【Multi | FULL】EP25 The assassin is the mute slave’s younger brother! | 唐朝诡事录之西行 | iQIYI
[English subtitles are available] [Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty II To the West] [Episode 25] A place without a curfew. It’s still so bustling at this late hour. Great! What’s great about this? It looks prosperous, but it’ll definitely cause chaos and more crimes. Lu Lingfeng, let me ask you. Who should decide whether a policy is good or not? Policies should be in accordance with the law and be welcomed by the people. Who taught you to be so smooth? You can’t have it both ways. I think the public’s opinion is the most important. Public opinion is important, but one cannot abuse power for personal gain. The guy called Sima Liang is the sheriff and also the biggest wine merchant. An official is not supposed to do business. Who knows if he lifted the curfew for the people or for his business? It’s hard to say. Look at you. You… What? You have a problem? I’m just your personal secretary. I wouldn’t dare. I’ll denounce him to the magistrate tomorrow. Well, Sheriff Lu, as your personal secretary, may I give you a little piece of advice? Don’t be sarcastic. Go ahead. The curfew has been lifted, and everyone’s enjoying their night. Once you take office, you try to bring the curfew back. I’m afraid the people won’t like it. As the old saying goes, don’t retrace your steps. Keep this kind of nonsense to yourself in the future. I’ll go out for a walk with Yingtao later. We want to enjoy the hustle and bustle of Yunding’s night market before you take office. You… [County] Lamb skewers! Come and have a look. Delicious lamb skewers! [Nan’s Liquor Store]
[Three myrobalan decoction] Traditional Persian wine! No one can resist it! Three myrobalan decoction. Three myrobalan decoction. Three myrobalan decoction. Give it a try! The three myrobalans are amola, balia, and halila. I think the decoction is a kind of wine that’s made up of the three fruits. Why don’t we try it? Sure. Lu Lingfeng. Are you going to the night market? Let’s go together. Why would I go there? Then, are you here to see me? Come on in. Wolf Tendon. Wolf Tendon. Treasure on sale! For people who can see its value, it’s a steal! Wolf Tendon! Wolf Tendon! Wolf Tendon! You’re exaggerating. The Wolf Tendon is a great thing. To treat my mother’s illness, I’ll sell it for just 100 coins. Isn’t that a steal? 100 coins? 100 coins. What do you want it for? Is this really a wolf’s tendon? It’s a twenty-year-old Wolf Tendon. A twenty-year-old Wolf Tendon for only 100 coins? In Chang’an, it’ll be priced at 300 coins at least. Even in Yunding, I think it’s worth 150 coins. How about this? I’ll buy one with 150 coins. You… 150 coins? Great! Wait, sir. This one is real. That’s more like it. You have some honesty left in you. So you saw through it from the start and were testing me. I shouldn’t have lied. But it’s true that I need to sell the Wolf Tendon to treat my mother. This is the only real Wolf Tendon I have. Selling it may not be enough. Regardless of your intention, when doing business, you must be honest. You’ve given me the real one, but I can only pay you 100 coins. You tried to deceive me, and that cost you 50 coins. I’m doing this to teach you a lesson. Thank you for the lesson, sir. I won’t do it again. Here. Let’s go. You know what? When I served as the sheriff of Wugong, I always wanted to buy a Wolf Tendon in case of emergency, but I never bought one. It’s surprising that they sell all kinds of things at Yunding’s night market. What is it for? Soften it in water and eat it? It’s not for eating. Let me tell you. It’s said that the Wolf Tendon can detect lies. For example, in a theft case, how do you tell the real thief from the other suspects? In this scenario, you just need to burn the Wolf Tendon. Once the smoke rises, the mouth of the real thief will keep twitching. Really? Sir! Thank you! Thank you! You gave him 150 coins nonetheless? He said you’re welcome. Hope your mother gets better soon. Hold it. Sit still. It won’t be long. Why do you want to draw me at this late hour? It’s for a reason. People here only hang out at night. I want to sell portraits at the night market. I’m trying it with you to see how many portraits I can draw in one night. Then I can calculate how long I need to draw to buy Chicken Fed Eternal Drunkenness. No way! Why do you want to sell portraits at the night market? Can’t I paint portraits to make money? Not at the night market! What’s wrong? Who are you? You broke into someone’s bedroom yet are asking me who I am. Step aside. I don’t want to kill you. Yunding has good wine. It’s easy to get drunk. You must be drunk. Where is that person? Hand him over. So you’re another assassin from Chang’an. Tell me. Who sent you here? I’m not an assassin! I was scared to death. I woke up as soon as he came in. I didn’t dare to move and pretended to snore. I breathed a sigh of relief when you came in. Let me go! Or send me to the government office. You have no right to interrogate me! Judging from your wording, you’re literate. Then, sorry, I have to show you something. See it? On our way here, we arrested criminals and investigated cases. The Imperial Censor gave us the right. How dare you! Were you sent from Chang’an to kill Su Wuming? Who hired you? Tell us the truth, or you’ll die! Interrogating me? Interrogate him first! Where did he get