ADAPTED FROM QING LINGYUE'S NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME
After I pass away,
the throne will be yours.
You will be the second female ruler
within the Dadong Empire.
Rest assured, Father.
I will take good care of Qingzhou.
Your wit and martial arts skills are unparalleled.
I can leave Qingzhou in your hands
without qualms.
But…
Actually,
I would rather you find happiness.
I wanted to hold the weight of the sky for you
so that you could be free of worries.
But now…
You'll have to hold up the sky yourself.
I understand.
In today's world,
the Imperial Family is in decline
and talents arise from the other states.
It is a time when talents meet.
I fear the balance of the Six States will collapse.
If you possess
ambitions,
go forth
and surpass our ancestors.
Become a female ruler
the world has never seen before.
I have remembered
your every word, Father.
I will not let our people suffer.
In all my life,
I have failed your mother
and you, my children.
I had little time to spend with all of you.
Do you blame me?
Mother and we
have always regarded you as our pride, Father.
LANG CITY
Huang Chao.
Mr. Yu.
I have to thank both of you
for Youzhou's victory this time.
We have seized a city.
For our next step, I intend to take down
the entire Qingzhou in one fell swoop.
Your Lordship is wise and gifted.
Prince Huang and I merely provided additional support.
However, I believe this is not the time for us to make sudden moves.
Qingzhou has just lost Lang City.
They must be recuperating and gathering their strength
to prepare to launch their counterattack at the best time.
Your Lordship.
We shouldn't confront them at this time.
Father-in-law,
I think Wuyuan is right.
Qingzhou is furious and grieving,
making its momentum at its peak.
We should consider the matter at length.
Very well.
I shall wait for the arrival of the Skyrider Cavalry in the meantime.
Huang Chao,
they should be here soon, right?
Father-in-law,
the Skyrider Cavalry is our special covert army.
We know this
and so does Qingzhou.
That is why
the Skyrider Cavalry
will naturally show up at the most suitable time.
Good.
I shall
look forward to it.
QINGZHOU
All of the guards outside
are on edge.
They are afraid that you will slip and fall from above.
You've been standing here all day.
Have something to eat and drink.
I'm still here.
Talk to me.
I can see all of Qingzhou from here.
This is the place my father and brother
spent their lives protecting.
Further away
lies the place where my brother died in battle.
I have no family left.
No.
You still have me.
From now on,
I will fight and protect my people
just as my brother and father did.
I will be with you
no matter what.
-Long live the Lady. -Long live the Lady.
Rise.
-Thank you, Your Ladyship. -Thank you, Your Ladyship.
My father and brother have just passed away.
I've had to shoulder this responsibility in an emergency.
I am willing to work with all of you
to reclaim Qingzhou's city
and protect my people.
Dear ministers and officials,
do you have any wise plans to defeat our enemies?
I believe the Lord of Youzhou disregarded the agreement
of the Six States
the moment they attacked Qingzhou.
I am willing to lead the Fengyun Cavalry
to banish the invaders
and offer their blood and flesh to the late lord and Prince Xieyue.
-Banish the invaders! -Banish the invaders!
The backbone of Qingzhou
is bold and valorous indeed.
Cheng Zhi.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
The Golden Armor Cavalry has invaded our state.
I will engage them in battle myself.
I'll leave you
in charge of guarding the capital
while I am away.
Understood.
Qi Shu. Lin Ji.
-Present. -Present.
Tally the remaining numbers of the Fengyun Cavalry.
Follow me to Li City to defeat our enemies.
-Yes, Your Ladyship. -Yes, Your Ladyship.
During my absence,
I hope all of you
will do your best in your respective duties.
Do not let me down.
-We will not disappoint Your Ladyship. -We will not disappoint Your Ladyship.
Qingzhou has raised the Baifeng flag.
It seems Princess Xiyun is going
to follow in her ancestors' footsteps.
I didn't think she would be the first
of our generation to become a ruler.
Well, we'll see if this phoenix
can be reborn from the ashes.
Hei Fengxi is Feng Lanxi.
Bai Fengxi is Feng Xiyun.
Interesting.
I had my doubts,
but I could never be certain.
Wherever Bai Fengxi is, Hei Fengxi is never far.
It will be a tough war
to win.
If I were the Lord of Youzhou, the best move to make would be to retreat.
But given his headstrong and self-willed character,
that option was never in his books.
Then again,
wouldn't it be easier for you
to control Youzhou if he suffers defeat?
That may be so,
but it would still be too cruel.
