Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty]

[Episode 33]

If the Crown Prince ascends the throne,

as your people,

I will be expelled from the capital

and transferred to somewhere remote and barren.

Or worse. I may die a miserable death.

You were raised

by your uncle, right?

Y-Yes.

Years ago, Queen Wei poisoned her husband,

Emperor Gongzong.

The Crown Prince and I joined forces

and annihilated her and her adherents.

Your uncle

died on the night of the siege.

I'm forever indebted to you

for considering me innocent that time.

Your Highness,

I would risk my life to repay you.

That's not what I meant.

I mean

you are so hellbent on persuading me

to take advantage of the magic show

to do away with the Crown Prince.

Is it because that

you intend to seek revenge?

I heard that

your uncle didn't surrender that night

and the Crown Prince had to kill him himself.

Your Highness,

I advised you to take down the Crown Prince

not for the sake of my own interests.

I'm worried

that once he becomes powerful enough,

your life will be in danger.

Look at you. So scared.

Get up.

If I didn't trust you,

I wouldn't have kept you

by my side for so long.

You have a kind heart, Your Highness.

You remind me of how Heavenly Empress treated Di Renjie.

You're comparing yourself to Detective Di?

I'm definitely not in his league,

but please believe that my loyalty to you

won't alter no matter what happens.

You're right.

I put loyalty

before talent.

I can't make you

the Minister of Justice of Yongzhou,

but

there is an even higher position

waiting for you.

Tomorrow is the seventh of August,

the day when you and Sass have agreed to meet up.

Bring enough money with you.

Tell him

that after it's done,

he will be given even more rewards,

and I can help him to rebuild his career.

He was once

the deputy supervisor of the Concubinus Institution.

After I ascend the throne,

there may be a chance

that it'll be restored.

Understood, Your Highness.

I'll wait for that day to come.

You may leave.

Yes.

[Official Certificate]

Minister Lu,

you are given the post at a perilous moment.

Arrest Sass

and make sure everything runs smoothly

during the magic show on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

You have to shoulder the burden of that now.

Rest assured.

I will spare no effort.

Thank you for your trust, Assistant Minister Pei.

Alright.

This is your direct superior,

Du Ming, the Administrator of Yongzhou.

-Nice to meet you. -Arresting Sass

is without doubt

a tough task.

Wan An died because he was too desperately

seeking after merits.

Don't repeat his tragedy.

You may leave.

I need to have a word

with Assistant Minister Pei.

Yes.

Assistant Minister Pei,

I asked you to find me someone capable.

That's what you gave me?

Both the Princess and the Crown Prince

recommended him.

What's wrong with him?

Fortunately,

I was once a Minister of Justice myself.

Guess I'm on my own.

What do you mean?

It's true that Lu Lingfeng made some mistakes,

but after he went south with Su Wuming,

whether he was in Nanzhou

or Ninghu,

especially in Luoyang,

he proved himself for being capable

and made great achievements.

Otherwise,

the Princess wouldn't have put in a good word for him.

Neither would the Crown Prince.

I don't know politics,

but I'm sure that we can't

count on someone like that

to bring the criminal to justice.

Look.

There are so many.

Yeah.

Are you Minister Lu?

Yes.

Someone asked me to give you this.

To catch Sass,

[To catch Sass, come to the Sky-scraping Tower.]

come to the Sky-scraping Tower.

Are you Minister Lu?

Yes.

This way please.

Your Highness, I didn't know you were here.

Sorry for disturbing you.

I sent that massage to you.

You're not disturbing me.

I-I beg your pardon?

Those words

didn't look like my handwriting?

That's not what I meant.

The Crown Prince and I recommended you

to be the Minister of Justice.

You should thank me.

Thank you, Your Highness.

Actually, it's a dangerous position.

If the Eastern Palace hadn't proposed your name,

I wouldn't have thought of you.

Tell me.

Do you have any clues to capture Sass?

By now,

no.

Then pay close attention to one person.

Wei Fenghua, a guy working for me.

Regimental Commander Wei?

Tomorrow is the seventh of August.

Keep track of him.

You may win a great triumph tomorrow.

By then, just do what needs to be done.

Don't hold back because he's my subordinate.

Enough serious talk.

Come.

Enjoy the beautiful view

of Chang'an with me.

This floor is called Beyond Heaven.

