Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty]

[Episode 26]

I'm really sorry.

But the schedule has been set.

I can't do as you say.

Zeng Sanyi.

Every time when it comes to the Tuo God Ceremony,

you must

have something else to do.

I think

you are deliberately against us!

Guards!

Yes, sir.

Take the Tuo God Wine back!

-Yes. -No. No. Chief Shen.

Chief Shen.

Stay for a drink before you leave.

Mr. Zeng.

Why do you have to do this?

I'm an official of Tang,

not the official of the Shrine.

You

have gone completely gaga.

Commander Su.

Tomorrow is the deadline

of the case.

You've made a military pledge.

Don't worry, Administrator.

I didn't forget it.

The key to this case is

Prefectural Governor Li's whereabouts.

Actually, I already know

where he is.

Where?

Island of Tuo God.

Island of Tuo God?

Prefectural Governor Li will show up

at the God Sighting Ceremony tomorrow.

Really?

Are you sure?

I never joke.

He ran away?

How dare you let him run away

after stealing my wine?

You losers!

Jump into the Swamp of Alligators yourself!

Please spare my life! Tuo God!

Please calm down!

Tomorrow is the God Sighting Ceremony.

You need people.

Besides, the one who ran away

must have been swallowed by the giant alligator.

That's why we couldn't find him.

Right Guardian is right.

Catch him before the ceremony.

Otherwise,

you know where you should go.

Thank you. Tuo God.

Also,

Su Wuming will go to the island tomorrow.

He must die.

Otherwise, the Shrine will be in danger.

-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir.

Please don't worry.

Don't forget

Lu Yong locked in Ninghu Prison.

Yes, sir.

Behave yourself!

How dare you pretend to be the government officials

and go to the prison to summon a prisoner?

In Ninghu,

the Shrine is the government.

We do everything legally.

I'm here on the order of Tuo God to take you to the island.

At tomorrow's God Sighting Ceremony,

you'll be fed to the Tuo God.

We're too late.

What should we do?

There's only one way.

We can sneak into the Island of Tuo God

at night by boat.

Tomorrow,

I'll save Mr. Lu

even if I die.

[Commander's Residence]

Are you clear

what each of you should do?

Clear!

Fed.

There is one more thing

you have to do.

Why do I do

more than them?

Because you are the only one

who can do this.

The annual God Sighting Ceremony

is really exciting.

Commander, it's your first time.

It will be an eye-opener for you.

You are right.

This is my luck.

Someone drank divine wine without permission!

Chief Shen.

He has Tuo God Wine in his gourd.

He claimed to be

a guest of the Commander.

Commander, is he your guest?

He... He is my guest.

That day, Lu Lingfeng said

he drank all the stolen divine wine.

Why is there more?

I think

it must be given by Lu Lingfeng.

He loves wine

as much as his life.

Maybe he saved some.

Commander Su.

How to deal with him?

Su Wuming!

Help me! Help me!

It's up to you. Chief Shen.

Su Wuming.

You're heartless.

Then follow the rules.

Yes, sir.

Go!

What are you going to do to me?

When we get on the island,

you'll be thrown to the Swamp of Alligators

with those disobedient people.

No! No!

I don't have much meat on my body.

If you want to throw me,

Su Wuming should also be thrown into the swamp with me.

What kind of guest is this?

I treated him well with good wine and meat!

What a waste!

Where can I find the Blood Silkworm Tree?

Su Wuming.

How can you be so sure

that the tree is on this island?

Is this the Blood Silkworm Tree?

They're roaring outside.

Why don't you draw now?

What are you doing?

I need to add some fish glue to the pigment

so that it won't lose colours in water

or diffuse in sweat

Otherwise, it will be gone

when you want to see it.

She's so smart.

Let's go.

Please.

Please.

May the Shrine prosper

for eternity.

Under the protection of Tuo God,

the weather in the south is favorable,

and the people live in peace.

However...

What's going on?

There are people who forget their ancestors

and break their faith.

They desecrate the god

and fight against the Shrine.

