Original subtitles

I am Di Renjie，

President of the Ministry of Justice.

Everyone knows that I'm good at solving mysterious cases，

but few people know

my hands

are better at talking to the dead.

This time,

the victims were all laid out in strange rituals.

Their bones recorded violence.

Their wounds cried out for justice.

But when the fourth body appeared,

I suddenly realized

that the killer's riddle

is a death game with human life as a chessboard.

Each corpse

bears the same ceremonial markings.

When I entered the Jia Mansion

to check the first burnt corpse,

I should have realized

this nightmare

had only just begun.

Minister Zhang,

please repeat

what happened

last night.

Yesterday,

Jia Boshan, head of the Ministry of Justice,

went back to visit his family,

and called a troupe to perform in the mansion.

Around 7 PM,

Mr. Jia was not feeling well.

So he went back to his room

with Servant Zhang's help.

At midnight,

Maid Zhang noticed the fire

and called for help.

By the time the fire was out,

Mr. Jia was burnt to death.

So we reported the case.

If the candle on the table

caused the fire,

the person caught in the fire

would have reacted instinctively.

But

why didn't Mr. Jia open the door and ask for help

and was burned to death

in the room?

That means someone blocked the door.

Mr. Jia couldn't escape.

In that case,

the only possible suspect

is Servant Zhang,

who helped him back.

My lord.

My lord.

I'm innocent!

I really didn't do it!

Shut up!

Di,

if I hadn't

received this anonymous letter

demanding that you solve this personally,

[To the Jia family: A life shall soon be lost. Without Di Renjie's judgment, the true killer won't be found.]

You don't have

to worry about this.

Guards!

Take him away.

County Magistrate.

I'm innocent!

Don't touch him!

I didn't do it!

Don't touch him!

It was me!

It wasn't me!

It was me!

I killed Mr. Jia!

Usually,

I'm the one

who replaces the candles in his room.

Let go of me!

One time,

he humiliated me when he was drunk,

and threatened to kill my brother.

After that,

he became worse

and always asked me to serve him.

I couldn't take it anymore,

and burned him to death.

I see.

Let me explain to you.

This maid is the servant's older sister.

Guards!

Take them to the government.

I did all this!

It wasn't my sister!

- Let her go! - I did it!

It wasn't my sister!

- I did it! - I did it!

It has nothing to do with my sister!

Arrest me if you want!

Let my sister go!

The maid said

you were burned to death by her.

Do you believe it?

Your head was caved in.

Your body was burned beyond recognition.

Under normal circumstances,

this would take at least two hours

I killed him!

It has nothing to do with my sister!

I killed him!

Spare my sister!

Wait.

Please!

It was me...

These two

are not the murderers.

A person on fire,

even if he can't open the door,

he would jump off the window

to save himself.

The victim had a fatal head wound.

Mr. Jia might have died

before the fire.

But everyone said

they saw him struggle in the fire.

If you want to save your brother,

tell me the truth.

Did anything unusual happen

when changing the candlestick?

There are usually four candles in the room.

But last night,

one was missing.

Any contact

will leave a trace.

Last night,

Servant Zhang took Mr. Jia back to his room and left.

When Mr. Jia is asleep,

the suspect sneaked in

and struck his head with a candlestick,

killing him.

Then, he put on Jia's clothes

and hid the body and candlestick in the cabinet.

When Maid Zhang went in to change the candle,

she found a candlestick was missing.

The person lying on the bed was exactly the suspect.

After she left,

the suspect used lamp oil to burn the body faster,

then set himself on fire.

When others came to put out the fire,

they saw the burning figure from the window.

But that was the suspect.

The suspect then covered the burned body

with burning clothes.

Then he hid behind the door.

When everyone ran in for the fire,

he used the smoke

to blend in as a rescuer.

So,

whoever didn't arrive right away

when the fire started

is the suspect.

Last night,

I called the steward desperately outside the house,

but no one answered.

I came here when I heard the scream.

Last night, I accidentally stepped on something dirty.

So I went back to my room

and changed my shoes.

Maybe

the shoes were splashed with blood,

so he needed to change them.

Go and search his room.

Put out the fire!

Let me do it.

Hurry up.

Get some water!

For a mere mortal to call themselves a god,

is that not a deluded thought?

To presumptuously proclaim oneself a god

breeds foolish obsession in the heart.

Arrogant and ignorant,

comparing oneself to the heavens,

with no regard for others.

The real suspect

was hiding among dancers.

He deliberately let the steward step in filth,

so the steward arrived late.

Then,

he stole the candlestick in the bedroom

and hid in the closet to wait for an opportunity.

After the maid left,

he drugged Mr. Jia,

dragged him to the warehouse,

and display another burning body

from the cemetery.

Then, he

put on Mr. Jia's clothes and set himself on fire.

Everyone came to put out the fire after hearing the sound.

Everyone thought the burnt corpse was Mr. Jia.

In fact,

the suspect didn't kill Mr. Jia.

He did all this

to mislead me,

so I'd draw the wrong conclusion

and fall into his trap.

Minister Di,

the coroner said the burning body doesn't look like an old man.

