【Multi | FULL】EP07 Su Wuming was demoted | 唐朝诡事录之西行 | iQIYI
[English subtitles are available] [Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West] [Episode 7] In the autumn of 712, the emperor abdicated the throne. The crown prince ascended the throne and named the new period Xiantian. His Majesty has just ascended the throne. He has a lot to deal with. He has no time for you. Please tell His Majesty I won’t leave until he agrees to see me. [Supreme Court] Greetings, Your Highness. I’m at your service. I doubt that. I invited you twice, but you kept making excuses and wouldn’t come to the Princess’ Palace, so I have to invite you myself. They say you threaten to stick around if I don’t agree to see you. I must see you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Rise. What’s the emergency? Please forgive me for holding something back. [Emperor] Your Majesty. Lu Lingfeng has another identity. Let me elaborate on it… privately. Chamberlain Yang, General Lu Tong, and Bai Shan are all trustworthy. How private do you want it to be? Just say it. Here’s the thing. When I investigated the Face Flower case in Luoyang, I already suspected that Lu Lingfeng’s relationship with Her Highness was special. But the situation was unclear, so I kept quiet about it. Now that you’ve ascended the throne, I think I must tell you the truth. Ji’er. You saved my life again. How should I thank you? You were frightened. I’m glad you’re fine. I’m asking you. What reward do you want? How about a mansion? The Heavenly Empress once gave one to me. It’s close to the Leyou Plain. Thank you, Your Highness. I live alone in the Supreme Court so I can check the files anytime. It’s time for you to get married. Pei Jian’s daughter is not bad. She’s a good match for you. I’m going to hold the grandest wedding in Chang’an for you and her. Please don’t. What’s wrong? You don’t like her? I do. It’s just that I don’t want to get married yet. Your Highness. That day, I was insolent and called you something improper. It must have embarrassed you so much. Are you worried about that? Don’t be. We might as well tell the world about it to save us from more embarrassment. Please don’t do that. What are you afraid of? It was by accident that he ascended the throne. Sitting on the throne doesn’t mean he rules Tang. The appointments of officials above the third rank are still decided by the retired emperor. How many officials in the court have sided with him of their own accord? The power is still in my hands. So, don’t worry. Revealing our relationship won’t affect your career. Why are you here telling me this? I know you value Lu Lingfeng very much. But his special relationship with Her Highness has pushed him to her side. You must think carefully, Your Majesty, about how to handle this matter. Do you know what you’re doing is snitching? I-I don’t think so. I’m doing this for the stability of the country and to share your burden. Su Wuming. Whether you’re snitching or not, just tell me what you want. You’re an acting official now. Do you want me to remove the word “acting” from your title? You should do that. Given how talented I am, I’m totally qualified to be the Deputy President of the Supreme Court. Actually… What? The position of President of the Supreme Court has been vacant for many years. If you can make an exception to promote me, you’ll have my unwavering loyalty! Shut up! For the sake of Detective Di, I won’t punish you too severely. Effective immediately, you’re removed from your position and expelled from Chang’an! Since you took office at the Supreme Court, you’ve solved old cases and eliminated traitors. You’re hard-working and have a good reputation. The important position of President of the Supreme Court should be given to someone like you. No. You refused me again and again. How can you refuse a mother’s compensation for her son? I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. Ji’er. Sorry. I was too young back then. As your mother, I didn’t give you what you deserved. If I can’t do something for you, I’ll feel guilty. Ji’er. Don’t refuse me again. It’s urgent. Forgive me for barging in. What is it? What? Guards! Prepare horses. You were dismissed so quickly. I thought I could eat two chickens every day while staying with a fourth-ranked official like you. Fourth-ranked? Not for an acting official. Brother, are you leaving now? Why don’t you wait for Lu Lingfeng to come back? I can’t wait. His Majesty is furious. If I don’t leave instantly, I’ll be beheaded. Mr. Lu. What do you think of Su Wuming? Seeing Your Majesty on the throne, he bent with the wind and planned to use Lu Lingfeng to climb up. That man’s known for