Original subtitles

Go.

Helan Minzhi.

Yes.

Right after the puppet is formed,

it will be like an uncivilized beast.

Within nine days,

her intelligence will gradually improve.

After nine days,

she will be no different from the original.

By then,

we can accomplish great things.

Yes, Immortal.

I will surely keep her under my watch.

[Detective Dee: The Puppet Mystery]

Fire! Put out the fire!

How did the Qianyuan Hall catch fire?

Go get water!

He must be the arsonist.

Wearing a mask in disguise

never means good.

Thaumaturgy.

Who's there?

Who are you?

I am the legal officer of Bingzhou commander-in-chief's office.

Dee Renjie.

Who was that?

I saw the palace on fire.

That man looked suspicious.

When I approached him,

he put up a fight.

What did you find then?

He is skilled in thaumaturgy.

Thaumaturgy?

May I have your name, sir?

Luoyang security officer, Han Yuan.

Luoyang is my territory. I will take care of it.

Qianyuan Hall caught fire.

I am going to check on it now.

Go mind your business.

Go.

Mentor.

Save the formalities.

Go to the palace with me now.

Millions of taels of silver.

In one night,

they were all burnt in the fire.

Shangguan Qiu.

Qianyuan Hall caught fire.

Who should be held accountable?

Your Majesty, please enlighten me.

Luoyang is the divine capital.

There are three celestial enclosures.

Purple Forbidden, Supreme Palace, and Heavenly Market Enclosure.

Purple Forbidden Enclosure points at the Qianyuan Hall.

It's at the center of Purple Forbidden Enclosure.

Whoever burnt it was dissatisfied with me.

I will go to Luoyang to investigate immediately,

find out the culprit,

and ease your concerns.

Dee Renjie.

Yes.

Minister Li have always highly praised you.

He said that in Bingzhou,

you've been doing good deeds to win the people's hearts.

I am just fulfilling my duties.

Your Majesty.

What official title should be bestowed upon him?

Well.

Your Majesty.

In Bingzhou, Dee Renjie fears no power or wealth.

He pleads for the common people

and exterminates bad people.

I

Recommend this virtuous man

and vouch for him with my life.

Minister Shangguan is unwaveringly loyal.

Your Majesty, to allocate talents based on aptitude

is good for the nation.

Good.

Then let's follow the Empress' suggestion.

Bestow upon Dee Renjie the title of Aide of the Court of Judicial Review.

Handle the case

together with Shangguan Qiu.

At your command.

Li Qingfang.

Yes.

Li Qingfang is the commander of the Plum Blossom Guard Agency

and also my personal bodyguard.

This time,

she will go with you.

- At your command. - At your command.

Stop right there.

Who's there?

Why is it you again?

Oh, it's you.

What do you mean?

I'm the one asking you a question.

I...

I am who I am.

Cut the chatter.

Aren't you that legal officer?

How did you get in?

How dare you!

This is Judge Dee, Aide of the Court of Judicial Review,

appointed by the Empress.

He's here to investigate the case of the fire at Qianyuan Hall.

Good heavens!

A few days ago, you...

I just got promoted.

Judge Dee.

I had people work on this a full day and night.

I questioned nearly 37 eunuchs.

Outside this Qianyuan Hall,

nothing suspicious was found.

But inside this hall,

I found this.

Please take a look.

This puppet is not intact.

Both legs and the left arm are burnt off.

The whole body is charred.

The facial features are unrecognizable.

What is this?

Blood.

Blood?

Can wood bleed?

If it were blood, it would have dried up in the fire.

It really is the blood from the wood.

After the fire was put out,

this black viscous substance

oozed out from the broken parts of the puppet,

mingled with the soot and chill in the air,

and finally solidified.

The wood used to carve this puppet

is of extraordinary quality.

I've never seen such wood before.

Could this puppet possibly

be used to practice witchcraft

and curse people?

Shut up.

Qianyuan Hall is the Empress' palace.

Don't speak nonsense again.

Or you'll lose your official position.