that copper coin? Copper coin? Don’t deny it. I saw it with my own eyes! You mean this? Yes. Where have you taken my brother? Is he still alive? Your brother? Well, are you sure this is your brother’s copper coin? I’m sure. Your brother is a mute? You made my brother mute? Sit down! Sit down. Let me explain it to you. Sit. I got this copper coin when we passed Hanzhou. A mute slave with distorted features shoved it into my hand. Distorted features? Why would my brother have distorted features? So, maybe you’re mistaken. This is just an ordinary copper coin. It’s not special at all. No. Copper coins are common, but the red string on that one was made by my mother for my brother and me before she died. Reach into my pocket. I have one too. They’re indeed the same. Let me ask you. What does your brother look like? We look alike. But he has a mole between his brows. That guy didn’t look like you. But he did have a mole between his eyebrows. Brother. How did you become mute? How did you become a slave? Su Wuming, I remember you were very confused at that time. Why did that mute slave come to you and give you this copper coin? I remember. At that moment, someone was saying that I was Detective Di’s disciple. Detective Di’s disciple? Di Renjie has been dead for a long time. I never heard of any of his disciples. Don’t be rude! The two men in front of you are both Detective Di’s disciples. Detective Di solved many strange cases. He’s very famous. That mute slave must have heard Detective Di’s name, and that’s why he gave this coin to you. You have a point. If that mute slave was really his brother, judging from his behavior and expressions, he must have had an accident. I guess so, too. And obviously, that mute slave was not entirely sane. I think the mention of Detective Di triggered some memories. That’s why he gave me this copper coin. Brother. What have you been through? What’s your brother’s name? Zhao Lei. Lei means thunder. Okay. Later, I’ll write to Ma Meng, the Judicial Adjutant of Hanzhou. If that mute slave is really your brother, we’ll take care of him. Why should I trust you? Didn’t you see what I showed you just now? To tell you the truth, this gentleman is the new sheriff of Yunding County, Lu Lingfeng. I don’t buy it. If you’re the sheriff, why are you staying in an inn? I think he’s not sane either. Listen. You don’t have to believe he’s the sheriff. But you need to tell us more about you and your brother. Fed. Untie him. Do it. My name is Zhao Yu. My brother and I are twins. We were born on a stormy night. [Zhao Yu] It thundered first and then rained. That’s how we got our names. We’re from Qinzhou. I practiced martial arts in my early days and then traveled around. My brother studied hard, trying to become an official. A while ago, I went back home but didn’t see my brother. The neighbors said he had left for Yunding two years ago to seek help from a classmate called Song Shang. I waited for my brother at home for half a year, but he never returned, so I came to Yunding to look for him, only to find out that Song Shang was the magistrate’s assistant. I was your brother’s classmate, but I’ve been working here for 3 years. He’s never visited me. Maybe he passed Yunding and went straight to Shazhou. They’ve been digging out caves in Dunhuang. Zhao Lei is a Buddhist, right? Have you really never seen my brother? What do you mean? Please don’t get me wrong. I’m just very worried about my brother. He said he was coming to you. I have work to do. For the sake of Zhao Lei, I’ll let you leave yourself. You’ve been here for half a month. Judging from what you did today, you must’ve been investigating all along. You may have gotten some clues. Not yet. Lu Lingfeng. Yunding is not Ju County. Wuming was the military commander back then. He could protect you. But now, you are just a sheriff. People around you may not be so nice to you. You must keep your temper. Don’t get provoked too easily. I know you don’t like me nagging. I just want you to be careful. Don’t worry. I won’t go to the government office alone. He’s going with me. Su Wuming. Hurry up. I thought you could do it alone. Lu Lingfeng, why do you have to take me to report to the county government with you? I need to let them know about you. I’m a nobody, just a commoner. Whether they know me or not is not important. With the company of Wuming, a nobody, my nagging just now was unnecessary. Let’s go. Wait a moment. Come here. Come. He spent 150 coins on this? Yes. I was there with him. I’ve never seen you so generous before. You and I are fellow disciples. You’re taking office as the sheriff today. As your senior, I should give you a little gift. Can the Wolf Tendon really detect lies? In folk tales, yes. The unscrupulous even used those tales to swindle money. Of course. The wise can make something out of those tales. I see. Thank you. [Yunding County Government] Come on. Have a seat. He’s here? How can you fall asleep now? I went to the night market last night. I couldn’t help but drink a little too much. Sitting in the sun like this makes me sleepy. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Lu Lingfeng. Greetings… This way. Let’s talk inside. Let’s talk inside. I’m Lu Lingfeng from Fanyang. I’m here to take up the post of sheriff. Greetings, Magistrate. Last night, while drinking, I mentioned that it was time for you to come. Otherwise, the deadline set by the court would pass. Here are the imperial edict and the official certificate. Lu Lingfeng from Fanyang. A man… A man of integrity and honor. Sure enough. You’re a descendant of the Northern General of the Imperial Guards. I just arrived in Yunding, but I’m already aware of the local customs. With due respect, it’s not even noon yet. Why are you already drunk? The magistrate loves drinking, so everyone drinks, which boosts the business of people in Yunding who make wine for their livelihoods and convinces more outsiders that Yunding is the county of wine. As a result, the wine here sells better. Therefore, drinking itself has become work. Mr. Song knows very well how to be an official in Yunding. However, I haven’t had a chance to drink yet. I’m having a hangover from working too hard last night. I’m Song Shang, the magistrate’s assistant. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lu. I have a question, Mr. Song. The magistrate worked too hard last night and couldn’t come to work this morning. Why were you late? Mr. Lu, are you blaming us for coming late? Actually, you came early. Yunding is the county of wine. Everyone here is used to drinking at night and sleeping in the morning. So, the county government doesn’t start work such that we only start working and handling affairs in the afternoon. Does this comply with the imperial court’s regulations? Let’s talk about the regulations another time. Sheriff Lu, ever since I learned you were coming to Yunding, I have been looking forward to it day and night. Our ancestors had a deep relationship. Your ancestors are… Could it be the awe-inspiring Grand Commandant Huangfu of the Later Han Dynasty? Exactly! My apologies, my apologies! We should have a drink since we met today. Definitely! One is a descendant of the Northern General of the Imperial Guards, Lu Zhi. And your ancestor was the Grand Commandant Huangfu Song. These are all prominent figures of the Later Han Dynasty. If I remember correctly, back then, Grand Commandant Huangfu even saved the Northern General of the Imperial Guards. Sheriff Lu, oh Sheriff Lu, coming to Yunding to take office, you’ve come to the right place. You are… I am… He is… How should I put it? He’s currently my personal secretary, Su– No need to mention his name. There’s no such thing as a personal secretary. I think he must be a close servant of Sheriff Lu. He takes care of your matters along the way. But now that you’ve arrived at Yunding, it’s no longer appropriate to call him a secretary. It may cause misunderstandings. It’s better to address him as a butler. Magistrate, he… Come, come, come. The welcome feast is ready. Let’s go drink. Let’s go drink. Let’s drink! Please! Please. -Please.
-Please. He… Sheriff Lu, don’t worry. It’s normal for the butler to be standing. Magistrate must think it was a tiring journey for the butler too, that’s why he didn’t ask him to leave. In that case, I thank you, two sirs. How about this? How about I pour some wine for you three officials? Sounds good. Come, come, come. Magistrate. I’ll be frank. There is one thing that I do not understand. That is, why did our county lift the night curfew? Aren’t you afraid of being faulted by the higher-ups? Yunding is located at the junction where merchants must pass through on the east-west trade route. In order to maintain commercial prosperity, we do not impose a night curfew. Merchants and common people are happy with it. The taxes paid have doubled. The city and the governor’s office have never particularly objected to it. But since the founding of the Great Tang, the night curfew has been a strict system. If for the sake of temporary commercial prosperity this rule is broken, not only will the court fault us at any time, it will also give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage of, which will ultimately be detrimental to the safety of the people. How is this exactly the same as Lyu Xianke’s argument. Lyu Xianke? He is the city’s Market Supervisor. He has been in charge of Yunding Market for many years. He’s over 70 years old, and is a man of great virtue and prestige. The orderly commerce in Yunding is largely thanks to him. But regarding the matter of lifting the night curfew, he and the former Sheriff, Sima Liang, had great disagreements and were even on bad terms. If that’s the case, I should pay a visit to this Elder Lyu. He’s missing. He’s missing? Yes. Half a month ago. I specifically held a banquet just to mediate the conflict between Elder Lyu and Sima Liang. But, the two of them each stuck to their own views and argued endlessly. After the banquet ended, I asked Mr. Song and Sima Liang to escort Elder Lyu home together. No need to see me off any further. Someone here holds a grudge against me. [Market Supervisor: Lyu Xianke] He’d want to push me into a ditch. We may have different opinions, but that doesn’t prevent me from respecting the elderly and caring for the young. I am not that petty. You… Both of you, say no more. Besides, Elder Lyu, with your unsteady steps, we must escort you all the way home. No need! The new sheriff sent by the imperial court is already on his way. Sima Liang, do you know why the imperial court is replacing you? It’s nothing more than the fact that I engage in business and sell alcohol. Wrong! It’s because you advocate for lifting the night curfew, It’s against the rules! -That doesn’t matter.
