Kneel down.
Kowtow to your father.
How miserable it is!
The story of your family is even
more miserable than Snow in Midsummer.
Ah?
The local tyrant colluded with local government
to murder others and usurped properties flagrantly.
Hey,
it can’t be delayed anymore to
rectify officials’ moral and performance.
Your Majesty,
behind the wicked official, there must be a wicked person.
Otherwise, he dares not to do evil flagrantly.
Well,
I’m aware of that.
Later,
take the wicked person here.
I’ll interrogate him in person.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Hold on.
I must make it clear.
In the restaurant,
you said that you would sue me.
Does it have anything to do with me?
The wicked person is…
Tell me where you
are from.
Changdu County of Taiyuan Prefecture.
Your Majesty,
the wicked person is your nephew
Wang Qing.
So, no government dares to hear her case.
Liu Bowen,
you have been
beating around the bush.
Finally, this is what you want to tell me.
Teacher.
Um.
Look!
What do you mean?
People say that
it’s made in Ruzhou Kiln in the Song Dynasty.
It’s quite rare and precocious.
I know little about that.
Please review.
Put it here. Put it here.
Is it made in Ruzhou Kiln?
It has ears.
It can’t be made in Ruzhou Kiln.
You are too ignorant.
Can I appreciate such a ware?
Absolutely not.
Take it back.
Don’t deceive others.
Break it after you get home.
You are a real expert.
I admire you so much.
All right.
Don’t give me gifts any longer.
Others will whisper about it if they know.
Friends agree best at a distance.
Yes.
I’m enlightened.
But that person said that
he had a porcelain vase
made in a big
official kiln.
I’ve told him already…
No,
you can take it to me and I’ll take a look.
I’ll review it.
Yes.
The big official kiln
is the royal kiln in the North Song Dynasty,
It’s quite famous
and comparable to Ruzhou Kiln.
Lord, someone requests to visit you.
Disappointing.
Did I tell you that?
I’ll seriously ill
and refuse all visiting guests.
Yes, I said so.
But he said he must visit you.
Who?
Who’s so rampant?
It’s not up to him to visit Prime Minister Li.
He said that he came from Changdu County.
You disappointed us.
Hush!
Where is the person from exactly?
Princess Royal’s Mansion in Taiyuan.
Oops,
I’m dodging this issue.
Let him in.
Get in please.
Yes.
Uncle Li,
Uncle Li, Uncle Li, help me.
Uncle Li,
Uncle Li, help me.
Tell me.
What should I do now?
Your Majesty,
in my opinion,
you should stall for time
and don’t mention this issue
any longer.
Will Liu Bowen agree?
He is smart and
will know your intention.
So, he is aware of
how far to go and when to stop.
Alas, my disappointing nephew.
You Majesty,
no matter how disappointing he is,
he is your nephew.
People of our generation suffer a lot.
Who do we fight hard for?
Well,
we strive for
a good life for our children.
Yes.
Hey, bullshit!
I fight for
all the common people,
the unification of the country,
and the inheritance of ancestors.
Li Shanchang, don’t be so narrowminded.
As the saying goes,
a sparrow cannot understand the ambition of a swan.
Your Majesty’s is much more
broad-minded than me.
Well, as you know,
I’m just a layman.
All my accomplishment
owes to Your Majesty’s blessing.
I’m perfectly contented
and have no inordinate ambition.
Your Majesty.
Humph!
You’re gabbing on your contentment again.
What else can I do for you, Your Majesty?
Nothing.
Back off.
Your Majesty,
that’s our own child
and we shouldn’t be teased by others.
Cut the crap.
See you. See you.
Magistrate, magistrate?
Lord Wang has gone to the capital
for almost one month, right?
Almost.
Have you received any letter from him?
Well…
Have you heard of anything?
Magistrate,
some people are for us
and others are against us.
Alas,
if I took Lord Wang’s advice
to exile
that unruly woman to
a desolate area,
the trouble won’t occur.
Alas,
I shouldn’t be merciful at all.
Magistrate, it’s so strange.
What a coincidence!
She went to the capital
and met His Majesty.
Is it easy to meet His Majesty?
Moreover,
she also met Liu Bowen.
Luckily, we have Lord Wang.
Even if the sky collapses,
Lord Wang will bear it for us.
So, please don’t worry.
I’m afraid that he may hide away
and pass the buck to me.
Yes, maybe.
Report!
Magistrate,
here is Lord Wang’s letter from the capital.
Lord Liu.
Pass on my request right now.
I want to visit His Majesty.
His Majesty is ill and won’t handle any official affair today.
