The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 2 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Tang Fan and Pan Bin arrived at Dong's Restaurant, where Tang Fan noted the minced meat noodles tasted uniquely different. He praised the chef, who revealed he enhanced the dish by incorporating egg white for tenderness and egg yolk for richness. Despite the chef’s culinary skill, Tang Fan observed his upright posture, broad shoulders, and powerful arms, deducing he was not a true cook but rather someone with military training and a skilled hand for wielding a knife.
The final confirmation of his identity came from the seventh-rank official boots he wore. The chef then introduced himself as Sui Zhou, a Zongqi from the Imperial Guards’ Northern Administrative Court. Soon after, Wang Zhi from the Western Depot arrived, joining them at the table. The conversation quickly turned to the cases of Marquis Wu'an's son's death and the disappearance of the Prince's studying companion.
It was revealed that the Prince's companion's carriage was last seen stalled on a street where Tang Fan and Zheng Cheng, Marquis Wu'an's son, were involved in an altercation. Given Tang Fan's unexpected connection to both major cases, Sui Zhou decided to take him to the Northern Administrative Court’s prison for questioning.
Wang Zhi also expressed a desire to question Tang Fan at the Western Depot, but Sui Zhou asserted his precedence, reminding Tang Fan that the Imperial Guards operate under imperial decree and can question any official, regardless of rank. Tang Fan, a sixth-rank magistrate, initially resisted being taken by Sui Zhou, a seventh-rank official, but was ultimately led away. Held overnight in the prison, Tang Fan meticulously outlined his movements, demonstrating his alibi for the time of Zheng Cheng's death.
He recounted being detained by Governor Pan Bin at Shuntian Prefecture to review case files from late afternoon until early evening, a fact Pan Bin and other officials could corroborate. After returning home, Tang Fan made several stops to buy food and wine, arriving home at 8:45 PM. Zheng Cheng was killed between 7 PM and 11 PM. Tang Fan pointed out that he only lacked an alibi between 8:45 PM and 11 PM.
He then presented five different routes from his home to Huanyi Brothel, where Zheng Cheng was found dead, calculating that it would be impossible to travel there, commit the murder, and return home within that limited timeframe, especially before a Shuntian Prefecture clerk arrived at his residence. He humorously concluded that he was certainly not a hidden martial arts master.
The next morning, Sui Zhou offered Tang Fan wontons, explaining that taking him into custody had prevented Wang Zhi from doing so, which would have had more severe consequences. They then revisited the disappearance of the Prince's studying companion, Han Zao. Tang Fan inquired about Han Zao’s appearance, noting its striking resemblance to the boy found dead in Zheng Cheng’s room.
They brought Han’s servant to the Shuntian Prefecture coroner’s office, where the servant tearfully confirmed the deceased boy was indeed Han Zao. With the two cases now closely linked, Sui Zhou also questioned the circumstances of Zheng Cheng’s death. Initial findings indicated poisoning. A bottle of "Fuyangchun," a tonic Zheng Cheng reportedly took daily at 9 AM, was found near the body. Zheng Cheng’s servant confirmed the medicine was prepared at Huichun Pharmacy using a specific prescription.
Sui Zhou immediately dispatched Imperial Guards to retrieve Zheng Cheng's body from Marquis Wu'an's mansion for further examination. At Huichun Pharmacy, they discovered several pages missing from the prescription records. The clerk explained that a former apothecary named Lin Chaodong, who had since returned to his hometown in Henan, was responsible for the missing entries. Lin Chaodong had joined Huichun Pharmacy two years prior, reportedly to follow a childhood sweetheart to the capital.
Tang Fan quickly deduced that the man pretending to be a customer was, in fact, the shopkeeper, Mr. Li, based on his subtle interactions with the clerk and his familiarity with the shop’s layout. Under Sui Zhou's interrogation, Mr. Li confessed to engaging in illicit trade with Oirats in the Iron Market, exchanging medicinal herbs for wrought iron, a controlled substance, as he only accepted iron and not money for these transactions.
