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"Go Ahead Fearlessly" - Liu Yuning

♫ Grudges and karma, right and wrong ♫

♫ The past hides blood and tears ♫

♫ It is hard to catch up after years of separation ♫

♫ The truth cannot be fully revealed ♫

♫ Fate is full of twists and turns ♫

♫ Life and death, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand ♫

♫ Obsession is hard to get rid of, keeping the truth and getting rid of the lies, let the wind blow ♫

♫ Tossed about by the wind and rain, I will never regret it, I will accompany you for my whole life ♫

♫ At least you share my joy and sorrow ♫

♫ Unravelling fate, fearlessly, a dream returns ♫

♫ The mountains and rivers are bright and beautiful, holding hands, together we return ♫

♫ In this life, my heart returns untainted of dust and ash ♫

[Melody of Golden Age]

[Episode 22]

[Naturally Gifted and Refined]

Sixth Sister is married.

And Third Sister is about to get married soon.

My Fourth Daughter, you refuse to go home with your husband so resolutely.

What are you going to do here at your maiden home?

My husband asks me to go home simply because he wants me

to live my desolate life that appears splendid for the reputation of the two families.

How is it any different from before?

Why can't I be like Sixth Sister and focus on studying to pursue a career path?

Even if I'm only an embroideress, I'll be making a living on my own.

But a divorced woman will inevitably be judged.

The reputation of our Yan family will be tarnished.

Even your sisters will be looked down upon by their husbands because of you.

Father, I grew up listening to you emphasizing the reputation of the Yan family.

The Yan family's reputation is indeed important.

But the price is too high if we have to sacrifice Fourth Sister's happiness.

Our family has gone through so much these days.

It wasn't our reputation that got us over these troubles.

Wife, please take a seat.

Father, Young Master Han surely won't look down on me because Fourth Sister gets divorced.

Nor would Great Chief look down on Sixth Sister for this.

As long as we don't belittle Fourth Sister, who would look down on her?

Caiwei is right.

My Lord, we've finally settled down

and managed to live a peaceful life in Xiang'an.

Why should we make the children suffer just for our reputation?

When a girl grows up, she’s beyond her father’s control.

As for the future,

you can decide for yourself.

Thank you, Father.

- Welcome, Jinzang! - Academician Yan.

Please come inside. Please come inside.

Here's a small gift.

- Academician Yan, Congratulations! - Please come in.

- Please come in. - Come on in.

Come, let’s sit inside.

- Sixth Daughter. Your Younger Uncle! - Younger Uncle!

Minister Zhang!

Please come in.

- Minister Zhang, please take the seat of honor. - That's wrong!

Shiyuan.

- I'm here just to… - You should sit on the groom's side.

That's right! The groom's side! The groom's side!

- That's right. - Of course, the groom's side.

Why isn't the wedding starting?

Sixth Miss, did your father really agree to Fourth Miss's divorce?

This time, he actually values his child over his reputation.

That's good.

When it's your turn to get divorced, your father will be used to it.

Me?

Your three-month deal with the White Ghost is almost up.

Why are you reluctant to get ready?

White Ghost won't make things hard for you. Right?

Why hasn't he come yet?

Vice Minister Lai. Please come inside.

The wedding is starting without the guests?

How can we start without you?

What's wrong? I serve in the court together with Academician Yan and you.

You are welcome here, but I'm not?

Besides, when Third Miss Yan was dying from the poison of Chen Huo'e,

I provided her with the antidote.

I basically saved her life.

Why can't I come to her wedding...

for a cup of wine?

You want a cup of wine?

Naturally, we will serve you.

Great Chief Shen. Vice Minister Lai.

I apologize for the inadequate reception.

Today is...

my younger brother's wedding.

I am truly grateful to have both of you here.

Why don't we get seated first and catch up later? What do you think?

That's enough.

I brought the wedding gift and won't disturb you any further.

Great Chief Shen, I take my leave.

Thank you for coming to my daughter's wedding today.

