01x08 - Episode 8

[bunniefuu]

Mast! Lay down the mast!

Hurry up and get the rope!

Bow and stern face the banks! Quick!

Thousands of homes are brightly lit,

and the doors to them are wide open.

This is East Capital.

New wine from Sunyang Restaurant!

Welcome to enjoy it!

​If you want to know what happens next,

wait until next time.

People from all over the world gather here,

and envoys from various countries come to communicate with the authorities.

[Riverside Code at Qingming Festival]

[Adapted from Ye Wenbiao's Novel Series of the Same Name]

[Episode 8]

[Overthinking disturbs the mind.]

[Peace comes from focusing on one's duties. - Cheng Yi, Northern Song Dynasty]

You're up so early.

I was worried knocking might wake you.

Rouge?

Good for you, Zhao Buyou!

Rouge?

Wen Yue, let me explain.

Wen Yue...

Buyou.

Tell us.

Where were you last night?

You stayed out all night.

You were definitely up to no good.

Since when do you two get to question me?

I'm your big brother.

Even though I was busy

last night,

I still thought of you and brought something nice back.

Lychees from Lingnan.

Lychees?

Don't think you can bribe us

with rare treats.

I'd never tried them before.

They're so delicious.

If you don't want them,

I'll give them to Father.

No way!

Lychees are heat-inducing.

Father shouldn't eat them.

We'll take them.

Listen,

these are chilled lychees. They taste great.

You can eat them,

but remember to save some for Father and Wen Yue.

We will.

Peel them before eating.

Ban, Mo,

I won't make breakfast today.

Buy something to eat yourselves.

I'll cook dinner when I get back tonight.

Wen Yue,

I'd like some honey-glazed tofu.

- And... - Wen Yue,

I want to have cinnamon-vine soup.

All right, cinnamon-vine soup it is.

I knew it.

That Zhao doesn't know any better.

Look how upset he's made Lady Zhang.

When have you ever seen me

get angry over a man?

So last night,

did you and he...?

You said you'd help me find the culprit behind the Hat Demon case.

How do you plan to do that?

Come inside.

No, thanks.

It's not appropriate.

I can talk to you from here.

What did you say?

I can't hear you.

I said

that since it was a m*rder case,

the authorities would surely get involved.

I have acquaintances at the Kaifeng Court.

I'll ask around for you.

I've already made arrangements with the authorities,

but I don't trust them.

Those corrupt scoundrels

will just pin it on some scapegoats to fob me off.

Lady Zhang,

may I suggest something?

Could it be the work of a personal enemy?

I mean people,

not demons.

People?

People are far scarier than demons.

The human mind is deceitful,

treacherous, and unpredictable.

Speaking of which, Mr. Zhao,

you appeared right after the Hat Demon case.

Were you sent by one of my enemies?

[Dagger]

[k*ll Lady Zhang within five days]

Me?

Of course not.

How could I have been sent by your enemy?

I'm

simply

here for the job,

for the reward.

So,

you're in it for the payment.

That's right.

How much is the reward, then?

[Reward: 100 liang]

The amount is clearly stated on the notice

outside.

You can check for yourself.

It seems you aren't being

entirely truthful, Mr. Zhao.

Now I'm curious.

What are you trying to get from me?

To be honest, I haven't decided yet.

- I... - Shh.

Take your time to think of a reason.

Here, try these.

Lychees from Lingnan.

Where are you going?

I'll be back in a moment.

Then I'll wait outside.

One for Wen Yue,

one for Father,

one for Ban,

and one for Mo.

That's a lovely jade plate.

It must be a royal artifact.

You're quite the expert, Mr. Zhao.

Such taste

is rare for a common man.

Lady Zhang, you flatter me.

I've only seen something like it in paintings.

Why don't you call me Qiniang from now on?

And I'll call you Buyou.

Would that be inappropriate?

That's fine.

Men who come to me

are usually after money, power,

or

my beauty.

Buyou,

have you decided what it is you want from me?

I've been too busy eating lychees

to think about it.

It's late.

I'll head back now.

I'll tell you another day

when I have an answer.

If I stay out too long,

I'll get scolded

by my strict wife.

You're married?

And you're henpecked, no less.

That's not how I'd put it.

