Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 30 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Hearing about Wei Jia's recent marriage, Lu Lingfeng visited Pei Xijun. Pei Xijun shared that Wei Jia had remarried a wealthy merchant, possibly He Bi, president of An Society, and noted that Wei Jia had moved back to her parents' home, wondering if they had divorced. Pei Xijun offered to gather more information at the Wei Mansion.
Lu Lingfeng then mentioned visiting her family's villa in the south of the city, learning that Yang Ji, the former beggar boy, was living there, studying, managing the property, and growing vegetables. Yang Ji had just sent two large baskets of produce. Lu Lingfeng visited the villa and found Yang Ji transformed into a strong young man. Yang Ji expressed gratitude to Miss Xijun for his care and his eagerness to accompany Lu Lingfeng into battle.
Lu Lingfeng tasked Yang Ji with a mission, clarifying it wasn't a return to the House of Sorrow to deal with women. Instead, he asked Yang Ji about a large villa under expansion nearby, which Yang Ji recognized as belonging to the wealthy An Society. Yang Ji, though disliking An Society's staff, regularly gave unsold vegetables to their laborers. Lu Lingfeng instructed Yang Ji to deliver fresh vegetables to the laborers the next day and discreetly gather information.
Meanwhile, Chicken Fei spotted Song Weng at the Zoroastrian temple and pursued him to an Earth God Temple. The dim, candlelit interior was eerie. As Chicken Fei called out to the vanished Song Weng, a large net dropped from above, trapping him. Song Weng appeared, triumphantly holding a Fengli cane. He boasted about his long experience in the Ghost Market, while Chicken Fei retorted that he was busy running his cane shop above ground during that time.
Song Weng threatened to make Chicken Fei vanish with the cane, but his attempts failed. Before he could escalate his attack, Chu Yingtao suddenly intervened, startling Song Weng into surrender and warning him that continued resistance would cost him his head. Back at the Yongzhou Prefecture Office, Lu Lingfeng found Su Wuming examining bodies. Recalling their previous disagreement, Lu Lingfeng apologized, and a shared smile dispelled their earlier tensions.
Su Wuming reported that six new bodies had been discovered across various districts, bringing the total number of victims to nine, including the previously found Hua Fu, Ma Kui, and He Qian. He explained that, except for Ma Kui and He Qian who died unusually, the other seven were killed by a heavy blow to the back of the head.
Bodies found in Chang'an County had been struck twice, one wound being sharp, while those from Wannian County sustained a single, flatter, and more forceful blow. Just then, Chicken Fei and Chu Yingtao brought Song Weng to the county office. Su Wuming gently chided Chicken Fei for his treatment of the elder, but Chicken Fei confidently stated he could have defeated Song Weng in a fair fight if it weren't for Chu Yingtao's interference.
Song Weng then confessed to selling a Fengli beast to a woman six months prior. Upon hearing his description, Pei Xijun immediately identified the woman as Du Juniang, a person Lu Lingfeng had also met recently. Chicken Fei then recalled a peculiar fragrance at the Wei Mansion when he visited with Pei Xijun. Juniang had dismissed it as ordinary sandalwood, but Chicken Fei now realized it was sandalwood mixed with the scent of Fengli fluid.
Lu Lingfeng commented that Yang Ji's information was clarifying matters, though Su Wuming added that the truth seemed to be taking an unfavorable turn. Later, Du Yu, the Sheriff of Wannian, personally delivered an invitation to Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming at the Yongzhou Prefecture Office. He invited them to his residence that evening to witness the newly unearthed Du family merit-record pillar. Du Yu emphasized that he was unlike Wei Tao, valuing friends based on merit, not lineage.
He expressed admiration for Lu Lingfeng and respect for Su Wuming, recognizing him as a disciple of Master Di. Both officials accepted the invitation. That evening, at the Du residence, Du Yu addressed his guests, acknowledging his rivalry with Wei Tao, who had prematurely hosted his own gentry-only banquet after their respective family merit-record pillars were discovered. Du Yu, proud of his Jingzhao Du family heritage, stated he was not so arrogant as to exclude those outside the gentry.
His invited guests, he explained, were "talents His Majesty relies on most." He particularly thanked Chancellor Lu and Attendant Yang for their presence, and praised Su Wuming's promising future despite his current lack of official rank. After several rounds of wine, Du Yu presented a magnificent, giant stone pillar, intricately carved with the Du family's ancestral achievements. He invited Chancellor Lu and Attendant Yang to unveil it. Noticing its incomplete state, Chancellor Lu inquired about the missing text.
Du Yu confidently recited the illustrious history of his ancestors, from Imperial Censor Du Zhou to General Zhennan Du Yu, highlighting their family's generations of "learning and loyalty." Attendant Yang then toasted Lu Lingfeng, remarking on the Emperor's high regard for his loyalty and achievements, and predicting that with Lu Tong aging and visually impaired, the Emperor's safety would increasingly depend on Lu Lingfeng. Du Yu announced entertainment from a popular Persian House troupe, encouraging everyone to enjoy the festivities.