Your presence lights up this humble abode!

That's right.

- Please be seated. - Take your seats.

Please.

The auspicious moment is upon us.

[Happiness]

Good.

Prime Minister Zhang didn't bother my father with the civil officer appointment.

Was it because you helped?

No.

Really?

Thank you.

Urgent report from Gannandao!

Urgent report from Gannandao!

Grand Empress Dowager, an urgent report from Gannandao.

Gannandao?

Yingzhou Governor Mo Qianzhi submitted a memorial,

stating that there have been cases of cannibalism committed by a "Half-faced Demon".

What?

They say the Half-faced Demon acts when the victim is unconscious

and eats only one part of the human body at a time.

The victims wake up, finding themselves missing some limbs.

This is absurd.

In this transparent and harmonious world, how can this calamity be tolerated?

At first glance, it's truly terrifying.

But if we think about it, it shares some striking resemblance

with the Chen Huo'e case.

It's a fraud revolving around supernatural powers.

May Your Majesty's wisdom be the judge.

Rumors abound only when the truth is not clear.

I believe the top priority is to send someone capable to Gannandao as soon as possible

to assist Mo Qianzhi in unraveling the truth and quelling the rumors.

Wan'er,

who do you think

is the most suitable for this job?

Perhaps Your Majesty has already made the decision in your heart.

Clever girl.

Grand Empress Dowager, they have arrived.

- I, Shen Du, pay my respects, Your Majesty. - I, Yan Xing, pay my respects, Your Majesty.

Great Chief Shen.

[The Half-faced Demon devours people. Please find the true culprit.]

Minister Shen, do you see?

Someone is trying to induce chaos in Gannandao

with this case.

I remember that you once had some connections

with the Yinzhou Governor Mo Qianzhi.

Thus, I am sending you and your wife

to Gannandao to look into this case

of the cannibal Half-faced Demon.

I humbly receive the command.

Please stay, Chief Clerk Yan.

Give the brocade robe to Chief Clerk Yan.

Come up.

Considering that you two are newlyweds and are soon to be sent to Gannandao for official duties,

Grand Empress Dowager has specially prepared some brocade robes for you to choose from to protect against the wind.

This is…

This is a confidential decree from the Empress Dowager for you. Open it and have a look.

[Mo Qianzhi is disloyal. Find his accomplices. Wait until the red-feathered gray pigeon arrives to deliver the message.]

Chief Clerk Yan, I remember I once asked you

what reward you would like.

I only ask that Grand Empress Dowager, from now on,

please address me as Clerk Yan instead of Madam Shen.

You don't wish to bear the title of Madam Shen

and aspire to be a female officer of the Ministry of Justice.

The task I entrust to you today

is for you to fulfill the duties of a female officer

to work for the Ministry of Justice and me.

Chief Clerk Yan, do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I accept the imperial decree.

[Shen Mansion]

Many supernatural cases have occurred in Gannandao.

I fear that the Yingzhou Governor Mo Qianzhi may have harbored ulterior motives.

I order you to secretly investigate and observe his actions,

and confirm whether he has accomplices in the court.

Once the red-feathered gray pigeon arrives, the message can be delivered.

Did the Empress Dowager issue this secret decree because she suspects

no one but Shen Du?

Did she assign this job solely to me because she knew that our marriage is a sham

or was she trying to test me?

Why are you smiling?

The brocade tribute from Shazhou features exquisite embroidery.

I am laughing at you because you spent hours there and ended up picking this.

You have truly let down the Empress Dowager's kind intentions.

Such embroidery patterns can be seen everywhere in Xiang'an.

The Empress Dowager awarded it to me. What matters is that I like it.

I actually find this embroidery delicate and graceful.

Only the complicated ones are tacky and gaudy.

Forget it. As long as you like it since it's a reward to you.

If Mo Qianzhi indeed harbors ulterior motives,

what should he do then?

[Guangyue Wine House]

I knew my disciple wouldn't

invite me for tea without a reason.

