Luoyang Episode 24 Recap
> Luoyang Recap
Wu Siyue and Li Beiqi arrived to find that Gong Yan had already killed Grandma's son. They confronted Gong Yan, but she had no intention of fighting, swiftly escaping through a window. Wu Siyue gave chase, instructing Li Beiqi to keep Kang Jin safe. Gao Bingzhu updated Li Yichen on crucial intelligence, detailing what Chen Qingzhi had revealed.
He explained that since Lord Freedom's arrest, the Four Season Clan had been managed by Lady of Autumn and Lord of Spring, who held significant animosity towards each other. Lord of Spring reportedly disdained worldly affairs, focusing instead on studying the ancient texts for methods of alchemy and crafting elixirs, proclaiming his ambition for a "bigger picture" compared to Lady of Autumn's "unimportant deeds."
Despite Hua Qingzhi, who served Lady of Autumn, dismissing Lord of Spring, Gao Bingzhu believed him to be a formidable figure, not just a simple Taoist practitioner. Li Yichen agreed that the Four Season Clan was more intricate than he initially thought. Li Yichen then revealed to Gao Bingzhu that he had informed Wu Siyue about Kang Jin's residence, prompting concern from Gao Bingzhu.
Gao Bingzhu further detailed how caravans from the Ke Tribe had traveled between the Ke Tribe and the capital city four times a year for the past three years, a demanding schedule suggesting a significant demand. He concluded that their buyer was certainly linked to the Four Season Clan. Wu Siyue pursued Gong Yan through the bustling streets. Gong Yan seized an opportunity to poison a passerby amidst the crowd.
Wu Siyue immediately called for a doctor, but this distraction allowed Gong Yan to blend into the masses and vanish. Upon Wu Siyue's return, Kang Jin was suddenly found dead. Li Beiqi stammered, explaining that he had only stepped to the door to check on Wu Siyue and didn't know what happened to Kang Jin. Wu Siyue instructed her men to transport Kang Jin's body to the Interior Guard Services for thorough examination.
Subsequently, Wu Siyue sent a letter to Baili Hongyi, who promptly arrived. He examined Kang Jin's clothing and discovered a white powder with a distinct smell he recognized from the Guanglin Inn. He collected a sample for further analysis. Meanwhile, Liu Ran had arranged a festive meal in the garden pavilion, hoping to celebrate the Qiqiao Festival with Baili Hongyi.
However, Baili Hongyi informed her he had urgent matters to attend to, as he needed to quickly identify the white powder. Liu Ran gracefully conceded, deciding to celebrate the festival with Yunzhi instead. A flower boat gracefully glided along the Luo River, where Yuwen Peipei, hailed as the capital city's foremost dancer, captivated countless onlookers with her singing and dancing. The crowd erupted in cheers for her.
Liu Feng pushed his way through the throng, his eyes fixed on Yuwen Peipei as he emotionally recognized her as Chunhe. Baili Hongyi proceeded with his analysis of the white powder. Liu Ran, curious, helped him by lighting it, causing a distinctive purple-blue smoke to rise. When Baili Hongyi added water to the powder, it immediately froze. Consulting an ancient text, he quickly identified it as Xuanwu's Pearl, the old name for niter.
He noted its bitter, cold smell, its ability to freeze water upon contact, and the unique purple smoke it emitted when burned. He also discovered that the Ke Tribe's Xuanwu's Pearl was particularly rare and valuable, considered a tribute to the Court and forbidden for private trade. Liu Ran offered to stay and assist him, but Baili Hongyi urged her to rest, sending her away with a gift to open once she was in her room.
Ruo'an reported to Lady of Autumn that Hua Qingzhi had been compromised and their recent movements were being detected. Enraged, Lady of Autumn declared Hua Qingzhi useless and ordered Chen Chao, his son, to be killed to prevent any old secrets from exposing their activities.
Meanwhile, the coroner at the Interior Guard Services determined that Kang Jin had died from a common wasp venom, inflicted by an extremely small, barely detectable needle wound on the left side of his head, causing laryngeal edema and suffocation. Wu Siyue found it difficult to trace the poison's origin. Wu Youjue summoned Wu Siyue, scolding her for Li Beiqi's perceived negligence in Kang Jin's death.
Wu Youjue questioned Li Beiqi's judgment, suggesting he had selfishly changed shifts out of concern for Wu Siyue. Wu Siyue defended Li Beiqi, stating he was already preparing a detailed report of the incident, but Wu Youjue dismissed her explanations, claiming they only worsened the situation. Gong Yan, under orders, arrived to assassinate Chen Chao, only to find him already gone. Unbeknownst to her, Li Yichen had intervened, rescuing Chen Chao and arranging for his protection.
An Baitan, grappling with this decision, questioned Li Yichen, pointing out that Hua Qingzhi had been responsible for Agent Han's death and asking why Li Yichen chose to repay evil with kindness instead of seeking vengeance. Li Yichen clarified that the Four Season Clan was the true enemy, and Chen Chao was not directly involved.
