Original subtitles

The Scholar and the Emperor

I, student Meng Tinghui,

accuse An Rulan, top metropolitan scholar,

of stealing my policy essay.

I ask the governor to deliver justice.

Confucius said,

“Think thrice before acting.”

Twice is enough.

You spread this essay throughout the capital

and caused an uproar across the city.

Do you have any proof?

Your Excellency may summon An Rulan

to confront me here in court.

Your Excellency,

those commoners outside

were all brought here by her.

Summon Scholar An.

An Rulan, top metropolitan scholar, greets Your Excellency.

No need for ceremony, Scholar An.

I have prepared the seat of honor for you.

Please, take your seat.

Jiang Mei'er?

What are you doing here?

Second Master, that bitch Meng Tinghui

got my uncle and Hall Master Feng killed.

I wish I could devour her flesh

and sleep upon her skin.

Where is she now?

She ranked first in the provincial exam

and will soon come to the capital.

I know how to deal with her.

Help me, Second Master,

and you'll be avenging the chief

and earning great merit.

So long as you help me,

I'll belong to you.

This fellow student is talking nonsense.

Has she lost her mind?

Your Excellency, please see the truth.

This woman's real name is Jiang Mei'er.

She is the niece of Shazhou's former governor

and was my classmate at the Shazhou Women's Academy.

Back in Shazhou, she neglected her studies,

abused her power, and bullied her classmates.

She may have changed her name today

and can deny everything,

but since she placed first in the exam,

she must possess genuine learning.

I ask Your Excellency

to allow me and Scholar An

to debate the classics here and now.

Why have you all come here today?

Wasn't it to seek justice?

Then let us see for ourselves

how much genuine learning

this top scholar truly possesses.

Exactly!

We want to see her true ability!

- Show us her true ability! - Show us her true ability!

Very well.

I, too, have the highest regard

for people of genuine talent and learning.

When a state prospers,

it treats its people as if they were wounded.

That is its blessing.

When it falls,

it treats its people like dirt.

That is its doom.

Is that passage from the Book of Rites or the Book of Documents?

The Book of Rites.

No, the Book of Documents.

It's from the Zuo Commentary.

I simply

misremembered it for a moment.

What can one stray quotation prove?

Did you all hear that clearly?

It is a passage known to every scholar,

yet she claims she simply misremembered it.

How can someone so muddleheaded

be the top metropolitan scholar?

Has the Great Ning imperial examination

become nothing but a farce?

She's right!

She's right!

- She's right! - She's right!

Your Excellency,

she did not write the winning essay.

I beg you to see the truth.

Confucius said,

“To know what you know...”

Your Excellency,

I studied bitterly for ten years

before finally earning this distinction,

only to be slandered by her now.

You must uphold justice for me!

Confucius said, “Observe what one does and examine why one does it.”

Since she insists she wrote the winning essay,

let us retest her on the same topic.

I am willing to sit the test beside her.

The truth will be plain at a glance.

Your Excellency!

There's no need for another test.

The words are there in black and white. I wrote them. There's no mistake.

Will you let me

finish speaking?

All this shouting—

where is your decorum?

This isn't the examination hall.

There will be no test.

Do you truly think scholarly honors

can be twisted by a sharp tongue?

Jiang Mei'er,

if I could get rid of your uncle,

I can get rid of you too.

You should have seen

how horribly your uncle died.

A crossbow bolt pierced his heart.

He died instantly.

Let me guess

how you stole my place as top scholar.

Was it through your uncle's pathetic connections?

Or did you

make some filthy bargain behind closed doors?

The thing you prize most

is that pretty face of yours.

You call yourself the greatest beauty every day.

Could it be that you relied on this?

“So long as you help me, Second Master,

I'll belong to you.”

Shut your mouth!

Meng Tinghui!

Silence!

You lunatic!

The hearing isn't over yet!

Pull them apart!

Court is adjourned!

The hearing isn't over!

Meng Tinghui!

You took everything from me!

I'll kill you!

Your Excellency,

you heard every word yourself.

Isn't the truth clear enough?

Guards!

Seize this fraud

who stole another's honor!

So you're all birds of a feather,

colluding with one another.

In the examination halls,

and even in this court,

you're all wolves who devour people whole!

Now you finally understand.

Unfortunately,

it's too late.

Did you think gathering a mob of fools

would save you?

In the end, you still fell into my hands.

From this day forward,

in the women's imperial examination,

the name Meng Tinghui will cease to exist.

In this world,

those without shame

outlive those without fear.

Meng Tinghui,

whether in Shazhou

or here in the capital,

anything you cherish,

I can destroy with ease.

Destroy it all!

- Let go of me! - Pull them apart!

If you ruin me, you won't live either!

This is a court of law!

Your behavior disgraces all scholars!