Please go back, Lord Liu.
Li Shanchang is hiding from me,
and so is His Majesty.
They both won’t meet me with the excuse of illness.
Brother.
Little girl.
We are leaving.
Ah? Where are you going?
Lady,
oops, lady,
listen to me.
Don’t rush to leave. Listen to me.
Before you leave,
wait for Lord Liu to come back.
Please say thanks to Lord Liu
for his kind treatment recently.
I won’t wait for him to come back.
Won’t you take revenge
and redress your injustice?
It seems that I can count on nobody.
Won’t you count on
our lord, either?
I appreciate for
his kindness.
But this case has something to do with His Majesty,
Lord Liu has no way to help me although he wants.
Absolutely!
Recently, our lord
has been greatly concerned about this case.
Don’t mention that.
Why are you dragging me?
You are quite young.
Daughter, come here. Let’s go.
Mother, will you sell me again?
It’s illegal to sell her.
Well,
I’d like to adopt your daughter.
But your own life counts on others.
Daughter, come here.
Come here.
Come.
Thank you for your kindness.
Please tell Lord Liu
not to try hard for me.
If you leave,
you’ll make me
feel everlasting compunctious.
Did you post your letter?
Yes, I did.
Fine.
What should I do?
Calm down. Just wait and see.
Thank you so much, Uncle Li.
Well, you’d better learn a lesson.
Don’t make trouble
any longer.
If you want something,
just tell me.
Uncle Li,
you treat me even better than my parents.
Don’t say that. Don’t say that.
His Majesty will be unhappy if he hears that.
You are my uncle.
You are not a little kid,
but acts like a naughty kid.
What’s wrong with your lips?
I didn’t notice a broken bowl
and was hurt
by it carelessly.
Be careful.
Wow,
look at the painting!
It’s amazing.
Snake’s head, turtle’s shell,
eagle’s beak, chicken’s claw.
blessing crown,
nine tails and eighteen wings.
I’m sure it’s a phoenix painting form our hometown.
As for phoenix painting,
Zhang Qing was the top painter.
After he passed away,
his apprentice Wang Laoquan is the existing best painter.
Tell me.
Who painted it?
Coincidently,
it was painted by Wang Laoquan.
Um.
Did anyone come from our hometown?
No.
No?
I told someone to buy it.
Really?
The jar taken away just now
stores the sesame oil, right?
When I came in,
I smelt the fragrance of sesame oil.
Tell me. Who came?
Nobody.
Although you don’t tell me, I have the answer.
Who?
Wang Qing.
Are the askew characters
written by Wang Qing?
Well,
the characters aren’t written by him.
So, by whom?
Me.
Bad man,
you’ve gone far away
and leave me alone.
I’m so lonely.
On a fine day,
I get dressed niftily
and wear a formfitting cap.
Then I leave home
to visit my lover.
I miss her lovely face.
Singing a romantic song,
I think of the intimacy with him.
Upon seeing her door…
Upon seeing her door…
I feel my door beating quickly.
I wondered who dared to
break into a willow’s home.
Well, surprisingly, you used to be a hooker.
If you didn’t sing this song,
I wouldn’t know your origin.
Your husband was cuckolded.
I have been rectified my deeds.
I’m a chaste woman.
Don’t make fun of me, lord.
I dare not.
Have some tea, please.
No, thank you. Let’s drink this.
Lord Wang asked someone
to give it to you from the capital.
It’s an imperial wine
That heartless man
is still concerned about me.
More than that.
In his letter,
he said he missed you day and night.
Why doesn’t he come back?
He said he need to
deal with some affairs in the capital
and would come back after he settled them.
Did he fall in love with
other women?
Of course not!
He even didn’t give me
the rare wine.
He only gave it to you.
Now that you have never tasted it,
I’ll cook some dishes
and let’s drink together.
That’s not proper.
See you.
You enjoy it alone.
Well,
what are you saying?
just now,
you sang a roguish song and got in.
After a moment,
did you turn to be a pedant?
Go! Go!
I won’t keep you.
Bye for now.
Go.
I won’t keep you.
Bah!
Just go. Get away.
This world won’t keep you, either.
Bah!
This case involves three lives.
Lord Wang, don’t disappoint me.
Well,
among the offspring our relatives,
you treat Wang Qing best.
That’s my way to repay
my poor elder sister.
My family was indigent when I was wrong.
My parents were busy with how to support us.
Among my siblings,
my elder sister treated me best,
even
like my mother.
If she had something delicious,
she always gave it to me,
but she never tasted it.
It’s a pity
that elder sister didn’t enjoy a good life with you.
