The Longest Day in Chang'an Episode 36 Recap
> The Longest Day in Chang'an Recap
Li Bi confidently told Long Bo that Zhang Xiaojing could stop him. Long Bo, well aware of Zhang Xiaojing's fear of water, deliberately had Yu Chang open the floodgates, aiming to block Zhang Xiaojing's path. Despite his fear, Zhang Xiaojing followed Chao Fen's instructions and entered the underground water tunnel to reach the Great Lantern Tower. Understanding the dire consequences of any delay, Zhang Xiaojing forced himself to swim. Halfway through, he encountered a large iron gate.
Exhausted, he lost consciousness and began to drown. In the imperial court, the Emperor expressed his dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince, stating that the investigation of the Flaming Demon case remained unresolved. He questioned if the Crown Prince was satisfied after having hired a convict on death row for the investigation, to whom the Emperor had granted half a day of freedom. The Crown Prince replied, "Much obliged, Father."
Lin Jiulang then accused the Crown Prince of shirking responsibility, while the Crown Prince countered that Lin Jiulang had deliberately obstructed the Peacekeeper Corps. He questioned why Ji Wen was appointed chief instead of Li Bi and blamed Lin Jiulang for transferring the Royal Escort, which was assigned to the Peacekeeper Corps, to the command of the Right Cavalry, thereby leaving the corps defenseless and vulnerable to attack.
Lin Jiulang argued that the Royal Escort was ordered to send Zhang Xiaojing to the brig of the Right Cavalry because Wang Yunxiu, daughter of General Wang Zongsi and a close associate of the Crown Prince, had witnessed Zhang Xiaojing conspiring with the enemies. The Crown Prince retorted that Wang Yunxiu was never a person of decency and that her actions had nothing to do with her father.
The two engaged in a heated exchange, with the Crown Prince even calling Lin Jiulang "a mutt." The Crown Prince insisted that Lin Jiulang was intentionally obstructing the investigation, trying to frame him. The Emperor, convinced by the escalating accusations, then directly asked the Crown Prince if he had ordered He Fu to assassinate Lin Jiulang during the Lantern Festival. The Crown Prince vehemently denied it, swearing it was not his doing.
Zhang Xiaojing regained consciousness to find himself rescued by a group of craftsmen, some of whom were former riders under Commissioner An Lushan from Yingzhou. They informed him that the entire Great Lantern Tower was powered by a waterwheel, a design Master Mao Shun had spent half his life perfecting. They explained that once the floodgate was opened, water from the Dragon Spillway would pass through, setting the wheel in motion, and it could not be stopped.
Zhang Xiaojing immediately asked about the Qilin columns, knowing that the stone grease inside needed to be ignited while hot to prevent solidification. The craftsmen explained that the Qilin columns were currently being heated and installed, eagerly anticipating the lighting of the Great Lantern Tower, which they believed would be an unprecedented marvel. Zhang Xiaojing expressed his concern for the thousands of innocent lives in the square. He then asked the craftsmen who was giving them orders.
They replied that "he" was waiting for Zhang Xiaojing upstairs and that he would know who when they met. Meanwhile, at the Great Lantern Tower, Long Bo had Li Bi bound and suspended from a high pillar. Long Bo boasted about his flawless assassination plan, but Li Bi was only concerned with uncovering the mastermind behind him. At the imperial court, the Emperor turned to He Zhizheng, seeking his judgment on the Crown Prince's guilt in the assassination plot.
Lin Jiulang seized the opportunity to threaten He Zhizheng, reminding him that the Emperor had already read He Fu's statement against the Crown Prince and warning him not to commit deception, or he would be sent to the Heavenly Prison. The Emperor, however, urged He Zhizheng to speak truthfully, adding that he had never protected even his own sons.
The Crown Prince, realizing the Emperor's growing suspicion, desperately asked his father who served a greater purpose to Great Tang, himself or Lin Jiulang. The Emperor decisively chose "Counselor Lin!" Deeply disappointed, the Crown Prince almost pulled out a ledger containing evidence of Lin Jiulang's crimes, but hesitated, then put it away. He pleaded with the Emperor to spare his teacher, He Zhizheng, affirming He Zhizheng’s unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, not to him.
When He Zhizheng appeared to doze off due to old age and recent grief over his son's death, Lin Jiulang tried to impeach him for disrespect. The Crown Prince immediately knelt and begged the Emperor for sympathy for his old teacher. The Emperor, claiming to be tired, ordered the lights to be doused, effectively ending the contentious debate between the Crown Prince and Lin Jiulang.
The Crown Prince was bewildered by the sudden darkness during the Lantern Festival, while Lin Jiulang optimistically suggested it was a surprise from the Emperor. Within the Great Lantern Tower, Long Bo and his Ants, disguised as craftsmen, were bustling, busy installing the "Crouching Fire" explosives. Long Bo declared that all the explosives were installed. He spoke with Wen Ran, instructing her to wait for Zhang Xiaojing and leave the city, assuring her that a carriage was ready.
Wen Ran expressed doubt, fearing Zhang Xiaojing would not come with her, to which Long Bo replied that her benefactor (referring to Zhang Xiaojing) was not someone afraid to accept new ideas, despite Wen Ran calling him a stubborn man. From his suspended position, Li Bi proposed a deal with Long Bo: he would persuade Zhang Xiaojing to cease his interference if Long Bo spared the Crown Prince.