Not everyone can come up here.

How beautiful is Chang'an!

Long Live the great Tang!

Who's there?

Sir,

I'm the waiter.

You are waiting for someone, right?

A guest told me

to send you this letter.

Got it.

You may leave.

[The bamboo forest in the western suburbs]

The bamboo forest in the western suburbs?

You're indeed a great magician, Sass.

You're not ordinary either.

Those silver ingots

are the deposit.

I'll pay you gold after you make it.

I feel humiliated.

They're not enough?

As capable as I am,

I can get as much gold and silver

as I would.

Besides,

if money is all I want for killing the Crown Prince,

doesn't it make me a bandit?

What do you want?

That day, you said

you can give me

whatever I want.

Yeah.

Okay.

I want to be

the Prime Minister.

What do you think?

You can't give me that, right?

If you didn't have

the guts to ask for that,

I would suspect that you're not Sass.

The Prime Minister

can be you.

So,

the person who wants to hire me is the Princess.

Feel free to guess,

but I can't tell you.

How can I get what you promised?

When it's done,

I will go to you.

Of course,

it's not difficult for you to find me.

I am Wei Fenghua.

OK.

I will see you

as my friend.

You didn't come alone?

I did!

Minister Lu, it's him.

Sass.

He killed Minister Wan.

Lu Lingfeng!

Take him down.

Bow!

Don't be afraid!

It's just an illusion.

A beguiling trick is all it is.

No!

You...

You're too reckless.

He's dangerous

and may play more tricks on you.

Wei Fenghua,

no one can save you now.

Just surrender.

Who's behind you?

Tell me!

I can't hate the Crown Prince more.

I planned to use Sass

to avenge my uncle.

No one is behind me.

Surrender?

No way.

What?

You've killed Sass?

Lu Lingfeng.

You're so eager to be the hero

that you put on a show to fool me, aren't you?

Administrator Du,

the constables working with me

are all witnesses.

Minister Wan was killed

by that man.

Don't say something like that again.

Sorry, I forgot

that you were appointed

by both the Crown Prince and the Princess.

I can't afford to offend you.

Let's go

and see the man you killed.

It's really Sass.

Although I haven't seen him for more than a decade,

I still remember

what he looked like.

Congratulations, Minister Lu.

You won such a big victory

soon after you was appointed the Minister of Justice.

Your promotion is on the way.

This man doesn't

look like

the Sass I met years ago.

It's him!

It's him.

Sass.

Sass!

He was the deputy supervisor of the Concubinus Institution.

I could recognize him even if he turned into ashes.

Little beggar.

Why are you here?

Miss Pei has finished the painting.

I came to send it to you.

This is not a portrait.

Miss Pei drew a portrait at first, but it had little resemblance

to the man I saw no matter how she polished it.

So she drew this at last

and it was accurate.

This is exactly what I saw

that night.

Exactly the same.

You saw this?

Yes.

This man was terrified

and was looking up at the sky?

Yes.

May I know

who's blocking my way?

I'm willing to leave some money.

Please let me pass.

No one wants your money.

I want your life.

I told you not to follow me.

I've been following you for four days.

If I didn't stop you,

you'd soon reach Chang'an.

It's not convenient

to bring you with me to Chang'an this time.

I understand.

You are an official of Luoyang.

Entering Chang'an without permission

will cost you your life.

You know that but you followed me anyway?

I followed you

because I knew you might be in danger.

You were in danger so many times before

and I saved you again and again.

I was never a burden to you.

This time is different.

Chang'an is the capital.

The two of us

may arouse suspicion easily.

Bullshit.

You traveling alone

is much more suspicious.

If we disguise as husband and wife,

we can be safer.

What?

You're shy?

We'll enter the city in two hours.

Get changed.

Your outfit

is too eye-catching.

That guy called Sass

has really returned to Chang'an?

If you can catch him,

you'll prove yourself abler than your master.

That's crap.

You're competent anyway.

Tell me your plan.

We need to find a book first.

[Notice]

Sass of Tokhara

was a powerful magician

but an unfaithful subject.

He deceived the Heavenly Empress

and committed crimes in Luoyang.

He sneaked into the capital a while ago

and attempted to do evil deeds again.

The new Minister of Justice of Yongzhou,

Lu Lingfeng,

is vigilant and brave.

