Almost 800 years ago,
a militarygenius came out
ofMongolia to conquer halfa world.
He was the son of Yesugei,
leader ofa small nomad tribe.
This man of destiny,
riding beside me as a young boy,
was called Temujin,
born to rule as the prince
of conquerors, Genghis Khan.
Temujin! Temujin!
I wanted you alive,
Yesugei.
I wanted the chieftains of the other
tribes to learn how Jamuga of the Merkits
punishes those who trespass
on his grazing lands.
Harness the horses!
Stay your hand!
Hear my words,
Lord Jamuga.
It has been written
in the stars
that the man who takes the life
of Yesugei's son shall die,
and die quickly,
and by his own sword.
See for yourself,
mighty lord.
'Tis the mark of blood.
What is he called?
Temujin.
"Man of iron."
Then I shall spare him,
so that he may witness the
death I give his father now.
Temujin!
From this day on,
you will wear a collar.
I will have a chang made
to put around your neck.
Oh! Oh, no! Oh, get my ball, please.
My ball! Oh!
Come away from him,
sister.
What harm has the
young man done
that he should have
to wear a chang?
You've heard Jamuga's orders,
so leave him.
Besides,
his father was an enemy of our tribe, also.
Now come away.
What are you called?
Temujin.
Why have they put that cruel
yoke around your neck?
What are you called?
Bortei.
You will return to the camp,
Princess. Go with your brothers.
I take no orders
from you, Jamuga.
As you say, Bortei,
not yet.
Dogs must be taught
to stay in place.
Sengal.
Give me that.
Now then, man of iron.
Down! Down!
Down! Down!
The Lord Jamuga's brave
when a man is yoked.
Kuchluk.
After him, after him!
Temujin!
Temujin!
Geen!
Father Geen!
How did you find me?
I consulted the stars
and my...
Hmm?
Besides,
Sengal showed me.
Sengal?
If he was able to talk,
he'd tell you that he will
be with us from now on.
You may be chieftain of the
smallest tribe of the Mongols,
but at least
it's a start.
It's a good start.
This could house an army.
How safe are we?
The Merkits think that only spirits
and ghosts could live up this high.
As long as they continue to believe that,
we are safe.
When they discover the
truth, where do we go?
East or west?
When that time does come,
you will decide.
But this may help you.
Our world is like
three great circles.
Here, to the west,
Samarkand and Bukhara,
the lands of the Persians.
Rich nations who trade with
the white-skinned Christians
from beyond the desert.
And here,
to the East?
I have not traveled
east of the mountains,
but I have talked with
merchants from the caravans,
and they have told me
of the great walls,
and beyond them,
of the kingdom of China.
A land of great cities,
where people dress in silks.
Even the men.
And where the merchants go in
search of spices and rare woods
from the nations
beyond the Eastern seas.
And here, in the center?
A barren, empty circle
where only Mongols live.
Why should it be barren and empty
when it lies in the heartland,
between the rich west
and the richer east?
Because the tribes like the Merkits,
the Salkits, the Tanguts and others
are too busy fighting amongst themselves,
that's why.
But if they joined together?
The only time that Mongols are
joined together is in death.
You know what you said about this
being the smallest tribe in existence.
It would be difficult for
it to be much smaller.
Then we must
make it larger.
Merkits.
What tribe are you?
Salkits.
Now shall we see if the spirits of
the wind are for us or against us.
These men,
they look like Salkits!
Perhaps because
they are Salkits.
Salkits?
Riding with you?
Yes, the Salkits and the Yesugei,
together.
Over there,
Lord Temujin,
is the caravan road
to Tashkent.
In the old days,
many battles were fought over it.
But so many of the slaves were killed,
there was so little profit.
So,
the Treaty of the Slave Trail was signed.
A treaty?
The Shah of Khwarezm
imposed a truce.
All have sworn to it.
All observe it.
No warrior is permitted
to carry arms here.
Good!
Then we can take our pick without fighting.
Hmm?
You do not understand, Temujin.
A truce was signed.
I did not sign it.
The slaves did not sign it.
But...
Will there be women
among the slaves?
Yes, Lord.
Good.
My men have horses and
weapons, but no women.
How long do you think they
will stay without women?
How long will you?
What is the meaning
of this?
The slave caravan is under the protection
of the Shah of Khwarezm himself.
Convey the thanks of Lord
Temujin to the Shah.
Temujin?
Temujin!
Katke!
My lord!
I thank the four winds you found me.
Jamuga was selling
me for a slave.
Somehow I don't
see you as a slave.