Yu Chang, however, interjected, urging Long Bo to kill Zhang Xiaojing, deeming him useless and a potential complication. Long Bo retorted that he cared about Zhang Xiaojing. Yu Chang, clearly upset, questioned if Zhang Xiaojing was more important than her, stating that this was her last day and she wanted to know.
Long Bo admitted that he wanted Yu Chang to come with him, but he also wanted Zhang Xiaojing to stay, revealing that he was unsure which of them was more important to him. Zhang Xiaojing eventually found Mao Shun, the Master State Builder, who was surrounded by 108 candles. Mao Shun explained that once he ignited one of these lines, a Tian Shu Pillar would activate, causing the Qilin arm to spray stone grease.
The entire Great Lantern Tower would then transform into a colossal "Crouching Fire" bomb, plummeting 150 meters to blast Chang'an city and its people into ruins, sending them instantly to the afterlife. Mao Shun gloated about their "fortune" in dying before the Emperor and even offered Zhang Xiaojing "Lady Meng's Forgetting Soup," a metaphor for death. Zhang Xiaojing, furious, told him to shut it, vowing to stop the devastation.
He argued that if the people were killed, any vile invention could threaten the Great Tang. Mao Shun, recognizing Zhang Xiaojing's good intentions, then posed a grim question: "Between the emperor and the people, if you could only save one of them, who would you save?" He admitted this was a question he had pondered for days while building the tower. General Chen Xuanli, leading the Dragon Tiger Army outside Xingqing Palace, was deeply concerned about the lack of security.
He stressed the importance of guarding the entrance with their lives, warning that any harm to the Emperor would make them the greatest sinners in history. He also worried about the Great Lantern Tower being too close to the Grand Auditorium. Acknowledging a shortage of manpower, Chen Xuanli lamented that the Emperor, wanting the banquet to be a "family affair," had restricted the number of soldiers.
To address the deficit, he ordered two squads from the Lantern Tower to be redeployed to the palace entrance, with strict instructions to prevent any suspicious individuals from entering. At the Peacekeeper Corps, an officer informed Ji Wen that the Crown Prince was slandering the Right Counselor at the Grand Auditorium, accusing him of seizing the corps and obstructing the investigation.
Pang Ling attempted to report the time, stating it was the hour of Chou Chu, but Ji Wen interrupted him, mocking his serious demeanor and telling him to be more cheerful. Ji Wen then complained about the Peacekeeper Corps' inefficiency in solving cases. Pang Ling reminded him that the lantern would be ignited at 2:00, and after the ceremony, officers would be seeking credit.
Commander Zhao suggested they needed a scapegoat, especially since the joint lifting of Zhang Xiaojing's arrest warrant by the Crown Prince and Right Counselor meant he was no longer an option. Ji Wen, driven by his duty to the Right Counselor who appointed him, agreed. Zhao Canjun proposed using Cheng Can, describing him as a man from a humble family with no court connections, unable to resist, and involved in the investigation.
When Zhao Canjun arrested Cheng Can, who was studying, Cheng Can protested that he was not the culprit. He cleverly argued against being a scapegoat, warning Ji Wen that using a mere scholar would make Chang'an's defense a laughing stock and mock the Emperor.
He further explained that such a high-profile case would surely lead to a thorough imperial investigation, and Ji Wen would be found responsible, offending numerous powerful figures including the military divisions, the Ministry of Capital, the Ministry of Defense, and both Counselors, ultimately leading to his own downfall. Cheng Can shrewdly suggested that Commander Zhao might actually hate Ji Wen and was setting him up. Ji Wen acknowledged the possibility that Zhao Canjun saw talented minds as a threat.
Cheng Can then offered a solution: allow him to investigate the case using his "Great Records Art." If he succeeded, all credit would go to Ji Wen; if he failed, Ji Wen could still brand him as a criminal and hand him over, still earning merit, as Cheng Can himself had killed a Wolven Squad member and could thus serve as a temporary arrest to keep the investigation ongoing.
Impressed by Cheng Can's intelligence, Ji Wen agreed and immediately took him to search for any remaining files in the burned-down database archive. Zhang Xiaojing discovered that Mao Shun's family was being held hostage by the Ants, compelling Mao Shun to cooperate with Long Bo. Mao Shun asked Zhang Xiaojing to retrieve a wooden box from behind the main column, promising to reveal the tower's secrets in return. Inside, Zhang Xiaojing found the original model of the lantern mountain.
Mao Shun proudly unveiled his intricate design: the entire structure, once ignited, would transform into a colossal statue of Laozi, and the Emperor would perish under its gaze. Zhang Xiaojing urgently pressed for a way to stop it. Mao Shun explained that twelve light rooms, each housing holy figures of Taoism, were concealed within the statue.
At 2:00, when the tower was fully lit, these rooms would illuminate, creating a breathtaking spectacle that would drive the people of Chang'an into a frenzy of excitement. Zhang Xiaojing realized that the light rooms were connected to the Qilin columns. He understood that Long Bo's plan involved replacing the original Qilin columns with those filled with stone grease under the guise of maintenance, just before the ignition ceremony.
Zhang Xiaojing proposed cutting the 108 ignition lines in the main column to prevent an explosion, and then destroying the Qilin columns before they could extend, effectively thwarting the plot. However, Mao Shun revealed that the visible ignition lines were fake; the true ones were hidden inside the central mechanism. With a press of a switch, Mao Shun then activated the central mechanism, igniting the real fuses and sending large fireballs racing along tracks in all directions within the tower.
