01x17 - Episode 17

[bunniefuu]

[Shadow Punisher]

[Divine Constable Tally]

[Episode 17]

I guess

Xuanyuan Shan will eventually find out

that it was me who told

the Crown Prince about
the government salt.

I bet

she'll probably come looking for trouble.

Who does Xuanyuan Shan think she is?

No need to wait any longer.

Let's settle the score right now.

Chief Xuanyuan.

Chief Xuanyuan.

I was just talking nonsense.

Please don't take it to heart.

Thank you, Chief Xuanyuan.

I'll take my leave now.

Li Qingyang,

I can't protect you.

You're on your own.

The Mingling case
involves the royal family.

It should have been
investigated thoroughly

before it was submitted to His Majesty.

Li Qingyang,

you actually handed over the case evidence

to the Crown Prince privately.

Do you know what a huge trouble
you've caused?

If a prince breaks the law,
he gets the same penalty as the commoners.

The evidence of the Mingling case
is conclusive.

The First Prince deserves it.

Whether His Majesty learned of it

sooner or later—

what difference does it make?

Go on.

If this case

was submitted by
the Divine Constable Bureau,

I think

His Majesty, to balance
the power in the court,

would definitely
protect the First Prince once.

So,

it's better to leak this news

to the Crown Prince

and let him take the lead.

This way,

not only is the First Prince punished,

but it also clears the relationship

with the Divine Constable Bureau.

Chief Xuanyuan.,

actually, I am just

solving problems for you.

Chief Xuanyuan,

there is one more thing

I still can't figure out.

Before His Majesty issued an edict

to punish the First Prince,

the government salt matter

had already spread among the people.

I once sent people

to secretly investigate
the source of the news,

but could never track it down.

You mean

besides you,

someone else leaked the news?

I think

this person must hope

to cause chaos in the Great Shi's court.

Isn't that

the same as you?

I wouldn't dare.

Think about it. The government salt matter

is known to only a few people.

I guess

this person either has been

following us from the start,

or

he is from the Divine Constable Bureau.

I see.

If there's anything else,
just say it all at once.

There is indeed one more thing
I want to ask of you.

[Winter's Haven]

How did it go? What did the Chief say?

After much persuasion,

she finally agreed

to let Xia Jiuying stay.

However,

the Chief has her own arrangements.

That's good.

At least she has

a place to stay.

Our trip to Mingling this time

can be considered an unexpected gain.

The Dark Night Organization

wanted to k*ll Jiuying to silence her

because they were afraid she would

reveal the location of the cave,

thereby exposing

their mutation of the demon wolves.

Having demon-men isn't enough.

They want to cultivate more monsters.

I'm worried that next,

Liluo will make a major move.

Right.

Our division must be

on high alert these next few days.

The details of the Mingling case,

from beginning to end,

are known only to
the Divine Constable Bureau.

I didn't expect

you to know it so clearly.

Everything I do

is for the Holy Lord.

The Great Shi Dynasty
must be thrown into chaos.

The more chaotic it is,

the more advantageous it is for us.

In this Tianhuang City,

when it comes to being well-informed,

no one can compare to Li Qingyang.

If you spread news privately,

aren't you afraid

he will suspect you?

What do I have to be afraid of?

His life

is in my hands.

[Tianshu Pavilion]

Has the God of Lies, Qipi,

also turned to dust?

Chief.

I called you here

to let you meet someone.

Who?

Jiuying?

I initially wanted to
arrange a place for her,

but after spending a few days with her,

I found she is agile and quick-witted.

She's good material for a constable.

I'll keep her in the division
and teach her myself,

starting as a trainee constable.

I have to say,

Jiuying looks quite good in this outfit.

It's great that she can stay.

Quick, thank the Chief.

Thank you, Chief.

Oh no. It's the Tianshu Pavilion.

A Liluo man?

To think you can come and go freely

in the Tianshu Pavilion.

[Tianshu Pavilion]

Who exactly are you?

Unless he's from
the Divine Constable Bureau.

Just like Lou Tianming,

he's a mole planted

by Liluo in the Divine Constable Bureau.

I don't care who he is.

Let's capture him first!

Stop!

Let him go.

Chief, he's from Liluo.

He is extremely audacious.

He trespassed into the Tianshu Pavilion.

I don't need to explain to you.

What happened
at the Tianshu Pavilion today

must not be revealed to anyone.

Otherwise, you will be severely punished.

Did you hear me?

-Yes.
-Yes.

What's going on?

If word gets out

that I came to see you tonight...

