[English subtitles are available.]
The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty
Episode 19
Stop!
You are no longer a member of the Imperial Guards.
Do you still think you can wear this official uniform?
This Flying Fish Embroidered Suit was designed by the royal court
which represents our Imperial Guards'
loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty.
It's not for everyone to walk on the street in it.
What are you doing?
What are you guys doing?
Do you want to rebel?
Sir!
Don't forget who you are.
As long as you're still wearing the Flying Fish Suit,
you'll still be an imperial guard.
You have your responsibility.
What are you looking at?
Get back to business!
Sui must be soaking wet!
But with his agility,
at most we can wet his feet.
But it'll still be a successful practical joke.
He seems to be coming!
Got you!
I can't believe we did it!
Sui Zhou, you stupid…
Where is your official uniform?
You guys are back.
Tang got His Majesty's personal edict to go back to the capital.
I'm sure he'll be promoted this time.
What happened to you?
It's nothing.
I was dismissed from office. That's all.
Dismissed?
Dismissed from office…And you said " that's all"?
Actually you being fired
is not necessarily a bad thing.
In the future if you continue to live from paycheck to paycheck,
I won't have any money you can borrow anymore.
It's a trivial matter.
I will be fine.
Imperial Guards' reputation among the common people
has been notorious anyway.
And Wan Tong always
sees you as a thorn in his eyes
so he always wants to get rid of you.
So
I think it's a good thing that you quit the Imperial Guards.
Besides
I have planned your career for you.
It's a waste of your good cooking skills
to just cook for us at home.
We can talk to Ms. Dong and
buy shares in Dong's Restaurant.
You are the second son of the Sui family.
You can ask your family for some money
to invest in it and
expand Dong's Restaurant.
With your cooking skills and my brain,
business must be booming.
And then what?
Then we can open branches!
From one store to two,
two to four…
After we have opened four branches in the capital,
we will develop out of the capital.
I even think of a name for the new franchise chain.
What is it?
Sui and Tang's Bistro.
Why is your surname in it?
I am also a co-founder.
What can you do?
What can I do?
I can come up with ideas.
And I can also work out new menus
and recipes.
And also
my sister can be responsible for purchasing.
Pei can study new ingredients and herbal diets.
Dong…
Dong can eat leftovers.
And them.
They'll be our guaranteed source
of the freshest lamb and beef on the prairie.
As for Cheng,
he can learn everything from now on.
No matter which direction he's going to take in the future,
it'll be very promising.
It won't take a few years
for us to build up a big restaurant empire
and open the branches of Sui and Tang's Bistro throughout the country.
Everyone, wash your hands.
Dinner's ready.
Let's go have dinner.
So lively.
Why are you here?
I came to pick you up.
Let's go.
I haven't had dinner yet!
Fan,
are you coming to dinner?
I…
Come here.
Who is this person that
you have to choose to meet at a brothel?
Long live Your Majesty.
We're now outside the palace.
You don't have to be so formal.
Your Majesty.
This is my apology to Your Majesty
for I didn't look at the bigger picture and
I crossed the line as your official.
There is no need to mention this matter again.
Or I might want to cut your head off to vent my anger.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Did Wang Zhi
tell you Yunhe's matter?
Your Majesty,
yes, he did.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties there were endless warfare
and people lived on the edge of starvation due to years of crop failures.
Ever since the date Emperor Hongwu founded our Ming Dynasty,
we've been dealing with the mess they left behind.
Silver has always been in short supply.
Even to this date,
the silver stock in the state treasury
is near the danger level.
As for this trip to Yunhe,
finding the truth is one of your missions.
But the more important mission is
trying to recoup silvers for the turnover of the state treasury.
Your Majesty.
I know
what's at stake in the matter of Yunhe.
So I am afraid I can't do this.
I am just a magistrate and
my duty is to investigate cases and clear up problems.
However, what you want to do
is to make the problem even more completed so that the royal court can
profit from chaos.
Only a man like Commander Wang
can achieve such a job.
However, his status as a chamberlain
makes it tricky for him to get involved.
And everyone inside and outside the court
is on guard against his movements.
That's why I was called to this trip.
