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♫ Grudges and karma, right and wrong ♫

♫ Tears and blood in the past life ♫

♫ A parting lasting for years ♫

♫ Keeps the truth hidden ♫

♫ Fate is full of twists and turns ♫

♫ Misfortune and happiness intertwined ♫

♫ Let the wind take away obsessions and lies ♫

♫ Through storms and uncertainties, I devote myself to you ♫

♫ At least you share my joy and sorrow ♫

♫ Unraveling mystery fearlessly in this dream ♫

♫ Hand in hand with you, I wander this splendid world ♫

♫ My heart remains untainted by the mortal dust ♫

[Melody of Golden Age]

[Episode 3]

For the incident at Ming Hall,

[Zichen Palace] you have deducted your own salary,

all the guards have been heavily penalized,

and the person who self-immolated has died,

with only a lone elderly left at home.

Let this matter rest.

You just got married yesterday.

You can stop the morning reports

for the upcoming days.

Stay at home

and keep your bride company.

Yes, I heard that the Great Chief investigated the Ming Hall fire case throughout the night

and had not returned for the entire night.

The Great Chief has served Empress Dowager

with utmost loyalty and duty.

It's just pitiable for the bride.

Empress Dowager should grant the Great Chief

a good few days off.

I'm afraid his loyalty might be a sham,

as he's intentionally avoiding the bride.

The marriage of the Great Chief

was introduced by me.

This morning, when I went to visit,

I found out that the bride

was actually driven away in anger.

In the entire Shen Mansion,

no one knows where the bride has gone.

Could it be that this lady from the Yan family

vanished into thin air right after marrying

into the Great Chief's Mansion?

Vice Minister Lai.

In front of Empress Dowager,

please censor your jokes.

Empress Dowager,

Vice Minister Lai is just worried for the Great Chief.

I have heard

that Empress Dowager intends to give the Imperial Guards

some additional powers.

This is indeed a good thing.

But if the Great Chief

cannot even manage his own household well,

how can he assist Empress Dowager

in more significant positions?

Minister Shen.

What do you think?

Prime Minister Zhang's words are very true.

If one cannot sweep one's own house,

how can he sweep the world?

I shall return home at once

to console my wife

and take care of the inner household affairs properly.

I will surely not let Empress Dowager down.

You didn't go out to investigate cases all night.

How come you've gone to sleep without washing up again?

Did the Great Chief really not enter your chamber?

This Yan Liuniang,

she is your niece, right?

Empress Dowager,

[Musical Minister Jinzang] This Yan Liuniang

is the daughter of Lady Jin from the Yan Mansion.

And this Lady Jin

is my older sister.

Rest assured.

Shen Du might

appear unruly,

but in fact, he is methodical.

He won't do anything

truly outrageous.

Yes.

[Ximing Temple] I will make a trip to the Liang Mansion.

Hey, you, what are you doing here?

[Inspector, Xu Xiangren]

Director Wu, I heard there was a case here.

There is a case indeed,

but what does it have to do with you?

I heard that you got married

into the Great Chief's mansion,

so why are you out and about in your wedding dress today?

Could it be

that you were driven out?

You…

When this woman goes on an errand,

she always stirs up trouble.

Liuniang is quick-witted,

and she was once mentored by Chen Wen, the supervisor of the imperial prison.

She has inherited a lot of his investigative skills

and has always been a great help to us inspectors.

Exactly.

Director Wu, Marshal Xu,

I was momentarily impatient.

Excuse my rudeness.

I just wanted to come to the crime scene

and see if there were any clues left.

There are specialist personnel for investigating cases.

And you, a clerk,

should just manage the records well.

What case are you investigating anyway?

Go, go back to the Ministry of Justice Office first

and change your clothes.

Director Wu.

You've just returned from the western suburbs, haven't you?

My lord.

Look.

Look at the sleeve of Director Wu.

This blue flower on it is so beautiful.

