All language subtitles for Unveil.Jadewind.S01E11.NF.x264.540p[MkvDrama.net]

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

RUISHENG, PALACE MAID

Ruisheng…

GRACE ACCUMULATED, BLESSINGS REFINED

SONG OF THE WEEPING CHILD

HANLIANG HALL

Your Ladyship, my stomach hurts so much.

Her belly swelled overnight.

It looks as though
she's about to give birth.

Your Ladyship,
am I going to give birth soon?

Please save me.

Your Ladyship,

back in my hometown, I heard
of a woman with the same condition.

She died before the child was born.

I have nothing to do with it.

I'm not its mother.

Your Ladyship, I don't want to die.

Your Ladyship,

I've also heard
that these things feed off the mother.

Is it going to eat me alive?

If you die,

wouldn't whatever
is in your belly die too?

Oh no! It's moving!

It's moving! It's moving.

Your Ladyship, that needle is so long.

What if you poke whatever is inside
and anger it?

Please don't.

In that case, bear with it for now.

After noon, when
the yang energy is strongest,

I'll return
to drive out evil spirits for you.

The food is not bad
for such a deserted hall.

When Lady Wang was still alive,
meals like this were nothing special.

But ever since she suddenly
passed away at the start of the month,

all the other maids
at Hanliang Hall have been dismissed.

Only the two of us remain.

Our rations have been cut.

Still, there's meat and vegetables.

It could be worse.

We just eat whatever
the Imperial Food Service sends.

These past few days,

the food has suddenly gotten much better.

I couldn't say why.

Hanliang Hall
and the other nearby quarters

each have only two or three maids.

The meals are all the same.

I don't need to read it.

The food wasn't handed directly
to the maids, was it?

That was my oversight.
With so many places to deliver meals to,

we just left the boxes at the door

and let the maids collect them.

Does Your Ladyship suspect

someone may have tampered
with Hanliang Hall's food?

Where are you going?

Mr. Xiao finishes
his shift at the end of the Si hour.

I'm going to ask him
to help with a ghost hunt.

So that's why you said "after noon."

You wanted to see Mr. Xiao.

Things have been quiet in the palace.
I haven't seen Mr. Xiao in a while.

Otherwise, I wouldn't bother him
with something this minor.

I really am the one who knows you best.

Let's go.

I was saving that for last!

After you take this,

the symptoms should subside
within two hours.

It smells like an herbal soup.

It's called the Three-Purity Tonic.

It disperses foul energy,

repels evil, and calms the spirit,

protecting one from evil spirits.

HANLIANG HALL

Fangsheng,

if that thing calls you "Mother,"

it must want something from you.

Did it ever say anything to you?

No,

it just keeps calling me "Mother."

I don't know what it wants.

Forgive my boldness,

but does Your Ladyship think

we staged the ghostly apparition?

Why would you say that?

Hanliang Hall is secluded.
Only we saw the apparition.

No one else can vouch for us.

The shadow was frightening,

but all these days,
it never truly harmed us.

Your Ladyship doesn't believe in ghosts.

If I'd only heard about this,

I would've thought
it was just a trick too.

No, we didn't make this up!

Of course we believe you.

It's the person behind the apparition
who has an ulterior motive.

We're just powerless palace maids.

Why would anyone come after us?

Think carefully.
Have you ever crossed anyone?

We haven't been in the palace long.
We barely know our way around.

Since Lady Wang passed,
we've hardly spoken to anyone,

let alone offended anyone.

Fangsheng might speak
a bit harshly sometimes,

but that's hardly enough
for someone to seek revenge like this.

Was there anything else unusual
before all this happened?

We only came to Hanliang Hall
with Lady Wang

a few months ago.

It's always been lonely and quiet here.

Frankly, it's quite dull.
Nothing strange ever happened before.

The tune you heard that night.

Had you heard it before?

I'm no musician,

but it did sound a bit familiar.

Right.

Lady Wang often played
her ruan and sang alone.

Now that I think about it,

the melody that night was rather similar.

What day did Lady Wang pass away?

The sixth day of this month.

It's been almost half a month now.

The apparition first appeared on the 12th,

the seventh night after Lady Wang's death.

Could Lady Wang have returned?