But more like the strong man

who was burned to death in the wood cabin.

Di Renjie,

do you still not know

how I died?

[Detective Dee: The Celestial Mystery]

Chili for sale!

Dried chili.

[Wang's Pharmacy]

Chili! Chili!

[Wang's Pharmacy]

He's insane.

Are we still looking for him?

Di.

Di

Di, why are there ligature marks

on your neck?

When a wall collapses, everyone pushes it down.

In the past,

how many people did I arrest?

Di,

I am the new county magistrate,

Minister Li.

This is my personal guard,

Qingci.

Di,

I have a case that needs your help.

Any wine?

Innkeeper,

another jug!

Coming.

Guests,

please enjoy.

Innkeeper,

bring wine.

Coming.

Hurry up.

Guests,

here's the wine.

Enjoy.

Di, you can really drink.

Let me talk about today's case.

This morning,

a male body was found by the river.

The way he died

was truly bizarre.

What does it have to do with me?

[To the County Magistrate: A murder is imminent. Only Di Renjie can uncover the truth.]

Di,

this anonymous letter

asked you to solve the case.

[To the Jia family: A life shall soon be lost. Without Di Renjie's judgment, the true killer won't be found.]

I heard that

before Minister Zhang was burned to death,

you also received this letter.

I suspect

the suspect might be the same person.

There's no clue about the case.

If we don't find the real culprit,

my career...

My people's lives

will be at stake.

I'm no longer Di Renjie who solves cases like God,

but

just a drunk.

Leave the case to yourself,

Minister Li.

Thank you.

Di.

Di.

Di!

Di and Zhang were classmates and friends.

If he hadn't pushed the door first that day,

you would be

dead now.

If you really want to be a drunkard,

why don't you return to your hometown, Bing Zhou.?

You stay in Yang Zhou…

You're waiting...

You're waiting for the murderer

to commit another crime.

Only by catching the real murderer

can you comfort your best friend's soul in heaven.

Get me

a new official uniform.

Move.

Di,

at dawn today,

a fisherman pulled a money chest from the river,

and found a male body inside.

It was a tragic death.

Right here.

Di,

my conclusion is...

Because his body was soaked,

the skin on his face had peeled off.

Froth around his mouth and nose

suggests pulmonary edema,

which are classic signs of drowning.

Bring me a chest

of the same size.

You.

Come here.

Me?

Hurry up.

Go in.

This...

I...

Don't you understand?

Go in.

I...

Come.

Go in!

Give me the apple.

Hurry up.

You.

Sit up.

Let me out!

Let me out!

Help me!

My lord!

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me out!

Let me out!

My lord!

Let me out!

Open the chest.

If the victim

was put into the money chest

and then sink to the bottom of the river.

Out of survival instinct,

he would struggle to get out of the chest.

And

there will be traces of scratching by him.

But

this money chest

had none.

The victim's nails were also very clean.

And there are obvious strangling marks on his wrist,

which means

he was tied up

and died of choking.

Why didn't the suspect throw his body into the river，

instead of staging the drowning as an accident

and putting it in a box?

What an unnecessary effort.

Maybe

the suspect wanted to hide another motive.

The answer lies on the chest.

[Kaiyuan]

Place your bets!

Bet!

[The Kaiyuan Vault]

Recently,

a batch of moldy chests were sun-dried here.

Who knows, one was missing?

But there was nothing inside.

So no one cared.

That chest

might be the one we lost.

As for the rest,

I don't know.

I know him.

His name is Chen Yu.

He's over 30 years old.

Are you sure?

We were once lovers.

So,

I know the old injury on his shoulder.

Oh.

Yes.

I remember now.

His name is Chen Yu.

He cheated when gambling,

and was recognized,

and ended up like this.

Where does he live?

Please.

He's already dead.

Don't bother.

Let him rest in peace.

This is

Di Renjie, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

He's here to investigate this case,

and definitely will find out the truth

for you.

Since you're his parents,

please

tell us

about his past.

My son used to be a scholar,

wrote beautiful essays,

but fell into gambling.

He lost everything,

even borrowed from relatives.

To repay debts,

he sold his sister, Liniang to the brothel.

She drank with patrons all day

to clear his debts.

But

he gambled again everywhere.

We

Gave up on him.

It's good that he's dead.

Let's just forget about his son.

Where did Chen Yu sell his sister?

Yichun Brothel.

Regular patrons who know her all recognize

that she is the foremost figure here.

She is alluring yet refined,

graceful and charming,

and exceptionally talented.

[Yichun Brothel]

She excels

in all the arts.

Many noblemen

came for her.

But this time of day,

she's likely still asleep.

Are you looking for Liniang

to ask about a patron?

This

is Liniang's room.

Liniang.

Oh, this...

Put it down!

How dare you touch the evidence?

Di.

What did you find?

The victim's face and lips are purple.

Her eyes are full of blood, edema.

Her wrists, ankles, and neck

have rope marks.

The string marks are incompatible.

This is not a suicide.

Nails are dark blue,

with obvious lividity

on her body.

She died from suffocation.

