Original subtitles

Are these only your speculations?

Yes. The phoenix head was stolen under the close watch of Imperial Guards. [Yunxiao Mountain, Suburb of Ning'an]

The phoenix head was stolen under the close watch of Imperial Guards. [Yunxiao Mt., Suburb of Ning'an]

This is the only reasonable speculation.

Then what's your point of bringing us here to Yunxiao Mountain?

It's getting warmer recently, with continuous wind blowing from the south.

If the thief used a sky lantern that night,

the lantern must be blown to the north.

Yunxiao Mountain lies just to the north of the Palace.

So I guess the thief recovered the lantern from Yunxiao Mountain.

We might be able to find some clues here.

Even if you guessed it right, it's been so long.

Maybe the thief has already cleaned it up.

If I am right,

it's not easy to clean up traces left by a huge sky lantern made of a scaffold.

The mountain is frequented by hunters.

Burning it could be noticed by them.

Burying it is the best choice.

Did you hear it?

All keep your eyes wide open.

Don't miss any part of the mountain until we find it.

Yes, sir.

You guys come with me.

Mowen, thank you for coming to help me.

You left angrily the other day…

Cut the crap.

I can help with the investigation.

As for your life,

I can't help you.

A League of Nobleman

Episode 13

Sir!

Sir.

We found nothing in the southern part.

Sir, nothing is found in the northern part.

Did you find anything?

Keep looking.

Yes, sir.

We have only eight hours left before reporting to Her Majesty.

What if Zhang Ping fails to solve the case?

Mr. Lan.

Sir, we got something on the back of the mountain.

Let's go take a look.

Sir, it's here.

Sir.

This is a hook from a crossbow.

We also found these nearby.

It's crude Tung oil, all burnt out.

It's really a large sky lantern.

Ignitor.

The thief was so imaginative and bold.

Sir,

I found the ignitor's cap on the mesh.

Here you are.

With no person on the Immortal Instrument's top,

how did the fire start?

The Immortal Instrument is a precision timing device.

I think the ignitor's cap was tied to the timing gear by a cotton thread.

That's how it was opened on time

to ignite the Tung oil.

When the sky lantern flew up,

the phoenix head was hanging on this hook.

But

what were these four ropes for?

Mortise and tenon joint.

According to Director Wang,

the phoenix head and the body were connected in mortise and tenon structure.

The phoenix head must be rotated to be detached from the slot.

While hot air made the sky lantern rise,

the two wood boards on the scaffold became balancing weights.

The ropes tying the boards were attached to the phoenix head by a pulley.

The ropes under stress dragged the phoenix head to rotate

and out of the slot.

The southerly wind that night blew the sky lantern to Yunxiao Mountain.

Lastly,

the thief shot out the hook of the crossbow to recover the sky lantern

and get the phoenix head.

He discarded the remains of the lantern because he had no time to bury them.

The cut edge of this wood pulley shelf is neat without barb.

It's formed by one cut.

These four pieces are exactly the same.

It's obvious that the craftsman is very skillful.

We have no time to praise the craftsmanship.

Is it useful to analyze it here?

We must find the phoenix head and the thief first.

The construction site is heavily guarded.

Only a craftsman could access the site freely and had time to cover the tracks

without being noticed.

And the one who is so skillful is by no means an ordinary craftsman.

I'll go check with Director Wang.

Wait a second. There're guard patrols in all communities.

The thief would easily expose himself if he carries the phoenix head into the city.

So I guess

he has probably hidden the phoenix head here in Yunxiao Mountain.

Jin Ying, Xuexiao.

Did you hear it?

Lead some men to search again

- and report back as soon as you find something. - Yes, sir.

Bai He, Yin Yuan, carry the scaffold and follow me down the mountain.

Yes, sir.

Even the department of Palace Construction can't make something so fine.

At the entire construction site,

only one man can do this.

He is Chang Wei.

Where is he?

Call him back.

He's already off work today.

He also asked for tomorrow off.

No.

He's running away.

Let's go check his house.

He's gone.

- Search the place. - Yes, sir.

Sir.

Sir. Look, the trace here looks weird.

It seems to be left by dragging something.

Let's go.

Follow the trace.

I'll stay with a few men and keep searching for some clues.

Okay.

These are the materials for making the sky lantern.

The dragging trace

was left by these.

The lantern post is carved with Chilong.

What's the sound?

Chilong's mouth holds the lantern base.

The base is inserted into the mortise.

It won't fall apart at a thousand feet high.

It won't fall apart at a thousand feet high.

Are you Chang Wei?

Take him.

You're simply a craftsman.

How dare you steal the phoenix head?

Who told you to do it?

Who?

I also want to know who he is.

What did I do to him?

Why did he frame me?

What happened?

One month ago,

my mother got very sick

and I needed money.

A man... came to me

and gave me 100 taels of silver.

Did he ask you to steal the phoenix head?

I would do anything to save my mother.

But he didn't show up for the deal.

I rechecked that box of silver.

All but the surface layer are fake.

It's all fake.

Fake. I was set up.

