Emperor Gaozu founded the Tang dynasty. The Reign of Zhenguan made it a golden age. With tribute paid by all nations,
the empire is of unprecedented prosperity. The two saints, Wu Mei and Emperor Gaozong,
are ruling together. But some officials say that
Wu Mei's involvement in politics deviates from our patriarchal clan system. To stop this calumny from spreading, Her Majesty ordered to build a canal
that could connect the two capitals. As the canal has come to an end, the canal ceremony is to be held. But at this time point, a mysterious case came out of nowhere. Sir, it's about to rain. Should we... The ceremony is approaching.
Don't slacken off. Yes, sir. Sir, are you all right? What's that? Nothing found, sir. Check the hull. Yes, sir. Get them up! Yes, sir. Sir! I got you. The river monster is gone. Go find it! [Dragon Hidden In A Mysterious Hole] [Court of Judicial Review] Lord Di. Lord Huo. Lord Di. Lord Huo. Something happened at the port. The Court of Judicial Review. Those unauthorized must leave now. Sir. Last night, a ship of the Directorate of
Waterways didn't come back from its patrol. An hour ago, the current brought it back. It's badly damaged and almost burnt up. Any survivors? None. Lord Leng Jiyue of the Directorate of
Waterways has just arrived. Give me a hand. Di, Lord Leng is not easy to deal with. Sir, the bodies are all here. There are 30 members of the night patrol squad. You think I don't know how to count? I'm Di Renjie,
Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial. I'm Huobin,
Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial. Greetings, Lord Leng. Burned to death? Is the body of someone burnt alive like this? The dents on the blade suggest close combat before the fire. The mortal wound may be caused by the sword. Sir. Here's another body. [Directorate of Waterways
Director Wang Yuan] [Token for Directorate of Waterways] It's hard to check
these burnt bodies with the naked eye. Take them to our court and let the coroner do an autopsy. Wait. Di, come here. We will take over the case
if we bring these bodies back. During this special period, we might as well hold it off. To investigate criminal murder cases is the duty of the Court of Judicial Review. What you are suggesting
is a dereliction of duty. But... What. Not your call? If you couldn't handle this, I would take over. It's our duty. We will take care of it. Jiang Yin, Chen Jin. Yes, sir. Take the bodies back to our court. Yes. Di. Di. Di. Di. Lord Shen has classified it
as a river pirate attack. Don't muddy this case. Her Majesty has known about it. Lord Shen is on his way
to the royal palace to report it. Pirates? This case is replete with unknowns. You told me it's a pirate attack? Well. Di. Di. Lord Shen. Lord Shen. For the past three years
during the construction of the canal, there have been few river pirates. Now as the ceremony is in sight, the Directorate of Waterways
is patrolling day and night. How could it be a river pirate attack? Water pirates are atrocious brutes. The watercourse can cut off
the source of their wealth. Are you sure they wouldn't get desperate? Sir. The wounds were not caused by swords. The damage to the ship couldn't be done by humans. The killers did those things to confuse us. Di Renjie! You are the one to decide things even if the minister recommended you. I'm the boss here
in the Court of Judicial Review. Huo Bin. Yes. I asked you to investigate
the whereabouts of the river pirates. Why haven't you left yet? Yes. The Court of Judicial Review is quite efficient. Lord Leng, you care about the case a lot. Dozens of lives in my directorate were claimed. Shouldn't I follow it up? I didn't mean that. Lord Shen, if you don't mind, I'd like to assist in your investigation. After all, the victims were my men. I'd love that. Please keep me informed if any clues. Her Majesty wants to see me.
