Original subtitles

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

LIULI PALACE

Look! What is this?

Don't use a shovel. Use something small.

Dig together. Do not damage it.

Be careful.

LIULI PALACE

Assistant Director, this is…

What a treasure buried beneath the Liuli Palace.

Quick.

Inform His Majesty at once.

In two weeks, Venus will appear during the day?

I have news.

Your Majesty, Assistant Director Shen Chuan reported

that he dug up a dragon statue in Liuli Palace.

This could be an auspicious sign.

Please advise, Your Majesty.

This… This doesn't seem like a dragon.

This is…

- It's a Hou beast. - It's a Hou beast.

The ancient beast that preys upon dragons.

We dug up something incredible.

Silence!

Assistant Director!

- Assistant Director! - Assistant Director!

Quick.

- Oh my. - He fainted.

Careful. Come.

- Quick. - Careful.

The appearance of Venus is just a possible outcome,

but it is never observed in our records.

Yet the bamboo message has made a serious allegation of it.

Deputy Director Xiao,

I've kept the bamboo message with me after it was sealed.

I never let my guard down and will never alter the message myself.

I know how meticulous you are,

but from the time you submitted

the bamboo message to the time it reached His Majesty,

someone might have tampered with the message.

Deputy Director Xiao, what do we do now?

Even if it was tampered with,

it is nonetheless negligence on my part.

If His Majesty finds out…

The culprit did this because he was sure that His Majesty would never doubt it.

I will explain to His Majesty personally.

Go now.

Mr. Xiao.

Gu, are you here for the Venus?

Yes.

His Majesty asked the Court of Judicial Review

to investigate the source of the nursery rhyme.

It is a major event.

The appearance of Venus

is only one of the possible outcomes according to our calculations.

It doesn't mean it will happen, and it's pending verification.

The stars are always changing.

The bamboo message delivered to His Majesty

omitted the other possibilities.

The bamboo message was altered by someone else after it was sent out

from the Astronomical Bureau.

The culprit has an agenda.

But who is the intended victim here?

Gu.

Please tell the County Princess

that these sudden cases

and the nursery rhyme do not come out of thin air.

Perhaps their goal isn't to sabotage the Grand Festival,

but to harm Consort Shu under the guise of astronomy.

Mr. Xiao,

why can't you tell her yourself?

One is bound by the path of Heaven.

The stars have their own trajectories.

So do humans.

ZICHEN HALL

Your Majesty,

the appearance of Venus is only one of the possible outcomes

according to our calculations.

It doesn't mean it will happen.

Even someone knowledgeable like my master cannot predict it.

Please do not be worried about it.

Besides, the mortal affairs

are not determined by the movements of astrological bodies.

They say

when Venus appears during the day, an Empress will rise.

I know that.

You once said the stars would not wreak havoc,

but people would use the stars to create something out of nowhere.

My concerns are not confined to the stars solely.

The Hou beast dug out recently in the Liuli Palace

is an ominous sign too.

The Hou beast is indeed a mythological beast.

But the discovery of an ancient artifact

can be interpreted as a harbinger of doom

or a remnant from the previous dynasty.

Many things have happened lately,

and the Grand Festival is around the corner.

I do not want to see another accident.

Yes.

Your Ladyship!

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship.

The ladder has been oiled. It's slippery.

I suppose that's why the Assistant Director fell down.

The ladder is in an odd spot.

Where was the ladder originally?

Sir, the ladder was in the corner over there.

Somehow, someone moved it here.

Many people walk past there. It is a nuisance.

Someone deliberately put it here.

Who knows how many people have touched this ladder?

We won't be able to identify who oiled it up.

Just who is trying to sabotage the Grand Festival?

Your Ladyship, are you aware

of the nursery rhyme that came from the city recently?

"Five, four, three, two, one. Fire, water, earth, wood, metal.

As Venus soars above ground,

the divine beast's roar silences the dragon.

When Venus descends upon the palace, the world will know true peace."

Is the Hou beast the divine beast in the nursery rhyme?

Yes.

And not only that.

The nursery rhyme is accompanied by a rumor

that when Consort Shu was born, Venus appeared during the day.

And they say it will happen again.

