Original subtitles

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

[Episode 32]

Are you Mr. Yin Yao?

That's me, Mortician Yin Yao.

Nice makeup work.

The details are exquisite.

I must thank you

for not using cosmetics

to cover the strangulation and finger marks

on the victim's neck.

I've already examined it.

You can go in and continue your work.

I didn't see any coroner arrive.

Officer, are you sure no further examination is needed?

Yin Yao.

You think without you,

Wannian County would lack good coroners?

County Sheriff Su himself

is an excellent coroner.

Impossible.

Coroners cannot take civil service exams,

so how could one become a county sheriff?

I am indeed not a coroner.

I only have

a rudimentary knowledge of forensics.

But you, sir,

must be an excellent coroner.

You said earlier

that the victim was strangled first

and then made to look like a suicide.

Your judgment is correct.

Thank you for your help.

The victim's father already has

suspicions about the killer.

His wife died young.

He remarried last year.

That woman was unfaithful.

She often had affairs with others

when he was not at home.

His daughter once caught her in the act.

Yesterday, he found his daughter hanged.

The stepmother claimed she was frightened

and moved back to her mother's home.

That's extremely suspicious, isn't it?

I'll go find that woman.

That would be excellent.

County Sheriff Su.

Well...

Yingtao is from Yongzhou Prefecture.

It's fine to let her arrest that woman.

What we fear most now is news getting out.

That woman's lover

lives in this district,

in the third house on the right from the west gate.

He's an alchemist.

He knows some martial arts.

Go question him.

If no one's home,

check the situation inside.

If there are signs of escape,

immediately make a sketch for his arrest.

Understood.

This case isn't actually complicated.

The key lies in the coroner.

You've figured that out already?

According to you,

this Yin Yao...

What a ridiculous name.

He is a good coroner.

Then why

did he become a mortician halfway?

That's a good question.

Even if that

arrogant Qin Xiaobai were here,

he'd have to praise his makeup skills.

[Funeral]

Mr. Yin, are you free today?

I'd like to invite you for a few drinks

and make your acquaintance.

I'm busy today.

Hey, Yin!

The esteemed County Sheriff Su, disciple of Master Di,

addressed you as 'sir'.

That's a show of goodwill.

How dare you be so rude?

Thank you for your kindness, County Sheriff Su.

I still have important matters to attend to.

I really don't have time today.

Please understand.

No matter.

I'll invite you another day then.

Satisfied now?

Look at him.

Talented people

always have a bit of pride.

When we were young,

weren't we the same?

If you put it that way,

you're really flattering him.

How could he compare to us?

Let's go. Hurry up.

Move.

County Sheriff Su, you're truly prescient.

This guy was just about to run

when I caught him red-handed.

He has confessed everything.

He was having an affair with a married woman

when the deceased caught them.

Afraid of being exposed,

he committed the murder.

He strangled her to death before hanging her up

to make it look like suicide.

The woman has confessed too.

The idea of strangling her

was actually hers.

How vicious you two are!

[Geng]

[Geng Residence]

According to Captain Xu,

this is where Geng Wushang lives.

Knock.

Is anyone home?

Who are you?

Who are you people?

I'm Su Wuming, the new Wannian County Sheriff,

here to visit Mr. Geng.

[Geng Residence]

Oh, visitors from the county office.

I'll go tell my father.

Please come in.

I just heard your name, esteemed guest,

and you seem to be an old acquaintance.

Yes, it's me, Su Wuming.

Mr. Geng, how have you been?

Back when you followed Master Di,

[Elder Coroner of Chang'an, Geng Wushang]

you were a handsome young man.

But now...

After years in officialdom,

you've returned to serve in Chang'an.

Congratulations.

I often hear news about you,

like at the Cantian Tower,

and Chengfo Temple.

Your reputation almost rivals your mentor's now.

You flatter me, sir.

I don't deserve such praise.

Let me introduce them.

This is my good friend,

Miracle Doctor, Chicken Fei.

Greetings, Coroner Geng.

Well met.

This young lady works at Yongzhou Prefecture.

You can call her Yingtao.

Greetings, Coroner Geng.

