Original subtitles

I am Li Peiyi,

Princess of Fuchang County.

Pampered since childhood,

I lived in safety and peace.

On the Lantern Festival when I was nine,

I watched lantern lights tint the Western Capital's night red,

unaware that that night,

my home would be drenched in blood.

They all said

that my father, Prince of Duan, a man with famed victories,

went mad, slaughtered our family,

then took his own life to atone.

I alone survived, safe within the palace.

Some pitied me, for I was orphaned so young.

Others called me an ill-starred jinx.

But they did not know

how upright and kind my father was.

He would never commit such a crime.

His Majesty pitied me,

took me into the palace, and raised me.

Yet the royal palace,

however grand, is not my home.

And imperial grace,

however great, is not a parent's love.

Behind palace walls,

one misstep means ruin.

So I buried love and hatred in my bones,

hid my edge,

and waited for my moment.

I asked to join the Palace Investigation Bureau

and learned to investigate cases

so that I could win justice for those wronged

across the realm.

I care nothing for public scorn,

rules, proprieties,

or even life and death.

If my life is fated to be an offering,

then let blood debts be paid with blood.

♪The human heart hatches schemes, stuck fast in the mire♪

♪In the Judge's ledger, the accounts are settled♪

♪Reckon the human face and the beastly deed. Count the debts of injustice♪

♪Walking the dark path, pleading for moonlight♪

♪The pitiful suffer, while the privileged command respect♪

♪Pluck one hair, and the stench of sin runs through the skin♪

♪Scoundrels have a form, while ghostly lies are intangible♪

♪Looking inward brings no answer. Ask Heaven for mercy♪

♪The book of sins is presented, proof of guilt recorded chapter after chapter♪

♪Grant mercy, and ruin follows♪

♪An inescapable net is cast. Look up in all four directions♪

♪Retribution will follow♪

♪Tigers, leopards, and wolves. Darkness laid bare♪

♪Your mercy only serves to share the loot♪

♪In the ledger of good and evil, words unfurl without end♪

♪Heaven's way tolerates no wrongful judgment♪

♪The book of sins is presented, proof of guilt recorded chapter after chapter♪

♪Grant mercy, and ruin follows♪

♪An inescapable net is cast. Look up in all four directions♪

♪Retribution will follow♪

♪Tigers, leopards, and wolves. Darkness laid bare♪

♪Your mercy only serves to share the loot♪

♪In the ledger of good and evil, words unfurl without end♪

♪Heaven's way tolerates no wrongful judgment♪

[Adapted from a Shuqi.com novel]

[Original Author: Senlin Lu]

[Unveil: Jadewind]

[Episode 1]

[Grave of Beloved Daughter, Xie Qiaolian]

Son,

I've found you a bride

whose Four Pillars of Destiny match yours.

Oh, my poor son.

It...

it's the bride!

[Late Bride Xie Qiaolian; Late Son Guo Shida]

You disturbed my peace

and dug up my body,

and now you want me

to serve your dead son?

Aren't you afraid I'll come haunt you at night?

Since you love trafficking

with the dead,

and you can't bear to part with your son,

why not

go down and keep him company?

She has a shadow!

She's human, not a ghost!

You're human, not a ghost!

I wish I were a ghost.

Guo Ruilin,

Minister of State Ceremonial,

take a good look at me. Who am I?

[Guo Ruilin, Minister of State Ceremonial]

You...

you're the Princess of Fuchang County!

[Li Peiyi, Princess of Fuchang County] Today, I'm Li Peiyi

of the Inner Guards.

Lately, unmarried women's bodies

in the Western Capital have been stolen

from their graves.

We've caught plenty of petty grave robbers,

but the real monster behind it all hides too deeply

and is hard to catch.

You even dared steal

the body of an official's daughter.

How bold.

Minister Guo, you colluded with criminals

to steal a woman's body

and arrange a ghost marriage illegally.

Guo Ruilin,

do you plead guilty?

I can confess.

But

to convict a person,

you need witnesses and proof, right?

Tell me, Your Ladyship,

what are you using to convict me?

You stole Xie Qiaolian's body.

Your Ladyship, are you joking?

Where is Xie Qiaolian's body?

I see.

There's no physical evidence,

and I'm the only witness.

So, Minister Guo,

you plan to make this ugly, don't you?

