Original subtitles

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

[Episode 27]

The city is divided into two counties:

the eastern one called Wannian, and the western one called Chang'an,

with Zhuque Avenue as the dividing line.

This design is truly ingenious.

As for the Wannian County Sheriff Du Yu—

he doesn't know me well,

but I've heard much about him.

Like Wei Tao,

he comes from a prominent family in the capital.

They both entered officialdom through family privilege,

and each possesses notable talent.

They're considered

two rising stars with unlimited potential.

As nobles

born and raised in Chang'an,

not only had their families worn court caps for generations,

but they're also the closet to the Emperor.

There's a local saying in Chang'an:

"south of the city live the Weis and the Dus—only 5 feet from Heaven."

That I know.

We've already witnessed

Wei Tao's methods of handling cases.

But I wonder how this even younger

Du Yu's methods compare.

You want to go to the Wannian County Office

to see how he conducts trials, don't you?

But from what Du Yu said just now,

he was already hinting

that we overstepped our authority.

If we go now,

won't it cause trouble for you, Official Lu?

Don't try to use reverse psychology on me.

Do I look like someone who's afraid of trouble?

Besides,

the Du family of the capital should be magnanimous.

If we two go to observe,

Du Yu certainly won't mind.

Sheriff Du.

Could you please allow us

to take these things off our heads?

That won't do.

These are crucial for the investigation.

You, go over there

and draw out the positions

where each of you was standing beneath the flame cloth

at the time of the incident.

Go now.

Yes.

Do you know Ma Kui?

I do,

[Integrity and Harmony]

but not very well.

What do you mean by not very well?

We just exchange greetings when me meet at most.

So during today's deity procession,

did Ma Kui show any unusual behavior?

Not really.

He seemed quite happy.

Even though this big sickle of mine

is made of wood,

it's still sharp enough

to kill someone.

I specially had someone

make it from the finest wood.

Check it out.

How could he not be happy?

He wasn't originally

part of the Seven-Saint Blade lineup this month.

He bought a spot at the last minute.

He bought a spot? From whom?

Was it He Bi?

[The People Are the Foundation]

I only heard it from others. I've said too much.

No, no. This kind of talk is helpful.

Let me ask you:

did Ma Kui

bribe the Zoroastrian Priest He Bi

to get this position?

Speak!

Actually, that wasn't the case.

He Bi

is one of the biggest merchants in Chang'an.

He wouldn't even consider someone like Ma Kui.

Besides, the previous 7 people

had already been decided,

and they were all personally selected by He Bi.

Who would be willing to give up their position

to someone else?

Then where did Ma Kui

spend his money?

I heard he went directly to the High Priest.

You mean Shi Qiansui?

Yes.

Ma Kui paid who-knows-how-much money

to get the High Priest to speak on his behalf,

[Integrity and Harmony]

and that's how he secured the position.

Anything else?

No.

Go sign your statement.

I need to sign?

I was just repeating what I heard.

I'm not even sure about it.

You see that scribe?

He's not a fool.

When you say "I heard,"

he'll record it as hearsay. Understand?

Go now.

Yes.

[The People Are the Foundation]

What's wrong with you?

Why do you look so worried?

What concerns me is,

now that Ma Kui is dead,

what will happen to his business?

In the East Market,

his pepper business

is the biggest right now.

Am I worrying for nothing?

What business are you in?

I'm a jeweler.

You don't sell pepper?

No, no, no.

The Shi brothers here

are the ones who deal in pepper.

I'm Shi Qian.

I'm Shi Wan.

You guys and Ma Kui...

We were as close as brothers.

So when Ma Kui died, I was devastated.

Me too.

The three of you were all in the pepper business,

yet you could still be as close as brothers.

That's quite remarkable.

Merchants all chase profits after all.

His business was the biggest.

Did he not steal business from you two?

Sheriff Du, you don't know the whole story.

