Resumen del episodio 46 de The Longest Day in Chang'an
> Resúmenes de The Longest Day in Chang'an
Long Bo and Zhang Xiaojing engaged in a fierce struggle, with the Emperor observing from the side, each refusing to yield. Long Bo accused Zhang Xiaojing of never genuinely intending to help him, while Zhang Xiaojing countered, condemning Long Bo for involving Wen Ran, which led to her tragic death. Long Bo told Zhang Xiaojing that if he had listened, both of them could have lived. Their fight continued without a clear victor.
As dawn approached at five o'clock, Tan Qi rushed towards the Jing'an Si. Inside, He Zhizheng ordered the Royal Escort to remove Cheng Shen, who insisted he could investigate Long Bo's case, claiming to have witnessed all the events at the Jing'an Si and daring He Zhizheng to learn the truth. Cheng Shen then directly accused He Zhizheng of being the mastermind behind the plot to enthrone the Crown Prince and assassinate both Lin Jiulang and the Emperor.
He Zhizheng vehemently denied the accusations. Cheng Shen presented evidence, referencing how He Zhizheng had destroyed the Chang'an layout model and repeatedly predicted the city's demise shortly after Li Bi began his investigation. He Zhizheng explained that the previous night, after a drink with the Emperor, his advice to not entrust the nation to Lin Jiulang was ignored. A fortune-teller, Jiao Sui, had then predicted Chang'an would fall into chaos within ten years, bathed in blood.
He Zhizheng lamented his advanced age, saying that if he were ten or even five years younger, he would have found a way to make the Emperor change his decree. Cheng Shen understood this was about clearing names, expressing disinterest in such power games. He Zhizheng then pointed out that if someone could meticulously plan to implicate both him and the Crown Prince, that person must be incredibly intelligent, prompting Cheng Shen to agree to investigate.
Cheng Shen, following Li Bi's principle, insisted that no matter the culprit, they must be punished without leniency, to which He Zhizheng agreed wholeheartedly. Zhang Xiaojing and Long Bo continued their relentless fight until both were exhausted and severely wounded. Zhang Xiaojing, haunted by the memory of Wen Ran, expressed a desire to die, seeing it as an apology to Old Wen, Wen Ran's father. Long Bo, however, told him to be patient, as he too missed them.
Long Bo then shared details of Wen Ran's childhood and his own past with Wen Wuji, reminiscing about their camaraderie. He recounted how Wen Wuji had saved his life on the battlefield. Long Bo bitterly declared that the 220 men of his Eighth Division had died due to the then-Minister of Defense, the very Right Counselor whom the Emperor doted on. He told the Emperor he intended to hold him responsible for their deaths.
Wan Da Ji's father attempted to intervene, but Long Bo struck him down with a single punch. Wan Da Ji cried out, asking why his father was killed, and Zhang Xiaojing urged Long Bo to save the old man. Long Bo declared he was there only to murder.
The Emperor intervened, asking Long Bo to allow him to try to save the old man first, after which Long Bo could kill him, challenging Long Bo if he dared not allow it. Meanwhile, Yuan Zai secretly met with Wang Yunxiu. He instructed her to leverage her father's identity to gain He Zhizheng's trust and report every move of the Royal Escort, as He Zhizheng was now in charge of Jing'an Si.
Wang Yunxiu agreed, demanding a handsome payment, to which Yuan Zai promised her all his lifetime income. The Emperor diligently performed emergency first aid, successfully reviving Wan Da Ji's father, bringing tears of joy to Wan Da Ji. Long Bo then abruptly left the Great Good Tavern, declaring that the Emperor should not die quietly, and dramatically unfurled the Eighth Division's flag, hanging it high on a roadside pillar.
Zhang Xiaojing, struggling to his feet, untied Ji Laosan and Wan Da Ji. He urged Ji Laosan to take Ji Jiang and leave, but Wan Da Ji insisted on staying with his father. Standing before the tavern, Long Bo, identifying himself as Xiao Gui, the flag holder of the Eighth Division from Longyou Street, Anxi Governor's Manor, publicly declared that he had kidnapped the Emperor and challenged any official troops to face him.
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiulang immediately dispatched the Right Cavalry to surround the Great Good Tavern. Realizing that Jing'an Si was closer to Huaiyuan坊, Lin Jiulang also ordered Li Sifang to contact their spy within Jing'an Si for continuous updates. Tan Qi, having run all the way, arrived at Jing'an Si and reported the Emperor's whereabouts to He Zhizheng.
