Original subtitles

[Shadow Punisher]

[Divine Constable Tally]

[Episode 9]

What...

How could this have happened?

He was tortured

and had no way of escaping on his own.

Someone must have been behind this.

It's no easy feat for an outsider

to get into the Divine Constable Bureau,

let alone get someone out.

Could there be

a mole within the Divine Constable Bureau?

Investigate all personnel

in the bureau who were involved

in detaining Lou Tianming!

Yes, Chief.

Who was the last person

to come into contact

with Lou Tianming?

Chief,

it was Eunuch Zhao from the Eastern Palace.

But I don't think it makes sense

to say that Eunuch Zhao

did this.

You specifically ordered us

to avoid any mistakes when someone

from the Eastern Palace came for investigation.

So Ding Mao and I were

watching from the side the whole time.

It's just that Eunuch Zhao was too close to him

and almost got his ear bitten off,

and I stopped it. Other than that,

nothing else happened.

[Crown Prince's residence]

You silly servant!

Please spare me!

Your Highness, I'm begging you!

Could you please stop hitting me?

The Court of Judicial Review didn't interfere!

Please spare me! I beg you!

The Ministry of Justice didn't dare to interfere!

The Divine Constable Bureau was also just watching!

You...

Only you!

You thick-headed moron!

You rushed to interrogate Lou Tianming,

and now he's escaped!

Your Highness!

Lou Tianming's escape

has absolutely nothing to do with me!

Obviously!

Do you even have the brains for it?

Now,

only you approached Lou Tianming.

Even if His Majesty doesn't blame me,

in his heart, that bastard, Zhou Miao,

has one-upped me

once again!

Wait, Your Highness!

You can't get anything done.

You're going to beat me to death!

Yet you're great at ruining things!

Please stop, Your Highness.

You silly servant!

Your Highness.

Even if you want to punish your servant, Your Highness,

[Chu Huan'er, Crown Princess]

you should still leave him some dignity.

You shouldn't humiliate him in public.

You are my wife,

the Crown Princess!

You took the whip

just to plead for a servant?

You truly are the widely praised

virtuous Crown Princess in Tianhuang City.

Virtuous Crown Princess!

Everyone says

that I, the Crown Prince, have never

done anything good.

But the only thing I did right

was

marrying you.

Your Highness,

they praise me too highly.

Your Highness!

It's all my fault!

It's only right that you beat me!

Look at me! I have thick skin!

You can hit me freely!

But the Crown Princess is precious and of noble birth!

If she gets hurt because of me,

even my death

-can't make up for it, Your Highness! -Your Highness,

considering all the years

Eunuch Zhao has taken good care

of our child, Ye'er,

please spare him this time.

Sing from the beginning!

Is there really a mole in the Divine Constable Bureau?

[Entry Records of Divine Constable Bureau's Prison]

[Entry Records of Divine Constable Bureau's Prison]

[Criminal, Wang, Mrs. Zhao] [Crime: Cursed the officer with voodoo]

[Punishment: Confinement in the women's prison]

His Majesty has ordered

the Divine Constable Bureau to only imprison him,

but not interrogate him.

Who on earth

can enter and exit the dungeon freely

without arousing suspicion?

Your Highness,

Ye'er's condition hasn't taken a turn for the better for a long time.

I'd like

to use my savings from over the years

to rebuild the Buddhist hall in our mansion.

I want to be more frugal myself,

so I can accumulate more merit for Ye'er.

Ye'er has been ill for a long time.

I think it must be...

Do you mean that

I, the Crown Prince, am immoral

and devoid of dignity and conscience,

diminishing Ye'er's merit?

Listen,

Ye'er's poor health

is all your fault!

I, the Crown Prince, have a broad face and a fine jaw

and am full of vigor!

That little brat you gave birth to

is scrawny and sickly!

How is he like me at all?

Your Highness!

Ye'er is smart, wise,

generous, kind, and virtuous.

How is he not like you?

Cut the crap!

Were it not for

your useless womb,

only giving birth to one child in all these years,

would His Majesty let

Zhou Miao take charge of the Ministry of Justice?

He is coveting my position

as Crown Prince.

This is all your fault.

You are a disaster,

the root of the problem.

You were born a commoner!

Being able to marry me

is a favor

I bestowed upon you,

thanks to the merit accumulated by your ancestors!

