All language subtitles for The Ingenious One episode 23 [iQIYI]

[English subtitles are available]

[The Ingenious One]

[Episode 23: The Detective Cracks the Mysterious Case]

The Grand Coordinator of Jiangnan

was afraid that he would have to take the blame,

so he preemptively filed a complaint against Magistrate Shao.

After Magistrate Shao heard about this,

he passed out on the spot.

Now he has no intention to investigate the case.

If I'm right,

all of the government offices in Nandu

are pushing the responsibility onto each other.

No one is willing to lead the investigation.

Indeed.

On the first day of the incident,

clues should have been gathered

to identify the suspect.

But that great opportunity was delayed

by their selfish intentions.

Yun.

Why do I feel like you don't want the government to solve this case?

Clever.

Indeed.

I'm just sighing for the people of Nandu.

What else did he say?

Tell me in detail.

Don't leave anything out.

Okay.

This is what Constable Wang said.

This case is really strange.

There is no trace of any fighting on the boat.

There were more than 30 official soldiers on this towboat.

None of them could be found, dead or alive.

So this must have been an inside job.

Young Master, watch what you say.

Careless words may cause disaster.

People are in a state of panic now.

Don't mention those words that you've just said again.

The more one is not allowed to talk about it,

the more suspicious it is.

If

it really was an inside job, it's a heinous crime

in which the soldier's family will be executed.

I think their wives and children

are still in Nandu.

But an official soldier's annual salary

is less than 300 taels.

It’s possible that a soldier abandoned his wife and son

in the face of 100,000 taels of official silver.

There are over 30 people on a boat.

Even if they all abandoned their wives and children,

it's impossible that not a word

came out of it.

What else did he say?

100,000 taels of official silver

and your family's tributary cloth

couldn't have been transported away easily.

As long as they came ashore,

evidence of skid marks and horse hoof prints should have been left behind.

The four patrol camps of the Grand Coordinator's office

have searched over 80 miles

along the river shores,

but there was no trace of evidence.

If so,

maybe they didn't go ashore at all

and directly transported them along the river?

Even if he sailed throughout the night,

how far could he have gone before dawn?

Once the day broke,

the boat would have had nowhere to hide.

We've asked around at all of the fisheries and wharfs

in the surrounding.

No one has seen a boat with a deep draft carrying heavy things.

This matter is indeed strange.

Even the rumors on the streets are varied.

There's even a rumor about the silver being stolen by some water ghost.

Do you think it's related to the government robbery case?

Mr. Su, what do you think?

It's not a chaotic time now.

All over the world,

there's not many people who can take action against the government.

If it's really the same group of people,

there's indeed something puzzling about it.

Go on.

I think the perpetrators

of the government robbery case

weren't after money,

but were trying to frame Guanghui Bank.

But if that's the case,

if this robbery of the official boat

was to frame Mr. Yun and Mr. Mo,

it should be absolutely impossible.

You have a point.

But what if you think about it one step further?

I was only able to figure it out to this stage.

Two groups of robbers appeared at the same time in Nandu.

Their methods are very similar

and equally brilliant.

I don't believe it's just a coincidence.

They must be of the same group.

So it wasn’t their purpose

to frame Guanghui Bank before,

but just a method.

Then, according to your opinion,

the last time Guanghui Bank was framed

was not to take down Mr. Mo,

but for some other motive.

Mingyu.

It's not that I don't want to tell you more.

But I'm afraid this water ghost robbery case

may cause a huge uproar.

I don’t want you to get too involved.

But we don’t know where the tributary cloth is now.

How can I just stand by and watch?

I just don't know what I should do.

The reputation as the century-old royal silk supplier

is the foundation of the Su family.

The tributary cloth is also of the utmost importance.

Have you taken care of the Textile Department?

Don't worry about this.

I've taken care of it by having some familiar eunuchs

pay them off generously.

They also said they could delay the deadline for me

and have found a new batch of weavers

to rush the production of the tributary cloth.

Okay.

You can rest assured of this matter for the time being.

Okay.

I'll go back first then.

Call me if you need anything.

Mingyu.

Actually, in my heart,

you're already like a bosom friend.

Yanan.

Yanan?

[Lingyuan Sect's Nandu Branch]

Captain!