Peachwood charms, trigrams jades and animal jades

are often used in the practice of people-cursing witchcraft.

The size of this puppet

is the same as that of an adult.

And it's not made of peachwood.

It doesn't look like witchcraft.

Take the puppet to the Luoyang Security Bureau.

Understood.

Get me the latest map of Luoyang.

Then go to the Department for Palace Construction

and find the construction blueprints for the Qianyuan Hall.

Dispatch two people under the Director of the Palace Library

to review the household registry.

I want all names

of the woodenware shops

and the carpenters in Luoyang.

Miss Li.

Have you seen this mask?

This is the so-called warrior mask.

Warrior mask?

Judge!

Judge Dee!

This is the list

of all the woodenware shops and carpenters in Luoyang.

You should review from right to left.

I rank them from large to small in terms of size.

Is the largest one

the one with the best craftsmanship?

It is not.

In Luoyang,

the carpenter known for peerless skill

who can make refined furniture

is Liu Da the skillful.

Liu Da?

Boss.

If we're robbing the furniture store,

we can't carry too much of it.

It's all solid wood.

So heavy.

The patrons of this shop

are all noble and wealthy people.

[Refined Furniture] The deposit and the final payment

are very substantial amounts.

Normal thieves rob jewelry and gold

as well as pawn shops and casinos.

If we rob this store,

our peers will laugh at us.

They know nothing.

Security is so strict in Luoyang.

There are secret guards and constables everywhere.

It's too dangerous to rob those places.

It seems that you detest a lot

the warrior mask.

I bet there's a reason for it.

Why did you draw that mask?

When the Qianyuan Hall was on fire,

I was outside the palace

and fought with someone wearing that mask.

The late Emperor had once established a Secret Guard Agency.

All the agents

were experts chosen from the disreputable.

The late Emperor appointed them as his secret agents.

The agents specialized in investigating major cases

and never revealed their true identities.

They always wore warrior masks.

However,

the Secret Guard Agency

was abolished in the late Emperor's late years.

Customers coming!

You must be Liu Da.

Since you two know who I am,

then it must be through a friend's introduction.

I will get to the point.

What kind of furniture would you like to make?

I will certainly

give it my all to make you satisfied.

I want you to make a desk.

Make a floral pattern with mother-of-pearl inlay.

As for the wood.

Rosewood

or sandalwood will do.

You have very good taste.

It's just that the fine rosewood

has long been taken by the imperial palace.

The sandalwood I have here

is hard and fragrant

and comes in yellow and white varieties.

Please tell me

which one do you prefer?

This doll

is lifelike.

There are leftover pieces from making large items.

It would be a pity to discard them.

So in my spare time,

I made these dolls.

If you like them,

I will give you one as a gift.

By the way,

do you know

that wood can bleed?

There is such a wood.

What's it called?

Chicken blood vine,

which grows in the Nanzhao and Yongzhou regions.

It bleeds when it is cut.

It can be used as a traditional medicine for invigorating and replenishing blood

and can also be made into a bracelet.

Can it be used to make a puppet?

It can.

Here, drink some water.

You look like a stray dog.

I am just afraid

I can't help it and kill you right now.

How dare you bite me?

You are just an animal.

Let's wait and see

what you'll turn into in a couple of days.

Can it be used to make a puppet?

It can.

I know about chicken blood vines.

They belong to the vine family.

It's not blood it bleeds

but the red sap inside the wood.

It's not like fully grown wood.

You can't make big pieces out of it.

You really know your way around it.

What I am saying is exactly just

making some small toys for children to play with.

[Not a complete human or complete wood]

Boss.

We've been standing all day.

My feet are numb.

Aren't we going to make a move?

Be patient.

I can't.

My feet are numb.

Rub it.

Here.

You came.

A thing is not a complete human

neither a piece of complete wood.

What is it then, sir?

There is a kind of tree

that grows deep in the ice on Kunlun Mountains

for thousands of years.

It has absorbed the eternal cold of the Kunlun Mountains,

just as tough as ice crystals.

It only grows one cun every hundred years,

which makes it exceptionally precious.

