The Dark Lord (夜天子)

Episode 1

In the first year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty,

the Capital city

the Emperor was still young,

so the Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng took charge of the state affairs.

He promoted the new legalism,

enriched both the country and its people.

However,

in the seemingly peaceful days,

there hid

numerous crises.

My name is Ye Xiaotian.

People here all call me "Boss".

Who are the people here?

They are prisoners and also

officials before getting here.

They are all above Grade V.

You may ask what rank I am in.

Have a guess.

Boss.

Another prisoner is coming!

Just wait!

See?

Money comes to me.

I'm the Senior Jailer of this Black Prison Cell Zone. My name is Ye Xiaotian.

Tell me your name.

Your lord, Liu Yong,

is the Vice Director of Ministry of War.

Lord?

There are no lords here.

You are all prisoners.

Tell me.

How much can you offer?

Offer?

For what?

One tael of silver for taking off the shackles.

One for hay on the floor.

Two for a bed.

One mace for a steamed bread.

Five for a steamed bread with meat stuffing.

Two taels for a banquet.

And even

you can have a woman to serve you

if you give me 20 taels.

I am here because I lost the military defense map.

I have no money.

Really?

Fine.

Then you can serve me like they do.

President of the Minister of Justice helps bath me.

Director of the Ministry of Revenue carries water for me.

The Banknote Printing Director helps me change my clothes.

Supervisor of the Censors holds soap for me.

What can you do?

My lord.

He looks rough handed.

How could he serve you?

Right.

A loser from the Ministry of War

is useless, I guess.

Captain Ye.

Mr. Liu is my old friend.

Please show some respect

and don't embarrass him.

Old Man.

Let me tell you.

I know Lord Liu well.

He is honest and upright.

He has no money.

You can't find a coin on him

from head to toes.

If you are telling the truth,

I will never make things difficult for him.

But if you dare to cheat me,

Old Man,

you know what's going to happen.

I don't dare to cheat you.

Old Man.

Are you studying "the Book of Changes"?

It's out of date.

What do you mean?

Do you know how many things are out of date in the world?

Are they really out of date?

Even if they are out of date,

it may become popular someday.

You know nothing, boy!

The knowledge behind it

is extensive and profound.

I've learned a lot from it

even though I know little about it.

I am not like you.

You dress fancy clothes every day to take charge of the prison.

You line your pockets with squeeze.

You resort to bribery.

Luckily, I have some money,

or I can't deal with you.

Old Man.

I got to know a Western monk several days ago.

He taught me

the astrology

deduced from

the Western calendar.

It's more interesting than what you're studying.

What?

Astrology? From the West?

It's incomparable with "the Book of Changes".

They are so different.

Well.

You like telling fortunes for people, don't you?

How about me telling your fortune with this Western calendar?

Alright.

I want to see how you teach fish to swim.

I, firstly, will change your time of birth

into the Western calendar.

You are Virgo.

What?

What am I?

What is it?

Virgo.

Virgo?

You're out of mind.

It's nothing but nonsense.

You're wrong from the very beginning.

You said that on purpose.

I…I am a real man.

You said that I am woman.

That's fine.

But you even said I am Virgo.

You…Non-sense.

Are you praising me or abusing me?

Vir…Go! What the hell is that!

It's not funny. Let me tell you.

You said I am Virgo.

And what about you?

You are eunuch.

No wonder

it's so hard to communicate with you.

It's so hard.

Wordy and sharp tongued.

Two major characteristics of Virgos.

Did I say it right?

Senior Jailer Ye.

I'll come back later.

Yang Lin, the former Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel,

accepted bribery and

conferred official ranks for 70,000 taels of silver

and thus he is sentenced to death by hanging.

What's more, the two tales of silver is

for his last cup of liquor.

It's the time.

This is the money for

your last cup of liquor.

You even take this.

I told you not to accept bribes

if you don't dare to die.

Otherwise, you have to return it back in the end.

Well.

I'll leave you alone.

Captain Ye,

I want to ask you a favor.

Don't say it if you want to make me lose my job.

No no no.

I'll never do that.

I just want you to

help me send a letter to my family.

If you do me such a favor,

I will give you some rewards

and show my sincerity.

Gang up with officials and collude with them.

You are dead if someone finds out that.

I won't gang up with anybody.

Since I was prisoned here,

all officials have cut their connections with me.

I just want to write a letter to my family.

And you only need to take it to them.

That's it?

That's it!

Well, what about the rewards?

How much?

50 taels.

Where is your home?

J-I-N-G and Z-H-O-U. It's not far from here.

Jingzhou.

Jing…

That Jingzhou on the Huguang Road?

It's not far.

It won't take you too much time.

Old Man, are you playing me?

It's over 2,000 km away from here.

I won't go there.

Well.

I'll give you 50 taels.

You go there and then come back soon.

500 taels.

Let me think.

Captain Ye. Captain Ye. Captain Ye.

Lord Ye. Lord Ye. Lord Ye.

500 taels. I will give you 500 tales just for sending a letter.

It's so simple.

Why do you have to think about it?