That doesn't sound like
Prince Huang Chao of Jizhou who intends to rule the world.
If you don't advance on the battlefield,
you fall back.
So be it.
I'll just be engaging Hei-Bai Fengxi earlier than expected.
The arrows are on the bowstring.
That is the only option.
QINGZHOU ENCAMPMENT
I am guilty.
I followed His Highness to war,
but I was unable to protect him.
Please punish me, Your Ladyship.
Please get up.
Thank you, Your Ladyship.
You did well by escorting the people to safety.
You did nothing wrong.
You are well-experienced
and familiar with the battlefield.
I will rely on you for many things moving forward.
All of Qingzhou mourns my brother's death.
We share
the same pain.
Rather than dwell in our sorrow,
it is better to turn it into strength
and reclaim what we lost and protect our people.
I will not fail this mission.
This is the heir of Lord of Yongzhou, Feng Lanxi.
He has come to assist me
in defeating Jizhou and Youzhou.
Tell me the current situation.
According to reports from the scouts,
the Golden Armor Cavalry's Lead Infantry will arrive at dusk tomorrow
or early the morning after.
In that case,
we must prepare a hefty "gift" for them.
Your Ladyship, do you have an idea in mind?
This place.
MOUNT YI
Mount Yi.
A place they will have to pass through.
Do you intend to ambush them here, Your Ladyship?
This mountain is neither high nor steep.
There isn't much forestry on it either. It will be difficult to hide.
How will our troops hide their presence?
The road at the foot of the mountain is three zhang wide.
We can take this path.
There are several places to lurk on the slopes of Mount Yi.
I have traveled around over the years.
I have some knowledge
of the number of mountains we have
and their respective topographies.
Our troops will hide and wait for the Golden Armor Cavalry there.
We must let them know
that we are not to be trifled with.
-Yes, Your Ladyship. -Yes, Your Ladyship.
Your Ladyship, I would like to present them with the "gift."
All right.
You will lead 500 men
and set up the ambush.
The moment their Lead Infantry arrives,
weaken their forces.
Do not draw out the battle.
Understood.
The Golden Armor Cavalry is coming at us with full vigor.
In that case, we'll take them down a peg or two.
Send my orders.
Have those on watch tonight
strengthen our defense
and watch out for the enemy.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
Have all the residents of Li City been evacuated?
As per your orders,
they have all been evacuated to Yang City and Qi City.
Ensure we have sufficient rations and supplies in Li City.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
Everyone.
In this battle,
the underdogs will win.
Secure victory
to honor my deceased father and brother.
-As Your Ladyship commands. -As Your Ladyship commands.
LI CITY, QINGZHOU
This will be a difficult battle.
You've worked hard.
It's a little early to say that.
I do have a question for you though.
From an onlooker's point of view,
what do you think of Qingzhou's Fengyun Cavalry?
Though you have 10,000 troops, they do not make clamor.
The generals and commanders
are extremely capable and obey all orders.
The Fengyun Cavalry
lives up to its name.
Jizhou's Skyrider Cavalry has 200,000 soldiers.
Youzhou's Golden Armor Cavalry has 150,000.
Yongzhou has a total of 200,000 troops as well,
not including your Moyu Cavalry.
Despite this,
all of you want more troops.
I, on the other hand,
only wish to protect Qingzhou.
A Fengyun Cavalry with 100,000 soldiers is enough.
You're acting more and more like a ruler now.
I'm worried I'll be losing soon.
I know you're trying to lift my spirits.
It's true that I can only feel more at ease
when I am with you.
You are the carefree Heroine Bai Fengxi
and you're the regal Lady Feng Xiyun too.
Both of them are your true selves.
You have to believe in yourself.
No one knows me
as you do.
I will not
disappoint you either.
Don't worry.
I will be by your side.
You have not only me,
but also the Moyu Cavalry and Fountain Abode
to support you.
I understand what you mean.
I will not let you use your own forces to help me unless absolutely necessary.
All right.
As you say.
But let's make this clear.
I will be by your side on the battlefield.
You can't refuse me.
It's dangerous on the battlefield.
-Things are unpredictable-- -That is exactly all the more reason
I must be with you.
I made a promise to the late Lord of Qingzhou,
Prince Xieyue,
and myself.
So
stop trying to change my mind.
All right.
I entrust my life
to you.
I will do everything
to keep you safe.
Retreat.
Your Ladyship is wise indeed.
We set up an ambush
and took down several thousand of the Golden Armor Cavalry's lead troops.
