Resumen del episodio 45 de The Longest Day in Chang'an
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On the fourteenth day of the first month of the third year of Tianbao, in the hour of Mao, General Gan Shoucheng of the Right Cavalry intercepted the Crown Prince's carriage. He declared he was ordered to arrest the suspect for His Majesty's assassination.
The Crown Prince warned Gan Shoucheng that the Right Counselor would make him take the blame for such an act and that anyone who murdered a royal would always be an outcast, regardless of who became the future emperor. Despite this, Gan Shoucheng nearly ordered the attack, but He Zhizheng and Prince Ning's grandson arrived with their men, thwarting his plan. He Zhizheng sternly questioned Gan Shoucheng, accusing him of being a reject of the Right Counselor.
He advised Gan Shoucheng to retreat, promising to forget what he had witnessed. The Crown Prince, not holding a grudge, also told Gan Shoucheng to retreat, stating he had already forgotten the incident. Gan Shoucheng immediately knelt, vowing his loyalty and then withdrew his troops. To prevent further attacks, He Zhizheng then instructed Prince Ning's grandson to escort the Crown Prince to a safe place, suggesting they wait until daybreak.
Meanwhile, Li Bi confidently returned to the Jing'an Si, where Ji Wen ordered Commander Zhao to kill him. Li Bi called Ji Wen a fool, warning him not to compete with the Right Counselor for merit. He suggested Ji Wen send him to the Right Counselor for interrogation to help solidify his case against the Crown Prince. Undecided, Ji Wen ordered Li Bi to be locked up.
From a jailer, Li Bi learned that the Royal Escort and Right Cavalry at Jing'an Si were now under Commander Zhao's command. Li Bi found himself in the same cell as Cheng Shen and Wang Wenxiu. He asked Cheng Shen, whom he knew to be intelligent, to help him locate His Majesty.
Cheng Shen, concerned, asked Li Bi what he would do if the real culprit turned out to be connected to the Crown Prince, warning that Li Bi would be dragged down and his ambitions crushed. Li Bi, however, declared that his personal fate was unimportant; his duty was to solve the case, find the real culprit, and protect Chang'an, just as Zhang Xiaojing would.
Cheng Shen attempted to send a message to Ji Wen via a Right Cavalry guard, but Commander Zhao intercepted the guard. Claiming Ji Wen was asleep, Zhao entered the cell to negotiate with Cheng Shen, promising to share the credit if Cheng Shen revealed what he knew. As Cheng Shen leaned in to whisper, Li Bi seized the opportunity and knocked Commander Zhao unconscious.
Upon learning that He Zhizheng had rescued the Crown Prince, Lin Jiulang inwardly rejoiced, seeing it as further proof of the Crown Prince's insubordination. He ordered all city gates sealed and increased guards to search for His Majesty, believing that the Emperor's return would ensure the Crown Prince's downfall. Concurrently, Tan Qi drove the carriage towards the Huaiyuan Street gate, observing twelve Right Cavalry guards and anticipating a search.
Inside, Long Bo warned His Majesty not to reveal his identity, threatening to kill him if they were discovered. His Majesty pleaded for release, offering Long Bo and Zhang Xiaojing general titles and the promise to protect Great Tang forever. Long Bo scoffed at the offer, intending to kill the Emperor, but Zhang Xiaojing held a blade to Long Bo, stopping him. A Right Cavalry squad leader then boarded the carriage for inspection.
Zhang Xiaojing claimed he and Long Bo were brothers, soldiers from Longyou returning home for the New Year. His Majesty's sudden coughing drew suspicion from the squad leader. Long Bo quickly lied that His Majesty was their father. The Emperor then played along, loudly complaining that his "sons" were fighting over family property while he was still alive and declared that his hard-earned "family property" should be shared with the world.
Believing him to be a mad old man, the squad leader let them pass. Long Bo, however, understood the hidden meaning in His Majesty's words, questioning if he truly intended to share the country. His Majesty simply advised that the sooner he was sent back, the better it would be for the people of Chang'an.
Worried that the Right Cavalry squad leader would eventually realize the truth and pursue them, Tan Qi suggested they proceed on foot via a shortcut to Daji Tavern. Back at Jing'an Si, Li Bi, coercing Commander Zhao, compelled him to order the Right Cavalry to arrest Ji Wen, declaring him the true culprit. Li Bi promised Zhao Canjun that he would take all the blame for the order.
Zhao Canjun, with Li Bi's command token, reluctantly complied, and Ji Wen was apprehended and tied up. With the Jing'an Si Commissioner's token, Li Bi reclaimed control of Jing'an Si, releasing Wang Wenxiu and Cheng Shen. Cheng Shen voiced concern that Lin Jiulang would send troops if he learned of Ji Wen's arrest, an attack that Jing'an Si, with only twenty to thirty men, could not withstand.
Li Bi ordered the front gate sealed, stressing the urgency of finding His Majesty to clear the Crown Prince's name. He Zhizheng and Prince Ning's grandson then escorted the Crown Prince to Jing'an Si. Li Bi arranged for the Crown Prince to rest in the secret room of Jinglong Temple, guarded by the Royal Escort. He advised the Crown Prince not to contact any officials for the moment, to prevent widespread turmoil.
The Crown Prince felt Li Bi suspected him of attempting to seize the throne. He Zhizheng offered Li Bi a cup of tea. Li Bi drank it without hesitation and promptly fainted. He Zhizheng explained to the Crown Prince that Li Bi was a loyal and honest man, destined for great use, and he did not wish him to be further entangled in the current conspiracy.
He had therefore drugged Li Bi to protect him and advised the Crown Prince to remain hidden until His Majesty's return. After securing the Crown Prince, He Zhizheng dispatched Zhao Canjun to inform Lin Jiulang that he would remain at Jing'an Si until His Majesty's return. He warned that if Lin Jiulang dared to obstruct him, future generations of literati would curse him in their writings, ensuring his eternal infamy.
Zhao Canjun, still shaken, departed immediately, He Zhizheng jokingly offering him "medicine for insanity" for his mother. Outside, Master Ji and his daughter, Ji Jiang, sought shelter from the freezing weather and the increased checkpoints, arriving at Daji Tavern. Long Bo, fearing they would expose their location, tied up Master Ji. Tan Qi quickly covered Ji Jiang's eyes to shield her from seeing her father bound. His Majesty then danced a "formation dance" to comfort the crying child.
Zhang Xiaojing urged Long Bo to use the tavern's wine transportation passports, which bore the names of workers, to escape the city, and to release the frightened commoners. Long Bo, however, declared his intention to kill His Majesty in a busy street at daybreak. Zhang Xiaojing vehemently opposed this, stating that Chang'an was his home.
He pressed Long Bo, demanding to know who sent him the message that brought him to Chang'an, having searched for him for so many years without success. Long Bo refused to answer, leading to a fierce confrontation between the two. Zhang Xiaojing then ordered Tan Qi to leave and report their situation.
