Original subtitles

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

CURSED TALENT

Forgive my incompetence. Consort Li passed away.

But she had just been cured.

How did she die so suddenly?

Consort Li died of poisoning.

Someone poisoned her?

She didn't die from sudden poisoning.

It was chronic.

I checked carefully.

Her fingertips were purple.

Her eyelids turned white.

Those are signs of chronic poisoning.

Who dared to poison Consort Li?

We checked everything.

Consort Li's rouge, lip balm, clothes, food, and drinks were not poisonous.

What substance poisoned Consort Li,

and who administered it, remains to be investigated.

Won't you light the lamp?

Understood. I'll send someone to get a candle.

Wait.

Did Consort Li prefer the darkness?

Yes.

She never lit the lamp in her chamber.

Why not?

- For her facial skin. - That's right.

This is the "Jade Dust Face Cream" from Essential Prescriptions,

which brightens the complexion.

Consort Li was 37

but still had fair skin and rosy cheeks like a young maiden.

I bet she paid great attention to skin care.

Your Ladyship is observant.

Perfumed lip balm.

Angelica root powder.

Consort Li was such an expert in skin care.

Take everything back for inspection.

- Understood. - Be careful.

The pots may contain toxins, too.

These are…

The physicians have always prescribed decoctions,

never pills.

Pills made by the Imperial Medical Office have a red mark on glutinous rice paper.

Well…

They're privately-made.

Someone in the Imperial Medical Office killed Her Highness?

No need to check these.

- What if we miss something? - No way.

Any update on the pills?

Non-toxic.

They smell like Free and Easy Pills.

But I'm afraid only the pill maker

can tell us what herbs the pills contain.

Your Ladyship. I found something.

Ten days ago, Pei Yu from the Medical Office

took Consort Li's pulse.

She's a female technician.

Let's talk to her.

Just listen to Mr. Xiao.

Lady Wuren.

Mr. Xiao said to check only these few.

Do you know why?

Consort Li's palace was too dark.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have brought all these.

It's dry in autumn.

These balms have dried out.

They haven't been used for a long time.

Consort Li only recovered half a month ago.

I don't think she used any rouge, lip balm, or face powder.

Symptoms emerged on the day of the autumn equinox.

Clearly, the poison didn't come from these.

These balms look moist and dented. They must have been used daily.

That's impressive.

Where is Technician Pei?

She's in there.

Physician Song is making her copy the medical books.

Technician Pei doesn't seem to be well-liked.

The ink is not dry yet.

I didn't sleep well, and I'm in a bad mood.

You'd better not ask for trouble.

- I didn't kill anyone. - Then why did you run?

I want to find out what killed Consort Li.

I want to find the killer.

No more nonsense. Come down.

Pei Yu.

Listen to Her Ladyship.

Come down.

Otherwise…

No! I worked on those all night.

You've become mischievous.

Here's the prescription.

I used the best medicinal materials to perfect the skin.

It works better than the Free and Easy Pill

in the Essential Prescriptions.

You can look it up.

Withholding information will lead to harsher penalties.

Why would I hide anything?

This pill is not so effective with any slight changes.

The Imperial Medical Office prohibits private prescriptions,

especially from female technicians.

You didn't just give prescriptions. You even made pills.

If Consort Li hadn't passed away, how long did you plan to hide it?

Of course, I'd try to hide it.

You offered to make pills for her?

She asked me to do it.

- No way. - Why would I lie?

I adjusted the dosage of several decoctions for her.

The effect was pronounced.

She appreciated my talent

and sought my advice privately several times.

Everything worked well.

She knew that female technicians can't give prescriptions.

But she trusted me. It was our secret.

You prescribed her other medicines?

I only adjusted the dosage.

She looked haggard after the recovery and wasn't as pretty as before.

So she asked me

to make some pills to brighten her complexion.

But that wasn't the cause of her death.

Your Ladyship. Take me to see Consort Li's body.

You're a suspect.

But I need to know how she died

to figure out if it's related to the pill.