It turns out that you want to ask me about Yingzhou Governor Mo Qianzhi.

You should ask your husband about him.

It's quite a reach to ask me when the answer's close at hand.

Why?

Mo Qianzhi was once the prized student and close disciple

of Shen Du's father, Shen Bingzhu.

No wonder.

So they're old acquaintances.

Not just acquaintances.

Mo Qianzhi was a talent of great potential and a promising career path.

Until later, when the Shen family committed a grave crime,

he risked his life to plead their innocence before the emperor,

and even fought to save Shen Du from execution, sending him instead to the detention center.

As for himself, he was exiled to the frontier,

with no hope for promotion ever again.

What a pity. What a pity.

I'm afraid you came to me today

because Mo Qianzhi is involved in some cases. Right?

You should remember that I may have retired,

but my ability to see through people remains unchanged.

You're worried that if you look into him,

it will implicate another person who's close to you.

Am I right?

Master, I still have a lot to learn.

Whoever wants to be a proper investigator has to go through what you are undergoing.

No matter how trivial the detail or how close the suspect is to you,

do not be afraid to doubt them.

Be brave and seek verification.

Trust could also be a drive for investigation.

All right. I've told you everything.

Brew me another pot of good tea, will you?

All right, Master.

That's more like it.

All right then.

Shen Du is going to Gannandao?

- Those things in Yingzhou… - Rest assured, My Lord.

Everything has been taken care of.

If Shen Du is going, let him go.

But he could be lifting a stone to hit his foot.

My Lord, the letter from Lintai disappeared.

What? The letter is gone?

I have looked into it. The letter is nowhere to be found.

Besides, the letter disappeared during the Hongwen School examination

after Shen Du was appointed the Guard of the Capital.

Very good, Shen Du.

Are you really going to overturn the ruling on the old case

concerning your family?

Hurry up. Speed up.

I have prepared everything you asked for.

There were a few items I couldn't find.

But I managed to find them at my father's pawnshop.

Would Uncle Lu let me have them?

Of course, I am his beloved daughter. He would certainly agree.

Right, Marshal Xu said he had a mission and couldn't see you off.

He told me to remind you to keep the token he gave you.

If you ever run into trouble, seek help from the local inspectors.

Right, I almost forgot.

Your pen pal Chi's letter came to the Ministry of Justice.

Take a look.

Chi says that she's on her way to Yingzhou.

Then I can bring her all the gifts this time.

Master, all the rare items you wanted are here.

Am I not impressive?

Well, let's hit the road then.

- Travel safe. - Master. Take care, Master.

What are these rare treasures for?

It's for a friend.

All this trouble for a friend?

We have only one cart.

The load capacity is limited.

We're traveling light.

Leave behind...

the unnecessary items.

Great Chief, don't worry about the load.

I just asked for two carts.

Madam can carry as much luggage as she pleases.

This is a business trip,

not a tourist one.

Necessities only.

These are all necessities.

My Sixth Daughter!

Great Chief.

Sixth Daughter, I brought you something.

This is medicine for sprains. Cured meat. Salted fish.

- And your third sister and your father— - Mother…

We only have one cart and the load is limited.

Necessities only.

You don't have carts?

Your father has one. They can bring it over now.

No need.

- Jing Lin. - Yes.

Where is the second cart?

I-It should be arriving soon. I'll go check.

Let's go.

I thought only one cart was allowed.

The Great Chief says yes when he means no, and no when he means yes.

I told you this is not an easy job.

Hurry up.

My Sixth Daughter, it's your first trip away from home, and the frontier is harsh and cold.

Be careful in everything you do.

If you run into trouble, don't act tough. What matters is to stay alive.

Mother, I am going to solve a case. It's not like going to war.

Take good care of yourself.

Also, tell Father to try to avoid the strife at court.

No matter what, wait for us to return.

Write me letters if anything happens.

I got it.

Don't worry about anything at home.

