Original subtitles

I pleaded guilty.

Why are you here again?

We have a question, so we're here to ask you.

You obviously have a prominent family background, so why take the risk of cheating?

Are you instructed by Mr. Jinghu?

I thought about it.

It's just a trap.

Yes. My family background is not bad.

But I also know I'm good for nothing.

I'd like to make my family proud.

So I came to the Capital City to inquire around,

hoping to become a blockbuster in the imperial examination.

Later, someone came to me

and said that he could sell examination questions to me at a high price.

I was at a loss and fell into his trap.

So you planned to kill Chen Zishang?

It's all Chen Zishang's fault.

We had agreed to have both sides clear on the night of the lottery.

But he regretted it after he got the Guiyou number.

It took me so much effort to get him to agree to answer the questions for me.

It's almost done.

How could all previous efforts be wasted?

So you just killed him and robbed his essay?

I did so on impulse.

Mr. Lan.

Could you intercede with Her Majesty for me?

I was at a loss.

It was the seller who told me the plan was safe.

And even if things come to light, the chief interrogator will stand by my side.

But when something happened, he just disappeared.

Is the seller you mentioned a handsome young man?

He is an old man.

He was dressed like a boatman.

=A League of Nobleman=

=Episode 20=

I didn't expect that after checking Ma Lian,

there was still no clue about Mr. Jinghu.

But we got something.

At least we tracked down the seller.

This matter has to be dug deeper.

By the way, I have one more task for you.

(Exam Paper in the 20th Year of Yongxuan) There is a mildew spot on the seal of the examination scroll,

which may be a key clue to the fraud case.

(Yong) Can you find any way to find out some clues?

(No way.)

(It's so obvious.)

(Yong)

(This way there is no trace at all.)

Mr. Lan.

Mr. Lan.

I know.

I cracked the trick of scroll cheating.

(The 20th Year of Yongxuan)

A little sticky.

How did you make it?

Please look.

(Yong)

Grind glutinous rice into a thin paste, blend it with ink, and then bake it into a thin layer.

In this way, there is no abnormality in the handwriting.

Only the little sweat on your fingers can melt the rice paper.

It's sticky to the touch and gets moldy afterward.

This is how Mr. Yang got Mr. Liu's exam question.

I knew there was something wrong with this person.

Let's go get him.

It's my fault.

It's my fault.

My family is really poor,

so I took money from Mr. Shao to help him cheat.

He said that

the scholars in the imperial examination would definitely make trouble.

Mr. Yang.

They would definitely push me out to draw questions.

I just need to pull out the sticky scroll.

Mr. Lan, please check it out.

Shao Zhi.

You and Ji Wen will preside over the affairs of the Ministry of Rites temporarily.

Everyone.

Since Mr. Lan has handed over the Examiner Seal, the examination will continue.

I will draw the question of the examination on behalf of the Ministry of Rites.

What if I did so?

You have no idea what Mr. Jinghu has done for me.

My parents borrowed usury loans for my education,

but they were forced to death by the lenders.

And the person behind the lenders is Chu Fangtong, Minister of Revenue.

It was Mr. Jinghu who collected evidence for me and brought him to justice.

He has such great kindness for me.

Not to mention cheating in the imperial examination, even if he made me risk my life,

I would not hesitate to do so.

Do you admit that you were responsible for cheating in the imperial examination?

Yes.

It was me who tampered with the seal.

When I saw that Chen Zishang was about to draw lots, I secretly transferred them.

Inside were are Guiyou lotteries.

Of course he could get it.

It was also you who arranged in advance for the scholars to recommend Uncle Yang to draw questions?

I don't have this ability.

The scholar He Xuan admired him, so he volunteered.

He got you out of the game by dismantling the poems on the paper crane.

In this way, we could cooperate together to make Uncle Yang draw questions.

He must have colluded with Mr. Lan to cheat.

They should be arrested and punished severely.

He's the one to blame. Kick him out. Kick him out.

Kick him out. Kick him out.

No wonder he took the lead in making trouble every time.

Shao Zhi.

Up to now, Mr. Jinghu has no escape.

Tell me his whereabouts,

maybe I can intercede for you and give you a lighter sentence.

Mr. Lan.

His whereabouts are not known to mortals.

Do you really think he is an immortal?

Of course.

Whenever I encounter any problem,

I just need to put a paper crane by the Jinghu Lake,

and Mr. Jinghu will send me a good idea.

After solving two cases, there are still no clues.

Mr. Jinghu is really with great care.

In order to buy Shao Zhi, he took great pains to get rid of Chu Fangtong, the Minister of Revenue.

Don't you find it strange?

Indeed.

If it was just to deal with Ma Lian and Chen Zishang,

he could just report Chen Zishang with his manuscript.