Who would frame a down-and-out craftsman?

Somehow my mother suddenly found what I did.

She was so angry that she vomited blood

all over her body.

It was all over her body.

I just wanted to save her.

But instead, I got her killed.

It's me who killed my mother.

I deserve to die.

Mother, wake up.

Mother.

Mother.

Wake up, mother.

Mother.

Mother.

There's one thing I never dared to tell you.

20 years ago,

I did something terribly bad.

I feared being silenced, so I'd been taking you to hide from them.

That's why you got the chronic disease.

It's all my fault.

Mother,

you told me to scatter your ashes into the sky

so that you could see the view from above.

Have you seen it?

[Tomb of Zhao, My Deceased Mother]

Have you seen it?

Mother…

His tongue is black.

- He took poison. Find a doctor. - Yes, sir.

Chang Wei, who is the buyer?

He's out of breath.

Chang Wei.

We're running out of time.

What should we report to Her Majesty?

Sir, the phoenix head is found.

It's hidden in a cave.

What we can do now is to report about the phoenix head and Chang Wei.

As for that mysterious buyer…

Are you a fool?

Do you believe we could get away with it by only telling her these?

Her target is Mr. Liu.

- Mr. Liu? - Turn Chang Wei's house upside down

- Make sure you find a clue. - Yes, sir.

[Confession]

Peizhi,

this is the case.

We can't find more clues and Chang Wei is dead.

You may write a confession in his name,

saying that Mr. Liu is the buyer.

- Mowen… - Who else but him could be?

I'll do it

if you don't.

There is no need.

Zhang Ping.

I insisted on looking into the case, which has caused all these troubles.

I'll take the blame for failing to find the mastermind.

You take the blame?

- How will you take the blame? - I'm not afraid to die.

I won't blink for your death.

Do you think you alone can take all the blame?

- Mowen. - Get out of the way!

But it's not an excuse to accuse others.

- Zhang Ping, can you just stop? - Get out of my way!

The one who'll die is not only you but also Peizhi.

Do you really believe that the Empress Dowager wanted you to do this?

You think too highly of yourself.

Her Majesty tries to punish Mr. Liu.

Otherwise, you would already be dead.

It's Peizhi who exchanged his life for the last two days.

If this doesn't go as Her Majesty wishes,

Peizhi will die too.

Mr. Lan…

It won't help to say more.

Zhang Ping, you may wait here for a while.

I have something to discuss with Mowen.

Mr. Lan.

It's time.

Mr. Lan.

Bring Zhang Ping, too.

[Xuanzheng Hall]

According to investigations,

Vice Minister of Rites Lan Jue connived at his follower Zhang Ping's rumor spreading

and contempt for the Empress Dowager.

He should be beheaded according to the law.

At noon today, he should be executed in public

as a warning to others.

About the loss of the phoenix head,

Chen Fei of the Department for Palace Construction has confessed that he stole it.

And the mastermind

is his mentor Mr. Liu.

It's obviously a malicious accusation.

Your Majesty, please look further into it.

Mr. Chen claimed

that Mr. Liu has been highly critical of the construction of Immortal Instrument.

So he ordered him to steal the phoenix head in an attempt to...

humiliate Her Majesty.

It's totally nonsense!

I've never done such a despicable thing.

No wonder.

Your Majesty, I've been wondering

why Mr. Lan's follower refuses to admit

spreading the rumors.

Now I see.

Maybe... someone else added fuel to the flames.

You…

[Judicial Prison]

Mr. Lan,

I'm sorry.

It's not your fault.

You've done the best you can.

But your father's case…

Zhang Ping,

if you have another chance,

would you choose to look into the case?

I would.

But...

I wouldn't get you into this.

It's worth risking my life to protect you

as long as you stay true to your original intentions.

- But… - If it's wrong to seek the truth,

then it's a wrong world we're living.

Put Mr. Liu in Judicial Prison

before confirming the day of his execution.

Your Majesty. Your Majesty.

Well, it's time

to go to the execution site.

Your Majesty, you can't do this to me! Your Majesty.

Wait.

Mother, as usual, I went hunting in the West Forest.

I suddenly saw a place with gathered beasts.

Those beasts were not scared away even seeing and hearing us.

I led the others near to take a closer look,

finding that they were guarding something really auspicious.

Carry it in.

The phoenix head.

Where was it found?

There have been some rumors recently,

which are sheer nonsense.

The phoenix head was not stolen.

It's a rare treasure.

And it has been given a spirit after absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

After absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

Therefore... it just flew away.

You're talking like a kid.

I'm telling the truth.

I think it must be God's blessing.

Knowing that I want to share your worries,

God ordered this treasure to come to me

so that I can present it to you.

Is Mr. Liu wrongly accused?

Mother, you're so gracious.

I don't think there would be rumors again.

Mother, I beg you to reset the phoenix head onto the top of the Immortal Instrument.

And that would be your blessings to all our people and all lives.

That's for the best.

Those who are wrongly accused... can be released then.

Mother, it's very perspicacious of you.

May you live a thousand years.

May you live a thousand years.

