The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 32 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Li Bi urgently requested Guo Lishi's assistance in securing He Zhizheng's release from the Right Counselor's manor, asking him to explain the situation to the Emperor to prevent the Crown Prince from being implicated. Guo Lishi revealed that his inquiries suggested He Zhizheng had indeed spoken about "not letting Lin Jiulang live past tonight," implying a direct involvement in the assassination plot.
Li Bi argued that if this was true, it was even more crucial for He Zhizheng to explain himself to the Emperor to prevent the Right Counselor from using it against the Crown Prince. Guo Lishi initially dismissed Li Bi's pleas, asserting he was not an errand boy. However, Li Bi pressed on, explaining that the intensifying rivalry between the Right Counselor and the Crown Prince was actually being orchestrated by the Emperor to maintain a balance of power.
Guo Lishi, angered, cautioned Li Bi against criticizing the Emperor. Li Bi elaborated that this "power-check tactic" relied on balance; should the Crown Prince be defeated, Lin Jiulang would gain control over the army and courts, potentially threatening the Emperor's life itself. Convinced by Li Bi's reasoning and acknowledging his own lifelong loyalty to the Emperor, Guo Lishi agreed to ensure He Zhizheng's presence at the banquet that night.
Li Bi then asked for Guo Lishi's help in saving Zhang Xiaojing, a wanted fugitive, fearing the court's actions would dishearten loyal officials. Guo Lishi firmly refused to advocate for a death-row convict, feeling it would be shameful and telling Li Bi to give up on the idea. Li Bi bid farewell, stating he was going to reassure the anxious Crown Prince, whose carriage was waiting outside Xingqing Palace.
Guo Lishi questioned Li Bi's motives, asking if he was pursuing the case or serving the Crown Prince, especially after sacrificing the life of Tan Qi, who had followed him for years. Li Bi responded that, as head of the Peacekeeper Corps, he could not let anyone down. At the paper mill, Xu Bin questioned Zhang Xiaojing's willingness to save Tan Qi.
Zhang Xiaojing admitted that Tan Qi had touched his heart, but expressed concern about endangering her further as he didn't know if he would survive the night. Xu Bin hypothesized that Li Bi's abandonment of Tan Qi likely indicated he had discovered a new, crucial lead, prompting Zhang Xiaojing to affirm his trust in Li Bi, despite his general distrust of officials, stating there are always good and evil in the bunch.
Xu Bin then showed Zhang Xiaojing a map detailing a secret tunnel from the Right Counselor's manor's Moon Hall directly to a brothel on Pingkang Street, managed by courtesan Li Xiangxiang. Zhang Xiaojing, who knew of Li Xiangxiang, decided it was worth investigating, even though Xu Bin noted the map's authenticity was unverified.
Immediately after Zhang Xiaojing left, Xu Bin, anticipating danger, advised his father to dismiss all the paper mill workers and tell them to leave the city until stability returned. Li Bi met with the Crown Prince, first apologizing for signing the confession that implicated the Crown Prince as the mastermind of the assassination, explaining it was a desperate act to escape and survive, allowing him to reverse the situation.
He assured the Crown Prince that Prince Ning's grandson had already sent a letter to the Emperor, exposing Lin Jiulang's unlawful acquisition of the seals of the Ministry of Justice, Court of Judicature, and the Censorate, thereby invalidating any statements Lin Jiulang presented. The Crown Prince, grateful for Li Bi's crucial intelligence, asked how he could repay him. Li Bi revealed he had left Tan Qi behind to facilitate his escape and implored the Crown Prince to save her.
The Crown Prince, however, initially dismissed Tan Qi's importance as just a servant, offering to provide Li Bi with many other servants. Li Bi insisted that Tan Qi was unique and like family to him since childhood, and after much pleading and a promise of lifelong servitude, the Crown Prince reluctantly agreed to help.
Inside the Right Counselor's manor, Lin Jiulang interrogated He Zhizheng, taunting him about his impending death after tonight and threatening to eliminate all his former students and disciples. Lin Jiulang offered to spare their lives if He Zhizheng would implicate the Crown Prince. He Zhizheng defiantly refused, declaring the Crown Prince to be his best student, and condemned Lin Jiulang, stating that without morality, even great wit makes one loathed.
Lin Jiulang, enraged, proclaimed that the will of Heaven was on his side and that no one could undo it. At this moment, Guo Lishi arrived, presenting an imperial order from the Emperor: Lin Jiulang was to attend the banquet wearing a commoner's robe. Lin Jiulang, visibly upset, questioned this "peasant's clothing," which he deemed beneath his status, realizing it was meant to publicly humiliate him.
