Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[Destined]

[Episode 31]

He's dead?

Zhou Kai was a Treasury official.

He retired due to illness three years ago,

and passed away a year ago.

Since he worked for the Ministry of Revenue for 20 years,

Minister Lu even gave his household

ten taels of silver himself

for the funeral.

What about Liu Zhe?

He retired and returned to his hometown.

He should be able to be found.

The war two years ago

affected his residence.

The village was destroyed,

and he went missing.

What a coincidence.

The people we're looking for

either got executed for corruption,

or defected because of the war

and are unaccounted for.

Whoever we want to find

would be dead and not be able to provide testimony.

It's more like

it's exactly because they died

that the clues were put on them.

I didn't expect that

they embezzled 15 million taels of silver.

I thought

even if they got their hands

on the ledgers of the past years,

they wouldn't be able to balance the books.

Who would have thought about this?

We underestimated them.

There's one more thing we can investigate.

It couldn't be easy

for them to balance the 15 million taels

without anyone knowing.

The person who compiled the ledger

is a clue.

My Lord.

What are you doing?

My clothes! My table cloth!

Go away!

These are all Suzhou embroidery.

My clothes...

Don't I feel bad about it too?

But what's the point?

We still have to burn them.

Money

is worldly possession after all.

If these things

are found out by them,

our whole family

will be executed.

Is Gu Jiusi who's investigating the case

really that stubborn?

Why don't you go see him in his mansion?

Instead of burning these things,

why don't you give him some

and ask him to look the other way?

Isn't that better?

Women's opinion

is so foolish.

Go see him?

Do you want to hand him

the evidence of my bribery?

Burn it.

Burn it.

Deputy Minister.

Minister Lu wants to see you.

Who?

Who's that?

Are you Sun He?

I'm Gu Jiusi, Deputy Minister of Revenue.

I'm here for business.

Pardon me.

Please come in.

Mother.

Make some tea for our guest.

Your residence is really remote.

Only you and your mother live here?

What do you mean by this?

Didn't Liu Chun send you here

to kill me?

Cut it out.

What?

What do you mean he's not there?

The house was empty.

Sun He and his mother

have left.

His mother is seriously ill.

He's just a weak scholar.

Where can they go?

According to his neighbor who's been watching him,

this morning, a young man

went to see Sun He.

He disappeared after that.

This time,

I failed to kill Sun He.

If he falls into

Gu Jiusi's hands...

Deputy Minister.

Someone delivered

Deputy Minister Gu's invitation.

He wants to invite you to have a drink

at Lefeng Restaurant tonight.

[Invitation]

Gu Jiusi?

Master.

This Cold-Food Powder can capture people's mind,

make them hallucinate

and become irritable.

Is the effect reliable?

This is the top-grade product

refined from the essence stone of the Western Regions.

As long as the Crown Prince takes it continuously

for more than a month,

it's ten times more effective than

the common Five-Mineral Powder.

This is its unique incense.

As long as you put this incense in the incense burner,

the effect of Cold-Food Powder

will increase several times.

It will make him completely lose his mind.

How long can the effect last?

It can last for several hours.

However,

as long as he drinks the antidote,

he will come to his senses immediately.

Here.

I've been working with you for so long, Deputy Minister Gu.

But we've never had dinner alone.

I wonder

why you are in the mood today?

Since we are colleagues,

we're supposed to get more acquainted.

Deputy Minister Liu,

you also took extra care of

your former subordinate

Sun He today, didn't you?

If you confess

all the details

of Lu Yong and other important court officials embezzling the treasury money,

I'll keep you alive.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know anything.

Get out.

I'll call you if I need anything.

Yes.

Liu Chun.

Think about it.

If I really want you to die,

I can hand Sun He's evidence

directly over to His Majesty.

You will die for sure.

And Lu Yong

will definitely give you up to protect himself.

We have no grudge.

What I want is to get the treasury money back.

