01x17 - Episode 17

[bunniefuu]

Mast! Lay down the mast!

Hurry up and get the rope!

Bow and stern face the banks! Quick!

Thousands of homes are brightly lit,

and the doors to them are wide open.

This is East Capital.

New wine from Sunyang Restaurant!

Welcome to enjoy it!

​If you want to know what happens next,

wait until next time.

People from all over the world gather here,

and envoys from various countries come to communicate with the authorities.

[Riverside Code at Qingming Festival]

[Adapted from Ye Wenbiao's Novel Series of the Same Name]

[Episode 17]

[In the end, only what is correct is true, and what is wrong is false.]

[This is the Way, clear and distinct. - Cheng Hao, Northern Song Dynasty]

Zhao Buyou.

Listen,

when I

called you

"a petty man

with petty tricks" earlier,

it was only due to the circumstances.

In truth, you're a trustworthy and reliable man.

Oh? Did you really say that?

I don't recall.

I'm glad you've forgotten it.

Wen Yue,

is it that one?

It should be. Let's go.

Be careful, Wen Yue.

That scared me.

I thought there was some kind of trap.

What's all this?

Do you recognize this, Wen Yue?

What is it?

It belonged to Xiao Yishui.

Shan Shiliu

has such a sick hobby,

collecting tokens from the people he k*lled.

[Dong Qian, Office of Justice]

[Sixth Year of Zhenghe]

What's wrong?

This belonged to Dong Qian.

Turns out

he was k*lled by Shan Shiliu, too.

It was the winter 17 years ago.

I had just joined the Office of Justice.

I was young,

full of ambition,

and eager to solve a major case.

By chance,

I stumbled upon information about a meeting with a Liao spy.

Sir.

Mr. Wu

sent me to pick up the goods.

All right.

Is it Mr. Wu from Ji'er Alley?

Yes.

I thought my life was over.

But someone suddenly appeared,

blocked a strike for me,

and subdued the Liao spy.

Take him away.

Let's go.

Move.

Move!

Thank you, sir, for saving me.

Your hand...

Let me take you to the clinic.

I've been watching him for over half a month.

I was planning to capture the whole group,

but you ruined everything, kid.

Who are you?

[Dong Qian, Senior Judge of the Office of Justice]

Senior Judge of the Office of Justice,

Dong Qian.

You're the legendary Dong Qian?

I work at the Office of Justice, too.

My name is Zhao Buyou.

I work in the archives

as a scribe.

Useless.

There's a Nameless Restaurant

in the alley ahead.

They have the best grilled pork ribs.

[Nameless]
Judge Dong was quite an interesting man.

He got injured saving me,

but instead of going to the clinic,

he took me to the Nameless Restaurant nearby

to have grilled pork ribs.

And that was

when our bond began.

Qian!

Judge Dong was a peculiar man.

He didn't let me tell anyone that he saved me.

And at the Office of Justice,

he pretended not to know me.

But after work,

he'd secretly take me to investigate cases.

[Office of Justice]

Come and take a look!

Small trinkets here!

Every time we finished investigating,

he'd take me to the restaurant for grilled pork ribs

and drinks.

When he got drunk,

he'd always tell me

that he kept hunting down criminals to repay a debt.

[Dong Qian, Office of Justice]

He'd also say he didn't deserve to be included in "Chongning Case Precedents."

[Dong Qian, Office of Justice]

Qian,

[Dong Qian, Office of Justice]
Shan Shiliu has been ex*cuted.

You've been avenged.

It must have been fate.

[Works of the Unsilenceable]

Thank you, Mr. He.

Thank you, Mo and Ban,

for gifting these books to the children.

Does Wen Yue know you've applied to the Imperial Academy?

I want to tell her after I get in.

You're trying to get in because of Ding Dan, aren't you?

I want to accomplish everything

he couldn't finish while he was alive.

Stray Kid!

I'm not a stray kid!

Enough.

Shut up!

I'll beat you up, you stray kid!

What are you doing?

Stop it.

Let go!

Who are you?

- It's none of your business. - Stop it!

What are you going to hit them with now?

Her mother's here. Run!

- Su! - Mother!

