Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 32 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Lu Lingfeng impressed upon Xue Huan the importance of studying diligently to one day become a man of great achievement, emphasizing that Chongnian Temple offered the best teachers in the land. He told Xue Huan that while learning his own martial arts was achievable, attaining Su Wuming's literary prowess would be a greater challenge. Su Wuming then echoed Lu Lingfeng's sentiment regarding the importance of studying, adding that he had never heard Lu Lingfeng lecture on grand principles so well.
He then instructed Xue Huan to find a clever young beggar named Niu Su at the Memorial Temple of Detective Di and bring him along to Chongnian Temple, so they could both pursue a righteous path. Chicken Fed assured Xue Huan that he would visit him frequently in the Eastern Capital, as he had to remain in Luoyang to administer antidotes to over a hundred court ladies affected by the Face Flowers.
Su Wuming commended Chicken Fed for his virtuous acts. Later, Pei Xijun inquired if the Princess had mentioned Lu Lingfeng during their conversation, but Su Wuming replied that they had only discussed court affairs, with no mention of him. In Chang'an, Administrator Du Ming of Yongzhou introduced foreign envoys to the recently completed Sky-scraping Tower.
He explained its forty-year construction history, noting that it began during Emperor Gaozong's reign, faced interruptions under Empress Wu Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong, resumed under Queen Wei, and was finally completed under the Princess's oversight. Yuwen Mukai, the chief architect, elaborated on its design: thirty-three floors above ground, referencing the Buddhist heavens, and three subterranean levels, totaling thirty-six floors, symbolizing the thirty-six Heavens in Chinese mythology.
He highlighted the exclusive "Beyond Heaven" level at the summit, accessible only with the Emperor's explicit permission. He also noted that the Emperor insisted on reviving the Mid-Autumn Festival magic show, which had been banned by Emperor Gaozong due to some acts being overly dangerous and bloody, symbolizing an era of peace and prosperity. From this privileged "Beyond Heaven" level, the Emperor of Tang and Pei Jian observed the sprawling city.
The Emperor shared his satisfaction, noting that Pei Jian was the first official to join him there. To preserve the tower's unparalleled status, the Emperor revealed that Yuwen Mukai had been ordered to destroy all blueprints. He also spoke of a grand plan, promising a celebratory feast for all meritorious officials, including Pei Jian, in that very place upon its success.
They noticed a curious wooden bird flying, which the Emperor dismissed as a magician practicing for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival magic show, as many illusionists were arriving in the capital. However, this was no ordinary display; the wooden bird delivered an arrow-pierced letter to Administrator Du Ming's residence. Judicial Military Advisor Wan An of Yongzhou identified the sender as Sass, the legendary Tocharian magician and killer who had disappeared for over a decade and was now brazenly challenging the court.
Du Ming recounted Sass's past as a deputy supervisor of the Control Crane Institution, responsible for numerous court-related deaths, and how Detective Di Renjie, despite his efforts, had only managed to capture Sass's subordinates, with Sass himself eluding capture from Luoyang. At his residence, Pei Jian confronted his daughter, Pei Xijun, about her outings disguised as a man, particularly to the Imperial Guards camp, confirming he had her watched.
He expressed deep concern over her open affection for Lu Lingfeng, which had become public knowledge. Given Lu Lingfeng's loyalty to the Crown Prince, Pei Jian feared this could make him a target for the Princess's powerful faction in court. He also criticized Pei Xijun for swiftly accepting Su Wuming as a sworn brother, noting Su Wuming's close relationship with the Princess.
The Princess's direct promotion of Su Wuming to Administrator of Luozhou, bypassing the Emperor, had already sparked controversy, and Pei Jian worried about antagonizing the Crown Prince's supporters. Pei Xijun pointed out her father's contradictory fears of offending both sides. Pei Jian conceded his precarious position between the two factions but admitted joy at the Emperor's increasing trust.
He reminded Pei Xijun of Lu Lingfeng leaving her to rush ahead to Chang'an, though she defended him by saying he entrusted her to a prefectural governor's wife. Pei Jian, however, insisted that in the current tumultuous political climate, and for his own safety, she must temporarily avoid contact with Lu Lingfeng, to which she reluctantly agreed. The Crown Prince summoned Lu Lingfeng, who was eager for a new assignment.
The Crown Prince revealed that the upcoming Sky-scraping Tower ceremony and Mid-Autumn Festival magic show were threatened. He disclosed that Sass, the infamous Tocharian illusionary killer, who had once led enchanters under the Control Crane Institution and was responsible for many past murders, had infiltrated Chang'an and sent a provocative wooden bird message. Lu Lingfeng recalled Su Wuming's mention of the "Sass case" as Detective Di Renjie's final investigation.