In any case, you're free now.
You're all free.
Free?
I said you are all
free, my sisters,
to continue
with this caravan,
or to ride with my men
back to our camp.
You give them
a choice? Women?
Sengal,
strike the fetters off these slaves.
This truce has lasted
100 years, barbarian!
The Shah will have your head
spiked on the city walls.
Once you're dead,
do you really think it matters?
Safe journey to Tashkent,
and give our thanks to the Shah!
A miracle!
A miracle!
Oh, thank you.
But if you want to prove your gratitude,
give me this woman, huh?
- But she's my wife!
- Oh, take another!
Go on and take another woman!
I give you a horse.
I give you two horses.
No, friend Shan,
no woman will be taken against her will.
But, Lord,
that's what women are for.
And besides,
the best have already been taken.
A wise man does not judge a
horse by its saddle markings.
Come, I will
choose for you.
Come.
Hey, do you want
a husband, Katke?
That?
That's settled, then.
May you have many sons.
It's about time you, too,
my lord, had thoughts of sons.
The thoughts I've had in my mind
are not for a holy man as you.
Give me time.
Take this and be careful.
Temujin!
Katke!
Bring food and clothes
to the Princess.
Prepare another tent
for me while I wash.
Wash?
The Lord Temujin,
my lady.
Stay, woman.
I did not tell you to go.
That was stupid of you.
You do not seem
like a stupid woman.
I am not a stupid woman.
And what did I do that
you thought stupid?
You gave an order that was
bound to be overruled.
The master who
feeds his dog
does not expect him to answer
to the whistle of any stranger.
I might have
thought it of you.
You treat those who
serve you as dogs.
Not Katke.
She brought me up as a child.
She did not boast about that,
I promise you.
My lady, anyone else
listening to us now
would imagine that you were
trying to provoke a fight.
But it always needs two
to make a quarrel.
Not with me it doesn't!
I like a horse with spirit.
Horses, dogs, animals,
all you ever think of?
I can see that was
a stupid question.
But if it please you,
now that you are here,
say what it is
you came to say.
I have said what I came to say,
but for this.
Deep in my heart if I
search for the truth,
I must also say that what
drove me most to do what I did
was the thought of the rage and
anger I have brought to Jamuga.
To steal in the night the
woman he had chosen to marry.
Outcast! Slave!
Soon you'll be back
in a wooden yoke.
For, born a slave,
you'll die a slave!
Born a slave I never was!
Born to rule the Yesugei
was always in my stars.
And not only one tribe, but people of
many tribes were destined to follow me,
to fight my battles,
conquer nations.
All this was in my stars.
You...
You, woman,
dare provoke
my anger.
No!
A hand is the first thing
one gives to another.
If I... If I wasn't
so ugly-looking
with all these tears,
I'd know what to
say to you next.
But...
I am ugly-looking,
then.
You didn't disagree with me.
You see? You see?
You talk too much, woman.
You never give me a
chance to say anything.
My brothers always
say that, too.
His camp must be near.
He knows our every move.
And we know
nothing of his.
His men appear
from nowhere
and they disappear
like ghosts.
Ghosts who will bleed
like any ordinary man
when they feel
the headman's ax.
As some of you may do,
if you don't bring
her back, and soon.
To have her stolen
out of my own camp,
and from under the noses
of all of you.
From under the noses
of her brothers.
Her brothers.
This is my eldest
brother, Subodai.
And Jebai,
and Kassar.
My lord Temujin.
My lord and
my husband.
No one followed you?
We saw nothing but the stars,
heard nothing but the rush of the waterfall.
Despite the poetry,
I'm glad to see you back.
And you, my friends,
you are welcome.
And grateful, Lord.
Ready to serve you,
Lord.
Subodai, you have
nothing to say?
Only this.
The holy man, he lies.
You said?
I saw something as we
climbed the mountainside.
A glow against the sky.
Your fires are
banked too high.
Geen.
Prepare to move out.
Leave all the carts
but one.
Move on to the east road beyond
Jamuga's camp and wait there.
Bortei!
Bortei!
Bortei!
Temujin!
Back, back.
See to her.
Time is on our side.
It will be hours before Jamuga
can reach the sky camp.
He'll have Merkits from the lakes
to the plains riding to join him.
Who can travel faster,
a horse that needs little to eat,
or 100 who must
forage wide?
Where do we go?
East. We will be across
the river before dawn.
Lord, there is man's work outside.
Leave her with me.
Bortei.
I have shamed you
before all men.
Jamuga.
I begged him
to kill me.
When do we
rest, Lord?