Don't ever bully others again!

Are you okay, Su?

Thank you so much.

[Ci, embroiderer]

[Song Yingying, embroiderer]
Are you Old Mr. Zhao's second son?

I saw you come here before with Mr. Song.

And you are?

We're embroiderers

who came to the welfare center to teach the girls embroidery.

This is my mother, Ci,

and this is Lady Song.

There's also Lady Lu,

but she didn't come today.

Thank you for helping her.

We'll be leaving now.

Come on.

Let's go, kids.

Let's go.

Let's go home.

Ban,

I need to head to the Imperial Academy.

One of the scholars there asked me to deliver a message.

There's a problem with my household registration?

Director Wang,

could there be a mistake?

Your family is indeed part of a branch of the royal lineage.

Father always says so.

So he's been telling the truth?

However, in your family genealogy,

only your father

and your elder brother are listed.

[Li, male, one son, Buyou]
Zhao Mo and Zhao Ban aren't included.

That's impossible.

How could that be?

Could it have been a clerical error?

This was verified by the Imperial Clan Court.

It's definitely correct.

You'd better go home

and confirm your household registration.

If your background

is unclear,

you won't be able to get into the Imperial Academy.

You're back.

Did that little girl fighting

the boys at the welfare center

remind you of me as a kid?

Do you remember

when we were little, we...?

Where are you going?

Are Father and Buyou not home?

Buyou

went to see Wen Yue.

He's not back yet.

As for Father,

he's probably drinking somewhere again.

Mo,

what's wrong?

Our family is part of a branch of the royal lineage.

Father's always making up stories about this.

Are you starting to believe him, too?

He didn't make up stories.

He was telling the truth.

How do you know?

After I applied to the Imperial Academy,

they checked my household registration.

Are you saying

our surname really came

from...?

A director at the Imperial Academy said

that in the genealogy,

Buyou is the only descendant listed under Father.

Neither of us are included.

Could there

have been a mistake?

The Imperial Clan Court verified it.

There couldn't have been a mistake.

Something's off.

I need to talk to Father and Buyou

to get to the bottom of this.

You're not going anywhere.

Come back here!

I...

Wait!

Get back here!

Ban!

- Go back inside! - Ban!

You're not going anywhere!

Why are you stopping me?

People have been pointing fingers at us since we were kids,

calling us illegitimate.

Haven't we lived through all these years just fine?

Does it really matter whether we're in that genealogy or not?

It's one thing to have no mother, and another to have no roots.

Ban,

I know you're trying to protect this family,

and you're not wrong.

But I'm not wrong for wanting

to know the truth either!

None of us in this family did anything wrong.

That's why we should stick together and focus on building a good life.

When Wen Yue comes back,

we can go back to how things used to be.

Isn't that enough?

Now go back

and get some sleep.

[Find peace]

[Dong Qian, Office of Justice]

Don't worry, Dong Qian.

These two kids are so well-behaved.

They don't cry or cause trouble.

I promise I'll raise them

and keep them safe and healthy.

I've never

let the kids suffer all these years.

Buyou.

What are you doing here?

Are you drinking Father's stash?

What if he finds out tomorrow?

I'll go to bed after I finish this.

Stop drinking.

Go back to your room and sleep.

Go to bed.

Good night.

Buyou.

Why are you still here?

I'll just sit here for a bit.

I'll go to bed soon.

I'll sit and chat with you for a while, then.

Buyou,

Mo and I

went to the welfare center today

to donate books to the children.

Some boys were calling the girls "stray kids."

I told them,

"I've been called

a 'stray kid' since I was little, too."

I've always wanted to ask you

what our mother looked like.

Our mother

was beautiful.

But she wasn't happy in this family.

Otherwise,

she wouldn't have left.

Buyou,

Mo and I both know

we've been motherless since we were little.

But we really are part of this family, right?

Why would you ask me that?

Of course, you're part of this family.

I was just rambling.

Look at us.

You and I

look so much

like Father.

Let me take a look.

You really do look

like our mother.

Then who does Mo look like?

Mo?

You know what?

He actually looks a lot like his father.

"His father"?

Yes,

he looks like his father,

Zhao Li.

