228 AD
It was a time when China was divided between three kingdoms, Wei, Wu and Shu
The country was plagued by constant war while its people suffered from hardship and famine
It was from this turmoil that a hero would arise
His name was Zilong of Shu Kingdom
I vow to guard Phoenix Heights. To my death
I vow to capture Zilong alive today
We only have one life to live
I, Pingan
shall dream big
and aspire
after success
Just as a dog needs to find a good master
So had I chosen to join Liu's forces
It was there that I met Zilong
Your home village?
Changshan
Your name?
Zilong
How long have you been away from home?
Almost two years
Why do you want to join Liu's army?
To bring peace
to our land and start a family
Do you think we can win?
I believe that man can prevail over destiny
"Changshan Zhao Zilong"
This is the frontline of Liu's army
Cao's army is much stronger and determined to eliminate Liu
Liu rushes the fortress fortification
while we wait for backup forces
I am here
Then where is Changshan? It must be here
Changshan's not there at all
You fool...
You should know more about your own country
Changshan is here
This bread is tasteless
I am from Changshan, too
We are now here
If we fight for our Lord Liu and make a circle on this map
Peace will finally come to our country
And we can return to Changshan as heroes
Can we really encircle so much territory?
Young man, you stick with me your brother
And I'll lead you to complete that circle
Brother
How long have you been in the army?
Five years
Do you ever miss home?
Who wouldn't?
But I've never been back
A man must dream big
And aspire after great achievements
I swore not to return home unless with glory
Brother...
Consider this a gift to you
For me?
The map is in my heart
"When the fort falls Annihilation follows"
- Look, what's in the box?
- How would I know?
And who is that man?
- What's the matter?
It's Pingan!
- Strange things happened
A wooden box was left outside the front gate
And there's someone sent by Lord Liu
Is he the reinforcement?
Does he look like one?
How many people did he bring with him?
He came alone
Alone?
The main force of Cao's army
will attack us within the next few days
So they won't wait long
Cao's army will attack us tomorrow
What should we do...?
There must be four thousand men in the Cao's camp
Definitely not less than eight thousand
How can you be so sure?
At ten men per cooking stove
Cao's army has lit over a thousand stoves to cook a meal
That makes ten thousand troops?
I didn't want to scare you with the numbers
Then we are doomed
Cao's ten thousand men is nothing
Cao is a master in the art of war but he is skeptical by nature
His troops could have traveled 25 miles a day
But now they're traveling only 8 miles a day
It is obvious that he has his concerns
What concerns would a dog like Cao have?
He is afraid of someone in our army
Who is that?
Liu's Military Advisor
Zhuge!
Battle and chess are similar
Instead of hanging onto every chess piece and playing defensively
One must know when to sacrifice a rook
to take the opponent's king
So to live, we must give up this camp
Can we win?
Would I come to die if we can't win?
Like playing chess it's better to lose the rook than the game
We shall head off their attack by hitting them tonight
But we only have one thousand men
It can't be done except tonight
I predict that at midnight tonight there will be a thunderstorm
This presents us a great opportunity
But do you have enough courage to act on it?
We the Changshan soldiers are made of courage
But what if it doesn't rain?
Should there be no rain at midnight tonight I shall be beheaded
Zhuge!
Hurry to the Cao's camp before it rains
490 of us shall form the Dragon unit. Wait in ambush at the left of Cao's camp
Another 490 of Tiger unit wait in ambush at the right of Cao's camp
The remaining 20 Changshan soldiers will be the commando unit
We will force our way through Cao's camp with the rain as signal
When the enemy is in disarray because of the storm
We will cut down the enemy's general flag
and sap their fighting spirit
Then Dragon and Tiger units will attack together
Despite their numbers, we shall have our victory
Life is like a game of chess It takes only a single move to win
The battle is over I shall be off to rescue other places
My Changshan brothers, attack!
Attack!
"Vanguard" I will kill the vanguard's leader
Brother
Brother, I'll help you
Brother...
The leader has been killed
Dragon unit! Attack!
Tiger unit! Attack!