Confucius said,

“In the practice of rites, harmony is most precious.”

Scholar Meng,

you should confess to falsely accusing the top metropolitan scholar.

I will spare your life.

Your Excellency,

she caused this enormous scandal

and nearly killed me.

She cannot be allowed to live!

The dispute over the true top scholar

is already known throughout the capital.

If anything happens to me,

it will only prove my accusation true.

Will you still be able to escape blame then?

Turn back before it's too late,

and you may yet save your life.

What a glib tongue.

Your Excellency,

have her arrested!

Confucius said,

“Do not meddle in matters outside your office.”

I know how to handle this case.

I need no instruction

from Scholar An.

Lock her in the dungeon.

Your Excellency, the Tiger's Roar Gang is here.

Second Master Lü. Scholar An.

Come here.

Governor Dong,

what do you intend to do with Meng Tinghui?

I have already made arrangements.

We will announce

that Meng Tinghui

went mad after failing the examination.

We'll imprison her for a while,

then, once the uproar dies down,

send her back to Shazhou.

What a fine official you are.

You flatter me, Scholar An.

In my view,

killing Meng Tinghui

would only make the scandal worse.

I am merely protecting the greater good.

Second Master,

you see?

He has no respect for you at all.

He's leaving himself an escape route.

Don't worry, Mei'er.

I've invited Madam Dong

and her child

to take tea at the teahouse.

What... What are you doing?

What is the meaning of this?

I did everything you ordered.

What more do you want from me?

I demand to see the chief.

See the chief?

Am I beneath you, then?

Dong Shoucai,

that official robe of yours

was given to you by the Tiger's Roar Gang.

And you dare put on airs before me?

Don't forget,

the debt you owe for your official post

has yet to be repaid.

If the chief learns of this,

you won't live much longer.

So think carefully, Governor.

Do you want your wealth and status,

or do you want your family torn apart?

I leave everything to you,

Second Master and Scholar An.

Arrest everyone involved

in the examination fraud

and hold them for trial.

Understood.

Take them away.

Your Majesty,

Sister Zhili ordered me to deliver this at once.

It is a petition for justice

written by the female scholar Meng Tinghui.

Countless copies have been printed

and spread through every street in the capital.

The fire she started

has spread fast and fiercely.

Where is she now?

At the Capital Prefecture office.

Go to the Capital Prefecture.

Jiang Mei'er,

you'd better kill me today.

Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead.

Killing you with one stroke

would be no fun at all.

I want to torment you

little by little until you die.

I'll repay you a thousandfold.

Any last words?

You brought this on yourself.

You deserve death a thousand times over.

Sooner or later, you'll face retribution.

She failed in her false accusation

and killed herself out of guilt.

She burned the cell and died in the fire. Understood?

- Yes. - Yes.

Still trying to run?

Meng Tinghui!

You caused the deaths of hundreds of my Black Tiger Hall brothers.

Today, you'll die with them!

Meng Tinghui!

Meng Tinghui!

If even the fire couldn't kill you,

I'll finish you myself.

Fall back!

Meng Tinghui, you lunatic!

She's over there!

I'll kill you!

Retreat!

After them!

He Du!

They're trying to kill me!

Leave them to me.

I, your humble servant Dong Shoucai,

studied diligently for ten years

and upheld the teachings of the sages.

The day my name appeared on the honor roll,

I swore before my own reflection

that I would be an honest official.

But one wrong step

led me down a crooked path.

I have lived half my life in fear and cowardice.

I deserve my punishment

and deeply regret my choices.

I am willing to die for my crimes.

But my family is innocent.

I beg Your Majesty

to show them mercy.

Miss Meng.

Meng is merely an orphan from the streets.

Why would His Majesty personally seek justice for her?

So many noble ladies at court

long desperately for imperial favor,

yet he scarcely gives them a glance.

Why does he care so much about her?

His Majesty cares about the examination.

This was the first imperial examination

since he ascended the throne,

and it was tainted by fraud.

By acting personally,

he is showing the realm his resolve.

Even so, she had no reason to enter the palace.

Since His Majesty was a child,

no woman but you has ever been allowed to stay here.

What worries me

is that she may want to remain here.

After all, that's far easier than passing the exam.

He Du...

Miss Meng.

It's you.

Where am I?

Can't you tell? This is the imperial palace.

Actually, I wanted to ask you something.

Back in Shazhou,

what exactly happened between you and His Majesty?

Chief Steward You,

as I was leaving just now,

I heard His Majesty say he wanted some soup.

You should go check on him.

All right.

Miss Meng,

you're finally awake.

His Majesty saved you.

You've been unconscious for two days,

with a fever that wouldn't break.

Do you feel any better now?

The imperial physician prescribed this

to ease the fever and restore your strength.

Drink it while it's warm.

He really is the emperor.