Today, they will be thrown to the Swamp of Alligators

to protect the fundamental law.

The tea merchant Lu Yong

set up a chamber of commerce without permission

to fight against the Shrine.

Now he has been arrested.

Chicken Fed

drank divine wine without permission.

These two are guilty.

Now God has given us enlightenment

to throw them alive into the Swamp of Alligators.

The Worshippers of Tuo God is so vicious

because the previous prefectural governors

all became your running dogs

frightened by your power.

I, Lu Yong,

will die for the people of Ninghu.

The only pity is that

I can't kill the evil god myself.

How dare you, Lu Yong!

How dare you talk nonsense in the face of imminent death?

Su Wuming.

Will you save me or not?

The country

has its own laws.

[Minister of Justice of Ninghu Song Jiangbo]

What right does the Shrine have

to decide life and death?

Song Jiangbo!

Song Jiangbo!

How dare you!

I'm the Minister of Justice.

The rites and music, sacrifices and funerals of Ninghu

are all my responsibilities.

Tuo God! Tuo God!

There are so many alligators

in the lake.

I just want to ask

where

is the god?

God is in your heart.

Without God in your heart,

it's easy to go to the island,

but hard to leave.

Don't scare me.

No God

has the authority to decide our fate.

I have God's will.

I descend to Ninghu

to protect the people of the state.

What officials are roaring here today?

Why...

Why did Tuo God speak?

Tuo God has appeared.

Tuo God has appeared!

Tuo God has appeared!

Do you believe me now?

I am an official of the imperial court.

He doesn't dare to do anything to me.

How should I punish him?

Please tell me, my God.

Throw them into the Swamp of Alligators.

Yes.

Tuo God.

You have no right to do this.

You have no right!

Bastard!

Tuo God!

Where is Gu Wenbin?

I'm here.

You've been an administrator for many years.

You can be the acting prefectural governor today.

If you respect the destiny of heaven,

I can guarantee that Ninghu will be fine

and the people can live happily.

It's hard to escape from the eyes of heaven

if any arrogant person dares to

fight against the Shrine and agree outwardly but disagree inwardly.

Then the whole state will be doomed eternally.

In the future,

I will strictly discipline my subordinates.

We dare not do it again.

Who is behind you?

My god, it's Su Wuming.

He's calling you.

Su Wuming.

Do you admit your crime?

What's his crime?

Is it because

I drank Tuo God Wine?

Who are you?

I'm the personal staff of Ninghu's commander,

Lu Lingfeng.

Lu Lingfeng!

You didn't die from falling off the cliff.

Take him down.

Yes.

Wait!

Just now when you monster

started to talk,

you really scared me.

I think every Ninghu person

who has seen this scene for the first time

would believe that

there is a living god

on the Island of Tuo God in Ninghu.

So they are willing to

worship and respect you.

But after you've been on top

for years,

you really think you are a god.

Shut up!

How dare you say that?

Su Wuming, are you crazy?

You're really so arrogant.

You should be dead!

Shut up!

Whoever opposes you

will be killed by you.

Not only merchants,

but also commanders and ministers,

how many of them died of allligators?

Governor Li

has discovered your evil deeds

and wrote the Records of Worshippers of Tuo God.

He wrote everything

clearly.

However,

he also made

a fatal mistake.

That is to ignore

Minister Zeng

who seems to oppose the Worshippers of Tuo God.

What? Minister Zeng?

Mr. Zeng works for the Shrine?

It's him?

No way.

Su Wuming, you're talking nonsense.

There is no Records of Worshippers of Tuo God.

You sent someone to steal one

at the villa by the lake.

And you got another one

from Administrator Gu.

You're still pretending not to know?

Su Wuming, don't talk nonsense.

Even if you don't admit both of them,

I have the third one here.

Governor Li

personally gave it to me.

Where is Li Yu?

He is in this hall.

Where is he?

Where is he?

Where is the prefectural governor?

Governor Li is dead.