Go kneel in the Buddhist hall.

Kneel for 6 hours first.

Go now!

I suggest

that the truth of the black chest case

be made public.

The truth?

Can the truth make Northern Kun withdraw their troops?

Can your truth

bring an extra 100,000 soldiers

or 100,000 provisions?

The truth restores justice in people's hearts

and distinguishes right from wrong.

With justice on our side, we will be confident.

With confidence, the army and their commander will stay unbreakable.

Northern Kun used Wen Bu's death

as an excuse for their southward invasion,

with their army approaching Great Shi.

If we can prove

that Wen Bu faked his death...

He has already turned into water.

How can we prove it?

What if we

bring the real Wen Bu

to the army?

Wen Bu is in Great Shi?

To fake

his death,

Wen Bu absolutely couldn't stay in Northern Kun,

and he wouldn't have

too many people protecting him by his side.

As long as we find Wen Bu,

we can just break this deadlock.

Divine Constable Bureau, deploy all members!

You must catch Wen Bu

and Lou Tianming!

-Understood! -Understood!

[Chief Constable's Hall]

The amount of the bounty

has been counted

according to the usual practice.

Anyone who provides

the whereabouts of Wen Bu and Lou Tianming

will be rewarded with 50 taels of silver.

500 taels of silver for capturing the two wanted men.

Please sign and seal, My Lord, My Lady.

[Special Notice from the Divine Constable Bureau]

[Wanted]

[Tianhuang City]

On land,

the Divine Constable Bureau will use post horses

[Wen Bu] [Lou Tiantian]

to block every key post house in advance and cut off

-their access to horses and supplies. -Take a look.

Have you seen this person?

No.

[Proclamation]

By water,

we will use the water vein tracking technique,

relying on the current

to spread news to downstream fishing villages and ferries.

Fishermen who find the pills and report to the authorities

will get their rewards of money.

Chief.

No clues.

It's been 3 days,

and there is still no trace?

Could it be that

they have already left the Great Shi territory?

Be patient.

Maybe there will be a turning point.

After all, our Divine Constable Bureau

is full of hidden talents,

each with their own unique skills.

Young Master,

I can't do anything about

Constable Meng's injury.

Please

don't call me over again.

I know.

I'm not here to ask you to save Meng Rui.

Let me see.

If you can't save Meng Rui,

can you save this?

Lou Tianming, Lou Tianming.

You kept saying that

your black chest plan was flawless

and would definitely kill Bai Qi

to eliminate a great threat to Northern Kun's southern expedition.

And the result?

I also heard

that you were caught by the Divine Constable Bureau.

It seems that

the Kingdom of Liluo and the demons

you mentioned

aren't that great.

I've been traveling all the way

and finally

escaped the encirclement of the Divine Constable Bureau.

I'm really starving.

I wonder if you, Prince Wenbu,

could give me some food.

What a fine piece of meat.

It's a pity I'm not a beast.

How could I eat raw meat and drink blood?

But you,

who sacrificed your subordinates

and disregarded the common people,

truly deserve the word "beast."

What did you say?

We once met at the Star-Gathering Pavilion.

You are Young Master Qingyang, Li Si.

A powerful master like Yan Zige

served you and died for you.

Calling you a beast just now

is an insult to beasts.

Beasts don't harm their own kind.

But you do.

How dare Lou Tianming betray me!

You're wrong.

Lou Tianming didn't say anything.

It was just my guess.

For Lou Tianming to establish contact

with you, Your Highness,

he must have used

something to send messages.

The carrier pigeons of the Divine Constable Bureau

are all recorded when they come and go.

Lou Tianming wouldn't dare use them.

So I guessed...

What he used

must be his falcon.

The night the demons attacked,

it happened to fall right at my feet.

I asked a doctor to heal it.

I trained it a bit

and followed it.

It naturally

led me here.

Your Highness,

don't worry.

I am just a trainee constable

of the Divine Constable Bureau

with no authority to deploy people.

I came here

alone.

In this case,

what can you do to me by yourself?

The 6 ancient gods of Liluo—

Immortality, Prophecy, Lies,

[God of Prophecy, Rangnan]

Hatred, Disaster, and Death.

Now that the mystery of the black chest is solved

and the God of Prophecy has finally fallen,

cheer, rejoice,

and turn a blind eye.