Go to bed now.

All right, I'm going to bed.

Don't stay up too late.

Buyou.

I keep thinking of this scene.

I can't tell if it's a dream or real.

In it, you're holding me

and Mo

in a place

filled with smoke,

and you're crying because of the smoke.

How could you remember that?

You were only one year old at the time.

I remember your tears falling into my mouth.

They were salty.

Back then,

Father

rarely

came home.

I had to take care of you both,

so I'd

often go to the kitchen to cook for you

while holding you in my arms.

One time, the firewood I used

was too damp.

It produced a lot of smoke,

and it

made my eyes

stream with tears.

Even now,

my eyes

hurt

because of it.

Look, I can remember something from when I was one year old.

- You're incredible. - Isn't that amazing?

It's amazing you can remember that.

Shh.

All right,

I'm really going to bed this time.

Go on. Get to sleep.

Go.

Buyou.

Buyou.

What is it?

Thank you for taking care of us all these years.

That's what I should do.

Good morning, Ban.

Good morning, Buyou.

Breakfast is ready.

Call Mo

and Father out to eat

in a moment.

Mo went out early this morning.

Where did he go?

I think he went to check the recruitment results.

Did he apply for a job?

Yes,

he said he wanted to get a position.

All right.

Go eat breakfast now.

Call Father, too.

Father,

breakfast is ready!

Ban.

Look at me.

Do I

look good?

Father, why are you dressed like this?

The Fan Building

is hosting a spring banquet today.

Many

courtesans

will be there.

I must go there today

to enjoy the view.

Father.

Father...

Come

and have breakfast first

before you talk about going to the Fan Building.

Come on.

Yeah,

The Fan Building is a money pit.

We can't afford to go.

If you go,

you'll drain our entire month's food budget.

Exactly.

Since when do you two get to tell me what to do?

I'm telling you,

I'm going today, no matter what.

Come on. Eat.

Mo.

- Mo. - Did you go check the recruitment results?

Come here.

Sit down.

What kind of job did you apply for?

A position at the Office of Justice.

The Office of Justice?

Do they

have openings?

They're never short-staffed.

They posted a recruitment notice recently,

and I applied.

I checked the results today.

I can

start tomorrow as an assistant.

What position?

Buyou, don't you remember?

Your old position has been vacant

ever since you were dismissed

from the Office of Justice.

That's perfect.

Buyou didn't do well,

and now Mo is taking over.

For Mo to work as a scribe

is a waste of talent.

With your abilities,

you should work at the Department for Palace Construction

or the Directorate of Armaments.

Why work as a scribe at the Office of Justice?

Buyou,

Mo is now working

for the government, too.

I have

an idea.

Why don't you give me

some money?

Let's all go to the Fan Building

today

to celebrate.

Wouldn't that be great?

Father,

every year you come up with dozens

of excuses to go to the Fan Building.

When did we ever let you go?

Stop thinking about it.

You just don't want me to...

You're not going.

You're not going.

I'm going today, no matter what!

No one can stop me.

Father, there's something I want to ask you.

Father, did you hear that?

Mo has something to ask you.

Come on,

let's hear what Mo has to say first.

Father, go ahead and head to the Fan Building.

The spring banquet is about to start.

Are Ban and I your biological children?

I...

What did he say?

I didn't catch that either.

Are Ban and I your biological children?

Father.

Father.

Father's not feeling well.

What's wrong?

I'll help him inside first.

Don't worry.

You two keep eating.

Ungrateful kids!

What do we do?

What do we do?

Zhao Mo,

look at what you've done to Father!

You handle this.

What's up with you?

Father's faking it.

I saw him signaling Buyou

with his eyes just now.

Father's never muddleheaded when it comes to serious matters.

I'm going to bring breakfast to Wen Yue.

Buyou,

I want to ask you something, too.

He wants to ask

if Father's feeling better.

Much better.

Just make sure he doesn't go out.

It's not that.

Why aren't Ban and I

listed in the genealogy?

What...

How could you not be in it?

You're definitely in there.

I checked.

We're not.

Your family is indeed part of a branch of the royal lineage.

