Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[White Cat Legend]

[Episode 16]

What are you doing?

Do I need to say more?

I'm trying to help him.

Alibaba

has been in an unrequited love for so long.

He finally has a chance

to work with Vice Minister Shangguan.

Shouldn't we

give them a chance

to spend some time alone?

I'm just afraid

something might go wrong instead.

Let me tell you.

My nickname in Yangzhou

is called Matchmaker Sai.

Just wait and see.

Well then, look at me.

I haven't had a companion for so long.

Well, you look...

fierce.

No! No!

Don't!

Don't run!

The more you run, the more it wants to bite!

Sun Bao!

Sun Bao!

Don't! Don't!

Don't come over!

Your companion...

I'm never going on

a case with you again.

It's fate.

It's fate.

[Qin's Residence]

Are you looking for someone?

I'm Li Bing, Vice Minister from the Court of Judicial Review.

I'm looking for Lord Qin.

Kindly let him know.

My Lord is currently teaching.

Please wait a moment.

Come with me.

This way, please.

Please have a seat.

I'll get you some tea.

Please.

Please.

Your Excellencies,

please enjoy.

This thing shatters when it is shaken.

It melts faster when it's broken.

We sell ice, not water.

Flowers.

Okay.

Come and take a look at the flowers.

Come and take a look.

Come.

Officers,

are you here to buy ice?

No.

I'm here to investigate something.

If you need anything,

please feel free to ask.

Do you have any record

of those who bought ice from you?

Yesterday,

did you send ice

to the Qin family?

The Qin family...

May I ask what time roughly?

Probably...

at noontime yesterday?

No.

The store was closed

after noon yesterday.

Boss.

Boss.

Is anyone collecting

the remaining crushed ice today?

Looks like

no one wants it today.

What a pity.

Just clear it.

Okay.

Wait.

Madam, please wait.

Let me just ask a few more questions.

Boss,

what is this crushed ice?

Sir,

smaller-sized ice

is sold by the barrel.

Once the barrel is opened,

the whole barrel has to be sold.

Otherwise, there won't be enough ice

for it to even melt.

So those who want to buy ice,

have to place an order in advance.

When we have gathered enough orders for a barrel,

we'll then make a barrel of ice.

But,

this is just the general idea.

There are also some ice

that's left behind.

The gritty, leftover ice

is crushed ice.

I heard that shop assistant mention that

someone actually bought the crushed ice?

As for the crushed ice,

I'll usually sell it for cheap.

Some will wait for this good deal.

Did anyone

bought crushed ice yesterday?

Yes.

An umbrella maker named Du Cheng.

An umbrella maker?

Why would an umbrella maker need ice?

Officer,

he's a drug addict.

Drug?

It's Five Minerals Powder.

Thank you, Boss.

Thank you, Sir.

He...

Your Excellencies.

My Lord has asked for you.

Lord Qin.

Greetings, Lord Qin.

Vice Minister Li.

Sir, are you here for the matter regarding Qin Wan?

My condolences, Lord Qin.

That wouldn't be necessary.

Qin Wan

was evicted from this house,

and had nothing to do with us anymore.

He was no longer a member of my family.

Even if he

stirred up trouble outside,

caused disorder, or lost his life,

it's his own business.

Feel free to investigate it, Sir.

But for myself,

I have nothing else to say.

In that case...

Anything else, Sir?

None.

I'll be back if I have to.

Uncle Wu.

Yes, Sir.

Your Excellencies,

please.

See you.

Please.

Uncle Wu.

You look rather worried.

Is something bothering you?

Nothing.

We are here today

to investigate the matter regarding Second Young Master Qin.

So...

So do you know

who killed Second Young Master?

We’re investigating it.

Uncle Wu, if it’s convenient for you,

can we have a chat?

This place is remote.

What do you want to ask?

Please tell me.

However,

I still have work to do back at the mansion.

Don’t worry, Uncle Wu.

It won’t take long.

We just want to know

what kind of person

was Second Young Master Qin.

Why was he evicted from the Qin Mansion?

I have watched

Second Young Master since he was a child.

Who would have thought...

