Original subtitles

‪ADAPTED FROM A SHUQI.COM NOVEL ‪ORIGINAL AUTHOR: SENLIN LU

Hurry.

Bring him back, now!

- Understood. - Bring him back?

Lu Zhenglian was sent back to his hometown before dawn today.

Who authorized this?

The order came from the palace.

I'll go after Lu Zhenglian.

Go to the Palace Investigation Bureau. Find Inspector Du.

What is the rush?

Li Peiyi found out that the escaped palace maid

was killed by Lu Zhenglian.

Lu Zhenglian was demoted

and sent back to his hometown this morning.

She will go after him or something?

Well…

- She did go after him? - That's right.

Given her temperament, things will be tricky.

If Lu Zhenglian ends up testifying against us,

then don't give him the chance to speak.

It might be too late to take action.

We might be implicated. If we get exposed…

Your turn.

You're still in the mood for Go?

So impatient.

Then I will win.

Relax.

This game seems to have reached a dead end,

but there is still a chance for a turnaround.

It seems there is no way out at the center point.

How to break the deadlock?

Marvelous.

All paths have led to an impasse.

But there is always a way out.

If a head-on clash cannot bring victory,

then besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.

See, we found a way to break the deadlock.

Your Highness.

CHUNMING GATE

CHUNMING GATE

Mr. Lu.

- What happened? - Something darted past

and spooked the horse.

What do we do now?

Both the carriage and the horse are done for.

I'm afraid we can't travel further today.

I can never count on you.

Mr. Lu.

Don't leave me here.

Both jailers are dead.

Y-You're escaping from custody.

You expect me to wait here and die with you?

His Highness planned this for me.

How can I let you loser hold me back?

Mr. Lu.

Mr. Lu.

Mr. Lu, are you alright?

Li Peiyi.

How dare you attack a fourth-rank official!

Still daydreaming?

Recognize this?

I've confessed that I went to the Xiuhong House.

You disguised yourself as one of the girls there to tease me.

That was an accident.

I'll ask you one more time. Do you remember Hanxiao?

Who is this Hanxiao?

I don't know her. I've never heard of her.

Half a month ago,

the Flower on the Wall case shook the inner palace.

A woman was buried within the palace wall,

her body covered in scars.

She died from long-term abuse

and had been imprisoned in the Xiuhong House.

She had a red mole on each ankle.

Her name was Hanxiao.

She…

She's dead?

You took a person's life, yet you don't even remember her name.

I didn't kill her.

The Xiuhong House has so many patrons.

Why do you pin it on me?

Because the scars on Hanxiao's body

are the same as the one on my arm.

This time, no one can save you.

You wouldn't dare.

You've schemed so much with such care

because you want to live so badly.

You don't just want to live,

you want to live gloriously and comfortably.

You cherish your own life while treating others' lives as worthless.

I don't mind sending you to the afterworld.

No, no. No, no.

I know everything about the Xiuhong House.

Spare my life. I'll tell you everything.

Everything.

Murder!

Your Ladyship. You…

How dare you!

Wu Yuekun.

What do you want?

Inspector Du.

Is it about what I want?

Her Ladyship killed someone.

Many people saw it.

What can we do?

What happened?

I rushed here only to find the overturned carriage

and Lu Zhenglian ready to escape.

He wanted to confess to save his life.

So the driver pushed him onto my sword

and then slit his own throat.

How credible does it sound to you?

No, no. Don't kill me.

I know everything about the Xiuhong House.

Spare my life. I'll tell you everything.

Everything.

Murder!

With an eyewitness, I'd say 80%.

But there is none.

Then it's only 10%.

- Take me to the Court of Judicial Review. - But…

No.

The Inner Guards found out about it.

You should go to the Palace Investigation Bureau.

Enough.

This is a serious case.

Report it to His Majesty.

Inspector Du.

Take the suspect, Li Peiyi, to see His Majesty.

Please calm your anger for your health, Your Majesty.

Wasn't the case closed?

Why did she go after Lu Zhenglian?

It's said that she had found other evidence

connecting Lu Zhenglian to the Flower on the Wall case.

She's after the Xiuhong House?

That's right.

So she wouldn't kill Lu Zhenglian.

I also find it strange.

But the Inner Guards and a dozen people from the Court of Judicial Review

claim to have seen Her Ladyship kill Lu Zhenglian with their own eyes.

It seems that Peiyi has hit their sore spot.

They probably want to leave themselves a way out.

And they were afraid that you would dig deeper.