But the Records of Worshippers of Tuo God

is the fruit of his painstaking labour.

This record is here,

which means he is also in this hall

with us.

You are making up a story. What crime should you bear?

Zeng Sanyi.

Don't you show your true self?

You mean the Tuo God

is Mr. Zeng?

How is that possible?

Commander Su.

You can't make things up.

That's right.

This is crazy.

Tuo God's anger will overturn the whole city.

Kowtow and make amends! Hurry!

Apologize to Tuo God.

Apologize!

Hurry up!

I, Su Wuming,

am not that good at investigating cases,

but my ears are particularly sharp.

Although you deliberately

tried to hide it when you started to talk,

I could immediately tell

it was your voice,

Zeng Sanyi.

I really didn't suspect you

at the beginning.

Even if Lu Lingfeng and I

were attacked at the villa by the lake.

You even used Minister He

to lure us to Hanshan.

I thought these were all coincidences.

I even thought

Administrator Gu was more suspicious.

Me?

Before Governor Li committed suicide,

he said

the record he put at the villa by the lake was stolen.

Before that,

the Shrine had always trusted him.

Governor Li wrote the records secretly.

Who would know that?

I looked through the Records of Worshippers of Tuo God

and found that except for the cases of trampling people like mud and ashes,

the most recorded things

are all

tax accounts of extortion.

And only the Minister of Warehouse, Zeng Sanyi,

who is responsible for the collection

knew it best.

Wait. Wait.

Commander Su.

What are you trying to say?

Governor Li wrote records.

It was impossible for him

to ask the Shrine for detailed accounts.

He could only go to the government office

of the Minister of Warehouse to investigate.

And this

aroused the suspicions of Zeng Sanyi.

That's just your deduction.

Indeed.

This is just my suspection.

The person who made Tuo God show his true colors

was his subordinate,

Shen Chong.

I...

Do you still remember

what Shen Chong said

at Zeng Sanyi's retirement banquet?

Zeng Sanyi!

Every time when it comes to the Tuo God Ceremony,

you must have something

to do.

I think

you are deliberately against the Shrine!

Zeng Sanyi was the senior statesman in the city.

But he never attends

the annual God Sighting Ceremony.

People can see this as

that he doesn't care about Tuo God.

But in fact,

how can the Tuo God on the altar behind the scenes

separate himself?

Over the years,

so many officials have lost their lives.

While Mr. Zeng who disdains Tuo God

can retire

safe and sound.

Isn't that weird?

It does make sense.

Yes.

Zeng Sanyi built up a fortune in Hanshan.

So people there

can drink Tuo God Wine.

Isn't that the proof?

That's right.

After the retirement banquet,

I even asked Chicken Fed to send gifts.

As soon as he entered

Zeng Sanyi's room,

he smelled

the strong aroma of Tuo God Wine.

Yes.

I smelt it immediately.

There is no need to send a gift.

Commander Su is so considerate.

He admires you.

Because in Ninghu,

not many people

who dare to disdain the Shrine!

Zeng Sanyi.

You love drinking.

In the end, what made you fall from the altar

is the special hobby that you can't change.

Who is qualified

to drink Tuo God Wine every day in Ninghu?

It's still impossible.

Zeng Sanyi

is short.

And he is humpbacked.

Tuo God's true body is so tall

and is full of power and grandeur.

The person I worship every time

can't be Zeng Sanyi.

The secret is

the red curtain in front of him.

Lu Lingfeng.

Have you found it?

This is the Hitholon Tree, Tianzhu's specialty,

and also known as the leaves of the Blood Silkworm Tree.

This tree's resin can make fine gauze.

The gauze is not only half transparent,

but can also

magnify figures several times under high temperatures.

This is the reason

why there are fires on both sides of the hall.

Our city is located in the lake,

and there are all kinds of alligators.

So I asked Lu Lingfeng

to come to the island to investigate.

Sure enough, he found it.

You asked him to steal the wine

just to go to the island?

It's just a small trick.

