Original subtitles

[Episode 25]

My Lord was invited by his friend, Bai Yu Tang,

to come and observe as he and the Masters of Medicine compete in medical skills.

His Highness's presence truly brings honor to us.

However, we have never hosted such a noble guest.

I fear we may lose face before the royalty.

Chief, do not worry.

His Highness is easygoing.

Your family only needs to host this event

as grandly as in previous years.

- Sure thing. - Indeed.

As long as His Highness can see his good friend at the assembly,

his spirits will not be dampened.

Understood.

I shall take my leave.

You gave me money and paid for my stay at the inn.

Do you really just want me to tell everyone the truth?

We've taken up two days of your livelihood.

This money is to compensate you.

Please, you must tell everyone exactly what you told us once more.

Alright.

This is Yao Yu Shan's house, right?

No news for so many days.

I'm afraid he's met with an ill fate.

His poor wife is all alone.

Lord Zhan.

Our Chief invites you to Cuixi Forest for a talk.

This is clearly a trap they've set.

If we actually go,

we'll be falling right into their trap.

Just brush them off.

Say a major case broke out in the district,

or that you've fallen seriously ill.

What's this about a Prince visiting?

It's just a bluff.

Don't be hasty.

Let's wait a bit.

Come in!

I failed the task.

That was to be expected.

I will find another way to postpone the Suwen Assembly.

I'll buy you time to silence the witnesses.

Or... I'll make sure the assembly fails to happen.

No.

The assembly must be held,

and it must be held on schedule.

On this small board,

it may look like a deadlock.

However,

by sacrificing one stone,

one can see how many chips the opponent holds.

Why not take the risk?

Indeed.

We should thank Zhan Zhao.

He has gathered all the witnesses and evidence for us.

Lord Zhan...

since he wants to trap us,

we shall simply enter the trap.

[Joyful Stay Inn]

Zhan. Bai is back.

You're here.

Mrs. Jiao and her son have been settled in the next room.

With us guarding them, nothing will go wrong.

Good.

We are only missing one key witness, Yao Yu Shan.

If we can find him, our chances of winning will be much greater.

But I was thinking,

if Luo Wen Jie is truly Si Ming,

even if we have all the witnesses,

he'll find a way to evade the charges.

I want to go to Flying Petals Col.

What?

It will rain heavily tonight.

Sunny-Rainy Grass will be easy to spot.

If I can find the Day-Long Cocoon from the notes,

I can prove that my brother was indeed was indeed in the mountains.

But you're injured.

How can you go looking for it?

My brother grew up in luxury.

He was physically weak and frail.

Even he could climb up there.

What's a little injury to me?

This is the only thing I can still do for him.

But it's far too dangerous.

Even if you find the Day-Long Cocoon,

it might not be enough to convict Si Ming.

Be careful.

If I'm not back by tomorrow morning,

go straight to Qinghui Hall.

Don't wait for me.

Bai!

Bai!

He's still injured.

Let him go.

If he doesn't give it his all tonight,

he'll regret it for the rest of his life.

It's about to rain.

Let's eat first.

Miss Huo, don't worry.

Before Bai set out, we gave him plenty of climbing gear.

He'll be fine.

That's right, Miss Huo. The food is getting cold.

There's still no sign of Yao Yu Shan.

Could he...

have fallen into Si Ming's hands?

If he's coerced into giving false testimony...

When we passed Yao Yu Shan's house today,

you said something, remember?

"He still hasn't been found."

"He's likely met with an ill fate."

Not that one.

You said,

"His poor wife is all alone."

Her husband has been missing for days,

yet she's in the mood to give to beggars.

She knows exactly where Yao Yu Shan is.

My husband really hasn't come back. How would I know where he is?

He's in great danger right now.

I really don't know.

You should look elsewhere.

If he's caught by others first,

it will be a disaster!

It's about to rain.

It's not proper for you to stay here.

Please leave.

[Settle in Calm, Stay with Joy]

This rain is really coming down hard.

Miss Huo, does it always rain this strangely here in Xiangzhou?

Always like this in autumn.

For tomorrow's Suwen Assembly...

Will our plan actually work?

I wonder how Bai is doing.

It'll be fine, Miss Huo.

Our Prince said,

"Heaven looks after good people."

No matter how heavy the rain,

it will eventually pass.

[Settle in Calm, Stay with Joy]

Sunny-Rainy Grass.

It really is Sunny-Rainy Grass!

[Jin Mansion]

Chief!

Chief!

Chief!

A group of people from the prefectural court has arrived.

They say the Governor is here for the ceremony.

- The Governor is here too? - The Governor?

This year's Suwen Assembly is certainly lively.

We can finally see Si Ming's true face.

[Luo Wen Jie, Governor of Xiangzhou]

He doesn't seem like much.

