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[The Ingenious One]

[Episode 22: Water Ghost in the Canal]

Low humidity! Beware of fire hazards!

Low humidity! Beware of fire hazards!

With the help of the Su family,

things are going to get better.

Just be patient.

I can't wait any longer!

Mr. Mo is accused of stealing official silver.

The government won't let him go easily.

They're good at extorting confessions,

and must have tortured him.

He's not a martial artist.

How can he stand it?

The guards are changing off soon.

It'll be the perfect chance.

OK. Tell everyone

to follow the plan.

Wait.

Mr. Mo is all I have.

Kang Qiao, please listen to me.

Just a few words,

and if you still insist on breaking into the jail,

I won't stop you.

First,

Mr. Mo and I are not people who strictly abide by the sect rules,

but we do act within boundaries.

It's never wise to offend the government.

It will only be condemned by the sect.

Second,

are you really going to break in like that,

with absolutely no cover-up?

If so,

you will only bring trouble upon the sect.

Third,

Guanghui Bank is practically

Mr. Mo's life's work.

If it is destroyed

because of your impulsive act,

and Mr. Mo is thus down and out

for the rest of his life,

maybe he won't blame you,

but will you be able to forgive yourself?

Losing Guanghui Bank is better than losing his life.

I just want Mr. Mo to be alive.

We need to make a decision now.

It's the only good chance we'll have.

Forget it.

We'll wait one more day.

I hope the Su family will do something.

[Shao's Residence]

Leave some leeway and speak only 70% of your mind.

Leave some leeway and speak only 70% of your mind.

Leave some leeway and speak only 70% of your mind.

Leave some leeway and speak only 70% of your mind.

Mr. Su.

Advisor Xu.

I'm sorry.

I should call you Chairman Su now.

I came here

to inform you as soon as possible

about the change of the chairman.

It's indeed a bit too early.

Please forgive me.

The magistrate is up.

Chairman Su, please come in.

After you.

Mr. Shao is very busy

and has been reviewing documents here since he got up.

If it wasn't for the fact that you're such an important guest,

he wouldn't have agreed to receive any visitor.

Thank you, Mr. Xu,

for passing the word for me.

But there's one thing you should be aware of.

Please go on.

I'm all ears.

Mo Bufan stole from the Treasury

and refuses to plead guilty,

which is making Mr. Shao very indignant

and furious.

Chairman Su, please make sure

that you don't mention anything about it.

OK.

[Jingzhi Hall]

My Lord, Chairman Su is here.

Come in.

Chairman Su, please.

Thank you.

Good day, Mr. Shao.

Chairman Su, have a seat.

Thank you, Mr. Shao.

[Liansheng House]

Yanan.

What are you doing here?

I'm glad you're back.

I'm going to bed now.

Were you waiting for me?

Right. Sit with me for a bit.

Where have you been?

All night again.

Stopping Kang Qiao from breaking into the jail.

If he really offends the government,

Mr. Mo will be in great danger this time.

What about you?

You didn't come back yesterday.

I left Liansheng House

and went to see Kang Qiao.

I thought if I could make him stay put,

you'd have more time to come up with a solution.

I looked for him till the small hours, but to no avail.

When I came back,

Menglan told me you had gone out.

It's humid at night.

Why did you wait for me outside?

I just want to be with you for a bit longer

while it's quiet.

Me too.

I'm exhausted,

but I have you.

Is it an alliance

or is it love?

I'm not sure.

So that's why she forbids me to do anything to him.

This sister of mine...

What a disgrace to the family.

Is the Su family really responsible

for what happened in Luo family's village?

Although there is no concrete evidence,

they did gain the most.

They were definitely involved.

Su Huairou left Nandu in the middle of the night.

Doesn't that make them seem even more suspicious?

You are wrong.

It's actually a clever move.

She knows the Su family can't escape this disaster,

and a direct confrontation with me

would be mutually destructive at best.

So she chose to leave,

with barely any money on her .

It might seem that she left the Su family's property

to Su Mingyu,

but in fact, she left it to me.

On one hand,

she already knew

my real purpose in supporting the Su family.

On the other hand, she was sure that

I wouldn't destroy what's an important source of support

for me in Nandu.

Retreat in order to advance.

Your stock-in-trade.

I lost this round.

But it's OK.

Let bygones be bygones.

You've changed.

You used to be so stubborn

and couldn't let go of anything.

Things are different now.

I have you now.

If the Su family didn't do it,

do you have any other clues?

You've been too tired lately.

Have a good sleep.

Don't touch him.

For the benefit of the sect, too,

Xiang must live.

He's a member of Yuntai.

What's he got to do with the benefit of Lingyuan?

I'd like to know the details.

At first I thought

Xiang was just investigating

Wen Cong's case.