When and where did you

last see Liniang?

Yesterday at 6 P.M.

I was greeting patrons at the door as usual.

Mr. Wang.

What took you so long?

Duniang has been waiting for you up there.

Got delayed drinking.

Chunniang is so thoughtful.

Here.

Go now.

They're all waiting.

Going.

Move.

Why are you so drunk?

Slow down.

Don't fall down.

After an hour,

I went to Liniang's room

and heard the laughter inside.

I thought

she must have had sobered up.

So I didn't worry.

So

She was killed after returning.

Did you see

the man who sent her back?

He kept his head down.

I didn't notice him.

Chen Yu and Chen Liniang

were almost killed at the same time.

In my opinion,

someone had a grudge

against their family.

But their deaths were so different.

If it was just revenge,

it wouldn't be so formal.

It seems to be related to some religion.

Bring me all the religious texts

you can find.

Do as Mr. Di said.

Yes.

Hurry up.

Umbrellas!

Look at the umbrella!

Look at this paragraph.

I'll read it to you.

[Noodles]

The Holy Lotus Sect

originated from the border of the Western Region.

And then spread to the Central Plain.

They believe

humans have

Seven Evil Thoughts:

Delusion,

Greed,

Gluttony,

Lust,

Sloth,

Wrath,

Power.

Only by abandoning them

can one return to innocence

and goodness.

What does this have to do with our case?

The suspect gave me a hint.

He asked, 'For a mere mortal like me to call myself a god,

isn't that delusional?'

Chen Yu was soaked in the vault

and died in a money chest.

Enjoy.

It means

greed.

Liniang lives in the brothel

and died in the bed.

It represents lust.

It seems that

the suspect targets sinners,

one for each thought.

Next,

the suspect will kill at least four people.

They represent

power,

wrath,

sloth,

and gluttony.

Yes.

Gluttony.

However, in typical murder cases,

one can follow the interpersonal relationships

to deduce the killer's motive,

and from there, find evidence

and apprehend the suspect.

But now,

the murderer

kills the Seven Evil Thoughts.

How can we know

who in Yang Zhou has sinned?

Where can we find them?

Sloth means lazy.

Wrath means hot-tempered.

Power means obsessed with authority.

These three types of people

are blurry.

Yes.

Yangchun noodles.

Delicious Yangchun noodles.

Come and eat.

Gluttony

means

excessive eating and drinking.

Such people

are usually found in restaurants.

See?

The one who can solve this case

is right before our eyes –

none other than Di.

Qingci.

Send all the constables

to search all the restaurants in Yang Zhou.

Li.

Yes?

Come with me.

Let's visit the Holy Lotus Sect.

Master Jingxing believed people

were overwhelmed by evil thoughts.

So he established the Holy Lotus Sect.

Delusion in people's hearts

causes them to blindly pursue illusory and unreal things.

Greed plunges people into bottomless pits of endless desires.

Gluttony leads people to excessively indulge their carnal appetites.

Lust causes people to lose their moral integrity.

Sloth makes people lose their drive and ambition.

Wrath

fills people with raging anger,

causing them to lose their reason.

The desire for power

makes people obsessed with authority,

forgetting their original intentions.

Only by abandoning the Seven Evil Thoughts,

allowing only good intentions to remain within oneself,

can one,

like a holy lotus, emerge unstained from the mud.

This list

records all the believers who attended ceremonies.

If the suspect knows the Seven Evil Thoughts,

he must have come to the ceremonies.

Minister Di!

Another body was found.

All the constables searched the restaurants.

Only the gate of Fuwei restaurant was closed.

It hasn't opened for days.

I took my men into it,

and found the body of the boss, Tao Wangjiang.

Go, go.

The victim's face is greasy,

and his mouth is full of food.

If the food was forced into it before he died,

the victim's

mouth would be injured.

Due to resistance and struggle.

If it was stuffed after death,

since the muscles were loose,

there won't be obvious injury.

Could he have choked to death?

Impossible.

His hands were unnatural.

There were no signs of him

holding cutlery

or grabbing food as one would during a normal meal.

Both his hands were tightly clenched,

and there were multiple marks on his wrists from being bound,

indicating

a fierce struggle before death.

From the water stains remaining around his mouth and nose,

it can be concluded

that his cause of death was also drowning.

So the suspect

staged the scene

to fit gluttony.

She is the wife of Tao Wangjiang.

We told her to open the shop

and found the body.

Your husband died in his own shop.

According to the time of death,

it has been more than a day.

But you didn't find out

he went missing.

He doesn't want to open the restaurant anymore.

So the restaurant

has been closed recently.

He has many concubines.

I always thought

he was with another woman.

Any unusual behavior before death?

He received a letter

and looked strange after reading it.

I thought

it was from a mistress.

I later retrieved it from the trash.

When I read it,

I found out

it wasn't from a woman.

[Not a natural disaster. I recall a past place. Meet there to discuss. Old classmates from Chenglin Academy.]

Chenglin Academy?

[Chenglin Academy]

Chen Yu and Tao Wangjiang

studied in this academy.

They were classmates.