But the malicious accusation against Mr. Liu must be retried

to find out the culprit behind it.

The culprit behind it will be beheaded

together with Chen.

The case is about to come to an end.

I'm tired. If you have any doubts, let's talk about it later.

Let me take a break.

Only the Emperor could turn the table.

You may wait here for a while.

I have something to discuss with Mowen.

I wrote this anonymously.

Please be sure to forward it to the Emperor.

Be sure not to expose yourself.

You're risking your life.

I'm ready to risk mine too.

- We had a fruitful day. - Come on.

Your Majesty,

we found something weird while fetching water from the river.

What is it? Tell me about it.

There's also a letter with it.

Your Majesty.

"Break the enemy's formation with blades to avenge the people."

You wrote this when you were a child.

It's your vision to revitalize the kingdom

and let the people live a peaceful life.

It shows your lofty sentiments and high aspirations.

But now, you're obsessed with hunting and polo.

You are not aware of the dark current in the imperial court.

The people are not clear about your thought.

The Empress Dowager gives decrees.

Officials are busy fighting for power.

I'm afraid it's not far from the time of collapse.

When the time comes,

the imperial situation would be in chaos and people would not be in unity.

Internally, people would live an unstable life.

Externally, we couldn't resist strong enemies.

Your Majesty,

is that what you want to see?

Minister Lan,

as a loyal dog,

you must know the punishment

for failing to complete the task, don't you?

I'm ready for any punishment.

Guards.

If Her Majesty failed to kill Mr. Liu through my hands.

Xuan Ji would make more vicious suggestions.

Mr. Liu would suffer a bolt from the blue.

He would be banished,

and even get all his families killed.

At this point,

this might go beyond your power.

But turning a blind eye and doing nothing are not right for a wise emperor.

The phoenix head is presented to you.

For the sake of the people and kingdom,

please turn the tide and put an end to the case.

John Doe.

That's the whole story.

In this situation, finding the phoenix head by His Majesty is perfectly justifiable.

There is no other way.

But in so doing, His Majesty has to confront the Empress Dowager from now on.

I'm just thinking

that many judgements at not necessarily right.

Evidence can be conclusive in a case,

but the mind of those in the imperial hall can't be read.

I bet on the virtues of a man.

In our situation, we could only make a desperate bet

and give it a go to stay alive.

I'd better go on with my investigations.

But from now on, you must keep a low key

to look further into the case.

Zhang Ping, we're here.

Oh, sir,

when the sky lantern exploded,

the night sky was as bright as day.

- You mean… - I couldn't figure out...

why the night sky was as bright as day in the legend of divine retribution in Moluo Village.

Was it possible to cover the entire village by scarlet mist?

It wasn't until last night in prison that I suddenly understood it.

If a large sky lantern was used

to carry a lot of red poison into the air

and was detonated, the legend could come true.

Mowen, what's going on?

I went to Chang Wei's house for double check, finding a letter from Xuan Ji.

Did Chang Wei know Xuan Ji?

It was written 20 years ago.

Xuan Ji asked Chang Wei to pack up and go to Moluo Village.

It just proves Zhang Ping's speculation.

Chang Wei can make large sky lanterns.

Embalmer could make scarlet-mist poison.

They must have something to do with the divine retribution case in Moluo Village.

Moreover.

The time Xuan Ji told Chang Wei to leave

happened to be the same day your father left home.

- What? - It's definitely not a coincidence.

It's definitely not a coincidence.

Your father's case must be related to the case in Moluo Village.

The letter was written by Xuan Ji.

Xuan Ji must know something.

You'd better go ask him right now.

Chen already gave the mastermind's name. It's Xuan Ji.

The Emperor is sending men to take him.

You would have no chance when he's put into Judicial Prison.

- Xu Dong, let's go to Xuan Ji's Mansion. - Yes, sir.

I'll go with you.

Get in.

[Xuan Ji's Mansion]

Could it be...

[Huaiyuan Hall]

General Cao, please.

Mr. Lan.

General Cao, you are here…

On the order of His Majesty, I'm here to arrest Xuan Ji. [Cao Zheng, Commander of Imperial Guards]

Where is he?

He died of a sudden heart palpitation.

How could it be such a coincidence?

Mr. Lan, you must not know

that our master had heart palpitation,

which had become chronic.

The doctor warned him more than once to stay calm and rest.

But who could know…

Sir.

Sir, don't be so worried. Take this for your stomachache first.

Sir, as you told me, I sneaked into Xuan Ji's Mansion.

He is indeed dead. And he died of heart palpitation.

The servants hadn't dumped the dregs yet.

[Prescription]

Rehmania,

cassia twig,

red ginseng.

They are for treating heart palpitation.

The prescription is an exclusive one.

This person has many diseases,

and is suffering from all sorts of pains.

So Xuan Ji really had heart palpitation?

Then it's possible that he died of an acute onset of it.

Sir, you'd better have your stomachache treated.

Thank you!

Xuan Ji is dead,

but I'm not at the end of my rope.

[Dafu Tavern]

A League of Nobleman