Judge Dee's Mystery Episode 4 Recap, Plot

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Di Renjie found it difficult to break free from the stirrups. At a critical moment, Ma Rong appeared, swung his saber, and cut the leather rope, joining forces with Qiao Tai to rescue him. Subsequently, Di Renjie led the others back to Di Renjie's mansion, where he was surprised to find that Ma Rong had cleaned the residence thoroughly.

Di Renjie instructed them not to light lamps after dark and not to make noise, to avoid being discovered hiding inside the mansion. In a corner of the main hall, lay Di Renjie's father's Rain Dragon Sword from his lifetime. Qiao Tai cherished it as a treasure, examining it carefully and sighing that if he were destined to die by a sword, he would rather shed his blood on this sword without regret. That night, a thunderstorm swept through Chang'an.

Di Renjie reflected that obtaining clues so smoothly along the way felt as if someone was deliberately guiding him. Soon, Di Renjie found Wei Wuji's previous vermilion annotations in Wei Wuji's residence, as well as a stone in the wine pot that could spontaneously combust. He suddenly remembered that He Dajing's wine pot leaked from the bottom and had an unusual smell, which he hadn't paid attention to at the time.

Now, it seemed that all of this was a carefully laid trap by someone. Di Renjie went alone to find Wei Wuji and pointed out that he was the real mastermind behind the scenes. Wei Wuji was deeply influenced by patriarchal ideology and felt a profound hatred for the Sage allowing the Empress to meddle in politics, considering it a violation of the balance between Yin and Yang.

Therefore, he wanted to use He Dajing's hand to ignite the examination hall and disrupt the imperial examination. However, this year, special inspectors were assigned to the imperial examination, and wine pots were no longer allowed into the examination hall. To prevent He Dajing from ruining things due to his fondness for wine, Wei Wuji smeared coptis on the wine pot, causing him to go to Jushui Building to drink instead.

As long as he could frame the Empress and create public opinion about heavenly wrath and disaster, he would not hesitate to sacrifice He Dajing. As for why Di Renjie survived, it was entirely due to his crucial role in the investigation, which was to direct the blame towards the Zhangsun Qing faction.

Facing the evidence Di Renjie presented, Wei Wuji admitted it frankly, stating directly that Empress Wu was a bane to the country and its people, and if the Great Tang fell into her hands, the consequences would be unimaginable. Wei Wuji criticized Di Renjie for being young and arrogant, only affirming the "new," but "new" does not necessarily mean good; on the contrary, it means change, chaos, and even dynastic change and widespread suffering.

As of today, Wei Wuji had no remorse for his actions. He immediately set himself ablaze, perishing in the sea of fire. Meanwhile, on the other side, a large group of black-clad men broke into the inner courtyard and engaged in a fierce battle with Hong Liang and Qiao Tai. Di Renjie arrived in time and chased one of the black-clad men to the mountaintop, shocked to discover that the other person was Kang Zhiyi in disguise.

Looking at the person standing next to him, who seemed to have been waiting for Di Renjie for a long time, she was none other than the Empress of the Great Tang. When Di Renjie woke up, he learned that he had been unconscious for three days and that earth-shattering changes had occurred in Chang'an City.

Kang Zhiyi confessed during the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices, admitting that he was instructed by Zhangsun Qing to steal the Phoenix Seal. Before he was about to kill Yaxin, he found that someone had gotten there first, so he imitated the same method of crime and killed the four Imperial Guard soldiers who had forged the imperial edict. The Sage ordered a thorough investigation of Zhangsun Qing's mansion, but the Phoenix Seal was never found.

Considering Zhangsun Qing's status as a royal relative, no conclusion has been reached yet. Currently, Zhangsun Qing is staying at Qinglong Temple, as promised, offering thirty thousand strings of cash for incense and candles to pray for peace. The Sage decided to take the Empress there for a confrontation. Numerous ministers and common people had surrounded the temple, making it impassable, and Di Renjie was among them. The Empress proposed to negotiate with Zhangsun Qing personally.

Passing by Di Renjie, she cast a meaningful glance at him. Before Di Renjie fell unconscious, he had a face-to-face long talk with the Empress, knowing that she cared about the people of the world and, furthermore, would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, using Yaxin, Kang Zhiyi, and others as pawns to deal with the Zhangsun Qing faction. Her insight, wisdom, and even ruthlessness were extraordinary.

The Empress told Di Renjie that some things are not predetermined by fate but by human action, and as long as he was smart enough to see through the truth, he could seize power and determine the fate of others. Zhangsun Qing made no secret of his aversion to the Empress, insisting that heavenly principles and ethical norms were above all else.

He firmly believed that if the people of the world were not allowed to judge right from wrong, then justice would be lost. The Empress confirmed repeatedly that Zhangsun Qing had no intention of backing down, then she waited with determined eyes for the opportunity. As the surrounding firelight gradually heated up, the giant candle directly above Qinglong Temple suddenly collapsed, revealing the Phoenix Seal from within, shocking everyone present.

Just as the Empress said, Zhangsun Qing and his cronies represented the corrupt power of the meritorious noble families, who colluded with each other, posing a potential threat to the future of the Great Tang. They were not the Empress's enemies, but the enemies of the entire Great Tang.

Ultimately, Zhangsun Qing was defeated by a woman, and this woman became the chosen Empress in the eyes of the myriad people, destined to be the mother of the world in the future. The Prefect ordered Di Renjie's shackles to be removed, letting him carefully identify the evidence. At the same time, he reminded him that if he wanted to achieve something in his official career, he should never mention Wei Wuji again in the future, to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Di Renjie entered the list for the palace examination, which was personally overseen by the Empress. When she saw Di Renjie write an essay about the "new," she recognized that he was the talented individual she was looking for. Although Di Renjie did not pass the imperial examination with high honors, he secured the position of County Magistrate of Penglai. He appointed Hong Liang as Military Advisor, and Ma Rong and Qiao Tai as his retinue, and they set off to take office with him.

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