[English subtitles are available.]
Under The Power
Episode 1
In the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty,
Yan Song framed Grand Secretary Xia Ran
and caused him to be beheaded wrongly.
After that, Yan Song removed
Qiu Cheng, Shen Lian, Yang Qizheng and other political enemies.
Since then, Yan Song and his son have been in power.
In the 37th year of the Jiajing era,
headed by Wang Zhi, the pirates
attacked the coastal cities of the Ming Dynasty.
In the same year,
the coastal defense map of the Ministry of War was stolen.
Lu Yi, the son of Lu Ting who is the commander of
the Embroidered Uniform Guards,
was in charge of investigation.
What evidence do you have to put me in prison?
I want to see the emperor.
I want to impeach you!
Lu Yi!
Why did you catch me?
Your Excellency.
You are from the North Bureau,
yet you dare to touch the Ministry of War?
Aren't you afraid of...
What do you want?
I'll give you a chance.
Ask me three questions
to guess
why you're here.
I'm not going to ask you.
Okay, I'll ask.
I'll ask.
Is it related to
the Office of Miscellaneous Affairs of the Ministry of War?
It is.
Next question.
The office
lost something again?
Yes.
Next question.
What was lost?
I also want to know.
That's
really funny.
I don't know.
I really don't know.
An innocent man
wouldn't know what to ask.
But you
clearly knew it.
I really have no idea.
No idea?
Fine, I'll say.
I'll say.
It's the coastal defense map.
The Ministry of War
suspected Cao Kun of stealing the map.
Waiter.
Why hasn't the dishes been served yet?
Sir, please wait a moment.
I'm coming, I'm coming.
Let's go.
Sir, here are your dishes and rice.
Don't you love fish?
Here, eat more fish.
I'm starving.
Yue.
This fish is delicious.
You...
Where did you come from?
How dare you eat my food?
Waiter.
Waiter!
I'm coming.
Kick them out.
Do not disturb.
I'm leaving now.
Wait.
Another six bowls of rice.
Right away, right away.
What
do you want to do?
Why did you run?
Why did you hide yourself?
You think you could do it because you're fat?
You made me run around the suburbs every day.
I couldn't have a hot meal either.
You are Cao Ling'er?
What a pity.
Such a beautiful beauty
is worn out.
Who...
Who are you?
Department Six.
Yuan Jinxia.
Constable Yuan.
Please look at us.
We are both good people.
I wonder
why you
looked for us.
They drew you well.
What do you think?
Please look at it carefully.
This drawing doesn't look like me.
Really?
But why do I think it looks so alike you?
Is it tasty?
I have a lot at my place.
One.
Two.
It's hurt!
Three.
So you are a girl.
What I hate most is tying my hair.
Dan.
You eloped for him, but he did so to you.
Wait here.
I'll be back right away.
Yue!
Like to eat ready-made, as always.
I caught you!
Run, why didn't you keep running?
Keep running!
Hey, Jinxia.
Don't just care about the girl.
You should do your job.
I am doing my job now.
Your Excellency.
All Cao Kun's materials that you asked
are here.
Was Cao Kun's promotion
all because of the recommendation
of Xu Lang, minister of War?
Your Excellency.
If Cao Kun stole the map for real,
in your opinion, does it has anything to do with Minister Xu?
Xu Lang just took this new official post.
It does him no good
to have the map stolen.
But
there's another possibility.
Cao Kun
is a spy that lurks beside Xu Lang.
Officer.
This gold bar is ten times more than the reward.
Please do not be too hard on me this time.
Spare me, please.
Officer.
These are all I have.
Show your mercy, please.
I'm begging you, officer.
Could you please spare me?
It can be changed to 800 tales of silver.
Yes, officer, please take them.
How do you know I'm in the red?
Right?
But if word gets out about it,
I will lose my job for sure.
Then...
I can't kill you
for these gold bars, can I?
Officer.
Please spare me.
Please spare me. I'm begging you.
I'm begging you, officer.
All right?
Please spare me.
That's all I have, really!
Officer, officer.
Officer.
I'll report my task after this meal.
You guys can't kill me.
Officer.
Deal with me first, no.
Just let me go.
Miss.
It's not worth getting mad at yourself
for a man like that.
Here.
Eat some.
And you.
You paid for this table.
If you don't eat now,
you won't have that much to eat in jail.
Officer, didn't you take the gold bars?
