Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 30 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Su Wuming declared his commitment to solving the case, catching the murderer, and finding the antidote to save the Princess. He also reminded Lu Lingfeng, as the Crown Prince's most trusted confidant, that his full effort was needed not just for the Crown Prince's trust, but more importantly, to clear the Crown Prince's name. Lu Lingfeng acknowledged that if the Princess died, the Crown Prince would be the primary beneficiary, and the world would suspect him.
Grateful for the reminder, Lu Lingfeng pledged his unwavering assistance to prove the Crown Prince's innocence. Based on Hu Shisi's description, Xijun sketched the individual who hired the killers. Su Wuming found the drawing eerily familiar and noted that Hu Shisi mentioned the person had a slight, barely noticeable stammer. Meanwhile, Fei Jishi (Chicken Fed) was diligently working on the Face Flower antidote.
He determined that the poison was very unusual and could only be countered with another poison, requiring Baohuang as the most crucial ingredient for the antidote to succeed. Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng visited the Hall of Medicine to acquire Baohuang. The shopkeeper, initially hesitant, confirmed they had Persian Baohuang, a substance banned since Emperor Gaozong's reign, upon hearing Hu Shisi's recommendation.
Under questioning from Lu Lingfeng, who was investigating, the shopkeeper disclosed that the Baohuang was supplied by an old servant from Resident Regent Li Yue's residence, who was scheduled to deliver more the following day. The shopkeeper speculated that the old servant might be stealing the Baohuang. Later, Su Wuming went to Chongnian Temple to see the Princess but was told she was chanting and unavailable.
He learned from a guard that Resident Regent Li Yue had been closely associated with the Princess since Empress Wu Zetian's ascent to power. Su Wuming also confirmed that the Princess's 81-day deadline for the Face Flower's effects was indeed tomorrow, prompting the guard to urge him to find an antidote quickly. While leaving, Su Wuming encountered a hostler from the Princess's Palace. The next day, Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng staked out the Hall of Medicine.
As anticipated, the old servant from Resident Regent Li Yue's residence arrived to sell Baohuang. Lu Lingfeng apprehended him, and a search revealed the hidden Baohuang. Xue Huan was immediately sent to deliver it to Fei Jishi for antidote research. Su Wuming then pressed the old servant for the Baohuang's cultivation site. When the old man feigned ignorance, Lu Lingfeng threatened to take him to Li Yue's residence.
Terrified of discovery by his master, the old servant fatally struck his head against a pillar. Moments later, a group of assassins pursued Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng. They escaped the city by hiding in a coffin on a funeral carriage, which Su Wuming astutely noted was heading towards the area outside the upper east gate, where Resident Regent Li Yue resided.
Once outside the city, the "funeral procession" quickly shed its disguise, revealing themselves to be a band of robbers who had been transporting stolen gold and silver inside the coffin. Discovering Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng, the robbers prepared to kill them. To avert conflict, Su Wuming cleverly proposed a different path to wealth. He informed them about the highly sought-after Face Flower and its deadly effects on many rich women in Luoyang.
Claiming the assassins had been after his antidote recipe, he offered to lead the robbers to the final ingredient, Baohuang, promising immense wealth from selling the antidote to Luoyang's rich women. Believing his story, the robbers agreed, and four of their strongest men accompanied Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng, while the rest returned with their loot. Su Wuming, Lu Lingfeng, and the four robbers proceeded to Resident Regent Li Yue's back garden.
Su Wuming instructed the robbers to search for Baohuang, describing its distinctive root resembling a baby's palm with leopard print, and falsely claimed he was on a mission from the Princess, promising generous rewards upon success. As they searched, a formidable Meteorite Bear abruptly emerged, swiftly killing all four robbers. Su Wuming quickly instructed Lu Lingfeng to feign death, which allowed them to escape the bear's attack. Soon after, Li Yue arrived with his guards and had them bound.
Li Yue revealed he had orchestrated the earlier assassination attempt. He admitted that after his greedy servant's death, he anticipated Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng would find his manor. As a precaution, he had already relocated the Meteorite Bear from his Sky Garden to the back garden, knowing their objective was to find Baohuang. He then led them into a secret room, which housed numerous Face Flower trees and Baohuang plants.
Li Yue explained that the manor was originally a villa belonging to Yang Su, Duke of Yue, a powerful official from the former Sui Dynasty. Empress Wu Zetian had granted it to him during her regency. He had accidentally discovered this secret room, which was Yang Su's armory, and realized it was the perfect dark environment for cultivating Baohuang.
