Han dynasty, 208 AD. Summer, Xuchang
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Yesterday, I proposed a decree
for war against Liu Bei and Sun Quan.
Has Your Majesty approved the decree?
The Prime Minister has just beaten back the Northern Wu Wan.
Our troops and people need respite.
The insurgents Sun and Liu
are ruling their own regimes down South.
They plot against Your Majesty's Court.
If they are not eliminated in time,
Your Majesty's Han Court might well be theirs.
Prime Minister, please let me consider this further.
How much further must Your Majesty consider?
I have waged wars across the land.
Tens of thousands of soldiers have perished on the battlefields,
all for the sake of The Great Han Empire.
Does Your Majesty still remember His exile?
Which, if any, among the Royal relatives rescued Him?
I wonder, to this day,
if I had not eliminated the traitors,
how many more would claim the throne for themselves?
I hereby decree that Prime Minister Cao Cao
be commissioned as the Commander of the Imperial Army
to go forth to pacify the South.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Senator Kong Rong wishes to speak!
Liu Bei is Your Majesty's uncle,
and Sun Quan is the third-generation heir to the Dukedom of Wu.
They have no intent to rebel.
Whereas you, Prime Minister,
are not only seizing all the powers of state.
But also intend to mobilize the entire army.
There is no justifiable reason for your war!
Although you have solemnly vowed yourself
loyal to His Majesty's Court,
you will not be able to convince everyone!
The next one to put down a rebellion may not be you, Prime Minister,
but Liu Bei and Sun Quan!
He is the first sacrifice.
I thank the Prime Minister for this wine!
The final year of the Han dynasty
eunuchs and court relatives struggle for power.
The country falls into chaos.
Ambitious Cao Cao seizes the moment
to coerce the emperor and control the feudal lords.
In the year 208 AD, Cao Cao leads his army South to destroy Liu Bei,
a distant relative of the Royal Family and Sun Quan, ruler of the Southlands.
Begin.
Form Up!
Watch it.
- My Lord. - Zilong!
My Lord. You have returned.
Our men made all possible efforts to hold our ground
before abandoning the town.
Luckily, most of the peasants have already fled through the valley.
My Lord!
The two ladies and the Young Master
are still trapped in the village.
My ladies, please be careful.
Don't cry.
General Zhang.
Chief Strategist, how does the situation look?
Cao Cao's pursuing forces are greater than anticipated.
The cavalry vanguard will arrive at any moment.
The Cao cavalry will use a wedge formation to attack.
We will reflect the light into their eyes to hold them off.
Remember, the refugees need at least an hour to retreat.
We need a thousand more soldiers for the second line of defense!
Leave it to me.
All right...
forward.
My Lord.
Zhu-ge Liang, the peasants are moving slowly.
It looks like they will need at least another four hours.
We urgently need 1,000 soldiers from here
to go aid General Zhang.
That way Cao Cao cannot chase them.
The peasants can be left to themselves.
Cao Cao intends to make us surrender. He will not kill them.
No! As you can see,
the elderly, women, and children all need our help.
My Lord, these peasants are dragging us down.
To succeed, you have to set aside these trivial matters.
These are Han people.
They followed us only to escape from Cao Cao's regime.
If we cannot offer protection to the civilians,
then what is the meaning of this war?
I will find Guan Yu. Go and help my Lord.
Sister!
Quickly! Bring the horse for My Lady.
That looks like Liu Bei's family.
Go get the baby!
My Lady!
General Zhao,
he is My Lord's only flesh and blood.
He must not fall into enemy hands!
Rest assured, My Lady.
I will take you and the Young Master to my Lord.
Let's go! Get on the horse!
My Lady, quickly!
My Lady!
General!
My Lady!
Step apart!
Flip the shields!
Attack!
Let's go!
Bailong!
Chief Strategist, where are our reinforcements?
Who is that man?
Zhao Zilong of Changshan.
Why is there no such brave warrior under my command?
General Zhao.
Zilong.
Retreat!
We can still fight!
WW are We giving up so easily?!
We are greatly outnumbered by the enemy.
If we can't protect the refugees, our losses will be worse. Attention!
Protect the refugees! That's an order!
Brother, go quickly!
Leave! Protect the refugees!
Zilong, take the Young Master!
Retreat!
Attention, Third Battalion! Hold the line!
Protect the retreating refugees!
Quick!
Charge!
Second battalion, go!
Third battalion, get ready!