Back then,

the academy held a literary gathering.

The best draft of each academy

will be submitted to the Minister of Rites.

The title was

about legalism and Han Feizi.

This is their manuscript.

[Tao Wangjiang]

[Chen Yu]

They ranked

third

and second.

Who was first?

Liu Chengyuan.

His father is the current governor of Yang Zhou.

Liu Ze.

Di.

Where are you going?

We're going to find Liu Chengyuan now.

Why?

Chen and Tao were second and third.

Could that be linked?

Liu Chengyuan's father is a governor.

This represents power.

He also won the first place.

He could be the next victim.

Lord Di.

Lord Di.

Lord Di.

Di, I'm really sorry.

I'm really sorry.

I

Hid something from you.

Liu Chengyuan has gone missing.

After the governor of Yangzhou found his son missing,

he was very anxious.

He ordered me to solve the case in one day.

I vaguely feel that

the body by the river

is related to Liu Chengyuan's disappearance.

But...

Well,

So I asked for your help.

So, you were so eager

to close this case

just to protect your own official career.

Are the lives of officials' children

not considered lives?

Let go of me!

Let go of me!

What's going on?

Stop arguing.

County Magistrate.

County Magistrate.

Minister Li.

He purposely sprayed ink

on all the scholars' scrolls

and was discovered.

We're taking him to the headmaster.

Tell me.

Why did you do that?

I had a fight with Li Si.

I wanted to splash ink on his scroll to vent my anger.

But only targeting his scroll

would give me away,

So I splashed everyone's.

Good.

That way, he could cover up his real purpose.

Similarly,

the suspect used seven evils to kill people.

His purpose

is to cover up

the motive for the murder.

Maybe the answer

lies in this academy.

Lord Di, didn't you almost get killed?

What do you have to do

with the academy?

Nothing.

Among all the suspect's targets,

one is completely irrelevant to the clues.

It's like

splashing ink on all the scrolls

to hide the real intention.

If he killed me,

no one else could solve the case.

He failed, of course,

but this is a confusing move

that hides the real connection between the victims

and the academy.

This means

that all victims are related to the academy.

The suspect

may have committed murder because of his feud with the academy.

He used the Seven Evil Thoughts of the Holy Lotus Sect

to hide the real motive for the murder.

In that case,

this person must be related to both the Holy Lotus Sect

and the academy.

His name

will appear

on both the sect's register

and the previous file.

To discover the truth,

we must find this person.

[Xie Mingxuan, Fang Xiong]

[Jin Kaize, Tian Wei, Liu Hongxuan]

[Zhao Chong]

Zhao Chong?

With his ability,

he could've become an assistant lecturer,

but somehow,

he became so lazy

that he gradually fell behind.

He lives alone,

and his residence is not far from here.

I can take you there.

Di...

The victim's arms and legs were chopped off,

which corresponds to the Holy Lotus Sect's punishment

for the sinners of sloth.

There is not much bleeding,

and it's coagulated,

which means his arms and legs

were chopped off after his death.

I thought Zhao Chong was the suspect,

and we could

close the case after arresting him.

I can't believe

he's also a victim.

Master, you seem to have known

that Zhao Chong had been killed in the room.

When you came to me,

I knew that the person you asked

must've been killed.

There is a ruin left behind

after a fire in the south.

Do you know whose residence it is?

Also one of my students,

Wang Tao.

Was he also Zhao Chong's

classmate?

I've checked all 53 scrolls

of the literary gathering.

I don't think I saw his name.

Back then,

there were 54 scholars in the academy,

and he was the only one

who didn't submit the paper.

If he did,

he must be a top scholar.

Why didn't he submit it?

The paper must be submitted within three days

after the exam begins.

However, a fire

struck his home.

The place

was burned down,

and his father Wang Lie died in the fire.

He missed the deadline.

Shocked by the accident,

he fell behind

in studies

and finally became a scribe.

But recently,

he suddenly disappeared.

Does he have family?

He has a half sister

named Wang Yan.

[Register of the Holy Lotus Sect]

[Ding Wenhong, Gao Li, Niu Yuanliang]

[Wang Guangqi, Niu Feng, Lu Tongfang, Zhang Zhihe]

I can't find Wang Tao's name.

[Wang Yan]

But Wang Yan is on the list.

A few days ago,

Wang Yan came here.

I never had any evil thoughts.

Why do I have to suffer all my life?

If you are in pain,

you can tell me.

My biological father

died

from overwork.

My mother remarried Wang Lie, a carpenter.

Before the wedding,

Wang Lie promised

to treat me like his own child.

However,

in less than half a year,

my mother got pregnant,

and she died

during childbirth.

But Wang Lie only cared about his son

and ignored

my mother's life.

If it weren't for him,

my mother would still be alive,

and I wouldn't have

ended up like this.

Evil thoughts

make people keep making mistakes.

I hate him.

I hate this world!

At that time,

she knee led here

and said everyone

have evil thoughts.

I advised her

to read more scriptures

and be kind to others

so that others will be kind to her.

I knew her father

a long time ago.

I watched her grow up.

