Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 20 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Zhai Liang explained to Lu Lingfeng that although building a tomb within the Hall of Life was against the customs of Ju County, he had to honor his uncle Meng Donglao’s last wish. Meng Donglao had practiced medicine in the Hall of Life his entire life, and before his death, he expressed a desire to continue guarding it from the underworld. As Meng Donglao had no children and left the house to Zhai Liang, Zhai Liang felt obligated to agree.
He asked Lu Lingfeng to keep the matter confidential and offered to refund the rent, suggesting Lu Lingfeng find another residence. However, Lu Lingfeng refused, stating he was comfortable living there. The County Magistrate later approached Lu Lingfeng, praising him for solving the previous rape and murder case and suggesting a celebratory parade. Lu Lingfeng declined, emphasizing that the case was not truly closed until the victim's head was recovered, thus negating any celebration or feast.
He also mentioned needing to fix the leaking roof of the Dragon King Temple before expected heavy rains, a task he was currently engaged in. That night, Lu Lingfeng found Xue Huan practicing martial arts in the courtyard. Xue Huan, no longer afraid of ghosts, declared that only evil people pretended to be supernatural beings and vowed to hone his skills to eradicate them.
He explained he hadn't woken Lu Lingfeng because his master was exhausted from both criminal investigations and repair duties. The next day, a woman's head was discovered in a temple. The coroner immediately noted its similarity to the Guan Zijun dismemberment case from forty years prior, based on the method of dismemberment. Soon after, reports flooded in, with additional body bags found in Destiny Temple, Greenery Temple, and Lingdang Temple.
The abbot of Destiny Temple confirmed that the current situation was "exactly the same" as four decades ago, recalling finding a body bag on the incense table, with even the wrappings identical. He explained that the temple opened to pilgrims at eight in the morning, and the body bag must have been placed between five and eight in the morning.
Lu Lingfeng ordered a comprehensive investigation of everyone who had visited the temples that morning, including monks, beggars, and scholars, and directed that a notice be posted to identify the deceased, as no missing persons had been reported recently.
The current coroner, however, refused to perform the autopsy, fearing he would meet the same fate as his father, who had examined the forty-year-old case and hung himself within a month at the age of forty-two, the same age as the current coroner. He resigned on the spot. Recognizing the critical importance of an autopsy, Lu Lingfeng attempted to perform it himself, despite only having rudimentary knowledge, but was ultimately unable to overcome his psychological barrier.
Observing Lu Lingfeng's distress, Xue Huan sent a basket of oranges to Su Wuming in Nanzhou, recalling Su Wuming's earlier instruction that this was the coded signal for Lu Lingfeng needing assistance but being too proud to ask. Upon receiving the oranges, Su Wuming immediately traveled to Ju County, accompanied by Pei Xijun and Chicken Fed.
The County Magistrate, advised by Assistant Ye, feared losing his position as the previous magistrate had, and sought to ensure Lu Lingfeng took full responsibility. He approached Lu Lingfeng, effusively praising his abilities and declaring that he would personally handle all trivial county matters, such as collecting taxes and roof repairs, so Lu Lingfeng could focus entirely on solving the dismemberment case and achieve "another great contribution."
Lu Lingfeng, appreciating the gesture, agreed to a seven-day deadline, stating the terms for failure would be the same as their previous agreement. Just then, a guard announced the arrival of Su Wuming and his companions, whom Lu Lingfeng had seemingly "hired" as coroners. The Magistrate and Assistant Ye, initially unfamiliar with Su Wuming, were profoundly impressed to learn he was the Military Commander of Nanzhou, and Pei Xijun was the daughter of Assistant Minister Pei.
Pei Xijun politely greeted them. Su Wuming immediately took charge of the autopsy, instructing Lu Lingfeng to pursue other leads. Lu Lingfeng learned from initial inquiries that witnesses had given contradictory descriptions of the person seen with body bags—some said an old man, others an old woman, or a beggar. However, the only recent missing person was Lady Hui, the concubine of the wealthy pawnbroker Qian Xiaoyi, who lived in the south of the county with her mother.
Qian Xiaoyi stated that his wife, the daughter of the renowned butcher Hu Yidao, had previously chased Lady Hui with a knife and threatened to dismember her, being skilled in butchery. Lu Lingfeng ordered Qian Xiaoyi's wife to be brought in for questioning. Meanwhile, Su Wuming, after four hours of intense autopsy, instructed Xue Huan not to let Pei Xijun enter due to the horrific state of the body, which was entirely deboned.
He told Xue Huan to inform Lu Lingfeng that the victim was female and had a red mole on her right chest. Lu Lingfeng confirmed with Qian Xiaoyi that Lady Hui indeed had such a mole. When Qian Xiaoyi's wife arrived, she expressed satisfaction at Lady Hui's death, reiterating her family's butchering expertise.
Lu Lingfeng noted her habit of carrying a knife; she claimed she had been feeding pigs the night Lady Hui disappeared before going to her ailing father, Hu Yidao. Lu Lingfeng decided to visit Hu Yidao and had the wife lead the way. Lu Lingfeng then discussed Su Wuming's autopsy findings, which, combined with Qian Xiaoyi's statement, confirmed Lady Hui as the victim. He reiterated Qian Xiaoyi's desire to break up with Lady Hui and his wife's threats.