I had Wang Qing made another trouble
in our hometown.
You said he didn’t come.
But how did you know that?
I heard about that.
Who told you?
Li Shanchang, right?
Yes, he made trouble,
a very big trouble.
He killed two people.
Ah?
Lord.
Does she insist on leaving?
Her baggage remains untied.
Liu Yi,
give her these money.
No, you give her in person.
It’s obvious that you are driving her away.
What are you saying?
Even a fool knows that.
You give up helping her.
I will help her,
but…
Don’t tell me that.
You’d better tell her when she comes.
Why are you so disobedient?
Lord, she is here.
Lord, I won’t complain if you punish me.
But I want to say something.
As human, we can’t lose our conscience.
Greetings, lord.
I heard that
you still want to leave.
I don’t want to implicate you, lord.
Alas,
don’t say that.
It has been several days.
I don’t want to wait here in vain.
I’d better…
Jiang Yuzhen,
even though you leave,
don’t act recklessly.
That will make it harder to try this case.
If I stay here quietly,
will it be easier to try this case?
Till now,
Which government accepted your indictment?
Which official asked about this case?
As for some affairs,
they are not as easy as you think.
It’s an immemorial rule that murderers must be sentenced.
Everyone knows it.
Jiang Yuzhen,
don’t be block-headed.
Not everything
can be put discussed and solved openly.
So, my father-in-law
and my husband
should die and be treated unjustly, right?
Lord.
Good and evil have their own rewards
in the due time.
Do you mean I should wait for
a thunder from the heaven to strike them?
His Majesty is involved in this case.
It’s very hard.
Lord, I won’t embarrass you
and will leave tomorrow morning.
Jiang Yuzhen,
I feel ashamed
to say something.
But I must say.
Here is some money.
Take it
and find a place
to settle down.
Can such money
pay the two lives of my family?
Can such money
pay your conscience as an official?
All right!
Jiang Yuzhen,
because of your words,
In the levee tomorrow,
I’ll fight for you for the last time.
Thank you, lord.
Pass on my imperial edict to Xu Da.
The top priority is to repair fortifications
and rehabilitates troops and civilians.
Delay the northwest expedition.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Courtiers,
does anyone want to report?
If no, the levee is over.
I want to report.
The levee is cover.
As for any affair, report it tomorrow.
I want to report.
The levee is over. Back off.
His Majesty said the levee is over.
Long Live Your Majesty.
I want to report.
Levee censor.
I’m here.
Liu Bowen is unruly
and disturbs the imperial court.
What crime does he committed?
Lord, in the imperial court,
I just want to report. What’s my guilt?
His Majesty has announced that the levee is meeting.
But you insist on reporting.
That’s a guilt.
You stop me
from reporting
the real case frankly.
That’s a guilt of deceit to His Majesty.
Enough!
Liu Bowen, I know
what you want to report.
You can leave now, everyone.
Lord Li,
officials in the imperial court should discuss public affairs together
to assist His Majesty to decide.
I want to report.
But you drive other official away.
Lord Li, what do you mean?
Lord Liu,
as an official, you should know
how far you can go and when to stop.
You should know what you can say
and what you can’t.
As the top imperial censor,
I should advise and report unreservedly.
Liu Bowen,
now that you insist,
I’ll give you a chance.
Go ahead.
Is it the case of Princess Royal’s son?
That lady said that she would sue me.
Will you push yourself forward?
Do you intend to impeach me
in the presence of all officials?
Your Majesty,
Lord Liu is too unruly.
So absurd.
Your Majesty,
If a prince violates the law, he should be punished without privilege.
He shouldn’t be pardoned
no matter who he is
or no matter whose nephew he is
To be frank,
he is my nephew Wang Qing.
As for the case of Wang Qing,
you just heard that lady’s statement
without any convinced evidence.
Your Majesty, please allow me
to investigate in person.
What if he is guilty after your investigation?
He should be punished as per the law.
What if he is innocent?
If he is innocent,
I’ll retire and return to my hometown.
Lord Liu,
people who lodge false accusations must be punished as per the law.
Okay,
if so, I’ll plead guilty.
Somebody here!
Call Mrs. Zhang to the court right now.
Lord,
she died.
Died?
Died.
What was the reason?
When did she die?
She died several days ago.
Coroner said
she died due to overdrinking.
Overdrinking?
Who did she drink with?
Nobody.
She drank alone that evening.
Your Grace,
Prime Minister Li comes.
Oh, let them in.
Yes, Your Grace.
Aunt,
save me!
Well, look at you.