She really learned a lot from her father.

This way, please.

Be careful.

My Lord.

This is our workshop.

Wang Yan has been working here for a long time.

She is the only woman here.

She has always been quiet.

A few days ago, she worked late

for the government's orders.

I saw her argue with her brother.

Somehow

they had a fierce fight.

After her brother left,

her boyfriend Scholar Li

came to see her

and comforted her for a long time.

But I haven't seen her for a while.

You're asking about her.

Did something happen?

[Registry of Carpenters]

This way, please.

This is Wang Tao's desk.

He usually sits here and copies case files.

He hasn't shown up

for days,

and I was planning

to expel him.

How long has he worked here

as a scribe?

More than ten years.

Has he ever

been absent for days?

No.

[Record of the Midnight Arson Mystery in the Eastern Suburbs]

[Record of the Arson at the Merchant's Estate in Suzhou]

[Record of the Arson at the Lakeside Teahouse in Yangzhou]

Is Wang Tao

in charge of copying

the files of arson cases?

[It wasn't an accident. Let's meet. Your classmate from Chenglin Academy]

Does the accident

refer to the fire at his home?

He became a scribe

to collect files related to arson cases.

He's always believed

that the fire at home

wasn't an accident

but a deliberate arson.

In that case,

Wang Yan is very likely to be the suspect.

Her mother died during childbirth,

and she's been holding a grudge.

She believes

that Wang Lie

only saw her mother

as a tool

for childbirth.

Years later,

she killed Wang Lie

while Wang Tao was away

and made the scene

look like an accidental fire.

On that day,

Liu Chengyuan, Zhao Chong, Chen Yu, Chen Liniang, and Tao Wangjiang

happened to come to see Wang Tao

and witnessed the arson.

To cover up the truth,

Wang Yan seduced Liu Chengyuan

and used his money

to buy off the others.

However, years later,

Wang Tao eventually found out the truth.

So, Wang Yan decided to use the Seven Evil Thoughts as an excuse

to kill everyone

who knew about this.

She sent everyone

a letter

to catch them all.

Di, based on your assumption,

Wang Tao got furious after knowing the truth,

so he's a sinner of wrath.

Liu Chengyuan is a government official,

so he's a sinner of power.

They correspond to the remaining two evil thoughts.

According to the teachings of the Holy Lotus Sect,

a sinner of wrath is a ruthless killer,

while a sinner of power chases fame and interest.

Is there a map?

Yes.

Over there.

The following disposal sites

might be at the execution ground, a place stained by blood,

and the county government, which represents power.

Li,

take some people to the government.

Qingci,

you and I will wait at the execution ground.

[Pavilion] [Execution Ground]

Move!

Stop!

Hurry!

Stop!

We caught Wang Yan.

We found nothing at the government.

The minister heard about Wang Yan's arrest

and is on his way back.

This is the suicide note I found from her.

Wang Yan.

I'm

Di Renjie, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

I thought

you'd hang Wang Tao's body

at the execution ground.

I didn't expect

you'd try to commit suicide.

Why?

Because I'm a sinner of wrath.

I deserve to die.

You killed Wang Lie.

Because Wang Tao found out the truth,

you wanted to kill everyone

related to the arson.

I'm afraid

the rest of them have been killed.

Where are their bodies?

You're the famous Di Renjie, aren't you?

Do you need to ask me?

She won't tell us the truth

without punishment.

Do you want to kill her?

Then how can we get her to talk?

Di!

Di!

Scholar Li

hanged himself in his room.

Di Renjie will discover the truth.

This way.

Hurry!

Move!

Move!

Move!

What's going on?

Exactly.

So much has happened these days.

Exactly.

The knot was tied properly.

It seems he did it himself.

There are

no other bruises

except for the strangling marks.

It's indeed a suicide.

Put him down.

Okay.

Hurry.

Hurry!

Put him down.

Yes.

Hurry.

Although Scholar Li wasn't successful,

he thought highly of himself.

To make a living,

he had no choice

but to copy letters

for others.

The scholar is a sinner of power,

and Wang Yan corresponds to wrath.

All the Seven Evil Thoughts are seen.

[Suicide Note, Wang Yan] [Best Wishes]

The letter and the suicide note

were written by the same person.

Looks like Scholar Li was deeply in love with Wang Yan.

He was just an accomplice.

He couldn't bear to see

Wang Yan die alone,

so he hanged himself at home.

He's not a sinner of power.

Do you still think

Liu Chengyuan has been killed?

To cover up the truth,

she would hide the body

in a place related to power.

Power...

Incense ash?

He went to a temple.

No way.

It's the season of ancestral worship.

There are many people in the temple.

The suspect wouldn't hide the body there

at this point.

I think of

an old place

unknown to common people.

Where is it?

[The Temple of Judge]

This is the Temple of Judge.

It's been abandoned for a long time

with very few visitors.

Judge

is also a symbol of power and justice.

It belongs to him.

Di.

This is

the fragment of Liu Chengyuan's jade pendant.

He really came here.

Zhao Chong admitted his crime.

17 years ago,

the so-called accidental fire at the Wang family's house

was the work of me and the others.