The Crown Prince confirmed that while Detective Di had apprehended many of Sass’s followers, Sass himself had escaped. Now, fearing for the safety of the Emperor and the Princess, the Crown Prince tasked Lu Lingfeng with capturing Sass before the Mid-Autumn Festival. To maintain secrecy, Lu Lingfeng would not be immediately reinstated to an official post and would need to gather his own team, with covert assistance from Lu Tong.
The Crown Prince also suggested finding any remaining copies of "The Tale of Sass," a banned biography about the killer that discussed sensitive matters regarding Empress Wu Zetian, believing it might hold crucial clues. Lu Lingfeng then met with his former subordinate, Guo Zhuang, from the Imperial Guards. Guo Zhuang, having heard of Lu Lingfeng's success in Luoyang, assumed he had been promoted.
Lu Lingfeng clarified he had no official position but an urgent mission, requesting Guo Zhuang to find trustworthy men to help locate any surviving copies of "The Tale of Sass." Judicial Military Advisor Wan An of Yongzhou presented Administrator Du Ming with a portrait of Sass, which he had commissioned using descriptions from several individuals who knew Sass from his time at the Control Crane Institution. Du Ming acknowledged a resemblance.
Wan An subsequently led a search of the Seeking Inn, where the innkeeper identified a guest matching the portrait. Wan An confronted the man, believing him to be Sass, and ordered his arrest when he refused to cooperate. Sass, employing illusionary magic to unleash a swarm of bats, escaped, with Wan An in pursuit. During the chase, Sass briefly taunted Wan An before a wooden bird appeared and fatally shot Judicial Military Advisor Wan An. Lu Lingfeng arrived soon after.
A soldier informed him that Judicial Military Advisor Wan An had been killed by Sass, who had used illusionary magic at the Seeking Inn to escape, and that Wan An died during the pursuit. Lu Lingfeng located a young beggar nearby. After a brief interaction, he showed the beggar the portrait of Sass. The beggar described Sass as tall, bearded, with a long scar near his eye, wearing a hood and long hair, and looking terrified as he gazed upwards.
However, when shown the older portrait of Sass, the beggar remarked that the person in the portrait "looks alike, but not sure," emphasizing that it wasn't merely a matter of age, but a distinct difference he couldn't articulate. That night, Lu Lingfeng clandestinely visited Pei Xijun, seeking her assistance to draw a new portrait of Sass based on the child witness's description.
He informed her of Wan An's murder and Sass's suspected involvement, explaining the difficulty of bringing the young beggar to her residence. Pei Xijun, undeterred by her father's earlier warnings, readily agreed, proposing that Lu Lingfeng sell the child at the East Market the next day, where she would purchase him. Lu Lingfeng promised to send Guo Zhuang with the child. The following day, Pei Xijun, accompanied by Guo Zhuang, bought the uneasy beggar at the East Market.
Back at her residence, the beggar provided a detailed description to Pei Xijun, enabling her to create a more accurate portrait of Sass. Meanwhile, Administrator Du Ming visited Pei Jian to discuss the critical need to fill the vacant Judicial Military Advisor of Yongzhou position, acknowledging its deceptive importance.
Subsequently, Wei Dianjun from the Princess's Palace called upon Pei Jian, expressing his desire for the seventh-rank Judicial Military Advisor position of Yongzhou, despite his current fifth-rank status, claiming it was the Princess's will for the empire's security. Shortly after, Mr. Bai, representing the Eastern Palace, arrived to recommend Lu Lingfeng for the same position. Caught between these two powerful factions, Pei Jian was in a dilemma.
Pei Jian reviewed Pei Xijun's new portrait of Sass but still found it lacking, remembering Sass as a handsome and intelligent Tocharian whose true essence wasn’t captured. He reiterated his plea to Pei Xijun to persuade Lu Lingfeng to leave Chang'an for his own safety amidst the political strife. Pei Xijun, however, advised her father to let the Princess make the final decision on the appointment, suggesting that informing her of the Crown Prince’s recommendation might resolve his predicament.
Following his daughter's unconventional advice, Pei Jian reported the Crown Prince's recommendation of Lu Lingfeng to the Princess. To his astonishment, the Princess not only approved Lu Lingfeng's appointment but encouraged Pei Jian to consider him for higher positions if he proved his capabilities. She also remarked on Pei Xijun's intelligence and "good taste" for having followed Lu Lingfeng. In a later private conversation, Wei Dianjun reported to the Princess that he had located Sass even before Wan An.
Wei Dianjun had met with Sass and proposed he assassinate the Crown Prince in exchange for anything he desired. Sass had requested three days to consider and agreed to provide his answer at the Spring Field Inn of Pingkang Fang on the seventh of August. However, the Princess, having narrowly escaped death from the Face Flowers, expressed moral reservations about harming the Crown Prince, whom she had raised and who had risked his life to save her.
Wei Dianjun fervently argued against hesitation, depicting the Crown Prince as a manipulative threat and emphasizing his own precarious position should the Princess lose power. The Princess, perceiving his self-serving motives, laughed and pointedly asked if he had been raised by his uncle.