Well met.

Suchan, greet our honored guests.

Greetings, Sheriff Su, Miracle Doctor Fei,

[Suchan]

and Miss Yingtao.

Is this your daughter?

Yes, my daughter.

Why were you wearing a mask earlier?

It was quite frightening.

This mask is meant to scare people.

Let me explain.

I've been a coroner my whole life,

helping the county office

catch many killers,

and made quite a few enemies.

Now that I'm old,

vengeful people often come to harass me.

I told Suchan

to wear that mask whenever she hears

someone knocking.

The timid ones will be scared away.

Those harassers might not be seeking revenge on you.

They might actually be coming

for Miss Suchan.

After all,

she is a beautiful young lady.

You're our distinguished guests,

we should invite you in for tea.

But today,

we really have some business to attend to.

We're going out.

What business is so urgent

that you won't even offer a drink of water?

Today is my father's 70th birthday.

Senior has reserved a private room

at the Dukang restaurant

to celebrate Father's birthday.

May I ask for your senior's name?

The one who booked the restaurant is my eldest senior,

named Zhong Shizai.

My second senior will also be coming to pay respects,

his name is Yin Yao.

I've long heard

that you have two favorite disciples.

What a coincidence,

we just met Yin Yao.

You've met Yao?

Was he

preparing a corpse?

Indeed.

This is my first case

since arriving in Wannian County.

The family thought it was suicide,

so they didn't report it to the authorities.

Yin Yao went to prepare the body

and discovered it had been a murder.

Now the killer has been caught

thanks to Yin Yao's contribution.

In terms of talent,

over these years,

among all the coroners I've met,

Yao is certainly the best.

It's a pity he changed professions.

If he could return to being a coroner...

My purpose in visiting

is also to find talent

for the coroner profession.

If you don't mind,

could you invite us

to join your birthday celebration?

You won't regret inviting me.

Sir,

are you

suffering from a skin disease?

How did you know?

Didn't you hear Su Wuming

introduce me just now?

If I couldn't tell,

would I dare call myself a miracle doctor?

You invite me for a drink,

and I'll treat your skin disease.

How about that?

Miracle Doctor Fei,

I'm afraid

you're mistaken.

I'm just old,

I don't have any skin disease.

Suchan.

Invite our honored guest

to follow us

to the Dukang Restaurant.

No, you...

Let's drink first.

[Dukang Restaurant]

[Meiwu Room]

[Lanting Room]

Mr. Yin.

Surprised?

We meet again.

In front of my mentor,

you shouldn't address me like that.

Master, they...

Sheriff Su is an old friend of mine.

He came to visit today,

so I invited him to join our feast.

I see.

Yin Yao pays his respects to both honored guests.

Respected mentor,

I wish you a happy birthday.

Alright, please rise.

Have a seat.

Master,

how is your health?

Didn't you just visit

3 days ago?

If you're so concerned,

why not just move back in?

Mr. Geng,

this is my birthday gift for you.

Sheriff Su,

you're too kind.

Don't worry about it.

[Dukang Restaurant]

Master.

Senior Shizai.

Suchan.

Sorry I'm late, Master.

Master,

I, Zhong Shizai, wish you a happy birthday.

May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea,

[Geng Wushang's Eldest Disciple Zhong Shizai]

and your life as enduring as Mount Zhongnan.

Alright, at ease.

Greet our guests.

This is...

If I'm right,

this is the renowned

Disciple of Master Di, Su Wuming,

the newly appointed Wannian County Sheriff.

That's me,

though I hardly deserve such fame.

I pay my respects to Sheriff Su.

These two are my friends,

Miracle Doctor Fei,

and Miss Yingtao.

Greetings, Miracle Doctor Fei,

and Miss Yingtao.

Please sit down.

Is it appropriate for me to sit here?

This seat should be for Suchan.

How could that be?

You're the host,

and you're the senior disciple.

Suchan,

all these years,

you've been by Master's side,

showing filial piety on my behalf.

You deserve the seat of honor.

Yin Yao, you have no objections, right?

Senior Shizai,

please don't put me in a difficult position.

Shizai,

your filial piety and humility

are appreciated by both of us.