Captain!

Captain!

What's the hurry?

Young Master, didn't you leave the city that day?

Why are you back?

Martial law has been imposed on nearly 100 miles along the canal.

I couldn't leave.

I have some ways.

I can arrange for some trustworthy escorts to see you across the river.

I'm afraid not.

The things I'm carrying are too conspicuous.

I remember you left empty-handed.

That's right.

I don't want to return empty-handed.

So I should rob the tributary money going to the capital.

Looks like Mr. Ye has already anticipated...

You robbed and killed the officials that day

because you wanted to seize the subpoena.

To rob the tributary silver,

we need to know when the official boat leaves the port.

Mr. Ye.

You know the territory of Nandu better than me.

Help me find a way

to get rid of these problematic goods.

Ye Xiao.

Young Master is not here to discuss with you.

You want me to set myself on fire?

Mr. Ye, why do you say so?

When you let Mr. Tang lose all of the Pavilion's money,

I did everything I could to help you make up the money.

You should be thanking me.

Young Master.

This matter has been turned into a big deal.

Will Madam Kou blame us?

What?

You want to control me too?

Sorry, I dare not.

Mother's old and senile.

She kept letting Nangong Fang expand his power.

My sister's incredibly foolish too.

Why did she try to control Nangong Fang with Yuntai Sect's help?

With her mentality,

I'm afraid she wouldn't realize even when Young Master Xiang has counter-attacked her.

Women are too emotional and fussy

to achieve great things.

I will only be your fastest and best weapon.

Look.

The clouds have been dispelled and the sun has emerged. This is God's will.

Sister, you want to kill me?

Since you repeatedly refused to listen to my advice,

I'll just have to kidnap you back to Jiangbei.

Sure. Come on.

Let Bi Yuewu take my dead body back.

Lady Yanan, if you blame him,

please kill me.

Don't hurt Young Master.

Follow me.

I stayed here when I first came to Nandu.

There was a murder in this house.

There are also some exaggerated rumors.

Few people come around in this vicinity.

You stay here for now.

Don't go back to the inn

in case the official soldiers see you.

Sister.

Don't go yet.

It's been a long time since we've had a proper conversation.

Yuewu, go outside and stand guard.

Sister, here.

Have this.

We siblings grew up without a home,

traveling all around with Mother.

She was busy with the affairs of the Pavilion.

Outside, we encountered poisonous insects and beasts,

or were hunted by the official soldiers.

There were countless close calls

but you always helped me avoid and prevent disaster.

Sister.

Why did you leave then without saying goodbye?

Do you know how my life was like for the past three years?

You don't know

why I left then?

[Three years ago]

My lord.

Lingyuan Sect's token.

It's indeed Lingyuan Sect's rebel faction.

I don't want to kill you all today.

Get lost.

Young lady.

Surrender and we'll spare your life.

Mother.

[Lingyuan Sect's Pavilion Manager, Kou Yan]

Three years ago,

you betrothed me to Nangong Fang.

I wanted to leave secretly and never come back.

I didn't expect you to chase me down.

Do you have to leave?

The people of the Lingyuan Sect are not attached to living and not afraid of death.

They also don't know what they'll descend into.

I'm unfilial.

I've let you down.

But I'll never agree to this marriage

with Nangong Fang.

You knew how to prioritize the general interest since you were young.

Why are you so willful today?

Mother.

Nangong Fang's proposal

seems like a display of loyalty to the Kou family,

but he's clearly overstepping his authority.

If he succeeds once,

he'll think the Kou family is afraid of him.

In the future, he'll become even worse

and more reckless.

How could you not have figured out his motive?

You're indeed my daughter.

I can see the situation clearly.

Nangong Fang has indeed overstepped his authority

by daring to make a marriage proposal.

If I rejected him in public

and humiliated him,

he would have been aggrieved.

Instead, we could take this opportunity

to have you next to him,

so we can monitor his every move.

Then, we can control him

and this would serve the Kou family.

Isn't that better?

But do you think Nangong Fang won't see through your ploy?

Then, how will he treat me?

It's a little dangerous.

But for the interests of the Pavilion,

I have to give it a try.

You won't let me down, will you?

For the interests of the Pavilion,

we have to choose the lesser of two evils, right?