We

love each other.

It's just that, over time, love turns into awe.

That's it.

Well then, I'll take my leave.

What if I don't let you go?

The less you want from me,

the more interesting I find you.

Since I was young,

I've been taught

that when I see something I like,

I should paste a yellow seal on it

no matter whom it belongs to,

and then it'll be mine.

So, what...

what happened next?

None of your business.

Lady Zhang, be careful.

Zhao Buyou

isn't like the others.

Enough.

I told you to hire more guards.

Have you found anyone?

Two martial arts experts

are already waiting in the front hall.

It's been so long, and Lady Zhang

still hasn't come out to meet us.

What an attitude!

Finding someone who truly appreciates

our skills is all that matters.

Be patient.

What do you want?

To see Zhang Qiniang.

Lady Zhang isn't someone you can just barge in and see.

Are you out of your mind?

Hurry up

and leave.

Help!

Someone's breaking in!

You...!

Was everyone who came to see Zhang Qiniang a lunatic?

Excuse me, miss.

Who just broke in?

I did.

You must be joking, miss.

It was her.

Stop her, now!

I'm here to talk to someone,

not to fight anyone.

Who barged in?

It's you.

I'm here to ask Zhang Qiniang a few questions.

The Zhang Mansion isn't somewhere anyone can set foot in.

Nor is Lady Zhang someone you can meet on a whim.

This is perfect.

Show me what you're capable of.

Understood.

I'm a guard of the Zhang Mansion.

If you take one more step,

don't blame me for being rude.

How exactly do you plan to be rude to me?

I'm unarmed, you know.

I wouldn't want to hurt

a beautiful lady like you.

Would you like me to lend you my sword?

Talk about a sneak attack!

Weren't you offering me your sword?

Have you changed your mind?

Take it back.

A sword that can be given away so easily

must not be worth much.

Here, have it back.

Miss,

I'm also a guard here.

I can't just let you walk in.

And how exactly do you plan to stop me?

My weapon

is a bit heavy.

If it ends up hurting you

during our fight,

please forgive me.

Since you're using a weapon,

I'll use mine as well.

What kind of weapon is that?

Don't recognize them?

Are those

cinnamon-vines?

These aren't ordinary cinnamon-vines.

Apologies in advance!

If I'd been using a sword,

you'd be dead by now.

I've lost.

Remember to wash it with vinegar when you get home.

May I ask

what's so special about your cinnamon-vines?

I bought them at the morning market.

They're much cheaper.

Are you here because of what happened

at the property agency last time?

If you have anything to say,

I'll pass it on to Lady Zhang

word for word.

Just tell her to come out.

I need to speak with her in person.

Well...

Impressive skills!

Lady Zhang.

I'd only thought

you were beautiful

and decisive.

I didn't expect you to be so skilled in martial arts.

Hurry up and eat something.

We're waiting for Wen Yue to come back

and make cinnamon-vine soup for us.

Fine. Keep waiting, then.

Buyou,

what are your thoughts on the Hat Demon case?

Why are you asking about that?

Wu Xiang's body

wasn't pulled into the air by the Hat Demon.

It was suspended by ropes.

He was definitely

k*lled by a person.

Someone was using the Hat Demon story

to achieve a hidden goal.

Buyou,

what's your take on it?

You two

are not to meddle in this case.

It's too dangerous.

Do you hear me?

Are you investigating it, then?

Why would I?

Then why did you join the demon-hunting frenzy yesterday?

How do you know I went

demon-hunting last night?

I saw you.

Me too.

Wen Yue saw you too.

What exactly did you see?

We saw you

get into Zhang Qiniang's fancy cart.

Then why didn't you two

call out to me?

She just crooked her finger...

And you slipped right in.

What did you do in there?

Well,

you both want rooms in the south wing,

so I thought

I'd earn some reward money

to buy a bigger place

with two rooms in the south wing,

one for each of you.

You went into Zhang Qiniang's cart

to earn reward money?

Buyou,

I never thought you'd stoop to this.

We despise you for it!

You two ingrates.

Get out of here.

Mind your own business.

Shame on you!

Found it!

I've found the money for wine!

Buyou,

look.

All right.

Take it and go have your wine.

It's odd. How did such a small sum

turn into this pouch of money?