Ma Kui's business

was built up

with our support.

We also had shares

in his shop.

When his business thrived,

we profited more as well.

That's right.

I see.

Have you finished drawing?

Yes, I have.

[The People Are the Foundation]

Official Lu, Mr. Su,

would you like to come over and take a look together?

Alright.

Sheriff Du,

we'll pass.

[Virtue to All Corners of the Land]

Okay.

[Ma Kui] [Shi Wan] [Zhang Gui] [Ouyang Pu]

This doesn't reveal much.

You six

are all prominent merchants

with businesses in Wannian County.

I truly

don't want to suspect any of you.

But with 7 people under one piece of cloth

and one dead,

the ones with the biggest suspicion

are you six.

If you ask me,

the killer should just confess

and save me the trouble of torturing each one of you.

Please don't! We're all in business!

We're all merchants.

Silence!

No one's confessing, huh?

Fine!

Then it seems

the killer could only have been

a passersby who slipped under the flame cloth

in the chaos to seek good fortune.

Alright then, you may go.

What? Nobody's leaving?

Could it be

that all six of you acted together

and are all killers?

No, no, no!

Thank you, thank you.

Sir,

you're just letting them go like that?

What else do you want me to do?

If the killer was just a bystander,

wouldn't that make it even harder to find them?

Solving cases isn't that easy.

But... If we can't solve the case,

[Chief Elder Xu of Wannian County]

our Wannian County

will be outdone

by Chang'an County, right?

And with the officers from Yongzhou Prefecture here...

How dare you!

You're not the county sheriff.

It's not your reputation at stake.

Why speak out of turn when the officers are present?

Leave now!

Yes.

[Virtue to All Corners of the Land]

Pardon me, gentlemen.

It's getting late,

and the curfew will start soon.

How about you...

We should be going.

Sheriff Du, sorry for the trouble.

At first glance,

Du Yu seemed to handle cases too frivolously.

Do you really think it was frivolous?

Of course not.

That's why I said "at first glance."

So what now?

Now, Official Lu,

you must have formed your own opinion.

[Shi's Pepper Shop]

Let's go.

Okay.

You've just left the county office,

and you're already heading far away?

Would you like me to see you part of the way?

Qian, what should we do?

Kill him.

Wan, run! I'll hold him off!

Run!

Was it you who helped me

just now, Official Lu?

Indeed, it was I.

My little scheme

has been seen through by you.

How embarrassing.

Why are you arresting us?

On what grounds are you arresting us?

You dare to ask?

Did you think I, the county sheriff,

[Fair and Impartial]

didn't conduct an investigation?

You brothers

started out in the pepper business,

and you act like you run the East Market.

What's more, you have a hobby:

you like lending money

to those who want to go into trade,

thereby gaining a kind of vanity

from having protégés throughout both markets.

Five years ago,

Ma Kui's initial business capital

came from you.

That's true.

And that's why we were as close as brothers.

You have no reason to suspect us for his death.

In the past,

none of the people who borrowed money to do business

ever managed to surpass you.

But Ma Kui was an exception.

He was bold and ambitious.

Just last month,

Ma Kui's business surpassed yours,

and he became

the biggest pepper merchant in the East Market.

Sir, what exactly are you trying to say?

What am I trying to say?

Official Lu and Mr. Su here

already understand,

yet you two are still pretending to be clueless!

Ma Kui's business did surpass ours,

but why would I be jealous?

I was happy for him.

Of course, I admit

Wan was somewhat upset,

but I persuaded him.

That's true.

Then why were you running?

We got up early

to go to the Western Region

to bring back another large shipment of pepper.

We weren't trying to run.

We just wanted to wait under the city gate

so we could leave as soon as it opened.

Then why did you end up

fighting with Sheriff Du?

It was the middle of the night and we couldn't see clearly.

I thought he was a robber.

We have poor eyesight to begin with.

