Original subtitles

[Episode 12]

This girl wasn't killed by Hanshui Palace.

Don't waste your time fighting with us.

He Bo already knows how you get to the embroidery shop.

Protect those

you're sworn to keep safe.

Search!

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

- Faster. - Let's go.

Keep still.

What's wrong?

Water...

Give me some water too.

Please.

Water...

Thank you.

About Yu Lian...

I failed you.

Failed me?

You've failed

every innocent girl you trafficked

and their families.

A few days ago at Zhongxiao Pavilion,

I ran into Yu Lian.

What?

She was talking about her elder brother.

What did she say?

She said...

I've realized it now.

Neither side wants me to live.

Fine. I leave.

Let's see where you can find me then.

- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. - Watch where you're going!

Please, don't kill me.

Don't kill me! Don't kill me!

I beg you.

Go.

I shouldn't have left you here alone.

It wasn't me. They found there on their own. None of this is on me.

Lies. There's no way they found this place.

You escaped and ran into them.

To save your own life, you brought them here.

You didn't think they'd still come for you, even after killing Fan and Fang.

No, no, no!

Let go! I must avenge Brother Fan!

Don't be impulsive.

Hua Chong deserves to die.

But not now.

His crimes must be judged in court and made known to the world.

Let him breathe,

and Brother Fan died for nothing.

He knows about Zhongxiao Pavilion well. Keeping him alive will help us save Yu Lian.

I have my own ways to save Yu Lian.

Hua Chong must die today.

You're injured. Stop using your inner energy.

Zhan Zhao.

Do you really think

that taking a case to court

can bring justice to those girls?

Unfortunately, in this world,

there is only one Kaifeng Court.

In Xiangzhou,

right and wrong have long been reversed.

If the government cared about justice,

so many girls wouldn't be trapped in Zhongxiao Pavilion.

Instead of trusting the government,

I'd rather trust the sword in my hand.

Brother Bai.

Bai Yu Tang.

I know you're grieving.

I know you're angry.

So am I.

You don't trust the Xiangzhou authorities.

But can you trust me just this once?

Bai!

Put her down.

You'd rather die

than confess a single word.

Zhongxiao Pavilion

usually has no room for such stubborn girls.

But with that face,

killing you would be a waste.

Luck was on your side.

Don't be afraid. You're safe now.

Don't you understand yet?

The fact that you're alive

means we have succeeded.

Chief.

I just heard that Zhan Zhao met a clerk of Yicheng County.

He must have told Zhan Zhao everything about Liu Hong Yi's case.

Now that the clerk is dead,

the magistrate of Yicheng County

is the only witness to the case.

Yes.

Si Ming's men also sent word

that Prince Hui

wants to summon the magistrate to the capital.

Then what are we waiting for?

Zhan.

It all happened too fast.

Don't blame yourself.

No one could have predicted that Hua Chong would escape,

and ran into people from Zhongxiao Pavilion.

Miss Huo.

Please look after him for a moment.

Are you going out?

There is an urgent matter

that must be handled now.

Lord Zhan.

You arrived before they did.

It seems I've gained a few more days of life.

You moved your family to safety,

because you already knew

people from Zhongxiao Pavilion would silence you.

To be honest, Lord Zhan,

from the day they ordered me frame you and Liu Hong Yi,

I knew it all along.

Win or lose,

I would not walk away alive.

You chose this path yourself.

You brought this upon yourself.

Can't blame anyone else.

Are you saying that

I sought my own doom?

Yes.

From the day I entered Zhongxiao Pavilion,

my fate was sealed.

But Lord Zhan,

death is death.

But the path I chose...

I'd say

it's worth more

than the one your friend took.

The gold, silver, and beauties I got,

and the wealth I left for my family,

can ensure they never worry about the rest of their lives.

That's what Liu Hong Yi's path

will never give him.

Lord Zhan,

don't you want to know how your dear friend

ended up seeking his own doom,

step by step?

Constable Liu, You've worked hard

on Fan Yu Lian's case

these past days.

I've prepared a meal.

I was hoping we could use this chance

to clear the air between us.

Here.

It seems Constable Liu

has quite a prejudice against me.

You're overstating it.

How would I dare to have a prejudice against you?

I just can't seem to make sense of the things

happening in this court.

I studied hard for years.

Didn't I want to be a good official?

It's just that for many things,

like Fan Yu Lian's case,

I want the truth too.

But

I have no choice.

What makes you have no choice?

Today,

I asked you here today so that,

once we're drunk,

we might speak openly about this matter.

I'm afraid there are many things

that I'm only willing to say

when I'm drunk.

You are indeed an upright man.

Quite similar to me.

Reckless.

In all the times you defied me before,

I never once took it to heart.

A pity.

Your investigation

led you to Zhongxiao Pavilion.

That's where your death begins.

Ever since you were transferred here,

I've heard

no end of complaints.

You're too rigid, they say.

You've cost them

a great deal of money.

Tell me,

if I hand you over to them

and say you stole something,

will they use these torture devices

on you incessantly?

I see.

You set a trap to capture me today

just to retrieve that letter,

so you can claim credit in front of Zhongxiao Pavilion.

That makes me even more curious.

Who exactly is the big-shot patron

behind Zhongxiao Pavilion,

that even an official

would suck up to them like this?

You don't need to worry about who is behind Zhongxiao Pavilion.

You just need to remember

that overestimating your own strength

will not end well.

How about this?

Let's make a deal.

Hand over the object,

and I promise not to hand you over.

Then,

we can find a way together

to gloss over this thing.

That way,

not only can I save your life,

- but I can also promise you... - Good.

