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The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty
Episode 4
Don't you guys just want to know what happened?
Our families were close for generations.
Mine was a family of businessmen
and his was a family of scholars.
Since the two families were friends,
me and Chaodong
were engaged by our parents when we were kids.
Those days
was the happiest time in our lives,
until
my dad got into trouble and was put into Imperial Edict Prison
and I was sent into the Department of Official Prostitutes
and later sold to Huanyi Brothel.
I thought I would spend
the rest of my life like that,
but I didn't expect
I would see him again.
He finally found me after innumerable hardships.
He told me that he would redeem my freedom
and asked me to wait for him to save enough money.
But we didn't expect the procuress raised the offer dramatically.
She spent only fifty tael of silver
to buy me from the Department of Official Prostitutes.
When she knew that Chaodong wanted to buy my freedom,
she asked for 500 tael of silver.
In order to get enough money,
Chaodong went back to his hometown and sold his land and all his valuables.
But I did not expect
Zheng Cheng appeared.
That bastard
bought my freedom yet
didn't let me leave Huanyi Brothel.
Chaodong was very angry and went to Zheng Cheng
but only to be beaten up by his men seriously.
The officials came. But instead of solving our problem,
they arrested Chaodong for a month.
Although the capital is vast
and is supposed to be a land of law,
because of Zheng Cheng, this monster,
Chaodong and I couldn't see
even a glimpse of hope.
So you two decided to kill him.
At first we just wanted to commit suicide together.
Then all the wicked in this world
couldn't bully us anymore.
But right at this time,
Chaodong told me that
someone found him
and they wanted Zheng Cheng dead.
He told me to give Zheng Cheng the Fuyangchun Pill's prescription.
At first I didn't dare to do it.
But Chaodong was right.
Only when he died
could we live.
Who was this person?
Chaodong didn't tell my much information.
He said it's better I don't know.
Your Excellency,
I hope you can do me a favor.
After I die,
could you bury me with Chaodong together?
Your being alive or not is not up to you.
The court will give you the verdict you deserve.
You were so close to her.
Why didn't you stop her?
Despair is the greatest sorrow for a human.
When she was already dead inside,
what's the point of keeping the body alive?
How's it going?
Fan.
Zongqi Sui.
How did the investigation go now?
I'm asking you a question.
Ms. Dong.
I'd like a bowl of mutton soup.
Be right back.
Stop drinking. Talk to me.
How is the case now?
Your Excellency.
We found the suspect of
both the cases with the son of Marquis Wu'an and Han Zao.
So we tried to hunt him down in the Iron Market this morning.
And...
We got him.
Really?
Of course.
Mr. Sui personally led the manhunt.
No suspect can have escaped him.
That's great!
Is the suspect in the Northern Administrative Court now?
Yes.
So the suspect...?
He was injured during the manhunt.
I will interrogate him tomorrow.
After that,
he will be escorted to Shuntian Prefecture.
Okay, okay.
This is great.
Thank you, Zongqi Sui,
for help me arresting the suspect this time.
Ms. Dong.
I'm leaving the money here.
Are you leaving already?
You haven't eaten your mutton soup yet.
All you care is food!
You can have it.
Come back to the office when you finish!
Is your hand alright?
I'm OK.
Fortunately it was not a poisoned arrow.
That's true.
Drink it while it's still warm.
It won't taste good when it gets cold.
Why didn't you drink it?
It won't taste good when it gets cold.
What are you doing?
So that it won't burn your tongue.
Your Highness! Good news!
My condolences.
The murderer who killed Your Highness's son
has been arrested.
And this person is now
in the jail of Northern Administrative Court now.
We will transfer him to Shuntian Prefecture tomorrow
for interrogation.
What?
You're eager to solve your brother's case.
I can understand how you must feel now.
This case
was solved so smoothly and in time
because of my supervision over the investigations.
So please rest assured.
I will interrogate him
and then this case will be closed.
