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[Kill My Sins] [This is a work of fiction]

Qing.

Ping'an.

Qing.

Ping'an.

Qing.

Ping'an.

Qing.

Ping'an.

Qing.

Ping'an.

Qing.

Ping'an.

[Episode 23]

[Mist Veils the Tower, Moon Dims the Ferry]

The three judicial departments convened

to re-examine the Censor case today.

The three judicial departments convened

to re-examine the Censor case today.

[Court of Judicial Review]

Excuse me.

Sorry.

Coming through.

Pardon me.

Let me squeeze by.

Excuse me.

It's okay.

Summon

the witness.

Ye Ping'an,

only answer

when questioned.

Do not speak without permission.

Do you understand?

Yes, sir.

Hai Yiping,

this is the testimony signed and sealed

by your steward.

He testified

that you coerced and manipulated

Lu Danxin

into tying Li Zongxu to the gate tower

to frame Ye Ping'an

for killing a Li member.

Do you deny the charges?

No.

Ye Ping'an,

this is the testimony

given by those present

when Lu Danxin reported the Censor case.

I ask you one more time.

Is the testimony you provided

true or not?

I can testify

the Censor case

was indeed committed by Zheng Yuan,

Du Liang,

and Qi Junshan.

It was never Monitor Censor Yu Qian's doing.

Hai Yiping,

you confessed

to fabricating the letter

and framing Yu Qian.

What is the full truth

about the Censor case?

Explain every detail.

At this moment,

I will not

tell a single lie today.

At that time,

Du Liang wasn't content with being a County Constable.

He wanted a transfer to the capital.

To bribe officials,

he conspired with Zheng Yuan, his advisor,

and Qi Junshan

to abduct women and imprison them in an abandoned house.

He also turned his own mansion

into a place of indulgence.

Our dynasty has always had

the tradition of recommending officials.

It was originally to select the virtuous and capable.

Yet,

some exploit this system.

They went to Tongquan County

not just for women

but also

for buying and selling

official positions.

Guan Zhong the politician said,

"Selling official positions

will lead to a nation's downfall in ten years."

In the reign of Emperor Ling of Han,

those who traded ranks for wealth

caused great disaster.

[Yang Wendao, Chief Censor] And now, there are still people

who dare to commit this crime.

If one can become an official with mere silver,

where does this leave those who study for a decade

and the imperial examinations for talent selection?

Hai Yiping,

why did you go to Tongquan County?

What dealings

did you have with Du Liang?

I didn't go there

for women.

I never laid a hand on them.

I just made a mistake,

neither big nor small,

in my early official career.

That mistake

is called "compromising to fit in."

Back then,

I was a Vice Director of the Bureau of Honor,

responsible for assessing

the performance and taxation records of capital officials.

That is

how I became acquainted with Du Liang.

Your records state

that each man should pay three dan of grain.

But I investigated among the people

and found that they actually paid six dan.

That's double the recorded amount.

Where did the rest go?

The salt granary

is recorded to have 2,400 dan of salt

with 600 dan lost due to floods.

I checked the granary.

There were no traces of flooding.

Your pockets...

must be quite full.

Mr. Hai,

you aren't aware of the situation in Tongquan County.

The region is often plagued by bandits.

The court refuses to allocate funds.

I had to handle the bandits myself,

which required additional expenses.

Check the prison records.

So many bandits were arrested in a year.

I suppose you raise bandits

and arrest them yourself.

Du Liang,

do you have a death wish?

All right.

If you want to convict me,

please stay the night.

Is that fine?

Help!

Stop there!

Get back.

Help.

Get in!

I suppose you recognized him.

Will you turn against an old family friend...

and expose him?

Yes.

Exactly.

You're here too, Mr. Hai.

I need someone to manage the county's salt granary.

I intend

to have Mr. Hai's people take over.

But I'm not sure

if Mr. Hai would be interested.

In front of those officials,

Du Liang bribed me.

