Original subtitles

Episode 33

Can we continue the matter

we talked about in the daytime?

But the one who will

cooperate with you

is not my husband but me.

Madam,

please forgive me for my rude words.

Though you’re dignified,

I am afraid…

I see.

Though I am not the County Magistrate,

I can do

what my husband does.

And others may not detect it

and think it’s done by my husband.

Do you mean…

Without the cooperation of my husband,

you and Xu Boyi

are also incompatible like water and fire.

But, think about it.

Since so,

why not let me do you a favor?

OK.

Since you’re so frank,

let’s make it

a deal.

This painting

is a work of the painter Wang Ximeng.

He was once enlightened by Emperor Huizong personally,

so he was really good at painting.

What an authentic work!

Few of his works have been left until now.

I didn’t expect you would

collect one in your mansion.

Since you like it,

I’ll give it to you as a gift.

No.

This painting is so precious.

I can’t take it.

It doesn’t matter.

In fact,

I know little about painting.

Is it better to give it to you

who really appreciate it?

Madam.

Thank you for discussing

cooperation with me tonight.

If you don’t take my painting,

I’ll think you scorn me.

Thank you so much.

Then I’ll take it.

I also know how to paint.

Let me make a painting here

and give it to you in return,

OK?

OK.

I’ve long heard of you are good at painting.

I’m deeply grateful.

OK.

Judicial Clerk, don’t bother to see me out.

Thank you a lot today.

Then I’ll leave.

See you, madam.

Painting of Orchids.

Master,

how could you drink so much?

Lie down.

Slowly.

It’s good for everyone.

It’s good for everyone.

It’s just good for everyone.

Master,

I’ve helped you do

what you don’t dare to do.

After 10 years of hard study,

you finally passed the imperial examination.

I can’t see Xu Boyi, a scumbag,

destroy your bright future.

Everyone,

County Magistrate not only prepared death benefits personally

but also said

he would set up a monument on the post road

to carve the names of the dead in this road accident

to memorize their feats forever.

Thank you, my lord. Thank you, my lord.

Stand up. Thank you, my lord.

These people are so nice.

They are deeply grateful

for your slight kindness.

Villagers,

the generals and soldiers of our Ming Dynasty

are fighting a bloody battle in the south.

To guarantee the smoothness of the post road

is to guarantee the combat effectiveness of our troops to the greatest extent.

These victims

deserve such courtesy

because they died for our country.

In addition,

I won’t forgive the related persons

who made confused books

and arranged workers randomly.

I will blame and punish them

and get to bottom of the matter.

Thank you, my lord. Thank you, my lord.

Stand up. Thank you, my lord.

All that

Lord Hua said

are formalities.

He even didn’t mention a time limit.

It seems I should press him.

All people,

all villagers,

what County Magistrate just said

shows his great love for you.

Let me tell you in common parlance.

Li Yuncong, a clerk of the Department of Revenue,

has been removed from his office

and degraded to be a general junior clerk official.

And the salaries of all the junior clerks of the Department of Revenue

will be cancelled for half a year.

They deserve it. They deserve it.

As Secretary Wang Ning is responsible for the Department of Revenue,

he is also to blame for this matter.

County Magistrate Assistant Xu Boyi

was forgetful of his duties in the matter of arranging workers randomly

and refused to admit he was wrong,

he is also to blame.

Lord Hua

won’t protect

his subordinates,

so he already impeached them.

Great.

What a good person!

What a good official!

And Lord Hua

will also submit the written statement to impeach himself,

showing he dares to take on the responsibility this time.

So all of you,

please continue to support our county magistrate,

ensure the smoothness of the post road

and reduce the worry of the Imperial Court.

Thank you, my lord. Thank you, my lord.

My lord,

I misunderstood you.

You’re really an honest and upright official.

You’re really a good official who loves us subjects as if we were your own children.

Distribute the death benefits.

Thank you.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you, my lord.

My lord, you’re really an honest and upright official.

I misunderstood you.

Thank you, my honest and upright lord.

You held public opinions hostage

and forced me.

What did you say, my lord?

Back then, you wanted

to get to bottom of the matter.

I just conveyed

your thought to the people.

My lord, as you know,

these people are uneducated.

What you said is so formal,

so they couldn’t understand.

Nonsense.

I won’t impeach County Magistrate Assistant Xu

and Secretary Wang.

If they closely question,

I’ll bear no responsibility.

Really?

My lord, your impeachment memorials

have been sent to the Capital City at high speed.

They were also copied to Tongren Prefecture and Guiyang Prefecture.

They were put down in black and white.