Sir.
Why did you and Magistrate Tang
lie to Governor Pan?
Lin Chaodong is dead.
We want to draw the person behind it out.
Your Excellency.
Xue Ling.
Tell the guards.
Don't let unauthorized persons come in here.
Who did you say is unauthorized person?
Whose case is it?
Whose idea to draw the real culprit out?
Such delicious mung bean cake!
Don't waste them!
Xue Ling.
Tell everyone to
stay here for duty tonight.
Keep all exits guarded,
but leave the side door.
Vacate these cells.
Double manpower in here.
I will lead some people to ambush in this cell.
You take some more guys here.
Yes, sir.
Just now Magistrate Tang also said we want to draw the man behind it out.
Does it mean tonight...
Let me tell you.
I know
Mr. Pan Bin very well.
If you tell him a news,
that means this news is no secret to the entire capital.
So the real murderer
will definitely send someone here to do away with our suspect tonight.
Fortunately, Mr. Sui reacted to it very fast
and didn't say anything that he shouldn't say.
Magistrate Tang, this is a good strategy!
Here's the thing.
All the people who knew what happened were dead.
If it were not for my quick wit and improvising,
all the leads would end with their death.
So no matter what,
I will be here tonight.
Whoever dares to say no to me
will confront my wrath!
Sui Zhou, come on!
Didn't you want to stay here?
When did I say
I want to stay in a cell?
I'm a lower 6th rank magistrate!
My rank is even slightly
higher than you!
How dare you to humiliate me so many times?
I'm telling you,
this case is mine!
-The strategy is... -Sir.
The thing you want is here.
Once again you want to kick down the ladder,
cast aside the bow once the birds are gone,
beat the monk once the funeral is over, right?
I want to ask you a favor.
Just as I expected,
you have caught the murderers.
Hurry up and release me!
This is a trap!
Damn.
Let's go!
You go first.
-Go after them! -Yes!
Japanese sword?
Lin Chaodong is dead.
Feng Qingzi is dead.
Tang Fan!
-You! -Your Excellency.
Zongqi Sui!
This is Shuntian Prefecture's case.
Indeed.
But this case is also related to the case I am investigating.
You can investigate on your own!
Isn't that what you have been doing?
As you can see,
Feng Qingzi, the accessary, confessed.
The main criminal, Lin Chaodong, was killed during the manhunt.
This case can be closed.
Bin.
What did you call me?
Who am I?
Governor of Shuntian Prefecture.
What should you address me?
Your Excellency.
Magistrate Tang.
Case closed!
Dong.
Is your madam still unhappy?
Master and his second wife are going to be back to Beijing soon.
But sighing won't change anything.
I was sighing for you.
Think about it.
If this newlywed second wife
is very mean and stringy
and she wants to increase your rent.
There will be nothing Madam can do.
Haven't we been through this before?
My salary is very little!
Besides, this house is already at Beijing's outskirt!
How can you guys raise the rent?
What are you yelling at me for?
I'm talking about his newlywed second wife.
Do you know,
I have to walk almost two hours every day,
crossing more than half of the capital,
to get to Shuntian Prefecture's office?
Yet she wants an increase of rent?
My life is so miserable!
Who is it?
Open the door!
Open the door now!
We are here to settle the score.
First of all, last time our Aha was drunk
and you sent her home.
This sheep is a thank you gift for you.
I don't want it.
Shut up. Secondly,
last time when you left,
you stole a cloak from Aha.
That is her most precious thing.
It had bothered her all day.
So you will pay us 50 tael of silver as compensation.
Fifty?
Are you guys extorting me?
Thirdly,
why didn't you return the cloak to Aha
and instead you tore it up?
That's Aha's most precious thing.
If you were on our prairie,
we would have used you to feed the wolves.
So you'll buy your life with another 500 tael of silver.
Aha.
Dora.
Dora?
Dora is our Aha's name.