But I'm your biological daughter.

I know.

Nangong Fang has become too big a deal to ignore.

In order to prevent internal strife,

we must be extremely cautious.

I didn't leave this time just to escape the marriage.

I'll definitely find a way to deal with him.

You've always had a strong personality since you were young.

If I insist on taking you back,

will you threaten me with your death?

I'll figure something out on this trip. I won't let you down.

I won't be disappointed.

I'll just pretend that I'd never given birth to you.

She really went senile!

Who was the one who put Nangong Fang in an important position in the first place?

Then, when the situation went out of control,

she wants to use her own daughter to make a deal?

Don't talk nonsense.

Did I say anything wrong?

If she hadn't been indecisive

and caused this disaster,

how would you be in such an unbearable situation?

Mother has always prioritized general interests

over personal affections.

She had no choice back then.

What do you mean she had no choice?

Back then, she initiated one rebellion after another.

Many martyrs were brutally killed by the imperial official soldiers.

As a result, Lingyuan Sect suffered a heavy blow.

That's why Nangong Fang was put in an important position to raise funds

in order to stabilize the situation.

It's all her fault.

Don't mention this ever again.

Back then, Mother initiated one rebellion after another

to secure the Kou family's status in the Pavilion.

Those things are complicated.

They can't be explained in a few words.

Sister,

she was so cruel to you,

but you're still trying so hard to defend her.

She is my mother.

The two of you are my only family.

Yanan.

You're the only person

I can trust now.

Sister.

There's one more thing I don't understand.

What?

You and I both fought against Nangong Fang

to help the Lingyuan Sect break the deadlock.

Now that Ye Xiao's on the edge of the cliff,

I could've killed him without any effort.

Why did you stop me?

If you push Ye Xiao off the cliff,

where will you stand?

I...

Do you know that Young Master Xiang has already guessed that

you had another motive for framing Mo Bufan?

He's certain that the official boat robbery wasn't just for money.

So what if he guessed it correctly up to this point?

Do you still not understand?

If this goes on,

he'll soon discover that there's another faction of the Lingyuan Sect

in Nandu besides Ye Xiao.

Sister.

You make him sound like a genius.

This level of intelligence is like that of a demon's.

If you know even a little about him,

you'll know I'm not exaggerating.

Sister.

Are you bewitched by him?

But even if he's exceptionally capable,

he was still fooled by you.

I think he cares a lot about you.

Let's not talk about this anymore.

Listen to me for this matter.

Fine.

I'll just wait and see.

But if something unusual happens,

I'll leave the city with Bi Yuewu.

Then you’d better leave now.

No.

I can't leave you alone to deal with them.

Think about it.

I know about all of Ye Xiao's plans.

You have control of Yun Xiang's every move.

If we work together,

we'd definitely achieve great things.

[Shundong Inn]

Are you going to see Magistrate Shao?

Of course.

According to the official rules,

shouldn't we send a name card first?

We'll need the government's cooperation often with this case.

We can't be enemies with Magistrate Shao, can we?

Bo.

How long have you been at the Imperial Security department?

Your Highness, it's been over six years.

Six years?

What's wrong with that?

When imperial guards make visits,

there's only one situation that involves sending a name card first.

That's when you have good news to report.

Right now, in Nandu, serious cases are happening one after another.

Shao Yiheng is to blame.

If we send a name card first,

he'll find an excuse to avoid meeting up with us.

Then when will we be able to see him?

Besides, with this case,

we don't just want his cooperation.

We've to do whatever it takes

to make his power available to us for now.

So, to deal with him,

we have to alternate kindness with force.

We can't just be friendly.

I get it now.

Your Highness is right.

Am I right, Uncle?

Did His Highness teach you all of these?

I don't need to be taught.

Officials come in and out of the palace every day.

I simply learned through observation.

Uncle.

Is there not much work in your Imperial Security department?

Otherwise, how has Bo been there for six years

and yet is still a common official?

Go easy on him.

But he's indeed only half as smart as you,

so he's being bullied by you.

[Order]

All right, let's go.

[Shao’s Residence]

I'd like to propose a toast to Your Highness

with Linjiang Restaurant's Drunken Flower wine.

Your Highness came all the way to Nandu

but I failed to give you a proper welcome.

