Your wonderful music
will linger forever.
It is said that it takes ten years to learn Pipa (Chinese lute with 4 strings, a large pear-shaped body and a fretted finger board) and one year to learn Guzheng (long zither with 13-16 strings).
It's hard to learn Pipa.
But in the public eyes,
it is just regarded as a normal skill of singers,
and it can't be performed on stages.
Music can refresh our souls,
and it shouldn't be used just to entertain people.
Moreover,
musical instruments have nothing to do with social status,
you are too modest.
Such an outstanding and polite man like you
is so rare nowadays.
It's my good fortune
to meet you today.
It's hard to find a soulmate.
It's my pleasure to meet you, too.
Please sit down!
Guier,
prepare the tea quickly.
Yes.
This is the kind of tea I often drink,
please enjoy it.
Please drink it!
Good tea!
Miss Zhai,
your dress is so beautiful.
Seeing the needle-work,
I know that it was made by a very famous artisan.
It's my mistake not to teach her well,
I'm sorry if you feel offended.
No problems.
My dress
wasn't made by a famous artisan.
I myself made it in my free time.
You are both beautiful and talented.
How smooth-tongued you are!
How lovely!
In the beginning, we just wanted to go for a walk to relax,
and we didn't expect to disturb you.
Nothing.
Forget about it.
I have a question
but I don't know whether I should ask you or not.
What is it?
Could you tell me
whether you have got engaged or not?
My young master...
Some years ago, I...
I got married.
With such personalities,
there may be many people
coming here to propose you, right?
To be honest,
among the people chasing me,
there was a man selling real estates coming to propose me,
but I
have never fallen in love with anyone.
What all these men needed was my beauty only,
and none of them really loves me.
So I didn't dare spend the rest of my life with them.
I have an unlucky life.
I'm just a thin horse.
You are overanxious.
Such a beautiful girl like you
will soon find your perfect match, definitely.
Tell me.
What did you find out?
Sir,
you stayed with her for half of a day,
but she only asked whether you got engaged or not.
Regarding clues,
you should know more than us.
Go away.
What you mean is
I have to report to you, right?
I don't dare.
There are not many clues.
I just found out that Lanye is quite good-natured,
and treats her servant well.
Her accommodation
is near the port,
it may be on the lakeside.
Recently,
she went out secretly on a rainy day,
and had a cold.
Moreover,
excuse me, frankly,
it is likely that Zhai Lanye is being controlled,
so she has to act submissively in order to ingratiate herself with the high-ranking official.
Go on.
Firstly,
her shoes and socks were clean,
but there was mud on her servant's shoes.
So it can be said that
before getting on the boat, they sat in a palanquin.
If the distance is big,
they may have chosen horse-drawn carriage.
Secondly,
on Zhai Lanye's shoe box, there were about five-six scratches.
Obviously, her servant
had helped her to remove the mud,
and carelessly scratched her shoe box.
For such a weak girl like Zhai Lanye,
the mud on her shoes
must have resulted from her going out on a rainy day.
She neither sat in a palanquin nor used a horse-drawn carriage,
so she must have been out secretly.
Thirdly,
Zhai Lanye had a cold.
The one supporting her had money,
but let her come to the lake while she was ill,
Marrying her
needs 10000 taels (Chinese unit of weight),
which means the one supporting her
wanted to use her to earn money.
How could you assume that that one had money?
Only the decoration on the boat
costs 2000 taels
So her Pipa,
which was made by a famous artisan,
is very expensive.
I heard that
the one supporting her was the younger brother of the prefect's wife.
The day before Zhou Xianyi was caught,
how was the weather?
Sir,
as I can recall from the recording notebook, it was rainy that day.
So the one that Zhai Lanye met secretly on that rainy day
was Zhou Xianyi?
I just took 10000 taels from the public money,
and I have already paid it back.
Sir Lu,
do you dare believe me?
Before tomorrow,
I must have the information
of the year when Zhai Lanye was adopted,
her real parents,
and the ones she had met.
Moreover,
the most important thing is
where she went to
the night before Zhou Xianyi was caught.
I got it.
However,
why didn't you ask her directly
about Zhou Xianyi?
Based on her words,
Zhou Xianyi seems to have one-sided love.
Among the ones chasing me,
there was a man selling real estates coming to propose me,
but I
have never fallen in love with anyone.
Even you can come up with that fact,
if I had asked her,
would she have answered me naively?