You leave me with no choice.

Get her!

Minister Guo,

you've gone senile.

I'm not just good at solving cases.

I can fight as well.

Your Ladyship is young,

but you're also getting confused.

You must've forgotten

that to fake your death,

you took a Breath-Stopping Pill.

Exerting yourself after waking

has badly drained your strength.

Looks like my luck's run out today.

But Minister Guo,

maybe you should think again.

After all, killing a county princess

is no small matter.

I never wanted trouble like this.

Blame

your sharp mind

and your arrogance.

When I play,

I play big. That's where the fun is.

Get her.

Since Your Ladyship wants to play big,

I'll oblige.

Stand up.

What's the fun in burying a dead person?

A live burial is much more satisfying.

Minister Guo,

when I become a ghost,

I'll come for you all.

How do we

pin her soul down

so she can't come back to haunt us?

What are you doing?

Burying you alive will breed much resentment.

We'll drive these peach wood nails into your body

to keep you from wandering after death.

[Ma Xiaoran, Inner Guard, Palace Investigation Bureau]

Her Ladyship's been in there nearly one hour.

Oh no,

she's in danger.

[Wuren, Disciplinary Officer, Palace Investigation Bureau]

To the outer quarters!

Move!

Save her first.

Catch them second.

Understood.

There's nothing here.

Let's go.

That's the Princess of Fuchang County.

What if someone comes looking for her?

Don't be afraid, darling.

Having just lost our son,

we've both been unwell

and haven't left the house.

What could she

have to do with us?

But the Inner Guards

already went to our family graveyard.

So what?

They found

no one there.

And the outer quarters have been cleaned spotless.

As for her body,

they'll never find it.

If you have last words,

say them.

Since the rites are complete,

Father,

Mother,

I'll be sure to repay your "kindness" properly.

Close the coffin. Close it!

Hurry.

Don't be afraid, darling.

That short-lived wretch

has probably crossed

the Bridge of Oblivion by now.

Ghost! A ghost!

Father,

Mother,

we meet again.

Guards!

Guards!

Your manor has been

surrounded by the Palace Investigation Bureau.

Minister Guo, there's nowhere left to run.

♪Grant mercy, and ruin follows♪

♪Tigers, leopards, and wolves. Darkness laid bare♪

♪Your mercy only serves to share the loot♪

You...

♪In the ledger of good and evil, words unfurl without end♪

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship?

Your Ladyship!

[Justice and Impartiality]

You drove four peach wood nails into me,

so I gave you four sword strikes.

Fair, isn't it?

You're truly hard to kill.

Back then,

everyone else in your family was killed.

Only you survived.

And today, buried alive in a coffin,

you still couldn't die.

Let's go.

Your Ladyship? Your Ladyship!

Your Ladyship!

Minister Guo still doesn't even know

what he's guilty of.

Of course I know the ghost-marriage charge

won't bring you down.

But now your charge is

attempted murder of a county princess.

How do you think His Majesty will deal with you?

You...

you let yourself fall into my hands?

You wanted me to bury you alive?

Her Ladyship took the Breath-Stopping Pill herself.

How could she forget?

Your Ladyship,

if I can help with the marriage alliance

involving the Fifteenth Princess,

could you spare my life?

Take him away!

Your Ladyship...

Your Ladyship!

Your Ladyship!

About the Fifteenth Princess's marriage alliance,

I'm afraid there's really nothing we can do.

Look into that Uyghur prince.

Yes.

Your Ladyship,

to solve a case,

you got yourself hurt so badly again.

Was it really worth it?

I solved such a big case.

Of course it was.

A guest star appeared in the Girl mansion

at the start of Xuanxiao

[Xiao Huaijin, Deputy Director, Astronomical Bureau]

and has lingered for over a month,

its color blue-black.

[Zhu Qing, Scribe, Astronomical Bureau]

Write it down.

This is a most ominous sign.

"If it is not one's duty,

one must not meddle."

His Majesty set that rule long ago.

An astronomer

must not divine

or judge.

[Guest Star in Girl Mansion]

[Lantern Festival, 13th year of Dali]

On the Lantern Festival in the 13th year of Dali,

an Uyghur prince arrives in the Capital

to wed the Fifteenth Princess.

His Majesty and Consort Shu arrive!

[Hanyuan Hall]

[The Emperor]

Long live Your Majesty!

