The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 15 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
After leaving the Peacekeeper Corps, Xu Bin sought to quickly trace the origins of the stone grease, requesting records of all passes through the nine city gates from morning till noon, transaction records from all ink manufacturers and shops in the east and west districts, and lists of carriages frequently transporting goods from west to north. However, his colleagues in the Peacekeeper Corps, especially Chamberlain An, regarded him with cold disdain.
An, who once held Xu Bin in high esteem, now accused him of using the Great Annalytics—which they once believed to be the world's cleanest database—for fraudulent, selfish purposes, tainting its integrity. Xu Bin, unable to defend himself, quietly departed, leaving Li Bi feeling uneasy as he watched him go. Meanwhile, Lin Jiulang inquired with Ji Wen about the Great Annalytics.
Ji Wen explained it was a unique algorithm created by Xu Bin, capable of deducing precise truths and even predicting the future from the numbers in Great Tang's historical files, and had been praised by He Zhizheng numerous times. He also detailed Xu Bin's background: known as Youde, a former National Treasury clerk with an incredible memory, one of the first to join the Peacekeeper Corps where he established the database.
Xu Bin was described as introverted, focusing solely on mathematics, believing only numbers could reveal truth and free the world. Lin Jiulang, however, was skeptical, finding it hard to believe numbers alone could capture the full truth of human affairs. He dismissed the numerous flattering documents and poems from officials hoping for promotion, asserting that true judgment of a person came not from their claims or public opinion, but from their past relationships—who valued them and who were their enemies.
Noticing Xu Bin's low-key nature yet his ascent to his current position despite never seeking connections, Lin Jiulang suspected a hidden backer and ordered Ji Wen to investigate who was behind Xu Bin. Li Bi secretly followed the dejected Xu Bin to a house that turned out to be a bamboo paper-making workshop.
Li Bi confronted Xu Bin, expressing his anger that Xu Bin was hiding there, pursuing what seemed like a mere business venture, instead of investigating the Wolven Squad, clearing Zhang Xiaojing's name, or addressing the mole within the Peacekeeper Corps.
Xu Bin, however, passionately defended his work, explaining the intricate and labor-intensive process of making paper from bamboo, including a hundred days of immersion, eight days and nights of boiling with lime wash, repeated bleaching, and meticulous pounding to extract perfect fibers. He presented the finished bamboo paper, demonstrating its quality, comparable to the prized vine paper of Shan County. Xu Bin then argued that paper-making was paramount for Great Tang's future and critical to salvaging the collapsing tax system.
He detailed how the widespread need for paper for official documents had depleted vine paper, causing prices to soar. Court officials, rather than finding alternative paper sources, restricted its use, leaving local data entry clerks without paper. This seemingly trivial issue led to a deep sense of disappointment among the clerks, causing their passion and sense of duty to wane over time, resulting in incomplete and false records.
These inaccurate records, Xu Bin stressed, represented the livelihoods of the people and directly contributed to the crumbling tax system and land abandonment, leaving the court bankrupt amidst frequent wars. Li Bi, realizing the profound implications and Xu Bin's sacrifices—selling his land and manor, and even having his wife work as a maid, all to fund his five-year-long experiment—was deeply moved by his dedication. Acknowledging his own folly, Li Bi immediately asked Xu Bin to return to the Peacekeeper Corps.
Back at the Peacekeeper Corps, a watchtower guard reported spotting Ma Ge Er and three carriages with barrel-like objects, suspected to be Crouching Fire, heading towards Pingkang Ward. As Li Bi and Xu Bin rushed back, Li Bi immediately took command. He ordered a full encirclement of the Wolven Squad to prevent them from reaching the royal city and Xingqing Palace.
He also instructed that a message be sent to Cui Qi via the watchtower, transferring full command of the Royal Escort to Zhang Xiaojing. An officer questioned the decision to give military power to a death row convict, but Li Bi emphasized the urgency, stating that to counter the Wolven Squad's all-out fight, they needed someone equally determined. Li Bi then tasked Xu Bin with assisting other officials in investigating the case.
Yao Runeng delivered Li Bi's order to Cui Qi, instructing him to hand over command of the Royal Escort to Zhang Xiaojing. Cui Qi was torn, having trained his men for months for this opportunity. Yao Runeng, however, pressed him to consider his future, reminding him that a promotion to Right Cavalry hinged on making the right choice. After a moment of thought, Cui Qi made his decision and rallied his remaining soldiers to intercept the Wolven Squad.
As Yao Runeng walked away, leading his dog, he encountered Tan Qi. Yao Runeng sarcastically suggested that her diligent efforts to assist Zhang Xiaojing stemmed from personal affection, contrasting Zhang Xiaojing's domineering personality with Li Bi's reserved nature. Tan Qi rebuked him, warning him not to dishonor the legacy of his grandfather, Yao Chong, a famous minister. Infuriated, Yao Runeng retorted that it was his father who had already tarnished the family name through his greed for power.
He then threw water in Tan Qi's face, mocking her loyalty to Zhang Xiaojing, claiming it wouldn't be reciprocated. Tan Qi, suppressing her anger, left to support Zhang Xiaojing, while Yao Runeng, seething, lamented that even she looked down on him.
Ji Wen later informed Lin Jiulang that Yuan Zai of the Court of Judicature had reported Wang Yunxiu's willingness to testify that Zhang Xiaojing had colluded with the Wolven Squad, having allegedly seen Zhang Xiaojing provide them with a map of Lin Jiulang's manor's defenses.
Lin Jiulang, finding it improbable that a mere Sleuth-Hound Captain would possess such knowledge, instructed Ji Wen to escalate the narrative: frame the incident as an assassination attempt orchestrated by Director He and the Crown Prince's faction, using the Peacekeeper Corps as a front, and to immediately draft a secret report to be sent to the Emperor, complete with witnesses and evidence. He also ordered 100 cavalrymen to guard his manor's front door.
Meanwhile, Wang Yunxiu, gagged and bound, was desperately calling for help from inside a rapidly moving carriage. Amidst the festive din of the Lantern Festival, her cries went unheard. Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and sounds of a struggle erupted outside. Yuan Zai appeared, opening the carriage door, freeing Wang Yunxiu, and offering her his cloak.
He spun a tale that Zhang Xiaojing, abusing his authority as a Peacekeeper Corps commander, had kidnapped her, and he had fortuitously discovered her whereabouts after much searching. Wang Yunxiu, grateful, wished to return home, but Yuan Zai, who had specifically arranged a Xi carriage, her favorite, to pick her up, insisted it was unsafe.
He convinced her that her kidnapping was part of a larger, dangerous conspiracy and offered his own house, assuring her it was the safest place outside the palace. As the episode concluded, various guards were heard issuing warnings about stone grease and fire, indicating the ongoing search for the Crouching Fire.