He found Sass and killed him effortlessly.

The outlaw has been brought to justice.

Sass was killed by Lu Lingfeng.

We can go back now.

No death sentence to be worried about.

We can finally live a peaceful life.

He had it coming.

Yeah.

Administrator Du,

we're not sure whether that dead man

is Sass yet.

Why did you post that notice?

You're not sure about it?

Then why did you look irritated

when I questioned

the identity of the dead man yesterday?

Many people have seen the body.

Only half of them

think the dead man is Sass.

That man's true identity is yet to be revealed.

Why did you make that announcement?

I was just carrying out an order.

Whose order?

Why are you so strident?

You can't do anything

even if I tell you whose order it is.

Just tell me.

The Crown Prince.

He did it for your good.

He thinks the Minister of Justice of Yongzhou

is too low-ranked for you and wants you

to use it as a stepping stone to quickly make your name known

so that you can be promoted to a higher position.

He has more important tasks

for you in the future.

Listen,

Lu Lingfeng,

that dead man

looks a bit like Sass

but I've never

thought that he was Sass.

To catch Sass,

I waited for 12 years.

If he could

be killed by you so easily,

the 12 years I spent on this case

would be a joke.

12 years?

Administrator Du…

You don't need to know

the whole story.

I don't feel like telling you either.

I heard that you have doubts

about the identity of that dead man.

Since Your Highness knows it,

why did you ask Du Ming to post that notice?

To reassure the people.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming.

His Majesty insists on holding

the magic show

because he wants to show

that our people are living a prosperous and peaceful life.

The man named Sass

once unsettled

everyone in the court.

He's now in Chang'an,

and has openly provoked the imperial court.

Moreover,

he's a first-class magician.

Think about it.

If we didn't kill this outlaw,

who would dare to attend

the magic show?

Second, it is to lure the enemy.

It is said that Sass is meticulous.

If he is alive,

will he let his guard down

after he sees that notice?

In that case,

isn't it easier

for Minister Lu to arrest him?

I appreciate

your kindness, Your Highness.

But

so far,

there is no other clue.

No hurry.

Within just a few days,

you have managed to arrest the murderer of Wan An.

It shows that you have extraordinary skills.

It seems that you've benefited a lot

from traveling to the south.

Thank you, Princess.

Without your guidance,

I wouldn't have arrested that Sass.

That Sass?

What do you mean?

To be honest,

it was so easy

to catch him

that I suspect his real identity.

Sass used to be the deputy supervisor

of the Concubinus Institution.

Many people from the imperial court

have met him.

I've asked about ten people to identify the dead body.

Half of them

said that he was Sass,

while the other half was suspicious about the identity of the body.

So I think…

It doesn't matter

if the dead guy was Sass or not.

You killed Wei Fenghua for me.

I should thank you.

Wei Fenghua was very capable

and loyal.

But he had been stirring up

between the Crown Prince and me.

After all, the Crown Prince is my nephew.

This is my family matter.

But he tried to take advantage of me

to revenge the his own family.

Did he think that I'm a fool?

After the trip to Dongdu,

I've thought about

many things.

Compared to people like

Li Yue and Gao Zhongyi,

I feel that the Crown Prince is closer to me.

And you.

Although you work for the Crown Prince,

you risked your life to save me.

It made me feel so close to you.

I don't care if you're 23

or 25.

I have a child

who is the same age as you.

Even though

I did something wrong to him,

I had no choice.

If

he knows my suffering

all these years,

he will definitely forgive me.

Definitely.

Tell me.

If the Crown Prince ascends the throne,

can I still

stand here in Beyond Heaven

and look down at Chang'an?

Su Wuming.

Stop looking for The Tale of Sass.

I'm hungry.

Hungry?

Actually, I'm hungry too.

But listen to me,

The Tale of Sass appeared in the market

half a year ago.

I think it had something to do with

the reappearance of Sass.

I want to see

how my teacher is written in the book.

Are you suspecting

that the notice is fake?

Don't talk nonsense.

Now,

Lu Lingfeng is the Minister of Justice of Yongzhou.

He's the one who killed Sass too.

How could it be fake?

But despite what you said,

I can see suspicion in your eyes.

The Sass case was my teacher's last case.

Failing to catch Sass before he died

was his biggest regret.

But Lu Lingfeng killed Sass

so easily.