Just do your job.

No one in the Divine Constable Bureau

will stand in your way.

Now that the First Prince has lost power,

there's an undercurrent at court.

It is a time of change.

Chief, don't miss this chance.

Such lightness skill

is truly incredible.

Don't worry.

I know who that kid is.

I'll handle him.

[Star-Gathering Pavilion]

Master.

Ask the girls to work a little harder

and find someone for me.

Please tell me, Master.

He's a middle-aged man

with rather delicate features.

He's not actually that old,

just unkempt,

so he looks older than he is.

His martial arts are not weak either.

I want to know all his movements

after he entered Tianhuang City.

Yes.

The girls have checked
all the martial artists

going in and out of

Tianhuang City.

There really aren't many experts

who match your description:

a square face, small eyes,

looks old but is actually

middle-aged.

Although most of them
have no fixed residence,

they all have names in jianghu.

Only one among them stands out—

his identity is mysterious,
and his background unknown.

But he has been living in the same place

for several days in a row.

Where?

Lanyue Pavilion.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Everyone,

former Minister of Works, Tang Yiming,

Master Tang,

was the best craftsman in the world
before he entered the government.

He was an expert

in mechanics and landscaping.

He was known as
the reincarnation of Lu Ban.

After resigning,

he spent 5 years drawing blueprints.

He and his son, Tang Wei,

spent six years

[Lanyue Pavilion]

building the number one pavilion
in the Great Shi.

Counting the days,

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Lanyue Pavilion
has been built for ten years.

From the top, you can see
all the scenery of Tianhuang City.

It's said that

you can even see
the imperial palace clearly.

Before the construction
of Lanyue Pavilion,

an imperial censor once
submitted a memorial,

arguing that a hundred-foot tower
towering above the palace

was a great act of disrespect.

Yes.

Indeed.

How could it be taller than the palace?

But our wise His Majesty

[Lanyue Pavilion]

didn't care.

He even wrote 8 big characters.

Which 8 characters?

Yes, tell us.

Harmony between ruler and subject—

what's wrong with that?

What... What does this mean?

-And then?
-And then?

-Yes, what happened next?
-And then?

Keep going.

Tell us.

If you want to know what happened next,

listen to the next chapter.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Zhenzhu.

Li Si?

Why are you here?

Every early autumn,

naturally,

[Lanyue Pavilion]

the lantern festival at Lanyue Pavilion

is the liveliest.

How could I miss it?

Let me help you.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Just now,

what did you wish for?

I wished for the Great Shi Dynasty to have

peace in the world
and prosperity for the people.

A good wish.

Since we're here,

why don't

we stroll around Lanyue Pavilion?

How about that?

Let's go.

Let's go.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

This Lanyue Pavilion

is a business from 10 years ago.

It's too formal

and lacks novelty,

so its foot traffic

is naturally less than
Star-Gathering Pavilion.

I wonder if you've heard

a strange tale.

The boss of Lanyue Pavilion is Tang Wei,

and he has quite a background.

His father

was the former Minister of Works.

He resigned years ago to seek the Dao.

It's said he was enlightened

and ascended to become an immortal.

An old servant saw with his own eyes

a mechanical wooden bird

circling a rainbow

and carrying Master Tang's body
to the sky.

This alarmed His Majesty

and the Chief.

Unfortunately, the Divine Constable Bureau
searched for days

but found neither Master Tang's body

nor

the wreckage of the wooden bird.

A mechanical wooden bird?

Could Master Tang

be the reincarnation of Lu Ban?

I have never believed

in ghosts and gods.

Young Master Qingyang,

you are right.

My master indeed attained immortality.

You are?

[Qin Dayuan, Butler of Tang Manor]

The butler of the Tang residence—
Qin Dayuan.

You recognize me?

My young master ordered me to be here

to wait for you.

Please.

Butler Qin,

how did Young Master Tang know

I would come to visit?

My young master calculated

that you would come on his birthday.

Over the years, the young master

has never miscalculated.

I don't believe in ghosts or gods,

nor do I believe in
divination or prophecies.

Young Master Qingyang relies on being

[Shuyue Residence]

the Crown Prince's favorite

to slander gods and immortals here.

You should know that

when I served the Crown Prince,

he wasn't even born yet.

Such a mortal with no connection
to immortals,

why bother with him?

It's better to drink elixirs in the forest

and retreat to the mountains.

No, no, no.

[Shuyue Residence]

Retreating to the deep mountains

cannot isolate me from the secular world.

Why not go and return?