But it seems to me

that you two have perfect eyesight.

Ma Kui was a good businessman.

You realized that early on,

which was why you lent him money.

Yet your eyesight

wasn't quite good enough.

Because over the past 5 years,

you had already recovered

most of your capital.

It wasn't until

Ma Kui's business surpassed yours not long ago

that you realized you'd miscalculated.

Therefore,

you converted the remaining unpaid loan

into shares,

and Ma Kui agreed to that.

But you, Shi Wan,

still felt you were losing out,

so you proposed

to invest even more money

into Ma Kui's pepper shop,

only to be refused.

Thus you believed

he was ungrateful,

and plotted to kill him

during the chaos of the deity procession—

and you succeeded!

Time to go through the flame cloth!

[Fair and Impartial]

Where's the coroner?

Here.

Read your findings from the autopsy.

Yes.

The deceased, Ma Kui,

was cut in the neck with a short knife

to a depth of nearly 5 fen.

The cut was inflicted around

8 p.m.

Nothing else to report.

The deceased, Ma Kui, was killed by Shi Wan,

with Shi Qian as the accomplice.

I haven't wronged you, have I?

Sheriff Du, you're truly brilliant.

Wei Tao from Chang'an County

is no match

for you.

[The People Are the Foundation]

This case was solved way too quickly.

Speed isn't the issue.

The issue is...

I need to go to the mortuary.

You want to re-examine the body?

What's your reason?

We'll know after the examination.

[Wannian County Mortuary]

Well, Official Lu, you barged in

the mortuary of our Wannian County.

Is it that you don't trust the coroner,

or that you don't trust me, Du Yu?

Sheriff Du, you've come at the right time.

Why don't we

take a look together?

Look.

The decease's neck is a bloody mess.

But on closer inspection,

there are two cuts.

These two wounds

differ in length and depth.

The shorter cut,

less than 5 fen deep,

was likely caused by Shi Wan,

but it wasn't fatal.

The longer cut, however,

reached a depth of 1 inch 7 fen,

severing the esophagus

and trachea

completely.

In the study of coroner science,

1 inch 7 fen

is a depth that causes immediate death.

According to the Shi brothers' confession,

when they ambushed Ma Kui,

he did not resist

or try to dodge,

indicating that

his throat had already been cut by someone else beforehand.

I was the first to see

the body.

At that time, that fake sickle

was embedded in the victim's neck.

This 1-inch-7-fen wound

was caused by it.

But that fake sickle was made of wood,

and it shouldn't have been able to kill anyone, unless...

Unless what?

Unless

someone struck the back of the blade with force,

using precise and concentrated strength to drive the fake sickle

into his neck,

causing his death.

So that's how it happened.

It must have been the coroner's oversight

that misled your judgment, Sheriff Du.

Well...

I am ashamed.

It seems the real killer is someone else.

That's right.

I was also there at the time,

but I was just watching the commotion.

I failed to notice

any suspicious person.

This killer must have some skills.

Otherwise,

it would have been difficult to kill with a wooden blade.

But how should we proceed with the investigation now?

I'm at a loss.

I hope you can offer some guidance, Official Lu.

We should start by investigating Ma Kui's enemies.

Setting aside those from the past,

the person he replaced,

that former member of the Seven-Saint Blades,

must have harbored resentment toward Ma Kui.

That's right.

Why didn't I think of that?

[He Residence]

Open up!

Who is it at this late hour?

County office investigating a case. Open the door quickly.

I'm Du Yu, Wannian County Sheriff.

Is He Bi at home?

The Zoroastrian Priest has gone to bed.

Wake him up.

Officer.

Your speculation makes sense.

The person who was replaced

would certainly feel resentful,

or maybe even harbor hatred.

But would it be so bad as to lead to murder?

Besides, I was the one who finalized the list.

[He Bi, Zoroastrian Priest of High Priest's Office]

Anyone who was replaced

would certainly have been someone I could persuade.