So you're saying the nursery rhyme, the rumor, and the Hou beast

aren't trying to sabotage the Grand Festival,

but Consort Shu.

Assistant Director. You're awake.

But you're heavily injured. Why are you here?

That's right. Your health is more important.

I almost committed a grave error due to my negligence.

I must supervise the project personally to make sure nothing can go wrong.

Besides,

the one who tried to harm me is still here.

I can't let him get away.

Continue.

Why did you stop?

Assistant Director, you're awake.

But you should go back and recuperate.

It's you!

You misled me by saying the Hou beast was a dragon.

You wanted to kill me to usurp my position.

Assistant Director, why would you say so?

I found the statue first.

I thought we should dig it up first before we tell His Majesty.

But you were eager to take credit

and decided to inform His Majesty before we excavated the whole thing.

How could you blame me and even frame me for that?

You're denying it.

I've seen through you for a long time already.

This isn't recent.

You…

Given your state of injuries, I will let this slide.

Remember the Flower on the Wall? Your craftiness backfired on you.

This time, instead of learning from your past mistakes,

you were keen to impress His Majesty to earn his favor.

That is why you end up in this situation.

His Majesty knows that you are heavily injured,

so he decided not to punish you yet.

Instead of repenting, you came here yelling and framing me.

You… You… I'll kill you!

- I… - Calm down.

Calm down.

- Let go of me. - See if he has the guts to hit me.

Calm down. Calm down, Assistant Director.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU

MEET ME AT LIULI PALACE EAST GARDEN TONIGHT, AT THE HOUR OF CHOU

LIULI PALACE

Dirty tricks.

He used sand to blind me.

YU SHISHUN

Yu Shishun.

I knew it was you.

We already locked Yu Shishun up. He refused to answer our questions.

Mr. Xiao,

how did you figure out that Yu Shishun is the culprit?

I wasn't very certain either. It was just my speculation.

Initially, I assumed Lisheng died from the iron caltrops

because iron caltrops were used.

But as I ruminate over the nursery rhyme,

I realized the fire was the key to the puzzle.

The culprit must be present at the scene

and is aware of the palace's layout.

He can come and go without raising suspicion

and is probably preparing the Grand Festival.

But that doesn't mean it's Yu Shishun.

The craftsmen, palace maids, musicians. There are a lot of people.

That's why I asked you

to disguise as Shen Chuan tonight and attend the rendezvous.

I want to lure out the culprit to confirm my speculation.

Speculation?

The time.

That's right. I've always had a theory.

I believe the culprit is obsessed with the five stars

and the five elements.

The two previous cases have matching elements and stars' positions.

It wasn't until tonight's incident that I can say for certain

that not only is the culprit obsessed

with the five elements and the stars' position,

the time of his criminal activity is related to the five elements too.

- The hour of Chou. - That's right.

Lisheng died at the hour of Si, matching the fire element.

Su Zhuo'er died at the hour of Zi, matching the water element.

Shen Chuan fell down at the hour of Wei.

But the culprit didn't expect him to survive.

So we had Shen Chuan make a scene in the Liuli Palace.

And indeed, the culprit picked

the hour of Chou, matching the earth element, to commit his crime.

The culprit is knowledgeable about the stars and the five elements.

He is obsessed with time

and is someone who can come and go with ease

as we prepare for the Grand Festival.

The Imperial Time Logger in charge of the water clock

is the most suspicious.

An Imperial Time Logger isn't that powerful.

That means he has a mastermind.

Yu Shishun has served longer than I have in the bureau.

He slowly climbed from the position of a water-clock apprentice.

It's not far-fetched to assume that he might collude with someone

whom I do not know.

Your Ladyship, Yu Shishun pleaded for leniency.

He said if Your Ladyship could save his family,

he would confess everything.

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship.

Your Ladyship. Please save my family.

Celestial Lord said tonight

was my last chance.

- Celestial Lord? Who? - Celestial Lord…

My house is at Chongren Ward, Southwest Corner, Jia Alley, Chen Lot.

Chongren Ward, Southwest Corner, Jia Alley, Chen Lot.

Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship, save my family!

Your Ladyship!

YU'S MANSION

We're too late.

They are dead.

What happened here?

Be careful. The culprit might still be here.