On the other hand, we can't help you if anything happens to you.

You must help each other out.

Mother-in-law, rest assured.

I will take good care of my wife.

Good to know.

[Xiang'an City]

You woke up.

I thought that, given how deeply you were sleeping, you could sleep all the way to Yingzhou.

I-I didn't sleep well last night.

I'm not usually like this.

The scenery outside of Xiang'an is indeed different.

Madam, what's wrong?

Nothing, I'm just looking at the scenery.

May I read it?

Stop the carriage.

Keep watch around and turn your backs.

Understood.

Tell me whenever you feel unwell.

Thank you.

I'm worried that you might throw up in the carriage and dirty it.

I'll be careful.

But your people are so poor at handling the carriage,

going left and right all along.

We've been followed ever since we left the city.

How do we shake off the tails if we don't change lanes swiftly?

There are scouts.

North and west of the forest.

Change lanes now.

Understood.

I didn't expect that we'd be followed by so many people.

The trip to Yingzhou is likely not going to be that simple.

The Imperial Guards and the carriage convoy will proceed along the original route.

Make sure you shake off all tails and join us in Shanyang City.

[Shanyang City Inn]

Remember what I said. No one should disturb them.

Rest assured.

Great Chief. Madam. The room is ready.

You can rest in your room after eating.

Jing Lin.

Hasn't the luggage arrived?

Madam.

The luggage cart will arrive in about an hour.

Great Chief, Madam has packed her luggage with the medicinal ingredients for your diet.

Are you saying that those big boxes she brought were filled with medicinal ingredients?

That's right. Those are ingredients Madam collected from various places.

Madam deliberately didn't tell you, probably because she knew you don't eat medicinal cuisine.

Who's there?

Come here.

Master, help.

Help, Master.

Qi Yeyun.

Thankfully, you came out.

Otherwise, he would have strangled me.

Let me see.

Shen Du, why are you so harsh on a kid?

What kind of kid sneaks around outside someone's room in the dead of night?

He's definitely up to something.

Weren't you also pacing back and forth outside someone's room in the dead of night?

The sound of your footsteps kept me awake.

Were you also up to something?

I ate too much at night and was trying to digest.

Jing Lin.

You shook off the tails?

Even the kid followed us here.

It's my negligence!

I didn't follow you all the way.

I just followed you to the outskirts of the city

and sneaked into the carriage while no one was in it.

I hid in the carved cabinet under the seat and ended up here.

Master, am I qualified to be your disciple?

I want to learn your skills and become an expert in investigation like you.

Master, please take me in.

Stop.

Don't call me "Master". Call me sister instead.

We need to discuss it properly.

Since you've followed us here, you might as well stay

and come back with us to Xiang'an.

Thank you, Sister.

Jing Lin, are there any spare rooms left?

Yes, I'll arrange for it.

Imperial Guard Jing, who permitted you to do that?

You're right.

We were both commissioned to work on the case by the Empress Dowager.

Can't I even get a room for a staff member?

Brother-in-law, I don't need a room.

As long as you take me in, I’m fine with staying in a woodshed and sleeping on the floor.

What…

did you just call me?

Brother-in-law.

Sister wouldn't let me call her master.

I should call her "sister".

Since I'm calling her that, I should call you brother-in-law.

Isn't that right?

If you don't like that,

I can call you Great Chief Shen or Master Shen.

I don't like any of them.

This is a business trip.

Irrelevant people can't tag along.

You're too frail to handle any heavy work.

- Jing Lin. - Yes.

I shall drive him out right away.

Who told you to drive him out?

From now on, he will stay with you.

From now on, he will stay with you.

- What— - Train him a bit to make him useful.

- Huh? - What do you mean by "huh"?

Is it so difficult to look after a kid?

Yes, Great Chief.

After you, kid.

Brother-in-law, no.

I don't want to be trained!

[Yingzhou]

[Virtue Illuminates]

How come there's no one in the prefectural office during the day?

Great Chief has arrived.

