01x24 - Episode 24

[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 24]

[With a steadfast heart comes fulfillment. Fulfillment keeps troubles out,]

[and peace follows. - Zhang Zai, Northern Song Dynasty]

Yue,

are you blaming me for being ruthless?

But everything I've painstakingly done

has been to clear the Su family's name

and to seek justice for our parents, who died unjustly.

Yue,

if you think I'm wrong,

k*ll me now.

Su Zheng,

if you truly are from the Su family,

if you really are my younger brother,

then I ask you to stop.

Beautiful umbrellas for sale!

Darling, this is the place.

Wen's Umbrella Shop.

[Wen's Umbrellas for Rain and Sun]
This one?

Why is it closed?

That's odd.

It should be open at this hour.

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]
Why don't we come back tomorrow?

Just...

Excuse me.

Are you shopping for umbrellas?

Yes.

- We'd like to place a large order. - That's right.

That's great.

Take a look at my umbrellas.

They're just

as good as hers.

I'll even give you a discount.

Listen,

Manager Wen

won't be back anytime soon.

If you place your order here,

you'll definitely face delays.

Manager Liu, watch your words.

All the regulars know she never delays orders.

She just closed early because she had to

take care of some family matters.

On the other hand, you seem

to be quite idle.

You've been out of business for a month, haven't you?

You...

Watch your tone.

You...!

She's back.

Just you wait!

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]
Go on. Take a look at her umbrellas.

All right.

Are you two quarreling again?

Let me remind you. Many women have their eyes

on your husband.

If you're not careful,

your perfect husband

might end up like these customers,

stolen by someone else.

Thanks.

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]

Freshly steamed bao!

Interrogate the Luan couple immediately.

Where's Inspector Gu?

- Where's Inspector Gu? - Judge Wan.

Boss,

Boss,

some men from the Ministry of Justice showed up with an insignia

and took the Luan couple away.

But they didn't take them to the Ministry of Justice.

Stupid wretch!

"The river grows cold

as sunlight fades from the tower"?

Did you sing

those unlucky lyrics to mock me?

You cheap servant!

Ziyin,

don't be upset.

This wretch must be punished

for angering you.

Now hurry,

apologize with a drink

and sing another song!

All right, calm down.

Put your hands down.

Apologize

with a drink? No way.

Lift your head.

Don't think I'll let you off

with just a simple toast.

Enough, Ziyin.

Give it to me.

Ziyin,

why let a wretch spoil your mood?

Here, sir.

Feeling better now?

If you'd been here any later,

even an ant would have dared

to humiliate me, let alone these servants.

Ziyin, are you holding a grudge against me?

When I was young,

I devoted myself entirely to officialdom

to restore the glory of the Zou family.

I wasn't able to spend much time with you.

So I thought

I should at least choose

a suitable husband for you

to make up for my failings as a father.

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]

Yue.

I was wrong.

Please don't be angry with me.

Were you really wrong?

You weren't.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to avenge our parents.

So, Yue, you're willing to join me in seeking revenge?

There are things in this world

that are far more important than revenge.

Mother!

Run!

Don't look back.

"Don't look back."

Those were Mother's

last words to me before she died.

I'm grateful to her

for giving me the strength to survive.

Right or wrong,

good or bad,

I've lived.

I've had a life.

Humble and ordinary

as it's been,

it's had many happy moments,

and that's enough.

But with Zou Mian still alive,

how can you truly be happy?

How can we just watch the man

who k*lled our parents walk free before our eyes

and do nothing?

How can we live with that?

Zheng,

I hope you can

find and live your own life.

What do you mean, Yue?

Live.

And live well.

Come to think of it, Father,

you've put me through so much.

Ziyin,

don't be upset.

Hui married into our family,

so even after I got married,

I was still able to stay by your side

and serve you as a dutiful daughter.

But you

had to get him a job

here in the East Capital,

leaving me separated from you all these years.

The East Capital is

where people from all over the world gather

and where envoys from various nations come to communicate.

I need someone

to stay here for me.

Who else could I trust

but my own family?

Besides,

with my son-in-law's talents,

wouldn't it have been a waste for him to stay in the South?

Thank you for your confidence in me, sir.