My target is Lu Yong.

I'm here

to give you a chance

and spare your life.

Deputy Minister Gu.

I promise you.

I'll testify against Lu Yong

in court tomorrow.

But you must keep your promise.

Don't forget what you promised me.

Don't worry.

Thank you, Deputy Minister Liu.

Greetings, Grand Tutor.

Greetings, Your Highness.

Deputy Minister Liu.

What did Gu Jiusi

say to you just now?

Tell me everything.

Your Highness.

It was just

drinking and chatting between colleagues.

It's not worth listening.

Deputy Minister Liu.

Are you seeing clearly

who the man

in front of you is?

This is the Crown Prince.

The future emperor.

You still don't want to tell us the truth?

We...

We really didn't talk about anything important.

It was just grumbling after drinking.

I forgot what I said after I said it.

Stop pretending!

Liu Chun.

Do you think I don't know that

Gu Jiusi came to talk to you

about the embezzlement of the treasury money?

Your Highness, I'm innocent.

I drank too much today.

I'm afraid that I might offend you.

I shall take my leave.

I'm leaving.

Did I

permit you to leave?

Your Highness.

Liu Chun.

You really don't

take His Highness

seriously, do you?

You...

Will you say it or not?

Your Highness.

This...

The treasury case

is Gu Jiusi's duty.

Why bother

to interfere?

Liu Chun, how dare you!

Do you think what His Highness said

is not as effective as Gu Jiusi's words?

Is that so?

No.

Do you think

His Majesty would rather trust an outsider

than

his own son?

No.

He can investigate,

and I can't?

That's not what I meant.

What do you mean then?

Liu Chun.

You keep contradicting

and despising His Highness.

You even insinuated that

His Highness is not as good as a deputy minister.

How dare you!

Why do you trust

Gu Jiusi so much

and side with him?

Say it.

I'll say it.

Gu Jiusi

promised that he would keep

me and my family alive.

Everything I have

is in his hands.

I could only choose to trust him.

Your Highness.

Gu Jiusi will protect you?

You trust him so much.

I'll see

how he can protect you today.

Your Highness, calm down.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

How could you be so impulsive?

Look what you've done.

I... I killed him.

Your Highness.

We can't let anyone know about this.

Go!

Go!

Go!

Go!

Mingyi.

Yes.

Got it.

My Lady.

It's almost 3 a.m.

It's almost dawn.

Let me take you to bed, My Lady.

I don't know why,

but I feel uneasy.

I feel so upset.

It's done.

Liu Chun has agreed

to testify against Lu Yong

in court tomorrow,

and hand over all the evidence of the treasury case

and the whereabouts of the money.

We can finally give His Majesty

and the people

a satisfactory answer.

Deputy Minister Gu.

Come with us.

What happened?

Liu Chun, Deputy Minister of Revenue,

went to Lefeng Restaurant

at your invitation, right?

What's wrong?

Is having dinner with my colleague

a sin?

Liu Chun is dead.

[Imperial Prison]

Uncle.

You're here wining and dining,

while your nephew is suffering.

It's inappropriate, isn't it?

Little Jiusi.

You asked for the suffering

yourself.

I told you

to stop investigating,

but you wouldn't listen.

You got imprisoned

a few days earlier than I thought.

Looks like

you worked quite hard for your investigation.

Since you knew I would be imprisoned,

how about you tell me

when I can get out?

This is the Imperial Prison.

Once you come in,

don't think about getting out any time soon.

Take things as they come.

Stop thinking about it.

Have a drink with me.

Here.

Take it.

No food?

I can smell it.

Good wine.

Liu Chun died

right after we got some clues of the treasury case.

And Jiusi became the murderer.

This is clearly a trap.

Since it's a frame-up,

we can definitely find a way

to prove Jiusi's innocence.

But he's gone to jail.

He's only a step away from death.

What if

he's already beaten up in the prison

before we can find any evidence?

I want to see him.