Isn't her name Aha?
Aha is a title.
It means boss.
She is your boss?
Why?
What's your name, sir?
My name is Wuyunbulage.
Do you want that cloak?
You want to extort me with this shabby cloak?
I am telling you,
not gonna happen!
You want to do it the hard way,
don't you?
If you dare to tear it up, I will tear you up!
Put it down!
Give me that!
Give me my chopsticks!
-Put it down! -I'll tear it up!
Sorry to bother you guys.
Fifty tael!
You obviously want to extort me!
Your Excellency, don't listen to his nonsense.
This stupid cloak is not worth 50 tael of silver.
That's not what happened!
You guys broke in,
knocked him to the ground,
and asked him for the cloak.
You guys even ripped his clothes.
Can you speak in order?
Speak one after another.
She took my chopsticks!
This guy tore up Aha's
most precious thing!
And he slapped me.
Your Excellency! I trust you to give me justice.
How can he do that?
Do the law and justice even exist?
Don't you understand when I said speak in order?
Your Excellency.
Dong had been watching all the time.
She should be the most objective witness.
Maybe you can let her tell you what happened.
Fine.
Dong, you speak first.
Your Excellency.
This is what happened.
I was carrying a food container
waiting for Magistrate Tang in the yard.
And then
he came letting me in.
Then
while he was eating,
we heard someone knock on the door .
Magistrate Tang opened the door.
Just as soon as the door was opened,
I saw this beautiful lady.
She kicked Magistrate Tang
to the ground without saying a word.
Then this lady
just pulled him like this.
Then Magistrate Tang, still on the ground,
was dragged by her like this.
Then the chubby guy
was holding a sheep and watching.
Magistrate Tang said
"Give me my chopsticks back!"
"Give me my cloak back!"
"Give me my chopsticks back!"
"Give me my cloak back!"
"Give me my chopsticks back!"
Then Magistrate Tang gave up
and went back to his house to get the cloak.
And then...
Then His Excellency Sui came.
That's what happened, Your Excellency.
You can speak Oirat language?
No.
But that was exactly everyone said!
Such an amazing memory.
The case is clear to me now.
As for these objects,
I'll confiscate them for the time being.
I will give the verdict in another time.
The court is adjourned.
He said the court is adjourned.
Aha, these officials are protecting each other.
We are foreigners.
Calm down.
This matter takes time to solve.
I almost forgot.
What did you come to me for?
What should we do about the close of
Zheng Cheng's case?
Within 24 hours,
the case will see a turning point.
Why?
We'll talk over dinner at Dong's Restaurant.
Your Highness.
Commander Wang, how are you?
I'm responsible for helping investigate
Marquis Wu'an's case under His Majesty's order.
I heard that you have closed the case.
So I came to confirm
so that I can go back to report to His Majesty.
I see.
I came to visit Your Highness
for two things.
The first is to tell you
the culprits of this case are dead.
The second one was returning your son's body.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I will tell everything to His Majesty.
I believe soon His Majesty will give his edict
to name your second son your official heir
to comfort your eldest son's soul in heaven.
Thank you, Commander Wang.
This case is really tricky.
Fortunately it's over now.
Fan, what do you want to eat?
Let me take you to a feast.
Thank you, Your Excellency.
Thank you, but I'll pass.
Fan.
Come on, don't be like this!
Goodbye, Your Excellency.
Commander Wang, could I speak with you for a moment?
I have another favor to ask you.
I want to check all the coast defense files
from the first year of the Jingtai reign until now.
Do you have anything to say to me?
No.
That's not so kind.
I am not as smart as you are.
Don't keep me guessing.
I am not sure yet.
I'll tell you when I know for sure.
The people who tried to kill Lin Chaodong were using Japanese swords.
And now you want to check coast defense files.
What's the connection between the two things?
Commander Wang,
you already have your answer in mind.
I can have my own answer.
But you still have to tell me what you know.
