Episode 18
"A fair maiden awaited me at the city gate."
Father, you've been working since last night. Eat something.
Father, what's wrong? Have you found the one?
Father, let me take a look.
I'm not a member of the court I can be calmer.
Son, listen carefully.
The future of Zhong Family...
is your future.
You must make a decision yourself.
This time, I will let you decide.
My lord, the Court of Judicial Review took action.
- Speak. - Their officers left in a hurry.
I sent my men to follow them.
They entered Mr. Cui's residence...
and not long after that, Mr. Cui left his home with them.
I think they went back to the Court of Judicial Review.
Cui Yan?
What does Cui Yan have to do with this case?
Judging from his character...
he can't be a suspect.
Go back quickly!
If Cui Yan hasn't arrived at the Court of Judicial Review, “...
stop him and seal the entrance to the...
Court of Judicial Review.
Tell Zhong Yao to not say a word. -Yes.
Zhong Da!
Cui Yan was taken to the Court of Judicial Review!
Hurry! Let's return! -Hurry!
Let's go. Hurry. -Alright.
Why is Mr. Cui involved as well?
Wait. You all haven't paid.
I'm not carrying money. Zhong Da...
My wife didn't give me money today.
Do you have money? -No.
- What about you? - I have money.
You'll pay. He'll pay. Let's go.
I didn't eat.
Advisor Xun, have a biscuit.
No thanks. Zhong Da, I'm not hungry.
Sir, we've all eaten. Please eat this biscuit.
No thanks. Zhong Da, I really have no appetite.
You should eat it.
You all seem so hungry.
It's just a biscuit. Why do you have to mock us?
Mr. Zhong, what is this?
Cui Yen's testimony and the truth you all want to see.
Dear all, Mr. Cui has admitted it!
He was instructed by the Marquis of Pingyuan...
and Yang Xiu to imitate General Cao Pi's handwriting...
and hide the letter in Mr. Xun Yu's reading room!
No way!
It's Mr. Cui! -This is impossible!
Mr. Cui won't do this! - You can't be too sure.
Marquis of Pingyuan is his son-in-law after all.
This is impossible. -No way.
Mr. Zhong, I will go to the king right away.
We'll have to handle the rest.
I know. -What happened?
The king has ordered to seal the gate of the...
Court of Judicial Reviews!
Chief Minister Zhong is not allowed to talk to anyone!
I came for...
the case involving my uncle and Cui Yan.
Report! My lord!
Speak. Gong Da is no outsider.
My lord, I've failed you. By the time I reached...
Mr. Zhong has told the officials outside...
the result of the investigation.
He even showed them the testimony.
You may retire. -Yes.
These fellows are all not clever enough.
For my uncle, Xun Family and the court officials, “...
I beg of you to try the case openly...
and clear my uncle's name.
Gong Da, don't pressure me.
I know what to do.
Please rise.
Gong Da, Wen Ruds death...
has left me heartbroken.
Gong Da, I cannot afford to lose you as well.
Please rise.
My lord, I only beg of you to hold a public trial for Cui Yan.
I shall excuse myself.
Ah Man. What's wrong?
What's going on? Did Cui Yan frame Zi Huan?
He framed Zi Huan? -I heard that he admitted it.
Yes. He admitted it in less than an hour.
He wasn't even whipped once.
He had been waiting for Zhong Yao to interrogate him.
He wants to frame Zi Jian, his own son-in-law.
You mean, he got himself imprisoned...
in order to drag Zi Jian down?
Why?
Why? Because of his blind loyalty!
Because of rites! Because of their...
Because of the reign of Han Dynasty!
They won't let me be in control!
Ah Man! Summon the imperial physician!
Hurry! Ah Man! -Yes!
Everyone is saying that we colluded with Cui Yan...
to frame Cao Pi.
They are probably writing memorials to impeach us now.
I can't believe it!
I knew that something isn't right.
I thought of all kinds of possibilities.
But, I never expected them to put...
the lives of Cao Pi and Cui Yan at stake.
Cui Yan values his reputation the most.
Yet, he doesn't mind the criticism this time.
He has gone mad.
I get it now. Xun Yu killed himself for this.
He left behind that letter on purpose.