being smooth and sly. Given what happened today, it’s true. Bai Shan. I agree with Mr. Lu. Go. Chamberlain Yang. I think Su Wuming is not worth your attention. But Lu Lingfeng should be gotten rid of as planned as soon as possible. Stop hesitating. You’re on the throne, but Her Highness still has a great deal of clout. Among the seven prime ministers, four are on her side. As for military power, the left Imperial Guards, the left Yulin Army, the right Yulin Army, and the Imperial Guards of the North Gate are all controlled by her men. Now, Lu Lingfeng has been proven to be the princess’ son. Whether he was loyal to you before, he’s her son after all. Besides, Lu Lingfeng has been transferred, but among the right Imperial Guards, he still has a say. If he switches sides at the critical moment, there’ll be nothing we can do. Your Majesty. Hesitation leads to death. If you had hesitated back then, I’m afraid the one on the throne now wouldn’t be you but Queen Wei. Lu Lingfeng’s relationship with the princess has been put on the table by Su Wuming. If we kill him now, the princess will feel targeted. The timing is not good. Who’d have known Su Wuming would ruin our plan? Your Majesty. Even so, we still can’t let Lu Lingfeng stay in the capital. Here’s the imperial edict. Lu Lingfeng, working at the Supreme Court, solved many old cases, but was negligent in the case at Chengfo Temple. Therefore, he is demoted to the sheriff of Yunding County, Hanzhou, and shall set off today. In fact, away from power struggles, life will be much easier. Lush bamboo forests. Fragrant flower valleys. Spending the rest of your life farming and reading. Isn’t it great? The place where I want to spend the rest of my life is Luoyang. My master’s tomb is in Mangshan, in the north of Luoyang. For a hundred years, we shared the sunset. Thousands of years later, we’d all be dust. If I die, I wish I could be buried next to my master. Su Wuming. What do you mean by that? I was dismissed because I wanted to step on Lu Lingfeng to advance my career. You can even say I betrayed him. You betrayed Lu Lingfeng? I might believe that if you hadn’t traveled to Chang’an all the way from Jiangnan. I did that to become the President of the Supreme Court. My father once worked at the Supreme Court. He committed suicide there because of an unsolved case. From then on, I made up my mind to become the President of the Supreme Court to delve into my father’s case and become the best detective in Tang. After I became an Imperial Scholar, I didn’t rush to take an official position. Instead, I stayed by Detective Di’s side, hoping to be directly recommended and gradually take control of the Supreme Court. After so many years, I finally got it off my chest. It feels so good. Su Wuming. This is not who you are. This is the real me, plotting and scheming for half of my life to rise to fame. Now that I’ve provoked His Majesty, it’s all over for me. You’re different. You’re young. Why stick with me? Don’t you love me at all? Love? What happened before was all just an act. I’ve never… loved you. Fine. Whether you mean it or not, Su Wuming, since you’ve said so, I’ll leave. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways and never see each other again. [Supreme Court] I was negligent. What did Su Wuming do? Why was he dismissed? He didn’t say anything. He left in a hurry, leaving me behind. Was it because of me? You were the Deputy President of the Supreme Court. Now, you’re just an insignificant sheriff. Instead of feeling bad for yourself, you’re worrying about someone else. Well, you’re a friend worth having. You’re indeed from the Lu family of Fanyang. I respect you. Isn’t it good to be the sheriff of Yunding? You can go anywhere from there, and I heard it boasts good wine. You’ll like that place. S-So, you’re taking me with you? I, Lu Lingfeng, love Tang, my home country, but I love those around me more. If Xue Huan didn’t need to stay here for school, I’d bring him to go west with us. That’s great. Although you’re just a sheriff, offering me two chickens a day shouldn’t be a problem, right? Right? There’s also good wine. Let me be the vanguard. The west is different from the south. It’s going to be a rough trip. Let’s go together. When will we set off? Today. Today? I need to prepare some good wine for the trip. Xijun. Do you think it’s too hasty? I… I don’t need to pack anything. As long as I’m with you, I’m always at ease. Su Wuming. Her Highness has been waiting for you for a long time. Your Highness. What brought you here? I’m here to see you off. I don’t deserve such an honor. I went to the court to meet the new emperor and tried to plead for