Oh, Father,

how could you go through my things?

Buyou.

Buyou,

not all money

is meant to be earned.

Father,

do you know something?

When I saw that pouch,

I realized what you were hiding.

Don't take money

from that cart.

Father,

what are you talking about?

Enough.

Just go have your wine.

[Third day after taking the task]

This Peach Blossom Cream is made from a secret formula.

It's made with the finest motherwort,

infused with 49 kinds of herbs,

and mixed with honey.

After you use it, your skin will be radiant and smooth.

You'll see in a moment.

Most hosts

just serve tea and snacks to their guests,

but Lady Zhang, your way

of entertaining guests is truly unique.

Most guests

only bring fruits or pastries as gifts,

but you

barged in with cinnamon-vines.

Since your approach was so unconventional,

how could I receive you

in an ordinary way?

I have business to attend to at my shop.

Once I get my questions answered, I'll leave.

I knew you were something else

when we first met at the property agency.

I haven't asked your name yet.

Just call me Mrs. Zhao.

Mrs. Zhao?

Do you mean to say

you're Buyou's wife?

That's right.

So, you came here today

to ask about your husband?

Ask away.

What business did my husband

have with you last night?

Why did a man visit a woman

in the middle of the night?

There are plenty of possibilities.

Oh, here.

Try these.

Buyou loves them.

He said

they're best served chilled.

I know

Zhao Buyou well.

He may have a wandering eye, but he wouldn't dare cross the line.

Besides, a man like him

is hardly someone you would covet.

Then why did a woman like you marry him?

What did you see in him?

Naturally, I have

my reasons,

but I don't need anyone else's opinion.

Let's not waste time.

Tell me why he came

to see you.

The Hat Demon case.

Last night,

Buyou offered to help me

investigate it.

You know,

if you want to see how well a woman is doing,

her face only tells part of the story.

It's her hands

that reveal the truth.

You are beautiful and talented,

yet you're trapped in the grind of household chores.

Just one look at your hands

tells me you haven't spared yourself

from any hard work.

On the other hand, when Buyou

peeled lychees for me last night,

I noticed

how smooth

his hands were.

Indeed.

I can't bear

to let him do any work at home.

Those hands of his

are reserved for washing my feet.

And apparently, they were also used

to peel lychees for you last night.

[Zhang Mansion]

Don't water the pine trees randomly.

Stick to the vegetable patch.

Leave those alone.

I'm only good for rough work.

No wonder I can't keep these flowers alive.

What are these?

Shredded tripe.

Steamed ribs with rice powder.

You took a bribe again, didn't you?

Why else would there be such a feast?

Which case is it this time?

The Hat Demon case.

That much?

It's

from Zhang Qiniang's steward,

Kang Qian.

They want me to smooth over the Hat Demon case.

As always, I'm showing it to you first,

and then I'll distribute it monthly

to the veterans of the Jingyuan Army.

I've been handling

so many problems for you.

Boss,

taking this much money from them

is hardly unfair.

They're the ones getting a bargain.

Do you know how much chaos this case has caused?

The whole of Yanglou Street is in panic,

and property prices have dropped to rock bottom.

Have you arrested anyone?

Yes.

I arrested an errand boy named Sun Bo.

He was spotted at the crime scene last night,

and we have a witness.

A young

and homeless

male

who runs errands.

Boss,

even if he's innocent

this time,

just wait.

He'll cause trouble

sooner or later.

I call this nipping trouble in the bud.

Return

the money.

The Hat Demon case

is Zhang family's business.

You can't smooth it over.

Why not?

Boss.

Zhao Buyou is here to see you.

Come on in.

Inspector Gu.

Why haven't you gone home at this hour?

I'm already home.

You live here?

Life in the East Capital is too comfortable.

If I lived any better,

I'd start turning into one of them.

Have a seat.

I want to ask you about someone.

Who?

Zhang Qiniang.

You've heard of her, right?

I have.

Do you think she's connected

to the Hat Demon case?

Zhang Qiniang, Yanglou Street,

and the Hat Demon case.

Of course, she is.

What do you think?

I just find it strange

that she's amassed such wealth

at such a young age.

Who do you think is backing her?

