Original subtitles

Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Eeny, Meeny, Miny, 2nd ML Team@Viki

"Soft Thistles Blossoms" - Sabrina Zhuang

♫ When the flowers bloom in the afternoon ♫

♫ The signs of spring are fading ♫

♫ An encounter of destiny ♫

♫ I'm not ready and prepared to be caring and gentle ♫

♫ A swan walks with its head held high ♫

♫ Its ambition is spreading far and wide ♫

♫ Over mountains and rivers, waving at the brilliant sun ♫

♫ Take the first step toward realizing one's full potential ♫

♫ Devotedly pursuing my initial aspiration ♫

♫ I'll hold onto my devotion while laughing away my worries ♫

♫ I'll keep moving forward ♫

♫ With these courts standing ♫

♫ Bring justice to people ♫

♫ Rainbows will come after storms ♫

♫ Plans and schemes are all entangled ♫

♫ If we remain committed ♫

♫ At the end of the story ♫

♫ With a great legacy left behind, who will fear ♫

♫ All the years to come ♫

[Miss Chun is a Litigator]

[Episode 10]

Miss, where are you going?

I have some files to read with Lord Kang.

I'll come with you.

No need. I'll go alone.

- Shopkeeper. - Miss.

May I help you? Are you feeling sick?

I'm fine. My friend got injured.

Do you have medicine for wounds? [Renji Pharmacy]

- It's unfair. - Yes.

Why can't we leave the state?

Step aside.

Let us leave.

- Let me go home. - Shut up. Stay back!

I have a family to sustain.

Excuse me.

- Please, sirs. - Excuse me.

No one shall leave.

- Uncle. Are you okay? - What are you doing? Back off!

It's not fair.

What's wrong with you?

The lockdown has made everyone uneasy.

How can you hit someone?

Who dares to disobey Governor Luo's order?

Uncle.

Be careful.

You ignorant peasants!

I'll arrest you all if you dare to cause trouble.

Get out.

- You… - This…

Go ahead. Be bold.

You can even kill someone if needed as long as we get the things back.

But Lord Han...

Leave him alone.

Let him be.

He can't figure anything out without Kang Zhengyuan.

My Lord.

What now?

Lord Han snatched the man away.

It's ridiculous.

Luo Li owes me an explanation.

How did a military slave of Bian State get involved in the burglary in You State?

Tell me. How many others are there? Where are they?

Don't treat him like this. He is injured.

He is just a military slave.

Even so, he is still a human being.

Luo Li is making trouble. You too?

Luo Li tortured him. Not only did you not help him, you treated him so cruelly.

How are you any better than Luo Li?

Chun Tumi, you're so well-protected that you don't know what's going on now.

And you're lecturing me?

Do you know that Xiao Zheng…

Some people don't have to pay for the murder as long as they don't commit treason.

Some people are born to be military slaves.

Their lives are in the hands of others.

- Bring him. Save our people. - Understood.

What a bunch of losers!

Kang Zhengyuan is sick in bed.

What can Han Wuwei possibly do?

My Lord. I brought Han Wuwei's subordinates here

for interrogation as a warning to him so that he would mind his own business.

I only went for the lowly slaves.

How come you couldn't stop him?

Lord Han is a distinguished man and a good fighter.

We can't stop him from getting his man.

Get out. Get out.

My Lord. Miss Chun is here.

- Bring her in. - Yes.

Lord Kang, you're…

I'm fine. It's not a big deal.

What are you doing here?

You State is under lockdown.

Luo Li is making arrests everywhere. And he tortures the suspects.

There is no clue.

That's why Luo Li is so agitated and arrests random people under lockdown.

Stay in if you can.

We can't always protect you out there.

Now the people are on edge, even Lord Han can't take it.

What happened?

He threw a tantrum and headed to confront Luo Li.

Nonsense. It's only making things worse.

Lord Kang. You're not well enough to go out.

Why don't you send someone?

Guards.

My Lord.

Take my token.

Tell Han Feng to bring Lord Han back.

Yes.

This confession doesn't make sense.

Luo Li has arrested so many innocent people.

What's the point of making them confess without finding anything?

If you don't want to get involved, you can focus on the case files.