Come, look. Another carriage!

How grand!

I wonder which noble it is.

I heard it's Prince Hui.

He's a prince. Of course it's grand.

I'm Luo Wen Jie, Governor of Xiangzhou,

welcome, Your Highness.

I am Zhao Zhi Er, manager of the Prince's manor.

Greetings, Governor Luo.

To answer you,

His Highness saw some beautiful scenery along the way.

So he wants to take a stroll.

Please go ahead. He will arrive soon.

Lord Luo, please.

You are number six.

[Immortal of Longevity Arts]

The auspicious hour is near.

I'm afraid His Highness won't make it.

His Highness has specifically instructed.

Do not delay the Suwen Assembly because of him.

I'll go find fast horses to welcome His Highness,

Zhan Zhao of Kaifeng Prefecture.

By Prince Hui's order,

I am here to attend to Governor Luo.

I wouldn't dare. You are a high official from the capital.

How could I let you serve me?

[Jin Mansion] The auspicious hour has arrived!

Governor Luo.

Once the Suwen Assembly begins,

all three courtyards will be closed.

No one can leave during that time.

This tradition hasn't changed in a century.

Let us not break their rules.

Since His Highness can't make it,

let's invite Governor Luo...

to take the seat of honor.

Governor Luo, please.

I cannot. That would be overstepping.

His Highness isn't that particular.

Governor Luo, please.

Please.

I shall obey your request then.

[Suwen Assembly]

[Qinghui Hall]

Governor Luo, please.

If I'm not mistaken,

His Highness didn't come at all, did he?

Look at you.

How could that be?

Miss Huo.

Even the Prince of Nanqing Palace came to attend the ceremony today.

I really want to go outside and see.

Yeah, so many people this year.

Who rang it? It's not time yet.

- What the hell? Aren't we both here? - The auspicious hour has arrived!

It's only a few minutes early.

If the Chief finds out that we rang the bell at the wrong time,

we'll definitely be punished.

I'll ring it then.

Friends and family,

thank you for attending the Suwen Assembly.

The Jin family is deeply grateful.

Especially today,

with Governor Luo's visit.

Your presence brings light to our humble home.

I, Zhen Ping,

thank you for coming.

According to the tradition of the Suwen Assembly,

each participating disciple holds a number plate they have selected.

Inside this brocade box,

are the corresponding number plates.

In a moment,

the disciple whose number I draw must come forward for the test.

There must be no delay.

Why isn't Bai here yet?

He's been gone all night.

He should've found the medicine by now.

[Six] Number six.

Is number six here?

If not, it will be considered a forfeit!

He saw that Bai wasn't here,

so he rigged the draw on purpose.

I am number six.

Bai Yu Tang asked me to take the test for him.

What? A proxy for the contest?

This is unheard of.

How can someone take the contest for another?

Calm down, everyone.

Bai Yu Tang and I are not here today to participate in the tournament.

Since Governor Luo is here today,

we would like to take this opportunity...

to appeal to you, Governor Luo,

regarding an old case of injustice.

Go to the magistrate's court for that.

This place...

is not a court of law.

No court in Xiangzhou dares to accept this case.

That is because this case...

was personally closed by you, Governor Luo.

Did the Jin family...

invite me here...

just for this?

You!

You, you, you...

Give it to me!

When the Chief agreed to let Little Seventeen take the contest,

I was extremely cautious.

Where is Little Seventeen?

Where is that brat?

Come out!

You are an outsider.

What right do you have to meddle in the Jin family's affairs?

This is not just your family's business.

Bai's brother was the eldest son of the fifth branch of the Jin family's 13th generation,

Jin Xue Wen.

He was accused of murdering a young woman.

Everyone here must have heard of it.

And the victim back then was my auntie.

How am I not qualified to cry out for justice here?

You...

Everyone.

My aunt died under suspicious circumstances.

The real killer is still at large.

Jin Xue Wen has been wrongly accused for 15 years.

He was even removed from the family tree.

Today, I ask Governor Luo to reopen the case before everyone,

and give them justice.

Right and wrong, loyalty and treachery, good and evil...

Everyone here

shall be my witness.

Old Chief,

how can you let her

cause such a scene?

If you indulge her like this,

then this Suwen Assembly...

- might as well be canceled! - Lord Luo, please calm down.

Young lady,

if you truly have a grievance,

wait until the tournament is over,

then let Governor Luo judge for you.

So many people have come here to attend the ceremony,

not to listen to a trial.

Old Chief,

in terms of seniority,

you are Jin Xue Wen's granduncle.

A son of the Jin family was wronged for over a decade.

Is that less important than a medical evaluation?

I heard that Jin Xue Wen respected you deeply.

