""The events in this film are adapted from Records of the Grand History"" ""195 BC, China"" "My nightmare." "My nightmare." "My nightmare." "My name is Liu." "I am 61." "I was born in a small place called Pei County." "I am the emperor." "I have had two mortal enemies in my life." "Go away!" "They haunted my dreams my entire life." "One was Lord Yu ." "The other was General Xin." ""Concubine Qi"" "Your Majesty." "Your Highness." "You may go, Concubine Qi ." ""Empress Liu"" "It is done." "What's done?" ""Minister Xiao"" "Your Majesty." "I have brought General Xin." "General Xin." "General Xin." "General Xin claims he first saw me in Xue Town ." "I don't remember seeing him." "I only remember Lord Yu." "Lord Yu is back!" "Welcome back, Lord Yu!" "Lord Yu was 24 years old when I first saw him." "I was 48." "He had everything." "Nobility a handsome face" "courage and strength the most powerful army." "And of course the most beautiful wife." "He was leading the rebellion against the Qin." "A living legend ." "Xin and I were just street rats." "Our lifelong dream was to join Lord Yu's army." "Give him a royal burial." "Liu, from Pei County." ""14 Years Ago"" ""General Xin"" ""Lord Yu's Camp"" ""Zeng"" "I've never heard of you before." "Some say you're a Dragon's Son that the clouds follow you that thunder roars in your wake." "My wife made that up." ""Bo"" ""Lord Yu"" "You see this rain?" "It'll stop." "It'll stop soon." "A rainmaker!" "He's got the gift." "My Lord to tell you the truth" "I'm here to ask for troops to rescue my wife and my men." "If you don't trust me" "I will leave immediately." "If we let him go, he'll become a threat." "My Lord, have mercy on me!" "Seize him ." "Seize him!" "Stay away from him!" "These are my men from my hometown." "They're from the country and don't have any manners." "If you must, kill me and let them go." "Back off." "I'm warning you, I'm a killer." "Back off, all of you ." "Back off, all of you ." "I'm a killer, do you hear me?" "I suppose we could lend him some troops." "This man should not be killed." "I'll give you 5,000 men ." "Go and free your town ." "After saving your wife come and join us." "Yes, My Lord." "Who are you?" "Your Majesty, I am a scribe." "I record your words and deeds." "For whom?" "For my wife?" "Your Majesty, the records are kept for posterity." "Write good things about me." "Yes, Your Majesty." "I will do as I am told ." ""Lord Yu's Wife"" "You should join Lord Yu." "I never dreamt that one day," "I would fight alongside Lord Yu ." "I had only a single goal at the time." "Down with the Qin Empire!" "Down with the Qin Empire!" "Where is Liu's wife?" "Madam?" "Where are you?" "Madam ." ""Liu's Wife"" "Your Dragon's Son rumor almost got me killed ." "How dare they!" "Kill them all!" "Soldiers, officers, all of them!" "Kill them all!" "Slaughter them!" "Nice armor." "A gift from Lord Yu." "You had a bastard son with a widow." "Is it true?" "I've devoted myself to one thing." "Overthrowing the Qin Empire." "Doesn't seem to stop your womanizing." "Maybe not." "Father." "Sit down." "That's him." "Liu Fei ." "Ever seen him?" "His mother died ." "I've taken him in." "As long as he's yours" "I'll take care of him." "I was drunk." "Men like me face death every day." "It just happened ." "I 'm sorry." "So be it." "I will always remember, as I left the lonely figure that watched me from the hill." "My wife." "Over the years" "Lord Yu and I went from sworn brothers to mortal enemies." "Meanwhile he held my wife hostage." "Years later when she finally returned to my life" "I didn't know what to say to her." "I had taken another woman and we had a son." "Minister Xiao and the others are waiting for you." "Come closer." "There are my chambers not the court." "Come closer, all of you!" "Lately, I've been plagued by nightmares and can't sleep." "Me neither, Your Majesty." "Did I ask you?" ""Minister Fan"" "You've fought alongside me all these years and earned your credit but only I get the empire." "Can you accept that?" "Your Majesty" "We have sworn loyalty to you." "What about General Xin?" "He's still locked up." "Locked up?" "For the last six years, Your Majesty." "The great General Xin ." "How is it that I caught you?" "Your Majesty, you're a Dragon's Son." "I'm just an ordinary man." "I'll kill you." "Some say you're plotting a rebellion." "Against whom?" "How dare you plot against me!" "If I were, why would I have waited this long?" "Set him free." "Watch him closely." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Does His Majesty mean to exile him from his own land?" ""Minister Zhang"" "What do you think?" "He can stay with me." ""General Xin"" "Minds alert!" "Backs firm!" "Easy does it!" "All together!" "Watch your step!" "Minister Xiao, why this ostentation?" "The bell tower was commissioned by Her Highness." "You are the Emperor." "A little extravagance is expected." "The honor of living here is enough for me." "Keep it simple." "Get rid of it." "This was the Qin Emperor's palace." "Do you remember?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "Who would have thought that commoners like us could topple an empire and live here?" ""207 BC Outskirts of the Qin capital"" ""The Qin Emperor surrendered and welcomed Liu into the city."" ""Qin Emperor Ziying"" ""The Qin Palace"" ""lmperial Archives"" "Here lie all of the Qin registers its legal documents and historical records." "Liu." "Liu, from Pei County." "Liu, from Pei County." "Family name Liu, given name Ji ." "Native of Feng Town, Pei County." "Born in the 51st year of the reign of Yingji ." "Father, Liu Tuan." "Eldest brother, Liu Bo." "Second eldest, Liu Zhong." "Youngest brother, Liu Jiao." "Wife, Lu Zhi , who bore him two children." "Former administrator of Sishui outpost." "Kings are made, not born." "Kings are made, not born!" "Block off the Hangu Pass." "Seal all paths to the capital." "Absolutely not!" "Lord Yu's army is almost here." "Whoever takes the capital first will be its lord." "Lord Yu and I had a deal." "Is there a problem?" "These royal pigs why do they get to spoil themselves here all day?" "I should have died a long time ago." "The Qin Empire may fall" "but its dream of uniting the world lives on!" "I beg you, Liu keep the dream alive!" "Take him away." "I beg you, Liu!" "Find a comfortable place in the city settle him there." "From today onwards this place is mine!" "Brother Liu!" "What's wrong with your legs?" "I tested an immortality pill for you and lost all feeling in them ." "The pills can wait." "How is General Xin behaving?" "Far less proud." "Locking himself up night and day chewing on his own mistakes." "You, General Xin, Minister Xiao without you, the empire would not be mine." "Then General Xin was disloyal and I put him away." "Now you're ill." "You've been ill for a long time." "Is something troubling you?" "Your Majesty!" "Minister Zhang, all these years whenever I listened to you, victory was mine" "if I ignored you, disaster would come upon me." "Xiao!" "Take everything!" "Leave nothing!" "Xiao!" "Who authorized this?" "Are you out of your mind?" "Where is Liu?" ""The Qin Palace"" "Out of my way!" "I can't let you in." "If you don't" "Liu will be dead by sunrise." "Who's there?" "What do you want?" "It's me." "Zhang." "Zhang." "I'm almost done." "This may be the last time I'll see you." "What do you mean?" "It's Lord Yu." "His army of 400,000 has broken through the Hangu Pass and will attack us by morning." "And my troops?" "Some fled ." "Some surrendered." "They're all gone." ""Liu's Camp"" "How long must I wait?" "Brother Bo." "I'm not here for you." "I'm here for Zhang." "Bo has advised me to flee." "Brother Bo" "I've always been loyal to Lord Yu." "I heard you've moved into the palace." "Absolutely not!" "Liu's been living at the camp." "He hasn't set foot in the palace." "Brother Bo" "Zhang is right." "I never touched anything in the palace." "Stop." "Let's suppose I believe you ." "What about Lord Yu?" "What about the others?" "Brother Bo" "Liu couldn't have been more wronged." "If you can't save him" "I'll die defending him." "Please do something." "Brother Bo..." "Tomorrow morning" "Lord Yu's troops will be upon you ." "What can I do at this hour?" "help me, Brother Bo." "But..." "I've done no wrong." "Brother Bo you have a son" "I have a daughter." "Let us join families." "I've always been loyal." "Now you see my true heart." "Perhaps" "I could hurry back tonight and talk to Lord Yu." "Thank you, Brother Bo." "But tomorrow at first light you must see Lord Yu yourself." "Liu" "I'll go with you." "I should be going." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." ""Minister Bo"" "Minister Bo, you're here." "At your royal summons, Your Majesty." "And today" "I've brought something for you, Your Majesty." "Come." "All right." "leave us." "Minister Bo you are here today so I can ask you why General Xin deserted Lord Yu and came to me." "I haven't a clue, Your Majesty." "You were with Lord Yu." "You were Lord Yu's uncle his closest kin." "Weren't you?" "Are you writing this?