It's not up to me. I am deeply involved.

My Lord, what exactly did he lose?

He claimed to have lost calligraphy, paintings, antiques,

and rewards from the late emperor.

Is it really worth so much trouble?

Think about it.

The burglars will most likely sell the stolen goods.

It's against the law even to give away imperial rewards.

He's making a fuss to intimidate the black market merchants.

Holding onto the stolen items, the burglars will be caught sooner or later.

He did this to drive the burglar to a dead end.

But he shouldn't do it at the cost of people's livelihood.

Unfortunately, I don't have the energy to stop him now.

You want to help again?

Are you sympathizing with the people or me?

I've always wanted to serve the people.

You've been kind to my family.

Besides, the inspection tour is not over yet.

It's my duty.

So please pardon my willful behavior.

Besides, my father feels sorry for the locals and keeps sighing.

I have to do something.

Captain Chun is a good man.

What you said fits his image.

But did you forget?

He's been working for me and Wuwei for days.

How did he talk to you if he wasn't home?

"He's sighing."

Anyway, it's my duty.

I must do it.

Xiao Zheng! I was going to avenge you.

Why did you stop me?

How can you possibly win Luo Li?

He withstood the change of reign.

He must be quite something.

Even though he can't kill us, it won't be hard for him to teach us a lesson.

Wuwei, listen to me for once.

I…

Xiao Zheng, you're still recovering.

Rest and take care of yourself.

Leave the rest to us.

Take your medicine.

Otherwise, I don't know how to explain it to your mother.

What? Lord Kang is ill because someone drugged him?

Is there no law?

Who would do that?

- Could it be… - Who else could it be?

He drugged Xiao Zheng so that Xiao Zheng couldn't stop him from causing a disturbance during the investigation.

It's difficult to check out the ingredients.

If we can't get an antidote, although Xiao Zheng is not in danger, he won't get better for now.

Why shouldn't I make trouble for Luo Li?

Lord Han, the top priority is to protect Lord Kang and the people in You State.

What's the point of getting angry?

But what else can I do?

I've been protecting Xiao Zheng well.

Luo Li couldn't have infiltrated my defense.

What did the doctor say?

He said it was just a cold.

Is the doctor trustworthy?

We consulted the military doctor and the famous local doctors.

Didn't Princess Zhang prepare some magic potions or powerful antidotes?

There is no such thing.

Even if there is, she wouldn't have prepared any

because she wouldn't let Xiao Zheng come if he may need those.

So we have to solve the case

or take the initiative to leave for Lord Kang to recover.

Is there no other cause for such behavior?

No. Xiao Zheng and I are kind of close to her.

The burglary broke the peace.

Although Luo Li has a strong army in You State, he also wanted to draw in the power of the capital.

He meant to draw us on his side.

But the burglary happened.

As a Prison Inspector, Xiao Zheng's bound to cause Luo Li endless trouble.

So you were saying that Governor Luo doesn't have to pay for the murder

as long as he doesn't commit treason.

I think he's planning to apologize to you after he gets through this.

He's sure you won't turn against him.

In his dreams.

I have fallen out with him without announcing it.

Now that I know the causes, the case becomes much simpler.

Any ideas?

You're not the type that sits around. You must have done something.

What did you find out?

I can't hide anything from you.

Luo Li rarely visits the treasury in Yanwu Pavilion.

It's always locked.

The guards on patrol saw an open window and informed the housekeeper.

Then they found out about the burglary.

It was a perfect crime.

No clues were left.

What's it like inside the treasury?

It's all empty.

Luo Li scavenged people's money.

One box of treasures is very important.

Some treasures are rewards from the late emperor after Luo Li pacified the rebels in the southwest

and helped him ascend to the throne.

Only his confidants would know about the treasury, right?

There are five people he trusts the most.

How did you know?

I subdued his housekeeper and made him tell me how to access the treasury.

Lord Han, no one but you would do such a thing.

I can't prove that he drugged Xiao Zheng, so I can't do anything about it.

He can't do anything about me because he can't prove it either.

You just won't listen to me. I should let Lord Kang talk to you.

Let's get down to business.

Transferring so many things requires a group operation.