Why beat around the bush?

Just tell me who it is.

He was already upset enough,

and now you want to bother him even further.

Cut the nonsense.

Say it. Who is it?

Official Lu.

Do I really have to say it?

This murder case

is closely related to the deity summoning ceremony.

Zoroastrian Priest He, please assist the county office

in investigating the case and tracking down the killer.

Fine.

The person who was replaced

is my younger brother, He Qian.

He lives in

Yanzuo District near Mingde Gate.

Master is in the study.

Wait.

Did He Qian not sleep or is he up early?

How is it that he's in the study at 4 a.m.?

Master suffers from insomnia.

When he was still staying

at Zoroastrian Priest He's place,

he already suffered from this quite a lot.

It's gotten even worse in recent months.

He can only sleep sitting up.

That's why Master

likes to review accounts at night.

While doing so, he could fall asleep.

Otherwise, if Master stayed awake all night,

we'd be the ones to suffer.

Wake him up.

I dare not.

He Qian!

Wake up!

This is the county office, investigating a case.

Master, please don't be startled.

There are visitors here.

Lu Lingfeng!

He likely died around 3 a.m.

An hour ago...

Who's been here?

No one.

Master entered the study sometime between 9 and 11 p.m.

I thought he had gone to sleep already.

[Sold: 4 taels of agarwood to Yang Mingyuan from Changle District]

[Sold: 4 taels of agarwood to Yang Mingyuan from Changle District]

[Received: 100 cash]

Sheriff Wei.

Sheriff Wei.

Has the coroner arrived?

Not yet.

Why isn't he here yet?

The body was discovered by Official Lu

and Su Wuming,

so we didn't rush to find a coroner.

Lu.

Mr. Su.

Sheriff Du.

Sheriff Wei.

The Yanzuo District

is within my Chang'an County jurisdiction.

I know.

Then why are you here?

Are you trying to teach me, Wei Tao,

how to conduct case investigation?

Our Du family has plenty of talented people.

Even if we take on disciples, there's no need to look outside the family.

Although Yanzuo District is in Chang'an County,

the deceased, He Qian,

is connected to a murder case

in our Wannian County.

That's why I came with Official Lu.

We had an agreement.

When it comes to case investigation,

I don't go to the east side,

and you don't come to the west side.

Today,

it's you who broke the agreement first.

I just wanted to look for some clues,

but unexpectedly stumbled upon a corpse.

What bad luck.

What's also to blame is that Chang'an County

is actually so unstable

under Sheriff Wei's governance,

with frequent murders.

I can't even avoid them if I wanted to.

Chang'an County Sheriff is here for case investigation.

All unrelated persons, step back immediately!

Actually, Sheriff Du was telling the truth.

We were indeed

investigating a case in Wannian County,

and the investigation led us here...

Since he's here,

as for this case,

I, as Chang'an County Sheriff, shouldn't interfere.

You Yongzhou Prefecture should handle it directly.

Wait, Wei.

Since this case just broke out,

Chang'an County should still investigate it first.

Su Wuming,

hurry up and report your autopsy results

to Sheriff Wei.

Sheriff Wei.

I've completed the preliminary autopsy.

If there's anything amiss,

please point them out.

[Liuhe Sushan Shop]

Your order is ready.

Thank you.

Sushan is really delicious.

I crave it after just a few days without it.

Within a single day,

three consecutive murder cases occurred,

yet you're still in the mood to eat?

Wei Tao from Chang'an County

and Du Yu from Wannian County

are both exceptional officers.

They're also both very dedicated to their investigations.

At this point, it's inappropriate for our Yongzhou Prefecture

to intervene directly.

Why so glum?

Come on, eat up.

When you put it that way,

it does make some sense.

Lu Lingfeng,

the sketch is ready.

Thank you for your hard work.