My Lord...
I brought the Young Master back.
But the two ladies...
Zilong. Get up...
- Prime Minister! - Yeah.
Liu Bei is vulnerable.
Look, the cowards have all fled.
Dead bodies lie everywhere.
The rest ran for their lives!
There is only one man still fighting.
Surrender, and your life will be spared! Kneel down!
Do not be so rude!
General Guan Yu,
a wise man chooses his Lord carefully.
Why do you continue to serve Liu Bei?
You still won't kneel!
- Protect the Prime Minster! Kill him! - Nobody move!
Prime Minister, why?
If he wanted to kill me, he already would have.
Guan Yu cannot stab a man from behind.
Liu Bei has lost many battles,
yet so many talented men remain loyal to him.
One day, they will all serve under my command.
I have suffered a lifetime of failures...
This isn't the worst one.
Cao Cao thinks he holds the Dynasty's fate in his hands.
So long as I live and breathe,
I will fight to end his crimes against the Han Court.
My Lord, I will go to the state of Wu tonight,
to ask for Sun Quan's support.
Sun Quan?
Against Cao Cao? I wonder if he is strong enough
to fight an enemy as fierce as Cao Cao.
Though Sun Quan is young,
he has great ambitions.
For generations, the Sun Clan has ruled the Southlands.
They have the wealth and strength to fight Cao Cao.
Wu needs us just as much as we need Wu.
If our alliance succeeds, and we defeat Cao Cao,
then Cao Cao will definitely retreat back North.
We can then go West and rebuild our forces.
Once we are in control of the West,
Cao Cao will control the North, and Sun Quan, the South.
We will form a power triangle.
This division of power is the only way to stop Cao Cao.
My Lord, please rest assured.
Are you confident you can convince him?
Eat some more.
The road to Wu is long, and you will need energy.
Prime Minister, the surrendered generals,
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are here.
These two men are untrustworthy.
Please, be cautious.
I trust those who are of use to me.
Greetings, Your Highness!
Rise.
How many ships and men have you brought with you?
We have with us 300,000 naval troops,
and more than 2,000 battleships and boats of various sizes.
Great!
Now we can be
tigers that swim!
Your Highness, here is our letter of surrender.
General Cai, I see many grammatical errors here.
I hope your military strategies
are not as poor as your command of language.
I hear you have frequent exchanges
with the State of Wu.
Your Highness, I have declared war on Wu many times.
These so-called exchanges are limited to only this.
No need to explain. What is this?
This is a map of Wu that I drew,
taking great pains to be precise.
General Cai, you took great pains indeed.
Your Highness, Liu Bei has fled to Xiakou in defeat.
If he eventually joins forces
with Sun Quan's Wu clan, then I fear that...
Then isn't that in our best interest?
If Sun Quan forms an alliance with Liu Bei,
then he is justifying our war by harboring a traitor
and rebelling against the Royal Court's rule.
Liu Bei has royal blood, but was born a poor cobbler.
His whole life is a failure.
Sun Quan is a young upstart with no achievements.
When a loser join forces with a coward...
what can they accomplish?
Though My Lord is young, he shows wisdom beyond his years.
Speak frankly and don't hold back.
The senior advisers will be your biggest obstacle.
You say we can fight this war? We can't!
Hopefully, he has some good strategies to use against Cao Cao.
This time around, Cao Cao is determined to fight.
We are gravely outnumbered.
How could we ever hope to fight this war?
We cannot fight!
Greetings, Your Highness.
Mr. Zhu-ge, I hear that Cao Cao
beat Liu Bei into the mud at Xinye?
The defeat at Xinye was due to my Lord's noble heart.
He did not abandon the thousands of refugees
who followed our troops and slowed down our retreat.
How large is Cao Cao's army?
A ruthless army of 800,000 is invading from both land and water.
Cao Cao's real target is not to defeat Liu Bei,
but to conquer Wu!
Your Highness governs the vast Southlands,
and has many extraordinary gentlemen in your court.
If you are determined to oppose Cao Cao's invasion,
then please prepare for war!
My Lord! Do not fight!
When the late Duke was still alive, he always told me
that nothing is more important than the peace of Wu's people!
We cannot fight, my Lord.
That's right. To surrender is not so bad.
For the cowardly, in fact, the earlier the better.
That way, everyone can stop worrying.
If that is the case,
then why didn't Liu Bei surrender?
