Original subtitles

=Remnants of Gold=

(Adapted from Gu Long's "Flying Eagle over the Great Land")

(The main characters in this drama are fictional)

=Episode 2=

My name is Zhang Luyao.

Please wait a moment.

That's a very fine incense.

I'll need to borrow it.

Deputy Yu,

I'll step outside.

Who is she?

A dancer.

Wait about 8 minutes before going out.

The men outside have been drugged.

The sedative is still in effect.

I'll borrow your fine incense.

They'll be perfectly fine in 8 minutes.

Forgive my intrusion.

I hope you won't take offense.

Whatever you wish to ask,

I'll tell you everything I know.

Once you have finished asking,

I'll ask my own questions.

Is this incense of mine

any good?

It should be seven sticks to a bundle.

Four taels of sandalwood, two taels of agarwood,

3.7 g of storax,

18.5 g each of clove and cinnamon,

and 3.7 g of ambergris.

Beyond that, I can't identify the ingredients.

It's incense of the finest quality.

I mean no disrespect

to sit.

I'm frail and easily short of breath.

I need to rest after moving around for a while.

You drugged the guards and entered without permission.

You've got some nerve.

Liangzhou is just a small frontier guard.

You're the official responsible for its people.

Twenty-seven of my family died.

Crying won't change anything.

Should I just sit and wait at the Escort Agency

instead of coming here?

Deputy Military Commissioner, do you always

look people straight in the eye?

That's not a good habit.

The sedative outside hasn't worn off yet.

Let's talk for a while,

and then you and I can leave together.

What's wrong with

looking someone straight in the eye?

It lets people see what kind of person you are.

What kind of person am I?

You're proud at heart

but cautious in your conduct.

You observe the proper order of rank.

What makes you say that?

Your outer robe is gauze over silk.

It uses neither colorful weaving nor dyeing,

nor any gold or silver thread.

That shows your restraint.

But the gauze bears subtle hidden patterns.

With the slightest movement,

the patterns beneath emerge,

like flowing streams and pine trees.

That reveals your pride.

Clothes like these are rare, let alone in the Northwest.

Even in Yangzhou, they're seldom seen.

But clothes can't conceal your eyes.

Your eyes are filled with weariness.

What am I weary of?

I don't know.

I only want to know

how the 27 members of my family died.

Deputy Yu,

how did my father and brothers

die?

The poison was put in the horse feed.

We don't know how the poison takes effect

or how to cure it.

Both groups at Lieyang Well and Shiquan Fort were wiped out?

The guardians of the gold did it.

There really are 300,000 taels of gold in the desert?

Someone already knows where the gold is buried.

They tried to reach it twice, and everyone died both times.

So they turned to the Zhang Escort Agency.

My father and brothers were honest men.

They had no extraordinary abilities.

Who thought so highly of the Zhang family?

Who gave the Zhangs the escort contract?

I'd like to know that, too.

Deputy Yu,

Miss Zhang,

what you're discussing

shouldn't be overheard by outsiders.

I'll step outside.

What's going on?

Why is everyone on the ground?

Come quickly...

Who are you to block the Deputy Military Commissioner's door?

Move aside!

Protect the Deputy Military Commissioner!

Pingping,

come back.

Mr. Wu,

it's me, Luyao.

Weren't all 27 Zhangs

supposed to be dead?

We just found this man.

Mr. Wu,

it's me, Luyao.

Who brought the Zhang family the escort contract?

Tell me.

It's all right.

Could you let me out?

Could you let me through?

Let me through.

Mr. Wu,

who gave the Zhangs the escort contract?

Is that person here?

Seven.

Deputy Yu,

is he one of your men?

No.

Of course not.

So, why is he at your residence?

You'll have to ask him.

Who do you think you are?

Even the General means nothing to us.

In our eyes,

people like you

are nothing.

Deputy Yu, are you going to silence him?

I am.

Deputy,

Officer Pu has gone mad.

He's attacking people at the Zhang Escort Agency.

Chi...

Chi said the poison from the guardians' fodder has taken effect.

Block the door.

Don't let him out.

Officer Pu.