Why did he do so?

Another person was also sentenced in this case.

You mean Mr. Tao?

He is just an outsider in charge of hearing the case.

Really?

Then why did the person selling the questions repeatedly assure Ma Lian that the plan was safe?

And even if things come to light, the chief interrogator will stand by my side.

His statement seemed to confirm that the chief interrogator must be Tao Zhoufeng.

By the way, after Chu Fangtong was dismissed, one of the four examiners was vacated.

Among the chief officials of the six ministries, some have retired, and some have been dismissed.

Only Dou Fang, Minister of Justice, can replace Chu Fangtong.

Therefore, once the case occurs, the Ministry of Justice cannot investigate it in order to avoid suspicion.

And Mr. Tao will have the right to hear this case.

Ma Lian is the son-in-law of the prince's maternal uncle.

Tao Zhoufeng doesn't dare to offend the Empress Dowager, so he would definitely cover up him.

On the first day of the imperial examination, paper cranes descended out of nothing.

Exam questions are implied in the prophetic poems.

To stabilize the country with virtue.

The person who leaked the question was pointed at Mr. Liu, a high-ranking official.

This caused the scholars to be dissatisfied with the court.

After

Ma Lian was acquitted, Mr. Jinghu designed the ghost pen holder.

Presumably, he wanted to incite the scholars to make trouble

and force the court to conduct a thorough investigation

to expose Tao Zhoufeng's cover-up.

It seems that we are also part of Mr. Jinghu's plan.

But why did he deal with Mr. Tao?

Could Mr. Tao also be related to the Moluo Village case 20 years ago?

At that time, he was serving as the official of Court of Judicial Review in the capital,

and he had never been to the South.

Maybe there's a clue we've missed.

This is the dossier of the Moluo Village's case of divine retribution brought by Mowen last time.

It's still with me.

Are there any clues?

Nothing new.

How about asking Mr. Tao directly?

Mowen interrogated him early this morning.

He was so stubborn that refused to say anything, just waiting to be punished.

What to do?

If Mr. Tao is dead, it will be even more difficult to catch Mr. Jinghu.

Seal of Tao Zhoufeng, Official of the Court of Judicial Review.

The seal of the reviewer belongs to Mr. Tao.

He was the one who reviewed the Moluo Village case.

We have finally found a new breakthrough,

which can turn passive into active.

What do you mean?

Since it's revenge,

Mr. Jinghu wants Tao Zhoufeng to die.

As long as we tell the whole story to His Majesty

and beg him to save Tao Zhoufeng from the death penalty,

we can make Mr. Jinghu take actions again.

Zhang Ping.

Long time no see.

You are Mr. Jinghu?

Your friend is sleeping soundly, defenseless,

like an innocent baby.

I can stay here.

But you have to answer a few questions.

What did you mean when you said long time no see?

Are you from the Moluo Clan?

You just need to know that I'm really here for the Moluo Clan.

What happened 20 years ago?

The past is way too heavy.

When my plan is accomplished,

you will understand the cause and effect.

Are you admitting that you did all the previous cases?

Are you the one who told the legend of Injeeten to the embalmer,

and the one who bought the phoenix head at a high price?

Yes.

The killer who killed Xuan Ji was also sent by you?

Exactly.

Why is your revenge so troublesome?

Just killing them is boring.

So

Whatever crimes they committed when they destroyed the village,

you let them repeat the same mistakes and die of the same crime.

The embalmer made poison.

You let him die in a poison sacrifice.

Chang Wei made the sky lantern.

You tricked him into making another one,

stealing the phoenix head, and dying for it.

Presumably what happened to Xuan Ji is the same.

Back then, he did evil to destroy the village in order to please the Empress Dowager.

Now you led him to frame Mr. Liu for Empress Dowager,

and to end up with a tragic death.

I just repaid them with their way.

Then why are you going to kill Mr. Tao?

Is it because... he reviewed the dossier back then?

I make an exception to see you

because I want to tell you not to interfere with my plan,

let alone attempt to rescue Tao Zhoufeng.

No matter what grievances the Moluo Clan has,

you should not stop killing with killing,

let alone implicate the innocent.

Was last night

a dream?

I dreamed last night that we both succeeded in the examination.

His Majesty hired us as officials in the palace.

Chen Chou.

Did you hear anything last night?

What?

I slept very well last night.

If it weren't for the stall today,

I would like an unprotected sleep.

But Zhang, do you have to sleep with a book in your arms?

Mu Yesheng.

This... Chapter 50.

(Chapter 50 of Strange Night Talk: The Phantom of Blood Powder, Mu Yesheng)

Chen Chou.

Why is this handwriting so similar to that of Mr. Tao?

(Brochure of the Persuasion for Goodness)

It's indeed Mr. Tao's handwriting.