I had discovered

their secret.

If I refused,

I would have made myself an enemy of all.

Soon after,

Du Liang wanted me

to recommend him for promotion to the capital.

Once this was done,

everything

would have been settled.

However...

Yu Qian

was an unexpected variable.

Why can Du Liang imprison

so many women?

Can't you see

how deep this conspiracy runs?

Don't bring disaster upon yourself.

Go back to the capital with me.

Pretend none of this ever happened.

Hai.

You and I passed the same imperial examination.

We've known each other for years.

I never thought

you would say such words.

We are responsible for supervision.

If we turn a blind eye,

will the official robe

not weigh heavy upon you?

Will the oath you made as an official

not burden and ache you?

Why are you so stubborn?

Is it because you're about to be promoted to Vice Minister?

Are you worried about implicating yourself?

Fine.

No need to persuade me anymore.

I swear

I will investigate it to the end.

No matter

who is behind Du Liang,

I will not let a single one go.

You...

If Du Liang was exposed,

my bribery

would be uncovered too.

My career would be ruined.

My family's long-standing reputation of integrity

would be tainted because of me.

One wrong decision

led to an endless downfall.

There was no turning back.

This is proof

of Yu Qian ordering the women to be killed.

Hand it to Du Liang.

He knows

what to do.

Yes.

Yu Qian was an upright man.

He regarded you as a confidant.

He had such faith in you

that he even entrusted his last hope

in you.

But what did you do?

Just to protect your own career

and the so-called reputation,

you let Du Liang kill him

and frame him,

resulting in his entire family being executed.

If Yu Qian knew this...

I have one more question.

You've always known

that Li Zongxu was involved in the Censor case.

Then what did he do

in Tongquan County?

There,

Li Zongxu

did not only satisfy

his lust for women

and his sadistic tendencies

but also bribed high-ranking officials

and gained the right

to distribute official salt in the capital.

I have another accusation

against Li Zongxu.

Speak.

After Li Zongxu obtained

the right to distribute the official salt,

he exploited it for years

for his own profit.

I found out

that Li Zongxu

manipulated the price of salt in the capital,

making it more expensive than meat.

The poor couldn't afford salt

and were even forced to sell their children.

Mr. Guo,

Her Majesty ordered us

to investigate the Censor case,

[Zhang Quan, Minister of Justice] not the salt case.

Do you think

maybe

we're going too far?

What if I insist

on going this far?

General Wu?

Mr. Zhang, you've long resided in the capital.

Perhaps you have never seen

the tragedies at the border.

Five years ago

during the Battle of Jinyuan,

Li Zongxu colluded with transport officials

because of factional fights,

causing salt and provisions to be blocked.

The army was trapped in the city.

Countless soldiers

lost their lives because of this.

Corpses and blood soaked the battlefield,

their armor cold.

Should we

investigate this case or not?

General Wu,

who else have you uncovered?

I have uncovered

the officials colluding with Li Zongxu

but also found

the Market Commissioner of Changping,

the County Constable of Huayin,

and the Granary Magistrate of Xinzhou

were all involved in embezzlement and bribery.

And these people

were all recommended

by Hai Yiping.

Please be assured.

I will include the evidence

in my report on the Censor case

and present it to Her Majesty,

ensuring

that they're brought to justice.

Thank you, Mr. Guo.

Ye Ping'an,

we've finished questioning you.

We will handle

the remaining matters.

You may leave now.

Yes.

Write down

all the officials

in league with Du Liang.

Do not miss any of them.

[Court of Judicial Review]

Most of the people on this list

have died in the past decade or so.

Those still alive are Wang Yuanzhi,

Gao Fu, Zheng Xi, and Lu Fengyuan.

None of them is above the fifth rank.

He thinks he can just brush this aside.

Impossible.

This time,

we must dig out all the filth beneath.

Mr. Yang,

we're only responsible for reviewing the case.

The verdict rests with Her Majesty.

The borders have only recently stabilized.

