The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 27 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Long Bo had intentionally equipped He Fu with inert Crouching Fire, aiming for his capture to buy himself more more time. Meanwhile, Long Bo was making his way towards the Imperial City via a hidden path, transporting three hundred barrels of genuine Crouching Fire with the intention of detonating them to assassinate the Emperor.
He Fu was brought before Minister Pei of the Ministry of Justice, who pressed him to reveal the true instigator behind the attempted assassination of Right Counselor Lin Jiulang. However, He Fu urgently warned Minister Pei to immediately dispatch men to intercept Long Bo, emphasizing that Long Bo possessed three hundred barrels of Crouching Fire and that his true target was not Lin Jiulang, which would endanger countless Chang'an citizens.
When Minister Pei disregarded his pleas, He Fu declared himself the mastermind, asserting he solely sought revenge on Lin Jiulang for his family's destruction and had no desire to harm the city's populace. Minister Pei dismissed all others present. He Fu, despite his blinded eyes, suddenly realized his surroundings were not the Ministry of Justice but Lin Jiulang's Right Counselor's mansion. Lin Jiulang, present in the room, demanded to know who ordered He Fu to kill him.
He Fu, seething with hatred, vehemently denounced Lin Jiulang for framing his biological father and causing the massacre of his entire household, leaving him as the sole survivor. He Fu revealed how he had endured years of hardship, even eating undigested food from a grave to survive, all to exact his revenge on Lin Jiulang, only to have his plan foiled.
Lin Jiulang attempted to coerce He Fu into implicating He Zhizheng and the Crown Prince, even offering to clear He Fu's father's name, but He Fu steadfastly refused, insisting he would only reveal the truth during a joint interrogation by the Three Ministries. Elsewhere, Li Bi was held captive in a private dungeon beneath Pingkang Ward.
He vehemently demanded his release, stating that he had an urgent task to investigate a case critical to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chang'an citizens. The guards, dismissing him as delusional, paid him no heed. Li Bi then tried to gather information from Ah Zhi, a courtesan imprisoned with him. Ah Zhi, appearing unhinged, provocatively offered to infect him with her skin ulcers so he could remain with her in their "happy" confinement forever.
Li Bi, internally questioning if true happiness could be found in such a state, decided to stay for the moment. On a street, Zhang Xiaojing and Is were suddenly surrounded by Yuan Zai and the Right Cavalry. Yuan Zai announced a bounty on Zhang Xiaojing’s head. Is bravely stepped forward to cover Zhang Xiaojing's escape, but Zhang Xiaojing insisted Is get away from him as far as possible.
Meanwhile, a watchtower official in Pingkang Ward detected Zhang Xiaojing's presence and prepared to signal to summon the Bad Guys to arrest Zhang Xiaojing. However, Yao Runeng forcefully intervened, driving away the official and personally beating the drum to transmit a defiant message across Chang'an: "Never Retreat." This signal resonated throughout the city, reaching Tan Qi, who, seeing it, was re-energized with hope and moved to tears, and also reaching Zhang Xiaojing.
Chief Ji Wen learned of Yao Runeng's unauthorized use of the watchtower to send a message to Zhang Xiaojing, which meant "Never Retreat." Angered, Ji Wen immediately ordered Yao Runeng’s arrest. Before being apprehended, Yao Runeng, acting under the authority of the Peacekeeper Corps, issued an order for all watchtowers across the city to shut down and for their officials to be dismissed, all to protect Zhang Xiaojing.
In a final act of defiance, Yao Runeng pushed the great drum off the watchtower before surrendering to the Right Cavalry. In prison, Ji Wen confronted Yao Runeng, stating that Zhang Xiaojing's death was necessary to satisfy Right Counselor Lin Jiulang. Yao Runeng passionately argued that the Peacekeeper Corps was established by the Emperor to uncover truth and protect innocents, not to frame people.
Ji Wen then revealed that the Right Counselor had already captured the true culprit behind his attempted assassination: He Fu, the son of Director He. Yao Runeng was stunned by this revelation, finding it impossible that the supposedly foolish He Fu could be the mastermind. Ji Wen warned Yao Runeng that this affair would inevitably implicate the Crown Prince, a faction Yao Runeng was closely associated with, urging him to reconsider his stance.
