ADAPTED FROM QING LINGYUE'S NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME
You guys are headed to the borders?
But the world is in chaos right now.
It will be a perilous journey.
It was hard to find this clue.
I don't want to let go of it.
You're all grown up.
You know what you want to do now.
Right. There is another matter.
When I was sorting through my father's belongings,
I discovered the correspondence between him and the Lord of Qingzhou
and found out about your true identity.
After that, I learned what happened to Qingzhou.
We were so far away that we couldn't get here in time.
I…
Silly girl.
What are you talking about?
You've done me a huge favor by blowing up those artilleries.
Fengxi,
I've kept all those letters for you.
If you need them, I'll have them delivered to you.
Tianshuang Sect will always be your home.
Don't forget to come back and visit us.
Fengxi, I will always be waiting for you.
All right.
It's a long journey
to the borders.
I'll have someone escort you guys.
You need as many hands as you can get.
We can look after ourselves.
Don't worry, Fengxi. I'm here.
I'll take good care of her.
All right.
Since you've made your decision,
you should depart soon.
It's unsafe out there.
I worry Youzhou might attack tomorrow.
But Han Pu is too young.
It's not safe to bring him along with us.
Can you let him stay with you?
Of course. I'll have someone send him back to Qingzhou tomorrow.
No. I don't want to go back.
Pu'er, this is the battlefield.
You can't stay here.
I know that.
Mr. Feng can protect you.
I can too.
Besides, I saw injured soldiers on my way here.
Fengxi, I am a descendant of the Han family.
I can stay and save lives at the camp.
Either way, I don't want to leave you again.
-But-- -Let him stay.
I will have Zhong Li watch over him.
All right. You can stay.
Take care.
-Jiurong, take care of her. -I will.
You take care as well, Fengxi.
QINGZHOU ENCAMPMENT
Are you thinking about Master Bai?
Yes.
If Yu Wuyuan is indeed my master's killer,
what exactly is he after?
It might still be connected to the Empyrean Token.
But…
The fake tokens were Dadong's schemes.
But Yu Wuyuan has been plotting for Huang Chao.
That leaves us to question his true motives.
I will get the Fountain Abode to investigate the Empyrean Yu family
and the origin of the Empyrean Token thoroughly.
Let's hope they find something.
It may offer Master Bai some peace, at least.
The Lord of Youzhou has suffered consecutive defeats,
and all his artilleries were destroyed.
Huang Chao's intention
must be to claim Youzhou for himself.
But he has yet to make his move.
I suspect he and Yu Wuyuan have something else up their sleeves.
The Lord of Youzhou is willful.
After so many defeats,
he must be anxious and impatient.
However, instead of dissuading him,
Huang Chao has allowed him to suffer one defeat after another.
Something unusual must be going on.
If something happens to the Lord of Youzhou,
he will have the perfect excuse to take over the reins
and combine the forces of the two states
and attack Qingzhou.
So he wants to deplete Qingzhou and Youzhou's forces.
He must have calculated the Lord of Youzhou's actions as well.
He knew he would go all out.
So next…
The Lord of Youzhou will lead the army to war himself.
YOUZHOU ENCAMPMENT
Your Lordship, you are our lord.
Your safety is of utmost concern.
You shouldn't have to enter the battlefield in person.
You only need to give orders in the tent and dispatch your soldiers.
Meng Hai.
I have such a mighty and powerful army.
Why are you still worried?
I will crush the Fengyun Cavalry with my own hands
to get revenge for the humiliation I suffered!
Your Highness, His Lordship insists on entering the battlefield himself.
Please ask him to reconsider.
Father-in-law,
you will boost morale
if you lead the army yourself.
However, Qingzhou has been coming at us fiercely over these past few days.
I'm afraid something might happen to you
should you join the battle.
Do not worry, Huang Chao.
That little girl is nothing to be worried about.
I will lead the army to war myself
and show her that we are not to be messed with.
Huang Chao, you hold the line for me.
