Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Episode 38 Recap
> Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅲ: To Changan Recap
Xiong Qiannian's premature and reckless actions to apprehend what he believed were spies at Dayan Pagoda led to the failure of the planned ambush. Lu Lingfeng, frustrated by Xiong's incompetence, expressed his anger and even suggested that Xiong might have deliberately tipped off the spies. Su Wuming advised Lu Lingfeng to speak cautiously, but Lu Lingfeng, confident in his judgment, declared he would resign as constable if those two were indeed spies.
Su Wuming then went to investigate the arrested individuals, recognizing one as You Tiancai, the Director of the Tribute Office. Xiong Qiannian continued to accuse You Tiancai of being a Yenisei Kirghiz spy. You Tiancai, however, insisted he was innocent, explaining that he was merely scalping tickets to the upcoming polo finals to earn money for a larger house, as his official salary was insufficient.
The other person involved confirmed he was simply trying to buy tickets for his wife to see the Grand Princess. Realizing that You Tiancai was not the actual target, Su Wuming ordered Xiong Qiannian to remove them quickly to avoid alerting the real spies. Instead of simply discreetly removing You Tiancai, Xiong Qiannian provocatively brought him to Pei Mian at the Court of State Ceremonials. Pei Mian, seeing this as a deliberate attempt to humiliate him, was enraged.
He clarified that You Tiancai, as an official who committed a serious crime, should be sent to the Censorate. Emphasizing the importance and grandeur of the upcoming imperial polo tournament, Pei Mian declared that You Tiancai was not to be associated with it and immediately ordered his expulsion from the Court of State Ceremonials, ignoring You Tiancai's pleas for mercy.
Throughout this, Pei Mian was also meticulously overseeing the production of the precious imperial polo balls, stressing precision and the creation of a backup. Following the initial failed meeting, Hu Meier refused her companion's suggestion to leave Chang'an, asserting her unwavering loyalty to the Khan and her determination to complete her mission. Meanwhile, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming revisited Sun Zi for more information.
After some pressure, Sun Zi revealed the Yenisei Kirghiz spies' backup plan: if the Dayan Pagoda meeting failed, they would meet the "Four Heavenly Kings" at 4 AM the next day in the quietest place in Chang'an. Sun Zi mentioned his confusion about this, as the contact was already wearing a Heavenly King mask, specifically the Guardian of the East, which he knew was from a specific mask shop in the Ghost Market. Su Wuming analyzed the cryptic clue.
He concluded that despite his initial thoughts, Dayan Pagoda, while generally busy, would be the quietest area at 4 AM as pilgrims would not yet be permitted entry. Believing the meeting location remained the same, Lu Lingfeng, accompanied by Xue Huan, went to monitor Dayan Pagoda. Su Wuming proceeded to the mask shop in the Ghost Market. The shop owner, Yan Ruyu, recalled selling four Heavenly King masks to a large, six-fingered man a few days prior.
The man had left an old, worn Guardian of the East mask that appeared ancient and not of Chang'an origin. Su Wuming purchased this old mask. Later, Su Wuming felt he had missed a critical detail. When confronted by his three constables, who questioned Dayan Pagoda's suitability as the "quietest place," Su Wuming had an epiphany: Leyouyuan's Leyou Temple, though dilapidated and enshrining both Han emperors and the Four Heavenly Kings, would be truly quiet at dawn.
He immediately led his team there. Indeed, Hu Meier and her companion, Hu Da, were meeting "the Wolf" at the temple, where Hu Meier handed over a black copper tube. However, Hu Meier quickly realized it was a trap, noting "the Wolf's" redundant final words and his ridiculous wolf-head mask. As they turned to flee, they encountered Chu Yingtao, who was attempting to seize the copper tube. In the ensuing fight, Chu Yingtao killed Hu Da.