She's dealing in real estate here in the East Capital,

and she's so young.

There must be

someone powerful behind her.

You'd better stay away from her.

Did you get entangled with her?

It's a long story.

Had fun with some woman, didn't you?

No.

I went to see Zhang Qiniang.

Let me give you some advice.

Don't go looking for trouble.

Is she really that dangerous?

Two years ago,

our court handled a case.

A young, handsome tutor

vanished

after teaching her

calligraphy and painting

in her mansion.

His family later came to report his disappearance,

but soon after that,

they disappeared too.

In the end, the case

was left unresolved.

She said something like this to me:

When I see something I like,

I'll paste a yellow seal on it,

and then it'll be mine.

What does that mean?

She actually said that?

Yes.

It's precisely because this is

a big case

that we can't afford to offend the Zhang family.

We don't want to offend the Zhang family,

but should we just leave the case unsolved?

The Zhang family

wants the Hat Demon case buried quickly.

But we represent the Kaifeng Court.

We must investigate every case

carefully and thoroughly.

If you put it that way,

I understand.

I know what to do now.

Zhao Buyou is going to investigate the Wu family.

Help him out.

I don't need him. I can handle it myself.

Fine, I'll work with him on this case.

Mo,

Ban!

Qiyu!

Our investigation yesterday turned up nothing,

and we nearly got caught.

I bet you couldn't write a decent article either.

[Young Craftsman Unveils Truth]
I rewrote one late last night.

[Behind Hindu Illusion]

And I changed "bitter ashes" to "bitter soil."

But

this is the only copy.

Let me

take a look.

It's the first time I've seen something like this.

As your good friend, he's certainly generous with praise.

Your supervisor is awfully picky.

Will he...?

If he complains, I'll just

take back that typesetting machine

you made for him.

So, where are we doing today?

Keep investigating the case.

Let's go.

All right.

[Kaifeng Court]

Why are you

dressed like this?

Yao He

always looks sharp and composed.

Dressing up a bit now and then

is quite a pleasant surprise.

Didn't we agree to re-examine the body?

How will you get any work done

dressed like this?

Exactly.

Don't worry.

Look.

It's perfectly fine.

I can work just like I always do.

Yesterday,

I found my father's

notebook.

And I

realized

some of the theories in it

might still come in handy.

Look.

This part, for example,

should work just fine.

Give me your hand.

Let's get to work.

If Wu Xiang died

after being hung up,

the discoloration

should appear at the extremities of his limbs.

No.

The discoloration

isn't concentrated at the extremities of his limbs.

Yao He,

give me a hand.

Lift him up for a moment.

Look.

The discoloration is concentrated

on the back of his limbs and torso.

If that's the case,

Wu Xiang must have been

lying face-up when he died.

Face-up?

That means

he was already dead

when he was hung up.

Exactly.

Step aside!

You're here.

Let's go inside.

Judge Wan.

How are you two holding up?

Where have you been staying lately?

Judge Wan,

after the incident,

my sister and I have been staying at our restaurant.

Tie Chi.

Yes, sir.

Introduce them.

These two are the deceased's younger siblings.

And this is Mr. Zhao, a litigation master invited by our court

to assist with the case.

My condolences.

If the Hat Demon isn't caught,

my big brother will never rest in peace.

Don't worry.

In all my years at Kaifeng Court,

there hasn't been an unsolvable case.

Isn't that right?

There's no such thing as a demon without a trace,

only K*llers who leave behind clues.

Well said.

Has anyone been in here

since the incident?

Yes.

A group of people came in last night,

but they weren't here to steal anything.

Wu Xiang's body

wasn't pulled into the air by the Hat Demon.

It was suspended by ropes.

He was definitely

k*lled by a person.

Someone was using the Hat Demon story

to achieve a hidden goal.

Zhao Buyou,

did you see anything unusual here?

Nothing so far.

Let's check somewhere else.

Lady Wu,

could you tell me

where your rooms are located?

The room on the first floor is mine.

The two upstairs

belong to my brothers.

May I take a look around your room?

May I open that cabinet?

Is this where you do your hair?

Yes.

The table is much tidier than my sister's.

Are all these items up there yours?

[Qibai Powder]

Is this Qibai Powder yours?

Yes, but I hardly ever use it.