Not before we are certain
Jamuga's given up the chase.
Then let us
stop and fight.
I will say when it is time to fight,
and not before.
But how long do we keep going east,
my lord?
All through
the winter,
and if necessary,
through next winter.
If we keep heading east,
we could end up in a land where
I've heard they eat dogs.
Or it might have
been people.
According to Geen,
it is a land of great wealth.
A vast empire built
on knowledge and...
We must have knowledge.
Greetings, friends.
And to you,
greetings, warriors.
I am Kam Ling,
ambassador of the emperor to the Indias,
returning to our
court in Peking.
Returning, as you see,
is a figure of speech.
It seems you travel
without much luck.
First our Manchurian
guard deserted us,
then the wheel of
our cart broke.
Then our driver
stole our horses,
and the cattle, tiring of our company,
followed after them.
One might say that the winds of
fortune are blowing somewhat coldly.
You are in
dangerous country.
We have heard of one
Temujin and his horsemen,
fierce, violent men.
We have no fear
for our lives.
We bear letters
from our emperor.
It would be far more profitable to
hold us to ransom than to murder us.
Why talk of ransom
and murder? Sengal!
Show them we
mean no harm.
Up!
We are grateful.
If you would tell us what gold
you require for your services.
Gold, my lord?
I'm not a merchant.
You overwhelm me.
One last kindness
we must beg of you.
A message to the nearest Chinese
military post for horses and assistance.
It is about
four days' journey.
But that would mean leaving
you here unprotected.
We have spare horses we'd
be glad to lend you,
also, our services
as an escort.
An escort?
I have 200 men here,
all tried and tested.
And our numbers are
soon to be increased.
My wife, she is
near her time.
Then she deserves better than to
ride in the open like a herdsman.
She shall have the poor comforts of
our miserable and unworthy wagon.
Please.
We shall try to make it
as serviceable as we can.
Now, this Temujin
you spoke of...
Have no fear.
This is the one column he'll never attack.
I have his
word for it.
A boy?
A son.
The first child born to the tribe
of Yesugai for more than 20 years.
And a boy. My son.
Temujin.
My son, Bortei!
You are my wife,
this is my son.
You knew he would be a boy,
you always said it.
It had to be.
How else could he follow after me?
The day I first noticed
your body growing larger,
I gave orders then to Shan
to have a saddle built,
a small one, of course, a bow and a sword,
all of which bear his name.
Don't torment me.
His name.
My son's name.
Jochi,
the founder of our tribe.
Jochi. Jochi.
It's a pretty name.
It is not meant
to be pretty.
It is a man's name as befits
the leader of our tribe.
Only, by the time he is a man,
it will be a nation.
If any man could ever do it,
that man is Temujin of the Yesugai.
Temujin of the Mongols.
Men who could build this
should rule the world.
So our ancestors thought when
they first conceived it.
2,000 miles from the great ocean
to the southern mountains.
But, alas, now we cannot rule ourselves,
let alone the world.
My lord!
They are friends.
Soldiers of the emperor.
Glass.
Simply reflecting
the sun's rays.
But it can carry messages further and
faster than the swiftest horseman.
A childish device,
but not without usefulness.
Please receive it
as an unworthy gift.
One drawback, however,
I should point out.
For reasons which will
soon become apparent,
it's best not to let such devices
fall into the hands of a woman.
All the fat bears should
be no match for wolves.
Remember that now.
I shall ask for an audience with the emperor,
I'm sure it will be arranged.
I shall be honored.
The emperor also
will be honored.
I'm telling you,
they're going to boil us
alive and then eat us.
No!
They're only going
to wash us.
Wash?
Must be a custom
of the country.
Why?
I don't know,
but I don't intend to find out.
Well, I do.
Shan! Shan!
I know you're down
there. Come out.
I'm
only being washed.
Wait!
Our ambassador has told
us how much he owes
to your skill,
bravery and courtesy.
Kam Ling is generous,
Your Majesty.
He has also told us that you
are a shrewd and observant man.
That is unusual.
I have always believed that fighting,
horses and women
were the sole interests
of the men of your nation.
Tribes constantly at war with one
another cannot be called a nation.
Then we shall do nothing
to discourage your quarrels.
As long as you Mongols
fight among yourselves,
I and my people should
have little to worry us.
Surely a nation as rich and strong
as yours has nothing to fear.
Fear?
The Chinese empire knows no such word.
Then what is the purpose
of the Great Wall?
The Wall merely ensures that civilization,
knowledge,
the arts, as we know
them, shall survive.
