Judge Dee's Mystery Episode 9 Recap
> Judge Dee's Mystery Recap
Di Renjie's sudden appearance displeased Eunuch Liu. He immediately reported the case details to Eunuch Liu. Someone accused Gu Mengbin of employing agent Wang Lide, who was suspected of smuggling military weapons, severely violating the Tang Dynasty laws. Gu Mengbin angrily denied selling swords and crossbows upon hearing this, and Officer Yi Pan also stated he would investigate the tax evasion matter thoroughly.
On the other side, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai sneaked into the gift tent at the wharf and accidentally exposed their identities, attracting many soldiers. In desperation, Qiao Tai shouted for Di Renjie's help. Eunuch Liu confirmed that the two were the magistrate's attendants and did not pursue the matter further, dismissing the others and quietly conveying the Empress's decree to Di Renjie. According to investigations, Baekje gold has recently been flowing into the capital via Penglai.
Treacherous officials in court are using it to buy people's support, disrupt the markets, and plot rebellion. Therefore, the Empress has limited Di Renjie to one month to investigate this case. If he fails to solve it within the time limit, he will be punished the same as those who illegally trade gold. Di Renjie was startled upon seeing the contents of the decree. Before he could react, he suddenly heard a commotion nearby, and people gathered.
The sea surface was covered in thick fog, making it impossible to see clearly beyond five paces. Suddenly, a large multi-decked ship sailed head-on and crashed into the wharf. Early the next morning, Officer Yi Pan led people to investigate the ship. He then reported that the ship was truly strange; its origin was difficult to discern, the sailors had mysteriously disappeared, and none of the crew members survived.
After listening to Officer Yi Pan's report, Eunuch Liu took out two gold pieces for everyone to identify. Only Di Renjie saw that one of them was Baekje gold, suggesting that this large multi-decked ship was related to the smuggling of Baekje gold. Eunuch Liu praised Di Renjie's insight and agreed to let him inspect the ship personally. As expected, Di Renjie found a Baekje man who had been unconscious for a long time in the dark cabin.
This man was the younger brother of the Baekje cook. Subsequently, Di Renjie held court to try the case, inviting Yusu to translate, with Eunuch Liu, Hou Yu, and Officer Yi Pan among others observing. The thin man claimed that due to the war in his hometown, he had no choice but to stow away to the Tang Dynasty to sell rice cakes.
During this time, he had been hiding in the dark cabin below and witnessed the ship changing direction several times during the voyage, passing by a small white island. Di Renjie asked the thin man to identify Wang Lide's portrait, but Gu Mengbin became flustered and accused the thin man of lying constantly. At this moment, the thin man suddenly remembered seeing a crew member with a strange tattoo.
At Di Renjie's request, he drew the tattoo pattern with a pen - the Black Flame. Eunuch Liu showed a surprised expression and remembered it vividly. The Black Flame was an anti-Tang force scattered throughout the former dynasty's territories, and its most representative symbol was the black flame tattoo. In the 14th year of the Zhenguan era, the court's suppression of the Black Flame was quite effective, but Di Zhixun was found to be associated with the organization.
Now that the tattoo had reappeared, it meant that these people were about to make a comeback. Di Renjie's mood was also particularly heavy. Soon, news of the thin man's death came from the prison. It was confirmed that he had died from choking on food due to overeating. The boatman Jin Sang survived.
In court, he identified Wang Lide's crime of murder and said he had heard Wang Lide plotting with someone to smuggle gold, involving several important figures in Penglai, including Gu Mengbin, Officer Yi Pan, and even Di Renjie. Although Jin Sang's testimony required further verification, it aligned with the current investigation, such as Wang Lide's disappearance and the connection between the Penglai gold case and the Black Flame.
Di Renjie carried these doubts to the Mingyue Quarter to listen to music. He suddenly remembered some events from his youth, vaguely recalling his father having dealings with the Black Flame. Similarly, Cao An was reminded of someone by something; many years ago, she was rescued by a masked Black Flame member, and later she unexpectedly saved an injured Black Flame member. The time they spent together was her most unforgettable memory.
The investigation into the gold case had made no progress, but the rumor of the large multi-decked ship being haunted had spread completely throughout the area. That night, Di Renjie brought Hou Yu to catch the ghost and discovered a person in a black robe lurking about, who deliberately left behind a box containing an astrolabe and a nautical chart.
The route drawn on the nautical chart had an island marked on it, which seemed to be exactly the white island mentioned by the thin man and Jin Sang. Di Renjie felt that this island was the key to the case. Hou Yu also agreed with Di Renjie's opinion. The two reported the situation to Eunuch Liu, hoping to travel to the island as soon as possible to investigate and prevent others from getting there first.
Eunuch Liu immediately ordered a ship to be prepared and set sail, and summoned Yusu and others to accompany them. Di Renjie repeatedly warned Cao An not to get on the ship, but she did not heed his advice and was also among the group traveling together.