Hey! Watch the road!
Leave!
You bastard eunuch!
Are you all right?
Sorry, you must got scared.
I guess we'll have to take a raincheck for this meal.
You did me a huge favor.
I will keep that in mind.
Escort Magistrate Tang to return to Shuntian Prefecture's office.
Yes, sir!
Don't get angry.
We can never beware of all the assassinations.
Even if we can,
precautions can't always ward off sudden attack.
He didn't even notice the coachman was an imposter.
So don't tell me crap of precautions don't work.
If you can't keep me safe, then you're useless to me.
Go find someone reliable to be my bodyguard.
Yes, sir.
Are you OK?
I am not OK!
My life is like walking on a wire every day!
I need to eat more to calm down my nerve.
Walking on a wire?
Since I met you and Wang Zhi,
I basically ran into trouble every day.
Then pay me the
five bowls of noodles you put on your account first.
What do you mean, Ms. Dong?
I'm not dead yet!
And I haven't finished eating!
When you're dead,
who can I go to asking for payment?
Why are you so mean?
You owe me money for a lot of noodles!
Take the money.
Sir!
Magistrate Tang.
They are on the move in Marquis Wu'an Mansion.
The funeral procession will leave tonight.
I was guessing they will do it in 24 hours.
I never thought they'd bury him so soon.
It only took four hours?
These people are really in a hurry.
Burying him at night?
Zheng Cheng died a unnatural death.
It's not very weird that they want to bury him in the middle of the night.
Everything happens like you said.
My Lord...
My Lord, they are here!
What are Your Excellencies
doing here?
Investigating a case.
Isn't my son Zheng Cheng's case
closed?
Yes.
That case is closed.
But what we want to investigate now is the case of
you, Zheng Ying,
covering up for the murderer, providing false evidence,
setting fire at Eastern Deport, attempt of murder and breaking into prison.
Magistrate Tang.
Since you are a magistrate,
you know you have to have evidence.
You can't just convict me
by naming a few random charges.
Isn't this a disrespect of
the Law of the Ming Dynasty?
Your Highness is right.
If we don't have evidence,
we wouldn't have come to your mansion so recklessly.
Where is the evidence?
Right in the coffin.
Open the coffin!
Shuntian Prefecture and Imperial Guards!
How dare you despise me, Marquis Wu'an?
You really think I'll watch you bully
and slander me without fighting back?
Everyone, hold your horses.
I have a few questions.
Commander Wang, what questions do you have?
Magistrate Tang,
I heard your accusations.
I feel they're neither reasonable nor logical.
Why do you think so?
Please do enlighten me.
You said His Highness was covering up for the murderer and
providing false evidence. But this is not reasonable.
You know, he was the victim's family.
What motive can a father have
to protect the murderer of his son?
The answer is simple.
The murderer is his other son.
According to my guess,
it's true His Highness didn't know
who the real murderer was at that night of the crime.
But in the next day,
something he learned
made him find out the murderer.
So he made a decision
in no time.
He handed over a fake body to the Eastern Depot
and sent someone to set fire at the Eastern Depot.
The reason why he did that
was because the murderer is his other son.
That's why he wouldn't want us to find out who really did it.
Why did you pawn the jade pendant?
What do you want five thousand tael of silver for?
The money was paid to my hitman.
What hitman?
Everything I did was
for our family!
Let's assume, for the sake of discussion, what you said is true.
But setting fire at Eastern Deport, attempt of murder and breaking into prison?
It's like him against Eastern Deport,
Imperial Guards,
and Shuntian Prefecture at the same time.
His Highness couldn't have
done it alone.
Even my Western Deport is not powerful enough to
challenge these three forces at the same time.
Your inference is unreasonable.
I have two things here to prove
those Japanese hatchet men were taking orders from you.
In the third lunar month of the 7th year of the Jingtai reign,
Zheng Ying, the eldest son of Marquis Wu'an, was dispatched to guard the coastal lines.
