Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 15 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
As Wei Qi's lifeless body was brought back into the temple, Su Wuming examined the grotesque wounds, noting the jagged broken bones and torn muscles. He declared that these injuries were not caused by any ordinary weapon, or even a weapon at all, leading him to believe the death was not by human hands. Xiao Jiao, visibly shaken, whispered that perhaps it was "that ghost." Ding Heng, however, immediately silenced her, telling Lu Lingfeng not to believe such "supernatural nonsense."
Su Wuming clarified that Xiao Jiao's specific phrasing, "that ghost," suggested she had seen something concrete. Xiao Jiao then revealed what she witnessed, describing a figure in white, about human height, with horns and fangs, strikingly similar to the Bai Ze statue in the temple. Su Wuming concluded that someone was "playing tricks to pretend to be a ghost" within the temple. He questioned Hermit Baize about hidden rooms or secret passages, which Hermit Baize adamantly denied.
However, upon seeing Wei Qi's corpse, Hermit Baize dramatically cried out that Wei Qi had angered Bai Ze and had his head bitten off by the deity. Lu Lingfeng dismissed this as "nonsense," arguing that Bai Ze, being an auspicious beast, would not harm humans. Despite Lu Lingfeng's skepticism, Ding Heng and Huo You grew visibly fearful, believing it was indeed the work of Bai Ze.
Hermit Baize then threatened that those who didn't believe would also have their heads bitten off. Later, the Stone Scholar and Xiao Jiao, who were tied up, desperately pleaded for each other's release. Xiao Jiao confessed that she had been defiled by a lustful man in the past, prompting her to vow to punish such men. She promised to marry anyone who helped her achieve her revenge, which is how she met the Stone Scholar.
She insisted that he was merely her accomplice. The Stone Scholar, in turn, tried to claim she was pregnant to elicit pity. Su Wuming observed their deep loyalty to each other. Seeing their devotion, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming decided to release them. Lu Lingfeng advised them to go to Yongzhou Prefecture to confess their crimes, while Su Wuming specifically told Xiao Jiao to claim she was pregnant for a lighter sentence.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, the couple departed, promising to turn themselves in. Back in the temple, Su Wuming noticed that the kitchen was unusually warm despite the fire being extinguished. Sensing something amiss, he felt the floor, confirming the heat emanated from below. Outside, a beast's roar echoed. Lu Lingfeng went out to search, while Su Wuming, believing there was a secret chamber, stealthily located a hidden passage beneath the main hall's prayer mat and ventured in alone.
Meanwhile, Huo You, terrified, begged General Ding Heng to leave the temple. Ding Heng rebuked him for his cowardice, reminding him of their shared battles. Huo You, overwhelmed by fear, prostrated himself, pleading for his life and expressing his horror at having his head bitten off. When Ding Heng refused, Huo You panicked and bolted out of the temple. Just as he crossed the threshold, a white-robed, beast-masked woman appeared, swiftly decapitating him with a cold blade.
Deep within the secret passage, Su Wuming discovered several desiccated corpses, including that of Chen He, who had been dead for some time. The white-robed woman unexpectedly returned to the passage, but Su Wuming managed to hide just in time, avoiding detection. Simultaneously, Lu Lingfeng stormed into Hermit Baize's room, demanding that he and Zi submit to interrogation. Before they could respond, Ding Heng's mournful cry rang out.
Lu Lingfeng rushed outside to find Huo You's headless body, strikingly similar to Wei Qi's. Ding Heng recounted how Huo You, overcome with fear, had fled despite his scolding, and that he had attempted to secretly protect Huo You, only to find him dead upon exiting the temple. Su Wuming, having just emerged from the passage, concluded that someone was faking supernatural events, and there was more than one perpetrator.
Li Nai'er then appeared at the steps, coldly remarking on Huo You's death with satisfaction. Enraged by her callousness and the mounting deaths of his Imperial Guards, Ding Heng drew his sword to attack her. Lu Lingfeng intervened, blocking Ding Heng, but Ding Heng angrily warned Lu Lingfeng that the Emperor was testing his loyalty and, as fellow Right Imperial Guards, Lu Lingfeng should help eliminate the threat. During their skirmish, Lu Lingfeng once again protected Li Nai'er.