I want to make sure his safe.

Okay.

Brother Jiusi.

Don't do that.

When you call me that,

I feel a toothache.

I heard that you are in prison, Deputy Minister Gu.

I felt uneasy,

so I came to check on you.

Since you've seen me,

please leave.

I didn't expect that you'd

end up like this, Deputy Minister Gu.

You are punished for murder,

but you're still so calm.

Your Highness.

Please go ahead if you have something to say.

I have a way to get you out.

[Death-exemption Plate]

His Majesty managed to ascend the throne

without going through battles.

It's all thanks to my mother's support.

This

is not a secret.

Since His Majesty is lenient,

he returned the favor

by keeping our dignified positions.

He also gave me and Mother

a death-exemption plate.

The royal

family members

can be exempted from death with this,

unless it's mutiny.

Brother Jiusi.

You know what I want.

If you become my consort,

no matter whether you killed Liu Chun or not,

it'll no longer be a problem.

Your Highness.

I've already told you that

I have a wife.

We love each other very much.

My wife is

the best woman in the world.

No one can compare with her.

Even the princess?

Even Your Highness.

Deputy Minister Gu.

Do you know how many court officials

are waiting to use this opportunity

to knock you into the mud?

What can your wife

who can't even operate a rouge shop

do for you now?

The lower-class a person is,

the more casual their marriage is.

The higher-class you want to be,

the more you should pay attention to lineage.

Liu Yuru...

It's Liu Yuru, right?

She is a nice person.

But she was born a commoner,

and she became a merchant.

She's unpresentable after all.

Deputy Minister Gu.

You are a smart man.

You should have a bright future.

You should know

what's better for you.

You're a descendant of the royal family,

Your Highness.

But now,

you end up using your noble identity

as a bargaining chip

to discuss the pros and cons of marriage

with me, an official who used to be a merchant.

I feel sorry for you.

Gu Jiusi, how presumptuous you are!

If I'm not,

how could I end up here?

I'm afraid you have no idea

what kind of person

I, Gu Jiusi, am.

Regarding marriage as a business.

Even merchants wouldn't do that.

Your Highness,

you really opened my eyes.

Who do you think you are,

pointing fingers at Yuru?

My Yuru

devotes herself to helping others.

She helped many people,

and saved many people.

Wherever she goes,

she brings hope there.

What about you?

Have you ever made money?

Have you done anything

for others and the world?

You've been enjoying the grains produced by the people,

but have you ever worried about them, for even a while?

Princess is not only a title.

Just like His Majesty,

you have many responsibilities to shoulder.

Although Yuru

is not a princess,

I treat her as my treasure.

I, Gu Jiusi,

will never marry another woman in my life.

Gu Jiusi.

I like you.

You may not be grateful,

but how dare you insult me like this?

You like me?

Really?

Your Highness.

I know

exactly who I am.

What do you mean?

Do I have to

make it so clear?

Fine.

The Empress Dowager and Princess of the previous dynasty.

How long do you think you can enjoy your honor

in the new emperor's capital?

Now you're at

the right age to get married.

If you keep delaying,

when we start to fight Northern Liang,

you will definitely be sent there for marriage alliance.

That's why you're in such a hurry, right?

But in Eastern Capital,

you can't marry someone with a complex background,

someone from an established noble family,

someone who's from an inferior family,

or someone incapable.

Looks like

I'm the only suitable one,

even though I'm in decline.

Marrying someone like me sounds nice.

And I don't have much money,

so I'm easy to control.

As for me as a person,

I'm smart and good-looking,

and I'm quite promising.

Do you think I'm shameless?

I am.

Your Highness.

It's not wrong

to plan

for your marriage and your future.

But what's wrong is

to treat others as dirt,

or

as a tool to achieve your own goals.

Even only for this reason,

we are not the same kind of people.

And you are

a far cry from my wife.

Gu Jiusi.

You'll regret it.

See you.

