A League of Nobleman Episode 1 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Hong Luo, a merchant from the Yueliang Kingdom, entered Ning'an City in the Yong Kingdom, ostensibly for trade in the Dafu Market within the Anle Community. However, he exploited his minor royal background to gather and sell intelligence internationally. Lan Jue, a Vice Minister of Rites, learned that Hong Luo had obtained a secret letter he had written to the Nandong Kingdom.
Fearing that Guo Yun would acquire this letter and use it to accuse him of treason, a capital offense, Lan Jue set a plan in motion to retrieve the letter before Guo Yun could. Lan Jue's subordinates attempted to test Hong Luo and discovered the letter was hidden inside a bead on his belt.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ping, a scholar with a knack for deductive reasoning and a passion for solving cases, was making a living selling noodles in Ning'an City while preparing for the imperial examinations. Hong Luo arrived at a restaurant, Zui Wan Chun, and tied his horse directly in front of Zhang Ping's noodle stall, sparking an initial argument between them over the violation of city regulations.
Once inside the restaurant, Hong Luo remained highly vigilant, making it difficult for Lan Jue's subordinates to retrieve the bead. Observing this, Lan Jue ordered a bowl of noodles from Zhang Ping's stall to be delivered to Hong Luo's table. When Zhang Ping brought the noodles and demanded payment, it created a second disturbance with Hong Luo. During this engineered distraction, Lan Jue's subordinate successfully stole the bead from Hong Luo's belt.
Upon realizing his bead was missing, Hong Luo detained Zhang Ping and ordered everyone in the restaurant searched, preventing anyone from leaving. The restaurant owner, aware of Zhang Ping's investigative skills, suggested he help find the missing bead. Zhang Ping, recalling the events and noticing subtle clues like a fine scratch on Hong Luo's belt where the bead was, quickly deduced he had been manipulated.
He examined the scene further and concluded that a dancer and another customer had collaborated to transfer the bead, hiding it in the eye of a chub fish served in a dish. By inquiring about the fish order, Zhang Ping learned it was for guests in the Chunguang Pavilion on the second floor, realizing the person who planned the theft was located on the second floor.
Lan Jue witnessed Zhang Ping's swift deductions and, having secured the bead through his subordinate, quickly left the restaurant with his men. Zhang Ping saw the carriage carrying the suspect leave the restaurant. Using his knowledge of Ning'an City's layout, he attempted a shortcut to intercept the carriage, but despite his efforts, he failed to catch up.
Hong Luo thanked Zhang Ping for his help in finding the bead, but Zhang Ping, recalling he was manipulated, only requested the two pennies to replace his broken bowl and the cost of the noodles, declining any further reward. Disheartened, Zhang Ping returned to his noodle stall, where his friend Chen Chou complained about the poor day's earnings. As they cleaned up, passing scholars mocked Zhang Ping for selling noodles on the street as a scholar, deeming it a disgrace.
At this moment, Lan Jue appeared and defended Zhang Ping, stating that all professions—scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant—are fundamental to the state and hold no inherent highness or lowness. Lan Jue's identity and words silenced the mocking scholars, who then left. Chen Chou eagerly introduced Zhang Ping to Lan Jue, but Zhang Ping remained reserved, answering Lan Jue's questions with brief replies. Lan Jue learned that Zhang Ping was a poor orphan supporting himself by selling noodles.
He offered to recommend Zhang Ping for an easy job as an accountant in a wealthy household, or even his own. However, Zhang Ping declined, stating his sole ambition was to join the Court of Judicial Review (大理寺) to solve cases and find the renowned detective Mu Yesheng, whose book 'Strange Night Talk' he greatly admired.
Chen Chou doubted Mu Yesheng's existence or presence in the Court of Judicial Review, suggesting the book might be fiction, but Zhang Ping insisted the book's realism proved Mu Yesheng must be or have been there. Later, while tidying his stall, Zhang Ping reconsidered the restaurant incident.
He noticed the futons in Chunguang Pavilion seemed unused, reinforcing his suspicion that he was deliberately led there as a distraction while the real perpetrator, likely someone of high status observing from elsewhere (such as the adjacent Feiyu Pavilion, as he suspected), orchestrated the events and escape. The daylight theft had alerted Hong Luo to being targeted, making a direct retrieval difficult.