Confucius spoke of giving oneself to justice,
and Mencius spoke of sacrificing oneself for righteousness.
Surrendering is not a matter of victory or defeat, but rather one of virtue!
Cao Cao, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister,
controls the Han Emperor, and fabricates His Majesty's commands.
If he conquers the Southlands, he will surely usurp the throne.
If we surrender to Cao Cao, then we would be aiding a tyrant.
Lord Mayor Liu Bei is of His Majesty's Royal Family.
His wisdom is known to the world and respected by the people
If a noble man, who has been loyal to the Han court all his life,
fails to succeed, then that is fate.
But, how could he surrender to Cao Cao?
That would be an unbearable shame!
However, it is fine for Your Highness to surrender.
At least, you will be able to keep your life and possessions.
At Cao Cao's mercy,
he may let you remain as the ruler of the Southlands.
So why not?
Are you saying that I am nothing compared to Liu Bei?
No, Your Highness shows an outstanding brilliance,
greater than that of most and akin to that of Lord Liu.
Your Highness is capable of ruling the vast Southlands.
This alone, is a major advantage over Lord Liu.
My Lord, Mister Zhu-ge has come before you
with a plan for fighting Cao Cao. It would not hurt to hear him out.
Though my Lord suffered a recent defeat,
we still have Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun,
as well as a navy that they command with at least 10,000 men.
If we join forces with the elite generals and troops of Wu,
the alliance will strengthen us both.
Although Cao Cao's military outnumbers ours,
more than half of his troops are captured soldiers
and are not entirely loyal to him.
They have traveled over 100 miles every day. They are exhausted.
As the saying goes, a worn spear cannot even penetrate a thin cloth.
Moreover, Northerners are not used to the Southern terrain,
and they have no naval experience.
Their abrupt invasion is destined to result in failure.
You make well-reasoned points.
My Lord, please do not fall into Zhu-ge's traps!
We cannot justify fighting against Prime Minister Cao, My Lord!
Our alliance with Liu Bei will only justify Cao Cao's war.
It is better to take Liu Bei captive and turn him over as a gift to Cao Cao!
No! We shall first fight, then surrender.
So that we leave Cao Cao with a bitter taste.
100,000 against 800,000!
What kind of a war is this?
Cowards!
All of you are shameless cowards!
How dare you!
We cannot fight.
Your Highness,
I know you have been concealing your abilities.
The sword has been hidden away for too long.
Now is the time to draw the blade.
My Lord, this Zhu-ge Liang
is determined to drag us into trouble!
Don't! My Lord!
Speak no more!
I have heard this far too many times!
Let me think it through.
Let me think...
How beautiful!
The Southlands really are heaven on Earth!
Unfortunately, with the arrival of Cao's regime,
all of this beauty will soon turn to ash.
Your words had almost persuaded his Lordship.
For the alliance to happen,
I only need to persuade one other person.
- Zhou Yu. Viceroy Zhou. - Exactly!
The Duke regards him as his own older brother.
The Late Duke had also said,
for internal affairs, seek Zhang Zhao;
for foreign affairs, seek Zhou Yu.
He is now encamped at Red Cliff. He is the right one to seek.
Stop!
Give it to me!
Are you not capable of holding a spear?
There must be power in every stroke!
One more time!
Stab!
Slash!
Strike!
Swing!
Stab!
Slash!
Strike!
Swing!
Mister Zhu-ge, the Viceroy is over there.
Form Up!
One other wing...
The Goose Formation.
Not bad.
A pity that it is outdated.
Give it to me.
Your Honor!
You try.
Thank you.
Your Honor!
My family's water buffalo
was stolen from the fields near the barracks.
Some people saw...
Your Honor, this is Mr. Zhu-ge Liang.
Greetings, Viceroy Zhou.
Greetings.
Why carry a fan on a cold day like this?
It helps me remain calm.
It's the one old habit I cannot give up.
You do not look like an anxious person.
This way...
What are you laughing at?
I am not laughing, but appreciating.
I am appreciating that these soldiers know not only how to fight,
but also how to appreciate music.
You are knowledgeable in the art of war...
Just a little.
Yet you say my formations are outdated.
No man but you
could hear me from that far away.
I have sharp hearing.
This way...
General Gan, Mister Zhu-ge said that your formation is outdated.
Are you aware that a bad formation can kill our brothers?
I have never thought of killing my own brothers.
The power of the formations comes from the heart.
There is no such thing as outdated!
This is...?