Consort Shu, may you have eternal joy!

You may rise.

[Yaoluoge Wutele, Uyghur Prince]

[Wanshun, the Fifteenth Princess]

Heed His Majesty's decree!

Since the Han dynasty, we have upheld amity

with frontier states through marriage.

The Uyghur admire our virtue,

and our friendship deepens by the day.

Our court approves this

and hereby forges a marriage alliance

in accord with historical precedent

and the established rites.

Princess Li

is gentle by nature

and proper in conduct,

her virtues evident

and complete...

What a beautiful dagger.

It's for you.

Remember what I

taught you?

If that boy dares hurt you,

stab him here,

here,

and here.

It'll hurt him,

but he won't die.

These leaves are all gold.

If you're ever in trouble,

pry them off and trade them for money.

Don't worry.

When have I ever

received so many rewards?

And when has

anyone in the palace ever paid me much mind?

Though I'll be sent away for this marriage alliance,

I've earned a title.

And Father will remember

he has a daughter like me.

I'm content.

These two gold bangles make the prettiest pair.

Let's each keep one.

I've never taken a single step beyond the Western Capital.

This time,

I get to see the world outside.

I'm glad.

To honor this decree

and foster harmony with our vassal,

she shall wed according to the rites

to strengthen amity between the two states.

She is hereby granted the title of Princess Ningyuan

and wedded to the Uyghur prince,

Yaoluoge Wutele.

Accept the decree!

Father, thank you for your grace.

Your Majesty, thank you for your favor.

Let the feast begin!

Mr. Xiao,

His Majesty summons you.

Why are you here,

drinking alone?

You're getting old.

Even your footsteps make noise now.

So this is how you

treat your teacher now.

Hurry up and teach me

all the best tricks you've been hiding.

In a few years,

I'll be taking your post.

If you wait till then,

it'll be too late.

[Du Zhixing] I never said

[Inspector, Palace Investigation Bureau] you'd take my post.

If not me, who?

You?

Your heart's not with the Palace Investigation Bureau.

But no one else is

better than me at solving cases.

Which only proves

you're better at doing the work

than leading people.

What's the fun in leading people?

You've been beating around the bush

all for this, haven't you?

Now, a dance by Princess Ningyuan!

Your Majesty,

what's that over there?

A yaksha!

Protect His Majesty!

Protect His Majesty! Hurry!

Your Majesty, come!

Quickly, keep up!

Move! Keep up!

Are you trying to die?

I'll go!

Don't come over!

Peiyi!

There's oil in the bucket.

Use sand and soil!

Understood!

Your Ladyship,

Her Highness's body

was burned too badly.

While you were unconscious,

the Court of Imperial Sacrifices sealed her remains in the Lower Palace.

She'll be buried after the true culprit

is caught.

These two gold bangles make the prettiest pair.

Let's each keep one.

An imperial edict!

Heed His Majesty's decree!

On the Lantern Festival,

before the Son of Heaven,

someone committed an atrocity

and murdered a princess.

The Court of Judicial Review

and the Palace Investigation Bureau shall investigate at once.

Accept the decree!

I will take this case.

Your Ladyship,

you were close to Princess Ningyuan.

This case should probably

be left to someone else.

I said

I'll take it.

[Eunuch Guo] Then we rely on you, Your Ladyship.

None of the guests or palace staff

may leave the palace.

Release them only after their movements around the time

of the incident are verified.

Understood.

The yaksha came from the southwest.

Search the three buildings across the way.

Question those who were nearby.

Yes.

Your Ladyship,

this gentleman was caught

in the southwest corridor.

He was nearby when the yaksha flew past.

Who are you?

Xiao Huaijin, Deputy Director of the Astronomical Bureau.

Greetings, Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship,

what should we do with him?

What incense do you use?

My mother made it.

I don't know.

Who did you say

you were?

Deputy Director of the Astronomical Bureau,

Xiao Huaijin.

Is your father Xiao Wenyuan, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor?

Yes.

Why did you leave the banquet?

I felt unwell and went to change.

That was a long detour just to change?

Unfamiliar with the palace,

I got lost.

Why were you in the corridor at the time of the incident?

I just happened to pass by.

Did you see anything?

I saw the yaksha fly through the sky.

The Imperial Guards stopped me

before I could get a clearer look.