Who are these two?

These are

some of the young master's friends.

You don't need to pay them any mind.

It doesn't matter.

[Shuyue Residence]

The young master
has been waiting on the seventh floor

for a long time.

Please, Master.

Thank you.

[Sixth Floor]

You must be Tang Wei, Boss Tang?

Today is your birthday.

I came in a hurry

and didn't prepare a gift.

The day of arrival
is the day of departure.

What is there to rejoice in arriving,

and what is there to grieve in departing?

With neither grief nor joy,

why prepare a gift?

My words were inappropriate;

please forgive me.

I lack spiritual insight.

However,

from what you're saying,

your birthday

is about to become your death anniversary.

A few days ago,

my father appeared in a dream
from the heavenly realm,

saying,

the day of arrival
is the day of departure.

He prophesied that on my birthday,

I would pass on to the heavenly realm.

Boss Tang,

midnight is approaching.

But looking at you,

aren't you perfectly fine?

[Tang Wei]

Beautiful moonlight, beautiful night.

How about enjoying it
with me, Young Master Qingyang?

If it's truly as you say,

and your days are numbered,

you should spend them with your family.

I am neither family nor friend.

It seems quite inconvenient.

Young Master Qingyang and I

are both people
who cannot see our past clearly.

That's why I say

we are fated to meet.

What do you mean
by not seeing the past clearly?

Since it cannot be seen clearly,

how can it be explained clearly?

Back to the point.

Butler Qin said

you've been waiting for me here
for a long time.

I wonder,

what advice do you have, Boss Tang?

I have something to give you.

I can't accept a reward without merit.

What if I say this item

is related to Liluo?

Did you see Boss Tang?

What did you talk about

for so long?

[Lanyue Pavilion]

This Lanyue Pavilion
is connected to Liluo.

Why do you say that?

This was given to me by Boss Tang.

He said...

This item is related to Liluo.

I still don't know

what this really is,

and

what Boss Tang's purpose

in giving it to me

really is.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

[Lanyue Pavilion]

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Something happened!

Someone fell from above!

Young Master!

Young Master!

Boss Tang.

Young Master!

[Lanyue Pavilion Ascension Case]

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Keep an eye on everything.

How is it?

Skull, sternum, and leg bones

have multiple fractures.

The cause of death
is falling from a height.

I just don't know if he fell on his own

or was pushed.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

As for the footprints in the room,

besides Tang Wei, Qin Dayuan,

and Li Si's,

there's a fourth one.

What are you thinking about?

There are three people

who need to be watched immediately.

Qin Dayuan and

the two guests
in the sixth-floor private room.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

People down there, step back!

Step back, everyone.

Step back.

Everyone, step back.

Step back.

Okay.

Step back.

The position is a bit far.

The position is a bit far!

Look.

If he was pushed down,

the landing position

would be further

than if he jumped himself.

This doesn't count as me pushing him.

The premise of it being further

is that the victim resisted desperately,

and the k*ller had to use

a lot of force.

Okay, wait here.

Give it to me.

Make way!

Just now it landed on its face,

this time on its back.

Yes.

No matter how determined to die,

people who commit suicide

always look at the ground,

usually face down.

But if they are pushed,

the landing part is uncertain.

And also,

suicide victims usually
have a peaceful face.

But if they struggled desperately

and were pushed,

their face would be grim.

Li Si said

Tang Wei had already predicted

that he would die today.

So,

he might not have struggled desperately.

Zhenzhu, careful!

There's a problem with this railing.

It can't bear any weight at all.

In that case,

if Boss Tang

didn't know there was
a problem with the railing

and leaned against it

to enjoy the moon as usual,

then he would fall down

without anyone pushing him.

No wonder we couldn't tell from the body

whether he was pushed

or fell down himself.

Do you think this railing

is in disrepair

or...

Man-made.

This tenon

was obviously

unscrewed on purpose,

not due to

weathering.

Lanyue Pavilion has regular maintenance.

If such a big mistake was found,

it wouldn't be ignored.

The person in charge of maintenance

seems to be Qin Dayuan.

This person can be investigated.

My lords,

Constable Qingyang
has already taken Qin Dayuan

to the Divine Constable Bureau.

And before the incident,

the two guests on the sixth floor,

Lord Huang g*ng

and Lord Jiang Zeshui,

were also taken back

by Constable Qingyang.

Li Si acts fast.

Is there anyone else on the sixth floor

who can be taken back for interrogation?

No, Mr. Yan.

We both

have confirmed it.