So I approached him

and secretly helped him search for clues,

taking the opportunity to get rid of Ye Xiao's henchmen.

Later I found out

that Xiang came to Nandu for something else.

He is seeking revenge.

And I know exactly how

to make Nangong Fang his target.

You just need to remember

that you mustn't touch him.

Why is it

that you look worried these days?

Only when you've settled down

can I be at ease.

Go to sleep.

Don't go.

Stay until I'm asleep, OK?

OK.

[Shao's Study]

With so much work to do every day,

you must be very tired.

What brings you here today, Mr. Su?

There is indeed something personal.

Well... I was wondering

if this painting is Hanshan and Shide

by Mr. Feng Qiu.

You know this painting?

Actually,

I have an old friend

who loves this painting very much.

He looked for it for years

before finding out

that it's kept in your residence.

He dare not come to ask,

so he turned to me for help.

Your friend has good taste.

Yes.

This painting is exquisite in brushwork,

and vivid in depiction.

It's a real treasure

of immense value.

I happen to have a banknote of 10,000 taels of silver on me

and wish to place a deposit on this masterpiece.

It's just that my friend is not in Nandu,

and I don't know

when he will be back.

Sounds like a kindred spirit that's hard to find.

When he comes back,

I'll be happy to have him over.

Thank you for your generosity.

That was a personal matter.

There is also a public one,

and I was hoping you could kindly give me some advice.

If it's about Mo Bufan,

there's no need to mention it.

As the new chairman of the Chamber of Commerce,

I'm keen to do something,

as well as help lighten your burden.

Lighten my burden?

Yes.

I heard a few days ago

that the Treasury had lost 100,000 taels of silver,

and there were only about 70,000 taels found

in Guanghui Bank.

The capital

is expecting to receive tributary silver

and cloth from Nandu in a few days,

but the rest of the lost silver is not yet found.

You must be worried too.

I'm willing to make up for the rest of the lost silver

for you.

But... even if I make up for it,

you can't close the case.

Mo Bufan keeps saying

that Tang Xiao framed him.

But Tang Xiao

was never able to come and confront him.

I'm not sure what to do.

How about this?

I'll send people to catch the real burglar.

This way Mo Bufan will prove his innocence,

and Tang Xiao won't have to get involved.

Then you can make up for the lost silver,

and the case will be closed.

Thank you so much for your help.

Hang in there. We're almost there.

Almost there.

How much did it cost?

What did you say?

How much did it cost to get me out of the hands

of that corrupt official?

Gently!

Be careful.

Be careful.

Be careful.

Just tell me.

How much did it cost?

Thirty-five thousand taels.

Thirty...

Thirty-five... thousand taels?

Why didn't you just let him kill me?

Mr. Mo must have lost his head in pain.

Please don't take offense.

Guanghui Bank lost a lot this time.

I have paid the 35,000 taels for you, as a loan.

Mr. Mo,

I'll give you 6 months to pay it back.

You can take your time.

It's interest-free.

Fine.

Mr. Su,

I have two favors to ask.

Go ahead, Mr. Mo.

First,

please thank Chairman Su for me.

Second,

tell Yun Xiang...

Tell Yun Xiang...

Tell Yun Xiang to come and see me!

Uncle,

Mr. Su has taken over the position of chairman.

What?

Mr. Mo,

I'll inform Mr. Yun when I get back.

You should rest well.

Uncle.

Are you alright?

Tell me what happened

while I was away.

[Liansheng House]

Right.

Here we are.

You've been laughing all the way,

but you don't seem tired at all.

Let's get out now.

Let's go.

Come here.

Come on out.

Call me "boss."

Listen,

we're in our own place now.

Once you guys have settled in,

we'll treat you to steamed buns.

Call me "boss" and I'll get out.

Jiabao.

I only listen to Tianhu.

Looks like I've got an admirer,

right?

Brat.

Let's go.

Dealing with the government

is more tiring than fighting with the robbers.

You have to weigh your words

while trying to figure out what he really means

by his words.

You also have to find a way to be polite

which doesn't disgust yourself.

That's how the government is.

It's really hard to make them

release someone.

You did very well this time.

I'm only realizing now

how hard it was for my sister.

I was only dealing with Magistrate Shao,

and I'm exhausted.

My sister had to deal with so many departments

for the prosperity of the family.

All those offices,

and all those officials,

she had to attend to every one of them.

Mingyu,

these things

must have made you feel out of your depth.

But you've been

exposed to business strategies since you were little,

and you know how to deal with the government.

You really did very well this time.

Don't worry. I'll be with you.

Let's take our time, OK?

How is Mr. Mo?

He's OK,

but was injured here.

He can only lie on his stomach.

Mr. Yun,

I've informed Mr. Mo of what happened in the past few days.

But...

But not your plan to break into the jail?

It's in the past now.

No need to mention it.