My Lord wanted

Second Young Master to be successful.

But Second Young Master

has been weak since he was a child.

He didn't like to study,

and only enjoyed music.

To help him improve,

my Lord

went a little stricter on him.

But the stricter my Lord was,

the more scared Second Young Master became,

and he retreated into himself even more.

Not only did he not improve in his studies,

but he also developed

a habit of stammering.

What?

What illness is that?

It's...

stutter.

Because of that,

he got more shameful.

My Lord

gradually gave up

and let him be.

But later on,

Second Young Master

suddenly got his vitality back,

became more energetic,

and could even study.

Everyone thought

Second Young Master had finally come to his senses.

My Lord was also very pleased.

So he recommended Second Young Master to join the Imperial College,

and even asked the Minister of Rites

to be his referee,

by bringing Second Young Master to pay his respects personally.

But not long after that visit,

my Lord drove Second Young Master

out of the house.

He said that Second Young Master

made a fool of himself at other people's place.

He overdosed.

Only then did my Lord know

Second Young Master

was taking Five Minerals Powder secretly.

All the previous signs

were the result of consuming the drug.

My Lord is a Chancellor

who is in charge of the Imperial College.

One's morality and conduct becomes one's dignity.

After that happened,

it led to...

So what exactly was the scandal

in the past?

Well that...

I don't know.

Then, did you meet with

Second Young Master Qin

after he got kicked out?

I snuck out to see him a couple times.

Poor thing.

After all,

Second Young Master was from a respectable family.

He had nothing to worry about

since he was a child.

But after being kicked out of the mansion,

he went to live in some desolate courtyard,

and had no servant with him.

He was a total mess,

and was in extreme despair.

And without the constraints of his family,

his character became even more outrageous.

He didn't quit consuming the drug either.

To be frank,

he became a complete freak.

Who is it?

Second Young Master.

It's me.

I'm here to see you.

Second Young Master.

Young Master?

You...

called me?

I don't deserve it.

Why are you like this?

Young Master,

are you still taking drugs?

Stop taking it.

It's bad for your health.

Get lost!

Leave me alone.

Young Master.

Get out!

Young Master.

Get lost!

It's a pity.

Second Young Master

could not quit the Five Minerals Powder.

Otherwise,

my Lord might have

allowed him home.

He wouldn't have

died such a tragic death.

Cui Bei,

didn't you often come in first in exams

when you were at Imperial College?

How about

you interrogate him?

I'm not good at interrogating.

I'll wait for you outside.

Don't you want to see your classmates?

I'll just wait here.

Let's go.

Today's schoolwork is just too much.

Yes.

Actually it wasn't so bad today, right?

Let's go.

I found today's lesson really difficult.

We are from the Court of Judicial Review.

I have a few questions for you.

Do you know Qin Wan?

Qin Wan?

He's the younger brother of the Chancellor, right?

I know.

I don't remember much about him,

besides the fact that he stutters.

Didn't he get married after dropping out?

He died?

Who told you that?

What stone?

I actually met him

on the streets later on.

He changed a lot.

He wasn't stuttering anymore.

I was wondering what happened.

That I don't know.

I don't know.

Stop asking.

Court of Judicial Review?

Are you guys

here with Cui Bei?

Let's go.

Hurry.

No wonder

Cui Bei could rank first when he was here.

Come to think of it,

he seems to be the smartest

and most normal in the Imperial College.

Qin Wan?

I didn't expect...

I really didn't expect that.

When Qin Wan was studying here

at the Imperial College,

what was he like?

Well...

We understand that Qin Shu, Lord Qin,

is your boss.

It might be inconvenient for you to speak.

But not to worry.

We

will definitely keep it a secret.

Yes.

Just tell us the truth.

Speaking of Qin Wan...

How should I put it?

Besides the lack of aptitude,

he was good in other aspects.

He was calm and collected by nature,

even though he may not be very sociable.

This was also probably

owing to Lord Qin's discipline.

Did Qin Wan consume drugs

while he was here?

Drugs?

What are you talking about?

Firstly,

what kind of place is the Imperial College?

We would never tolerate such behaviour.

