Original subtitles

[Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty III: To Chang'an]

[Episode 17]

Thank you both for seeing me off.

Du.

Ninghu is prosperous.

After you get there,

you won't suffer any hardship.

I just remembered—

you once served as the magistrate of Ninghu.

Indeed I did.

But I've also heard

that place is crawling with alligators.

If you don't provoke them,

they won't bite you.

Still not as good as Guanzhong.

I heard they have good wine though.

What's it called again?

Nantian Wine.

Right.

Exactly.

That's the name.

Once I'm in Ninghu,

I'll finally get to enjoy

some Nantian Wine.

Du, are you happy

or not happy?

Of course I'm not happy.

I got demoted.

How could I possibly be happy?

But your face says otherwise.

You look absolutely thrilled.

Like you got exactly what you wanted.

Nonsense.

Su Wuming,

you're such a fraud!

Y-You fooled the Emperor.

You fraud.

But since you came to see me off,

I won't hold it against you.

Lu Lingfeng,

you're a true gentleman.

Upright and skilled in both civil and military arts.

You're a rare talent.

By rights,

after killing that monster Ao Tian

and keeping the capital safe,

you should be promoted

and take my place as Yongzhou's Chief Administrator.

It's a pity I don't make that call.

I wish you good luck.

Actually,

I once served under Master Di too.

Though I'm not as good at catching criminals as Lu Lingfeng,

nor as sharp as Su Wuming with cases,

once I'm in Ninghu,

I'll still find a way

to put my skills to use.

I'm off.

Gotta say,

the real winner here is His Majesty.

He sent me to bury the four Imperial Guards

and wouldn't let Du Ming come along.

Do you know why?

To prevent others from seeing the bodies

and exposing your lie.

Exactly.

Seizing the opportunity

during chaos

and turning the Tang Empire's fate around,

His Majesty is no ordinary ruler.

He's truly admirable.

Not finding the real Bai Ze

was expected.

Nothing to feel down about.

It's just that...

Du Ming had sided with me,

but now he's kicked out of the capital.

The Princess

has recommended three people in a row.

I turned them all down,

but if she brings up another name,

I'm afraid

I won't even have a good excuse to reject it.

What do you think of Lu Lingfeng?

Your Majesty,

you've worked so hard

to get where you are now.

Yongzhou's Chief Administrator

is such an important position.

You must not act rashly

or easily give it to someone else.

But I

currently have no one suitable to use.

Xiong Qiannian's been back in Chang'an for days.

I've been watching him in secret.

He hasn't had any contact

with the Princess's people.

He's been waiting for Your Majesty's favor.

Xiong Qiannian?

He used to serve in the court.

It was only later

that he became the Governor of Nanzhou.

He is indeed a suitable candidate.

How could I have forgotten him?

Lu.

Su.

Governor Xiong, how have you been?

That title from my Nanzhou post…

I find it

quite endearing.

You've got the title wrong.

I am Su Wuming, a humble official.

Greetings, Chief Administrator Xiong.

Official?

[Xiong Qiannian, Governor of Nanzhou Prefecture]

I just checked the roster.

[Xiong Qiannian, Yongzhou's Chief Administrator]

There's no record

of any position you hold.

Su Wuming

is currently the Criminal Scholar of Yongzhou.

He works under me.

Criminal Investigation Scholar?

Is that an official position recognized by the Ministry of Personnel?

Du Ming was truly absurd.

Someone as gifted as Su

shouldn't have been given

some vague and unofficial-sounding

"scholar" title.

Then tell me, Chief Administrator Xiong,

what position

should someone like me hold?

We must follow the court's regulations.

However,

I value friendship highly.

Aren't you also

the Chief of Secret Agents?

You can continue with that role.

I have no objections.

Furthermore,

once there's an opportunity,

I will certainly recommend you.

His Majesty is eager to find talented people.

I believe that in the near future,

-you'll surely… -I'll surely become like you,

wearing the robes of high rank.

