Original subtitles

[Judge Dee's Mystery] [Based on the novel of the same name by the Dutch author Robert van Gulik] [Episode 9] [This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.] Rent arrears are just a small amount of money. Why should Mr. Gu be disturbed? That's very true, Commissioner. It's just that the cargo we found is not a small deal. It's the Modao. Our Tang army's Modao is well-hardened and extremely sharp. By the Tang Code, one can't keep them secretly or sell them. But the dockmaster confirms that over the past six months, there have been many shipments. The shipment I found included 100 Modao and 80 Fuyuan Crossbows. Mr. Gu, I'd like to ask you, where could an agent sell such a large number of weapons. Since Wang Lide is at sea, you should sail out to catch him. Why come here to spoil the Commissioner's fun? I have already told you. I've never hired such an agent. Mr. Gu, Magistrate Di said you hired that agent, but where's the proof? Miss Cao, keep going. Director Yi, according to the Commission of Maritime Trade's notice, fifteen Gu's ships entered and left the quay last month. There's a putty store at the quay. According to their account book, Gu's ships that purchased putty last month were more than 20. Putty is waterproof and seals leaks. Exactly. That means the Gu family has both legal ships and clandestine ships. I'm afraid there are also legal and clandestine agents. Magistrate Di, the Commission of Maritime Trade manages the quay. Each ship is charged a 10% tax. You said there are legal ones and clandestine ones. You're accusing me of dereliction of duty? Magistrate Di said that Wang Lide works for me, but the ship isn't on the Commission of Maritime Trade's notice, so it means it's a ghost ship. Mr. Gu, if your agents sell swords and crossbows, that's treason. I'm innocent. Please make a fair judgment. Director Yi. Magistrate Di alleges that the Commission of Maritime Trade is evading taxes. This is no trivial matter. I'll look into it when I get back. I've just arrived in Penglai, and I'm a little tired. I think it would be best to discuss this matter later. Commissioner, this is a very important case. Can you ask Mr. Gu to stay here so I can ask him thoroughly? So do you mean you're afraid that I'll protect them? I wouldn't dare. Tai, look. Catch him! Don't move. Don't move. Don't move. Don't... We're one of yours. What are you doing? - We're one of yours. - We're on the same team. - The same team. - It's a misunderstanding. It's a misunderstanding. Magistrate! Magistrate! Help! Magistrate! Magi... Magistrate! Help! Stop! Magistrate. Don't push. Move back. Magistrate Di, your men? They are indeed officers of the Magistrate's Office. And these are... These are Mr. Gu... Di Renjie, you've come out of the blue to set me up. You want to accuse me of taking a bribe? Commissioner, I have no such intention. Step back. Move back. Di Renjie, accept the imperial edict. It's the Empress's secret edict. Di Renjie, it's been found that gold from Baekje has been flowing into the capital through Penglai recently. Traitorous officials in the court used it to buy people's support and disrupt the market with ill intention. I order you to solve this case within one month. If you fail, you'll be as guilty as the gold smugglers. Look. It's a ship. Look over there. - Look over there. - A ship's coming. There's no one on board. Isn't this a ghost ship? Let's go and take a look. Ghost ship! It's so strange. This ship is going to crash into us. Run! Move aside. Make way. Hurry up. Make way. Search carefully. There's nothing here. Search this crate. Coming. Search carefully. Open these crates and find out what's inside. Commissioner Liu was on a mission. Last night, it was clear that he wanted to blackmail Mr. Gu and Director Yi for personal gain. But what did you do? You've spoiled his plan. Last night was really an accident. It would never be my intention. I told you to be careful. The Empress trusts no one now. If an official in the court is suspected, he'll be demoted or even exiled. You can't cause any more trouble. This isn't the time for you to show off with high spirits. Yes. Director Yi, did you find anything? Commissioner Liu, I'm on my way! Commissioner Liu, this ship is very strange. It's indeed a ghost ship. Really? That's weird. Did you check the cabin? Yes, I did. There were sailors in the cabin. All the living essentials are there. The kitchen... There's rice and flour in the kitchen. If the pirates attacked and killed the crew, there must be signs of struggle, but there are no marks of sword or knife fights. Could it be that they jumped into the sea together after being frightened? What about the cargo? It's just furs and herbs. It's not worth much. Do you know where did the cargo come from? That's hard to say. Tell me. Mohe, Baekje, Silla, Tamna, and Wakoku all produce these things. Judging from the style of that ship, it's clearly a Tang's vessel. I grew up by the sea. I can't be fooled. Commissioner Liu, I don't have this ship in my fleet. That's weird. An unclaimed Tang vessel. The sailors on board have also disappeared. Is it really a ghost ship? Come here. Let me show you something. Take a look. Can you recognize it? These are just two pieces of gold. What's the difference? Diff... One is placer gold. The other is Baekje gold. Magistrate Di, you're truly discerning. Placer gold comes from rivers and has