This is my gift to Great Shi.

I hope you like it.

Your Majesty,

Wenbu has confessed everything.

Behind Lou Tianming,

there is a mysterious organization

called the Dark Night.

Its members are all

formidable killers who are neither human nor ghost.

The Dark Night?

What does the Dark Night stand to gain

by conspiring with Northern Kun

against our Great Shi?

All members of the Dark Night

swear allegiance to Liluo.

In the third year of Zhengwu's reign,

the late Emperor Wuzong of Shi wiped out Liluo.

Who would have thought

that decades later,

these remnants of Liluo

would still be plotting a rebellion?

That's all Wenbu knows.

I've sent him to the Envoy Residence

and placed him under strict guard.

He awaits Your Majesty's judgment.

I ordered you to capture Meng Rui

and give me an explanation.

Yet you

brought me news

of the people of Liluo instead.

You did well.

But, Shan,

this is the first time

you've gone against my wishes.

Meng Rui is neither kin nor friend to you.

Why are you protecting him so fiercely?

What I protect

is not Meng Rui,

but justice and righteousness,

the truth and public sentiment.

Years ago, I told your sister

that I could find you a good match.

Among all the court officials,

royal relatives and nobles,

you could take your pick.

Why bring this up all of a sudden, Your Majesty?

You refused at the time.

You said,

since your sister had already married into the royal family,

then

you wished only to serve the court faithfully

and insisted on joining the Divine Constable Bureau.

I hesitated then.

Do you know

why I hesitated?

The Divine Constable Bureau stands outside the Six Ministries.

It is Your Majesty's eyes and hands.

But my elder sister was already Empress,

ruling the inner palace.

If I became Chief Commissioner as well,

then the Xuanyuan family might...

might be suspected of abusing its power as imperial in-laws.

So I made you swear an oath.

If you joined the Divine Constable Bureau,

you could never marry in your lifetime,

nor have children.

Because the position of Chief Commissioner

of the Divine Constable Bureau

allows no personal interests.

The only family you could have in this lifetime

would be me.

I understand, Your Majesty.

Investigate Liluo and Lou Tianming

together.

The Divine Constable Bureau is heavily guarded.

Without an insider,

how could they have escaped?

Yes, Your Majesty.

[Star-Gathering Pavilion]

This is truly divine nectar.

You forcibly activated

the Soaring Dragon Thousand-Mechanism Formation,

and you're suffering internal injuries too.

Yet you still want to drink?

Are you trying to die?

These past few days, Tianhuang City

has been searching for Meng Rui everywhere.

Looks like the Emperor,

regardless of the truth,

is determined to use Meng Rui

to give Northern Kun an explanation.

This scene

is just like 17 years ago.

Do you happen to know

where Meng Rui is?

What?

You won't even tell your own master?

I don't want to know anyway.

Seriously.

Using the investigation as an excuse,

you've met

Zhou Miao and Zhou Tiao.

How is it?

Did you find anything?

Seventeen years ago,

Big Brother falsely reported a military emergency

to lure Father away

and then notified Second Brother.

The two of them conspired together

and tried to kill me at Mulan Hunting Grounds.

After I died,

Father learned about

the false military report.

Big Brother took responsibility

and voluntarily gave up his position in the Ministry of War.

He also had everyone

in the Ministry of War who knew the truth

silenced.

If that's the case,

what are you planning to do?

I know Father well.

Seventeen years ago,

he buried the truth

and chose not to pursue Big Brother or Second Brother.

That shows

that in his heart,

he cares only about keeping the court stable.

If you truly wanted revenge,

seventeen years ago,

you could have gone straight

to your father, regardless of the consequences.

At least you could have

forced a lose-lose outcome.

But you didn't.

Now,

what else can I do

besides secretly gathering evidence

and waiting for the right moment?

There's just one thing

I need to investigate at Tianshu Pavilion.

Mr. Meng

really had a brush with death this time.

Meng Rui!

Who is that?

Little Ice Cube.

Mr. Yan.

Where is he?

-Mr. Yan. -Mr. Yan.

This...

What happened, Zhenzhu?

Li Si brought him back.

Turns out he was the one who hid him.

Tao, how is he?

I can only say I'll do my best.

What do you mean, "do your best"?

You have to heal him!

Yes.

Where's Qingyang?

