Original subtitles

The Scholar and the Emperor

Most guests who come here

either have money but no looks,

and are unbearably vulgar,

or have looks but no money,

with barely a coin to their name.

It is rare to meet a gentleman

who has both wealth and looks.

I don't believe that.

I hear Lady Xiangning's admirers

are all rich or powerful.

Even the notorious leader of the Tiger's Roar Gang

is utterly bewitched by you

and often comes to support you.

The court has put a ten-thousand-tael bounty on that villain.

If I knew him,

I'd be rich already.

Lady Xiangning is both gifted and beautiful.

If he truly cared for you,

he would never leave you at Wanxiang House.

Were it me,

I would build you a golden chamber

and keep you all to myself.

To be honest,

I saw the portrait on the wall.

That gang leader is quite handsome.

Had I ever seen him,

I would never forget him.

But by comparison,

you are far more delectable.

You truly

delight me.

But whether I may leave with you tonight

still depends…

Who is it?

Young Master He.

So you two gentlemen know each other.

We agreed that tonight

Lady Xiangning would be mine.

Is this how Wanxiang House does business?

There must have been a mistake.

But seeing such a fine gentleman,

I find it

hard to refuse.

I

will add another hundred taels.

How generous you are, handsome sir.

Now I truly cannot choose.

Aren't you arranging a marriage, Young Master He?

How do you have time to fight me over a lady at Wanxiang House?

You misunderstand, Young Master Meng.

I have never discussed marriage.

As for why I came here,

surely you know it well.

Why must you two compete?

Why not

share my company?

But today,

I am feeling rather weary.

Does Wanxiang House

have anything to restore one's vigor

and heighten the pleasure?

You are in the prime of youth,

full of vigor.

Why would you need such stimulants?

You are not like those rich young men who look good but lack stamina.

They rely on Infinity Pills for their pleasure.

But you

need no such thing.

The name Infinity Pill

has piqued my interest.

Does Wanxiang House really have them?

So the handsome gentleman is interested.

But to tell you the truth,

Infinity Pills are rare now,

and no amount of money can buy them.

Wanxiang House has none left.

Do you think we cannot afford them?

Today, I insist on buying a few to try.

You are indeed exceedingly wealthy.

But the last batch of Infinity Pills

was used up three days ago.

When might we get to try them?

In another month,

you two new patrons can wait for the next batch.

But the price

will be higher.

We have to wait that long?

Then tell us where the Infinity Pills come from.

Please forgive us, honored guests.

It is my fault for failing to manage this place.

My staff were careless

and posted Xiangning's plaque twice.

Your payment

was meant for Nannan's performance.

As for Xiangning,

she already has an appointment with a regular patron.

I will take you both to Nannan.

I will pay double.

Young Master,

Wanxiang House has failed you tonight.

We will not take

a single coin.

Consider it

our apology to you both.

But the rules of this house cannot be broken.

Xiangning.

Go to the west wing.

Forget it.

We are not men who force a sale.

Young Master He,

let us seek amusement elsewhere.

Madam,

if you like it here,

next time you need not

trouble yourself with a disguise.

Our house

welcomes both men and women.

Come again,

and I will have Xiangning

personally apologize to you.

Very well.

Young Master Meng looks truly dashing.

It seems dressing as a man

has become second nature to you.

Naturally.

Why did Your Majesty come to Wanxiang House today?

Di Nian and Zhishu told me about the Infinity Pills.

This bustling night market,

where the people live and work in peace,

has always been what I desire.

But Ling Yunfei is like a specter haunting this market,

ready to tear apart this prosperity at any moment.

Judging from Xiangning's reaction,

she does not seem to know Ling Yunfei.

But from what she just said,

the next batch of Infinity Pills

will soon arrive at Wanxiang House.

If they are tied to the Tiger's Roar Gang,

we can use this chance to capture Ling Yunfei.

If the Infinity Pills spread,

they will throw all Daning into chaos.

We must stop Ling Yunfei's scheme as soon as possible.

Rest assured, Your Majesty.

I will do everything in my power

to protect this age of peace.

I believe in you.

But danger lurks everywhere and hidden currents are stirring.

I will face it

together with you.

By the way,

I bestowed a marriage upon the Wen family today.

-Congratulations, Your Majesty. -You should congratulate the Left Chancellor.

The Xu and Wen families have always been close.

The Left Chancellor's son and the Wen family's daughter

are well matched in status

and make a fine pair.

Your Majesty is truly

wicked.

Then tell me,

do you like my arrangement?

What does that have to do with me?

Sugar candy! Delicious sugar candy!

Come, gentlemen.

Our sugar candy is made from a secret recipe.

Sweet and delicious, with a lingering flavor.

Have a taste.

Why did I never see this food

when I was in Shazhou?

Shazhou's food is very different from the capital's.

Two, please.

