Original subtitles

(Zhan Zhao Adventures)

(Episode 22)

Today,

we went to find the two yamen runners

who handled the Huaihua Alley case 15 years ago.

One of them has gone missing,

and the other was killed.

So this case is almost certainly fishy.

What Jin Xue Wen said about gathering herbs at night

does sound absurd.

But if he was lying,

why wouldn't he come up with a more believable story?

You know medicine.

Do you know of any herbs that actually have to be gathered at night?

Keep an eye out for news about my two sworn brothers.

When their poison is cured,

I'll return to Xiankong Island immediately.

Come into the mountains with me to look for clues tomorrow.

Young Master.

Lady Huo left.

Bai didn't return to the inn

because he wanted to avoid Lady Huo, right?

Who knew she'd leave first instead.

Young Master, do you think she went home with her brother?

Ming Zhu Er, go get some sleep. Don't wait up for me.

You wield the legendary weapon Yin Yang Blade,

and your Fleeting Speed movement technique is extraordinary.

You also possess the secret art Listening to Flowers Through the Night.

You must be from Linglong Manor.

You've got good taste.

Name's Huo Xiao Di.

Since I've decided to walk this path with you,

then I was prepared to help carry your burdens.

If you take this,

it may bring trouble upon you.

I'll take it. Don't worry.

I'll make sure it reaches the capital safely.

This case is tied to too many people.

If we keep digging,

the danger will only grow.

- If you come with me... - Zhan, what I meant earlier was,

no matter how difficult things become,

I'll see this investigation through with you.

We're less than two days away from home now.

I've sent a letter,

telling them to prepare your room properly

and make all your favorite dishes.

I agreed to come back with you

because I want to learn the truth about Aunt myself.

But I'm afraid Father won't tell me the truth.

Brother,

you wouldn't lie to me, would you?

What do you want to know?

Why was Father in such a hurry to bring Aunt's body home

before the verdict was even announced back then?

So that Aunt could rest in peace as soon as possible.

Did any of you stay in Tanxi Town for the trial?

Did Father ever visit the crime scene?

The evidence back then was overwhelming.

Jin Xue Wen was the killer.

What exactly are you suspecting?

Aunt's body was buried less than a day after it was brought back.

At the time, they said it was because they were worried about the plague.

But now that I think about it...

Father wasn't afraid of the plague. He was afraid of rumors.

- He was afraid of losing face... - Ling Long.

Everything Father did was for you and me,

for Linglong Manor.

If word got out that the eldest daughter

of Linglong Manor had been murdered,

just think about it,

wouldn't our family become a laughingstock in the martial world?

Si Ming, are you writing a memorial?

News came from the capital.

The Zhongxiao Courtyard case has begun to be tried.

Regardless,

the case happened within Xiangzhou's jurisdiction.

So writing a memorial to admit fault

is absolutely necessary.

What's got you looking so pleased?

Ling Long

has set off for Linglong Manor.

That means

the marriage arrangement can proceed as planned,

and it won't interfere with Master's affairs.

Any news on Zhan Zhao?

What is he doing?

He's still investigating that case.

I've made arrangements.

He won't be allowed to review the case files.

Besides, you personally presided over that case.

The files must be flawless.

There's no such thing as flawless in this world.

Those files might look airtight to others,

but Zhan Zhao...

Alright.

I understand.

I'll keep an eye on him.

I really didn't see him.

Young Master,

the servants said they never saw him after the gates were opened.

He probably climbed over the wall and left before dawn.

He's avoiding us, isn't he?

With him gone,

we don't know the first thing about medicine.

We can't exactly drag Fourth Madam

into the mountains with us to gather herbs.

Let's head into the mountains first.

Maybe we'll find some clues.

Young Master,

is solving the case really the most important thing right now?

Shouldn't we go after Lady Huo first?

We might still catch up to her.

If we want your Sister Huo to come back,

then we have to uncover the truth behind this case.

With this, all of your illnesses will disappear.

And they'll never come back again.

- Really? - Of course.

I personally went to pray to every god I could think of,

asking them to keep you safe and healthy forever.

What about you?

I want you to stay safe too,

and never get sick again.

Alright, then let's make a promise.

When you grow up, you have to get one for me too,

something to keep me safe forever.

It'll be even bigger than this one.

Bigger than yours.

Aunt,

why is it that, in Father's eyes,

Linglong Manor's reputation matters more than your life?

Your death was full of questions,

yet they couldn't wait to erase you from memory.