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "General Xin left him after the banquet when the Qin were crushed and Lord Yu was at the height of his power." "Why would General Xin desert him at that moment?" "His record is questionable." "Your Majesty sees all." "Some truths are never told such as why General Xin left Lord Yu and came to me." "Nonetheless," "I never thought about killing General Xin or I would not have kept him prisoner for six years." "My ministers revealed General Xin's threat." "They lit a raging fire inside me." "Has General Xin been at court recently?" "It seems so." "Nonsense!" "He has been at court only once!" "Only once!" "You think I don't know?" "Minister Zhang told me that General Xin..." "You and Minister Zhang the two of you are always covering for him." "I don't go to court but I know everything that happens there." "That little bastard was only at court once wearing his phony funeral face." "Whose death is he waiting for?" "Tell me." "It's mine, isn't it?" "Your Majesty, who's telling you all this?" "I'll never tell you ." "I'm asking you, is it true?" "Stay away!" "Get off!" "I'm telling you , I will kill him!" "Your Majesty, don't." "I beg you, Your Majesty." "Were it not for General Xin we wouldn't be here today." "It was he who defeated Lord Yu and conquered two-thirds of our territory." "What would the people think if we killed him?" "I'm sick and tired of this!" "We all fought together." "Everyone played his part." "Everyone earned his credit." "Why should he get all the glory?" "Get back!" "Your Majesty." "Send for my wife." "I'm here, Your Majesty." "My wife." "Yes, it's me." "Liu, from Pei County." "My nightmare." ""Lord Yu's Camp, site of the Hongmen Banquet"" "My nightmare." "The people are predators," "I am their prey." "Whenever danger strikes" "I feel transported back eleven years to Lord Yu's banquet." "To Lord Yu's camp, where death lurked around every corner." "It was my last meeting with Lord Yu ." "The Qin imperial seal." "For you, My Lord." "It was also the darkest, most frightening moment of my life." "Who dares touch my Brother Liu!" "What are you waiting for?" "Kill him!" "Wait." "What for?" "Do it now!" "On your knees!" "Did you or didn't you enter the Qin palace?" "I didn't enter the palace." "Of course you entered the palace." "Speak!" "I never entered the Qin palace." "At Lord Yu's banquet" "I pretended to be drunk and fled ." "I ran and ran." "One day" "you will all be his servants!" "I ran for my life." "But I knew in my heart it was Lord Yu who had let me go." "He knew the Qin palace was like a key that unlocks a man's ambition." "I am sure General Xin's ambition was unlocked as he entered." "halt!" "My Lord." "It's General Xin." "What are you doing here, General Xin?" "Please forgive me, My Lord." "There's something you should see." "They're all fake." "He did enter the palace." "That liar!" "We should have killed him at the banquet." "That bastard should have been killed!" "Of course he entered the palace." "I knew it." "Don't you know no one is to enter the palace alone?" "You want to be like Liu." "Tell me the truth." "Was Liu ever here?" "If you don't tell me, I'll kill you." "So be it." "I now realize why" "The Qin Emperor brought me to his palace." "To plant a seed of ambition in my heart." "When that seed sprouts" "I will become the sword of revenge." "Down with the Qin Empire!" "Long live the Qin Empire." "The Qin Empire has fallen!" "This was the Qin Emperor's palace." "Many people have suggested that I live here." "Never." "I will destroy it to remove the temptation of becoming another Qin Emperor." "We didn't overthrow the Qin Empire to follow in their footsteps." "The Qin Emperor unified the world decreeing that all must wear the same color ride the same carriages speak the same language" "Most people need a lifetime to see themselves clearly." "As for me during my days in my hometown my life was like water at the bottom of a well." "Modest and unstirred." "But after I entered the Qin Palace a door was unlocked." "And I saw that deep within my heart ambition raged like an ocean." "I've divided the empire into 19 kingdoms to share with you, my brothers who fought alongside me." "Return to your kingdoms." "Speak your own languages." "Write your own history." "Liu, of Pei County first to conquer the capital captured the Qin Emperor for which he is to be praised ." "You are hereby made King of Han to govern the lands of Ba, Shu and Hanzhong." "Nanzheng will be your capital." "I don't know why Lord Yu spared me." "Or why he spared General Xin." "He let General Xin live." "Such is the nobleman who sees his own glory but is blind to the ambitions of others." "That day, General Xin, an ordinary soldier left Lord Yu and joined my army." "On Xiao's recommendation, he became my chief general." "Five years later" "General Xin and I showed Lord Yu that he had made a fatal mistake." ""203 BC Gaixia battlefield"" ""General Xin defeated