The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 22 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Zhang Xiaojing and Tan Qi were about to transport the captured assassin, Yu Chang, from the monastery when the Royal Army arrived, sent by General Guo Lishi. Zhang Xiaojing expressed surprise at their swift arrival, but Yi Si, the monastery's abbot, explained he had sent a pigeon for help. Yi Si elaborated that General Guo often brought him into the palace to teach the Emperor scripture, and the Emperor had promised assistance if the monastery faced trouble.
Zhang Xiaojing then instructed the Royal Army to take Yu Chang to the Peacekeeper Corps. The Royal Army leader, addressing Zhang Xiaojing by name, stated that the "Flaming Demon" case had been ordered closed, a decree he himself had been escorting General Guo when it was issued. Tan Qi quickly intervened, clarifying that the Peacekeeper Corps was investigating the attack on the Persian monastery where twenty-one friars were killed.
She insisted that Yu Chang, as the killer, must be sent to the corps for interrogation, pointedly asking if the Royal Army wished to involve General Guo and disturb his peace. Convinced, the Royal Army leader ordered a carriage to be brought for their escort. Ji Wen reported to Lin Jiulang that General Guo Lishi had deployed the Royal Army to the monastery to assist the Peacekeeper Corps in transporting the killer.
He noted that General Guo, typically neutral between the Crown Prince and Lin Jiulang, had now overtly sided with the Crown Prince, a development that was causing a stir among scholars and hinting at the Emperor's favor. Lin Jiulang considered how much General Guo Lishi knew, stating that failing to report an assassination plot against the prime minister would make him an accomplice to treason.
He then immediately wrote a letter to the Emperor, accusing Director He Zhizheng of establishing the Peacekeeper Corps as a cover to assassinate him using the Wolven Squad, claiming he had both a witness—Wang Zongsi's daughter—and material evidence. Later, Guo Lishi arrived at Lin Jiulang's mansion to convey a royal decree.
After dismissing Lin Jiulang's subordinates, Guo Lishi formally relayed the Emperor's message, inviting Lin Jiulang to a banquet and noting that Lady Yan Taizhen had found a new way to entertain, making the event fun and exciting. He subtly warned Lin Jiulang that the Emperor had appeared upset when issuing the mild-sounding decree.
Guo Lishi stressed the urgency, mentioning that the Crown Prince was already en route to welcome the Emperor at Daming Palace, and Lin Jiulang would face deep trouble if he was late. Lin Jiulang, learning the Crown Prince was with the Emperor, inquired about a secret document he had recently sent. Guo Lishi claimed ignorance of its contents.
Lin Jiulang then revealed the document accused Director He Zhizheng of establishing the Peacekeeper Corps as a cover to assassinate him using the Wolven Squad, claiming he had both a witness—Wang Zongsi's daughter—and material evidence. Guo Lishi, in turn, asked for Lin Jiulang's opinion on how to proceed, specifically if it involved arresting Li Bi. Guo Lishi, citing his long survival in the palace by avoiding "wild guesses or absurd speculations," declined to interfere.
Lin Jiulang countered with his own philosophy of "predicting a man's thoughts," explaining his rise to power. He then interpreted the Emperor's true motive for sending Guo Lishi: to gauge whose side Guo Lishi would choose—Lin Jiulang's or the Crown Prince's. Guo Lishi acknowledged Lin Jiulang's intricate thoughts, agreeing that he wanted to know where Guo Lishi's allegiance lay.
Fearing Lin Jiulang's potential extreme measures, Guo Lishi discreetly dispatched men to He Zhizheng's manor in Paradise Height to apprehend He Fu, He Zhizheng's adopted son. He instructed them to act in stealth, ensuring no one else was alerted, and to frame He Fu as acting alone, detached from any other conspirators. Meanwhile, He Fu was with Long Bo at an abandoned house owned by Lin Jiulang, which He Fu revealed was once his family home.
He recounted how Lin Jiulang had framed his birth father, leading to his family's death during exile and the confiscation of their property. He Fu, having feigned madness for ten years, was now seeking revenge. He admired the intricate design of the "Rainfall Pavilion" within the house, which Long Bo noted was typical of the wealthy.
He Fu urged Long Bo to quickly prepare the Crouching Fire, as Lin Jiulang was about to leave his Pingkang Street residence, creating a prime opportunity for an ambush before he reached the Directorial Office, which would be heavily guarded by General Chen Xuanli's Elite Army. Long Bo, however, wished to wait for his assassin, who had gone to the Persian monastery to "cut off a loose end."
He Fu vehemently disagreed, stating that Long Bo's assassin was either dead or captured due to her high-profile actions and was likely being hunted across the city. He accused Long Bo of sounding like the very man he hated most by dismissing one person's life as inconsequential. Long Bo remained confident his assassin would not be captured, but He Fu countered, asking if Long Bo underestimated Zhang Xiaojing.
