Original subtitles

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

And the sentence?

Strangling.

Steal something valuable or serious enough,

and your clan

gets dragged in.

- How many clans? - At least three.

If it's worse, nine.

Are these seeds valuable?

Priceless.

- Then sentence him at once. - Understood.

Please have mercy, Your Ladyship.

Even if I must die,

can I at least take the ginseng seeds home

to save my son?

Explain.

My young boy

has always been frail

and takes medicine all year round.

A few months ago, he developed another strange disease

and was aching to the bones.

But in the vast Western Capital,

nobody was able to cure him.

One day, a traveling physician

said he had a folk remedy for it.

But the prescription contains an essential ingredient,

the ginseng seeds.

Those are exclusively for the royal family

and hard to obtain for commoners.

I tried everything

and spent a fortune on the black market, only to get two pieces.

Fortunately, the prescription worked.

My son took the medicine and slept soundly

without crying at all.

But he wasn't cured.

So we couldn't stop the medicine.

Once we stopped it, he ached all over again.

It's alright.

We needed two ginseng seeds every seven days.

They are expensive and hard to obtain, even with a fortune.

Even those who are well-connected in the black market

can't get so many of those.

Even if it's to save your son, you can't steal from the palace.

I-I didn't steal anything.

H-How would I even have the chance to steal those?

The…

The deity gave them to me.

Deity?

Your Ladyship.

Do you believe in deities?

WORSHIPPING A FALSE DEITY

I watched my son suffer from illness every day

and my wife grow skinnier.

I could do nothing but drown my sorrows in liquor,

right up until the night

I was on duty in the palace.

I got drunk and had a dream.

Later, I realized

that it wasn't a dream.

White Asura is back for real.

My son could be saved.

What utter nonsense.

How dare you lie to Her Ladyship?

Are you asking for a beating?

You said that White Asura is back.

Yes.

They showed up and left?

That's right.

I lack the fortune

to have followed them from the very beginning.

I don't know when he showed up.

But I know that they vanished two years ago.

That's right.

Two or three years ago,

whispers spread through the palace

that White Asura averted disasters and cured illnesses.

But those rumors circulated only among the eunuchs and palace maids.

The palace handles such matters with great caution.

Inspector Du was worried about witchcraft

or gathering people to plot something and looked into it,

only to find that the so-called believers

mostly received some favor purely by chance.

There was nothing shady.

Nor had there been any trouble.

So he told us to keep an eye on it just in case trouble arises.

What you said rings a bell.

There are often rumors in the palace

about deities and spirits.

In the end, they all went away,

soon replaced by new rumors.

Only half a year later,

no one spoke of White Asura again.

White Asura is real.

White Asura is real.

As long as you are devoted,

they will grant you w-whatever you want.

How do you know they're the one who helped you?

They manifested in my dreams

and told me I'd get

what I wanted

in a few days.

Two ginseng seeds lasted for seven days.

What happened next?

Did White Asura tell you to dig Brilliant Lady Dou's magnolia

by the Penglai Pool?

The medicine was ending.

I grew anxious.

I didn't know if White Asura would appear again.

Thankfully, they were compassionate.

That night,

they manifested in my dream again.

They told me to wait at the Penglai Pool the next day.

Then, I would be guided

to the ginseng seeds.

I went to the Penglai Pool the next day

and went around it.

I was quite flustered,

wondering how they would give me instructions in broad daylight.

Then I heard the call

of a most unusual bird.

I looked up and instantly spotted

that beautiful and dazzling white parrot.

I knew

that must be the instruction given by White Asura.

But people

were coming and going during the day.

I dared not act rashly.

I memorized the location of the parrot

and went back at night, when no one was around.

White Asura didn't deceive me.

I found the ginseng seeds.

But I also destroyed Brilliant Lady Dou's magnolia.

I was planning to lie low for a while.

But my son desperately needed the medicine.

Besides, although Brilliant Lady Dou

and Your Ladyship started the investigation,

White Asura had left me more ginseng seeds.

I knew it was risky, but I had no choice.

I had to save my son.

As long as you sincerely believe in White Asura,

you'll get whatever you want.

It's only been us failing them.

But they have always

been blessing the poor and pitiful.

This time,

I certainly won't let them go.