Watch how I destroy the Fengyun Cavalry!
I wish you victory, Father-in-law.
I shall prepare the liquor
to celebrate your victory when you return, Father-in-law.
Good.
Your Skyrider Cavalry will have arrived by then.
We will follow up with a hot pursuit!
If we can capture Qingzhou,
then Yongzhou is nothing to be feared!
You will surely succeed, Father-in-law.
So this is the Bloody Phoenix Formation.
The Golden Armor Cavalry doesn't stand a chance against them.
They failed in a single attack.
It is as fast as the wind and as swift as fire indeed.
The commander must be
one of the Four Generals of Fengyun,
Qi Shu.
-Charge! -Charge!
Shield Formation!
The outcome
has already been determined.
Well, we've learned something.
We've finally witnessed
the power of Qingzhou's Bloody Phoenix Formation.
It's time to have the Lord of Youzhou withdraw.
It's over.
The Lord of Youzhou made bold claims.
But now, he has been utterly defeated.
What he needs most now
is a reason to retreat.
An excuse.
And this is the perfect time for us
to make such a request.
Father-in-law, things aren't looking for us.
Please withdraw the troops!
No!
Kill them! Destroy them!
-Defeat them! -Defeat them!
-Charge! -Defeat them!
The Golden Armor Cavalry
seems to have been exhausted.
Your Ladyship, the Lord of Youzhou is already a spent force
when he lost his artilleries.
We can't let the soldiers of Youzhou make meaningless sacrifices.
Now that he is here,
I will go and greet him.
I'll go with you.
Kill them!
-Father-in-law! -Kill! Kill them!
Kill them!
Destroy them!
After them! Kill them!
Fight!
Kill them! Kill…
Thanks to Mr. Yu's excellent medical skills,
my father's life has been saved.
Please rest assured, Your Highness.
His Lordship merely suffered from shock and his vitality was damaged.
With some rest, he will recover.
My father was too eager to win and underestimated his opponents.
Given the current situation,
we will need to plan and discuss matters at length.
I will return to my tent and wait.
I have something to discuss with you, Huang Chao.
YOU
From the looks of it,
the Lord of Youzhou will never dare to go to war again.
It's clear
that Feng Xiyun only meant
to intimidate him in this battle.
She didn't want his life.
The Lord of Youzhou brought this
upon himself.
What do you think will happen if my Skyrider Cavalry goes up
against her Fengyun Cavalry?
Are you really going to fight her in Wuhui Valley?
I will have to fight her sooner or later.
Of the Seven Founders,
Lady Feng, Feng Duying, was the most adept at formations.
Lord Tao perished under her Bloody Phoenix Formation back then.
If you are to engage her,
it will be a tough battle.
But the Lord of Youzhou is bedridden.
The army is without a commander.
In what name shall we fight?
Don't forget
that I'm the Lord of Youzhou's son-in-law.
What's more,
she is a smart lady.
YOU
Chunran.
What did you need to talk to me about?
My father has yet to awaken.
I am filled with worry, but there are questions I must ask.
Go ahead.
My father advocated the attack on Qingzhou.
He was eager to acquire the support of your Skyrider Cavalry.
But all this time, your cavalry did not show up.
But now, they will be arriving soon.
As such, I can't help but be suspicious.
Have you purposely delayed them
and planned for them to appear at the "right" time?
You misunderstood, Chunran.
It is a long journey from Jizhou.
They are getting here as fast as they can.
Moreover,
you and I are wedded.
Jizhou and Youzhou are allied.
Reducing Youzhou's military forces
would do me no good, wouldn't it?
You are a clever man.
No need for us to beat around the bush.
Youzhou and Jizhou are allied by marriage.
Naturally, our fates are tied.
However, my father has yet to awaken and Youzhou is without a leader.
We face conflicts inside and out.
I want to know what you plan to do next.
Your father is still unconscious.
Youzhou is faced with an internal struggle for the throne.
In my opinion,
you are extremely intelligent.