Look, look.

It seems his lady has learned a new embroidery pattern.

It's good for young people to be

eager to learn new things.

If you want to investigate,

you can go in and have a close look.

But don't interfere with the inspector handling the case.

And mind your own business.

What was that?

Mrs. Wu doesn't know how to embroider.

His lackey, Feng Gui,

has been frequently going to the western suburbs lately.

There are mud spots all over his legs.

He even got a deed to a house.

Nine times out of ten,

he's keeping a mistress in the western suburbs.

A mistress?

Let's go.

I am a clerk of the Ministry of Justice.

Can I go and have a look?

Go ahead if you're not afraid.

Master, did you notice anything before?

Was there anything unusual?

Not yet.

I heard that when the two of them were just unearthed,

they were still tightly embracing each other.

Both of them had their hearts excised

and bled to death.

The woman's face was slashed,

but her expression was serene.

The man's body was intact

with his skin turned black.

Judging by the slash marks and the bloodstains,

they were inflicted postmortem.

In this weather,

the bodies somehow didn't

emit any foul odor of decay

and even gave off a scent

of mixed medicinal herbs.

Liuniang.

You haven't lost your mind, have you?

Since when do corpses smell fragrant?

Liuniang.

Liuniang's words are spot on.

This morning, a young novice

found the bodies when he was digging bamboo shoots

in the forest outside the temple.

The man has been identified

as Liang Chenzhong, the legitimate eldest son

of Minister Liang from the Ministry of Works.

The woman is Kuang Zhanxin, a musician from Pingkang Alley.

Is this a case

of lovers' suicide?

I don't think so.

The man's skin has turned black.

Did you find out what poison he was exposed to?

- The poison he was afflicted with… - Zhong.

Zhong.

Zhong.

- Oh, my son. - Mrs. Liang, I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry.

Zhong.

[Liang Chenyu]

You mentioned poisoning.

The poison that afflicted your son

was 'Dripping Water Guanyin'.

[Mrs. Liang]

The Ministry of Justice

[Liang Jiren] and the inspector will definitely

find out your son's cause of death.

Find out what?

Liang.

I apologize.

Sorry, sorry.

See you, Minister Liang.

Are you still investigating?

Ximing Temple is an imperial temple built by the imperial order.

All the reputable officials and nobles of Xiang'an

would come here to offer incense.

With this kind of incident,

naturally, there must be an explanation.

Yes, you're right.

Mrs. Liang made such a scene

and it messed with my head.

Quickly investigate the case.

Quickly close the case.

Lu Chuichui.

Yes.

Go, go, go.

Take the already identified information

and send it back to the Ministry of Justice for filing.

I've heard that the abbot of Ximing Temple

had stored quite a good selection of tea.

Let's go

and have some free tea.

Drinking tea?

He still has the nerve to drink tea.

Wu Taiming brings no peace.

All he does is act high and mighty.

I can't believe him.

Liuniang.

You have been looking at the bodies for a long time.

Wait until you're done, come with me.

If Wu Taiming is enjoying tea,

we should also treat ourselves better.

I will take you to Furong Garden for the new opera and some good tea.

Chuichui, you go back first.

I want to take a closer look at the corpse pit again.

- Go then. - Alright.

I'm leaving.

Dripping Water Guanyin?

It seems you still haven't clearly remembered my words.

I wouldn't dare.

What are you doing here

instead of being at the Shen Mansion?

Although I have married into the Shen family,

I'm still a clerk of the Ministry of Justice.

How can I not come when a murder has occurred here?

You are just a clerk of the Ministry of Justice without rank.

How come you have taken on the duty of a coroner?

I have also never heard

that the Great Chief of the Imperial Guards

needed to put out a fire personally

and toil all night for it,

at the expense of missing his wedding night.

Great Chief, I just asked the inspector for the investigation results.

There is very little blood in the pit.

Mostly, it is corpse fluid.

