Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[White Cat Legend]

[Episode 15]

Be careful.

Sir.

How is it?

Sir. Sir.

Sir.

Sir.

Sir.

The alleys and sheds here

are too densely packed.

It's really hard to find people here.

I asked many people.

Whether they're locals or foreigners,

none of them know

a man surnamed Lu who delivers water.

Sir.

I once chased a suspicious man

at the wharf

who was burning a ledger.

I followed him to a blind alley,

and he disappeared.

It was very likely to be Lu.

He lives nearby.

That's why I failed to catch him.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Be quick.

[Wanxin Grocery Store]

Okay.

What’s wrong, Chen Shi?

Your pouch

and the pawnshop owner's pouch

are a pair.

If it was really my brother

who put it there,

why would my brother

use a pouch similar to yours?

There's nothing special

about two pouches being similar, right?

That's not right.

You just said

your pouch was embroidered by your mother.

Do you really know my brother?

Chen Shi.

Actually, I really

like you.

You often remind me of my younger brother.

If there's nothing else,

I'll leave now.

You're awake.

Who on earth are you?

You're with those thieves.

And you were the one who stole the wooden box, right?

You're not stupid actually.

You just trust people too easily.

I don't mind if you steal.

But why did you kill him?

You didn't even spare your own accomplice!

It's because Liu Fu deserved to die!

Chen Shi.

You are a good person.

So I'm willing to let you know

why Liu Fu must die.

I also want to tell you that

in this world,

the last thing

you need to do, or should do,

is to be a good person.

We

were veterans

of the national war,

including Liu Fu.

We were worried about our livelihood,

so we started working at the wharf.

We didn't expect that the watercourse was blocked.

We couldn't support our families

even by working at the wharf.

We had no choice

but to become thieves.

That night,

we went to steal goods from the ship with masks on

as usual.

How could this be?

No time for talking.

Take it away first.

We distribute and store goods

at Dragon King Temple.

It's close to the wharf,

and normally no one goes there.

So once we steal something,

we'd put it there temporarily.

Nothing ever went wrong.

What is it this time?

It's just a wooden box.

Who asked you to steal this batch of goods?

Liu Fu.

Wasn't it you who left a mark

on the deck?

When did I leave a mark?

Someone wants to frame me.

Anyway, you can't touch this batch of goods.

Liu Fu.

What is so precious?

Even we can't see it.

What are you doing?

Lu!

Let go of me!

Why do you have this

in your hand?

So what is this?

I don't know.

The most ridiculous thing is that

I don't know

what this is at all.

I only know

a group of military officers

broke into our camp

and raided it thoroughly

during the war.

And this thing

appeared

on my brother's bed for no reason.

My brother

was convicted of

embezzling spoils

and reselling military supplies.

He was executed on the spot

according to the military law.

Let go of me!

It wasn't me.

I've never seen

this thing before.

It's not me.

Brother.

Brother, help me!

Help me!

Lord!

Lord, he's innocent!

We've fought hard for days.

We only won a small victory yesterday

and barely survived.

He's too young.

Please spare his life.

My younger brother

has never lied since he was born.

How could he possibly steal?

Lord! Lord!

Lord!

Lord! Lord!

Lord, please spare him.

Lord, spare...

Why

was the officer so cruel?

He was completely unreasonable.

This pouch

was embroidered by our mother

before we went to war.

Mother has bad eyesight.

She embroidered it under the dim light of an oil lamp

for two nights straight.

She said

it was to bless us

to win every battle.

Her wish was not for us to return home in glory,

but only to be safe.

I didn't expect...

I didn't expect that

instead of being killed on the battlefield,

he got killed by our people

for no reason.

Not only that,

since we refused to plead guilty,

although we risked our lives

and had a lot of military exploits,

we didn't get

any pay.

What's worse, after retirement,

there was no way to make a living.

Sir.

Then...

What about your mother?

Mother

became blind from all the crying.

Didn't they

accuse us of stealing?

Then we'll be thieves and show them.

The world is unfair.

How much is innocence

worth?

Could it be worth my brother's life?

But I

never imagined that

the culprit would be

Liu Fu.

How could we possibly spare him?

But...

But Zhao Huazi...

Zhao Huazi was innocent.

It was his fault,

taking something he shouldn't have

and refusing to hand it over.

He died for money.

He wasn't wronged.

Mr. Li!

Chen Shi!

-Don't come over! -Chen Shi!

-Mr. Li! -Don’t come over!

Chen Shi!

Chen Shi!

Don't come over!

