Original subtitles

Sir, I really am innocent...

I get it.

They are just putting the blame

on those who look like the picture,

- and frame them for the crime. - I'm innocent!

- I'm innocent! - Sir!

- Please investigate, sir! - Please investigate...

Outrageous!

Are you blaming it on my officers?

Men,

summon the witnesses!

Bring in the witnesses!

Even I'm frightened by such situation,

let alone ordinary folks.

Greetings, sir.

Rise.

Thank you, sir.

Leader,

I've mixed something into the ink on their face.

If they want to wash it away,

they will have to skin off a layer of the face,

or they will have to wait for at least a month.

These merchants haven't even learned their lesson.

The writings on their faces are still there,

yet they are already harming the people.

Since they are so unrepentant,

I shall order for the writings to be tattooed on their faces.

Unless they tear away their faces,

they will have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

Really? That will be so much fun.

The saying is true that bad guys can only be dealt with bad guys.

What do you mean?

So now I am a bad guy too?

I didn't mean that.

What I was saying is,

which Emperor doesn't kill?

One wrong word can cost thousands of lives.

Aren't Emperors bad guys, then?

Yi Huan,

although Leader said you could speak your mind outside the place,

but you can't be disrespectful

and simply say such things.

I know.

I know Brother Long very well.

He has a very high tolerance level.

Moreover, you are the Emperor.

Your tolerance is far higher

than the ordinary people.

Surely you won't take it to heart.

Am I right?

All right. You are so noisy

that I can't hear what is happening in the court!

Witnesses,

take a look at these three men.

Are they the robbers who robbed you?

Yes, sir.

They are.

All right,

you may leave now.

Yes...

Sir, we are innocent!

- Sir... - We are innocent, sir!

Wang Shi San!

All five of them have identified you.

What more can you say?

Sir,

I am innocent!

I really am!

I'm innocent!

Sir!

These are the drugs which I found in their houses.

The drugs

are the same drugs used to make the guards in manor to fall asleep.

Sir...

My mother and I were starving.

We wished to die early.

But we can't even afford drugs to kill ourselves.

How can we afford to buy such things?

I'm innocent!

Sir, my wife and I have been starving too.

If we have these drugs at home,

we would have taken them ourselves

instead of waiting for you to find it.

I'm innocent!

Sir!

Sir, I have investigated Gao Ji Drugstore and found that

Wang Shi San had indeed bought some herbs from them lately

which can be used to make strong drugs like these.

This is the written testimony of the owner, Gao Lao Shi.

Please have a look, sir.

Xie Da Niu,

Hu Er Gou,

since you don't have money to buy the drugs,

surely these drugs were made by Wang Shi San

and distributed to you,

am I right?

I'm innocent, sir!

I really don't know who Wang Shi San is!

Yes!

I don't even know who is Wang Shi San until now!

We are innocent, sir!

- Sir! - We are innocent!

Sir,

I did buy some herbs from Gao Ji Drugstore lately,

but they were to make drugs to poison rabbits.

How would I dare to use them to poison other people,

let alone to give these two whom I have never known?

Sir...

I didn't expect them to have even prepared the evidence.

Looking at it,

it's obvious that this is their old trick.

I think they have already agreed that

if they can't find the three of us,

they will just frame it on these three innocent people.

Outrageous!

All the evidence are against you,

yet you deny it?

- I'm innocent, sir! - I'm innocent!

Hurry and confess

on how you conspired with those robbers

and robbed the official's money!

Sir, we are innocent!

Please investigate further!

Outrageous!

How dare you pled innocence!

Men!

Beat them with 30 strokes each!

- Sir, I'm innocent! - Let's see if you still can deny it!

- Sir, I'm innocent! - Beat them!

- We are innocent... - We are innocent, sir...

Sir...

- We are innocent. - We are innocent, sir...

How dare him!

It looks like Liu De Zhao is determined

to beat them until they confess.

Leader, I can't bear to watch it anymore.

I must stop them!

Now my identity is as an Imperial Commissioner

sent to investigate Shu Jian's case.

Although I have no jurisdiction over domestic cases of Shanxi,

I don't think Liu De Zhao will dare to offend me as well.

Go and sound the drum, and get their attention.

Yes.

- What are you doing? - What do you want?

Brother Long,

your skills have improved.

Of course.

I have been with you for so long.

I must have learned something.

What is this?

What are you doing?

This is Sir Long who was sent to investigate a case in Shanxi.

Ask the provincial governor to welcome him!

Are you really the Imperial Commissioner?

The Imperial Order is here.

Don't you believe it?

This Imperial Order is really powerful.

Boss,

this represents the Emperor's highest authority.

Sir Long.

I welcome you.

I heard that you have arrived at Sir Shu's residence.

I should have paid you a visit sooner.

But I was too busy with my duties

to pay you a visit.

I heard that the draught in Shanxi is bad.

Not only you have to handle the relief,

but you also have to investigate the robbery.

Of course, you are busy.

Sir Long, you were sent to investigate the assassination of Shu Jian.