Even if you explain I did that without your permission,

will County Magistrate Assistant Xu and Secretary Wang believe?

What?

Zhou.

Show me the instrument of receipt of post station.

My lord.

My lord, read yourself.

It records

“A Memorial

to Impeach County Magistrate Assistant Xu

and Secretary Wang of Hu County”

and “A Memorial to Impeach Magistrate Hua Qingfeng of Hu County by Himself.”

They did pass the military posts.

At this time,

Tongren Prefecture, the nearest to us,

should receive them.

Impossible.

Without my official seal,

the memorials couldn’t be sent.

My lord, look carefully.

There are your official seals on them.

If not,

we don’t dare to cheat the military posts and the Imperial Court.

Well,

the official seal of my husband

has been kept by me.

At the critical moment,

I can handle affairs for him.

Do you think

my husband may tacitly approve he decides himself

or disclose me once he found?

My lord, please check

whether there is any problem with the two impeachment memorials.

If not,

I’ll affix my husband’s official seal to them.

I’ve checked.

There is no problem with them.

As long as you affix the official seal to them, they’ll be valid.

OK.

Impossible.

She must have done that.

Where should I hang this painting?

Darling,

how bold you are!

Master,

you are cowardly.

If I am not bold,

how can we keep a foothold

in Hu County?

How dare you submit memorials to the Imperial Court in my name!

Once it’s disclosed,

the consequences will can’t be imagined.

But how can

it spread?

What is done by night

appears by day.

Do you think others don’t know

even if you did that secretly?

I have a question for you.

If you admit you did that,

how can others know?

If someone really

asks you about it with the handwriting of the memorials,

you can say you asked me to write

as you were not yourself.

Unless you don’t want to admit you did that.

Once the two memorials are submitted,

I will offend County Magistrate Assistant Xu

and Secretary Wang openly.

There is no room for maneuvers again.

So what?

They subordinates

aren’t afraid of you, their superior.

How can you

be afraid of them?

So unreasonable.

I think you should

deal with them without further consideration.

So shortsighted.

So shortsighted.

Master,

I think

you can choose to find Xu Boyi and Wang Ning,

tell them

you didn’t write the memorials,

beg them to forgive you

and submit a memorial to the Imperial Court to explain the reason.

Then ask them to catch me

who wrote the memorials truly

or fight

with them

like a man.

My lord.

My lord, why not

fight with them truly?

Ye Xiaotian,

how bold you are!

How could you collude with my wife

to submit memorials to the Imperial Court in my name?

You should have done that.

As you refused,

I have to do it,

otherwise no one could do that.

You…

My lord,

you’re the true governor of the whole Hu County.

I don’t understand what you’re afraid of.

You have great righteousness in your hand.

Xu Boyi doesn’t dare to go against you openly.

My lord,

leave the rest to me.

I can ensure

if we make it,

it’s all your credit.

If not,

you can

shift the responsibility onto me.

Well.

My lord.

Master,

sweet or not?

Master, Cai told me

County Magistrate had submitted memorials to impeach you

on charges of dereliction of duty and oversight.

He also copied the contents of the memorials to Tongren Prefecture

and Guiyang Prefecture.

What?

Prepare a carriage for me.

Prepare a carriage now.

I’ll go to the post.

Yes.

Master.

I told you

we couldn’t underestimate

Ye Xiaotian.

But you weren’t alert enough.

It’s terrible.

The moment he came back,

he urged Hua Qingfeng to submit memorials to the Imperial Court

to impeach us.

Does County Magistrate really think

Ye Xiaotian can be his patron

after coming back?

It doesn’t matter.

Let them act first.

Listen.

Even if this matter is submitted to the Imperial Court,

it will be nothing serious.

Moreover,

we can take the military supplies guarantee as the excuse.

Do you think I am anxious

about Hua Qingfeng’s impeachment by submitting memorials?

I am afraid of Ye Xiaotian

who often acts unexpectedly.

You’ve dealt with him

for several times.

Don’t you know his character?

As a saying goes, a barking dog doesn’t bite.

But Ye Xiaotian

could strike a deadly blow

to us unemotionally.

What if Hua Qingfeng

cooperates with Ye Xiaotian?

Now that they offend us openly,

let’s fight with them truly.

It seems you have a well-thought-out plan.

Not exactly.

I have an idea.

My lord, don’t worry.

Most of the workers on the post road

are from Gao Village and Li Village.

I have already told

the village heads.

At least the villagers of the two villages

won’t make trouble.

Since you are with me,

I’ll rest assured.

What’s wrong?

My lord, here comes County Magistrate Hua.

County Magistrate Hua?

Invite him here quickly.

