Bring the water now!
Hurry up!
Make way!
Uncle, may you have a wonderful day on Lantern Festival!
The plan will surely works, everything went well.
Walnut pancake!
Yes.
We are in the third year of Tian Bao.
All the shops shall reopen on the day of Lantern Festival.
Back to business!
As decreed by the Chancellery,
in the third year of Tian Bao,
the 14th day of the first month,
the Lantern Carnival will be launched.
The sky of Chang'an shall be lit by brilliant light!
As declared by the Emperor,
from now on until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning,
the curfew of Chang'an city will be lifted.
It doesn't matter where you came from,
as long as you have visited the city,
within the next 24 hours,
you shall walk freely on the streets of Chang'an!
" Longest Night in Chang'an "
Episode 1
" Guangde Street, Peacekeeper Corps "
" Tan Qi the Servant "
He reeks of stench.
We are in a hurry, that is all for now.
Freshen your breathe.
Come on.
This is the watchtower.
We have use of you today.
" Zhang Xiao Jing, Former Captain of Sleuth-hound "
The man that came before you would be saying,
'What is this place?'
This tastes nice.
Anything could be surprising.
Most men don't walk their talks.
I hope you are an exception.
Master, he is here.
-I hope you are... -You got the wrong man.
I am Zhang Xiao Jing.
My crime was the worst of all.
It's the crime of treason.
Ministry of Justice and Court of Judicature...
are going to behead me.
My life cannot be spared.
I can get you pardoned from the sentence.
The Tang Dynasty hasn't fallen to the point where a boy calls the shot.
-Are you kin of the Emperor? -Master.
When we transported him out of the prison,
we never mentioned your identity to anyone.
This place...
is where the Jinglong Temple once stood.
We are in Guangde Street outside the Western District.
On our left, the Jinglong Temple is being rebuilt.
On our right, Ministry of Capital stands.
This garden has been abandoned for a long time.
It's not even on the map.
Some even say...
it's the private villa of the Crown Prince.
-Chief. -Master.
I carry the family name of Li. " Li Bi, Chief of Peacekeeper Corps "
But it's not the same as the royal family.
It's from the noble of the previous dynasty.
My family was nobles for six generations.
I befriended Zhang Jiu Ling at seven years old.
I knew the Crown Prince at the age of nine.
Director He is my mentor.
General Wang Zong Shi is my friend.
I followed Master Ye Shan for ten years on Taoism.
The Emperor summons me to exchange thoughts on Taoism.
A new Yamen was established.
It's been five months?
Four months.
Not bad.
I do have a way to get you out of the death sentence.
After tonight, you will be freed.
You can walk the city of Chang'an freely.
You can look after those you care,
but you must complete this mission.
The same mission Cui Liu Lang was doing?
Yes. He was an illegal loan shark.
His actions exceeded the tolerance of our laws.
It's death sentence for him.
Since you hired him,
why bother finding me?
He is dead.
Captain Cui.
" Cui Qi, Captain of the Royal Escort "
It was my error that brought us this failure.
The deputy captain Huang Shan and my...
And...
Cui Liu Lang were killed in action.
I'll accept my punishment.
Dismiss and stay put.
Yes.
Get changed.
You can't afford to be sick today.
As for Liu Lang's funeral,
I will take care of it.
Captain Cui!
The younger brother is a soldier,
but the elder brother was a bandit.
Interesting.
Cui Qi spent a long time in the Longyou Army.
He was transferred to Chang'an less than six months ago.
He is a righteous person, unlike his brother.
I have a mission for you,
you will live if you complete it.
Should you fail,
you will suffer the same fate as Liu Lang.
You will die in prison without even a warm meal.
-Forensic! -Yes.
Cui Liu Lang.
Broker and fabric merchant in Western District.
His age is 41 years old.
-Cause of death? -His tongue was pulled out,
died from the blood loss.
-What about him? -His neck was twisted.
I will be freed once the mission is completed?
Can I trust you?
My master told you who he really is.
You already knew too much.
You will die even if you turn me down.
Most men don't walk their talks.
I hope he is an exception.
What is it?
What do you need of me?
This is the Peacekeeper Corps.
Pacifying the disorder, ensuring the tranquility of city.
The Peacekeeper Corps is a newly found secret agency.
We are in charge of crime prevention.
Our supervisor is Director He.
He calls the shot around here.
He's is a third rank officer, the Director of Palace Library.
