Original subtitles

[Legend of Zang Hai]

[Episode 3]

Master.

Have you memorized everything?

Yes, I have.

Once you arrive in the Capital,

go to Zhen Tower.

Someone will meet you there.

Don't worry. They won't uncover

your identity so easily.

I'll erase

all traces of you here.

Master,

there's something

I've always wanted to ask you.

You saw the mark

on my hand

years ago.

Why didn't you ask then?

I...

I didn't dare.

All these years,

you must've been curious

about who your savior

and masters

really are.

But none of that matters.

Just remember:

Ever since the night

you were rescued,

we've all lived

for your sake.

If you still wish to know,

ask Gao Ming

when you see him.

Now go.

Master,

take care.

Until we meet again.

Do as I instructed.

Once it's done,

you should all leave.

What's this?

A trap mechanism.

And this?

A crossbow.

[Zang Hai]

"Raise the cup. Drink it up.

Who says we won't meet again?"

Zhinu,

thank you.

[Ding'an Gate]

[The Capital]

[Ding'an Gate]

[Ding'an Gate]

Step right up,

everyone.

If you are new to the Capital,

Zhen Tower is a must-visit!

That's right!

We've got food...

Drinks...

Games...

And all kinds of fun.

There are also the shadow plays by Mr. Eight at the Moonview Hall.

- You don't want to miss them. - You don't want to miss them.

Curious about capital gossip?

Or court secrets?

- We've got it all. - We've got it all.

Come in, everyone.

This way, please.

Sir...

- Don't forget to see Mr. Eight's shadow plays. - Welcome.

This way, please!

Step right in, everyone.

Over here.

Look at this.

Wow, it's beautiful.

Let's go that way.

All top-quality goods!

Right this way.

[Zhen Tower]

Fire it up!

That sounds lovely.

[By Imperial Grace and Honor] You're off-key.

Sir,

are you...?

A pot of tea, please.

And light the lamp.

You want to light the lamp, sir?

Yes.

Light it.

Right away, sir.

Thank you for waiting, sir.

Here is your lamp.

Miss,

why

is this lamp different

from all the others?

Sir,

you don't know?

I'm new here.

I don't know the rules.

May I ask,

what's special about this lamp?

The seat you took

is called the Vermilion Bird Head.

It's reserved for the most honored

and generous guests.

Whoever sits here

and lights the lamp

claims

the Moonview Hall for the night.

They must tip

the performers

and cover

tea and drinks for everyone.

Basically, lighting this lamp costs 1,000 liang.

The last person to light it

was Prince Yongrong.

Then I won't light it.

And I'll give up the seat.

Excuse me.

Hold on.

Once you sit in the Vermilion Bird Head,

you can't just walk away.

And once the lamp is lit,

you can't simply put it out.

To be honest,

I don't have that kind of money.

This

is all I have.

Seven liang of silver.

I really can't afford the seat.

There are seats downstairs.

Come with me.

First time in the Capital?

Yes.

Here at Zhen Tower,

even standing to watch costs money.

The spot you're standing on

is five liang.

You gave me seven.

So now,

should I return the rest

or explain tonight's play

to you

for just two liang

as a welcome gesture?

All right.

Please,

explain the play to me.

Alas...

The winds shift and swirl.

The phoenix has passed on.

That phoenix

must be the Empress Dowager.

You're quite clever.

That phoenix is

the Empress Dowager who passed away eight days ago.

The dragon represents the late Emperor.

And the koi beside it

is Dowager Noble Consort Li,

his most beloved consort.

The dragon finds the koi

and ignores the phoenix's plea.

By rite, the Empress Dowager

should be buried

with the late Emperor.

But he's already interred

with Dowager Noble Consort Li.

That leaves

the current Emperor with a dilemma.

Then that golden dragon

must be the current Emperor.

What about those toads?

Who do they represent?

Obviously, the chattering officials.

Look. Doesn't it match perfectly?

The Emperor has no son.

For years, the ministers

have pressured him to name a successor.

Since the Empress Dowager's death,

they've grown ever more insistent,

writing memorials,

kneeling in protest,

and pleading with him to follow tradition and remove

Dowager Noble Consort Li from the imperial mausoleum.

Now the court is split in two:

One faction, led by the Prince of Linzi,

demands the Empress Dowager's will be honored,

while the other refuses to yield.

So the rooster

surrounded by the toads

is the Prince of Linzi?

He's the Empress Dowager's son.

The burial dispute

was brought up by him.

He even asked

to return to the Capital

and mourn her for a full year.

The golden dragon flares in anger

and vanishes into the clouds,

gone without a trace.

And what's the Emperor's stance?

Didn't you see the dragon

fly away?

He's washed his hands of it.