You are unromantic, Little Jiusi.

You really didn't

get any of

my romantic temperament from me.

When did you wake up?

You heard everything?

Such a beautiful girl.

She can help you ascend to power smoothly,

but you turned her down.

What a pity.

Her Highness must haven't gone far.

If you want to,

you can be the consort.

This way,

she can let us out,

and I can call her aunt.

No need.

It's peaceful in here.

I can see

what happens out there clearly.

[Imperial Prison]

Here.

What's up?

Everything is ready.

Don't worry.

Let's go.

Jiusi.

Jiusi.

Yuru.

Are you okay?

What is it with Liu Chun?

I'm sorry. It's my fault.

I made you worry again.

Why are you talking about this now?

You know court affairs

more thoroughly than me.

What should I do now?

Show me the way.

No matter who framed me,

they are targeting the Treasury.

There are two things

I need you to do for me.

First,

ask Munan to take you outside the city

to find a man named Sun He.

He's the key witness of the treasury case.

Second,

Liu Chun was murdered at Lefeng Restaurant.

Go check there to see

if there are any clues

to prove my innocence.

Okay.

Look.

If you agreed

to be Her Highness's consort,

you wouldn't have to go through so much trouble.

Who would agree to Her Highness's offer?

Don't listen to him.

I know.

I trust you.

Greetings, Uncle. I'm Yuru.

What you said just now

is wrong, Uncle.

I believe Jiusi is innocent.

I also believe that His Majesty is perspicacious.

When the truth comes out,

Jiusi will be alright.

There's no need for him to make a deal with Her Highness.

Besides,

when people gather for profit,

they'll break up when there's no more profit.

If Jiusi becomes the consort,

maybe

he can get out of jail.

But since Li Yunchang

can get Jiusi

out of jail and become a noble consort for now,

in the future,

she can order Jiusi to bow down to the nobility

in the name of the royal family.

Jiusi cares about the people.

He is not a snobbish man.

I don't want to see him

lose his original intention either.

I didn't expect that

Liu Yuru

is a girl

with such bearing.

It's really interesting.

I'm flattered, Uncle.

It will take some time

before I can prove Jiusi innocent.

You must have a plan

since you've been staying here in peace.

It's hard for me to guess.

I just hope that

you can take care of Jiusi for the next couple of days.

I, Yuru, thank you, Uncle.

♫I borrowed moonlight♫

♫From fireflies♫

♫It stopped on the branches♫

♫I used it to decorate your smile♫

♫I also want to hold your hand♫

Little Jiusi.

You have good taste.

No wonder you didn't fall for Her Highness.

♫And admire the plum blossom which is covered by snow♫

Enough is enough.

Come at me if you want to say something.

♫It's a seemingly♫

Don't mess with my wife.

♫Young people's tour♫

He's all mumbo jumbo.

Don't mind him.

I think,

♫The pear blossom accompanies the spring breeze♫

in fact, Uncle is easy to get along with.

Really?

♫I forgot the things in the world all of a sudden♫

♫Everyone thinks life is like a dream♫

It's time for you to leave.

♫How much do I miss you?♫

I'm leaving.

I brought you something.

♫I've seen you here before♫

The guards will give it to you.

♫One night, we sat together to write poems and drink alcohol♫

Take care of yourself.

You too.

♫Another spring and autumn came♫

♫I saw the sun, the moon, and the stars outside the window♫

♫The wind blows and the moon sways. My heart is beating♫

Why did you go visit Gu Jiusi

in jail again?

I was trying to

win him over,

in the hope that he can be used as a pawn by you in the future, Mother.

I didn't expect

that he'd be so stubborn.

Forget it.

He has to go.

Mother.

But after all,

he's our best pawn for now.

Do you really want him dead?

You just like

his appearance, right?

A man's appearance

can be delusional.

It will make you stupid.

In the future,

when we have a stable position

in the imperial court,

there won't be any man that you can't get.