He is in charge of keeping all the secret and open cases.
The Peacekeeper Corps has an unusual place in Imperial Court.
Secretariat, Chancellery, Office of State Affairs,
Ministry of Personnel, National Treasury, Ministry of Rites,
Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice,
Ministry of Works, Censorate,
Court of Judicature, Court of Imperial Entertainments.
Files from the Offices, Ministries and Directorates are all here.
Chamberlain Xu.
This is Xu Bin.
-Do you know this man? -Zhang Xiao Jing.
Sleuth-hound Captain of the Wannian County.
I've heard of him, but never met in person.
By using the scroll of the cases,
he searched for a suitable candidate for me inside of Chang'an.
He chose you and Liu Lang.
You know both the laws and rules of the vagabonds.
You know all sorts of people and the way they talk.
You are motivated and have a certain attachment.
You want to live.
By going through rental contracts,
we will find any changes of addresses within the past year.
If ten others can work with me,
we will surely have a result in the next hour.
Ten men will be assisting you.
Xu Bin is obsessed with solving mysteries with the case scrolls.
In order to get his hands on the files,
he would rather choose to be a lowly eighth rank chamberlain.
There are 35 officers in Peacekeeper Corps.
I hand-picked them from other ministries myself.
They all act with caution, just like Xu Bin.
" Pang Ling, professor from the Bureau of Astronomy "
You trust them?
Yes.
Professor Pang, what is the time?
Nine o'clock in the morning, Time of Great Waste!
The world is growing lush and prosper,
but it'll all fall apart soon!
Such event is called the Time of Great Waste!
The model layout.
All are thriving and glory shines upon it.
There will be no greater city than Chang'an.
Didn't you hear what he said?
The world is growing lush and prosper, but it'll all fall apart soon!
A Time of Great Waste.
The prosperity in front of you might not last long.
The Tang Dynasty has me for its future.
Focus on what's in front of you.
In front of me?
This thing in front of me should not exist!
All of you officers like to get the credit for anything.
The fortifications and locations of headquarters are here.
Should this falls into the wrong hands,
Chang'an will be in a mess.
This place is heavily secured.
Your worry is unnecessary.
There are 108 streets in Chang'an.
There is a watchtower at every 300 steps.
The commandants on top are sent by the Commissioner of the north.
They went through the battles of Yuchuan and Sanggan River,
they even defeated the Yabghu.
They have great sight,
all the movements beneath are seen clearly.
Three, six, one!
If the commandants see anything unusual,
they will signal the Peacekeeper Corps with codes.
The Corps will send out order to any corner of the city,
we can cover the whole city in a blink of an eye.
-Three, six, one! -Also,
the commandants are equipped with crossbow.
They can acquire any target within the range of 230 steps.
Wherever you are in the city, I will know.
An escape is impossible.
But you said I will be freed after the mission is done.
Why would I want to escape?
I ask very highly of you and demand a lot.
If you fail,
you will be back on death row in no time.
What is considered a succeed, then?
Have you heard about the Wolven Squad?
In September, second year of Tian Bao,
an encoded letter came from the north.
The leader of Wolven Squad and his men went missing in Western District.
They must be planning something. In order to foil their plan,
the Peacekeeper Corps is founded.
After months of investigation,
we found out about a business deal in the Western District.
Someone is looking for a fake Sogdian merchant...
that will help them pass the census test.
A reward of 5,000 qian is offered.
The time is nine o'clock this morning.
Cui Liu Lang is well-known as a broker in Western District.
That is why I chose him.
An hour ago, the shops are reopened in Western District.
Cui Liu Lang led Cao Po Yan and his men to the district.
Wolven Squad was spotted in Western District.
The original plan...
was to have Liu Lang lure Cao Po Yan to the down-town,
four squads of Royal Escort will follow them secretly...
until they reach the hideout and arrest them all.
We were hoping to find out their motive to infiltrate Chang'an.
But there was an accident.
Mr. Genius,
if you can deploy the Crown Prince's Royal Escort,
why couldn't you keep Liu Lang alive?
Everything was going according to our plan.
We will be raiding the Bingliu Warehouse.
Any who knows the place can scout ahead.
I am Huang Shan of Chang'an.
I request permission to scout ahead.
-Move out. -Yes!
-Gather around! -Yes!
Then?
There is no one out there. Two guards are in the compound.
The rest of them are in the warehouse.
