The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 10 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Long Bo, suspicious by nature, suspected Yu Chang of deliberately leaving behind a patron token, originally given to him by Ding Tong'er, for the official army. Yu Chang vehemently denied this, claiming she had merely forgotten it in her haste. She insisted on her usefulness to Long Bo, saying she only brought a woman there to test the local commandants. Long Bo, however, was not convinced and challenged her to prove her loyalty.
Meanwhile, Qin Jue of the Blaze Gang quickly returned to Feng Dalun, reporting that Zhang Xiaojing was near death. He presented Wang Yunxiu in a sack, though he claimed it was Wen Ran, before being instructed to enter discreetly due to the presence of Royal Escort soldiers. Cui Qi, after assessing the scene, sent a report to the Peacekeeper Corps announcing a "great victory" and claiming his Royal Escort troops had completely wiped out the Wolven Squad in Xiuzheng Street.
Li Bi, upon receiving the news, confirmed it was a total wipeout but was immediately concerned about Zhang Xiaojing, who was reported to have disappeared during a separate skirmish. Li Bi promptly dispatched Tan Qi to find him. Meanwhile, Cui Qi's men, having searched four streets, failed to find Cao Poyan, Ma Ge Er, and the young woman they abducted.
Despite the clear escape of two Wolven Squad members, Cui Qi refused to report the truth, declaring that he would take full responsibility for the cover-up to protect the reputation of the Royal Escort. He then instructed his men to find two Wolven Squad bodies and disfigure their faces to aid in the deception. Elsewhere, Wen Ran, Cao Poyan, and Ma Ge Er, disguised as shamans, were stopped at the Xiuzheng Ward gate by guards.
Wen Ran, quick-witted, explained they were out to pray for her deceased father and had been caught up in a street fight. Convinced by her story, the guards allowed them to pass. Once outside, Ma Ge Er grew suspicious, questioning Wen Ran if she was sent by You Cha, which she denied. He then accused her of leading Zhang Xiaojing to them and, in a fit of rage, threatened to kill her as a tribute for their fallen comrades.
Tan Qi arrived at the Xiuzheng Ward and found a severely injured Zhang Xiaojing lying on the ground. She immediately began to tend to his wounds, despite his delirious comments and his desire to simply sleep through the pain. She reminded him to be mindful of his words and actions, as he was now a commander.
As Zhang Xiaojing drifted in and out of consciousness, he vividly recalled a time when he had returned to Chang'an after being sent by Tan Tongshou to Yanzhou for over a month to investigate a seemingly minor case of a runaway maid. He believed Tan Tongshou had deliberately kept him away to conceal more significant events in the capital.
Upon his return, he visited Wen Wuji, who greeted him warmly with noodles, noting his exhaustion and urging him not to bear burdens alone. Wen Wuji observed that Tan Tongshou seemed changed and untrustworthy. Expressing concern for Wen Ran, who had grown skilled at making chewy noodles for Zhang Xiaojing, Wen Wuji asked Zhang Xiaojing to look after her. Zhang Xiaojing, however, dismissed the request, insisting Wen Wuji should care for his own daughter.
Soon after, Wen Wuji left on "business." Sensing something amiss, Zhang Xiaojing pressed Wen Ran for details. She revealed that the Blaze Gang, backed by the Ministry of Works, had been terrorizing merchants on their street, coercing them to sell their shops at low prices to build an inn for a Lesser Patola Sahi envoy. They had aggressively raised rents fivefold and used despicable tactics like defiling homes and killing livestock to scare residents into leaving.
Wen Wuji, trying to secure justice for the community, had gone to negotiate with Qin Jue, the second-in-command of the Blaze Gang. Shortly after, a heavily wounded Wen Wuji stumbled back home, his final words imploring Zhang Xiaojing to care for Wen Ran and saying he would no longer be able to watch the sun with them from Chang'an's heights. He then died in front of them, leaving Wen Ran consumed by hatred for Chang'an and the Blaze Gang.
Tan Qi, following Li Bi's orders to verify Cao Poyan's death and locate his body, continued her search of the Xiuzheng Ward. Zhang Xiaojing, having regained some consciousness, asked Tan Qi about his sleep and noticed she had changed his clothes and tended to his wounds. Despite their banter and her calling him a "pervert," she confirmed her mission was to find Cao Poyan, whose body had not yet been sighted. Zhang Xiaojing then rose to investigate the situation himself.
Meanwhile, Long Bo, focused on his task, asked Yu Chang the time. Upon hearing it was fifteen minutes to three, he confirmed that the "Flaming Demon" would arrive on schedule. He then instructed Yu Chang to retrieve mint from his waist and feed it to him.
Yu Chang, visibly smitten, carried out the task, reminding him of their earlier conversation where she implied she "paid him" for her work, then clarifying that she was merely repaying him for saving her life. Li Bi remained in the Peacekeeper Corps, anxiously awaiting Tan Qi's confirmation. Yao Runeng arrived with a direct order from the Crown Prince: to immediately close the Peacekeeper Corps, cease all investigations, and accompany the Prince to the Grand Auditorium for the lantern festival.