I'm sorry

for failing you and causing you trouble.

Hui is no fool.

His arrest

was a setup.

Indeed.

Father,

you got us straight out of prison.

Does that mean you've taken care of everything for us?

To get

the two of you out this time,

I used every connection I had.

This half-day reunion

didn't come easy.

Half-day reunion?

Does that mean we have to go back

at dawn tomorrow?

I'd rather die

than return to that filthy place!

Even if you wanted to go back,

Father wouldn't let you.

Right, Father?

Sir,

by dawn tomorrow,

I'll...

No,

I'll take Ziyin

back to the South right now.

We'll live in the countryside.

I promise you, sir,

not a word of this will be revealed to anyone.

We'll disappear from the world entirely.

Sir,

please save me.

What are you doing?

It seems your husband

still doesn't know you well enough.

You were born into wealth and privilege.

How could you possibly live in seclusion in the mountains?

Sir...

Hui?

Hui!

Hui!

Hui, what...?

Father,

Hui may have done wrong,

but he did it for the sake of our family.

He is my husband.

Father,

please spare his life.

He is your husband,

but he's also married into the Zou family!

The situation has spiraled out of control.

The people are outraged,

and the Emperor is furious.

Cutting off an arm to save the body

is the only way to preserve the Zou family.

I know everything

you two have done

in the East Capital

over the years.

Luan Hui brought about this disaster

by exploiting the Zou family's power

to satisfy his greed.

Out of familial affection,

I pulled some strings

to get him released,

allowing him to leave with a shred of dignity.

That's already the most I could do for him!

In critical moments,

sacrificing oneself for the greater good

is what true family does.

If I let him live,

the entire Zou family

would be dragged down with him.

Sir,

sir.

Ziyin,

save me.

Save me.

Hui,

I've been with you for years.

Of course, I don't want to lose you.

But for the sake of the Zou family,

even if it breaks my heart,

I have to respect Father's decision.

Don't worry.

I'll take care of your family.

You can go in peace.

Zou Ziyin,

you're so heartless!

You're such a venomous snake.

I knew

you never truly

cared for me.

You don't deserve my love for you all these years.

Zou Mian.

Zou Mian!

I, a man of dignity, married into your family.

Do you think

I didn't know why you chose me?

I swallowed my pride,

endured humiliation,

and worked like a sl*ve for you.

And this is how you repay me?

If I can't

live today,

you're dying with me!

Without my family's support,

you would've been nothing but a poor village tutor!

You'd never have had the chance to even set foot

in the East Capital.

And now you're trying to k*ll me?

What a joke!

Why am I...?

Get over yourself.

You're just an abandoned pawn, too.

Father,

Father!

Why?

Father,

I don't want to die.

[Imperial Edict]

Boss,

what do we do now?

Zou Mian, that old villain,

has come to the East Capital.

We can't let him escape.

I've waited for this day

for 15 years.

[Kaifeng Court]

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]

Why did you close the shop so early?

You're here.

This isn't like you,

Manager Wen.

It seems your luck's been pretty bad lately.

I know a fortune-teller.

Why don't I bring him over for a reading?

I'm not stopping because I think you've outdone me.

I just hate seeing you take out your frustration

on the umbrella.

What's going on?

Manager Fei,

I don't have friends here in the East Capital.

Come to think of it,

you seem to be the only person I can really

share my thoughts with.

I don't see you as a friend.

I see you as my rival.

Do you think my life is better than yours?

Now you're hurting my feelings.

That's not what I meant.

Well,

I admit I do envy you.

We've known each other for over a decade,

and I've spent just as long competing with you,

over the quality of our umbrellas,

the success of our shops,

and even the devotion of our men.

At first, I hated myself for it.

But eventually, I figured it out.

Life

is about living.

While we're alive,

we should make every day count.

Without you as my rival,

I wouldn't have had the motivation.

Then what if someone

tried to take away your good life?

What would you do?

I won't let anyone

take what's mine.

If someone tried to take it,

I'd make them regret it.

I'd grab a feather duster and chase them out.

That makes sense.

Anyway, what's been on your mind?

Lately,

I've been caught up in some troubles.

But your words

have helped me sort things out.