Liang and Kuang probably were moved here

after most of their blood had dried.

But there are no wheel tracks nearby.

There are, however, many footprints.

This place has countless pilgrims,

even Princess of Valor is a regular visitor.

What can be discerned from footprints?

What about the shovel marks in the pit?

Can they show how long ago it was?

It must have been some time ago.

But the coroner says it's difficult to judge the time.

April 15th.

How do you know?

The edge of the pit is thinner at the bottom and thicker at the top.

The impact point is sharp, and the edge is round.

The murderer or an accomplice

used a commonly seen round-headed shovel.

The soil at the side of the pit is loose, with a heavy center.

The soil at the bottom of the pit is compact.

This is a manifestation of post-rain soil.

Today is the eighth day of May.

The last time it rained

was on the fifteenth of April.

Here.

When I came out in the morning,

I took some from the house.

When I return, I'll have to ask the old butler,

which store he bought these sweet preserved fruits from.

Here you go.

The soil changes a lot.

Your findings may not be reliable.

Look here.

About three feet and eight inches above the ground,

there is a streak of dirt,

caused by splashing mud and water.

The bamboo in Ximing Temple is the yellow-grooved bamboo,

which can grow one to two inches one day after the rain.

The splash marks are directly opposite the grave pit.

The marks are thick at the bottom and thin at the top.

They were undoubtedly made on the day.

Did Chen Wen also teach you these?

I am very concerned about you, my wife.

I've done a thorough research.

My master once said,

that capturing the criminals, putting them in custody, and interrogating them

are the duties of the Ministry of Justice.

Therefore, exhausting every means to crack the case

is the responsibility of any member of the Ministry of Justice.

You are just a lowly clerk without rank.

The duty of the Ministry of Justice

won't fall on you no matter what.

- I… - We only got married yesterday.

Return with me to the Shen Mansion today

and learn the responsibilities of a new bride.

The Great Chief hastily welcomed the bride.

Now all of Xiang'an knows

that the Great Chief does not favor Liuniang.

And coincidentally,

I don't care much for you, the Great Chief.

So from now on,

we shall each do our own thing,

without interfering with each other.

And you don't need to worry

about what responsibilities I take on.

It seems that today,

I have to worry about it.

Shen Du.

Let go.

Shen Du.

Put me down. Shen Du, Shen Du.

What are you doing?

What do you want?

Truly deserving to be Ximing Temple.

How can one get such good tea in the office?

Unfortunately for your husband,

I married a lady who is wholeheartedly devoted to official duties.

So I can only bring her home for some comfort.

Put me down now.

Nice scenery.

Shen Du, what are you doing?

Put me down now.

I advise that you be more obedient,

otherwise,

I'll show affection to you in public.

What?

That girl, Yan Xing,

and the other one on the horse is

Great Chief Shen?

Didn't they say that White Ghost threatened Mrs. Shen

with a knife to her neck on the day of their marriage?

It appears these are all rumors then.

Now,

you are now Mrs. Shen in everyone's eyes.

Having already entered the game,

there's no longer a choice to leave unscathed.

A monkey dressed in silk is still a monkey.

You put on this show.

Are you trying to win

a reputation as a good husband and son-in-law?

We are newlyweds.

Being intimate is natural.

Today,

I will definitely make you

and the people behind you satisfied.

The Imperial Guards manage myriad affairs daily.

I'm sure you have many

things to attend to

on behalf of Empress Dowager.

Taking me along might be inconvenient, right?

- Are you dead or crippled? - Great Chief.

If you are neither dead nor crippled,

what inconvenience could there be?

A letter from the palace.

[Decree from Empress Dowager] Quickly resolve the Ximing Temple murder case

Ensure the safety of the second branch of the Liang family, Liang Chenyu

- I need to go somewhere. - Where to?

Liang Mansion at Fengyue Alley.

[Liang Mansion]

What's going on?

If he doesn't investigate the case, I still have to.