I don't want to go home,

but I'm also afraid of facing the memories of your tragic death.

I'm afraid I can't bear it.

Am I just too weak?

You died so horribly,

yet I don't even have the courage to find your killer myself.

Officer Zhan, I have an idea.

Wouldn't it be better to come here at night?

If we find those herbs that only bloom at night,

maybe we'll find the right lead

and figure out what herb Jin Xue Wen was gathering.

Coming here in daylight is exhausting enough,

and you want to come back at night?

Out here in these deep mountains,

who knows if there are tigers or wolves around?

Young Master, I'm thirsty and starving.

I really can't walk anymore.

I'll go check ahead.

Young Master...

S-Someone's here.

Lost your way, huh?

Let me finish chopping this wood first,

then I'll point you in the right direction.

Sir, we're not lost.

We just wanted to ask you something.

Go ahead.

Have you been living in these mountains?

I'm from Jiang Family Village outside the mountain.

For the convenience of hunting,

I built myself a small hut here.

Every summer and autumn,

when the mountains are full of game,

I stay up here for a while.

How long have you been here?

Quite a long time now.

Must be over 20 years or so.

15 years ago,

around the Double Ninth Festival,

did you ever see a young man come into the mountains to gather herbs?

Early twenties, looked like a scholar.

That was so many years ago.

I can't remember clearly.

Please try to think.

Most people who gather herbs head into the mountains at dawn.

Hardly anyone goes in at sunset, right?

That's true.

I've seen plenty of people come here to gather herbs.

They all leave early and return early.

Who would head into the mountains at sundown?

Back then, the plague was at its worst.

Other than people like me who'd lose our livelihood if we stayed home,

who else would dare come out?

Though there really were a few reckless lovers

who dared sneak into the mountains.

Rain or shine, nothing stopped them.

I saw a cave behind that waterfall.

It looks like someone had stayed there.

Who were they?

I'd advise you not to go anywhere near that cave.

Back then, the authorities locked all the seriously ill people in there.

Later, they supposedly burned and cleansed the place,

but who knows whether they really cleaned it properly?

If you catch the disease,

you'll die.

It's getting late.

You should head down the mountain soon.

Thank you.

Young Master, it's been a long day.

Here, eat something.

We've come into the mountains,

yet we found absolutely nothing.

It'd be great if Bai and Huo were here.

Hey, don't look so discouraged.

Just because the hunter never saw Jin Xue Wen

doesn't mean he never came into the mountains.

Actually, last night,

I found another clue.

But whether it's truly a flaw in the case,

I need to ask Bai Yu Tang.

Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find Bai right now. Come on!

- Hurry up, Young Master! - Officer Zhan, hurry!

Careful.

Where could Bai possibly be?

He can't have gone far. We'll keep looking.

Gentlemen, you're finally back.

The young lady who was traveling with you left this behind

and asked me to give it to you.

Ling Long!

Ling Long.

Ling Long,

I shouldn't have dragged you into this.

Back then, Huo Xiao Di showed no fear

when he saved Zhan Ri Fei.

I'll never forget that.

And now, I respect your decision.

You should go.

Leave all this behind.

Don't worry.

I will see justice done for your aunt and for Jin Xue Wen.

Go.

I've made up my mind.

This is my aunt's case.

I should uncover the truth myself.

Zhan, you shouldn't have to shoulder this alone.

I've decided.

I'm staying to continue investigating this case with all of you.

I came to this room last night

and noticed something strange.

Look.

Even though the furniture is covered in dust,

there aren't any signs of wear.

My guess is that someone replaced it after the murder.

Also, last night I went to the Jin family's old house...

Young Master, we found Bai. He...

Huo, you came back!

Huo...

What happened to Bai?

We kept trying to persuade him,

but he refused to come back with us.

He went to the riverside alone.

Go check on him.

Alright.

Wait here for me. I'll go see him.

Mr. Xiang Cai.

I remember you used to love the wine from Liuke Hall the most.

But after the family fell into ruin,

you hardly drank anymore.

Today, I brought a bottle.

Let's have a drink together.

Mr. Xiang Cai,

do you regret it?

Regret giving up your life for us?

Regret that you believed in a murderer before you died?

Mr. Xiang Cai believed until the day he died

that Jin Xue Wen was innocent.

Innocent?

Then how do you explain Jin Xue Wen's confession?

That handwriting was clearly his.

There were no injuries on his body.