A new task.
Yue
Take him back.
And keep an eye on him.
Take good care of Cao Ling'er.
I'm leaving.
Keep those gold bars as well.
She did it again.
Your Excellency, we received a secret report.
Something happened to Cao's mansion.
Master.
What new case?
This is the mansion of Cao Kun, director of Ministry of War.
A fire broke out at midnight
and destroyed a main room.
And Director Cao happened to be in that room.
By the time the servants found him,
he was dead.
Where is his body?
In the room.
Good timing, let me see
how you are getting on with your lessons recently.
Let's go.
Master.
You must be Mrs. Cao.
Master.
Are you sure this is Mr. Cao Kun's body?
Yes.
He stayed up late last night for work,
I also sent him a bowl of sweet soup
so he could get some strength.
Then I went back to my room and rested.
Unexpectedly, after I woke up...
Toolkit.
He was dead.
So?
Mr. Cao was murdered.
Look.
He was burned
and blackened,
but there was no black dust in the depths of his mouth and nose.
As a matter of common sense,
even just a partial fire,
human will struggle.
This body, however,
was still lying on its back
despite being charred.
So he was dead
before the fire.
You mentioned that
you brought him sweet soup last night?
Yes.
You don't think
I killed him, do you?
I didn't say anything.
Why are you so nervous?
He did me favors weighty as a mountain,
and we had deep feelings toward each other.
I have no reason to kill him.
Don't be nervous.
We can tell if there is poison just by one try.
No poison.
Mr. Cao was injured before?
Yes.
10 years ago,
he was wounded in the chest by an arrow on the battlefield.
Fortunately,
the arrow drifted a little from his heart,
so he was still alive.
But
the doctor took the arrow too hard
and broke a piece of iron in his body.
He's lucky.
There's a foreign material in him,
but he's okay.
It became a good story about him.
It looks like
this piece of iron is what's left of that arrow.
Master,
according to what Mrs. Cao said,
this body
is indeed Mr. Cao Kun.
Captain.
Everybody.
The Three Judicial Offices has sent a document.
Whoever takes up the case
and catches the murderer
will be rewarded with 15 taels of silver.
How much?
15? That much?
In addition,
reimburse all fares.
Captain.
Give me this case.
The third child of my family
will have to attend a private school next year.
Stop talking nonsense.
What private school?
Look how thin I am now.
I haven't eaten meat for three months.
Look.
My eyes are swollen.
Look, all swollen.
I'll take
that money for sure.
Jinxia.
Look at my clothes now.
They can't be mended anymore.
Or else they will become patchworks.
Can you let me have this case?
Captain, give me this case.
I'm not buying it.
How can a group of men like you
fight for a case with a girl like me?
Master,
I have to earn that money.
If I don't bring the money back home,
my mother will sell me.
And she's always
resented the lack of pay here.
She doesn't even let me be a constable.
You have to help me.
Master.
Captain, help me, help me.
Help us.
Master.
All right, all right.
Stop fighting.
The document is right here.
Whoever grabs it,
the case
goes to that person.
That's fair.
That's right. It's fair!
Give it to me!
It happens every time.
It's her again.
You are from the Embroidered Uniform Guards?
The Embroidered Uniform Guards will handle this case. Everyone else, leave!
Jinxia, don't be reckless.
Yang Chengwan, head constable in charge of Department Six, is at your service.
I am incapable to teach my student well.
Your Excellency, please
don't blame my little student.
Jinxia.
What are you doing?
Apologize to Mr. Lu right now.
Mr. Lu?
He is
the son of the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Lu Yi, Mr. Lu.
So you are Mr. Lu?
My mistake, I didn't know it was you.
I'm just a little girl.
You're not going to care about me, right?
Could you please give my handgun back?
How can a little constable of Department Six like her
have a handgun that only whose ranks
above provincial military governor of the Divine Engine Division can have?
Your Excellency.
This was a privileged reward
when Jinxia handled the previous case.
It has been reported to the Divine Engine Division.
Really?
Yes.
But
I still have a question.
Mr. Lu.
Just have a try.
Don't be afraid, Head Constable Yang.
Yes, Your Excellency.
Here is my question.
A typical handgun of the Divine Engine Division
had to be close to 10 cun short
since the 12th year of the Yongle era.
But this one's less than 7 cun.
Why?
Jinxia.
Answer him.
