Kingdom

Orphan and small-town servant Piao is unexpectedly invited to work at the Royal Court. Some months later, he returns to his village mortally wounded and, before he dies, sends his friend Xin off to a dangerous village, where Xin has a shocking encounter.

Xin discovers Ying Zheng, the young King of Qin, who's fleeing his half-brother's uprising. But when Piao's killer arrives to murder Ying Zheng, Xin, who's learned that Piao died serving as Zheng's stand-in, must decide which to help and which to kill.

Xin and Zheng, the King, entrust their escape to young Diao, who knows a secret way out of Heibei Village. Xin still blames Zheng for Piao's death, and even as this simmering conflict boils over, a new and deadly pursuer takes up the chase.

Fleeing pursuit, Zheng and Xin struggle with exhaustion, and with each other. When they reach the appointed meeting-site, there's no sign of Zheng's sole supporter, Lord Changwen . . . and the murderous tracker Mu Ta is hot on their trail.

Xin, who's vowed in the name of his own ambitions to help the King, must singlehandedly face the treacherous assassin Mu Ta. Meanwhile, General Wang Yi brings a piece of tribute to the Court that seems to spell the end for all young King Zheng's hopes.

Xin hears a tale of Piao's heroism during Wang Yi's ambush, but he also learns that King Zheng has even fewer allies than he'd been told. With little time left to forestall a civil war, Zheng decides on a dangerous path, to seek out unlikely allies.

Xin sets out into the western mountains with Zheng and his handful of soldiers, seeking the aid of the mountain king. The mountain folk, though, have little liking for flatlanders, and when he meets them, King Zheng is forced to make a perilous choice.

In the stronghold of the mountain folk, Zheng treats with their king, who seems determined to kill the young King of Qin in retribution for longstanding grudges. And the arrival of Xin and his companions pushes this confrontation to its crisis.

Zheng and Xin return to where Lord Changwen waits. They make ready to ride to the capital, but they'll need remarkable strategy to overcome the terrible odds. Meanwhile, in the capital, Jie Shi has raised a vast army to face the formidable Lu Buwei.

Zheng, Xin, and their companions arrive at the gates of Xianyang, capital of the Qin Kingdom, with a force far too small to assault such a great fortress. A stratagem may get them inside the walls, but they won't reach the Royal Court without a fight.

Blocked by Wei Xing's elite crossbowmen, the forces of Zheng and the mountain folk split up. Xin accompanies a smaller force to seek out the usurper Cheng Jiao in the palace... but their way, too, is blocked, by the deadly assassin Zuo Ci and his men.

Xin, Bi, and the breakaway force, fighting to reach the throne room, face the seemingly invincible Zuo Ci in the "Right-Side Dragon" corridor, while outside, the King and Lord Changwen hold out against Si Shi and Wei Xing.

The breakaway force reaches the Throne Room, only to find the traitor Cheng Jiao guarded by his monstrous "pet," who's seemingly impervious to weapons. Ba Jio reveals a previously unseen savagery, but can he contend with the brute strength of Lan Kai?

His companions battered, Xin must rise to face the monstrous Lan Kai; in doing so he learns something of the true nature of the sword. Outside, Zheng's desperate fight is interrupted by the unwelcome arrival of the mysterious and powerful General Wang Yi.

A faceoff with Cheng Jiao awaits, but before that can come, Ying Zheng, facing death at General Wang Yi's hand, must convince the "Strange Bird of Xin" that his vision of the future makes him a worthy successor to his great-grandfather, King Zhao.

The recalcitrant and powerful Lü Buwei finally makes his appearance, accompanied by his more-than-formidable "Four Pillars." But condescension and a scarcely veiled threat of violence show right through his half-hearted show of respect to King Ying Zheng.

Xin's first true campaign as a soldier comes at last, but when Wei makes a surprise move, the battle doesn't go as he expected.

The battle heats up as Wei's forces bring out their trump card. This isn't going to be a fair fight--but luckily, Xin isn't looking for one.

The Fourth Army's victory against the chariots gives Lord Biao an idea. How far can he push behind enemy lines if the infantry's survival is no object?

Just when it seems the battle on the She Gan Plain is finally going their way, Qin's forces are suddenly surprised by the advent of three generals: their own, the enemy's... and one who's not even supposed to be there!

Xin has his very first conversation with a true general, and Wu Qing of Wei and Lord Biao of Qin are finally batting each other in earnest.

Lord Biao and Wu Qing are both fighting all-out, and whoever wins this one-on-one battle also wins the war.

Xin learns some things about Qiang Lei's past, and Diao has to make an important decision about the future.

When Xin approaches Wang Yi looking for a mentor to make him stronger, he discovers that the great general doesn't make things easy.