Even if you cut it down,

it still won't wither,

just like a life that can be divided.

People who know this tree call it

Kunlun Sacred Wood.

Does this wood bleed?

Who says the blood

must be from the wood?

Have you seen this tree, sir?

I don't have that kind of luck.

But in the seventh year of the Daye Era,

someone found it.

That was decades ago.

Who was it?

Gongshu Zizhi.

It seems

I should go now.

[Refined Furniture]

It's on fire.

Thaumaturgy again.

Dee Renjie.

Take care.

An officer!

Sorcerer.

I'll leave with this man.

Why did you meet Liu Da behind my back?

Why do you detest that warrior mask?

It is irrelevant to this case.

From now on,

you'd better not leave my sight.

But how can I do that

when you sleep?

You...

How do you know I'm not in the room?

You knocked on my door

in the middle of the night?

I heard the sound of you going out.

You're spying on me.

Aside from the Emperor and the Empress,

there's nobody I don't spy on.

A few moments ago,

what did Liu Da say to you?

Kunlun Sacred Wood.

What's wrong?

Hey, what are you doing?

Someone is here.

What? Who?

A girl.

Is she pretty?

Very.

Judge Dee!

Ma'am.

Judge Dee.

A clerk from the shop Refined Furniture came to report a case.

He said that Liu Da was missing.

Oh.

I know.

You know?

What are you

working on here?

We want to see what peculiar cases there have been

in recent years.

There is one indeed.

What is it?

A body drained of blood was found in an alley of Luoyang.

Drained of blood?

When did this happen?

Why can't we find the case files?

Don't bother.

The body was just found this morning.

It happened last night.

The wound is a bite mark.

The teeth marks are human.

The murderer was so nimble.

Why use teeth?

Disgusting.

Lord Helan?

Do you know this is of great importance?

I didn't mean to.

His Majesty trusts you so much

because you are his close blood relative.

But you are rash and impetuous.

If you handle something even more important one day,

how can you be competent?

Immortal, what exactly

are you talking about?

Don't ask.

Yes.

Liu Da only told me about the Kunlun Sacred Wood.

But it's hard to tell whether what he said was true or not.

After all, no one has seen it.

The broken puppet,

Kunlun Sacred Wood,

and Liu Da's disappearance are all key clues.

You should continue the investigation.

Understood.

What is this?

On my way to the capital, I passed through Luoyang.

And that was when the Qianyuan Hall caught fire.

In an alley,

I found a suspicious person in red.

This is the mask he wore.

You've fought him?

He was good at thaumaturgy.

His moves were strange.

Do you think he was the arsonist?

When meeting the Emperor,

why didn't you mention it?

I only have suspicions.

It has not been verified yet.

What do you think?

In Refined Furniture,

you engaged with a Taoist in white.

Is it possible

that the man in red was also him?

I am sure they are not the same person.

They were totally different

in terms of physique, skills, and even the weapons they used.

Liu Da and the Taoist in white

appeared one after the other.

Could they

belong to

the same organization

to jointly deceive you?

I've never

thought of that.

If what you said is true,

then Qianyuan Hall

was not on fire by accident.

It was arson.

But why?

I'm afraid someone

wants to bring some shady deeds

to light.

It is way more complicated

than we ever imagined.

Treat everyone without distinction disregarding their backgrounds

and judge by the law.

Lord Shangguan.

I won't be swayed by any side

and will surely act with justice.

What?

She's not a ghost?

Eight wen each.

Boss, how much is it?

Two wen.

Two wen, here you go.

Good, thank you.

Okay.

Young Lady.

A wooden carving sells for only eight wen.

This...

It's too much.

Young Lady, it's safe now.

You can come down.

Right.

He attacked your acupoint.

I don't know

how to undo it.

How can you move?

Young Lady, you have been so quiet.

Are you mute?

Young Lady, where is your home?

I will escort you back.

You are a mute far away from home.

What a poor girl.

Get out of the way!

Get out of the way!

Young Lady, let's go back to my home.

Then we can make further plans.

