Original subtitles

(Guardians of the Dafeng)

(Episode 4)

Arrest him!

Ning Yan!

- My Lord. He bullied me first. - Yue.

My brother stopped him.

Why are you arresting my brother instead?

I'll decide whether or not he's guilty.

- Get lost! - My Lord.

Ling Yue.

How dare you!

Ning Yan, the Ministry of Justice is here to arrest you.

If you resist, the punishment will be more severe.

Don't fall into their trap.

Yue, are you okay?

Get up first.

Lord Zhu, I leave my two sisters in your care.

Don't worry.

Take him away.

Young Master Zhou, leave the rest to me.

No need.

I'll personally interrogate him.

This way, please.

Who are you?

A constable from Changle County Magistrate Court.

So?

I'm looking for Lady Cai Wei.

Senior Cai Wei?

A friend entrusted me with this book

for Lady Cai Wei, along with a message.

Xu Qi An is in trouble, please help.

What has happened? This is the 48th attempt.

Senior Song has been trying to craft fake silver for two days and nights,

but has failed every time.

He's the most talented alchemist in the Astronomical Bureau.

How could he fail?

Let's see.

Move aside, please.

It's working.

Senior?

Senior?

(Song Qing)

Senior?

Senior.

Senior.

- Are you alright, Senior? - Are you alright, Senior?

It's not the salt dosage.

It's not the temperature.

It's even less likely to be a problem with my alchemy skills.

Indeed.

Then why isn't it working?

Senior Song.

Senior.

Just now, a constable came looking for Senior Cai Wei and left a message

saying Xu Qi An is in trouble and must be saved.

Xu Qi An?

I feel like I've heard that name before.

What else did he say?

He also left this book.

Equivalent exchange.

The immutable principle of alchemy.

Equivalent exchange?

That's right.

My teacher once told me that

alchemy's essence isn't transformation,

but conversion.

Where did you get this book?

What is chemistry?

What are atoms?

Why do I recognize every word,

but when they're put together, I can't understand anything?

Senior Song, do you understand?

Stop the nonsense. Focus.

The method for refining fake silver.

Step one, filter the brine.

That's right. I did it that way too.

Step two, evaporate the brine and extract the crystals,

then melt them at high temperature.

Step three, take note,

this step is crucial in making the fake tax silver.

It all comes down to this.

Step three...

It's blank.

How could it be blank?

- Did he give you just this one book? - Only this one.

But then what does step three say?

He's deliberately keeping us in suspense.

I'll ask you again.

Who gave you this book?

- Second Uncle? - That scared me.

I'm Xu Ping Zhi, the Hundred-Commander from the Imperial Sword Guards.

My nephew offended you,

and I'm here to apologize on his behalf.

Xu Ping Zhi?

Indeed, it's me.

Young Master Zhou.

Can we put this behind us?

Sure.

Since the Hundred-Commander from the Imperial Sword Guards has spoken,

there's no reason for us not to move on.

Let me think about it.

How about this?

You stab him once,

then kill yourself by stabbing yourself. That should settle the matter.

What do you think?

Hundred-Commander of the Imperial Sword Guards?

A man no better than an ant.

How dare you block my way.

- Destroy him. - Yes, My Lord.

Ning Yan.

With me here,

no one can take you away.

Who else?

I underestimated them.

I thought they'd be honorable enough to fight me one-on-one.

But instead, they ganged up on me. They have no martial ethics at all.

But don't worry, your second uncle always has a backup plan.

Before I came, I had your aunt go to Ci Jiu and ask Yunlu Academy for help.

Also,

I've sent a message to the Imperial Sword Guards.

As soon as my brothers arrive,

rescuing us two will be a piece of cake.

Imperial Sword Guards?

With their speed, they'll be here in a moment.

Just wait patiently.

Second Uncle, are the Imperial Sword Guards strong?

- Very strong. - Can they beat Zhou Li?

We share a bond stronger than life itself.

Alright.

Master, Master Mu Bai, I have come with a request.

What is it?

My brother offended the son of the Ministry of Revenue

because he bullied our sister.

I implore the two of you to intervene and save him.

Your brother?

Is he the talented scholar who wrote,

"Fear not the path ahead, for the world knows your name"?

- Indeed, that's him. - Ci Jiu.

I'll take care of your brother's affairs.

You should return to your studies with your teacher.