It's true.
Sir,
do you feel good
when being expressed love by such a beauty?
Zhai Lanye is white and beautiful.
Seeing her, I can't even help myself from touching her.
What nonsense are you saying?
I tell you,
don't reveal your own self.
Our love lasts long but our hatred doesn't.
Is it you?
Sir,
Zhou Xianyi died.
He died?
Yes.
His pupil dilated,
his eardrum shook so hard that it burst.
It seems that he had been frightened so much before he died.
Moreover,
he had no obvious injuries,
and also showed no signs of being poisoned.
It seems that his heartbeat stopped
for a short time,
which led to a stroke.
The detention room wasn't unlocked and destroyed.
But the death of Zhou Xianyi
is not a natural death.
Could it be that
he was possessed?
Constable Yuan,
as a public official,
you even believe in those ridiculous things?
I don't.
What I mean is
his death is abnormal.
It's the first time I've witnessed
someone being killed without knives in the detention room.
If wanting to find the real murderer,
we should find out
the cause of his death firstly.
The cause of his death
will be left to Constable Yuan.
Sir Lu,
Zhou Xianyi embezzled public money,
now he died in the detention room,
he must have committed suicide to escape from punishment.
I think that
we can report to the emperor like that
to end this case.
Sir Wei,
are you teaching me how to work
or shirking your responsibilities?
I don't dare.
I will follow your words.
Why is he so harsh?
He just bullies the weak and fears the strong.
Okay, let's work.
Sir Lu,
in this case, the autopsy was left to my pupil,
there might be some mistakes,
when I come back,
I will check it carefully,
and report the results to you.
No need to hurry.
Head Constable Yang,
has your leg recovered yet?
Thank you for caring about me!
It's much better now.
It seems that Doctor Shen
enjoys a well-deserved reputation.
Ah, teacher,
Zhou Xianyi seemed to have been frightened to death.
The cause of his death is abnormal.
What do you think?
Go and investigate
to check later
whether he suffered from an old disease or not.
Yes, sir.
All the dishes are here now,
and we are all hungry,
let's eat.
Sir, please.
Okay.
Da Yang,
do you remember that last summer,
in the house in the south of the town,
there was a dead body,
which had been there for over one month
but nobody found out.
Then the house was filled with maggots.
But today
when I carried out the autopsy of Zhou Xianyi,
I paled into insignificance by comparison.
Leader, do you remember?
Regarding the dead body at that time,
even the coroner didn't dare conduct the autopsy.
In the end, you were the one who did it.
You even told me and Da Yang
to pick out those maggots.
We did it in two hours,
and then we couldn't eat anything the next three days.
Sir, I tell you,
at that time, the maggots
being in the blood,
were white and fat,
and they swarmed,
which was so lovely.
They looked the same as...
the rice in this bowl.
Da Yang,
the number of maggots
were enough for four-five people to eat, right?
It was not enough for only you.
Sir, enjoy the meal.
I will check whether there is enough grass for horses.
Sir, please enjoy.
Please eat.
Sir,
sir,
that maggot,
at that time I thought
if I tore its body to thousands of pieces,
and got all the things out...
Okay, you guys can go on eating.
Sir Lu.
Sir, please eat more.
Why are you looking at me like this?
Let's eat!
Can you still swallow?
I just want to make him feel nauseous.
Just think of how he treated us when we were on the way.
It's hard to have such a good opportunity,
so I should seize it.
You fought against 10000 enemies
but you lost 3000 soldiers.
The whole table of dishes are wasted now.
Only a few words can stop you from eating.
If I had known it before,
in the capital,
I would have forced you to eat with the forensic expert
three meals a day.
I will go to the kitchen to see whether there are dumplings left.
Teacher, please eat.
I've heard that
Zhou Xianyi had died?
100000 taels is nowhere to be found.
Mr. Liao,
Here I am.
You are the minister of the the Ministry of Works in feudal China in feudal China,
tell me
what happened.
Your Majesty,
when Zhou Xianyi withdrew the money,
he insisted on doing it without the guards.
He himself hired the people from the underworld.
I doubt that
Zhou Xianyi wanted to steal all the money,
so he worked hand in glove with a faction from the underworld
to betray another underworld faction,
which led to his death.
An official worked hand in glove with factions?
It negatively affects the honor of the Court
and put the Court in danger.
Mr. Yan.
Here I am.
This case
must be investigated by the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs in feudal China.