What are you doing?

Take off the doll's clothes and have a look.

[Not a complete human or complete wood]

What does this mean?

That night,

it was because of these words

that I went back to the shop.

Liu Da gave me that doll.

Actually,

he gave me a clue.

But you said

you don't know if Kunlun Sacred Wood really exists.

See.

The sacred wood is just one thing.

I think and think again.

Then I find the mystery.

It looks like someone's birth time.

Whose?

Only Liu Da knows.

Young Lady, please come in.

I am just a down-and-out scholar.

This house belongs to my relatives.

It is quite shameful to mention it.

It is dirty.

Please don't touch it.

Young Lady, can you read?

You can't speak.

If you could read, you could express yourself.

I could teach you if there's time.

As long as you're willing to learn.

Liu Da has disappeared.

What are we doing here?

I once asked him

if anyone has ever found the Kunlun Sacred Wood.

What did he say?

Gongshu Zizhi.

Lu Ban.

He is from the Lu State during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Surname Ji.

Gongshu clan.

Yue.

[Yue]

Tell me.

What does

this character mean?

I might offend you, Your Majesty.

I want to hear frank advice.

I pardon you.

In the 11th year of the Daye Era,

the Imperial Duke is already the realm's top timber merchant.

Liu Da has mentioned

several decades ago,

someone found the Kunlun Sacred Wood.

Besides,

he provided a clue with the character 'Yue' on it.

I believe

what Liu Da referred to

is precisely your father.

The Imperial Duke,

Wu Shiyue.

What audacity!

I am just saying the facts.

Please quell your anger, Your Majesty.

Dee Renjie, hear my decree.

Yes.

You are promoted to Attendant Censor

and remain the Aide of the Court of Judicial Review.

You are empowered to impeach any official in court.

From now on,

you don't need to hesitate to do anything.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

The character 'man'

consists of a slant and a stroke supporting each other,

which implies that people should help each other.

If one side is taken away, it will fall.

So we should live in harmony.

Man.

You can make a sound!

I thought you were mute.

You...

Try it again.

Man.

Man.

Right.

You...

A little louder.

Man.

Man.

Thank heavens!

I... I...

I'll teach you another character.

We have been planning for so many years.

Add a vertical stroke.

We can't fail

because of that puppet.

As long as she is in Luoyang,

I will definitely find her.

Are you sure

they haven't found out who you are?

What do you mean?

Last night,

Dee Renjie went the capital to see the Emperor.

I think there's something fishy going on.

Isn't that just perfect?

The purpose of burning the Qianyuan Hall

has already been achieved.

Actually,

you still blame me for letting that puppet escape.

Once this is exposed,

how can I live up to the late Emperor's last wishes?

What about it?

Compared to his last wishes,

I'd rather destroy her!

Why are you keeping him alive?

He must still have

secrets we don't know of.

Young Lady, when did you learn to curtsy?

The nature of courtesy is

to humble oneself and respect others.

Have you read all these books?

Reading books can make one knowledgeable.

The knowledge here

is indeed inexhaustible.

I thought you would wake up early.

So I made the breakfast a bit hastily.

Young Lady, we can share.

Please eat it yourself.

Besides,

you can call me Jiangyue.

Jiangyue?

I selected two words

from the poem by Zhang Ruoxu.

Spring river's tidal waters level with the sea.

The moon over the sea rises with the tides.

I have been studying for over a decade,

but I am not as good as you

while you've only read for one night.

I have a question

that I am curious about.

Do you want to ask

why I came to understand so much in one night?

Exactly.

I was abandoned in the wilderness as a child.

A mute hunter took me in.

I never left the mountains since childhood.

So I didn't know how to speak,

nor was I versed in world affairs.

Later, the hunter passed away.

I left the mountains to the outside world.

As for why I could read all the books overnight,

it must be what is mentioned in the books

that I am intelligent.

Do you think this is reasonable for you?

Yes.

Greetings, Lord Shangguan.

You went to the capital to meet the Emperor?

I didn't tell you

because I had to

report this myself.