I'm sure
the Lord of Youzhou will be "pleased" to hear that.
Youzhou's Lead Infantry should arrive at dawn tomorrow.
According to my calculations,
they will attack the city immediately.
They will have just arrived.
Logically, they should rest for a day or two
before attacking.
If they were to attack right away,
the front-line general--
The Lead Infantry lost 5,000 men before even reaching Li City.
I'm sure the general will want to seize Li City
before his lord arrives
to make up for his mistakes.
How are you going to deal with them?
With the Bloody Phoenix Formation created by my ancestor.
Famous books on military strategies have said,
"Run when you encounter the Feng,
Feng Duying of the Feng family,
and the Bloody Phoenix Formation."
However,
Youzhou and Qingzhou have been fighting for years.
They should know a way to deal with it.
I think…
You mean
we should make some changes
to the existing formation.
Prince Feng,
Qingzhou's Bloody Phoenix Formation is renowned.
We've been fighting against Youzhou for long.
If they knew how to solve it,
they would've attacked us a long time ago.
But we are not just going up
against Youzhou.
His concerns are justified.
Youzhou's generals may not be able to break it,
but we must be on guard
against Huang Chao and Yu Wuyuan.
Bring the diagram of the formation.
Your Ladyship,
the Bloody Phoenix Formation is Qingzhou's…
I, Feng Lanxi, hereby vow
that I will never reveal this to another soul.
I trust him.
Bring the diagram.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
Your ancestor created the formation
and helped Emperor Weilie to conquer the world.
She was the only female general among the six lords.
Emperor Weilie was deeply moved
and wanted to name her his empress
and rule the world with her.
However, Feng Duying enjoyed freedom.
She turned him down.
He then decided to give her a piece of territory.
Later, to make things fair,
he divided the land into six states.
That is the origin of Dadong and the Six States.
Qingzhou upholds peace.
The rulers of Qingzhou have never been fond of war.
The Bloody Phoenix Formation was left untouched for many years.
Until
today.
That is how Qingzhou has always been.
We will not attack
unless we are attacked.
My father died of illness and my brother was killed.
Qingzhou is in danger.
To protect my people,
I must resort to this.
Report!
Your Ladyship, the Golden Armor Cavalry is 100 zhang away from the city gate.
Take up the gauntlet.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
LI CITY
Sir! They only sent out 10,000 soldiers!
Are they underestimating us
after the ambush?
Men!
We must capture Li City
before His Lordship arrives!
Get them!
-Charge! -Charge!
How can this be?
Useless!
Every one of you!
Thirty thousand men were wiped out in one day!
Ye Yan is inept!
Father-in-law, please appease your anger.
The new ruler of Qingzhou, Feng Xiyun, was the one defending the city.
She has a long-standing reputation.
General Ye must have lost
because he underestimated her.
As such,
that is even more reason for us not to act recklessly.
Feng Xiyun
is but a little girl.
Mr. Yu,
you are well-read in military tactics.
Is there a way to break the formation?
Your Lordship,
this is the Bloody Phoenix Formation created by the first ruler of Qingzhou,
Lady Feng.
The formation is said to be unpredictable.
Those caught in the formation
are said to be as if hunted by a bloodthirsty phoenix
until they are devoured.
Lady Feng used this to defeat Lord Tao back then.
Using one against ten and decimating the enemy troops.
I have yet to hear of anyone successfully breaking this formation.
Is it truly that powerful?
I don't dare deceive Your Lordship.
Then
doesn't that mean I have no choice
but to retreat?
Huang Chao, where is your Skyrider Cavalry?
Father,
it is not impossible to secure victory.
However, we must first observe it before we destroy it.
-So-- -Meng Hai.
Present.
Lead 5,000 soldiers and attack the city at nine!
Understood.
YOUZHOU ENCAMPMENT
I remember you gave Ye Yan a sachet.
Did it not contain the way to break the formation?
Or did you
plan this?
I did give him a sachet
and it did contain the method to break the formation.
However, changes were made to the formation.
Is Feng Xiyun that capable?
I don't think it was her doing.
Feng Lanxi?
If you wish to conquer the world,
those two will be formidable enemies.
I've never been afraid of powerful foes.
However,
if we are not launching an attack now, then what are we waiting for?
For the Lord of Youzhou to unleash his ultimate weapon.
The artilleries?
Yes.
They are the reason why you and I came
to Youzhou.
But those things
will cause devastating damage and cost countless lives.
That gives us
more reason
to seize control of such a weapon.