Mind your own business.

It's my student's family affairs. I'll handle it myself.

Where is your brother now?

At the magistrate court of Changle County.

I'll be there in just 30 strides.

This old man is really sticking his nose in.

I don't belong here but to the Changle County Magistrate Court.

I haven't mastered it yet.

Nian, you are already highly regarded.

I thought the two great scholars wouldn't step in.

Then we...

Ride on horseback! Hurry!

- Where is Ning Yan? - He has been taken away by the Ministry of Justice.

Lady Xu, don't worry.

The matters Ning Yan entrusted to me have been handled.

If the Astronomical Bureau intervenes,

Ning Yan will certainly escape this calamity.

He has connections in the Astronomical Bureau?

Ning Yan is really capable.

Ning Yan is such a good person.

If something really happens to him, I'll fight them to the death!

Yes, to the death!

Does my brother get along very well with his colleagues?

Ning Yan is

a very interesting person.

Interesting?

Uncle Wang, could you tell me more about my brother?

Don't laugh at me for saying this,

but people like us...

our hands are never truly clean.

We're already being pretty merciful by not targeting ordinary folks.

As for those rich merchants and landowners,

isn't it only natural for us to squeeze a bit of money out of them?

But your brother is different.

Whether it's commoners or the wealthy,

he never extorts or blackmails anyone.

A while back, when your Xu family was in trouble,

I thought

I'd find a chance to make him some money.

He smiled and agreed,

but afterward, he secretly returned the five pieces of silver I gave him.

You might say he's sensible,

but everyone knows that still waters run deep.

He doesn't understand

such simple truths.

And yet, you can't say he's ignorant either.

He knows how to navigate the world,

is slick and too good at playing the social game.

He gets along with everyone.

That's why, now that he's in trouble,

everyone feels terrible about it.

Second Uncle.

Second Uncle.

Second Uncle.

It's been two hours. Why hasn't the Imperial Sword Guards arrived yet?

Maybe they got delayed on the road.

Just hold out a little longer.

They are here!

Xu Qi An, it's time for your last meal before execution.

Get out!

I'm telling you, you better be on your best behavior.

I'd rather not sever your tendons and drag you out by force.

Hurry up!

Hurry up!

Move it!

Ning Yan.

Where are you taking him?

Ning Yan, come back!

Zhou Li, my men will be here soon.

If you dare to lay a finger on Ning Yan, I will fight you to the death!

Earlier, you said,

"When a commoner is angered..."

What comes next?

Cat got your tongue?

Alright.

Everything is prepared.

Sign and leave my thumbprint,

so I could save myself some pain?

So, you can talk.

But you misunderstood me.

What I mean is,

do you want to sign first and then face the punishment,

or take the punishment first and then sign?

Are you upset?

You have a bad temper.

If you're this angry now, how will you feel later?

All my instruments of torture here

are crafted to inflict unimaginable pain

without taking a life.

I just want you to understand that

insignificant insects can never hope to change their fate.

With a flick of my finger,

I could easily crush you.

My Lord, I have bad news.

Two great scholars from Yunlu Academy are outside demanding to see you!

(Lord Sun, Minister of Justice)

Yunlu Academy?

You're actually following me.

You're just trying to meddle in my business, you know that?

This is my business. What does it have to do with you?

Chun Jing.

Jin Yan.

May I ask what brings you to the Ministry of Justice?

The Ministry has detained one of my disciples, Xu Qi An.

We hope Lord Sun will release him.

Our ministry oversees justice and punishment.

We don't make arrests without cause.

Please explain the situation.

- He... - Report!

Minister, the sorcerers from Astronomical Bureau are forcing their way in.

We can't hold them back.

I am the direct disciple of the Imperial Astronomer, Song Qing.

Greetings, Minister.

You have violated the law by breaking into the Ministry of Justice.

You should leave now.

Minister.

I've come to claim someone from the Ministry of Justice.

Who is it?

Xu Qi An.

He was wrongfully detained by the Ministry of Justice today.

- My Lord. - Did our ministry arrest anyone named Xu Qi An today?

As far as I know, no official arrest was made today.

No?

But there is someone by that name

in our jail.

Who ordered the arrest?

Well...

Secretary General Huang.

Get over here.

- My Lord. - Did you send someone to arrest Xu Qi An?

Yes, it was me.