Mr. Li, the box!

Don't move.

Don't move.

Let go!

Baba.

Let go!

That thing is a scourge.

No one should have it.

[Mingjing Hall]

[Lunar March 3rd, the fifth year of Shenggong]

Vice Minister.

The case has been filed.

Although the case is solved,

there are still some doubts.

Lu confessed that

before Liu Fu died,

he refused to admit that he left a mark

on the deck.

But coming to think of it,

it's impossible that Liu Fu didn't know

this thing

would get him killed.

It was indeed uncalled for.

Then who's the one that left the mark

and made Lu and the others

go steal at night?

There's indeed some doubt about this matter.

Keep investigating.

Yes.

It's all my fault. It's because the only thing I knew was to look for my brother

that I got kidnapped by Lu,

and you had to come and save me.

Chen Shi.

You can't say that.

You can put it this way that

you unknowingly

acted as a bait.

Otherwise, the case couldn't have been solved

so neatly.

You are quite skillful at

anti grappling.

The clues of this case are all interlinked.

It couldn't have been solved

with anyone missing.

We are in cahoots.

As for this case,

if we want to talk about merits,

everyone has made their own.

But when it comes to demerits,

I'm afraid it's also true.

But we did solve the case in the end.

It proves that

everyone in Mingjing Hall

is indispensable.

Chen Shi, let me ask you.

Are you still leaving?

I've made up my mind.

Since I'm here,

I shouldn't rush it through.

I can't just cause you trouble

without knowing any better.

I also hope

if I can see my brother in the future,

I can become someone he can rely on.

Of course.

You should also practice more

to get enrolled at the Court of Judicial Review as soon as possible.

You guys, make yourselves useful as well.

Give him some guidance when you have time.

But

don't go too far.

Yes.

Yes.

What are you doing?

The most important thing about being a scout

is to endure.

It's also true when it comes to being a judicial commissioner.

As the veterans say, if you slack off in training,

you'll lose miserable battles.

Besides, life is as unpredictable

as the weather.

You have to work hard every day.

Understand?

Yes.

I can't hold on anymore.

Don't move.

Hang in there.

Don't move.

[Mingjing Hall]

Maybe you should

stop learning jingle rhymes.

I'll teach you the trick of disguise.

Chen Shi.

The Pythagorean theorem.

Interested?

What theorem?

Chen Shi.

Miss.

This is

your favorite food.

Lady and Master asked you

to come over for tea after you finish eating.

Got it.

This one.

Miss.

You look so beautiful

when you don't frown.

Got it.

Please have some tea, Father and Mother.

Please.

Why didn't you come

to the imperial banquet on Holy Birthday Festival?

I'm not good at this kind of socializing.

Besides,

Li Bing from the Court of Judicial Review was there, right?

There's no need for both vice ministers

of the Court of Judicial Review to go.

Li Bing has returned to the Court of Judicial Review.

He already has a solid foundation

in the Court of Judicial Review.

Besides, Her Majesty likes him very much.

Judging from his demeanor,

I’m afraid

the future Minister of Judicial Review

will definitely be him.

That's why you should socialize more.

With my connections,

you'll definitely have

a bright future.

Li Bing

is indeed talented.

Even if he really becomes

the Minister of Judicial Review,

it's not surprising.

It's just that I've also been working very hard

in my position these years.

As Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review,

I'm no worse than Li Bing.

Besides,

I don't want to

be in this position

only for your connections.

Easier said than done.

If I don't use my connections,

given that you always go against

Lord Qiu of the Jinwu Guards,

don't you worry that

he'll seek opportunities to take revenge on you?

How many times have I told you that

Qiu Qingzhi

is a favored official in the imperial court?

It's fine if you don't make friends with him.

But how can you go against him all the time?

It was him

who provoked the Court of Judicial Review first.

As Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, I...

Enough.

Do you want to work somewhere else?

How about I get you a sinecure

in the Ministry of War

so that you won't

cause me trouble anymore?

Father.

Alright. Alright.

Qin doesn't come back a lot.

Stop telling her off.

Qin insisted on taking the exam

to work at the Court of Judicial Review.

She did get the position of Vice Minister,

and has done a good job ever since.

Why do you have to

go against her will at this time?

Besides,

Qin has grown up.

In a few years,

it'll be time for us to arrange her

a good marriage.

By then,

it won't matter

whether she's Vice Minister or not.

Father, Mother.

I'm not feeling well.

I'll take my leave.

Look at her.

She has no manners at all.

The commission was not completed.