Your Majesty, please don't worry.
I will ask the the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs in feudal China to investigate carefully.
Your Majesty.
Regarding 100000 taels being stolen,
the state treasury can't let it go like this.
The most important thing is
finding the stolen money
so that the public can not complain
and hate us about this.
Mr. Liao.
Here I am.
The the the Ministry of Works in feudal China lost that amount of money.
so your ministry will have to find it.
You have to bring back all of the money lost, even a coin lacked is unacceptable.
I got it.
Your Majesty,
Your Majesty.
You're having a headache again.
Do you need checking by the imperial doctor?
No need.
Go away!
So I will go away.
Mr. Lu.
You should stay here.
Your Majesty.
Mr. Lu.
This case
needs to be investigated carefully.
Such a small doctor of the the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs in feudal China
could embezzle 100000 taels,
which proves that
there are quite a few loopholes of the Court.
You must investigate carefully.
I got it.
Your Majesty, please take care of your health.
I should go now.
Sir Lu,
I have something to report to you,
do you feel convenient with it?
Come in.
Yes, sir.
Sir Lu.
What's wrong?
This is the renting boat fee.
The boat rent fee is 2 tael.
Tea and dessert in the boat cost 0.5 tael.
In total, it cost 2.5 tael.
Please have a look.
I can pay the boat rent fee.
But regarding tea and dessert,
you were the only one who had.
I didn't eat.
You want me to pay for it?
No way.
I...
I just ate some pieces of dessert.
Just some pieces?
Constable Yuan.
Being a human, you should be honest and kind.
Yuan Jinxia and Yuan Jinxia.
How gluttonous you are!
What you ate in half of the day cost 0.5 tael,
which is the money for food of your whole month.
Why is this room dirty today?
I'll clean the room for you.
Isn't it fine?
Fine, fine, fine.
Making you feel comfortable
is what I should do.
There are some...
Why is there dust over there?
I will clean.
The door seems to be not very clean.
I'll do it.
Done, Sir.
I have cleaned all the places that I can.
Please have a check.
This...
I've done the work,
that...
about the money,
could it be...
Tonight, at 9:00 pm,
come to the house of Zhou Xianyi
go to the second floor,
light the lamp,
open the windows,
and wait there.
Wait after the roosters crow three times,
turn off the lamp and go out.
Then money...
It has just been reported.
How brilliant you are!
Wait after the roosters crow three times,
turn off the lamp and go out.
Roosters...
Does anyone near here raise roosters?
If I don't hear the crowing of roosters,
then will I have to be here till New Year?
I am missing you.
Come on, come on.
Very good.
Having you with me is so good.
Can you tell me
whether there are roosters near here?
If yes,
they might have been eaten by you.
Right?
Go, go, go.
Be good.
Could it be...
Why are you here?
Come here!
Sir.
I am late.
Please forgive me, Sir.
Can you find out any clues in the floor?
Is the floor that you stayed in
the residence of Zhai family?
From the window of Zhou Xianyi's house,
I could see the room of Zhai Lanye.
How suspicious!
The important thing is
after Zhou Xianyi was caught
Zhai Lanye moved to another place.
I feel that
Zhai Lanye has a suspicious relationship with Zhou Xianyi,
which is different from what she said.
Let's go!
I just guess.
It seems that we should find another opportunity
to meet her again.
This cat is afraid of water.
It getting drenched in the rain
hurts others' hearts.
Sir,
don't you feel that
I also hurt others' hearts?
Ah, right, Sir.
you told me to wait in that floor,
and not to go out until after roosters crowed three times.
Why?
The death of Zhou Xianyi is abnormal.
I feel that in this floor there may be dirty things.
I feel that you are full of vital energy,
if you stay for long,
you can be used to fight against evil spirits.
You played me?
In your heart,
Am I that kind of person?
Of course not.
I know that what you did
is to train me.
You can think like that.
Sir.
I am so loyal and devoted like this,
should I be rewarded?
It is said that the hot water bathing pool is very famous in Yangzhou.
Can we...
Next time.
Sir.
What's wrong?
There's a person coming here to see you.
Who?
Zhai Lanye.
You've come to see me,
which means you know my real identity.
In the past, I didn't know it,
if you feel offended by any words of mine,
please forgive me.
You don't complain on my hiding my real identity?
When you work,
you have your own reasons for your actions.
You are smart.
Don't you feel curious about
how I know it?