Thank you.

Didn't I tell you

to keep a low profile?

But you're

causing trouble everywhere!

Calm down. Lie still.

This pain is nothing

compared to my heartache.

You had a great fight with Tang Xiao,

but I lost over 100,000 taels of silver!

Mr. Mo,

you've suffered a lot this time.

But since we're both serving the sect...

Stop.

"Serving the sect"?

How do you even have the gall to say that?

Kang Qiao, go ahead

and get some paper and a writing brush.

I'll let Master decide

if he's turning Nandu upside down

for the sect or for himself!

Go!

Mr. Mo.

Calm down.

I do think it's time now

to report everything to Master.

What are you up to now?

I have learned from Su Huairou

the truth about the east-coast

land purchase case 15 years ago.

According to her,

it was a member of the Lingyuan Sect

who plotted it for Su Linghe.

She was just afraid that you would retaliate against her,

so she made a scapegoat

of someone you can't mess with.

Maybe...

Or maybe not.

Lingyuan used to use force to create chaos,

but they have frequently intervened

in business affairs in recent years.

Have you ever thought that maybe they have changed?

And maybe they had already changed

fifteen years ago?

Yuntai and Lingyuan

have been fighting for over a century.

If some of the Lingyuan people got smart

and started to imitate us,

I wouldn't be surprised.

If that's the case,

the sect should have noticed it.

Indeed.

That's what confuses me.

We'll keep it to ourselves for now.

Don't report it to Master.

Mr. Mo,

from Tang Xiao's death

to you being framed in the Treasury burglary case,

Lingyuan must have been behind all this.

It's their blatant provocation.

We will have to fight them,

so why not get prepared in advance?

Do as I said.

I'll explain it to you in due course.

This small Guanghui Bank of mine

was only in charge of passing on information for the sect.

I didn't want to be involved in anything else.

But now they are messing with me

and getting their hands on my money.

Fine.

Since they have dared to play with fire,

I'll be sure to teach them a lesson.

[Ling Yan, Lingyuan Sect]

Sir,

it's an urgent message from Mr. Ye of Nandu.

Young Master stole from the Treasury and framed Yuntai.

Mr. Ye is afraid that things might get out of control

and seeks your advice.

He stole from the Treasury and framed Yuntai?

Young Master is getting better and better

at kissing the child for the nurse's sake.

My reply is

"It's OK."

Captain,

Mr. Nangong has replied.

[It's OK.]

"It's OK"?

Does he mean there's no need to interfere?

By these few words

he means we shouldn't bother him with such trivial matters,

but should make our own decision.

Young Master came to Nandu.

It will be my fault if things go wrong.

Captain,

Young Master has left through the west gate with his bodyguard.

They're carrying luggage

and probably going on a long trip.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Let's go.

I'll watch him cross the river.

[The day of tributary silver's departure for the capital]

Make sure you check every box.

We must depart on time.

What a nuisance!

Young Master, why did you leave without saying goodbye?

If I had known you were leaving,

I would have held a farewell banquet for you.

Sit.

So the government just released Mo Bufan like that?

I heard that

the Su family interceded for him

and spent tens of thousands of taels of silver

to get Mo Bufan out of the jail.

But Mo Bufan

did suffer a lot in there.

Young Master, you've at least given him a warning.

The Su family is the leading merchant in Nandu.

Now they are so close to Mr. Xiang.

Looks like Yuntai has established

a solid foundation in Nandu.

It's OK.

It surely is.

Isn't Mr. Nangong setting things up?

We'll subdue them sooner or later.

Young Master,

it was us who were appointed

by Master to manage the commerce in Jiangnan.

All set?

Mr. Ye,

there's no point in discussing these things.

Every August,

tributary silver from Nandu goes up north along the canal.

If you're here to bid me farewell,

why don't you watch us fight a battle?

Why did you kill the messenger?

Mr. Ye,

those tricks that Mr. Nangong copied from Yuntai

are really very clumsy.

Lingyuan should have our own way.

I'll give Mr. Nangong a surprise.

So long!

Captain, do we follow him now?

Forget it.

He's determined to defeat me.

[A relay station's dock on the canal]

I can't see anything clearly in this fog.

You get the same weather on this day every year.

Nandu's warrant has already arrived.

Just hang in there.

It's going to be over after tonight.

Although the warrant is here,

no one has told us when the ship will depart.

I wonder where the hell the messenger is.

It's getting late,

but there's no sign of the ships.

What are you afraid of?

We're in a time of peace and plenty,

and not in the past, when there were pirates.

Where did the boat come from?

There're no lights on it.

Wait.

It's an official boat for transporting tributary silver.

The house stood empty for many years.

I hope you don't mind.

If we can modify the layout of the courtyard,

this will be a perfect place for a foundling home.

To let such a big house stand empty...

