Marco Polo (TV Series)

Hunter and the Sable Weaver (2016)

Benedict Wong: Kublai Khan

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  Young Kublai : [birds chirping] 

  [birds chirping loudly] 

  Young Kublai : Birds? The great Genghis Khan demands a tribute of birds from our enemy?

  Kublai Khan : Not birds, young Kublai. Chinese swallows. Ten thousand. You question your grandfather?

  Young Kublai : No, Lord Genghis. Merely

  Kublai Khan : [carries littlest boy by his collar, kneels in front of him with the bird]  Nesting birds and well-fed dogs always return to the walls of their master. You understand, don't you, Kaidu?

  Young Kaidu : [yes] 

  Kublai Khan : Live by the laws of the Blue Sky and you will follow in the steps of your father, who follows in mine. You will one day be Khan of the Mongols, child.

  [lights the string attached to the bird] 

  Kublai Khan : Release it.

• Empress Chabi : Any man who rises to greatness will face envy from his brothers, his relations. You stand above them all, because you know compassion is the greatest shield. Have compassion for these smaller men smaller minds.

  Kublai Khan : [sighing]  I once drowned my own dog when he would not stop killing sheep. Is that not compassion? There will be no Kurultai. Only war.

• Kublai Khan : [wedding ceremony]  As it is said of man and woman, the hunter is ours, the sable weaver is yours. But if the sable weaver has no mother and father to stand with her, what does this mean? It means only this she, too, is now ours. I take this child into my house as my daughter.