HANLIANG HALL

Mother.

Mother.

Mother.

Who are you?

Mother. I want Mother.

That way.
But the person probably got away.

I'll go after them.

Your Ladyship!

Did you find anything?

I see.

The simplest method

and one that leaves the fewest traces
is to use moonlight.

The alley is cluttered everywhere
except this wall.

The person used bronze mirrors

to reflect moonlight onto this north wall.

Would you like to test your theory?

Go ahead.

The shadow's too blurry.

It's too dark inside.

Maybe the moon has moved,

so the mirrors can't catch
enough light now.

It's only been about a ke,
and the sky is clear.

The brightness hasn't changed much.

Something's missing here.

At the Astronomical Bureau,
we use pinholes to observe eclipses.

But to get a clear shadow, you need
something like this to focus the light.

Whoever did this is meticulous.

They only slipped up
because of our sudden appearance.

Let's try again.

Your Ladyship!

Mr. Xiao?

Did you two create
that ghostly shadow just now?

The culprit used
a polished disc to focus the light

and tied these paper cutouts
with thin thread.

They moved the apparition

by controlling the cutouts
like shadow puppets.

And by moving them closer or farther away,
they made the shadow larger or smaller.

Not only did
they create a ghostly apparition,

but they also deliberately fed Fangsheng
food that bloated her stomach.

They went to all this trouble
not for money or murder,

but just to scare people?

Exactly.

If you've already created an apparition,

why stop at just scaring
a few unlucky maids?

Why not go after someone's life?

You're from
the Palace Investigation Bureau.

Isn't it a bit improper
to say such things?

The perpetrator used bronze mirrors
and a polished disc.

They're both clever and meticulous.

Now that they've slipped away tonight,
will we ever find them again?

Mr. Xiao will make the culprit
show themself to us.

I thought the incense ash in these corners

was just to comfort the maids,
since it's dark and gloomy here.

But it seems there was another purpose.

The steps are light,
and the stride is long.

These are Her Ladyship's footprints.

These two prints
show more weight on the right side.

They're yours, Miss Wuren.

Even I can't recognize my own footprints.

Because your hand was resting
on your right shoulder,

your weight shifted that way.

Now look at these.

The sole isn't made of cotton or leather.

It's hemp rope.

Even with brocade socks,
these shoes would rub your feet raw.

No one of high status in the palace
would wear such shoes.

Judging by the size,

they should be about the same height
as Prosecutor Gu.

But when I fought them,
they seemed about my size.

With all the clutter in the alley

and the ground uneven,

it's hard to judge.

A short person with large feet.

They are probably a man.

They were certainly strong.

I struggled quite a bit
when grappling with them.

Wait.

Their voice sounded like a woman's.

If someone is skilled at vocal mimicry,

they can imitate a woman's singing
or a baby's cry perfectly.

So, it is likely they aren't a woman.

You both make good points.

We both make good points?

So the person's both male and female?

Look here.

The edges of these footprints
aren't clear. Most are quite blurry.

The toe is especially indistinct,
and there are scrapes at the back.

Small feet in oversized shoes?

I didn't get a clear look
at their build, but from the shoe prints,

they can't be taller
than five chi seven cun.

They're either a tall woman

or a slight man.

The left footprints
are deeper than the right ones.

That means they tend
to lean left when walking.

So after all this, we still don't know
if it's a man or a woman.

Are we going to just wait
until tomorrow night to try again?

We've already alerted them today.

Even if they want to repeat the trick,
they won't act until next month.

Next month?

Past the third quarter moon,
the moonlight won't be this bright.

Then how do we continue the investigation?

Look into the thread
tied to the paper cutouts.

This thread…

It is smooth and slips easily.

It's thicker than ordinary silk thread,

very tough, and hard to break.

Look closely. The mark will fade soon.

This ruan seems unused.

I suppose so.

Most of Lady Wang's clothes and belongings

were burned after the funeral.

These were her favorite things
when she was alive.

Her parents passed away.

It's said she had a cousin
doing business in Huzhou,

but he hasn't arrived
in the Western Capital yet.

So these belongings of hers
are still here in the palace.

When was Lady Wang granted her title?

Why don't I remember it?

About half a year ago.

That was
right after Princess Ningyuan passed away.