Sorry that I can't keep you company. Di Renjie. Be a good host. Yes, sir. Let's see some bodies. You know what? Those on the ship
of the Directorate of Waterways died during their night patrol. Yeah, all burnt to a crisp. Well, will the canal ceremony still be held? What an inauspicious year! The river god? Ghosts? Do you believe that? Ignorant and superstitious, ordinary people can just imagine things. Your Majesty, don't mind them. The canal ceremony is an act to gain the support of the public. The accident happened at this time and became a sensation. It's apparently directed against me. This case is still pending. How could I feel at ease? Your Majesty, please don't be mad. The ceremony will be held in three days. If the case is not solved by then, offer me your head. [Post-mortem House] Poison? Sir, as you might expect, stab wounds on a burnt body can go unnoticed. But the autopsy suggests that the stab wounds were not fatal. The real cause of death should be this. The poison applied to the edge is highly toxic. It darkened their viscera in a short period. It can be concluded that they died before the burning. The fire was set to destroy the evidence. What kind of poison is it? I've never seen it before. Sorry that I'm too ignorant to identify the poison. I'll go find it out
in the Office of Imperial Physicians. What about those broken stumps? Sir. Those injuries were not caused by weapons. Based on the wounds and fractures, I think it's more like a beast attack. Lord Di. Lord Shen is back. He is... Lord Leng, I'll let you know if anything new. Please. [Post-mortem House] What a disgrace to the Court of Judicial Review! Lord Shen, I was eager to investigate. Sorry for offending you. What. Have you come around? I guess you investigate the river pirates to not alert the real criminal. No wonder Minister Yan thinks highly of you. You're sagacious. This guy dares to do so
as the ceremony is drawing near. I don't think he's an ordinary person. Sir, please enlighten me. Di Renjie, remember this. The first rule for solving a case is to suspect everyone. Some court officials say that Leng Jiyue
got this position thanks to her father, an official for three succeeding regimes. Many people grumble about it. It is possible that Leng Jiyue wants to solve a case before the ceremony so as to get a promotion. I'd like to assist in your investigation. So, Lord Leng has an ulterior motive? This motive can make her a suspect. By that logic…. Go ahead. Her Majesty and those officials against her have had political infighting for a long time. Everyone has a motive. Her Majesty has made political achievements but they still refuse to let her rule. Perhaps she wants to get rid of the dissidents. And the officials who oppose her want to take the chance to scare her off. You know the red tape in Luoyang. This preconceived idea keeps a hold over you so that you can't think rationally. If this was done by someone from the court, any slip would lead to death penalty. I understand. The ceremony is a task of top priority. I have my hands full. The case is yours. Be careful. Yes. Di Renjie. If you solve this case, my position will be yours. As I see it, you are the prime suspect. Who's there? Why did you make such a scene? The thunderclap spooked the river monster
so it got out of control last night. And we ran into the ship
of the Directorate of Waterways. I had no choice. I... Now the Court of Judicial Review is also involved. We must find a solution. If the ceremony can't start on schedule, all our efforts will end in vain. Don't worry. It's all set. Lord Leng. Why are you also here? With all those clues, I still feel clueless. So I came to see if I missed anything. Duan Yan? Di Renjie? Why are you sneaking around in the middle of the night? Lord Leng, it's a misunderstanding. He once worked with me in Bingzhou. So what? Lord Leng, we have met before. Director Wang Yuan was once a subordinate in my troop. Take care. Lord Leng. If it weren't for him, [Directorate of Waterways]
I would have been a tramp. I heard about the shipwreck and the death of Wang Yuan. I wanted to see if there were any clues. It's been three years since we parted in Bingzhou. And we meet again for a lost friend. I trust you. You will find the murderer. Lord Leng. If this belongs to the murderer, there may be poison on it. I've never seen it before. Sir, I still haven't found any relevant books. Having lived in Luoyang for so long,
are you sure you've never seen it before? When I just arrived in Luoyang, I worked for people from the Hidden City. They might be a great help The Hidden City? Luoyang looks peaceful on the surface. But there are some singular individuals
from secret sects. It reminds me of a guy. Golden Speaker. Mr. Know-All. Then what are we waiting for?