The sixth floor tonight

was booked by the two lords.

No one else has come up.

To go up and down Lanyue Pavilion,

you must pass through the stairs.

To get to the seventh floor,

you must go up floor by floor.

So,

if there's a suspect,

it's most likely the two of them.

Young Master Qingyang
interrogated me last night.

Lanyue Pavilion has regular maintenance,

which I personally supervise.

So it's impossible

for the railing to be unsteady.

What if you have a problem?

Back then, I was

just a low-level servant
in the Tang Mansion,

bullied by others.

Thanks to the Master and Young Master

for protecting me many times,

and promoting me to butler.

I must repay this favor.

My death is not a pity,

but I beg you to find the m*rder*r

to avenge the Young Master.

Steward Qin, get up first.

His pulse shows

palpitations caused by anger,

not panic.

He's not lying.

Since Li Si interrogated him,

he's probably fine.

It all depends on
the two on the sixth floor.

The Crown Prince
had a severe illness in his childhood.

His body was too weak to absorb tonics.

It was our master

who, relying on a bowl

of porridge that nourished qi and blood,

[Former Head of the Imperial Kitchen,
Huang g*ng]

helped the Crown Prince survive.

Come to think of it, our master

has served two emperors

and one Crown Prince.

Even if Xuanyuan Shan came,

he wouldn't dare to
interrogate our master.

Who are you two to question him?

Our Lord Jiang has managed
water systems countless times.

He is known as Yu the Great reborn.

When the current His Majesty
was still a prince,

[Former River Supervisor, Jiang Zeshui]

it was with the help of

our master

that the dikes on both sides
of the Yellow River were built,

saving countless lives.

Have you lost your minds

to dare question him?

Why don't you call that

Xuanyuan Shan out

to give our master

a face-to-face apology?

Get out!

Master!

Take him away!

-Master.
-Master.

The Divine Constable Bureau answers
directly to imperial power.

No matter what his status is.

Those two lackeys

have already been kicked out by me.

If you two lords don't say anything,

I can completely use t*rture.

Whatever the consequences,

I will bear them alone.

Are you hard of hearing?

Can't you hear me?

Brother Sanhuo.

Brother Sanhuo.

Your upright and unyielding character

truly makes me admire you.

But even if you aren't afraid,

look at them.

With the age of these two elders,

let alone severe t*rture,

even staying in jail for a few days,

I'm afraid

they might pass away at any moment.

From what you mean,

not only can we not touch them,

but we also have to worship them.

That's not necessary either—

no need to make it that troublesome.

Release Lord Jiang and Lord Huang!

Why arrest

Lord Jiang and Lord Huang?

What evidence do you have?

I think

these two elders
in the Divine Constable Bureau

won't stay for long.

Release Lord Jiang!

[Divine Constable Bureau]

Why arrest

Lord Jiang and Lord Huang?

What evidence do you have?

[Divine Constable Bureau]

Release them now!

I'll count to three.

If you don't disperse,

the cells in the back courtyard
of the Divine Constable Bureau

are waiting for you.

Meng, who are you trying to scare?

That's right!

Right!

One.

Don't be afraid, everyone.

Lord Jiang and Lord Huang

have always treated us well!

-Even if we risk our lives today...
-That's right!

Two!

we have to save them!

Release Lord Jiang and Lord Huang!

Mr. Meng!

Mr. Meng, please stop!

[Divine Constable Bureau]

Constable Ghost, stop playing.

Don't hurt Lord Huang

and Lord Jiang.

Are you two eunuchs

representing His Majesty
and the Eastern Palace

to plead for mercy?

Lady Xuanyuan.

If His Majesty issues an edict,

I will naturally release them.

Well...

Lady Xuanyuan,

how could His Majesty
issue an explicit decree

to interfere with the Divine Constable Bureau's
handling of a case?

His Majesty is wise.

You...

You naturally understand

His Majesty's intention.

Why pretend to be confused?

The two elders are old,

and it's not suitable to t*rture them.

Our Divine Constable Bureau
will treat them well.

Lady Xuanyuan means

the Divine Constable Bureau
refuses to release them?

If I

release them because of their past status,

our Divine Constable Bureau
will lose its prestige,

but His Majesty

will lose face too.

That's why

he didn't issue an explicit decree.

You two should know this.

I know.

Never mind, let's go back first.

Take care.

Dismissed. It's nothing.

How's the interrogation

[Pillar of the Realm]

with Li Si and Yan Cheng?

Strangely,

the two elders neither defend themselves

nor panic.

