Chapter 124: The Romance of History

The Emperor Wu of Han, played by Huang Xiaoming, finally makes his entrance. His coronation leaves a profound impression on the industry professionals watching the film, with its grand, aesthetic, and majestic scale proving truly stunning.

However, the plot soon plunges into a low point: Emperor Wu realizes that after ascending the throne, the actual power is not in his hands. Shortly after his coronation, he begins to promote Confucianism following the advice of his tutors. His teacher, Wang Zang, along with his close friend Zhao Wan, submits a petition suggesting that the Emperor should not need to report to Empress Dowager Dou when issuing administrative decrees. The result is that these officials are punished and executed by the Empress Dowager.

The execution is swift, forcing Emperor Wu to confront the grim reality and the treacherous nature of political struggle. "That blind old hag! By what right? By what right does she do this?" Like his father, Emperor Wu can only seethe with silent rage, unable to vent his frustration. Just then, military reports arrive from the frontier. The Xiongnu have raided the borders again, causing significant losses.

"These barbarians have gone too far!" Emperor Wu, Liu Che, is beyond furious. Unable to hold back any longer, he immediately summons his ministers to discuss the matter, but the outcome is predictable. "Your Majesty, we believe that *heqin* (marriage alliance) is the best policy. War is an omen of misfortune; it should not be waged lightly. Trading one woman for years of peace—this is a stroke of genius."

*Heqin*—yes, that is all these ministers know! Liu Che is nearly driven to vomiting blood from anger. The crucial point is that he has no real say; he is forced to agree to the marriage alliance. "I need to go out and catch some air!" At not even twenty years old, he finds this suffocating, and no emperor could truly endure such a life.

"Where is Your Majesty going?" Even catching some air is restricted; he must report his whereabouts to the eunuchs. "I'm going to visit the ancestral tombs, is that alright?" He is truly losing his mind. Is he an emperor or a prisoner?

Huang Xiaoming’s performance in this segment is quite commendable. To use Wu Xiang’s words, this is essentially a typecast role for him; while he may lack a bit of an emperor's true dominance, he excels at portraying a young, immature man filled with anger and willfulness. It may not be the highest praise, but he is working hard and is well-suited for the role.

The scene shifts, and Wei Qing, played by Deng Chao, makes his appearance. This is the sequence for which Wu Xiang finally decided to design specific action choreography. Naturally, subtitles are used to introduce Wei Qing so the audience knows who he is. "Wow! Is this turning into a martial arts movie?" some professionals in the audience quip, but one must admit, the action design is quite impressive.

Unable to stay with his biological father, Wei Qing returns to his mother’s home. The family now works as servants in the household of Princess Pingyang, and his two sisters hold the promising profession of songstresses. Upon his return, Wei Qing cannot just freeload, so he takes a job as a stable slave for the Princess—a job with a bright future, or so it seems.

The music is elegant and the dance graceful. Emperor Wu, dressed in simple attire, sits in the center of a room arranged by Princess Pingyang, watching several dancers perform. Wu Xiang didn't overthink the choreography, simply asking Hai Qing to arrange some simple movements. Since ancient dances were often derived from farming or hunting, she choreographed small gestures like washing clothes or rinsing rice. Of course, only a professional would notice.

Did Liu Che fall for Wei Zifu at first sight? History records it that way, but Wu Xiang did not stage it so. He felt that if history were truly like that, it would imply that Emperor Wu was not a great, ambitious sovereign, but merely a lecherous man driven by his libido. Emperor Wu is satisfied with the dance, but only satisfied. By pure chance, he encounters Wei Qing working as a stable slave.

"What are you doing? That is not how you mount a horse!" Emperor Wu had wanted to go for a ride, but he was alone, and without stirrups or a eunuch to act as a human step, he could not mount. Seeing this, Wei Qing mocks him. "How dare you be so rude? Do you know..." Liu Che wants to use the imperial "We," but he holds back. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," says Wei Qing. "I just know that if you do it that way, you'll never get on the horse."