you. But… Your Highness. You’ve been to the court? Then you must have known what happened. I was not thinking straight. I snitched on you. I deserve to die. Do you think I’m a three-year-old? I just want to ask you, is it worth it? I don’t know if it’s worth it. Nor do I know what else I can do. It was not easy for you to get a decent position. You’ve ruined your career. If I can save Lu Lingfeng’s life, my career is nothing. With me by his side, I doubt anyone dares harm him. You’re right. My biggest weakness is that I tend to think too much and don’t have much courage. But Your Highness, now, the new emperor has ascended the throne. The situation has completely changed. With due respect, I want to advise you… Enough. Go home and rest for a year or two. When you come back, you, Su Wuming, will be the prime minister of Tang. Your Highness. Please take my advice. Are you worried about me or the future of Tang? My surname is Li. Who says I can’t make Tang prosper? Steamed buns. Freshly steamed buns. Take a look. Freshly baked naan. Steamed buns. Greetings, Mr. Lu. You were the Deputy President of the Supreme Court but were demoted to the sheriff of Yunding. Do you have hard feelings? I dare not. His Majesty did it to silence the detractors. It’s good. You can learn a lot from this trip to the west. Yes. Su Wuming is devious. Stay away from him. What do you mean? Do I have to be more clear? If he hadn’t snitched, you wouldn’t have been demoted. Snitch? Such a despicable man… deserves to die. What? The sheriff of Yunding? Where is Lu Lingfeng? Your Highness. He’s left town. How could you let him go? I just got the news. I sent someone to get him back, but he was already gone. That man has such a tough side. Looks like I underestimated him. Yes, Your Highness. Although most of the officials are on your side, that man is on the throne. To lead the future of Tang, you have to take action as soon as possible. This stone gate is exquisite. If only it was an old tomb. Whether it’s new or old, a tomb of such size must have treasure in it. Your sword can’t scare me. Brother. Let’s… Let’s go back. Coward. Treasure! Treasure! They’re all mine. Mine. All mine. Mine! Help! [The Death of the Coroner] The weather is dry. Beware of fire. Coroner Dugu is from a lowly family. Even beggars live better than him. You want a beating? Coroner Dugu has a beautiful wife, yet she was taken advantage of by others. Get lost! You brats! Get lost! Get lost! Get lost! Coroner Dugu. Don’t take it to heart. [Dugu Yang, a coroner at Shiyang County] Why would I take it to heart? The new magistrate bears the surname Dugu too. You know what? He’s invited me for a drink tonight. If anyone says that nonsense again, I’ll ask the magistrate to arrest them! Rain is coming. Go indoors. What’s this? When you treated me to tea last time, I saw the portrait of your wife. Your love for your departed wife is so deep. So I… It looks… [Dugu Xiashu, the magistrate of Shiyang County] It looks… I can’t believe it. It looks just like her. I’m glad you like it. It’s made of mahogany wood and can ward off evil spirits. After you took office, you severely punished tomb robbers and built a new order in the county. I deeply admire you. Tomb robbing is a serious crime in Tang. As the magistrate, how could I look the other way? Your burial goods store sells clay figurines designed to ward off tomb robbers. It’s commendable. It’s just what I do for a living. As you know, I can’t make a living as a coroner. Being a coroner can’t make you rich, but when there’s a murder in town, your help will be critical, Brother. W-What did you call me? We have the same surname. From now on, you’re my brother. Looks like I’ve come to the right man. What do you mean? If you like that figurine, please keep it safe. Don’t discard it. It’d be best if you could pass it down. No problem. Here’s to you. No. To you. Brother. Just a light shower. I don’t need an umbrella. No way. You can’t get wet. Otherwise, your wife will blame me. Okay. Come to my house tomorrow morning. My wife, Chuntiao, doesn’t have many skills, but she’s good at making soup noodles. I’ll ask her to make noodles for you. It’s a deal. Deal. [Lingdu Burial Goods Store] [Shiyang] Take a look. Take a look. Top-notch furs. Have a look. Greens. Fresh greens. Give me a hand. Come on. Try it. Here you are. Thank you. [Government Office of Shiyang County] Magistrate. You’re up so early. Zhou. Coroner Dugu’s house is not far from here, right? [Zhou, a constable at Shiyang County] Yes. Right around the corner. Black doors. Magistrate. The black doors of his house look like coffin boards. They’re ominous. How could you say that? His family has