The clock is ticking. Lord Leng, you might need to... Why are you all looking at me? [Lark Town] Why do we have to dress like this for the investigation? For the sake of your reputation. Yu'er, take care of this guest. Sir, did you have fun today? Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Sniffing Rat? What do you want to know? We'd like to know the origin of this badge. You are from the court. Since you've found it out, just quit your nonsense. You are not familiar with our rules. We don't answer questions
of the lackeys from the court. How dare you make fun of us? So this badge has something to do with the court? If that's what you want to know, you can leave now. I won't walk you out. I'm done playing nice. Tell us now! You have a quick temper, sir. Since you know we're from the court, aren't you afraid we shut this place down? Please show some mercy, sir. It's just a little test in case some people have the nerve to pretend to be court officials. Tell us about it. Do you really want to know everything about this badge? Yes. But sir, I'm worried you'll get yourself into trouble. See? The trouble has come for you. [Prince Huai's Mansion] But sir, I'm worried you'll get yourself into trouble. The Twelve Guards in Armor [Prince Huai's Mansion] The Twelve Guards in Armor
are the personal guards of Prince Huai. When the late emperor was in power, Prince Huai and Her Majesty
were hostile to each other. Later after Prince Huai gave up his power, the Twelve Guards in Armor were also dismissed. But the armor and weapons of those men just now looked weird. They're not from the Central Plain. Maybe Prince Huai did it to avoid suspicion. It is also possible that Her Majesty wants to incriminate Prince Huai to act as a deterrent to others. Enough. Di Renjie, how dare you suspect Her Majesty? Her Majesty knows everything about Prince Huai. What's so hard about forging a badge? Lord Leng. Calm down, Lord Leng. Di Renjie is just skeptical about it. Anyone is a suspect before the case is solved. Huo Bin. Keep an eye on Prince Huai's Mansion. Yes. This badge alone can't prove anything. Di Renjie is smarter than I thought. How about... We've put them on guard. We can't draw more attention. Leng Jiyue's father is an official
for three succeeding regimes. If she dies during the investigation, it will be trickier. Sacrifice is inevitable to achieve something big. Anyway, I'm already terminally ill. I will do whatever it takes to watch the evil empress die. Di Renjie. Doesn't the Office of Imperial Physician
know what poison it is? We have to go to that place to get the answer. You mean... The Ghost Capital. The river rises every year. The old residences got flooded. Some wanderers have rebuilt this place as their new home. Drug of Uncertainty. Drug of Uncertainty. Drug of Uncertainty. Drug of Uncertainty. Who is it? Stop shouting. Di Renjie. Drug of Uncertainty, it's been long. How are you doing recently? Save it. It can't be something good. You used me to test drugs and almost got me killed. It's time to pay the debt now. The dead man's liver. Even the Office of Imperial Physicians
didn't recognize this poison. The imperial physicians? Those guys are of no use. Let me have a look. Oh, boy. Any thought? This is interesting. Give me some time. If Prince Huai's target was Her Majesty, why would he kill the people
of the Directorate of Waterways? Maybe for Prince Huai, it didn't matter who got killed. His purpose was to make a case and send Her Majesty a warning. Or those guys on that ship saw something. The ship entered the harbor at 5:45 am. According to the coroner, they died around 9 pm to 11 pm. In that case, they were killed there. The Cloud Cave? You know that place? Wang Yuan told me about it. It's the soul-guarding tomb of Prince Zhong. It's so eerie and gruesome
that no one has set foot in it. When my men went on patrol, I told them not to get close. The Cloud Cave is perfect for covering up the real intention. I got it. I got it! I got it. This poison is taken from Nanhua Bug. As is written in the Brahma Poison, this bug lives in Kunlun and feels on poisonous weeds. Yanxu Sect makes poison with this bug. The poisoned dies instantly. And the corpse turns black