The conflicts between the factions still surge beneath the surface.

If we escalate a great conflict

and destabilize the court now,

we will put Her Majesty

in a difficult position.

Shaocheng,

what is your view?

In my humble opinion,

what Mr. Zhang said

is understandable.

Those who had the power to sell official positions

were all from noble families.

I don't believe

there was only one Du Liang

and one Tongquan County.

The noble families have dominated official positions.

The late ruler and Her Majesty

have wished to reform this flaw

and worked gradually for it.

It is the same

with this case.

You've finally come to meet me alone.

While this cell is too small,

you

have long imprisoned yourself

in a much larger cage.

I know what you are after.

You never allow yourself

to be controlled.

You think if I fall,

you will gain more favor

with the Mei alliance.

I seek not anyone's favor.

I only fight for Mang Gutter.

I have seen

many diligent reformers.

They had good intentions,

but the policies they proposed

were corrupted in execution.

Too many people

deceive their superiors

and oppress their subordinates.

Didn't you see it in the Censor case?

A local tyrant like Du Liang

could commit

something

that even Her Majesty never anticipated.

Where there are corrupt officials,

there are those who serve with integrity.

For every official who stands

on the side of the people,

there will be

one less corrupt official like Du Liang.

Seeking integrity is easy.

Yet holding onto it is difficult.

You dream

of dominating the court

so you can erase class divisions.

You wish for the lowborn and the noble

to stand as equals.

You want the humble and the aristocratic

to share the same roots.

But you forget

the foundation

of this grand realm.

Without servants,

how would there be masters?

I do not seek

equality for all.

I only wish

to carve out a path for the people.

Her Majesty’s support of the commoners, regardless of birth,

is proof of this.

And I am merely

following Her Majesty's will.

Even if the Empress

holds such a vision,

what will happen after her?

What about a century later?

If we elevate the commoners

and they become wealthy,

will they not become

the next aristocracy?

Won't the current noble families

be replaced

by the new ones?

Even if

I can only secure peace during this time,

I will still strive for it.

Even if it lasts only for ten years,

I will protect those ten years.

Yuan Shaocheng.

What you seek today

will one day

become your cage.

The Empress has decreed

that the Censor case

has been proven a wrongful conviction.

Yu Qian is posthumously honored as Duke of Ming,

titled Loyal and Righteous, and a memorial hall shall be built

in his honor to inspire officials.

[Zhou Mansion] All officials involved

shall be dismissed and investigated without leniency.

Li Zongxu,

abusing his status as a prince,

has amassed wealth unchecked

and acted with cruelty beyond measure.

His title

and assets are forfeit.

[Official Proclamation] The women involved in the case

were cruelly harmed by the then County Constable of Tongquan

Du Liang

in collusion with bandits

and killed by Hai Yiping to cover his tracks.

Now, this is proclaimed to all,

and each victim's family will receive an annual pension

of a substantial amount

to honor their spirits.

Furthermore,

the imperial examination

and the recommendation system

are for talent selection

and the pillars of the realm.

Nepotism and autocracy

must not be tolerated.

All officials must take the Censor case as a warning.

I hereby issue a new decree.

First,

one's family background shall not be questioned in the imperial examination.

From now on, all exams will be following

an anonymous grading system

to uproot corruption and bribery.

The palace examination shall serve as a final test,

and I shall personally question candidates

to recruit the worthy.

Second,

the military examination has shown great success.

Henceforth, the system shall be expanded

to select military leaders

and gather warriors from across the land.

Third,

any person, including commoners,

may be recommended

or recommend themselves to me

if they believe they have talent.

They shall be tested

for their abilities,

and the wise and capable shall be retained,

ensuring a society of integrity for the generations to come.

- Your Majesty is wise. - Your Majesty is wise.

[Yangzhou]

After all these years,

the Censor case is finally overturned.

I can't imagine

how Ye Ping'an survived.

It's such a pity that Lu Danxin

was driven to her death by Hai Yiping.