Your Majesty wants me to go there
as nothing more than
a cover to deceive others' eyes.
But in fact, Commander Wang will make all the decisions, right?
If this is true,
what are you going to do?
If this is true,
please allow me to
decline this job.
Just give it a second thought.
I have thought of it clearly.
I cannot do this.
Why would you choose to become a monk?
Anger comes from love;
obsession comes from anger;
hatred comes from obsession;
and then hatred makes you become an evil.
Everyone is like this.
My brother, Chef Zhang and me
all followed the same path.
Life is suffering.
There is too much ignorance and confusion
that I couldn't see through.
So I want to find the real great wisdom
to be freed from all these emotions.
Although Xiulian woke up,
she still needs some time to recuperate.
When she's better,
she'll go back to our hometown
where she'll be taken care of by the elders of our clan.
During this period,
if there is anything,
I'd like to ask you to help her.
Don't worry.
I don't think there will be anything going wrong again.
Thank you.
Here, have some tea.
Damn! It's Wang Zhi.
Help.
Tell him I am sick!
Sick?
This boy…
Where is Tang Fan?
Sesame candy!
What is he doing now?
Having a headache in his room.
Go pack up and get ready to go to Yunhe.
What's wrong?
Are you sick?
You came.
I have a headache that's killing me.
I also have bouts of angina.
So serious?
You can't do nothing about it.
I'll go get an imperial doctor.
This is a chronical disease I have for years.
The doctors
won't necessarily help me.
Just get Pei Huai
to take a look at me.
Buddy!
With many years of friendship,
you can read my mind even if I can't say it, right?
It's up to you
whether my lie can stand.
He is in good health
with a strong and stable pulse.
He can totally fight a tiger now.
She looks pretty today.
Is Dong holding sesame candy in her hand?
Today's sesame candy is crispy and crunchy,
and really delicious.
I have to ask Wang Zhi where he bought it.
I'll see how long you can keep pretending.
This is internal heat caused by your deficiency-cold meeting acute inner heat.
It's very serious.
Since it's very serious,
why did you breathe a sigh of relief?
Since it is an acute disease,
it must be treated with drastic medicine.
I have to watch you drink the medicine before I can rest assured.
Go.
Doctor Pei.
I'll accompany you to cook the decoction.
Sure.
Drink it.
I repeatedly emphasized to Dr. Pei
that the decoction must be thick.
Otherwise
it won't have any effect.
Try it.
Okay.
I will let you take some rest.
I'll come visit you again in a few days.
Pei!
What did you give me?
Goldthread soup is better than this.
You look like a corpse coming to life.
It's just a tonic to get rid of your inner heat.
It won't kill you.
Why are you pretending to be sick?
Fortunately, when I entered the door
your sister told me.
I thought you read my mind from my eyes!
This medicine tastes so horrible.
Pretending to be sick is not a long-term solution.
I know!
We have to discuss
the menu carefully.
Although there are not many guests coming,
our dishes
must all be exquisite.
You have to put your heart in it.
I'm counting on you.
Don't speak for now.
I have something urgent to arrange here.
Put up the ornaments.
Who is getting married today?
Me.
You?
I am not a boy anymore.
I have been single all these years
which makes Yu worry about me.
I have made up my mind this time.
Who is the unlucky girl?
She is blessed to marry me.
Fine.
I'll give you seven days.
After that, we will go to Yunhe.
But…
I know Yunhe's thing is urgent.
But this is also a big event in my life.
It's not a trifling matter.
I have tried to cut the formalities to the bone.
But no matter how I cut,
some procedures are still necessary.
so that we can pick a good date for the wedding.
Then comes the official wedding part.
But I won't
take too long.
I just need ten to fifteen days
to walk through the process.
Then I have to go back to my hometown
to tell this good news
to the ancestors of the Tang family
so that their spirits in heaven can rest at peace.
Since she and I have returned to my hometown,
it's also time for a reception
to entertain my relatives and neighbors.
It'll take another eight to ten days.
If you calculate
these two trips plus the days spending on the road,
we'll return at the end of the year.
You can play this
little trick on me.
If you try to play it on His Majesty,
it's a big crime of deceiving the crown.