Shan rattan paper. Pine soot ink.

Burned paper.

What did you burn?

Take him away.

Keep him under watch.

Yes.

If Your Ladyship wants to solve the case,

seek fire on stone

and gold beneath wood.

The answer lies within the hexagram.

Enough tricks.

Take him away.

Yes.

Something's been found on Ruyi Pavilion.

Just

as I thought.

This was used to anchor the yaksha?

For this stunt,

they really went to a lot of trouble.

Candle wax.

Silk thread.

This is it.

This is the device

that dragged the yaksha kite over.

When the candle on the opposite side burned out,

the silk thread holding the kite snapped.

That triggered

the mechanism here at once.

Someone planned this carefully.

They wanted Wanshun dead.

To have the yaksha rise

during the Princess's dance,

the killer had to know the program of the banquet,

the exact time she would perform,

set the device

in advance,

and light the candle

at the right moment.

They must have been able to move freely

in the palace.

The wax up there

would burn out

in about half one hour.

When the incident happened,

the banquet had been going for three ke. [*one ke is about 15 minutes]

That means

the killer had to

set up the device about one ke

before the banquet began

and light the candle.

When the banquet began,

I saw Mr. Xiao

up there.

From the top of Ruyi Pavilion

to where you saw him,

even someone highly skilled

would need at least two ke to make it.

So it wasn't

Mr. Xiao's doing.

No.

The top of Ruyi Pavilion is fire on stone,

and there's gold beneath wood right here.

His divination

was spot-on.

He must've seen something.

May I have

a brush and ink, please?

The kite caught fire, dove at the stage,

and set the palace lanterns ablaze.

No,

the yaksha catching fire

was just for show.

The fire on the stage

did the killing.

The palace lanterns

weren't lit by the kite.

It's black powder.

Too many impurities.

It didn't belong to the court.

It was likely privately made.

So the time to set the stage on fire

was calculated in advance too.

But the lanterns

ringed the stage.

How were they lit all at once?

Your Ladyship,

that Mr. Xiao

we took away

asked me to give you this.

He said it could help you solve the case.

Why would Her Ladyship

need his help to solve a case?

Let me take a look.

See what trick he's playing.

The palace lanterns were lit

from beneath the stage.

The killer linked a fuse

to each lantern

around the stage,

gathered them together,

and lit them

at a certain moment

before the kite went up.

Then the lanterns exploded.

Their timing

was very precise.

It's all stone paving inside.

The culprit could only have left

footprints in the soil out here.

Your Ladyship,

I messed up.

I'll go look for more.

Don't bother.

They've been searching nearby the whole time.

The footprints are already a mess.

Then I'll have someone take

a rubbing of this half footprint.

I get it now.

This drawing shows

where the hidden door is.

Your Ladyship, look.

That Mr. Xiao

is really something.

Let's go.

Your Ladyship finally came.

Come with me.

So you'll clear my name?

I never said

you did it.

In that case,

I'll take my leave.

You can leave,

but you're coming with me to investigate.

I'm from the Astronomical Bureau.

How could I investigate a case?

I know where you went

and with whom you met.

Don't believe me?

You went

to the Hua'e Xianghui Tower.

An astronomer

visiting the palace on the Lantern Festival.

It had to be a secret summons.

That's why you

wouldn't say where you went.

In the southwest corridor,

you saw the yaksha appear.

Though you only caught a glimpse,

your eyes and mind

are sharp.

While sitting in jail,

you worked out the whole mechanism.

True. I caught a glimpse

and then deduced the rest.

But as for what else you said,

I have no comment.

Since Your Ladyship knows I'm innocent,

allow me to take my leave.

Heed His Majesty's oral decree:

With Princess Ningyuan dying unjustly

right before her wedding,

there may have been someone stirring trouble in the inner palace.

Deputy Director of the Astronomical Bureau,

Xiao Huaijin,

peerless in wit

and keen in insight,

is to join the Princess of Fuchang County, Li Peiyi,

to solve this case together.

Accept the decree!

Mr. Xiao,

do you object to His Majesty's

wise decision?

His Majesty has also granted you a qilin badge.

You now have free access to Xingqing Palace.

I thank

His Majesty for this grace.

Your Ladyship,

the current priority

is to solve this case at once

so that the Princess can rest in peace.

Understood.