He has killed so many people.

If we interrogate him, he'll give in easily.

I'll search the ward with my men.

- Follow me. - Yes.

Follow me.

Five, four, three, two, one

Fire, water, earth, wood, metal

YU LAN'ER, YU'S SON

As Venus soars above ground

The divine beast's roars Silences the dragon

When Venus descends upon the palace

The world will know true peace

Your Ladyship,

in addition to the three servants by the door,

Yu Shishun's wife, parents,

and two other maids are all dead.

Bring this child back to the Palace Investigation Bureau.

Ask Yudi to examine him.

Yes.

- Celestial Lord. - Celestial Lord.

Have some tea, Celestial Lord.

- Mercy, Celestial Lord. - Mercy, Celestial Lord.

Did you find anything, Deputy Director Xiao?

The water is still warm. He has just left.

It's curfew now.

So he probably is still in Chongren Ward.

What does he look like?

Tall. He can fight.

He's in white.

But he probably has changed his robe.

He's not thin. From an ordinary household.

There isn't much information. Identifying him will be difficult.

All right.

I'll inform Prosecutor Gu right away.

They died recently. The culprit is probably nearby.

Your Ladyship, Deputy Director Xiao said the same thing too.

I am heading to Prosecutor Gu now.

They died from a needle that pierced through the back of their brain.

The culprit is therefore a martial artist, and a strong one at that.

You there, follow Ma Xiaoran and assist Prosecutor Gu in locating the culprit.

- Yes. - Yes.

Your Ladyship. The victim here is different.

Everyone else died from the needle that pierced their brain.

But this one died to a blade.

Oily fingers.

Alcoholic stench.

Facing the courtyard.

He snuck out at night to drink.

And when he came back, he bumped into the culprit.

Before he could run away, a blade took his life.

The culprit killed the witness yet spared the child.

He wanted the child to sing the nursery rhyme.

But what if the child manages to describe his appearance?

Or could this be a deliberate act?

The child is young.

He might not be able to describe everything.

Many plants here are burned too,

creating smoke that obscured his face.

There is also a small amount of black powder.

Shell of a flash bomb.

No ordinary family will burn plants to create smoke.

The culprit probably did this.

Yu Shishun called him the Celestial Lord.

He probably used this to scare others.

PALACE INVESTIGATION BUREAU

There, there.

What is your name?

Yu… Yu Lan'er.

What did you see last night?

Don't cry.

What does your family murderer look like?

Your Ladyship,

you can't ask a child questions like that.

What do I do then?

Really?

You're not bluffing, are you?

I'm not. I did see a deity.

When I was playing hide and seek with Wang Ahu,

I hid inside the rice barrel.

But he's so dumb.

He couldn't find me. I fell asleep accidentally.

Later,

there was thunder and lightning.

It woke me up.

When I came out, it was already dark.

Mother and Madam Wang weren't there.

I was hungry.

Mercy, Celestial Lord.

- Mercy. - Mercy, Celestial Lord.

I heard Grandfather saying, "Celestial Lord".

Father always told me about the Celestial Lord.

He said Celestial Lord was a deity who could do anything.

I wanted to see what he looked like.

The deity was so powerful.

He walked on mist.

Did you see everything?

Why didn't you run?

I…

I want to learn techniques from you.

Sure. Let me teach you the chant.

Remember it well.

I'll only say it once.

Five, four, three, two, one

Fire, water, earth, wood, metal

Five, four, three, two, one

Fire, water, earth, wood, metal

As Venus soars above ground

The divine beast's roars Silences the dragon

As Venus soars above ground

The divine beast's roars Silences the dragon

What's with the smoke?

Where are they?

Don't tell me there's another fire.

A murder. A murder!

A murder! A murder!

And lastly.

When Venus descends upon the palace

The world will know true peace

Repeat it.

When Venus descends upon the palace

The world will know true peace

Remember it well. Do not forget.

If you forget it,

you'll end up like them.

So, the Celestial Lord killed them.

Then, he turned into stars and vanished.

He turned into stars and vanished?

Mother is dead.

Grandfather is dead.

Grandmother is dead.

He has said enough.

Let him rest. Take good care of him.

Your Ladyship,

he is the only person who has seen the Celestial Lord.