Let's go.

Zhao,

don't be scared.

We are classmates.

Come on. It's okay.

We are brothers.

Let's go.

Come on.

Don't worry.

Liu.

Liu?

I heard

you are close to Wang Tao.

Hurry.

Come in.

Hey,

close the door.

I need you

to do me a favor.

You know about the competition

in the academy, right?

Liu's father is a governor,

so he definitely wants his son to become a top scholar.

Liniang recommended

her brother Chen Yu

to write for us.

Then why do you need me?

This is a good article,

but I'm just worried

that

Liu might be second to Wang Tao,

who's better at writing.

So, two days ago,

we sent him a letter.

[Let's meet after school. Your classmate from Chenglin Academy]

[Chenglin Academy]

Hurry up, Wang.

Wang,

I know you never ghostwrite,

so Chen will do the work.

I only

ask for one thing.

Don't write too well,

and you'll be rewarded.

Wang Tao rejected us,

so Liu asked me to bring you here.

I can give you the money

I offered to him.

But you have to do something for me.

Watch the stove.

When the medicine is ready, remember to let Dad drink it.

Focus on your writing.

I'll be back soon.

Okay.

His father works at a carpentry workshop

and won't come back until late night.

Once they leave,

we'll go there.

Wang.

Wang.

The lantern festival is about to start.

We shouldn't do this.

Just come with me.

Come on.

Let's go.

Hurry.

It's indeed a good article.

I'm no match to him.

I don't believe

he can write another one

overnight.

Who is it?

You...

Why did you burn my son's article?

Sir,

we're Wang Tao's classmates.

We came to visit him

but happened to see

his paper lit up by the falling candle.

If you had good intentions,

why didn't you knock?

The door wasn't closed.

We were worried that the house would catch fire.

I'll send you all to the government,

and everything will be clear.

Go!

Please don't!

We didn't do it!

It was an accident!

We just...

We didn't...

I must report it to the government!

We didn't do it!

Sir!

We're innocent!

We really didn't do it!

You little brats,

how dare you break into my house

and burn my son's article?

Go!

We didn't do it!

Hurry!

We didn't do it!

Great!

Great! Great!

We're innocent!

Great!

Bravo!

Look!

Bravo! Bravo!

Great!

Bravo!

Dad!

It's dangerous!

Stay back!

Get off me!

Dad!

Stop!

Get off me!

Calm down!

Hurry!

Put out the fire!

Hurry!

Hurry!

Hurry up!

I told you to stay home and watch the house.

Why did you go out?

Why did you go out?

Where did you go?

Where did you go?

Dad is still inside!

Sister...

Wang Tao!

You want to turn yourself in?

You only told me about burning the article.

You killed him!

Be quiet.

He saw everything.

Do I have a choice?

Remember,

our hands are all stained with his blood.

We are all murderers.

We must keep the secret together.

Understand?

My father is the governor of Yangzhou.

What are you afraid of?

Do you want to uphold justice

or be my friends?

Brother.

Dad said

he'd hold a banquet to celebrate your success in the exam.

Got it, Sister.

Go play.

Let's go.

Let's go back.

Okay.

You can leave.

You stay.

You can't...

Let's go!

All these years,

Liu Chengyuan has been using his father's power

to do evil things.

He's the biggest sinner of power.

Chen Yu kept borrowing money from Liu Chengyuan

and got addicted to gambling,

always a sinner of greed.

After breaking up with Liu Chengyuan,

Liniang was sold to the brothel by Chen Yu.

She saw through the world

and became a sinner of lust.

Tao Wangjiang opened a restaurant

in Liu Chengyuan's name

and drowned himself in food and drinks.

I've been living in guilt and become a lazy man

who's no longer

interested in anything.

Now,

I'm overwhelmed by guilt,

so I'm writing to confess my sins.

Why is the confession letter here?

I guess they came here

because Wang Yan heard the truth.

I lost all the money.

If you don't lend me,

I think I still remember the letters

you wrote to Wang Tao.

What did it say in the letter?

Oh, right.

There is a good place.

I'd like to invite you there.

When he arrived at the Temple of Judge in the south of the city,

he didn't accept your conditions.

Then you burned his father to death.

It's been so many years.

Do you think I dare not kill you?

You lived off me all these years.

How dare you threaten me?

Are we really going to do this?

It wasn't a natural disaster back then. I remember a place. I'd like to invite you there to discuss the issue. [An old classmate of Chenglin Academy]

Tell me.

You did it?

No.

Tell me.

Was it you?

No.

Tell me.

Enough!

He will die.

What a deep sibling relationship!

He sold you to the brothel.

Why are you still protecting him?

If he didn't tell on us,

we wouldn't have received

the same anonymous letter

to ask us here.

I didn't say it.

I didn't.

It wasn't me.

Why don't we turn ourselves in?

Have you all decided already?

You've written the confession.

Don't let me find it.

I'll kill you.

What are you doing?

Zhao Chong wanted to turn himself in,

but due to Liu Chengyuan's threat,

he had to hide this letter.

Keep searching.