been coroners for three generations. And he’s running a burial goods store and always dealing with dead people. He has too much Yin energy. You just took office. You’d better not go to his house. What Yin energy? I don’t believe in that. We have the same surname and became sworn brothers yesterday. We agreed to meet at his house today. His wife will make soup noodles for us. How can I stand him up? Well… Go back to work. [Dugu] Who are you? I’m Dugu Xiashu. The new magistrate. Such a pretty face. No wonder my husband said the new magistrate is a nice man whose surname is also Dugu. Meeting you has made late autumn feel like early spring. Come in. When did you come to Shiyang? Why didn’t you go to the government office? What are you doing? People will gossip. Since when do you have that mole? Is this a prank? It’s fake, right? Let me see. You’re the magistrate, but that doesn’t mean you can molest me in broad daylight. You’re my wife. I’m your husband. It’s not molesting. I… I want to hug you. What… What are you doing? Qinghong, you… No! -Magistrate Dugu!
-No. No! What brings you here? It’s something urgent. Magistrate. A murder happened. Murder? Someone died. Examine the victim’s body first. Is the coroner there? The victim is the coroner. Dugu Yang? What did you say? Coroner Dugu was killed in his store by a clay figurine he made. Mom. Mom! Who is she calling Mom? Dugu Yang’s mom, of course. But… But she’s my Qinghong. Magistrate, are you insane? She’s Dugu Yang’s wife, Chuntiao. My wife, Chuntiao, doesn’t have many skills, but she’s good at making soup noodles. I’ll ask her to make noodles for you. Magistrate. Brother! Magistrate Dugu. [Assistant Xu of Shiyang County] His death is a little strange. Strange? The clay figurine is holding the sword. There must be something wrong. [Niu Daming, an officer at Shiyang County] What? Besides me, there’s another person in Shiyang County who can solve cases? Since the magistrate is here, I shall take my leave. Officer Niu, how can you leave? You should help the magistrate solve this case. Who are you to cut in? I… Magistrate Dugu, where should we start the investigation? Please enlighten us. I think we should do an autopsy first. Looks like the magistrate can do the autopsy. Great. Impress us. I… Wait a moment. Excuse me. Mr. Su. Mr. Su. It’s really you. Am… Am I dreaming? Of course not. Dugu Xiashu. You became an Imperial Scholar and ranked first in the imperial exam. Congratulations. If you hadn’t cleared my name in Nanzhou, I wouldn’t have made it. You started your career as a magistrate. In Tang, it’s unprecedented. It’s all thanks to the new emperor. It must be a challenge for you. Yes. Being an official is not what I thought. Shiyang is small, but it’s not easy to govern it. My subordinates don’t see me as their superior. By the way, yesterday, I hit it off with someone and took him as my brother. However, he was killed by a clay figurine he made today. Killed by a clay figurine? How is that possible? How about this? I’ll go in to take a look. Great. Please. Who are you? He’s my… I… I’m the magistrate’s aide. Aide? Yes. He… He’ll examine the body for me. Wait. Magistrate Dugu, it’s not child’s play. Assistant Xu, what do you mean? From the looks of him, he’s just arrived at Shiyang, right? When did you hire him? You don’t look like a good man to me. What sorcery did you use to fool the magistrate in such a short time? We need a coroner to examine the body. Are you a coroner? No. Then you’re not qualified. Get out! I’m a coroner! I’m Cao Hui, a female coroner of Shiyang. I’m going to examine the body. [Cao Hui, former female coroner of Shiyang County] Everybody, back off. Write this down. What? Autopsy records. Autopsy records? I’ll do it. Examining. The victim’s eyes and mouth are open. Examining. The victim’s left hand has no injuries. Examining. The victim’s right hand has no injuries. Examining. The fatal wound is in the left chest, with the flesh and skin turned outward. Judging from the wound, the victim died last night at midnight. Magistrate. The victim, Dugu Yang, was suddenly stabbed. He was caught off guard and died on the spot. After the murderer killed him, he twisted the knife to inflict more pain. How cruel! Magistrate, please arrest the murderer as soon as possible to seek justice for my son. The victim is her son? Yes. She’s a coroner from the previous generation. She was so overwhelmed with grief that she passed out. Take her to see a doctor! What are you waiting for? Go get help. Who died? Coroner Dugu. Really? Look. His mother passed out from crying. Who else could the victim be? Coroner Dugu died? How is that possible? He gave me his word.