Original subtitles

It's Minister Lan.

He followed in his father's footsteps.

He let the kingdom down.

Minister Lan.

You lost.

You've disgraced the Ministry of Rites.

He should have been killed. [Secret letters with the enemy reveal the hidden evil intent.]

Lan Jue.

Drag him out and execute him.

[A League of Nobleman]

[Episode 3]

Your Excellencies, please.

[Secret letters with the enemy reveal the hidden evil intent.] [Shamelessness drives a son to follow his father's will.]

The murderer has been caught.

Interrogate her.

Your Excellencies.

All officials below the rank of three, except for Minister Lan and Minister Wang,

should leave now.

We will wait outside.

Take the suspect Han Yan in.

Your Majesty.

She is the suspect, Han Yan.

Zhang Ping.

You solved the case.

I want you to interrogate her for me.

You have to interrogate her carefully.

Han Yan.

Do you admit killing Xie Hao tonight and burning her body with the Fire Bead and turpentine oil?

Yes.

Why did you kill her?

Xie Hao is evil.

She poisoned my water to kill me.

With my first sip, I noticed a weird smell.

I survived, but this little sip

caused me to have a miscarriage.

My poor unborn child. He died.

Why did Xie Hao poison you?

Because the other day, I saw her conspiring with the evil official Lan Jue.

Someone had evidence of Lan Jue's crime.

Then he ordered Xie Hao to seduce that person to retrieve it.

I knew about their conspiracy,

so she wanted to kill me.

Why did you send the verses written in blood?

Just to show their conspiracy.

Let everyone know their crime.

What crime?

Treasonous collaboration.

Treasonous collaboration is an inexplicable capital crime.

You are now accusing an imperial official.

If you slander him, you will also be punished to death.

I heard it clearly.

The evidence of his treasonous crime was hidden in a Rhino-Horn Bead.

I found a bead hidden under a candle backstage.

Was it the Rhino-Horn Bead you mentioned?

That's it.

Where is it now?

Under the bed in my room.

Minister Lan. What do you think about her accusation?

I... I really don't know.

Why did this criminal make up a big lie to frame me?

Please figure it out, Your Majesty.

You don't have the slightest idea?

I'm the son of a traitor.

Ten years ago, the imperial amnesty granted me to become an official.

I'm not an ungrateful man.

You still remember these things.

Traitor Lan Lin's treasonous collaboration is atrocious.

He is no longer my father.

Since then, I am the son of Dayong Kingdom.

I will dedicate my lifelong passion to our kingdom.

Your Majesty.

Looking forward to meeting you in Nandong Kingdom for our collaboration.

Lan Jue.

You did well.

Go and get your reward.

- But... - It's an imperial matter. You should leave.

Brother Zhang. How is it going?

Han Yan accused Minister Lan of treasonous collaboration.

What? Treasonous collaboration?

But... Minister Lan's father committed the same crime.

I heard that his father caused our army lose in the war against the Nandong Kingdom's army.

Isn't this a crime where the family up to nine clans get exterminated? How did he survive?

It's said Her Majesty pardoned him.

Tonight, I'm here

to testify your innocence.

But you let me down.

Guards.

Take Lan Jue to the Judicial Prison for interrogation.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty. Please allow me to have a look at the so-called handwritten letter.

[With your help, I'll win soon...]

Your Majesty. This letter is fake.

Fake?

The character "qi" is one of the characters in His Majesty's name.

When I write memorials, I always delete the little stroke above.

But the character "qi" in this letter kept the full strokes.

I think someone is framing me and misleading you.

Your Majesty, please find it out.

I know Minister Lan does have this writing habit.

But it's the secret letter to Nandong Kingdom,

maybe you wrote deliberately in this way to avoid exposure.

If I wrote this letter in this way to avoid exposure, why should I sign my name here?

Wouldn't that be paradoxical?

Besides, the letter seems to be written by me, but on the back of the paper,

all these left-fallings are longer and more powerful than the right-fallings.

It must be written by my left hand.

But I couldn't write with my left hand.

Every official in the court knows it.

Minister Gong.

- Yes, Your Majesty. - You and Minister Lan are both officials in the Ministry of Rites.

So, you know his handwriting.

Have a look.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, this letter is not written by Minister Lan.

I know that one of the officials who writes with his left hand is Minister Guo.

In our last gathering, after drinking,

he excitedly gave a piece of left-hand-written calligraphy to me.

This is fresh in my memory.

Minister Wang. You are too targeted.

That's my guess.

