Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 28 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Lu Lingfeng, engaged in conversation with Hu Shisi, inquired if she had seen the Tocharian woman selling Face Flowers. Hu Shisi, rather than directly answering, claimed to possess some herself and invited Lu Lingfeng to her room to view them. Once in her room, Hu Shisi informed Lu Lingfeng that these flowers were a precious gift from Persia to the Emperor Yang of Sui. She boasted of having stolen a box of them when she left the imperial palace.
She explained that although the flowers had long since dried, soaking them in water would restore their freshness, and using them would grant eternal youth. Lu Lingfeng scoffed when she claimed to be from the Sui Dynasty, saying it was nonsense. Before Lu Lingfeng could press her for the flowers, Hu Shisi lit an incense stick, which had a deceptive mint scent that initially made him feel clear-headed but actually disoriented him.
Sounds of someone approaching grew louder, and a powerful bronze-armored evil spirit burst into the room. Lu Lingfeng, weakened by the incense, struggled to fight. Yingtao arrived to help, but even she was overwhelmed by the formidable entity. Fortunately, a mysterious man in black intervened, drawing the bronze-armored spirit away and allowing Lu Lingfeng and Yingtao to escape. Meanwhile, Su Wuming, performing an autopsy on the Tocharian woman's body, noticed her purple fingernails and toenails.
This led him to suspect the use of Soul Returning Incense, a substance known to temporarily halt a person's breath, creating the illusion of death—a trick once employed by sorcerers. Just as he pieced this together, the Tocharian woman revived, bound Su Wuming, and fled. By the time Lu Lingfeng and Yingtao reached the scene, she was gone.
Considering the night's bizarre occurrences and the Qiansui Inn's deceptive nature, Su Wuming deemed the inn too perilous, insisting they relocate to gain a clearer perspective on the case. Lu Lingfeng initially resisted, feeling humiliated, but was eventually persuaded by Su Wuming and Yingtao to leave. Later that night, still determined to identify his mysterious rescuer, Lu Lingfeng secretly returned to Qiansui Inn.
He confronted Hu Shisi, who, under duress, revealed that the black-clad man was staying in the room diagonally opposite the one Lu Lingfeng had previously occupied. Before departing, Lu Lingfeng also demanded two Face Flowers from Hu Shisi, reminding her of her earlier claims. Investigating the specified room, Lu Lingfeng was astonished to discover that the black-clad man who saved him was, in fact, Great General Lu Tong of the Imperial Guards.
The next day, Xing Ying arrived to meet Su Wuming. He presented Su Wuming with a medicinal herb called Aspiration, intending to subtly mock him for accepting the post of an informal official. However, Su Wuming eloquently reinterpreted the herb's symbolism, asserting that his true aspirations were deeply ingrained and not superficially apparent. Recognizing his error, Xing Ying apologized and commended Su Wuming's wisdom.
Xing Ying then reported on the case, admitting that the Tocharian woman had eluded capture after fleeing towards Green Peak, and he suspected she had taken refuge in the Sky Garden, a protected establishment overseen by Li Yue. At that moment, Lu Lingfeng joined them, revealing his new role as Su Wuming's personal staff, which surprised Xing Ying, who had once been Lu Lingfeng's superior.
Lu Lingfeng then presented the Face Flowers he had obtained from Hu Shisi, prompting Xing Ying to display some he had acquired from local buyers. Su Wuming carefully examined the two sets of flowers: the dark, dried ones, which were ancient artifacts from the Sui Dynasty, and the lighter, fresh ones, which were the dangerous "demonic" plants causing harm.
Consulting Chicken Fed, they learned that a mixture of Baohuang from Persia and Guichou of the Miao ethnic group, combined with other strange herbs, could create an incense (the "Husband Incense") that, when inhaled, initially smelled minty, then caused hallucinations and myasthenia—an effect Lu Lingfeng confirmed experiencing. More crucially, if Guichou was the primary ingredient with a small amount of Baohuang and other peculiar herbs, and applied to the skin, it could induce instantaneous decay after a period of days.
The problem, Chicken Fed noted, was that Baohuang had been outlawed since the reign of Emperor Gaozong. Realizing the intricate nature of the conspiracy, Su Wuming dispatched Lu Lingfeng and Xing Ying to the Sky Garden to track down the Tocharian woman. Separately, the Princess, deeply troubled by the Crown Prince's lingering presence in Dongdu, felt a growing sense of vulnerability, suspecting he was awaiting her demise. Gao Zhongyi attempted to reassure her, expressing confidence in Su Wuming's investigative skills.
The Princess, however, instructed Gao Zhongyi to gather her loyal officials and ensure their unwavering loyalty and faith that Su Wuming could help her overcome this tribulation. When Su Wuming came to meet her, he deliberately wore common clothes, not his official uniform. This angered the Princess, who perceived it as a protest against her appointment of an informal official.
She revealed her dire situation, stating she had only six or seven days left and threatening to burn down Luoyang if she perished, convinced the Crown Prince was behind the plot. Su Wuming, calm and resolute, pledged his utmost effort to apprehend the culprit and secure the antidote, emphasizing his commitment not only to her but also to the welfare of Luoyang's populace.
Despite her initial displeasure at his inclusion of commoners, the Princess was eventually moved by his sincerity and dismissed him, reaffirming her belief that the Tang Dynasty could not thrive without her. Lu Lingfeng and Xing Ying arrived at the Sky Garden, where guards initially denied them entry, citing its protected status. However, the arrival of Resident Regent Li Yue swiftly resolved the situation, granting them access.
Inside, Lu Lingfeng recognized the distinctive roar of a Meteorite Bear, one of several exotic animals housed there. They requested Li Yue to assemble all current residents for inspection. Utilizing a fresh Face Flower as a lure, Lu Lingfeng successfully identified a suspicious individual. Soon after, they located the Tocharian woman, who had committed suicide by consuming poison, thus terminating a key lead. Upon learning of this critical setback, Gao Zhongyi became increasingly concerned.
He feared that if Su Wuming failed to find the antidote and the Princess succumbed to the poison, the Crown Prince, upon his ascension, would undoubtedly retaliate against all who had supported the Princess. To safeguard himself, Gao Zhongyi resolved to shift his loyalty to the Crown Prince. In a discreet meeting, Xing Ying reported the case's developments to the Crown Prince.
He hinted that Lu Lingfeng seemed inclined to close the investigation and offered to terminate it if the Crown Prince desired. However, the Crown Prince unequivocally instructed Xing Ying to pursue the case with full rigor. Shortly thereafter, Xin Huaishen met with the Crown Prince, informing him of the Princess's trust and her directive for him to monitor Gao Zhongyi. Xin Huaishen then relayed Gao Zhongyi's intent to switch allegiance and suggested leveraging this opportunity to diminish the Princess's power.
The Crown Prince, however, was uninterested in such political machinations. His primary concern remained the swift resolution of the case and the discovery of an antidote to save his aunt before her life was forfeit.
