and long roads, the man I miss is at a distant place ♫
We won't be able to go back anymore. If we continue like this, we will only bring deeper pain to the other person.
Just like we agreed before, forget each other, okay?
Promise me, never come looking for me again.
I beg you.
♫ 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 ♫
My husband,
♫ Thinking of a beautiful woman, desolate like the moon ♫
what's wrong with you?
♫ 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 herbs ♫
♫ 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 ♫
♫ Unhurried, floating clouds, the returning bird left one’s far birthplace ♫
♫ Seeking the truth in heaven and on earth, opening up the words deep in my heart, not looking back ♫
Let go! Or else, we both will die!
I will never let go.
Someone is waiting for you.
But in my heart, there is only you!
♫ 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 herbs ♫
♫ 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 ♫
It's hard to go against the order of the King.
There are things that we cannot opt not to do,
even if we don't want to do it.
Your mother lived a hard life.
Only before her death did she understand
that no matter how good the royal palace is, it can't compare
to a normal citizen's life.
You will be entering the palace soon.
No matter what, you are still a descendant of the Great Chu Shaman.
Father, you should have told me about these matters earlier.
What's the use if I tell you?
We can escape.
Escape? No matter where we escape to, we won't be able to escape fate.
It's fate again.
Mo Chou, after you enter the palace,
you must be more careful,
so as not to let those people with evil intentions know about your background
and bring you again a disaster that will endanger your life.
Father, for the past years, you have suffered hardships.
That's nothing.
As long as you and Yi'er can be well,
nothing else matters anymore.
Respectfully greeting the Queen Mother.
I am bored and idle, so I went to take a stroll and in passing, came here to visit you.
Oh, right, what is your plan about the matter with the Qu Family.
I am also thinking about this matter.
Qu Bo Yong loyally served our country all his life.
His brave heart is worthy to be respected and admired.
Royal Son must reward the Qu family greatly.
You must not disappoint the hearts of the soldiers.
What Royal Mother said is indeed right.
After this battle with Qin, in the whole Qu family, only Qu Yuan was able to come back alive.
That Qu Yuan is naturally intelligent and full of talent.
How about...giving him an official position?
What position does Royal Mother think I should confer to him?
The Vice Chancellor position has been empty for quite a long time.
Say it. Why did you come to see me?
Don't enter the palace.
Qu Yuan wasn't able to convince me, so it's your turn to convince me?
You and your husband really are of one heart.
If you enter the palace, the two of you can really never be together.
If I don't enter the palace, can I be with him?
The fake marriage was my idea.
I have been taking up this wife position for so long. I should return it to you.
Fake marriage?
Whether it is the King, my father, or Minister of War,
they just want us to go ahead with the wedding.
As for if this marriage is a true or fake one,
I'm sure that no one will care.
What you mean is to use a fake marriage just for show?
Then what about the Qu family? The King awarded you two this marriage, but you two fooled His Majesty?
Will he let you two go?
Right now, let's not mind that much anymore.
No. No.
Everything has already become final.
Things can't be changed anymore.
Can't be changed.
Can you let him go?
I will eventually forget him.
Miss Mo Chou!
Miss Bixia, I know that you are a virtuous and well-mannered wife.
Only you...only you are worthy of Qu Yuan.
That's why I beg you, that you must take good care of him.
Wait!
Why can't we take care of him together?
If you enter the palace, will you two able to forget each other?
In this lifetime, we are fated to meet, but not be together.
Him...I'm entrusting to you.
♫ Thinking of a beautiful lady, clouds leisurely floating for me ♫
♫ How come going away to do some great undertaking isn’t really what I want? ♫
♫ The returning bird rides with the wind and flew far away while I broke my wings and stayed at the same place ♫
♫ Watching my longings score across the sky to the horizons. ♫
♫ A man aspires on thousands of years of concerns, overflowing in his chest ♫
♫ Throwing it into the water, the river then flows to the east ♫
♫ Laughing but not laughing; sad, hence, sad; who in the mortal world can understand? ♫
♫ Flicking one's sleeve, walking alone, and not looking back ♫
♫ Ethereal orchids giving off fragrance; caressed by the breeze, even shadows are redolent. ♫
In 310 B.C.,
Qu Yuan officially was conferred as Vice Chancellor.