WHILE DRINKING, CONSORT LI FELT DIZZY AND SHORT OF BREATH. HER FACE TURNED PALE

She felt dizzy and short of breath?

Also vomiting blood.

No way.

An overdose of the safflower and gleditsia spines

in the prescription can be toxic.

But it wouldn't make her vomit blood.

Consort Li showed symptoms of poisoning when she started taking pills.

It can't be a coincidence.

It's ginseng.

There is a small amount of veratrum in the pill.

If consumed with ginseng, it creates toxins.

If Consort Li really died from this pill,

that's the only explanation.

Her Highness never had ginseng.

But the old lady felt sorry for her relapse

and sent her some top-quality ginseng as a supplement.

The old lady chopped it up and made it into candy

with shredded ginger in case Her Highness wouldn't have it.

Shredded ginger and ginseng look pretty much the same.

But the strong taste of ginger suppresses the taste of ginseng.

Who else helped her make the candy?

The old lady loved Her Highness.

She picked the material and made the candy all by herself.

Even after Her Highness entered the palace,

it remained that way for more than ten years.

ZICHEN HALL

The pills Consort Li took for her complexion are non-toxic.

The ginseng candy Madam Zheng made for her was also non-toxic.

But the veratrum in the pill works against ginseng.

Her Highness slowly got poisoned like that.

How could she be so careless?

She wasn't even having ginseng.

But Madam Zheng was eager to boost Consort Li's health

and mixed ginseng into the ginger candy she was having.

Consort Li had no idea.

After all, it's my fault. I was negligent

and didn't know that Pei Yu

was secretly making pills for Her Highness,

which led to the tragedy.

It is my sole responsibility.

I deserve punishment.

It does violate the rules for a female technician

to make pills in private.

As the Imperial Physician, you didn't notice anything.

I sincerely apologize.

I deserve punishment.

Your Majesty, please give me a chance

to punish my subordinate and discipline her.

Consort Li's death was an accident.

But the Zheng family deserves an apology.

You will be fined three months of wage.

Decide for yourself how to punish your subordinate.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

Just now, you asked His Majesty for punishment

but kept defending Pei Yu.

Naturally, His Majesty understood you.

His Majesty is magnanimous.

In the end,

the tragedy happened

because Pei Yu gave Her Highness a prescription.

If His Majesty wants to punish her,

I can't protect her as a mere Imperial Physician.

She must be quite something to make you take such a risk.

This child is my lucky star.

Many years ago, I traveled the world to seek prescriptions.

Pei Yu may have grown up in the countryside,

but she is quite talented in medicine.

Her prescriptions solved my problem at hand.

She was all by herself.

So I just brought her back to the Imperial Medical Office.

Despite her rough disposition and lack of discipline,

she is talented and intelligent and makes rapid progress.

If she were a man, she'd be well-recognized now.

Pei Yu, get up.

Your master came to pick you up. You can go now.

Be quiet. I'm busy.

You only shed tears when the coffin is in sight.

Don't you know where you are?

How do you know I didn't shed tears?

But what's the point?

I have to find a replacement for veratrum

so the pill doesn't work against ginseng.

Get up now. The county princess is here.

Go ahead if you're busy.

I'm fine here.

Your Ladyship.

She doesn't mean to offend you.

It's alright.

Our prison is empty, anyway.

If you don't come with us now, I'll ground you once we go back.

I will never let you in the dispensary again.

I heard people arguing

and thought it was Inspector Du arguing with you.

Pei Yu is quite interesting.

I used to be absorbed in case files as a kid.

The old man couldn't do anything, either.

Aren't you just the same?

- What? - Nothing.

I mean, I didn't expect that it was a simple case.

Consort Li was worried about aging and losing His Majesty's love.

Madam Zheng was concerned about her daughter's health.

Such earnest intentions have yielded only bitter fruit.

I feel sorry for Madam Zheng.

She might be tortured by this forever.

I'm done with the copying.

Master. Can you find me another book next time?

I'm tired of copying this one.

Your master is so kind to you.

He only made you copy books.

Don't touch it.