[Guest Star in Girl Mansion]

Was this Your Ladyship's doing too?

It's His Majesty's decree.

How could I have been involved?

Then how did Your Ladyship know?

Know what?

[On the night of the Lantern Festival in the 13th year of Dali]

"A guest star appeared in the Girl mansion

and has lingered for over a month,

its color blue-black."

What does it mean?

An astronomer

must not divine

or judge.

The color blue-black

is no auspicious sign.

It leaves me uneasy.

Read this.

[A star has appeared in the Girl mansion. It is a most ominous sign.]

[On the Wuwu day of the first month, the star has appeared.]

This secret report

arrived six hours

before the Astronomical Bureau's.

Where did it come from?

The Girl mansion, also called Xunv,

governs marriage.

In the palace now,

only the wedding

to the Uyghur prince is nearing.

The Wuwu day of the first month

is today.

I fear someone

will exploit this omen to stir chaos.

If the marriage alliance fails,

the consequences may be endless.

Whoever sent this report

has an ulterior motive.

Find him for me.

I may not be capable.

I need someone

with no ties

to any faction at court.

You are my only option.

I will do my utmost.

No third person

can know of this.

I've long heard His Majesty favors Your Ladyship greatly.

But involving an astronomer in an investigation

is no small feat.

How did you persuade His Majesty?

Are you refusing the imperial order?

With no clarity,

I can't obey.

I don't owe you an explanation.

But since you're just as keen

on knowing the truth as I am,

I almost feel a kinship with you.

Astronomical officials

can't enter the palace at will,

and His Majesty summoned you in secret.

So there must've been

an ill omen in the heavens,

probably about turmoil at court

or unrest in the inner palace.

His Majesty was already uneasy.

After Wanshun died,

he certainly feared it was tied

to that omen.

Having you and me investigate together

would put his mind at ease.

What if His Majesty hadn't issued the decree?

You're always in your bureau.

You don't know my ways.

Come on.

I'm used to working alone.

I don't enjoy company.

The black powder that blew the palace lanterns

was made privately.

The leads should be outside the palace.

Then I'll trace the source of the powder.

Goodbye.

Are you really letting him handle the black powder?

Send someone to follow him

and keep him safe.

Yes.

The water buckets

were smeared with tung oil.

Who was in charge of those buckets?

Who touched them?

Who saw anyone suspicious?

Speak now.

One of you is suspected of murdering Princess Ningyuan.

If anyone conceals what they know,

they get 50 strokes.

Do it.

Wait...

Hands that have touched tung oil

catch fire easily.

Since no one will talk,

we'll test you one by one.

No!

No!

I know something!

I know something.

I'll talk.

I'll talk.

Was it you?

No,

not me.

But...

but my roommate, Liu Deyi,

is missing.

Search the rooms one by one.

Yes.

Mother?

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship?

Your Ladyship,

are you all right?

I inhaled hallucinogenic incense.

Your Ladyship.

It's Liu Deyi!

He's dead.

Your Ladyship killed him!

Are you here to judge cases for the Bureau

and convict Her Ladyship?

Irrelevant personnel should leave now.

Your Ladyship,

let me.

The body's still warm.

He was killed by one fatal strike,

the wound deep and narrow.

The weapon was likely a dagger.

The blood's gone dark.

It's been here about half a ke.

He was dead before you came in.

Your Ladyship, look.

When I came in,

the killer had just left.

Liu Deyi helped them

smear tung oil on the water buckets.

When he came back,

the killer paid him as promised.

Then

Liu Deyi walked out,

off guard,

and the killer slit his throat from behind.

After that, I came into the storeroom to check.

The killer climbed out the back window,

locked the front door,

and set the incense.

They were fast.

Within two hours after the murder,

they silenced their accomplice.

I'll go after them.

Don't.

They're cautious and efficient.

They must have planned their route.

Half a ke is enough to get away.

A minor eunuch in the inner palace

couldn't have gotten that much tung oil.

I'll look into it.

Your Ladyship!

Are you all right?

I'm not dying.

I'll go get some air.

Take the body back to the Bureau.

When you're done,

come find me at Wanshun's residence.

Understood.

[Prince of Duan's Manor]

Prince of Duan's manor.

[Prince of Duan's Manor] Prince of Duan's manor again.

I'm walking in circles.

No.