Zeng Sanyi,

you hold the Epiphany Ceremony

and the God Sighting Ceremony every year

just to show your gigantic figure

to the people of Ninghu.

So that they can believe

there is really a god in this world,

and you can use this to control them.

I think

no one in the world knows

who you really are

besides your left and right Guardians.

And your left and right Guardians should be

the killers you took in

when you were in Hanshan.

That's why they

stay loyal to you.

Today, let the people and the officials of Ninghu

to see

the true face of the Tuo God!

Lu Lingfeng!

This, this...

Mr. Zeng.

It's really you, Zeng Sanyi!

I've been kneeling before the Tuo God for so many years.

But you are the one I've been kneeling for！

Here, smear some more.

Come on. More！

Let me help you.

The alligators won't bite you after you are covered with it.

I believe what Commander Su said.

Up there, Up.

Let me smear it for you.

Hurry up. Hurry!

My lady,

all the Tianzhu Incense in Ninghu

is on our boat.

It's too heavy.

This is the fastest speed we can row.

I don't care!

The safety of all people in Ninghu

is in our hands.

We have to send it to them as soon as possible!

Yes!

I, Zeng Sanyi,

was born from a poor family.

I studied hard.

I was at the top of every exam.

But every time,

I fell behind the last person in the imperial exam.

Because I have no family background,

I'm ugly

and a hunchback.

The chief examiners said

I was a disgrace to the government.

I am full of proposals to rule the country,

but I have nowhere to use them.

I could only stay in Ninghu

and become a mere Minister of Warehouse.

I'm not convinced!

The reason 30 years ago,

I appeared in the name of the Tuo God,

was to make those officials,

especially those

with a high family background,

kneel in front of me.

But when you get used to being superior

and being worshipped,

and when you even think it's an offense to you

when other people take a sip of the Tuo God Wine,

you

are no longer who you were.

Shut up!

Where are the disciples of the Tuo God?

Yes!

Kill them all.

I'll give you all the money

I've been saving for 30 years.

If you want to be an official, kill them.

Then you can take their position.

As long as you do it well,

it's not difficult to replace them.

Tuo God is wise!

Disciples of the Tuo God,

protect our God!

So we can become government officials and get rich! Kill!

Kill!

Run!

Run! Run!

Gu Wenbin!

Where are you going?

Although you're not one of them,

you've always spoken for them

so that you can hold an office and enjoy all the privileges without doing a stroke of work.

It's time for you to make contributions!

No, I...

Do you forget who you are!

The people of Ninghu!

Gu Wenbin is here,

to wipe out the evil cult with you all!

I'll untie it for you.

OK.

Thank you, Commander Su.

Me!

Why don't you untie me first?

Where are you going, Cheif?

Mo Le.

You!

Don't underestimate

the Minister of Justice of Ninghu!

How is it?

Did you catch Zeng Sanyi?

We've searched everywhere.

But there is no sign of him.

Where can he run!

Be careful!

Now that you're in my Swamp of Alligators,

you won't get out alive.

Mere humans

want to fight my giant alligators?

Master!

Sir!

Lu Lingfeng!

Xijun!

Hurry!

Tianzhu Incense!

You're finally here!

If you were a little late,

we would be the food of the alligators.

Hurry up, light the incense!

That old bastard is over there.

Yingtao.

Yingtao!

I'll catch him!

Mo Le!

Lu Lingfeng! Your spear!

Yingtao!

Su Wuming,

you saved me once.

I'll pay you back

with my life.

Fed!

Help!

My father studied hard when he was young.

But he failed

every imperial examination.

15 years ago,

after my father failed again,

he returned to his hometown from Chang'an.

But he found

my mother was raped and murdered

by Li Yu.

The Li family bribed the government.

And the government arrested my servant,

Chu Si,

who reported to the government.

They poured iron into his throat

to make him to lose his voice.

So he was mute.

But he still can hear.

I was only four back then.

My father was just a scholar.

And he didn't dare take revenge

for fear something would happen to me.

He took me to another place away from home.

Later, he left me to my master

and he went back to our hometown for revenge.