Officer Pu,

I'm the Deputy Military Commissioner of Liangzhou.

Be careful, Deputy.

He won't listen to anything now.

If Officer Pu sheds even a drop of blood or suffers the slightest injury,

you'll die.

No, he insisted on smelling the poisoned horse feed himself.

I smelled it and was fine.

Doesn't he want the gold?

200 taels is too much. Who would dare take it?

Could it be the guardians of the gold...

Shut up.

(Zhang Escort Agency)

You're weak

but highly skilled in martial arts.

You should be more skilled than I am.

My skills are different from yours.

Long spears and halberds,

fighting in formation and risking my life.

They're only meant for killing.

You didn't know the dancer

and the man who took his own life,

did you, Deputy?

No.

They're all people after the 300,000 taels of gold.

Don't you want the gold, Deputy?

I've never met

anyone like you.

Have you ever been to Jiangnan?

No.

So how did you know

my clothes are rare even in Yangzhou?

You never wear

those clothes outside, do you?

No.

Why don't you leave?

Leave?

Leave the desert and go to Jiangnan.

I joined the army at 19.

In this life,

I'll never leave the Northwestern desert.

Don't look at me like that.

If your thoughts are seen through,

you would kill?

What thoughts?

Your eyes are weary,

but your heart is uneasy.

Uneasy enough to kill?

If you kill Pingping and me,

that would just add two more

to the twenty-seven already dead.

You haven't made a move.

Is it because you need something from me,

or because

you're the official responsible for the people of Liangzhou?

I need something from you.

Deputy, give your order.

In the armory is an

Embroidered Uniform Guard officer sent by the Court to investigate.

He's seventh rank.

If he breaks out,

I'll have no choice but to kill him.

That wouldn't be good for any of us.

I'd like to ask you

to cure him of the poison.

What poison?

It's in the hat.

The poison used by the guardians of the gold.

What case is he investigating?

Shiquan Fort, Lieyang Well,

and the massacre

of your family.

Can you do it?

(Blacksmith Shop)

Miss,

where are we taking this?

Zhang Escort Agency.

Go.

Hurry.

Hurry.

Deputy,

the officer

has collapsed.

He's down.

What's his name?

Officer Pu Ying.

Deputy!

What is it?

Coroner,

they said we should go carry in the food and liquor.

Who?

Well...

Me!

Officer Pu.

Open your eyes.

Can you see me?

Yes.

When this poison takes effect, everyone looks like a vengeful ghost.

You're all right now.

It was like a dream.

I'm Zhang Luyao.

The 27 people of the Zhang Escort Agency

were all my family, including my father and brothers.

5 years ago, I married into the Tang Clan in Northern Shu.

For the first 3 years,

I tested 236 poisons for the Tang Clan.

I came close to death 100 times.

The benefit is that I'm now immune to all poisons,

and my martial arts have improved greatly.

The downside

is I've been frail and short of breath ever since,

and I never got to see my family one last time.

What do you mean?

I grew up in the Northwest.

I've never heard

of 300,000 taels of gold hidden in the desert.

If it weren't for the gold,

in this lifetime,

we would never have met.

Move.

Seeing you

feels like a dream.

Officer Pu, try standing up.

I've cured you of the poison from the feed,

but I've also given you a new poison.

Officer Pu, take a breath.

Do your Chong

and Yang Heel Meridians

feel slightly painful or blocked?

Take another breath.

A deep breath.

Your Baihui and Fengchi points are throbbing.

From now on, breathe gently and speak softly.

Otherwise, you'll lose your senses and your mind.

I feel perfectly fine.

I'm not falling for your nonsense.

You can stand up now.

Don't walk forward.

Take 3 steps to either side.

You'll feel a chill in the joints below your waist.

The poison travels through the Ren Meridian and blocks the Shenmen point.

I'll give you an antidote every 5 days.

Miss,

we have no quarrel with each other.

Officer Pu, you came from the Capital

to find the guardians of the gold

or to catch the killers?

I'm all alone.

No one in the Liangzhou or Ganzhou Guard can be trusted.

That's why I poisoned you and asked for your help.