You weren't paying attention
to other matters.

Was Lady Wang ever pregnant?

No.

That was her favorite dressing case.

She never let us near it
when she opened it.

She would spend ages
playing with the things inside,

crying and laughing.

The joints fit so tightly.
They must be mortise-and-tenon joints.

Without knowing the pattern,

forcing it open might break the case.

Let me give it a try.

You've figured it out?

These round pieces
that look like flower centers

can be linked together
to form the Wings mansion.

A few of the stars were out of place.

Once they're set in the right order,
the box will open.

Impressive as always, Astronomer Xiao.

These are Lady Wang's treasures?

DU'S MANSION

Take a guess.

- At what?
- You need me to spell it out?

What are you doing here?

What,

did you dream of that plump lady again?

Watch your mouth.

Don't slander
someone's reputation for no reason.

Feeling protective already?

I'm retired. Leave me alone.

I'm not here to make
you taste-test medicine.

I need your help identifying these items.

Fine, leave them here and get going.

When will I get your wedding invitation?

That'll never happen in your lifetime.

When are you going to leave?

Always mentioning my sore spots.

Time to get back to that romantic dream.

Wuren bought every kind of thread
she could find on the market.

But to identify the exact type,

I'll need your help, Mr. Xiao.

How about this one?

It feels the same.

It has the same sheen too.
This should be it.

That's it.

The mark matches as well.

Are you two reading palms?

Read mine too.

We've found the thread.

You figured it out from a palm reading?

The silk-wrapped string?

That rings a bell.

It's called the silk-wrapped string
because it's silk wrapped around silk.

It's very tough

and used as strings for instruments
like the pipa and the ruan.

But commoners
mostly use gut strings instead.

Only wealthy families
or the Music Office in the palace

can afford silk-wrapped strings.

Lady Wang used to work
at the Music Office.

Does Your Ladyship like this piece?

My mother loved it.

When my father left for war,
she always played it at home.

It's the incense that's
making my eyes water.

This version

was commissioned by His Majesty
for last year's Shangsi Festival.

Didn't you know about it?

I truly didn't.

But when I was a child, I did hear

the Princess Consort of Duan
was skilled at the pipa.

Really?

I had long forgotten.

Mr. Xiao, let's make a bet.

We're here to find the truth,

not to compete.

Just say it if you're afraid of losing.
At worst, I'll tease you a little.

What are we betting?

The winner decides.

Who do you think it is?

Many musicians here use
silk-wrapped strings,

but we deduced that the person
was less than five chi seven cun tall,

had strong hands,

and leaned left while walking.

Looking now, since they're all sitting,

I'd say it's between the pipa player
and the guqin player.

You first, Your Ladyship.

I bet on the guqin player.

The black-clad figure that night
looked similar to her in build.

All she lacks
is a pair of oversized shoes.

That's your only reason?

The key is her hands.

Her performance involves

wide finger spans and high speed.

Her hands are not only nimbler
but also larger than most.

She must be quite skilled
at manipulating paper cutouts.

But many of the musicians on stage
could fit the criteria.

I think it's more likely to be
the pipa player.

That night, when
you struggled with that person,

they relied
on their right hand for strength.

A pipa player's left hand is agile
for fingering,

and their right hand
is strong for plucking.

That matches the black-clad figure.

JIN AHAO, MUSIC OFFICE MUSICIAN

Why isn't he singing?

Your Ladyship, Mr. Jin
only plays the pipa. He never sings.

What's this piece called?

"Crossing a Thousand Mountains."

CROSSING A THOUSAND MOUNTAINS

Everyone else is back there
collecting their reward.

Where are you sneaking off to?

A young lady like you
shouldn't be here alone.

Why not?

I'm of low status.

Being seen with me
would sully your reputation.

You really aren't like other men.

No wonder the guqin player said
it took luck to meet you.

I'm not worth your interest, madam.

I'll take my leave.

What's the rush?

Stay and talk to me.

Please show some restraint, madam.

Oh my.

Did I hurt you?

Are you injured?

It's common for musicians
in the Music Office to have injuries.

But how did you end up
with bruises from playing the pipa?

Who did this to you?
I'll get justice for you.

I've never crossed anyone.