It shall take many people to make it work.

Planning, scouting, supporting, transporting, and hiding.

It takes at least months or even a year to plan.

Why did they do it when the Prison Inspectors are here?

Maybe they're not locals, so they had to do it right then.

You're saying that they're outsiders?

It's hard to find one outsider.

But it's easy to target a whole group of them.

Come with me.

You mentioned some key points.

The guards on patrol told you that there was an open window.

That's right.

From the morning before to the time of discovery, Luo Li hadn't been to Yanwu Pavilion.

In other words, nobody noticed anything.

The pavilion was always locked.

The housekeeper went there and saw the empty treasury.

That's right.

Even if five people knew about the treasury, how many knew about the mechanism?

Only two. Luo Li and the housekeeper.

Lord Han, do you remember that it was 6 p.m. when we had dinner?

There was still daylight.

There were still pedestrians and people walking around the house.

It wasn't the time for burglary.

Set everything aside and focus on the timeline,

The housekeeper went there and saw the empty treasury.

It must have been done in the dark.

It has to be the night before.

That makes sense.

With such a thorough plan, they must have chosen a hiding place.

They had 24 hours to hide the treasure until they were discovered.

The lockdown was meaningless at that point.

So you think they've already transferred the things out of the city?

They've searched every corner in You State and found nothing.

Let's say they stole the things at night and had to transport them the next day

because the city gates were closed at night.

They can't be noticed.

How did they carry so much stuff out of the city in broad daylight

without being suspected?

The funeral.

When I was entering, I saw a funeral procession.

Are you suspecting them?

It's worth suspecting.

I'll arrest that family.

No way. Even if they are suspicious, they may have arranged for it to be a real funeral.

You can't open the coffin to look for evidence without their consent.

If they disagree, we will open the coffin secretly.

The investigation must be fair and transparent to earn people's trust.

So what should we do?

We must take certain risks.

I think we should remove the lockdown.

Remove all the gate guards.

The burglars wouldn't want to keep the things forever.

They are scared right now.

Once we remove the measures, they will cash out on the stolen goods.

Then you can monitor the suspects secretly.

Impressive.

But we can't remove all measures.

There are things to do.

First, check out the people who left the next day.

Second, check out the people who moved here in the past year.

Third, find out how they stole the treasure.

I'm also curious how they got so much stuff out.

I've checked the mansion inside out.

Not a single clue.

I'm a bit impressed by those burglars.

I really don't know how they did it.

There are rumors in Luo's Mansion that a deity cast a spell and vanished all the treasures.

Even Luo Li is starting to believe it.

And his two daughters have been asking for Taoist priests to cast another spell.

I see.

Lord Han, for the sake of Lord Kang, you must join forces with Luo Li.

It's so empty.

Governor Luo.

I found it.

Hurry up!

Come on, let's go.

Did they transport everything out at the same time?

It may have many problems.

First, they can't run fast.

Second, it will attract attention.

Third, Luo Li will get everything back once he catches them.

From what I can tell,

the burglars will stay low until it's safe.

Or they may divide the loot and go their separate ways.

But my men chased them for a hundred miles.

They didn't find a single trace, not to mention making arrests.

So the stolen goods must be in You State or in the nearby suburbs.

That's right.

You're truly wise.

Thank goodness for your guidance.

Everyone can be blinded sometimes.

We didn't have to get ourselves into trouble.

Little Girl.

Where did you go? I've been looking for you. What's this?

It's disgusting.

Then stop eating it.

The news just came in. The secret path leads to the pharmacy in the backstreet of Luo's Mansion.

Luo Li arrested the shop owner right away. You are right about everything.

That shop owner is the one holding the funeral you met that day.

His name is Shan Yi and he is aged 23. He's a scholar who hasn't passed the imperial exam.

He practices medicine for a living while studying.

He was planning to take the imperial exam again this year.

He's a local. His parents died when he was young.

He grew up with his grandfather.

His grandfather, Shan Youde, was also a doctor. He was 69 years old this year.

It's a pity that he didn't make it past his seventieth birthday.

My Lord.

Did he confess? Does he have any accomplices?

No. He's been crying foul.

My Lord. I'm wronged.