We did fail the commission,

but we can continue

our cooperation, right?

Why?

It's obvious that

there are other people who are also

interested in that thing you are looking for.

Now you're out in the open, while they're hiding in the dark.

No matter what you want to do,

your hands will be tied.

I want to catch them too.

So

the enemy of my enemy

is naturally my friend.

What?

So you're also trying to dance around the problem, Vice Minister Li?

You know things I don't,

and I can complete

things you can't.

It's good for both of us

to exchange information.

Okay.

I might as well

tell you directly, Vice Minister Li, that

the thing I'm looking for

is related to

a man named Du Zixu.

Du Zixu?

Three years ago,

the Minister of Rites was seriously ill.

He was dying.

He got all the famous doctors to treat him, but he couldn't be cured.

He was about to die of severe sickness,

when a man named Du Zixu showed up

and cured him.

The reason why he could cure Minister

is said to be that he used a miracle drug.

Drug, drug, drug.

What exactly

is this Du Zixu's background?

No one knows his background.

It's only known that he's from the Western Regions.

After he cured Minister,

he disappeared

and never showed up again.

It's hard to find a good doctor.

It's not surprising

that he did that, right?

But the weird thing is that

all the doctors who treated the Minister of Rites

said that

Minister

didn't suffer from any real illness.

He was only old and frail,

and his time had come.

So everyone wants to know

what on earth

Du Zixu used

to cure the minister.

Is this

that drug?

This is just a guiding drug.

Alibaba.

I'm on vacation with Vice Minister.

Stop delivering the official documents for now.

Wait till Vice Minister returns.

Hu Si.

Merrily...

Merrily...

Merrily...

Merrily... Merrily...

Merrily the ospreys cry.

Merrily... Merrily the ospreys cry.

On...

On...

On the islet in the stream.

G...

G...

Gentle and graceful is the girl.

Gentle and graceful is the girl.

A...

A fit wife for the gentleman.

A fit wife for the gentleman.

Wife for the gentleman. Wife for the gentleman.

After listening to it so many times,

even I've almost memorized it.

But it's not your fault.

Alibaba.

Can't you teach him something simpler?

Who can remember that?

No.

"There are 300 poems in the Book of Poetry.

Let there be no evil in your thoughts."

He has to start from the basics.

What?

Besides, even you memorized it.

Why can't Chen Shi memorize it?

Right?

Chen Shi.

Besides memorizing it,

you have to picture yourself in the poem.

Look.

In spring,

a bird

is chirping in the daylight.

Chirping.

Just like what you did just now,

chirping like that.

The other bird

hears its cry,

and it responds

with the same sound.

They reach for the sky together.

They are like moths to a flame.

By the river,

a beautiful girl

gets startled by the birds and raises her head.

A young man passing by

sees her.

Since she's a beauty,

he can't get her out of his mind after seeing her.

If he can't see her for a day,

he misses her like crazy.

Do you

understand?

I

really don't understand.

You are this good,

yet you still failed to pass the Mandarin Level 8 Exam.

How hard

must this exam be?

I...

Mr. Wang.

Alibaba.

Now that Vice Minister Shangguan is on leave,

are you on heat again?

You...

What nonsense are you talking about?

Alibaba.

This is the summary of the last case.

Please deliver it to Vice Minister Shangguan.

On the islet in the stream.

Chen Shi.

Please deliver this

to Vice Minister.

Got it.

Be careful.

Merrily...

What's the rush?

Merrily the ospreys cry.

On the islet in the stream.

Gentle...

Gentle and graceful is the girl.

Gentle and graceful is the girl.

Still on this line.

A fit wife for the gentleman.

A fit wife for the gentleman.

Chen Shi.

Got it.

Chen Shi.

-Have a walnut. -I'll be on my way.

It broke.

Stupid.

Bye.

Alibaba.

I'm on vacation with Vice Minister.

Stop delivering the official documents for now.

Wait till Vice Minister returns.

Hu Si.

[Court of Judicial Review]

Vice Minister Shangguan.

Vice Minister Li.

Aren't you on leave today?

Yes.

But there's some official business

I'm still worried about.

It doesn't happen all the time.

No big deal.

Vice Minister Li.

[Court of Judicial Review]

Vice Minister Li.

Today...

Assistant Minister.

Vice Minister Shangguan, you are here too.

What?

Don't you think I should be here?

It's not like that.

It's just

your outfit today…

Vice Minister Shangguan

is supposed to be on leave today.

Since I'm already here,

that means I'm no longer on leave.