Following him like this is not a solution.

Great Chief.

Our third young master is waiting for you in the study.

Great Chief.

Call me Honey.

Or you can say goodbye to your tongue

after we leave the Liang Mansion.

Honey.

Speak.

My official position is, after all, different from yours.

You have business with the master of the second branch.

It's not very convenient for me to accompany you.

I might as well wait for you outside.

I just want to go out for a walk.

Fine, Jing Lin.

- Follow her. - Yes.

Great Chief, this way, please.

I stayed up all night.

I'm going to take a nap here now.

Go over there and stand guard for me.

Alright then.

Since you guards

can even watch

the Great Chief's wife sleep.

There's no need for me to be coy.

Guard away.

Mrs. Shen.

What are you doing here?

Here, for you. It's very sweet.

I heard that after the Liang family split,

they built a wall.

The trees in this area

seem to have been moved here afterward.

Logically speaking, these pear, mulberry, and locust trees

are not considered auspicious choices.

The second madam ordered them

when she was mad.

Separation?

Pointing at one to curse the other. Guilty conscience.

These two brothers hold deep grudges.

Could it be

as rumored in the alleyways,

that the son of the second madam, Liang Chenman

was poisoned by the Dripping Water Guanyin,

and it was done by the first branch of the family?

Be careful with what you say.

However,

the second madam did go mad after the death of the second young master.

Since then,

the connecting door in the wall between the first branch and the second branch

has never been opened again.

Honey?

What are you doing, Madam?

Avoiding White…

I'm hiding from my husband.

Well,

since I married him yesterday,

my husband can't leave me for a moment.

He has to send someone

to follow me with every step I take.

I really need some air.

White?

Is the Great Chief so clingy?

Yes, he is.

I was wondering about it.

Although the Great Chief often comes,

it's the first time he brought a female family member into the mansion.

So my husband

is actually very close to the Liang family.

The Great Chief and our third young master

are very close.

He usually brings some flowers, plants, and medicinal herbs

to the second madam.

Something happened in the second madam's yard again, hurry!

It's the second madam's yard.

The Empress Dowager has decreed.

The crossbow improvement blueprints

must be completed on schedule.

But how can I have the mind to draw them?

Your brother Liang Chenzhong's murder case

is being investigated by my imperial guards.

You can rest assured.

But…

Your family has been serving the Ministry of Works for generations,

skilled in archery and machinery.

Most of our dynasty's crossbow equipment

was designed by your grandfather

which has earned prestige on the battlefield.

Passing down to your generation,

only you can be entrusted with this important task.

The Empress Dowager has always valued talent.

Just focus on completing

the task entrusted to you.

Just like before,

as soon as my father picked up the brush to draw,

your father would immediately turn and leave.

Before my father died,

he could never forget the incident that year.

[Beloved Father Shen Bingzhu] The criminal Shen Bingzhu

deserves death for his crimes.

There's no need to mention it again.

Rest assured,

I won't repeat that person's mistakes.

Man.

Man.

Man.

Dripping Water Guanyin?

Don't touch my Man.

[The second madam Liang] Man. Man.

Don't touch my Man.

Help.

Help.

Help.

Great Chief, over there.

Help.

Help.

Help me!

Help.

Shen Du.

What a cruel heart you have.

If you can't drive me away, you're thinking of taking the chance to drown me here.

Help.

- Help me. - Here.

Clean it up.

Take the Great Chief's wife to bathe and change.

I'm so sorry about today.

I hope you will forgive me.

It's alright.

Tell your third son

to focus on his work with ease.

Yes.

I take my leave.

Had I not seen it with my own eyes,

who would have thought

the White Ghost that makes the world tremble at the mention

turns out to be a considerate husband?

A ruthless man to the outside world,

but a man of deep feelings in reality.

What have you told those maidservants?

I was playing along with your act

of being a good husband.

Maidservants from a grand household like this

spread rumors in the most effective way.