-Do you understand? I don’t care about the mere position of a sheriff. You arrogant fool! Sooner or later, you’ll get what’s coming to you! Darn old bastard. Watch out or you might fall and die! Arrogant fool! Take care, Elder Lyu! It’s my fault. For not escorting him home. Now he’s missing. The city’s Market Supervisor, though not an official role of the county government, he an important figure in Yunding. His disappearance is no small matter. Although Sima Liang was dismissed from his post, before I took office he was still acting as the sheriff. He didn’t investigate this case? He investigated. But I bet he didn’t look into it carefully. Mr. Song. Today we’re drinking a welcome toast today. Let’s discuss these matters later. Welcome to Yunding, Sheriff Lu. From now on the three of us must support each other through thick and thin! Cheers! Welcome, Sheriff Lu! Come on! I invited you, Officer Suo, for a drink today to reminisce about our brotherly bond. Sheriff Sima, you calling me “Officer” sends a chill down my spine. Then what should I call you? Same as before, just call me Longzi. Can I call you Longzi, but you can’t call me Sheriff anymore! From now on, I’ll call you Mr. Sima. Then I’ll call you brother. I will always be your brother. About that matter… Rest assured. I’ve looked for everyone in the county government who ranked below me. Lu won’t know anything. Thank you so much. You treating me to a drink is the greatest honor for me. How could I let you thank me? Song Shang. Prepare everything for Mr. Lu in Yunding. Rest assured, Magistrate. Then I shall take my leave. Your residence has been arranged. It’s enough for you and your servant to stay. It’s not just me and Su Wuming who came to Yunding this time. There are a total of five people. Five people? That’s just perfect! What I have prepared is the mansion where Elder Lyu used to live in. It’s big enough! Isn’t this inappropriate? You are unaware. That mansion previously belonged to a foreign merchant. Because he committed a crime, it was confiscated. Elder Lyu was also just staying there temporarily. Now that he has been missing for over half a month, the mansion has been vacant. It’s perfect for you to be staying there. Please go and have a look first If you are not satisfied, we can change. Su Wuming. Go and check out the mansion with Mr. Song first. I will go to the Western Office to handle some affairs first. You just started your term here, and you’re already going to the Western Office to handle affairs. I admire you. Butler. I heard Sheriff Lu call you Su Wuming. That is my name. This name sounds a bit familiar. Could it be cause it sounds mundane? You look like a scholar but you are too unambitious. Isn’t studying all for passing the imperial exams and making a name for yourself? With a name like Wuming which means nameless, so you can only be someone’s butler. You are right. I have no great ambitions. Being able to serve as Sheriff Lu’s housekeeper [Nan’s Tavern] is already more than I could ask for. Is there anything else? [Righteous and Diligent] Sheriff, all the old case files are here. The Yunding County is huge. There are only these few cases? Moreover, they are all just cases of petty theft. Where is the officer? Well, well… He hasn’t arrived yet. Look at the time. Please calm down, Sheriff. It’s mainly because he didn’t know that today, you are taking office as the new official. What do you mean? If I weren’t taking office, could he simply not come? I’m here! The new Sheriff is here? Where is he? Here. I am the officer of Yunding County, Suo Long. [Officer: Suo Long] Nice to meet you. May I have your surname, Sheriff? Fanyang’s Lu Lingfeng. The Lu family of Fanyang. From Hanzhou to Dunhuang, including Yunding, only the natives are important. If you are from Benzhou, it’s only worth mentioning if you’re from the six prestigious clans, Jia, Liao, Yin, Suo, Shi and An Othweise, other surnames don’t carry much weight. So Sheriff, when you are in Yunding, there’s no need to mention Fanyang. Let me ask you. Would you rather be Yelang or the frog in the well? I choose the frog… Sheriff Lu, you laid a trap for me. Officer, Officer. It refers to someone who is older, is familiar with the county government, and is in charge of arrests. At your age… Oh right. Your surname is Suo. A local prestigious clan. You became an officer because of your family’s power, right? It was with my own abilities! The county government only has these few case files and no old cases. From this perspective you and the former sheriff, Sima Liang, have both done your job. Of course. How is your reputation among the constables and runners? Within an hour, gather