This is a hand cream, right?

May I check upstairs?

Mr. Zhao, I can't go upstairs because of my legs.

Ao, why don't you take them upstairs?

Sure.

This way, please.

The room at the end of the hall belonged to my brother.

Wu Xiang seemed

like a big, rough man,

but his room is surprisingly neat and organized.

Has anyone

been in this room since the incident?

After the incident,

neither of us came back in here.

If he was lying face-up when he died,

then it's even clearer

that there's no such thing as a soul-sucking Hat Demon.

He must have died for some other reason.

Died for some other reason?

Then what could it be?

We tested for poison,

but he wasn't poisoned.

We checked for injuries too,

but all we found were

some minor, non-lethal head wounds.

What could have k*lled him?

People say that a dead body

tells its own story.

So what story is it trying to tell?

Wu Xiang, will you please tell us...?

Yao He,

look.

Why is his right eye so red?

Generally speaking,

if the right side of the head

suffers a fatal blow,

blood will pool in the right eye.

Didn't you check his head yesterday?

I might not have been thorough enough.

Gloves dull the sense of touch.

I'll check again.

There it is.

Is this your brother?

No, that's Han Xin.

Han Xin?

Why would one worship Han Xin?

To study military strategy?

Your family's in real trouble, I'm telling you.

Why worship Han Xin?

Everyone knows

Han Xin was Liu Bang's right-hand man,

but not everyone knows

that he defected to Han from Chu.

[Dates, Hei Sijie]
Have you been

studying military strategy

and plotting rebellion?

Are you spies

planted here by a foreign power?

Judge Wan...

Not necessarily.

Back when Han Xin commanded troops,

he invented some gambling games

to ease tension in the army.

Later on,

people who hoped to get rich started worshipping him.

That's impossible.

I've never heard of that.

What does it say on the back?

[Grant me wealth]

"Grant me wealth"?

And look at this censer.

If he wasn't worshipping Han Xin for that, then what?

Wait.

People actually worship Han Xin to get rich?

Do you know

what the dates

written here mean?

I don't know.

Judge Wan,

I'd like to take this for further investigation.

Go ahead.

Take me somewhere else.

Sure.

Worshipping Han Xin?

They're out.

Wu Xiang's room

is pretty clean.

Looks like he was a decent man.

It's a shame he had to die this way.

Something's off.

The neatness is likely just for show.

His wardrobe is messy.

His room

must have been cleaned by someone

who was trying to erase clues.

Also, did you notice

something was missing

in his room?

What was missing?

An oil lamp.

Right, there was no oil lamp.

There should have been one.

I saw an oil mark on the table.

That was where the lamp used to sit.

Personally,

I've never believed the story about a Hat Demon k*lling people.

Everything

must have been done by a person.

Your sister's here.

Get back here!

Calm down. Don't scare the kids.

What are you doing here?

We just finished examining Wu Xiang's body,

and we found a new clue.

Inspector Gu told us to report it to you.

"We"?

You mean they were with you, too?

Why didn't you listen to me?

Didn't I tell you to stay out of this?

Aren't you getting involved too?

The fish rots from the head...

I asked you first. Don't talk back.

Don't scold your sister

in front of everyone.

Be gentler with the kids.

What did you find?

You tell us.

Wu Xiang's skull

has a fracture on the right side,

and his right eye is bloodshot.

He likely died from a blunt-force blow to the head.

A blunt-force...

The oil lamp?

It's just a guess.

We'll need to look further into it.

Let me have a word with them.

Come with me.

Did you

sneak

into the crime scene last night?

The four of us went in together.

Listen.

Someone tampered with the crime scene.

Judge Wan is looking for those

who went in.

Now hurry back home.

Buyou, we want to help.

Help with what?

Enough. Go home.

Buyou...

Be kinder to the kids, will you?

You're too harsh.

So, what do we do next?

I'll keep digging.

Ban,

it was so brave of you

to touch the bloodied body

with your bare hands.

How did it make you feel?

I'm thinking of writing about a female coroner

in my next article.

I don't even know

if I can become a real coroner yet.

Well.

- Just tell me how you felt... - Qiyu!

Try this. It's a new flavor.

Ban,

examining bodies isn't easy.