Rich people like you...

Jin likes to joke.

You should be thankful to Mr. Su.

I found mugworts here.

One bunch for each of you.

Thank you, chap.

My father said they can repel mosquitoes and evil spirits.

Boss?

Crouch down!

Since you need to hold a sword,

it's more convenient this way.

Let's see if I can catch you!

I'll catch you!

Jin,

he seems to be a special one.

Is he from Jishan Hall as well?

Once, I was besieged by my enemies

and was seriously injured.

His father saved me.

Later, his father went out to battle.

I haven't heard from him for years.

Jiabao has stayed at many foundling homes.

It's all thanks to you

that we found him this time.

It was the least I could do.

I haven't seen him for years.

He looks exactly like his father.

I had never looked up to anyone in my life

until I met his father.

That explains it.

Jin even gets scared

when Jiabao stares at him.

I'm not good with words of gratitude.

If there're things I can help with

at the Chamber of Commerce,

just let me know.

Hopefully there won't be any.

It will save all of us trouble.

Boss,

what would you like for dinner?

I want to have steamed pork buns made by Tianhu!

Yes!

Steamed pork buns made by Tianhu!

No problem. We'll make them when we get back.

You're going to help me.

Come and have a look.

I like this.

This one?

I want this one.

This one looks good too.

They're all pretty.

I like this one.

Jin,

tell all your friends,

orphans

and unattended children are all welcome here.

We'll sponsor it.

They can stay here for the next few years.

We'll figure something out when they grow up.

We need to find kind and patient people

to be in charge of their future education.

Sure, as long as it's good for the kids.

Out the way!

Out of the way! Emergency order from the government!

Emergency order from the government!

Out the way!

Emergency order from Nandu and Jiangnan Government Offices

to close markets and borders!

Close borders?

[Qing'an Gate]

Why did they close the gate in the middle of the day?

Waiter.

Coming!

What's going on?

Why is the gate closed in the middle of the day?

I don't know exactly.

There're all kinds of rumors.

Anyway, it's the same in all of the towns around here.

The city opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m.

according to the law.

There should be a reason for closing the city during the day.

A reason?

I really don't know.

Maybe you could try

and listen to those guys over there.

The official silver

was lost and then found half a month ago.

But then they lost it again.

It's so strange.

You really don't know what it was?

No, what was it?

It was the water ghost!

Water ghost?

The water ghost used a trick called "Five Ghosts Moving Mountains"

to rob the government's treasury.

Mr. Shao had to ask a Taoist priest

to suppress it with the official seal

and got the money back.

So what's this now?

The water ghost has done it again?

It's said that a fisherman saw a water ghost

get on a boat

and eat all the soldiers last night.

Really? That's so creepy!

Yeah, exactly.

If so,

why don't they just ask that Taoist priest

to help get the money back again?

Why are they making such a fuss?

Is it that the water ghost might run away

or that the Taoist priest might go on retreat?

What do you know?

If it's not the water ghost,

then how did all the money disappear?

-Yeah. -Exactly.

Arrest them all!

Yes, sir!

Spreading rumors.

This guy, this, this and that one.

Arrest them all!

Stop!

Don't move!

What?

Despite such a serious case,

you're arresting people for no reason

instead of soothing them.

What reason is there?

Reason?

I am the reason!

Guards!

Arrest all three of them!

W-What are you doing?

How dare you!

I'm warning you!

[Commanding Officer, Beidu Dept. of Imperial Security]

[Li Bo, Sheriff of Beidu Dept. of Imperial Security]

Please, sir...

I'm Liu Gongquan.

[Liu Gongquan, Commanding Officer of Beidu Dept. of Imperial Security]

Nice to meet you.

The renowned imperial guard of Jiangnan?

Mr. Liu, nice to meet you.

The government offices of Nandu and Jiangnan

issued an urgent order.

I'm just following that.

Imperial guards...

Imperial guards are not allowed to interfere either.

Uncle,

looks like your prestige is not very helpful.

If being an imperial guard not enough,

what about being a princess?

How dare you draw your sword at me?

[Princess Mingzhu]

Do you have some kind of death wish?

Your Highness.

On your knees now!

Your Highness!

I'm terribly sorry

to have offended you.

I'm terribly sorry.

I'm sorry.

[Liansheng House]

Goodbye, sir.

Sorry, sir.

Please come back later.

You're asked to close so often theses days.

I can't even have a good time.

They're strict orders from the government.

We have no choice.

I only heard that 100,000 taels of silver

disappeared during the night.

All counties within a hundred miles

along the canal are closed and strictly guarded.

Do you know the details?

There're all kinds of rumors

which aren't credible.

And the government is keeping quiet.

This is by no means an ordinary case.

Nor is the offender an ordinary person.

Mr. Mo asked me to tell you

not to take it lightly.