He emphasized that the Interior Guard Services operated under a strict principle of "not punishing innocent people for others' faults" and "not getting innocent people involved," a rule that distinguished them from corrupt officials. An Baitan ultimately accepted his reasoning. Baili Hongyi summoned Wu Siyue and Gao Bingzhu, presenting his confirmed findings: the mysterious powder was indeed Xuanwu's Pearl, specifically the rare, pure variety from the Ke Tribe, which was a forbidden item for private trade.
Gao Bingzhu immediately deduced that the Four Season Clan's grand plan must be intricately linked to this substance. Baili Hongyi elaborated on niter's various applications: making ice (though less pure forms suffice), medicine, gunpowder, flame sticks, and elixirs. With all possibilities still open, Gao Bingzhu suggested they needed to narrow their focus.
Wu Siyue then recalled that Lord Liu, Liu Ran's father, was currently giving daily lectures on Taoism at the Liubai Building and was reputed to be quite knowledgeable in alchemy. They decided that Baili Hongyi would consult Lord Liu regarding alchemy, Gao Bingzhu would investigate pharmacies, and Wu Siyue would check on flame stick production. Baili Hongyi asked Liu Ran to accompany him to the Liubai Building, and she eagerly agreed.
Upon their arrival, they found Liu Shi deeply engaged in a discussion about alchemy with another Taoist. The Taoist boasted about his "Origin Elixir," claiming it was priceless due to its many rare ingredients. Liu Shi, however, countered that merely focusing on ingredient quality was a superficial approach to alchemy; he stressed that "timing and temperature," or fire control, was the true essence. The other Taoist scoffed, dismissing fire control as menial "grunt work."
Baili Hongyi, however, supported Liu Shi's perspective, drawing an analogy to cooking: while recipes might vary, the foundational ingredients often remained similar. He argued that the mastery of fire control was what truly differentiated the outcomes. Liu Ran also chimed in to support her father, reinforcing Baili Hongyi's point. Liu Shi was visibly pleased by their insights, and the other Taoist, frustrated, stormed out of the building. Baili Hongyi then presented the Xuanwu's Pearl powder to Liu Shi.
Liu Shi immediately recognized it as an exceptionally pure, high-grade tribute item, rarely seen outside of the imperial court. He recalled a rumor that the Taoist Tiantong at Yuncui Temple, located in the east of the capital city, was in the process of refining an "elixir of life" and was specifically seeking the purest Xuanwu's Pearl for this endeavor.
Baili Hongyi then remembered Liu Feng's earlier comment about caravans from the Ke Tribe rushing to reach the capital city before a strict deadline, realizing they were likely transporting this precious substance. Liu Shi then inquired about Liu Feng's rumored return. Liu Ran vehemently denied it, but Liu Shi, observing Baili Hongyi's silence, surmised the rumor was true. Despite Liu Ran's efforts to defend her brother, Liu Shi remained unforgiving of Liu Feng's past actions.
Eager to investigate, Baili Hongyi quickly excused himself and Liu Ran from Liu Shi. He brought Liu Ran to Yuncui Temple. While Liu Ran went to the main hall to pray for a good marriage, a Taoist priest offered her a fortune stick for twenty coins. Baili Hongyi, noticing a strong scent of fresh paint on the old-looking fortune stick cylinder and seeing that the sticks inside were new, grew suspicious.
Liu Ran drew a "curse stick," prompting the Taoist to dramatically warn her of impending "blood and disaster," suggesting it could even befall her family. He then aggressively pushed an expensive elixir, claiming it could ward off misfortune and prolong life. Liu Ran, desperate to buy the elixir, accidentally knocked over the fortune stick cylinder. As she and Baili Hongyi began to help pick up the scattered sticks, the Taoist frantically intervened, quickly gathering them himself.
Convinced something was amiss, Baili Hongyi promptly pulled Liu Ran away. Liu Ran also realized that the Taoist priest was a fraud and that both the fortune sticks and their cylinder were suspicious. Baili Hongyi led Liu Ran, unknowingly, towards a closed gate, noticing it was a "forbidden area" of the temple.
Suddenly, three Taoist priests approached the area, and Baili Hongyi immediately recognized the lead priest as the assassin who had attacked him on his return to the capital city. He quickly pulled Liu Ran aside to hide. Meanwhile, Liu Feng burst into the Hong Xiao Fang, loudly demanding to see Yuwen Peipei.
The madam initially refused, but Liu Feng presented her with a bag of pearls from the Western Regions, insisting he would pay any price to see Yuwen Peipei and declared he would even buy out the entire establishment if necessary. Gao Bingzhu reported that he had found no trace of Xuanwu's Pearl in the capital city's pharmacies or black markets, thus ruling out its use for general medicinal purposes.
Wu Siyue likewise found no clues concerning its use for flame sticks. They reconvened with Baili Hongyi, who explained his findings at Yuncui Temple. He pointed out that the presence of fake Taoist priests, fraudulent elixirs, and assassins from the Four Season Clan all converged on the Yuncui Temple. He had already mapped the temple's front palace, noting the locations guarded by the priests, but had refrained from entering the backyard to avoid alerting their adversaries.