Who would have thought

that after our brief meeting outside the exam hall,

we would meet again here in the palace?

Thank you for taking care of me.

No need to thank me.

During the metropolitan exam,

I thought I might place first.

I never imagined someone could surpass me.

After reading your policy essay, I couldn't sleep all night.

I only wished to meet its author soon.

I never imagined it would be you, Miss Meng.

I couldn't be happier.

Do you know

how Miss Yan is doing now?

Don't worry.

She was sent back to Spring Blossom House

and is perfectly safe.

Drink it while it's warm.

When I heard what happened to you,

I was shaken to the core.

Thankfully, you fought back brilliantly

and stopped them from succeeding.

Everything is all right now.

His Majesty not only restored

your title as top metropolitan scholar,

he also threw Jiang Mei'er into prison.

It is truly satisfying.

Has His Majesty visited these past few days?

No.

After such a major incident,

His Majesty has been very busy.

But he instructed me

to take good care of you.

- May I go see His Majesty? - You should rest and recover first.

Whatever you need,

I can relay it for you.

I want to visit the Ministry of Justice.

Guard Huang.

Guard Huang.

I want to speak with her alone.

Tell me. How did you get close to Lü Er,

bribe the examiners,

and arrange the fire to kill me?

You're no

better than I am.

You're only able

to stand before me

because you climbed into the emperor's bed.

Without a man,

you're nothing.

Meng Tinghui,

you're still so arrogant,

so full of yourself.

Do you know what I hate most about you?

Those eyes of yours.

You're nothing but

a lowborn orphan.

What gives you the right to look at me that way?

I, Jiang Mei'er,

was born into a distinguished family

and blessed with peerless beauty.

I could have had endless glory.

But because of you—

you drove me to this.

You forced me to try to eliminate you.

How far must you go to destroy me?

You have always been the one destroying yourself.

You used your family status to act above the law,

and with power in your hands,

you did nothing but oppress the innocent.

Your jealousy,

greed, and delusions

were what drove you into the abyss.

If you confess everything truthfully,

your sentence may be reduced.

But you will only get one chance.

Meng Tinghui,

can you claim you have no ambition?

Can you claim you don't want to rise higher?

We're exactly the same.

You're simply

better at pretending than I am.

Now you falsely claim you'll spare me.

Do you even believe your own lies?

We were never the same kind of person.

But you were right about one thing.

I do intend to rise.

And now I have risen to a position

where your life and death are mine to decide.

I won't write it.

Since you don't want this chance,

then forget it.

Meng Tinghui!

I'll write it!

I'll write!

As long as you spare me,

I'll do anything.

My mother told me

I must survive.

I must survive.

Only by staying alive

can I start everything over.

I want to live.

I want to live!

The Tiger's Roar Gang's second-in-command

is known as Second Master Lü.

Black Tiger Hall in Shazhou is only one of the gang's branches.

I'll confess everything.

You said my sentence would be reduced.

It will.

Your crimes are monstrous.

You should have been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

His Majesty has granted you a swift death.

That is the greatest mercy you could receive.

Meng Tinghui,

I was wrong.

I'm begging you.

- Please, spare me! - Jiang Mei'er.

I came today to see you on your final journey.

I may have harmed you,

but now,

aren't you standing here unharmed?

And you've even won His Majesty's favor.

For such tremendous good fortune,

surely I deserve some credit.

White silk or poisoned wine.

Choose for yourself.

Meng Tinghui, you liar!

You'll die a horrible death!

The Tiger's Roar Gang will never spare you!

Even as a ghost, I'll come for you!

I'm only afraid they won't dare come.

Anyone who harmed me—

I won't spare a single one.

Aren't the women at Warm Fragrance Pavilion

enough to satisfy you?

Chief, I was wrong!

Dong Shoucai killed himself out of guilt.

Don't worry. He didn't reveal

a single thing about our gang.

Chief!

Brother!

I was wrong, Brother!

I truly was wrong!

Spare me, Brother!

Brother!

Were you born yesterday?

That little bitch already betrayed you.

Brother, I was blinded by that bitch.

But all I wanted

was to find Meng Tinghui and avenge you, Brother!

- Chief! - Get up.

- Brother! - You let lust cloud your judgment.

You were used,

and you call that avenging me?

“We fear no court official in life,

nor King Yama in death.”

- Chief... - You're more imposing than I am.

Chief, spare my life!

Come here.

Brother!

Brother!

I'm your own brother!

Shut up!

I don't want to die! I'm your brother!

Brother!

Brother!

Chief,

this punishment

will surely teach him a lasting lesson.

I beg you

to let him remain in the gang and serve you,

so he can redeem himself through merit.

It took the Tiger's Roar Gang ten years

to build this power in the capital.

Now, because of him alone,

we're being hunted by soldiers across the city.

