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 15]
[It's normal when things go wrong.]
[Don't take any chances and take shortcuts to defy your fate.]
[Zhang Zai from Song Dynasty]
Mo.
Where's Qiyu?
He promised to tell us stories.
Yeah.
Why hasn't he come here yet?
When will he arrive?
Everyone.
Stop bothering Mo.
Chef Shen has made sweet candies.
Go now before there aren't any left.
I want some!
Sweet candies!
Be careful!
- Sweet candies. - I want some.
Mr. He.
Thank you.
Mo.
Why are you here?
I guessed you were here, so I came
to see if you were alright.
Mo. Who's this young lady?
This is Wen Yue.
This is Mr. He from Taoyuan Welfare Center.
Excuse me, but I have to check those kids.
Wen Yue.
You and Buyou don't need to worry about me.
I'll get myself together quickly.
I came here
not to discuss the case.
I just want
to show my support.
Thanks.
The kids said
I only taught them boating skills
and I knew nothing about poem composition.
They were right.
I can't compose poems
as good as that of Qiyu.
[Poems by Bumosheng]
Fan Zhongyan the Chief Minister once said,
"I would rather die speaking truth
rather than live keeping silent."
I'm going to publish a poem collection
to motivate and rally
like-minded scholars.
Boss.
Something is not right
about Song Qiyu's body.
Here.
Director Gu.
Buyou.
The deadly wound was a throat cut.
The victim's face was peeled off after death.
He died in the same way as Kong Er.
Moreover,
the deceased's belly is swollen
because he had been disemboweled.
The belly was stuffed
and sewed back together.
Open it.
Books!
Nothing but books.
The Book of Songs.
There is more.
Take them out.
This is
Book of History.
The Book of Rites.
Five Classics.
We found a Tao Te Ching at the criminal scene.
Now we've found Five Classics in his belly.
The criminal wants to send a message.
Besides sending a message,
the criminal wants to release anger.
The guy is escalating or what?
The m*rder*r
cut his throat,
peeled off his face,
and disembowel him.
This is not anger releasing. This is corpse insulting.
Kong Er and Song Qiyu
were both test takers.
Why did the m*rder*r only
insult Song's body?
Besides anger releasing,
what messages does the m*rder*r want to convey?
Apparently,
this is a two-man job.
One k*lled the victim.
The other insulted the victim.
Why so many books were put into his belly?
Song Qiyu would take
the civil service examination this year.
Does the clue mean
that he was full
of talent and knowledge?
Why did the m*rder*r cut his face
and cover Tao Te Ching
on his face?
It may imply
he had no morals.
Books in his belly
mean he was full of knowledge.
Tao Te Ching on his face
means he had no morals.
Your conclusion
sounds somehow far-fetched.
I feel Song Qiyu
is hiding something from us.
Your brother
and he are best friends.
He is
the first witness to the crime yesterday.
You could talk to him.
My brother
is not a social person.
He is reluctant to tell me more.
However,
my wife
may have heart-to-heart with him.
Did Wen Yue tell you
if he confessed to her anything?
I have no idea.
Maybe.
What's wrong between you and Wen Yue?
Nothing.
You guys fought with each other?
Yeah.
Are you going
through divorce?
Of course not.
But it is true
that there is tension between us.
I'll figure it out.
How?
In my own way.
[Wen's Umbrella Shop]
How do you know it is me?
I would have been m*rder*d
if I didn't keep alert.
Don't worry.
Director Gu will protect us.
What do you want?
Nothing.
Go home then.
What are you doing?
How dare you!
Are you drunk?
It seems you drunk a lot!
Gu's words have the ring of truth.
You
are like a horse,
dashing
through the wind
fearless and invincible.
But I...
I am
just a groundhog,
hiding
in the hole,
who only sets mind on how to gather enough
to survive the winter.
Fifteen years ago,
we got married.
Over the saddle.
Over the grass.
Over the gold scale.
You've led a life of poverty
over these 15 years.
What's your point?
I understand
that you want to divorce me
and be who you are.
But you have to think twice.
Mo is
implicated in the case.
As you know,
my brother
treats you as his biological sister
since childhood.
He never hides secrets from you.
You will not
leave him behind,
right?
Listen. Wen Yue.
