Original subtitles

(Guardians of the Dafeng)

(Episode 17)

Mother, I thought you gave that bracelet to Madam Wang.

Your father said that I brought this with me when I married him.

We even kept it when we went to prison.

He said we couldn't lose it as it was more valuable than his life.

Did you lecture him again?

I didn't do that this time.

You know it too.

Your father thinks that he's useless

and that he owes us.

So, where is he?

Who sent you?

No one.

No one, really.

My Lord, I'm just a passerby,

a simple passerby!

Still trying to deny it?

I'm not lying!

Will you talk or not?

What the...

- Did you hit him? - No.

- You? - No.

Seriously?

Wake him up!

My Lord,

please have mercy!

You brat,

- you're a tough nut to crack, aren't you? - No, not at all.

- Do you have accomplices? - No.

None at all!

I'll talk.

I'll tell you everything, I won't anything back.

I'm Xu Ping Zhi,

a Hundred-Commander in the Imperial Sword Camp.

My nephew is also a Night Guardian.

He's your colleague.

(No, no, I can't tell them about Ning Yan.)

(It might make things worse for me right now.)

A Night Guardian?

Is he a Copper, Silver, or Gold Guardian?

No, no, My Lord.

I was just joking earlier.

Joking?

Do you have a death wish?

Did he...

He passed out again.

Wake him up.

I'm sorry!

I won't do it again!

You're a pro, huh?

No, no, I'm totally new at this.

I like your type,

a tough nut,

and a pro.

I swear, I really am not a pro.

Tell me, were you really just passing by?

Yes! It's the truth.

I really was just passing by.

I stopped to have some noodles at the door of the yamen.

I even had a stomachache.

I was wrong, okay?

I'll never pass by the yamen again.

Please spare me, My Lord!

You brat,

did you eat garlic?

Fresh garlic.

After ten years apart, your dedication remains steadfast.

You serve the people without seeking glory!

Galloping on horseback, raising dust in your wake,

each year stronger than the last!

Outside Tower of Valiance, the lush grass grows,

with spring breezes and fine wine, we share our days and nights!

- This is too much! - On a moonlit night with gentle winds,

he burns the midnight oil at Chunfeng Hall!

Alright, that's enough.

Outside Tower of Valiance, the lush grass grows,

with spring breezes and fine wine, we share our days and nights!

Congratulations to Lord Li on being reinstated!

Congratulations to Lord Li on being reinstated!

Li Yu Chun!

Lord Wei, why?

This is His Majesty's decree.

Xu Qi An attacked his superior!

That violates the law!

His Majesty's orders are absolute.

If we fail to comply,

that too is a violation of the law.

Dismissed.

Xu Qi An,

come in.

Yes, My Lord!

Greetings...

Lord Wei.

For this case,

I'm assigning Jinyu Hall,

Chunfeng Hall,

and Zhenxie Hall

to work together.

You will be

the lead officer.

Is there something

sealed beneath Sangbo?

Share your reasoning.

Although Sangbo is a restricted area for our nation,

the only thing of value

to outsiders is the Divine Conqueror Sword.

This case file confirms

that the sword remains intact,

which suggests the perpetrators weren't after it.

My guess is

that something else is stored inside the Yongzhen Nature Temple.

Why is it at Sangbo?

My bold assumption

is that it requires

the Divine Conqueror Sword to suppress it.

Whatever this thing is,

Lord Wei, I assume you know it.

Your mission

is to identify who exploded the Yongzhen Nature Temple.

Whether this item exists

or needs to be recovered

has nothing to do with you.

If you encounter any trouble,

inform Yang Yan,

he will step in.

His Majesty has granted a gold token.

With it, you may move freely within the palace,

except for the harem

and other restricted areas.

Yes, My Lord.

Has the Imperial Astronomer recovered from his illness?

That old fart.

My Lord,

the guardians from Jinyu Hall, Chunfeng Hall, and Zhenxie Hall

are assembled.

Please give your orders!

I am acting under His Majesty's order

to investigate the Sangbo explosion case.

All of you must work together

with absolute dedication. Let's not fail His Majesty's trust!

Yes, sir!

- Copper Guardian Song Ting Feng. - Yes, sir!