You are right, Mother.

Your Majesty.

As for the case of Gu Jiusi murdering Liu Chun,

the Ministry of Justice has already

[Minister of Justice, Hu Pan]

dug out bloody clothes and weapons from his backyard.

The bloody clothes

are exactly what Gu Jiusi wore

on the night he met with Liu Chun.

The weapon

also matches

the fatal injury on Liu Chun's body.

There's a waiter from Lefeng Restaurant

as witness.

He saw

Gu Jiusi had an argument with Liu Chun with his own eyes.

He also heard them say words like

"Help!" and "kill".

Several imperial guards on duty

also provided their testimony.

According to them,

Gu Jiusi and Liu Chun

have always been on bad terms as colleagues.

Gu Jiusi always complained about Liu Chun

for making things difficult for him

in procedures.

In that case,

we have everything

from physical evidence

and witnesses

to motive.

According to the rules of the Ministry of Justice,

this case can be closed.

Close the case?

Deputy Minister Gu is one of His Majesty's favorite,

and he has great military achievements.

He has a bright future.

At this moment,

would he kill his colleague

for some trivial disagreements?

I think you are talking nonsense.

Please judge wisely, Your Majesty.

I

dare not argue with the Magistrate Zhou.

In Ministry of Justice,

we decide cases based on evidence.

Can't evidence be forged?

I've long heard about

the tricks of you officials.

Your Majesty.

In my opinion,

Gu Jiusi giving up his bright future

and killing someone for trivial matters.

This

is the most suspicious thing.

Your Majesty.

Deputy Minister Gu is an important talent for our country.

I don't want to believe

he would do such a thing, either.

It's just that Deputy Minister Gu

has always been irritable since he was young.

A few years ago,

due to an altercation,

he broke the leg of

the son of the Commissioner of Yangzhou.

This was all over the place.

Everyone in Yangzhou knows about it.

So I think

it's also traceable that

Deputy Minister Gu would kill someone

out of anger.

Nonsense!

No.

I have something to say.

Your Majesty.

What Grand Tutor said is purely hearsay.

It can't be trusted.

Besides, on the day of the incident,

I happened to be there.

I can say I witnessed it myself.

Wang Rong, son of the commissioner,

was a bully.

He did all kinds of evil deeds.

He humiliated Deputy Minister Gu's wife

in front of everyone.

But it should have been dealt with according to the law.

He shouldn't have violated the law

and taken care of it himself impulsively.

Your Majesty.

I can testify.

There was no such thing

as the law

in Yangzhou back then.

Enough.

Father.

I have something to say.

Go ahead.

Father.

As for the case of Gu Jiusi

murdering the court official,

we have both physical evidence and witnesses.

The case is already clear.

In my humble opinion,

the new dynasty has just been established.

Reward and punishment should be dispensed fairly.

We shouldn't break the rule

just because Gu Jiusi

made his contributions to Da Xia.

You mean

you want me to execute Gu Jiusi as well?

In order to stabilize the court

and console the officials,

I want to request you

to decide it according to the law, Father.

The Empress Dowager is here!

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Give a seat.

Your Majesty.

I heard that you are not feeling well recently.

Why aren't you resting in your palace?

Your Majesty.

I'm not here today

to interfere with court affairs

as the Empress Dowager.

I'm here to seek justice

as your elder, Your Majesty.

Liu Chun's wife

is the daughter of my cousin.

Liu Chun

can count as half a nephew to me.

He has been a court official for many years.

He devoted himself to the country

and never slacked off.

But he was cruelly assassinated.

Today,

I'll risk my dignity

to ask Your Majesty to handle it impartially.

Execute Gu Jiusi

according to the law of Da Xia.

Your Majesty.

This is not deserved.

Your Majesty.

If the murderer is not executed,

I

won't be able to sleep.

From now on,

I will be too ashamed

to see my mother's family.

Please judge wisely, Your Majesty.