Could Mr. Tao... be Mu Yesheng?

Did Mu Yesheng really work in the Court of Judicial Review before?

What is his real name?

You mean the one who wrote Strange Night Talk?

Yes.

The folk tales are all fabricated indiscriminately.

I've never heard of him in the Court of Judicial Review.

(Isn't this the place where Mu Yesheng studied mysterious cases?)

(Exactly as written in the book.)

(All this is certainly not fabricated.)

(20 years ago, Mu Yesheng must be working in the Court of Judicial Review.)

No way.

How could Mr. Tao be Mu Yesheng?

Mu Yesheng said that if everyone cares about the truth,

there will be nowhere to hide the darkness.

But Mr. Tao has always been confused in judging the case,

and even covered up the truth to shield the murderer.

Also, the manuscript is also very strange.

Why did the people in the book seem to

have been poisoned by scarlet mist and died?

And Strange Night Talk has only 49 chapters.

Before finishing it, Mu Yesheng stopped writing.

How could there be chapter 50?

I see.

Is Mr. Jinghu trying to tell you that

all the truth is hidden in this unpublicized manuscript?

No.

I am going to see Mr. Tao.

But Mr. Tao has already been imprisoned in Judicial Prison.

It is forbidden to visit the felons.

I will ask Mr. Lan for help.

I've asked Mowen for a favor.

But time's tight.

We have to find a way to get what we want soon.

Mr. Tao.

Have you read the chapter 50 of Strange Night Talk?

The book is about a murder case in the capital.

Hui'an Pharmacy was filled with scarlet mist overnight,

and the whole family of nine members froze and died instantly.

And the protagonist in the book,

Mu Yesheng, the Official of the Court of Judicial Review,

after an overnight investigation,

found that the scarlet mist was a kind of poison,

which was developed by an imperial physician.

Mu Yesheng was going to investigate.

But the story ends here.

Why are you talking about this with me?

The book was written by you.

You are Mu Yesheng. Right?

A few months ago, the embalmer killed several people with scarlet mist poison.

You were also involved.

Presumably you have also seen the file of the case closed by the Minister of Justice.

The method of committing the crime is exactly the same as that written in your book.

Mr. Tao.

Did you find something back then

so that you didn't continue to finish writing this book?

I won't say anything.

You should go.

Who is the murderer behind the Moluo Village case

that you dare not confide in a single word?

I'm dying.

Why are you still pushing me?

Mr. Lan, you don't need to ask anymore.

He can't be Mu Yesheng.

This might be Mr. Jinghu's trick.

He forged it by imitating Mr. Tao's handwriting.

- Zhang Ping. - Isn't it possible?

As you can see,

Mr. Tao is a cowardly and mediocre official

who bullies the weak and fears the tough.

He only blurs the line between right and wrong,

while Mu Yesheng hates injustice like poison.

They are totally different.

(Strange Night Talk)

I grew up reading Mu Yesheng's book since I was a child.

I have always regarded him as a role model all my life.

Before coming to the capital, I traveled around with my master,

went to various places in his book,

and listed all the false inferences in the book one by one,

so that one day I could enter the Court of Judicial Review

and talk to Mu Yesheng face to face.

But if Mu Yesheng is just a person who lies in the book,

I would rather never read his book.

If everyone cares about the truth, there will be nowhere to hide the darkness?

So ridiculous.

Zhang Ping!

Chapter 42,

Resurrection from the Grave.

I can't even remember

how Mu Yesheng escaped

from being trapped in the tomb.

Perhaps the former Mu Yesheng

would try his best and always persevere.

But now Tao Zhoufeng has lost all his vigor.

All right.

I have been a coward for 20 years.

Tonight

I will be

Mu Yesheng again.

20 years ago,

I was just an official of the Court of Judicial Review,

responsible for reviewing dossiers submitted by localities.

One day, I received an urgent dossier from Lingnan District,

which stated that

there was a Moluo Village on the border between our country and Nandong Country.

All the villagers died overnight unmoved,

their bodies were gray and cracked,

and their skin was stiff.

The local government went to investigate,

but got no clue.

They only heard from nearby villagers that

there was a vision of scarlet mist falling from the sky that night.

And this village advocated witchcraft,

it seemed to have been condemned by heaven.

I immediately thought of

the Hui'an Pharmacy extermination case

that just happened in the capital.

Hui'an Pharmacy?

Isn't that the physician's family that the embalmer took revenge on?

(All stiffened and died)

Yes.

The method of death of the deceased in the two cases was exactly the same.

(Stiff as if frozen and dead)

(All stiffened and died)

(Stiff as if frozen and dead)

At that time, I thought that

the two cases might be related in some way,

so I re-investigated the Hui'an Pharmacy extermination case.