Now, please sit down.

Yes, Master.

Master,

I've already ordered the food and wine.

Shall we begin?

Very well.

Shizai,

did you invite him?

I...

[Lanting Room]

[Coroner, Dong Yue]

Wrong room.

I thought

you really invited him, Senior Shizai.

It's my mentor's birthday banquet.

Why would I invite him?

What?

You know each other?

Sir,

that was Dong Yue.

He is...

A colleague, I suppose.

Also a coroner?

What a coincidence.

Something's not right.

A senior coroner is here,

and it's a birthday celebration.

He should have stayed

and offered a toast before leaving.

Well, well...

Doctor Fei, you don't know,

Dong Yue's master

didn't get along with me,

so he forbade his disciples

from associating with me.

It's been like this for decades.

Could Dong Yue's master

be the former coroner from the Ministry of Justice,

Ge Jiuquan?

That's him.

I greatly admired him as a coroner.

What a pity that

he passed before me.

Let's not talk about this.

Living past 70 is rare.

I, Geng Wushang,

have been a coroner all my life

and met so many dead people.

But I'm still alive.

For that, I'm satisfied.

Today was supposed to be

just for my beloved disciples and my daughter,

but I'm graced by your presence,

Sheriff Su, Doctor Fei, and Miss Yingtao.

Here, let me propose a toast to you.

-Come on. -To Mr. Geng.

To Mr. Geng.

Birthday wishes to my mentor.

Birthday wishes to my mentor.

Birthday wishes to my father.

Murder!

Murder!

Murder!

Someone come quickly!

There's been a murder!

There's been a murder!

Coroner Dong has been killed!

[Meiwu Room]

Look!

Right here.

Right here.

Where did the arrow come from?

From across there.

How terrible.

Indeed.

You all...

Mr. Zhong.

Mr. Geng.

Mr. Yin.

Sheriff Su.

The captain of Chang'an County is here.

Coroner, examine the body.

The deceased, Ma Kui,

was cut in the neck with a short knife.

The cut was 5 fen deep.

You're all coroners?

Some are real coroners,

some barely qualify,

and some don't qualify at all.

Be careful, Sir.

It's fine.

The arrow hit a vital spot.

The cause of death is clear.

No autopsy needed.

Dong Yue was

Ge Jiuquan's senior disciple

and his most talented student.

The coroner profession

has lost another talented man.

Dong.

[Dukang Restaurant]

Today,

did Coroner Dong invite you all for dinner?

That's...

Probably not the case.

What do you mean by "probably"?

Either it is,

or it isn't.

Actually,

we're not sure either.

You came to a dinner without knowing who invited you?

Then how did you

receive the invitation?

Well, um...

[Invitation]

[I hereby invite you to a drink. Two days later at 3 pm.]

General Lyu?

[Dukang Restaurant, Meiwu Room - General Lyu]

Us too.

Where is the invitation?

I have it.

I didn't bring it.

Here.

[Invitation]

[I hereby invite you to a drink. Two days later at 3 pm.]

[Dukang Restaurant, Meiwu Room - General Lyu]

[I hereby invite you to a drink. Two days later at 3 pm.]

[Dukang Restaurant, Meiwu Room - General Lyu]

Do you know this General Lyu?

Not at all.

We were just talking about it.

When we received the invitation,

we didn't want to come at first.

But we saw that the host was a general.

Anyone who dares call himself a general in Chang'an

must be extraordinary

and an important figure.

It'd be rude to decline

the invitation of someone so important.

Besides, Dukang Restaurant

is Chang'an's newest, finest,

and most expensive restaurant.

If someone wasn't treating us

how would we ever get to dine here?

I thought the same thing.

Oh,

Coroner Dong knew General Lyu.

Coroner Dong.

This General Lyu...

Had I known

he invited all of you as well,

I wouldn't have come.

From what you've said,

Coroner Dong might not have

actually known this General Lyu either.

What happened next?

The servant came to serve the food.

He said someone had instructed him

to serve the food

at 3 pm sharp, regardless of whether

all the guests had arrived,

and to provide plenty of good wine.

And then?