To be honest,
I
won't walk away from our relationship
over the past 15 years.
Do you believe me?
I
don't allow you to leave me.
Could you shut up, please?
You've made us a laughing stock to our neighbors.
I don't allow you to leave me.
Just take a rest here.
Sit.
Sit.
Darling.
There is more than one
groundhog in the hole.
What does groundhog look like anyway?
Take care of dry goods.
Watch out for fire accidents.
Take care of dry goods.
Watch out for fire accidents.
No way!
Song...
Don't forget
what I have taught you.
No matter how hard you work,
you have to bend kneels in front of money and power.
I was a surrogate test taker.
I was threatened by someone.
I suffocated my ambition
by placing the name of others on my paper.
Mo.
Why do you get up so early?
It's three o'clock in the morning.
Have you stayed up all night?
Get some sleep.
Good night.
Where are you going?
[Wen's Umbrella Shop]
Darling. Why are you up so early?
What happened?
You look unhappy.
I know.
There is a lot going on recently.
It's too much for you.
I fought with you
only to
distance you guys from the m*rder case.
I felt so sad after fighting with you with those words.
I know
you did this
to protect the family.
Zhao Buyou.
I am scared. Really.
Twenty years ago,
my family died in front of me.
My real name is Su Yue.
My dad was an engineer at Taihu Boatyard.
Run!
Run!
Zheng.
Zheng!
Run!
Don't come back.
Later, the Court issued a notice
saying they had arrested
and k*lled the m*rder*r, who were bandits.
You've known what happened to me later.
I was homeless
and wandered around,
ending up as a pirate.
I'm fine.
My tears have dried up
over the years.
My only concern is to protect the family.
I hope the five of us
could lead a peaceful life.
Do you
have good news for me?
You went home?
You two are back to normal?
It' privacy.
Unspeakable.
Good.
I'm happy
to know that you are back together.
I've pulled the documents
about those deadly fugitives.
I've found a guy that fits the description.
This man
hurt people with a super thin blade.
He was imprisoned once.
According to the file,
he has an eccentric character.
What's his name?
Shan Shiliu.
He is from Qian Prefecture.
His parents died when he was a child.
He had been bullied for years.
After he grew up,
he hurt people multiple times
because of his extreme personality.
On the way to banish him to Ya Prefecture,
he escaped.
Escaped?
No one knows his whereabouts.
He just vanished.
You are saying
Shan Shiliu
is probably the m*rder*r.
Much likely.
Boss.
Boss.
The Academy...
What's happened?
Someone was m*rder*d in the Academy.
What do we have?
Buyou.
Your brother is the main suspect.
m*rder!
m*rder!
[Academy]
Help!
Help! Call the Court!
Call the Court!
You mean Zhao Mo?
Yes.
- Director. No Way! - Calm down.
Zhao.
Calm down.
Wan Fu.
Go to the umbrella shop and notify Wen Yue.
Copy that.
- Gu. - Stay calm.
Impossible.
- My brother... - Come with me.
Let's go to the Academy.
Sure.
Sure.
Let's go.
Someone was k*lled.
What do those words mean?
Stay put.
Don't even try.
You cannot get away with this.
Excuse me.
Don't even try.
Who called the Court?
Sir.
It's him.
He is the m*rder*r.
When I opened
the door in the morning,
I saw him
tampering with Supervisor Zhang's body
and keeping him
in a position of kneeling down.
If he were not the m*rder*r,
who would
tamper with a dead body?
Look at him.
Blood is all over his clothes.
Blood must have been stained on his clothes when he was k*lling.
Enough.
We will decide if he is guilty
after investigation.
Officers?
Sir.
Bring him to the Court.
Yes, sir.
Mo.
Mo.
If you say something
- irresponsible... - Mo.
- we will arrest you, too. - I'm Buyou.
It's okay.
- Tell me. - Ghost Examiner!
- What happened? - It's the Ghost Examiner!
No way!
It's the Ghost Examiner!
Ghost Examiner!
Ghost Examiner!
It's the Ghost Examiner!
It's the Ghost Examiner!
Why won't they allow us inside?
Don't go there.
Since Mo is related to two cases,
Director Gu has to follow the protocol.
Don't make it too hard for him.
Why not do something about it?
Zhao Mo.
So, tell me.
What happened?
I...