What is it?

I have found who once discovered the Kunlun Sacred Wood.

Who was it?

The Imperial Duke, Wu Shiyue.

You told the Empress?

Yes.

What did she say?

Do not hesitate.

And do whatever I need to.

That's good.

We have a new clue.

Please take a look.

It is indeed the birth time.

Whose could it be?

Official Li, do you know?

The birth time

is similar to the Empress'.

Official Li.

Please think twice before you speak.

The year

and the day

are the same.

It's just that the time...

I cannot be certain.

Carving characters on a puppet

seems to be the legendary puppet sorcery.

Replicate the original form

as a surrogate

to do shady dealings.

Shangguan Qiu, this is nonsense.

If it truly involves the Empress,

it must be the trickery of villains.

This case is of great significance.

If it is handled improperly,

it could even shake the foundations of our nation.

Judge Dee.

Be extremely careful.

I understand.

Judge Dee, that Luoyang security officer wants to meet.

If that birth time

really is the Empress',

what will you do?

What do you want me to do?

I only hope

that you won't ruin your career.

You are delivering a message for the Empress?

Don't be smug.

I only believe in one thing.

What?

The truth.

You said a woman with sharp teeth

drained the blood of your brother?

And then

the woman was taken away by a scholar who set up a stall?

There's also a man

with a livid face and powerful martial skills.

Why took you so long to report this?

We truly couldn't beat him.

Judge, we have already found

the residence of that scholar.

Who is there?

You came after all.

It's been a few days only.

You are totally different now.

Helan Minzhi is detestable.

Great things are always hard to be accomplished.

We must carry on

our course.

I hope

you will show mercy at the common people.

After this is done,

I will be of no use.

As an exchange,

I hope you will agree to one thing.

Speak.

Freedom.

Judge.

The scholar.

You must promise me

to spare him.

He will live.

But he has already been captured.

Wait.

We have a stalker.

Keep an eye on him.

He is crucial.

Find out who he is.

Don't startle him.

Understood.

It's you again.

Who are you?

The Empress!

No.

She is not the Empress.

She doesn't carry the presence of her.

It seems you're also skilled in physiognomy.

Sorcerer, cut the nonsense.

Wait.

Who on earth are you?

All is vanity in Buddhism.

The Empress finds her way back to power.

I have told you

to send her back to Zhenyuan Temple as soon as possible.

Dee Renjie got there before me.

But

he will soon come back empty-handed.

That old fox was also there?

That's right.

The puppet has already taken shape.

The evidence is within our grasp.

Our wishes will soon be realized.

Alright.

I am leaving.

You can proceed as planned, Lord Shangguan.

Once we leave Luoyang,

send someone to kill him.

That Taoist in white.

Who exactly is he?

Who are you talking about?

I've never met him.

Have you also never met

that woman?

Are you talking about Jiangyue?

Jiangyue?

Spring river's tidal waters level with the sea.

The moon over the sea rises with the tides.

This is the Luoyang prison.

It's not a place to recite poems.

This is the origin of her name.

She named herself.

Why did you hit me?

Jiangyue

is a remarkable woman.

I met her at the market yesterday.

I got to know her.

And I want to be with her.

But you ruined it.

I haven't even asked you about her.

Yet you are asking me about a man that I don't know of.

This is utterly absurd.

You can't override the law!

Enough.

Come on, get up.

Be careful.

You say Jiangyue is a remarkable woman.

What's so remarkable about her?

It only took her one night

to comprehend hundreds of books.

Who else can compare to her

in the world?

I am no match for her.

Judge.

Judge Dee.

I have found

Helan Minzhi...

Immortal.

You finally came back.

In terms of intelligence and martial skills,

she is now far superior to you.

Jiangyue has returned.

Don't make any mistakes.

If you are still stubborn and don't change your methods,

I will tell Venerable Mingkong.

Jiangyue.

Take this sword

for self-defense.

As you said,

the Taoist in white

saved the woman

who looked like the Empress.

What could be the reason?