According to heming Dynasty's law,
hereditary knighthood will be demoted one ranking each generation.
The only exception is when the heir has performed meritorious service.
If not,
the title will be demoted one ranking every generation
until it is finally withdrawn.
In the 7th year of the Jingtai reign,
when you were eighteen years old
and Zheng Cheng was two years old,
in order for the title not to be demoted,
you chose to serve the army and fight for military merits.
In the 3rd year of the Chenghua reign,
Civil War of Onin broke out in Japan.
A large number of Japanese people sailed west across the sea and entered Ming.
That year you were 29 years old
and you were General of Defense in Xiangzhou.
In the next few years,
You subdued
a lot of Japanese warriors to work for you.
Even after you inherited the title,
you brought them back to Beijing with you
as your family retainers.
These are nothing but your guesses!
If the fact that I was once defensing the coastal lines
can be used as evidence to go against me,
then all the military men who have fought
against Japanese pirates are suspects.
The evidence is the body in that coffin.
We pretended to close the case and returned the fake body
just to paralyze you
which would give us a chance to get
the real body.
I told you,
no one can open the coffin today!
Your Highness, if I may?
If Tang Pan is right
then you are guilty of deceiving His Majesty.
This is a crime that could get your whole clan killed.
Even if you have a title,
it's too serious for you to not cooperate.
But if Tang Fan wrongfully accused you,
then the two of them are going too far.
I can guarantee with my life
that I will report this to His Majesty
to seek justice for you and your family
and make sure they pay their price.
The two will be exiled to remote borders.
Three thousand miles for this one,
and five thousand miles for that one.
Wang Zhi!
Others are afraid of Western Depot, but not me!
You don't need to scare me with exterminating my clan
nor fool me with seeking justice for me!
Unless His Majesty personally comes here,
no one can open the coffin!
You'll do that over the dead body of everyone in my house!
Your Highness, tonight I came here
without any soldier
but only a word from someone.
Just go ahead and say it.
I'd rather not.
Why not?
When I say it out loud,
the only one who could
take it back
will be His Majesty.
Father.
It was me who killed Zheng Cheng with Lin Chaodong.
It was also me who swapped the body
and set fire at the Eastern Depot.
I also hired Japanese people to kill Lin Chaodong
and attacked Shuntian Prefecture.
Everything was my doing.
Others had nothing to do with it.
Young Master Zheng, you finally came out.
Why did you buy Han Zao's body?
Zheng Cheng died suddenly
and miserably that day.
We had planned it so long
just to make it look like
he died from a sudden stroke during intercourse.
So we had to find a woman to be in his room.
But everyone in Huanyi Brothel saw it that day
that Zheng Cheng and Feng Qingzi had a quarrel.
Also Lin Chaodong was not willing to let
Feng Qingzi enter Zheng Cheng's room again.
So the two of us had to act separately.
He cleaned up the room.
And I went to Iron Market
trying to buy a girl's body
pretending that she hung herself in Zheng Cheng's room.
But destiny play tricks on people.
The corpse was the prince's studying companion.
He was your brother.
Why did you kill him?
Zheng Cheng was a total black sheep of our family!
He did nothing but indulge in dissipation.
His sin was unforgivable.
If the title was to pass to him,
the glory of our Zheng family would be ruined.
So you told your father everything.
Trying to save
the only son left,
he tried everything he could to help you get away with it.
No!
I already told you,
I did everything by myself.
It's not that
I look down on you,
but I just don't think
you could do these things on your own.
Second Young Master!
My son!
I am sorry,
I disgraced
our family.
My son!
That's what happened.
Your Majesty, what do you want to do
with Marquis Wu'an?
Why would anyone degenerate into a fratricide?
This far, and no further on this matter.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Get up.
We meet again.
Do you still remember me?
No one in the royal court will care
or even ask about your case
Because no one wants to get into this trouble.