Lan Jue planned to exploit Hong Luo's known weakness for women by having Miss Xie Hao of Banyue Pavilion retrieve the bead. Lan Jue discussed the political motive behind Guo Yun's actions, noting that Guo Yun was aiming for the position of Minister of Rites (礼部尚书) and had gone to extreme lengths, including trying to obtain the secret letter, to harm Lan Jue.
Lan Jue admitted that in the political arena, he wouldn't be lenient either if he had such leverage. Chen Chou expressed regret that Zhang Ping had turned down Lan Jue's offer to become his protégé, seeing it as a valuable opportunity, but Zhang Ping remained resolute about his goal of entering the Court of Judicial Review to find Mu Yesheng.
Still suspicious of the person who used him, Zhang Ping recalled smelling Spring Amomum tea at the restaurant and believed the culprit suffered from stomach problems, as this tea is often drunk by those with such ailments. He connected this to his observations of Lan Jue's behavior and asked Chen Chou to investigate if Lan Jue had a stomach ailment. Hearing a subordinate mention Lan Jue having stomach issues, Zhang Ping decided to search for evidence.
They secretly entered Lan Jue's mansion, looking for discarded Spring Amomum dregs, but were discovered. Brought before Lan Jue, Chen Chou fumbled for excuses about admiring him and wanting to know his preferences for gift-giving. Zhang Ping directly asked Lan Jue if he drank tea with Spring Amomum because of a stomach issue.
Lan Jue showed them Alpinia zerumbet (艳山姜), explaining it resembled Spring Amomum but was a different spice used for flavor, not for treating stomach problems, and denied having any stomach issues. With no evidence found, Lan Jue chose not to press charges for trespassing, and Zhang Ping and Chen Chou quickly left, still unsure but with their suspicions unresolved. Three days passed.
Chen Chou learned Lan Jue was hosting his birthday banquet at Banyue Pavilion that evening and proposed they attend to offer a gift and make amends for their intrusion. Initially reluctant, Zhang Ping suddenly recalled that the carriage he had chased near the Dafu Market had stepped in red paint.
He agreed to go to Banyue Pavilion and upon arrival, discreetly examined the hooves of a horse, confirming the presence of the red paint stain on a horse attached to Lan Jue's carriage. This observation validated his suspicion that Lan Jue was indeed the person behind the incident that day. At the Banyue Pavilion, Lan Jue's birthday banquet was underway, attended by prominent figures including Minister of Rites Gong Songming.
Lan Jue served simple fare, including rouge rice porridge from Guangling, Minister Gong's hometown, a gesture of thoughtfulness towards his teacher. As a gift, he presented Gong with collected handprints of babies born in Zichuan County after a severe flood disaster years prior, saved by Gong's relief efforts, symbolizing the gratitude of the people for saving their lives. While acknowledging Lan Jue's deep consideration, Minister Gong stated he could not recommend him for the position of Minister of Rites.
Zhang Ping located Lan Jue at the banquet and directly confronted him, presenting his evidence of the red paint on the horse's hooves and accusing him of being the one who orchestrated the bead theft at the restaurant. He demanded to know the truth and sought compensation for his broken bowl and wasted noodles. Lan Jue denied the accusation, dismissing Zhang Ping's evidence as circumstantial and his deductions as fanciful, suggesting he write plays instead.
Zhang Ping insisted he would continue to search for more conclusive proof. Lan Jue warned Zhang Ping against further unfounded accusations and malicious slander, but offered him money for books if he was financially struggling, which Zhang Ping refused, reiterating he only wanted the compensation he was owed and the truth. While at the banquet, Zhang Ping spotted Hong Luo among the guests. He then observed Lan Jue heading towards the backstage area.
This piqued Zhang Ping's suspicion, leading him to believe Lan Jue might be arranging for Xie Hao to steal the bead from Hong Luo again and planned to retrieve it from the backstage. Lan Jue went backstage expecting to find the bead there as planned, but instead discovered it was gone.
In its place was a note stating that someone had taken the bead and would reveal his crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason at midnight (子时) that night. As this unfolded backstage, the puppet dance performance on stage took a horrifying turn. During her performance, Miss Xie Hao was consumed by fire, self-immolating on stage.
As she burned, banners appeared on either side of the stage bearing the stark message: "When a puppet does evil, his master must be executed; The corrupt official is here now, ruining our Great Yong." Panic erupted among the attendees as the scene unfolded.