I don't think you dare.

Liu Chengyuan was too arrogant.

So,

he didn't find this letter.

That day,

the sun was shining high.

The room was stuffy.

Everyone drank the water in the water vat

and was drugged.

They woke up with hands tied up.

They struggled desperately.

Tell me

how my father died.

Tell me.

My father is the prefectural governor of Yangzhou.

I'll give you

whatever you want.

Whatever I want?

Yes.

What can you give me?

Wang Yan extorted them one by one.

After she calmed down,

she found that all of them stopped moving

and had no breath.

At this moment,

Wang Tao who thought Wang Yan

was suspicious saw everything

outside the window.

Wang Tao went inside

to persuade his sister to plead guilty.

Wang Yan refused.

Wang Tao was

hit to death

by Scholar Li

who followed him.

Wang Yan believed everyone was guilty.

So they

moved the bodies

based on seven sins.

Wang Tao was naive to think they repented.

Wang Yan killed people.

That's the evil of hatred.

Scholar Li

died for love.

This...

is the truth.

[Yangzhou County Government]

The deadline is up.

What's the result?

[Yangzhou County Government]

[Yangzhou County Government]

[Yangzhou County Government]

Where is he?

Your son

may have been killed.

We haven't found his body yet.

I want to see him,

alive or dead.

You gave me a piece of the jade pendant.

[Yangzhou County Government]

You think I will believe

that he was killed?

Di Renjie,

this doesn't work.

You are guilty.

Lock him up.

[Yangzhou County Government]

Governor Liu,

please give me two more hours.

Humph.

No.

Something is wrong.

The craftsman saw Wang Yan and Wang Tao.

They were having an argument.

After that,

Scholar Li came to comfort her.

At that time,

Wang Yan didn't hide the bodies.

[Wood Workshop Schedule]

What was she doing?

[The structural drawing of the drum]

She was making drums.

It was you.

You killed my brother!

Give me my brother!

Give me my brother!

Give me my brother!

You killed him!

Qingci!

- Qingci. - Give me my brother.

Qingci.

Let go!

Let me kill him.

I will kill you!

Don't stop me!

I'm going to kill him.

Qingci.

[Wanted]

I want to kill him.

Anyone reported Wang Tao, born in Yangzhou, gets a reward of 300.

This is Wang Tao's seat.

He usually sits here and transcribes the case.

How long has he

been working here

as a transcriber?

Was Wang Tao

mainly responsible for transcribing

the arson cases?

You've lived off me for so many years.

Do you think I dare not kill you?

You lived off me all these years.

How dare you threaten me?

Yan,

I heard it with my own ears.

Why don't you believe me?

Why?

It's been seventeen years.

It's been too long.

We have to find out the truth.

Do you have any evidence

except his words under the influence?

Evidence?

Get out.

[Supreme Court]

You have no evidence.

Don't claim that there's another story

behind the arson seventeen years ago.

[Supreme Court]

Let me tell you.

Minister Di won't take it.

[Supreme Court]

If Di Renjie won't take it,

I will be Di Renjie.

It wasn't a natural disaster back then. I remember a place. I'd like to invite you there to discuss the issue. [An old classmate of Chenglin Academy]

Tell me

how my father died?

My father was the prefectural governor of Yangzhou.

Are you going to tell me or not?

Don't you want money?

The jade pendant on my waist

is worth 100,000.

Take it.

I want the truth.

Tell me.

The truth.

I'll tell you the truth.

I killed your father

and burned him.

How could you recognize him?

Now you know the truth. So what?

My father is the prefectural governor of Yangzhou.

What can you do to me?

It was not my fault.

It wasn't me.

It was them.

If I were Di Renjie,

I would do the same.

Yes.

I'm Di Renjie.

I'm investigating a case.

Let go!

Let go!

Don't stop me.

Qingci.

I'll kill you!

Qingci.

I am...

I want to kill you.

I'm Di Renjie.

I'm Di Renjie.

I'll kill you!

Give me my brother!

I'm going to kill you!

Governor.

Governor!

Governor!

Governor!

Governor!

Governor!

Governor!

[Wanted]

I'm Di Renjie.

I'm Di Renjie

I'm Di Renjie

I'm Di Renjie.

Wang Tao.

My brother.

Tao.

Tao.

Tao.

On the night you were born,

Mom left us.

On the night of the fire,

Dad left us.

The neighbors felt sorry for us.

So they rented the empty yard

at a low price

to us.

I tried my best to take care of you

and wanted to start a new life with you.

However,

you became silent.

We talked

less and less.

[Memorial Tablet of My Father Wang] [Memorial Tablet of My Mother Wang Liu]

Seeing you immersed in the past,

I feel painful

in my heart.

We share the pain

of losing our family.

This pain

is like a gutter that can't be overcome,

which is beyond our reach.

Even so,

I still swore

I will never marry anyone.

I will take care of you forever.

When you said if you became a transcriber,

you could check all the cases.

I knew

that fire

was never put out in your heart.

I was worried that you would do something stupid

and ruin your life.

After ten years,

you found clues.