I wouldn't dare to hope for that.

[Su Wuming, Criminal Scholar of Yongzhou]

Since my name doesn't appear

[Su Wuming, Chief of Secret Agents of Yongzhou]

on the Yongzhou officials' roster,

I'll take my leave now.

I suppose

the newly appointed Chief Administrator

and the Judicial Official

must have much official business to discuss.

I'll take my leave.

I'll take my leave.

Su.

Su.

Look at him.

Su Wuming is one of the Princess's men.

She made him the so-called

Criminal Investigation Scholar.

Thank you for the heads-up.

I

know what to do now.

Lord Yan.

Lord Yan?

It really is him.

What took you so long?

I've been waiting for an hour.

Don't be upset, my lord.

The flight over Qinling and Jianghuai was smooth.

But over Dongting Lake,

a heavy fog suddenly arose.

I got lost

and ended up flying toward Huating.

I had to turn around again.

That's why I was delayed.

Did you miss me?

Damn you, Yan Junxian.

I knew it was you!

Let's talk about Meng Buyi first.

We've rekindled our relationship.

Hasn't he noticed?

How could he notice?

He works the night shift at the county office every day.

When the sun rises here,

it's still pitch dark over where he is.

Yan Junxian!

[Meng Buyi, Secretary of the Ministry of Revenues]

Secretary Meng.

You're on night duty again tonight?

Would you like me

to get you some tasty food?

That won't be necessary.

[An old scribe]

I brought food from home.

Your wife is truly considerate.

Indeed she is.

I heard

that the book you wrote,

"Strange Tales of the Divine Capital,"

is in bookstores

and selling quite well.

You must have made quite a fortune.

How enviable.

I didn't make any money.

Those are all rumors.

Ignore them.

Rest assured, Secretary.

You've been using your night duty time at the county office

to secretly write your books.

But I

won't breathe a word about it.

Don't put it like that.

I've got my work done.

That's right.

Even if you also write during the day sometimes,

so what?

As long as the real work gets done,

I see no harm in it.

[Strange Tales from the Western Capital, by Meng Buyi]

By the way,

I have a story about a snake demon.

Would you like to hear it?

If you include it

in your strange tales,

people would surely enjoy it.

What kind of demon?

A snake demon.

[Strange Tales]

Su Wuming?

Still wounded, yet he's already practicing swordplay.

I called him three times, and he ignored me.

That one's the same.

He got fired, yet he still sits there writing.

I called him to eat, and he wouldn't come.

As if that thing he's creating with ink

can fill his stomach.

And he looks so pleased with himself.

How infuriating.

Should I go

and get Master?

Fei!

Fei!

Master Fei!

Master Fei!

Fei!

What's happening?

He looks poisoned.

What did he eat just now?

Yingtao,

get the antidote pills

and give him a few.

Step aside!

You may strain your back.

No need for antidote pills!

Since everyone's here,

can we eat now?

So you were just acting

to draw our attention?

My bad.

I got carried away with my writing

and delayed your meal.

I'm at fault too.

Xijun

seemed to call me three times.

It's fine.

We weren't in a hurry anyway.

What's wrong with those two?

Let's eat!

Now that you're all full,

I have something

I'd like to ask Official Lu.

Go ahead.

Now,

I'm no longer

the Criminal Investigation Scholar,

but Xiong Qiannian said

I can continue as the Chief of Secret Agents.

Therefore, I'd like to ask—

my monthly salary won't be cut, will it?

Of course it'll be cut.

It's paid by the court.

You can't take a single copper that's not yours.

It can't be cut again.

My monthly salary is already low.

That was your choice.

You're reaping what you sowed.

Actually, I

don't care about these things at all.

At worst, I'll quit being

the Chief of Secret Agents too.

I've already found a new livelihood.

What livelihood?

Here.

Take a look.

Take a look!

Mr. Su,

what exactly did you write?

