Original subtitles

The Scholar and the Emperor

Please wait, miss.

I'll find someone to play against you.

I'll gamble with you.

Please sit, honored guests.

In that case,

let's begin.

The game begins.

Honored guests,

enjoy yourselves.

The points are tied.

According to the rules of Xingrong Gambling House,

the house has the advantage.

Therefore,

this young lady wins.

In a gambling house, origins do not matter,

nor does rank.

Only skill matters.

You won this round

because of the gambling house's rules.

If you disregard the rules, one day

you too will be thrown out of the game.

If you made the rules,

I could do nothing even if I objected.

But right now,

a loss must be accepted.

Since you are so determined to win,

I'll see this through with you.

Again.

This young lady wins.

Again.

The young lady wins again.

Since Young Master He has no silver left,

he is no longer qualified to wager against me.

Let's end it here today.

Thank you, honored guests.

Our gambling house offers many other games.

Why not rest in a private room?

Your luck may improve later.

Honored guests, please take a short rest.

Situ Xue was not sent here by me.

Why is Your Majesty following me?

When investigating places like this,

it is better to bring someone along.

But at the Bureau,

apart from the pretty-faced fellow you mentioned,

there is no one else.

Do you want the entire gambling house to know

that the ruler of this realm

came here to gamble with you so you could vent your anger?

Outside the palace, just call me He Du.

After Shazhou,

He Du ceased to exist.

Your Majesty's every word and action teaches me

the difference between ruler and subject.

We should each keep to our proper place.

What are you doing here?

A-Yue.

-A-Gui. -A-Yue.

This is all the silver I saved this month.

Give it to Sister Meng

and beg her to show mercy.

Ask whether sending you to the second floor

can be postponed a little longer.

Here.

A-Gui,

you have already bribed everyone you could for me.

But now,

Uncle Hao personally chose me.

Tomorrow's game on the second floor...

I cannot escape it.

I embroidered this handkerchief myself.

Keep it as something to remember me by.

I won't let them take you upstairs.

There are still several hours left.

I'll find the money.

A-Yue,

wait for me.

Honored guests,

our gambling house has many new games.

Shall I take you to play a few more rounds?

A-Gui.

I heard your gambling house is full of remarkable people.

I came today hoping to gather some information.

Who would have thought

I would win so much silver?

What information are you seeking?

Perhaps I can help.

Do you know the Tiger Roar Gang?

If you want information about the Tiger Roar Gang,

bring six hundred taels

and wait for me at the rear entrance.

After all these years,

you finally achieved your wish

and became a powerful gang leader.

When my mother and I

were abandoned by that beast,

I secretly vowed

that I would become strong.

Only by holding the initiative

can you avoid being discarded like a dog.

Enough.

It is all in the past.

Pavilion Master Liu,

I'll go take a look.

Where is the silver?

What exactly do you know?

We need to know what it is worth first.

If I tell you

and you go back on your word?

Give me the silver first.

What if you are deceiving us?

The second floor of this gambling house

hides an unspeakable secret.

The force protecting it

is the Tiger Roar Gang.

What secret?

I have worked here for a year.

I know many secrets

between the Tiger Roar Gang and this gambling house.

If you want to know more,

give me the money first.

I urgently need it to save A-Yue.

Who is A-Yue?

A-Yue is from my hometown.

She is about to be sent to the second floor.

We'll go with you.

No.

If the gambling house learns about our deal,

A-Yue and I

will both be killed.

Please.

I truly need this money urgently.

Wait here for half an hour.

Just half an hour.

I swear

I will come back.

Thank you.

He said A-Yue was about to be sent upstairs.

What secret is hidden on the second floor?

Since it concerns the Tiger Roar Gang,

we must find a way to investigate.

It seems people from the Bureau

went to Evening Fragrance Pavilion looking for you.

They have come to us of their own accord.

Meng Tinghui survived,

and you killed Wan Kai.

Now,

the imperial court's attention

is fixed on the Tiger Roar Gang.

What should we do next?

What is there to fear?

She escaped last time.

I would like to see how capable she truly is

and whether she can escape my grasp again.

There is no need to worry.

Do we not have someone in the imperial court?

I'm worried about you.

Even he

may not sincerely protect you.

Have you forgotten how he used you before?

The higher an official rises,

the more ruthless his heart becomes.

The higher an official rises,

the more carefully he weighs gains and losses,

and the more he fears exposing himself.

Proceed with our plan to make money.

Do not lose your composure.

As for Meng Tinghui,

sooner or later, I will make her fall into my hands.

You...

If anyone in Evening Fragrance Pavilion

dares reveal my whereabouts,

just kill them.

I understand.

Remember,

in this world,

anyone may betray me

except you.

Because

I could never bear to hurt you.

In this world,

you may distrust anyone,

but you must trust me.

Half an hour has already passed.

Let's go inside and see.

What happened?

A-Gui.

Save...

A-Yue.

What are you staring at?

Move aside.

Have you never seen someone kill himself over gambling?

Come on.

What rotten luck.

Dinner is ready. Let's eat first.

Wan Kai left this before he died.

What was he trying to tell us?

