The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 21 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
On the fourteenth day of the first month of Tian Bao's third year, as dusk settled, Yu Chang seethed with anger upon seeing Wen Ran return unharmed, only to be struck across the face by her. Yu Chang suspected Wen Ran was gathering information for Zhang Xiaojing and vowed to kill her if she dared to interfere with Long Bo's plans.
Long Bo, who considered Wen Ran like a younger sister due to his bond with her deceased brother, was furious at Yu Chang's threats. He removed the copper coin from Yu Chang's wrist, tossed it into a brazier, declared their transaction null, and ordered her to leave. Yu Chang retrieved the scorching coin from the fire, the sole link between them, and swore unwavering loyalty to Long Bo before departing.
Yi Si led Zhang Xiaojing and Tan Qi to Elder Pu Zhe's quarters, where they discovered him murdered. Zhang Xiaojing spotted the assassin lurking outside and engaged him in a fierce fight. The assassin, unwilling to linger, knocked Zhang Xiaojing to the ground and escaped through a window, scaling rooftops with Zhang Xiaojing in hot pursuit. The chase continued across the rooftops until the assassin was cornered.
Just as Zhang Xiaojing was about to apprehend him, accomplices appeared, throwing money into the crowds of festival-goers. People surged forward to grab the coins, forming an impenetrable human wall that blocked Zhang Xiaojing. He could only watch as the assassin vanished into the throng, thinking to himself that as long as Pu Zhe's body was there, he, the King of Hell, would uncover everything about the killer.
Returning to Jing Temple, Zhang Xiaojing learned from Tan Qi that the cleric's certificate found on Pu Zhe, bearing the Dharma name Pu Zhe, was likely forged, as the carved letters were shallow. Zhang Xiaojing meticulously examined the body, noting a saber wound across the hand, typical of Tajik combat tactics designed to disarm. He also observed strong thigh muscles, indicative of prolonged horseback riding, and calluses on the shoulders from wearing armor.
Based on these findings, Zhang Xiaojing concluded that the deceased elder was indeed You Cha, the leader of the Wolven Squad. Tan Qi remarked that the assassin would likely return due to a lack of confidence, which makes one prone to mistakes. Tan Qi then heard movement outside, realizing the assassin had indeed returned to confirm You Cha's death.
She quickly instructed Yi Si to feign a severe cough, pretending it was You Cha, while she loudly urged Zhang Xiaojing to transport Elder Pu Zhe to the Jing'an Division for treatment. The assassin, overhearing their ruse, quietly left. Simultaneously, Ji Wen reported to Lin Jiulang that You Cha, the younger son of Ge Luo, the Wolven Alpha, was hiding in the Persian monastery.
He recounted that after Ge Luo's death at the hands of the Tajiks, You Cha had defected to Great Tang and was pardoned by the Emperor, with Director He Zhizheng ordered to care for him.
Lin Jiulang, suspecting He Zhizheng's involvement despite his role in initiating the Wolven Squad investigation, then indulged in a grand vision of taking complete imperial power, imagining himself as the emperor's public shield, ushering in a new era where laws would reign supreme, making him a figure remembered throughout history. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the chilling realization that the Wolven Squad still posed a threat to him.
He instructed Ji Wen to order Li Bi to bring You Cha to Jing'an Division for interrogation, stating he would take over once Li Bi had obtained the initial information. To further lure the assassin, Tan Qi devised a plan to transport Pu Zhe's body. Yi Si publicly arranged for a clinic carriage to take Pu Zhe away. As the carriage traveled, two assassins, disguised as medical staff, ambushed it, attempting to kill the supposed patient.
However, Zhang Xiaojing was hidden inside. He fought the attackers, killing the driver and subduing the other. Yi Si and Tan Qi soon arrived, and Yi Si identified the captured men as the assassin who attacked You Cha and his accomplice who had waited outside for extraction, emphasizing the monastery's need to avoid charges of conspiring with outlaws to keep its place in Chang'an.