Yes.

Come on. Make way.

Make way.

My lord, here are my respects.

Now I formally announce

I’ll be solely responsible

for all the affairs of the post road

from today on

because of Xu Boyi’s mistake

during the construction of the post road

and the post road’s importance

to material transportation of the Imperial Court.

Captain Zhou?

My lord,

yes.

You are fully in charge of the management of the post road’s construction.

Yes.

You can go home.

The kind Lord Hua

gives you a leave of three days.

You can take a bath and put on clean clothes after going home

and take orders in the county yamen three days later.

Yes.

My lord,

the management of the post road’s construction

was handed over.

But County Magistrate Assistant Xu hasn’t known that.

How about telling him about it on the post road?

No.

Just ask someone to tell him.

Let’s go back to the county yamen first.

My lord,

from now on,

you can’t leave the post station for a moment.

Even if you make grand gestures,

you can’t leave, either

because if you leave now,

the credit of the post road’s construction

will be snatched away by Xu Boyi.

My lord,

don’t you want to regain the power which is supposed to belong to you?

If I have conflict with Xu Boyi,

it will be…

County Magistrate will go to the post station.

No.

Go.

My lord.

There’s something wrong.

County Magistrate Hua removed me from my office.

What?

He and Judicial Clerk Ye were leading some people here.

What were they doing here?

They said they’d be in charge of the post road’s construction.

Hua Qingfeng is cowardly.

How could he be so bold?

Don’t forget.

Ye Xiaotian is beside him.

Ye Xiaotian. Ye Xiaotian.

He is just a rascal.

Listen.

In this case,

I can cause him to make the mistake of delaying military supplies

by some means.

If he’s convicted of such a crime,

he’ll suffer a lot.

The heaven-daring Ye Xiaotian

acts unexpectedly.

We must beware of him.

My lord,

they will arrive at the gate soon.

I said I was sick at home,

so I can’t let him see me.

I…

I’ll leave from the back door.

My lord,

I’ll also avoid meeting him.

OK.

Yes.

Come on.

Come over.

My lord, go.

My lord.

If you move forward,

there is still a ray of life.

If you retreat,

we’ll waste all the previous efforts.

Go.

They’re coming.

Don’t retreat.

County Magistrate, here are my respects.

You are busy with official business,

you can ask someone to tell me if anything.

No need to bother to come personally.

Go. Go.

As there is a battle in the south,

it’s my most important

and only thing that matters

to ensure the smoothness of the post road.

So I must

be cautious.

I think County Magistrate Assistant Xu

has been working so hard

for many days,

so you’d better

take a rest in your yamen first.

From today on,

I’ll be fully responsible for the management of the post road.

My lord, I think it’s improper.

Why?

My lord,

I’ve been working here for over two months,

so I am so familiar

with here

and the generals and solders who come and go.

If you take over my work now,

you have to start from scratch.

If there is any mistake,

it’ll go against your original intention.

I’ve decided,

so you don’t need to make a lot of words.

County Magistrate Assistant Xu,

the Imperial Court ordered me directly

to ensure the smoothness of the post road by an official letter.

If there is anything wrong,

I must be fully responsible for it,

so I have

to work cautiously,

right?

Please be considerate

of my difficulties.

Since so,

I’ll leave.

Many clans live together here

and household registration is a mess.

There is something wrong with

the requisition of workers.

I’m thinking about how to solve it.

In this case,

why don’t you call on the people to name themselves

according to the customs of the Central Plains?

Change their names?

It shows the people care for the Imperial Court

and would like to receive education,

so it’ll be submitted to the emperor.

Lady,

it’s not easy

to change existed habits and customs.

I am afraid they won’t

change their minds easily.

You can temper justice with mercy

and hit on what they like.

Those who want to name themselves

to cooperate with the government to make household registration books

can be exempted from some tax and conscript labor.

Those who don’t want to

can’t be forced.

What matters is not how many people respond,

but from which you can see that

the people support the Imperial Court.

That’s the key.

Yuncong.

Yes.

I was driven back by County Magistrate.

Do you regret

working for me?

No.

I once did wrong,

so I won’t do wrong again.

Disloyal subordinates are the first big taboos in the official field.

I’ll serve you all the time.

Promising.

You can be my right hand.

Yuncong, don’t worry.

I’ll let you see the day that Ye Xiaotian falls down.

You’ll also be reinstated by me.

Do you have an idea?

Ye Xiaotian

is no match for me.

I can deal

with him easily.

This memorial, made by me and Secretary Wang,

will be submitted to the emperor.

If His Majesty adopts it,

it’ll be a great educational way.