Please forgive my breach of etiquette.

When I got off the carriage, I recalled that

I used to travel around Nandu with my father when I was young.

I lived in this yard for a while.

It's like I'm returning home today.

You don't have to welcome me.

I didn’t expect that Your Highness and I share this experience. It's a kind of fate.

To be honest,

I came to Nandu this time because

firstly, no written statements were sent to the palace,

and secondly, no official documents were sent to the Imperial Security office,

even though we found out that the Nandu Prefecture Treasury had been burglarized.

So I came to investigate.

However, I heard about the water ghost robbery case on the way.

It's my duty to investigate.

I just want the truth.

This matter is creating a great deal of anxiety for me.

But, for this case,

I’m afraid it’ll inconvenience you.

What do you mean?

This case should be handled by the Nandu Government.

Since Lord Liu has no warrant,

according to the imperial court's laws and regulations,

you should follow my dispatch orders.

Mr. Shao.

I heard an interesting story about you from my father.

I don't know if it's true.

Five years ago, when my father was traveling around Nandu,

it was you who hosted a banquet and showed hospitality.

That's true.

During this period, you two exchanged multiple toasts

and had a great conversation.

Not long after, you got really drunk.

There's nothing wrong with getting drunk. It's very common.

But do you know

what you said when you were drunk?

Uncle.

Do you want to write this down?

Write this down.

Mr. Shao talked about the laws of the Taizu Dynasty

from ancient to modern times.

He lamented that when an official was caught

for embezzling a mere 20 taels of silver,

he'll be punished by having his skin peeled and made into a bag, which is then filled with straw for public display.

That was too cruel.

I absolutely would not have dared to criticize Emperor Taizu.

What's interesting is that you said that

if those corrupt officials were born in the years of Tianqing,

you'd definitely have a way to make a fortune with them

without letting anyone find a single flaw.

Mr. Shao, what was your brilliant plan?

Tell us and enlighten the imperial guards.

That's absolutely not true.

I would never

have said such treacherous things.

No?

Then my father lied.

No, no, no.

This...

How could King Fu have lied?

Stop writing it down, please.

You shouldn't write about this.

Mr. Shao.

This is the duty of the Imperial Guard office.

You won't interfere, will you?

Mr. Shao, don't take it to heart.

Didn't Your Highness just say that

it's all just drunken talk?

Li Bo.

Did you write down everything that was just said?

Yes.

Then keep it and take good care of it.

Mr. Shao.

Let's talk about the investigation.

You're the great magistrate that governs Nandu.

You are ranked third.

I am just an idle commoner.

I'm an honorary fifth-rank imperial guard.

I'll be at your disposal for this investigation.

Mr. Shao, I'm looking forward to your guidance.

I'll need you to be fully in charge of the water ghost robbery case.

If you need my cooperation,

I'll give my all and do my best.

Okay.

I'll respectfully accept your offer then.

[Shao’s Residence]

Wait up, please stay.

Lord Liu.

Mr. Shao, this is inappropriate.

Won't we be inconveniencing you by occupying your residence?

It's nothing.

The inns outside

are not clean.

Only if Lord Liu and Your Highness stay here,

can I be at ease.

I'll respectfully accept your offer then.

Mr. Shao, I appreciate your kindness.

I won't see you off then.

Close the gate!

My lord.

How did this happen just after a drink?

My lord.

About that Liu Gongquan,

although he's a hanger-on of King Fu's family,

he is still the Emperor's man.

Did he bring Princess Mingzhu to Nandu this time

for King Fu's affairs

or the Emperor's?

How dare you!

Are you fit to ask about this?

Slap yourself.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Whether it's King Fu or the Emperor,

aren't they all the same?

Uncle, how was I?

I'm sure I don't have to pester you

to take me along with you the next time.

What's wrong with him?

He didn't even say thank you.

Your Highness, please forgive him.

If you work with him more, you'll know that

every time he asks about a case

and starts organizing his thoughts,

he's impenetrable

no matter who tries.

He has always been like this?

Yes.

Fine.

Sure enough, only people with quirks are worth being friends with.

Yun Xiang?

Why are you alone in Liansheng House?

Su Mingyu took Ke Menglan to inspect the tributary cloth.