You are no less than any of the other princes.
I understand what you're saying.
But given our current circumstances,
I will need an opportunity
to take over the rulership of Youzhou
and convince the court and harem.
Qingzhou is threatening Youzhou
and Youzhou is without a leader.
You'll need a new commander, of course.
Look at the royal family of Youzhou.
Who among them dares to fight on the battlefield?
Seize the military forces
and you will secure control of Youzhou.
As your husband,
I am willing to lead the army
and fight the war under your command.
You are familiar with the art of war and well-versed in strategizing.
You are the perfect candidate.
You have thought of everything.
All right.
I will convince the court to elect you as the commander.
I can give you the Golden Armor Cavalry as well.
However…
What are your conditions?
I'm sure you know
what I desire.
If I should rule the world someday,
you
will be my empress.
But before you actually conquer the world,
you must guarantee Youzhou's sovereignty.
Is that agreeable?
The more time I spend with you,
the more I come to realize
how spectacular you are.
I hope you will continue to be truthful with me
and remember your promise.
I have the commander's tally.
Prince Huang will go to war on behalf of my father.
The Golden Armor Cavalry shall heed his orders.
-Yes, Your Highness! -Yes, Your Highness!
His Lordship was gravely injured
and has yet to regain consciousness.
Today, I shall be your commander.
I will fight
with all of you in this battle.
We will avenge His Lordship
and defeat the Fengyun Cavalry!
-Avenge His Lordship -Avenge His Lordship
-and defeat the Fengyun Cavalry! -and defeat the Fengyun Cavalry!
-Defeat the Fengyun Cavalry! -Defeat the Fengyun Cavalry!
Huang Chao is commanding the army today.
He has led 50,000 Golden Armor Cavalry troops here.
He is leading the center,
the left and right wings, and a five-zhang wide rearguard.
He is determined to fight you.
He has yet to mobilize his Skyrider Cavalry.
Ever since we entered Youzhou,
the Fountain Abode has failed to obtain any information
about the Skyrider Cavalry.
He plans to preserve the forces of the Skyrider Cavalry.
He wants to use Youzhou's army to wear out my Fengyun Cavalry.
However, the more those are his plans,
the more I can't let him get his way.
It looks like she is waiting for something.
She is waiting for us to make a blunder.
Is that so?
Then I'll show her.
We'll strike first to gain the advantage
and catch her unawares.
It's a pity we've lost half of the Golden Armor Cavalry.
The Bloody Phoenix Formation lives up to its namesake.
Have you found a way to break through it?
It's not advisable to sacrifice soldiers to study the formation,
but this is the only way.
The more they show us, the better we know how to deal with them.
Report! The Golden Armor Cavalry has made it to the end of our formation!
Outflank them with the middle. Strengthen the defense on the right wing!
Yes, Your Ladyship!
Outflank them with the middle. Strengthen the defense on the right wing!
Report! The enemy has been surrounded! The left wing has been broken through!
Strengthen the two wings. Turn the phoenix head into the middle
and pincer the enemy's center!
Yes, Your Ladyship!
Strengthen the two wings.
Turn the phoenix head into the middle
and pincer the enemy's center!
It's that Qi Shu again.
You may have better martial arts skills,
but you might not win
on the battlefield.
The Golden Armor Cavalry is a force to be reckoned with under your command.
But without you,
they pose little threat.
So that was your aim.
In a battle, it is all about seizing your opponent in one move.
If you know the outcome,
why continue to struggle?
No matter how powerful your formation is,
if I order the Golden Armor Cavalry to resist till the end,
you will pay a heavy price
even if you win.
You knew Youzhou's army would suffer a great loss.
Yet you still used them to test the formation.
Do you wish to lose the entire army?
Or
are their deaths
what you wanted, after all?
Huang Chao,
I will not give chase
if you withdraw now.
But if you insist,
I will fight to the end.
I admit defeat this round.
When I return,
we will settle the score.