Let's get down to official business.

Okay.

Please.

Please.

[Court of Judicial Review]

Come here. Have a seat.

How is it, Alibaba?

Did you get your "fit wife"?

Hey.

Can you stop

acting dumb with all that nonsense?

How about this?

I have an idea for you.

You can go

ask Cui Bei for help.

Ask him to follow Vice Minister Shangguan around

for a day.

I guarantee that all kinds of bad things will happen

to Vice Minister Shangguan on that day.

Then you'll have plenty of chances

to be a hero in front of her.

This...

Don't be like this.

I can hear you.

There seems to be a man deep in the mountain.

Clad in creeping vine and girded with ivy.

Where is this poem from?

This is a Song of Chu.

Guys.

Guys.

Guys, bad news.

A case happened.

Vice Minister Shangguan and Mr. Li

both went there.

Hurry up.

Vice Minister Shangguan is also there?

Hurry up.

Let's go.

It's the yard in front.

Hurry up.

Hurry.

Who's the deceased?

His name is Qin Wan.

He was Chancellor

Qin Shu's younger brother.

This is

the Qin family's side yard.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have

asked the Court of Judicial Review for help.

What is a chancellor?

It's the title of an official position.

The Chancellor is in charge of the Imperial College.

So it's a high-ranking official.

Who found him?

It was a cat.

A resident

nearby

heard a cat meowing

when it was almost dawn.

What season is it? Why are the cats still on heat?

This place was robbed.

It's so weird.

The way the deceased died was also weird.

Is he inside?

I'll leave the scene

to the Court of Judicial Review.

Thank you.

Be careful.

Isn't this the coroner

of the Court of Judicial Review?

When did he come?

I didn't see him.

Bai is the most mysterious person

in the Court of Judicial Review.

You don't need to know

when he comes.

And you don't need to know

when he leaves.

Just know that whenever you need him,

he'll be there.

This cat sucked human blood.

It should be a stray cat nearby.

It was attracted here by the smell of blood,

thus the body was found.

I'll step out for a while.

I'm sorry.

Madam.

Madam.

There are obvious marks of strangulation on his neck,

but they're not fatal.

The fatal wound

is this stab wound on his chest.

The time of death

should be less than a day ago.

Vice Minister Shangguan.

What? Why are you following me?

This is mint cream.

Apply some.

It's refreshing, and it can help clear your mind.

Okay, thank you.

Wine.

What is this smell?

Five Minerals Powder?

Before he died,

he took Five Minerals Powder.

Five Minerals Powder?

Wang Qi, Sun Bao.

Go inquire of the residents nearby

about this guy.

Yes.

Yes.

Madam.

Look.

Vice Minister.

I found something.

Let's go.

This way.

What is it?

Someone stepped on this box

to climb over the wall.

He's probably the murderer.

How did it go?

We asked around.

It seems that Qin Wan was very withdrawn.

He was rarely seen.

And no one knows

he was the younger brother of the Chancellor.

But there's something weird.

Shengping Mansion is

a deserted and lonely place in the city.

The Qin family is a famous family.

Given his status,

how could Qin Wan

possibly have lived here?

According to Assistant Minister of Justice,

it's because Qin Wan violated family rules

and discredited the family

that he was expelled by the Imperial College,

and even got kicked out of the house by Qin Shu.

For a noble family,

being kicked out of the house

equals being exiled.

So what crime

did Qin Wan commit?

It's said to be related to Five Minerals Powder.

It's probably because Qin Wan was addicted to Five Minerals Powder

and behaved absurdly

that he got expelled.

Wait, everyone.

So,

what is Five Minerals Powder exactly?

Five Minerals Powder.

Have you heard of alchemy?

Alchemy?

I've heard of it.

It's the process of making magic pills,

which can make people immortal.

There are no

real immortals in this world.

But there are indeed some alchemists

who believe in the story of immortals,

using gold and stone as raw material

to make some kind of magic pills.

Of course they failed to make magic pills.

That's how Five Minerals Powder came into being.

The so-called Five Minerals Powder

is actually a collective name.

Anyway, it's formulated

by the medicines and stone needles

with the nature of dryness and heat.

There are potent ingredients like

sulfur,

orpiment,

and cinnabar in it.

It's said that after taking it,

people will feel uplifted,

or even attain enlightenment

to get a glimpse of the realm of immortals.

But this is all wild talk.

The so-called "attaining enlightenment"

is just

the illusion after being poisoned.

But...

But cinnabar, sulfur, and the other ingredients

are all poison.