Since so,

why do you

share the credit with Wang?

You should submit it to the emperor in your name.

Enter the water now.

Yunfei.

Are you Yunfei?

Tao Tao.

I often hear about you from our young lord Daheng.

He asked me to be the stewardess here.

Are you going to wash clothes?

Let, let me help you.

No, thanks.

I, I can do it myself.

It doesn’t matter.

Let me help you.

Anyway, I’ll also wash my clothes.

Go to mind your own business.

Hu County yamen

Li,

is County Magistrate Assistant inside?

Hush.

He is.

Since he was driven out of the post station,

he has been in a bad mood.

Watch your language

when you go in later.

I see.

My lord, here is your official letter.

What’s wrong?

Is County Magistrate Assistant crazy

due to long-term restrictions?

Come on.

Come.

Here.

Go. Quickly.

Well.

You’re just in time.

You’re just in time.

Zhang Cheng.

Yes.

Well,

inform the Department of Revenue

to pave the road from the outside of the northern city to the city

flat and wide.

And summon

the craftsmen to paint our county yamen.

Yes.

Wu Jiayu.

Yes.

Inform the Department of Revenue

to choose the kind and good people.

We’ll hold a grand welcome activity.

And ask them

to choose

more people of ethnic groups

who can wear the clothes of their ethnic groups

by then.

By the way,

ask the Department of Revenue

to invite the gentry of our county

to take part in the activity.

OK.

OK.

What happened?

Li Yuncong,

let’s make a notice later.

Tomorrow morning, you have to go to the countryside

with some people

to call the precinct heads

and district heads of the villages

and the heads

of Gao Village

and Li Village.

Well,

Qu Xin,

go to inform constables

to strength patrol.

Strength patrol

to ensure the safety of our county.

Drive away those refugees and beggars

to avoid presenting an ugly appearance.

My lord,

calm down.

You…

Let me take you

to see a doctor first, OK?

Well,

I am not sick.

Why do I go to see a doctor?

Well…

Yes.

You are not sick.

You are indeed not sick.

Then let’s

go to visit a doctor.

Yes.

Go. Go.

Go. Let’s go, my lord.

Come on. Let’s visit a doctor.

Let’s visit a doctor.

My lord. Come on. My lord.

Let me go.

My lord.

Well, Xu Xin, are you crazy?

Why do I have to visit a doctor?

Do you think I am crazy?

Listen.

My memorial on changing the existing habits and customs

was adopted by His Majesty.

Well, read.

Read.

Read.

An imperial envoy will attend a ceremony in our county soon.

Congratulations, my lord, that’s a success.

Congratulations, my lord. Congratulations, my lord.

What a piece of good news. What a piece of good news, my lord.

Congratulations, my lord.

Congratulations, my lord.

Thank you for your congratulation.

Coming.

Stop knocking.

Who are you?

Please inform your master

I have something urgent to tell him.

Tell me who you are

so that I can judge whether

my master will see you.

Cut the crap.

As long as you tell him County Magistrate’s wife is here,

he’ll meet us.

I see.

Madam, please.

My lord, County Magistrate’s wife…

I see.

Take her to have a rest in the guest room.

Yes.

Judicial Clerk Ye.

Madam, here are my respects.

Judicial Clerk Ye, don’t stand on ceremony.

I’m here to discuss something urgent with you.

Why don’t you dress like a man today?

There is something urgent,

so I have no time to change my clothes.

Madam, please be seated first.

Judicial Clerk Ye,

I was just informed that

Xu Boyi had submitted a memorial

about changing the existing habits and customs

and letting the people name themselves according to the Han style to the Imperial Court without telling my husband.

The Imperial Court adopted it.

You also know

since the founding of Hu County,

my husband has had mediocre political achievements,

arousing the dissatisfaction of the Imperial Court.

Now Xu Boyi directly submitted a memorial about changing the existing habits and customs

without telling my husband.

This matter is a big political achievement

which can win public support and show good education.

His Majesty attached great importance to it

and already sent an imperial envoy here.

He will arrive at our county seat in a few days.

Xu Boyi is so capable

that he could cater

to the wishes of His Majesty, so far away from us,

by flattering.

Yes.

As you know,

my husband is the highest superior of Hu County.

If he makes it

without my husband,

my husband’s future will be affected.

Is your news true?

Was his memorial to the Imperial Court

adopted by His Majesty?

It’s true, my lord.

Our county yamen is open

and nothing can be hid.

Moreover,

Xu Boyi made it public personally.

Go.

My lord,

where will we go?

Ye’s mansion.

Ye’s mansion.

Quickly.

Madam,

calm down.