Aren't you and Master Shangguan
close friends?
Since that day,
I had often been to Xihu (West Lake)
hoping that I am fortunate
to meet you again.
Until
Shang Guan told me that
Mr. Lu
is actually Sir Lu.
Zhou Xianyi died in the detention room.
How could?
The money for repairing the dikes has been lost,
you and me all know Zhou Xianyi,
if he died,
your doubt can be cleared up now.
What do you mean?
There is a person call Sir Lu from the capital
who came here to investigate the case of embezzlement.
Ah, right.
Lu Yi, an Embroidered Uniform Guard,
is Mr. Lu whom you met some days ago.
Since the day I met you,
I have missed you for day and night.
Therefore,
because of my curiosity,
I investigated you.
I found out that, a few months ago
you had a close contact with Zhou Xianyi.
You are a smart person.
You don't forget it, right?
I...
Of course not.
Mr. Zhou was well-mannered when speaking.
I never expected that
he...
Have you ever heard him
talking about the money used for repairing river?
I just know that he came to Yangzhou this time
to be in charge of repairing the river bank.
Mentioning the close contact,
where did you get that information?
From the beginning,
I have met him for only three...
to four times.
We just chatted.
I don't know much about him.
He has never told me about
the work of the Court.
You know very little about him?
You just used a few words to deny
the relationship with the man admiring you.
The man who didn't hesitate
to throw himself in danger spot for you?
Although I wasn't born in a big family,
I have read "Biographies of heroic Women" since young age.
Talking like that,
you really wants me to live without a shelter?
I don't want to hide you.
My adoptive father has brought me up for many years.
He had a rule.
If someone has a gift of 10000 tael,
he can marry me.
10000 tael is not small.
But compared to the money used for repairing the river bank,
it is not a big amount.
Actually,
I have been to the residence of Zhou family once.
From the windows of the rooms,
guess what I saw.
What?
I saw your room.
Tell me
whether it is a coincidence.
However,
after he was confined in the detention room,
you left that place.
It is expected from Sir Lu, an Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Actually, like you,
I really admired the talents of Sir Zhou.
He chased me.
Following my adoptive father's words,
I didn't refuse him.
I gave him a sachet.
He also gave me a box of make-up powder.
It's just that.
I am only
a weak Yangzhou horse that was sold with a low price.
There were some things I did involuntarily.
It's just that?
Sir, trust me please.
There's nothing wrong with the relationship between Sir Zhou and I.
I have never fallen in love with any men,
except for
you.
When I met you for the first time,
I fell in love with you immediately.
If you have nothing to do with this case,
don't worry.
Good!
You asked me to thank you.
But you called me here to watch the play with you?
I can't see through you.
You are usually rude,
but it turns out that you have such an elegant hobby.
Don't look down on me.
Although I wasn't born in the family of a senior official like Lu Yi,
I was born in a business family.
Watching plays is obviously a way of entertainment.
Being rich is so good.
I brought you here,
because of this Chunxi team.
Many years ago,
they were very famous in Yangzhou,
the seats were full in all of their shows.
Then after a murder happened,
they lost their reputation.
A murder?
I want to come here to see
whether I can enjoy "The Best Perfume".
This is the best song
I've ever listened to.
Good!
Finish.
How is it? Is it good?
Good!
If you can't understand then forget about it.
Waiter!
Good!
Waiter, give me more tea.
I heard that Zhou Xianyi died in the detention room, right?
Sir, here is your tea.
Right.
He died without a clear cause.
There were no injuries on his body.
His death is not like being frightened to death.
Are you the pupil of South Shaolin?
In your opinion,
except for suffering from attacks related to spiritual beings,
in what situations,
after one person died, his eardrum broke?
Hearing you talk about it,
I can recall one thing.
My teacher used to tell me that
in the back of our ear, there is an acupuncture point,
called Mastoid Process.
Pushing this point strongly
will lead to burst eardrums,
bleeding in the brain to death.
Mastoid Process?
Regarding the cause of death I've mentioned,
as I can recall,
in the murder in the Chunxi team many years ago,
the victim also died this way.
At that time, the official couldn't find out anything.
They even gossiped with each other that
it was caused by ghosts.
In the murder in the Chunxi team many years ago,
the victim also died this way.
Is it a coincidence?
Sir.
Were you born in the year of the cat?
Why didn't you make any sounds?
You scared me to death.