It is there to keep what
we have to ourselves.
To keep people in.
To keep me?
I find you
profoundly entertaining.
You make such direct
and positive statements.
You and your strong, wild men arrive
in my city like a rush of wind.
A fresh sort of wind.
We pray to the wind.
Charming.
To the four winds.
Better and better.
We
have a game of chance
in which the four winds are
of paramount importance.
Listen to them.
Did you ever hear anything more delicate
or exquisite than their sweet, sad song?
Poetry itself could
not be more profound.
Do you write poetry,
Temujin?
I do not.
I have never yet found the time.
Then I shall instruct you.
I myself am a poet.
That is why you
were sent here,
and this is where you must stay,
my friend.
There is destiny in your coming here,
believe me.
When you speak of destiny,
this is something I must believe.
At last we agree
about something.
We shall find many
more things in common.
Take the birds away.
Their chattering distracts me.
We must discuss the
gods to whom you pray.
Primitive religions have
always fascinated me.
And while you exchange your
knowledge of military matters,
I shall instruct you in the
art of poetry and painting.
I find it difficult to control my impatience,
Your Majesty.
Take it.
It grows heavy.
The one in white.
Have her raise her head.
Tonight I am in
the summer palace.
Have her brought
to me at midnight.
Prisoners.
Make no mistake about it.
We are prisoners.
In an ivory cage,
of course.
We should never have
headed for the East.
What else did the emperor say,
Temujin?
It's what he didn't say,
that there are over 2,000
men on the walls of Peking,
and that our horses
have been taken.
Just what do you think we should have done,
Subodai?
You're always so
quick with advice.
It is what
I have always said.
If we had not run,
but stopped and fought Jamuga,
none of us would have to be here now.
None of us.
You have a strong
right arm, Subodai,
and I like to know
it is at my side.
But your mouth is young
and it needs training.
With enough training,
my brother,
you may yet become
my strong right arm.
For I have need
of another.
This peacock, this emperor,
has overlooked one thing.
There is much to
be learned here,
much that can
be used later.
And if this is a prison,
I can think of worse hardships.
Yes. I know I've
never eaten so well.
As for me, I even
enjoy being clean.
It's not the being
clean that you enjoy, it's the washing.
Well, the women are beautiful,
I must say.
All of which the
emperor hopes
you will learn
to appreciate,
until soft living is
all you are fit for.
Bortei is right.
I do not want any of our
men fat and useless.
We will all exercise every morning,
for a start.
A Mongol never
leaves his blade.
Not unless
he is dead.
Just a reminder
for you to carry.
Look! Over there!
A signal!
What do they say?
I'm not certain,
but it must be urgent.
Take the map away.
It's not only inaccurate, it's inartistic.
Stop them weeping
and wailing.
I want advice,
not pandemonium.
The situation occasions alarm,
it does not merit hysteria.
A ragged army of a few
thousand Manchurians
have captured the city of Hopeh,
that is all.
We also consider that
6,000 Imperial Cavalry
were routed and
put to flight.
But that is
nothing new.
No doubt, in our lifetime,
it will happen again.
Prince Temujin.
You and your kinsmen seem amused
at the news of our disaster.
Not at the news,
Your Majesty,
only at the way
you receive it.
A few thousand Manchurians are
of little account, admittedly.
But their example
might be serious.
Others might also realize that
the Great Wall means nothing.
I wish to speak to my friend,
Prince Temujin, alone.
Bring hot wine
and tea.
Do you stay and
keep us company.
This is how I relax in moments
of disaster and anguish.
I find painting has a soothing
and calming property.
I see that you
paint very well.
You are no beginner.
He is hinting that we are
accustomed to disaster.
I fear we've
underrated our friend.
He has an unexpected
gift of subtlety.
Oh. The Shamsu is a rice
wine of great delicacy.
May I offer you some?
For me, the tea.
For me, the wine.
I was not suspicious
of it, Majesty,
but I have forbidden
it to my men to drink,
as you probably
have heard.
I have heard.
And if my curiosity does not greatly offend,
why?
Because I wanted my men to be
ready for a day such as this.
Ah! Please to continue.
I am listening.
These Manchu...
It is just that the fate of an empire
is of small importance compared
to a poem by Tso Ling,
or a painting by my distinguished ancestor,
Mao Kung.
You were saying?
You would save much time if
you let me say something.
That means you have something to offer.
What?
These Manchurian invaders, you'd like
them destroyed as soon as possible?
Unfortunately,
my army has melted away.
I will raise you
another one.
Mongols?
How much?