Take your men to the Ministry of Works

and go through the records of gunpowder

production and usage over the past month.

Blowing up an entire temple requires

an enormous amount of explosives.

It's impossible to transport such quantities without leaving traces.

Even if the records were falsified, there will be clues.

Yes, sir!

- Copper Guardian Zhu Guang Xiao. - Yes, sir!

Take your team to the Ministry of Justice.

Detain and question every official who visited the Yongzhen Nature Temple

before and after the ceremony.

Yes, sir!

The rest of you, follow me!

Yes, sir!

Where are we going, My Lord?

The crime scene.

The temple has been completely destroyed.

The remains of the fallen soldiers have been recovered.

Since then, no one has been through this area.

Looks like

there are no leads left on the surface of the lake.

In that case,

let's check underwater.

Good idea!

Please proceed, My Lord.

I'm right here!

Are you alright?

You held your breath for so long.

You don't seem like someone who's just

advanced to the Spirit Refining Realm.

It's probably because I meditate daily

and never slack off in my training.

Did you find anything down there?

The lakebed foundation is intact.

The platform's fracture point is higher up,

which indicates the explosion occurred inside the temple,

not underwater.

The gunpowder must have been smuggled into the temple.

Around the lakebed foundation, there's a ring of stone pillars

engraved with tadpole-like symbols.

They look...

Something like this.

This pattern

seems to resemble

Celestial characters.

This is related to the Celestial Realm?

Not just that.

The stone pillars around the foundation

seem to be arranged in a specific pattern,

and this arrangement

should be a formation.

Someone who can set up a formation within the capital of Dafeng...

The Astronomical Bureau.

Ning Yan,

this case seems to involve many parties.

Lord Sun,

Lord Chen,

how is the investigation?

My Lord, the Ministry of Justice and the Prefecture Office

have been working together tirelessly.

We've investigated over 100 suspects.

So far, we've...

We've uncovered some leads.

Leads?

So it's not resolved yet, huh?

There were a total of 312 soldiers

patrolling near Sangbo.

They all died during the incident.

All of them died the same way,

completely drained of their blood,

without any other visible injuries.

Based on our assessment,

such a method could only have been

executed by a skillful master.

Another top-tier master?

This just got even more complicated.

Report!

My Lord, the Night Guardians are still outside.

They claim to be acting under His Majesty's orders

and insists on seeing you.

- Turn them away. - Yes, My Lord.

My Lord!

- How is it going with the Ministry of Works? - No issues on their end,

but Guang Xiao has run into a problem.

Come on.

Let's go.

The Ministry of Justice is on a case under imperial decree.

Any unauthorized intrusion or obstruction of the investigation

will be executed!

This is a restricted area.

Unauthorized personnel, dismount immediately!

Trespassers will be executed!

Heaven

and

Earth

Slash!

The Night Guardians are conducting an investigation.

Anyone who dares obstruct us

will be killed!

You attacked the personnel of the Ministry of Justice.

Won't this put you in trouble?

That's the least of my concerns.

Progress is everything to me right now.

If I don't assert dominance, they won't take me seriously

and will keep obstructing the investigation.

Let's pick up the pace.

Let's go!

Report!

My Lord!

- What now? - The Night Guardians have forced their way in!

They even injured our men!

Who dares to be so audacious?

It is I, Xu Qi An.

My Lord...

Greetings, My Lords.

The Ministry of Justice has detained

several personnel from the Ministry of Rites.

You're obstructing the Night Guardians' investigation.

Lord Sun, may I ask,

what is the meaning of this?

Xu Qi An,

you've forced your way into my ministry

and injured my officers.

What are you trying to do?

The Night Guardians have no obligation to answer

to the Ministry of Justice when conducting an investigation.

You are disregarding the laws!

Guards,

seize this man!

I am acting under imperial orders to investigate this case.

I suspect that the Ministry of Justice is colluding with the perpetrators

who destroyed the Yongzhen Nature Temple.

Guardians!

Escort Lord Sun back to headquarters for questioning!

Yes, sir!

Drawing your sword in the Ministry of Justice?

You've got a death wish.

I'll solve the cases your ministry can't solve.

I'll kill the people your ministry doesn't dare touch.