Mr. Lu,
I designed it myself, and then I asked someone else to make it.
Designed it yourself?
No wonder its power is just average.
Where is Cao Kun's body?
Inside, Your Excellency.
Come here.
Crazy freak.
Are you sure this is Cao Kun's body?
I had just finished examining his body
and found the special feature was left of him.
Mrs. Cao confirmed it's him, too.
Cen Fu.
Take this body to the North Bureau.
We'll go through the autopsy again.
Yes, Your Excellency.
Carry away.
Your Excellency, are you doubting my inquest?
Then tell me.
Where is the feature left in the body?
According to Mrs. Cao,
10 years ago, Cao Kun's chest had been wounded by an arrow.
And a fragment of the arrow was left.
This is the fragment found in his chest.
This color and material
should belong to a new piece of iron came out in recent years.
So
that body is not Cao Kun.
The superficial truth
doesn't mean the true result.
Cen Fu.
Check for any missing servants in Cao's mansion.
Yes, Your Excellency.
If the dead is not him,
where is the real Cao Kun?
Jinxia.
Cao Kun was also
involved in a case of betrayal and collude with the enemy,
which the North Bureau took over.
This...
Mr. Lu.
The Three Judicial Offices has sent a document.
I'm afraid it's wrong for you
to be so exclusive.
Head Constable Yang.
Department Six's expenses are tight and your manpower is limited.
You even let a weak girl to work for you.
If you have to deal with such a major case,
I am afraid it is not right.
Rubbish.
Fella.
How could a handsome guy like you
say those smelly rubbish?
Jinxia.
You!
Cen Fu.
I'll take the paper of Three Judicial Offices for the time being.
I will
make it clear to His Majesty.
In that case,
do as you say.
Then now, excuse us.
Take it slow, Your Excellency.
Wait!
You may go,
but give my handgun and my bullets back.
You just wanted to shoot me.
I haven't forgotten that.
But you just scared me, too.
We're even, right?
But doesn't mean that I have forgiven you.
You...
People from the Embroidered Uniform Guards are His Majesty's closest military officers.
His Majesty loves the subjects as if they were his own children.
But you are so arrogant.
Jinxia.
You took Cao Kun's body away.
You also took the document I got first.
Fine.
Then I'll assume that you want to take the credit.
But you cannot take
my personal items as well.
If you have the ability to solve a case,
I will give it back to you.
So he looked down on me.
Fine.
I'll catch the killer before you do.
And let you feel ashamed for yourselves.
Jinxia, you crossed the line.
Master,
they were the ones who went too far in bullying others.
Bean curd.
Fresh bean curd.
Bean curd.
Mother.
You're back?
Little bastard, little bastard, little bastard.
What are you doing?
Yuan Jinxia is a picked up bastard.
Dare you say it again?
Mother.
It's useless even you call for you mother.
What are you doing?
Mother, she bullied me, she bullied me.
Let me take a look.
Although you are so young, you know "the wicked will sue first".
It was your kid who hit me.
He even called me "bastard".
Children don't understand things.
You're an adult, why would you bother with him?
You were the orphan Mrs. Yuan brought back.
No one knows who gave birth to you.
Is it wrong
to call you "bastard"?
The child doesn't understand things. So do you.
We meet each other all the time in this street.
How will you buy our bean curd in the future?
Go home.
Let's go.
Mother, you're amazing.
You can scare them off with just a few words.
Don't care about them.
You...
I... I...
I am your own daughter.
Let's go.
Let's go home.
After eating, wash yourself and change your clothes.
I can smell you from here.
I told you.
Constable is not a girl's job.
It's tiring and exhausting.
It's not like a girl's style.
If you
had listened to me,
you would have married the son of
the Sun family who made pastries in the east end
of the town.
I'm not marrying that skinny monkey.
He is not as strong as I am.
Sun family makes peach blossom baked wheat cake.
Their business is booming.
They even bought a shop at Xinfengqiao.
If you had followed my advice and married him,
you would be "a young lady" now.
It's useless to say anything now.
Do you know?
The Sun family's daughter-in-law is pregnant.
Look at you.
Mother，
your daughter is not that bad.
And I'm not in a hurry to get married.
If you don't marry, what do you do?
Keep being a constable?
Give me this month's salary of yours.
I'll save it for you as a dowry.
Come on.
I don't have any.
Are you secretly saving money?
Don't think that I don't know.