He further elaborated that he acquired Face Flower seeds from wandering Persian royal descendants and, over decades, had cultivated dozens of trees. These trees, surrounded by Baohuang, had adapted to growing in darkness and had become mutually dependent on each other for nourishment. Li Yue also confessed to ordering the killing of the Tocharian woman, dismissing her as a dispensable slave with minor escape skills.
Su Wuming condemned Li Yue for his treachery despite years of imperial favor, particularly from Empress Wu Zetian, to which Li Yue scoffed, finding Su Wuming's sentiments naive. Though surprised by their rapid progress, Li Yue, claiming to appreciate talent, granted them a temporary reprieve and allowed them to observe the Face Flower and Baohuang up close. Instead of killing them, Li Yue imprisoned Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng in the secret room.
Lu Lingfeng, reasoning that Yang Su's former armory must have multiple exits for rapid troop deployment during a rebellion, began searching for an alternative escape route. He soon discovered a wall adorned with a map.
Drawing upon his knowledge from three old books Su Wuming had lent him, which detailed Luoyang's geography and architecture, particularly the strategic importance of Longmen Mountain (also known as Long Gate) to any rebel, Lu Lingfeng ingeniously located a hidden mechanism that opened a secret passage. Su Wuming commended his resourcefulness. However, just as an exit was secured, Su Wuming, having recalled some crucial information, declared that he could not leave at that moment.
Lu Lingfeng, still unaware of Su Wuming's full plan, had earlier been agitated when Su Wuming subtly connected Li Yue to the Crown Prince, vehemently defending the Crown Prince's righteous character and denouncing any association with such a wicked person. Su Wuming then cryptically suggested that the Princess's poisoning might involve a deeper mystery, leading Lu Lingfeng to suspect Su Wuming was deliberately withholding key information.
That night, the Princess unexpectedly arrived at Li Yue's villa, accompanied by officials like Gao Zhongyi, whom she knew harbored disloyal intentions. Li Yue informed her that Su Wuming had been apprehended while attempting to steal Baohuang. The Princess expressed delight, viewing this as confirmation of Su Wuming's loyalty and his dedication to finding an antidote for her, and she deemed him a valuable asset.
She then inquired about Lu Lingfeng, acknowledging his close ties to the Crown Prince, and decided to postpone his fate. For the unfaithful officials, who had betrayed her believing she would succumb to the Face Flower's poison that night, the Princess desired for them to personally experience the horrifying sensation of their faces being corroded. Li Yue promptly offered to prepare a special Face Flower concoction that would yield immediate and visible effects.
The Princess then commanded Li Yue to invite Su Wuming to join her for drinks. Upon arriving at the secret room, Li Yue discovered Lu Lingfeng had vanished. Enraged, he accused Su Wuming of facilitating the escape, but Su Wuming cleverly attributed Lu Lingfeng's disappearance to an "Earth escaping method." The Princess, however, remained calm, interpreting Su Wuming's decision to stay behind as undeniable proof of his loyalty.
When Su Wuming finally met the Princess, he candidly stated that his primary concern was not her face succumbing to the poison, but her overall safety. He divulged that he had learned from her hostler about her imminent trip to Chang'an to enjoy "the King's cherry from the Leyou Plain."
This confirmed travel plan, he reasoned, strongly suggested that she had not actually used the poisonous Face Flower, as someone truly in mortal danger would hardly be planning such a journey. The Princess affirmed his deduction, explaining that while she had used Face Flower, it was a specially prepared, non-toxic version from Li Yue, which offered skin-tendering and moisturizing benefits, unlike the poisonous concoctions circulating among commoners.
She recounted how Li Yue had sourced the seeds from a Persian royal descendant decades ago. The Princess expressed her profound anger and frustration with Gao Zhongyi and the other disloyal officials. She called them foolish and despicable for their hasty betrayal and defection to the Crown Prince, all based on the mistaken belief that her life was nearing its end.
The Princess then instructed Xin Huaishen, who had previously served Gao Zhongyi, to assist Gao Zhongyi in "speaking," implicitly forcing him to confess his disloyalty. Gao Zhongyi, pleading for mercy from both the Princess and Su Wuming, tried to downplay his actions as a "momentary slip," but Xin Huaishen sharply countered, recalling Gao Zhongyi's resolute and unwavering disloyalty.