This person was wearing a mask,

and Qingcong only caught a glimpse of him,

so I could only try my best to recreate his image.

Those eyes

look quite similar to Wei Tao's.

Su Wuming.

That's not something to joke about.

You said it yourself it was a joke.

I guess

those 20 strokes from Sheriff Wei

made Qingcong remember him very clearly.

Did I draw it wrong?

Is it of no help to you?

No.

Qingcong is naturally timid

and was just putting on a brave face when collecting debts.

As for those he merely brushed past,

he probably didn't pay that much attention to them,

while Sheriff Wei

actually scared him quite badly.

No wonder

he was so vague when describing it,

which is why I spent so long drawing,

and it turns out to be useless in the end.

What seems useless

might turn out to be very useful.

Take me, Fei, for example.

One day, when Lu Lingfeng conquers the battlefield

and becomes a high official, he'll definitely take me with him.

Because I may seem useless,

but I'm actually quite valuable.

Who would dare say you're useless?

Right, I was just about to ask you for help.

This is something I found

at the murder scene in Yanzuo District.

I noticed Sheriff Du didn't care about it,

so I took it with me.

Look here.

This is no ordinary water drop.

Water couldn't have possibly left

such a distinct mark.

I smelled it,

and there's a special fragrance

that seems familiar.

I can't recall what it is at the moment.

You have the sharpest nose. Help me smell it.

Let me smell it.

There really is a fragrance,

and it's quite unusual.

Your choice to come to me

was definitely right.

Let me think.

-What is this... -Let me smell it.

Here.

It really is fragrant.

It's urine!

What?

It's really urine. If you don't believe me, taste it.

I... Taste... You...

Master Fei.

This isn't ordinary urine.

It's from a Fengli beast.

Give it to me.

Mr. Fei!

To solve the case,

tasting a bit of urine is nothing.

I've confirmed it. It's definitely Fengli beast's urine,

no doubt about it.

Academically known as Fengli fluid.

The Fengli beast?

Could it be the one mentioned

in those books our mentor Master Di

left us?

Exactly.

The reason I recognized that smell

is because years ago, I accompanied Master Di

to visit an old friend of his.

That elderly person suffered from rheumatism.

When it flared up, the pain was unbearable.

Only by taking this Fengli fluid

could he get temporary relief.

So

after all this talk,

isn't it still just urine?

How does this help solve the case?

The Fengli fluid is not easy to find, you know?

It used to be something worth a fortune.

Why do you say "used to be"?

Because the Fengli fluid

can treat rheumatism.

Later, this humble physician

developed a formula

specifically for treating rheumatism,

so it lost its value.

Of course, my formula

isn't a cure-all, either.

I've heard there's a type of

particularly stubborn headache

that my formula can't treat.

Only Fengli fluid can cure it.

Therefore,

if the deceased didn't have this illness,

then it must have belonged to the killer,

which makes it a clue, doesn't it?

Then... Should we look for clues at pharmacies?

Pharmacies don't sell it.

I think I know where to start looking.

Official Lu,

what do you think of this lead?

You call this a lead?

How is this not a lead?

It's not really one.

Then what's your opinion?

Three murders

within a single day.

The identities of the victims—

what do they have in common?

They were all merchants.

It might be a coincidence,

but it's likely not.

That statement of yours

hits the nail on the head.

Shi Qiansui, the Sogdian merchant,

is the leader of An Society, an organization for merchants

from both the East Market and the West Market,

and he's also the biggest spice merchant.

The Sogdian merchants

generally follow Zoroastrianism,

so the court established the High Priest's Office

to oversee them.

This Shi Qiansui is

the High Priest of the High Priest's Office.

Ma Kui's qualification as part of the Seven-Saint Blade lineup

was only granted through

Shi Qiansui's endorsement.

Therefore, meeting this Shi Qiansui

should be our priority.

I've already sent Xue Huan to inquire.

At this moment, he's inspecting

the Xian temple in Buzheng District.