But I am a person who is not afraid of troubles.
So only I can help you.
Why do you help me?
I help you, and you help me.
How?
Let's find you a place to settle down first.
Aren't you afraid I might run away?
I can find you everywhere you go.
It's the God's will and the emperor's command that,
Sui Zhou, a Zongqi in the Northern Administrative Court,
did a great job in assisting Shuntian Prefecture
in the investigation of Marquis Wu'an's murder case.
So I hereby promote him as baihu
and a 6th rank.
Respect that.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Congratulations, Your Excellency!
-Congratulations, Your Excellency! -Sir.
Congratulations, Your Excellency!
Let's have dinner together someday to celebrate.
Sure!
Baihu.
6th rank official.
That means he gets paid 145 tael of silver a year!
Wasn't that Wu'an's murder
Shuntian Prefecture's case?
I solved it risking my life!
Why should the Imperial Guards get both the credit and promotion?
Fan,
you are always so smart in work.
How can you so stupid at the critical moment?
Come closer.
Do you know who Sui Zhou is?
He's just a baihu.
"Just a baihu"?
Do you know Sui Anlan?
OK, let me tell you.
Sui Anlan was a General of Calvary
who had repelled foreign invaders many time when our last emperor was still alive.
What is the surname of Sui Anlan?
Sui.
What about Sui Zhou?
Sui。
Now you have it.
Both are surnamed Sui.
Let me tell you
Sui Anlan is Sui Zhou's great uncle.
If you still don't understand,
let me tell you more.
The relationship between Sui Anlan and Queen Mother Zhou,
at least you have to know that.
So when you look at their family tree,
Empress Dowager Zhou is Sui Zhou's great Auntie.
So Suzhou is actually His Majesty's
distant nephew.
I am not blaming you,
but aren't there two keys of being an government official?
Right?
you either have friends in higher place,
or have money to buy your way around and up.
What do you have?
Don't you know it?
If you want to get promoted,
you can only work hard.
Do you understand?
Step by step, and down to earth.
Do your job right.
Only then can you get promoted.
I don't want to lecture you anymore.
See the many files on the table?
Handle them.
You gave me a headache.
Where are you doing?
At least you have to let me go to the toilet!
Tang Fan!
Every time I ask you to do some work!
Wang!
Coming.
Your Excellency.
Where is Magistrate Tang?
Your Excellency.
I saw him
go straight out just now.
Gut?
Then you can go out too.
Ok, then I'm out.
Fine, just go.
I'll go out, too!
A bowl of noodles.
Coming!
Baihu Sui, you're already a 6th rank official.
And you still come here for noodles.
Dong's Restaurant is honored by your presence.
What?
Look at your face.
Are you in a bad mood?
How can I be in a good mood when I see you?
I'm just a magistrate!
Yet I lived in danger because of this case
and even almost died several times.
And in the end I didn't get promoted.
Settle your account of this month before you eat.
Didn't I settle it two days ago?
That was before.
You owe me several more bowls this month.
I'm not dead yet, Ms. Dong!
Even if I die, I will die a martyr!
Do you know what martyr means?
I don't care.
Settle your account first.
You...
Calm down. I will pay for you this time.
Look how generous he is.
He gets 145 tael of silver a year
while I only get 25!
Of course I can't compare with him!
Mr. Sui,
is there still any vacancy in your Imperial Guards?
Are you interested?
I am.
Know your way around sword, spear, or club?
No.
How about axe, or hook?
No.
Are you good at archery or hidden weapons?
No.
What about your physical strength?
I am confident with my eyesight.
Imperial Guards
really don't need a civil official?
I got 100 tael of silver as reward for the Wu'an case.
This is your half.
This case can be solved
thanks to your timely and accurate judgment.
So I can understand
you are in a bad mood now.
But our Imperial Guards
also paid a price for this case.
I have six men injured
and two haven't recovered yet.
What? Am I supposed to give you money?
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