Meanwhile, He Bi and Shi Qiansui arrived at Chen Chong's ancestral hall, having been invited. They found Chen Chong already bound in a woodshed. Wei Tao and Du Yu appeared. He Bi expressed annoyance that Chen Chong hadn't greeted them and questioned his ancestral status. Wei Tao declared their intention to "write the word 'gentry'" across Chang'an, with Tongji District being the final stroke. They planned to kill He Bi and Shi Qiansui using fragments of the merit-record pillar.
Wei Tao and Du Yu bowed to Mr. Taiqiu, seeking forgiveness for shedding the blood of treacherous merchants in the hall. As they prepared to strike, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming burst through the door, loudly ordering them to stop. Lu Lingfeng confronted Du Yu, accusing him of using the banquet as a diversion.
Wei Tao accused Du Yu of delaying their capture, but Du Yu insisted he was only trying to protect Wei Tao, whom he saw as his brother and lifelong role model since childhood. Wei Tao fiercely claimed sole responsibility for all the murders. Du Yu, however, stated that Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming must have evidence to have tracked them.
Su Wuming clarified they lacked "ironclad evidence," but Yang Ji, while undercover, had learned from Jinguang Society laborers that during a villa expansion a month prior, two stone pillars—identified as the Wei and Du family merit-record pillars—were unearthed. Both families offered large sums for their return, but He Bi refused. Instead, he shattered the pillars for foundations and used the fragments as villa stepping stones, profoundly dishonoring the gentry.
Su Wuming then challenged He Bi, reminding him that as Wei Jia's husband, he was part of the Jingzhao Wei family, and questioning his actions. Wei Tao angrily disavowed He Bi as a Wei son-in-law. Su Wuming continued, revealing that Wei Tao and Du Yu had then infiltrated the Jinguang Society at night to reclaim the fragments, an act he believed mended their strained relationship. Wei Tao denied any past animosity, claiming their families were always united.
He reiterated his sole culpability and urged Du Yu to surrender. Du Yu, however, steadfastly maintained that the Wei and Du families were one, sharing both glory and disgrace. Su Wuming deduced that Wei Tao was responsible for the Chang'an County murders, and Du Yu for those in Wannian County, noting Du Yu's efficient, single-strike kills. He questioned why Du Yu, with such martial prowess, didn't serve the Tang Empire.
Wei Tao tried to stop Du Yu, admitting he led him astray. Lu Lingfeng personally apprehended Wei Tao and Du Yu. He suspected a deeper motive behind Wei Tao's cruelty, especially in He Qian's murder, but Wei Tao remained silent, expressing a desire for death. Du Yu also wished to die with him. Su Wuming, appealing to Du Yu's sense of gentry honor, finally persuaded them to surrender. Lu Lingfeng then asked how they were traced.
Su Wuming revealed it was due to "a drop of Fengli fluid," explaining that Wei Tao's chronic headaches led Du Juniang to purchase a Fengli beast from the Sifang Cane Shop, finding the origin of the fluid distasteful. Su Wuming asserted that the beast had by then been located at their residence.
The next morning, Du Juniang struck the drum at the Yongzhou Prefecture Office, not to protest for her husband and brother, who had confessed to their crimes, but to demand the return of the fragmented Wei and Du family merit-record pillars. She emphasized that despite being used as weapons, these fragments represented their ancestors' honor and were cherished by the Wei and Du clans.
Lu Lingfeng readily agreed and dispatched Chicken Fei and Pei Xijun to accompany her to the Wei Mansion. At the Wei Mansion, they found a group of thugs, sent by He Bi, attempting to abduct Wei Jia. The thugs accused Wei Tao of murder and kidnapping, demanding Wei Jia's return. Undaunted, Du Juniang challenged them to breach her home if they dared. Encouraged by "Sir He's" promised reward, the thugs charged.
Du Juniang, wielding a twelve-foot spear, led her maids and household guards to form a defensive line. Over ten archers on either side of the courtyard drew their bows, intimidating the attackers. The terrified thugs fled, begging for mercy and promising never to return. Lu Lingfeng and his companions were greatly impressed, praising Du Juniang's bravery, likening her to Xun Guan and Xie Daoyun.
Chicken Fei added that Du Juniang was also a skilled acupuncturist and had significantly improved Wei Jia's condition, alleviating her distress. However, Du Juniang had deliberately halted Wei Jia's treatment, fearing that a full recovery would cause her to remember past events. This intentional interruption left them without a clear path to uncover the full truth behind the crimes. They considered questioning He Bi, but Su Wuming's disciple pointed out that He Bi hadn't yet committed any crime. Chu Yingtao volunteered to interrogate him.