With my many years of traveling the martial world,

crossing mountains and rivers,

and reading countless books...

I still have no idea.

I suggest

we eat first.

Could this be a map?

The Tiger Roar Gang tried to kill him.

He bore them a grudge,

so perhaps he used this map

to guide us to their stronghold.

Assistant Shen makes an excellent point.

But his life was hanging by a thread.

Drawing a map would have taken too long.

A message left at the brink of death

may instead concern someone's identity.

Official Meng's reasoning is even more convincing.

An identity?

Who could it be?

The lead from Wan Kai has gone cold.

What about you two?

Did you learn anything while searching Changle Street?

Everything else appeared normal.

But I visited Evening Fragrance Pavilion for several days

and never saw its proprietor.

Ordinarily,

the proprietor should personally receive guests.

Other than that,

I found nothing suspicious.

I investigated the teahouses, clinics, and other places,

but found nothing unusual for now.

If something is suspicious,

we cannot lower our guard.

Our clearest lead to the Tiger Roar Gang

is still that gambling house.

Then seal it.

Under the Great Ning Code,

we need conclusive evidence before sealing it.

The gambling house appears to operate normally,

and gambling is not forbidden in Great Ning.

It is still considered a lawful business.

We should not alert them yet.

But there is one matter

for which I need your help.

Place your bets. No more bets.

-No more bets. -This way, please.

Come on. Place your bets.

No more bets. Big.

-Open it. -Open it.

No more bets.

This way, please.

What is it?

Nothing.

Zhili, Yin Qing, and Fuzhi

gave everything they could

and barely gathered one thousand taels.

We need to win ten rounds in a row

to turn it into ten thousand.

But we also have you, Young Master He.

Since you arranged to go upstairs,

you must have prepared the silver.

I knew it.

When it comes to extravagant spending,

who in all of Great Ning

would dare steal your spotlight, Young Master He?

This is

half a year's worth of my private savings.

But honestly,

you are not as miserly

as Young Master Shen claimed.

-What did you say? -Young Master He.

The investigation comes first.

Again.

Now that is a bold wager.

I bet on big.

Stingy.

Ten thousand taels on big.

One round decides everything.

Ten thousand taels on small.

Small. I bet on small too.

Very well. No more bets.

-Small. -Small.

Big.

-Small. -Small.

From the way you threw money around,

I thought you were an expert.

It turns out you truly are an expert.

Indeed.

Ten thousand taels

is hardly enough to buy some amusement.

Since the games here are dull,

let's try another gambling house.

All right.

Please wait, young masters.

If a distinguished patron like you leaves,

our proprietor

will say I do not know how to treat guests.

What?

Are we not even allowed to leave?

You misunderstand, young master.

We are the only gambling house endorsed by a capital official.

We would never deceive our guests.

Guaranteed by a capital official?

Interesting.

Young master,

your magnificent display of spending today

has deeply impressed us.

Our proprietor specially invited you upstairs

to experience a more entertaining game.

We hope you will honor us.

So Young Master He planned this all along.

We were never meant to win that ten thousand.

Unfortunately, I bet on big.

Deduct it from your salary.

Once upstairs,

honored guests must not speak unnecessarily.

What is tonight's game?

You cannot expect us to wager without knowing anything.

Every game is carefully arranged by us.

If you find it interesting,

you may join.

Since this is your first visit,

I will make an exception and reveal a little.

Tonight is a blind auction.

The wagers are

antique porcelain vases.

Mere antiques are hardly remarkable.

Do not be impatient, young master.

After you win one,

you will discover the hidden delight within.

Remember,

speaking is forbidden during the game.

Only a silent wager

reveals the true pleasure.

This way, please.

The real game

has begun.

Here are the rules for tonight.

Simply write the number of

your chosen antique vase in a letter.

After the gong sounds three times,

the highest bidder wins the treasure.

There is nothing special

about these antique vases.

But these women

are all gentle and refined.

Every movement resembles that of a well-bred lady.

If they are only wagering on porcelain,

why dress the women like scholars?

Their skin is as white as snow.

They have neither the calluses of poor women

nor the seductive air of courtesans.

Could they, like A-Yue,

be women forced into this?

Everything here feels strange.

We must find A-Yue first

to learn the truth.

Tonight's most popular item

is this willow-leaf vase from the previous dynasty.

Congratulations to this honored guest,

who wagered twenty thousand taels

and won the grand prize.

A-Gui...

That is A-Yue.

A-Gui.

They were never gambling on the vases.

Follow them.

Harder.

A little harder.

Good.

A little harder.

Good.

That's the right pressure.

Good.

Good.

Good...

My lord,

look at this...

What brings you here?

Come, sit down.

Uncle Hao,

you seem to be living comfortably.

Have you nearly forgotten whose gambling house this is?

Master,

how could you say that?

I would never dare forget

that our gang leader is the true owner of this gambling house.

Business has simply been booming these past few days,

so I thought

I would relax a little.

By the way, Master,

this is the gambling house's recent income.

Please inspect it.

Not bad.

With the gambling house in your hands,

I can rest assured.