I think it's a bit...

So you want

to fulfill your teacher's wish

and catch Sass.

Unexpectedly,

someone else took the credit,

and you're unhappy with it?

Am I that narrow-minded?

Yes.

That's enough.

I remember

there is a bookstore ahead.

Let's go and have a look.

Let's go.

[Nameless Old Bookstore]

Stop sleeping.

Do you have The Tale of Sass here?

What book do you want?

The Tale of Sass.

The Tale of Sass?

No, no, no.

The book has been banned by the government.

Let me tell you.

The book contains

a lot of filth related to Heavenly Empress.

I don't sell it here.

Don't you cause any trouble for me.

Looks like it's completely forbidden.

It's useless even if we came with so much gold.

Wait.

Are you from the government?

Are you here to check on the banned books

to test me?

Do you think

I look like an official?

Yes.

But people from the government

usually don't come with their family.

I'm just a businessman.

I came to the capital

to watch the magic show.

There are still a few days

for the show to start,

and I'm bored.

After I came here,

I heard that The Tale of Sass is good,

so I want to buy one.

If you have one, sell it to me.

If you really want it,

I'll think of a way.

But you should

reward me accordingly.

Name your price.

500 coins?

Are you dreaming?

Are you charging me 5,000 coins?

This is a banned book.

I'll bear the risk of imprisonment

to sell it to you.

Is it expensive?

Didn't you just say

you brought a lot of gold with you?

Were you lying to me?

You're just a poor man.

If you don't buy it,

leave then.

You...

Enough.

No matter how good the book is,

it is still too expensive.

Let's go.

5,000 coins

for one copy of The Tale of Sass?

Is he out of his mind?

If I buy it,

I'll indulge those who are unlawful

to harm the scholars.

Aren't you good at

observing people?

Are you sure that there is The Tale of Sass

in this nameless bookstore?

There must be.

The owner is not a good guy.

He hid the banned book and sold it at a high price.

It's no different

from robbing.

That's right.

In the eyes of us scholars,

that's even worse than robbing.

The owner is a bad guy.

A bad guy!

That's easy.

In dealing with bad guys,

dirty tricks will work better.

Just wait.

[Main Camp of the Imperial Guards]

General,

I've found it.

What?

That book, The Tale of Sass.

I searched a dozen bookstores

and finally found one.

Great!

You got it?

How are you going to thank me?

I've been thinking about

a delicacy in Chang'an.

It suits as an appreciation gift for you.

What is it?

Cherry Dumplings from Yong'an Alley.

I've only heard of Goat Liver Dumplings

and Crab Roe Dumplings.

Are there Cherry Dumplings?

Su Wuming,

you're making fun of my name.

No way.

How about this?

I'll take you there now.

If you don't get to eat the Cherry Dumplings,

just don't give me the book.

Come on. Let's go.

Let's go.

Is that you?

Yes.

Xijun.

Is that painting

useful to you?

Yes.

I'm here to request for your help again.

This is The Tale of Sass which appeared

in Chang'an half a year ago.

It's written in it

that Sass's old lover in Chang'an is someone

named Helan Xue.

According to the book,

Sass loved her so much.

They lost contact

just because he ran away in panic that time.

I suspect

that Sass appeared in Chang'an this time

to find Helan Xue.

But we don't know where she is.

So,

I want you to draw a portrait for me.

So

the man you killed wasn't Sass?

You are smart.

We can't conclude about it yet.

But it's very suspicious.

You want me to draw a portrait

based on the description in the book?

This...

It seems difficult.

I know it's hard for you.

But this is

the only clue I have now.

So...

So you must help me.

For free?

Of course I can't let you help me for nothing.

I will reward you in the future.

No need.

It's not too late yet.

I'm hungry.

What do you want to eat?

I'll buy it for you.

No.

It won't taste good if you buy it.

I want some freshly cooked

Cherry Dumplings.

Cherry Dumplings?

Why haven't I heard of

this thing?

You've been in Chang'an

for so long.

Take me out.

I'll take you to the place.

Boss.

Another bowl, please.

Okay.

Please enjoy. Thank you.

This is the food I missed the most

after leaving Chang'an.

Can this

taste good?

Just try it.

Here, sir. It's done.

It's so delicious.

Sir, your wine.

Okay, thank you.