So sweet.

So sweet.

I meant the sugar candy.

So did I.

-Young Master He. -Lady Situ.

Lady Meng looks exceptionally handsome

even dressed as a man.

Would you two care

to sit with me at Huiyin House tonight?

Gladly.

I never expected Lord Meng

and Lady Situ to be so familiar.

You can even perform in harmony

a song few people know.

I am quite surprised.

Do you two share some past connection?

It is strange.

For some reason,

this melody feels inexplicably familiar.

It is a song passed down in my family.

Perhaps Lady Meng heard it on a previous visit,

and after hearing it often,

it naturally feels familiar.

I visit music houses often,

yet I have never heard this melody.

Could it be

that Lady Situ prepared it especially for Lord Meng?

Whenever you visit,

you only ask about my past,

full of curiosity about me.

When have you ever

paid attention to the music?

Still, Young Master He is perceptive.

This piece is called Chant of Tranquility.

It calms the mind and soothes troubled thoughts.

Today, I played it especially for Lady Meng.

I have always wished to ease your troubles.

Should you ever need my help,

please do not hesitate to ask.

Huiyin House and Wanxiang House are both on Changle Street.

Lady Situ,

do you know much about Wanxiang House?

The ladies of Wanxiang House

are diligent about beauty and health,

and often come to seek my advice.

The person they mention most

is their madam, Liu Ruyan.

She was once merely an ordinary courtesan there,

but now she has become

the one who runs Wanxiang House.

Every woman there is utterly devoted to her,

and sincerely submits to her.

They say she treats them better than their own mothers.

Her skill at winning hearts

is truly remarkable.

In that case,

someone may be helping her from behind the scenes.

You are perceptive, Young Master He.

I hear that person visits Wanxiang House every month,

yet no one has ever seen his true face.

Very little is known about him.

Have you ever dealt with Madam Liu?

We have never met.

But she is quite fond of our fragrant medicinal baths

and sends someone to collect some a few days each month.

The bath is made with the herb eupatorium.

When prepared fresh, it retains its rich fragrance

and dispels wind and cold,

refreshes the mind,

and nourishes the whole body.

Compared with an ordinary medicinal bath,

does it have any special qualities?

Special qualities?

Of course.

This secret formula was created by a renowned physician.

It not only balances yin and yang,

but also heightens pleasure in bed.

It truly offers the best of both worlds.

It is not something an ordinary brothel could possess.

I do not know whether the two are connected.

Lady Situ,

if Madam Liu requests this medicine again,

could you inform me?

Certainly.

Thank you for telling me.

I offer tea in place of wine

and drink to you.

We are like sisters. There is no need for such formality.

I never expected Lady Situ

and Lord Meng

to already address each other as sisters.

Lady Situ has helped me many times.

While she was treating me,

I felt we were kindred spirits,

so we naturally grew close.

If Lady Situ and Lord Meng

are truly honest with each other,

then that is naturally a good thing.

Your words today

always seem to carry hidden meaning.

You care so much about Lady Meng

that I am growing jealous.

When you last visited,

you called me your confidante.

What is this?

Have you forgotten me so quickly?

Lady Situ has

so many confidants.

When would my turn ever come?

I was merely

curious about your relationship.

I regard Lady Meng as a cherished friend.

My feelings are entirely sincere.

And your feelings for Lady Meng?

They are sincere as well.

The person Lady Situ mentioned

must be Ling Yunfei.

It seems Liu Ruyan is deeply involved with him.

She saw through my disguise and knew I was a woman.

Could she have guessed my purpose?

It matters little if we have alerted them.

I doubt Ling Yunfei will stop for now.

Although Lady Situ helped us this time,

you must remain cautious

when dealing with her.

The human heart is unpredictable. We must stay on guard.

Your Majesty seems quite close to Situ Xue,

yet you dislike seeing me near her.

Judging by your expression,

could you be jealous?

You flatter yourself, Young Master He.

I would never stoop to compete for anyone's favor.

Sir.

I followed your instructions

and revealed Ling Yunfei's movements to her.

But will this

affect our grand plan for the Infinity Pills?

It will not.

If Ling Yunfei were so easily captured,

he would not have remained free so long.

Even if you had told her nothing,

she would have investigated to the end.

We might as well use this

to earn a measure of her trust.

But

what if Meng Tinghui succeeds?

All the better.

Then everything will belong to the Blood Moon Society.

We have established the Tomb of the Poisoned in Wangxian Valley.

yet Ling Yunfei harbors ambitions

and covets the foundations of the Blood Moon Society.

He clearly wants all the profits from the Infinity Pills for himself.

Unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent.

Buying weapons this time has exhausted all the pill profits.

This enterprise belonged to you from the beginning.

How dare Ling Yunfei interfere?

Since he has treacherous intentions,

we will use Meng Tinghui

to eliminate him for us.