Only people who do something dishonest
can be scared to death.
What's wrong?
Are you doing something dishonest?
How can?
I am honest, not like you.
You are also very honest.
Sir.
Sir, why are you here?
Yang Yue told me that
you wanted to check the body of Zhou Xianyi.
I think you must have found something new.
So I wanted to come here.
Sir, you have an incredible foresight.
Come on.
Sir, please have a look.
It is this needle.
That's it.
It was used to kill Zhou Xianyi.
Ah, right,
Xie Xiao told me that
some years ago, a similar case happened in Yangzhou.
Xie Xiao.
He has just come to Yangzhou
but you have got on well with him?
It seems that you are not interested in the work of a constable that much.
I...
Sir.
I met Xie Xiao because I wanted to find some new clues.
Sir, wait for me.
You scared me.
Please have a look.
Sir.
You dressed like that,
which made you look like an ordinary person.
You seem to be closer.
Sir.
I looked into documents,
I can make sure that
in the murder relating to Chunxi team,
the victim
was killed in the same way as Zhou Xianyi.
Chunxi team had not come back to Yangzhou for many years
They have just come back,
and the same case happened,
which is abnormal.
Sir.
Please be patient.
This is the best way we can come up with to approach Chunxi team.
Why didn't you come to see Yang Yue?
Or Cen Fu?
Why does it have to be me?
Because you are more handsome than them.
In this kind of play,
apart from postures and voice,
a good-looking face is important too.
It's the most appropriate sentence of yours
since I met you.
Let's see.
Sir,
give me one.
Okay.
That's a robber, catch him.
Catch him, be quick.
Stop running.
Catch the robber.
Catch him.
Catch the robber.
Is this yours?
Yes, yes, yes.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
It is just a slight effort.
How should I call you?
I am Yuan Jinxia.
This is my sworn brother.
Lu Shisan.
Okay, okay, okay.
It's my honor to meet you.
I am the master of Chunxi team.
Our team stay there in front of us.
If you don't mind,
then could you come back with me?
I will treat you well.
No need.
You are the master?
Very good!
Brother,
you know that
I have liked watching this kind of play since I was small.
Is this a good chance?
Right?
Leader...
I have liked watching this kind of play since I was small.
I always want to learn it when I grow up,
however, unfortunately,
there was floods in my home town.
The relatives of me and my sworn brother
all died.
Running away from trouble, we came to Yangzhou.
But we ran out of money.
We can't have a full meal.
We don't even have enough clothes to wear.
We have nightmares every night.
I don't know what to do in the future.
This turns out like that?
Seeing you skills,
I wonder whether you learned martial arts?
I learnt a little
from a teacher living near my village.
I have an idea.
Our Chunxi team
are recruiting students.
You are outstanding,
which means the God has mercy for you.
Now we can meet each other,
which is our deep fate.
How about following me back to Chunxi team?
Really?
Okay Okay. No need.
Okay, okay, okay.
No...
Brother,
let's go.
We have food to eat now.
We won't have to suffer from hunger anymore.
I have been hungry for two days.
Okay, master.
Thank you!
Thank you.
This way, please.
Okay.
Thank you.
Let's go.
This is where our Chunxi team stay.
Okay.
Raise your leg.
Zhang Sheng.
Come here.
Please introduce yourself!
These are our new students.
This is your senior brother, named Zhang Sheng.
He will take care of you.
Zhang Sheng.
Take them around
to let them get used to our team.
Okay.
Come on, this way.
This is where we practice every day.
That side is the room storing performing costumes and instruments.
Senior brother,
how long have you been in the Chunxi team?
Over ten years.
Then how about the master?
He has always been the master of the team?
Our Chunxi team
was established by him.
It has been more than twenty years.
Although the master is usually a little bit strict,
he treats everyone very well.
If members face difficulties,
he will always help.
As I can see,
the number of students here is not a lot of.
It is because you couldn't witness our Chunxi team
in glorious days.
That time, the seats were full.
There weren't no vacancies left.
They all came because of our leading actor.
Leading actor?
In short,
coming here,
you will experience little by little.
I believe that our Chunxi team
will definitely regain our that year's glory.
Let's go.
I'll take you to choose some performing costumes
and to practice your voice.
Okay.
Let's go.
This way.
Mas...
Brother Shisan, let's go.
Our couple departs
without disappointing each other.
We make a promise in front of the sea and the mountain.
Not being able to confide in anyone,