and the bruises stay. That's their symptoms. But Yanxu Sect has disappeared for years. I heard it was exterminated. Now they come out again. Yanxu Sect? Are you really going to the Cloud Cave? The mansion is empty. They must have absconded at night. Lord Shen, I request permission. You are drafting men
when the ceremony is so close. If anything goes wrong, offer me your head. Thank you, sir. Lord Huo, what is the Cloud Cave for? After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Prince Zhong in Luoyang
tried to usurp power and got executed. Before he died, he threatened
to turn into an evil spirit and haunt the late emperor forever. The late emperor was furious and had Li Chunfeng, Director of Astrology,
build the soul-guarding tomb here to stop Prince Zhong from reincarnation. This way. Watch out. Don't startle those bats. Go. Follow me. Go. Hurry up! Go. Be fast. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry, come on! Hurry, come on! This way. Go. What's this? It's a Yin corpse. The Yin Corpse Circle is used
to guard the spirit in the tomb. It's too cruel. Therefore… I only learned something about it. All right. Everyone, be careful. They're here. Let them stay here forever. I didn't expect General Leng's daughter to be involved. Prince Huai, why did you kill my people? Because they knew too much. Your Highness, you were away
from the court long ago. Why did you have to kill and cause panic in Luoyang? You are Di Renjie. Exactly. That evil empress is in power now. She beguiled the late emperor. Now His Majesty is also bewitched. This woman must die, or our empire will be doomed. Your Highness, the empire is prosperous
and the people live in peace. All other nations look up to us. However, you killed the innocent to get rid of Her Majesty. Are you sure you're doing the right thing? A few lives are nothing compared with the Tang Empire! You're insane. You killed the people who would
sacrifice their lives for the empire. It doesn't matter now. Kill them. It must be the monster who killed the patrolling guys and destroyed the ship. Jiang Yin! Run. Go! Duan Yan! Prince Huai? Yes. Yue, you were also there? Your Majesty. I saw Prince Huai die in the Cloud Cave. I told you someone from the court
was plotting against me. You didn't believe me. It's my fault. I'm too gullible. Now you can rest assured, Meiniang. Di. Here's the case-closing statement. Check if there's anything missing. Right, we've found Prince Huai's family members. Two months ago, Prince Huai sent them to Bianzhou. No wonder the mansion is empty. I feel that we missed something. Prince Huai hated Her Majesty. So he gathered the remnants of the cult to stage a rebellion. What else? Prince Huai prepared this for years. He must have got a big plan. The case went so well. I just need another clue so that I can get this straight again. Di, I think you're thinking too much. But it's a good thing. You can never be too careful in the officialdom. Speaking of which, I thought Lord Shen was going to make you a scapegoat. It turned out you really solved the case before the ceremony. Lord Shen does trust his subordinates. But I'm sorry for your friend Duan Yan. And Jiang Jin. A diligent young man. That's a pity. The poison applied to the edge is highly toxic. The poisoned dies instantly.
And the corpse turns black. I think it's more like a beast attack. I'd like to assist in the investigation. This motive can make her a suspect. I heard about the death of Wang Yuan. Prince Huai and Her Majesty
were hostile to each other. But Yanxu Sect has disappeared for years. How dare you suspect Her Majesty? You will find the murderer. Anyone is a suspect. Di, where are you going? [Chamber of Composure] Do you really want to see Her Majesty now? It's about the security of the empire. The canal ceremony commences now. What... Guards! Your Majesty, sorry for being late.