I knew
that
Song Qiyu
took an exam for others under coercion.
Did he?
Why didn't you report to us earlier?
I was recalling something yesterday.
On the date of examination,
they actually
fought over the issue.
No way!
Song...
He became so emotional
because they were putting pressure on him.
But Song agreed their offer later
out of no reason.
Song's attitude changed.
I want to
consult Supervisor Zhang about something.
Are government officials
all righteous and incorruptible?
They won't engage in corruption
and twist the truth?
Song Qiyu
changed his attitude towards Supervisor Zhang for a reason.
I wanted to confront Supervisor Zhang.
When I arrived at the Academy,
I saw him
kneeling like that.
I remembered the wound
on the body of Song.
I wanted to compare it with Zhang Mei's wound.
Later,
the witness appeared.
Kong Er,
who died earlier,
was also a surrogate exam-taker
according to Song.
After Song was m*rder*d,
I believe
these cases are connected
by surrogate test takers.
Why didn't you
report what you know to us?
It happened all the time.
You did nothing about it.
What's the point of reporting it to you?
We did nothing
because we didn't get the clue.
Fine.
What about the mule man
who was beat to death in Taohuadong Brothel?
I reported the case to you.
You still did nothing.
Zhao Mo.
I'm so hurt
about your accusation.
I arrested those people.
You saw it. Right?
Have I made the arrest?
Definitely.
You told us
that they beat the man to death.
- But it's... - That's because they bribed the witnesses.
Why didn't you investigate?
Sit!
You did nothing!
Nothing!
Sit!
You did nothing!
Sit! Understand?
Stop!
Darling!
It was because you did nothing!
- Sorry. - Zhao Buyou.
You are completely useless.
Are you alright, Mo?
Wen Yue.
I've told them the truth.
But they did nothing.
It's them to blame.
Watch your words!
Mo.
Calm down.
Director Gu.
If there were surrogate exam-takers before,
is it possible that
these students have been k*lled?
Director Gu.
There is a lot of crimes going on
even in East Capital.
No all missing persons
or unknown bodies
would be reported to Kaifeng Court.
Send you man to gather information from tomb raiders
or body traffickers.
Maybe you would have some clues.
Well,
I will review all case files
about missing test takers over the decade.
Ok.
I will pull the name list of test takers from Ministry of Rites.
Wen Yue.
Mo.
I'll prove your innocence.
Wait for me.
Heard?
Mrs. Wen.
You said who may provide
useful tips?
Tomb raiders
or body traffickers.
Let's go. Mo.
Wait.
I...
still want...
Take care.
Excuse me. Move!
Mo.
Don't discard the clothes
you take off later.
Let's go home and have a rest.
Buyou will find the truth for us.
No need to worry.
Take it easy.
Wen Yue.
Why did Buyou and you
approach
Song Qiyu that day?
Suspect of the Mei's Boat case was k*lled.
Buyou, Director Gu and I
decided to find the m*rder*r.
Buyou and I were following the target all the way
to the back alley of Great Shop of Mules and Horses.
Then we lost the target.
I saw Song
entering a courtyard over there.
Wen Yue.
Where did you see him?
Back alley of Great Shop of Mules and Horses.
What's wrong, Mo?
Nothing.
I have to go somewhere.
- Wen Yue. Go home now. - Look.
No.
You just witnessed a m*rder case.
I'm so worried
about your situation.
Come on. Wen Yue.
Fine.
I would follow you from distance,
okay?
Okay.
Go.
[Great Shop of Mules and Horses]
Look at this horse.
It is ready for cargo or riding.
Have a look.
Come on.
See for yourself.
You cannot miss this one.
Come on.
Stop eating
if you are full.
Everyone.
Don't miss it.
It's best of the best.
More discount, please.
Sir.
Sir.
Do you know someone
called Song Qiyu?
No.
You can ask around there.
Sir.
This is strong mule.
No discount?
Sir.
Do you know someone
called Song Qiyu?
No.
Buddha.
I've been following laws
and doing good deeds my entire life.
Please protect me
from Ghost Examiner.
Ding. I send you some paper money.
Who is this?
Sir.
Do you know someone
who is of a similar age to me?
His surname is Song,
and he is a scholar.
I haven't seen any scholars.
I don't know. Leave now.
