Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 18 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Upon accidentally seeing Qinghong, Dugu Xiashu's wife, Ji Xiang, who had been diligently focused on his studies for the imperial examination, felt a resurgence of desire. He admitted that the thought of a beautiful woman stirred something deep within him, reminding him of a past life of murder, robbery, and kidnapping women, a life he thought was long behind him. Later, Liu Youqiu was sent by his father to study at the Confucian temple.
However, Liu Youqiu was a playboy who often sneaked out of the temple to seek pleasure. One day, he asked Ji Xiang to escort him outside, claiming he had an appointment and was afraid to go alone in the dark. Ji Xiang advised him to focus on his studies to succeed in the imperial examination, but Liu Youqiu dismissed the idea, boasting that his father's old friend had already guaranteed his success as an imperial scholar next year.
Hearing this, Ji Xiang lost all motivation to study, realizing that no matter how hard he tried, he could not surpass a scoundrel like Liu Youqiu. Ji Xiang then witnessed Liu Youqiu's wicked intentions towards Qinghong. On a rainy day, Liu Youqiu, anticipating Qinghong's arrival to deliver clothes, dispatched Dugu Xiashu to buy candles. Liu Youqiu then made advances towards Qinghong, complimenting her scent and attempting to embrace her. Qinghong resisted.
Ji Xiang later revealed that Dugu Xiashu did not witness these events himself but believed them because Ji Xiang, skilled in using drugs to manipulate minds, had recounted them to him, causing Dugu Xiashu to become disoriented and unable to distinguish between reality, dreams, and what he was told. Ji Xiang confessed his love for Qinghong from the moment he first saw her.
He believed that her virtuousness and beauty made her the only one worthy to be his wife when he eventually became a top scholar. To achieve his perfect future with her, he needed to first win her over. So, Ji Xiang devised a plot, fabricating a homosexual relationship between Liu Youqiu and Dugu Xiashu to make Qinghong completely disillusioned with her husband. He then swooped in to comfort Qinghong in her despair, using a little ecstasy incense on her.
His intention was for Dugu Xiashu to divorce Qinghong, after which Ji Xiang would kill Liu Youqiu, steal Liu Youqiu's letter of recommendation, and then flee with Qinghong to Chang'an to pursue his own scholarly ambitions. However, his plan went awry when Qinghong unexpectedly witnessed him assassinating Liu Youqiu. In the dark, he instinctively threw a steel needle, accidentally killing Qinghong, whom he didn't recognize until it was too late.
Despite his accidental killing of Qinghong, Ji Xiang's plan to become a scholar continued, believing Dugu Xiashu would still take the blame as he was already confused and suspected an affair between Liu Youqiu and Qinghong. Su Wuming initially did not suspect Dugu Xiashu, but the unreliable testimony of Dugu Xiashu's elderly, hard-of-hearing neighbor caused a detour in the investigation. The old man claimed to have heard a knife being sharpened in the middle of the night.
To clear his doubts, Su Wuming revisited the old man, who again insisted he had heard knife sharpening on two consecutive nights, which finally raised Su Wuming's suspicions about Ji Xiang. Su Wuming informed Ji Xiang that Qinghong had long regretted her involvement with him. She had already moved six of the seven ancestral silver ingots, which she had initially told Ji Xiang about, from under the rice jar to under the bed, as a precaution against him.
Furthermore, Qinghong had reconciled with Dugu Xiashu, and had gone to the Confucian temple that night to end her relationship with Ji Xiang, only to tragically witness his crime and be murdered. Ji Xiang, however, stubbornly refused to believe this, clinging to the delusion that Qinghong only loved him and had come to elope.
Lu Lingfeng vehemently chastised Ji Xiang, declaring him unworthy of loving Qinghong, especially after he brutally slashed her neck several times after her death to frame Dugu Xiashu. With the truth now exposed, the murderer would face justice. Dugu Xiashu, recalling Qinghong's last wish for him to pursue the imperial examination in Chang'an, prepared to leave. Lu Lingfeng caught up with him and returned the six silver ingots that Qinghong had hidden under the bed, which Su Wuming had found.
