[🔎👁‍🗨The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty👁‍🗨🔍] [Episode 32]
Sui, is dinner ready?
We are starving!
Soon.
What happened?
It's okay. It's okay.
I am here.
When I fall asleep,
don't come close to me.
You had a nightmare again.
What kind of nightmare did you have today?
My past.
Terrible things.
I dreamed that we were camping in the wild
and the enemy attacked us in the middle of the night.
My fellow soldiers fell one by one.
The horses trampled over their bodies.
Each of the enemy soldiers, holding a head in their hands,
drove us into a cave.
And those who didn't make it to run in the cave
were stuck in the entrance of the cave
and the enemy lit a raging fire on them.
I could hear their crying echoing in the cave
and smell the flesh burnt in the air.
They cried and begged me
to end their lives.
I am sorry.
I'm off to the court.
This is war.
Every war will make all the happiness disappear.
In the end, the corpses of people lie all over the countryside
and soldiers shed blood like water.
"On the long mountain roads, every year the bones of dead soldiers
are more than the withered grass in autumn."
No one likes war.
This stands true for everyone.
They just want to survive.
There is no right or wrong in war.
Be it your people, or our people, no matter who that is and for what,
they don't have the right to turn innocent people
into soldiers and send them to the battlefield.
The veterans are the most painful lot.
They struggled on the battlefield to survive.
Even if they finally came back alive,
their hearts are still living in purgatory.
I am glad there is no war now.
The war is over.
But the scars left by the war are difficult to heal.
Dong, I hope you can forgive him.
I didn't blame him.
It was all my fault.
I shouldn't have disturbed him in his sleep.
Give him some more time.
He will be fine.
We've lived here for such a long time.
Thank you for taking care of us.
I am going back to the Iron Market.
So soon?
Yes.
What do you think of Pei?
Women's magnet.
Although he was a romantic guy in the past, I know him well.
He is a good and upright person.
Besides, you can't define a person by his past.
You have to believe when one meets the love of his life,
he will change.
He bought this box of rouge as a gift for you.
You misunderstood him.
I misunderstood him because he was dissolute.
Honest or dissolute, that's just reputation to others' eyes
and also a thing of the past.
Yu, don't think of him like this.
You are my sister.
If he was not a good choice for you,
I wouldn't have spoken up for him.
Let's put this aside, I will just ask you one thing.
During the past months you got along with him, were you happy?
You… You are bought by him.
I have been an honest official for the past years.
I never take bribes.
All I did is for you.
You and your sweettalk.
Yu.
You still have a long life ahead of you.
You deserve all the best things.
Actually, I know how he feels about me.
I am grateful for him taking care of me and Cheng.
But after all, I'm a divorced woman with a child.
I really don't want to become his burden.
How can you be a burden?
This is not my words.
Pei said so and I quote.
You and Cheng are not burden to him.
You guys are his happiness.
Mr. Tang.
Could you come with me?
Yu, think about it.
For Cheng, and for yourself.
Please.
Mr. Tang, these are Aras's previous accounts and cargo list
you asked for.
They are all in here.
Mr. Tang.
Why do you want these records?
I want to know who Aras is associating with.
There may be clues hidden.
Good calligraphy.
Who are these people?
This is our prairie's delegation.
They come to pay homage to the Ming's emperor every year.
Mr. Tang.
Why are you here?
Ever since I heard you mention Dora, I had always wanted to know her.
So today I took the liberty to come uninvited.
Can you help introduce us?
Dora.
I am Qingge.
I heard Mr. Tang mention you and Aras's story.
I deeply admire you
and I came to visit you.
I hope you don't mind my background.
On our prairie, we never care about the background of an eagle.
Come here.
I will show you my horses.
The capital has a different climate than prairie.
The prairie is relatively dry while here is moister.
So you need to wipe and maintain the leather part of the saddle.
Maybe rub some oil on it.
You are so erudite that you even know about this.
I was an official slave when I was a kid.
My job was maintaining harness.
Why did you become
a slave when you were a kid?
When I was little my family was well off.
But my father broke the law and my family went broke.
So I became an official slave.
Then I was sold to different places before I came to Huanyi Brothel.
I didn't expect you had such a miserable story of life.
Everyone has his own destiny.
I already let go.
You're so optimistic that you look like someone from our prairie.
I'm living in a complicated and cold world.
I am not that affectionate like you prairie people.
Your deep affection to Aras alone is something I can't compare.
I just saw that man's back.
I am not sure if that was Aras.
I know your feelings for Aras.
I work in a brothel.
I know men.
Sorry for keeping you waiting.
Everyone, please wait in the side hall.