As Zhang Xiaojing and Tan Qi rode back to Jing Temple in the carriage with the captured men, a profound sense of mutual reliance grew between them. Tan Qi playfully chided Zhang Xiaojing for staring at her all day, calling him a "pervert." He retorted that she would become a "mean old lady" because the person she liked most could only spend one day with her, causing Tan Qi to again call him a "pervert."
Zhang Xiaojing then recited a poem, expressing his deep feelings and vowing, "I won't leave you." Upon returning to Jing Temple, Yi Si immediately sent all pilgrims and guests away, secured the monastery, and instructed the friars, though not fighters, to take up any available objects and guard the premises, citing the gravity of the situation. Zhang Xiaojing began interrogating the captured mercenary, easily identifying him as a "Shouzhuo Lang" – a member of an assassination organization.
Zhang Xiaojing mocked his overconfidence, pointing out how easily Tan Qi had tricked him into returning to confirm the target's status, and then taunted him with details of You Cha's privileged background, challenging the mercenary's claim of being "the best." He accused the mercenary of working for an assassination organization with contacts for clinic carriages.
The mercenary attempted to bite his tongue to commit suicide, but Zhang Xiaojing, drawing on his years of experience as a Bad Commander, quickly prevented it, noting that many who attempted it failed to die. Yi Si then tried a softer approach, appealing to the mercenary's parents and the shame of dying in such a state. The mercenary, however, declared that he never expected to return home and would be buried wherever he fell.
Yi Si countered by stating the Imperial Court would find his parents and deliver his corpse. Zhang Xiaojing escalated the interrogation by threatening him with the "Eight Tortures of Lai Junchen," a method he claimed to know well. Yi Si, finding the threat too brutal, led the monks out of the room. Suddenly, Yu Chang burst into Jing Temple, killing several monks as she made her way towards the captured mercenary, intending to silence him.
Zhang Xiaojing intercepted her, engaging her in a fierce struggle. Seizing the opportunity, Tan Qi quickly engaged the mercenary in conversation, stressing that his devotion was unappreciated by his employers, who treated him as a "lapdog" rather than a great assassin. She appealed to his desire to see his loved ones, offering to let him go if he revealed the mastermind.
The mercenary confessed that his organization held his family hostage, making betrayal impossible, as it would lead to their deaths. Tan Qi then highlighted the severe consequences for the entire Mercenary Garrison if Chang'an fell, arguing that their employers were taking an unusual and suspicious risk. Finally, the mercenary broke, revealing the employer to be the "Flame Master" and directing her to Liu's Bookshop on Pingkang Street, urging her to tell the Flame Master what she had just told him.
With these words, the mercenary succumbed to his injuries and died. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaojing managed to subdue Yu Chang. However, Yu Chang then threatened to subject Wen Ran to agonizing torture and a slow death, vowing her father wouldn't recognize her in the afterlife. Enraged, Zhang Xiaojing nearly killed Yu Chang, but Tan Qi intervened, urging him to spare her, as Yu Chang was their only lead to Long Bo and Wen Ran. Zhang Xiaojing reluctantly relented.
Yi Si carefully arranged the bodies of the fallen monks, mourning them deeply and struggling to find peace despite the scriptures. He then released a carrier pigeon to General Guo Lishi for assistance, and soon, imperial guards arrived to investigate. Zhang Xiaojing respectfully attended to the mercenary's body, reflecting on the grim realities of the Shouzhuo Lang, who were often desperate exiles or former soldiers forced into a life on the edge.
Tan Qi suggested that he could find a new life, living anonymously in the distant, secluded Shouzhuo City. Zhang Xiaojing apologized for his earlier "offense" (his emotional declaration in the carriage), but Tan Qi brushed it off. She confessed that having followed her young master Li Bi and witnessed the fickle nature of officials, her life had felt increasingly meaningless.
However, meeting Zhang Xiaojing in Chang'an had brought her an unexpected sense of purpose and fulfillment, as he treated her as an equal and trusted her implicitly, unlike others who saw her merely as a servant. Their conversation deepened their connection, both feeling a profound bond. Yi Si confirmed that he had sent the pigeon message to General Guo.