Even His Majesty has been alerted.

If we didn't have someone protecting us at court,

the entire gang would have died with you.

Please don't, Chief!

I failed to discipline him.

Chief,

for the sake of the two of us

serving you for over ten years,

please spare his life.

I beg you.

Keep your heads down for now.

Don't cause me any more trouble.

- Yes. - Yes.

- Thank you for sparing me, Chief! - Get out!

(The Tiger's Roar Gang must lie low and keep silent.)

(Not a single trace of us may be exposed.)

Chief.

Sit down.

Your brother...

He's fine. He only lost some flesh.

The bone wasn't damaged. He'll live.

Keep a close eye on him.

The court refuses to let this go.

He has a reckless temper.

If he charges outside again,

he won't be so lucky next time.

Don't worry, Chief. If he acts rashly again,

there'll be no need for gang discipline.

I'll break both his legs myself.

I had Old Li make this for you.

I don't know whether it fits.

Don't be so impulsive again.

Miss Meng,

your complexion looks much better than before.

You still need plenty of rest.

I've already rested for many days.

I'd like to go outside for a walk.

I hear the imperial garden is beautiful.

Does His Majesty often visit it?

When His Majesty takes a break from memorials,

he occasionally rests there for a while.

Miss Meng, you should get some rest.

I have fully recovered.

The palace examination is approaching.

I must seize the opportunity before me.

This was my mother's favorite flower.

What a pity.

Fine flowers cannot grow in rotten soil.

Huang Bo.

- Bring another fresh seedling. - Yes.

I summoned you today, Grand Tutor,

to discuss a matter.

I intend to establish a Bureau of Inquiry,

independent of both chancellors and the Six Ministries.

It will investigate officials above,

eradicate criminal forces below,

and report directly to the throne.

Your Majesty.

Come.

If Your Majesty wishes to cultivate new talent,

these young seedlings may be free of pests,

but their roots are still shallow.

They cannot withstand storms.

The Bureau of Inquiry...

Is Scholar Meng still recuperating in the palace?

Naturally.

His Majesty has shown great tenderness toward her.

Imperial physicians, tonics—

he has spared no care at all.

The Left Chancellor

is watching the aftermath of the women's exam closely.

For His Majesty to bring Scholar Meng into the palace now...

- I'm afraid... - The new scholars will enter court

precisely to counterbalance the Left Chancellor.

The Ministry of Rites failed in its duty,

causing Scholar Meng both physical and emotional harm.

The palace examination is near.

I merely wished for her to recover soon

and prepare for the exam in peace.

Your Majesty,

if Scholar Meng remains in the palace too long,

people will inevitably gossip.

The Left Chancellor's faction

is already watching for an opening.

If they exploit this matter,

it may damage Your Majesty's reputation

and jeopardize Miss Meng's future.

Your counsel is sound, Grand Tutor.

Have the imperial physician examine her again.

If she is well, send her from the palace at once.

The world lies shrouded in darkness.

The long night has yet to end.

Heaven shows no mercy.

Tears stain my robes.

Your Majesty,

shall I stop her?

Let her vent her pain.

Fierce winds and sudden rain—

what is there to fear?

With sword in hand, I strike demons down!

Scholar Meng's nature

has the wildness of Shazhou in it.

Your Majesty should have seen her.

She was formidable during the interrogation too.

Jiang Mei'er confessed within moments.

She was never an ordinary woman.

This ordeal

will only make her more resolute.

Her next step

will be to find someone powerful to rely on.

Your Majesty,

Scholar Meng has only just recovered.

If she stays in the rain, she may fall ill and miss the palace examination.

Perhaps I should take her back first.

Why are you tormenting yourself?

He Du...

Your Majesty, don't worry.

Scholar Meng has only caught a chill.

It is nothing serious.

Once she sobers up,

a dose of cold medicine will cure her.

You may leave.

Yes.

Your Majesty,

since she is in no danger

and it is already late,

we should return first.

He Du...

No need for ceremony.

No.

You are the emperor.

I must pay my respects.

This student greets Your Majesty.

You may leave.

- Your Majesty... - I know what I am doing.

I never imagined

that He Du, who faced life and death with me in Shazhou,

was actually His Majesty.

That day at the Capital Prefecture,

if His Majesty had not arrived in time,

by now

not even my body would have remained intact.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving my life.

I

do not know how I can repay you.

The examination fraud

and the Ministry of Rites' failure

were my responsibility.

You have suffered because of me.

If you truly wish to repay me,

then stop abusing your health.

Do well in the examination.

I remember that in Shazhou,

Your Majesty offered me an opportunity,

but I rejected your kindness.

Now I understand.

In this world that devours people,

Being high-minded can cost you your life.

I'm so afraid.

Afraid that one day,

even Your Majesty will be unable to protect me.

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