I followed you to the temple

and saw you leave in haste.

Your impulse

caused an irreversible situation.

The peaceful life

was broken down in an instant.

There were only all the remains

and cold corpses.

The only survivor, Li Niang,

told the whole story.

Then I understood

when we were in the workshop,

you said our father was killed by others,

not a natural disaster.

You were right.

Tao,

if someone has to take the blame,

let me do it.

I need a helper.

I know Scholar Li

will help me.

He asked me to go to the Holy Lotus Sect

to complain

and express hatred and injustice.

After that,

each body was put

in different locations

in the name of the Seven Evil Thoughts.

Each body matches one evil thought.

As long as we cover up the truth of death,

they won't be able to find out.

If they know

I hurt you too,

I could clear your suspicion.

In this way,

you match the evil of delusion

and I match the evil of hatred.

This is the last thing

I can do for you.

Wang Tao.

Who are you?

Vice Minister of the Supreme Court, Di Renjie.

Governor Liu

found his son missing,

so he asked me to meet him.

On the way to find Liu Chengyuan,

there were many strange cases.

According to my instinct,

the missing person is related to all cases.

The killer will go to execution ground.

Who else did you kill?

Liu Chengyuan is my brother.

Good or evil,

right or wrong,

alive or dead,

I must find him.

Wang Yan,

Scholar Li just hung himself.

He studied only to be an official,

and was drunk with power.

Scholar Li

is the last one.

I've never met

your brother.

Wang Yan is lying.

She must know where my brother is.

Where is Wang Tao?

When we found him,

he went lunatic.

He said he was Di Renjie.

Because of the case of Jia family,

he missed the real murderer

and killed County Magistrate Zhang.

Because I thought

the suspect was the butler,

County Magistrate Zhang died.

I feel ashamed.

Stop persuading me.

I don't want to be an official anymore.

Do you remember

the appearance of the butler.

I want to forget,

but I can't.

He's not pretending.

I've been practising medicine for long.

I've seen many patients.

I can tell whether he's pretending.

This person has paranoia.

He thinks of himself as others,

but his logic is not affected.

The Jia family case he mentioned

actually does not exist.

The illusions in his mind

is often related to what he experienced.

It's the reflection in his heart.

When can his true identity wake up?

Not soon.

Inform County Magistrate at an early date.

In my opinion, arrest both of them

and extort them

until someone starts talking.

Dad.

Vice Minister Di,

I want to hear your deduction.

Scholar Li

knew that Wang Yan would go to the scene,

committed suicide and left a letter,

so that she could take all the blame

to herself.

He couldn't bear to live alone

and hung himself in his room.

All of this

is to hide the real murderer.

Since he sees himself as Di Renjie,

we can make use of this

to unveil the crime scene.

I'll make the victim's family

and relevant people to cooperate with me.

I can use the homophonic name

as a fake name, and pretend

to be the new head of this county.

Qingci and I'll ask him to solve the case.

Okay.

I'll give you one day.

We'll meet at midnight tonight.

If there is no result,

they will be executed together.

Mr. Di,

there is a cold case.

I need your help.

Hurry up.

Hurry.

Wang Tao is here.

Hurry up.

I had a case two days ago.

And I asked you to solve the case yesterday.

There is a one-night gap.

Although the body was rotten,

you

didn't notice.

Every place

was carefully designed.

Even Wang Yan

on the execution ground

was actually someone else.

Only you know

the real crime scene.

Only you can take us

to the Temple of Judge

and confess using Zhao Chong's letter,

and give us

the truth of the case.

Zhao Chong

deliberately concealed the truth.

He doesn't deserve to be my best friend.

You can't fight.

Don't help me next time.

Why did you fight with them?

They said I was a jinx.

Because of me, my mother died

and then my father died.

It's been a year.

Why not remove your mourning clothes?

My father told me

after my mother passed away,

he wore mourning clothes every day

and burned paper for my mother at sunrise.

He said he would see my mother in his dream.

But for a whole year,

I've never dreamed of my father.

Maybe my father has never forgiven me.

They will always target me.

You don't have to stand up for me.

That fire was an accident.

I never resented you.

Wang.

I'm leaving.

Among all the corpses,

only Zhao Chong's hands

didn't have obvious marks.

This means

he was the only one

who didn't struggle

and wanted to die.

He couldn't voice because of his weakness.

He wanted to die.

Wang Tao,

do you plead guilty?

You know

what I've been through.

If it were you,

what would you do?

This is not your excuse,

nor your reason to kill.

All your decisions and deductions

are the same as mine.

If

You didn't commit a crime,

maybe

you could really become Di Renjie.

[Governor's Residence]

I've lost my brother.

I can't lose my father anymore.

The prefectural governor of Yangzhou, Liu Ze,

knew his son, Liu Chengyuan,

committed arson and murder.

He deliberately covered up

to hide the truth of the case.

We need to take him

to the capital for trial.

Lord Di.

Father.

I'm Di Renjie.

I want to solve the case.

Trust me.

I'm wronged.

I'm Di Renjie.

I want to solve the case.

I want to solve the case.

I want to solve the case.