Liu Lang went in too?
Yes.
-For how long? -Less than 30 minutes.
Liu Lang!
The one that got away is Cao Po Yan, the leader.
Cui Qi jumped into the drain and pursued him.
The armour is too dense, he can never catch up.
We investigated.
The secret drains are illegally constructed by the owner.
Bureau of Western District has no record.
The secret drains are connected to the main drainage.
They exit outside the Western District.
They passed through over 30 streets.
Half the city is covered.
Which is why we can never know where Cao Po Yan went on shore.
My mission for you is to capture Cao Po Yan.
Sixteen men came in,
fifteen men are dead.
The Peacekeeper Corps went through so much efforts...
only to have me...
capture this one man?
Tonight is the Lantern Festival.
The people will be on the streets to see the lanterns.
There is a joke about how crowded it is...
that you can't even touch the ground.
If we deploy too many soldiers,
there will be anarchy and casualties.
Stealth is our only option.
If Cao Po Yan is planning to raise troubles tonight,
and if people of Chang'an lose their lives,
this guilt will never be wiped from my conscience.
For the people?
Father!
Director of Palace Library
Greetings, Director He.
" He Zhi Zheng, Director of Palace Library "
Father!
" He Fu, son of He Zhi Zheng "
Father!
Teacher.
Light shines upon the Great Tang,
the world bows down to the Emperors!
It's gone!
Father!
" Jiao Sui the peasant "
You are alive.
I am glad you are alive.
Are you a merchant?
Did you...
run into bandits?
All of my comrades are dead.
Come on, have a drink.
You don't want to get frostbite.
Come on.
Have another drink.
What is this?
Golden Fish Pendant.
A pass to the palace.
You are an officer?
What is your name?
Jiao Sui of Chang'an.
Such a shame.
Not at all.
Let me send you away.
Have a wonderful Lantern Festival.
Who are you?
Teacher, if you need some rest,
Chang Yuan can ready the horse for you.
This land...
will know who you are once you got the right outfit.
While you are staring at the Grand Auditorium,
you said it's gone.
What is gone?
Chang Yuan.
Did you catch the wolf?
Aren't you going to introduce me to him?
Just do what you are here for.
If you can't handle this task,
you might as well say it now.
The camels.
" Cui Liu Lang, brother of Cui Qi "
Did you hear anything?
I don't hear anything.
The bells on the camels stopped ringing.
Someone is coming.
You are a spy?
A smuggler can't be a spy.
On guard!
It would be treason if I betray any information to you!
This crime cannot be pardoned!
I will lose my head for it!
Which of you fools ordered to take the load off the camels?
It's me.
Chamberlain Xu.
Write this down.
This happened because of my error.
Compensate the family of Cui Liu Lang with 100,000 qian...
and a house at the Shengye Street.
Chief Li.
The Corps has no such budget.
I will pay.
Smart.
Being smart doesn't give you control over everything.
Indeed.
What loathsome deals did your brother do?
It's none of your business.
But it does for today.
He smuggled silks and jewellery.
Human and horse trafficking.
He was once a hired mercenary and assassin.
Does he love money so much?
He did it for me!
He did it to get me into the ranks of Longyou Army!
He did it so I can return to Chang'an!
In the fifteenth year of the previous era,
my brother wanted to me to join the army.
But we were...
farmers that ran away from our baron.
We couldn't be registered.
My brother started smuggling pearls.
He got the money...
so I could get me into the ranks of Longyou Army.
The Emperor back then...
forbid...
forbid the smuggling of pearls.
My brother can get 500 qian for each smuggling.
He wrapped the pearls in goat entrails and swallowed them.
He did the same deal a dozen of times.
He almost lost his life.
From that on,
he couldn't have solid foods for years.
Close the door.
This is classy.
Wintersweet with golden paint.
I need some space.
I am sorry for this.
Chief!
We found out who the owner of Bingliu Warehouse really is.
We flipped through the records of past two years...
on the Bureau's tax records,
census register files,
and the construction plans from the Ministry of Work.
We found the address of the owner.
The Royal Escort is on the way there.
Make way!
The owner will be brought here in the next hour.
Also, Captain Cui mustered the troops.
They are heading to the location the gatekeeper described...
and on the map Cao Po Yan drew.
All the commandants and spies are in place.
The trap is set.
We just have to wait.
Fight!
Fight! Fight on!
-Stop right there! -Stop!