Something you can make a living from?

Strange tales.

I, Su Wuming,

am kinda famous, you know.

The strange tales I write,

bookstores will be fighting over them,

and they'll sell for a high price!

Who else has stories like mine?

And the key is—I write them well!

Now that you've all eaten your fill, come over here.

I'll read you a passage.

-Great! -Come on.

I love strange tales.

I'll read the one

I just wrote today.

The Tang Empire...

Stop it!

You were personally taught by Master Di,

yet you want to write strange tales?

Are you worthy of his teaching?

But I have to make a living!

I can't let everyone support me, can I?

I'd feel ashamed.

That pathetic pride of yours

isn't worth a dime.

Just swallow it.

That's…

harsh as hell.

Harsh?

You lost your post

just for now.

Not forever.

Master Di was a wise man.

He saw beyond the horizon.

He valued you

because he wanted you to become

a pillar of the state.

Not to have you write stories

about ghosts and demons

to fool children.

That's a bit biased.

It's not just children who read strange tales.

Exactly!

I love reading about

gods and monsters.

You see?

I won't argue with you.

In short,

this path won't work.

I forbid it.

I have an idea

that I've been thinking about for a while.

Since

everyone is here today,

may I tell you about it?

Xijun,

this is your home.

You're the hostess.

Come over here

and say whatever you want.

Come on.

Master.

I grew up in Chang'an.

Now that I'm back,

I've come to love this place

even more.

I've taken Yingtao

to all 110 districts.

They are all busy and thriving.

No wonder Chang'an is the greatest city in the world.

Just talking about food—

delicacies from everywhere

can all be found here,

except for one thing.

It's something I've been

dreaming about lately.

We all had it

in Shazhou Prefecture.

Sushan?

Yes,

sushan.

If we could bring that Dunhuang treat

to Chang'an,

then during the scorching summer,

the people of Chang'an

would have something wonderful to enjoy.

That would be a worthy deed.

So you want

to open a shop?

Yes.

To open a sushan shop.

As for the location,

we could choose Shengye District,

Pingkang District,

or the East and West Markets.

It doesn't need to be too big,

but it can't be too small either.

The decor needs to be refined

because those who enjoy this delicacy

aren't just eating to satisfy hunger.

Also,

we can innovate on its recipe.

Chang'an is different from Shazhou.

We've got way more seasonal fruits.

So sushan

can have a variety of flavors here.

Rice is expensive in Chang'an,

and housing even more so.

Opening a shop

requires a lot of capital.

I can sell one of my houses.

You'll sell this house?

This was left by Minister Pei.

Besides, we're comfortable living here.

If you sell it, where will we live?

Fei,

you clearly don't know

how rich Miss Xijun is.

Besides this house

in Chongren District,

Miss Xijun

has two more houses in Xuanyang

and Yanshou Districts.

In such prime locations,

those houses must be very expensive.

It seems Minister Pei's position

is quite profitable.

Master Fei.

You misunderstand.

My father only receives a salary from the court

and has never taken any dirty money.

These three houses

were all bought after we sold our ancestral properties.

My father asked me then

what I'd do with the money.

I said I'd buy houses.

Because Chang'an is beautiful

and the heart of the Tang Empire.

Everyone in the world wants to live here.

Xijun, you're remarkable.

If I had

a daughter like you,

I wouldn't have spent years

wandering in the Ghost Market.

Then,

don't call me Miss Pei anymore.

It's Boss Pei now.

-No! -No!

Official Lu, you speak first.

Because of Ouyang Quan from Nanzhou Prefecture

and Sima Liang from Yunding County,

I have greatly changed my view

of merchants.

But after all,

Xijun comes from the Pei family of Hedong.

If people find out,

your family might not tolerate it.

That's true.

If one day

Minister Pei returns

and questions this,

as her sworn brother,

I wouldn't be able to explain it.

How about this?

If you trust me, Xijun,

I can be

the boss instead.