In the corner of the crime scene,

I found a medicine bottle specially used by the Imperial Medical Academy.

The red powder remaining in the bottle is highly toxic.

I guess

the people in Hui'an Pharmacy were poisoned by this to death.

Could it be that the embalmer used to be an imperial physician?

I took the medicine bottle

and went to Imperial Medical Academy to investigate,

and learned that an imperial doctor who specialized in poison manufacturing

disappeared mysteriously after Moluo Village being wiped out.

After tracing all the way,

I found that after Moluo Village being wiped out.

He had left the capital for a period of time

along with Xuan Ji, Chief of Imperial Astronomy

and Chang Wei, Official of Ministry of Works.

Some officials saw the three people going southward together

near the post station.

Chang Wei also had an official position?

Didn't Xuan Ji say that they were professionals recruited from the folk?

What's even weirder is that

I went to investigate Chang Wei

and found that he also disappeared after the Moluo Village's case.

I suspect that everyone involved in this matter was killed

except for Xuan Ji.

If the embalmer was from the Imperial Medical Academy

and Chang Wei was from the Ministry of Works,

the massacre of the village would not be able to be dispatched by Xuan Ji,

the mere head of the Department of Incantation.

You thought the same as I did.

When I realized that a lot was involved behind this,

I should have stopped in time.

But I couldn't hold back and continued to check.

As expected,

I discovered... a deeper secret.

What secret?

The embalmer... was not only an imperial doctor,

but also favored by the Empress Dowager,

and developed various poisons for her.

At that time Empress Dowager's position was not yet secure.

In order to control the government, she often poisoned palace officials

and even ministers who disobeyed her.

Empress Dowager?

You are right.

The case of Moluo Village was probably

ordered by the Empress Dowager.

Tao Zhoufeng shielded the real culprit of murder and fraud,

which can't be tolerated by legal principle.

But he escaped with bare life,

which has aroused the anger of the scholars.

Now he knelt outside the imperial city and refused to leave.

People have been talking about it.

They thought that the cover-up

was ordered by the imperial court behind the backs.

Since you understand public opinion,

you should not change your sentence.

Only in this way can you rectify the name of the court.

But Mother...

Didn't you say all these things in the court that day?

No worries.

After all, you are not yet in charge.

If you order a wrong decree,

I will naturally correct it for you.

Thank you for your teaching.

Is that why

you stopped writing that year?

Of course I wanted to defend the injustice

and reveal the whole truth.

But from the moment I knew this secret,

I could no longer be Mu Yesheng who hated injustice like poison.

How can a mayfly shake a tree?

That's the Empress Dowager.

I couldn't make it.

Neither you nor Mr. Lan can make it.

So Mr. Jinghu hates you

because you didn't report it when you knew about it.

It's been 20 years.

I thought those people

would have been killed by the Empress Dowager long ago.

It wasn't until

the embalmer reappeared a few days ago and killed several people,

and the Empress Dowager asked about it in the court,

that I realized that it was not over yet.

Later,

the phoenix head was stolen

and Xuan Ji died suddenly.

All these are aimed at the participants

who slaughtered the village back then.

I became vigilant in my heart.

Mr. Jinghu has already figured out my weakness.

He is ruthless and scheming.

I lost sincerely convinced.

It's ridiculous that

I have been terrified and frightened for the past 20 years,

and sought temporary peace.

In the end, I still have to die.

What's the point?

What's the point?

Mr. Tao.

You won't die.

We have interceded with His Majesty.

You are thinking too simply.

Some things cannot be escaped.

Presumably, the Empress Dowager has already known about

the chapter 50 of Strange Night Talk.

Zhang Ping.

Back then when I saw you were obsessed with investigating cases

and had an upright personality,

you were very much like me back then.

But the reality is so.

If you were me,

what would you do?

(Strange Night Talk)

Eunuch Ying Xi, why did you come here in person at such a late hour?

Here comes the killer.

You'd better go.

But...

I didn't find the answer to that question just now.

Hope you can find it.

Go.

If not, Mowen would be implicated.

Eunuch.

Hard work for you.

I have a few words

to say to Mr. Tao in private.

Mr. Wang, please leave us alone.

Please.

Mr. Wang.

Leave us alone.

Okay.

Eunuch, you came at late night,

is it because of the Empress Dowager's order?

Poisoned wine runs through the intestines.

A dagger hurts the heart.

For the sake of serving the imperial court for more than 30 years,

Empress Dowager rewards you

with a complete corpse.

Tomorrow morning, the people in the Capital City will know that

you committed suicide in prison

because you felt ashamed of the imperial court

for covering up the imperial convicts.

Thank you,

Your Majesty!

Calm down.

=A League of Nobleman=