How can humans eat them?

Yes.

Wine is also poison.

But some people like it.

I quit.

I quit.

Be careful.

Sun Bao, are you all right?

Not only that.

Maybe it's because of

the story of the immortals

that Five Minerals Powder grew particularly popular

in the past two years.

It even became a fashion.

Many people got addicted to it.

In that case,

Qin Wan was a black sheep.

Chancellor Qin Shu

is in charge of the Imperial College.

He is strict in studies and ruling the family.

Why does he have such a brother?

You've been beating around the bush,

and no one got to the point.

The point is these footprints.

This is a homicide.

And the murderer escaped over the wall.

The murderer is very likely to be the one

who left these footprints.

The key is to find him.

Vice Minister Shangguan is right.

Do you have any directions?

Of course I have my own directions.

But you can go ahead first, Vice Minister Li.

I suggest

we start with ice.

Ice?

Five Minerals Powder is very effective.

It must be accompanied with dispersal.

Otherwise,

the internal heat generated will attack the heart.

It's very painful.

And those who take it often

will have extremely sensitive skin.

They can't wear new clothes,

only old clothes.

It's also true to the body

we saw just now.

This is also the reason

why he took his clothes off.

To disperse the effect of the medicine,

they usually choose to sleep on cold beds,

eat cold food and...

Iced wine.

Yes, iced wine.

So I suggest

we start with the investigation on ice.

Besides,

ice is hard to store.

He must have had ready access upon use.

So the person who stepped on this box

to enter the room

was probably

here to deliver the ice.

Deliver the ice?

Besides, the bottom of this box is particularly wet.

It must be because the ice melted after a night.

All right.

Since we've got the clues,

let's waste no time

and start investigating.

Maybe after we find that person,

everything will be clear.

Okay. Let’s split up.

Chen Shi, come with me.

As for the rest,

they'll be at your disposal, Vice Minister Shangguan.

Alright.

We'll start with

the ice.

Okay.

I'll go to the Qin Mansion.

Hopefully there will be some new clues.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Come on.

Mr. Li.

Isn't today

Vice Minister Shangguan's day off?

Why is she...

There must be a reason

why Vice Minister Shangguan

returned from her leave early.

I heard that

her father, Minister Shangguan,

is very dissatisfied

with her working in the Court of Judicial Review.

How come?

It's rare to see female officials.

That's what we think.

But not everyone

thinks this way.

Vice Minister Shangguan

was summoned by Her Majesty

and passed multiple assessments

to get in the Court of Judicial Review.

It's actually harder for her to be an official

than ordinary men.

She sincerely

wants to be a good vice minister.

Let's go to the Qin Mansion.

Let's go.

Cui Bei.

How many ice stores are there near Shengping Mansion?

Three.

They're on Qingyu Street, Qili Street,

and Xianliu Lane respectively.

Alibaba, do you remember that?

How many ice stores are there

near Shengping Mansion?

Go away.

What?

So you know?

There are three.

They're on Qili Street, Qingyu Street,

and Xianliu Lane respectively.

Okay, let's check one by one.

Lord.

Something just occurred to me.

Qin Wan was in the Imperial College before.

That place is also a clue.

It's worth investigating.

How about this?

Let's split up into two groups to investigate.

It will be more efficient.

Lord, what do you think?

Okay.

What a coincidence.

This place is not far from the ice store on Qili Street.

Lord, you should go there.

We'll go to the Imperial College.

Okay.

Alibaba.

Assist Vice Minister.

Make sure you work hard.

Let's go.

I...

I...

Let's go.

Wine for sale.

[Peace within the Four Seas]

What's wrong?

You didn't have enough for lunch?

Are you tired after walking for such a short time?

I...

I never thought

I could investigate cases with you, Vice Minister Shangguan.

I can't help

but not know whether to laugh or cry.

Don't know whether to laugh or cry?

Did I say something wrong again?

I didn't mean that.

All right.

No more words needed.

Just be normal

as usual.

Keep your distance.

Come check out our wine.

[Peace within the Four Seas]

What are you doing?

Do you have to ask?

Helping him fulfill his wish.

Alibaba's love for her

has always been one-sided.

He finally got a chance

to work with Vice Minister Shangguan.

Of course we should

create a chance

for them to be alone.

I'm worried that

it may be self-defeating.

Let me tell you.

My nickname in Yangzhou

is Matchmaker Sai.

Just wait and see.

What about me?

It's been so long, and I never had any companion.

[Court of Judicial Review]