The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 13 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Xu Bin found himself in the same prison cell as Cheng Can. Observing Xu Bin's low spirits, Cheng Can attempted to console him, but Xu Bin remained distraught, desperate to resume his investigation. He vehemently declared his innocence, shouting Li Bi's name and insisting he had not torn the book. Cheng Can then noticed ink on Xu Bin's face, which sparked a realization: the Flaming Demon's fuel was ink.
Xu Bin immediately understood, and together they shouted for a guard, urging them to relay this crucial information to Li Bi. Tan Qi returned late to Jing'an Si to report to Li Bi, who questioned her delay. Tan Qi admitted to having helped Zhang Xiaojing with a personal matter, delivering a message to Prince Yong. Surprisingly, Prince Yong agreed to release Zhang Xiaojing's man on the spot.
Li Bi was puzzled by how quickly Tan Qi had come to obey Zhang Xiaojing and how an arrogant Prince Yong had granted Zhang Xiaojing's request, leading him to view Zhang Xiaojing in a new light. Tan Qi also reported a significant lead: the Blaze Gang, funded by Prince Yong, had abducted a girl from the Wolven Squad's hideout in Xiuzheng Street. Zhang Xiaojing had learned this information before sending Tan Qi to Prince Yong.
Tan Qi suspected the abducted girl was Wen Ran. However, Li Bi, understanding Zhang Xiaojing's character, believed Zhang Xiaojing would search for Wen Ran himself if she were truly captured, as she was like family to him. He concluded the abducted girl was likely not Wen Ran and instructed Tan Qi to continue following Zhang Xiaojing. Feng Dalun summoned Yuan Zai for a banquet, where Yuan Zai, though flattered, maintained a calm demeanor.
Feng Dalun conveyed Prince Yong's order for Yuan Zai, in the name of the Court of Judicature, to draft a document to bring Zhang Xiaojing back for a sham interrogation of a few days, then return him to the county jail. Yuan Zai found this task too simple for the fuss Prince Yong was making, suspecting a deeper motive.
He pressed Feng Dalun for the truth, who, recognizing Yuan Zai's ambition, admitted that Zhang Xiaojing was the prisoner in question and the matter needed to be handled that very day. Feng Dalun then offered to take Yuan Zai to meet the captured girl. Meanwhile, Jia Shiqi led Zhang Xiaojing to Changming Street, but Zhang Xiaojing sensed something was amiss. He instructed his dog, Tiny, to sniff around, and the dog quickly led him to an abandoned house.
Inside, Zhang Xiaojing was ambushed by Yu Chang. A fierce fight ensued, and Zhang Xiaojing recognized Yu Chang by the copper coins on her wrist as the person who stole the map from Tu Ge Er in Huaiyuan Street. He also detected the distinct scent of Wen Ran's Holy Rue Incense on Yu Chang, pressing her for Wen Ran's whereabouts. Yu Chang proposed a trade: if Zhang Xiaojing lured the imperial troops to that location, she would return Wen Ran.
Zhang Xiaojing promptly sent up a smoke signal to alert the troops, and Yu Chang took the opportunity to escape over a wall. Yuan Zai, after observing the captured girl through a window, immediately deduced she was not Wen Ran based on her hairpin. He recognized it as Master Mao Shun's craftsmanship, reserved for the imperial family and high-ranking officials.
Yuan Zai, realizing the gravity of the situation, chastised Feng Dalun for implicating him and asked Feng Dalun to help him. Feng Dalun, now terrified, sought Yuan Zai's counsel. After careful consideration, Yuan Zai entered the room, removed the gag from the girl's mouth, and questioned her identity. The girl, Wang Yunxiu, erupted in anger, threatening Yuan Zai with her father, Wang Zongsi. Another individual, Wei Xiao, also insulted Yuan Zai, calling him a sycophant.
Infuriated by the insult to his self-made status, Yuan Zai slapped Wang Yunxiu, asserting that he earned his position as an Appraiser of the Court of Judicature through his own abilities. He then manipulated her, claiming he was investigating Feng Dalun's private residence at great risk to save her.