You mean money?
What else do soldiers
fight for?
A large chest of gold for each
of my three brothers-in-law,
so that I can send them out
to recruit only the best men.
How could I be sure I
was not just replacing
one army of invaders
with another?
You cannot be sure.
There is a solution,
Great One.
I myself, who know him better,
would trust Temujin.
But if he were to leave his wife and
son as hostages in your keeping...
I agree.
See that Prince Temujin
has all the gold he needs.
And we will offer
a special reward
for which one of your wife's
brothers does most to help us.
There is no need.
It is a custom,
and a charming one,
to announce the reward before
the service is performed.
In our experience,
it often helps with the accomplishment.
Have the court
brought back.
I wish them to see how tired
and exhausted their emperor is,
working devotedly in the
service of his people.
I will do so, Great Emperor,
but as Temujin and I
have so much to do...
Very well. In any case,
you've both seen the state I'm in.
Where's he taking us?
The horses are ready.
Why can't we be on our way?
Because the emperor wants you
to take a memory with you,
a vision that will bring
you back all the sooner.
Look at the
picture.
The Princess Chin Yu.
Emperor's youngest daughter.
Whichever one of you returns with
the best company of horsemen,
he shall have her.
Is there any reason
we can't start now?
Subodai.
Teach her to be
a woman while I'm away.
They're less than
an hour back.
Jamuga leads them.
See to your men.
Now!
Your troops will lead the attack,
up through there.
It is only fitting
we have the honor.
You will not attack
with any great success.
You will then
fall back.
Retreat?
You have had some experience of that,
I imagine.
But we lose face.
Better to lose face
than your head,
as the unsuccessful defender
of Hopeh has apparently done.
When you fall back
through here,
my Mongols will fall on
them from both flanks.
Then you will lead your troops
back again at my command.
Now get your men into position.
I will tell you when to move forward.
Jamuga.
Halt!
A quick death would
be too easy.
You can choose.
Either you live to follow
the banner of Temujin,
or you die with
your leaders.
Now, show them to me,
these men who led you into
rebellion against your empire.
Subodai.
Jamuga.
You will pray
for death.
When the chang you wear
grows heavier and heavier,
and the laughter it brings
grows louder and louder.
And you, Temujin, will
live to regret this day
when you withheld
the blade from my neck.
The barbarian of
all barbarians.
The Mongol who led
the Manchurians.
And it is fitting that his
punishment be far greater
than for those whose
heads I have brought you.
The Lord Jamuga,
Your Majesty.
"In celebration of the Lord
Temujin's great victories
"over the Manchurian
rebel invaders,
"it is our will that
from this day on,
"he will be called the
Prince of Conquerors,
"the Genghis Khan!"
Genghis Khan!
Genghis Khan!
Genghis Khan! Genghis Khan!
Genghis Khan!
Spare us, Lord.
We meant it only to be a
salute to your victory.
How did the thunder
crash at your command?
It is a simple
alchemist's trick.
But we used too
much black powder.
Black powder.
Come to me tonight.
And bring some of
your powder with you.
I want to see how
you make it thunder.
They make lightning this time,
but no thunder.
That is something we've
discovered in their experiments.
It thunders only when
confined in a container.
Then it can hurl a stone even
further than the longest bow shot.
Shall we demonstrate?
So far you have used this only
to make noises of welcome?
And sometimes to make pretty
effects and fire and sparks
to amuse the children.
We have many variations.
I can tell what
you are thinking.
It is your duty,
both as a holy man and as a man of wisdom,
to profit from
all this knowledge.
Do you want
something?
Give me that blue
horse, will you?
Come. Come.
And I tell you
again, it has to be done.
As long as this man lives,
none of his tribe will join with you.
They can't.
You know their laws, and our laws, too.
To kill him would be
an act of mercy.
Oh, I'm not talking of mercy,
but of common sense.
Listen to me, Temujin.
Hear me well, and one day
remember that I warned you.
There are only two things
you can do with Jamuga.
Put him under the
ground for all time,
or put him at your side
and have the Merkits
ride with you.
Are you out of
your mind, woman?
Jamuga, who killed my father,
kept me in chains,
or is all this forgotten?
All forgiven?
And you, the scar
he put on your back,
has that also disappeared
with the passing of time?
Neither the scar
on my back,
nor the memories of
how it came there.
No, Temujin.
These I don't forget.
Nor the hatred
I have for this man.
And yet,
to help you make what
you want come true,
to make our people
into a nation,
I could set aside my hatred,
because it would be necessary.
Then it shows how little you know
of me to think that I could, too.