Secondly,

Qin Wan was Lord Qin's younger brother.

How dare he?

Going by what you said,

Qin Wan seems like

a really boring person.

That's not true either.

What do you mean?

Qin Wan

wasn't the kind to show off himself.

There was once

I came back for a private matter

on my day off.

I came across someone playing the qin

from the library.

How was Qin Wan's playing?

It was very good.

It sounded smooth and clear,

like water flowing through the mountains on a clear night.

It just sounded very slightly depressed.

It was completely different

from his previous personality.

Sir,

do you know why Qin Wan dropped out?

Well...

It's inconvenient for me to talk about this.

You two

should direct the question to

the Minister of Rites.

Thank you for sharing, Sir.

You're welcome.

I just shared what I knew.

Gentlemen,

do you know Cui Bei?

Cui Bei?

He's working at Court of Judicial Review now.

How is he now?

Why are you asking about him?

Cui Bei

was truly an extraordinary student.

I heard that

he went to the Court of Judicial Review,

so I thought to ask.

Cui Bei is doing great.

You don't have to worry.

How was it?

I didn't expect

you're so well-liked in the Imperial College.

It's been so long.

Someone is still thinking about you.

Really?

Let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

[Du's Umbrella Shop]

We don't know what's going on inside.

Let me go in first.

Move.

Anyone there?

-Who is it? -Who is it?

[Du's Umbrella Shop]

[Du's Umbrella Shop]

Why did you jump onto me

instead of arresting him?

[Du's Umbrella Shop]

I...

I'm afraid you'll hurt the innocent.

Innocent?

Don't say it if you don't know what it means.

Was I wrong again?

What's wrong with you? Hurry up!

Go get your men

from Mingjing Hall.

[Du's Umbrella Shop]

Raise your head.

Aren't you ashamed?

I am asking you, aren't you ashamed?

Aren't you disgracing the Court of Judicial Review?

I...

You... you keep your mouth shut.

What do you have to say?

Alibaba is so miserable.

Stop watching him.

Yes, Sir.

This man

has no superficial injuries.

But...

There is an old injury on his waist.

His hands can't exert much strength.

I found presence of Five Minerals Powder

at the corner of his mouth.

It's the same situation

as the previous body.

My preliminary assessment is that

he died of poisoning.

Let me check the scene.

Sandalwood?

[On the 5th year of Shenggong, 24th of January, Qin Wan took a loan of 50 wen from Liu Yaoshi]

[On the 5th year of Shenggong, 8th of February, Qin Wan took a loan of 20 guan from Liu Yaoshi]

Vice Minister.

Sir.

Du Cheng’s shoes

match the footprint of those

found at Qin Wan's place.

And this box...

This box clearly does not look like

it belonged to Du Cheng.

Why would an umbrella maker

use a box made from sandalwood

to store miscellaneous items?

So,

that night, Du Cheng

used the excuse of delivering ice

to knock on Qin Wan's door,

and killed him to get the goods.

But if so,

who could have

attacked Vice Minister

and Alibaba?

Du Cheng was already dead by then.

Du Cheng's body

had no obvious injuries.

It means he wasn't killed.

He was drawing on an umbrella when he died.

It means he wasn't on guard

against the people in the room.

I'm afraid it might be his accomplice

who killed Qin Wan with him.

That person could have also appeared

only after Du Cheng died.

This doesn't make any sense.

I'm sorry. It's my fault.

I'm guilty as charged.

If it weren't for me,

we might have

caught that person.

Vice Minister.

[Record of Honor: On the second year of Shenggong, 6th of March, Imperial Art Academy, Du Cheng]

Du Cheng was from the Imperial Art Academy?

Yes.

Imperial Art Academy?

Look.

The Imperial Art Academy houses skilled artisans and master craftsmen.

Du Cheng was just an umbrella maker.

What's that got to do with the Academy?

I saw the painting he was working on before he died.

The painting was extraordinary.

It had great power and aura.

So I had my suspicion.

Indeed,

I found Du Cheng’s records

in the dossier of the Academy.

According to the dossier,

Du Cheng fell from a height

while painting a mural a few years ago.