Lord Yu with an army of 300,000."" "Spare yourself the labor." "Leave it to the servants." "I'm used to it." "You can go." "As you wish." "Stop it, Your Majesty." "You are not recovered yet." "It's getting late." "You should get some rest." "Liu, from Pei County." "Liu, from Pei County." "Your Majesty?" "What's wrong, Your Majesty?" "Do you hear that?" "Someone's trying to kill me." "You already killed Lord Yu." "Don't worry." "Get some rest." "I am not the man who killed Lord Yu." "That man is still alive." "Get out." "There is trouble." "What happened?" "The rumors are growing." "What do they say?" "They say you are dying." "Impossible." "The ministers in court are paying respect to General Xin" "I never should have trusted those cowards." "I will go." "I will go." "I'll grace their court." "I'm not dead yet" "Send for General Xin ." "Bring that bastard to me." "The last person Minister Chen met with before leaving" "was General Xin." "He went to Minister Zhang's home met with him and General Xin returned home and revolted." "Minister Zhang would never." "Minister Zhang wouldn't do that." "I know he met with Minister Zhang." "Minister Zhang's servant reports to me." "The ministers fear for their life." "Pay Minister Zhang a visit." "As long as he and Minister Xiao are on my side all will be well." "Take my sedan." "My humblest regards, Your Highness." "His Majesty told me you've been living modestly." "He asked me to have the mansion refurbished." "A gift." "My humblest gratitude." "General Xin has been loyal." "Why would His Majesty want to kill him?" "Does His Majesty need a reason to kill anyone?" "But he is General Xin." "If there's no reason how do we know we won't be next?" "General Xin was with Lord Yu then defected to us then defeated Lord Yu on our service." "A man like him might be with us today and rebel tomorrow." "Not General Xin." "If he wanted to rebel he'd have already done it." "Back then, he ruled 72 cities." "His armies exceeded Lord Yu and His Majesty's combined." "I convinced him to join us." "To finish Lord Yu ." "And now you want me to kill him?" "I can't do it." "Your Highness, I beg you." "Give him one more chance." "His Majesty has always held you in high regard." "But he has some concerns." "When you asked him to make you King of Shandong it made him upset." "I conquered half the country for him and crushed Lord Yu ." "Was King of Shandong too much to ask?" "You commit yourself to potions these days." "Not because your heart is weak but to convince His Majesty that you are old" "that you are ill that you are free of ambition and no longer a threat to him." "You can't fool me." "You are too sharp." "But if a blade is too sharp it not only cuts others" "it cuts you as well." "Do you know why I'm different from His Majesty?" "Do you know how I differ from you all?" "The way I see it the world belongs to all people under heaven." "Do you still remember the battle cry of the people when we rose against the Qin Empire?" "Kings are made, not born!" "Stop!" "Stop, I beg you!" "Brother Xin never utter these words again." "Times have changed ." "Kings are made, not born." "His Majesty held General Xin prisoner for 6 years hoping his heart might change." "Has he changed?" "No, he hasn't." "His Majesty's days are numbered." "The rest of us are getting old." "General Xin's only in his thirties." "The elderly struggle to preserve the status quo while the youth long for change." "It's human nature." "No one can stop it." "Lord Yu was the noblest man I've ever known ." "He had many chances to kill His Majesty and to kill me." "But he didn't." "He let me go." "He let His Majesty go." "As a result his body lies in the ground." "A voice from the dust crying out from the grave." "Don't make the same mistake!" "Don't throw your life away in vain!" "You'd best reconsider." "Your Highness!" "Among General Xin's men" "thirteen are still in command ." "Send them northwest to quell the rebels." "General Xin's strategist has served him for years." "Cunning, eloquent." "A snake in the grass." "Had General Xin listened to me none of this would be happening!" "Minister Xiao is the key." "He's closest to General Xin ." "He has the ear of the court." "What's to be done?" "I'm thinking." "I'm thinking." "Your Highness!" "Your Highness" "His Majesty once promised my son a marriage." "Is it still to be?" "Let me think about it." "It's over." "I've reviewed the record of Lord Yu's banquet." "It doesn't make any sense." "The founding of the Han Dynasty is written for posterity." "Not a single mistake is allowed ." "Understand?" "Minister, for every new record we speak with those who witnessed the event." "For Lord Yu's