Sima Yi waited outside of the Court of Judicial Review...
for this. These people planned it since the beginning.
They sacrificed Xun Yu and Cui Yan...
in order to bring us down.
They are crazy. Why are there so many crazy men in this world?
But, what should we do now?
We will be subjected to familial extermination.
Are we just going to wait? -We can't wait.
I'll go to the king.
Record all statements from today's interrogation.
Don't leave out even a word. -Yes.
Advisor Xun, the king has ordered you to...
supervise the trial. Please sit aside and listen.
Forgive me for the bad hospitality.
Mr. Zhong, you can just be fair.
Bring in the convict, Cui Yan.
Bring in the convict, Cui Yan!
I am Cui Yan. Greetings, Mr. Zhong.
Cui Yan, did you write this letter...
by imitating General Cao Pi's handwriting?
Yes.
This is a court of justice You must answer me honestly.
It is exactly because I am in a court of justice that...
I do not dare to lie.
I was a good friend of Mr. Xun Yu.
I could conveniently access his reading room.
So, I wrote this letter...
and hid it in a corner of his reading room...
when I visited him.
If you are a good friend of Mr. Xun Yu...
why did you write something so treacherous...
to frame those two?
I did it for the Marquis of Pingyuan.
Everyone knows that...
the king is hesitant in naming his successor.
The Marquis of Pingyuan is the husband of my niece...
and I must help him.
How can a person be forced to commit treason?
How did you frame General Cao Pi? Come clean.
Please make a sound judgement.
I was really forced to frame General Cao Pi.
I was threatened. -Who threatened you?
Ding Yi and Yang Xiu. - You are their superior.
How can they threaten you?
Do you have any evidence?
My life is in their hands.
I was forced to give in.
You have always been an honest man.
What can they threaten you with?
When the king declared his sovereignty...
Yang Xun wrote a statement to congratulate the king.
Yang Xun is my student. I did not like his flattery.
So, I wrote a letter to him saying...
have read your statement...
and as time goes by, things will change."
This is an insult to the king.
I thought that Yang Xun who is indebted to me...
will not betray me as it was a private communication.
Surprisingly, he handed the letter to Registrar Yang.
Ding Yi then threatened me with a copy of the letter.
He said that he has gotten hold of the letter.
I feared that the king would see this letter.
Ding Yi and Yang Xiu then threatened me to...
mislead my nephew into falsifying his testimony...
to falsely accuse Sima Lang...
and forge a letter to hid in Mr. Xun Yu's reading room...
to frame General Cao Pi.
Mr. Zhong, you are an expert in calligraphy.
Is this Yang Xiu's handwriting?
Yes, I am sure.
My uncle's soul in heaven...
can finally rest in peace.
Cui Yan, do you know that...
you will be sentenced to death...
if the letter insulting the king...
is announced to the public?
I should have died a long time ago.
I dare not commit misdeeds again and again...
for my own survival.
Mr. Zhong, please just be fair...
and redress the injustice for Mr. Xun Yu and General Cao Pi.
From now on...
I'll be counting on the rest of you...
to protect the country and the people.
The convict pleads guilty. Let him sign his testimony.
This is life. -We need to be careful.
Take the convict away. Also...
summon Ding Yi to await his trial.
Yes.
In accordance to the law...
I will openly hand this testimony to the king.
The Court of Judicial Review will also keep a copy of it...
to avoid underhanded interference.
Mr. Zhong, thank you for clearing my uncle's name.
Don't thank me. You should thank...
Don't you feel ashamed?
You're getting my son killed!
Look.
These are all memorials requesting for your death!
Father, De Zu is really innocent this time.
I'm innocent as well. I've never framed Brother Zi Huan.
My lord, you know that this is a trap set up by...
General Cao Pi, Sima Yi, Cui Yan and Xun Yu.
The Marquis of Pingyuan knows nothing about it.
Please send me to the prison. Don't blame it on the marquis.
Even if they torture me in the prison...
I won't get the marquis involved.
Father, please spare De Zu.
Young Master Zi Jian, don't plead for me anymore.
My lord, I only beg of you to get to the bottom of this case.
Get to the bottom of this case? How?
Answer my questions. Did Ding Yi visit Cui Yan?