Out!
- Sir. - Get out!
Out!
Calm down, sir.
He is my brother.
I'm so sorry
if he is bothering you
and causing you any inconvenience.
There is a lot going on recently
in East Capital.
There is a serial k*ller at large.
I know nothing about this.
Sir.
My husband is invited
by the Zuojun Director of Kaifeng Court
to help investigate the case.
If you know something
and tell us,
I promise the Court
will protect you.
Come in.
Sir.
Did Song
come here often?
Yes.
Song used
to visit Ding from time to time.
Ding is an honest
and quiet man.
But
he is unlucky.
He hurt his leg
when he was working here.
Fortunately,
he is good at driving mules.
Despite his injury,
he worked very hard.
So he can earn some money
each month.
Song
visited him regularly,
offering him some allowance.
Ding was doing quite well,
indeed.
If so,
he didn't have to lie to you.
This is no
dirty secret.
Sir.
Why were you kicking me out
as soon as you heard his name?
As you know,
all neighbors know that
Song was m*rder*d.
But the suspect
is still at large.
I don't want to get involved.
One more thing.
Ding never told anyone
that they know each other.
He kept it as a secret.
Why are you so hospitable?
You guys are friends?
No. I meet him
for the first time.
Why did he
hide the truth?
I've heard that Ding
was a servant of Song's family.
But he was kicked out
because of some wrongdoing.
It's their privacy.
I don't want pry into their secret.
But both of them died on the same day.
If Ding
did not went to the Brothel,
he would
have survived.
He was gone all of a sudden.
What a poor guy!
Sir.
When did Ding come to East Capital?
When did Song start to visit him?
He came here at beginning of the year.
Ding was single.
Song visited him
after he hurt his leg.
But Song always came here at night.
Anyway,
Ding knew Song as a child.
It's apparent
that they have a
father-son relationship.
Chen.
Time for work.
Copy that.
Please stay.
I'll come back later.
Mo.
Wen Yue.
I'm trying to figure out something.
I have to.
I want to go home.
Let's go.
Mo.
Supervisor Zhang died of a throat cut.
Blood from the throat
would cause suffocation.
So those words in blood
were no way written by him.
He probably died around 5 am to 7 am.
It was daybreak.
When you were going outside,
the m*rder*r
probably just left.
Are you sure you did not see anything?
[Song]
[Song]
Sorry.
It's my bad.
Don't worry.
Buyou will find the truth
and bring the criminal to justice.
One more thing.
We should notify his family
to come to the Capital.
His family?
Song deserves a decent
funeral in his hometown,
right?
If you are reluctant to do this,
we can ask his neighbors to bring a letter to his family.
[Kaifeng Court]
Judge Wan.
Our boss
has been recording the name list of missing students
since yesterday.
Where are you going?
We're looking for
Director Gu, aren't we?
Over there.
Gu.
Were you staying up all night?
I used some connections
to find this at Ministry of Rites.
The test takers over the past years.
Here is the list.
I've pulled a list
of missing test takers
over the decade.
- Test takers who were absent from the exam
on both lists
are a perfect match.
Are you sure?
Boss.
Let me have a try.
Bai Prefecture, Nanlu, Guangxi.
Student Li Tong, missing the exam.
[Bai Prefecture, Nanlu, Guangxi. Li Tong]
Kuizhoulu
Kai Prefecture. Student Sun Jingshu, missing the exam.
Xiangyangfu,
Jun Prefecture, Student Yu Jiu, missing the exam.
Enough.
Impressive!
These guys
are still missing now, right?
If they are missing,
it means we don't know their whereabouts.
Is it possible that these missing persons
are all dead?
Boss.
I've interviewed some body traffickers.
They told me
that they saw some unknown bodies over the decade.
Young male.
All of them
died after the examination
held every three years.
Those victims
died from a throat cut
with faces missing.
[Throat cut]
This is the list
issued by the Ministry of Rites.
Test takers who passed the examination.
I've found something
quite interesting.
Among those passing test takers,
there are definitely two or three
members from the local
powerful clan.
The Zou Family.
This guy.
This guy and that guy.
I know them.
This is
a complete loser,
who is drunk all day long.
His literary talent is even worse than me.
And this one.
Zou Canxing.
