Afrikaans
Akan
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bemba
Bihari
Bosnian
Breton
Cambodian
Catalan
Cebuano
Cherokee
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Estonian
Ewe
Faroese
Filipino
Finnish
Frisian
Ga
Galician
Georgian
German
Guarani
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Interlingua
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Kongo
Korean
Krio (Sierra Leone)
Kurdish
Kurdish (Soranî)
Kyrgyz
Laothian
Latin
Latvian
Lingala
Lithuanian
Lozi
Luganda
Luo
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mauritian Creole
Moldavian
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Montenegrin
Nepali
Nigerian Pidgin
Northern Sotho
Norwegian
Norwegian (Nynorsk)
Occitan
Oriya
Oromo
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese (Brazil)
Portuguese (Portugal)
Punjabi
Quechua
Romanian
Romansh
Runyakitara
Russian
Samoan
Scots Gaelic
Serbian
Serbo-Croatian
Sesotho
Setswana
Seychellois Creole
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhalese
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Spanish (Latin American)
Sundanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Tatar
Telugu
Thai
Tigrinya
Tonga
Tshiluba
Tumbuka
Turkish
Turkmen
Twi
Uighur
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Wolof
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu
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.
ADAPTED FROM A SHUQI.COM NOVEL ORIGINAL AUTHOR: SENLIN LU
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!
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 arranged 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.
You…
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! - 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 INSPECTOR, PALACE INVESTIGATION BUREAU
I never said 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.
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 every room here.
- Yes. - 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 again.
I'm walking in circles.
No.
Altair, Vega, and 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.
I saw that man in black 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
is truly exquisite.
A work like this must have required years of skill.
And you can see the gift-giver's sincerity.
Lovely. Reward them.
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.
FENG’S GROCERY
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. 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
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.