Believing him, Wang Yunxiu divulged that Wen Ran had lured her to the Wolven Squad's hideout and that Zhang Xiaojing had drawn a map of Counselor Lin's manor for the Wolven Squad. Xu Bin reported to Li Bi that the Flaming Demon's fuel was a special type of ink material called 'stone grease.' This highly flammable substance, found only in the northwest regions like Yanzhou and Jiuquan, becomes an unextinguishable fire when mixed with lard or castor oil.
Zhang Xiaojing had witnessed its devastating power during his military service in the Western Region, where a single can could kill dozens. Xu Bin explained that the people of Yanzhou used the soot from burning stone grease to make ink, which was widely renowned. He deduced that the Wolven Squad exploited Chang'an's regulations, which categorized raw materials and finished products together, by labeling the stone grease as "ink material" to pass customs inspections unnoticed.
Li Bi immediately ordered an investigation into all incoming ink shipments. Yuan Zai then bound Wang Yunxiu again, promising to rescue her soon. Feng Dalun, anxious, wanted to release Wang Yunxiu immediately. Yuan Zai cautioned him that high-ranking officials were ruthless; if Wang Yunxiu were released, her father, Wang Zongsi, would surely retaliate against Feng Dalun's family. Terrified, Feng Dalun sought Yuan Zai's solution.
Yuan Zai devised a plan to eliminate Zhang Xiaojing while safely returning Wang Yunxiu without leaving any loose ends. Feng Dalun, relieved, agreed to follow Yuan Zai's instructions completely. Li Bi, still suspicious of Xu Bin, questioned if his choice of Zhang Xiaojing for the mission was based on the "Great Case Records Technique" or personal bias. He then instructed Secretary An to assign ten men to investigate Xu Bin thoroughly using the same technique.
Meanwhile, Tan Qi caught up with Zhang Xiaojing in Changming Street. Zhang Xiaojing, rushing out of the decoy house, urged her to inform Li Bi and Cui Qi that it was a false lead and that he would use a smoke signal once he found the real Wolven Squad hideout. He then continued his search for Long Bo's lair. Long Bo sent Ma Ge Er ahead with three carts of stone grease, leaving Cao Poyan to guard the abandoned house.
Cui Qi and the Royal Escort arrived shortly after. Yuan Zai, having drafted two official documents, sent them to Li Bi and Counselor Lin. In these documents, Yuan Zai claimed he and Feng Dalun had rescued Wang Zongsi's daughter, Wang Yunxiu, from the Wolven Squad, and further accused Zhang Xiaojing of drawing a defense map of Counselor Lin's manor for the Wolven Squad. Upon hearing this, Counselor Lin instructed Ji Wen to dispatch men immediately to apprehend Zhang Xiaojing.
Yuan Zai arranged for Wang Yunxiu to be secretly transported away in a carriage, intending to stage a "hero saving the beauty" scene to release her legitimately. Unaware of the plan, Wang Yunxiu frantically cried for help, denouncing Yuan Zai as a liar. Zhang Xiaojing, guided by his dog, soon located the actual house where Wen Ran was held.
He immediately sent up a smoke signal for Cui Qi, then charged into the courtyard to confront Cao Poyan, demanding Wen Ran's release. Cao Poyan refused, leading to a fierce fight. Cao Poyan taunted Zhang Xiaojing, claiming Wen Ran and the Flaming Demon were together and would perish. Desperate to save Wen Ran, Zhang Xiaojing ended the fight swiftly, impaling Cao Poyan.
As Zhang Xiaojing pressed for the location of the remaining fuel, Cui Qi and the Royal Escort burst in. Seeing the killer of Cui Liu Lang, Cui Qi's eyes reddened with rage, and he vowed to kill Cao Poyan. Zhang Xiaojing tried to intervene to get information about Wen Ran, but it was too late. Cui Qi ordered a full search. The Royal Escort pushed open a door, knocking over an oil lamp which ignited a fuse.
The house exploded in a massive inferno, engulfing the area in flames. Royal Escort soldiers were caught in the blast, screaming in agony. Zhang Xiaojing and Cui Qi were thrown far back by the force of the explosion.