QINGZHOU ENCAMPMENT
In today's battle,
we lost only over a hundred men and defeated the Golden Armor Cavalry.
We took down more than a thousand of their men.
Your Ladyship's stratagem was good.
You have my respect.
I am not
the only reason
we won today.
Do not let your guard down.
Huang Chao has yet to use his ultimate weapon.
The Skyrider Cavalry of Jizhou is one of the most powerful armies today.
The Golden Armor Cavalry can't hold a candle to them.
I expect
they will be here soon.
Report!
Urgent news from Yan City, Your Ladyship!
The Skyrider Cavalry has torn down the gates of Yan City.
What is the current situation?
The Skyrider Cavalry is heading to Wuhui Valley.
As such, the citizens remain unharmed.
Good.
How far are they from Wuhui Valley?
How many of them are there?
Your Ladyship, I was a day ahead of them.
We estimate they have about 100,000 men.
Yes, Your Ladyship.
Your Ladyship, against 100,000 of them, I fear…
If we lose the valley,
Qingzhou will be done for good.
We must defend the valley to the end.
But how do we fight this battle?
The Moyu Cavalry
is all ready for battle.
The Moyu Cavalry?
It is a cavalry that I have been secretly training.
It is located in Liang City.
Qi Shu,
lead a team
and follow Prince Feng to Liang City.
Open all the city gates along the way from Liang City to Wuhui Valley
-and let the Moyu Cavalry pass. -Yes, Your Ladyship.
Lin Ji. Xu Yuan.
Reorganize and prepare the soldiers for battle at once.
-Yes, Your Ladyship. -Yes, Your Ladyship.
I will order the troops to speed up.
But I'm afraid they'll get here later
than the Skyrider Cavalry.
No matter what, I will be waiting.
No matter what,
promise me you won't let yourself fall into danger.
I'll go and get ready.
Wait.
Take this with you.
DEITY OF ROMANCE
I gave you this.
DEITY OF ROMANCE
Who says so?
When did you get this?
Before I left Liang City.
Don't you know
the Deity of Romance's charm is meant to come in twos?
I guess this charm
really has started to protect me.
DEITY OF ROMANCE
You and I are tied by the red string of fate.
We hang on to each other.
We will make it through this safely.
Be careful.
DEITY OF ROMANCE
Sir.
The Skyrider Cavalry has arrived.
-I'm afraid this battle is… -There is no question about it.
We're only halfway through this game.
It's too early to decide a victor.
All of them are merely the pieces
and I am the chess player.
Deliver these letters.
TO GENERAL OF SHANG, BEI
Understood.
On the main battlefield,
the Golden Armor Cavalry will face the Fengyun Cavalry.
Meanwhile, the Skyrider Cavalry will seize Yan City from behind
so that Qingzhou will be caught between two fires.
How will Qingzhou respond?
Things have been going a little too well.
And Qingzhou's Bloody Phoenix Formation
is proving to be a serious challenge.
This is an analysis I made based on the previous battle.
I think we will be able
to break the Bloody Phoenix Formation for sure this time.
You've been of great help to me again, Wuyuan.
With this,
we will stand a chance to break the Bloody Phoenix Formation.
But
I have another concern.
What is it?
From what I know about Feng Lanxi,
he must have other plans in store.
Feng Lanxi may have been named the heir,
but the Lord of Yongzhou did not grant him access to military forces.
He can do nothing on the battlefield without an army.
I believe you overthink,
Your Highness.
I hope you prove me right.
Your Ladyship, the army's provisions for the next few days have been arranged.
Got it.
Go on.
Your Ladyship,
we are outnumbered in this battle.
We are worried about your safety.
I hope you will prioritize the greater good for Qingzhou
and allow us to defend the frontlines
while Your Ladyship fall back and protect Qingzhou at the rear.
We have prepared our frontline forces
and we will have the support of the Moyu Cavalry.
Yet all of you harbor many concerns.
Do you think that I am unfit
to fight on the battlefield?