♫ Don't let regrets wind around your heart ♫
- Mother! Mother! Where are you?- Qin shall end Chu!
Qin shall end Chu!
Mother!
Mother! You must leave! It's dangerous here!
Child, there is no way I can get out.
Remember my words, rather be an ant in the caves,
than a phoenix in the woods!
Mother, what are you talking about? What are you talking about?
Mother! I've come to save you!
This is my fate, you cannot save me.
Rather be an ant in the caves, than a phoenix in the woods,
than a phoenix in the woods. Mother, what are you talking about?
- Mo Chou, what's wrong Mo Chou?- Mother!
- Mother!- Mo Chou!
Mo Chou what wrong?
What do you mean you'd rather be an ant in the caves, t-than a phoenix in the woods? What are you mumbling about?
Nothing, just a dream.
I told you not to sleep here, see, now you've started talking nonsense.
I heard that after the Grand Shaman was executed, no one was able to sleep on this bed anymore.
What did you say? The Grand Shaman lived here before?
Yes.
It'll be better if you don't sleep here anymore. It's inauspicious.
Let's quickly pack and leave.
Quickly, okay.
"Lush and flourishing peach tree, flaming red are its blossoms."
"The girl is getting married, most suitable for the house." (T/N "Lush Peach Tree", from "Classics of Poetry - Odes of Zhou and South")
Okay, today we'll first learn this poem.
Recently I haven't been teaching,
do you still remember the things I taught you previously?
Prince Zi Lan, please recite "The Conveyance of Rites". (T/N chapter from "The Book of Rites" by Confucius.)
Teacher, I do not wish to learn the “Three Hundred Poems”. (T/N Shi Jing, Classic of Poetry aka Book of Songs)
Reading your Ju Song (Ode to the Orange) is far better.
You can remember "Ode to the Orange"?
Of course I remember! In the period that you were away,
Elder Brother Heng and I often read it over carefully.
"Orange, your wonderful trees in this world, were born to be suitable for the lands here."
"Since you received the order to not move, you lived forever in this southern state."
"Deeply-rooted and hard to be moved, that is because of your undivided will."
"Green leaves, white flowers, how lovely and adorable."
"Independent and unwavering, how can you not be respected by others?"
Ju Song, (Ode to the Orange)
I'm asking how many characters are in this poem.
Enough, we'll finish here today.
"You distance yourself from the befouled world, aloof and unattached, dare to cross than just follow the flow."
"Holding fast to a pure heart, prudent and dignified, never have you erred."
"Though you are young, you are my teacher."
"Your character is better than the Bo Yi of ancient times, planting you here to be a model of good conduct"
Mo Chou!
Mo Chou, don't leave.
Have you been well?
- I have. Do not come over here, Lord Qu.
I do not wish to meet.
Mo Chou, has it come to this between us?
You've become much more wan.
Wan?
I'm fine. I'm quite fine.
You're drunk.
Drunk?
When I'm drunk, there's not so much emptiness before my eyes.
My Father, Mother, Elder Brother You,
they all seem to appear before me.
And you, when I see you,
it seems I've returned to the past.
Lord Qu, I have accepted my fate.
Please accept yours as well.
You've never been one to just accept fate!
What can you do, if you don't?
You are unable to do anything.
I'll leave now.
Miss Mo Chou.
You here Miss Mo Chou, it was hard to find you.
What is it?
It's the Queen Dowager's birthday today.
In the evening, His Majesty, Her Highness and all the officials
will all head to the grand hall to celebrate the occasion.
His Majesty has personally chosen you, Miss, to perform.
Miss, this is a great opportunity for you to became famous in the Chu court.
I understand.
Miss, you are a smart person, so I'll only say no more.
I take my leave.
♫ 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 ♫