impurities. It's this one. The other is fine in color. If it hasn't been purified, it must come from the mountains. It's said there's a vein in Baekje that produces gold in the shape of broad beans. So it's the other one. Commissioner Liu, if you suspect this ship is involved in smuggling Baekje gold, please allow me to get on board and inspect it. It's the Commission of Maritime Trade's job to inspect ships arrived at the quay. When did the Magistrate's Office take charge? Deputy Secretary Hou, what do you think? Why don't you let him try? If he can't find out anything, it can dampen my classmate's spirits a bit. Thank you, Commissioner Liu and Deputy Secretary Hou. The Empress asked you to investigate smuggling. Director Yi and Mr. Gu know about the Baekje gold but are playing dumb. You're the only one who's trying to be brave. Commissioner Liu came with a secret edict. How can I run away from it? One's missing. Maybe someone escaped with it. Magistrate, what's this for? Such wood rollers are used to move heavy objects on ships. Look, the crate was probably hanging there. After being chopped off, it fell down and rolled over there. It was here before. I'm jotting it down. Magistrate, they brought mushrooms on board. No. These mushrooms grew on their own. To grow to this size, it would take at least 30 days. After deducting the ten days of the incident, the ship came to Penglai about 20 days ago. If this ship set out 20 days ago, its country of departure shouldn't be Mohe or Wakoku. It should be Tamna or Baekje. I've asked the fishermen. Baekje. Baekje gold. Why is the rice bucket in a place where the ceiling is leaking? It's already moldy. Give me a hand. Qiao Tai, save him. Magistrate, Miss Yusu is here. Greetings, sirs. As you were. Please begin the questioning. Who are you? Where are you from? I'm from Baekje. There've been wars for years. I know how to make rice cake, so I wanted to stow away on the ship to Tang to sell it. Then, my brother secretly took me on board. Since the crew was armed with swords, he hid me under the cabin. The ship changed direction a few times during the voyage. It was strange. We came across a white island we'd never seen before. The ship was stopped there for a few days, waiting for something. On the night of the incident, the ship stopped in a vast whirlpool. I didn't know what happened that night, but my brother told me not to come out. I waited until the next day but couldn't move the boards. The next day, he couldn't move the boards. No one answered, no matter how he shouted. If you hadn't saved him, he would've starved to death. Ask him if he recognizes this man. Have you seen the man in the portrait? Magistrate Di, don't be fooled by this Baekje man. On the route from Baekje to Penglai, there's no island. This alone could prove that this thin guy is talking nonsense. Either he's mad due to hunger, or he's lying on purpose. Nothing he said is credible. A crew member has a weird tattoo on his body. What's he talking about? My brother said all the crew members had it. He said he saw a weird tattoo on one of the crew members. His brother said all the crew had it. Draw it. Draw the tattoo you see. Heiyan is back? Yes. Back then, you were too young to know. This group of remnants of the former era was arrogant and was all over the state. They were a major threat to the late Emperor. Then what year was it... In the 14th year of the Zhenguan Reign, they were eliminated successfully, basically wiped out. The remaining ones went into hiding. Who had the credit for that annihilation? Magistrate Di, your father, Di Zhixun, made a great contribution. Commissioner Liu, Di Zhixun's case has long been reversed. And there's no direct evidence proving that he colluded with Heiyan. Di Zhixun was threatened at the time, so he chose to commit suicide. But as you said, Heiyan has been in hiding for many years, but it's making a comeback. Magistrate Di, do you think they're the ones smuggling Baekje gold? The evidence we've collected is not enough to conclude that. Then why don't you go and investigate? Yes. Commissioner Liu is a government official, so the way he speaks... Don't take it personally. I know little about the past, so I don't mind talking about it. I just didn't expect Heiyan to be involved in this big case again. We annihilated them in the 14th year of the Zhenguan Reign. Today, we can do the same. With our combined efforts this time, we're sure to make it. There seems to be someone over there. Let's go. How are you doing? Thank you. It's the fifth meal. This silly guy may eat too much. He doesn't understand our language. Anyway, Director Yi told us to feed him, so why do you care so much? Are you sure he choked to death? I went to check when I got the news. No poison was found in the food he vomited. A starving man can't overeat like that. Who told him to eat like that? Yi Pan. Magistrate. Mr. Hong. Someone drifted onto the beach. It looks like a crew member from the ghost ship. Dead or alive? Alive. Report to Commissioner Liu and Deputy Secretary Hou. Hold court trial. Magistrate, this man stinks to high heaven. [Jin Sang] We've poured some water on him. You may go. Yes. Are you from Baekje? Sir, please redress my grievances. Are you from Baekje or the Tang? I'm from Baekje. My name is Jin Sang. My ancestors have been trading with the Tang for generations, so I can speak the language of the Tang. In that case, tell