However, with this development,

things will be even trickier for Her Ladyship.

Look into it.

I'd like to see

if they can wrongfully condemn my County Princess to death.

PALACE INVESTIGATION BUREAU

Congratulations, Inspector Lu.

What did His Majesty say?

His Majesty?

Such trivial matters need not trouble His Majesty.

Your retirement request has been approved.

You may retire and return to your hometown tomorrow

to enjoy a life of leisure.

What did you say?

We haven't received any response for months.

But now, you're driving him away with Her Ladyship wrongfully imprisoned.

You scoundrels.

This was decided by the Ministry of Personnel.

They rushed me here, fearing that Inspector Lu

had been exhausted from hard work.

I made this trip out of goodwill.

Why am I being scolded?

I failed to discipline my people.

My sincere apologies.

Seriously.

Do me a favor. Don't stoop to her level.

I will take my leave.

What is her problem?

What do we do now?

The Court of Judicial Review will be busy tonight.

Your Ladyship. Eat something.

Why the long face?

Don't worry.

I'm fine.

It's different this time.

How?

Your Ladyship.

In the past, no matter how outrageous you were

and what trouble you caused,

His Majesty would only summon you to scold you or ground you.

How come he actually put you in prison this time?

Maybe I messed up way too badly this time.

Your Ladyship.

Stop investigating, alright?

Go and tell His Majesty that the case can be closed.

Then maybe they'll let you go?

What's wrong with you?

I'm scared.

They put you in prison,

forced Inspector Lu to retire, and dismissed Prosecutor Gu.

They've killed so many people,

but we don't even know who they are.

What if…

What if they want you dead out of desperation?

What would I do then?

Don't be afraid.

If they want me dead, they won't spare your life.

Your Majesty.

Lu Zhenglian's case has wide-reaching implications.

Her Ladyship is involved.

So is the Palace Investigation Bureau.

We should entrust this to someone reliable

to bring it to a conclusion.

Who do you recommend for this task?

The Palace Investigation Bureau should be in charge.

But Inspector Du has just retired.

Her Ladyship may hold no substantive position,

but her status is esteemed.

It's inappropriate to have subordinates investigate their superior.

Meanwhile,

the Court of Judicial Review isn't fit for this job.

The officials cannot freely enter the palace.

It's really tricky.

So, according to you, no one can take on this case?

I am dull-witted.

I truly cannot think of a suitable candidate.

Does anyone want to volunteer?

I volunteer to investigate the case.

I, Xiao Huaijin, Deputy Director of Astronomy,

bore the qilin badge

to help Her Ladyship investigate the Flower on the Wall case.

Lu Zhenglian is closely related to Hanxiao, the deceased.

It is within the purview of my duties.

I beg for your permission.

I was right about you.

I'll leave it to you.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Congratulations, Grand Tutor,

on having such a capable son.

I sent you to the Astronomical Bureau

precisely to keep you away from court disputes.

Why won't you listen?

How is the investigation related to court disputes?

Stop playing dumb.

They put Her Ladyship in prison for murder.

How can you contend with them?

Since you know who they are,

why not just tell me so I can solve the case sooner

and spare you the anxiety?

You…

I have no interest in court affairs. I'm an inspector.

The case you're investigating is all about a court affair.

If you fail to find evidence to free Her Ladyship,

you will be implicated.

And if you actually solve the case,

you'll be telling His Majesty that these people are ganging up.

- What? - Father.

Don't tell me…

Nonsense.

How could I visit such a filthy place?

Then I am relieved.

Here comes my savior.

We don't have much time.

Someone in the Xiuhong House must know who the patrons are.

We need that list as soon as possible.

Aren't you assigned to Lu Zhenglian's murder?

What about the Xiuhong House?

They framed you

to stop your investigation into the Xiuhong House.

Because something about that case terrifies them.

As long as we obtain it,

they will tell the truth out of fear.

I knew I was right about you.

Who should we consult?

Ruyi.

I know you are with the Astronomical Bureau.

I also like the stars.

But the stars are too far away from me.

When I was little, my mother taught me

to hold my hand like this.

Look through this small hole

and you can see the stars.

I got over all those nights

at the Xiuhong House

by looking at the stars and thinking of my mother.

I was right about you too.

Wait for me.

You can't see the sky from here.

Ruyi couldn't have seen the stars.

She lied to us.

She left us a clue.

Found it.

This is…

Elephant Ear.

This plant drips water at night.

This is the "star" Ruyi spoke of.

Don't open it.

Only His Majesty can read the list.