The white tiger steps in

and moves to quell the unrest.

The croaking toads raise a clamor.

Now only three days remain.

The white tiger

is the lead of the play, isn't it?

Exactly.

The white tiger

represents the Grand Master for Glorious Happiness,

the Marquis of Pingjin.

At first, the Emperor

assigned the funeral affairs

to the Ministry of Works

and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

But the Vice Minister of Works,

Zhuang Zhifu,

is the Marquis's son.

To protect his son,

the Marquis had no choice but to step in.

Where are you going?

The play's not over yet.

Something serious

is about to happen here.

Miss, you'd better leave too.

What is it?

What did you see?

Come.

Do you see

that man to my right?

There's a steel blade

hidden in his folding fan.

And the man on my left

has been writing non-stop.

I think he's recording evidence.

That one?

Don't point.

Look how upright

he's sitting.

He's definitely armed.

And look up.

Several men are keeping watch upstairs.

I think they're here for Mr. Eight.

Them?

Those men?

They're guards from the Imperial Surveillance Office.

They answer to Mr. Cao.

Mr. Cao?

The Seal-Holding Eunuch Director

of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

He commands the Office

and is the head of all eunuchs.

From government offices

to inns and taverns,

his men

are everywhere in the Capital.

- Bravo! - Bravo!

And Mr. Eight dares

to tell such a story with the guards

right here?

Did you notice

the plaque in the main hall

when you came in?

"By Imperial Grace and Honor."

That's a jade plaque

personally bestowed by the Emperor.

With it here in Zhen Tower,

it's like having an imperial decree guarding the place.

The guards

have kept watch for years,

but they've never once made a move.

They may have held back before,

but today might be different.

Why?

Though Mr. Eight

only alludes to the powerful with code names,

he's surely offended quite a few of them.

And today,

he's spoken of the Emperor himself,

revealing too many secrets from within the palace.

With Mr. Cao

deeply trusted by the Emperor,

the guards have

perfect reasons to strike.

Even that jade plaque

may not be enough

to protect him.

Then by your logic,

Mr. Eight

may not live to see tomorrow.

Miss,

if you know Mr. Eight,

you'd best tell him to leave, now.

This place is full of agents.

With their skill and methods,

he wouldn't escape even with wings.

You're a clever man.

Think of something for him.

Me?

What can I possibly do?

This has nothing to do with me.

Nonsense.

You could do him a great favor.

Huh?

So you are Mr. Eight!

What an honor.

Miss,

what are you doing?

I'd never seen

Mr. Eight's face before.

Turns out it's someone

so striking.

The man on stage

is just a stand-in, then?

How gracious of you

to enjoy the play among us.

Mr. Eight?

Mr. Eight!

Mr. Eight!

Please, accept my humble salute.

What are you trying to do?

No one's ever seen Mr. Eight.

You're him now.

So run.

I...

Why don't you write a book, sir?

We'd love that!

Exactly!

Mr. Eight.

Mr. Eight,

where are you going?

Don't leave.

Don't go.

Where are you headed?

Mr. Eight!

Why are you running off?

Tell us more.

Over there! Go!

Stop!

- Get him! - Go!

Fool.

- Get him! - This way!

Where did he go?

Over here!

Get over here.

Don't move. Just follow my lead.

Mr. Wang,

you're drunk.

You can't hold your liquor at all.

You barely had a drop!

Mr. Wang,

you're drunk already?

Come on now.

The Earl of Dingyuan's son is still

waiting for you at Zhen Tower.

Come on. Let's go.

Come with me.

We'll keep drinking.

Anything?

We lost him.

No sign of him.

All right.

Let's go.

Mr. Wang,

watch your step.

Master,

I didn't expect

you'd be the one to pick me up.

You were headed for the Capital.

Of course

I came ahead to make arrangements.

If I hadn't been here,

you might've

died today.

I really let my guard down today.

Didn't expect

to be taught a lesson at Zhen Tower.

Who was that girl who tricked you?

No idea.

I only know she works for the tower.

Master,

are those guards

really that dangerous?

Don't worry.

They're just

a bunch of men carrying out orders.

They've probably realized by now

that you weren't their target.

Kid,

now you've seen

how much danger and hidden power

lie in the Capital.

You're right.

I'll have to be more careful.

Still,

I did learn something.

At least I now know

what the Marquis of Pingjin is working on.

Let's hear it.

It's about the Empress Dowager's burial.

The court is split in two.

One side insists on maintaining the current plan,

keeping the late Emperor buried with Dowager Noble Consort Li.

The other demands

her coffin be removed

so the late Emperor and Empress can be buried together.

The Emperor,

caught in the middle, handed the problem

to the Marquis of Pingjin's son,

Vice Minister of Works, Zhuang Zhifu.