It couldn't have been forced out of him through torture.

Sometimes, false hope

hurts people the most.

15 years.

I don't dare gamble anymore.

If you want to know the truth behind that confession,

then investigate it.

If you won't investigate your brother's case,

no one else can hand you the truth.

15 years ago, you were still young.

He wouldn't blame you for not believing him then.

But now you're grown.

This case is clearly full of questions,

yet you refuse to listen, refuse to believe, refuse to investigate.

How can he ever have a chance to clear his name?

Sometimes I think...

It would've been better if we'd never gone to Tanxi Town at all.

At least then, I could still hold onto hope.

At least I could still believe

he was the kind of person I thought he was,

innocent.

Now even that hope...

It's gone.

That feeling...

I understand it too.

For 15 years,

you'd rather live in the fog of not knowing the truth every day

than find out what really happened.

Because you're afraid

that once you confirm Jin Xue Wen wasn't the real killer,

you'll feel even more guilty.

Isn't that right?

And now, you're afraid that if you fail to overturn the case,

you'll never be able to face Ling Long again.

That's why

you chose to run back to Xiankong Island.

Bai Yu Tang,

you've been running for 15 years.

Are you really going to keep running?

There are only two possible truths.

If Jin Xue Wen really was the killer,

then find a way to make it up to Ling Long.

That's a debt your brother left behind.

But if he wasn't the killer,

then go kneel before his memorial tablet and admit your mistake.

Whether it's regret or guilt,

that's your burden to bear.

No one can help you with that.

Only you can help yourself.

Whether you move forward

or keep running away,

the choice is yours.

Oh, right.

Ling Long came back.

Bai, stop writing already.

Look, I made this kite for you myself. Nice, right?

No, I have to finish copying this passage first.

Besides, what kind of kite is this supposed to be?

I asked for an eagle,

not a beauty.

Haven't you seen the eagles in the mountains before?

What's wrong with a pretty lady?

Look how beautifully I drew her.

Doesn't she look just like Qiu Chan from Fenglai Pavilion?

I'm a man.

If I flew a kite like that, everyone would laugh at me.

Bai.

Little Bai,

I worked so hard making this by hand.

I've grown up.

Stop calling me by my childhood nickname.

What's wrong with calling you that?

When you were little, you were so fair and chubby,

just like a round little snowball.

Calling you Bai just means I'm fond of you.

Come on, Bai, humor me and take a look.

This is all your fault.

Now I copied this whole page for nothing.

Your handwriting looks like chicken scratch.

Who taught you that?

Well, it definitely wasn't you.

Come here.

I'll teach you now.

You cut yourself making the kite?

Shouldn't you bandage it first?

Bai, if you really care about me,

why don't you fly this beauty kite into the sky?

Alright, alright.

Tomorrow, I'll make you an eagle kite instead, alright?

Come on, let me teach you to write first.

From now on, I'll practice calligraphy with you every day.

I guarantee in two years, your handwriting will look proper.

In the future,

I won't just teach you calligraphy.

I've got other good things for you too.

Once I finish competing in the Suwen Tournament,

you won't have to live a hard life with me anymore.

I don't believe you.

Young Master.

Zhan.

You were right. The furniture here is made of fir wood.

Whenever my aunt touched fir wood, her body broke out in a rash.

I also found sword marks.

The sword strikes flow smoothly and naturally.

Whoever wielded the sword was definitely a master.

Jin Xue Wen was just a scholar.

He couldn't have left marks like these.

My aunt was only 20 at the time.

She couldn't possibly have reached this level either.

Which means that, when the murder happened,

there was a third person here.

We need to get hold of the case files as soon as possible

and see whether these sword marks were recorded in them.

But the yamen is keeping the files sealed tight.

They refuse to let us see them.

If they won't give them to us,

then there's only one way left.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

If we wait any longer, the yamen may destroy the files altogether.

Why isn't Young Master back yet?

Wouldn't it be better to let White Rat

do this kind of sneaky thing?

This case has pushed

our pure and gentle young master to this point.

Stop worrying so much.

Has your master ever failed at anything he set out to do?

Fire!

Someone help!

Officer Zhan is so bold.

He must've started the fire as a distraction.

I think he's succeeded.

Young Master.

- Have you found it? - Let's get out of here first.

Just to destroy a case file,

they actually burned down an entire archive.

This is completely lawless.

They deliberately staged it as an accidental fire.

Even if we confront them about it,

they'll never admit it.

This is outrageous.