Don't try to scare me.
I wasn't trying to scare you.
You sleep on it.
I will come back tomorrow.
What is today's play?
He died so young!
Heaven won't let a talented person live a long life.
It's such a pity you died such a premature death!
Who passed away?
Since you are here,
pay respect to the deceased.
Who is this funeral for?
Me.
His Majesty…
His Majesty made me to go to Yunhe,
which is like sending a sheep into a tiger's mouth.
This is a journey I will never return.
I thought about it
and decided to hold my own funeral when I am still alive.
Otherwise I will cause troubles for everyone after I die.
I don't want to do that.
Such a loyal courier was buried under the lush mountain.
His blood dyed the oceans red.
He was sincere and courageous.
He was strong and unyielding.
In his death his spirit goes to Heaven.
Even in death he is still the hero among spirits.
The mountain is fortunate to bury his loyal bones.
The clear water is sad as it has no strings to eulogize hero's deed.
His sacrifice for the country
moved one to song and tears.
Wang Zhi is here to say farewell to you.
This is too much.
It's so touching
that I feel like I have to die.
Have you finished dying?
Yes.
If so, go with me.
I am here to see Your Majesty.
I, Tang Fan, am here to see Your Majesty as a sinner.
Long live Your Majesty.
Get up.
I know you made such a drama trying not to go
because you don't want to get killed.
Say it.
You dragged your heels
for my Shangfang Sword,
or the Danshu Iron Voucher?
The Shang Fang Sword grants you the right to kill treacherous ministers without asking my permission.
The Danshu Iron Voucher can absolve you from death once no matter what you did.
Your Majesty,
I don't want any of them.
What I am afraid of is not my death.
I'm afraid
I can't solve this matter even if it takes my life.
And also
there is no hiding from
Your Majesty's eyes.
I am so ashamed.
Actually it's not that
I'm not unwilling to go to Yunhe.
It's just I venture to ask Your Majesty for one thing.
If I go there,
please let me
handle Yunhe's issue
in my own way.
The methods you use do not matter.
What matters is the result.
Understand?
I understand, Your Majesty.
But
there is one more request I want to ask Your Majesty.
Go on.
I want to ask Your Majesty to give me one thing.
In the end of the day
you still want the Shangfang Sword and Danshu Iron Voucher.
I dare not.
I just hope Your Majesty
can give me something, anything is ok.
So that when we see this thing in the future,
Your Majesty can remember
today's promise to me.
How dare you?
You don't trust me to keep my promise?
I dare not to assume that.
But Your Majesty
has to handle important national events day and night.
I was just afraid that Your Majesty might forget this little thing.
Your Majesty, thank you.
Don't you want to see what's inside?
Scholar's Candies.
This box of candies is for you.
You can use it
in exchange for someone's life.
No matter who it is.
What?
You are still not happy?
So it means I can't eat the candies?
Your Majesty,
is candy wrapper counted as the voucher?
Don't push me too hard.
Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!
What is your plan for Yunhe?
This transfer
looks like an external assignment where I even get promoted,
but in fact, it's to raise funds for His Majesty.
The royal court has been short of money
and needs a lot of silver to finance the hole.
But Yunhe is like a pool of murky water
with many people watching.
This is definitely going to be a dangerous trip.
You are idle anyway.
Go with me
With such a martial arts master to protect me,
maybe I can come back alive.
And if we are lucky enough to
get truths clear
and help His Majesty to recoup the silver,
we'll do a good job for His Majesty.
Your reinstatement
will not be a problem at all.
He's not going!
We just came back from Tongzhou.
I don't want to leave the capital again.
Besides,
isn't it good that Sui is safe and secure
in the capital?
He had been busy for work the past years.
He can finally take a rest now.
And
didn't we agree to open Sui and Tang's Bistro?
Do you only dream of opening a restaurant
so that you can eat delicious food every day?
Great men have huge ambitions to see the world.
This restaurant can only be a hobby.
Dog shit again?
Don't these people find it disgusting to collect it?
They just won't stop.
Sui,
next time we catch them,
we must teach them a lesson,
or they won't stop.
You used to be a Baihu of the Northern Administrative Court.