The more he recalls,

the more likely we are to find the culprit.

But the more he recalls,

the more pain he'll suffer.

I'm sorry.

Did it remind you of your past?

No, it's on me.

If I had been more thorough,

Yu Shishun's family wouldn't have been dead.

He wouldn't have had to go through this.

Now, he's like me.

He will live through this nightmare forever.

That's not true.

Boss,

what happened 15 years ago wasn't your fault.

The death of the Yu family isn't your fault either.

Thank you.

Then, let's find the culprit.

- Let's go. - Where to?

Yu Lan'er isn't the only one who saw the Celestial Lord.

His father saw him too.

I searched everywhere in Chongren Ward

and asked everything I could.

No one saw the Celestial Lord.

Did he truly turn into a star and fly away like the child said he did?

The culprit put in a lot of effort for his spectacle.

But it's not difficult.

Place some plants around the courtyard.

Put a candle on that table.

Hang a copper mirror over there.

Quick. Get it done.

- Yes. - Yes.

He must have done something

to convince Yu Shishun's family that he is the Celestial Lord

and made them fear him.

That way,

it's not difficult for him to burn some plants

and have a copper mirror hung.

He can just say that it's all

to dispel evil spirits.

And that's not difficult?

If an adult sees this, the cover will be blown.

But he picked a traumatized child as his witness.

That will establish his identity as the Celestial Lord easily.

But Chongren Ward is mostly occupied by officials,

not citizens.

If someone is staying here, others will notice.

But I searched the whole night

and even asked every household here.

No one saw any suspicious person.

What if he lives in the ward?

Right.

No ordinary person can spread

a nursery rhyme like this.

But that only makes it more difficult to investigate.

Unless we have a portrait.

But among the ones who saw him, one is too young.

And one is…

Stay away!

I don't know anything.

I don't know anything. I don't know anything.

- He's like this after the hour of Chou. - I don't know anything.

Yu Shishun.

Tell me who the Celestial Lord is and I'll avenge your family.

Avenge?

Avenge?

The Celestial Lord will kill you and me.

You're safe here.

He can't kill you or find you.

You don't know him.

Wherever I go, he always finds me.

It's been 15 years!

And he still found me.

Why is he looking for you?

- I did a bad thing. - What bad thing?

I… I…

- Do you recognize this? - Lan'er.

Lan'er!

- Lan'er! - If you want him to live,

tell me what you did.

No, I won't tell you.

I can't. Or I'll die.

Tell me, and I'll let you see your son.

If not, you'll see your child in the afterlife.

I can't tell you.

I can't tell you, or I'll die.

County Princess, if you interrogate him further, he'll die for real.

County Princess? County…

You are the County Princess?

You are Li Peiyi?

You are Li Peiyi?

You are working with him!

What are you on about?

You want to kill me.

You want to kill me.

Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Please.

Don't kill me. Don't kill me…

What do we do now?

He's still alive.

Where is the child?

In the rear court.

Die. Die. Die.

Die.

Die. Die.

Lan'er. What are you doing?

I want to kill the Celestial Lord to avenge my family.

That smell won't scare me anymore.

It'll be the taste of my revenge!

But I'm afraid you'll have new nightmares.

I'm afraid he'll drag you down to hell.

Why wouldn't you let me kill him?

Why?

I don't want you to live with the pain of killing.

You're not a monster

who can kill and still sleep at night.

Lan'er.

Killing isn't the only way to have your vengeance.

I will find the killer and make sure he is punished.

And you

shouldn't see vengeance as your life purpose.

But he killed my mother.

And I don't know where my father is.

I'm all

that's left.

But if you fill your life with vengeance,

you will hurt those who love you.

Look at your small hands.

If you grab the dagger of vengeance,

there will be no room left for the one who loves you to hold your hands.

There was a vendetta in me for 15 years too.

When I finally could kill the killer,

someone stopped me.

I resented him,

blamed him,

and even hated him.

But looking at you now,

I understand why he did what he did.

Lan'er.

Do not let hatred consume you.

Do not let your enemy ruin your life.

What should I do then?

Can you describe the Celestial Lord's appearance to us?

I can avenge you without the dagger.

Let's go.