Three Kingdoms Episode 49

It's on my Bucket List that one day I hope to finally finish this drama.

 

 

Xing Daorong ("I got a wife and kids to support!") returns to Lingling and informs his boss, Liu Du about what happened. Xing claims he had allowed himself to be captured so he could gain access into the camp. Liu Bei himself freed Xing Daorong, showering him with wealth and marrying the general to his daughter. (Does Liu Bei have a daughter? I've never seen her.) Xing goes on to explain he acted like he would work with Liu Bei in betraying the city from the inside but he's not really going to. This is the perfect opportunity for Liu Du's forces to spring a surprise counterattack.

 

Liu Xian is like, "Dude, you're so full of shit," and draws his sword on Xing Daorong, accusing the general of playing them false and working for the enemy. Xing starts blubbering like the big fat baby he is. Old man Liu Du has his son back down. He believes the general is an honest man and so they'll go along with Xing's plan.

 

So that night Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and what appear to be only a handful of men slip through the city gates that Xing Daorong has opened for them. Once inside Xing discloses that he's now got them trapped and for Liu Bei to surrender. Zhang Fei shouts at the men to protect their lord as they fight their way back out of the gate. Xing orders his forces to follow.

 

During the chase Liu Bei's horse stumbles and he's thrown to the ground. Xing and Liu Xian catch up to the fallen man and celebrate their success at capturing the royal uncle. But as some soldiers move in to tie Liu Bei up his face is made more clear and Xing realizes this isn't Liu Bei but a look-alike.

 

From out of the shadows Zhang Fei leads his army to attack. This time its Liu Xian who is knocked off his horse and taken prisoner. Loudmouth takes the young man back to camp. Zhuge Liang is quite certain they've got Liu Du by the balls as he's devoted to his son and will do anything to get Liu Xian back.

 

Sure enough Liu Du is willing to surrender Lingling and to hand over the official governor's seal to his cousin. Liu Bei politely refuses it and in fact asks Liu Du to keep on being governor since he's done such a great job of it so far. And just like that Liu Du is now on Liu Bei's side.

 

The next city on their world tour is Guiyang. Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun argue over who gets to conquer Guiyang with Zhao Yun ultimately getting the upper hand. (Zhao Yun must have gotten a better agent as he's had way more than one line in this episode.) So Zhao Yun takes his forces and faces off with the Guiyang soldiers.

 

Zhao Yun fights with a Colonel Chen Ying. Chen has a badass trident for all of two seconds before Zhao Yun cuts it in half. But Zhao is nice enough to wait here while Chen goes to get another weapon... which Zhao cuts in half as well. For his third trick, Chen Ying gets the world's biggest barbell (made out of paper mache). Zhao Yun knocks the other guy's horse upside the head, unseating Chen Ying.

 

Zhao Yun is magnanimous enough to let Chen Ying live since he fought so well (i.e. kept losing). Chen reports back to his lord, Zhao Fan, about how great and wonderful Zhao Yun is so Liu Bei must be even more greater and wonderfuller. Therefore they should surrender Guiyang.

 

Zhao Fan is totally against it. Chen Ying and the other generals then imply "You do it or we make you do it." Seeing he's outnumbered, Zhao Fan gives in. Yet once all the generals leave the room, Zhao Fan's advisor, Bao Long, submits a plan of his own.

 

The next day Zhao Fan welcomes Zhao Yun into the city for a supposedly peaceful surrender. They sit down together for a nice celebratory dinner. Zhao Yun's wine is drugged and he falls unconscious. He's disarmed and taken away to bed. When he eventually wakes up Zhao Yun is as shocked as I am to see a woman in this show. She's Zhao Fan's sister-in-law and a widow who has been sent to serve Zhao Yun.

 

And just as quickly she's gone. She had one line, which would actually make her a perfect match for Zhao Yun. Zhao Fan even attempts to hook the two up in marriage. Zhao Yun sees this as an attempt to get him to cross over to the Dark Side and join up with Cao Cao.

 

Zhao Yun (without any weapons) walks out of the building to find Bao Long with a bunch of pike men. Foolish mortals! Zhao Yun doesn't need any weapon to lay the smack down on you. He puts them all down on the ground, taking back his beloved Blue Blade from Bao Long. Not that that goof would even know how to use a sword.

 

The entire military presence comes out to try and stop Zhao Yun from leaving the city. More foolish mortals to fall before Zhao's blade. Just as he and his attendants reach the gate they discover Chen Ying and his forces are blocking the way. Or are they? Chen Ying opens the gate and allows his comrade to escape.

 

Zhao Fan and Bao Long attempt to flee only to be captured by Zhao Yun.

 

Guan Yu! Guan Yu is back! Where the hell have you been? You've been as scarce as a female character in this show. He's been summoned by Liu Bei to receive new orders to take over the province of Changsha. They're giving Guan Yu a chance to make up for that debacle of letting Cao Cao go earlier.