He hurt his back,

and his hands were crippled too.

He could no longer paint,

so he was forced to leave the Academy.

I observed the paintings

on the other umbrellas in his shop.

They were weak,

dull, and withered.

It fits the story of his injuries.

But...

The painting he worked on right before he died

was totally different.

It's even better than the paintings he drew

before he got injured.

How could this happen?

I suspect

he overdosed on

Five Minerals Powder.

It makes sense to surmise that he overdosed.

But I've never heard that

Five Minerals Powder has such an effect.

Consuming it can boost your spirits,

but now...

it can cure a disability?

This...

Isn't this just like a magic pill?

Regardless of whether it was

the effect of Five Minerals Powder,

we can confirm one thing.

A person with no strength in his hands

has no way to

cause that kind of wound

on Qin Wan.

In that case,

it means there's an accomplice.

Vice Minister Shangguan,

there are some IOUs in the box.

Qin Wan borrowed money from others,

[On the 5th year of Shenggong, 8th of February, Qin Wan took a loan of 20 guan from Liu Yaoshi]

but to borrow money, you need a guarantor.

Who could it be?

This handkerchief

is specially used to protect the strings of a qin.

I heard from the Qin family's housekeeper that

Qin Wan had a hobby of playing the qin.

The qin's handkerchief is here.

What about the qin?

Qin Wan liked to play the qin?

When we were investigating the case at the Imperial College,

the teacher mentioned about this too.

That makes this moneylender

very suspicious.

If this qin

is very valuable,

the loan shark

may have eyed the qin for money.

He then colluded with Du Cheng,

and killed Qin Wan for his fortune.

I'll check it out.

None of you are to follow me.

I'm talking about you.

I...

Come on.

Go!

Hurry and go!

But...

Vice Minister Shangguan said no one should follow her.

Hurry!

She was talking about Hu Si.

Alibaba.

If you don't go now,

when will you go?

Sir has already given his order. Hurry up.

-That makes sense. -Go.

Hurry up. Go.

Is that what it means

when we say a noble person

is pursuing his virtuous maiden?

By the way, Sir,

that teacher also mentioned that

if we want to know more about Qin Wan,

we should find the Minister of Rites.

We'll investigate that now.

Okay, go ahead.

Yes.

Mr. Li,

what about us?

With a stroke of the hand,

the sound resonates like a bell.

Why are you reciting poems?

No.

Qin Wan's upbringing was very strict.

His only pastime and hobby

was playing the qin.

Who was he playing for?

You mean...

One more thing.

When we were at Qin Mansion,

the housekeeper told us that

after Qin Wan was evicted,

he lived somewhere desolate.

But the last time we went there,

it was clear that

the yard was once vibrant and lively.

Would an evicted junkie

have the heart to take care of the yard?

This doesn't make sense at all.

One more thing.

This is the residual of the Five Minerals Powder.

It's the same as the one found at Qin Wan's place.

Well...

It seems we need to find someone

to figure this out.

Thank you, Sir.

It's okay. Just pay for the food.

Take it.

Young man,

be bold when you're in love.

Don't be sneaky.

Don't worry.

The principal sum was 2.7 taels.

The interest was 3 percent.

The period was six months.

The total interest payable is 4.8 taels.

You don't even have enough to pay for the interest.

How about this?

Don't you have

two acres of land?

I don't want your land.

You...

give me your income from the second half of the year.

I'll consider charging you only 3 and a half month's worth of interest.

What do you think?

Think about it.

Okay.

Let me know as soon as possible.

Okay.

Are you Liu Yaoshi?

Yes.

Madam,

how can I help you?

Are you here to pawn or borrow money?

Was this IOU

issued by you?

What's going on?

Qin Wan and Du Cheng are already dead.

I didn't expect that.

What?

You think I killed someone?

That's not necessary.

To be honest,

in this line of business,

Madam,

we can only get our money back from the living.

How are we going to get our money back from the dead?

Besides,

the things that they put down as collateral

is even more peculiar.

What is it?

Could it be...

a qin?

Madam, you want to know what happened?

Say it.