How are you going to keep them here?

With piety.

That person in white was White Asura?

Yes.

Was it a man or a woman, and what did they look like?

Deities exist beyond mortal concepts of gender.

How could we mortals perceive their true form?

Were you in the palace each time

White Asura manifested?

That's right.

Don't you find it strange?

What…

What about it?

They kept helping you

without asking anything in return?

They simply asked for my piety.

What kind of piety?

How much money?

Money?

Would deities ever need such mortal things?

If White Asura was so compassionate and desireless,

why did they leave?

And why did they come back after two years?

They left out of disappointment.

They came back out of mercy.

With gratitude to you, White Asura.

A white parrot showed you the spot?

Yes.

There is only one white parrot that flies around the Penglai Pool.

That's right.

It's Lady in Snow, given to Consort Shu

by His Majesty.

TRANQUIL BREEZE, LUMINOUS MOON

Why did you come so early in the morning?

I've been busy till dawn.

I went to sleep but felt hungry all of a sudden.

And I started craving a bowl of five-flavor wontons.

Then I just ended up in your palace.

I just hate to see you work so hard.

You're ruining your health.

The five-flavor wontons you have are the best.

I'll take a bowl to His Majesty.

His Majesty is busy with work. Don't bother him.

Why are you so shy?

If he doesn't come, just invite him.

Don't let Brilliant Lady Dou walk all over you.

The fates of the palace people shift like the tides.

You know this well.

His Majesty's favor ebbs and flows.

When His Majesty used to visit me often,

they were all smiles.

Perhaps it's for the good.

At least now I can glimpse what is true and what is false.

Aren't you worried?

Why would I be?

Then I'm relieved.

No matter what, you're the only Consort Shu in the palace.

May you be well, Your Highness.

This little thing startled me.

That was really loud.

Fuqu. Take Lady in Snow out.

Understood.

Wait.

Let me see it.

This parrot is well kept.

Beautiful feathers and a nice voice.

Are you taking care of it?

FUQU PALACE MAID

I'm simply taking it out for a few hours every day.

Someone else is looking after it.

Where does it usually go?

Sometimes, Yuchun Garden.

Sometimes, Penglai Pool.

How do you make it listen?

Lady in Snow is His Majesty's gift to Her Highness.

It doesn't listen to me.

I only set it free in the garden

every day.

Wherever it goes, I follow.

When it's tired, it flies back on its own.

And I bring it back.

Your Highness, I'm taking Lady in Snow out.

That little thing is very clever.

It's quite like a child.

How is it clever?

It only says, "May you be well, Your Highness."

I was teaching it to greet His Majesty,

but it couldn't learn.

Has Your Highness heard of White Asura?

What is that?

Nothing. I just learned about it.

Your Highness.

I'll go to sleep. See you another time.

Go ahead.

It's been half a month. I finally got a good night's sleep.

Your Ladyship.

Hungry?

I know you're the best.

You should be hungry. You slept for eight hours.

Have I slept so long?

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship, Pan Yongqi finally confessed.

By "devout worship,"

they meant performing rites for White Asura

at a shrine within the palace.

He was so stubborn. How did you break him?

It must have been your idea.

I offered him ginseng seeds.

Let's take a look.

Ginseng seeds?

Your Ladyship, can you use the evidence like that?

What evidence?

They're not registered. How are they evidence?

But…

I'm in charge of the registration.

- This way. - No tricks.

Right here.

White Asura.

White Asura.

White Asura.

- White Asura is here. - Behave.

Watch him.

White Asura. White Asura.

The Upper Primordial Heavenly Court

manifests its majesty,

where the central gate

is occupied by the upright and impartial.

Someone set a trap in the bamboo forest to hypnotize you.

That person was likely watching.

To see clearly in the bamboo forest, you'll need a bird's-eye view.

Your Ladyship.

Why are you here?

I work at the Bureau of Gardens,

responsible for planting. I had just repotted the flowers.

Why were you standing by the railing?

The sound of bells made me curious.

So I looked around.

You are so intertwined with this case.

I keep running into you.

Your Ladyship.

I have always followed the rules and never done anything wicked.

The honest ones who turn wicked are truly troublesome.

What kind of plants require handling late at night?