The Lord of Youzhou wants to use thousands of soldiers as bait
to lure out the Bloody Phoenix Formation to find a way to break it.
He must be waiting for the right time
to send his 100,000 troops to wipe out your cavalry.
But my cavalry
is well-prepared.
The Lord of Youzhou underestimated you.
Your Lordship, the Fengyun Cavalry did not set up the formation.
However, we have already lost 3,000 men.
Please order the troops to retreat!
If not…
YOUZHOU ENCAMPMENT
I was incompetent. I will accept punishment, Your Lordship.
General Meng Hai.
Go and get some rest, all of you.
-Yes, Your Lordship. -Yes, Your Lordship.
Military Adviser.
Your Lordship.
Any news about the Skyrider Cavalry?
Not yet.
Does Huang Chao intend
to take advantage
of my battle with Qingzhou?
Your Lordship,
I believe he does have that in mind.
But that is merely because
he is unaware of Youzhou's
true force.
If our troops invade in large numbers,
they may be trapped in the Bloody Phoenix Formation.
If we send fewer soldiers, they might be defeated by the archers.
Enough.
How soon can the artilleries get here?
Your Lordship, they will arrive at one tomorrow afternoon.
Good.
Seize Li City at three the day after tomorrow!
Yes, Your Lordship.
That little girl, Feng Xiyun.
I will see to it that you are defeated this time!
LI CITY
Your plan worked.
Yes.
I stopped the Lord of Youzhou in Li City
to force him to bring out his artilleries.
Artilleries are weapons capable of causing mass destruction.
If we let that thing enter the battlefield,
who knows how many lives will be lost?
So I must have him bring it out and get rid of them as soon as possible.
So
you had the main army retreat first.
Yes.
I heard those artilleries are immensely powerful.
One shot can injure hundreds.
They can tear down even the sturdiest city walls.
That's why
I want to see
just how much damage it can cause.
What about you?
I'll be by your side, of course.
Men!
Blow up the city gate!
-Yes, Your Lordship! -Yes, Your Lordship!
LI CITY
Protect the artilleries!
Shame. We only destroyed one out of the five artilleries.
Huang Chao has made his appearance.
Those artilleries are as good
as tens of thousands of troops in his hands.
I have another idea.
We'll advance by retreating.
QINGZHOU
Like you,
Feng Xiyun is after Youzhou's artilleries,
except she wants to destroy them.
Youzhou used ten years to build five artilleries
and she destroyed one in a day.
As expected of her.
One of the artilleries you've been longing for all this time was destroyed.
Don't you feel upset?
I believe
this is an opportunity.
Once I examine the remains,
I'm sure I'll find a way to produce them.
One artillery was destroyed,
but I gained the method to create countless more.
Isn't that a good thing?
The Wuyuan I know
strives for the well-being of the people.
Artilleries are weapons of mass destruction.
I've said that before.
Well, that depends
on who controls them.
LI CITY
-Your Lordship. -Speak.
The gates of Li City are wide open.
There are no signs of living within.
On the towers are only straw men dressed in armor.
That little girl, Feng Xiyun,
must be afraid of my artilleries.
That's why they fled.
Send my command.
We will enter the city and rest.
Continue to pursue the Fengyun Cavalry.
As Your Lordship commands.
The Wuhui Valley is the next stop after Li City.
Feng Lanxi and Feng Xiyun
will surely finish the battle with the Golden Armor Cavalry there.
Indeed.
Xuekong notified me yesterday.
-Is the Skyrider Cavalry here? -They will be here soon.
It is all thanks to the late Lord of Youzhou
that Youzhou is the most prosperous state today.
Unfortunately,
his successor
is such a headstrong, short-sighted,
and self-absorbed man.
What do you plan to do then?
I will replace him,
of course.
Feng Xiyun deliberately gave up Li City.
She must be after the four artilleries.
That's the reason she let the Lord of Youzhou
occupy Li City, isn't it?
It would be too difficult to infiltrate the Youzhou Encampment
and destroy the artilleries there.
She is familiar with Li City.
There is only one place where they can
store the artilleries.
To think there would be such secret passages within Li City.
Keep going forward after this secret alley.
This is the only place in this city where they can set up artilleries.
Lady of Qingzhou. Heir of the Lord of Yongzhou.
We meet again.
Prince Huang and Mr. Yu. It has been a while.
What?
Do you plan to keep us here?
Are you sure you can do that?
I am aware of my capabilities.
Given both of your skills,
it would be a tie at best.
Think of this as a meeting of old friends.