However, he denied having anything to do with Western Xia grass aconitum, a highly toxic ingredient. Shortly after, Sui Zhou learned that the Eastern Depot had already seized Zheng Cheng's body. Tang Fan, initially eager to assist with the investigation, was denied entry into the Northern Administrative Court, much to his frustration. As Tang Fan walked home, he was intercepted by Western Depot guards and brought before Wang Zhi.
Wang Zhi, who knew of Tang Fan's secret life as an author of romantic novels, revealed that his medical officers had analyzed the Fuyangchun. They discovered two additional ingredients not listed in the original prescription: Bupleurum and Western Xia grass aconitum. Wang Zhi shared this information with Tang Fan, requesting his assistance in solving the murder, emphasizing the Prince’s distress over Han Zao’s death. Tang Fan then sought out Qingzi, the courtesan Zheng Cheng had sought out at Huanyi Brothel.
While Zheng Cheng had been devoted enough to buy her freedom, Qingzi admitted her affections were merely a performance for business. She confirmed providing Zheng Cheng with the Fuyangchun prescription, admitting it was solely for monetary gain. She claimed not to have noticed anything unusual about Zheng Cheng, though she acknowledged his overbearing personality often led him to make enemies. Leaving Huanyi Brothel, Tang Fan was ambushed by several masked Oirats. Sui Zhou dramatically intervened, saving Tang Fan’s life.
Sui Zhou informed him that a fire had broken out at the Eastern Depot, destroying the morgue, including Zheng Cheng's body which had been taken there earlier that day. However, upon closer inspection of the burnt remains, they discovered three deep knife wounds on the chest and abdomen. This crucial detail confirmed their suspicion that the body was not Zheng Cheng's and had been swapped.
Tang Fan suspected Marquis Wu'an's mansion had provided the fake body to the Eastern Depot, although the motive remained unclear. This, however, definitively linked Zheng Cheng's death to the Marquis's household. They further deliberated on the two additional medicinal ingredients Wang Zhi had found: Western Xia grass aconitum, a potent poison, and Bupleurum, which could suppress its immediate effects.
They deduced that this concoction transformed the otherwise beneficial Fuyangchun into a chronic poison that, over time, would deplete a person's vitality and erode their internal organs. Amidst their discussion, an officer reported the discovery of Han Zao's missing carriage. Its deep wheel tracks had aroused suspicion, leading to the discovery of a hidden compartment containing over seventy ingots of wrought iron, weighing hundreds of kilograms. A plum blossom insignia on the axle confirmed it belonged to the Han Mansion.
The driver, interrogated by Sui Zhou who spoke Oirat, admitted the carriage was procured from a dealer in the Iron Market. Sui Zhou explained that Oirats, needing ironwares like salt and tea from the Central Plains, traded their own specialties.
With the Ming court's strict prohibition on exporting weapons to the north, Oirats increasingly sought wrought iron, which could be directly forged into weapons, leading to the establishment of the "Iron Market" in the capital, a bustling bazaar frequented by Oirats, some of whom were spies or bandits.
Connecting Mr. Li’s illicit trade with the Oirats, Han Zao’s carriage ending up in Oirat hands, and his own recent ambush by Oirats, Tang Fan decided he had to investigate the Iron Market. Sui Zhou, however, warned him of the Oirats' fierce nature and their ruthless treatment of captives, implying that Tang Fan would not survive long in such an environment. Despite the warning, Tang Fan insisted on going. They disguised themselves and entered the market.
While Sui Zhou questioned a man about a carriage, Tang Fan spotted his jade chopsticks, lost during the ambush. In the ensuing commotion to retrieve them, Tang Fan and Sui Zhou became separated. Tang Fan, unable to defend himself, hid until nightfall. Emerging from his hiding spot in the deserted Iron Market, he was unexpectedly slapped by a drunken woman.
