Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Episode 4 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Recap
Magistrate Yuan visited Su Wuming, expressing concern after hearing that Su Wuming had led a night expedition to the Ghost Market. Su Wuming, initially hesitant to confess, realized Magistrate Yuan already knew, having seen all nineteen county constables leave the previous night. He admitted to sending his men to assist the Imperial Guards and accepted any potential punishment.
Su Wuming explained his silence was due to the lack of progress and his narrow escape from death during two visits to the Ghost Market. Magistrate Yuan, impressed by Su Wuming's talent and courage, predicted a bright future for him and jokingly asked for future patronage. Su Wuming humbly responded that he would always follow the magistrate.
After Magistrate Yuan's departure, Su Wuming roused a sleeping Fei Jishi and took him to visit Kang Yuanli, the government official of the West Market. Finding Kang Yuanli out on patrol, Su Wuming and Fei Jishi, disregarding the servants' attempts to stop them, proceeded to the backyard. There, amidst numerous fragrant flowers, Fei Jishi confidently identified them as the raw material for Soul Returning Incense.
When Kang Yuanli returned, he stated that he was only growing the flowers for a businessman and could not part with any of them. As Su Wuming and Fei Jishi were about to leave, Kang Yuanli's servants caught Fei Jishi attempting to steal some flowers. Despite Su Wuming's protests that Fei Jishi was merely trying to get flowers for him and was not a thief, Kang Yuanli ordered Fei Jishi to be beaten.
Fortunately, Lu Lingfeng arrived just in time, asserting his authority as an Imperial Guard to halt the punishment and secure Fei Jishi’s release. At Su Wuming’s subtle suggestion, Lu Lingfeng also confiscated some of the flowers. Back at the sheriff's residence, Fei Jishi diligently processed the confiscated flowers, creating an incense powder that perfectly matched the scent of Soul Returning Incense.
Drawing upon his decades of experience living in the Ghost Market, Fei Jishi revealed that Kang Yuanli was cultivating these flowers for Yin Shilang, who purportedly used the incense to preserve his body, claiming it enabled him to become immortal and even travel between the mortal and immortal realms. Fei Jishi explained that the Ghost Market’s perpetual darkness made it impossible to grow such plants there, forcing Yin Shilang to rely on Kang Yuanli.
Su Wuming then speculated that the main ingredient of Chang'an black tea, the Western Magic Grass, was also being grown within Chang'an city walls, noting its status as a prohibited herb since the Sui Dynasty made outside importation impossible. He suspected the cultivation was occurring in one of the many large, empty courtyards sealed after the Rebellion of Queen Wei.
Meanwhile, Great General Lu Tong severely reprimanded Lu Lingfeng for the losses suffered during the Ghost Market raid, including three Imperial Guards and Lu Lingfeng's own injury. He stripped Lu Lingfeng of his command and ordered him confined to his residence to reflect on his actions, awaiting further punishment.
Undeterred, Lu Lingfeng continued his investigation from his quarters, telling Su Wuming that a year's records showed brides typically went missing at the beginning or end of each month, while new batches of Chang'an black tea appeared between the third and fifth days, indicating a clear link between the cases. Su Wuming concurred but lamented his lack of authority to search for the Western Magic Grass.
Lu Lingfeng, unfazed by his confinement, declared his intention to "sneak out through the window" during the day, as only daytime visits to suspicious vacant properties would not arouse suspicion. He secretly instructed Guo Zhuang to bring in Wen Chao, an adjutant for the census, whom they had apprehended buying tea in the Ghost Market, believing his role in managing civil affairs like marriages and funerals could yield crucial information.
Lu Lingfeng successfully investigated three suspicious courtyards and returned with samples, confirming they were indeed Western Magic Grass after consulting an encyclopedia. He intended to immediately report his findings to His Highness, the Crown Prince. However, Su Wuming cautioned against this, explaining that rumors already implicated the Crown Prince in the Imperial Guards' black tea investigations, and reporting prematurely without apprehending the main culprit would only further complicate matters for the Crown Prince.
Su Wuming offered the assistance of his county constables, praising their courage in the recent Ghost Market raid despite their initial inexperience. He reiterated his belief that Lu Lingfeng, with his exceptional martial skills, could capture the "Immortal Venerable" while the constables handled the lesser henchmen. Fei Jishi, having returned from the Ghost Market, reported that a special, exorbitantly priced batch of Chang'an black tea—one ingot of gold per liang—was scheduled for release on the 18th of the current month.