I know you better
than you think.
Break it across
your knee, Temujin.
Now the two pieces, together.
I know what you are
trying to tell me.
That we are only strong
when we are undivided.
And one day,
you will listen.
Leave us.
Is it possible for you
to be a Mongol first,
and only secondly Jamuga,
chief of the Merkit tribe?
Has the chang also
smothered your tongue?
Not yet.
Perhaps if I wear it
as long as you did.
Once, you took the
chang off my neck.
Perhaps I can do
the same for you.
The price?
There is no price.
Only a dream accomplished.
A unified Mongol nation,
not just separate warring tribes.
With the Lord Temujin
at its head.
The stars have
written it.
Geen, my holy man,
tells me this is true.
A Mongol nation will
come, Jamuga, it will.
But if the Merkits ride at our side,
it will come sooner.
The Merkits need no other
tribes to ride beside them.
Behind them,
I should say.
All others
fear us already.
Our power,
our strength.
Even my death
cannot destroy that.
Is your thinking so small that you
can only think about yourself?
And what do you think of, then, with this
wild dream of yours of a Mongol nation?
And apart from these
stars you speak of,
what else makes you think you
have been chosen to rule?
You will die carrying
that chang, Jamuga.
Unless I have your word now
that your Merkits ride with us
the day we leave China.
And that day is soon.
If I were free
from this yoke,
my hands would still your
jackal breath forever.
Subodai!
Put this animal
back in his cage.
Your celestial Majesty...
Kam Ling, have you
no heart to interrupt
these exquisite
little songbirds?
My interruption
brings pleasant news.
Oh, very well.
Come here,
my little sparrow.
Come and sit
beside me.
Go on, if you must.
Genghis Khan has arranged a demonstration
tonight, for you and your court,
to thank you for all your
kindnesses over the years.
Don't tremble, child.
Although divine,
I'm also human.
And as a farewell.
Farewell?
Did you know
about this?
They wish to return
to their own lands.
I cannot allow it.
I have told you many times of
my dream of a united people.
And should it take force to accomplish it,
I have the men now.
And I have
trained them well.
And I bought them.
And you are my general,
Genghis Khan.
And their leader.
Kam Ling, you are
the Khan's friend.
Not his only one,
I hasten to add.
Do you reason with him,
for his own good.
The emperor wants to remind
you of your first meeting,
what then was said,
that the Great Wall of
China is to keep people in.
And that there are 3,000 armed
men on the Peking walls,
and that we are
still prisoners.
Prisoners? Friends.
And what sort of talk
is this among friends?
I want no more of it.
I've had a terrible day.
Headaches,
all this caterwauling.
Get away,
you unbeautiful little brutes!
All of you.
And now this talk
of leaving me.
You've... You've
cut me to the heart.
That was not my intention,
I assure you.
I knew you would do
nothing to hurt me.
But my demonstration?
There's no reason
to abandon it.
We have another saying,
another way of suggesting
you make the best of things.
It's very apt.
"Better to light one candle
than to curse the darkness."
As you say,
very apt.
Nevertheless,
you will have him watched.
I thought you would
be pleased to see
Genghis Khan and his
horsemen ride away.
So that one day they may ride back,
as conquerors?
The Khan knows us
for what we are,
rich,
but regrettably weak.
What will you do?
The barbarian Temujin brought back
from the Manchurian battle...
Jamuga.
Jamuga.
Have him
brought to me,
in secret.
Your message said
it was urgent.
We have no secrets.
Least of all from her.
This is most difficult
for me, my lord.
My loyalties must not
be misunderstood,
but they are for my
country, for China,
not for any individual,
no matter how important or mighty he may be.
I would say these are the
sentiments of an honorable man.
The emperor worries.
He fears your leaving.
He is wrong.
He and all in China
should fear your staying.
He is a man of
subtlety, however,
and there is
another solution.
Your people stay,
you go,
on a very long
journey, alone.
Oh!
You express
yourself beautifully.
But who is to stab me
in my back?
The emperor also understands
what would happen to our people
if one of them should
strike you down.
And so...
You've walked too far
to stop now.
Our people would be blameless
if your assassin were a Mongol.
A Merkit.
Jamuga!
Bring him here.
It would be better
if I were not present.
You will stay,
my friend.
You will stay.
You'd like this key,
eh, Jamuga?
Why not?
With the chang off,
you might have had a chance
to save your right arm.
Assassin!
Cut him down.
So he still
can't be found.
The one man who can gather all the
Merkits against us, the one man.
Call off your men.