Hurry up and eat. When you're done, come with me.

Yingtao.

I've heard the Zoroastrian temple in Buzheng District

is the largest in all of Chang'an.

Let's go see it together.

No way! If you all go,

it'll be me, Fei,

watching the shop alone again.

Are we still running this business or not?

There's a type of roast chicken in Buzheng District

cooked in a special way.

They stuff the cavity

with various fruits

and coat it with honey before roasting.

If I bring one back

for you, Master Fei,

would you let us all go?

They have roast chicken like this?

How come I've never heard of it?

W-Will you really bring one back for me?

Mr. Fei, when has Xijun

ever broken her promise?

It's just that

Sushan Shop would fall apart

without you, Mr. Fei.

You all, go ahead.

Young people should go out and have fun.

I, Boss Fei, am here to take care of the shop.

Don't worry at all.

[High Priest Shi Qiansui]

It's true that Ma Kui earned the Seven-Saint Blade title this month

because of my endorsement.

But I didn't take any money from him.

We're not here to investigate that.

But I need to make this clear to you.

As the leader of An Society,

I care for every merchant

in Chang'an.

That's also why His Majesty granted me

the fifth-rank official position.

The standard for becoming a Seven-Saint Blade

is being an influential Zoroastrian.

Some thought Ma Kui wasn't devout,

believing he joined the Seven-Saint Blades

just to receive divine blessings

and continue making fortunes.

But I believed

he had been the most influential Zoroastrian

in the business world recently.

In just a few years, he became

the biggest pepper merchant in the East Market.

That was quite remarkable.

So I believed he deserved a chance.

As for enemies,

he probably had some.

But

I don't think

they would be merchants.

Why are you so certain, High Priest?

I don't know. Just intuition.

Alright then.

High Priest, if you

remember anything else,

contact me anytime.

You're from the Lu family of Fanyang,

nobility among nobility.

You'll protect merchants, right?

As the Yongzhou Judicial Official,

it's my duty

to protect everyone.

Of course,

including merchants.

Xijun.

Lu.

Sheriff Wei.

Mr. Su.

As discussed previously,

we've been investigating the Zoroastrians,

but we haven't found anything yet.

Thank you for your hard work, Sheriff Wei.

Official Lu,

please, you must catch the murderer

and avenge my brother He Qian!

Zoroastrian Priest He, there's no need to be so agitated.

Sheriff Wei

is working diligently on this case.

Him?

What's wrong?

Don't you know Sheriff Wei?

Of course I do.

Actually, we're even relatives.

Zoroastrian Priest He, you and Sheriff Wei are relatives?

I wonder how you're related?

It's not worth mentioning.

Official Lu.

Today, my family has a joyous occasion,

so I'm hosting a banquet to celebrate.

We haven't been well acquainted before,

but after investigating the case together yesterday,

your demeanor of the Lu family of Fanyang

has earned my admiration.

I'd like to extend a last-minute invitation to you.

Would you honor us with your presence?

Although we're investigating a murder case,

the family banquet was arranged long ago.

Moreover, friends have come from the Eastern Capital

specifically for this banquet.

So I cannot reschedule it.

I understand.

May I ask what joyous occasion your family is celebrating?

Last month, when the Jinguang Society was carrying out major construction,

they unexpectedly unearthed our Wei family's merit-record pillar.

So your ancestral merit-record pillar has come to light again?

That is indeed a great cause for celebration.

I shall certainly attend.

Excellent.

I wonder...

Mr. Su,

I apologize.

Regarding viewing the merit-record pillar,

I didn't invite you

because

all those attending today are from prominent noble families.

Although the Su family of Wugong...

No need to explain.

I know my place.

Besides, I have other matters to attend to tonight.

Xijun, come here.

Come on.

But Miss Pei here

should be able to go with him, right?

Could you be from the Pei family of Hedong?