After just one drink,

Coroner Dong complained about the sun shining on him.

And then...

At this hour,

why is it still so sunny?

When the window was closed earlier,

it wasn't so bright.

Let me close it for you.

No need.

They say this Meiwu private room

has the best view of the street.

I don't see what's so special about it.

This... this...

Wait.

Just now you said

when the window was closed,

it wasn't sunny.

That's right.

Then who opened

the window, and when?

Well, um...

I can't remember.

It must have been the servant

who opened it while serving the dishes.

Where is the servant?

Who served food to the Meiwu room?

It was Qiu.

Qiu?

That boy is quite troublesome.

Three days ago,

I caught him stealing food

from the customers.

Didn't I already tell him

to get lost?

He said he wanted to work properly

and asked you to reconsider.

Today,

he was eager to serve customers.

As a result,

shortly after serving the Meiwu room,

we heard someone shouting about murder upstairs.

Murder!

Murder!

Coroner Dong has been killed!

Sounds like it's coming from Meiwu.

What?

[Servant, Qiu]

They say there's been a murder.

Let's go check.

No.

You said you wanted to question us

and asked everyone to come.

When I went to find him,

he had disappeared.

Do you know where Qiu lives?

Yes.

Go bring him here.

Yes.

Who reserved the Meiwu private room?

Someone called General Lyu.

What's his real name?

I don't know that.

He didn't come to make the reservation himself?

He made the reservation,

but someone else came in his place.

It was a booking agent.

What's a booking agent?

They're people

who specialize in making restaurant reservations for others.

When making reservations,

they usually don't leave real names.

Instead, they add

a suffix to the surname.

Such as Scholar Li,

Graduate Wang, and so on.

General Lyu is the same.

This booking agent,

do you know them?

Yes.

It's Gao Wuniang.

Isn't he a booking agent?

That sounds like a woman's name.

She is a woman.

"Booking agent" is just an occupation.

There are both men and women.

Can we find this person?

That shouldn't be difficult.

She often comes to Dukang Restaurant to make reservations.

I know where she lives.

Bring her here.

Yes.

Sir,

can we leave now?

You may go for now.

But the Wannian County office

may summon you at any time.

Don't leave Chang'an in the meantime.

-Yes. -Yes.

All these are grape wines.

Though not as authentic

as Yunding red wine,

since they can be transported to Chang'an,

they must be decent.

First, they had the booking agent reserve a private room.

Then, they had to be sure

that Dong Yue would attend the banquet

and sit in that main seat.

They also had to ensure

that the window would be open at that time,

and that Dong Yue would get up to close it,

exposing his vital points completely.

Most importantly,

this person must be an excellent archer.

This killer is no ordinary person.

Qiu, open the door!

The county office wants to question you.

Qiu!

If you're home,

answer me!

Qiu.

Has anyone seen Qiu?

This guy owes me money.

I've been looking for him.

You're not him?

Are you human or ghost?

I could be

an ordinary person in our Tang Empire,

or a

rather pretty ghost.

Which one do you prefer?

Young lady,

don't look for trouble.

I never hit women.

But you can't stop

this woman from hitting you.

I...

I...

Tell the truth,

or face severe punishment.

When I was serving customers that day,

I stole a bite of food.

The boss caught me.

What bad luck.

Who knew when I got home...

Don't be afraid.

You're Qiu,

a servant at Dukang Restaurant.

Not for much longer.

Because you stole

food meant for customers, right?

How did you know?

The day after tomorrow, at 3 pm,

the Meiwu private room

will be hosting distinguished guests.

Do as I say,

and your boss will keep you.

Don't trust me?

You must trust this, right?

I didn't want to take it,

but

it was such an easy 100 coins to earn.

I just had to open the window

when I served the dishes.

Nothing else?

No.

How could I know he was going to kill someone?

When I heard

someone shouting about a dead person upstairs,

I was so scared my legs went weak.

So I ran away immediately.

I'm not guilty, am I?

I did take 100 coins,

but surely I won't have to

pay with my life for that dead coroner?

Because of your greed,

you were used by the killer

and led to someone's death.

You...

I...

I know I was wrong.

