Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 29 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Su Wuming and Chu Yingtao arrived in Tongji District and immediately called for the district head. Su Wuming, posing as Lu Lingfeng, the Yongzhou Judicial Official, inquired about the wealthiest merchant in the area. The district head explained that Tongji District, being a remote and southernmost district, was generally desolate, so affluent merchants rarely resided there.
However, he recalled that the old residence of Huan Yanfan, one of the Five Leaders of the Shenlong Coup, had recently been acquired by a successful boot merchant named Chen Chong. This information immediately put Su Wuming on edge. Meanwhile, Chen Chong knelt in his ancestral hall, lamenting to his ancestors that he, a descendant of a renowned Han and Wei family, had disgraced them by becoming a merchant instead of an official.
He expressed his disdain for the Jinguang Society members, who often engaged in shady dealings, but asserted that he had never partaken in such dishonorable acts. An assassin, who had secretly entered, overheard Chen Chong’s heartfelt confession. Surprisingly, the assassin withheld his attack, instead bowing reverently before the Chen family’s ancestral portrait before quietly departing. Moments later, Su Wuming and Chu Yingtao rushed in.
Still reeling from the encounter, Chen Chong cried out in alarm, inadvertently drawing the attention of the patrolling Imperial Guards. Upon learning of Su Wuming's actions, Lu Lingfeng was furious, criticizing him for acting on mere speculation and impersonating an official. Chu Yingtao defended Su Wuming, explaining that without an official title, he lacked the authority to conduct investigations, necessitating the use of Lu Lingfeng’s name to secure the district head’s cooperation.
However, Lu Lingfeng remained firm, stating that Su Wuming’s conduct tarnished the reputation of the Yongzhou Prefecture Office and disgraced their mentor, Master Di. Lu Lingfeng then dismissed Pei Xijun and Chu Yingtao, confronting Su Wuming alone. He accused Su Wuming of being prejudiced against the gentry, pointing out that despite the available clues spanning multiple districts, Su Wuming had fixated on Tongji District.
Lu Lingfeng argued that many contemporary Metropolitan Graduates from the imperial examinations possessed only superficial literary skills, lacking the true talent for governance, and were solely motivated by official salaries. He contrasted this with gentry members, who possessed inherited knowledge and familiarity with court protocols, suggesting that reforming and revitalizing the gentry could be an effective strategy for governing the state. Reflecting on this, Su Wuming felt that his investigative approach from the previous night might have been flawed.
He admitted that he had indeed suspected the killer to be from the gentry, though he also acknowledged Lu Lingfeng’s grand vision for the gentry and recognized his integrity and concern for the common people, despite their differing views. Chu Yingtao, remembering she had left Chicken Fei at the Ghost Market, hurried with Pei Xijun to the Sushan Shop to find him. Pei Xijun then persuaded Chicken Fei to visit her residence to treat Wei Jia's mental illness.
At the Wei mansion, Wei Jia, terrified of strangers, screamed in protest upon seeing Chicken Fei. Du Juniang, Wei Jia's sister-in-law, apologized for her condition. After a careful observation, Chicken Fei determined that Wei Jia’s condition was treatable but required a long-term acupuncture regimen.
Since Wei Jia could not leave the mansion, Du Juniang, who had learned some acupuncture as part of her family’s education, offered to learn the specific techniques from Chicken Fei so she could administer the treatment herself. Impressed by Du Juniang’s innate talent and quick understanding, Chicken Fei immediately accepted her as a disciple after testing her skills.
He agreed to teach her a specialized set of needle techniques, promising that daily morning and evening treatments would lead to a swift recovery for Wei Jia. Du Juniang pledged to bring Wei Jia to personally thank him once she recovered. On their way back, Chu Yingtao, with her usual persuasive charm, showered Chicken Fei with praise, finally convincing him to return to the Ghost Market to search for Song Weng.
Meanwhile, given the increasing number of missing and murdered merchants, Lu Lingfeng ordered all related cases to be consolidated and handled by the Yongzhou Prefecture Office. Sheriff Wei informed Su Wuming about additional cases of missing merchants in Chang'an County that had not yet been formally reported.
Su Wuming conducted a second autopsy, concluding that the fatal weapon was not standard issue but a hard, irregularly shaped, sharp object, likely a large stone, causing blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Subsequently, more bodies matching this description were found in Shanhe and Chonghua Districts. A servant of a missing merchant in Anren District revealed that his master was a member of the Jinguang Society, an exclusive and wealthy organization within the An Society.
This solidified Su Wuming's suspicion that the killer was targeting members of the Jinguang Society. Lu Lingfeng observed the An Society distributing food and wine at the city gate, specifically for the poor and merchants, while explicitly excluding gentry families. A gentry man from Zhaoguo District, facing extreme poverty, publicly renounced his gentry status to receive aid, only to be assaulted by fellow gentry members. Sheriff Du Yu intervened to stop the fight, chastising the gentry for their public altercation.
When Lu Lingfeng questioned the An Society’s discriminatory distribution policy, a staff member explained that these rules were set by Chief He Bi, who had explicitly excluded gentry-dominated districts like Chongren, Taiping, Wuben, Xuanyang, Guangde, Zhaoguo, and Jinggong from their relief efforts. Du Yu then informed Lu Lingfeng that He Bi was at He Qian’s residence, arranging his brother’s funeral.
Du Yu also invited Lu Lingfeng to a family banquet in three days to celebrate the unearthing of his family's own merit-record pillar, hinting at the Du family's status comparable to the Wei family. Lu Lingfeng then sought out He Bi to question him about the Jinguang Society.
He Bi confirmed that he founded the society to highlight successful merchants and that deceased members like Hua Fu, Ma Kui, and his own brother He Qian were indeed part of it, thus confirming that the killer targeted Jinguang Society members. Lu Lingfeng later revisited Chen Chong for more details about the attempted assassination.
Chen Chong reiterated that the assailant’s weapon, hidden in a cloth sack, felt like a heavy, muffled object, possibly an iron weight or a large stone, aligning with Su Wuming’s autopsy findings. Chen Chong also mentioned that the Jinguang Society had temporarily suspended its gatherings due to the recent deaths and disappearances, and that its expanding villa was located in a fortuitous spot where the merit-record pillars of both the Wei and Du families had been unearthed.
This unexpected detail surprised Lu Lingfeng. That evening, Lu Lingfeng visited Pei Xijun, bringing her snacks. She was sketching a portrait of Wei Jia and shared details about her: Wei Jia, a beauty from the south of the city, had initially married into the Fufeng Dou family. Her husband, who had gained an official position through hereditary appointment, died months later. However, this was not the cause of her madness.
Pei Xijun then revealed that Wei Jia had controversially remarried a prominent merchant, leading to a break with her family. This new information sparked a realization in Lu Lingfeng: the wealthy merchant was very likely He Bi.