These plants have delicate roots.

If repotted in daylight, they won't survive.

It must be done at night.

Full of tricks.

Your Ladyship, spare me.

I wouldn't find ginseng seeds in these pots, would I?

Ginseng seeds?

These are just common plants.

Do you know White Asura?

No, Your Ladyship.

Won't you even ask me what that is?

It's late. You'd better get going, Mr. Xiao.

How long will you avoid me?

- Do you think you can stop me? - No, I don't.

But I have to.

Alright.

Tell me, Mr. Xiao. What do you want?

I want to apologize.

I withheld the truth because I was arrogant.

I thought I was protecting you by keeping those memories from you.

But the truth is, I was weak.

I figured if I couldn't face it, neither could you,

and if I couldn't take it, you couldn't either.

But I was wrong.

I have not lived through

your 15 years of pain,

so I have no right to decide for you.

You're a lot braver than I am.

You deserve the truth you want.

You don't need to apologize.

You did nothing wrong.

I forced you to stay by my side because you could help me

regain my memories.

Now, I remember it all.

- I don't need you anymore. - But I need you.

At the Lantern Festival Banquet,

you used His Majesty's authority to keep me by your side.

Someone as smart as you must have known that I stayed

not just because of that imperial decree.

Peiyi.

I may not have many ways to make you stay.

But I wish to stand by your side.

That's all I know.

Mr. Xiao, stop talking big.

No one stays by anyone's side forever.

My parents and my master

all left me.

No matter how reluctant they were to die,

death would never show mercy.

All these years of investigation work

taught me one thing.

Even if I try my best and uncover the truth,

it doesn't change anything.

The dead are dead.

The living still suffer.

I advise you to stay away from me.

I'm really a cursed lone star.

Stay by my side and you will die.

- I'm not afraid. - But I am.

I don't want to lose anyone again.

Do you dare to take a gamble?

On what? Against whom?

Against Heaven. Against fate.

See if I end up dead

by your side.

Are you crazy?

Just think I'm crazy.

I was going crazy

without you.

I've made up my mind.

- This is my business alone. - No, it's not.

I'm not doing it just because of you.

This is also my nightmare.

I also want to wake up.

It would be best if I could face it with you.

Even if you turn me down again,

I won't give up.

Alright.

I'll take a gamble.

If you die, I will avenge you.

- If I die-- - I will avenge you,

no matter what.

Let's go find Wuren.

Your Ladyship.

- What happened? - Pan Yongqi died.

What happened?

White Asura.

White Asura.

- White Asura, don't go. - Stop fooling yourself.

If White Asura could protect you, how did you get caught?

Give me another chance.

Give me another chance.

Give me another chance.

I shall return with you, White Asura.

Pan Yongqi.

I shall return with you,

White Asura.

Did you see anyone pass by with a crossbow?

No.

I didn't see anyone all the way.

Pan Yongqi showed no signs of fear

and didn't even try to dodge the bolt.

I can't tell what it was like.

Pious.

Yeah. He was pious.

This bolt is used by the Imperial Guards.

The maximum range is about ten zhang.

If I trace the trajectory of the bolt,

I might find traces of the killer.

Who knows what lurks in these bamboos?

Don't go alone.

Go with Mr. Xiao.

Alright.

You reconciled?

Stay here. I'll look around.

Understood.

I came from the rockery

and ran into Wuren near here.

Judging from the location of the body

and the angle of the bolt shot,

we can confirm that the bolt came from here.

The two of you came from two directions,

but neither of you spotted the killer.

Mr. Xiao, stay here.

I'll go.

Be careful.

Found it.

Killed by a bolt. No poisoning.

No other wounds.

Outsiders can't easily obtain the weapons of Imperial Guards.

An Imperial Guard did it?

But since he wanted to play tricks,

why reveal his identity?

"All hail White Asura"?

He was tied up. When did he put it in his mouth?

This paper has been waxed and doesn't get wet.

He probably kept it in his mouth before going to the altar.

He knew he was going to die?

If I had been more alert,

Pan Yongqi wouldn't have died.

He was determined to die. You couldn't do much.

These bells…

The killer set up the bells

to hypnotize you the moment you enter the bamboo forest.

The night in the bamboo forest was silent and eerie.