These corrupt officials only ever use their brains for things like this.

Huo Xiao Mei,

if my brother truly was the killer,

I'll do everything in my power to repay the debt.

But right now...

I'm not trying to excuse him.

It's just that we really have uncovered suspicious details.

I want to work with all of you to sort out these doubts.

Only by uncovering the truth can the dead rest in peace,

and the living finally move on with peace of mind.

I feel the same way.

What have you found?

Th-These are the case files and evidence from Jin Xue Wen's case.

Your impulsive streak finally paid off for once.

This time, you've outmaneuvered Si Ming.

You got ahead of him.

This...

When I saw the confession, I completely lost it.

I acted on impulse and...

But I did my best to put it back together.

Did you notice anything suspicious about the confession?

The contents of the confession were indeed written by my brother.

But the signature beneath the fingerprint isn't in his handwriting.

My brother always said a person's handwriting reflected their character.

Even his brushstrokes had to look elegant and free-spirited.

So whenever he wrote the character "Jin,"

the strokes would always be especially long and flowing.

I was in such a hurry to have Ming Zhu Er and Zhao Zhi Er find you

because I wanted you to take a look

at the name "Jin Yue Wen"

and determine who really wrote it.

They're definitely different.

Especially the characters "Jin" and "Wen."

Yeah, the brushstrokes are completely different.

My lord,

I'm Xu An, steward of the Jin Residence.

I often pass through Huaihua Alley

on my way to Tiancheng Pharmacy.

I've seen Jin Xue Wen harassing the young woman next door many times.

He spoke to her inappropriately and kept getting handsy.

The girl ignored him again and again,

yet he refused to leave her alone.

I wasn't harassing her.

It's true that I tend to lose my composure

whenever I see a beautiful woman,

and maybe my words crossed the line a little,

but I never had any bad intentions toward Miss Huo.

I just thought she seemed troubled and wanted to help.

I truly never meant to take advantage of her.

Easy for you to say.

Everyone in town knows you're a lecher by nature,

always wasting your days in brothels.

Jin Xue Wen,

I knew sooner or later you'd commit a crime like this.

Even if I had bad intentions,

that doesn't mean I'd kill someone.

Whether you killed her or not, I can't say.

But there's no doubt you had improper intentions

toward that girl next door.

My lord,

why not summon Jin Xue Wen's younger brother here

and hear what he has to say?

No, don't bring him here.

He's just a child. He'll be frightened.

That night,

I was going to talk to Ling Long.

But halfway there,

I saw Young Master Jin enter the courtyard.

Before that, I'd already seen Ling Long speaking with him several times.

I warned Ling Long before

that Jin Xue Wen didn't have a good reputation,

but Ling Long still spoke well of him.

I thought they had feelings for each other,

so I didn't want to intrude.

I went home instead.

I was going to ask her

about it the next day.

But when morning came,

I heard the terrible news.

You've got the wrong person. I never went into the courtyard next door.

I wasn't even home that night.

I only came back the next morning.

There's no mistake.

How could I possibly mistake you?

My two maids were with me at the time.

They saw you too.

We saw it clearly.

The person there that night was definitely this young man.

You're lying!

You must've mistaken someone else.

That day, I'd left the city

for Feihua Hollow to gather herbs before it got dark.

I stayed in the mountains the entire night.

Right! When I passed by Chunxin Pavilion in the mountains,

I ran into Tang Ji, the second-in-command of the Tang Sect.

I saw him talking with a married woman in the pavilion.

We even spoke to each other.

I came to Xiangyang to attend the Suwen Tournament

at the Jin Residence in Tanxi Town.

For the past ten-plus days, I have not once left the city.

I have never been to Feihua Hollow.

Nor have I seen any woman dressed in white.

You're lying!

You clearly saw me!

The woman you were speaking to

was wearing a white dress,

with a white veiled hat over her head.

I never travel with my family.

And I have no relatives in Xiangyang.

Why would I secretly meet a woman in private?

Even if I were going to meet someone,

why wouldn't I choose somewhere discreet?

Why would I go all the way out to the wilderness to meet her?

Jin Xue Wen,

you and I only met briefly at the Suwen Tournament three years ago.

Could you have mistaken me for someone else?

But you clearly greeted me that day.

You people...

Why are all of you lying?

Why are you trying to frame me?

What these three witnesses said doesn't really count as solid evidence.

Xu An always had a bias against your brother.

It's not surprising that he'd make malicious assumptions.