This is General Gan Xing.
Pardon me, General Gan.
General Gan and his army used to be the most notorious pirates in the South.
- You cannot joke around with him. - No problem.
I am impressed by everyone's performance today!
But this elderly gentleman had his buffalo stolen
in the rice fields near the barracks.
Was this done by one of my brothers?
He who did it gave all our brothers a bad name!
- Find him! - Who did this despicable thing?
Lu Su, tell me,
what is the penalty according to law?
By law, the penalty is death!
Step forward. Reveal yourselves.
Step forward.
I have a way to find them.
Since the buffalo was stolen in the rice fields,
then there must be mud on the shoes of the looters.
- Am I correct? - Yes!
Attention, Gan Xing Company!
Everyone run to that tree,
around and back.
Go!
Quickly! Follow up!
I did not drag those people out today
because I want to give them a second chance.
The Wu army does not tolerate looting!
What we really need is to stick together.
I have failed to train my soldiers.
I beg your forgiveness.
I dare not! I dare not!
These soldiers are difficult to train.
Yet, these soldiers, have great potential.
Things like this happen because of our shortage of supplies.
You gave us half of your wealth to help build this army.
Now, supplies are short again. So how about giving up the other half?
Whatever you say is fine by me.
Then it's settled.
Your Honor! Your Honor!
Bad news!
I told you this friend is difficult to deal with.
It's a breech birth! It's a breech birth!
Hold this.
Luoyue,
hang in there.
My Lady! The pony still hasn't...
Be quiet.
She can't give birth with you being so loud.
It's coming.
Xiao Qiao, what's happening?
- A breech birth. - It will come out soon.
Your Honor, for horses...
Be quiet! Breech births are very rare.
The pony has not come out for two days.
What is happening?
Why is there only one leg?
He can't come out.
What should we do?
The other leg is stuck...
Simply dragging it out will not work.
He is...?
He is Zhu...
He is Zhu-ge Liang, a friend of mine.
Step back a little.
You are knowledgeable in this too?
A little.
I've helped cows give birth.
Horses should be much the same.
Excuse me, let me try.
The two front hooves need to come out together
for a natural birth.
The pony does not have a name yet.
He was born in the Southlands,
so he should have a Southern name.
- How about Meng Meng? - Meng Meng?
Meng Meng, stand up!
He can't stand up!
Stand up!
Come on!
Stand up!
I hope we can watch him grow each day.
I want you to promise me,
when he is grown,
you will not make him a warhorse.
Viceroy, Xiao Qiao looks like
she's the proud new mother herself.
Viceroy, time is of the essence.
War or surrender?
Lu Su, today we are celebrating.
Let's not discuss affairs of state.
All right.
Since Mr. Zhu-ge is learned in music,
why don't we play a tune together?
I know only... a little.
You know a great deal. You are only hiding it.
If you two gentlemen can work together,
then that will be a perfect match.
- Please. - Thank you, madam.
Thank you, Mr. Zhu-ge.
My husband has not played his qin for a long time.
I too have not been so enervated for a long time.
We still haven't discussed the war. How can we leave?
His answer is within his music.
He will fight this war.
I think you two can be great partners.
His music tells me
that he needs friends.
Your music tells me
that you need to fight this war.
Prime Minister,
desire and obsession
can also cause headaches.
Have you not heard that desire makes one young?
This painting must be by Your Highness.
Her name is Xiao Qiao. When I was young,
her father thought very highly of me.
I saw her only once.
Now, she is the most beautiful woman in the world,
and is married to Zhou Yu.
After I pacify Wu,
she will be mine.
- Gentlemen, you are all here. - Yes, Your Highness!
General Cai, your ships are well built!
Thank you, Your Highness.
I have guarded Jingzhou for many years.
With the strength and power of our current navy,
- we will surely defeat Wu. - Great!
What? The two generals are saying
that our ground troops are just for show?
General Xia-hou, while we Northerners are great on horseback,
the Southerners are experts on the water.
To destroy Wu,
we will need the hard work of General Cai and his navy!
Thank you, Your Highness!
General Cai,
What...
is the best food in the South?
River fish is the best food in the South.
Then what is the worst thing about the South?
The weather is the worst.
This is the windy season.
The wind can often be unpredictable.
Victory.
Six dragons lead my chariot.
I will ride the wind with the greatest speed.
With all of the feudal lords under my command,
to rule the world with one name.