Dense stalks and leaves obscured the moon,

leaving you disoriented.

That person lured you with a bell's chime.

When you fixate on abnormal sounds

with heightened tension,

your other senses let down their guard.

In the end, when you reached the altar,

the spinning wind wheels

hypnotized you and rendered you confused.

White Asura.

I remember

that Pan Yongqi knelt in front of the altar

and shouted, "White Asura."

Then we saw the ghostly figures.

Pan Yongqi set us up?

No. His reaction was the same as ours.

He was more like a pawn.

But his blind worship of White Asura

enhanced the hypnosis.

What he shouted

became the key to pushing us into the illusion.

These bells

were strung on the bamboo branches

and chimed when the wind blew.

But their tones were sharp and hasty.

Some bells were hung there, but there was more to it.

There was a weasel caught in a snare.

There were plenty of bells tied to the bamboo.

The weasel struggled and jostled the branches,

making the bells clatter in bursts.

I set it free. And it smoked me with a fart.

How did the weasel get caught by this net?

This is an animal trap.

Put the food in it.

When the weasel

steps on the wire connecting the mechanism,

it bounces off

and the net closes

to trap the weasel inside.

This is rare to find in the palace.

Lightweight and hidden.

A few leaves can cover it up.

This murderer has a lot of tricks.

Have you found the crossbow?

Yes. But the bolt was the bamboo.

Bing Shen 57.

Pan Yongqi's helmet also bears that code.

He was shot by his own crossbow.

This bamboo is extremely tough

and holds enough power to pull the trigger

and shoot the bolt.

What a perfect spot.

The person knew that this crossbow

had to be steady to hit the target.

Bamboo leaves fall this season

and cover the ground in an instant,

covering the footprints.

Deep at the heel, shallow at the toe.

The pressure rested on the hindfoot.

Proof of retreat.

He was pulling back the bamboo.

The person should be above six chi.

Strongly built.

His left foot bears greater weight

and turns outward, while his right steps normally.

It was Pan Yongqi.

Pan Yongqi?

He set up the trap to kill himself?

No wonder he looked like he knew about his doom.

The bamboo is tough.

Attach it to the trigger and it shoots the bolts powerfully.

So, something must be placed there to catch the trigger.

Remove it when it's time,

the bamboo bounces back

and pulls the trigger to release the shot.

But we've searched this area.

There was nothing except for this crossbow.

Ice.

Ice cubes are hard enough to hold the trigger.

When the ice melts,

the bamboo can pull the trigger.

When Pan Yongqi was shot,

did you hear or see something?

The drum.

Pan Yongqi heard the drums

and rushed to the altar to die.

So it wasn't ice.

It's hard to control how fast ice melts.

It was a pine strip.

A pine strip was set behind the crossbow trigger.

When it burned to the trigger, it would drop off,

allowing the bamboo to pull the trigger.

The pine strips used for incense in the palace are all standardized.

It takes two hours to burn.

Someone timed it and lit the strip beforehand.

Then the ashes drifted away with the wind,

but the few traces left could prove it.

I shall return with you,

White Asura.

Pan Yongqi was arrested yesterday.

When did he light the pine strip?

Someone else did it.

And this person is extremely cautious.

He scattered these fallen leaves on purpose

to cover the footprints.

So, Pan Yongqi had a solid plan.

If he hadn't been caught,

he could have completed everything on his own

and embraced his death at the altar.

But if anything happened,

someone else who knew his plan

would light the pine strip for him.

No wonder.

I gave him the ginseng seeds at the Wei hour,

but he confessed halfway into the Shen hour.

He wasn't being tough. He was waiting

for his partner to light the pine strip

so he could go to the altar as planned.

That person helped him commit suicide.

We have to find that person to get an answer.

We have always been in charge

of the gardening in Xingqing Palace.

Everything you want to know is recorded here.

Supervised by Fuqu.

It's her again.

The one who takes care of Lady in Snow?

That's right.

Fuqu doesn't talk much.

She's either tending to the plants or being alone.

She only likes Lady in Snow.

She is tending to the garden. Why did she go to serve Consort Shu?

They say that Lady in Snow only listens to her call.

It landed on her the first time it saw her

by the Penglai Pool.