Yao Runeng was then confined in a cell with Cheng Can. Cheng Can, famished, immediately asked Yao Runeng if he had any food. Yao Runeng, sensing his own dire circumstances, expressed a heartfelt wish that Zhang Xiaojing would understand his intentions and efforts to help him in these final moments. Seeing all the watchtowers shut down, Zhang Xiaojing felt an overwhelming sense of despair and helplessness.
His mind drifted back to the battle at Fengsui Fortress, where his Eighth Regiment had fought to near annihilation. He recalled a moment when only nine of them, including Captain Wen Wuji, remained, and imperial reinforcements had failed to arrive. Zhang Xiaojing had urged Wen Wuji to return to Chang'an to see his daughter, but Wen Wuji's only reply was "Never Retreat."
Inspired by this memory, Zhang Xiaojing resolved to fight to the end, once again pushing Is away to ensure his safety and urging him, "If you want to live happily for the rest of your life, live with your eyes closed." Yuan Zai then ordered the Right Cavalry to attack. Zhang Xiaojing, fighting with extraordinary ferocity, as if possessed by the spirits of his fallen comrades, single-handedly decimated the Right Cavalry.
Witnessing Zhang Xiaojing's bloodthirsty determination, Yuan Zai quickly retreated with Wang Yunxiu. In the dungeon, Li Bi decided to help Ah Zhi with her debilitating skin ulcers and examined her. When Ah Zhi's brother saw Li Bi examining his sister, he mistakenly believed Li Bi was assaulting her and furiously attacked him.
Li Bi quickly provided him with a detailed medicinal formula involving black soil from Jinagling House, plant ash, vinegar, and other items, instructing him on how to prepare an external application. Although skeptical, given previous doctors had offered no cure, Ah Zhi’s brother agreed to try it. Li Bi then carefully prepared the topical medicine and had the brother apply it, warning that it was for external use only and poisonous if ingested.
He promised Ah Zhi that if he successfully escaped, he would find the finest physicians and rare medicinal herbs from the Eastern Palace to ensure her complete recovery, urging her not to lose hope. Deeply moved and her hope for life rekindled, Ah Zhi shared her dream of running a small, clean pastry business like a breakfast vendor she admired, where she could support her brother and live with dignity, enjoying the beautiful mornings of Chang'an.
Suddenly, news reached the dungeon that soldiers were searching for a man in a green Taoist robe, suspected of assassinating Lin Jiulang. Ah Zhi's brother, realizing Li Bi matched the description, expressed his intense hatred for Lin Jiulang, whose servants had often mistreated them. Viewing Li Bi as a hero, he offered to help him escape. Li Bi clarified that he had not assassinated the Right Counselor but was merely investigating a case connected to him.
Nevertheless, Ah Zhi's brother removed his own clothes and gave them to Li Bi to wear as a disguise, offering to escort him out of the underground city. After the intense fight, Is, tears streaming down his face, expressed his awe at Zhang Xiaojing's formidable combat skills, describing it as seeing a god or a demon. He urged Zhang Xiaojing to flee to the Western Region, where he had contacts who could help him settle down for a peaceful life.
Zhang Xiaojing agreed to leave but insisted that before doing so, he must find the mercenaries who killed You Cha and demand to know who hired them. Meanwhile, Yuan Zai, having suffered heavy losses and failed to capture Zhang Xiaojing, worried about facing Right Counselor Lin Jiulang's wrath. Wang Yunxiu reassured him, suggesting that the failure could be blamed on the watchtower's lack of communication.
She also perceived his deeper fear that the arrest of He Fu might implicate him with the Crown Prince's faction. Wang Yunxiu, whose father was the Crown Prince's sworn brother, offered to return home to prevent Yuan Zai from being drawn into any political fallout. Yuan Zai stopped her, confessing his true feelings.
He vowed that he would achieve a monumental feat of merit, rising rapidly in status not through reliance on the Crown Prince or Right Counselor, but solely through his own capabilities, to protect her for eternity. Grasping her hand, Yuan Zai swore to the heavens that he and Wang Yunxiu would remain inseparable, ensuring that future generations would remember her name alongside his in history.