me about your ship. It's that agent with the surname Wang killed all the sailors. Do you recognize him? I do. I do. It's him. Wang Lide. Wang Lide. I saw him commit murder, and I ran away. He chased me to the deck. I had no choice but to jump overboard. What were you carrying when you jumped overboard? A plank. Wasn't it a gourd? No, it was a plank. I was lying on the plank like this. Luckily, I had a fishing hook with me. I fished every day to survive. It's truly unbelievable that you drifted at sea for ten days. You're saying Wang Lide killed others. What would be his motive? I dare not say. Why don't you dare? I'm afraid of being beheaded. Don't be scared. Commissioner Liu is here. He'll redress your grievances. Then I'll tell you. One day, on the aft deck, I overheard Wang Lide plotting with others about a large shipment of gold being smuggled aboard the ship in a big crate. Wang Lide also said that this gold shipment is related to many big shots in Penglai. One of them is... Tell me! One of them is... the shipmaster, Mr. Gu. He owns the ship. Nonsense! - There is also an official surnamed Yi. - This is a frame-up! You're a vicious slander! The magistrate also received favors from them. I think his last name is Di. I'm the magistrate whose last name is Di. Tell me, is your crew from Heiyan? What Heiyan? We're just ordinary sailors recruited by Wang Lide to support our families. That's not right. Someone said he saw the symbol of Heiyan on you. Where is it? If you don't believe me, take off my clothes. Come on, I'll show you. How improper! Adjourn. I'll take over this case. Sir. Sir. Sir. Search carefully. Don't let him get away. Shh. Stop. You... Mr. Heiyan? You know me? Last time in the forest... Wait for us. Lady, you just have to do it the hard way. It's you. Do you have wine? Yes. Can you play a Bingzhou ditty? I haven't learned it. Just play something. Keep playing. I shouldn't have said those two words, right? You should learn the Bingzhou ditty. Don't talk to me like that. Get out of here. Stay out of my sight. Get out. I'll be back. Mr. Hong, who is that guy? He's someone Master doesn't like. Your father is in the Heiyan. He is a traitor. Don't you dare say that again! What's wrong with it? Isn't that true? Don't you dare badmouth my father? I fell asleep. It's only been half an hour. I'm so sorry. Magistrate, it's my honor to share your worries. Your songs can always calm my heart and clear my mind. That's good. This case is a tough one. Lately, officials working for the court have gathered here. I can always hear the horses carrying messages passing through the marketplace. Even if I don't go out, I can still feel the ceaseless turmoil seething. You must be worried about this. Nice tea. Rumor has it that a gang called Heiyan is behind this. Whenever you play the pipa, I'm pleasant. I have some business to attend to. Farewell. Please take care. Why did you take me here? Qiao Tai found out that the guards said the ship was haunted. Haunted? So I asked you here to catch a ghost with me. Huaiying, don't be ridiculous. Commissioner Liu tortured Jin Sang, but the ruffian insisted that everyone from the Commission of Maritime Trade and the Magistrate's Office is related to the gold. He said I'm also... Do you believe it? Also, Jin Sang's and the thin guy's statements are consistent. They both mentioned the island. But Gu Mengbin said there is no such island in the waters near Penglai. Magistrate, please go back. This ship is haunted. That's right, Magistrate. It's really haunted. After you. Guanshi! This is the Star-Orienting Board. It's used to measure the stars on long voyages. I know that. They need it to determine the course. Commissioner, this is the chart they used to smuggle gold across the sea, starting from Baekje and ending at Penglai. Look, there's a small island here. It matches the thin guy's and Jin Sang's statements. This island may be the key. You mean the gold is hidden on this island? The top priority is to go there as soon as possible to check it out. There's no time to lose. Although Jin Sang talks nonsense and has slandered Magistrate Di, someone in Penglai must have something to do with the gold. If word gets out, I'm afraid someone else will get there first. Commissioner, the Commission of Maritime Trade has sent two warships to escort you. I'll be by your side and serve you. Take him on board. Yes. Move it. I'm leaving. If a lark wants to fly higher, it must go farther. Go outside and take a walk. Stuck in this cage, you could only be a plaything. Miss Cao An, I'll see you again. Are you looking for someone? What are you doing here? Commissioner Liu is going out to sea. He wants you to sing on his ship. It may be a risky trip. Remember, don't get on board. Why do you say that? Heiyan. Find an excuse. Don't get on board. Don't get on board. Thank you for reminding me. How's it going? It's red. That's right. Remember what the chart says? When we're 50 li from Penglai and sink ten zhang, the sea mud will turn red. So, we're on the route Wang Lide was once on. We'll reach the island in one day. Attention, everybody! A storm is coming. Secure everything on board. Tighten the ropes. Lower the sails now. Magistrate, it's dangerous out there. Let's go inside. Hurry up. Miss Yusu, what's wrong? Miss Yusu, are you all right? Miss Yusu. Ma Rong, come and help. Commissioner Liu invites you two ladies to sing a song upstairs.