I will,

but not in vain.

Well...

Madam,

you have to show some appreciation.

A token of appreciation?

You want money from me?

How refreshing.

This matter is important to you, right?

As long as something is important,

it becomes valuable.

There's no reason for me to share without anything in return.

Let me tell you.

I am a Vice Minister at the Court of Judicial Review.

The collateral you have

is related to the murder.

It could be very important evidence.

You're supposed to help the Court of Judicial Review solve the case.

Do you understand?

Yes.

The murder case

has nothing to do with me.

I'm just...

a legitimate businessman.

I'm a businessman

who knows nothing.

That's not illegal, is it?

You...

Help!

This Vice Minister from the Court of Judicial Review wants to hit me!

What are you doing?

Madam!

-I’ll tell you if you pay. -Are you crazy?

Let go!

Let go of me!

Why should I share if you don't want to pay me?

Just you wait.

How stingy!

Move.

My distinguished customers,

do you want to pawn or borrow money?

This is outrageous.

If I hadn't left in a hurry

without money,

I wouldn't have to tolerate such behaviour.

Madam, wait!

Madam!

What are you doing?

I didn't recognize you.

I was being oblivious.

I am not a human.

I am a villain.

I'm a bastard.

I'm a little bastard.

Get up first.

I'm a rascal.

What are you doing? Get up!

I will kneel here

and apologize to you, Madam.

I am a bastard.

I am just a piece of shit.

To be honest,

he did put down a qin as collateral.

But yesterday,

it was redeemed

by a woman.

It was redeemed?

I have no idea

what happened next.

But,

that woman left a tassel.

Where is it?

A tassel?

Is this it?

I dropped it on the way.

Madam, please have a look.

This was the thing

left behind by that woman.

I kept it away secretly.

Madam.

Please don't be angry anymore.

Get up and talk.

Madam, then...

I shall leave now.

I will get lost.

Please forgive me.

I'll get lost.

I'll get lost.

Come on.

Let's go.

Yes.

What is this place, Mr. Li?

What a rare guest.

I'm taking you to meet an informant.

An informant?

Okay.

He is...

My...

My name is Chen Shi.

It's okay for him

to know all of my matters.

Don't worry.

What is it?

Do you know what this is?

Where did you get this from?

You tell me first.

Do you know what this is?

Except for the fact that it's missing its guiding drug,

this is Du Zixu's prescription.

It's very similar.

Guiding drug?

Isn't that the thing

you were looking for previously?

Lord Qin.

His family is pretty unfortunate.

Sir,

we are here to ask you

if it's true that Lord Qin came to you

and asked you

to be Qin Wan's referee?

Yes.

Sir,

we want to know

what happened on that day

when he came to pay his respects.

Well...

We look forward to your guidance, Sir.

Fine.

Speaking of which,

it was really quite a mess.

That day,

Lord Qin brought Qin Wan over.

If we went by the rules,

there should have been an exam.

It was an interview,

where I asked him about his regular homework,

and evaluated his upbringing.

As the saying goes,

only those who are deserving gets the chance.

But Qin Wan

seemed very nervous.

He was stuttering.

It took him very long to give a single answer.

It was really awkward.

Lord Qin

also looked extra terrible.

Seeing that he seemed so unsure,

I didn't ask anymore.

But Lord Qin insisted.

He insisted that Qin Wan recite

an essay he had memorized

to me.

Seeing his insistence,

I didn't say anything either.

But after Qin Wan

heard Lord Qin's request,

he went out to do something.

What did he do?

He asked to use the bathroom

as an excuse to step out.

He took the chance to go into hiding?

No.

After he came back,

Qin Wan looked totally different.

He looked very excited,

and wasn't cowering anymore.

I'll recite.

It was as if someone passed by in the corner of that mountain,

clad in a bed of flowers.

How beautifully you gazed with affection and smiled coquettishly,

as I envied your grace and poise.

Ridiculous!

Is this

what I asked you to recite?

I...

I am in a secluded bamboo grove

where I don't see the light of day.

The road is treacherous,

and I am here all alone.