ZICHEN HALL

I have presented the chest to His Majesty.

Mr. Xiao.

The night is chilly. Go home and get some rest.

His Majesty will surely summon you tomorrow morning.

Thank you, Eunuch Guo.

Hurry. Hurry.

- What happened? - There's a fire.

Put out the fire.

Careful. Be careful.

Mr. Xiao.

Is His Majesty alright?

His Majesty is alright.

It's just that Consort Shu's cat knocked over a candlestick.

Some memorials got burned. Everything else is fine.

What about the chest?

Mr. Xiao.

His Majesty is well aware of your great merit.

PALACE INVESTIGATION BUREAU

When did she come back?

Early this morning.

One of the jailers escorting Lu Zhenglian survived

and witnessed the entire incident.

He finally regained consciousness

and testified for Her Ladyship.

How convenient.

Wasn't last night's fire convenient?

How long will she keep venting?

Probably…

Probably, another hour will be enough.

If you don't want to drink,

you don't have to sit here.

If I'm not mistaken,

that list contains the names of many high-ranking officials.

Dealing with them

might disturb the court and the entire nation.

Besides, the flood in the south is ongoing.

The court is in dire need of talent.

His Majesty did this for the bigger picture.

Indeed.

Thankfully, the cat was smart

and maintained world peace.

His Majesty did this also to protect you.

But the ones who need protection are not me.

It's those former palace maids who were finally freed

from years of servitude, only to be deceived, toyed with,

and abused.

The nation needs peace.

The court needs pillars.

But now, those pillars are rotten.

How can the nation ever attain peace?

Boss. Lou Chuo is dead.

XIA, 13TH YEAR OF DALI

Come on.

To Your Highness.

To you, Mr. Yu.

Thanks to your mediation,

we're able to keep drinking and having fun here.

PRINCE OF HENG, LI DUO

Li Peiyi ruined my plans.

She's lucky that Father kept her safe.

Otherwise, I would have killed her.

His Majesty has always favored her.

Please don't let her bother you.

But what is His Majesty doing with Xiao Huaijin?

He sent Xiao Wenyuan's son to investigate us.

What's his intention?

No matter His Majesty's intention,

anyone who stops me from making money

or enjoying myself will pay the price.

Yuchun House has some new girls.

If you're both interested, I can summon them.

Forget it.

We have plenty of girls.

Let's call it a day. I'm off.

Your Highness, wait.

We're waiting for someone.

Who dares to make me wait?

- I'm done. - Your Highness, please stay.

What brings you here?

I know you've been missing me.

So I came as soon as I could.

‪Yuck!

I didn't even think of you.

You came empty-handed?

I've prepared some exceptional flowers for Your Highness.

What flowers?

Lotus blossoms in clear water.

Fabulous.

Fabulous.

Your Ladyship.

How much did you drink?

Your Ladyship.

What?

There's a case.

- I'm on leave. - A major case.

Prince of Heng died at Mr. Yang's residence.

A dozen dancing girls and the Vice Minister

of Personnel also died there.

Still, none of my business.

Find the Chief Justice.

People who've been to the scene say that Prince of Heng had a huge scar.

Hanxiao didn't know who he was,

but during the struggle,

she saw a huge scar on the inside of his wrist.

Let's go.

What did you do to Mr. Xiao?

Your Ladyship.

I'm fine. Go to rest.

Mr. Xiao is here.

Come in.

I'll leave soon so as not to disturb you.

You've been on leave since the fire at the Imperial Study.

I don't think you need me for anything else.

So I'm returning the qilin badge.

And I came to inform you.

Have a drink.

I saw Birou at the west market yesterday.

She's back?

That's right.

But she seemed weird.

She wanted to avoid you?

That's right.

She always felt she wronged you.

She has a conscience.

People with a conscience live very hard lives.

What about you?

You seem rather tired.

You've done your best about the Xiuhong House case.

His Majesty did his best too.

Fifteen years ago,

on a night with a full moon,

I was ill and stayed in the palace. My family was massacred that night.

Over 100 people in the household were all killed.

The Court of Judicial Review "did their best".

The Palace Investigation Bureau "did their best".

Consort Shu said His Majesty "did his best".

But what counts as doing one's best?

Please don't pity me.

I just want to say that I didn't do my best.

You came to bid me farewell.

At least, it's a closure.

Thank you for your help in the past few months.

It's late.

See yourself out.

Your Ladyship.

You can say that His Majesty was shielding those people.

But he did save you by suppressing the truth.