Explain yourself clearly in front of all these officials.

Here's what happened.

Young Master Zhou submitted a petition

claiming someone assaulted him in the street.

It was sudden, so I didn't have time to prepare the arrest warrant.

I thought it best to detain him first to prevent him from fleeing.

A gentleman should be honest, and so should a common man

Art of Inner Reflection.

Young Master Zhou wanted to kill Xu Qi An and let him die in our jail.

I wanted to do Young Master Zhou a favor.

Fourth rank official of the Academy, Wen Xin.

My Lord.

I heard

you were raised by your second uncle.

That gives me a reason to suspect

this was all a scheme between you and him.

Zhou Li, don't you dare harm my family.

You have a younger sister too, a very pretty one.

Perhaps I'll have her sent to the Imperial Music Bureau.

My Lord, the confession doesn't include that.

Then write it now!

Write it right here.

Write in front of him.

Yes.

Take him away.

(They are here.)

(Finally, they're here.)

My Lord.

I haven't finished interrogating this man.

This is the Ministry of Justice, not the Ministry of Revenue.

If you want to interrogate someone, head to the Ministry of Revenue.

That is, if the Ministry of Revenue handles criminal cases.

Didn't you hear me?

- Take him away. - Wait!

My Lord.

This man attacked me in broad daylight, intending to kill me.

I'm the victim here.

My Lord, I advise you

not to meddle.

Young Master Zhou.

You can tell that to the Minister of Justice outside.

Secretary General Huang, you're far too bold.

How could you act without authorization!

The face of my ministry has been completely disgraced by you.

You should count yourself lucky nothing happened to me.

Allow me to reintroduce myself.

I am the newly accepted disciple of the Astronomical Bureau.

Greetings, my fellow seniors.

You wrote this book?

Senior, this isn't the place to chat.

Once we leave the Ministry of Justice, you can ask whatever you like.

I will answer everything honestly.

Qi An.

I'm here, don't be afraid.

Your seniors are here to protect you.

Lord Sun.

These sorcerers from the Astronomical Bureau...

They've come to claim him from me.

And the two great scholars from Yunlu Academy...

They're also here for the same person.

You are Xu Qi An?

Yes, that's me.

I am Ci Jiu's teacher.

Teacher, greetings.

Fear not the path ahead, for the world knows your name.

Did you write that?

I didn't.

I'll explain it to you later.

- Not you? Then... - Let's settle things here.

We'll discuss it after we leave the Ministry of Justice.

Alright.

Hold on.

There's something I need to take care of. Please wait for a moment.

Xu Qi An.

What do you want?

Xu Qi An, don't go overboard!

Great Scholars!

Two great scholars, have you had lunch?

Xu Qi An, my father is the Vice Minister of Revenue!

Qi An.

Please don't hit me here in the Ministry of Justice.

- Young Master Zhou! - Lord Sun.

He hit me in broad daylight within the Ministry of Justice!

You must uphold justice for me!

Young Master Zhou, please be patient.

Tomorrow at court, I'll report this matter to His Majesty.

- Get up. - Zhou Li.

What are you doing?

I just want you to understand, commoners have their own fire.

When a commoner is angered...

I see.

Fortunately, Masters arrived in time to save you.

By the way, Ci Jiu, I really want to know,

when did I become so popular?

These two great scholars are fighting to take me as their disciple

and want me to visit Yunlu Academy to discuss poetry and philosophy.

They're impressed by your poem, specifically the one about

bidding farewell to Yang Gong heading to Qingzhou at Mianyang Pavilion.

I thought they liked my character,

but it turns out they just wanted my poem.

When did I even write that poem?

You don't even remember when you wrote it?

Then why did the Astronomical Bureau show up?

I asked Constable Wang to deliver a book to the Astronomical Bureau.

There was something in there they were interested in.

They've even asked me to give them a lecture tomorrow.

I can't very well refuse.

One of these, please. I'll buy from you next time.

Careful.

Yogurt! Rich and creamy yogurt!

Little girl, would you like to try some?

Boss, give me a few bottles.

- Sure. - Take your pick.

- Here you go. - Thank you, Ning Yan.

Take it.

- Yue, you should try one too. - Thank you, Ning Yan.

One for Ci Jiu too. Here you go.

This one's good.

And this melon-flavored one...

Aunt, thank you very much. Here.

I didn't do it for you.