Now, with only three days left,

the Marquis of Pingjin has stepped up

to take charge.

He's been

searching the Capital

for feng shui masters.

Tell me.

Who was the Empress Dowager?

The late Emperor's wife.

The current Emperor's imperial mother.

And who was Dowager Noble Consort Li?

The Emperor's birth mother

and the late Emperor's favorite consort.

Then who's really caught in this conflict?

The Emperor?

So while this

may look

like a ritual dispute between old and new courtiers,

at its heart,

it's a power struggle

between the Emperor and the court.

If he doesn't move the noble consort's coffin,

he'll lose the ministers' support.

But if he does,

he angers the people.

Whatever he chooses, he loses something.

So,

do you still think

this can be solved by hiring

a feng shui master?

Then surely the Marquis of Pingjin

understands this too.

Why is he going along with it?

Because

it's about showing that he's tried.

Take them all!

Come.

Let go of me!

[Coffin Shop] Sirs, you've got the wrong man!

I don't know a thing about feng shui!

You've got the wrong man!

I just make coffins!

Honey...

They're rounding up

every feng shui master they can find,

anyone even loosely connected

to funerals.

Please, don't!

A few days ago,

they even took a man who sold incense.

Move!

This is the Marquis of Pingjin

sending a message to the court:

he's doing his best.

Master,

allow me.

Master,

do I look like a feng shui master to you?

What, are you ready to enter the game?

- Son... - Father!

Father!

- Sir... - Father!

Move!

Father!

- Son. - Father!

Sir...

Sir...

Please spare me, sir!

I'm not a feng shui master.

I just sell joss paper,

paper dolls, and paper horses.

I swear I know nothing of feng shui!

Father!

Is that so?

I'm telling the truth!

Father.

Father.

Son...

Father!

Son...

Father.

Do you know it now?

I do...

Please, sir,

don't kill my son!

Take him.

Sir...

- Father. - Son.

Father.

- Son! - Father!

Sir, we're still short one man.

Wait.

Father.

If you know it,

then your son must know it too.

Let him help you.

Sir,

you just promised not to kill him!

He's just a child!

Please, let him go.

I'm not killing him.

But I never said I wouldn't take him.

Take them both.

Son...

Oh, my boy.

Sir, please wait!

Who is this?

I heard you were

searching for feng shui masters.

I'm no expert,

but I know a thing or two about the art.

I'm willing to help.

Would you consider

letting the child go?

Interesting.

You walked right into this yourself.

Very well. Come along too.

Move!

Sir, wait.

Feng shui is delicate work.

Kids are clumsy by nature.

We wouldn't want the child

to mess up your plans, right, sir?

Oh, son.

Now move.

Up!

Father!

I'm fine, son. I'll be fine!

I'm just a butcher.

I've helped a Taoist priest

gut a piglet. That's it.

What would I know

about feng shui?

Marquis of Pingjin,

even a pig's better than you!

If I can

trade my life

for my son's safety,

I'll die content.

Sir...

Kind sir,

thank you

for saving my boy.

Please,

get up.

Your kindness

is beyond measure.

I may never

have the chance to repay it in this life.

But in the next, I, Fan Liu, would gladly serve you,

even as a beast of burden.

No need for that.

With luck,

we might just make it out alive.

What were you thinking?

We all tried to run,

and you volunteered?

Do you really know this stuff,

or are you just faking it?

Come on, everyone.

We're just going to see the Marquis of Pingjin,

not King Yan. [*god of death]

Are you saying

you can fix this?

Let fate decide.

I'm tired.

Mr. Fan,

please wake me when we arrive.

Thanks.

All right.

We're about to die,

and he wants a nap?

Out!

What are you staring at? Move!

Hurry!

- Hurry, now! - Let's go!

- Move it. - Hurry up!

Hurry!

What are you looking at?

Keep moving!

- Move it. - Go!

- Go. - Move.

- Move it! - Hurry!

Move.

Move it.

- Get in. - Move it.

Inside. Go!

Get in.

Get in!

Move!

Shut the gate!

Open up!

- Let me out! - Open the gate!

- Let me out! - Let us out!

Stay close to the wall.

If you want to live, don't move!

What is this place?

We have no other choice

but to move forward now.

This tomb is full of traps.

You must

step exactly where I tell you.

And don't touch anything.

Is that clear?

This is the Wing-Chariot Turtle,

facing south with its back to the north.

"Among the Five Elements, Water and Earth always remain.

Among the Nine Stars,

Fuxing and Bixing stay close."

This place

must've been built following the Nine-Star Layout.

That way

is west.

You mean

you can get us out?

I'll try.