Everyone, please take some rest here.
Sir, please stay for a while.
How can I help you?
We still need you to check the tributes we brought with the list.
You guys go outside to wait for me.
Yes.
This gift list is
consistent with the objects.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Ding Man.
Give this back to the ministry.
Yes, Your Majesty.
[Wang Chuan, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War]
Zhou.
Did everything go well with your work today?
Yes.
Did you have lunch at noon?
Yes.
How was the weather today?
What are you guys doing?
Just chatting.
Take an interest in each other's life.
Tang Fan, what did you do today?
Today I didn't actually do much… I read a book today.
This…
Oh, you haven't finished.
Carry on.
I didn't actually do much today.
I just basked in the sun and wrote two pages of my story.
Speaking of which, as for the book you said, what is it about?
Just an ordinary medical book.
Nothing important.
But in the book, I saw a prescription of soothing decoction.
It works well on nightmares.
Even if you were a monster,
drink one bowl of the medicine and you'll sleep tight all night.
Here, have a bowl.
When Cheng was a baby he kept crying every night
and couldn't rest well.
An old lady from the countryside told me
if a child is crying at night because of nightmares,
you can draw circles with your index finger on the western house wall.
While drawing, you keep chanting, "Dreaming about something ominous, painting on the western wall.
When sun comes out, it shall turn to auspicious."
So I tried for a few days and Cheng stopped crying at night!
When I just arrived at Li's Mansion,
I often dreamed that my parents were gone
and there were evil spirits hiding under my bed
saying my fresh was tender so they wanted to eat me.
Later, Mrs. Li put this pair of scissors under my pillow.
Since then I could sleep without being bothered by nightmares.
Now, if anyone needs it, he can take it.
On our prairie, if someone couldn't sleep well,
they would snuggle a bag of millet.
This guarantees a good night's sleep.
What you are talking about are just metaphysics.
We don't know if they will work.
I went to Zhou's room today to observe and touch his beddings.
Your pillow is too hard and too narrow.
In short,
I can lend you my beloved pillow.
It is particularly soft.
You can definitely sleep well.
But this is my beloved pillow.
You have to treat it well.
Don't drool on it.
When I was a kid, I always wetted my… All right.
I'll go get changed and cook dinner.
By the way, Zhou…
Scissors and millet, I will use them.
And I will drink the medicine, too.
Thank you, guys.
I appreciate it.
So let's never talk about it again.
Wait, Zhou!
I mean Dong and I bought two fresh mandarin fish
in the morning market.
The ingredients are nice today.
Shall we see them together?
Okay.
Let me get changed first.
We'll wait for you!
Take these.
What are these?
[Deed to the House]
You're not afraid
I might lose them?
It's okay.
My place is so messy.
I'll feel at ease
if I give them to you for safekeeping.
I'm cooking now.
What if I mix up and
throw them into the fire?
It's okay. Don't worry.
Since I give them to you, they are yours now.
You can put them wherever you want.
Really?
Really.
But still,
you'd better not really use them as firewood.
I'm alone without much property.
I thought about it and these are the most valuable thing I have.
But even if they're valuable, they're not as valuable as
my heart for you.
I…I…
No,
you should be the one taking care of these.
From now on,
please also take care
of me and Cheng.
The fish is cooked.
Open it for me.
I call this dish "By Your Side".
Congratulations.
This Wang Xian has two good habits.
The off-shift time of the Bureau of Provisions is 7 o'clock in the evening.
He will immediately go home at 7 o'clock sharp.
Second, he may think his home is safer than the office.
So he will definitely bring his design drawings with him
when he is off work every day.
So this is our plan.
At 7:15 after he leaves the building,
his carriage was supposed to go from Bao'ensi Road to Fuma Avenue.
We will dig holes here to connect to the channels.
And so his carriage will have to take a detour to the east.
It'll pass Shuangta Temple and go south to Shoushuitang.
This place is remote without passers-by.
We will ambush here.
Our purpose is to get the design drawings of his machine crossbow.
Understand?
Yes!
But ever since we came here with the Oirat delegation,
we are under the Imperial Guards' strict surveillance every day.
This is a problem for the action.
Yes.
Don't worry about this.
When they look at us, they think we all look the same.
I've sent some people to pretend to be us in the delegation.
Our action will not be hindered by that.
Idiot!
The county magistrate of Huating in Songjiang is a total idiot!
He said "This relationship has both parties' consent
so the man shall not be found guilty".
He even got the nerve to ask us if the girl who was raped
can be married to the local tyrant as his concubine.
Bah!
Absurd, totally absurd!