Hegu II, Zhinv Star, [*Altair and Vega]

and Tianjin II? [*Delta Cygni]

How could these three be positioned

like this in winter?

It's an illusion.

Prosecutor of the Court of Judicial Review,

Gu Lingzhou.

Deputy Director of the Astronomical Bureau,

Xiao Huaijin,

[Gu Lingzhou] I saw that man in black

[Prosecutor, Court of Judicial Review] follow you the whole way.

When I caught up, he was about to leave.

Did he hurt you?

He put me under an illusion.

But I'm fine.

Thank you for your concern, Mr. Gu.

Where are you headed, Mr. Xiao?

There's no curfew tonight.

All sorts of demons are waiting to strike.

It's dangerous.

How could you not know

where I'm going, Mr. Gu?

[Xueji, Palace Maid]

Your Ladyship.

Wanshun's body is barely cold,

yet her rewards have been taken back.

Why have they even removed

the original furnishings?

These

are not what a princess should use.

Why didn't you tell me?

Ever since Your Ladyship

stood up for Her Highness

and was confined for seven days,

she's been guilt-ridden.

She didn't want Your Ladyship

to anger His Majesty again because of her,

so she

forbade me to tell you.

Why are there so many silk handkerchiefs?

Her Highness was always frugal,

but her monthly stipend

was still barely enough.

So

she embroidered handkerchiefs herself

and had an old nanny who once served her

take them out of the palace to sell.

The money

went to cover expenses in the palace

or to trade

for better thread and brocade.

She had it so hard.

Every year on my birthday,

Wanshun would prepare lavish gifts for me.

So that's how she saved up

for them, little by little.

These handkerchiefs

use only

plain cloth and thread,

but the embroidery is highly exquisite.

Please take one, Your Ladyship,

as a keepsake.

It was said that Wanshun's mother, Lady Shiyanna,

could attract dozens of birds with a single dance.

I only knew Wanshun danced well.

I never knew

she could embroider so well.

Her Highness's mother was low-born

and died young.

Other than Your Ladyship,

she had

no close friends.

Given you were

always busy with duty,

she didn't want to trouble you.

So she embroidered handkerchiefs

to help with expenses

and pass the time.

Your Ladyship,

I just remembered something.

Two years ago, at His Majesty's birthday banquet,

Her Highness presented a gift.

Do you remember?

My beloved,

what do you think?

This double-sided embroidered piece depicting a dragon soaring across seas

[Cui Manshu, Noble Lady] is truly exquisite.

A work like this

must have required years of skill.

[Cui Yuyao, Consort Shu] And

you can see

the gift-giver's sincerity.

Lovely.

Reward them.

[Wanshun] It says "Wanshun" here.

Summon the Fifteenth Princess!

Father.

Your Highness.

Cui Manshu and Wanshun both prepared

a double-sided embroidered piece

depicting a dragon crossing seas?

Ninth Lady Cui planned it half a year ahead

and spent a fortune

to commission that gold-thread piece.

She never expected it

to coincide with Her Highness's gift.

Lady Cui is proud and domineering.

She wouldn't let it slide.

Two months after the banquet,

it was Lady Cui's birthday.

Her Highness scraped money together

to buy

a beautiful gold hairpin

and delivered it to her in person.

Lady Cui expressed

her gratitude,

but then handed it to a servant

right in front of her.

Her Highness didn't mind, though.

After all,

they were never close.

After that,

they rarely spoke.

If anyone had a grudge with Her Highness,

Ninth Lady Cui might count.

But to be fair,

she was the one who slighted Her Highness.

Are the women of the Right Chancellor's household

still in the palace?

We've finished questioning the guests.

Nothing stood out.

Now they're all

leaving the palace and returning home.

What did you find?

The tung oil came from the Palace Workshop Service.

They use it to make oilcloth garments.

If I hadn't asked,

they wouldn't even have noticed a bucket was missing.

So they don't know

how or when

it went missing.

But there's some good news:

that half footprint matches the tread

on waterproof oiled boots worn

by boatmen and water carriers.

Oiled boots?

Did anyone leave the palace

without being checked?

The Uyghur prince.

After the incident, the Imperial Guards

escorted him out.

His Majesty authorized it.

Your Ladyship?

This is uncanny.

I thank Your Ladyship

for sending Mr. Gu to protect me.