On land and sea, with forces numbering 800,000,
I wish to meet Your Highness at the hunt for Wu.
This Cao Cao really has some nerve.
What does he mean by a "hunt" for Wu?
Brother.
Smile!
We will get through this.
They all want you to smile too.
When my father was 19 years old,
he was known as the Tiger of the Southland.
When my late brother was 26, he conquered the Southlands.
I am now 26,
yet I have done nothing!
It seems that my achievements
will never be able to be compared to theirs.
No matter how hard I try,
those old advisers call me worthless.
Brother?
You came at the right time.
He will not listen or even smile.
My Lord.
What is it?
Cao Cao requests our surrender. See for yourself.
You have not used this for a long time.
Let's go.
He is cunning.
Do you see him?
This beast is watching us.
He is sinister, playing with his prey.
Is he not like Cao Cao?
Although Cao Cao is Prime Minister, he is the real traitor,
always ambushing from the darkness.
In the entire world, not one person likes him.
Brother, what are you afraid of?
There!
To be honest,
I was prepared for war with Cao Cao three years ago.
Cao Cao claims to have an army of 800,000...
yet many are surrendered troops he cannot trust.
He can actually use only 100,000 of them at most.
Our troops have high morale.
We have knowledge of the Yangtze and greater naval expertise.
Moreover, Cao Cao has no justifiable reason for his war.
But those senior advisers!
They are only concerned with protecting themselves.
You need not listen to them.
Your late brother once told you
that you are a better administrator,
but that he was a better commander.
That made you lose confidence.
But he only said that to make you strive to surpass him.
Tiger!
Help them!
Go quickly.
Get out of here.
Can you walk?
Are you all right?
The beast is over there!
Go.
Do not hesitate any more.
My decision to fight Cao Cao is final.
If anyone dares mention surrender,
he will end up like this table.
Zhou Yu! Cheng Pu!
Lu Su!
Ay!
I hereby appoint Zhou Yu as the Viceroy in Chief,
Cheng Pu the Lieutenant Viceroy,
and Lu Su as the Consulting Commander.
We will form an alliance with Liu Bei,
to stop Cao Cao's invasion.
Understood!
It seems that war is inevitable.
We cannot stop Cao Cao's invasion,
but maybe this one will prevent future wars.
Just as long as there are no more wars.
Isn't this one just like yours?
You sure know how to replicate my handwriting.
Do you know why I wrote "Ping An" so many times?
"Ping An" means peace!
So... why so many peaces?
"Ping An" is...
3 name...
Come,
what do you hear?
Listen carefully.
I have heard rumors
that all the families are leaving Red Cliff.
When...
When will I leave?
I won't let you leave.
I want you to remain by my side.
One more time! Hurry!
General Zhao.
Chief Strategist, you are back!
This is Wu's Viceroy in Chief, Zhou Yu.
Guan! Guan! The ospreys cried,
from the sandy riverside.
Lovely maiden, modest and fair
With a gentleman makes a perfect pair.
What good is reading a book, if we have no food?
When you grow up, you will find out
that reading now will give you food later.
Well, let us read one more time.
Great calligraphy!
Damn!
What do you think you are doing?!
I have always admired General Zhang's famous roar.
To defeat Cao Cao, we need men with your temper.
This way please, Viceroy.
My Lord, they are here.
Your journey has been hard.
This is Viceroy Zhou Yu,
Lieutenant Viceroy Cheng Pu,
Consulting Commander Lu Su, and Veteran General Huang Gai.
Greetings, Lord Mayor Liu.
Gentlemen,
the Duke has helped all of us by sending these troops.
I am sincerely thankful.
An alliance is a friendship.
Friends need not be so formal.
Dare I ask, Your Honor,
how many soldiers do you have under your command?
- Thirty thousand. - Thirty thousand.
Thirty thousand men are too few.
Our men are too few?
Your army was defeated by just one blow!
What battles have you won?
Speak up. I only worry we might laugh ourselves to death.
So what?
- What's worse than a defeated army? - What is wrong with defeat?
Better to be a loser than a coward.
- What are you saying? - I dare you.
Brother, stop. Brother!
We are not building an alliance...
We are making enemies.
Viceroy Zhou,
what is your opinion?
At this time of crisis, you can still weave straw sandals?
This has been a habit of mine for years.
We have walked a long way wearing these shoes.
Whenever our shoes are worn out,
Big Brother weaves new ones with his own hands.
Exactly.
It really is strong.