Release. Release.
You are not a child,
but still so naughty.
No matter how old he is,
he is a child in front of you.
Sit down.
Where is my uncle?
He will come later and
harshly criticize you.
Do you want to testify?
Yes, we do
Of your own accord?
Yes, of their own accord.
Don’t speak until I ask you.
Let them answer.
Yes, I’m willing.
I’m willing.
I…I’m willing.
Do you know the consequence?
If you commit perjury,
you’ll be as guilty as the criminal.
Lord,
I must take care of mother. She is over eighty.
I don’t want to be involved in the lawsuit.
If he didn’t see that lady hanging herself
and get indignant with the criminal…
Speak until being asked.
Are you willing to testify that
Hao Qingtian fornicated with that lady for years.
Yes.
Oh,
how many times did you witness?
I did remember it accurately.
Anyway, I often saw Hao Qingtian
going to the dead’s home.
At which time?
Sometimes in the daytime
and sometimes at night.
Where do you live?
I live in Pizi Village.
It’s quite strange.
After I came here,
I did some investigation.
Liu Yi.
Pizi Village is in the south and three miles away from here.
The dead lived in the north and five miles away from here.
To across the county, you need to go across another two miles.
So, ten miles in total.
It makes sense if you met him by occasionally.
But you said you often saw him
in the daytime and at night.
That doesn’t make sense.
Answer my question.
Do you have another home in the north?
No.
Why did you go there
at night?
Are you a thief?
Rampant!
Don’t speak randomly in the court.
Answer my question.
I…
He may have some relatives there.
What relatives?
Who are they?
Tell me and I’ll verify later.
I…
I speak for him.
Lord,
I’m forced by
the country magistrate.
Now, it’s your turn.
He talked nonsense.
Who talked nonsense?
How about you?
Lord, if I don’t come here,
county magistrate said
he’ll levy double tax on me next year.
What if you come here?
He’ll halve my tax.
County magistrate?
Hao Qingtian was caught red-handed.
That lady felt ashamed
and suicided.
This is verified fact.
The death sentence is right.
Lord Liu, as for your review,
in my opinion…
Go ahead.
It’s unnecessary indeed.
So,
you found three fake witnesses
to stall me off.
Yes, indeed.
You bark up the wrong tree.
Please pardon me, lord.
Punish the three people right now.
Listen up.
You are timeserving
and wicked.
You know that isn’t the truth,
but you still committed perjury in the court.
Flog him with twenty beats
and put a cangue on him for a month.
Yes.
Lord,
lord,
I’m forced indeed.
You two are extenuating
but aren’t exonerated.
You are sentenced to submit 150kg of grains
as the penalty.
Perform the sentence.
Yes.
Thank you, lord.
Get up.
Go.
I tried to stall you off.
I plead guilty.
Write it down.
I’ll sum up all his crimes when I settle the case.
Thank you, lord.
Get up.
Settle the case? Humph!
I’ll wait and see
how capable you are to
to re-try the case.
It is recorded that
after that lady hanged herself,
you did an autopsy.
Yes.
So, she wasn’t virgin.
Although that lady wasn’t married,
she had committed adultery for a long time.
So, she wasn’t virgin for sure.
Um.
Arrange a
routine inspection
to open the coffin tomorrow.
Back off.
My mother said
among all her brothers,
she had the best relationship with you.
She treated me best.
But look at you!
Bastard!
What have you done?
You committed crimes.
Do you live up to your mother?
For the sake of my mother,
uncle,
please save me.
For the sake of my mother?
You should think of your mother’s virtue.
She was so virtuous.
But how about you?
You are worse than beasts!
Worse than beasts!
Your Majesty,
You pissed me off!
You pissed me off!
Anger is bad for health.
He has admitted his mistake.
Did he? If he knew that,
would he commit such a criminal?
What should I do?
The Law of Great Ming is enacted by me in person.
Moreover,
people are whispering about my partiality to you.
Look at you.
Your eyes are goggled as bells.
What should I do?
Do it this way.
Ah?
Ask your deceased elder sister
in your dream at night.
Alas.
Aunt, help me.
Excuse me, Your Majesty.
Please calm your anger.
Please entrust this issue
to me.
What’s your idea?
Your Majesty, if you trust me,
please don’t ask so much.
Just here. Dig!
No problem.
Madam, come here.
Okay.
Listen up.
After the corpse is dug out,
broke her hymen.
Then take your money and leave here.
Don’t mention it to anyone.
Lord,
I never did that.
It’s so wicked.
Midwives as you
help
deliver babies.