Su Wuming, rushing from the hall, shouted a warning to be wary of Li Nai'er, but before he could finish, Li Nai'er drew a dagger and plunged it into Lu Lingfeng's abdomen. Hermit Baize and Zi then shed their disguises. Huo Jing, previously thought to have died from a fall, dramatically reappeared. Seeing this, Ding Heng, still reeling from the shock, furiously accused Lu Lingfeng and Li Nai'er of being conspirators.
He vowed to defeat Li Nai'er and take her back to Chang'an for justice. However, Ding Heng was no match for the combined forces of Li Nai'er and Huo Jing. As Lu Lingfeng attempted to intervene, Zi swiftly launched a hidden weapon, throwing lime into Ding Heng's eyes, blinding him. Disoriented and defenseless, Ding Heng was brutally decapitated by Li Nai'er and Huo Jing working together.
Huo Jing, noticing Li Nai'er's repeated reluctance to deliver a fatal blow to Lu Lingfeng, questioned if Li Nai'er had developed feelings for him. She then turned her sword directly towards Lu Lingfeng's throat. Su Wuming bravely stepped in front of Lu Lingfeng, shielding him, while simultaneously unraveling the complex web of their grievances. He deduced that Li Nai'er, Huo Jing, and the deceased Ling Ji were fellow disciples.
Hermit Baize and Zi were not only their mentors but also Huo Jing's biological parents. Hermit Baize explained that he named his daughter Huo Jing because she was born under a Huo Jing persimmon tree, and her birth cured Zi's prior mental derangement. They had adopted Li Nai'er, who was the orphaned child of Lady Shangguan Wan'er. Their grand plan for revenge involved using Ling Ji to spread rumors of Bai Ze's presence to lure the Emperor.
Ling Ji, however, a "coward" in Huo Jing's words, refused to betray the Tang Dynasty and become a "loyal subject of the Li family," leading Huo Jing to sever ties with him. Li Nai'er revealed that she had once tried to persuade Huo Jing to reconcile with Ling Ji.
She recalled how Ling Ji's suicide was linked to their journey across Heartbreak Cliff, where a local legend states that lovers who cross it together are destined for an "end to their love." Huo Jing, showing no remorse for Ling Ji, declared his death a minor matter. She maintained that while their scheme failed to lure the Emperor, killing several Imperial Guard generals still amounted to significant revenge for Li Nai'er, making their lives meaningful.
Li Nai'er then revealed her true surname was Shangguan, not Li, identifying herself as Shangguan Nai'er, and explicitly stating that Lu Lingfeng was also complicit in her sister's (Shangguan Wan'er's) death during the Tanglong era, thus he too must die.
She passionately defended Shangguan Wan'er as the "Red Plum Chancellor," a virtuous and brilliant talent who greatly assisted Empress Wu Zetian and secretly protected the Li Tang royal lineage, yet was falsely accused of being part of the Wei family faction and tragically killed. Su Wuming expressed his profound sorrow over Lady Shangguan's death, acknowledging her immense contributions and confirming she was never part of the Wei family faction.
He noted her brave attempts to dissuade Emperor Zhongzong, even offering to become a nun and drinking poison to make her point, asserting that her efforts to preserve the Li Tang imperial family deserved to be recorded in history. He then pleaded with them, not out of fear for his own life, but out of concern for how they would face Lady Shangguan in the afterlife if they killed Lu Lingfeng, the son of the Grand Princess.
He recited the epitaph the State-guarding Grand Princess wrote for Lady Shangguan, emphasizing the deep bond between them. Huo Jing dismissed Su Wuming's words, accusing him of merely being afraid. She pointedly told Lu Lingfeng that if he were not so "good-looking," Li Nai'er's initial stab would have been fatal. Lu Lingfeng, gravely injured, vowed to avenge his Imperial Guard brothers. Zi urged Li Nai'er to join Huo Jing in the attack, questioning her wavering.
Desperate, Su Wuming shouted at them to stop, reiterating that Lu Lingfeng was truly the Princess's son and urging them not to make more mistakes. As they continued their assault, Su Wuming defiantly declared that he had "divine protection."