That won't work either.

You still disagree?

You'd certainly be good at business.

That's right.

What about your position

as the Chief of Secret Agents?

Think carefully.

The secret agents work in secret,

but they help solve cases,

catch criminals, and protect

the capital.

And you once said

you'd devote yourself

to the people of Chang'an.

Are you going to go back on your word?

Being the boss of the sushan shop

and the Chief of Secret Agents

aren't in conflict!

As a secret agent,

you should remain behind the scenes.

If the sushan shop becomes popular,

everyone in Chang'an

will recognize you.

How can you stay

in the shadows then?

That does make sense.

In that case,

who better to run the sushan shop

than me, Fei Yingjun?

All in favor, raise your hands.

Master Fei is perfect for this.

I agree.

Whether you two raise your hands

doesn't matter anymore.

There are already four hands.

That's a majority.

From now on,

stop calling me Fei,

Master Fei,

or

Miracle Doctor Fei.

You should call me

Boss Fei!

I've thought of a name

for our sushan shop.

It'll be called Liuhe Sushan Shop.

The six of us

will work together as one

to make a fortune.

Business will be booming!

Say "business thriving" from now on.

W-What's wrong with "booming"?

It's a taboo—same as the Emperor's name.

I'll say it anyway.

Booming, booming,

booming!

Lu Lingfeng,

it's fine to say it at home.

Xiong Qiannian is audacious!

[Crucial Nexus]

The position of Criminal Investigation Scholar

was created by me for Su Wuming.

Doesn't he know that?

Of course he knows.

So you're saying

Xiong Qiannian has allied himself with His Majesty?

We recommended three candidates

for Yongzhou's Chief Administrator.

His Majesty rejected them all.

Now,

Xiong has suddenly taken that post,

clearly becoming His Majesty's loyal supporter.

So as soon as he took office,

he kicked Su Wuming

out of Yongzhou Prefecture Office.

This is clearly targeted at me.

Forgive my frankness,

but this might not be a bad thing.

What do you mean?

Su Wuming,

though promoted by Your Highness,

may not be

completely loyal to you.

Think about the Mount Zhongnan trip.

That nonsense about hearing Bai Ze's cry

was clearly meant to protect

His Majesty's reputation.

Without a doubt,

it must have been

fabricated by Su Wuming.

He plays both sides.

Not someone you can truly rely on.

Unlike you—utterly loyal.

I promoted him

at the wrong time.

Su Wuming

was demoted from Vice Minister of the Judicial Review Court,

and now, he's even lost his title

as Criminal Investigation Scholar.

His life has truly hit rock bottom.

If I give him a hand now,

he'd surely be deeply grateful to me.

Give him a job at the Princess's Mansion.

It seems too late for that.

Why?

Has he left Chang'an?

No, he hasn't,

but he's opened a shop

in the busiest part of Shengye District,

selling something called…

sushan.

He's become a merchant?

How could Su Wuming

do such a thing?

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Boss Fei.

Say a few words.

On this auspicious day,

the Liuhe Sushan Shop

is officially open for business!

Thank you.

Thank you all for coming.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Thank you.

What is sushan?

Su Wuming.

What should I say next?

You're the boss.

You prepared for so many days,

yet you didn't prepare an opening speech?

I didn't think of one.

Introduce yourself.

I'm the owner of this sushan shop.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

My surname is Fei, given name Qiao, courtesy name Yingjun.

My nickname is Chicken Fei.

Just call me Boss Fei.

W-What's next?

Come down.

Xijun,

why don't you tell everyone about sushan?

I'll say something.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Today,

Boss Fei and his friends

are opening this sushan shop.

Some of you might wonder,

what exactly is sushan?

Is it good?

Let me tell you—

"Good" doesn't cut it.

It's absolutely delicious.

Eating it not only cools you down in summer

but also

extends your lifespan.

I am a Chang'an native.