Please consider that I, Qiu, have been

honest and decent for years.

I've never bullied the elderly or young,

or women, for that matter.

Please let me go.

Isn't that what you're supposed to do?

If you were truly remorseful,

you would have turned yourself in.

Why did you run?

I...

Can't answer that, can you?

Su Wuming.

This kind of person must be taught a lesson.

Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble

he might cause in the future?

I'll never be greedy again.

I accept my punishment.

How about giving him 3 strokes

as punishment?

So light?

It's because we're afraid of injuring you

to the point you can't make a living anymore.

Remember this lesson.

Stay away from stealing in the future.

If you can't resist food,

don't work as a servant in a restaurant.

Do something else.

I'll remember.

I'll remember.

Take him away.

Yes, sir.

Officer.

I'm Gao Wuniang.

I just helped that General Lyu

book a private room.

But how could I know he was going to kill someone?

[Booking agent, Go Wuniang]

I'm just a booking agent.

This murder has nothing to do with me.

You're newly appointed.

Need to host a banquet?

If you need to host,

I can make reservations for you.

In all of Chang'an and Wannian,

I can book the best restaurants

in both counties.

Let's first talk about

where you met

this so-called

General Lyu.

At the East Market.

Business is slow these days.

That day, I was at the East Market,

wandering around all day

before I finally got this deal.

Can you book the Dukang Restaurant

in Changxing district?

Of course.

Which day would you like to book?

Three days from now, at 3 pm.

I want the south-facing Meiwu private room.

Is that possible?

I see you're well-informed.

The best private room at Dukang Restaurant

is that one.

But it's really hard to book.

Once you're in line,

you'll have to wait 7 or 8 days.

But I know someone,

so I can definitely get it for you.

What's your name?

General Lyu.

Tell the restaurant,

no need to wait for all guests to arrive.

Serve the food promptly at 3 pm

with plenty of good wine.

Alright.

Here, take this deposit.

Yingtao,

take her to Sushan Shop

and have Xijun draw a portrait.

Understood.

A portrait?

That sounds great!

But make sure I look beautiful in it.

You're dreaming.

What's the point of drawing you?

It's for that man in green robes with the beard,

General Lyu.

When the time comes,

you need to describe his facial features

in detail.

The more specific, the better.

Let's go.

Sir.

Dong Yue never married.

Besides being a coroner,

he also ran a coffin shop.

This is the only assistant

of that coffin shop,

who is also his apprentice.

Greetings, Officer.

I've come to collect my master's body.

I will use

[Dong Yue's disciple]

the best coffin from our shop

to bury my master.

Did your master know someone

called General Lyu?

No.

[Dong's Coffin Shop]

That day,

just as I opened the door to our coffin shop,

I found an invitation.

[Invitation]

Dukang Restaurant.

General Lyu.

Perhaps someone

I met briefly?

Why can't I

remember this person at all?

Master,

if you can't remember,

then don't go.

You should focus on preparing

for next month's contest.

Why not go?

They have the most authentic Dukang wine there.

Besides,

even if I'm completely drunk

on the day of the contest,

the title of Chang'an's best coroner

will still be mine, Dong Yue's.

Master,

you said yesterday that the top 3 in the contest

can become full-time coroners

and join the county office,

no longer bound to the lowly status for generations.

Not only that.

Their descendants can also earn official titles.

But I have no interest

in any of that.

I only want to be a coroner

for my entire life.

I want to take back

the title of Chang'an's best coroner

for my old mentor

from Geng Wushang's hands

myself.

Wait.

You mentioned a contest.

What's it about?

It was the day before receiving the invitation

when Master told me about it.

He was drunk at the time

and very excited.

He said His Majesty ordered

a Coroners' Contest to be held.

I always thought

[Integrity and Harmony]

the news of the Coroners' Contest

only reached Yongzhou Prefecture

and hadn't spread among coroners.

Now it seems that's not the case.

In that case,

we have a lead on this case.

With so many coroners in Chang'an,

and all of them competing for

the top 3 places in the Coroners' Contest,

can I assume that

this case involves

a coroner killing another coroner?

Your assumption is too arbitrary.