Jin took Tianhu and the kids

to clean up the old house

so as to prepare for the charity hall's reopening.

Why have you never cared to ask about me?

What's wrong?

What should I ask about?

You never cared about where I go

or who I meet every day.

You must have your reasons for not telling me.

And I won't need to ask about what you want to say.

I understand.

I might have been a little troubled these days,

so I haven't been able to consider your feelings.

Don't be mad at me.

I'm not angry.

Why would I cause you more trouble at this time?

All right, let's get down to business.

About the silver robbery case,

at first,

I wanted to go look for the families of the towboat's official soldiers

to see if there are any signs of

premeditation.

Their families

should have already been detained by the government.

Not necessarily.

There are more than 30 official soldiers per boat.

There are at least hundreds of relatives.

It's reasonable that a few had managed to escape.

Have you found any of them?

No.

I heard that an official soldier's younger brother

once went to jail for petty theft.

When he heard that the government wanted to arrest him again,

he got scared and went into hiding.

These petty thieves

usually hide in Zhushan Street

and sell silver secretly.

Although I haven't found him,

I've unintentionally learned about another piece of information.

What is it?

This Silversmith Zhang was hired by Ye Xiao to melt silver.

[Zhushan Street, Silversmith House]

Thank you.

He's a good worker. Don't rush him.

Don't get rough with him too.

All right, go back to your room.

I'll be back after I'm done.

That masked man is called Yuan Ye.

He is Ye Xiao's trusted aide.

This clue

should be enough to help Yun Xiang start off his investigation.

I'm afraid he'll get suspicious of me.

I hope I can fool him once more.

I have to stay by his side for the next few days.

You must not...

Don't worry.

I won't act rashly.

Those silversmiths in Zhushan Street,

that specially help petty thieves sell stolen goods and melt silver,

were all hired in one night.

Do you know where they were hired to?

I haven't found out about that yet.

This information that you brought is very important.

It proves that my previous guess is right.

Thank you.

It's also for my own good.

I feel uneasy seeing you worry.

You...

Close your eyes.

Why?

Be good.

I don't know what you're going to do,

but I just want to stay like this for a while.

I heard from Jin that

your hairpin was broken.

From now on,

wear this hairpin.

About the hairpin,

I just mentioned it to Jin in passing.

In the future, remember to tell me

about your past.

I want to know everything

that I wasn't a part of.

Yun Xiang.

What were you thinking about in that moment?

I wish everything would end soon.

I want to stay with you like this,

and ignore the commotion outside.

I feel the same.

They captured all of the silversmiths in Zhushan Street.

This proves my guess.

Transporting such a large amount of official silver

would be too conspicuous.

The best way would be to melt the silver again.

But the city gate is closed now,

and it's hard to get external assistance.

So they can only recruit silversmiths from the city.

But there is one thing

that will affect our further investigation.

What is it?

The Nandu government has issued a Market Closure Order

and dispatched soldiers to patrol throughout the day.

Naturally, the perpetrators wouldn't dare to act rashly.

But if they dare not take action,

we wouldn't be able to get more clues.

But even if they melt the silver ingots into small bits,

100,000 taels will still result in a huge bulk

that's still hard to transport.

So I think they'll definitely split them up.

Through the bank?

Of course the bank should be considered.

But they should have a better way out.

Tang's Gambling House?

That's right.

Qi Tianfeng also mentioned that

the Lingyuan Sect has been using Tang's Gambling House

for money laundering.

It seems that as long as the government lift the Market Closure Order,

we'll be able to anticipate their next moves.

But I think

there may be more challenging issues this time.

In the past, whether we were dealing with the Cao Sect

or Tang Xiao,

because the Su family was involved,

the government had never interfered.

But this time, while dealing with the Lingyuan Sect,

we'll also need to be prepared to deal with officials.

Yanan.

This silver robbery case

is definitely not as simple as a case of petty theft.

I don't want you to get too involved

and bring yourself trouble.

Those people of the Lingyuan Sect are all outlaws.

I can't let you face them alone.

Yun Xiang.

I can help you.

Don't leave me out of this.

What are you planning to do

by turning all these new silver ingots into small bits?

Shut up if you want to live.

Stop talking.

Hey you, don't ask so much.

The sooner you finish your work, the sooner you can rest.