I rented my east yard to outsiders.

I don't know how the secret path came to be.

The secret path is in his east yard?

Yes.

But the funeral was real. It was held a few days after his grandfather's death.

The problem is

those people helped with the funeral and ended the lease right way to go home.

Go home? Where? By official road or by water?

I don't know.

They didn't leave any traces?

Anything suggesting how they located the treasury?

At this point, maybe the news has spread to the capital. Luo Li dares not open the coffin immediately.

It's fine if he finds the stolen goods. Otherwise, he's going to ridicule himself.

He turned against Xiao Zheng and me earlier.

If there's nothing in the coffin,

we can totally use it to give him a hard time.

It was disrespectful to lose the reward granted by the late emperor.

And now the people are in a rage.

The only way out of this is to make Shan Yi confess.

So he's going to torture him?

Anyone will confess.

Play it tough. Make him talk.

No way! I pointed out the secret path. If Shan Yi is truly wronged, it feels like I'm the one to blame.

He fought the soldiers to complete the funeral ceremony. He must be a man of filial piety.

What can you do? Don't blame yourself. He may be filial and commit crimes.

Besides…

Lord Han, do you know something I don't?

I did something you don't know.

I guided them to find the secret path as you told me. And I warned Luo Li, both explicitly and implicitly.

You told him to respect the law and abide by the law?

Something like that.

What does that mean?

The last stop of the inspection tour is Luoyang.

The Governor of Luoyang and the Regent are both experienced officials.

Such a case would be a piece of cake for them.

They can totally take over.

His treasury was stolen, and he arrested so many innocent people and tortured them for confession.

Isn't it like a threat?

It is a threat indeed. Xiao Zheng and I are lower-ranked.

Then I'll leave him to the senior officials who can compete with him.

To not get them involved, Luo Li has to avoid wrongful convictions.

Does it make you feel more at ease?

It makes sense. But I'm still not sure about it.

Don't be afraid. This is the checks and balances.

Luo Li is in power, but he is not the only one. You're new to this. You'll get used to it.

You're high officials who can easily change the fate of people like me.

I can't get used to it.

Lord Han.

I paid attention to what you said.

I let him get treated, freed him from slavery, and made him a soldier.

- Have you recovered? - I…

All right, get out of here. You'll scare her.

Yes.

You keep saying that I don't understand things.

How can I understand if you don't teach me?

I only cared about fighting battles.

Now I want to learn how to rule.

Then, I'll do my best to help you.

A promise is a promise.

Of course.

I've fallen sick again, but it's not serious.

Why did you come here at this hour?

You were almost recovered. Now you're sick again before the trial tomorrow.

He won't let you hear the trial, so…

I caught the one who poisoned you. But he killed himself on the spot.

Xiao Zheng, how can I put up with it?

Luo Li is quite strange.

Even though he lost all the rewards and that was disrespectful, was it worth all this trouble?

Lord Kang.

Is there something else in the treasury?

Something deadly?

I don't know. If there is, I'm sure he doesn't want us to find out.

Then I can't let him have his way.

Tumi. Is there a way for Xiao Zheng to take over the case?

We shouldn't act recklessly.

But what Luo Li did seems suspicious.

Maybe we should look into it.

Normally, there's no way. But there is an exception.

Just tell me what to do.

Lord Han, please take me to Shan Yi.

Luo Li's prison doesn't allow visitors.

But who dares to stop me?

Wait.

Shan Yi, I can help you.

Do as I say. And you can end this torture. The Prison Inspector here will take over your case.

As long as they don't open the coffin,

I'll do whatever you say.

My grandfather and I are really close.

Even if I die,

I won't let anyone disturb him.

All you have to do is to admit to the crime.

You said you would help me. You're obviously getting me killed.

You didn't steal anything, did you?

No, of course not. I don't care if you believe me.

Kill me if you want, but I didn't do it.

Then admit to the charges.

Lord Kang is commissioned to look into wrongful convictions.

Confess to all the charges.

With your confession, Luo Li will have to close the case.

That gives Lord Kang the right to review this case.

To put it simply, you'll confess, and Luo Li will close the case.

Then you can retract your confession during the retrial by Lord Kang.