Now that his name is still tarnished,

how can you act as if nothing happened...

and host the Suwen Assembly here?

This lady is right.

A physician, besides having medical skills,

must also have a heart of compassion.

The one who was wronged is a fellow disciple of medicine.

How can we ignore his grievance

and only focus on fame and fortune?

I believe the competition can be postponed.

Hearing this lady's grievance first is what matters most.

- Well said! - Well said!

- Retrial! - Retrial!

How could you ignore the grievances of the people, Governor Luo?

Please take your seat, sir.

Should I help you fill out the court with some people to shout the court commands?

I am from the prefectural court.

I travel between various county courts.

Governor Luo will reopen the case, right?

If there is a grievance, speak up quickly.

However,

regarding a case from 15 years ago,

I may not remember it clearly.

Governor Luo.

The case files and physical evidence are all right here.

If you cannot remember,

feel free to look through them to recall.

How did you obtain these files?

Back then...

this case was settled in Xiangyang County.

The files...

naturally, were requested from the Xiangyang County Court.

The deputy and registrar even said

that two days ago, the county office's warehouse caught fire.

All documents and files were incinerated.

Fortunately,

I had requested the files in advance.

If Governor Luo doesn't believe me,

you may go and verify it.

Not necessary.

The files state...

that Jin Xue Wen was convicted

based on three witnesses and two pieces of physical evidence.

The first witness was the Jin family's butler...

Xu An.

Mr. Xu,

please step forward.

Xu An,

step forward and answer.

Yes, sir.

You said you saw Jin Xue Wen harassing the victim before the crime.

Using frivolous language, and getting physical?

Think back carefully.

What exactly did he say?

And how was he getting physical?

What else could he have said?

Whenever he saw a girl,

he would chase after her.

He said, "Sinking fish and falling geese, hiding the moon and shaming flowers;

Like the Moon Goddess, Chang'e, or the Goddess of Wushan."

When the girl ignored him,

he would reach out his hand

to touch her hair in broad daylight.

After touching it, he would put it under his nose to take a sniff.

Is that something a decent person would do?

- Yeah. - That's right.

Why does this story sound a bit familiar?

It's not just me.

Don't you all find it familiar as well?

Yeah.

In the past ten days,

while visiting the Jin Mansion,

I've heard those same words no less than three times.

Of course,

every time you tell it,

the girl Jin Xue Wen harassed is a different person.

I'm sure you all have heard it more than I have.

But...

Jin Xue Wen was an exceptionally talented scholar.

Even if he were to use lewd words,

he wouldn't be so repetitive.

Even use the exact same lines

on every single person?

When it comes to the flirting lines,

they're all pretty much the same. How different can they be?

When you've been scolding us in the manor,

was it always the same, even every single word?

So I can't help but suspect...

that one day,

you heard Jin Xue Wen say those words to a certain lady,

then you memorized them,

From then on, no matter whose story it was,

you used the exact same script.

I...

Can testimony like this

be taken seriously?

No!

It can't be!

I didn't lie!

You say you didn't lie?

Then repeat exactly what Jin Xue Wen said when he was flirting with the victim!

- That's right! - Yes!

Speak!

- Say it! - Speak up!

Say it!

I'm old! I can't remember!

Is it that you can't remember,

or that you never heard it clearly?

Did you just see Jin Xue Wen talking to the victim

and assume he was flirting with her?

Xu An's words are merely corroboration.

Even if most of it is unreliable,

Jin Xue Wen's lustful and frivolous nature,

it's known to everyone.

Is that not enough to convict him?

Since Governor Luo says so,

that proves Xu An's testimony is now invalid.

Luo Wen Jie is such a fool.

If it weren't for your hard work,

he'd have been dead many times over.

The second witness in the original case was the current master of the Tang Sect,

Tang Ji.

In court,

Jin Xue Wen said that on the night of the murder,

he went to gather herbs at Flying Petals Col, 40 miles from Xiangyang.

Before entering the mountain,

at Chunxin Pavilion at the valley entrance, he met Tang Ji and a woman,

and even greeted them.

But Tang Ji...

flatly denied it in court.

Tang Ji is not here today.

How are you going to refute his testimony?

I cannot refute it,

but someone can prove that Jin Xue Wen was not lying.

Who is this?

To answer your honor,

my name is Cui Tian.

I am from Jiang Village.

I hunt for a living.

Every summer and autumn, I stay at Flying Petals Col for a few months.

20 years ago,

I would often see a man and a woman at the entrance,

meeting secretly at Chunxin Pavilion.

15 years ago,

even when the plague was at its worst,

they still met often in the mountains.

I remember it very clearly.

Do you recognize Tang Ji?

I do not.

However,

I have seen his portrait.

Indeed, he looks very similar to the person I saw before.

A portrait?