Also...

If you dare obstruct my investigation,

I'll deal with you too.

Is that clear enough?

Xu Qi An...

Yes.

Very well!

How young and arrogant!

Sharp and unrestrained!

Perfect.

Let me introduce everyone.

This is Copper Guardian Xu Qi An,

personally recommended by the Crown Prince

and appointed by His Majesty to lead this case.

Just a few days ago,

he injured his superior

and was sentenced to be executed by waist-cutting.

But His Majesty, in his infinite wisdom and mercy,

granted him a chance to redeem himself.

He's appointed by His Majesty himself?

Your timing couldn't be better, Guardians.

Saves me the trouble

of summoning you all.

Now, take a seat.

Xu Qi An,

that includes you.

My Lord,

your gold token.

This stuff is too heaty for me.

It's super sweet.

- Not today. I'm already burning up. - Just have a little.

Go.

Write down everything we say.

Things are hard enough for me.

If I don't solve it, I'll die.

Chief Investigator Xu.

Have finished your chat?

I can't believe the Night Guardians would send

a mere Copper Guardian to investigate a major case.

It's so ridiculous.

Totally.

Well, since you've all had your say,

let me throw in my two cents.

Lord Sun, based on your analysis,

I have a few questions.

I inspected Sangbo Lake this morning.

Destroying the Yongzhen Nature Temple

would require an enormous amount of gunpowder.

That's right.

And your point?

Here's the problem.

You mentioned earlier

that the Ministry of Works has stringent measures

to prevent theft of gunpowder.

Smuggling out such a massive amount

would be nearly impossible,

let alone erasing all traces.

Who do you think could pull off something like that?

The Minister of Works

or

The two Vice Ministers.

Ah, so it's the Minister of Works and his deputies.

That makes sense.

But

doesn't that seem too stupid?

What do you mean by that?

Transporting such a large quantity of gunpowder,

no matter how clean the operation,

would inevitably leave traces.

It wouldn't hold up to scrutiny.

In my humble opinion, this is just a smokescreen by the culprits

to make us believe the gunpowder came from the Ministry of Works,

diverting the focus of our investigation

and buying time for the real culprits to escape the capital.

If not from the Ministry of Works,

where could they have acquired such a massive amount of gunpowder?

Is it possible

they transported it from outside the city?

Gunpowder that conspicuous?

How would they smuggle it in?

Forget the outer city,

the inner city's soldiers

inspect every shipment that passes through.

And the palace has even stricter protocols.

Smuggling it in

would be absolutely impossible.

They couldn't transport gunpowder into the city,

but what about the raw materials?

Right! If it's just raw materials,

the gate guards wouldn't know their purpose.

They wouldn't consider it contraband

and would allow it through.

Very wise, Lord Chen.

Well, I just...

Raw materials...

Charcoal and sulfur are common materials,

they wouldn't raise suspicion.

But there's one component strictly controlled by Dafeng,

saltpeter.

The saltpeter mine! Mount Dahuang!

Mount Dahuang.

If we break it down step by step, based on our speculation,

from Mount Dahuang to the outer city, then the inner city,

since they were transporting raw materials,

they could slip through undetected.

The real challenge is the palace checkpoint.

Eunuch Yang, My Lords,

I must return to my duties.

If you'll excuse me.

Cai Wei, come with me.

See you, guys.

Hang on...

Lady Cai Wei, what about me?

Where are we going, My Lord?

The Kui Tribe drove out the miners

to take control of the saltpeter mines in Mount Dahuang,

used it to make gunpowder, and blew up the Yongzhen Nature Temple

to release whatever was sealed beneath the lake.

As for the insider who helped them transport the gunpowder into Sangbo,

it must be someone who can move freely in and out of the palace.

Someone with unrestricted access to the palace?

The Jinwu Guards?

The day before the Ancestral Worship Ritual,

there was the murder of a junior flag officer.

Liu Han was on duty right before he died.

Liu Han was just a junior flag officer.

There's no way he had the power

to smuggle gunpowder into the palace unnoticed.

Unless the person who ordered him to transport it

was his superior.

And after he completed the mission,

they killed him to silence him.

Now that you brought it up, I just remembered.

His superior is...