Although a guard suggested imprisonment, Lu Lingfeng deemed it too early for jail or torture, opting instead for close surveillance of the couple. At Hu Yidao’s residence, the fifty-one-year-old butcher, suffering from a severe headache, expressed his belief that he was dying and his concern for his only daughter. He admitted that on the night Lady Hui disappeared, despite his daughter’s pleas, he went gambling. Lu Lingfeng noted Hu Yidao's skillful butchery, which belied his rough appearance.
He tasked a guard with verifying Hu Yidao’s gambling alibi. The County Magistrate again worried about Su Wuming’s intense autopsy work, drawing parallels to the previous coroner's fate. Su Wuming, however, downplayed his findings, stating there were few clues. He revealed that the victim had not been raped, beaten, or poisoned, but had been killed by a single, clean strike.
The murder and dismemberment weapons were different, indicating the killer possessed a complete set of tools, was highly skilled, and possessed an "extremely cold" heart. Lu Lingfeng momentarily suspected Hu Yidao but dismissed it, noting Hu Yidao was only eleven years old forty years ago. Suddenly, a scout reported that Hu Yidao had fled the city with a package. Lu Lingfeng gave chase and apprehended him. Under threat of torture, Hu Yidao confessed he had indeed visited Lady Hui.
He was initially angry about Qian Xiaoyi’s concubine but then witnessed Qian Xiaoyi attempting to end the affair, describing it as a "fling" and declaring he would not abandon his wife, who "truly loves" him. Qian Xiaoyi even threatened Lady Hui with violence. Delighted by Qian Xiaoyi's rejection of Lady Hui and praise for his daughter, Hu Yidao decided to buy good food and wine to celebrate with Qian Xiaoyi but succumbed to his gambling addiction instead.
He was then arrested by constables for fighting a pimp (who had introduced Lady Hui to Qian Xiaoyi) and held overnight, providing him with an alibi. He had fled due to his gambling debts, not the murder. Lu Lingfeng confirmed Hu Yidao's high gambling debts. Su Wuming then inquired about Hu Yidao's cat. Hu Yidao described his cat as a Chinese Li Hua.
Su Wuming revealed he had found five cat hairs on the victim's body: three yellow, one black, and one white, matching the description. Su Wuming then instructed Lu Lingfeng to tell Qian Xiaoyi to pay Hu Yidao’s gambling debts, threatening to implicate him in Lady Hui’s murder if he refused, assuring Lu Lingfeng that this use of his (Su's) authority was permissible. Grateful, Hu Yidao promised to stop gambling.
Su Wuming also mentioned a distinct smell of herbs on the body bag and instructed Lu Lingfeng to consult Chicken Fed about it. That night, Chicken Fed woke from a nightmare where his deceased elder fellow, Meng Donglao (whom he called "Old Weirdo"), appeared, reminding him of a promise to write books and refine medicine together for life and trying to force him to stay.
Chicken Fed woke in a panic, asking where they were, and realized they were in the Hall of Life. He frantically demanded to see Meng Donglao, only to be told by Xue Huan that Meng Donglao had died last year, which greatly distressed him. Chicken Fed then attempted to enter the attic, convinced Meng Donglao was inside. Lu Lingfeng quickly ushered him away, concerned about him discovering the tomb.
Lu Lingfeng later confided in Su Wuming about the tomb, to which Su Wuming observed that Chicken Fed and Meng Donglao were clearly old friends, and Chicken Fed seemed to have known Meng Donglao was there all along, likely harboring other secrets. Su Wuming prepared to return to Nanzhou but announced he was leaving Pei Xijun behind to supervise the case, requiring Lu Lingfeng to report daily progress to her.
Lu Lingfeng initially viewed Pei Xijun as a hindrance, but she offered to draw sketches of the suspicious individuals seen near the temples, despite the conflicting witness descriptions. Recognizing the potential value, Lu Lingfeng agreed, formally addressing her as "Inspector Pei." Later, Lu Lingfeng approached Chicken Fed with a ruse, claiming a "jar of wine" (actually the body wrap) had been found wrapped in a cloth with a medicinal smell.
He concocted a story about a bet that Chicken Fed could identify the herbs by smell alone, promising a lavish three-day feast if he succeeded. Chicken Fed eagerly agreed, smelled the cloth, and noted its "weird" scent, containing only medicine and no wine. He questioned if it was truly a wine wrap. He then identified Gastrodia elata and other herbs. Noticing Xue Huan's unusual expression, he asked if the boy was "learning bad things," which Xue Huan denied before leaving.
Lu Lingfeng then interviewed Lady Hui's mother. She revealed that Lady Hui mostly stayed with Qian Xiaoyi at his residence north of the county, but also went for acupuncture every three days due to a headache. Although common in Ju County, this condition was rare for someone of Lady Hui's age. She confirmed Lady Hui visited the Hall of Life for treatment.
Pei Xijun noted a witness description of an "old man" with a hunchback and the smell of medicine carrying a package. Lu Lingfeng visited the Hall of Life and asked Zhai Liang if Lady Hui had visited for her headache one day before the winter solstice. Zhai Liang checked the medical log, but Lady Hui's name was not recorded. He insisted that if she had come, it would have been documented. During this questioning, the medicine boy appeared visibly alarmed.