He Zhizheng seized the opportunity to mock him, recalling how a former prime minister, Zhang Yue, had been imprisoned after his son-in-law's unwarranted promotion, viewing it as a clear sign the Emperor was stripping Lin Jiulang of his status. Lin Jiulang asked if he could refuse. Guo Lishi explained that the Crown Prince had also received a similar robe, signifying that both were now of "equal status" in the Emperor's eyes.
Guo Lishi then announced that the Emperor wished to personally interrogate He Zhizheng, and took him away, leaving Lin Jiulang no choice but to comply. Li Sifang commanded General Gan to prepare the Right Cavalry to escort Lin Jiulang to the banquet, while also instructing Yao Runeng to dispose of Tan Qi as soon as possible. Yao Runeng intentionally provoked Tan Qi into cursing him for disgracing his family, then rushed into her cell and appeared to strangle her.
Li Sifang observed until Tan Qi seemed lifeless before leaving. Yao Runeng then personally led men to take Tan Qi out for burial. Meanwhile, Yuan Zai, who had been expelled from the Right Counselor's manor, returned to inquire about Tan Qi's whereabouts, claiming he needed to vent his anger over Li Bi's escape and that his career was ruined. He learned she was being buried.
The two Right Cavalry guards began preparing a coffin made from ironwood (a repurposed gift Lin Jiulang disliked). After placing Tan Qi in the coffin, as the guards prepared to seal it, Yao Runeng swiftly knocked them unconscious. He then desperately tried to awaken Tan Qi, who had fainted from holding her breath. Yuan Zai, who was secretly watching, realized that Yao Runeng had deliberately faked Tan Qi's death as a ploy to save her.
Zhang Xiaojing forced his way into Li Xiangxiang's residence and tied her up, demanding to know the location of the secret tunnel. Li Xiangxiang, after a moment of defiance, admitted that Lin Jiulang occasionally used the tunnel. She teased him, offering to reveal the entrance in exchange for a kiss. Impatient and focused on his mission, Zhang Xiaojing refused, stating that someone important to him was detained on the other side and he needed to save her.
When asked who, he disclosed he was there for Tan Qi, Li Bi's personal maid. Li Xiangxiang then taunted him, highlighting the privileged life of officials' female servants and questioning why a death-row convict would seek to impress one, implying that such a relationship would always be beyond his reach. Finally, she pointed to the entrance, and Zhang Xiaojing immediately entered the tunnel. The Right Cavalry quickly arrived at the burial site.
Yuan Zai, calling out Yao Runeng for releasing the prisoner and killing two men, spurred the guards to apprehend him for rewards. Yao Runeng, now cornered, declared he would see whether the Eastern Palace or the Right Cavalry would prevail, goading the guards by highlighting that a Crown Prince's subordinate wreaking havoc in the Right Counselor's manor would be another serious charge against the Crown Prince. While Yao Runeng fought the cavalry, Yuan Zai approached Tan Qi in the coffin.
He realized she was feigning death and, finding her unresponsive, quickly closed the lid. Tan Qi, however, then stirred awake, only for Yuan Zai to interrogate her about Li Bi's whereabouts. When she refused, he retaliated by nailing the coffin shut. Yao Runeng, hearing Tan Qi's cries, fought desperately to reach her, but he was surrounded by Right Cavalry, severely wounded, and stabbed again as he tried to crawl towards the coffin.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaojing discovered that the tunnel he entered at Li Xiangxiang's house was a dead end. Realizing he had been tricked, he rushed back to force Li Xiangxiang to reveal the true passage. Yuan Zai, pressing a severely wounded Yao Runeng, demanded to know who ordered him to save Tan Qi, accusing the Crown Prince.
Yao Runeng, however, steadfastly declared that he acted on his own conviction, believing Tan Qi deserved to be saved, and swore he would not retreat even in death. Ignoring his plea, Yuan Zai ordered the Right Cavalry to bury Tan Qi alive. Trapped in the coffin, Tan Qi desperately proclaimed her will to live and achieve more than just being a servant.
She managed to use a small fire starter and a dagger to try and pry open the lid but soon lost strength and consciousness. In a fading dream-like state, she saw Zhang Xiaojing, who asked about her future plans. She expressed her desire to follow Li Bi and accomplish great things, but Zhang Xiaojing encouraged her to embrace her own potential and live freely, without fear, like him. As his image faded, Tan Qi's call for Zhang Xiaojing was answered by Li Bi, who arrived just in time to pull her from the coffin.