I would like to talk to both of you.
Are you planning to make peace?
Will you be representing Jizhou or Youzhou?
I speak on behalf of both Youzhou and Jizhou,
of course.
In my case, there can only be one outcome.
Jizhou and Youzhou
will have to concede to Yongzhou and Qingzhou.
Well, wise minds certainly think alike.
However, it would be the opposite
in my case.
I look forward to fighting you on the battlefield, Prince Lanxi.
Me too.
Prince Huang.
I've never forgotten
the spy you planted.
When the time comes,
we'll have to settle that score.
In one way or another,
it gave you your position today, didn't it?
There is no one
standing in your way in Yongzhou now.
I doubt you came to catch up on old times, Prince Huang.
Did you come to stop us
from destroying the four artilleries?
If that is your intention,
I cannot stand idly by, of course.
You'll have to go through me
to get to the firearms camp.
You've seen the power of those things in the past two days.
Can we really allow such a terrifying weapon to exist?
As the heir of the Empyrean Yu family,
can you allow that as well, Mr. Yu?
Weapons of all kinds
are devastating to the common folk.
What is the point of destroying them if wars don't cease?
It looks like Prince Huang intends to use force
to end this war.
I only fight on the battlefield.
No innocent civilians will be harmed.
Don't get ahead of yourself.
It would be better to destroy such a weapon at once
than to let it exist.
Since both of you insist,
make your move then.
I must destroy the artilleries.
Excuse me.
To the firearms camp.
Hurry!
-My artilleries! -This way! Hurry!
-Quickly! -My artilleries!
Who did this?
Who? Who did this?
-Who? -Your Lordship.
It was someone from Qingzhou.
All the artilleries have been destroyed.
Feng Xiyun.
I will seize her!
I will not give up!
-Hurry up and put out the fire! -Yes, Your Lordship.
Hurry! Over here!
Feng Xiyun!
You will pay for this!
Are you not going to make your move yet?
It's not the time yet.
Her strategy to control her enemy by first disrupting his mind
proved effective.
Since the incident with Li City,
her successive moves have confused and unsettled the Lord of Youzhou.
If I were to strike,
I would at least ensure that I knew my opponents' moves first.
Otherwise, I might not be successful in depleting both forces' powers.
Wuhui Valley, the Valley of No Return, is next after Li City.
I wonder
who won't return alive this time?
Well, it won't be either of us for sure.
Hurry!
-Fengxi. -Fengxi.
Langhua.
Why are you guys here?
Where are the others from Tianshuang Sect?
They stayed behind in the sect.
The three of us came here because we discovered new leads.
After returning to the Tianshuang Sect,
I sorted through my father's belongings.
I discovered a fragmented jade pendant was missing.
What jade pendant?
I don't think that belonged to him.
I remember my father would sometimes stare at the jade pendant in concern
after he returned from the capital of Yongzhou.
The jade pendant had a distinct feature, so I remembered.
When he was at the dungeon in Yongzhou,
he asked a jade carver about the pendant.
The jade carver told him the pendant belonged to the Empyrean Yu family.
So you suspect
Yu Wuyuan took it?
Yes. Who else could it be from the Empyrean Yu family?
I recalled what happened that day
and remembered he was there as well.
He must have had ulterior motives.
If the jade pendant is a key connection to what my father was investigating,
then the person who took the pendant is most likely my father's murderer.
Did you guys find anything
when you followed him here then?
We followed Yu Wuyuan all this way
and learned that he was traveling with Huang Chao of Jizhou.
When we entered the city,
we ran into General Qi, who was cornered as he tried to blow up the artilleries.
We couldn't do nothing when we found out it was Qingzhou's army.
So we worked together with General Qi
and set off all the explosives in the firearms camp.
Han Pu helped
to set the barracks on fire too.
He distracted them
and allowed us to escape.
You did a fantastic job, Pu'er.
You're amazing.
Won't you make me a general then, Fengxi?
I heard from Ms. Langhua
that you are the Lady of Qingzhou now.
I wanted to see what you were like as the ruler of Qingzhou, so I came along.
I saw you earlier. You looked so mighty.
General Qi looked so powerful too.
All right. I promise you.
I will make you a general,
-all right? -Really?
If Yu Wuyuan is indeed the culprit,
given his wary nature,
he will pull every string to get himself out of it.
We thought of that too.
So we don't have enough proof yet.
We heard there were other Token Keepers at the borders.
We want to go there to learn more
and gather more evidence.
You guys are headed to the borders?