[Zou Canxing]
This is a prodigal
who even held a banquet to celebrate his passing.
This one.
Zou Zhirui.
We are
friends.
I am a regular
to Baihua Pavilion.
I'm a client of Qiuyue.
Stop!
Move!
Move!
We've paid you a lot
to find our young master Zou Yongjin.
You won't even allow me see Director Gu?
This is...
Shut up!
Director Gu
was working overnight.
Your case is not a big deal.
I'll let you know as soon as I have something.
Any test takers
from the Zou family this year?
Two.
One is Zhou Yeqing.
The other is
Zou Yongjin.
Zou Yongjin passed the exam
yet he went missing.
The previous missing persons
just vanished
or were abandoned in the wild.
But Song Qiyu
died at home.
It seems that
the k*ller wants to inform us.
Someone pulled
your case file.
They've known everything about you.
Did you k*ll Song Qiyu?
Kong Er's body
was exposed too early.
They've found something.
Fake it and escape.
What a good strategy.
Sorry.
I don't understand.
You don't need to understand.
Listen to me.
k*ll all the rats
who manage to escape this year.
Then you may go south
and meet your master.
You've been longing to see your master, right?
Home!
Home!
Home!
Quickly! Both of you.
Yao He.
Yao He.
You are
useless.
See?
Yao He has a sharper nose than any of us.
If he vomits like this,
it means the body is extremely stinky.
It's not the odor of corruption.
Instead, it smells acid.
The victim was an alcoholic.
It is normal for
men to drink a lot.
But Song Qiyu never drinks.
Zhuang Qiang, the guard of the Zou family, told me
that Zou Yongjin loves neither poems nor martial arts.
Zou is obsessed with drinking.
He drinks every day.
Something is wrong.
This body look like Song Qiyu.
But his flesh is much more delicate.
It can't be him.
There is no sign of hard work
on his palms.
No sign of pen holding neither.
This man is supposed to be a prodigal
when he was alive.
Sir.
Any characteristics
on Zou's body?
Zhuang Qiang told me he leads a luxurious life.
He travels by carriage
and is escorted by servants wherever he goes.
There.
When he was young,
he broke his ribs
from riding a horse.
But it happened a long time ago.
Are you able to detect that?
Probably.
Support this.
Xyster.
There.
I've found a fine crack on his ribs.
He might break ribs when he was a kid.
So this man
is not Song Qiyu.
He is actually...
Are you sure?
Calm down!
Boss.
Buyou.
The victim is Zou Yongjin.
Song Qiyu is still alive.
If the victim is Zou Yongjin,
who is the m*rder*r?
[Fashion in Song Dynasty]
[Song Dynastypedia]
[Various cosmetic products appeared in Song Dynasty.]
[Narrator: Bai Baihe]
Girls, attention!
New arrivals at cosmetic shops in Song Dynasty.
As the economy kept booming,
[Pomegranate]
various cosmetic products appeared on the market.
[Holy Palace]
In the drama, we could see
many cosmetic products in Kang Qian's house.
The makeup wore by Zhang Qiniang
[Pearl Flower Pattern]
is the classic Song Pearl Flower Pattern.
Pearls became a fashion in Song Dynasty.
People used pearls to decorate their clothes and hairpins.
Song Dynasty is remembered for its classy fashion taste.
♪A small field behind the mountains is all I ever wanted♪
♪It's hibernate time after harvest♪
♪Sipping spring under the bright moon♪
♪Sleeping in the clouds and enjoying relaxation♪
♪Family comes first before everything♪
♪Leave fame and glory aside♪
♪Life is too short♪
♪It's impossible to have everything you want♪
♪A small field behind the mountains is all I ever wanted♪
♪It's hibernate time after harvest♪
♪Sipping spring under the bright moon♪
♪Sleeping in the clouds and enjoying relaxation♪
♪Family comes first before everything♪
♪Leave fame and glory aside♪
♪Life is too short♪
♪It's impossible to have everything you want♪
♪Conflicts always pass♪
♪Don't mind all the hustle and bustle♪
♪A peaceful life for a common person♪
♪Cooking smoke arises from behind the mountains♪
♪Conflicts always pass♪
♪Don't mind all the hustle and bustle♪
♪A peaceful life for a common person♪
♪It's always sunny on the banks of the river♪