White Cat Legend (Da li si ri zhi / The Journal of Dali Temple / 大理寺少卿游)

Take it easy.

It's still the same as before.

It's lit.

Put your things down.

Give it to me.

What's wrong?

I want to work to do.

To be honest, I feel anxious.

Anxious about what?

How do I put it?

I just feel uneasy.

This is the Court of Judicial Review.

I'm the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

You don't have to

feel uneasy here.

Let me put it this way.

Like,

if you give me some land

in my hometown,

I feel at ease

when I tend to the land.

But here,

I don't know what to do,

so...

How about

I help you tidy the place up?

Don't bother.

You're new here.

It's inevitable that there are things

you're not used to.

It'll get better.

How about this?

In the future,

how about

you just do

what I tell you to do?

Sure.

Give me some thoroughwort.

Yes, I have it.

Where is it?

It's okay.

Give me some more.

Chen Shi.

I blame you all for telling me

about the new vice minister's past stories last night.

It was quite scary

and I got nightmares.

I dreamed that the Dengwen Drum

kept sounding even when no one beat it.

I couldn't sleep well all night.

You didn't sleep well?

The first half of the night, you tossed and turned.

The second half, your snores were thunderous.

You didn't sleep well?

I was the one who didn't sleep well.

I couldn't control myself.

What's wrong with you?

Are you okay?

Look at him.

He's so sleepy that he's talking nonsense.

It's a foreign language.

He's talking in his sleep too.

The situation today

doesn't feel right.

Are they

isolating us?

They

can do whatever they want.

We are

following

our new vice minister now.

Besides,

we just solved the Demon Cat Case.

We're proud.

You just need to stop snoring.

That'll be more helpful than anything else.

Don't say useless things.

It's almost past seven.

Why are

the two vice ministers unseen?

This is bad.

With this situation,

whichever vice minister comes first

will definitely be at a disadvantage,

understand?

Excuse me.

Excuse me. Have some steamed buns.

Have some steamed buns.

Come on.

There are steamed buns.

One for each.

Have some buns.

I want one too.

Here.

I'll have one. It smells good.

Hot buns!

Chen Shi?

These buns

are tasting better and better.

Yes.

-Chen Shi. -One for each.

Chen Shi!

Chen Shi!

Mr. Wang.

Here, Mr. Wang.

Mr. Wang,

here, have a bun.

Why are you in the Court of Judicial Review?

Didn't you leave?

I'm back.

Mr. Li asked me to come back.

Here, Mr. Cui.

Here, have some buns.

Thank you.

I came late today.

From now on,

don't mind the formalities.

Just do your best.

Chen Shi.

Mr. Li.

I think you all know each other.

In the future,

he'll be my attendant scribe.

Was everyone present

at attendance call today?

Madam,

everyone was present.

He lost...

Vice Minister Li just took office.

As soon as he showed up.

We should celebrate for a few more days,

but it just happens to be

the time for evaluations and assessments.

We don't have time

to do other things.

Vice Minister Li, you might not know yet.

All levels of officials

are assessed during Meng Chun every year.

Those who fail

have to find another job.

Who came up with this system?

It makes me anxious every year.

I know.

All the officials of the Court of Judicial Review,

with no exceptions,

are evaluated and rewarded based on merit

during Meng Chun.

Anyone who fails their duty

will not be tolerated.

I can never celebrate the holiday.

Merit determines one's fate.

If I find out

who created the system,

I will never forgive him.

Back then, I was the one

who proposed

this system to the former Minister of Judicial Review.

At first, it was only used in Mingjing Hall,

but it was quite effective,

so it was later implemented throughout the entire Court of Judicial Review.

Vice Minister Li's Mingjing Hall

has two judicial commissioners,

one chief clerk,

and one judge who hasn't become official yet.

Other than the Demon Cat Case,

these four subordinates

did not solve

many cases

in the last year.

However, since Vice Minister Li is in charge,

I don't need to worry anymore.

If there's nothing else,

today's attendance call

is adjourned.

Let's go.

Let's go.

You four get ready.

Come to the Mingjing Hall to report on your work this afternoon.

Yes.

Thank you all

for your help with the Demon Cat Case.

Don't mention it.

We didn't really help.

If it weren't for your guidance

along the way,

we wouldn't have

been able to exert our skills

no matter how skilled we are.

It's our honor to work with you

to solve the Demon Cat Case.

It's our duty.

Besides,

the Mingjing Hall

is your home,

while we

are subordinates of the Mingjing Hall.

If you have any orders,

we are solely at your command.

Well said.

Sir, you flatter me.