I shall launch another attack
Zilong has never told anyone about helping me
And I received all the credit
The defeat of Cao's forces enraged Cao. He decided to personally lead a massive army
He vow to defeat Liu
As Cao's army was drawing near
Liu was chased to Phoenix Heights
with his people
Liu's blood brothers, Generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei
Were sent to cover the people's retreat
My people are suffering because of me. Advisor, what is your suggestion?
My Lord Liu, a proper result can't be obtained from my divination
Our success in killing the Cao's vanguard earned me the trust of the Advisor
And the important duty of protecting Liu's family
was assigned to me
Finally, the opportunity to prove my might had come
As for Zilong, I sent him to assist the refugees
- Brother, what should we do?
- Let's go back the way we came
Brother, are you sure? We need to be more careful
Back the way we came I said!
Yes, Brother!
I saw a Cao army unit coming after us
My Lord!
Cao's forces shall be here in no time
We must close the front gate at once
The gate can't be closed!
Your wives and child have yet to arrive
We must protect the people
Brother
Shut the gate!
Cao's army is approaching, save yourself!
Come in quickly, we're closing the gate
Zilong!
Brother! Brother!
We were attacked by Cao's soldiers
Where are the two ladies and the young lord?
I've lost them
Brother, Zhang Fei!
How dare you to defy me?
To kill him, you'll have to kill me first
Stop it!
Brother, Zhang Fei!
You brat!
Your skill was outstanding, young man
Brothers, lay down your weapons
My people are suffering because of me
I am to be blamed for all this
I'm willing to go look for the young lord on behalf of Pingan
Bestow my armor upon this young man
Young man
We will clear the way for you
Great!
Eat well and fight with a full stomach
Brother, don't worry about me
I have nothing to lose
I came with nothing and shall leave nothing
There's nothing to worry about
I want you to complete
the circle without me
Promise me
you'll finish it?
You coward!
Don't talk rubbish!
Remember, ride swiftly and carefully
Bring back the young lord
I believe that man
can prevail over destiny
Go, bring the royal family
Will we have the chance to see each other again?
When our missions are accomplished
we shall meet again
Behold, I am the great General Zhang
Who dares to challenge me to a duel?
My little granddaughter Cao Ying, One day you shall be a leader
Therefore you need to study the art of war
Cao
Brother Zhang Fei, let's go
Sir
our vanguard was attacked
and had to withdraw
They killed Liu's wives but failed to find his son
I'm counting on you
Capture that man!
Yes, Lord Cao
Regardless of my success or failure in rescuing the young lord
Please spare Pingan of any punishment
Cao Ying, there is no mercy in war
Everyone you see down there are nothing but chess pieces
I would rather fail everyone in the world
than to allow them to fail me
Send out a chariot to catch the man!
Grandfather!
Stop!
What is your name, mighty warrior?
Zilong of Changshan
Zilong
One day, you will be captured by me
Only if you live long enough
Zilong made a name for himself
With the rescue of the young lord
We must gain big credits
I envied him
Finally Changshan had its hero
He returned to Changshan with glory
Zilong was invited by his townmen
Zilong, our hero
He returned to Changshan with glory. We have something special for you
Yes, it's very good
This way please
Here comes our mighty warrior!
I am Zao Zilong!
Watch out for my sword!
Beware of my spear!
Wretch
How could you drop our great hero Zilong?
It's alright, it happens
How can Zilong lose?
At least it shouldn't happen in our hands
Continue with the music
Why don't you eat?
Who knows when I can cook for you again?