As for Madam Jiao and the two maids,

it's possible they really mistook someone else for him.

After all, it was dark and raining that night.

Maybe the person they saw was the real killer disguised as your brother.

And even if Tang Ji denied

that Jin Xue Wen went into the mountains to gather herbs,

that still doesn't prove he was the murderer.

Exactly.

If they'd questioned the night watchman on duty that very night,

or the guards at the city gates,

wouldn't they have known whether your brother stayed out all night or not?

But none of that was recorded in the case files.

Whether it was never recorded or deliberately destroyed,

both are possible.

From what I can tell, the magistrate based the verdict

mainly on the murder weapon and bloody clothes,

along with the injuries on your brother's arm and shoulder.

Although he claimed they were scratches

from an eagle while gathering herbs in the mountains,

that explanation was simply too unbelievable,

so the magistrate dismissed it.

Let's look at the physical evidence.

Besides the dagger you've seen,

this is the bloodstained clothing from back then.

These scratches don't look like they were made by human hands.

And the case files make no mention of the sword marks.

It's almost as if someone deliberately concealed them.

Sword marks?

What sword marks?

We discovered a wall in my aunt's house covered in sword marks.

They were left by an expert swordsman.

Looks like the Xiangyang magistrate back then was quite shrewd.

If the sword marks had been mentioned in the files,

it would've contradicted the claim

that Jin Xue Wen killed your aunt with a dagger.

So they simply left it out entirely.

Honestly, disproving Xu An's testimony shouldn't be difficult.

We just need to question Madam Jiao again.

As for Tang Ji, though, we probably won't get anything out of him anymore.

At this point, he likely doesn't trust Tang either.

Ming Zhu Er,

do you two remember what the hunter told us?

Though there really were a few reckless lovers

who dared sneak into the mountains.

Rain or shine, nothing stopped them.

What if

he wasn't kidding?

The young couple the hunter mentioned,

could they be the same ones Jin Xue Wen saw?

Tang Ji and the woman in white?

We need to go see that hunter again.

I'd run into that man and woman together several times before.

They used to meet secretly in the pavilion over in that mountain hollow.

Those two really had a death wish.

Back then, all the seriously ill people

were being driven into the mountains.

Even I was packing up and preparing to head down the mountain,

yet those two still dared to come here.

What did the man look like?

It's been so many years.

I can't remember anymore.

What about the woman? Do you remember anything about her?

Her, I do remember a little.

Every time she came, she wore a veil.

I never saw her face clearly.

But judging from the way she dressed,

she was definitely from a wealthy family.

If you never saw her face,

then how can you be sure it was the same woman every time?

Because every time she came, she wore the same white dress.

The hem was embroidered with flower petals,

like fallen blossoms scattered through the mountain hollow.

Every time she met that man,

she wore that exact dress.

If it wasn't her, then who else could it have been?

The terrain here is rather unique.

Every spring, flowers bloom throughout the valley and beyond.

And in late spring, strong winds often blow through.

The fallen blossoms get swept up by the wind and fill the entire sky.

That's how the place got the name Feihua Hollow.

Aside from spring, when people come here to admire the scenery,

hardly anyone visits this place.

It really is the perfect spot for secret meetings.

Tang Ji must not have wanted to admit to the affair in court,

which is why he insisted he'd never seen my brother.

He was probably counting on this place being remote and deserted.

As long as he denied everything,

no one would expose him.

That woman was most likely a local from Xiangyang.

She must've seen this scene of flying blossoms in late spring before,

which was why she embroidered that pattern.

If we find her,

Tang Ji's lie will fall apart on its own.

But aside from knowing she wore white,

we know nothing else about her.

How are we supposed to find her?

The hunter said she hasn't appeared in 15 years.

What if she really caught the illness?

Don't lose hope yet.

The embroidery pattern on the dress is already a clue.

Let's go back and ask around at the embroidery shops.

And if we can identify the herb my brother gathered back then,

that'll also prove he wasn't making things up.

Let's go back to the old house

and check the medical books your brother used to read.

Maybe we'll find a herb that truly can only be gathered at night.

Young Master, these medical books can still be saved.

What are you hiding?

Were you looking at...

That kind of thing again?

You're awfully knowledgeable for someone your age.

When are you going to practice your needle techniques properly?

The Suwen Tournament is almost here.

The entire clan will be there to watch.

Don't embarrass yourself.

Bai,

I'm going to win first place at the Suwen Tournament.