Perhaps to His Majesty,

there are paths to justice that lie beyond the one you perceive.

Why are you making me sound unreasonable?

Inspector Du,

Wuren, Prosecutor Gu,

and me.

We are with you.

Being with me only brings you trouble.

You have to return the qilin badge, anyway.

You still don't trust me.

All feasts must come to an end.

Deputy Director Xiao. I toast to you.

Now, can you trust me?

I have no qilin badge to return.

I wish to stand by your side.

The person you are

has little to do with the face you show the world

or the lady the world believes you to be.

I dare not claim to know you,

but I know your character.

Thank you, Deputy Director Xiao.

The way you address me shows that you still don't trust me.

Mr. Xiao.

You're not heartless.

You just hate to hide your thoughts.

Who doesn't have disgraceful thoughts and stories?

Your Ladyship.

You don't hide your thoughts, nor do you flaunt your kindness.

For this, I respect you.

Cheers.

Mr. Xiao. Are you drunk?

I have indeed drunk too much.

I'll take my leave now.

He actually used the "heart-to-heart" tactic.

Poor Deputy Director Xiao.

He must have poured his heart out to you.

I poured my heart out too.

You…

are heartless.

Look what you did to Deputy Director Xiao.

He is highly perceptive. How can I fool him?

Deputy Director Xiao…

No. Mr. Xiao.

There's a murder case at Vice Minister Yang's residence.

We have to go.

Come find us when you're ready.

Your Ladyship.

Last night, Mr. Yang secretly invited Prince of Heng and Vice Minister Yu over

to discuss "important matters".

They forbade servants from the back courtyard

and kept only the dancing girls.

Which establishment are they from?

They are in-house dancers.

In-house?

Can we identify them?

Their faces are swollen beyond recognition.

What about their master?

Someone brought these girls over with a code phrase.

The servants didn't know who he was and dared not ask.

The deceased have bluish lips and fingernails.

Their bodies are stiff. It should be poisoning.

But the wine, food,

incense, and candles have all been inspected.

- Non-toxic? - That's right.

What about the pool water?

We checked it.

But it's strange.

The water contains toxins in trace amounts.

To poison all these people,

they'd have to drink the entire pool dry.

Or perhaps after they were poisoned,

the murderer poured the residual into the pool.

Their times of death are similar.

They were poisoned almost simultaneously.

But their throats aren't blackened.

So the poison wasn't ingested orally.

Did they actually die from the bath?

What's this fancy thing?

It's the steam bath introduced from the Western Regions.

Light a fire under the stone stove to heat the stones,

then pour water over them to produce steam.

People sit in the steam.

It's said to improve blood circulation.

It's quite fashionable lately.

That's impressive.

You've solved the case.

Huh?

I have? How?

They inhaled the poison.

Have you identified the poison?

Judging by their symptoms,

it should be a blend of several poisons.

But the poison in the pool is heavily diluted

and hard to detect.

Take the water to Inspector Du. He'll figure it out.

Inspector Du has retired.

So he has time now.

Mr. Xiao.

Your Ladyship.

This bathhouse seems strange to me.

But I can't tell why.

Come on.

Great wine.

Cheers.

There.

One person is missing.

The gatekeeper said that a man came with those dancers at first,

but left early.

He thought he was just a servant escorting the girls.

That was the murderer?

We don't know.

But that man must be poisoned too.

The murderer dispersed the poison

into the air with the steam.

Prince of Heng, the two vice ministers, and six dancers

who were in the room from the beginning

were most heavily poisoned.

The man we are looking for

was the last to arrive and was only lightly poisoned.

But while running out, the poison kicked in.

The lamps in the corridor were knocked over.

I bet he knocked them over while stumbling out.

Find the officials who took leave today.

Sick leave or personal leave.

See them in person.

Those who don't show up will receive a visit from us.

Understood.

That man sat between the two vice ministers

in the seat of honor.

Then it's even simpler.

Check officials of the fourth rank and above.

Thought of something?

No. Nothing.

Prosecutor Gu?

Lady Wuren.

Why are you moving corpses here?

I was dismissed and made a commoner.

But I heard that someone spoke up for me to Chief Minister Wu.

So I'm allowed to stay.

Now, I'm just a petty clerk.

This is part of my job.

Your Ladyship. Deputy Director Xiao.

Your Ladyship.

How can we help Mr. Gu?

I was at fault. I deserve it.

I believe that I'm allowed to stay

and work here thanks to you two.

You may have injured someone,

but you had your reason.

How did our internal dispute disrupt the Ministry of Personnel?