If

The birth time that carved on the puppet

is truly the Empress',

then there must be a connection

between her and the Empress.

You mean that woman

is a living puppet?

Wouldn't that make her the second Empress?

Perhaps there's more.

Perhaps

there is a third one.

A fourth one.

If what you say is true,

what should we do?

Take action now

and arrest them all.

Escort them back to the capital

for the Emperor's judgment.

We don't even know where they are now.

Let alone arrest them.

You make it sound easy.

The Taoist in white

has appeared in Luoyang several times.

I think

he must have a hiding place.

So I've arranged my people

to search the city for days.

And we have found

where he's been hiding.

Zhenyuan Temple.

You are really a monster.

Such a large dose of the bewitching powder

can't even knock you out.

It's only been a few days.

And you've become so beautiful.

That scholar is a lucky man, isn't he?

With a curvaceous figure

and fine and smooth skin.

You are really perfect.

You two look so alike.

Sometimes I even

forget you are not her.

[Zhenyuan Temple]

[Zhenyuan Temple]

Where is Han Yuan?

I left him at the Security Bureau to guard the evidence.

You can resist the drugs?

You are the real monster here!

Move!

Capture her!

Understood.

Judge Dee.

There's no time to delay.

I will rush back to Chang'an tonight

to meet with His Majesty.

Please

escort her back to the capital

early tomorrow.

But that Taoist in white...

I will leave someone here to stand guard.

This puppet

is crucial.

We can't waste time here

in case of any unforeseen changes.

Who dares to intrude Eunuch Wang's camp?

Step aside.

I am Wang Fusheng.

I have been long waiting for you, Crown Prince.

Don't call me that.

I am only the illegitimate child

as that evil Empress abolished me.

To me,

you are the Crown Prince,

the legitimate heir to the throne.

Cut the crap.

What about the people in the back courtyard?

I have sent them over.

Don't worry.

Kill them all!

Don't let him leave!

Who are they?

A suicide squad.

Those inside are all killed.

Compared to those corpses,

that faceless person

might be more useful to you.

Judge.

The elder here

helped me a lot in there.

I'm honored

to listen to your teachings today.

Impressive.

Please enlighten me, Immortal Yuan.

How do you know I am Immortal Yuan?

All is vanity in Buddhism.

The Empress finds her way back to power.

It means

after the former Emperor passed away,

the Empress entered the Ganye Temple to become a nun.

Later,

she was summoned back to the palace by the current Emperor.

This phrase

comes from The Great Prophecies written by Yuan Tiangang.

Many people know about The Great Prophecies.

It doesn't make me Yuan Tiangang.

You are the Imperial Advisor of the late Emperor.

You can judge fortune through the whispers of the wind

and you are also skilled in physiognomy

and divination.

The Tao follows nature, profound and unfathomable.

Now

you must be over a hundred years old.

The root remains although the branches are all removed.

Who knows which is the real Emperor now?

It seems

the descendants of the Li family

is bound to encounter a disaster.

Who knows which is the real Emperor now?

The Empress.

Immortal.

I believe

fate is unpredictable

and there are always variables.

By the Book of Five Elements alone,

you are certain the throne will change hands.

I

Truly cannot agree with you.

What I want to say

is all in The Great Prophecies.

Whether I am right or wrong,

our posterity will know.

Today, I can only

explain a thing or two to you.

You

still have to make your own decision.

What exactly did that old man say to you?

He said

you have

accomplished a great feat.

After that,

you can rise to high positions with ease.

Dee Renjie.

During the time we work together,

you are always teasing me.

Tell me.

What are you really thinking?

Am I?

Are you not?

Your Majesties.

Judge Dee, Official Li and I

captured a suspect in Luoyang.

It's a matter of great importance.

We dare not delay.

So we brought her back to the capital

and leave her for you to judge.

Who is so important?

Bring in here.

You.

Lift your head.

She...

Who is she?

Why does she look exactly like the Empress?

This woman is called Jiangyue.

About her identity,

I am afraid what I say

will mislead the public.

You've already brought her here.

What are you afraid of?

Tell me the truth.