Is there no one on duty at the Yíngzhōu Prefecture?

I, Bi Qiu, Commandant of Yingzhou, greet Great Chief Shen and Chief Clerk Yan!

I was unaware of your arrival, and I apologize for the lack of proper reception. [Commandant Bi Qiu]

It's fine. Where is Governor Mo?

Replying to Great Chief. He's out for work.

I have already sent someone to call for him. He will be here soon.

Governor Mo has arrived.

[Yingzhou Governor Mo Qianzhi]

I am Mo Qianzhi.

I apologize for the lack of proper welcome and any offenses caused.

Governor Mo, were you handling a case just now and came into contact with a corpse?

How do you know?

People who deal with corpses inevitably get the scent of death.

You must be the renowned Chief Clerk Yan from Xiang'an.

You are such a keen observer.

I truly admire you.

Xiang'an is quite far from Yingzhou.

And you're a young lady.

You must have endured much hardship on the way.

Thank you for your concern, Governor Mo.

It was a smooth journey without much hardship.

Senior Brother, how have you been lately?

Great Chief Shen, you flatter me.

Apologies for my negligence.

Cases have been piling up these days.

I haven't had time to prepare a welcome banquet for you.

For the sake of the people, let’s start the investigation today,

solve the case as soon as possible, and bring peace to the people.

What do you think?

That's inappropriate.

Great Chief came all the way here.

Even if there's no feast, you should prepare some tea to welcome him.

But you prepared nothing.

Aren't you being disrespectful to Great Chief?

It's fine.

I came here to work on a case, not to sightsee.

We can return early if we solve the case fast.

Jing Lin,

take A'Yun for a quick meal.

I'll work on the case with Chief Clerk Yan.

Understood.

Imperial Guard Jing, please follow me.

[Mortuary]

Great Chief, here is the case file.

This is a headless corpse. Don't get scared.

She's quite bold.

Don't underestimate my wife.

The deceased is Li Kaixiang.

The suspect is his younger brother, Li Kairui.

They started arguing after a few drinks.

The younger brother passed out drunk

and woke up only to find his elder brother decapitated and the head still hasn't been found.

Any clues?

Judging from the coagulated blood,

the victim should have been alive when he was decapitated.

He was decapitated alive?

It seems like there are only two possibilities.

One is that the victim was unconscious and it was a quick death.

The other is that the murderer is an expert

who fought the victim and cut off his head during the fight.

But I examined the body and found no bruises whatsoever.

The coroner found no internal injuries either.

So the second possibility is ruled out.

What a brilliant analysis.

Great minds think alike.

No wonder you're the top female investigator of the Ministry of Justice.

Pan?

What are you doing here?

Chief Clerk Yan, long time no see!

Subtitles and Timing provided to you by 🎶 The Copper Sparrow 🪶Team @viki.com

"Only Want You" - Ding Yuxi, Deng Enxi

♫ One look confirmed our fate ♫

♫ Upon meeting again, I know you're the one for me ♫

♫ Gaze at the stars, dreaming about old times ♫

♫ A pair of people have already taken root ♫

♫ Lovers before the candlelight, do not ask their thoughts ♫

♫ Affection is bound, lasting forever ♫

♫ Using the evening breeze to express deep love ♫

♫ I have someone I long for in this life ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

​♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

​♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ You are the only one for me ♫

♫ Embracing each other, how serious we are about our love ♫

♫ Every moment is treasured ♫

♫ From dawn to dusk ♫

♫ You and I, forever inseparable ♫

♫ Without noticing, you broke into my heart ♫

♫ Slowly immersing myself, I become undaunted by perils for love ♫

♫ I charge into battle with unmatched resilience ♫

♫ Because you are my responsibility ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

​♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ Deeply in love, you are the one I have chosen ♫

♫ Autumn moon and spring breeze, I only want you for my whole life ♫

♫ The trace of your palm ♫

​♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is heating up ♫

♫ You are the only one for me ♫