Do you think

everyone is just like you,

being an official

only for wealth and honor?

Good.

I've already given you a chance.

You can only blame yourself

for making the wrong choice.

Lord Zhan,

didn't I give him a chance?

If he had made the right choice,

he wouldn't have had to die,

nor would he have been branded a traitor after his death.

He made his choices.

Lord Zhan,

don't be angry.

I...

I have more to tell you.

Liu Hong Yi

endured every torture device we had.

But

he wouldn't say a word until he died.

He told me

that he worked at the court

solely for the sake of

justice.

What a complete joke.

In this world,

if justice really existed,

how could someone like me

become an official?

How could a good man like Liu Hong Yi

be subjected

to every torture

I could devise?

It seems you are just like Liu Hong Yi,

refusing to take the easy path

and insisting on the difficult one.

If you finish me off with one strike,

you can avenge your friend right now.

But you insist on taking me

to the capital for trial.

You insist on seeking

justice.

Lord Zhan,

let me give you some advice.

Don't end up like your poor dead friend.

Realizing only at the end

that his path was death all along.

Stop trying to provoke me.

I won't kill you.

Dying by my sword

would be doing you a favor.

If you die,

Liu Hong Yi's false treason charge

may never be cleared.

If you die by my sword,

people will think

you were a good official who died

for exposing treason.

You would leave a good reputation.

Then how would the justice you owe Liu Hong Yi

be repaid?

You know very well this case

wouldn't hold up under a real inquiry.

The truth will come out sooner or later.

At that time,

the people of Yicheng will see

what kind of official you really were.

Your children who are away will also know

what kind of father you were.

I won't kill you.

I will send you to Kaifeng Court,

so you can see

whether or not this world

has the justice Liu Hong Yi believed in.

I'll make sure you see for yourself

whether the path of justice outside Xiangzhou

leads to death!

Let me ask you.

Those who enter Zhongxiao Pavilion from the back of the embroidery shop...

Who are they?

Good men have rules.

That doesn't mean bad men rule.

Those who enter Zhongxiao Pavilion from the back of the embroidery shop...

They are all officials, aren't they?

So you know everything.

He Bo dares to run rampant in Xiangzhou

for one reason alone.

Officials like you shield him.

Officials are strictly forbidden

from gambling and whoring.

That's why Zhongxiao Pavilion

orders visitors to wear masks and robes.

It's to hide your identities.

Hide our identities?

When I first went to Zhongxiao Pavilion,

I also thought

that those masks and robes

could hide our identities.

But later...

Later, you found out

that the so-called cover-up

was all a lie.

Step inside just once,

He Bo will know every last detail about you.

Completely under his control.

Yes.

I only realized later

that Zhongxiao Pavilion

identifies people by tokens

and uses ledgers

to record our every visit

to Zhongxiao Pavilion.

So,

you knew framing Liu Hong Yi and me would lead to a dead end.

You had no choice but to follow He Bo's orders.

Since you knew details

about Zhongxiao Pavilion,

you must have investigated there.

You should have seen

how many officials come and go there.

You should also know

whether you have the ability

and the courage

to uproot the rotten officialdom of Xiangzhou

completely.

Lord Zhan.

Have you ever seen the auction ceremony at Zhongxiao Pavilion?

Do you know how much a girl

is worth?

Have you ever thought about it?

Why would a magistrate like me

possess so much wealth?

Behind it all,

how many wrongful rulings?

How many lives thrown away?

A case can be overturned,

but those who have died

will never know

that you, Lord Zhan,

have sought justice for them.

Justice that arrives this late

is no longer justice.

It is merely a show

put on by the living

to seek solace for themselves.

Lord Zhan,

I'm afraid there is still a tough battle ahead.

You must guard me well.

Only then

can you protect

the justice you seek.

[Yanling]

Zhan,

are you done with your errand?

I found this among Brother Fan's things.

He had very few belongings. They are all here.

It's in the shape of a lotus.

It must be a gift for Yu Lian.

Keep his belongings safe.

Once we rescue Yu Lian,

we will return them to her.

Brother Bai is awake.

Tomorrow morning,

I will go and buy some supplies.

Let's lay Brother Fan to rest first.

Take another Linglong Honey.

It's too stuffy in the room.

I'm going out for a walk.

Brother Bai hasn't said anything,

but I know he feels very guilty.

He feels he failed to look after Brother Fan.

It would be better if he spoke out.

I'm just afraid he's bottling it up.

It's a good thing

that he's willing to go for a walk.

What about you, Brother Zhan?

You seem troubled too.

Want to talk about it?

I'm fine.

Young Master Bai.

Are you bored

staying here with me?

Not at all.

I've encountered some issues.

No wonder.

You haven't looked well since you got back.

You should talk about it

with Lord Zhan and Miss Huo.

Don't keep it all inside.

I'm afraid it'll delay his investigation.

I don't want to be a burden.

Burden? A strange word between the three of you.

If you keep it from them,

they'll be upset.

Go find them. Quick.

I'll keep an eye on things here.

Look, they're all tied up anyway.

Don't worry.

The medicine will be ready when you return.

All right.

Go.

Tomorrow at this hour. Come to Fenglai Pavilion

and tell me

whether you accept my terms.

Get it

to the capital.

By any means

necessary.

[Tomb of Fan Zhong Yu, The Song Hermit]

Brother Fan.

I'm sorry to bury you here for the time being.

Once I rescue Yu Lian,

I will help her

take your remains back home

for a proper burial.

I'm sorry.

Brother Fan.

I failed to look after you.

Perhaps,

I shouldn't have brought you to Xiangzhou.

Brother Fan.

Has right and wrong

really swapped places?