This is so delicious.

I haven't eaten

anything this delicious before,

and it's named

by my own name.

Delicious? Not necessarily.

It depends on the one who is eating with you.

Are you praising yourself?

Let's say so.

But I...

know my place.

I know.

I'm a little petty sometimes,

a little serious,

and pedantic.

That's all?

That's all.

Besides,

comparing to my strengths,

my weaknesses are

not worth mentioning.

Su Wuming.

What's wrong with you today?

When we entered the city today,

we pretended to be husband and wife,

and it has reminded me.

After thinking about it,

I'm not young anymore.

Time flies,

just like a white pony's shadow across a crevice.

Time doesn't wait.

If you don't mind me being old...

You've only bought me some

Cherry Dumplings,

but you are trying to discuss

this serious matter with me now.

Su Wuming,

you're so calculative.

I...

Waiter!

Another

20 Cherry Dumplings.

Just the two of us.

20 dumplings?

How can we finish them?

I can eat them tomorrow

if I can't finish them.

Besides,

such delicious food,

I have to send some to Xijun.

Is there any problem?

Fine.

Think of the 5,000 coins I've saved for you.

You are not even willing to

buy me 20 Cherry Dumplings,

yet you still want to discuss such thing with me?

Su Wuming.

You're so stingy.

-I… -He's indeed stingy.

Xijun.

Who are you talking about?

Why are you here?

Yingtao,

you're so nice.

You still remember me when you are eating delicious food.

Su Wuming.

As an imperial official,

you left your position

and sneaked into the capital.

Do you know what will be your punishment?

Do you still want

the 20 Cherry Dumplings?

Yes.

40 of them.

Wrap them up for me.

Okay.

I'll pay

for them.

How is it?

12 years ago,

I met Sass once.

Although I'm not familiar with him,

I still have some slight impressions of him.

This guy really looks like him.

But at least ten years younger

than Sass.

Moreover, Sass is the mixblood of

the Han people and the Tokhara people.

So, his figure is a little different

from ordinary Han people.

He has long legs.

This guy doesn't have those long legs.

You even know that Sass has long legs?

There was a main task

for the Concubinus Institution at that time,

which was to find several concubinus

for Heavenly Empress.

But Sass set

a strange rule.

Only those who have legs as long as his,

or have legs longer than his

can be recommended to Heavenly Empress.

Of course,

it's just a rumor.

But I think

it must be backed up with some facts.

Anyway,

this isn't Sass?

No.

It's rare to see Su Wuming being so generous.

Xijun.

Eat up.

It's delicious.

-Have some water. -Eat more.

Eat slowly. Don't choke yourself.

The Crown Prince has

provided this small house for me to stay for the time being.

But I'm not used to live alone,

so I moved to the military camp

with Guo Zhuang.

Since you're here,

I'll let you stay here.

Great.

To be honest,

I went to several inns just now.

However,

they were all fully booked

by magicians from everywhere.

I was worried about having no place to stay.

Su Wuming.

I know

what Detective Di means to you.

But you're acting too impulsively

this time.

Sass has disappeared for 12 years.

Now we've finally found him.

If I sit and watch but do nothing,

how can I

enter the Memorial Temple of Master Di?

Today is the eighth day of August.

The Mid-Autumn Festival

is in seven days.

I really...

At the moment,

there is no clue at all.

You've asked Xijun

to draw the portrait of Helan Xue for you.

That's a good idea.

When Sass was in Luoyang,

he used to travel back and forth

between Luoyang and Chang'an every month.

And he never told anyone

about his purpose travelling here.

I've read The Tale of Sass.

It's written clearly in the book

that he came here for Helan Xue.

And at the end of the book,

it's written that there was a Bizhen Pearl

by my teacher's bed.

I've also noticed

this detail.

After my master fell ill,

his wife took out the precious

Bichen Pearl

and placed it by the bed to pray for my teacher.

Outsiders would never

know this.

Only those officials

who were close to my teacher

would accidentally see it when they were visiting my teacher.

So,

the author

must be Detective Di's colleague.

His pen name is Nanshan Salouzi.

I guess he is living in seclusion

in the Zhongnan Mountain now.

But there are thousands of real and fake recluses

in the Zhongnan Mountain.

How can we find

this Salouzi?

I know what is the surname

of this Salouzi!

♫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♫