I wouldn't lie to my own people.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Come on in and give it a try!

Two coins per serving.

But since it's the opening day,

half price!

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

What is this thing called sushan?

Is this even edible?

Will it crack our teeth?

I heard it's just crushed ice.

Won't it give us a stomachache?

I-If anyone has a stomachache,

I will treat them.

Immediate relief guaranteed!

This whole sushan shop

looks like a setup to give people

stomachaches

so you can sell medicine.

They're just scammers!

It's not like that.

No.

That's not true.

No, no.

Everyone, please.

Listen to me.

Sushan

is a specialty from Shazhou Prefecture.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

In the Western Region,

it's very popular.

Boss Fei

brought sushan to Chang'an

because when he was in Shazhou Prefecture,

he enjoyed this delicious treat.

After returning to Chang'an,

he thought about it day and night

and couldn't forget it.

He wants the people of Chang'an

to taste this delicacy from Shazhou Prefecture.

So,

rest assured.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Eating it won't upset your stomach.

We use only fresh ingredients,

and all our business permits

are in perfect order.

B-Bring the permits.

-The permits. -Hurry.

Please take a look.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop. Proprietor: Fei Qiao. Main Business: sushan]

This is from the Court of the Imperial Treasury.

It really is from the Court of the Imperial Treasury.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop. Proprietor: Fei Qiao. Main Business: sushan]

This is from Yongzhou Prefecture Office.

This is from Wannian County Office.

This is from the East…

Why do we have the permit for the East Market too?

Didn't you say the more the better?

So I went ahead and got that too.

Anyway,

our paperwork is absolutely complete.

In the future, we'll open a branch

in the East Market.

That's why we got the permit

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

from the East Market in advance.

The Princess has arrived!

[Dashi Fragrance]

-Greetings, Your Highness. -Greetings, Your Highness.

Rise.

Your Highness,

what brings you here?

Su Wuming.

Opening a shop? Really?

I can't believe you came up with this.

Don't you know

your current situation

is only temporary?

I just happened to learn

a new dessert recipe

in Dunhuang.

I don't want it to go to waste.

Does becoming a merchant today

mean you no longer wish

to serve the Tang Empire?

Merchants pay taxes.

That's serving the country too, isn't it?

You're really good at playing dumb.

You know perfectly well

what I mean.

Your Highness,

you misunderstand.

I'm just here to help today.

The owner of this sushan shop

is Fei Yingjun.

I'm Boss Fei. Greetings, Your Highness.

Don't call yourself that.

Boss Fei.

From a miracle doctor to a shopkeeper—

that must be

unprecedented in Chang'an.

Everyone,

this Boss Fei here

has quite a background.

He's the disciple of the Medicine King, Sun Simiao.

And in Luoyang,

he once saved my life.

I was too shaken at the time

and haven't properly thanked him yet.

Hearing that his new shop is opening,

I've come specially to congratulate him.

Bring paper and a brush.

[Chicken]

Boss Fei loves to eat chicken.

I hereby name you the Chicken Master of Tang.

[Chicken Master of Tang, Entitled to Chicken Offerings Nationwide]

Wherever you go

within the Tang Empire,

local officials must

present you with at least one chicken.

Do you like

this gift?

I...

I like it.

I love it!

[Chicken Master of Tang]

Your Highness, thank you again.

I came in a hurry this time.

I'll have a golden plaque made

and sent to you another day.

I, Fei,

am now one of the Princess's people!

Hurry up

and invite the Princess inside

to taste some sushan.

Okay.

Your Highness,

please try some sushan.

Sushan...

I've heard envoys from the Western Region mention it,

but I have never tasted it.

Today's the perfect time.

Let's try it together.

Yes.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

I want to try it too.

I want some as well.

-Let's go. -Let's go.

Xijun?

You're helping out here too?

More than just helping.

She paid for everything!

I made these three servings

of sushan myself.

Please try them, Your Highness.