However, in your family genealogy,

only your father

and your elder brother are listed.

[Li, male, one son, Buyou]
Zhao Mo and Zhao Ban aren't included.

Oh, I see.

I remember now.

Father used to be part of the royal family,

but later, he became a commoner.

I

was born before that,

so my name is included.

But you two were born

after he became a commoner,

so only my name is in there,

and yours weren't added.

That's right.

He doesn't know the rules.

- That can't be right. - There must have been a mistake.

I've asked around.

All descendants of a former royal family member

are recorded in the genealogy.

Why did you ask about that?

You already knew your names weren't included, and yet you kept investigating?

What are you trying to do?

Are you...?

I see.

You're wondering if you're not

Father's biological son, aren't you?

Deep down, you don't

want to be part of this family anymore.

Am I right?

That's not what I mean!

I just want to figure out who I really am.

You're Ban's elder brother,

my younger brother,

and Father's son.

It's that simple!

You're being ridiculous.

I'm done talking to you.

I'm off to deliver breakfast.

Today,

I'll move to the quarters of the Office of Justice.

I won't come back until you tell me the truth.

Enough, Zhao Mo!

Then I'll tell you this.

If you move to the Office of Justice today,

don't ever come back to this house!

The brothers are turning against each other!

Wait,

Buyou!

Buyou, that's not what he meant!

Keep an eye on Father.

Don't let him go to the Fan Building.

What's wrong with you?

My son's disowning his family!

Enough already. Let's eat.

The Zhao family is falling apart!

Eat.

I'm not eating.

I'm going to the Office of Justice.

Zhao Mo!

The brothers are turning against each other!

Come back!

Mo!

Mo!

Don't go.

Don't go.

Fine, don't ever come back!

You seem troubled.

Wen Yue,

there's nothing I can hide from you.

Let me tell you a secret

about our family.

Mo and Ban

aren't my biological siblings.

They're not from the Zhao family.

Sixteen years ago...

Qian has been waiting for you.

Hurry inside.

Qian.

He had two children with him.

He said they were his son and daughter,

and he asked me to take care of them.

He said he'd made up his mind to accomplish something big,

and that it might cost him his life.

[Nameless]

Where did they come from?

I asked you a question. Answer me.

They're from a friend.

Father,

do you think we can raise these two kids?

I'm not taking care of them.

[Dong Residence]

Two days later,

something terrible happened at the Dong Residence.

Everyone there was brutally k*lled.

Looking back now,

since the k*ller was Shan Shiliu

I realize Qian must have offended the Zou family.

That's what led to such a disaster.

The Emperor ordered a joint investigation by all ministries,

but in the end,

the case was hastily closed

as a revenge k*lling

by a criminal Qian had arrested.

I visited several welfare centers on the outskirts

and spoke to a few farmers.

I thought I'd found a decent household,

but then I discovered the husband was a drunk who beat his wife,

so I decided not to leave the kids there.

There, there.

Don't cry.

It's okay. Don't cry.

Be good. Don't cry.

Come on.

I'll get you something tasty.

Leave the kids

to me.

I begged Father

to take in Dong Qian's two children.

To keep their true identities hidden

and protect them from harm,

I changed their names

from Dong Mo

and Dong Ban

to Zhao Mo

and Zhao Ban.

I'm sorry, Wen Yue,

for keeping this secret

from you all these years.

[Fan Building]
Welcome to the spring banquet hosted by...

This way, please.

The Fan Building, the tallest restaurant in the East Capital!

Father!

- Father! - Come on in, everyone!

I've finally found you.

Why are you here?

Please go home.

Don't make things even messier for us.

We really can't afford this.

I'm not going back.

Since you're here,

- let me show you some of the finer things in life. - Welcome.

This way, please.

Make sure to carry yourself

with confidence.

How am I supposed to do that

when we don't have any money?

No money?

I've never been short on money.

Father,

is that

real?

This way, please.

Is it gold?

Take good care of them!

Of course, it's real.

Let's go.

Lady Chi...

- Father. - You're finally here.

We've been waiting for you.

[Chi Liaoliao, courtesan]

Remember,

I'll only sing Su's lyric poems today.