Exactly.

The more chaotic this game becomes, the better.

Continue drawing Meng Tinghui closer.

When the time comes,

add more fuel to the fire.

Sir, your hand is still bleeding.

It is only a minor wound.

Ten years…

On every full-moon night,

you use your own blood

to honor the Zhongwan royal family.

The blade of the Blood Moon Society

must not be dulled by a minor wound.

Otherwise, those departed souls

may blame me for failing to protect you.

This blood

is not wasted if offered to Zhongwan's dead.

However,

you overstepped today.

I merely

could not bear to see you hurt.

A physician

will tend to my hand.

I worried needlessly.

Remember your place.

All of you, leave.

Chief.

Come, Lü Da.

Sit and eat with us.

Thank you, Chief.

Sister Ruyan is here.

What is it?

Did you miss me?

Could you not wait for me to visit you?

Enough. Stop teasing.

Meng Tinghui came to Wanxiang House today.

Throughout the conversation,

she kept asking

about the Infinity Pills.

If we are to do business,

we must build a network throughout Daning.

She would learn of it sooner or later.

We are wagering

that she cannot catch us.

But

the court's wanted notice

has been posted for half a month.

Your elder brother still does nothing.

He is a hypocrite.

He sent men to violate Meng Tinghui,

then framed you for it.

His heart is far darker than ours.

Back when our gambling houses

were bringing in a fortune each day,

you followed his orders

and procured female students

to win officials over and clear his path.

Now the court has banned gambling,

and our business is gone.

Yet he still will not help us.

In the past, we labored only for another's gain.

But these Infinity Pills

are now our own true business.

Why is it called

the Tiger's Roar Gang?

Because I want all Daning

to hear my voice.

If Meng Tinghui dares block my path,

I will let her taste this newly made poison.

Focus on making money first.

Do not worry.

The Infinity Pills

are in great demand at Wanxiang House.

In only a few days,

we have earned ten thousand taels.

Whatever you wish to do,

I will stand by you.

Come.

Stop at once.

Is this not the virtuous Chancellor who mastered the floods?

What a rare guest.

Your distinguished presence

brings great honor to the Tiger's Roar Gang.

Outsiders should not be present.

She is the woman I love most.

He is my sworn brother who has risked his life with me.

You may speak freely before them.

You trust any disreputable person.

You truly have no standards.

If I cannot trust them,

should I trust my sanctimonious, utterly hypocritical brother?

You always hide in the shadows like a coward.

You do not even dare show your face.

Stop selling those poison pills at once.

Leave the capital within three days.

Why? Our gambling houses were closed.

We finally found a new source of income,

and you expect us to stop because you say so?

Are you afraid we will not share the profits?

Do not worry.

You will receive

your share of the profits.

I told you long ago:

you may touch any business,

but never poison.

Seek wealth without taking lives.

That is the only path to longevity.

Listen to that.

My elder brother is so righteous.

All the dirty, arduous work

was done by my hands for you,

-including killing… -Silence!

Meng Tinghui's blade is nearly at your throat.

Do you still not know you are courting death?

My lord Chancellor is so formidable.

Then why not dispose of Meng Tinghui for Yunfei?

All these years,

how many times has he been your blade?

A mere whore

dares question this Chancellor?

Would you like to taste

this ecstasy, Brother?

You are mad.

Yes.

I am mad.

From the day you had me abduct Yuan Lingyi

so you could play the hero,

then turned around and sent me to prison,

I was already mad.

I soon freed you and gave you a new identity.

Am I supposed to thank you?

In this life,

I have thanked you for only one thing.

You little bastard!

You think you can survive on our turf?

I am not a bastard!

I have parents, and I have an elder brother!

Beat him!

With me here,

who dares bully my little brother?

Yunfei, are you all right?

I am your brother.

Brother.

Whenever anyone bullies you,

come find me.

I will protect you.

He has always remembered the word "brother."

But what about you?

You use him every time,

turning family affection into a bargaining chip.

You make him willingly

serve as your blade

and your stepping stone.

You have calculated

this bargain very shrewdly.

It is because you are my own brother

that I will never let you touch poison.

All these years,

we have worked flawlessly together in every other business.

Why insist on this?

You poisonous woman.

If you truly care for him, persuade him to stop.

Yunfei.

Listen to your brother.

Lie low until the danger passes.

I cannot escape.

Neither can you.

Lü Da, see our guest out.

Yes, Chief.

Lord Chancellor.

This way, please.

Please.

Mistress Situ said

that before sunset,

she would send word to Bofeng Tavern.

It is already so late.

Why is there still no news?

It is here.

My lord.

The message has arrived.

According to Xiangning,

the next batch of Infinity Pills will reach the capital in a month.

As Ling Yunfei's lover,

Liu Ruyan handles the poison-pill trade for him.