all the constables and runners on duty over here. regardless of where they are. What are you trying to do? When the former sheriff gave orders, would you question him like this? This is the place. If there are any of Elder Lyu’s belongings inside, gather them into a single room. Thank you, Mr. Song. By the way, Butler. How long have you been with Sheriff Lu? It’s been quite some time. You served as his family’s servant? I heard that when he was a General of the Imperial Guards, he was deeply entrusted by the Crown Prince at that time, who is now the Emperor. That is indeed true. Then why is he demoted? As for the details, I’m but a mere butler, I wouldn’t know. However… However what? However, during this westward journey, Sheriff Lu has been in very good spirits and often laughing heartily. When passing through Hanzhou, Commander Lu Si’an even specially hosted a banquet for him. I wasn’t allowed to accompany them at that time But when Grand Commander Lu saw him off, he kept entreating Sheriff Lu, asking Sheriff Lu to put in a few good words for him in front of His Majesty when he returns to the capital. I get it now. I get it now! His Majesty must’ve sent him to Yunding to gain experience. In the future… I think so. Thank you, Butler Su for revealing so much to me. I can’t, I can’t. Take this. If you encounter anything in Yunding, just tell me. Including your own matters. I also serve as the Market Overseer of this county. If you want to do some small business or something, it can be done. It can be done. Sheriff. Hows this? In less than an hour, you’ve gathered everyone. Officer Suo, you’re quite something. Get back to your work. What? Lu Lingfeng, you’re deliberately messing with me? Why? Don’t I, the sheriff, have this authority? The imperial court sent you to be the sheriff. You have the power to order me around. But if you’re messing with me, aren’t you afraid you’ll have a bad time in Yunding? Let me apologize to you then. Enough! I don’t need your apology. Then what should I do? I want to see if you, as the sheriff, are competent for the job or not. What do you mean? As the official in charge of catching thieves, you need to be able to catch the thieves. There are many thieves skilled in martial arts. Sheriff Lu. We all doubt if you’re up to the task. You all doubt me? But whether I’m capable or not is not for me to say, right? Then let me, Suo Long, test you out on behalf of the brothers. Officer Suo. You can’t do this. Step aside. If you insist, then bring it on. Enough! With your skill level, you’re not even worthy of sparring with me. What did you say? I think you’re just afraid of embarrassing yourself cause you can’t win. Sheriff Lu! Spare my life! Spare me! I was blind! Blind! -Bro!
-Officer Suo!
-Officer! Are you all right? -Slowly.
-Are you okay? Let me ask you. Am I worthy? Yes… Yes! What about you guys? Yes! Then hurry up and stand in formation! Line up, line up. Line up, line up, quickly. There’s something I want to ask. After taking office today, I saw the number of case files at the county government was no more than 10 in total. Based on my previous experience, for a county, especially for a large county at a strategic location like Yunding, to only have these few case files is very unusual. Let me ask you are there really only these few case files in the country government? You, speak. It’s really just these. Then you tell me, are there case files stored anywhere else? N-No. No. No. Sheriff Lu. I’m in charge of guarding the old case files. Didn’t I tell you before? That’s all we have. Suo Long. It seems you’re not only good at your job, you’re also quite influential in this county government. Since none of you are telling the truth, I’ll have no choice but to invite him. This thing is called Wolf Tendon. Wolves generally live around 15 years. But if you get the leg tendon from a 20-year-old wolf, it’s a treasure. By smoking this item, I can tell who’s lying. Sheriff Lu, don’t scare us. We’re all honest people. You don’t believe it? After all, Yunding is remote after all. You probably haven’t even heard of the legends from Chang’an and Luoyang. Back when Detective Di was solving cases, he once used this object to uncover the thief in the palace. How could you know things of the palace? I am untalented, but I am indeed Detective Di’s disciple. Detective Di has been dead for so many years yet you claim to be his disciple at this age. Who would believe that? Believe it or not. I will now smoke this item. The liar’s lips will twitch uncontrollably. As to whether I am Detective Di’s disciple or not, you will naturally know after the lie detection. You! You! And you! You! You. Step ahead.