What is the progress now?

Did you come to me

so that I can offer you some help?

Indeed, I need your help.

Surely I will try my best to help you.

But you can also see that

I am busy handling a robbery case.

Why don't you rest first at the guest hall?

When I am done with the case,

I will discuss Shu Jian's case with you there.

Sir Liu,

the robbery happened just three days ago,

and now you have already found the culprits.

You are really efficient.

Sir Liu,

may I sit in the court while you handle the case?

Sir Long,

you were sent to investigate the assassination.

What does it have to do with the robbery?

They are not related at all.

It is not very suitable

if you want to attend it.

Sir Liu, I just want to sit in and observe.

I will not disturb you.

Moreover, when I am back to the palace,

if the Emperor asks about what I saw in Shanxi,

I can report on how efficient you handled the case

to the Emperor.

If you wish to,

then be my guest.

This way, please.

Sir Liu,

are these three the robbers who robbed the money and food?

Yes. All the evidence are against them,

yet they deny it.

Sir...

I have been framed!

Sir Liu,

may I

take a look at the evidence?

Sir Long,

you were only sent to investigate the assassination.

I don’t think you have much to do

with this current case.

You can just observe quietly.

Please forgive me

for not disclosing every detail.

Wang Shi San, Xie Da Niu, Hu Er Gou,

are you going to confess?

- I'm innocent! - Sir...

- I'm innocent! - I'm really innocent!

You are so stubborn.

I think you will not confess if I don't resort to great torture.

Men!

Torture!

Sir, please spare my life!

I'm innocent, sir!

I'm innocent, sir!

Now that all the evidence are pointing against you,

you can't deny it.

It's better if you just confess

so that you don't have to go through this pain.

Sir...

The moment I stepped into this court,

I knew very well that I wouldn't come out alive.

I can't take such torture.

I will confess.

Hu Er Gou, Xie Da Niu, what about you?

We are really innocent!

Wang Shi San,

You confess first.

Yes, sir. I'll confess.

I... Sir,

I really don't know what to confess!

If it were only the three of you,

you wouldn't be able to break into the manor

and steal the money and food.

Surely you have another accomplices.

And surely these accomplices were not ordinary people.

They must be the Ming loyalist rebels who occupied the Niujiao Fortress.

That explains the atrocity.

Am I right?

Sir...

Whatever you say.

Then confess on how you conspired

with the Niujiao Fortress rebels.

I...

Sir,

I am too old

to remember what had happened.

Whatever you say, I'll admit it.

All right.

Then tell us

how did you conspire with Hu Er Gou and Xie Da Niu

to help the rebels?

Well...

I...

Old man,

we don't know each other.

I don't care if you want to confess,

but don't implicate me this way.

My wife just suffered a miscarriage.

She is waiting for me to take care of her.

Old man,

I still have a blind mother who needs me.

Robbing official's money is punishable by death!

Sir...

I have no children or assets.

It doesn't matter if I die.

But I really don't know these two men.

If you want me to implicate them,

I can't do it.

Then I think you have forgotten about it.

- Men! - Yes!

Make him remember!

Sir...

I'll confess.

I'll confess.

Sir,

you are more aware of what happened

than I am.

Just write the confession

and I will acknowledge it.

That is the way.

- Men! - Yes!

Lock Wang Shi San up.

Yes...

Sir...

- Move! - You are forcing us to rebel!

Hu Er Gou, Xie Da Niu.

Wang Shi San had confessed.

Are you still going to deny it?

Forget it.

I can't win.

It's better to be beheaded than tortured.

I'm going to die anyway.

I will confess.

Sir, please tell my wife

that I can't spend my life with her anymore.

Please ask her to remarry someone else.

Don't worry about that.

Men!

Yes.

Lock Hu Er Gou up!

Yes...

Move!

Xie Da Niu,

now that you are alone,

what do you think?

You corrupted officials!

You have no conscience!

Even though you can fool the government

and fool the Emperor,

you can't fool the gods!

Shut up!

- Men! - Yes!

Shut him up!

- Yes... - Wait.

Why shut him up?

If he wants to curse,

just let him curse.

Xie Da Niu,

the Emperor is far away in the Forbidden City.

Even if you curse your lungs out,

he won't be able to hear you.

I'm giving you a chance now.

Either you sign the confession now,

or you will sign it after experiencing all forms of torture

I have here.

You corrupted officials!

You will go to hell!

Torture him!

Wait! Don't!

Sir Liu,

I didn't know this is how

you handle such a major case.

This is really an eye-opener.

Sir Long,

you have no idea

how ferocious and cunning the people here are.

They are just pretending to be pity

so that they can win your sympathy.

Especially this Xie Da Niu.

His father was a rebel at the Niujiao Fortress.

He was executed two years ago.

Not only that,

it was Xie Da Niu's own mother who turned his father in.

I really didn't expect that

when Xie Da Niu grew up,

he would still conspire with the rebels.

When my mother turned my father in

and caused him to be executed,

I thought she was right.