You work hard as a constable.
You save money on food and expenses.
With the money you save,
you just want to find your birth parents.
It's been years
and you still have this dream?
Look at me.
Look at me!
I am your real mother.
I've been working so hard to bring you up.
Such a heartless girl.
Think of those who abandoned you all the time.
Ungrateful.
Mother.
Eat some.
Come on.
After meal, go and sell my cart of dried bean curd.
Okay.
Your Excellency.
How is it?
We examined the whole body once.
It's the burned body after death.
And
Cao Kun's only daughter, Cao Ling'er,
left the house with a hanger-on named Li Dan.
Mrs. Cao reported the case to Department Six.
Li Dan has now been arrested.
I didn't expect this woman
to know this knowledge.
Unfortunately,
the barrel is short
and the range is not far.
Li Dan is a key figure.
Let's go.
May I have your attention, please take a look.
If you have money, please give some.
Come here to take a look.
Okay, thank you.
Come again.
Okay.
Look over there. Let's go.
Good!
Good.
Thank you, everyone.
Thank you, everyone, for supporting us.
Two sticks of dried bean curd, no chili oil.
Bean Curd Queen!
How did you know I am here?
I went to your house to give you two salted fish.
Your mother said you are here.
Did you see their "smashing rock in the chest" performance?
I've sold three sticks of dried bean curd here,
he's smashed it eight times.
He just smash it like this for a night
and he'll earn the same amount as our month's salary.
Why do we still have to be constables?
Don't you think it's hurt?
You think silver hurts?
I...
You...
Seriously.
I came to tell you that
Li Dan ran away.
He did?
How could he?
He broke the lock and ran away.
Where are our doorkeepers?
There were not enough people to cover the shift.
They all went out for dinner.
Just 10 minutes and he was gone.
Get out of my way!
Who is that?
You!
Speak.
Li Dan?
Where is that person?
Your Excellency, I don't know.
I really have no idea.
Please spare me.
Your Excellency.
No idea?
Take him back to prison.
Yes, Your Excellency.
Your Excellency!
Your Excellency, please let me go.
Your Excellency, I really have no idea why...
Your Excellency!
Please let me go, Your Excellency.
Get up.
-I really don't know. -Go.
Your Excellency!
Li Dan.
Your Excellency.
-Let's go! -No.
Your Excellency!
Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu.
Jinxia.
That... I...
You...
Even when you're doing your job, you can't smash my bean curd stand.
Step aside.
What do you want to do?
Your Excellency,
actually my dried bean curd is not expensive,
just give me two taels of silver.
Just give me silver and I'll get out of your sight.
Otherwise I don't know how to explain to my mother later.
Give her money.
Your Excellency, don't forget our bet.
We finally managed to catch Li Dan,
but those people from the Embroidered Uniform Guards just snatched him away
without any effort.
All day long they say they are good at handling cases themselves.
I think they only take the credit from others.
Look impressive but worthless.
But we
have no witnesses now.
You must be at a disadvantage
in your bet with him.
From what I see,
you should be prepared to admit defeat.
Admit defeat?
Impossible.
It's not my style to
throw in the towel before I start.
Don't worry.
I won't admit defeat.
Good, good.
When I was in my prime,
every time I played the game of Chuiwan (similar with modern golf),
I would drive a ball into nine out of ten holes.
Now you can
have a good laugh at me.
In the "Ball Treatise", they said
the essence of the game lies in
that don't be disappointed if you lose,
and don't show off if you win.
In my humble thought,
Your Majesty,
you're the one who knows it best.
What you say always
makes me speechless.
I am not that talented.
Your Majesty, you flattered me.
Do you have
any clue about the missing file
of the Ministry of War?
Sorry because it bothers you.
I have looked into the matter thoroughly
and will have a result soon.
Good.
I am sure
you will give me
a satisfactory answer.
Yes.
How about
playing another game with me?
Sure.
Your Excellency, please take your time.
Come, put the ball on.
Yes.
Is His Majesty playing the game of Chuiwan?
The winner goes first.
His Majesty must have had
a good sleep last night.
So he's having the mood for this game.
No.
His Majesty was upset
about the Ministry of War.
Your Excellency!
Are you all right?
Your Majesty.
Get up quickly, my man.
Did you hurt anywhere?
It startled me.
Sorry to bother you because of it.
My apology.
I'm sorry I startled you, Your Excellency.