Minister Guo is not the only one who can write with his left hand among civil officials and military officers.

But only he has a motive to forge the letter.

Minister Gong is about to retire.

He and Minister Lan are candidates for this position.

Every official knows that.

Bring Minister Guo here.

Minister Guo.

Have a look.

Minister Lan, you are faithless.

Her Majesty and His Majesty took great care of you.

But you requite kindness with ingratitude.

You bitterly disappointed us.

Minister Guo. Don't feel disappointed.

Minister Gong has checked it.

There are many doubts in this letter.

This is a left-hand writing style.

It's not written by Minister Lan.

Your Majesty. I can write with my left hand,

but I haven't written this letter.

Minister Wang. What is the evidence for accusing me of framing Minister Lan?

Your Majesty.

When I investigated Han Yan's abortion, I found out the secret that...

you are the father of the unborn.

Minister Guo. Is it true?

Your Majesty.

He is framing me.

Her Majesty asked you about your relationship with this woman.

I have nothing to do with her.

Really?

I have never met her before.

My wife is the daughter of the head of the secretariat.

She is gentle and virtuous. We love each other. Everyone knows it.

And I have no contact with other women.

How could I have something with the vile musician of a brothel?

I risked my life for you.

Are you discarding me now?

Don't lie and frame me.

I'm a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. How could I like you, a vile musician?

Vile musician?

Am I a vile musician?

How about I take out the pipa you gave me to show everyone?

There is a poem inscribed by you.

How about I invite the doctor you called after my abortion to let everyone see him?

He knew about our relationship.

Your Majesty. I confess my crime.

I committed perjury.

What perjury?

My accusation of Minister Lan is fabricated.

I framed him.

Minister Guo asked me to do that.

When did I ask you to do that?

He competed with Minister Lan for the position of Minister of Rites.

He knew his talent and knowledge are poorer than Minister Lan's and was full of resentment.

So he framed Minister Lan's for the treasonous collaboration while you were watching the play.

What happened tonight was planned by him.

Minister Guo. You knew my schedule when I went out to watch the play in disguise.

How well-informed you are!

Your Majesty.

I was wronged.

I didn't know you would go out to watch the play and didn't frame Minister Lan.

Lan Jue. I knew you hated me.

But how could you do this to me?

Minister Guo. I'm the one who's been wronged.

What happened today is an unexpected disaster for me.

How have you been wronged?

It's already late.

I'm tired.

The Ministry of Justice will do the followup.

Your Majesty! I was wronged, Your Majesty!

Lan Jue, you are evil! I won't let you go!

- What happened tonight... - Your Majesty.

I... I was wronged.

Is interesting.

Your Majesty, thank you for proving my innocence.

I hope you always remember the oath when you became an official.

I'll never forget it.

Be quiet.

[Crimes were committed under the Goddess' statue. Evil Lan Jue should be killed now.]

[Banyue Pavilion]

Your Excellency is good at predicting things. One more verse written in blood came.

The murderer left a note that he will expose your crimes at midnight.

He sent the second verse written in blood an hour before midnight.

But he didn't mention the fake secret letter of mine.

At midnight, he would frame me for the third time.

Luckily, you got out in time.

- Burn it. - Yes, Your Excellency.

It's 12 o'clock.

All is well.

I think something was wrong.

As soon as I found the Fire Bead, I found the clue of nail polish,

as if the answer were waiting for me there.

It's tracking down by following clues, isn't it?

Well, their nail polish is useful.

My fingernail split.

I asked Boss Jia for some nail polish to apply and after a while, my fingers are hard as wood.

Look.

What did you say?

What did I say?

Did you say the nail polish dried after a while?

Brother Zhang, where are you going?

Brother Zhang.

Brother Zhang, what's wrong with you?

It had been two hours since we found the Fire Bead, but the nail polish hadn't dried then.

This...

It means someone just applied it.

Han Yan is not the murderer.

Not her?

Brother Zhang.

Who is the murderer?

Your Excellency.

How to deal with her?

Take her to my mansion.

Yes, Your Excellency.

Boss Jia. Please help Zhi Xia-meimei. She is crazier. (T/N: Chinese for younger sister or girl)

Let's see her.

Boss Jia.

Young Scholar, what are you doing back here?

The Fire Bead.

That evidence was taken away by the Ministry of Justice.

Where are they?

No one is here. The case is solved. They are all gone.

Solved?

Right.

The truth is that Minister Guo and Han Yan framed Minister Lan.

They forged the crime of treasonous collaboration. It was a lie.

That's not true.