Of course.

In all of the East Capital,

your rendition of Su's lyric poems

is unmatched.

Unmatched?

Please, come inside.

Not exactly.

Lady Chi, you look stunning.

This way, please, Lady Chi.

I bet she really is the best.

Let me show you

someone even greater.

Are we really going in?

Come on.

Old Mr. Zhao,

you're here, too.

Come in, please.

Welcome!

Old Mr. Zhao, do you want your usual spot?

The main table.

Sure.

This way, please.

What kind of tea would you like?

Tea?

Bring me wine.

Right away.

Father,

do you come here often?

No, not often.

Isn't that Old Mr. Zhao?

Lovely to see you again.

Here, let me pour you a drink.

All right.

Enjoy your food and drink, Old Mr. Zhao.

Thanks.

Thank you

for your hospitality.

- Lady Chi is on stage. - But no need to keep me company.

I've already got company.

You're such a tease.

Is it appropriate for me to be here?

What's inappropriate about it?

I, Chi Liaoliao,

present to you a song to the tune

of "Gazing South."

She plays the pipa beautifully.

♪Spring is not yet old♪

♪A gentle breeze brushes through the willows...♪

She has

a unique voice.

Lady Chi

does have a voice that's different

from most women.

There's strength and character in its rhythm.

Her voice is perfect

for singing Mr. Su's lyric poems.

♪Standing on Chaoran Pavilion and gazing afar♪

♪I see misty rain over countless homes♪

♪Countless homes♪

Father, why are you closing your eyes?

The view

is too dazzling.

I'm just resting my eyes

until

the grand show later.

There's an even greater show later?

Ban,

here at the Fan Building,

on days of grand banquets,

besides

the courtesans

performing on stage,

there's always a special act

called

"Falling Sun from the Endless Sky."

Something's up!

Someone's dead!

[Song Yingying, Zhou Rong, Sun Wan, Bai Jinxiu]

Dead bodies!

They're dead!

m*rder!

Manager,

is this part of a new act or something?

Those are dead bodies.

Father!

Who are the people that died?

Ban!

Let's get out of here!

- Ban! - Report it to the authorities!

What's written on those red cloths?

Are those

names?

Who are they?

Quiet!

Please calm down.

This might hurt a little.

It's just a minor scrape.

It'll heal in a couple of days.

Thank you.

Lady Chi,

where did you get this hair ribbon?

This?

My younger brother made it for me.

Your brother made it?

My sister-in-law makes these, too.

She loves adding two little seed beads

at the end of her ribbons.

What a coincidence.

Everyone, stay calm.

- Stay calm. - Back to the hall, everyone!

Quiet down!

Move back!

Do you hear me?

Judge Wan,

do you know what's happened here?

Yes.

As soon as it happened,

we sealed the scene

and asked all the guests to wait here.

You've done a good job protecting the scene.

Not even a fly has gotten out.

Then how did something this big happen?

Tie Chi and Fei Jian!

Yes, sir!

Divide all the guests here

into groups of ten.

Each group...

Boss, you're here.

Do you know what happened?

Dead bodies.

Divide all the guests

into groups of ten.

Each group must

select a representative

to record the names

and addresses...

Just a moment.

Record the names and addresses

of everyone in the group.

Stop shouting.

Let everyone go.

What?

Let everyone go?

Wait,

Boss.

We can't let them go!

Why do you think

the k*ller chose this time and place

to commit the crime?

The Fan Building.

The spring banquet.

They obviously wanted to make a scene.

Did they succeed?

Of course, they did.

Everyone here is in a panic.

Then do you think

the k*ller would stick around

and wait for us to catch them?

What if the k*ller's

one of those twisted types

who wants to see how big a commotion

they can cause?

This is the spring banquet at the Fan Building.

Only the rich

and powerful are qualified to attend.

Can we afford to offend them?

Can we leave already?

Just let us go!

Just focus

on examining the bodies and finding evidence.

The k*ller won't get away.

Understood.

Tie Chi and Fei Jian.

Yes, sir.

Let everyone go.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Sorry for the trouble.

Inspector Gu!

Inspector Gu!

What are you doing here?