He left after getting everything settled.

How did he get hurt this badly?

[Winter's Haven Beneath the Azure Heavens]

Whether he pulls through

will depend on the next couple of days.

Brother, your kite is so high!

Higher, please!

Okay.

Higher, please!

Brother, higher!

Higher!

-A little higher! -Okay.

Higher!

Mother!

Come on.

Look.

It's so high!

Father!

Come quickly!

I'm coming.

It's beautiful.

We're back.

Look, all these tonics.

Qingyang,

thank you for paying

for Meng Rui's medicine.

I appreciate your help, Yan.

It's no trouble.

Put them down.

Okay.

Tao,

we have Lingzhi mushrooms from Haisong Mountain

that are over a hundred years old,

as well as snow-grown Cordyceps,

Chonghua snow lotus,

Polygonatum, dragon's blood, and white-banded snake.

Take a look

and see if there's anything

that might be useful.

Why aren't you saying anything?

What's wrong with Meng Rui?

His condition is stable for now,

but strangely,

he seems to be

in a deep sleep, lost in a dream.

And what's more,

he doesn't even want to wake up.

Ms. Bai,

you're a physician.

You should understand what I mean.

Whether he wakes up

depends on whether he wants to.

Wait. What do you mean?

I've heard of cases

like this.

When someone

has been through a great deal of tragedy,

if they're strong-minded in their everyday life,

they may become unafraid of death.

But once someone like that suffers a serious injury

and can no longer remain rational,

the will to live within them

can easily fade away.

Simply put,

he doesn't even want to live anymore.

I wonder what Mr. Meng

must have been through.

Wait. You mean

he doesn't want to live anymore?

But why?

In this world,

there are indeed many things,

many experiences,

that can make someone no longer want to live,

that can make life feel worse than death.

Mr. Meng,

you have to hold on.

I believe

you wouldn't want this sword

to fall silent forever, would you?

[Severe-Cold]

Brother, your kite is so high!

Higher!

Higher!

Brother!

Don't touch my sword.

Meng Rui.

He's awake.

Meng!

Meng is awake!

-Meng. -Meng is awake!

-Meng. -Meng is awake!

Meng is awake.

Meng!

Meng Rui!

[Severe-Cold]

Meng is awake!

Meng is awake!

- Meng is awake! - Really? That's great!

Lord Constable Ghost is awake!

Jiang Zhan, hurry!

Meng is awake!

Mr. Meng is awake? That's wonderful!

[Chief Constable's Hall]

Chief!

Chief!

Reporting, Chief.

Meng is awake!

- Meng! - Meng!

Meng!

- You're not fully recovered yet. - Meng!

- You can't go! - Meng!

I have to go.

Stay right there!

You were only well for two days.

What are you up to now?

I need to see the Chief.

Why can't you just behave?

The Chief went to see His Majesty

and hasn't returned yet.

If I were you,

I'd stay put

and get some proper rest.

After all,

there's no need to rush.

The Liluo Night Demons are running wild.

How can I rest easy?

You just crawled back

from hell,

so don't push your luck.

What?

You think the Divine Constable Bureau

can't get by without you?

Yan,

that's just how Meng Rui is.

You should know that by now.

Where are you going?

Physician Tao said

Mr. Meng mustn't move around yet.

Carry him to the sedan chair!

Do you hear that?

Understood.

Get him out of here!

Hurry!

Please, Meng.

Let go of me!

Sit still!

Just sit back and relax.

Lord Yan,

look after Lord Meng.

Leave him to me.

Lift the sedan chair!

You little rascal. Got you now!

Put me down!

Yan, I need to see the Chief!

- You will. - Mr. Meng, don't worry.

We'll get you home

safe and sound.

You got it!

Li Si!

- Grand Secretary Bai. - Grand Secretary Bai.

[Chief Constable's Hall]

Father?

Zhenzhu.

What brings you here?

You could've told me first.

I'm the Prime Minister, after all.

Am I not allowed to visit?

[Head Constable's Hall]

Besides,

I'm your father.

Isn't it only natural to visit

my daughter's workplace?

[Head Constable's Hall]

Yes.

[Pillar of the Realm]

Father, have some tea.

Did you need something from me?

Zhenzhu,

I had this sachet custom-made

for you.

Look,

aren't the pearls on it beautiful?