Thank you for your concern.

Let go of me!

We clearly met at Hanliang Hall
on the night of the 17th,

yet you act like a stranger.

I'm deeply hurt.

That night, I was performing
at Lady Su's palace.

I never saw you.

I checked.

You were indeed
at Lady Su's palace that night,

but you left without collecting
your reward.

Lady Su's sister hasn't forgotten you.

She even brought your reward to you today,

an inlaid rosewood pipa.

You would've loved it,

but you left so quickly
that she missed you again.

When did leaving
without collecting a reward

become a crime?

It isn't,

but using tricks to haunt the palace
and deceive people

is a serious offense.

JIN

Most people would see only
the mother-of-pearl flowers,

but these bits of shell actually

form the Wings mansion,
which governs music.

Such an exquisite case is rare,

yet there are two

in this palace.

You should know where the other one is.

There's also a polished disc
just like yours

now with the Palace Investigation Bureau.

We found it under a window
at Hanliang Hall.

If you keep denying it,

we can compare them directly.

How careless of you.

Why didn't you destroy
your ghostly props after using them?

Still won't talk?

Then I'll have to arrest you
for disrupting order

in the inner palace.

I expected more from you, Your Ladyship.

But it turns out this is all you've got.

How else was I supposed to get you,
Lady Wang's good friend, to talk?

You…

How did you know?

Mr. Xiao's divined it.

Women in the Music Office
are often harassed by nobles.

To avoid trouble, I always dress as a man.

Yet you still can't hide your charm.

Please don't tease me, Your Ladyship.

It's difficult to get
into the Music Office.

We musicians take pride in our craft.

I was chosen
from the commoners to serve here

and was bullied a lot at first.

Luckily, I met Yushu.

You lack skill.
You are unfit for this post.

If I lacked skill,

how would I have been chosen
into the palace?

Who knows what you relied on to get in?

Skill speaks for itself.
Let's compete and find out.

She performed on the streets.
What about you?

Background doesn't matter.

Is it not skill that counts here?

Since when do we judge by background?

ETERNAL SUMMITS, CEASELESS STREAMS

Yushu came from a wealthy family

and entered the palace to refine her art.

She was proud

and despised scheming and currying favor.

Because of her,
my days here became easier.

We played and composed,

and more than three years
passed in a blink.

I grew up an orphan.

Her parents had long passed as well.

We agreed that,
after finishing our service,

we would leave
the palace and travel together.

The day was so close,

but it all changed that night.

Your Majesty.

I have heard this piece
many times at the Music Office.

It was always gentle and restrained.

But tonight,
you played it boldly and freely.

It felt wild and full of exhilaration.

It was something entirely new.

You played well.

Yushu reinterpreted the piece.

I merely accompanied her.

Such grandeur and force

came from a woman's interpretation?

Why can't it be a woman?

You…

Miss, prepare yourself

and come with me.

Please.

At the time, we didn't know

what that summons meant.

Yushu.

Yushu.

Yushu, don't ruin your hands.

You still need to play the ruan.

- I hate this so much!
- Yushu.

Yushu!

Thank you

for not asking why Yushu cried

or why she was reluctant.

- She didn't want to remain in the palace.
- No.

We were going to leave

and finally live freely.

We planned to see snow in the eighth month

and sail a thousand li
in a single day, just like in the poems.

But after that night,

she was forever trapped
within the palace as Lady Wang.

Was Lady Wang's child the Emperor's?

I don't know.

Didn't you cause disturbances
at Hanliang Hall

to make us discover her pregnancy?

Yes.

But I was never certain.

Yushu never told me directly.

I know that after moving to Hanliang Hall,

she was never summoned again.

I saw her become quieter,
pretending to be strong.

She said she liked the peace,

and that it gave her
plenty of time to work on music.

But I knew she was
just trying to make me feel better.

She did not mind being
neglected by His Majesty,

but how could she
accept living out her days like that?

She never talked about it,

so I kept quiet as well.

In time, we just got used to it.

But two months ago,

she began to change.

You have been coming less often.

It's getting hot.

I wrote something new. Take a look.

CROSSING A THOUSAND MOUNTAINS

You seem brighter lately.

Did something good happen?

Ahao,

do you remember we once planned

to travel the rivers and see the snow?