Once we find the killers,

I'll cure you of the poison, and submit

to whatever punishment you decide.

What if I kill you?

I'll die,

and the poison will leave you crippled.

I'll kill you right now.

Walk slowly.

Come out and have some liquor and meat.

How is it? Is there enough to eat?

Eat some more.

We should honor the dead,

but this liquor,

I'd rather not pour it out.

Can I drink it?

As you wish, Officer Pu.

I wasn't asking you.

Can I drink it?

Yes.

Don't say that unless you're sure.

You really can.

Miss Luyao,

have you cured Officer Pu of the poison?

Was it easy?

Very easy.

It's nothing particularly potent.

It won't take effect while mixed in the fodder.

Only after cattle or horses chew it,

and their saliva mixes with water,

does the poison become airborne.

It's most potent within 10 paces.

Anyone who inhales it goes mad as if possessed by a vengeful ghost.

But spray it with clean water, and the poison dissipates immediately.

Where does that poison come from?

Who made it?

Who knows how to use it?

Is it a poison used by someone here in Gansu

or by a sect from another province?

I have to eat.

5 times a day.

Just a little each time.

Eat.

May I see the bell in your pouch?

It's just an ordinary old bell.

I saw you use it

to take down Officer Pu with ease.

Yu Hou!

Deputy!

You think you're quite something, huh?

I wouldn't dare.

I came all the way from the Capital to Liangzhou to investigate a case.

You sent a coroner

to get rid of me with 200 taels of gold.

I traveled all this way,

and you expected me to travel all the way back.

How could this happen?

You've got some nerve.

200 taels of gold is a vast sum.

Is everyone in Gansu really that lavish?

How could that be?

The 200 taels of gold

are evidence in the Zhang family massacre.

The 200 taels of gold

were the fee paid to the Zhang Escort Agency for this job.

My father and brothers are gone, but I'm still here.

When entrusted with a task,

I must see it through.

What do you mean?

Whoever is willing to go to Lieyang Well and Shiquan Fort,

risk their life, and head west with me

to meet the murderous guardians of the gold

gets these

200 taels of gold.

The journey west is dangerous.

Miss Luyao,

tell me where the poison from the fodder comes from.

The Liangzhou Guard

will capture the guardians of the gold

and seek justice for the 27 members of your family.

Deputy Yu,

I don't trust you.

I still haven't determined where the poison from the fodder comes from.

Once I head west,

the people who killed my family

will reveal themselves.

In the Northwestern desert, if you can't trust me,

who can you trust?

I trust Officer Pu.

And I trust the desperate men who will come for 200 taels of gold.

(Zhang Escort Agency. 300,000 Taels of Gold)

Come on, drink!

What are you doing?

Go back.

Go where? Do what?

Another round!

Buy something.

Futu!

Where is Futu?

Futu!

Futu,

Seven and Sixteen are both dead.

What did you say?

Seven killed Sixteen

and killed himself.

The Zhang family is wiped out?

No.

The poisoned escort has been silenced.

But the Zhang lady accepted the escort order.

She's going to use the 200 taels of escort fee

to hire people to escort her west.

Escort what?

Yu Hou didn't ask her

where the poison from the fodder came from?

I don't know.

What kind of escort job can a woman take on?

Where are the 300,000 taels of gold?

Where are they heading?

First to Lieyang Well, and then to Shiquan Fort.

That's the escort order we issued.

What is Yu Hou doing?

Seven and Sixteen didn't have to die.

Yu Hou was there and did nothing

just because

the Zhang lady was there.

Her martial arts are exceptional.

How exceptional?

If she's so skilled, why does she need to hire anyone?

(Yu Residence)

Hurry up.

Hurry up.

Very good.

Officer Pu,

the horse you rode here was exposed to the poison.

I'm sure you wouldn't want to ride it again.

The Deputy Military Commissioner is thoughtful.

There's plenty of food, drink, and supplies

for your journey.

Two horses.

You can alternate between them.

What do you mean by this?

You've seen what happened to the Zhang family.

Miss Luyao intends to head west.