It's just that, if something happens to you,

the whole Xu family will be in trouble.

Xu Ling Yin, don't run off like that!

Careful.

Quick.

Yue, here you go.

(The Carefree Swordsman, Gu Ruo Han)

Ning Yan, you...

Quick, hide it. Don't let your mother find out.

Hurry up.

Ning Yan, how did you know?

I knew it all along.

How much money can a constable like you make?

If you want any book, I'll buy it for you.

Do you have more money than me?

Where is Second Uncle? Is he back yet?

Zhou Li.

My men will be here soon.

If you dare to lay a finger on Ning Yan, I will fight you to the death!

Zhou Li, my men will be here soon.

If you dare to lay a finger on Ning Yan, I will fight you to the death!

Is anyone there?

Help me.

Everyone.

If I'm not mistaken,

you all seem to have forgotten about me.

Ci Jiu, your father is talking to you.

Second Uncle is talking to you!

Father.

Eat more vegetables.

Go take your seat.

Ling Yue, sit.

A bunch of heartless ones.

Stop it.

Remember how you swore with such confidence that you'd take care of this?

You're a brash fool.

I acted out of urgency to save him.

Exactly!

Blame that Zhou Li

for daring to insult the women of the Xu family.

The Xu family stand tall and unyielding, we can't spare him.

Right, Ci Jiu?

Absolutely, just like Qi An.

Good brother.

A bunch of reckless fools.

Dig in.

Don't act so impulsively next time.

Don't learn from your second uncle.

Aunt, you're right.

It was a blessing in disguise.

From now on, our family

must remain united and harmonious.

Dig in.

Lady, you are...

Is Xu Qi An here?

So you weren't at the Astronomical Bureau.

I was at the yamen in Jingzhao Prefecture.

You're really lucky to have met Senior Song.

If it were me, your blue book would be useless.

By the way, how did you get into a fight with that Zhou fellow?

I took my sisters shopping, and that Zhou guy set his eyes on her.

Your sister is indeed pretty.

Yes, quite pretty. She's just like you.

That's true. Gorgeous like a fairy, beyond the mundane.

No, I came today to discuss something serious.

I want to talk about the tax silver case.

Do you know who swapped out your second uncle's tax silver?

I'm just a constable.

The ones who swapped the tax silver

were the Thousand-Commander from Imperial Sword Guards, Lu Chang Zhi

and the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Zheng Xin.

And so?

The one backing them is Zhou Xian Ping, the Minister of Revenue,

who is also Zhou Li's father.

With a flick of my finger,

I could easily crush you.

Zhou Xian Ping, Zhou Li's father?

Since you cracked the tax silver case,

you've already offended the Vice Minister of Revenue

and were drawn into this mess.

So what happened on the street that day was a set up.

They purposely hang around me and harassed my sister,

just to find an excuse to kill me?

Clever.

You came just to tell me this?

Thanks.

There's something more actually.

Say it, then.

We traced a lead to Zhou Xian Ping.

But he's the Minister of Revenue and heavily entrenched in a faction.

The Jingzhao Prefecture doesn't want to alarm him,

so the case is at an impasse.

But His Majesty has ordered that

I can't return to the Astronomical Bureau until I solve this case.

So, Xu Qi An,

I read your casework in the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Your deductions are sharp.

So, you want me to analyze the case?

Fine, tell me what you've got.

Father, what are you looking at?

You startled me.

Who is that lady?

She's meeting Ning Yan so late at night.

Are they seeing each other?

She's a sorcerer and geomancer from the Astronomical Bureau, Chu Cai Wei.

The Astronomical Bureau?

Yes.

She is one of the lead investigators on the tax silver case.

Well done, kid.

A girl from the Astronomical Bureau? He should cherish this opportunity.

I'm not so sure.

How can we possibly stand against the Vice Minister of Revenue?

Ning Yan, you know the sorcerers from the Astronomical Bureau,

and Ci Jiu is a student of Yunlu Academy.

With these connections,

as long as we behave, they won't harm us.

We're like the fish on the chopping block.

They've got all the power. We're sitting ducks.

Exactly.

Wasn't I a student at Yunlu Academy when the tax silver case happened?

The only reason Ning Yan can come back today

is because Zhou Li's methods were crude and unfair.