banquet, we spoke with Minister Fan." "No wonder His Majesty's rescue is credited to him ." "is credited to him ." "300 fully armed guards outside the tent and 28 bodyguards inside the tent." "How could he have possibly stormed in alone?" "If he were that cunning we could have defeated Lord Yu years ago!" "According to the record" "Ministers Fan and Zhang, with 100 men accompanied His Majesty to the banquet." "Upon entering the camp they surrendered their weapons." "Yet, when Minister Fan stormed in he had a shield in his hand ." "Who dares touch my Brother Liu!" "Where did the shield come from?" "During the banquet" "The swordsman tried to kill His Majesty." "Minister Zhang ran outside for help striding through 300 guards with Minister Fan without being stopped ." "How is it possible?" "The swordsman tried to kill His Majesty." "He had a sword." "No doubt about it." "Then Minister Bo defended His Majesty, also with a sword which I really don't understand." "This was supposed to be a banquet." "No one was supposed to be armed." "So where did Minister Bo's sword come from?" "As scribes, you must respect history." "Or posterity will receive fiction instead of facts!" "Get up." "All of you!" "At Lord Yu's banquet someone was secretly protecting His Majesty." "Lord Yu knew many of his men wanted to kill His Majesty." "So he sent someone to protect him during the banquet." "Zhang." "Step aside!" "Step aside!" "Step aside!" "Who dares touch my Brother Liu!" "This man was Lord Yu's bodyguard" "General Xin." "Have you all written everything I've said?" "Why haven't you written a single word?" "How dare you!" "Minister Xiao." "Your Highness." "Minister Xiao" "I've heard everything." "You're trying to save General Xin, aren't you?" "But General Xin's history has already been written." "I don't see that any revision is necessary." "Already written?" "Come." "General Xin." "Read it." "In the 11th spring of the Han Dynasty" "General Xin, along with convicts and slaves plotted an attack on Her Highness and the prince..." "Wait." "Plotted an attack with convicts and slaves?" "Nonsense!" "Absolute nonsense!" "... andwasexecutedby Her Highness in the bell tower at the age of 35, along with his family." "What have you done?" "Your Highness" "Ministers Zhang and Bo are on their way." "They can prove that General Xin never plotted any treachery." "That he saved His Majesty at Lord Yu's banquet!" "Listen to me, all of you!" "As soon as they get here take down their every word ." "Present it to His Majesty." "I will present it to His Majesty." "Minister Xiao" "Minister Zhang is suffering from leg pain." "I'm afraid he won't make it." "I'm afraid Minister Bo won't be coming, either." "Why not?" "Read." "In the 11th spring of the Han Dynasty" "Minister Bo was granted a royal audience." "In light of his age and loyal service" "His Majesty granted him the royal surname Liu ." "On his way back, he was stabbed." "No!" "Impossible!" "Minister Bo is on his way here now." "Minister Xiao not everything written in books comes to pass." "Indeed." "That's true." "Your Highness" "Minister Xiao" "Minister Bo was indeed stabbed today at noon." "I saw it with my own eyes." "It seems that books do tell the truth." "Your Highness have you also" "written my history?" "I've discussed this matter with His Majesty." "Your history is to be written by you." "I need to see His Majesty." "I need to see His Majesty." "His Majesty is not well." "I need to see His Majesty!" "His Majesty is not well." "Minister Xiao" "Her Highness says the banquet will begin soon." "Please send for General Xin." "So be it." "Her Highness is hosting a banquet tonight and has asked me to invite you." "Brother Xin!" "General Xin" "I cannot go any further." "Please inform His Majesty." "General Xin has plotted treason with Minister Chen and other traitors against Her Highness and the prince." "An unpardonable offense." "His Majesty's will be done." "Given his notable service" "let him die intact." "Remember how your Dragon's Son rumor" "almost got me killed?" "I'm here, Your Majesty." "I have brought General Xin." "What did he say?" ""Spring 195 BC." "Emperor Liu died at the Han Palace."" "My name is Liu." "I am the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty." "When I was 61 my story came to an end ." "A commoner became Emperor." "I never could have known that upon my death" "my wife would kill all my concubines' sons." "Nor could I have known that 2000 years later" "the Han would be the largest race in the land." "People say my fate changed after escaping from Lord Yu's banquet." "They're wrong." "The truth is" "I never escaped from anything." "But finally" "it is at an end."