I've been in charge of the Ministry of Justice

and followed the rules.

Every case

is evidence-based.

On the contrary, after Gu Jiusi was imprisoned,

there have been people asking around for his release.

What I'm afraid of is that

if the Ministry of Justice doesn't decide cases based on evidence,

but on

speculation, contribution, and favors

and lets the murderer go,

it will really disappoint all my fellow officials

and the people.

Please follow the law of Da Xia

and execute Gu Jiusi in three days

to console Deputy Minister Liu's soul.

I second it.

I agree.

Do it according to the law.

Grand Tutor.

Are we sure that

Gu Jiusi's case can't be overturned?

The reports asking for severe punishment on Gu Jiusi

are piling on His Majesty's desk

like snow flakes.

They won't let it go

if it isn't done.

Besides,

Her Majesty

gave that speech today.

She condescended so much for it.

If His Majesty still

defends Gu Jiusi publicly in spite of all this,

he will definitely be alienating the old officials of Eastern Capital,

and falling out with the Empress Dowager.

But Gu Jiusi's men

are favored by His Majesty.

Since His Majesty is willing to save him,

they may mediate in private.

We won't know about it.

Does Father really

trust Gu Jiusi that much?

Before His Majesty ascended the throne,

the Gu family helped him.

His Majesty

values Gu Jiusi very much.

In public,

he regards him as his right-hand man.

In private, he treats him as his nephew.

This relationship

cannot be underestimated.

In public,

His Majesty has to follow

the rules he set.

But he might find a way

to help Gu Jiusi get away with it

in secret.

It's his duty

to serve the country as an official.

Father received his help

for once,

so he'd be threatened to return the favor

for the rest of his life?

Grand Tutor.

Think of a way for me.

Although His Majesty values this relationship,

he values you more, Your Highness.

You need to

speak to him

yourself, Your Highness.

Your Majesty.

The carriage is ready.

It's waiting at Qinghe Gate.

Your Highness.

Yu'er.

Where are you going, Father?

Are you going to see Gu Jiusi?

Father, you can't go.

Why are you stopping me, Yu'er?

I'm stopping you

for the same reason

as I proposed to

execute Gu Jiusi in court.

Father, you are the Emperor.

What you should think about

is the great plan of the world.

If you always side with the old officials of Youzhou,

it will only make the officials of Eastern Capital

unsatisfied, Father.

And the country will be disunited.

Yu'er, you have a point.

It's just that

Gu Jiusi did a great favor

for the people of Wangdu.

I can't forget where I started.

To me, Gu Jiusi

is also like an elder brother.

Even better than a brother.

I'm as worried as you

at this moment.

However, you have handed this case over

to the Ministry of Justice, Father.

All the procedures

will be handled by the law of Da Xia.

If you meet with the criminal in private at this time

and get caught by someone,

it may not affect you, Father,

but it would be setting Gu Jiusi

on fire.

It's no good

to the investigation of the case itself at all.

Father.

Yu'er.

You've grown up.

You have a lot

on your mind.

I

have always been willing to share your burden, Father.

You may leave.

Go check

where the Crown Prince

has been recently,

and who he has been with.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Who are you?

[Deputy Minister of Revenue]

[Report Letter: Wang Youcai from Cihu Village hereby reports that Lu Yong, Minister of Revenue, and his gang embezzled the treasury money.]

I thought with Liu Chun pleading guilty,

this will be over.

But someone still got ahead of us.

We can't let anything go wrong

with Sun He.

Keep it safe.

Zhou Ye asked his eldest brother and second brother

to find the waiter

who committed perjury

using the military intelligence network.

Are you the waiter from Lefeng Restaurant,

Zhao Xiaohe?

Committing perjury and

slandering an imperial official

is a capital offense.

He did take money from the Ministry of Justice

and was about to run away.

Here.

This was found

in the room where Liu Chun was murdered

by Young Master Ye and Shen Ming.