Yao Runeng emphasized that the watchtower had already spread news of a city-wide victory, and the Crown Prince had already submitted a report to His Majesty via General Guo Lishi. Li Bi realized that continuing the investigation now, without full certainty, could be construed as treason.
However, he remained deeply concerned about any remaining Wolven Squad members posing a threat to Chang'an, but Yao Runeng insisted that the majority were terminated and urged him to prioritize the Crown Prince's directive for the city's future. Despite the urgency, Li Bi firmly stated that he would wait for Tan Qi's return.
Ji Wen reported to Lin Jiulang that the Blaze Gang had failed and Zhang Xiaojing was still alive, while the Royal Escort claimed a total victory over the Wolven Squad. He expressed concern that the Crown Prince might use this newfound merit to discredit Lin Jiulang during the evening's lantern festival, especially since the Crown Prince had secretly met with Guo Lishi that morning.
A furious Lin Jiulang berated Ji Wen for the delayed report, but Ji Wen explained Guo Lishi's extensive network within the palace. Ji Wen then revealed a crucial piece of intelligence: the spy Zhang Xiaojing killed earlier, Xiao Yi, had previously investigated Guo Lishi for illicitly trading authentic palace gold instruments for fake ones. However, with Xiao Yi dead and the location of the stolen gold unknown, there was no concrete proof.
Frustrated by Ji Wen's lack of solutions, Lin Jiulang swiftly ordered him to immediately go to the palace and secretly replace Yan Taizhen's tea set with chipped, old ones. Ji Wen was to use the excuse that all good tea sets were being used for the grand feast, hoping that when His Majesty saw the inferior tea set, it would subtly remind him of Guo Lishi's alleged corruption and undermine his standing.
Back at the Peacekeeper Corps, Officer An Zhuguo requested leave for himself and his men, eager to return home after three days to join their families in viewing the Great Holy Lantern. However, Li Bi questioned how they could be certain that the Xiuzheng Street manor was the Wolven Squad's only hideout and insisted they wait for Tan Qi's confirmed report before making any decisions. Tan Qi meticulously inspected 47 Wolven Squad bodies but found none matching Cao Poyan's description.
Zhang Xiaojing, meanwhile, inquired if any female bodies had been found, recalling the woman he saw. A soldier informed him that Qin Jue of the Blaze Gang had taken a woman with them when they departed, but since the gang was not their primary target, they had not pursued them. Zhang Xiaojing then pressed for details about their escape route and who had checked the backyard.
Tan Qi confronted Cui Qi about the missing body of Cao Poyan despite his triumphant report, accusing him of oversight or a false statement. Zhang Xiaojing, however, intervened, taking full responsibility and claiming he was the one who instructed Cui Qi to report a complete victory. He then pulled Cui Qi aside and pressed him for the truth about the escaped Wolven Squad members, promising to bear the blame for any false reporting.
Cui Qi confessed that two men, Cao Poyan and Ma Ge Er, had escaped. He also stated that Wang Yunxiu, General Wang Zongsi's daughter, was taken by Cao Poyan, a claim Cao Poyan himself made and which the woman did not deny. Zhang Xiaojing then inquired about another woman whom a subordinate reported leaving with the Blaze Gang, to which Cui Qi dismissively called her "nameless" and beyond his help.
Zhang Xiaojing rebuked Cui Qi, reminding him of his duty as a Tang soldier to protect all lives. Cui Qi then admitted his internal conflict: he yearned to avenge his brother, Cui Liulang, but feared the severe repercussions if Wang Zongsi's daughter were used as a pawn in a larger war. He finally described a distinct detail about the abducted woman: she wore a hairpin modified from a Western Region war arrow.
This specific detail made Zhang Xiaojing realize with a jolt that the woman was not Wang Yunxiu, but Wen Ran. Zhang Xiaojing called Tan Qi aside. When she questioned his cover-up for Cui Qi, he stated it was for the ongoing case, as Li Bi needed him, and for personal reasons. He then asked her to deliver a message to Prince Yong: "to let go of Zhang Xiaojing's man," clarifying that Prince Yong would understand who "his man" referred to.
Tan Qi, realizing he meant Wen Ran, expressed her need to report back to Li Bi, but Zhang Xiaojing insisted she could make time. He also asked her to convey to Li Bi that "he has to trust me if he wants to use me," emphasizing the urgency and importance of the message for the Great Tang.
Tan Qi then voiced her suspicions about Wen Ran's recent behavior, believing she was involved in significant court cases and possessed dangerous secrets, warning that "some people will not let her live." She advised Zhang Xiaojing that if he saw Wen Ran, he should tell her that the Peacekeeper Corps was the safest place for her that day, but she refused to elaborate on the specific case Wen Ran might be involved in, claiming she had already revealed too much.