She must know a great deal.

They are meeting in secret today.

We must seize this chance to capture Ling Yunfei

and intercept the poison pills.

-Yes. -Zhili.

Report to His Majesty at once. We will split up.

Please stop, my lords.

This is the madam's private chamber.

You may not enter.

The Office of Public Inquiry is handling a case.

All others, stand aside.

You are…

the gentleman from that day.

-The madam is bathing. -If you obstruct us again,

you will be punished for hindering official business.

Light Cavalry, heed my command.

No one is to approach.

-Yes. -Yes.

Madam Liu.

My lord.

Perhaps Lieutenant Di and I should first…

Yinqing.

My lord.

It would be improper for me to enter.

My lord.

This…

Lord Meng.

She is dead.

Madam!

Impossible.

She was just speaking to us.

How could this happen?

Who…

Who killed you?

My lord.

Could Ling Yunfei have killed her to silence her?

Do not jump to conclusions.

The blood has not dried.

The killer may not have gone far.

Lord Meng.

Please avenge the madam.

If you want justice for her,

tell me everything you know.

The Infinity Pills. Ling Yunfei.

-Do not leave out a word. -Tell her!

Do you want the real killer to remain free?

Lord Meng.

Wanxiang House appears to belong to Madam Liu,

but it is really Ling Yunfei's source of illicit wealth.

Have you ever seen Ling Yunfei's true face?

I only occasionally heard

a man and woman inside the madam's room.

But strangely,

no one ever saw how Ling Yunfei entered or left Wanxiang House.

As for the Infinity Pills,

we truly do not know where they came from.

My lord.

Please obtain justice for the madam.

She cannot die without the truth being known.

Liu Ruyan was suspected of colluding with the Tiger's Roar Gang

to sell Infinity Pills,

and now she has died mysteriously.

Commandant Di.

Seal Wanxiang House at once.

Keep everyone here under temporary guard.

You are involved in this case

and are also an important witness.

Come with me to another room and await questioning.

My lord.

What should we do now?

Since this was their secret meeting place,

there must be clues.

Search carefully.

Take every item back to the Office of Public Inquiry.

Guards.

My lord.

My lord.

A mere courtesan

had so much gold, silver, and jewelry.

It seems every highly profitable trade

is forbidden by Daning law.

Come here.

This is not the work of a renowned painter,

and the technique is mediocre.

Could it hide some secret?

Is there anything else?

Only this gold, silver, and jewelry.

Take it all back to the Office of Public Inquiry.

Yes.

Now that Liu Ruyan is dead,

the clues we hoped to obtain from her

have been completely severed.

Your Majesty, Lord Meng found no trace of Ling Yunfei at Wanxiang House.

Ling Yunfei is cunning and suspicious.

That was to be expected.

But once he appears,

we will see everything from here.

Liu Ruyan is dead.

She ran Wanxiang House for years.

She must have made you many promises.

Enter my house as sisters.

Leave it as women of standing.

The madam gave us a place to call home.

She…

showed us boundless kindness.

She mistook her charms for a blade,

not knowing that blade

would ultimately turn against the one who wielded it.

Her death today

was the price.

We…

We only wanted a way to survive.

A livelihood must be earned with your own hands.

Should you wish to begin again,

apothecaries, teahouses, and embroidery shops

can all take apprentices.

Living by your own hands

is better than depending on others.

Those willing to start anew, register at once.

Once the case is resolved,

the Office of Public Inquiry will arrange places for you.

Should we go?

My lord has shown us great kindness.

I am willing to try.

So am I.

-We are willing to try too. -We are willing to try too.

Wanxiang House

is hereby sealed

and will never reopen.

The prey has appeared.

Your Majesty.

These people are behaving strangely.

They seem to have lost their minds and fallen under someone's control.

Your Majesty.

We have confirmed this man's identity.

He is a resident of the capital who vanished half a month ago.

It is not only them.

The Household Relief Office conducted a full census

and discovered that over the past year,

in the outskirts of the capital,

villagers have gone missing one after another.

Continue investigating

these people in particular.

And what did you find on Liu Ruyan's side?

Only some gold, silver, and jewelry.

Nothing unusual has been found yet.

It seems our breakthrough

lies with these people.

This villager…

This poison is unusual.

-Summon the coroner at once. -Yes.

Meng Tinghui.

How dare you kill Ruyan?

I will never let you go.

Chief.

Ruyan.

Chief.

You should lead the brothers

to avenge Sister Ruyan,

not stay here like this.

Were Sister Ruyan still alive,

she would not want you to hurt yourself.

Get out of my way.

Do not think

I would never strike a brother.

If beating me

would make you feel better,

I would accept it without regret.

Get out.

All of you, get out!

Get out!

Yunfei.

Yunfei.

Ruyan.

Ruyan.

Ruyan.