Hundred-Commander Zhou, tell me,

was Liu Han one of your subordinates?

Yes.

Has he been acting unusually lately?

No, he was the same as always.

During his time guarding the palace,

were there any suspicious individuals or items that entered?

No.

The Hundred-Commander of the Jinwu Guards, Zhou Chi Xiong...

Hang on,

I read his Qi before.

He wasn't lying.

He might have used some trick.

Regardless, we have to find him first.

Boss, take my gold token and head to the east gate of the palace.

Arrest Zhou Chi Xiong. You must act quickly,

before the Ministry of Justice catches wind of this.

Got it!

You few, come with me!

Come on!

The rest of you, follow me to Zhou Residence.

- We're taking him in! - Yes, sir!

Lord Chen,

where did they go?

What Mount Dahuang?

What saltpeter mine?

Lord Chen,

do you have any idea what they're talking about?

I do.

The previous case from Jingzhao Prefecture.

Sodium

can explode.

Anyway, I can't recall the details too well.

The case files!

Get those files immediately!

Got it!

Idiot, come here.

Yes, My Lord.

Go and get the case file.

Take as much time as you can.

Yes, sir.

Are you insane?

Walk faster!

Please be patient.

He'll get it very soon.

Open up! The Night Guardians are on a case!

My master is unwell. He is not seeing visitors.

Please return another day.

Two of you stay at the gate. The rest of you, storm the place!

Yes, sir!

Chief Investigator,

why aren't you leading the charge?

In the Battle of Linyuan Pass,

did you see His Majesty charging into the fray himself?

You weren't acting like this at the Ministry of Justice earlier.

I was building a persona.

Persona?

I was crafting the image

of a hot-headed brute who'll draw his blade over the slightest offense.

With a persona like that,

anyone trying to take credit for my work will think twice.

Lord Xu, we've searched the entire house. They're gone.

All the valuables have been cleared out,

but the rest of the furnishings remain untouched.

Where is Zhou Chi Xiong?

Master took his wife and children to visit relatives.

Didn't you just say he was sick?

Master told me to say that.

I simply did as told!

- When did he leave? - Just a few days ago.

Right after the Ancestral Worship Ritual.

Sirs, whatever my master has done,

I swear... I know nothing about it. Nothing at all!

Go.

Zhou Chi Xiong has fled.

It's too early to jump to that conclusion.

There are no bodies hidden here,

and no recent deaths here.

Still, it's possible he used some unusual means to cover things up.

Maybe you should dig up the place and see.

My Lord!

Zhou Chi Xiong wasn't at the east gate of the palace.

He requested extended leave right after the ritual.

- He has fled? - Whether he's dead or on the run,

this lead is officially cold.

Search the place!

Let's clear out of here!

Yes, sir!

Move.

Where's Second Uncle? Is he still not back?

Mother already went out to look for him.

I heard His Majesty

assigned you to investigate the Sangbo case.

That's right. Why?

This isn't something

you should be involved in.

My mission is just to investigate the case,

not finding out the powers behind it.

I have to try, don't I?

Especially with a death sentence hanging over my head.

So, have you found anything?

We found the culprit,

but they got away.

They escaped?

What are you going...

Maybe

you should run too.

I've barely warmed my bed

after getting out of the prison.

Besides, we've got no one to turn to outside the capital.

Where am I supposed to run?

Your last option is to

run to Yunzhou.

- Yunzhou? - That place is rife with bandits,

far from His Majesty's reach.

Even if you're on the wanted list,

the court can't do much.

If you're ruthless enough,

you could even join the bandits.

It's a chance to hone your martial skills and build influence.

Plenty of fugitives and outlaws

end up gathering there

for exactly that reason.

You're right. The more chaotic the place, the safer it is.

Wait a minute,

collaborating with the Kui Tribe,

blowing up Sangbo,

that's a crime that warrants extermination

of one's entire family and implicating three generations.

The court won't stop hunting him

no matter where he hides.

If you were Hundred-Commander Zhou,

where would you go?

Are you really sure about this, Ning Yan?

It has to be Yunzhou.

Slow down.

What happened to you?

How on earth did you end up in the Night Guardians' jail?

It's all for Ning Yan.

For Ning Yan?