Sorry for the trouble.

My father dragged me here to attend the spring banquet.

I didn't expect to witness all this.

Where's your father?

I...

Where is he?

How did you and your father

even get into the spring banquet?

Where's the coroner, Yao He?

The coroner?

We need to get the bodies examined.

Oh.

Inspector Gu, can I help examine the bodies?

There's skin discoloration

with signs of abuse.

Based on the discoloration,

the estimated time of death is three days ago.

Yao He,

what's this?

Ink.

Ink?

Quick, hand me some cotton ba*ls.

Is it ink?

It is.

There's ink in this person's hair,

mouth, and nose.

His entire head was likely

submerged in ink before death.

Why are the eyes so bloodshot?

Help me turn the body over.

Okay.

Wait.

There are minor bruises behind the ears.

He was likely hung upside down for a long time before death.

The Feng Sai case

is at a critical point.

I'll head over there now.

Keep an eye on things here.

If anything new comes up,

report to me immediately.

Understood.

I'll let you know right away if there's any news.

Have you seen them before?

No,

I haven't.

I don't recall.

What about you?

What kind of grudge

could lead to such a bizarre method of k*lling?

Any impressions?

No, none at all.

What's this odd smell?

It's fragrant and foul at the same time.

It's the smell of fragrant powder.

It was sprinkled on the bodies to mask the stench of decomposition.

Tie Chi and Fei Jian.

Sir,

we've sent someone

to look into these men's identities.

That's not what I wanted to ask.

Have someone transcribe

the names on the red satin cloths.

These names

are a bit strange.

What's strange about them?

They're all women's names.

And that means we don't need to transcribe them?

Of course not.

Someone, come here.

Once the names are transcribed,

find out

what these women do.

Yao He.

Judge Wan,

there's something in his mouth.

Bring it here. Let me see.

Here.

Isn't this

an insignia?

[Yayuan Mansion]

I've seen this before.

It...

It's from Yayuan Mansion.

There's another one here.

It's the same insignia.

There's one here, too.

This is serious.

[Fashion in Song Dynasty]

[Song Dynastypedia]

[Historical Figures on the Honor Roll Tablet]

[Narrator: Zhou Yiwei]

[Kaifeng Court]
An honor roll tablet was erected

in Kaifeng Court during the Northern Song dynasty.

[Honor Roll of Kaifeng Court]
Its front features inscriptions

in regular script,

with its borders carved

with peony and vine patterns.

The header, inscribed in seal script, reads "Honor Roll of Kaifeng Court."

This tablet records the names

of the officials who served at the court over a span of 146 years,

from the first year of Jianlong

to the fourth year of Chongning.

It is the earliest known honor roll tablet

for yamen officials in China.

In the drama, my character frequently touches a specific part of the tablet,

which, in fact, bears Bao Zheng's name.

[Bao Zheng]
Today, this honor roll tablet is housed

in the Kaifeng Museum.

If you're interested, you can visit the museum

to see the actual artifact.

[Bao Zheng]
But you won't find Bao Zheng's name.

It has been worn away over the years

from countless people touching it.

♪Freezing rain lingers for months♪

♪Followed by cold snow♪

♪Through boiling waters and raging flames♪

♪Chase eastward along the Bian River♪

♪Time flows day by day, month by month♪

♪Feign joy with drinks before the camps♪

♪Stagger home after the drinking games♪

♪Such is the state of the world♪

♪In the years of displacement♪

♪Heads are bowed to the ground in poverty♪

♪Burning desires unveil sorrow and joy♪

♪Despair everywhere♪

♪Hidden within the painting♪

♪A lifetime feels so long♪

♪Yet life itself is so short♪

♪Seeing mountains first as mountains, then as more♪

♪Dreamlike, yet not distant♪

♪Parting the clouds reveals a clear yet cold sky♪

♪Oh, the mortal world♪

♪A lifetime feels so long♪

♪Yet life itself is so short♪

♪Seeing mountains first as mountains, then as more♪

♪Dreamlike, yet not distant♪

♪How painful it is to see unrest beneath prosperity♪

♪Whoo, whoo♪

♪How brief a sweet dream is♪