I am surprised that such weak strands of grass
can become so strong after you weave them together.
You have a noble Lord, and brave generals.
Generals Guan, Zhang and Zhao are all invincible warriors on the battlefield.
An army high in spirits can fight an enemy 10 times its size.
We sons of Wu must protect our homeland.
We will also do our best.
I have only one dream--
a dream for all--
that is for all of us to unite!
United, no one can pull us apart!
I'm here!
Why are you here?
- To go to war! - War?
War is no joking matter!
You think that I'm here to joke around?
A woman should share the responsibility for the rise and fall of the Kingdom.
So should a horse!
Don't go! Come back!
Don't be like my brother!
Talk to me!
She is?
Our Princess, Sun Shang Xiang.
Princess, have you ever been to war?
There is a first time for everything!
After I fought my first war,
I never wished for a second.
I think, if she encounters any Cao troops,
her hands will tremble with fear, as if she were waving.
Princess, I see you better off at home, making your flower weavings.
She seems a very ambitious young lady.
She is a tomboy. She likes fighting.
Her maids are all fully armed.
Who would dare marry her?
What are you doing?
What did you say to my horse!
I told him that his rider
is a scoundrel!
Get up!
Don't pull so hard!
Hey! Hey!
You are drunk... drunk.
Turn towards me.
Prime Minister!
Prime Minister, a messenger from Wu has arrived!
- Bring him forth! - Yes, sir!
This way, please.
Did Sun Quan receive my letter?
He did.
What is his reply?
This page is blank. What is the meaning of this?
They intend to fight,
so they did not bother to write a reply.
Have him beheaded!
Prime Minister,
Liu Bei must have already formed an alliance with Wu,
brazenly opposing the empire.
Who will command their alliance?
Prime Minister, I guess it will be Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu is known not for his military abilities, but his musical talent.
How can such a man lead an army?
Prime Minister, for years,
Zhou Yu has remained our toughest opponent.
Indeed, he is a skilled musician,
but he is an even better naval commander.
We have suffered considerable losses against him.
Please do not underestimate him.
You sure do give him a lot of credit!
Prime Minister, there is one other man we cannot underestimate!
Who is it?
That is Zhu-ge Liang.
To the first hero who sacrificed his life for Wu.
In the battle of Guandu,
Cao Cao cut off the noses of a thousand prisoners of war.
He boxed and returned those noses,
instantly crushing his opponents' morale.
Today, he beheaded a man of Wu
to crush our morale!
But we men of Wu are not cowards and we are not afraid.
I have been waiting for this day!
I'm here!
What a commotion! I won't miss tomorrow's battle.
Zilong,
have there been any problems with the allied training?
The two armies have different codes of conduct,
so at the start there were a few minor conflicts.
But rest assured, I am training them well.
Zhou Yu likes naval battles?
Generals Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, I know you cannot wait any longer!
Very well,
you two are to command our navy to set sail down south.
Cai Mao leads a strong navy.
The water current and wind are all to their advantage.
So, we can launch our naval invasion.
Prime Minister, when shall we set out?
Tomorrow, before dawn.
He cannot wait. He will launch the attack tonight.
No,
make it tonight!
Would he take action so hastily?
There is only one word to describe his military tactics-- "fast."
In the battle of Xinye, Cao Cao's elite cavalries
rushed 150 miles in just three days.
We had no chance to prepare.
He places surrendered troops on the frontline,
while his own trusted army remains in the back.
Cao Hong, Zhang Liao.
You are to lead the naval forces on the second front.
Xia-hou Jun and Wei Ben, you are to lead the cavalry west,
to provide cover for the navy!
If the navy is so powerful,
why would they need us for cover?
Where will their main target be?
Right here!
That is the reason why you camped in Red Cliff.
You have foreseen this.
Yet someone said that my formations are outdated.
I have an even more outdated one.
Tortoise formation.
It is indeed outdated.
But when used appropriately, it is very effective.
What are you all talking about?
How can this tortoise formation be used on water?
Once you drop, it sinks!
If they think I will use the navy,
then Zhou Yu and Zhu-ge Liang really are stupid.
General Cai, your navy is only a diversion.
Understood!
Xia-hou Jun and Wei Ben.
Take 2,000 cavalry forces by land and catch them off-guard.
The majority of the Cao force is land infantry.
Would Cao Cao attack by water?
What are you thinking of?
Cao Cao never speaks of his true intentions,
even to his own followers.