The Imperial Guards' way of handling cases
must have offended many people.
But in the past they didn't dare to touch an imperial guard.
Now that you're dismissed from office,
these despicable rats came out to provoke you.
Such disgusting and low means
make me sick!
Instead of being disgusted by the low life,
you might as well go down south with me.
Pei,
I will entrust my sister and Cheng to you.
Just go and don't worry.
I will take good care of them.
She is my sister.
You have to treat her well.
I got it.
It's time to hit the road.
Take care on your way!
Say goodbye to your uncle.
Uncle, goodbye!
What are you waiting for?
Nothing.
Your Majesty.
Get up.
Your Majesty,
something happened to the two officials who reported the Yunhe thing to me
and the former Yunhe Prefecture Governor
who was on his way back to the capital.
What happened?
Mr. Su hanged himself.
Mr. Wang drowned in his house's pond.
The former Yunhe Prefecture Governor
was on his way back the capital to report his work when his horse got frightened and
fell off a cliff.
Do you think we need to send more people to protect Tang Fan?
No need for the moment
so as not to spook those hiding in the dark.
Tang Fan's travelling with few attendants this time.
Large number of bodyguards will only cause trouble.
Moreover, Sui Zhou is accompanying him.
If something goes wrong, Sui Zhou will protect him.
Where are they now?
They departed six or seven days ago.
They will reach Yunhe in two days.
Mr. Wan.
Commander Wang.
Mr. Wan,
your official uniform wears out.
It's an old uniform
so it inevitably has some damages
by moth and rat bites.
It doesn't matter.
Why not buy a new one?
A new official uniform will cost me five taels of silver.
I can still wear it after some sewing.
I know a tailor
who has extraordinary embroidery skills.
He repairs the uniform with good silk threads.
It won't cost two taels of silver.
It's OK.
Two taels of silver also count.
I happen to have some clothes that I need him to sew.
If you don't mind,
give me your uniform and I'll send them to the tailors with mine
for sewing.
Oh my Gosh.
Since you insist,
I shall accept your kindness.
Don't mention it.
Don't sigh.
We'll be there in another day.
Besides, Sui
barbecued so much delicious game.
It's your fault
that you forced us to hurry on!
Now we can only sleep
in the middle of nowhere.
Why can't we stop and spend in that inn?
If we had slept in that inn we passed by during the day,
it would have been too early to stop today
and that would be a waste of time.
Hang in there.
Tomorrow we will arrive at Yunhe.
What happened?
These days I always felt someone was following us.
Don't be so paranoid.
Why are you guys here?
I wasn't coming for you.
I don't know why Aha
closed the carriage business seven days ago
and sold all the horses
leaving nothing but a carriage.
And then she forced me to go with her until we arrived here.
I don't know what's wrong with her.
Hurry up.
Keep up!
Hurry up.
Faster.
Keep up with the team.
Come in.
"While there are no stirrings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, or joy,
the mind may be said to be in the center, or ‘zhong'"
The "zhong" here
refers to the heart
is in
the state of equilibrium.
In the center means
it's with the right amount and balanced emotions.
Bravo!
Sir, do you have any suggestion?
I think
by this "center"
it only refers to the heart
because the next sentence is "When those feelings have been stirred, it's called ‘jie'".
By "Jie" Zhu Xi once explained it as a noun meaning etiquette.
It doesn't mean control as a verb
otherwise both the two characters of zhongjie
will become verbs.
This won't be right in the semantic aspect.
Since the "zhong" in the next line
doesn't mean in the middle,
so the "zhong"
in the first sentence
doesn't mean in the middle, either.
So what do you think
"zhong" in the phrase "zhongyong"
mean?
"Zhong" here
doesn't just mean
"at the center" like its literal meaning.
It's more about integrity.
As recorded in the Analects,
Confucius' words and deeds can detect his integrity
which was the most visible quality of his.
That's why the Analects said phrase like
"going too far is as bad as not going far enough".
So I believe
the phrase "zhongyong" should mean
being sincere and objective.
It doesn't just mean temperance and inaction.
This is very good explanation.
Such an enlightenment to me.
Thank you.
I am so flattered.