Sir, you might want to try somewhere else, we are closing.
I wish to have a nice seat at the Lantern Carnival.
Please, I hope you understand.
There is still time.
The owner of Bingliu Warehouse is Li Lu Gou.
He lives in First of Double Twist Alley, Western District.
He spent 50,000 qian to buy an abandoned land six months ago...
and rebuilt the Bingliu Warehouse.
From that on, he paid his tax to the Bureau every month.
However,
according to the construction records from Ministry of Work,
up until three months ago,
that very warehouse was still...
importing construction soil. Which can only mean...
that at least three months after the warehouse was rebuilt,
the construction was still underway.
Cao Po Yan might have...
dug this secret passage during that time.
What's more peculiar is that...
up until spring in the second year of Tian Bao,
the name 'Li Lu Gou' was still listed...
on the refugee list in Longjing Temple for free food.
It was only four months in between that and the rebuilding of warehouse.
How did he get so much money in just four months?
Order the watchtower to send the signal!
What is that drum?
It's been played a dozen of times today.
There is a new law enforcement team.
They commandeered the watchtower used for fire watch.
The soundings of drums is their signals.
It's been played so many times since the market reopened.
But nothing happened.
Maybe they are just catching some pickpockets.
Those drum beats do give an ease of mind.
It's like someone is actually protecting the people.
Report!
Report from the Royal Escort.
Li Lu Gou, the owner of warehouse and his whole family...
have been dead for over ten days.
He is dead?
-The cause of death? -Their necks are broken.
The top of their heads are shaved.
The cruelty of Wolven Squad.
There are others from the Wolven Squad lurking around.
Killing five people without alerting any neighbours,
there were more than one murderer.
Li Lu Gou was given 50,000 qian six months ago.
Did you find out who gave it?
I got nothing.
Money laundering is all too common in Chang'an.
There are gangs and factions involved.
There is no clue to be traced.
What is this?
The Wolven Squad...
is planning something big.
I just couldn't say no to money.
I was closing the business today.
It's still morning, why are you closing?
Have you never been to Chang'an before?
What is it?
The Lantern Festival is different this year.
Something big is going to happen.
We have a holy lantern this year.
The genius craftsman Master Mao Shun...
crafted a Grand Holy Lantern for the Emperor.
It's right at the Directorial Office next to the Xingqing Palace.
It's very mysterious.
It's being kept out of sight. They say...
it costs the whole annual budget of Yongzhou.
It took one whole year to craft the lantern.
But not even the Emperor knows how the lantern looks like.
As the night falls, the lantern will be lit.
That is when we get to see it.
The whole city is waiting to see it.
When will it be lit?
We will light our lanterns around five o'clock this evening.
But the Holy Lantern will be lit at 2 o'clock in the morning.
The Emperor will hold a feast.
All the officers will be there.
If I don't get a spot in the line,
I can't even enter the place after the Dragon Army seal the road.
I didn't plan to go at first.
It could be a mess when there is a crowd.
Two years ago,
someone was tossing coins in front of Jianfu Temple.
This may sound hilarious.
Just because everyone was fighting for the coins,
hundreds of people got hurt from stomping each other.
The whole Dragon Army was deployed.
But there were a few of the soldiers.
It's like tossing salt into the river,
there is nothing they could do.
Captain Cui.
Yes.
If you were ordered to seize the Dragon Army's headquarters,
how many men do you need?
The Dragon Army will be at Xingqing Palace...
which is just next to the Grand Auditorium.
Their headquarters may be emptied, but we would need suicide warriors.
At least 50 of them.
What about the headquarters of Right Cavalries?
The officers there are sons of the higher-ups.
They are barely trained.
To seize their headquarters,
I need...
only 20 suicide warriors.
What about the inner city of the palace?
Chief, what are you planning?
The Wolven Squad is coming tonight.
They have the map of Chang'an.
They have only part of the map.
From Xiude Street, Fuxing Street,
even all the way to the royal palace and Pinkang Street,
the roads and drains are clearly drawn in details.
There are special markers at different locations.
The marked locations are the headquarters of Dragon Army,
the stables of the Right Cavalries,
the fortifications inside the royal palace...
and the manor of the Right Counsellor.
They are going to attack so many locations at once?
Such a detailed map was not for the Wolven Squad, it's for you.
Liu Lang thought it through.
Even if he dies, he made sure you can read the map.
More of the Wolven Squad and their plan are in place.