Truth and illusion are often disguised as each other.
Cao Cao likes to play this game,
both with friends and with foes.
What are you doing putting that land tortoise in water?
Halt!
Reporting!
No signs of the Wu army within eight miles of the rear hill!
Nor any trace of civilians!
All have fled, except for a tortoise in its shell!
Charge! There may be an ambush.
Am I afraid of a few young girls?
Shoot!
The enemy has entered the trap.
This tortoise formation is not at all outdated!
Form Up!
It's a trap! I predicted this ambush.
Damn! Now the advantage is theirs.
Kill them.
Get back in formation!
Break through the shields and attack the enemy!
Charge!
Signal the cavalry! Break through their encirclement!
I will kill Zhou Yu for this!
Turn!
Charge!
Attack! Kill them!
Get back in formation!
Hang in there!
- Viceroy! - Viceroy!
Come on!
Attack!
Great! This is great!
Get out!
Reporting!
Your Honor, Cao Cao's fleet is sailing towards Red Cliff.
Prime Minister, our army was defeated!
Our cavalry has never lost a battle.
It is only a slight setback. No need to panic.
They managed to outfox this old fox.
Look, even though we came a long way on water,
not one allied ship was there to counterattack.
Instead, they ambushed our ground forces.
They were ready for us.
The war against these rebels
shall not be underestimated.
Prime Minister, since they do not have an adequate naval defense,
let's send out our navy to destroy the allies!
I would rather spend more time preparing my troops for the naval battle.
Sooner or later, we will get across the river.
I am still waiting to carve my poetry onto that cliff.
Right there!
Make camp right across from Red Cliff.
Victory! Victory!
So many ships.
If we used them as firewood,
it would take a hundred years to burn them all!
How can we beat them?
Cao Cao claimed to have an army of 800,000.
It looks like he really does.
So what if he has 800,000 troops?
With only one tortoise, we stalled his army.
Exactly!
The delay has taken away their momentum.
What do you think?
Rather than attack directly with his navy,
Cao Cao tried a rear sneak attack with his cavalry.
He made a mistake.
Now, he will change his tactics
and begin using his navy.
Cao Cao used only 2,000 troops, to discover our strengths.
But we know nothing of our enemy.
We can only wait for their next attack.
How is your arrow wound?
Fine. It's only a slight wound.
I owe you this one.
Take it easy.
Victory!
They are cheering for victory much too early.
With such good morale, what is there to fear?
We need good spirits to win this war.
Your Honor!
This medicine will cure the wound very quickly.
Please bear with the pain.
Let me do this.
Let me do something for a wounded soldier.
How does my bandage look?
You wrapped me up like a rice ball.
It seems that Cao Cao isn't so fierce after all.
He is indeed fierce.
He is a seasoned military commander.
He will do anything within his power to gain victory.
He knows how to command an army,
but he has no friends.
Cao Cao is unlike you.
This toast is for Viceroy Zhou!
To Viceroy Zhou!
Me too! For Viceroy Zhou!
I hope he can recover soon.
We joined forces under pressure,
but were successful beyond our wildest dreams.
Our brilliant victory shocked Cao Cao!
Duke, I have a difficult favor to ask of you.
100,000 refugees
followed us from Xinye City.
I have no land on which to settle them.
After defeating Cao Cao,
I would like you to let me use Jingzhou to settle the people.
Jingzhou is the heartland of the Yangtze and a most valuable strategic location.
How could you?
Only a righteous leader
owns his land.
Indeed, a righteous leader
may only need a small piece of land.
The Kingdom is vast--
vast enough to shelter all refugees.
But I am only afraid that,
once soldiers settle in, they will never leave.
Those in arms are all our own men.
If a Lord is righteous, then all the Kingdom's men are his to lead.
Come,
let's drink up!
Toast!
The princess is a true heroine!
Lord Liu, my younger sister
has always admired great gentlemen.
But since she is so fierce,
I have always worried about her marriage,
as it is difficult to seek a suitable gentleman for her.
Brother, what are you talking about?
If the Liu and Sun families become relatives,
then it wouldn't matter how we divided the land and men, would it?
The war has only just begun.
I have never thought of remarrying,
but...
Brother,
you must be drunk. What do you take me for?!
I have found you a fine match. What's wrong with that?
Fine.
Then, I will have a hundred of my armed maids
guarding my door,
and I dare you to step in...
and...
Oh, no.