Yes. -Was it your idea?
Yes, it was your idea.
But, I did it in order to protect Young Master Zi Jian.
I never meant to cause him harm.
My lord. -Say no more.
Xun Yu.
You all won.
Zhong Yao has shown me Cui Yen's testimony.
What is there to get to the bottom to?
Cui Yan has asked for death.
What purpose does it serve to try him?
My lord, Cui Yan is just blindly loyal...
and adhering to the rites.
His death is insignificant.
Shut up!
Do you have the right to judge Cui Yan and Wen Ruo?
Now, you can only...
think about how to defend yourself.
My lord, please calm down.
Isn't this the outcome they seek...
in sacrificing two important officials?
I will accept my punishment. However, the marquis' aides...
should be held responsible as well.
Sima Lang is still confined in the Court of Judicial Review.
Shouldn't he pay a price as well like me?
"The Duke of Zhou fashioned the Rites of Zhou...
while he enjoyed great renown."
"The former focused his effort despite difficult circumstances."
"The latter did not allow himself to be distracted by his fortune."
Greetings, General Cao Pi.
Congratulations, sir. You have been proven innocent.
- What did you say? - Proven innocent?
Brother Yi, are you saying that Young Master Zi Jian is fine now?
The king has found the real culprit...
and ordered to release you.
Zhong Da, rise.
Who framed me? Is it Yang Xiu?
- It's Cui Yan. - No way.
- I thought he... - It's a long story.
Sir, wait no more.
Please change into your official suit and go to the king.
The king is waiting for you.
Help me get changed.
Have a safe trip, sir.
You're not coming with me?
I'd like to visit someone in the prison.
I know.
You're worried about your brother. He is already...
proven innocent. I will plead with my father...
during the court meeting. -Sir.
The king is very angry now. When you see the king...
try to talk less. Keep this in mind.
Just keep your head low and apologise.
I shall not go with you. If the king sees me...
I might get you into trouble. Please keep this in mind.
Be a loyal subject and a filial son.
Will I become...
the crown prince of Wei after walking past this door?
One step closer. -Alright.
I will guarantee the wellness of your family...
and pick up the two of you personally.
There'll be a huge turmoil in the court soon.
This is a moment that will be recorded in history.
Are you sure you don't want to go and see your own achievement?
The person who writes the history in the future...
won't know what really happened today.
Good and bad...
cannot be summarised into a few lines of words.
It's not a bad thing to be absent.
I wish I can get some rest like you.
I haven't had any sleep for 2 days.
I'm so tired that I'm dying.
Yet, I still need to attend the court meeting.
I'll lead you to your brother.
I want to meet Mr. Cui.
Is there really no way to save Mr. Cui?
One who desires to live can be saved.
One who desires to die...
cannot be saved.
What brought you over? - I asked for some wine...
from Mr. Zhong to drink with you.
Alright. I never dared to drink too much.
Today, I will thank you with your wine.
I don't deserve it. -You do.
If you didn't convince Zhong Yao to...
take over the case...
our effort would be in vain. Xun Yu would not rest in peace...
and I would become a sinner.
That day I met you, I did not expect...
Mr. Xun Yu and you...
to come up with...
a plan like this.
The situation in the court does not favour us at all.
Mr. Xun Yu predicted that...
the king will dismiss him one day.
The two of us made a promise.
If the king insists to name Cao Zhi his heir...
we will fight with our lives.
Young man, you need to be more far-sighted.
I can only be the bait. I cannot be the fishing rod.
I'll be leaving the rest to you.
That day, you taught me to...
be far-sighted and look at the big picture.
You made me understand that you and Mr. Xun Yu desire...
not just the adherence to rites...
but also the peace and unification of the lands.
My generation has no other choice.
Even if the future generation...
will say that we are blindly loyal and conservative...
someone has to do it.
Even if it is just the faintest light...
we must brighten the path for the next generation.
I'll pay my respect to your great virtues and courage...
with this wine.
Alright. I will pay my respect to Mr. Xun Yu...
with your words.
Benevolence can be as small as protecting the innocent ones...
and as big as saving the world.
I chose to lend General Cao Pi a hand...
"because I trust you all.
I trust that you all are capable of...
accomplishing what we cannot accomplish.