It's clearly written in the Laws of the Ming that
enticing girls under twelve years old into unlawful sexual intercourse
will be regarded as rape.
This is a felony to be hanged to death.
Ignorant!
This is so pathetic…
Mr. Tang.
Mr. Tang?
Bin.
Please call me Tang Fan, or Runqing.
When you call me Mr. Tang, it just doesn't feel right.
I can't do that.
As the proverb
goes, officials one rank higher can crush one rank lower.
Not to mention I am your direct reporter.
I seek shelter from you.
So I hope Mr. Tang can love and take care of me more in the future.
Something is not right.
In the past
Mr. Tang liked to go outside.
But today you are totally content doing a desk job.
You're quite an optimist.
How should I deal with this new side of you?
Mr. Tang,
it's been four hours since you started to work on cases.
Can I go over there and learn from you?
Mr. Tang is in high spirits.
While trapped in the room,
you're still in the mood of practicing calligraphy.
Bin, look at this handwriting.
What do you think?
What style is this?
I have no idea.
I think this handwriting has a magnificent momentum.
It's powerful, sturdy, unique, out of the ordinary.
This is a wonderful calligraphy.
The handwriting tells me, this person is tough and steady.
He or she never stops until they achieve their goals.
They won't even hesitate to hurt themselves to achieve it.
You can tell all these from handwriting?
Where are you going?
Bin, don't you say I love going out?
I am going out now.
If they need me, please help me go through the motions.
OK.
Hurt themselves to achieve the goal.
Qingge, you are such a good makeup artist.
Dora, I'll give you a few pairs of earrings as gift.
Just take time to pick your favorites.
Thank you!
This is for Mr. Tang.
This is the account book in the palace?
This is the in-out records
of rare medicine materials of the palace in recent years.
Mr. Wang said you might need it.
But you need to return it right after you finish reading
or the palace will notice it was missing.
I feel sorry to make you run errands for us.
Mr. Tang, your job in the Ministry of the Punishments
is to deal with local case documents.
Why do you need the records in palace?
Dora was poisoned before and someone sent an antidote.
No matter this person was really trying to help her or
he had another purpose, I have to figure it out.
Some of the ingredients in the antidote are very rare.
They are not sold in market.
So I want to track down this lead first.
I will finish reading this account book in two days
and then immediately return it.
I think this handwriting has a magnificent momentum.
It's powerful, sturdy, unique, out of the ordinary.
Mr. Wang, run!
Run!
Hand over the thing!
Hand over the design drawings!
Mr. Wang!
Calm down.
Don't do anything stupid.
Mr. Sui.
This is a top secret case.
You just lead the imperial guards to guard the periphery.
Don't ask any questions.
It's about top secret.
Southern city warding soldiers! Why are you so close?
Step back.
Can you please shut up?
You guys, search the area to see if there are clues of the kidnappers.
Yes.
Commander Wang,
my husband was kidnapped.
His Majesty will ask you to be in charge of the investigation.
Please, I am asking you to try to bring him home to me safely.
Sure, Your Highness.
I will do my best.
The recent tests of the machine crossbow have been fruitful.
It just needs a little adjustment of my ministry,
then it will be put into practical use soon.
By the time this weapon
will definitely reverse our Ming's offensive and defensive pattern against enemies.
At such a critical moment,
we should strictly protect the chief engineer Wang Xian.
How could you guys let him
walk on the streets carrying top-secret drawings without guards?
And now he's kidnapped by others!
Since he's Princess Gu'an's husband,
his security detail has been Princess Mansion's job.
It was not in my jurisdiction to step over.
Recently, the Oirat delegation came to pay homage
and is still living in the capital.
Your Eastern and Western Depots and the Northern Administrative Court
didn't hear any whisper about this kidnapping?
In a word,
the kidnapping definitely has something to do with the Oirats.
Aren't they all in Iron Market?
I say just arrest all of them.
If we want to take action, we need to do it fast.
If we delay, I'm afraid Wang Xian will be in danger.
Wang Zhi,
what do you think?
What they want is nothing but the machine crossbow.
Wang Xian is a princess's husband and a weapon expert.
I think they will not kill him for the time being.
But this matter is about Ming's diplomacy.
We shall not act rashly,
for one slight move may affect the over situation.
But no matter what,
we can never let the top-secret drawings fall into their hands.
You'll be in charge of it.
I give you three days.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guards, you will support Western Depot.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Our priority is
to find the whereabouts of Wang Xian.
Yes, Your Majesty.
You may go.
Wang Zhi, you stay.
Do you know what to do?
Yes. I will see to it.
Our priority.
Tell me what it is.
Never let anyone take Wang Xian away alive.