Please forgive me
for being so reckless.
It's you, son of Mr. Lu Ting.
Everybody says
you are not only good at both arts and martial arts,
but also excellent at playing the game of Chuiwan.
You're indeed deserved the reputation.
A wise goose never lays a tame egg, as they say.
Mr. Yan, you flattered me.
I have no such talented.
It's just His Majesty did a favor for my father,
so that I can have a job.
Some people out are wrongly informed.
Please don't take it seriously.
See?
I made a fool of myself with a small ball.
There is no way I can compare with His Majesty.
You're way too humble.
If it hadn't been for your skill,
I'm afraid that shot earlier
would have been
more than just a pass.
Alright, alright.
Yan Song.
Lu Yi is just a junior.
Don't bother with him.
Besides, all of you are my favorite men.
Don't let this
spoil our harmony.
Your Majesty,
the Yan family and the Lu family both work for the court.
We have a very good relationship.
How could I
be mad at Lu the junior?
Mr. Yan, thank you for being generous.
I admire you.
Officer.
This is the side door of the prison, leave.
Since when you had an uncle
who cooked for the prison?
Does it strange?
You have not seen my family tree.
You don't have to worry.
Cool.
I finally know why you love cooking so much.
So it's because of the gene.
Hush.
Officer, please take a look.
Get to the point.
Are you sure
Li Dan knows where Cao Kun is?
There's definitely some problem with Li Dan.
Otherwise the people from the Embroidered Uniform Guards wouldn't care about him.
Who are those people from the Embroidered Uniform Guards?
They treat people ruthlessly and cruelly.
I know this so well.
Keep it down. Don't let them hear you.
Okay, go inside.
Let's go.
It's fine, let's go.
You've worked hard.
Wait a second.
You two.
Go that way.
You, this way.
Yes.
Time for meal. Time for meal.
Here. Here.
Thank you. Thank you.
That's enough. Here.
Why is this again?
Forget it. It's good that we have food.
If you don't want to eat it, give it to me.
Give it back!
Tell me
where Cao Kun is.
You and that Mr. Lu
are really people of the same kind.
You both asked strange questions.
I admitted that I kidnapped Cao Kun's daughter.
But other than that,
I really don't know anything.
Ma'am,
let me go, okay?
Don't call me ma'am.
But if you tell me,
I can even be your grandmother.
Another one?
Okay, okay.
I'll give you one more.
My gold bars.
I was clearly... You…
How did you get them?
I...
Anything for me?
If you don't tell me,
these are all mine.
I haven't saved up enough for my dowry.
Madam, I'll tell you.
I'll tell you.
Here's the thing.
Your Excellency.
From tomorrow,
no need to bring him food.
Yes, Your Excellency.
I'll talk to you later when I find Cao Kun.
Gold bars. I…
How'd it go?
As long as I take a move, I never fail.
You see.
A jerk like Li Dan
could gave us three gold bars for a bribe in the flash.
At that time I thought there's a problem.
Later, I went to Cao's mansion to check,
and found out that Cao Kun had withdrawn gold bars from the accounting room
several times in the last half month before the fire.
So,
the gold bars in Li Dan's hand
must be what Cao Kun had given him.
Where did you find
those gold bars?
Speaking of gold bars,
after leaving Cao's mansion,
I went to Li Dan's house for a stroll.
He and I both love money.
We have things in common.
I soon found the place
where he kept his treasure.
That means
Li Dan and Cao Ling'er's elopement
was arranged beforehand?
Yue,
I thought you were only good at cooking.
You got a clearly thought.
Cao Kun arranged Li Dan to take Cao Ling'er away.
Unexpectedly,
Li Dan received the money
and also hook up with Cao Kun's daughter.
It's not right.
If he arranged all this,
why did he report it
to Department Six to arrest Li Dan?
Cao Kun didn't report it.
It was a lady he later married.
We had deep feelings toward each other.
I have no reason to kill him.
He is one move short
of a thousand calculations.
Brilliant.
By the way,
Li Dan told me two possible
hiding places where Cao Kun may be.
One is inside the city
and the other outside the city.
Because he loves his daughter,
I guess he hasn't left the capital yet.
We should split up to investigate.
We have to get him before those people from the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
You're in charge of inside the city.
If he isn't inside the city, go out of town and meet me.
Okay.
Let's go.
Lu Yi from the Embroidered Uniform Guards