Come, follow me to Geng Wushang's house.

[Geng Residence]

I never expected

such a thing would happen today.

It's such a disappointment.

Master,

I'll arrange another banquet

to celebrate your birthday another day.

No need.

Everything is destined.

There's nothing to be disappointed about.

Actually,

I had good news to share

at your birthday banquet,

but before I could...

Good news is always welcome.

It's not too late to tell me now.

[Geng Residence]

Senior Yin, the mask you painted was great.

Even the people from the county office

were frightened by me.

Is that so?

Senior Yin,

do you really want to continue

being a mortician?

I'm not like Zhong Shizai

who knows how to scheme.

Forget about the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review,

I can't even handle the officials

from Chang'an County

and Wannian County.

Therefore,

I have no future as a coroner.

But Father has always felt sorry for you.

I don't think so.

He has always been most proud

of his senior disciple.

Father guessed it right.

Father said

that your leaving the coroner profession

was all his fault.

Life is short.

I just want to do

what I enjoy doing.

[Speak and Seek Truth]

Is that really true?

Yes.

Three days ago,

I heard news from the Ministry of Justice.

They say His Majesty has already

handed this matter to the Yongzhou Prefecture.

A Coroners' Contest,

selecting the top 3.

That's right.

It's just a pity...

My talents are mediocre,

I'm afraid I won't have a chance

to earn such an honor.

But you're looking forward to it,

aren't you?

You have always been competitive since childhood.

Master.

To win in the contest,

one needs real skill.

Being competitive alone is useless.

I just noticed among your birthday gifts,

there were two scrolls.

Yes,

have you seen them?

One

is the longevity character Pi wrote for you.

The other one

was painted by Jie,

a crane wishing you longevity.

Master, look.

[Birthday]

Nice handwriting.

[Birthday]

Well written.

Please look at this one too.

The crane painting by Jie.

Beautifully painted.

Jie's crane

has such a remarkable spirit.

These two birthday gifts,

I'll take them with me to my grave.

Master.

You're in good health,

how can you say such things?

Pi is 12 now, isn't he?

Your memory is excellent.

You haven't taught him autopsy techniques?

Not yet.

Isn't it too early?

In a coroner family,

training begins at 6.

It's not too early.

You're not

planning not to teach him, are you?

I will teach him.

I will.

You don't have to start now.

Unless you're confident

of winning

top 3 in the Coroners' Contest.

[Speak and Seek Truth]

The coroners in Chang'an...

Master, you know how it is.

I really

don't have that confidence.

Now that Dong Yue is dead,

your chances have improved considerably.

That's true.

Zhong Shizai.

I'm here,

please speak, Master.

Today, I'm expelling you from my tutelage.

Master,

what are you saying?

Yao.

Suchan.

Come in.

Master.

You two can be witnesses.

I, Geng Wushang, coroner of Chang'an,

officially expel Zhong Shizai

from my tutelage today.

Master!

Father.

[Geng Residence]

What have I done wrong

that you want to expel me?

Shizai.

I'm doing this for your own good.

For my own good?

Since they're holding a Coroners' Contest,

where the top 3 can officially enter the county office

and become professional coroners,

and their descendants can escape the lowly status,

be educated, and take imperial exams,

wouldn't you, Zhong Shizai, fight with all your might

for this opportunity?

Don't tell me you won't.

I will.

Therefore,

I must expel you from my tutelage.

But why?

It's simple.

Because I am also a coroner.

I will also participate in this contest.

If I don't expel you,

during the contest,

you would certainly

hold back because I'm your mentor

and wouldn't use

your full abilities

when competing against me.

What if this

ruins your future?

Wouldn't that be a shame?

Master, you're overthinking this.

I...

No.

What I mean is,

at your age,

do you really need to participate

in a Coroners' Contest?

I've been a coroner my whole life.

I also want to use my skills

to remove my lowly status

and enter the county office.

Moreover,

I have a daughter.

I must consider her future, too.

Master.

If that's the reason,

I can withdraw

from the contest.

Zhong Shizai,

you may go now.

During the contest,

neither of us should think of our master-apprentice relationship.

Master!