A League of Nobleman Episode 12 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
Zhang Ping located the construction workers and informed them that the phoenix head was not made of pure gold but was copper painted gold, and that the ruby eyes had been replaced with pieced-together gems, leading him to conclude the phoenix head was a fake. Unexpectedly, the construction workers immediately reported Zhang Ping to the watching guards, accusing him of claiming the Empress Dowager's phoenix head was fake.
Zhang Ping was brought by the guards to see Director Wang, the Director of Palace Construction from the Ministry of Works. The guard reported to Director Wang that Zhang Ping, a helper from the Court of Judicial Review, had disguised himself as a craftsman to infiltrate the Immortal Instrument site and claim the phoenix head was fake.
Director Wang declared that trespassing on the Immortal Instrument site was a serious crime, and making such claims added a double layer of guilt. Zhang Ping explained that he had heard from Mr. Ma, a cleaner at the site, about seeing the "phoenix weeping blood" at night and had come to investigate. He found the phoenix head was a forgery and speculated that the "tears of blood" were likely pieces of the spliced ruby falling off.
Director Wang dismissed Zhang Ping's words as nonsense and ordered him confined to the wood shed, stating he would contact the Court of Judicial Review for an explanation. A registrar from the Court of Judicial Review soon arrived and took Zhang Ping back.
The registrar sternly warned Zhang Ping that the phoenix head represented the Empress Dowager's prestige and that he must not speak carelessly, adding that a small helper like him should not overstep his bounds and should go home to reflect. After returning home, Zhang Ping received an invitation from Qi Zhu. Zhang Ping went to the royal hunting ground and recognized Qi Zhu as the current Emperor.
He had deduced Qi Zhu's true identity from the homophone of his name after their previous meeting, knowing the Emperor's name was Jing Qizhu. The Emperor invited Zhang Ping to try the lamb he had roasted himself, explaining it was a Yantan sheep from Longyou. The Emperor recounted how, after parting ways with Zhang Ping that day, he and his men had ventured deep into the hinterland of Longyou and brought back the rare Yantan sheep.
He lamented the ongoing rebellions by military governors who now controlled the fertile pastures, making such lamb increasingly rare. The Emperor expressed his determination to reclaim all the land in Longyou one day. He also expressed envy for Zhang Ping's ability to pursue his passion, wishing him success in the imperial examination and urging him to be fearless in investigations and see cases through to the truth.
While working at his noodle stall, Zhang Ping overheard people discussing the missing phoenix head. They speculated that the Empress Dowager had seized the Emperor's authority, causing Heaven to take the phoenix head, forcing her to use a fake. The rumor also attributed the origin of this story to Zhang Ping. Due to the spread of these rumors, Director Wang had Zhang Ping brought in for investigation again.
Upon being seized, Zhang Ping unexpectedly saw Mr. Ma being subjected to private torture. Director Wang ordered Zhang Ping to publicly clarify that the rumors were false. However, Zhang Ping maintained that he had not spread rumors and that the phoenix head being fake was simply the truth, a fact he had observed. Seeing Zhang Ping's refusal to deny his claim, Director Wang ordered private torture be used on him as well.
After Zhang Ping was seized, Chen Chou quickly went to the Lan residence to seek Lan Jue's help. Lan Jue arrived at a crucial moment, saving Zhang Ping from torture. Just then, the Empress Dowager arrived at the site, reprimanding Director Wang for attempting to conceal the loss of the phoenix head. Xuan Ji, Chief of Imperial Astronomy, asserted that the widespread rumors were caused by Zhang Ping and that the unrest could not be quelled without punishing him.
Lan Jue intervened, stating that Zhang Ping was his student and, based on his character, would not spread baseless rumors, suggesting that someone else was deliberately using the situation to fabricate rumors. Lan Jue offered to collaborate with Zhang Ping to investigate the case, find the culprit, and debunk the rumors.
The Empress Dowager stated that she never engaged in games with uncertain outcomes and warned Lan Jue that if he failed to find the culprit, he must be prepared to face the consequences. The Empress Dowager decreed that Lan Jue and Zhang Ping had two days to investigate the whereabouts of the phoenix head and identify the mastermind. If they succeeded, all involved would be pardoned from capital punishment.
Back at the Lan residence, Zhang Ping thanked Lan Jue for his assistance that day. Lan Jue advised Zhang Ping that while what he said was true, sometimes speaking the truth was not beneficial because reality, including the Ministry of Works, the Immortal Instrument project, the Court of Judicial Review, and even the entire capital and the Yong Kingdom, would not change because of these truths.
Lan Jue admitted that he had recommended Zhang Ping to work as a helper at the Court of Judicial Review but had arranged for him to work in the archives, fearing he would cause trouble. However, Zhang Ping firmly believed that black was black and white was white, right was right and wrong was wrong, and that it should be so regardless of the circumstances. He promised to find the phoenix head and the thief within the two-day deadline.
Zhang Ping and Lan Jue went to the Immortal Instrument construction site. Zhang Ping asked Director Wang how the phoenix head was lost. Director Wang recounted that ten nights prior, he had made his usual rounds without detecting anything abnormal. That night, however, at midnight, Supervisor Lin, who was on patrol, discovered the phoenix head, scaffolding, and cover cloth were all missing. It was as if the phoenix head had flown away, which seemed mysterious.
Zhang Ping called for Supervisor Lin to detail the circumstances. Supervisor Lin confirmed that when he checked that night, the phoenix head, the scaffolding, the cover cloth, and everything on the scaffolding had vanished completely. He noted that the items currently there were replacements. Zhang Ping found some burned insects at the site, speculating that the thief might have used fire during the crime.
However, open flames were strictly prohibited on the site, and fuel entry and exit were tightly controlled. Lan Jue suggested he review the site's material records while Zhang Ping investigated the method of theft. A day quickly passed. Lan Jue was reviewing the material records at his residence when Wang Yan, having returned from a business trip, rushed in after learning about Lan Jue and Zhang Ping collaborating on the case.
Wang Yan questioned Lan Jue, arguing that if this assignment failed, his ten years of efforts, including the grievance regarding his father's case, would be ruined. Lan Jue explained he hadn't anticipated the Empress Dowager's sudden arrival. He revealed that the difficult part was that the Empress Dowager hoped the mastermind behind the theft was Grand Tutor Liu Xian.
Zhang Ping spent the entire night trying to understand how the thief could steal the phoenix head without manual operation, how they started a fire, and where the fuel came from. He unexpectedly found inspiration from the steam lifting the lid of Chen Chou's teapot while boiling water. He theorized that the fire was used to generate heat.
The thief had used the cover cloth and scaffolding to create a massive Kongming lantern, which then floated away in the night, carrying the phoenix head. Zhang Ping went to the Lan residence to confirm the fuel records. Xu Dong also arrived and informed him of Lan Jue's findings: four barrels of raw tung oil paint were missing from the site. Zhang Ping instructed Xu Dong to tell Lan Jue to gather men and head quickly to Yunxiao Mountain.