You must be startled. Sir. You two take His Majesty
and Her Majesty out of here. Please. Watch out! Sir. Lord Di. Follow me! Go! This way. Pull! Hook! Drug of Uncertainty! Drug of Uncertainty, will it work? Don't worry. My poison is much more potent
than that of Nanhua Bug. But these rats will never come back. My rats. Evil Empress. Today we will offer a sacrifice
to the Yanxu Clan with your blood. Yanxu Clan? You don't remember, do you? In your heart, we are inferior to trash. Evil Empress. Today, you will know how it feels like to lose your country. You want to assassinate the two saints while the monster is battering the court. That's enough of your conspiracy. Duan Yan, don't put up any fight. I can fool everyone. But I can't fool you, Di Renjie. So, you knew it was me from the start. Do you remember that night? I heard about the shipwreck. When you said “the death of Wangyuan”, you looked at the deck unconsciously, where Wang Yuan's body was placed. All the bodies were burnt to a crisp. Even Lord Leng recognized him only because of the token. But you knew it clearly. There is only one explanation. You were on the ship when they were killed. You sneaked onto the ship at midnight not to destroy the bodies and marks, but to make a fake scene. You put on this show only to let us close the case so that the ceremony could start scheduled. That's why the weapon you used in Sniffing Rat's place
had no poison of Nanhua Bug. Do you remember what I said that day? I trust you. You will find the murderer. But I never thought that I made such a stupid mistake. I have only one question for you. You risked the lives of the entire clan to go against the empire. Is it worth it? You want to know whether it's worth it? Ask the clan people behind me. Who doesn't want to cut that woman into pieces? Who doesn't want to make you pay? She exterminated our whole clan. The Yanshu clan has shrunk from 30,000 at the beginning to dozes of us now. It's all because of her instigation. Things like, “let's gather our strength.” The Yanxu Sect poisoned people's minds. Who would save those victims poisoned by your cult? Poisoned or butchered. What's the difference? They're both killing, but in separate ways. My clan people haven't rested in peace. I hate that I can't avenge their deaths. Kill them! Kill! Duan Yan. Duan Yan. If only there was no war. If only there was no enmity between us. Hope we could be friends in our next life. Duan Yan! Your Majesty, please punish me for my negligence. Lord Shen, when will you tell the truth? Di Renjie, what do you mean? Are you going to smear right here? The first rule for solving a case is to suspect everyone. If no one colluded with them in the court, Duan Yan and Yanxu Clan alone were unlikely to overthrow the state. Prince Huai had no real power. The traitor in the court must be someone else. As for Di Renjie, how about... No. We've put them on guard. We can't draw more attention. During the investigation, you didn't care about the death toll at all. But Lord Leng insisted on assisting us. Leng Jiyue's father is an official
for three succeeding regimes. If she dies during the investigation, it will be trickier. That's why Duan Yan wanted to keep us alive. The entrance is behind you. You guys go first. You even hurt yourselves to gain our trust. You took all the trouble to make sure that the ceremony
could go on as scheduled Sacrifice is inevitable to achieve something big. Anyway, I'm already terminally ill. In spite of the smart calculations,
you ignored something. Though the accident of the Directorate of Waterways made all officials panic, the security work went on as usual. Others thought the ceremony wouldn't be canceled. But only you knew about the misgivings of Her Majesty. This case is still pending. How could I feel at ease? Your Majesty, please don't be mad. The ceremony will be held in three days. If the case is not solved by then, offer me your head. In this dangerous situation, you only cared about the security of the ceremony and left the case to me. The ceremony is a task of top priority. I have my hands full. The case is yours. Be careful. You didn't want to make me the scapegoat. Because you were sure that I could solve it before the ceremony. Ex parte statement. At the ceremony, I sent someone to your residence. They found some items that confirmed my guess. You're the descendant of Prince Zhong. Prince Zhong got executed for his rebellion. His spirit was confined under the Cloud Cave. So you've been holding a grudge and waiting for a chance to destroy the empire. Di Renjie, I underestimated you. Your Majesty, you must be frightened. It was my fault. Di, you found the rebel and protected us. You should get the credit. Do you really want to see Her Majesty now? It's about the security of the empire. Since you knew their plot, why did you risk the lives of all officials? This was the only way
to find the mastermind behind the plan. I don't need evidence to get rid of a person. To get the empire out of danger and save the lives of the officials is a better way to build prestige
than the canal ceremony, isn't it? Di Renjie. You indeed are a brilliant detective.