It is.

What a shame.

Nichang.

Nichang,

just the right time.

I have good news.

I'm returning to the capital.

Why so sudden?

Our song

has been chosen by the Xu family,

and they sent a formal invitation today,

asking us to perform

at Madam Xu's birthday banquet.

Won't that be a pity

if you leave now?

Zhao Zhen.

I have cherished the days

of composing songs with you.

Yet, whether our music

is chosen or not

does not concern me.

In the capital,

there are matters I can't let go of

and people I can't forget.

I must return.

I'm sorry.

You need not apologize.

I will explain it

to the Xu family.

Nichang,

I will wait for your return.

But what if...

I never return?

I will still be writing lyrics.

But...

without your music,

something

will always be missing.

Okay.

Since you see me as a kindred spirit,

if fate allows,

we shall meet again.

[Tomb of Lu Danxin. Tomb of Cailian]

Danxin,

Cailian,

we've won.

Would this news

bring you joy?

We've finally finished

what we fought for all these years.

Hurry.

Slow down, Cailian.

Mrs. Gu has rented

such a wonderful house.

I love this tree.

In this spot,

we should place a table

for chess

and fine liquor.

Ever since the Censor case,

we've been far away from the homeland,

unable to return.

But with you here,

I have once again felt

the warmth of home.

From this day forth,

this shall be my home.

Our home.

We can never return to Tongquan County.

So when one of us dies,

the others will bury her

in the bamboo forest east of the city.

What do you think?

Anywhere is fine.

Just don't weep

at my grave

and keep me from resting.

We've barely settled in.

Why talk about death already?

Danxin,

stop speaking so ominously.

What kind of topic

have you brought up?

You're right, Aunt.

Danxin misspoke.

We must punish her...

with a flick to the forehead.

Stop there!

Great!

We have a home!

We have a home!

Hai Yiping...

hanged himself in prison.

For one

who valued his honor so much,

it was expected

he would end things this way.

You've

made your mark

on the capital.

Everyone respects your courage

in overturning the case and eliminating the corrupt.

Your Anxin House

will soon be packed with people.

There was once dead.

People called me a witch.

Now,

they say I am brave.

Does it matter

whether it's a good or bad reputation

or if it's true or false?

By the way,

Hai Yiping's family...

Don't worry.

Her Majesty has not directed any anger

toward them.

I heard that Madam Hai

is taking Hai Yan to leave the capital.

What should we do?

Yeah.

We should go back to our hometown.

What do we do?

All right. Take care.

All right.

Let's go.

Take care.

[Hai Mansion]

Ping'an.

This is a rouge

I just bought in Yangzhou.

I haven't tried it yet.

Come on.

Put it on me.

Me?

I'm not very good at this.

Ping'an,

upon hearing of the overturning

of the Censor case in Yangzhou,

I rushed back at once.

I inquired along the way

and learned of all that had happened

since I left the capital.

It's all my fault.

I should never have left.

If I had stayed,

perhaps you and Danxin...

There is no "perhaps."

This matter

has nothing to do with you.

Fortunately, with the case overturned,

Danxin's name has been cleared.

Everyone now knows

that Danxin took that step

to expose

Hai Yiping's true nature.

Ping'an,

now that it's all over,

what is your plan?

I don't know why,

but these days,

I keep thinking of the past.

After the Censor case,

I despised everything about myself,

living in a daze.

Then, I met Ruan Qin.

Watching her, tormented by mental anguish,

jump off the cliff before me.

It made me realize

that the pain of the heart

is no less than the pain of the body.

From then on,

I resolved to use my talents

to study the art of healing the mind.

Though I have healed many,

I have never been able to forgive myself.

It was only upon meeting Danxin and Cailian

that I found a chance at redemption.

From that moment,

I swore to devote my life

to the Censor case.

Until justice was served,

I would never stop.

Now,

the case has ended suddenly.

But Cailian and Danxin...

are gone.