But Uncle Hao,

as your purse grows heavier,

you must not forget the rules.

How could I dare forget?

I was just thinking of offering more to the gang leader.

By the way, Master,

if the gambling house in the eastern city also comes under me,

you will certainly receive your share.

Please wait, Master.

Master.

Master.

There is one more matter.

Recently, the Bureau...

Uncle Hao.

Uncle Hao.

Are you trying to get yourself killed?

How many times have I told you

to knock before entering?

Yes.

I'll go knock right now.

Come back.

Speak. What is it?

If it is not something important,

I'll skin you alive.

Uncle Hao,

this is Old Zhai, the gatekeeper.

He says he has secret information to report.

Secret information?

Uncle Hao...

You are only a gatekeeper.

A mere gatekeeper.

What secret could you possibly know?

-Uncle Hao. -Why are all these nobodies

being brought to me?

Do you think this is a teahouse?

Uncle Hao...

Meng Tinghui from the Bureau

brought a man to the second floor.

-They have come with hostile intentions. -You are just a gatekeeper.

Are you certain it was her?

Wait.

People from the Bureau have recently been

secretly investigating the gang leader and me on Changle Street.

Tell your men to stay alert.

Do not let her find any evidence.

They must not discover the secret of the second floor.

I'll handle it at once.

Go.

Honored guests,

going any farther would violate the rules.

It's A-Yue.

A-Yue.

-She is still breathing. -There was movement just now.

Where did they go? Find them.

Go.

Go.

You...

You are...

the female Top Scholar who placed first in all three exams.

Official Meng.

You saved me.

A-Gui asked us to save you.

A-Gui...

Where is he?

A-Gui risked his life trying to save you.

He wanted you to live well.

A-Gui.

I caused this.

I got you killed.

You are very weak.

Do not grieve too deeply.

Whatever injustice you suffered,

-tell Official Meng everything. -That's right.

My lady will obtain justice for you.

We were

female scholars preparing for the next imperial examination.

We came from poor and remote regions.

Fortunately, His Majesty reopened the women's examination,

and Official Meng firmly defended the decision.

Only then did ordinary women like us

see a path forward.

Later,

someone claimed to be an instructor from the capital's women's academy

and selected talented women from every prefecture

to study further in the capital.

We believed them.

But after reaching the capital,

we were imprisoned in a residence.

At first, they taught us music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Those who performed well were taken away

and never heard from again.

At the same time,

new female scholars

kept arriving at the residence.

A-Yue,

where in the capital is that residence?

From our homes to the capital,

they kept us inside

sealed carriages with no view outside.

After reaching the residence,

we were never allowed to leave.

How long have you been here?

And how did you meet A-Gui?

I came to the capital over three months ago.

By chance, I recognized A-Gui

when he delivered vegetables to the residence.

From him,

I learned

that the female scholars who were taken away

were all sent to the second floor of the gambling house.

They were used as wagers

for the gamblers' amusement.

Those gamblers

were twisted perverts.

They treated women as playthings

and used cruel methods.

Only because of A-Gui

was I able to avoid being sent upstairs for so long.

Did none of you try to escape?

We did.

We also reported it to the authorities.

But the officials were working with them.

Those who escaped were captured again,

had their hands and feet cut off,

and were tortured to death.

Many female scholars could not bear the humiliation

and chose to take their own lives.

Do you know which court officials

were colluding with them?

And who captured you?

I only heard

someone called Master Lü.

He is Lü Er's elder brother.

I saw him before.

Do you know anything about

the identities of the guests upstairs,

especially the men who took you away?

They...

all wore masks.

I only remember

that one man wore a red jade thumb ring

engraved with a bird in a cage.

Last night

was the first time I was taken...

taken...

A-Yue.

Official Meng,

thank you.

I know

the condition of my own body.

There is no time left.

Listen.

That is the sound of studying.

Kingdoms and states

may be governed.

Rank and wealth

may be refused.

Bare blades

may be trodden upon.

But the Doctrine of the Mean

cannot be attained.

A-Yue.

I'm here.

I'll take you away.

A-Gui.

A-Yue.

-A-Yue. -Official Meng.

Official Meng,

how I wished

I could be like you,

study,

take the examination,

and earn...

honor.

A-Yue.

A-Yue.

A-Yue.

I will make those criminals

repay this blood debt with their lives.

Those gamblers spent lavishly.

They must have powerful backgrounds.

And those women received no help after reporting it,

which means that among the gamblers

were court officials.

The Tiger Roar Gang supplied those women

for the officials' amusement

and used it as leverage

to turn them into their protectors.

Those women had great ambitions.

They wanted to serve the imperial court,

but they were dragged into the filth of officialdom

and had their entire lives destroyed.

The most absurd part

is that these murderers

sit in positions of power

and act without restraint.

Whether it is the Tiger Roar Gang

or those corrupt officials,

I will drag every one of you

down from your lofty positions

and reduce your bones to ashes.

I will take our men and thoroughly investigate the gambling house.

I know you are furious,

but only by planning carefully

can we capture them all at once.

I watched

A-Yue die before my eyes.

How can I remain calm?

Your Majesty, I have come to escort you back...