Take my father for example.

He's a seasoned coroner,

and even he makes mistakes sometimes.

How do you know what I'm thinking?

Because I've been through this myself.

What do you think I should really do?

I wanted to work at a clinic,

but I got dismissed.

Then I tried my hand at being a coroner,

but I missed such an important detail.

Why didn't I notice

that fracture on his skull the first time?

I've wasted so much time.

Don't think that way.

This case is full of mysteries.

If it hadn't been for you,

we wouldn't have made any progress at all.

That's not true.

You've been a big help.

But I couldn't have done it without you.

Why not?

Because...

Because I'm easily frightened.

That's true.

What's wrong?

Where did those two go?

Well...

I'll have one.

Sir,

I don't want ice.

I'd like to buy some saltpeter that you use to make ice.

[Female Wrestling Ring, Songjiaqiao Business Center]

Ladies and gentlemen,

today, two female wrestlers face off for the championship.

He Sainiang, the Lady Hercules,

is up against Hei Sijie, the Whirlwind!

Nice!

Feel free

to place a small bet

to add some excitement to the match!

Come on!

Will He Sainiang's strength win the day,

or will Hei Sijie's skill claim the victory?

Let the match begin!

Young man.

Could you tell me who those two are up there?

The one in gray pants

is Hei Sijie,

and the one in blue pants...

Nice!

That's He Sainiang!

My friend told me

to bet on Hei Sijie.

Is it a good idea?

Who told you that?

Wu Xiang.

The eldest son of the Wu family, right?

He's a regular here.

That guy, well...

Nothing.

Never mind.

All right, listen.

He has

terrible luck.

He loses every time he bets.

I heard

he lost a lot of money

a couple of days ago.

In just one round,

he lost an entire house's worth of money.

He passed out on the spot.

Then I can't listen to him.

Exactly!

If you do, you'll lose everything you own.

- Don't listen to him. - Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

[Hei Sijie]

Excuse me, sir.

Could you tell me

when Hei Sijie competed?

Hei Sijie?

The second, eighth,

and eleventh days

of the third month.

And also...

- Sir. - The fifteenth day.

Could you take a look at this?

Did she compete on all these dates?

Yes,

she did.

Perfect.

Want to place a bet for the next round?

I'll wait for the next match.

Thank you.

Go, He Sainiang!

Go, Hei Sijie!

Nice!

If you needed something,

you could've just sent a servant to find me.

No need to come all this way yourself.

You look nervous.

I'm not.

Since you agreed to help me investigate the Hat Demon case,

I thought I'd come and see if you'd been slacking off.

And we can chat about the Wu family's case, too.

That case?

We're nowhere near solving it.

If I find anything, I'll let you know.

I don't think you're being honest.

Buyou, where are you heading next?

Why don't I join you?

I don't even know where I'm heading yet.

I haven't decided.

I'll go by myself.

You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself here, would you?

Let's go.

[Fashion in Song Dynasty]

[Song Dynastypedia]

[In the Song dynasty, men led the flower-wearing trend]

[Narrator: Xia Meng]

[Flower boys]
Did you know "flower boys"

were common in the Song dynasty?

Flower-wearing first appeared at official events

such as imperial parades, birthday celebrations,

and celebratory banquets.

It soon spread to the common people.

As seen in the scene where Buyou and Wen Yue stroll

through the business center,

flower-wearing had become

a part of everyday fashion.

In fact, in the Song dynasty,

men were the ones leading the flower-wearing trend.

Isn't that fascinating?

♪Had it not been for the auspicious sign, who would stir such resentment?♪

♪Granting both glory and ruin, riches and poverty alike♪

♪How could one defy the heavens beneath a conical hat?♪

♪Who would carry a satchel and make a wish?♪

♪As bonds shatter, the plot unfurls, and the dagger emerges♪

♪The chill pierces to the bone, suffering without cause♪

♪It cannot be severed, yet remains entangled♪

♪Not whole, nor complete♪

♪Looking up, the flowers bloom, but the moon wanes♪

♪The one I loved most has gone, never to return♪

♪Neither seen, nor scattered♪

♪If I linger between close and distant, I accept it willingly♪

♪Could it be you?♪

♪The one who once roused me, yet left things unresolved♪