Ping'an,

without you,

no one knows how many more years it would have taken

to clear this injustice.

You, too, were a victim.

No one will blame you anymore.

What about you?

Will you stay at Wanguoxiang Tavern?

I haven't decided yet.

You've lost more weight

since I last saw you.

Stop worrying about treating others.

Take care of yourself first.

I plead guilty before Your Majesty.

You played a key role in overturning the Censor case.

Why plead guilty?

I disobeyed Your Majesty's order

and took it upon myself to investigate the case.

After discovering the gate incident,

I failed to report it in time.

Therefore,

I plead guilty.

Was it

that you failed to report it in time

or that you deliberately withheld it?

First Li Zongxu,

then Hai Yiping.

You acted on your own accord,

defying my will.

I

have tolerated you again and again,

yet you keep pushing the limits.

Your Majesty is a wise ruler

who always speaks of prioritizing the greater good.

I believe

that both the salt case and the Censor case

concern the people

and thus the greater good.

Tell me,

do you still regard me

as your sovereign?

The people are Your Majesty's.

You love them, and so must I.

I believe

that loyalty to the people

is loyalty to the ruler.

How eloquent.

Hai Yiping often spoke before me

of how, in ancient governance, love for the people was paramount

and the people came before the realm.

You were in contact often lately.

You even speak alike.

Your Majesty.

You need not concern yourself with the salt matter any longer.

From now on,

unless summoned,

you need not report to me.

Simply focus

on your duties at the Court of Judicial Review.

As you command,

Your Majesty.

Mr. Yuan,

after the Censor case,

did Her Majesty mention any reward for you?

No.

The evaluation by the Department of Merit Assessments is finished.

Many from humble backgrounds were promoted.

You solved a great case and rendered great service,

yet not a single reward for you.

Her Majesty is truly biased.

The capital

is a square grid,

much like a chessboard.

But I refuse to be

anyone's pawn.

Go ahead.

I have other matters to attend to.

Yes.

[Kangping Mansion]

Your Highness.

Minister Yuan,

what brings you here?

Regarding the Mang Gutter people's tower construction task,

I have yet to thank

Your Highness.

I have come today

to express my gratitude

for Your Highness's assistance.

The Directorate for the Palace Buildings is responsible for it.

It should not burden the people.

No need for thanks.

Last time, Kang brought rock sugar cakes home.

Thank you.

It was nothing.

If Your Highness enjoys them,

it is

my honor.

Good timing.

Come with me to Chancellor Mei's mansion.

[Mei Mansion]

Hai Yiping

took the wrong path.

His death was predestined.

Mr. Mei,

please do not grieve too much.

After all,

he was still my disciple.

He

understood caution and change

yet never learned the art of retreat.

Few people

can truly accept retreat.

During the trial,

I was unable to do anything

for you.

I apologize.

You handled the case with impartiality.

Why the apology?

What do you think of Ye Ping'an?

She is unpredictable.

Fortunately,

Her Majesty dismissed her

before granting her any real power.

You see,

Zhuangzi once said,

"When virtue is abandoned,

the path is cleared."

Ye Ping'an achieved it.

She discarded false reputation

and orchestrated plans,

understanding human nature.

She's a rare talent.

It's a pity

that Her Majesty won't employ her.

What a waste of talent.

If Her Majesty truly did not wish to keep her,

she would have banished her from the capital long ago.

Look

at this silk figurine I painted

and his furrowed brows and drooping eyes.

Looks like Vice Minister Li.

Speaking of whom,

he's remained silent

since Her Majesty's new policies were announced.

That is unlike him.

Had these policies

been issued earlier,

the noble families

would have fiercely opposed them.

Her Majesty has timed it well.

First, Her Majesty reopened the Censor case,

striking fear into them,

before announcing the reforms,

leaving no room for opposition.

The Li family

is now focused on self-preservation.

They will remain quiet for a while.

Shaocheng

rendered great merit in the Censor case.