If I confess, wouldn't they ask about the stolen items?

What if they want to know where the things are?

Am I going to open the coffin for them?

Say whatever you want since you'll retract your confession.

Those people escaped anyway. Just say that they took the treasure.

They dug a secret path in your yard. Why do you care about them?

Tumi, it's about time.

You know what you need to do?

Yes.

Lord Kang. Sorry, I took action without your permission.

Please forgive me.

It's fine.

You did it for a good reason.

Your tactic is highly flexible.

This is a clever move.

As the Highest Judiciary, I even can't find fault in it.

I grew up reading the law books my mother left me.

And my grandfather told me so many cases.

I may not know much. But there is a principle I follow.

What is it?

Punish evil and promote good.

I lost to Han Wuwei.

Young Master disappeared in You State with a serious injury.

I searched for days in vain.

Please send reinforcement.

I shall take sole responsibility.

Please find Young Master.

Lord Kang.

Lord Kang, you look better.

Have a seat. You don't need to be so formal.

How did it go with Shan Yi?

He confessed this morning.

It was sudden, but it was exactly what Luo Li wanted.

I bet they didn't pay attention to the loopholes in the statement because they were in a hurry.

That's right.

A commander can't tell, but the Highest Judiciary can.

I had doubts last night, but I let them pass.

Like what?

Shan Yi is just an ordinary civilian.

How does a scholar have the nerve to do so?

Wasn't he afraid that you'd frame him?

Maybe this man is not as simple as we thought.

Lord Kang, have some tea.

Why? You think I'm overthinking?

No. I'm thinking that it's only the first step.

All we have to do is to keep him safe and ensure a fair trial.

But you're already worried about the outcome.

That's indeed my problem.

Wuwei once said that the present moment is the most important.

Lord Han takes one step at a time.

You're far-sighted.

You two make a great team.

He doesn't think as far ahead as you and I do.

But he sees through people.

The first time you went to court, he was sure that you had the talent.

Tumi, thanks for your support.

So Lord Han recommended me?

Then I should thank him for his appreciation.

It's against the law to help a prisoner escape.

Now we share a secret. Let's be casual with each other.

In that case, please allow me to rectify what you said.

Lord Han brought Shan Yi out. But he took him back very soon. How is that "breaking into jail"?

It was more like an arraignment.

Yes. You're right.

You're going out for a walk?

The lockdown is over.

I want to check on the locals.

The neighbors gossip about everything.

Maybe I'll find some clues.

All right.

Tell me what you hear later.

Lord Kang, you're…

Staying and waiting to take over the case.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye.

Brother Ye, it's me.

Stay back.

Brother Ye, I brought you medicine.

Ordinary medicine… won't c-cure me.

How do you know if you don't try it?

Brother Ye.

You're awake.

Wait.

Have some water.

Your lips looked extremely dry. So I got some spring water.

Would you like a sip?

Slowly.

Thank you.

Are you feeling better?

Yes.

You must be hungry. I'll get you some food.

No, I'm fine. Just go.

But you need someone to take care of you.

I need to sleep.

I'll come and see you tomorrow.

Timing and Subtitles brought to you by Eeny, Meeny, Miny, 2nd ML Team@Viki

"Spring Light" - Shuang Sheng

♫ Wind chimes jingling in the middle of the night ♫

♫ You're the roots for the blooming flowers ♫

♫ Like yesterday's twilight, geese have already embarked on their journey ♫

♫ When you're by my side ♫

♫ A sweet feeling of ever-growing longing is hard to hide ♫

♫ I see you without looking at you ♫

♫ Spring makes me hope for more romantic moments ♫

♫ Flowers are still blooming and dreams haven't ended ♫

♫ Our love can't be contained as we wander the world together ♫

♫ We'll be together through fates many twists ♫

♫ Wherever you go, it's endless Spring for me ♫

♫ We'll continue the journey over mountains and rivers, into the setting sun ♫

♫ Our love can't be contained as we wander the world together ♫

♫ We'll be together through fates many twists ♫

♫ Wherever you go, it's endless Spring for me ♫

♫ We'll continue the journey over mountains and rivers, into the setting sun ♫