Working while reading? So half-hearted.

If you make a mistake and kill someone,

your master can't save you.

No way.

All these herbs feel and smell different.

And I know every drawer of the cabinet by heart.

I won't make any mistakes.

Are you here for me?

I haven't prescribed anything again.

I'm here to consult with you.

Among the cases I've heard of and dealt with,

very few people killed someone by combining two herbs

that work against each other.

Because only the top practitioners possess the knowledge.

But sometimes,

even if the two herbs are incompatible,

it doesn't become toxic with an insignificant dose.

Interesting. Can you teach me?

I compiled this manual from ancient prescriptions

and medical books.

You can read it.

Pei Yu.

Get three medicines based on this prescription.

There have been several cases of colds in the palace

with similar symptoms.

HUANG FUTONG MEDICAL SUPERVISOR

Aversion to cold. Persistent low fever.

Stuffy noses and retching.

It's autumn,

hot at noon and cold at night.

It's the season for such an outbreak.

Ask the palace maids to prepare some cinnamon twig decoction

for preventative reasons.

Good idea.

The cinnamon twig decoction is not for those who don't sweat.

Cinnamon twig relieves muscles.

If the patient has a fever without sweating

and has a tight pulse,

the cinnamon twig will only make things worse.

Supervisor Huang. How long have they been ill?

Did they develop diarrhea or stuffy breath?

Find the herbs according to the prescription.

But I overheard the symptoms.

I'm afraid it's not just a cold,

but an epidemic that tends to occur in early autumn.

I have read it in a book.

Find the herbs and boil the medicine as soon as possible.

Don't waste our time.

Find the herbs.

How dare a little errand girl tell us what to do?

Exactly.

That's because Physician Song supports her.

She killed Consort Li. How many more have to die?

Supervisor. Feel free to tell me if you can prove

that Pei Yu killed someone.

The Palace Investigation Bureau will look into it.

Your Ladyship.

- Your Ladyship. - Spare the formality.

Although the case has been closed,

we welcome new evidence of Pei Yu's murder.

I will bring her to justice, and you will be credited.

I was talking nonsense.

Please forgive me, Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship.

It's good to be the county princess.

You get to do what you like.

Among all the women in the palace, I envy you the most.

Here you go.

I don't know how to make sachets.

I tied it up like this. The herbs won't fall out.

Carry it with you

and put it by your pillow to prevent diseases.

You're worried about an epidemic?

The symptoms they mentioned did remind me of a common cold.

But some symptoms are different.

It's more like an epidemic recorded in the book.

I have to tell Master to take precautions.

An epidemic broke out in the palace.

Tell everyone to take strict precautions.

Understood.

Your Ladyship. The chief eunuch of Palace Servants' Quarters is missing.

Are the infected people accommodated there?

That's right.

Maybe there is too much work and he's slacking off.

I'll take a look.

I'll go.

More and more people are getting sick.

What if you get sick?

Of course, you'll take care of me.

I'll go with you.

No one will take care of you if you get sick.

I won't get sick.

Read your fortune again?

Your Ladyship blesses me.

PALACE SERVANTS' QUARTERS

When did you last see the chief eunuch?

At the end of the Xu hour last night.

He lit the medicinal herbs in the courtyard

and went to rest.

He was supposed to change shift with the eunuchs

at the side hall at the end of the Yin hour this morning.

But even after two ke, he hadn't come.

We were worried about him and went to his chamber,

only to find that he wasn't there.

No one answered.

So we thought he was out.

But we couldn't find him anywhere.

Who is it?

The chief eunuch didn't even have time to put on his shoes.

We started the night watch at the second ke of the Hai hour.

Nothing happened the entire night.

Nor did we see anyone coming and going.

You stayed in the side hall all night without patrolling?

That's right.

Based on the rigidity of the corpse and the depth of lividity,

he died between half-past the Chou hour and the beginning of the Yin hour.

There is blood around the nose and mouth.

The fatal wound is at the temple.

The neck is uninjured.

The back collar is stained with blood.

The killer is quite strong.