It seems they are

happy about something.

And according to the guy
in Lanyue Pavilion,

they booked the private room
on the 6th floor last night.

They neither sought beauties

nor invited friends.

Instead,

they were plotting something.

So,

we have to make them talk.

Since we can't t*rture them,

how should we interrogate them?

Please instruct.

Zhenzhu,

you interrogate them.

Trapped in the mortal world
for 80 years,

my heart is like
a Taiyi immortal in the water.

Going out with a smile, free of obstacles,

clouds in the West Lake, moon in the sky.

Pigs and sheep sit on the kang,

relatives are boiled in the pot.

Daughters eat their mothers' flesh,

sons beat their fathers' skin drums.

Relatives come to congratulate,

I think it's really bitter.

Uncles,

I am Bai Zhenzhu.

When I was young, I met you

at my house.

So you are the apple of the elder's eye.

You are indeed extraordinary.

Since we are on the same path,

we will tell you everything we know.

I have long heard

that Mr. Tang never miscalculates,

and I deeply admire him.

This time, I also want

to ask you two.

Did Mr. Tang really predict

his own death long ago?

Before my nephew passed away,

he once told us

that there would be imprisonment,

but it wouldn't be a big deal.

[To Lord Huang,
Your Nephew Tang Wei]

Approaching the end,
suddenly happy and sad.

Gloomy in prison, both safe and dangerous.

Nephew Tang Wei.

Autumn of the 37th year of Hongyun.

[With my final return drawing near,
I am at once joyful and sorrowful.
The prison is dark and dreary,
where safety and danger walk hand in hand.]

So

Mr. Tang had already foreseen

that you two uncles

would be brought to
the Divine Constable Bureau.

Can Tang Wei

really foresee the future?

[Lanyue Pavilion]

Thank you, Steward Qin.

According to your orders,

the private rooms
of Lord Huang and Lord Jiang

remain untouched.

According to the previous

statement of the staff in the building,

there have always been only

two guests, Huang g*ng
and Jiang Zeshui, on this sixth floor.

But why are there
four sets of bowls and chopsticks?

These are the affairs of the lords.

Servants like us

wouldn't know.

Steward Qin,

I want to ask you a question.

There was a middle-aged man

with excellent skills
and a square face with narrow eyes.

This person stayed in this Lanyue Pavilion

for several days.

Do you have any impression?

In this Lanyue Pavilion,

with so many people
coming and going every day,

I really can't remember.

What exactly does this thing

have to do with Liluo?

[Lanyue Pavilion]

[Lanyue Pavilion]

These footprints...

No.

[Lanyue Pavilion]

There are so many carpets

laid in Lanyue Pavilion.

Walking all the way from
the first floor to the seventh floor,

how could it be possible to leave

such a complete footprint?

Right.

No matter how dirty the shoes are,

they would have been wiped clean.

That footprint was left on purpose.

To leave a footprint like this,

you have to be like me

and step down hard.

If

the k*ller wanted to sneak up from behind,

how could they walk like this?

Therefore,

Tang Wei committed suicide.

He left this footprint

to create the illusion

that someone was behind him.

But Tang Wei was perfectly fine.

Why would he end his own life?

My lords.

We found this suicide note

left by Tang Wei

[Suicide Note]

in the account books

at the Lanyue Pavilion.

When did you find it?

About half an hour ago.



We just found out Tang Wei
committed suicide,

and you guys found his suicide note

so quickly?

Writing this letter,

I am still a living person.

When you read this letter,

I will already be a ghost
in the underworld.

Tang Wei wrote it elegantly.

But between the lines,

it reveals something bizarre.

Bizarre?

Tang Wei's parents are dead.

He has no wife or children.

He became a Taoist in recent years,

and doesn't have any close friends.

Then who is this

suicide note written to?

Moreover,

[Tang Wei's Note]

who does 'you' refer to?

How is it?

Judging from the handwriting,

Mr. Tang's writing

is agile and fast.

The strokes are thin but vigorous,

thin but not losing their flesh.

His large characters especially show

their graceful charm.

Come on.

Just tell me,

is it his or not?

The suicide note
is indeed written by Mr. Tang.

Please.

It seems that

Boss Tang really might have

k*lled himself.

No wonder he could predict

that Lord Huang and Lord Jiang

would face imprisonment.

He staged it himself,

jumping down from Lanyue Pavilion.

He definitely figured out

that Huang and Jiang

would be taken away
by our Divine Constable Bureau.

It seems

we need to inform

Qin Dayuan about this.