Lord Liu said our country will unite soon
My work will be done then
I'll come back for you
And we'll never be apart again
I'll wait for you
Come, let's eat
"East West South North"
"May we meet and never part again"
I made this for you
Carry it with you
It means no matter how fast or far you go
You'll always find your way back to me
Zilong was both brave and wise
And never lost a battle against Cao's army
Finally he became one of the Five Tiger Generals
And earned wide respect and praise from his people
The world long united must divide The long divided must unite
All the three warlords wished to become the Emperor of a unified China
Liu became the emperor of his newly found
Shu Kingdom
The country had been more chaotic than ever
At His Majesty's command
The title Forward General is conferred upon Guan Yu
He is to lead 100 thousand troops
To guard against Sun of Eastern Kingdom of Wu
Guan Yu, at His Majesty's service
At His Majesty's command
The title Right General is conferred upon Zhang Fei
He is to lead 100 thousand troops
To guard against Cao of Northern Kingdom of Wei
At His Majesty's command
The title Left General is conferred upon Ma
He is to lead 50 thousand troops to guard Xichuan
At His Majesty's command
The title Guard General is conferred upon Huang
He is to lead 50 thousand troops
To guard Zhongjun
At His Majesty's command
The title of Flying General is conferred upon Zilong
He is to lead the rest of the army
To go on the north expedition against Cao
I hereby further bestow upon General Zilong The title Chief Vanguard
He and his troops are to set off today
for the northern expedition against Cao
Zilong of Changshan at His Majesty's service
Pingan of Changshan at His Majesty's service
The Five Tiger Generals went off
in service of Liu and his people
Over the next twenty years
Only to fall one by one
First
the brave Guan Yu
Next, the strong Zhang Fei
They fought valiantly against the enemies of peace
Soon the only Five Tiger General left standing
It was Zao Zilong
Our late Emperor Liu had ascended to heaven amid his great agenda
Over the years I've launched numerous northern expeditions but all in vain
The Five Tiger Generals Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma and Huang
Have all passed away one after the other
For which, I should have been punished by death
However, I assist our young Emperor
To follow late Liu's will
To continue with the northern expedition
And to fulfill our late Liu's dream of bringing peace to our country
At His Majesty's command
The title Dragon General is conferred upon the son of Guan Yu
The title Tiger General is conferred upon on the son of Zhang Fei
Together they shall depart today for the northern expedition against Cao
How dare you cut in before me?
My father is Guan Yu the head of "The Five Tiger Generals"
I should be the one to accept the General's seal
I am older and a better fighter than you
I should be the one
A better fighter than me? Are you really?
Do you dare to fight me?
Alright, let us fight
and the winner shall bear the General's Seal
Stop!
Uncle Zilong!
The leadership of our forces should never be belittled
I have fought hundreds of battles
since I began serving the late Lord Liu
And I have never been defeated
How can I be excluded from the expedition?
General Zilong is the sole survivor of our great "Five Tiger Generals"
Also you're no longer a young soldier
Should anything go awry
Not only would your reputation be tarnished
But our troops would also be demoralized
After years of trials and tribulations
Just on the verge of success in unifying the country
I must be included in this northern expedition
Zilong, at our age
We live by the great memories of our past
Do you really want to risk losing them all
By going on this expedition?
After all these years of battle my memories of the past have long faded
I want to recover those distant and blurred memories
On the battlefield where they were lost
Prime Minister
this is my very last battle
I vow to unite the country for Liu's Kingdom
Zilong of Changshan at his Majesty's Service
General, if you insist on going to battle
Then you shall be accompanied
and assisted by the sons of Guan and Zhang
Zilong I have two pouches for you
When you come across the first fork in the road Open the first pouch
Open the second pouch when you run into extreme difficulties
Zilong of Changshan at His Majesty's service
Pingan of Changshan at His Majesty's service
General's oath has been repeated many times
But nothing has been done
We have never served together in the same unit
since Zilong became one of "The Five Tiger Generals"
But I have always been watching him from a distance
"Guan Yu"
"Zhang Fei"
"Huang"
"Ma"
This memorial tablet is reserved for you
I've tidied up this place long ago
As I knew that you would come
We rarely met but I truly hope
This is not the place where we meet next time
Brother...
Should I fail to return
Would you please rest my armor here?
Already thinking about retiring from your career?
I haven't even started mine yet
Brother, how long have we been in the army?
20 years since you were made one of "The Five Tiger Generals"
And 32 years and 4 months
since the time we left Changshan
Do you still remember what you asked me when I first joined the army?