Hu Meier, surrounded by the constables, fiercely declared that Yenisei Kirghiz warriors would die rather than surrender. Despite Su Wuming's attempts to persuade her to yield, she committed suicide. Concurrently, "the Wolf" handed the copper tube to another masked figure, receiving silver ingots in exchange, only to be immediately assassinated by the same masked individual. Lu Lingfeng and Xue Huan, who had waited in vain at Dayan Pagoda, returned to learn of the night's events.
Lu Lingfeng then told Su Wuming that his all-night vigil was not wasted; he had identified a repeatedly appearing individual of special status who could influence Chang'an's safety. Both realized they were thinking of Xiong Qiannian, and Lu Lingfeng decided a thorough investigation into him was necessary. Still remorseful for his miscalculations, Su Wuming received an additional piece of information from Chu Yingtao regarding Hu Meier's ear scars, which Yang Ji had earlier noted.
Su Wuming immediately recognized the significance and, after examining Hu Meier's body, confirmed that the scars were not a result of suffering or punishment, but rather "face mutilation and ear cutting," a ritualistic mourning practice of Yenisei Kirghiz nobility. Realizing the importance of the old mask, he brought Chu Yingtao to Feng Tai in the Ghost Market, hoping to ascertain its origin. Feng Tai could only narrow its origin to Xunzhou or Nanzhou and required more time for research.
Back at the sushan shop, Su Wuming sought Chicken Fei's expertise with the mask. Chicken Fei quickly discovered the molted skin of a Hundred Poisons Bug inside, along with the scent of Milong Mushroom. He definitively concluded that the mask was from Nanzhou, as the bug is unique to that region, implying its owner had long resided there.
Under the guise of delivering sushan ingredients to the Bafang Inn's branch, Su Wuming went undercover, aware that the inn had been a known Yenisei Kirghiz stronghold for years, a fact his mentor Di Renjie had strategically kept under wraps for a "long game." Yang Ji reported to Su Wuming about Juren Candidate Tian, who persistently frequented the inn, hopelessly enamored with Lady Chong the Thirty-Sixth.
Yang Ji noted that despite Lady Chong lending him money for rent, she maintained an emotional distance. Su Wuming, disguised as a fortune teller, approached Juren Candidate Tian, but Tian, having seen Su Wuming earlier and recognizing his disguise, immediately discerned his true purpose. Su Wuming and Juren Candidate Tian engaged in a candid conversation. Tian poured out his heart, recounting his profound love for Lady Chong the Thirty-Sixth and her sudden coldness.
Their once close relationship fractured when Tian, upon seeing knife scars on her ear, reacted with emotional outrage, promising vengeance against the perpetrator. Lady Chong had responded with a mood-killing dismissal and subsequently remained distant, though she continued to provide him financial assistance, knowing his poverty. Tian speculated that her scars might indicate a foreign background, which she perhaps feared would hinder their union.
Su Wuming, recognizing the depth of Tian's affection and the potential relevance of Lady Chong's scars, cautioned Tian to act as if they had never spoken. However, he urged Tian to immediately report to the Liuhe Sushan Shop if he observed any suspicious events or dangers concerning Lady Chong, framing it as a way to protect her.
To emphasize the urgency, Su Wuming revealed that the woman who had stayed at the inn the previous night (Hu Meier) was now dead and also bore similar ear scars. Meanwhile, the meticulously crafted seven-colored imperial polo balls were completed. Pei Mian summoned Li Zhuang, entrusting him with the paramount task of safeguarding these precious items, a duty Li Zhuang solemnly accepted. Simultaneously, Lu Lingfeng, accompanied by Lu Tong, was summoned to the palace for an audience with the Emperor.
Lu Lingfeng truthfully reported that while the two Yenisei Kirghiz spies had been dealt with, "the Wolf," who had received their intelligence, remained at large. The Emperor, relaying the Retired Emperor's concerns about his personal safety at the tournament, asked if Lu Lingfeng could guarantee the elimination of the threat within the remaining two days. Lu Lingfeng honestly admitted he could not. Acknowledging Lu Lingfeng's best efforts, the Emperor resigned himself to observe the situation as it unfolded.