"If I can't, can you?"

"Of course!" Wei Qing leaps onto the horse, which trots away. This sequence, filmed in Hengdian, features action choreography designed by Wu Yue and Zu Feng to make the character of Wei Qing appear heroic and charismatic.

"Not bad!" Seeing Wei Qing’s extraordinary agility, Emperor Wu feels inclined to recruit him. "With such talent, why work as a slave here? Why not join the army and serve the country?" He is testing the man’s mettle.

"Serve the country? I’m not tired of living yet! I'm not that stupid," Wei Qing replies bluntly.

Emperor Wu is incensed. "How can serving your country be called being tired of living? Are you a coward?"

"Rubbish!" Wei Qing retorts. "Right now, if we go to fight the Xiongnu, I tell you, out of ten men who go, one returning is a miracle!"

"How is that possible?" Emperor Wu cannot believe it, as the Han soldiers are clearly better equipped. "The Han produces iron tools dozens of times more than the Xiongnu, our numbers are greater, our armor, our crossbows..."

"All that means nothing!" Wei Qing interrupts the young man disrespectfully. "To defeat the Xiongnu, you must venture deep into the grasslands. We are in Pingyang now, not far from the steppes. I’ve seen the Xiongnu soldiers; they are born on horseback. It doesn't matter if we have more iron or sharper blades if we can't reach our opponents. They hit and run at will; what can you do?"

This is the crux of the issue: the role of horses in warfare.

"We have cavalry too!" Emperor Wu refuses to concede.

"Our cavalry is too small, and we don't have enough horses. Do you know how much it costs to raise one? That beast eats more than I do and is worth more than I am!" The audience laughs; the analogy is vivid.

Wei Qing continues, "A cavalryman needs more than one horse. A Xiongnu soldier has two or three, sometimes eight or nine. They rotate horses to keep their speed fresh. Can one of our horses compete with that?"

"Why do they have so many horses?" Emperor Wu wonders why his wealthy nation cannot compete in this regard.

"They don't have to pay to raise them, they’re on the grasslands," Wei Qing says, looking at him as if he were an idiot.

"..." Emperor Wu falls silent as the realization hits him: his strength is simply not enough. "If we start breeding horses now, how long until we have the strength to annihilate the Xiongnu?"

"That’s difficult. Even with horses, you need to train cavalry. It’s not easy... Wait, why are you asking this?" Wei Qing finally senses something odd about the man before him.

"I am worried for our nation. Seeing the Xiongnu invade, I cannot bear it."

"You’re a strange one. You’re not the Emperor, why are you worrying? Meddling in affairs that aren't your business!" Wei Qing scoffs.

"You!" Emperor Wu wants to explode—he *is* the Emperor! But he holds back, realizing this man could be useful. Changing tactics, he asks, "Are you just blowing smoke because you don't know?"

"Who says I don't know?" Wei Qing, though he doesn't know the exact timeline, says, "When I was drifting, a hermit taught me military strategy and martial arts. He told me I would become a great general." Whether true or not, he continues, "If the Emperor plays the long game and builds strength, ten years. Give it ten years, and we can launch a northern expedition!"

From his expression, it is ambiguous whether Wei Qing is boasting or not. "Ten years..." To Emperor Wu, this number is significant; he begins to contemplate how to use those ten years to defeat all his rivals.

This sequence is Wu Xiang’s creative invention, "novelizing" history based on all possible scenarios. Whether Emperor Wu actually met Wei Qing after meeting Wei Zifu, or if his favor for her was due to his appreciation for Wei Qing, remains a historical mystery. As for the hermit, who is to say? Wu Xiang turns this into a compelling story, creating a sense of immersion that leaves the audience questioning the historical truth. After all, history is full of unrecorded gaps; this is a reasonable inference.

The screen fades to black, and when it brightens again, it shows a bed with two people: a man, who is a very unattractive, obese individual, and the woman is none other than Li Bingbing—with her chest partially exposed.