Everyone, listen carefully.

When I count to three,

we'll move together.

Fan Liu, come here.

You'll step

on the second tile to the west.

Butcher,

you'll step

on the third tile to the west.

Got it?

One,

two,

three!

The traps here

are all linked.

As long as you're in the right spot,

you'll be safe.

Sir,

on my count, step back

onto the first tile

to your east.

And you, sir,

step

onto the first tile to the west.

Are you sure this is the one?

Trust me.

All right.

I... I'll do it.

Ready?

One,

two,

three!

"The Bumu and Jiaoji Stars bring ill omens.

When the Renzhuan Star presides, all remains calm and smooth.

Lizao, Demon, and Confusion Stars are of one kind,

and joined by Hedao, the four spell disaster."

You may have left the battlefield, My Lord,

but your strength is undiminished.

Every arrow hits the mark.

Your grace hasn't faded one bit.

- Indeed. - Exactly.

Since he doesn't know when to shut up,

cut his tongue out.

Have mercy, My Lord!

Please spare me, My Lord!

My Lord...

Let's go.

My Lord...

Sir,

they're all inside the tomb passage now.

My Lord,

another batch

of feng shui masters has arrived.

What about the previous ones?

They've been dealt with,

as you ordered.

Over 80 men,

and not one

with a working solution?

True masters of feng shui

tend to live in seclusion.

I've sent more men

across the land to seek them out.

We'll find one, My Lord,

and solve this crisis.

Mr. Chu,

if I rely on you to "put out the fire",

then my own residence

may soon go up in flames.

Forgive me, My Lord.

I'll do everything I can.

Switch bows.

Here, father.

May I ask you something?

Isn't the Empress Dowager's burial

a matter between the Emperor and the court?

Why turn to feng shui for a solution?

Everyone has their own opinion

on the matter,

but only

the Emperor's view truly matters.

However,

while his intentions are easy to guess,

finding a solution

that satisfies both sides

is a real challenge.

What if we never find

a qualified master?

Then I'll find another way.

But first,

you must play your part well.

Don't give them

anything to use against you.

No matter what,

I will protect you.

I understand.

Thank you, Father.

"When Earth's essence aligns with virtue, destiny flows without hindrance.

Whether the Five Energies are imbalanced or whole decides fortune or ruin.

Heaven above, Earth below, it is Man who holds the highest worth.

Follow the way, and you find fortune; resist it, and ruin follows."

I think I stepped on the wrong tile.

Get down!

What was that?

Don't move!

Those are Bone-Cutting Wires,

a tomb trap passed down

from the previous dynasty.

Didn't expect to see them here.

How are we supposed to get through?

These wires

can slice through iron,

but they're very rare.

No tomb builder

would lay them without a plan.

There must be a pattern

to follow.

Butcher,

step on the fourth tile to the west.

Fan Liu,

step on the fourth tile to the southwest.

Got it.

We'll move together

toward the edge

of the trap.

On my count:

One,

two,

three!

"Study the Stems and Branches,

and fate shall reveal its blessings and misfortunes.

To awaken the unaware,

one must grasp the laws of harmony and opposition."

One,

two,

three!

I've reached the end.

Then open the gate already!

I can't leave yet.

This is the passage to the imperial tomb.

Its defenses are far tighter

than any ordinary burial chamber.

If I leave

this tile,

yours

will shift,

and the trap will be triggered.

What do we do?

Don't panic.

Just keep following my lead.

We're standing in a Nine-Star Layout.

Next,

we need to reverse the path from the Yellow Star in the Center Palace.

The Yellow Star in the Center Palace...

Butcher,

step

on the second tile to the northwest.

Fan Liu,

step

on the fourth tile to the southwest.

Okay...

Get ready.

One,

two...

Sir...

Trust me.

All right. Let's go.

One,

two,

three!

My eyes!

♪Conceal the ambition in my eyes♪

♪In my palm, I hold a dangerous desire♪

♪Turbulent waves hidden in my sleeves♪

♪Silent thunder echoes around♪

♪However cunning you are♪

♪I can see♪

♪Right through you♪

♪Schemes are my armor♪

♪Overt plans are my weapons♪

♪With restrained fury♪

♪I purge the world's corruption♪

♪The night is not dark♪

♪Because♪

♪My heart burns bright♪

♪I control the shifting clouds♪

♪I command the falling rain♪

♪The compass of the human soul is unpredictable♪

♪There will always be ups and downs♪

♪I hold the power of life and death♪

♪I grant and I take away♪

♪When faith burns like the scorching sun♪

♪I will sing aloud with you♪

♪I am the sowing season♪

♪I am the autumn harvest♪

♪I am the world♪

♪I am the people♪

♪And you are also me♪