He failed?

He only knew

when he came back

that Li Yu had moved to Luoyang.

Chu Si, who became a beggar,

persuaded my father to continue to study hard.

There would be a day for our revenge.

But ironically,

my father still failed many times.

However he had learned that the murderer Li Yu

bought an imperial position, the informal official.

My father was furious

and followed Li Yu to the south secretly.

He found a chance to poison him to death

and falsified the official tablet.

He brought Chu Si

to Ninghu.

What are you thinking?

Alligators are innocent.

What matters is the heart.

Just now,

you asked me to release all the alligators

in the underground swamp.

This is your good intentions.

At the riverside lies the alligators' home.

People and creatures

should get along with each other.

This is the natural law.

Come on.

Let's make a toast to Commander Su!

Without him,

how can we drink

the Tuo God wine?

Yes, yes.

To Commander Su! To Commander Su!

To Commander Su!

Although the wine is good,

we can't drink too much.

Although the Shrine has been uprooted,

all the affairs in the city

are piled up.

Commander Su!

By your order,

we have brought the documents of the evil cult.

Who's a member of the cult

and who has worked for them,

which are all documented clearly.

I think you all live in Ninghu

and are well familiar with the situation here.

Now the things are waiting to prosper.

The people in Ninghu

need you all.

Since the top evil has been eliminated,

these things

should just be burned.

To Commander Su.

We can drink the wine.

But should we

change the name of this wine?

The wine was originally called the Nantian Wine.

How about we changing it back?

Good!

Change it back!

Cheers!

Cheers! Cheers!

Okay.

There's enough for everyone.

Don't worry.

Two jars, right? Don't worry.

Yes. Next.

Come on.

Next.

Line up here.

All of you.

Give me a jar.

Take it.

Sir!

Did you drink?

Yes.

And I drank a lot!

Look!

[Tomb of Li Yu, Governor of Ninghu]

What is wirtten on tombstone,

is your father's idea?

He's been a scholar all his life.

In the end,

he can only do something for the people

in his enemy's name.

This is from Prefectural Governor Gao of Luozhou,

who sent someone from Dongdu

in an urgent.

The messenger said the imperial court ordered you

to go to Luoyang immediately.

Where is the messenger?

He's already back.

I was hoping to

govern this city with you.

I didn't expect that you would

return to the north so soon.

I think you are going to be promoted to an important position.

If that's the case,

how could it be the prefectural governor of Luozhou

who wrote to me,

in the name of the imperial court.

This is so strange!

Then will you go?

Things are weird.

I should go to Dongdu immediately

♫The storm rises with no reason♫

♫In the night of illusions♫

♫I go into the maze♫

♫In a world of prosperity♫

♫A heart burns with obsession♫

♫With the darkness rising♫

♫I can't stop wandering through the night♫

♫With light in my heart, I'm not afraid of the storm♫

♫It's because of justice♫

♫That I seek a truth for this long, lonely night♫

♫The heaven and earth are held together by a strong will♫

♫The people are in peace♫

♫Carving right and wrong into a clear heart♫

♫The truth♫

♫Will reinterpret this justice♫

♫Even if there is fog♫

♫Even if there are invisible waves♫

♫I'll tell the story of the fate♫

♫Tell the love of the world♫

♫For the memory of grace♫

♫And the resentment is not yet over♫

♫The rivers and mountains are immortal, the clouds are overturned♫

♫To be consoled by the truth, even with thorns on my back♫

♫Only for justice♫

♫That I seek a truth for this long, lonely night♫

♫The heaven and earth are held together by a strong will♫

♫The people are in peace♫

♫Carving right and wrong into a clear heart♫

♫The truth♫

♫Will reinterpret this justice♫

♫Even if there are a thousand sails, it's not a waste of time♫

♫What I am afraid of is the unrighted wrong♫

♫What is the meaning of life and death?♫

♫I'll paint the sunshine into the landscape♫

♫The spirit of righteousness♫

♫Exists for the one I care♫