Luoyang Episode 18 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Shen Fei drove the carriage carrying Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran. Liu Ran, exhausted, dozed off on Baili Hongyi's shoulder, but he remained wide awake, meticulously reviewing the events of the past few days, yet finding no clear answers. Gao Bingzhu arrived to report to Lord Chu. An Baitan intercepted him, questioning why he failed to promptly report Ruo'an's whereabouts and why he broke protocol by apprehending someone privately. Gao Bingzhu, annoyed, turned to leave, but An Baitan pressed him.
Gao Bingzhu explained his concern that a mole within the Intelligence Services would leak the information, allowing Ruo'an to escape and preventing any further investigation. He claimed to have identified a lead on the mole, which convinced An Baitan to take him to Lord Chu. Gao Bingzhu showed Lord Chu a specialized bowl from Ruo'an's residence, suspecting it was a communication token between Ruo'an and the mole.
He explained that the Cakery regularly donates unsold food to monks and beggars, and Ruo'an used this system, presenting the bowl to collect food and meet his contact. Lord Chu dispatched An Baitan to investigate the person responsible for distributing food at the Cakery, noting that the informant likely leaked information on the third of the month, the same day Gao Bingzhu was attacked after meeting Lord Chu there.
Gao Bingzhu also reported that Baili Hongyi was attacked by Four Season Clan assassins at Mount Lian, who stole a tattered parchment fragment. He recited the two lines written on it: "Dragons and snakes slither on the path. Court and commoners unite, connecting mountains." Lord Chu could not discern their meaning. Outside the Interior Guard Services, new wanted posters for Gao Bingzhu were being put up, replacing the old ones.
Wu Siyue, passing by, picked up one of the old posters, lost in memories of her past interactions with Gao Bingzhu. The realization that he had severed emotional ties to join the Intelligence Services left her with a bitter feeling. Back at the Interior Guard Services, Wu Siyue inadvertently overheard her brother, Wu Youjue, asking Madam Yang to help arrange her marriage. As she was about to enter, Li Beiqi hurried over and called her away.
An Baitan soon identified Zhang Qun, a field agent, as a prime suspect and brought him in for interrogation. Lord Chu and Gao Bingzhu listened from behind a screen. An Baitan pressed Zhang Qun with threats and promises, but Zhang Qun claimed ignorance. Frustrated, An Baitan subjected him to harsh interrogation. Zhang Qun eventually confessed he did not know Ruo'an by face, only by the bowl.
He added that the contact who came to the Cakery always appeared in different disguises. Gao Bingzhu concluded there were more moles within the Services and urged Lord Chu to purge them quickly. Lord Chu vowed to eradicate them. Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran safely returned to Baili Mansion. Yunzhi expressed her relief, noting that both Baili Hongyi and Shen Fei were injured.
Baili Hongyi downplayed his own minor injuries and told Liu Ran to go home while he attended to an urgent matter, departing alone to meet Supervisor Zhang at the Ministry of Works. Someone was secretly tracking Baili Hongyi, well aware of his movements. Liu Ran noticed many unfamiliar servants in the mansion, remembering she had previously dismissed most of the household staff. Yunzhi explained these new servants were hired at Baili Hongyi's instruction.
Gao Bingzhu and Lord Chu discussed Zhang Qun, the field agent Ruo'an had turned. Field agents are responsible for collecting all intelligence. They suspected Ruo'an had turned more than one. The register of field agents is stored in the Palace of Nature, encrypted with a cipher compiled by the empress using the "Directory of Music Scores". Lord Chu realized the grave depth of the infiltration, understanding that the moles were already deeply embedded within the Intelligence Services.
Ruo'an, having narrowly escaped, secretly reported to the Lady of Autumn, attempting to shift all blame onto Liu Xiang and Song Liang. The Lady of Autumn produced the parchment fragment taken from Baili Hongyi, which terrified Ruo'an, prompting him to beg for mercy. The Lady of Autumn had received intelligence that Baili Hongyi was going to see someone from the Ministry of Works.
She praised his exceptional intelligence, impressed that he could deduce a connection to the Ministry of Works from just two lines. She then ordered The 16th Night to closely monitor Baili Hongyi and kill him at the first opportunity, regardless of whom he met. Liu Ran and Yunzhi were chatting, with Liu Ran expressing her unease about Baili Hongyi's unusual demeanor and his evasiveness regarding the dangers he faced in Mount Lian, when a new servant suddenly appeared, flustered.
Liu Ran had never seen him before. He claimed to be replacing the injured He Si and that it was his first day at the mansion. Liu Ran immediately sensed trouble and decided to find Baili Hongyi. Lord Chu had arranged a private study for Gao Bingzhu to facilitate his investigation. Gao Bingzhu learned from An Baitan that Agents, who work in the Hall of Skills, can never leave the Palace of Nature because they possess too many secrets.
Conversely, field agents and Jianfeng are forbidden from entering the Palace of Nature. From this, Gao Bingzhu deduced that the person who stole the secret register must be an Agent from the Palace of Nature. Gao Bingzhu summoned the four Agents who were on duty the night Agent Han was killed on June 23rd: Agent Huangzhong, Agent Yize, Agent Guxi, and Secretary Yanqing. He asked them to truthfully recount their activities that night.
They were initially resistant, questioning his authority, which made Gao Bingzhu suspect they were hiding something. Secretary Yanqing eventually recounted that Agent Han had received a secret letter and then sought out Agent Huangzhong. He also distinctly remembered An Baitan encountering Agent Han after leaving Qianmu Chamber. Gao Bingzhu instructed An Baitan to bring him all the registers from the Palace of Nature.
An Baitan claimed she had already checked them all and found no issues, but Gao Bingzhu insisted on seeing all thousand-plus registers himself, ensuring no omissions. Liu Ran brought food to Baili Hongyi and tried to inquire about his activities, attempting to see what he was working on. Baili Hongyi, however, avoided her questions, falsely claiming he was tired and wanted to rest, urging her to leave.
Liu Ran suspected he had found clues in Mount Lian, but Baili Hongyi refused to elaborate and forcefully made her leave. Baili Hongyi arranged to meet Supervisor Zhang at Liubai Building the following day. He instructed Shen Fei to remain at home and protect Liu Ran. Shen Fei then understood Baili Hongyi's earlier coldness towards Liu Ran was a deliberate act to keep her safe from danger.
Immediately after, Baili Hongyi sent his planned route to Liubai Building to Wu Siyue. This was a carefully orchestrated trap between Wu Siyue and Baili Hongyi; Baili Hongyi would act as bait to lure the Four Season Clan assassins. Wu Siyue planned to ambush them, strategically deploying her forces around Liubai Building. She also secretly dispatched Interior Guards, disguised as servants, to infiltrate Baili Mansion and ensure the safety of Baili Hongyi and Liu Ran.
An Baitan delivered all the registers. Gao Bingzhu began by examining those who had served in the Intelligence Services for three years or more. He also instructed his men to filter out anyone who did not start as a low-level scribe. Gao Bingzhu reasoned that for a mole to grasp every aspect of the Services, they would need to begin at the bottom, allowing them to gather secrets without attracting undue attention.
After several rounds of filtering, Gao Bingzhu narrowed down his suspects. He specifically noted that Agent Huangzhong had entered the Archive three times on January 20th. An Baitan vehemently defended Agent Huangzhong. Just as Wu Siyue had finalized her ambush preparations, she received an urgent order from Wu Youjue: Prince Jin was scheduled to travel the next day, requiring the immediate recall of all field Interior Guards. Wu Siyue was left in a state of shock, her carefully laid plans now jeopardized.