If Vice Minister Zhou takes action and sets up another tax silver case,

using the law to wipe out our entire Xu family,

do you think the Astronomical Bureau or Yunlu Academy

would have risked their necks to save us?

So what are we going to do?

Take on the Ministry of Revenue?

With just us?

He's a fourth-rank official.

Here's what I've figured out.

One,

Vice Minister Zhou has another powerful backer.

Two,

His Majesty is maintaining

a delicate balance.

Lady Cai Wei told me that

the supervisor of the Ministry of Revenue impeached Vice Minister Zhou,

but this matter was suppressed by His Majesty.

Vice Minister Zhou's political enemies were attacking him.

Throughout history, emperors have always used power to balance factions.

His Majesty did not punish Vice Minister Zhou,

which means this matter involves factional disputes.

It seems even the Jingzhao Prefecture can't do anything about him.

Not necessarily.

First of all, why would Vice Minister Zhou orchestrate the tax silver case?

It couldn't be for embezzlement, because he could do that anytime.

Yes, he wouldn't risk it at a time when officials are being evaluated.

Could it be that

he urgently needed money

to use that money to plug a hole?

The reason for plugging this hole

is precisely because of the official evaluation.

I get it now.

So we need to expose them and leave Zhou nowhere to hide.

Set the enemies against each other.

We're not the main force against Vice Minister Zhou.

We're just the spark that ignites the fire to kill Vice Minister Zhou.

The quicker it burns, the better.

To put it another way,

we don't need to deal with Vice Minister Zhou directly.

A high-ranking official like him is full of tricks and schemes.

We can't handle him at our current level.

But even he has weaknesses.

- Zhou Li. - Correct.

Compared to Vice Minister Zhou, Zhou Li is easier to deal with.

If the charges against him aren't solid, we will fabricate some charges.

We'll give Zhou Xian Ping's political enemies the knife.

My son has the potential to be the Chief Advisor.

Second Uncle, cut the chatter.

Use your connections to investigate Zhou Li.

Who does he associate with?

What are his peculiar habits?

What places does he like to go?

Find out everything.

You can count on me.

Ci Jiu, go to Yunlu Academy tomorrow

and ask the scholars to protect the women in our family.

Okay.

What about you?

Me?

I need to secure a future for our Xu family.

(This place is so modern.)

Have you been to the Astronomical Bureau before?

This is my first time.

You don't seem to be surprised.

I'm used to high-rise buildings. Shanghai has plenty of them.

I...

I've always had a calm mind.

Mountains can crumble before me without changing my expression.

Maybe it's just a talent.

Very good.

Only this calmness is worthy of seeking employment with me.

If I've made any mistakes, please correct me.

Please demonstrate.

(If I had this ability in my previous life, )

(to create fire with a snap of my fingers, )

(how cool would that be?)

Wait.

Is this where all your previous failures lie?

Exactly.

Please enlighten me.

Your failures

weren't due to the materials, nor the temperature,

and certainly not your alchemy techniques.

The problem lies in this,

voltage.

To put it simply, it's the intensity of this electric shock.

Water and voltage are the same.

They both flow from high to low.

If you pour this water in a cup

onto a person, there won't be any problem, right?

Yes.

But what if it's a waterfall?

When a person is in it, they would be crushed and even killed

by the force of the water.

The same goes for electricity.

I call this phenomenon voltage.

I understand.

You're a quick learner.

Is all this information in that alchemy manual as well?

Of course.

And I'm the only one who has seen and studied that manual.

The notes I sent to the Astronomical Bureau were just a drop in the ocean.

That alchemy manual not only contains knowledge,

but also many, many unheard-of alchemy techniques.

I've decided to share this manual with the Astronomical Bureau.

- Great. - That's great!

The blue book I sent last time was a thank you for saving me.

But I just helped you perfect the refining of fake tax silver

and taught you about voltage.

These are not free.

Always remember, the principle of alchemy is...

Equivalent

exchange.

Of course.

Brother, how much do you want?

How crude.

Alchemy techniques can't be measured with silver.

(The things that cost nothing are the most valuable.)

Everything's ready?

Huan

Qian

Yang?

It's Yang Qian Huan, my senior.

The only array master in the Dafeng.

And these two things are?

Those two things are gifts from the Imperial Astronomer for you.

Do you prefer a knife or a sword?

A knife.

He likes knives?

Don't be afraid. This is a gift from the Imperial Astronomer.