Big Brother! Big Brother!
How rude! How outrageously rude!
Brother! Brother!
You have never learned to respect me!
That's strange. What did I do wrong?
Big Brother's acupuncture points are locked.
Wake Up!
Whatever you do, don't kill my pigeons.
Their acupuncture points are different from those of men.
I hope I didn't hurt your Lord.
He wouldn't blame you, even if you hurt him.
Was I outrageously rude?
I think you are unique.
It is the unique ones who are the most misunderstood.
I hate those arranged marriages.
Women are pushed around
like chess pieces.
You are feeding them too much. They won't be able to fly any more.
If only I was like them.
You want to fly?
I have been living in the palace all my life.
It is such a bore.
Your talents exceed those of others,
yet you hide them.
Only you can see them.
I used to go hunting with my brother across the shore.
Back then, the field was full of people dancing and praying.
Now, it has all become dark and mysterious.
Everything has changed now that Cao Cao has come.
Before they come here,
I will go over there
to take a peek
and stir up some trouble.
Take care. The weather has turned cold.
I have served the Prime Minister
for three days already.
Yet, Your Highness still does not know my name.
My name is...
Can you serve tea?
- I can. - Do so.
Prime Minister,
we can start the therapy today.
Doctor, what's the matter?
Tea, Your Highness.
Incorrect.
Tl')! again
Tea, Your Highness.
That's the way.
Xiao Qiao,
I have always admired the way you serve tea.
He started this war...
all because of a woman?
What are you doing?
I just gave them a bath and am drying them off.
What if they catch a cold?
How is your wound?
It's fine.
I heard last night was quite entertaining.
Last night's celebration made me realize
that we may become enemies tomorrow.
When that day comes,
you and I
will each serve our own sides.
I cannot stand the thought of a stand-off with you.
I hope it never will happen.
You are a brilliant commander.
Fortunately, you are not on Cao Cao's side.
Otherwise, you would be a lot of trouble.
You've been looking across the shore for two days now.
What do you see?
I must remain calm.
How about you?
I also need to remain calm.
Cao Cao has no experience in naval affairs.
To cross the river,
he must rely on Cai Mao and Zhang Yun.
They are both Southerners.
They know all the rocks and currents in the river.
If we can eliminate them,
half of the Cao navy will be paralyzed.
That“
would be rather difficult.
Cao Cao is always very wary of assassins,
just as his followers are wary of his deadly temper.
They have interesting fleet formations.
Every formation has its weakness.
It's only up to us to find it.
That shouldn't be too difficult.
Great!
I never imagined that our soldiers were also great athletes!
This is what I call interesting!
Over all these years we've been on the battlefields,
we were never once defeated.
But like a game of Cuju,
it cannot be exciting when one side always wins!
For the battle of Red Cliff, we are ready.
I want to see how those rebels react
once we throw out the ball!
Shaking the earth, waves hand in hand flow
No earthly wine can rival the moon's glow
A smile knows what no words can know
A passing glance and all is white snow
Let the mind, not the hands, defend and fight
Walls of iron cannot stop our might
This life, not in vain, not in spite
From every crucible, a phoenix takes flight
Wipe not our tears, let them dry on the air
This war is one our hearts declare
Victory won with beauty and flair
Rise together! Even a loss we can bear
No fear of this long night we share
Let the cries of war be our song
No comrade-in-arms shall our memories wrong
White waves of the Yangtze so long
Seething, as before, in our hearts so strong
Why not let the cries of war be our song?
Waves that crack the cliffs shall not be wrong
Brief voices speak out. From the heart they flow
No earthly wine can rival the moon's glow
A smile knows what no words can know
A passing glance and all is white snow
Let the mind, not the hands, defend and fight
Walls of iron cannot stop our might
This life, not in vain, not in spite
From every crucible, a phoenix takes flight
Minds in battle will clash and collide
In this war that our hearts decide
Let war bring peace to the world so wide
Rise up together and battle with pride!
Let no man fear the long night outside
Let the cries of war be our song
No comrade-in-arms shall our memories wrong
White waves of the Yangtze so long
Seething, as before, in our hearts so strong
Why not let the cries of war be our song?
Waves that crack the cliffs shall not be wrong
A moment so fast, where did it fly?
A wine so sweet, let me drink it dry
A wound meant for my ally
ls a medal I hold high
Every joy, every Sigh
Our laugh does belie
The moon lights the sky
Let us drink our glasses dry.