I thought my father was a treacherous fool

and deserved to die.

But now I understand.

My mother was wrong.

She was wrong!

This Qing Dynasty

really has no justice at all!

We as the people

must rebel!

Shut up...

Sir Long, now you've heard it!

Now you've seen it!

This person is indeed a Ming loyalist!

He conspired with the rebels

and robbed the official's money!

Although he does not confess,

I can already use what he had said

and sentence him to immediate death!

- Immediate death! - Sir Liu!

If you didn't torture them to confess,

why would he want to curse the government?

Sir Long,

out of the two of them,

one is your personal maid,

and the other is your personal guardian.

They are considered your servants.

But look at them.

How dare they defamed me in my own court!

Sir Long,

aren't you a bit too lenient

towards your own servants?

Sir Liu,

although ranks matter in the court,

the law matters most.

I really cannot agree with the way you handle the case.

Sir Long,

I may remind you that

you are indeed an Imperial Commissioner,

but you are only a fifth ranked official.

I am a second ranked official.

I do outrank you.

Moreover, it is clearly stated on the Imperial Order

that you are here to investigate Shu Jian's assassination.

Sir Long,

it isn't very appropriate

for you to interfere with my domestic affairs.

Sir Liu,

I am indeed ranked below you.

But aren't you scared that when I am back in Beijing,

I will impeach you to the Emperor?

Sir Long,

although the Emperor is young,

he is quite wise.

I don't think he will believe in what you tell him.

Sir Long,

you must have been tired.

You'd better go and rest at the guest hall.

When I am done with the case,

I will talk to you at the guest hall.

Sir Long,

please follow me to the guest hall.

Wait! Don't you know that I...

Do you have anything else to say?

Leader, why don't you show Sir Liu the secret order from the Emperor?

Secret order?

Yes, don't you remember the Emperor had given you a secret order

so that while you investigate the assassination,

you can also supervise the relief for the draught

and investigate the court culture of the local officials?

Sir Long,

I didn't know that

you still have a secret order from the Emperor.

May I know where this secret order is?

May I see it?

- The secret order... - I hid

the secret order in our luggage.

Leader,

why don't you follow me back to retrieve it?

Sure.

Sir Liu, please wait for awhile.

I will retrieve it now.

Sir Long,

may I send some troops to escort you?

There's no need.

Guardian Li,

you will stay on my behalf

and remind Sir Liu

not to misuse the torture.

Yes, sir.

Boss,

what do we do now?

If we can't produce the secret order,

surely Liu De Zhao will accuse us of falsifying it,

and he will turn the table around,

then the three of them will be finished.

Especially that Xie Da Niu.

He will either be dead or disabled.

Judging from this,

we can only fabricate a secret order.

Fabricate it?

Liu De Zhao is the provincial governor of Shanxi,

and an official in the military.

He is a second ranked official.

Although he doesn't know how you look like,

surely he can recognise your handwritings.

Boss, are you crazy?

This is my first disguised journey.

I am inexperience.

I didn't bring the imperial seal with me,

nor the yellow cloth used to write Imperial Order.

We can improvise.

Brother Long,

we can't write a secret order on a yellow cloth.

We can use the imperial letterhead in the palace

with your handwritings on it

and also the imperial seal.

That is enough to fool him.

But the thing is I don't have the seal now!

I can take care of it.

I will make one according to the sample from the Imperial Order.

Do you know how to engrave a seal?

Of course!

I've learned everything,

ranging from medicines to traps to engraftment.

I know it all.

Let's go.

Brother Long, is this all right?

Boss,

your engraving skill is the same as your martial skill.

Both are not very reliable.

If Liu De Zhao takes a careful look,

he can tell the difference.

The thing is he won't.

That Imperial Order is real.

He had already examined it.

He won't doubt that this is fake.

Then we can only take a bet.

When Liu De Zhao reads that everything in the order

is pointing against him,

he will surely freak out

and omit the seal at the last part.

Guardian Li,

when will your master and your sister return?

Whenever my master goes back,

he would bath and change his clothes.

Please bear with him.

Why don't you just lock Xie Da Niu up first,

and continue when my master is back?

- Men! - Yes.

Lock Xie Da Niu up.

Yes...

Guardian Li,

may I know which year did your master score in the imperial exam?

Who was his teacher?

He is a highborn.

I can't tell you too much about his background.

Fine.

It's good to be a highborn.

Done!

Brother Long, how are you going to reward me?

Reward?

Falsifying an official seal itself is a grave offence,

let alone faking an imperial seal

which will implicate your whole family.

Brother Long,

what do you mean?

Now you're turning your back against me!

I am falsifying it under Imperial Order!

I'm just kidding.

If we want to talk about grave offences,

Long San had committed no less of them.

But boss,

I'm really curious.

Where are you actually from?

Why do you have so many special skills?

Me?

I am just a nobody in the underworld.

To survive the underworld,

I must learn many things.

Or else, how would I survive it?

You are more of an eye-opener to me

than this Liu De Zhao.