It looks like someone

broke in last night and startled the chief eunuch.

He got out of bed in a panic

but was struck on the temple with his teapot and killed.

Concealed by the bed curtain,

the gap between the wall and the cabinet was difficult to notice.

How did you find the body?

Part of the cabinet was hit by sunlight. The color was lighter there.

The cabinet was against the wall.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be the sun-bleached pattern.

The murderer hid the body in the corner

and staged the scene to pretend that the chief eunuch had gone out.

How did he forget about the shoes?

It was cloudy last night. The room was not lit.

Nor was there moonlight.

In panic, the killer

probably didn't notice that the chief eunuch was barefoot.

Your Ladyship…

There was such a commotion last night.

You two were here on duty but heard nothing.

You must have worked too hard.

Why don't you come to rest with me?

- Please spare us. - Please spare us.

- Spare us. - Spare us.

We didn't kill the chief eunuch.

It was cold at night, and we were bored.

So we slacked off and went to sleep.

- Spare us. - Spare us.

- Please spare us. - Tie yourselves up.

Spare us.

Your Ladyship.

What will you do to them?

They shall kneel until further orders.

They didn't kill him?

The epidemic makes people cough.

In the worst cases, they may even cough up blood.

- Is that right? - Yes.

That's why there is blood on the back of the chief eunuch's neck.

So the murderer was seriously ill.

But he was strong enough to take down the victim.

Bring me the list of patients.

PATIENT REGISTRY

About a dozen people. Too many suspects.

- Let's take a look. - No.

Why don't we question them one by one at the entrance?

They are all seriously ill.

Perhaps, only the killer can get out of bed.

So you know they're seriously ill.

It's not worth it if you get sick.

You keep saying no. What do you suggest?

- I'll go. - Nonsense.

I'm an Inner Guard.

Mr. Xiao, don't try to be a hero.

Have some medicine. Here.

Take it.

Inner Guards on duty.

Answer to your name.

Peng Jiatan.

Who is Peng Jiatan?

Chang Leping.

- Who did it? - Be quiet.

What's the fuss?

A chief eunuch died, so what?

He deserved it.

Get out.

I…

killed him.

I killed him.

- I killed him. - I killed him.

- I killed him. - I killed him.

I killed him.

I killed him.

- I killed him. - I killed him.

- Kill him! - Calm down.

Don't hurt anyone.

Back off.

He fell and got hurt. Get a physician.

Alright. Let me pass.

Your Ladyship. Take everyone outside.

Clean your hands and burn herbs.

Let's go.

How are the injured?

They're alright.

But their symptoms got worse.

The medication should have made them better.

I…

killed him.

Your Ladyship.

I only ask for a quick death.

I don't think I'm getting better.

I'd rather be executed than die from illness.

Nonsense.

My master wrote the prescription.

You will be cured.

You weren't so sick when you came.

I bet you didn't take your medicine properly.

Are you saying

that none of us has been taking medicine properly?

Stop kneeling.

Get him a chair.

Understood.

PALACE SERVANTS' QUARTERS

The chief eunuch didn't distribute food and medicine to you?

In the beginning, there weren't many people in the side hall.

Food and medicine were distributed on time and in the correct quantities.

But as the epidemic kept developing,

the side hall became more and more crowded.

Only the chief eunuch and his six subordinates

were distributing food and medicine.

It was too much work for the seven of them.

And they were afraid

of being infected.

So we ended up with one meal

and one dose of medicine every day.

We kept prescribing and making medicine every day for distribution.

They didn't bring the medicine to you?

The medicine all went to waste?

We stayed in the side hall all day and couldn't go out.

We could only give all the food and medicine

to the sickest of us.

However,

people kept dying one by one.

Death might be a relief.

They can't find a cure for the disease.

But they can get rid of the sick ones.

Says who?

Brilliant Lady Dou took the medicine and it worked in three days.

The weather is getting colder.

The entire side hall has only two charcoal heaters

without enough charcoal.

And the side hall is damp.

Because of that,

everyone kept getting worse.