That's more like the Manager Wen I've been competing with all these years.

All right, I'm heading back to my shop.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Manager Yu from the tailor's shop

asked you to stop by tomorrow evening.

Too busy thinking about fortune-telling, huh?

Anyway, I'm leaving.

Goodbye, Fei.

Master,

my condolences.

I spoiled her too much,

letting her and her husband act recklessly,

They caused public outrage

and even

lost the ledger,

which led to this disaster.

They gave

those who covet my position the perfect excuse

to attack me.

I can't even protect myself now.

If I'd let them live,

I wouldn't be able to escape suspicion

when the investigation points to me.

With the Zou family's future uncertain,

perhaps death

was the easier way out for Ziyin.

Master,

I'm sure she'd understand

your intentions in the afterlife.

Transport Ziyin

and her husband back to prison tomorrow.

Make sure the record says they died of illness.

Also,

spread the word that I'm hosting a grand banquet tomorrow night

on this ship on the outskirts.

It will surely draw unwanted guests.

Meanwhile, we'll slip away unnoticed,

like a cicada shedding its shell.

My years in the Manufacturing Bureau have taught me

the Emperor's preferences.

If I can present that stone to him,

it will surely delight him,

and all will be well.

After that,

I'll deal with the traitors one by one

and use them to honor my Ziyin.

It's starting!

It's starting. Let's go listen.

They say a rare stone

has been discovered in a lake down south.

A rare stone?

This stone is said to have been forged by the heavens.

It shines as brightly as the sun and moon,

symbolizing the prosperity of the Great Song.

Amazing!

Wonderful!

The Astronomical Bureau

observes the stars at night

and concludes that if this stone

can be brought to the capital at an auspicious hour,

the Great Song will enjoy eternal prosperity.

Really?

On this day,

the Emperor's favored official, Mr. Zou,

is ordered to escort the stone by ship

to present it to His Majesty.

This Mr. Zou is none other

than Zou Mian.

His reputation precedes him.

Some say

he's been extorting the people's wealth and oppressing the common folk

under the guise of collecting rare treasures

for the Emperor.

Inspector Gu,

Mr. Zhao,

I'm truly sorry,

but I really didn't notice anyone

from the Ministry of Justice

passing by with the Luan couple.

That's all right.

You've already been a great help.

Finding clues in your painting

would've been a stroke of luck.

Not finding anything is perfectly normal.

Zhen,

let's come up with another plan.

I can help you.

Lady Wang.

How did you know we were here?

My father left the city last night.

Before he left

I overheard him discussing with some elders

about a secret meeting

with an esteemed guest on the river tonight.

An esteemed guest?

Zou Mian.

My father said they'd be going

to a wild forest

by the Bian River in the eastern suburbs.

Perhaps...

Lady Wang, thank you so much.

Inspector Gu

owes you

a big favor for this.

Right.

How are you ever going to repay her?

Wait, Buyou.

Buyou...

Found anything?

How do you plan to thank me?

- How do you plan to thank me? - Inspector Gu!

This is the place.

Here's to Mr. Zou.

Cheers!

Come on.

Let's have another drink to congratulate Mr. Zou!

This rare stone you found is truly something, Mr. Zou.

It's an auspicious sign.

It must be a heavenly blessing for Mr. Zou!

What a blessing for Mr. Zou!

You're sure to earn imperial favor!

What a heavenly blessing

for Mr. Zou!

- Yes. - It's all thanks to Mr. Zou.

Don't move.

Where are the others?

Please, spare me!

It's just

the two of us here.

Impossible.

I heard men's voices just now.

Thank you for your support, Mr. Zou.

Here's to you, Mr. Zou.

Madam,

we're shadow play and vocal performers.

Last night,

someone paid us

to come here and perform.

They told us to create the illusion that Mr. Zou was here.

It seems they were trying to lure someone in.

Catch the assassin!

Catch the assassin!

Hurry!

Follow them!

[Hats and Boots, Trustworthy Service]

[Shop for Sale]

Did you ask for me?

Wen Yue, you're here.

Are you planning to sell the shop?

I'm getting old.

I can't keep this up anymore.

Come warm yourself by the fire.

Come on.

Warm up.

There's no one in the cabin.