People of the mountains

are like fragrant herbs,

who drinks from the mouth of the rocky springs,

and seek cover among the pines.

That day,

he was reciting "The Mountain Spirit".

He recited the whole passage in a mess.

Anyone could tell something was wrong.

But he seemed to be oblivious.

I didn't know how to end it nicely.

At this moment...

Qin Wan!

I picked some life-enhancing herbs

from among the mountains.

but it was rocky...

Sir,

what exactly happened to him?

He...

He was incontinent.

What? Incontinent?

Incontinent?

If it weren't for the murder,

I would never

tell anyone about this.

Lord Qin is too prideful.

And he was overly strict

when disciplining Qin Wan.

I'm afraid

he might've been a little too strict.

At that time,

do you think he might have taken Five Minerals Powder?

Now to think of it,

I think he did.

However,

I thought they could

bury the hatchet.

Sir, why do you say that?

A month ago,

Qin Wan came to see me.

What was he like

when he came to you?

He looked normal.

Although he was still stuttering,

he seemed more magnanimous.

He also said

he was no longer taking drugs.

He wanted me to be a middleman

and asked me to speak to Lord Qin,

so that he can return home soon.

I was

actually happy to help.

Does that mean

the two brothers

actually met again?

Yes.

But now that I think about it,

I think Lord Qin didn't agree

to let Qin Wan return home.

What is the guiding drug?

I don't know.

Almost no one knows.

But it's the key.

Without it,

it becomes Five Minerals Powder.

Only with it,

it becomes Du Zixu's magic medicine.

It is said

to be the bone of an animal.

It has an incredible effect.

Can it enable

a person with crippled hands

pick up the brush again?

I think so.

Where did you get this bottle of medicine?

From the place of a junkie.

Where is he?

He's dead.

Then his death

must be related to the making of this drug.

You don't know how many people

tried to crack Du Zixu's prescription,

but no one has succeeded.

What you brought

is the closest

I've ever seen.

Why are you looking for this medicine?

Is it for money

or for treatment?

It's not for anti-aging purposes, right?

Currently, this drug

has caused too many deaths.

You have to give me

a reasonable explanation.

I don't want to have to ask you

to come to the Court of Judicial Review.

Sir, you don't have to scare me.

I can tell you.

I'm looking for

my father's murderer.

My father had a boat.

He picked up odd jobs

from time to time.

For example?

For example, transporting

things or people that aren't all that legitimate.

Three years ago,

he took up this job

where he had to pick up just one person.

Then, he was killed

along with the passenger.

And that passenger

was Du Zixu.

I see.

Then why have you been

investigating Yi Zhi Hua?

Because he and Du Zixu

were previously in the same prison.

Well then, Vice Minister Li, what are you investigating?

A case that

my late father had previously solved,

and shares many similarities

with the matter you are looking into.

Don't mention it, Vice Minister Li.

I'm telling you this

because I trust your abilities.

If you find out the murderer,

or find that thing...

I'll let you know right away.

[Lan Xin Embroidery House]

[Lan Xin Embroidery House]

Anyone there?

Just thinking about it makes me sad.

What must he have been driven to

in order to wet his pants?

If you don't like it,

just don't do it.

It's not that simple.

Human nature is divided into those who are strong, and those who are weak.

Some people just like to

impose their standards

onto others.

There are also some

who would compromise without a second thought.

They wouldn't even think that those who are stronger could be wrong.

Instead, they blame themselves.

It's not something that happens overnight.

Qin Wan was disciplined strictly

by his brother ever since he was a child.

His personality was already deformed.

That's why

he turned to drugs.

Wang Qi, you said that

after Qin Wan was evicted,

he actually went to find

the Minister of Rites once more.

He looked normal back then,

and he said he was no longer taking drugs?

Yes.

It must be very hard

for a drug addict to quit.

If we go with what Cui Bei mentioned,

where he took the drug

because of the stress he received as a result of his deformed character,

and needed the drug to destress,

that's a mental illness.

If that was not cured,

how could he have broken free from his addiction?

I think so too.

Maybe...

Qin Wan was lying?

Not necessarily.

Sir, do you mean...

[Court of Judicial Review]