Yet in the recent evaluations,

he was given no promotion.

Mr. Mei.

Shall we jointly recommend Shaocheng

for the Right Aide of the Department of State Affairs?

How does that sound?

My experience is still shallow.

I dare not deserve such recognition

from Your Highness

and Mr. Mei.

Why do you say that?

Wang Chongdao,

with no merit or virtue,

was appointed as Vice Chamberlain for Ceremonials.

Why can't you?

Her Majesty has decreed

that appointments shall not be based on birth.

Who would dare defy Her Majesty?

His Highness makes a valid point.

Shaocheng's background is far from ordinary.

Then...

But the Right Aide position

is now a coveted position.

Recommending Shaocheng at this moment

may invite opposition.

What would be your opinion?

Give it to Xu Ling.

That's brilliant.

Xu Ling is the grandson of the Chancellor of the past dynasty.

He has an excellent lineage

but is arrogant,

impatient,

and prone to mistakes.

Do you understand now, Shaocheng?

You'll have to endure another year.

I never dared to hope for such an honor.

There is no endurance to speak of.

You're thirty-four now, are you not?

Xian'er's temperament aligns with yours,

and you both serve in the court.

I think

you should...

interact more often.

Shaocheng,

it seems

you will soon have a father-in-law.

I'm grateful for Your Highness's regard.

Eggs!

Come and take a look!

Fengrao Salt Shop!

Reductions today!

Limited stock,

first come, first served!

The price of salt has suddenly dropped by thirty percent.

Who knows

what it will be tomorrow?

Stock up while you can.

Don't worry.

The owner Mr. Wang

is nothing like

that hypocrite Li.

He swore at the trade association yesterday

that the salt price

would only decrease, never rise.

So no need to hoard too much.

That's great.

Do you want to stock up?

I have some at home.

Be quick.

Yes.

Wu...

The right to distribute official salt in the capital

no longer rests with the Li family.

With this change,

the price of salt should no longer rise.

Let us hope so.

The capital is now at peace.

Yet recently,

bandits have been causing trouble

in the Henan region.

They raid shops

and salt wells

and become

illegal salt smugglers.

For the moment,

no one in court can bring them under control.

Ping'an,

I see that your thoughts are troubled.

You're in the capital,

but it is as if you're in a cage.

Have you considered

leaving for a while?

I will not leave.

To me,

everywhere is a cage.

Hai Yiping took his own life.

Yet I still feel

there is more behind this.

I want to continue investigating.

Are you deliberately

keeping yourself from stopping?

Or perhaps,

you simply cannot stop.

Listen to me.

Try living as an ordinary person

for a while.

Even if only for a few days.

See the world

through a different lens.

Once you feel

the joy of a new life,

no matter what happened in the past,

it will feel as light as a feather.

And if nothing changes?

Then

fight and struggle again.

It won't be too late.

No matter what,

give yourself room to breathe.

Okay.

I will try

what you suggested for a few days.

But I know myself.

Just as you said,

perhaps,

I am incapable

of stopping.

♪Past events turn to ash, crushed into mud♪

♪Like a distant dream, forever out of reach♪

♪Your breaths faded in silence and distance♪

♪Thoughts form a chapter, with a reluctant prelude♪

♪The storm of sorrow is beyond words♪

♪In a glance back, no traces of the past remain♪

♪Lost in regret, tangled, unwritten, unspeakable♪

♪Buried in time, too fragile to name♪

♪A cup of cold moonlight. A page of faded tears♪

♪Dreams, scribbled in haste, fade into dust♪

♪A lone wild goose cries, echoing through the sleepless night♪

♪Only to clutch fragments of memory to soothe the remaining years♪

♪A cup of cold moonlight. A page of faded tears♪

♪Dreams, scribbled in haste, fade into dust♪

♪A lone wild goose cries, echoing through the sleepless night♪

♪Only to clutch fragments of memory to soothe the remaining years♪

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