Luoyang Episode 22 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
The Lady of Autumn returned to the Four Season Palace to report to the Lord of Spring, expressing her concern over the continuous exposure of their hidden spies across various departments, specifically mentioning the death of the 16th Night. She warned that Gao Bingzhu was especially dangerous, having even removed one of their operatives from the Intelligence Services. The Lord of Spring, however, dismissed her worries, asserting that their grand plan was nearing completion and that such "ants" were insignificant.
He advised her not to provoke Gao Bingzhu, whom he called a "mad dog" consumed by revenge, lest she invite trouble. He then instructed her to oversee the final batch of goods being transported into the capital city, emphasizing that the success of their plan depended on her careful handling. Meanwhile, a disciple named Gong Yan, upon hearing of the 16th Night's death, defiantly forced her way into the main hall despite the guards' warnings about strict rules.
Another disciple tried to remind her of the rules that the 16th Night herself had taught them. The Lady of Autumn then declared that Gong Yan would take over the 16th Night's position. She tasked Gong Yan with eliminating the individuals who had just transported the goods into the city. Gong Yan, filled with grief and rage, vowed to avenge the 16th Night's death. Wu Siyue and Baili Hongyi continued their investigation into the murder of Kang Zhanbi.
They had learned from Manager Qin of the Guanglin Inn that the establishment did not require travel permits for check-in, which likely explained why Kang Zhanbi and Kang Jin chose to stay there without proper documentation. Manager Qin also noted that the two had remained secluded in their room until Kang Zhanbi's fatal outing, suggesting a real threat. They questioned how the men could have entered the capital city without travel permits and acquired identity documents.
While they were certain Li Ji was not the killer, they hypothesized that the poison, Shachi Venom, which causes instant death, was likely administered during the argument between Kang Zhanbi and Li Ji. They also noted Kang Jin's disappearance after Kang Zhanbi's death as a critical clue, believing both men were hiding from something. As Li Ji was scheduled for a joint trial by three departments, Wu Siyue decided to return to the Interior Guard Services to interrogate him further.
Baili Hongyi, on the other hand, chose to visit the Customs Office, where all Western merchants were required to register for identity documents, hoping to find traces of Kang Jin or Kang Zhanbi. However, his efforts at the Customs Office were met with frustration when he learned that identity documents could be obtained from any administrative office, and even forged ones were readily available in the black market for a mere five coins.
Feeling dejected, Baili Hongyi was about to return home when he unexpectedly encountered Liu Feng, also known as Liu Shilang, who had just returned to the capital city from the Western Regions after a long absence. Liu Feng expressed his surprise and noted that Baili Hongyi hadn't changed much. They reminisced about their youth, specifically recalling an occasion years ago when they observed two lions presented by an envoy from Daishan.
Baili Hongyi had commented then that "a caged beast has lost all its majesty." Liu Feng revealed that this remark had profoundly enlightened him, leading him to abandon a life of political ambition and pursue trade in the Western Regions, where he felt as free as "a wild beast returning to the forest." Baili Hongyi, in turn, admitted he had spoken those words for his own reflection. Baili Hongyi invited Liu Feng to stay at his mansion.
Liu Feng, however, wished to visit his uncle, Liu Xiang, and his sister, Liu Ran, first. It was then that Baili Hongyi revealed the shocking news: Liu Xiang had passed away, and Liu Ran was now living in the Baili Mansion as his wife, leaving Liu Feng stunned. Meanwhile, Gao Bingzhu, having overcome his grief, resolved to continue his pursuit of the mastermind behind the Four Season Clan and eradicate them entirely.
He declared that as long as the Four Season Clan existed, they would continue to cultivate new assassins like the 16th Night and victimize innocent people. He returned to the Intelligence Services and instructed Yanqing to compile all available records related to the Four Season Clan.
An Baitan reported Gao Bingzhu's renewed focus to Li Yichen, who, observing Gao Bingzhu's determination, remarked that while An Baitan might think Gao Bingzhu had lost his way after the 16th Night's death, he believed Gao Bingzhu had in fact found a new purpose. Li Yichen then granted Gao Bingzhu access to the Intelligence Services' cipher documents, cautioning him to adhere to their rules.
Simultaneously, Wu Siyue visited the prison of the Grand Court to question Li Ji more thoroughly about Kang Zhanbi's death. Li Ji recounted the events at Tianxiang House, where he had booked a private room. Kang Zhanbi, accompanied by a courtesan, was already using the room and refused to leave. Their argument escalated, and Kang Zhanbi collapsed and died.