Mr. Tang, my name is Li Mao.
Nice to meet you.
Sorry I was rude to you before.
I am Tang Fan.
Nice to meet you.
Untie them.
Let's go.
What happened?
I am not sure.
But I guess we won't be cooked by them.
Please come in.
Mr. Li.
Why do you live in this cave?
People living here
were originally all residents of Yunhe.
Some things happened
so some of them were exiled
and some escaped by themselves.
Gradually they gathered here
to survive
and developed this little world.
If they were law-abiding citizens,
why would they be exiled?
Since the day
Ma Lin discovered silver mine in Yunhe,
days of peace were over.
Officials colluded with merchants.
They took away every household's farmland
and forced every household to contribute labor force to mine.
Silver mine is toxic.
Many people working there for a long time
gradually developed a strange disease.
No one cared about the life and death of the miners.
Land contaminated with those slags
was barren for years.
Countless loamy lands were destroyed.
So people who are here
are those who didn't want to die like that
or
poor people who had no labor at home to contribute anymore.
Ma Lin?
Yunhe is now completely controlled by the Ma family.
If you want to stay in Yunhe,
you must listen to the Ma family
or you can't survive there.
So we caught you
because we live here,
and we have to guard against many forces,
especially the thieves and gangsters wandering nearby.
So I hope you can forgive us.
Sure. Don't worry about it.
We've really broaden our horizon
to see this self-sufficient paradise
you guys made.
By Mr. Tang's accent
you should be a northerner.
What brings you to Yunhe?
In fact…
We're just here to do some small business.
Mr. Li,
Mr. Li!
These people are spies sent by the officials!
Spies!
Look.
They're spies!
There are official seals on it.
It's just a traffic permit issued by the government to businessmen.
It's nothing serious.
Everyone get back to your work.
Mr. Tang,
an educated gentleman cannot but be resolute and broad-minded,
for he has taken up a heavy responsibility and a long course.
Is it not a heavy responsibility,
which is to practice benevolence?
Is it not a long course,
which will end only with his death?
I understand.
I will do everything I can.
Mr. Tang, please.
After you get out of the cave,
go all the way to the west.
After going down the mountain,
you'll see a stream.
Follow the current
and you'll arrive in Yunhe in one day.
By the way, Mr. Li,
if you don't mind,
take a look if you need anything in our luggage.
If you guys need anything,
please don't hesitate to
tell me.
If so,
I'd like to have some books for the children.
What are you doing?
This is my home's lamb!
Your mother is a dissolute woman!
She got a divorce!
You don't have a dad!
My mother is not a bad woman!
Hit him.
My mother is not a bad woman!
Run!
Cheng.
Cheng woke up.
Mom.
Mom is here.
Is there anywhere you don't feel good?
Mom.
They wanted to grab my lamb first.
They also said you're a bad woman.
Why didn't you fight back?
Dad said I can't fight.
I can't cause trouble to the family.
Cheng is such a good boy.
You're Mom's good son.
I brought his medication for the next ten days.
Take it twice a day
and be sure to take it on time.
He relapsed today
probably because of the previous hasty withdrawal of medication.
This disease is not difficult to cure.
After this period,
he will definitely get better.
Don't worry too much about him.
Thank you, Dr. Pei.
Thank you, so much!
Don't sound like a stranger!
He's coming!
His Excellency Tang is here!
Mr. Tang!
Thank you so much.
Thank you, thank you.
I am moved.
Who are Your Excellencies still waiting for?
Mr. Tang,
Boss Ma has not arrived yet.
Which Boss Ma?
Yunhe has the one and only Boss Ma.
There is only one Boss Ma in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
To say so,
he is also the one and only Boss Ma in the world.
Boss Ma is here!
Boss ma!
Boss Ma is here.
Why is this person's ostentation
bigger than Tang?
Boss Ma!
Your Excellency Tang.
Mr. Tang is here, he's already here.
Where is Mr. Tang, where is Mr. Tang?
Mr. Tang, I'm disrespectful.
Let me make quick trots
to see Your Excellency.
Your Excellency.
After duration of half a burning joss stick,
it will be out of the pot
when it tastes the best.