Yes.

A Taoist

used the Kunlun Sacred Wood

and carved it into shape

in the Empress' likeness.

Then he cast spells

to transform it into a human.

Does she really count as a person?

That I don't know.

Nonsense.

How can there be such a ridiculous tale?

I didn't believe it either.

But in the ruins of the burned Qianyuan Hall,

Judge Dee found the remains of a puppet.

Why was it even in Qianyuan Hall?

Not only does this puppet bleed,

but on its back

there is a birth time carved.

I assert...

That the birth time

is the Empress'.

Shangguan Qiu.

Tell me.

What exactly can

the damaged puppet and this woman

named Jiangyue do?

Your Majesty.

Dragon-like eyes and phoenix-like neck is the epitome of opulence.

Do you know what it means?

In the fifth year of the Zhenguan Era,

the Imperial Duke was appointed Commander-in-chief of Jingzhou.

At that time, the Empress was still young.

Wu Shiyue once asked Yuan Tiangang

to read the Empress' fortune.

This phrase

is exactly what Yuan Tiangang said back then.

And it means that the Empress

has the appearance of a ruler.

How dare you!

How dare you defame the Empress?

Wu Shiyue and Yuan Tiangang

concealed this secret

and took on the responsibility of protecting the Empress.

The damaged puppet and Jiangyue

are the substitutes they made

to protect the Empress

and control the court.

Even if the Empress is sitting on her throne,

I

Am not able to discern if she is the genuine one.

That's not right.

Yuan Tiangang is already dead.

As I know,

Yuan Tiangang was buried in Qionglai's White Crane Mountain.

But there is no corpse in the grave.

Dee Renjie.

Share your thoughts.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

My conjecture is different

from that of Lord Shangguan.

Qianyuan Hall was burnt to the ground.

Why did the puppet alone remain?

The missing Liu Da told me about the Kunlun Sacred Wood,

and provided me with the clues

including the birth time and Wu Shiyue.

It only leads to one purpose.

Framing others.

Judge Dee.

What do you mean?

Jiangyue.

Are you really

a person transformed from the sacred wood?

I am not.

I just bear some resemblance to the Empress.

I have been trained from a young age to protect the Empress

as her personal guard.

You are lying.

Prince Chen, Li Zhong, witnessed you

transforming from the sacred wood.

Li Zhong?

He was also involved?

Your Majesty.

Although Prince Chen has been disinherited by you,

he has always been sharing your concerns.

He and I

have been secretly investigating this matter.

Your Majesty.

I brought a witness here.

Who are you then?

I...

I am the Empress' nephew.

Helan Minzhi.

How have you become like this?

I

Was flayed of the face skin

by Prince Chen.

Prince Chen has always

harboring dissatisfaction towards the Empress

and intended to hurt her.

He even kidnapped Helan Minzhi,

removed his face skin,

and planted it on his own face.

He sneaked into the Plum Blossom Guard Agency

to get clues.

But he didn't know

that there were traps.

They put on a great show

just to make him see

a puppet transforming into a human.

I think

he was the one who set fire to the Qianyuan Hall

and placed the damaged puppet there on purpose

with the birth time carved on its back.

He wanted Judge Dee to reveal this

and frame someone else for the crime.

Jiangyue.

You say Li Zhong set fire to the Qianyuan Hall.

Is there any evidence?

She has no evidence.

Because

the one who set the fire

is you.

Judge Dee.

What do you mean?

- The 17th year of the Zhenguan Era. - The 17th year of the Zhenguan Era.

The late Emperor once consulted the Grand Astrologer, Li Chunfeng,

about the fate of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chunfeng told him

that after the Tang's third generation,

the Wu family would take over.

What does it

have to do with Shangguan Qiu?

- The 18th year of the Zhenguan Era. - The 18th year of the Zhenguan Era.

The late Emperor secretly established the Secret Guard Agency

only to investigate the people surnamed Wu.

They recruited extraordinary talents...

And called them the secret agents.

In that year,

General Li Junxian's entire family was killed

by those very secret agents.