So this is how it tastes.

Special.

Wonderful!

The Princess says

the sushan tastes wonderful!

Shout with me.

The Princess says

the Sushan tastes wonderful!

The Princess says it's wonderful.

Chancellor Cui.

Don't just stand there.

Try it later.

It's really delicious.

Thank you, Your Highness.

The Princess also says

sushan is really delicious.

The Princess says it's delicious!

The Princess came to congratulate

on the opening of the shop

and tasted it herself.

This thing must taste amazing.

Exactly!

Who was saying earlier

that it might upset the stomach?

That's nonsense!

You were the one who said it.

You said it.

Did I say that?

To eat the same food

as the Princess,

even if I get a stomachache, I'll accept it!

After the Princess leaves,

I'll be the first one to enter the shop

to eat sushan.

Right.

Me too.

I'll eat sushan.

I'll eat sushan.

Chancellor Cui, your sushan is ready.

Since you didn't actually go into business,

come serve in the Princess's Mansion.

You'll start as a Consultant Official,

then be promoted to Chief Administrator.

Happy with that?

Your Highness,

perhaps not.

Do you find the position too low?

Then how about the Princess's Consultant?

I don't find the position too low.

I just...

I can't bear to leave Lu Lingfeng.

Although I am no longer the Criminal Investigation Scholar,

I'm still the Chief of Secret Agents, aren't I?

This post,

though not an official position,

is extremely important

to the Judicial Official.

Since Lu Lingfeng took office

in Yongzhou Prefecture,

he's established the Mobile Court,

handling cases in each district

and winning people's hearts.

However,

the capital

has a population of over a million.

The backlog of cases is truly too large.

I'm afraid Lu Lingfeng

will collapse from overwork.

Therefore, I beg you, Your Highness,

to allow me to stay by his side

to offer him advice and strategies

and help solve his problems.

Rest assured, Your Highness,

I will do my utmost

to assist him.

Are you saying that

because you are afraid

of offending that person?

With Your Highness valuing me so highly,

within the Tang Empire,

who would I have to fear?

Don't play dumb.

However, I do approve

of your excuse.

My son, Lu Lingfeng,

truly needs someone like you

to assist him.

Before long,

my son will surely rise to the highest ranks.

By then,

you won't be beneath him in status.

In that case,

thank you, Your Highness.

Get Pei Xijun here.

Your Highness.

Sit.

I dare not.

If I tell you to sit, then sit.

Thank you, Your Highness.

My son is stubborn.

Do you often argue with him?

Sometimes we do.

But he always gives in to me.

Then he treats you much better than he treats me.

The other day, when I went to check on his injury,

we got into an argument.

He wouldn't budge an inch.

Lu Lingfeng must have

been tormented by his pain

and spoken some nonsense.

Although Lu Lingfeng is reserved,

he is not a fickle person.

In the future,

he will surely treat you well.

The shop is opening today.

Why didn't Lu Lingfeng come?

He's busy with official duties.

The Mobile Court is in Qinglong District today.

[Qinglong District]

-Hurry up. -Wait for me.

-It's starting. -Let's go.

Well, basically,

that's what happened.

It can hardly be called a case.

If we're late, there won't be any seats left.

Maybe I won't report it.

My neighbors and I

will just resolve it ourselves.

It's not a big deal anyway.

All right.

Try to get along with your neighbors.

I'll remember that.

Hurry up!

Come on, hurry!

Official Lu.

This is too much!

I'll go chase them away!

Qinglong District has no unsolved cases.

No one is seeking justice.

No one has gone missing.

And there is singing and dancing.

Isn't this exactly what

we've been hoping for?

What kind of dance is that?

So many people are watching.

Actually,

everyone is here to see

Hongyao.

Who is Hongyao?

The one playing the pipa.

She used to be the top courtesan in Pingkang District.

She is famous.

Then let’s go take a look too.

No one is filing a complaint anyway.

[Hongyao]