Su Wuming then visited Assistant Minister Pei Jian, informing him that Wen Chao, caught buying Chang'an black tea, had confessed that Pei Jian was the source of his funds. Pei Jian denied providing money but admitted knowing Wen Chao was buying the tea. Su Wuming presented the Western Magic Grass as definitive proof of the tea's illicit nature.
He revealed that Pei Jian had been receiving the tea from Wen Chao for some time, and given Wen Chao's modest salary, he could only afford such an expensive habit by exchanging lists of weddings and funerals for the tea. Su Wuming subtly warned Pei Jian of the potential repercussions from the Crown Prince.
During their conversation, Pei Jian's daughter, Pei Xijun, burst in, threatening to take her own life if her father did not allow her to travel to the Western Region to find General Xiao. Su Wuming intervened, claiming he possessed a "soul-summoning skill" that could bring General Xiao's spirit to meet her at midnight. He advised her to eat and prepare herself, to appear her best for her beloved. Moved by this possibility, Pei Xijun agreed.
Once she departed, Pei Jian threatened Su Wuming, but Su Wuming calmly explained his true intention was to cure Pei Xijun's "heart illness" and requested to borrow her cherished portrait of General Xiao. Su Wuming brought the portrait to Lu Lingfeng. They discussed the upcoming release of the special Chang'an black tea on the 18th, noting that the three days prior would be the Hungry-Ghost Festival.
Su Wuming suggested that the sequence of bride disappearances followed by tea releases indicated a nether marriage scheme was being employed to procure ingredients for the tea. He proposed using Pei Xijun as bait for a "nether marriage" to trap the culprits. Lu Lingfeng vehemently objected, unwilling to endanger her. Upon being pressed by Su Wuming, Lu Lingfeng reluctantly confessed: months ago, his cousin, Xiao Bozhao, was appointed General Mingwei and was to lead a campaign to the Western Region.
Pei Xijun hosted a farewell banquet, but Xiao Bozhao, preoccupied with courtesans, sent Lu Lingfeng in his stead. Lu Lingfeng, despite initially intending to expose his cousin's character, was so captivated by Pei Xijun’s elegance and intelligence that he could not bring himself to hurt her. Su Wuming persuaded Lu Lingfeng to maintain the charade and appear as General Xiao once more that night.
At midnight, Lu Lingfeng, as "General Xiao," emerged, dancing with his sword to the accompaniment of Pei Xijun’s zither. Pei Jian, witnessing the scene, found the swordsman vaguely familiar and was told by Su Wuming that the person in the painting was, in fact, Lu Lingfeng himself. Later, Lu Lingfeng, still confined, was visited by Fei Jishi, who complained that the sword dancing had reopened his arrow wound.
Fei Jishi then presented him with a detachable silver spear he had acquired from a tomb robber in the Ghost Market, having paid for it by "borrowing" Lu Lingfeng's jade tablet. Lu Lingfeng was delighted with the innovative weapon. Meanwhile, a messenger delivered an oral instruction from the Crown Prince to Lu Lingfeng: due to pressing state affairs, he could not meet Lu Lingfeng and advised him to obey Great General Lu Tong's order of confinement.
Elsewhere, Su Wuming observed the county constables diligently practicing their combat skills. They explained that witnessing the Imperial Guards’ heroic sacrifice, specifically the loss of two guards who died protecting them during the Ghost Market raid, had inspired them to train rigorously. They vowed to avenge their fallen comrades and never again disgrace Chang'an County. Su Wuming commended their determination, assuring them that the culprits had revealed their weaknesses and could be apprehended within three days.
In the shadows, Yin Shilang appeared at Wen Chao's home, gifting him Chang'an black tea and discussing his supposed ascension. Yin Shilang then requested a list of nether marriage candidates for the Hungry-Ghost Festival in three days, instructing Wen Chao to have it ready by midnight on the 14th of the seventh lunar month. Wen Chao presented a list, which included Pei Xijun's name.
Yin Shilang, having heard about Pei Xijun's intense grief for her deceased lover and Pei Jian's recent public denouncement of the "immortal tea" in court, declared that she would be the chosen one. He planned to use Pei Xijun as an ingredient for his "premium immortal tea" as retribution for her father's actions.