Get them ready for tonight's celebrations.
With Jamuga
still at large?
He will do nothing now.
His own escape is more
important to him than my life.
And no more failures
this time, Subodai.
Our plan for tonight
must meet with success.
I'm sorry you will miss
tonight's celebrations.
But perhaps you can see some
of the fireworks from here.
Amazing, the ingenuity
of the human mind.
The Chinese mind,
of course.
You are a true artist,
Prince Temujin.
I knew it from
the first day.
My profound
felicitations.
And now for our
final display.
Final?
Perhaps you would
like to set it off.
It would be
an honor.
This last one will
be very special.
You have saved the best
for the last. A wise move.
A touch of true
delicacy.
As you yourself said, "Better to light
one candle than to curse the darkness."
This will be our camp.
My lord!
Here.
How long do you intend
to hold me prisoner?
Not prisoner.
As your late emperor said to
me while plotting my murder,
you are here
as a friend.
In that case,
I can only ask that my death
be a swift one.
We will not speak
of dying, friend.
Only a fool destroys
a wise man.
You will sit at my right hand
and you will counsel me.
And I will listen
to your words.
And if your words be wise,
they will make me wise, too.
I will accept this
honorable appointment
because I'm happy to serve a
lord whose star grows brighter
while the sun
of China fades.
In addition,
I suspect I will find the work more agreeable
than death.
My first advice is
to strike swiftly,
to take what is left of China
before someone else can do so.
Word of this success will bring other
tribes to you in increasing numbers.
In the meantime...
In the meantime,
we shall move westward.
With China safely in
the hands of Jebai,
Subodai will move
north into Russia,
while Kassar drives south
to bring India to her knees.
Samarkand and Bukhara
will fall easily to us,
and Persia will be
ours for the taking.
And the Mongols shall
rule from the heartland,
from the very center
of the world.
And Jamuga?
The Merkits will still have
their chance to join us.
Mongol must not
fight Mongol again.
Your ambition
destroys your honor.
Is the man who raped our
sister to go unanswered?
Is the father of his first-born
son to go unpunished?
Jochi is my son.
The man who lets
personal revenge
take precedence over
the tasks before him
will never complete
those tasks,
and he will lose all
that he has gained.
Stop!
My word is the law.
Now get on
with my work.
Subodai is a small man.
They are all small men.
Why are there
no men of stature,
no men of imagination?
It is not easy to match
a true conqueror.
Perhaps once in
many centuries
does the world produce a man
with the power and the will
equal to his vision
and destiny.
Perhaps Temujin,
Genghis Khan, is such a man.
This was not said in flattery,
my lord, I promise you.
Leave me.
Jamuga.
In the next few years,
the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan
seized all of China
north of the Yellow River,
carved its way across the
Ural Mountains into Russia
and plunged southward
across the borders oflndia.
Having conquered
almost all ofAsia,
Temujin turned his armies
towards Samarkand and Bukhara.
And when they were his,
the great Persian empire of Khwarezm
lay before him, ready for his sword.
Come now, Jamuga.
You are an
old general.
You know very well that even if I
agreed to join forces with you,
you could never hope
to defeat this...
Genghis... This Khan.
No one else has.
No one else has an army equal in
strength to our combined forces.
We will be more than
enough to slaughter him.
Ah, I have no desire
for slaughter.
Lamb is for slaughter.
This meat is very
sweet and succulent.
No, no, I hear more and more men
flock to his banner every day.
Defeated men, weaklings.
The first to run in battle.
But I have not
offended him.
He has offended you.
Years ago, that caravan
on the slave trail,
his violation of the treaty.
Oh, that was when...
That was when the supply
from the East was cut off.
No spices, no jewels,
no women.
And remember this.
Your country lies
directly in his path.
Your only hope of
saving Khwarezm,
of saving yourself,
is to align yourself with me.
There is only one way to stop
this violator of treaties.
You and I will ride together
against this Genghis Khan.
We will crush
this wolf,
this thirster
after blood,
this corrupt defiler of women,
this scavenger.
Your serenity speaks
words of wisdom.
A gift shall seal
our bargain.
One of my
daughters?
Two?
And my gift to you
will be the head
of this Genghis Khan.
The armies of the Shah and Jamuga
are joined and on the march.
They have already
crossed the Yalu river.
Then the time
is here, finally.
You are quite certain?
There can be no mistake?
There's no mistake.
The last word placed him five days away.
We will have
the high ground.
He will have
to come to us.
"We will have the high ground,"
you said.
"They will have to
come to us," you said.
And are
they not doing so?