After I left the palace,

I searched for black powder shops on the west side of the city.

What did you find?

With just a few words

from a shop owner,

Mr. Xiao deduced

the killer was about six chi tall.

On the sixth, someone did come

to buy black powder.

Do you remember what he looked like?

I didn't see his face at all.

He stood outside under the eaves,

where the light couldn't reach.

He was by that basket.

The top of his shadow

was

right about here.

He wore a big cloak

with its large hood pulled up.

From a mere shadow,

I couldn't make much out.

Were the lamps lit that night?

No.

When did he come?

Near the end

of the Xu hour.

[Arrange to form a square; The leg four units long]

[Three ke into the Chou hour; The total area of the two triangles]

[Shadow length: four chi]

[Shadow length: four chi; Man's height: six chi]

The man is six chi tall,

about the same as Mr. Gu.

How do you know?

The moon told me.

The moon?

Six chi tall,

skilled in martial arts,

and able to enter and leave the palace freely.

Four crates of black powder aren't cheap.

With that kind of money,

his status must be high.

That still leaves

too many people.

Military officials,

invited guests,

Inner Guards,

Imperial Guards...

He must have a place to stay

in Yanshou Ward.

Right.

When he bought the black powder,

curfew was already in effect.

Pushing a cart,

he couldn't have left Yanshou Ward.

But why did you come here, Your Ladyship?

We found

oiled boot prints near the stage.

He likely took the waterways.

Yanshou Ward has

the Qingming Canal, Yong'an Canal, and Cao Canal

on the east, west, and south, respectively.

After leaving the palace,

he likely hid here.

Our leads point the same way.

The man in black who put me under an illusion

was also about six chi tall.

How could you tell his height,

Mr. Xiao?

You may not have noticed,

but his forearm length

matched the width of a false window

on the alley wall.

In the Western Capital,

the false windows of commoners' homes

are one chi and five fen wide.

That means his arm is about three chi long,

and his height should indeed be around six chi.

Your Ladyship.

[Ling Ning]

[Left General of the Imperial Guards] Mr. Xiao.

Mr. Gu.

General Lin, didn't you escort

Prince Wutele

back to the Court of State Ceremonial?

I've escorted him there safely.

I was supposed to return to report for duty,

but I received a last-minute order

to assist Your Ladyship

in searching for the killer here.

The killer likely has

a hideout in Yanshou Ward.

It shouldn't be far

from the canals

and should be a relatively secluded residence,

so it won't draw the neighbors' suspicion.

He's six chi tall,

skilled,

and extremely cautious.

Everyone, stay sharp.

Understood.

Mr. Xiao, why don't you say a few words?

If it's a planned hideout,

it was likely rented,

not his real home.

Let's each take an alley

and search separately.

Wuren and I will take this one.

We'll meet up with you later.

All right.

Mr. Xiao, you're not built

for chasing a suspect.

Why not just stay with me?

I'm indeed frail

and unfit for the task.

I'll wait here

for your good news.

If you find anything,

alert everyone.

Don't act rashly.

Yes.

[Map of Yanshou Ward]

♪Gazing at the moon from a distant terrace♪

♪The dreams are weighed down by suspicions♪

♪The injustice in the world remains unrighted♪

♪Yet all I do is kick up a cloud of dust♪

♪The verdict sounds like thunder in my ears♪

♪I see the truth, sharp as a blade♪

♪I read the books of sin stained with blood♪

♪What wise words do you offer?♪

♪This journey will take me to uncover buried truth♪

♪And dive into deep waters for the reflection of the moon♪

♪I swear to bring back a peaceful world♪

♪And eliminate all evil♪

♪I will leave no hiding place for darkness♪

♪And illuminate this glorious age♪

♪Justice is my sword, piercing through the fog of mystery♪

♪Let stars and moon shine through the dark night♪

♪The verdict sounds like thunder in my ears♪

♪I see the truth, sharp as a blade♪

♪I read the books of sin stained with blood♪

♪What wise words do you offer?♪

♪I will leave no hiding place for darkness♪

♪And illuminate this glorious age♪

♪Justice is my sword, piercing through the fog of mystery♪

♪Let stars and moon shine through the dark night♪

♪One day, the sky will turn clear♪

♪One day, the sky will turn clear♪

♪One day, the sky will turn clear♪