Lu Lingfeng also entrusted Dugu Xiashu with a letter from Pei Xijun to her father, Pei Jian, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Administration, advising him to seek out Guo Zhuang at the Right Imperial Guards for assistance in delivering it. Lu Lingfeng gave Dugu Xiashu his horse to help him reach Chang'an quickly for his studies, explaining that this act would bring him peace of mind for having misjudged Dugu Xiashu earlier.
Lu Lingfeng then invited Pei Xijun to enjoy the scenic stone bridge and thanked her profusely for her repeated reminders during the Confucian temple case, which prevented him from wrongly convicting Dugu Xiashu. Su Wuming and Fei Jishi, observing the congenial atmosphere between them, teased them about their impending marriage, much to Lu Lingfeng's annoyance, who playfully threatened Fei Jishi with a stone. Shortly after, Lu Lingfeng received an unexpected appointment as the Sheriff of Ju County.
Having given up hope on his official career, he found the appointment suspicious and initially suspected Su Wuming's machinations. Su Wuming, however, deduced that Pei Jian must have learned about Lu Lingfeng's care for Pei Xijun in Nanzhou through Pei Xijun's letter. As a doting father, Pei Jian surely used his influence to help Lu Lingfeng return to officialdom. Lu Lingfeng, unwilling to accept help from others, refused the appointment.
Learning of Lu Lingfeng's refusal, Pei Xijun conspired with Su Wuming to provoke him. Outside Lu Lingfeng's room, Su Wuming dramatically declared his intention to go to Ju County in Lu Lingfeng's stead, lamenting that the position of sheriff had been vacant for too long, with old cases piling up and new ones frequently occurring, hinting that Lu Lingfeng was shrinking from a challenge. Pei Xijun added that Lu Lingfeng must simply disdain such a low-ranking position.
Despite knowing it was a ploy, Lu Lingfeng, spurred by their words, ordered Xue Huan to prepare their luggage, and they set off for Ju County. Pei Xijun felt a little deflated by Lu Lingfeng's cold attitude towards her during their departure, leading Su Wuming to suggest that Lu Lingfeng's pride might be bruised because he felt he was "climbing up" by relying on her father's influence.
Upon arriving in Ju County, Lu Lingfeng immediately went to the Western Office to review case files before paying his respects to Magistrate Lei. He discovered a mountain of unresolved cases, including more than ten women murdered and decapitated since last winter. The previous sheriff had failed to find the elusive perpetrator, who was rumored to be a white-haired ghost.
Lu Lingfeng demanded to see the file for a horrifying, unsolved case from forty years prior, rejecting the officers' attempts to dissuade him. Magistrate Lei soon arrived, incensed that Lu Lingfeng had gone directly to work without greeting him. Lu Lingfeng, citing historical precedent, argued that prioritizing the cases was appropriate for his role. Enraged by Lu Lingfeng's defiant attitude, Magistrate Lei departed.
The Assistant Magistrate then informed Lu Lingfeng that no official accommodation was available due to renovations and leaky rooms, suggesting he find his own lodging. Undeterred, Lu Lingfeng decided to rent a house. Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan eventually found a cheap house at the Hall of Life. Despite warnings from a local about the place being "unclean" and potentially haunted—even claiming county officials dared not enter—Lu Lingfeng, fearless of ghosts, insisted on renting it, paying three months in advance.
Dr. Zhai Liang, who practiced medicine in the Hall of Life's front courtyard during the day, leased the back courtyard to Lu Lingfeng. Dr. Zhai refused to rent out the attic in the back, explaining it was his late uncle Meng Donglao's study and medicine-refining area, now used as a herb warehouse.
Privately, Dr. Zhai chided his servant Xiaoqi for renting to the sheriff, fearing trouble, but Xiaoqi suggested it might be beneficial, as having an official reside there might stop ghost rumors. That night, as Lu Lingfeng was reviewing case files, he suddenly heard a startled cry from outside.