No one on the deck either.

The boat is empty.

That old fox Zou Mian played us.

Boss,

the Luan couple were our key witnesses.

What do we do now?

Without their testimony,

we can't link the ledger to Zou Mian.

Forget the evidence.

I'll take our men right now

to intercept him and finish him off!

Brothers!

Yes, sir!

Follow me!

Wan Fu, wait!

With so few men,

you won't stand a chance.

Zou Mian is heavily guarded.

If you go near him now,

it'll be a bloodbath.

None of you will come back alive!

I'm not afraid to die.

Are you?

No!

Gu Zhen,

say something.

Don't forget

what Kaifeng Court stands for.

It's a place where every grievance is addressed,

and every crime is investigated.

It's not a place for personal vendettas.

Zou Mian deserves to die,

but we should bring him to justice,

expose his crimes to the world,

and let the people of the East Capital see his true nature.

That's what we should be doing.

Brothers,

trust me. Don't go.

Inspector Gu,

please,

stop them.

Expose his crimes to the world

and bring him to justice?

Exactly.

I want that, too,

but I just can't.

Proceed.

Inspector Gu,

I've got an idea!

[Hats and Boots, Trustworthy Service]

You said you had something to tell me?

No rush.

You'll know soon enough.

It's been



I still remember the day

you and Buyou first met in my shop.

How did so many people die?

Who pushed me?

Something's happened by the river!

Everyone, gather up!

Make way!

Step aside!

[Hats and Boots, Trustworthy Service]
Office of Justice on a case!

Sir,

I need dry clothes.

Young man,

what happened to you?

I got pushed into the river while watching the commotion.

What a coincidence.

Just earlier, someone else came in soaked

and asked for dry clothes.

She said she got pushed into the river, too.

Sorry for troubling you.

Wen Yue,

I want to formally apologize to you on behalf

of Mo and Ban.

This is between the two of us.

What does it have to do with them?

Zhao Buyou,

I don't blame you

for keeping this from me.

I know

you were just trying to protect our family.

But at the same time,

I do hold it against you.

You didn't trust me.

You underestimated how much I valued

the Zhao family living in Sparrow Lane.

Even though I know the truth now,

I still feel the same way.

I still want us to stay together

as a family.

Let's go check on Ban.

Come with me to visit her.

Ban!

I've asked around.

The Luan couple

died in prison from an illness outbreak.

Died in prison from an illness outbreak?

The information is reliable.

I just heard about it.

How could they

suddenly die like that?

What did the coroner say after the examination?

Go ask again.

I can't get anything more out of them.

You know their mouths

are sealed.

So Zou Mian wasn't trying to save them.

He got them out to k*ll them.

He'd even k*ll his own daughter and son-in-law.

How ruthless.

I'll get the door.

Bu...

Mr. Zhao.

Wen Yue and I were nearby,

so we thought we'd stop by to check on you. Busy?

Ban,

have you not been eating properly?

Look at you. You've lost weight.

Right? I noticed it, too.

Ban,

come home.

You know how good my cooking is.

I... I forgot something outside.

Let them talk.

Please take good care of her

while she's staying here.

I will, Buyou.

Ban,

look at me.

I can't face you.

Listen,

the grudges of the previous generation

are not yours to bear.

I'm sorry.

You've done nothing wrong.

Why are you apologizing to me?

Wen Yue.

Do you really still see me as family?

What are you talking about?

You were just this tall

when I started living with you.

Didn't I watch you grow up?

Of course, I see you as family.

What about Mo?

Mo did nothing wrong either.

And Buyou?

Do you still blame him for hiding the truth from you?

Of course, I understand

why he did what he did.

He just wanted to protect

the family we have now.

I don't blame him.

And neither should you.

Do you hear me?

The ones who committed those evil deeds are the ones to blame.

This will all pass.

When it's over,

we'll go back to how things used to be,

and we'll never be apart.

Wen Yue,

there's something I've always wanted to tell you.

Go on.

I used to

envy others for having a mother.

But ever since you became part of our family,

I've never envied anyone again.

[Wen's Umbrella Shop]

Slow down.

No need to come out and greet me.

It's fine.

Wen Yue,

I...

I don't deserve to call her that anymore.