Based on just a portrait, you conclude the person you saw was Tang Ji?

Lord Zhan,

you weren't so lenient...

when you were questioning Xu An.

Whether the hunter can identify that man as Tang Ji is not important.

But what he said is enough to prove that Jin Xue Wen is not the killer.

On the night of the murder, he wasn't in the city.

He went to Flying Petals Col instead.

That's why he saw a man and a woman,

meeting at Chunxin Pavilion.

The hunter also said earlier

that this man and woman met at Flying Petals Col every year.

Perhaps Jin Xue Wen saw them years before the incident,

and during the trial, he lied and said it was on that night.

Who says that's not the truth?

Wouldn't that be too foolish?

He claimed that he greeted the man,

and insisted that the man was Tang Ji.

If that were a lie,

wouldn't he just be waiting for you to find Tang Ji and expose him to his face?

Governor Luo,

there were many suspicious points...

in the evidence back then.

The case file states the tear

on this bloodstained robe...

was scratched by my aunt.

But on Jin Xue Wen's shoulder,

the wound was an inch deep.

Could a human really scratch that deep?

Then in your opinion,

how did he get that wound?

I am Jin Xue Wen's brother.

Let me tell you how the wound on my brother's body happened.

This is...

what the coroner sketched based on the wounds on Jin Xue Wen's body.

The proportions,

the size,

and the depth of the wound are identical to the wound on Bai's body.

They are indeed identical.

There is something fishy about this.

Back then, in court,

my brother said that night,

he was in the mountains picking herbs.

He wasn't lying!

The herbs he was picking grow next to the cave where falcons nest.

The wounds on his body were caused by a falcon's attack.

When that falcon returned from hunting, it saw me lying at the cave entrance.

It thought I was a threat to its eggs, so it attacked me with all its might.

Back then, my brother must have encountered the same situation.

That's why he had similar wounds.

As for the herbs he was picking, I have already found them.

The Day-Long Cocoon.

The Jin Master and the Old Chief must surely recognize this.

Before it hatches, it's transparent and scalding like fire.

That's right.

It is the Day-Long Cocoon.

To think you could find such a rare treasure.

In the well of our old house in Pagoda Lane,

I found the Day-Long Cocoon my brother picked.

The top prize 15 years ago should have been his.

You claim this thing is a Day-Long Cocoon?

Fine.

Even if this lump of mud is a Day-Long Cocoon,

someone saw him leaving the victim's house. How do you explain that?

Are you referring to...

Mrs. Jiao?

Make way.

I committed perjury back then.

The person I saw that day was not Jin Xue Wen.

The person who came out of that courtyard was my husband,

the Master of Shengyun Stronghold,

Jiao Chao Gui.

What did you say?

Jiao Chao Gui personally admitted to me...

that he severely injured Miss Huo.

He even ordered me...

to hide the truth from the authorities,

and frame Jin Xue Wen.

He threatened me,

saying he'd kill me if I didn't obey.

I can swear to the Heavens.

If I have spoken a single lie,

may the Jiao family be utterly annihilated.

What the hell!

Jin Xue Wen was truly wronged.

You treacherous woman!

How dare you commit perjury and deceive me and shield the killer back then?

You caused an innocent man to suffer for 15 years and die in resentment!

Guards!

- Take her into custody! - Yes, sir!

Governor Luo, why the sudden righteous indignation?

Mrs. Jiao was in the wrong,

but you were the one who judged the case,

not her.

You are right.

It was precisely because of her deception

that I misjudged this case.

I have truly failed the Emperor.

And I failed all of you elders!

A case...

It was clearly full of doubts,

yet you relied on the testimony of a few witnesses and closed the case recklessly.

Completely ignored the contradictions within.

Governor Luo,

were you truly deceived into a misjudgment,

or did you collude with the killer

to intentionally make Jin Xue Wen take the fall for the murderer?

How dare you slander me in public!

The crime scene was covered in sword marks.

Who replaced the furniture to hide those marks?

And why did the case files

- not mention these sword marks at all? - What sword marks?

I don't remember any of that.

You don't remember?

Well, someone does.

Governor Luo,

do you remember him?

15 years ago, when you were the Xiangyang Magistrate,

he and Wang Xing...

were the bailiffs under your command.

I am Yao Yu Shan.

Greetings, Governor Luo.

Yao Yu Shan!

How long did you plan to hide?

May I ask, Lord Zhan,

how did you recognize me?

The second time I visited your home,

your wife didn't seem that anxious.

I should have realized then.

She already knew where you were.

Furthermore,

beggars usually beg in busy markets,

but you guys were deep in the back alleys.

Won't even leave when it rained.

So I surmised that someone must have been providing you with food every day.

I recognized you,

because you were quite different...

from the other beggars.