No, Your Ladyship.
You're fearless and powerful.
So you are worried about the reinforcements then.
We are somewhat aware of your relationship with Prince Feng.
But…
He is still the heir of the Lord of Yongzhou
and you are the ruler of Qingzhou.
The battlefield is unpredictable.
We don't even know when he will return with his forces.
To be safe,
we ask that Your Ladyship retreat to the rear.
Lin Ji.
There is nowhere to retreat to
in this war.
Do you think I would allow myself
to stay safe and be protected in the back
while all of you fight to the death at the front?
The circumstances of this battle are different.
The disparity of forces is far too wide.
-We simply can't-- -I trust him.
In all the time that I have known him,
he has never let me down.
I understand.
But
Prince Feng represents Yongzhou.
Yongzhou has always taken a firm stance.
Your Ladyship, have you ever considered the consequences
should they decide to use this matter
to suppress Qingzhou and cause conflict
between the two states?
If the world can be unified
and the people may live in peace,
why would we have to worry
about such conflicts?
Your Ladyship, you mean…
Qingzhou has never had the ambitions to conquer the world.
We only wish to protect the peaceful lives of our people.
Right now, the world is in strife.
The people are suffering.
If a wise ruler should appear,
Qingzhou will cease to fight
and submit to him.
Why are you certain
that Prince Feng will be the one to achieve that, Your Ladyship?
You need a hero to conquer the world,
but you need
a wise and benevolent leader to rule it.
But Your Ladyship will be a wise and benevolent ruler as well.
Why should you bow down to others?
Why won't you become the empress and rule the world yourself?
That sounds good, of course.
However, we all have our own aspirations.
Lin Ji,
what kind of person do you want to be?
I want to be a loyal general to Your Ladyship.
Do you know what kind of person I want to be then?
I…
It is late.
Go back and rest.
Your Ladyship, no matter what happens,
the entire Fengyun Cavalry
will serve you forever.
You're our only ruler.
I understand.
When you go back,
tell them every word I said.
So you knew.
We've known each other for so long.
How could I not know what all of you are thinking?
I know
all of you are loyal to me.
You've always had reservations about our alliance with Yongzhou,
but none of you dared to ask questions for fear of offending me.
But you guys are not blind followers.
I think you must have lost to Xu Yuan in a finger-guessing game again.
I…
I've never won against him.
Go back.
Wuyuan!
Why are you here, Your Highness?
I came with General Xiao and the others.
But this is a battlefield.
Your life could be at risk at any time.
Are you worried about me?
Mr. Yu.
General Xuekong.
Wuyuan, the Skyrider Cavalry has arrived.
I intend to go to battle tomorrow.
What are the odds of winning?
With the method you provided,
about 60%.
Also,
I need a favor.
Do tell.
Huang Yu.
Yes.
I command you to protect Wuyuan.
Yes!
You know I can't actually let her enter the battlefield.
Keep her safe.
Understood.
-Xuekong. -Yes, Your Highness.
Let's go.
Huang Chao ordered me to protect you.
We'll be inseparable from now on.
I shall trouble you then, Your Highness.
Jiushuang.
You take the left.
Xuekong.
You take the center.
-Yes, Your Highness. -Yes, Your Highness.
Let's see if we can break
the Bloody Phoenix Formation today.
Your Ladyship, they have seen through our formation.
What's the status?
They lost more than 10,000 men.
But we've lost even more.
We have less than 30,000 men left.
They must have found a way to break the formation.
Given our current numbers,
we can't maintain the formation any further.
Any news about the Moyu Cavalry? How far away are they?
The scouts did not manage to learn anything.
I fear they won't be here any time soon.
Your Ladyship, I implore you to withdraw first.
If we lose Wuhui Valley,
we will lose all defenses.
Qingzhou will be defenseless.
We can't fall back.
We must hold on until the reinforcements arrive.
Men!
Defeat the enemy with me!
Feng Xiyun has joined the battle.
The outcome has been decided.