I remember
I asked you why you wanted to join the army
And you said that you wanted to bring peace and start a family
And yet it hasn't happened
Not yet
I've always been regarded as the one who has achieved the least within Liu's army
This is your very last battle
Can you give me the chance
to finish this last mission together with you?
Would you?
Prime Minister instructed
The first pouch should be open when we come to a fork in the road
Prime Minister said
Units of the two young Generals and General Zilong
Are to split into two groups and go separate ways
All troops shall proceed together
to seize Cao's six counties
How can we split our forces?
Zilong at His Majesty's service
Though the stone-paved road is broad it's easy to be ambushed
May I suggest that I take this road
while Zhang accompanies you on the rear
Allow me
Guan, I fear that you will be too slow
and fall behind enemy lines
Your kind offers are appreciated
How dare you intrude our border?
At the presence of General Zilong of the "The Five Tiger Generals"
I suggest you "surrender"
The Five Tiger Generals"
such antiquated fame!
Zilong, unless you're eager to die
Do you still belong to the battle field?
I suggest you go home
And tend to trophies from your past victories
Son!
How dare you!
Stop! I will go!
Three of you, go fight with your brother
Back off!
Watch out!
General Han
the Commander has ordered that we must follow the battle plan
Did you lure General Zilong into our trap as I ordered?
Yes, Commander
Deng, quickly find another route
Yes, General!
Deploy the war chariot!
Fire!
The enemy has encircled us
and we can only escape westward
Why is the enemy lying in ambush in these desolate mountains
There must be a traitor amongst us
Cut the nonsense!
Tell me, what is to our west?
Phoenix Heights
Withdraw to Phoenix Heights!
Yes, General
Congratulation General for your success
I assume by now you have already diverted Cao Ying's attention
For me to attack Cao's six countries
I've ordered Guan and Zhang to proceed in capturing Cao's six counties without you
Please hold until back up arrives
Once they have succeeded
their troops would come to your aid
Zhuge has found out that
Cao Ying has mastered her grandfather's strategy
And she is as scheming as her grandfather
General only needs to delay Cao Ying
Guan and Zhang shall
capture Cao Ying
General!
How could Prime Minister Zhuge treat you like this?
General! General!
How can he do that?
I can't believe it
Why am I treated this way?
Prime Minister Zhuge has always followed his military agenda
Brother...
Over all these years what have we been fighting for?
Here they come!
Commander, you have foresight
General Zilong has chosen to make his stand at Phoenix Heights
General Han, send my order to the forces in the Six Counties
They are to adopt a defensive strategy and never attack
So that they cannot spare time
to rescue their beloved General Zilong
To triumph over the Liu's army we need to break their spirit
What better way is there than to defeat their "Invincible General"
Once we capture General Zilong
We shall take advantage
of the victory
Your military strategy is most impressive. I remain at your service!
Dispatch the cavalry and launch an attack immediately
Yes, Commander
Retreat!
We should never have underestimated our old General Zilong
Commander, perhaps he was not wounded by my son
Don't speculate
By hiding, it doesn't mean that he is hurt
By appearing, he could still be wounded
Either way, we will find out soon enough
I won't let your sons
died for nothing
My sons...
Your family has made such great contributions to the Kingdom of Cao
I shall request His Majesty to bestow an honorable title on you
My General, please take care of yourself
Though you have lost four of your sons today
In return you've gained a daughter
Please take me as your daughter
I don't deserve such honor
Father!
My Commander
How could I possibly repay your great kindness
War is cruel
but the soldiers are innocent
Same goes for the enemy soldiers
Send the bodies of the enemy soldiers back to Zilong
Cao Ying is truly sinister
Now she has managed to weaken our soldiers' spirit What should we do?
She definitely lives up to her grandfather Cao's expectations
Not only with her military skills
but also with her scheming
Brother!
Zilong...
I want to give Cao Ying a gift for her thoughtfulness
Here is a gift from our General to the Commander in return for her kindness
Our General Zilong said that years ago
He took your grandfather's sword
and kept it
Today, General Zilong rewards you with it on your grandfather's behalf
Hope you can learn from the past and not lose this sword to him again
Take him!