You can return directly to the Capital

or go to Ganzhou to see the General.

You're making me leave now?

That's not what we mean.

You can rest at the Liangzhou Post.

Then leave first thing tomorrow morning.

The Deputy Military Commissioner has arranged everything.

And this is all you're giving me?

It's not for me to say,

but you refused the 200 taels of gold offered earlier today.

Everyone wants gold,

but there's something

more important than gold.

What else do you want, Officer?

Respect!

I don't want to raise my voice.

I'm seventh rank.

From the moment I arrived,

a mere Deputy Military Commissioner

has carried himself with more authority than the General.

Tell him to come out.

Officer, the Deputy really isn't here.

I could cut you down as easily as a chicken.

Those are harsh words, Officer.

We frontier folk don't know any better.

Why don't you just treat me like a chicken and cut me down?

Come on. Give me a slash.

I will.

Just you wait.

Get out of my way.

Move.

Out of the way.

Move.

You're just looking to get yourself killed.

Officer, please take off your shoes.

I already told you he isn't here.

Then, why are there so many guards at the door?

They say two assassins came during the day.

So we're taking extra precautions.

Officer.

Assassins?

Who were they trying to kill?

I wasn't there, either.

They say someone from the Zhang Escort Agency was still alive.

He was brought here, only to be killed by assassins.

Where are the assassins?

He killed himself.

(Liang)

(Liangzhou Guard)

In Liangzhou, it's only after nightfall

that we get even the slightest breeze.

Didn't they see you come up to the city wall, Deputy?

No.

I just came to say a few words to you.

Can I take the meat back to the barracks and eat it later?

How far have you been beyond the city walls?

Only three times.

The General pacified the west, and there hasn't been a war in 10 years.

I'm bored to death.

Deputy,

when are we going back to Lieyang Well?

Lieyang Well...

Six of our men were poisoned and died there.

Deputy, take me back there to fight.

Today, I met someone remarkable.

I've never left Gansu in all my life.

I've guarded the frontier with the General since I was young.

I fought my way up from squad leader to where I am today.

The General entrusted the Liangzhou Guard to me.

But...

I've never met anyone like her.

Who?

A woman.

No one is more remarkable than the General.

If I'd been born ten years earlier,

I could've followed the General

into battle as you did.

Now I can't even get an audience with him.

If the General ordered you to die, would you?

As long as it's the General's order.

I used to feel the same way,

and I still do.

Can I take the meat back to the barracks and eat it later?

Fang, aren't you going to ask

what kind of woman I met?

I'll ask.

Deputy, what kind of woman did you meet?

This spear

was custom-made for me by a Persian merchant.

I waited three years for it to be brought back from Persia.

I've never used it.

Open it.

Smells like iron.

The spear is so short?

You're the best fighter in Liangzhou

and most skilled with a spear.

It's yours.

It's convenient to carry.

Really?

Yes.

I'm giving it to you.

It's convenient to keep with me?

So where am I going?

Lieyang Well,

and then

Shiquan Fort.

When do I leave?

Tomorrow.

You're going alone.

There's a woman at the Zhang Escort Agency

named Zhang Luyao.

All 27 members of her family

were poisoned to death by the guardians of the gold.

Just like our men at Lieyang Well?

Listen to me.

Don't ask what you shouldn't.

She's hiring skilled fighters to head west. You're one of them.

You're not a soldier of the Liangzhou Guard. Understand?

Understood.

In front of her, you're not my brother,

nor are you the General's soldier. Understand?

Understood.

Do whatever she tells you.

Keep her alive. Understand?

Is she heading west to find the gold?

She's going to find the people who killed her family.

Who killed her entire family?

Hou,

can I ask one more question?

Ask.

Does the General know I'm going to find Miss Zhang?

He'll know tomorrow.

I understand everything now.

(Preview of the Next Episode)

Have we planted our man among them?

Yes.

Who are you?

I'm Fang.

I'm here to apply.

We put out one recruitment notice, and two people showed up.

Don't you find that suspicious?

Let's see what you can do.

If only one of you is left,

you won't have to split the 200 taels.

=Remnants of Gold=