Li Ji noted that the manager and other staff of Tianxiang House had witnessed the incident, and he also mentioned that the wine cup used by the courtesan had disappeared. Back at the Baili Mansion, Liu Feng caused a commotion, demanding to see Liu Ran. The butler attempted to remove him. However, Yunzhi recognized Liu Feng and led him to the kitchen, where Liu Ran was personally preparing a meal.
Liu Feng was distressed to see his sister doing household chores, believing she was being mistreated. Though Liu Ran was overjoyed to see her brother after so many years and explained that she happily performed these tasks, Liu Feng remained unconvinced and insisted she return home with him. Liu Ran, feigning anger, asked him to wait while she finished cooking and sent Yunzhi to appease him with snacks.
Wu Siyue, suspecting the courtesan was involved in Kang Zhanbi's poisoning, sought permission from Wu Youjue to investigate her whereabouts at Tianxiang House. Upon arriving at Tianxiang House, she found the establishment closed, an unusual occurrence even after Kang Zhanbi's death days earlier. A street vendor informed her that it had been closed since dawn. Shortly after, Pei Jian arrived with guards to investigate.
He informed Wu Siyue that the Tianxiang House owner's entire family, seven people in total, had perished in a fire overnight, supposedly due to a kitchen fire. Wu Siyue noted that the accountant and all the staff, who were family members, had also died, leading her to conclude that it was a deliberate act of murder to silence them. Meanwhile, Baili Hongyi tasked Shen Fei with investigating the black market regarding the identity documents of Kang Zhanbi and Kang Jin.
Shen Fei found a swindler named Bai Lang and threatened to report him to the authorities to coerce his help. Bai Lang soon reported back that while Kang Zhanbi had indeed been seen in the black market, he and Kang Jin had arrived in the capital city with a merchant caravan whose identity documents were "not" forged in the black market.
This caravan, consisting of over a dozen people, had visited the black market several times but not for documents or goods, deepening Baili Hongyi's suspicion that they harbored a significant secret. Liu Ran returned to Liu Feng with a bowl of beef soup. Liu Feng then confronted her, accusing Baili Hongyi of being responsible for Liu Xiang's death.
Despite Liu Ran's efforts to explain that their uncle was at fault and Baili Hongyi was only investigating, Liu Feng became enraged, calling Baili Hongyi a "murderer." When Baili Hongyi arrived, Liu Feng lunged at him, but Shen Fei intervened. Liu Ran desperately tried to separate them, and in frustration, Liu Feng struck himself. Liu Ran lamented his "ruffian" behavior, so unlike his upbringing in a scholarly family.
Liu Feng retorted that he had endured many hardships while traveling with Western merchants. Baili Hongyi seized the opportunity to question Liu Feng about the Ke Tribe caravan. Liu Feng initially refused to answer, even showing off his scars as proof of his resilience, and dared Baili Hongyi to have him interrogated by the authorities.
Wu Siyue, returning to the Interior Guard Services prison to question Li Ji again, was informed that Wu Youjue had ordered Li Ji's transfer to the Henan Prefecture for re-trial only an hour earlier. Suspecting foul play, Wu Siyue immediately feared that Li Ji, like the Tianxiang House family, would be killed to prevent him from revealing more information.
Her fears were tragically confirmed later when Li Ji was reported dead during the transfer, supposedly from jumping from the carriage in an escape attempt and falling to his death. Wu Siyue, inspecting the scene, was frustrated by the loss of yet another crucial lead. She questioned how anyone could have known about the transfer so quickly, given it was a last-minute decision by Wu Youjue.
Meanwhile, Liu Ran managed to calm Liu Feng, who finally admitted that he knew Kang Zhanbi and Kang Jin. He recounted that during his return journey to the capital city, he had been caught in a sandstorm in Gaochang and sought refuge at an oasis called Crescent Lake. There, he encountered over ten other caravans, including the secretive Ke Tribe caravan to which Kang Zhanbi and Kang Jin belonged.
He noted that they tightly guarded their goods and rarely interacted with others. Liu Feng also revealed that this caravan had been under pressure to reach the capital city by a specific deadline and had consequently departed before the sandstorm had fully subsided. Baili Hongyi quickly pressed him for a description of Kang Jin's appearance.