But under the table,
you act as a pimp for adultery
and perform induced abortion
for pregnant adulterers.
Do you know that is wicked?
Don’t say that, lord.
It seems that I should go to hell.
Isn’t your deed
wicked?
Rampant!
How dare you say that to me?
Aren’t you afraid that I’m slap you?
Oops, lord,
you should know my good deeds.
I’m helping you.
Why do I need you?
I’m distingue.
Lord Wang recommend me
to ask you for help this time.
I see why you turn to me.
I heard that you often help him
with adultery.
Oops, lord,
You’re distingue.
Why did you inquire about that?
Every profession
has its own rules.
I can’t say randomly.
Anyway, we have free time
to chat.
Hi, hurry up! Hurry up!
Lord, it’s almost the time.
Wait for a moment.
Lord, the corpse is out.
Hurry to open the coffin plank.
Liu Yi, ignite.
Yes.
Here is censorate minister Liu Bowen.
Stop there!
Please pardon me, lord!
Please pardon me, lord!
Lord!
Please pardon me, lord!
I know your plan.
How will explain?
I’m forced and have no other way.
Wang Qing’s family
has a great power.
Go to the capital with me and tell it to His Majesty.
Lord, it’s late.
Um,
Nothing.
Lord,
it has been several days since we came to the capital.
I thought
you would detain me in a certain authority
and wait for the interrogation.
But I don’t know why
you sit with me boringly
every night at home.
Blockhead,
my lord is trying to save your life.
Save my life?
Doesn’t the death of Mrs. Zhang
remind you of anything?
What?
Eliminate all evidence by killing accessary criminals.
You’re too long-tongued.
Go to check outside.
Well,
he killed Mrs. Zhang to zip her mouth forever.
Can’t he kill you, either?
Kill me?
Do you think you are of great importance?
Do you mean
he’ll give up a pawn to save a castle?
To some people,
you may even as unimportant as
a pawn.
Did you see it clearly?
Yes,
my nark reported that
Liu Bowen
has brought the magistrate of Changdu County back.
Ah?
What should I do?
It’s your idea
to tell Wang Qing to poison Mrs. Zhang.
You said as long as she died,
there would be no evidence in this case.
Um.
But the county magistrate knows even more.
How to deal with him?
I have an idea.
But…
Don’t beat around the bush. Go ahead.
In my view,
if the county magistrate also dies,
this issue will escalate.
It won’t be a common lawsuit about civilians.
Liu Bowen is quite smart.
You know that.
That county magistrate is in his mansion.
Alas.
It may be favorable to us.
What do you mean?
Teacher,
in Changdu County,
we have no way to kill the magistrate.
Even if we have a chance to kill him,
the guilt will absolutely
be undertaken by Wang Qing.
But now,
he is in Liu Bowen’s mansion.
Oh.
Um,
well,
I see now.
Thanks for your full consideration, lord.
You are an official
and must know the Law of Great Ming.
You made a capital crime.
I can’t save your life.
But I can’t let you die in this way.
Of course,
I’m also for my own good.
Well,
I checked your curriculum vitae.
You used to a
understudy candidate among metropolitan graduates.
It’s not easy for you
to get the post of county magistrate.
You spent a lot to get the post, right?
Your intention to repay debts drove you to commit the crime, right?
I also intended to stabilize my post.
The previous county magistrates
dare not affront him.
Are your parents well?
Thanks for your care, lord.
My parents are well.
Do you have any siblings?
Are they also well?
Have you ever thought that
they may be implicated by you?
Lord,
if I’m willing to confess,
can you exonerate my family?
Greetings, Your Majesty.
Get up.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty,
I’ve finished the investigation
in Changdu County.
Do you have any conclusion?
Some details are still uncertain.
I dare not make a decision arbitrarily
and request you to decide, Your Majesty.
Alas.
Your Majesty.
Prime Minister Li.
I’m here.
What do you think?
Your Majesty, it takes about two days
to get all relevant authorities ready and
confer with all officials.
I invite you to attend it, Your Majesty.
Even if you don’t invite me,
I’ll attend it.
How is that matter going?
Liu Bowen is quite astute.
His mansion is well guarded.
Teacher, what’s wrong?
We can’t kill the county magistrate in his mansion.
So, we must find a way to
persuade His Majesty to issue an imperial edict
to take the magistrate from Liu Bowen’s mansion.
Um.
I’m ordered by His Majesty
to take the Changdu County magistrate
to the imperial guards’ office.
Is this His Majesty’s command?
Here is His Majesty’s written instruction.
Please check, lord.
Alas.
Get on.
Go.
Music