She drew a detailed map, indicating two doors, six adults, and one child inside, with Long Bo and two injured people, stressing that only Long Bo was not innocent, and he possessed Crouching Fire explosives. She confirmed Zhang Xiaojing was protecting the Emperor. He Zhizheng promptly ordered the Royal Escort to depart for the rescue, prioritizing the Emperor's safety. Wang Yunxiu volunteered to join the mission, citing her father's training and her experience patrolling Hexi, and He Zhizheng permitted her.
Outside, Wang Yunxiu presented Yuan Zai with a Royal Escort uniform, enabling him to join the rescue team, and they briefly discussed finding an opportunity to get rid of Tan Qi. Inside the tavern, the Emperor asked Zhang Xiaojing to take Ji Jiang aside to shield her from potential bloodshed. Pouring two cups of wine, he toasted the fallen soldiers of the Eighth Division.
He then lamented the shortcomings of his own sons, biological or otherwise, stating that the great nation must be entrusted to a capable person. The Emperor knelt before Long Bo, offering his life if Long Bo would spare the innocent. Long Bo, however, reiterated his need to avenge his brothers. Yuan Zai, Tan Qi, and Wang Yunxiu, leading the Royal Escort, arrived near the Great Good Tavern.
Yuan Zai instructed Tan Qi to guard the back door with her men, to prevent Zhang Xiaojing and Long Bo from escaping, specifically reminding her to prioritize the greater good and not show leniency towards Zhang Xiaojing. Yuan Zai then proceeded with Wang Yunxiu to the front entrance, where they encountered Gan Shouchang leading the Right Cavalry, creating a standoff. Long Bo then released Ji Laosan and Ji Jiang.
As the father and daughter stepped outside the tavern, they were caught between the converging Royal Escort and Right Cavalry. Before Ji Laosan could react, he was struck by a volley of arrows. He tightly shielded Ji Jiang with his body, saving her life, but he died instantly. Ji Jiang cried out for her father. Yuan Zai subtly instructed the Royal Escort to attribute all their actions that day to the Crown Prince's orders.
Exasperated by Ji Jiang's wailing, one Royal Escort soldier angrily shot an arrow at her. The Emperor, witnessing this from a window, was horrified. Long Bo, realizing the tavern was completely surrounded and his death was inevitable, determined to fight the imperial forces to protect Ji Jiang from further harm. Zhang Xiaojing and Long Bo each grabbed explosives and used wooden boards as shields, gradually moving towards Ji Jiang.
The Emperor suddenly emerged, loudly proclaiming himself the Emperor of Great Tang and forbidding anyone from harming Ji Jiang. Yet, the Right Cavalry soldiers, shouting "Sacrifice for the Crown Prince!" , continued their assault, targeting the Emperor. Long Bo swiftly pulled the Emperor back into the tavern, but was himself shot in the back. Zhang Xiaojing seized the opportunity to rescue Ji Jiang.
The Right Cavalry soldiers then began to loudly declare that the Crown Prince's personal guard was attempting to assassinate the Emperor. Long Bo sarcastically laughed at the Emperor, who claimed the soldiers hadn't recognized him when they shot. He questioned why Long Bo had saved him. Long Bo retorted that if the Emperor truly wished to be a good ruler, then those "rabble" did not deserve to kill him.
Meanwhile, Tan Qi, finding herself surrounded by Right Cavalry soldiers at the back door, was fortunately rescued by Guo Lishi and his approaching men. Zhang Xiaojing pulled the arrow from Long Bo's back. Long Bo challenged Zhang Xiaojing, asking if this Chang'an was truly worthy of his protection. Zhang Xiaojing firmly stated that Chang'an was his home, and even if broken, he would not tear it down but mend it piece by piece, believing it would improve.
Long Bo called him naive, promising to leave his eyes behind for Zhang Xiaojing to witness who would be proven right. With a final surge of strength, Long Bo pushed Zhang Xiaojing away and defiantly stepped out of the tavern to protect the Eighth Division's flag. He declared, "I can fall, but the flag of Tang can't. I am Xiao Gui, the flag holder of the Eighth Division."
As the Royal Escort and Right Cavalry swarmed him, he was brutally overwhelmed and killed while protecting the flag. Simultaneously, outside the Jing'an Si, Li Sifang retrieved a lotus lantern from a water channel, extracting a message from the spy within.