An emissary with
a white flag.
Well, somehow,
I do not feel they've come to surrender.
Not with Genghis Khan holding the high
ground, with our troops outnumbered.
Are you suggesting that we surrender,
then?
I'm suggesting nothing.
I'm only regretting the
fact that I allowed myself
to be dragged into this foolish
and obviously risky adventure.
To conquer, one
has to take risks.
At my age,
I do not need to take risks.
If we...
If I survive this day,
it will have taught me a lesson,
that a man can
be too clever.
Your words mean
more than they say.
I had hoped to see
Mongol kill Mongol,
and so wipe themselves out
and rid Khwarezm
from all danger.
Instead of which?
I find myself on an uncomfortable
horse in a drafty place
and in a very
dangerous situation.
Well,
perhaps this emissary brings good news.
I bear greetings from the
Genghis Khan to the Lord Jamuga.
Greetings?
And I thank you deeply for
observing my flag of truce.
The Lord Genghis Khan would wish
to talk with the Lord Jamuga.
Talk? What would we
have to talk about?
I'm only the humble emissary
sent to arrange a meeting.
There will be no meeting.
No talk.
Does the Lord Jamuga
fear the spoken word?
Tell this jackal you obey,
my talking is done with a lance,
or a sword.
I'll repeat.
Does the Lord Jamuga
fear the spoken word?
And these spoken words are to take
place in the center of his camp?
The Genghis Khan will ride
forward with an escort of six,
then finally alone.
The same privilege is yours.
Can he be trusted?
The word of the Lord Genghis
Khan can always be trusted.
I trust him enough to
remain here as hostage
until you return.
Then let it be so.
It is only fitting that you have
come back to your own land to die.
But it is not fitting that a Mongol
should deliver the death blow.
You still sing the
same song, Temujin.
Many voices
carry it now.
Not the Merkits,
outcast!
I asked for this meeting in the hope
that Mongol would not shed Mongol blood.
Also, that you might still join with me
to spread the name of the Mongol nation.
The Merkits are warriors. Not a group
of women to become part of a herd.
We say and do
as we want.
And we take what we need.
From anybody!
I promise you
this, Jamuga.
The Merkits will ride as
part of the Mongol nation,
or their land will be
razed to the ground.
Razed so that not even a lame horse
would stumble walking across it.
I must talk
with the Shah.
Counsel is always
worthwhile.
We will send you our
answer with Kam Ling.
...and the men grow impatient,
my lord.
Better that than the
spilling of Mongol blood.
Not one of our horses
will put one foot forward
until I have
Jamuga's answer.
My lord! Look!
Kam Ling.
Take your posts.
Withdraw! Withdraw!
Withdraw!
Retreat!
Get them back!
Get them back!
I have no desire for slaughter.
Retreat!
Merkits!
My lord, Jamuga!
Take the left flank!
With me!
Subodai!
One of you!
Any one of you!
And you first,
outcast!
Sengal!
Stay where you are.
Enough, Jamuga.
Let there be peace.
With you? Never!
And there will be no chang this time either,
jackal.
If you have the courage
to stand up alone to me,
Jamuga,
the man who slaughtered your tribe,
the father of
your first son!
Is this the man
you would follow?
Is this the leader who would
unite the nation of the Mongols?
You have passed
your own sentence.
A Mongol duel?
And when you are
dead, Jamuga,
your men will
ride with mine.
Untie any prisoners.
If any of the Merkit
tribe would leave us,
let them go now.
I have lived
to see it,
that the tribes come
together as one people.
But it is my sons who will
make our nation great.
Show my people
their leaders.
And until they are
old enough to lead,
it is my wife and her two brothers
who shall speak for them,
shall guide them
to walk straight.
Bortei,
whom I have
always loved,
turn me towards the wind.
I want that the gods
should see me in the face.
So many tears,
but not one tear
from you.
There will be many
years for weeping.
I want you to see me
as you have always.
Always your hand
to help me.
As you said,
it's always the first thing
you'll hold out to another.
The first.
And strangely,
at this time,
that it should
also be the...
And so it was that Temujin,
the Genghis Khan, was dead,
but not the tide
he set in motion.
His dream conquered
even after death.
His sons rolled westward
into the Hungarian plains,
burned a path to
the borders ofEgypt.
One grandson founded the
Mughal dynasty oflndia,
while another was the great Kublai Khan,
Emperor of China.
And when the conquest
was finished,
half the population of the world
was contained in the Mongol Empire.
The empire born in the imagination
of the prince of conquerors,
Genghis Khan.