Here.

Come on, take it.

Father,

I don't really use these.

It contains precious spices

from the Western Regions.

Its rich fragrance lasts all year.

You're a young woman,

dealing with corpses every day.

You should take better care of yourself.

Come on, take it.

Be a good girl.

Father.

Your daughter

isn't like those rich young ladies.

Besides, this is official business.

All you ever care about is work.

Zhenzhu,

why don't you come home with me?

You're already twenty-three.

It's time you got married.

Father.

Can't you

stop making decisions for me?

It's all Xuanyuan's fault

for taking such a liking to you!

I'd say

your Bureau got quite a bargain!

How can you say that?

The Bureau

pays me a salary, too,

you know.

With that meager salary of yours,

you'd rather stretch every coin

than take money from home.

Does our money burn your hands?

My money, my rules.

I'm happy that way.

Father.

You can rest assured.

I can take care of myself.

Don't worry about me.

All right.

It's time I headed back.

Father!

Take this back.

I really don't need it.

[Star-Gathering Pavilion]

Master is here.

You two may leave.

Yes, sir.

Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Bai.

This must be your first time

dining at my Star-Gathering Pavilion.

I've investigated cases here,

but never dined here before.

You saved my father, Lord Li.

So it's only right

that I treat you to this meal.

Please, sit.

Ms. Bai,

no need for formalities.

Just call me by my name.

Calling me "Lord"

seems a bit too formal.

There's something

I've been meaning to ask you.

Go ahead, Ms. Bai.

May I ask, Master Li,

what's your true background?

I suspect

you're not the only one

in our bureau

who's been wondering.

Have you ever played Go?

I'm like

a piece

on a Go board.

I once occupied the central point.

The pieces on all sides

seemed to pay me due respect,

but were secretly plotting to kill me.

How could you respond?

It's a chained ko.

If two opposing pieces join forces,

I have no chance of winning.

Besides,

I'm nothing more

than a mere chess piece.

The player doesn't care

what becomes of a single piece.

So it seems

you're a sacrificed pawn.

That's right.

[Wind and Moon]

Look at your vast estate,

not to mention your wisdom and skills.

You claim to be a discarded pawn?

I don't believe it.

You're wrong, Ms. Bai.

Even a discarded piece

has its purpose.

In the hands

of someone cunning and unpredictable,

even a discarded piece can become a killing piece.

The man you see before you

is one who can crush all opposition.

But in the end,

win or lose,

it's all just a game of chess.

Whether you're a sacrificed piece

doesn't really matter.

But what if the game is big enough

to encompass an entire world?

And the pieces on the board

are the common people themselves.

Would you still say

it doesn't matter?

For the sake of the people,

we cannot afford to lose.

So what if I become

a pawn controlled by others?

Even if I'm torn to pieces,

I'll press on without hesitation.

[Tianshu Pavilion]

Li Si,

you captured Prince Wenbu in the Black Chest Case

and averted a crisis on Great Shi's borders.

[Tianshu Pavilion]

You deserve the greatest credit.

Constable Frost and Constable Iron

have also praised you highly.

In recognition

of your outstanding achievements,

you are hereby promoted

to Divine Constable of the Bureau.

[Qingyang Divine Constable]

You are granted the Divine Constable Tally.

Thank you, Chief.

[Divine Constable Tally]

[Qingyang Divine Constable]

[Qingyang Divine Constable]

[Tianshu Pavilion]

Tianshu Pavilion holds all the world's secrets.

Its archives are organized

according to the hidden codes of heaven and earth.

Section Jia records royal affairs

and secrets of the imperial clan.

Section Yi covers criminal cases, cold cases,

and martial-world vendettas.

[Heaven]

Section Bing covers astronomy and astrology,

[Jiashen] [Jiawu] [Jiaxu]

as well as geography and feng shui.

And so on.

[Bingyin] [Bingzi] [Bingxu] [Bingjia]

[Water]

The princes' hunt grounds, year 20 of Hongyun,

[Wind]

the burning disaster.

Jia represents imperial power,

while Mao represents the eastern spring wood,

corresponding to Mulan Hunting Ground's location.

Even the shelves' arrangement seems to mock the fact

that Zhou Yan died

in February, when all things spring to life.

[Imperial Secrets]

That must be

the imperial secret on the Mao shelf in Section Jia.