Back at the Peacekeeper Corps headquarters, Tan Qi reported to Li Bi that You Cha had been ambushed and killed, and Zhang Xiaojing had captured Yu Chang, noting Yu Chang's prior presence on Changming Street during the Crouching Fire explosion. Xu Bin also felt uneasy after seeing a suspicious figure in the crowd. Li Bi ordered Yu Chang to be held for interrogation.
Li Bi then inquired about Commander Zhang, and Tan Qi explained that Zhang Xiaojing was tracking a lead at Liu's Bookshop on Pingkang Street, a known meeting place for You Cha, and could not return while the Right Cavalry was present. Worried about Zhang Xiaojing going alone, Li Bi instructed Tan Qi to assist him.
Tan Qi, however, expressed concern for Li Bi's safety if she left, as the Royal Army was only there for transport and no Royal Escort was present. Li Bi insisted she go, assuring her he would be safe. At Long Bo's hideout, Wen Ran noticed Long Bo's anxious state. Long Bo admitted he was thinking about a dream, contemplating a different, more decent life had he been born at another time.
Wen Ran bluntly told him that if Yu Chang had been captured, he would be unable to save her and urged him to "see the big picture." Meanwhile, the Royal Army commander, after complimenting the ropes used on Yu Chang, warned Li Bi about the corps' lax defenses and Yu Chang's dangerous nature. Li Bi attempted to keep the Royal Army stationed there for protection, even offering to write to General Guo Lishi for authorization.
However, the commander refused, stating their orders were strictly for transport and that remaining would violate jurisdictional protocols, potentially implicating General Guo Lishi. He then ordered his men to report back to General Guo and departed. Yao Runeng informed Li Bi that Yu Chang looked familiar, recalling seeing her in Huaiyuan Street attempting to sneak out after a riot.
Xu Bin confirmed Yu Chang's connection to Long Bo through her presence at the Changming Street explosion and the monastery attack, adding that community officers from Huaiyuan Street had reported Long Bo operating with a woman who wore coins on her wrists. Li Bi decided to interrogate Yu Chang to find Long Bo and the remaining Crouching Fire.
He tasked Xu Bin with investigating Liu's Bookshop on Pingkang Street, a mercenary meeting point, to identify their garrison and trace large business transactions. When Xu Bin expressed the difficulty of completing this quickly due to the mercenaries' elusive nature, Li Bi ordered Yao Runeng to recall all thirty-plus chief officials of the Peacekeeper Corps to assist Xu Bin.
Yao Runeng was instructed to use the watchtower, broadcasting drum beats with the specific signal: "The Third Yin: Awakening after thunder, peace after storm," to avoid interception by the escaped mole, Lu San. The reason given for the recall was the investigation into the Persian monastery murders. Xu Bin offered to assist Li Bi with the interrogation of Yu Chang, citing safety concerns, but Li Bi politely declined, securing the room for his private interrogation.
Li Bi confronted Yu Chang, sensing her guilt, and demanded to know Long Bo's location and the whereabouts of the three hundred barrels of Crouching Fire. Yu Chang, stalling, offered to answer a question for each rope untied, asserting that while she was in no hurry, Li Bi was. Elsewhere, Long Bo received a report that the Royal Army and Right Cavalry were guarding Yu Chang at the Peacekeeper Corps, along with Cui Qi's Royal Escort.
Long Bo instructed his men to draw a map of the headquarters' defenses. Wen Ran showed her distress over Long Bo's intense focus on Yu Chang. The watchtower signal was also heard by Official An and his wife at the lantern carnival.
His wife, who had secured a new, lucrative position in Luoyang through her uncle, urged him not to return to the corps, believing Chang'an was no longer safe and that a new, harsher regime under the Right Counselor was imminent. Official An, however, felt compelled by his conscience and a desire to prove himself worthy of his wife, and decided to return, promising to be home early.
Lin Jiulang, receiving reports that the Peacekeeper Corps had arrested a suspect and was nearing a breakthrough, ordered Ji Wen to withdraw General Gan Shoucheng's Right Cavalry from the area, stating they should not interfere and risk looking like vultures. At Long Bo's hideout, He Fu also heard the watchtower signal, understanding it meant the Peacekeeper Corps had arrested someone and was recalling all personnel.
He urged Long Bo to act before his own identity was discovered, arguing that Yu Chang was now useless with her identity exposed and "those who know must die." Long Bo, however, declared that "vermin stick together" and vowed to leave no one behind, insisting on rescuing Yu Chang. He Fu argued there was no time or obligation to save her. Long Bo retorted that mercenaries and "vermin" lived by their reputation, adhering to the code: "Kindness must be repaid.
Vengeance must be served." He Fu reminded Long Bo that he had taken his money and therefore must obey his orders. Long Bo, defiant, stated he did not follow rules set by others. He Fu then revealed that Guo Lishi had sent the Royal Army to arrest him at He Zhizheng's house, meaning he was compromised and this was his final chance for revenge.
He pleaded with Long Bo to proceed with their plan and threatened to withhold all payment from Long Bo's men if he insisted on a futile rescue of Yu Chang, who He Fu believed would not survive. Long Bo remained resolute.