Why did you save me?

If I were to die from drowning,

it would be an accidental death.

You wouldn't have to find a way to drive me away.

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

I still need you for something.

[Shen Mansion]

I have settled your belongings, madam.

You shall rest for the night here.

Didn't the master say

that the main room should not be used as a bridal chamber

as it could easily lead to bloody disasters?

The master has already resolved it.

So rest assured and reside here.

I think the west chamber has better feng shui.

It's beneficial to me. I should go back and stay there.

Stop right there.

You don't have a choice.

If you wish to die,

you can leave the Shen Mansion.

Fine,

I'll live here.

Bloody disasters?

It's not yet certain who will bleed.

Madam.

The master has not yet started eating.

So what?

I'm hungry.

The one who caused me to fall into the water today

was the second madam of the Liang family.

Her son died

from the Dripping Water Guanyin poison,

but she treated that pot of poison

as if it were her own child

and even called it "Man".

Now, this son of the first branch, Liang Chenzhong

has also been poisoned by Dripping Water Guanyin.

How could it be such a coincidence?

Do not speak while eating.

I have finished eating.

Do you also think

that Liang Chenzhong's death

is revenge by Liang's second branch?

Great Chief.

Send it away.

Yes.

Leaving in such a hurry?

Skipping the meal?

Talkative.

You manage people's eating and drinking,

but are you also going to manage their speaking and blinking?

Remember, in the Shen Mansion,

you'd best choose to be blind

and deaf as well.

The case of Liang Chenzhong

has been handed over to the Imperial Guards.

The case belongs to the Ministry of Justice.

I thought you were smart.

Empress Dowager has handed the case

over to the Imperial Guards

from the Ministry of Justice.

Don't you see

her underlying purpose?

Empress Dowager wants to calm the issue.

Because the Liang family is an important official in the Ministry of Works.

The design of the current dynasty's crossbows

all came from the hands of the Liang family.

Liang Chenman of the second branch died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Liang Chenzhong suddenly died again.

If the third young master was involved again

due to family vendetta,

it would inevitably affect

the succession of the Liang family's skills.

Not completely foolish after all.

The second branch of the Liang family cannot be imprisoned.

Unless

you want to confront the Empress Dowager.

Or are you saying

this is what Zhang Hangwei meant?

I am not a follower of Prime Minister Zhang.

You left the scroll in the room

on purpose, to test me?

You should thank your cleverness.

Otherwise, you would have been beheaded by now.

In fact, there's no need to open it.

I can guess

that it is the crossbow diagram inside.

What are you laughing at?

I am laughing at you.

The Great Chief of the Imperial Guards

has determined that the murderer

is from the second branch of the Liang family without verification.

But it might not be true.

The second branch of the Liang family bears a grudge against Liang Chenzhong.

Yet the murderer only slashed

the courtesan's face to the bone.

I said, you don't need to investigate this matter.

What if I insist?

Either stay alive and be silent,

or become a dead person who cannot speak.

Great Chief.

How about we make a bet?

You're truly not afraid I'd kill you.

Of course, I am afraid.

But you have also said

that you still needed me for something.

What?

Are you afraid of losing the bet to me?

How do we bet?

Let me investigate.

If the murderer

really is the third young master of the Liang family, Liang Chenyu,

you win.

I will personally ask for a divorce then.

My life will also be at your disposal.

You really seem to think your life is too long.

But if I do find the murderer,

after three months,

you and I will part ways.

You didn't want to marry me,

and neither did I.

We have no grievances.

We don't seek a century of harmony,

only a pleasant parting.

Okay.

No matter what,

I must endure three months.

By then, the examination for the female officials will be over.

The matter of being dispatched abroad

should also be settled by then.

It's not appropriate for me

to live in this main bedroom, right?

If I say you live here, you live here.

Our marriage was bestowed

by Empress Dowager.

In anyone's eyes,

we should be overflowing

with affection.