And the reason for killing him

was simply because he was born in Wu'an County,

which the name contained the character 'Wu' in it.

How do you know?

Li Junxian was my father.

In that massacre,

I was the only survivor.

At that time, I was still young.

But I will never forget

the mask of a secret agent.

I have a drawing

of a warrior mask.

The night when the Qianyuan Hall caught fire,

the person who fought with me

wore a warrior mask.

A warrior, a secret agent,

is skilled in the art of fire

with a strong smell of yellow phosphorus on their body.

Lord Shangguan.

Even now,

you must be carrying something that could ignite a fire.

Guards.

Search him.

- Protect His Majesty! - Protect His Majesty!

I wanted to hold solid evidence

and petition the Emperor to depose you.

Unexpectedly,

you plotted against me.

It's such a pity

that His Majesty is blinded

and cannot see the truth.

If I can't get you deposed,

how could I face the late Emperor?

You blindly loyal fool.

Don't slander the late Emperor.

He didn't want to kill more innocent in his late years,

so he had long given up the pursuit of the Wu clan

and abolished the Secret Guard Agency.

Now there is no such thing as secret agents.

You are just

using the late Emperor's last will as a pretext

to carry out your own conspiracies.

Shangguan Qiu.

You manipulate

and bewitch the deposed crown prince, Li Zhong, to conspire a rebellion.

I drew you out

to show His Majesty

what you have done.

You framed me

and drew me out?

Shangguan Qiu.

What are you laughing at?

The Empress acts tyrannically.

Even if you want to make changes,

she will restrain you.

An Empress who rules from behind the curtains

is really an unprecedented joke!

Now that it has come to this,

I will

eliminate you.

The vile Empress who brought chaos to the nation.

Kill her!

About time.

Imperial Guards!

Escort the Emperor to leave!

Please leave.

Your Majesty.

Be careful.

Your Majesty?

Prince Chen, Li Zhong.

By command of the Empress,

you are ordered to surrender immediately.

Otherwise, you shall be executed.

The Empress is a despot, licentious and unprincipled.

I hereby raise the banner of justice, owing to purge this evil.

How dare you tell me to surrender?

Kill them!

Kill them all!

Kill!

Attack.

Defend.

Advance.

Advance.

Kill!

Kill!

Same trick.

Immortal Yuan.

Your Majesty.

I am late.

Old fox.

You finally showed up.

Shangguan Qiu.

If you remain stubbornly misguided,

I will have no choice but to kill you.

You can try.

I'll burn you alive!

Don't come any closer.

You knocked at my door?

Are you not?

Li Zhong.

You associated with sycophants,

kept assassins, and rebuilt the Secret Guard Agency.

All your actions

are grave crimes of treason.

You chopped off my mother's hands and feet

and turned her into a human swine.

How could I let you live?

Immortal.

It seems it's time for me

to disappear in this world.

You have done so many things for me.

I have not yet repaid you.

I once

promised something to Jiangyue.

I really want

your consent.

Who is there?

Billowing waves follow the currents for thousands of miles.

Above the spring rivers hangs the bright moon.

Jiangyue.

This way please, Judge Dee.

Be careful.

I pay my respects

to Your Majesty.

You've done a great job this time.

It is my duty

to find out the truth.

Is the truth really that important?

The truth itself,

compared to its effects,

is more important.

Someone once said to me

there would be no loyal officials by my side.

Those with integrity

would all leave me.

You are a monarch who makes great changes.

But sometimes changes can hurt.

It's hard to avoid implicating the innocent.

But changes are inevitable.

It's easy to change but it's hard to remain.

After changing,

how to remain?

Please continue.

With benevolence as supreme,

grace the whole world.

Only then can you win the support of the people.

Why did you want to come here?

That day

I pursued Immortal Yuan here

and talked a lot with him.

He has passed away.

Yuan Tiangang becomes a history.

The Empress holds the real imperial power.

Most of the Li family are eliminated.

Thanks to the efforts of the five ministers,

the nation didn't decline because of them.

The Great Prophecies?