That's right.

For Ning Yan.

I have to save him,

even if it will

cost me my life.

Honey,

bring me my sword.

I promised his father

I'd keep him safe.

- Second Uncle? - Father?

Ning Yan?

What are you doing here?

I got off work at yamen. So, I came home.

You're alright now?

His Majesty issued a decree reinstating him

and ordered him to investigate the case.

He's safe for now.

That's right, he's safe now.

You, on the other hand,

you deserved that beating

to shake off that bad luck.

Alright, enough talk. All of you should get some rest early tonight.

I'm so glad you're alright.

I'm so glad.

Alright now.

I'm fine.

I'm so glad.

Your Majesty, the intrusion into Sangbo

and the destruction of the Yongzhen Nature Temple

is a disgrace to our nation.

Wei Yuan, as the head of the Night Guardians,

failed to safeguard the palace.

He must be held responsible for this.

I petition

to remove him from office and investigate him

to appease public outrage.

I second the motion.

I second the motion.

I second it as well.

Wei Yuan has always been diligent in his duties.

The incident at Sangbo was unforeseen.

Therefore, it should not be blamed solely

on the Night Guardians.

Petition denied.

Your Majesty,

Night Guardian Xu Qi An injured the guards

at the gates of the Ministry of Justice.

That's blatantly defying imperial authority.

I implore you to impose severe punishment on him

and order his entire family executed.

Your Majesty,

the Ministry of Justice ordered guards

to obstruct the Night Guardians' investigation.

This reveals ulterior motives.

I suspect

Minister Sun of collusion with the culprits

who bombed Sangbo.

I respectfully request you to strip him of his position and imprison him.

I will interrogate him myself.

I second this.

I second this.

I second this as well.

I also second this.

I second this.

Wei Yuan, this is slander!

Your intentions are treacherous!

Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice can't be innocent.

I support the motion to remove all officials of the Ministry

and subject them to investigation.

How dare you spew baseless accusations!

Minister Sun, just confess your crimes!

How dare you fabricate such lies in court!

This is an offense of deceiving His Majesty!

Silence!

Copper Guardian Xu Qi An

is already carrying the burden of his crimes.

In his quest to redeem himself,

some impulsive actions

may occur.

You are to cooperate with him

to solve this case,

not obstruct one another.

If this happens again,

I will not

hesitate to impose severe punishment.

Effective immediately,

the city gates will be unsealed,

but all officials of rank six and above

are prohibited from leaving the capital.

Dismissed.

Court dismissed!

We humbly see Your Majesty off.

Lord Wei!

Please wait.

Lord Wei,

here is the transcript we've prepared.

Please review it at your convenience.

Thank you.

I will invite you for a drink someday.

- Foster Father. - Foster Father.

Why are you smiling?

I thought His Majesty might make things difficult today,

but

- things went well. - Things went well?

Nobody tried to take the opportunity to attack you?

In just one day,

he's managed to uncover this much.

He really has a knack for investigation.

A knack for investigation?

Are you talking about Xu Qi An?

Looks like you got lucky,

stumbling upon such a gem.

Too bad you were a step behind.

I already interrogated the magistrate of Taikang County

and submitted the report.

He claimed he hadn't colluded with the Kui Tribe,

but when I observed his Qi, it was clear he was lying.

Did you manage to extract any information about the mastermind?

My Qi Observation technique only distinguishes truth from lies.

When it came to that question, he clammed up completely.

There's nothing more I can do.

That's fine.

Now that I'm here,

I'll make him spill every last secret.

Please come with me.

Hey, old man, what's your name?

Old man? I am Zhang Shen from the Yunlu Academy.

Alright. I'll let my teacher know

that an old man named Zhang Shen from Yunlu Academy

is saying that his Inner Reflection act is better than Qi Observation.

I'll have my teacher bring it up with your headmaster.

That won't be necessary. Each of us has our strengths.

We're here.

Wake up! Someone is here to question you.

Hey, I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?

It's fine.

Whether he cooperates or not,

the outcome will be the same

in the end.

The Sage observes,

a gentleman should be honest,

and so should an ordinary man.

Wow, you really are as good as you said!

Something is wrong.

Open the gate.

He's dead.