Lady Wen,

I copied some valuable clues from old case files in the archives.

They might help...

No, not "help."

Sir,

another pot of wine.

Sir?

Zheng?

I'm sorry.

I...

Be careful.

Let's sit down and talk.

Are you okay?

Why did you drink so much?

Why are you here, too?

I lived near Taihu Lake when I was little.

Whenever I miss home,

I'll come here,

order Taihu Lake White Fish,

and have a couple of drinks alone.

I was going to give this to Wen...

I mean,

I was going to give this

to your sister.

Zheng,

you take it.

You must've spent a long time

going through the case files.

Zheng,

I owe you an apology.

Ban and I both do.

You don't need to apologize.

The dead can't come back to life.

Your apology

won't bring my parents back.

Besides,

aren't you and I

both victims here?

Wasn't your family also destroyed by Zou Mian?

I'm sorry your efforts were wasted.

I wanted to gather more evidence,

but Zou Mian erased

every trace over the years.

I've failed to atone for my father's sins,

and I don't dare to avenge my family either.

What kind of man am I?

Too bad

we're just scholars.

We know who's behind it all and where to find him,

but we're powerless to do anything.

It's too late.

The law can't touch him anymore.

No,

it's not too late.

Now is the perfect time.

"Better to die with a voice

than to live in silence."

"Better to die with a voice

than to live in silence."

Zheng, you've read this article

by the Duke of Wenzheng, too?

Qiyu said that to me

back at the welfare center.

"If we're not at the table,

we're on the menu."

That's just how things work.

Even the law

is written by those in power.

I grieve for Qiyu,

but I also admire his courage.

"When an ordinary man is enraged,

his fury can spill blood far and wide."

He truly died with a voice.

Mo,

you must also wish for a world

with fewer

unfortunate souls

like us,

my sister,

Bo, and Qiyu.

I do.

Of course, I do.

I knew it.

Just like Qiyu, you're someone

who cares deeply for the greater good.

Actually, we still have a chance.

We just need to...

A chance?

What chance?

[Fashion in Song Dynasty]

[Song Dynastypedia]

[Flavors of the Song Dynasty, Narrator: Xia Meng]

In the drama, there's a scene where the Zhao family reunites

and everyone makes a dish.

It's probably left many viewers drooling!

In fact,

many of the delicacies and snacks we enjoy today

originated, were invented, or became popular during the Song dynasty.

However,

the names of some dishes were different back then.

For example, in the Hat Demon case,

the "Mantou Beauty"
[*mantou: steamed buns without fillings]

actually makes

what we now call "bao."
[*bao: steamed buns with fillings]

[Mantou in Song dynasty]

[Bao in modern times]

As for the "guduo" my character eats while waiting

for Mo outside the Office of Justice,

it is what we know today as wontons.

[Guduo in Song dynasty]

[Wontons in modern times]

Moreover,

the four iconic Chinese cooking methods,

pan-frying, stir-frying,

boiling, and deep-frying,

all became widely used during the Song dynasty.

How about that?

Don't these fun facts

make the food culture of the Song dynasty

even more fascinating?

♪Rowing across the river with a load of fish♪

♪Paddling the oars while singing a song♪

♪Guests travel with lanterns under moonlight♪

♪In the corridor, joy fills the table♪

♪Come and enjoy the cool under the canopy♪

♪My new hometown brings peace to my heart♪

♪I love the city hustle and bustle, and the grass in mountains♪

♪Walking down roads, strolling along alleys♪

♪Look, the swallows glide with a beakful of spring mud♪

♪With hope, they gently take off and fly away♪

♪Guests come from far and wide♪

♪A bowl of wine, a mouthful of ambition♪

♪Eyebrows unfurl, for prosperity awaits ahead♪

♪Singing loud happily, you get to pick the broad road you want♪

♪Under the immense sky, dusts dance with the wind♪

♪Your root is where your original aspirations lie♪

♪A thousand households are brightly lit♪

♪Bursting into song, they set off for another journey♪

♪For youngsters, their ambition is burning bright♪

♪Just seize the opportunities and make adventures♪

♪For youngsters, their ambition is burning bright♪

♪Just seize the opportunities and make adventures♪