Of course.

In six months, you'll be able
to leave the palace.

When that day comes,

you must go and do it all.

I wish

I could go with you.

I wish I could go with you.

Actually,

I sensed something was wrong
with her that day,

but when I saw
she'd found new hope in life,

I was happy for her

and didn't think much of it.

But when I saw her off…

Yushu.

You…

After that,

Yushu never came again.

Musicians from the Music Office

can only enter
the inner palace when summoned,

so it was hard for me to see her again.

The next news I heard of her

was of her death.

She was murdered.

Why are you so certain?

Yushu was always healthy.

How could she die of a mere cold?

Besides, she was pregnant
but didn't dare report it.

I suspect…

She must have been killed.

I have to get justice for her.

So that's why you caused disturbances
at Hanliang Hall?

Before entering the palace,
I studied vocal mimicry.

I only meant to create some commotion.

Even if the Palace Investigation Bureau
didn't react,

the murderer would surely hear of it.

As long as they reacted,

- I could…
- You could what?

There wasn't much more I could do.

Did Lady Wang
have any other close friends?

Back at the Music Office,

she was always with me

and never met with others alone.

As for the situation after her promotion,

I don't know.

Do you still have the sachet
you mentioned earlier?

I was going to give it back to her

when she came to see me again.

Here.

Aside from this plectrum inside,
there's nothing special about the sachet.

However…

Let's go.

Your Ladyship.

When will you arrest me?

Mr. Xiao has already driven out
the evil spirits at Hanliang Hall.

The strange happenings are over.

Why would I arrest you?

Thank you, Your Ladyship.

MUSIC OFFICE

How did you realize Ahao was a woman?

When we fought, I grabbed her wrist
and knew immediately.

Men and women
have different bone structures.

That can't be disguised.

But I knew
you'd figured it out before I did.

I noticed from the way she stood up.

So who won, Mr. Xiao?

You caught her first, so you win.

But you guessed right first.
I'd say it's your win.

Let's call it a tie, then.

Lady Wang's medical records
can't be taken out,

so I copied them all down.

SELECTED LADY WANG'S MEDICAL RECORDS

That's it?

This single page covers

all her diagnoses and prescriptions
over the past six months.

There's no record of pregnancy.

"Died of a cold"?

A 20-year-old woman's life,

summed up in four words.

What did the Medical Officer
in charge say?

He returned to his hometown
to visit family ten days ago.

In that case,
let's go ask Lady Wang herself.

The dirt was intentional.
It's more convincing this way.

This is the imperial mausoleum.
No trespassing.

Do I look like a trespasser to you?

Your Ladyship.

This is Lady Wang's cousin.

Lady Wang died young.

His Majesty spared no effort
to locate her kin

and gave him special permission
to pay his respects.

Lady Wang has already been encoffined
and will be buried soon.

If you wish to mourn her, Your Ladyship,

you'll need to present
proof of permission.

His Majesty is compassionate.

The presence of Lady Wang's relative
is proof enough.

Wood shavings are highly flammable.
Be careful with the candle.

LATE SELECTED LADY WANG

These are pine shavings,

used to keep out moisture and odors.

But in this heat, they aren't much help.

She suffered greatly before death.

The contorted expression on her face

shows she died in pain.

Mr. Xiao, please take notes for me.

Eyes wide open.

Jaw tightly clenched.

Skin bluish.

It seems the medical records
weren't truthful.

So she didn't die of a cold?

If she had,
her complexion would be sallow,

with her eyes and mouth closed.

Fortunately, the ice
has slowed down the decay.

There are no obvious wounds
or signs of impact,

but…

the skin is covered with red spots.

A rash?

It doesn't look like a surface rash.

It's more like subcutaneous bleeding.

So Your Ladyship didn't buy
the flatbreads as offerings.

If it were only a rash,
heating wouldn't change anything.

Was it injury or poisoning?

The underside of the tongue is black.
It was poisoning.

The body's starting to decompose.
It's hard to tell much by touch.

So Lady Wang died of poisoning.

The poison left only subtle traces

that would've been missed
without an autopsy.

But the two maids said

Lady Wang had no enemies.

Why would someone poison her?

Hate isn't the only reason people kill.