In fact, I already

knew that.

You already knew that?

In fact, I was waiting

Xu Boyi to act.

I didn’t expect

this would be his room for maneuver.

Madam,

I knew he had submitted

the memorial

without writing the name of Secretary Wang.

And Secretary Wang is so irritated.

Who is Secretary Wang?

He is a local bully.

And I am on friendly terms with

Gao Village and Li Village.

So as long as I can cooperate with Secretary Wang,

It will be easy for me

to cause Xu Boyi trouble.

What a despicable creature!

He actually submitted the memorial without writing my name.

My lord,

Xu Boyi asked us

to inform the gentry,

the village heads and the kind and good people we choose

to welcome the imperial envoy.

What do you think?

Act as he said.

OK.

Who are you?

I’m surnamed Zhou,

the head constable of this county’s police precinct.

This is the magistrate of our county.

I have something urgent.

Lead me to see Judicial Clerk Ye now.

Lead the way now.

Yes. My lord, please.

Please.

It’s terrible.

There is a female guest in my master’s room.

Here comes County Magistrate.

So…

Why is my husband here? Why is he here?

Then, madam…

No.

If he knows

I come to you without discussion

with him alone,

he’ll get angry.

Moreover, it’s late at night.

We’re in a room alone.

Well,

find me a place to hide for the moment,

OK?

Well…

My lord.

Here.

Guard at the door

when I discuss with Judicial Clerk Ye.

Don’t let others get close to the room.

Yes, my lord.

My lord.

My lord. My lord.

My lord.

There is something wrong. There is something wrong.

My lord.

What happened? Why are you so anxious?

Xu Boyi submitted a memorial

about changing names and customs

to the Imperial Court without telling me.

The imperial envoy the Imperial Court appointed

will arrive at our county soon.

My lord, calm down.

In fact, I already

knew that.

In fact,

now the Imperial Court shows such a grand scene.

Once there is a mistake,

Xu Boyi will

lose the bait along with the fish.

Do you have an idea?

Yes,

I do.

But it’s safer

if we can cooperate with Secretary Wang.

If you also agree,

I’ll meet him

tomorrow morning.

If we work together

we can let Xu Boyi

dead loss this time.

Why is it like the style of Ya?

It’s really the painting of Ya.

It’s the dress

of Ya.

My lord.

My lord.

What do you think of my idea?

OK.

Since you agree with it,

assume personal command on the post road first, please.

Yes.

I should go back.

I should go back.

Let me see you off.

Judicial Clerk Ye,

let’s act according to what we just discussed.

We share weal and woe,

so please spare no efforts, Judicial Clerk Ye.

If you need my help,

please tell me directly.

Madam, don’t worry.

We won’t

let Xu Boyi succeed.

Thank you so much today.

It’s late.

I’ll leave.

Madam, see you.

My lord,

slowly.

Wait for me here.

I’ll go back to the inside yamen.

We’ll go to the post station later.

Yes.

Darling. Darling.

It’s her.

It must have been her.

Slut.

Bitch couple.

They actually convey their affection by paintings.

He gave her a painting of lofty mountains and flowing water, regarding her as a bosom friend.

She gave him a painting of orchids, showing her admiration for him.

Hua Qingfeng.

What a loser!

You are a powerless official

and incompetent man who even can’t control your wife.

Powerless

and incompetent.

How disgraced!

How do you have the nerve to live in this world?

Master, you’re back.

Master.

Master, you’re back.

Darling,

where did you go?

I was looking for you everywhere.

I went to the warehouse.

I have nothing to do at home,

so I came to sort out something.

Why are you back?

Judicial Clerk Ye had something urgent to discuss with me,

so I went down the mountain.

I’m here to see you by the way.

Master,

it’s late.

Since you’re back,

sleep at home tonight.

OK?

Xu Boyi hopes I make a mistake in the management of the post road,

so I won’t.

I’ll go back to the post station.

I won’t be worry after seeing you.

Ye Xiaotian, Wang Ning, Xu Boyi.

I won’t let

you, dirty villains, go.

My lord.

Go to the post station.

OK.

Lord Xu, here are my respects.

The imperial envoy

will arrive at our county soon.

Well,

this is the budget for repairing of the road and renovation of the governmental houses.

Appropriate the money in place before noon.

Don’t be delay.

Lord Xu,

there is no approval of County Magistrate

or the signature of Secretary Wang.

I am afraid it doesn’t meet the rule.

Why?

Remember.

The receipt document was sent to me by the Ministry of Rites directly.

I’ll be solely responsible for all the matters about the imperial envoy,

such as welcome and reception, naturally.