I will keep that in mind.
I shall work not for a higher position...
but for the unification of the lands...
and the well-being of the people. I will work hard.
Cheers. -Alright. I've done my job.
I deserve this toast. Cheers.
Is this cluster mallow?
Yes. This is all I can get from a prison.
I'm surprised you know a mountain vegetable like this.
Of course I know.
This thing saved my life.
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion...
we did not have any food in the mountains.
We survived by gathering...
and consuming this vegetable. - You might not know...
but cluster mallow saved my family as well. That year...
Dong Zhuo burnt down Luoyang...
and I took my younger brothers back home.
It was winter and there was no food at home.
This was the only thing in our farm.
I borrowed a pot from our neighbour...
and cooked some cluster mallow soup.
Whenever I close my eyes...
I can recall the taste of this soup.
The flavours of the world are so good.
Have you ever thought about it?
Even the two of us needed this thing to survive.
How did the people live over the past 2 decades?
The war has been going on since 20 years ago.
The population has shrunk. Forget about having food...
one is fortunate enough if one manages to survive.
Mr. Cui, Mr. Xun has passed away.
Don't you want to see...
the prosperity and peace Mr. Xun desired?
My life is nothing compared to the lives of...
millions of people.
You can see it in your head.
Zhong Da.
This is...
the flavour of life.
Allow me to...
offer a toast.
Shocking incidents took place one after another.
Mr. Xun Yu died of illness.
My two sons were found guilty of serious offenses.
These are the misfortunes of my family...
and misfortunes of Wei. But fortunately...
the case of treason has been concluded.
I gathered everyone today...
in order to tell you all the result.
Come.
Summon General Cao Pi. -Yes.
The king summons General Cao Pi!
I am Cao Pi.
Greetings, father.
Rise.
Your case has been concluded.
So, I summoned you to hear the result with the rest.
Mr. Zhong, announce the result of the investigation.
Yes. I carefully examined the letter...
and noticed that the handwriting in it...
looks slightly similar to Mr. Cui Yan's handwriting.
As such, I summoned Cui Yan for a trial.
He admitted that he was forced to...
imitate General Cao Pi's handwriting...
to frame General Cao Pi and ensure that he does not...
become the crown prince...
was he was threatened by Yang Xiu and Ding Yi...
with a letter insulting the king he wrote.
Cui Yan framed my son. His misdeed cannot be forgiven.
He shall be punished for treason.
His accomplices shall be interrogated.
We must not spare the vile or punish the innocent.
The Marquis of Pingyuan has been taken into custody.
His aides...
are all suspected of instigation and shall be...
thrown into the prison alongside...
Yang Xiu and Ding Yi. -Yes!
I'm innocent.
My lord! I'm innocent!
I'm innocent!
General Cao Pi, are you satisfied?
Father, I was framed by despicable people.
Fortunately, my wise father...
cleared my name.
I will never be able to...
repay you for your affection.
What about the rest?
Are you all satisfied?
Since everyone is satisfied, dismiss.
Dismiss!
Do you know why...
that letter was written? -I do not know.
Cui Yan and Xun Yu...
used their lives to support your heirship.
Do you know? -I dare not lie to you.
I just learnt of it.
You have the charisma of a king.
You controlled them very well.
You are the one they are loyal to.
Father.
I did not expect an outcome like this.
If I knew, I wouldn't let them...
You don't have to pretend in front of me.
Whenever necessary, you have to use tricks.
This is politics.
Trying to please everyone and pretend to be kind...
will only make people look down on you even more.
Father, I boldly ask a question.
How do you plan to punish Zi Jian and Yang Xiu?
He is your brother. How do you want me to punish him?
Please allow me to ask another question. If...
I frame Zi Jian...
how will you punish me?
I'm still alive...
and you brothers have become enemies!
Father, please let me finish.
You may beat or kill me after this.
Alright. I'll say it for you.
If it's the other way round...
you'll kill me if I've framed Zi Jian.
Even if you spare me, Yang Xiu and Ding Yi will kill me.
But, no matter how Zi Jian treats me...
I won't kill him.
Since the moment I entered the prison...
I handed my life to my own father...
because I knew that my father...
would surely be fair.