On normal days,

they have to bow to the eunuchs

serving Consort Shu.

But in the side hall,

everyone is on his own.

So you decided to kill him.

I never wanted to kill him.

Last night,

I noticed that the night guards

went to sleep under the porch after the Hai hour.

I took the opportunity to sneak out

to gather food for those who were seriously ill.

Who is there?

Who is there?

Chai?

How…

How did you get in here?

Don't shout.

You sickly wretch!

Guards! Guards! Guards!

I didn't want him to bring the guards

and get me into trouble.

I was just trying to shut him up.

But I ended up

killing him with one strike.

I was lost for a while

after I hid the body.

Then I came to my senses

and went back with the food in my arms.

I didn't expect…

You didn't expect

that his shoes left in the room

and the blood on his back collar would sell you out.

I am going to die, anyway.

Let's see if I get executed

or die from the illness.

The illness is not receding but advancing.

Many physicians got sick, as well.

The previous prescriptions had little effect.

It's pointless to keep prescribing them.

The patients are mainly coughing,

having a fever, and are scared of the cold.

Add Lung-Diffusing

and Toxin-Resolving Formula to the prescription.

Master.

Master.

PALACE SERVANTS' QUARTERS

Buddy.

Buddy.

Take this heater to the side hall.

Her Ladyship prepared this for you.

We'll be punished if we take it away.

Her Ladyship has put extra heaters in the side hall.

I am grateful.

But I don't need it.

I'm not cold.

If she blames you,

I'll take sole responsibility.

Go.

Go ahead.

Technician Pei.

Wake up. Boil the medicine.

The young prince got sick, too.

I am incompetent.

I deserve punishment.

What's the point even if I kill you?

Rise.

- Thank you, Your Majesty. - Thank you, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty. Forgive my boldness. I have an idea.

What is it?

The Imperial Medical Office is full of talented people.

Why don't we collect prescriptions at this critical moment?

Your Ladyship.

We have many talents,

but not everyone is eligible to prescribe medicine.

Wouldn't it be dangerous

if an ill-informed person rashly formulated a prescription?

I'm sure you supervisors and physicians

won't accept the wrong prescriptions.

Your Majesty, bad news.

The young prince is running a fever again.

You have been trying so hard to no avail.

Why don't you leave it to someone competent?

Pass on my order.

The Imperial Medical Office shall collect prescriptions.

But we don't know how effective the new medicines are without testing.

We dare not

- put His Highness at risk. - Then start collecting prescriptions

and testing them.

- Understood. - Understood.

CULTIVATION OF MERIT AND WISDOM

Your Majesty, wait.

I must confess to you.

What did you do?

I should have shared Lady Su's burden.

How are you going to do that?

Lady Su only wants an exorcism to steady her mind.

Mr. Xiao pretended to be a feng shui master

to help with the investigation.

But he studied astronomy in the Astronomical Bureau for ten years.

Putting on an act was not where his talents lay.

But I am the expert.

Alright.

Let's say I made a mistake out of desperation.

I won't ask Huaijin to do such things again.

PALACE SERVANTS' QUARTERS

After all the trouble, you only found one prescription?

Do you still feel cold?

It's alright if nothing happens.

Otherwise, you can't bear the consequences.

It's okay.

You'll be fine.

No way.

I checked his pulse earlier and adjusted the prescription.

It shouldn't be like this.

Your prescription kills people.

How dare you! Killing Consort Li wasn't enough.

Now you want to kill the young prince?

Did Liu Jia suffer from any other diseases that he didn't tell us about?

We checked his pulse together.

What is the problem?

You lack medical skills, and you blame the patients.

Where are your ethics?

No. A woman wants to become a physician?

Enough.

Enough.

You guys. Stop nagging.

So annoying.

His Majesty is waiting for a prescription to cure the disease and save lives.

I don't care if what happened

was due to the incompetence of the Imperial Medical Office

or someone was taking the opportunity to gain fame

or someone

was taking the opportunity to murder the young prince.

The Palace Investigation Bureau

will get to the bottom of it.