I'm from the eastern branch of the Pei family of Hedong.

So the former Minister of Personnel, Pei Jian?

That's my father.

My apologies for the oversight.

The Pei family of Hedong is a distinguished line of officials.

According to the family records, it has 5 branches:

the central branch, the western branch, the Xima branch,

the Nanlai Wu branch,

and then there's the eastern branch,

to which Miss Pei belongs.

If you could accompany Lu,

it would be my great honor.

Thank you for your invitation, Sheriff Wei.

Well then,

I shall respectfully accept.

Excellent.

Lu,

Mr. Su.

Come with me.

The Wei family's merit-record pillar resurfacing

is truly a joyous occasion.

Su Wuming.

I know you're fond of antiquities.

It's just...

It's fine.

Your elite noble family gathering

is not for Yingtao and me

to presume to join.

That's right.

Su Wuming,

you should take me to do something worthwhile instead.

Now I can go investigate

that lead which you didn't consider a lead, right?

As you wish.

[Moxiang Bookstore]

Su Wuming, you said we were looking for clues,

but you've buried yourself in this bookshop,

leaving me alone

to wait here.

I'm so bored.

I went to the bookshop

precisely to look for clues.

If you don't believe me, look.

In the wilderness of Lingnan, there's a beast

called Fengli.

It resembles a monkey,

with long eyebrows and a bashful nature.

When it sees people, it behaves shyly like a young woman.

Its urine is said to be able to treat rheumatism and headaches.

So its urine really can cure diseases?

I thought Mr. Fei was making it up.

Keep reading.

When the Fengli appears, it carries a cane,

called the Fengli cane.

This beast is very cunning

and moves in a secretive manner.

It only shows itself when it sees no one around.

Beneath a tree, it holds the Fengli cane,

points at a bird's nest,

and the nest falls as the cane points at it.

My goodness.

The Fengli beast itself is already quite strange, isn't it?

But this Fengli cane is even more mysterious,

which makes it hard to obtain.

Legend has it

that even if you catch the Fengli beast,

it won't easily

reveal the whereabouts of its cane.

It won't bring out the Fengli cane

unless you give it a good beating first.

T-That's so fascinating.

Once you obtain the Fengli cane,

it's incredible.

Any raptor, fierce beast, or villain,

you point the cane at them,

and they die instantly.

Any treasure you desire,

pearls or agates,

you point the cane at them,

and they fall right into your hands.

I-Is this real

or just a myth?

Whether it's real or not,

first we need to

find a place that sells Fengli canes.

Buy one, and we'll find out.

Then I'll buy one and point it at you.

Why point it at me?

Do you want me to die instantly

or fall into your hands?

You...

Playing dumb.

I'm telling you,

I'm not exactly a good person,

but that is something truly good.

[Sugar Painting]

Look.

Does it look like me?

Go ahead and eat it. I'm not afraid of pain.

Mother, when I grow up,

I'll buy you sugar figures too.

Good boy.

Little boy.

I haven't eaten this one yet.

How about

I give it to you?

Please don't, young lady.

When seeing something he likes,

he didn't think of himself,

but first thought of buying it for his mother.

A child like this is bound to grow into

an extraordinary person.

You flatter us, Sir.

I, Yan Zhenqing, thank you

for your kind words.

My family is not of high status.

[Yan Zhenqing]

I should study diligently,

not seeking to be exceptional,

but only to serve the people and the country.

At such a young age,

you actually have such ambition.

I, Su Wuming, admire you.

I admire you too.

I want to give this little sugar figure

to you out of my own will.

Please take it.

Well then,

take it.

Thank you.

Here.

Mother, you eat first.

Good boy.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Let's go.

Such a good child.

Even in the grand households

of the Five Surnames and Seven Clans,

you might not find one like that.

So why can the Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng families

all enter officialdom through family privilege?

How should I explain this to you?

This is something His Majesty should consider.