So Consort Shu asked her to take it out

for fun every day.

She likes the bird, too,

and often makes puree for it.

But she doesn't serve Consort Shu.

The palace maid personally sent by Consort Shu for this job

is called Mingcui.

Heading to see Lady in Snow again?

Refreshing aroma. You made it yourself?

I don't burn incense.

I probably got the smell from the flowers.

It smells good. I bet Lady in Snow likes it, too.

From the magnolia to the bird,

to the pavilion near the altar, we keep seeing her.

She's definitely hiding something.

Why don't we arrest her?

We can't anymore.

Why not?

I asked the chief gardener.

Fuqu was taking care of the plants from the beginning of the Shen hour

until I came to her and never left.

The guards nearby and her fellow workers can testify for her.

Your Ladyship.

I found something.

The southwestern shamans use sound and visual tricks

to hypnotize victims and make them submissive.

And they often set snares in the thick woods

to trap wild mice for medicine testing.

So this person can roam the palace undetected at night

and knows the ways of the shamans.

I'll follow this lead.

Mr. Xiao. What should we look into?

One particular item has strict records of its amount and usage.

Any misappropriation of it will leave a trace.

Ginseng seeds?

That's all?

No.

These are left outside for emergency use.

Most of them are in high cabinets.

Why are there two locks?

Precious materials are not accessible to all.

We check the prescriptions from the Aide

to the Imperial Physician before giving them out.

We hold two keys.

One with me, the other with Physician Luo Zhian.

But they're so small.

Isn't it hard to detect even if some are stolen?

No.

There are records of their dosage and quantity.

Physician Luo checks them every month.

And I double-check afterward.

What if something spoils?

We burn them in bulk.

MEDICINAL MATERIAL USAGE RECORD

Wooden box, pine needles, dried lotus leaves.

Ginseng seeds fear damp?

That's right.

They may not be easy to spoil,

but they must be stored in a cool, dry, and ventilated place.

Why is the loss in the eighth and ninth months

higher than usual?

The Western Capital is rainy and humid this time of year.

So the loss is higher than usual.

Indeed.

The loss in these two months

was nearly 10% higher than the rest of the months.

It's the same this year.

Your Ladyship.

Physician Luo won't be back from the palace any time soon.

We're not allowed to leave our keys behind.

If Your Ladyship wants to check the ginseng seeds,

- you may have to wait. - It's alright.

Do you know

where Physician Luo resides in the Western Capital?

Take us there.

Physician Luo lives here alone.

His family is in Weizhou, their hometown.

The room faces north.

It's a bit dark.

Physician Luo gets paid well,

but his room is so humble?

He doesn't care about such things.

He's working in the palace most of the time

and only comes back to sleep.

Besides, he sends most of his income back home

to support his entire family.

The room is cold and damp.

The clothes smell musty. Is there no place to air and dry them?

Yes, there is.

There's a patio where we get some sun.

What do you think, Mr. Xiao?

This yard may be dry and airy,

but why didn't you remove the hive?

It's troublesome if you get stung by a bee.

I haven't seen a bee for a while.

What…

Physician Luo stole these from his own post!

Spoiled ginseng seeds have no medicinal use.

They serve nothing.

We would burn them anyway.

You've never played cards, have you?

Then it's natural that you haven't seen the tricks of cheaters.

How many leaves am I holding?

Five.

What…

I switched them.

That's how Physician Luo

stole fresh ginseng seeds from the stock.

Take us to Physician Luo.

Why didn't we take

the east path to Talent Liu's palace?

We should go from there.

But Physician Luo insists on taking this Yin-Yang Road

to see Talent Liu these days.

This path may be shorter, but it's really freaky.

Yin-Yang Road?

It is a winding corridor connecting the palaces.

But it faces the northwest

and rarely gets sun during the day.

There is no light at night, which makes it even darker.

Day and night, the sun and the moon

can only illuminate parts of the path.

The eunuchs and palace maids named it

the Yin-Yang Road for fun.

Although it's a shortcut,

people would rather avoid it.

Few people take this path,

which makes it

even more gloomy.

Just around the corner.

Who dropped the lantern?

Look around.

Over there.

Physician Luo.

It's Physician Luo.

ALL HAIL WHITE ASURA