All right. I'm in a hurry and have to go. I can't keep you company.

Brother Zhang. What... What's the matter?

Maybe... I was deceived by Minister Lan again.

♪ A lifelike puppet carved from wood ♪

♪ Resembling half god and half ghost ♪

♪ The new day is unknown... ♪

Miss Zhi Xia.

♪ ...when the drums and songs rest ♪

♪ Even now a distant moon is hanging on the sparse lattice ♪

Miss Zhi Xia.

She... What's wrong with her?

She was frightened by the play on stage and lost her mind.

♪ A lifelike puppet ♪

Zhi Xia is timid.

She is a friend of Xie Hao.

They are like sisters.

♪ The new day is unknown when the drums and songs rest ♪

Her head smelled different from usual.

[Zhi Xia, dancer of the Banyue Pavilion]

Miss Zhi Xia. Where did you get your head oil?

- Do you always use this one? - No. No. Get out.

It's all right.

She is crazy. Don't scare her.

Her head oil smells like Xie Hao's.

You suspect she had something to do with Xie Hao's death.

But...

It's fine.

- She is crazy. - It's okay.

You don't need to be afraid.

I have an idea.

Don't worry.

You finally use this bowl.

Hush.

It's the Water Bowl.

Water.

What are you doing?

This skill is Water Illusion.

It helps us contact Miss Zhi Xia in her heart.

Miss Zhi Xia. Please look at the water.

Xie Hao-jiejie. (T/N: Jiejie is Chinese for Older Sister)

Jiejie.

Jiejie.

♪ A lifelike puppet carved from wood ♪

♪ Resembling half god and half ghost ♪

Don't burn me. Don't burn me.

Don't... Don't burn me.

Don't burn me.

Don't burn me. Don't burn me.

Don't be afraid.

What all you are experiencing now are visions born from your inner demons.

Help me.

Help me.

Can you take a closer look at where these fires are coming from?

Someone rigged that lamp and caught the light with the Fire Bead to burn Xie Hao's hair.

Miss Zhi Xia, there are no ghosts or gods in this world.

No celestial fire either.

These are born from your inner fear.

Where am I?

In your heart.

I will help you to get rid of your demons

and let you return to the state of truth and purity

with peace of mind.

Miss Zhi Xia, I'll ask you several questions.

If you focus on the memory, you will reconstruct the scene,

and maybe we will find the real murderer of Xie Hao.

Xie Hao-jiejie.

Xie Hao-jiejie. Who killed you?

Did you see who changed your head oil bottle?

Changed the head oil?

I went out in a hurry this morning and didn't bring my head oil.

What?

Xie Hao-jiejie. I forgot to bring my head oil.

You are always so oblivious.

You can use mine.

I applied Xie Hao-jiejie's hair oil.

Zhi Xia applied Xie Hao's hair oil.

Is it a coincidence?

Did anyone else also apply Xie Hao's hair oil?

I don't know.

I gave it back to her when I was done.

Then we both dressed up for ourselves.

What's wrong with your ear?

This bloodstain is new.

In the last scene, the flowing sleeves of a dancer next to me hit me.

But the flowing sleeves are soft, how would they cut a wound?

♪ A lifelike puppet carved from wood ♪

♪ Resembling half god and half ghost ♪

It's me.

It's her.

It's her.

The tassel on the bell cut your face.

It's weird.

The hand bell is from the costume of the previous scene.

We should take it off during the dress-up time.

Why was she still wearing it?

How long did it take to take off the bell and change the costumes?

Without stopping, we can barely keep up with time.

Because this bell is hung on the hand with an armband,

it's hard to take off.

Maybe she didn't change the costume of the last scene

and just put on the costume for the next scene?

She saved this time for sneaking out to kill Xie Hao.

Who is the dancer?

At this position, it's Li Niang.

She has four ear piercings.

She was born in Jiannandao.

In her hometown, girls should get four ears pierced at an early age.

She is the murder of Xie Hao.

How is that possible?

She is kind.

Maybe...

She was too lazy to take off the bell?

Did she flick her sleeves with the same force as usual?

No.

Xie Hao was already on fire, and you applied the same hair oil.

If you touched the spark, you would suffer too.

She pushed me away to save me.

Only the murderer knew that the hair oil was manipulated.

She saved you.

It means...

she is the real murderer.

Li Niang.

Should I hate you or thank you?

Where is Li Niang?

She was scared after the accident, Minister Wang arranged his men to take her to see the physician.

How is Zhi Xia now?

She is fine.

Chen Chou. Put the Water Bowl away. Await my return!