If you cannot do that…

I'll lose my head again.

Alright, I know.

You don't say.

I think

this main bedroom suits me.

In that case,

you should treat me as the lady of the house

in all ways, you know?

Have to play the full role, right?

If I sleep here,

where will you sleep?

Didn't you just say

"in all ways"?

Newlyweds enjoying their bliss,

close as lacquer and glue,

we can only share the same bed now.

You climbed onto my bed with your outerwear on.

That's always how I do it at home.

If you're not used to it,

you just have to try.

You're right.

I should try to get used to it.

You're pressing on my hair.

You don't say.

The preserved fruits in the Shen Mansion are really delicious.

I can never get enough.

So good.

Would you like one?

You…

Mr. Zhong.

Change it.

Change everything.

The light is so bright.

Can it be turned off?

No, it can't.

How can I sleep with it this bright?

You could just not sleep.

Chi, how have you been recently in Jiangnan?

Recently, I solved a wife-murder case.

The deceased did not commit suicide.

Let me reconstruct

the scene for you.

Yuanniang.

After you strangled Wang Yuanniang,

you put a rope around the corpse's neck,

dragged her to the beam,

hung the other end of the hemp rope

on the beam,

and pulled hard to hang her up.

All these left marks on the beam.

Therefore,

two different strangulation marks

appeared on her neck.

The black ones went backward,

and the brown ones went upward.

There are still rope burn marks on your hands.

She was strangled to death by you.

Clerk Yan,

Ms. She has confessed

that she assisted Cheng Xian

in the matter of killing his wife.

This small shirt was embroidered by Yuanniang, wasn't it?

Upon examination by the coroner,

Wang Yuanniang was found to be two months pregnant.

You're trying to deceive me.

Even if she was pregnant,

so what?

You resented marrying into the family,

and in anger plotted to murder Wang Yuanniang.

But what you didn't know

was that she was wholeheartedly devoted to you.

She has long planned that after the child is born,

they would take your surname.

The embroidery on this little shirt

is the surname Cheng.

[Cheng]

You blame Wang Yuanniang's maternal family

for oppressing you.

But you know the truth better than anyone.

Yuanniang.

I owe you an apology, Yuanniang.

Yuanniang.

However, on the deceased's body,

there was also a pinprick wound,

which is quite strange.

The coroner has temporarily been unable to determine its origin.

Lately, there have been

many changes with me.

Before dawn.

♫ One glance affirms the fate between us ♫

♫ Upon meeting again, I know you're the one for me ♫

♫ Gaze at the stars, dreaming about the old times ♫

♫ We are forever bound ♫

♫ Before the candlelight, do not ask my thoughts ♫

♫ Affection binds us, forever and ever ♫

♫ The evening breeze tells of my deep love ♫

♫ From now on, I have someone to cherish ♫

♫ With deep affection, you are the one for me ♫

♫ I share the autumn moon and spring breeze only with you ♫

♫ Your palm lines ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is deepening ♫

♫ With deep affection, you are the one for me ♫

♫ I share the autumn moon and spring breeze only with you ♫

♫ Your palm lines ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is deepening ♫

♫ You are the one for me ♫

♫ Embracing each other, how serious we are about our love ♫

♫ Every moment is treasured ♫

♫ From dawn to dusk ♫

♫ You and I, forever inseparable ♫

♫ You've stormed into my world ♫

♫ Growing immersed, I become reckless for love ♫

♫ I break through obstacles with unmatched resilience ♫

♫ Because you are my responsibility ♫

♫ With deep affection, you are the one for me ♫

♫ I share the autumn moon and spring breeze only with you ♫

♫ Your palm lines ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is deepening ♫

♫ With deep affection, you are the one for me ♫

♫ I share the autumn moon and spring breeze only with you ♫

♫ Your palm lines ♫

♫ Your gaze ♫

♫ Our love is deepening ♫

♫ You are the one for me ♫

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