Envoys should never be harmed in war
Poised as a mountain and unpredictable like the ying and yang
Grandfather, General Zilong is truly a great opponent
Commander!
Good news for you
The Commander of Cao's Kingdom
requests a duel with General Zilong of Liu's Kingdom
Get my steed ready
General!
We can stall no further
once we show a sign of weakness
Minister Zhuge probably don't know We have been surrounded by this many enemies
Let's hope we can stall the enemy until our rescue force arrive
General Zilong, I am sure, You have been waiting for
aid from Guan and Zhang
Here is a small gift as a token of my gratitude for your return of my grandfather's sword
"Guan"
I wished to return the remains of Guan and Zhang to you
But what was left of them were bits and pieces far beyond recognition
I should have killed Cao Cao last time
It's all my fault
Even if I don't have a single man left
Cao's army will never be able to take over Shu Kingdom
My grandfather regretted he'd never captured you
Today I shall assume his challenge in honor of him
Don't panic! Your big brother will save you
Zilong!
Commander!
Your fighting skill
does not match your grandfather
Come back when you are ready
- General!
- Go get a chair
Zilong...
General...
Go quickly and check on Cao Ying. Go now!
Allow me to remove your armor so that I can pull out the arrow
I've never taken off my armor during battle
If I do, my troops will know that I'm hurt
And they'll be unsettled
Do not let Cao Ying know about it
Go and check
This is the map in your heart
Zilong, we've indeed come very far
Do you still remember?
You said that you will make yourself live in the hearts of the people
You had also said that
by the time we complete a circle on the map
We shall have peace in our country
But after years of battle
and now that we're back at Phoenix Heights
Do we have peace in our country?
Father, are you willing to give me a hand?
Commander, I am willing to pay you my debt of gratitude
Great. Grant my father one hundred of our finest horses
I vow to kill the enemy till my very last breath
Zilong, will you surrender?
Surrender?
They're preparing
for the next onslaught
General, we are sorry that we cannot serve you as long as we wish
You have always taught us that it's an honor for a man to die in battle
I will not forget to repay you for your outstanding leadership
We will charge downhill to take down Cao Ying
We have lived as Zilong's men. And shall die as Zilong's ghosts
General, we await for your command!
If I can't lead you to victory
I shall not let you die without honor
Listen
Go and fight for our Great Kingdom of Shu
I shall follow closely behind
I would rather fail everyone in the world than to allow them to fail me
Long Live the Great Kingdom of Cao
Long Live the Great Kingdom of Liu!
I vow to guard Phoenix Heights to my death
It was me who informed Cao's army. And helped Cao Ying to lead you to Phoenix Heights
They promised to make me a General in Cao's army
I'm sorry it was me who've betrayed you
Since you have betrayed me
Why did you save me while I was fighting Cao Ying?
Why?
You have always called me brother
Yet I've gained nothing!
You've what it takes to be a great general
But I am getting nowhere
I've accomplished nothing all these years
You asked me about what we are fighting for
I fought for myself
What I want is simply that when I return home
When the folks of Changshan think about Zilong. They will also think about Pingan
You think I made this far
In fact, we have both been going around in circles
I only believe that fate in within my control
In the end, we are all bound to fate
Therefore all victories and defeats no longer matter
What is victory?
There is no victory without a defeat
Brother...
Take this armor off me
It is time for me to proceed with my last mission
Do you blame me for treating you as my competitor?
No, you'll always be my beloved brother
With blessings from the Buddha, I vow to capture Zilong alive today
Tell the Prime Minister that I have recovered the long lost memories of the past
To people of Changshan, please tell that I have only gone
around in a big circle in my lifetime
Brother
Please sound the drum for me one last time
When our missions are accomplished
We shall meet again
Zilong!
That was the last time I saw Zilong
Years later, the three Kingdoms were finally united
Not by Wei
Wu
or Shu
But under a new "Jin" Dynasty
How many things before and after"
"All melt into gossip and laughter"