The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 29 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Wan Tong ordered his men to surround Huanyi Brothel with straw. An Imperial Guard questioned the order, reminding him that Commander Wang, Sui Zhou, and many hostages were inside, and that the priority should be saving them, not setting a fire. Wan Tong angrily dismissed him, telling him to leave if he was unwilling to help, and reiterated his order to surround the brothel with straw. Tang Fan arrived and asked about the situation inside.
Wan Tong tried to brush him off, pointing out Tang Fan was from the Office of Transmission at the Ministry of Punishments and had no business there. Shang Ming, however, intervened, suggesting Tang Fan's eloquence might peacefully resolve the situation. Tang Fan then requested Shang Ming to prepare a food container with some food inside. Privately, Wan Tong told Shang Ming to set the fire once Tang Fan had entered.
Tang Fan acknowledged the danger of the fire to Xue Ling, stating his intention was to buy time. He instructed Xue Ling to be ready to act on his cue and to storm the brothel before it was set ablaze. Inside, Tang Fan entered with the food container and attempted to negotiate with Li Fei and Li You, the leaders of the robbers.
The brothers were confident, believing that holding Wang Zhi as leverage made them invincible and that the forces outside were merely bluffing. Tang Fan explained the grim reality: three factions of the Imperial Guards, Eastern Depot, and Western Depot surrounded the brothel, rendering any chance of escape impossible. He warned them that even if they managed to flee today, they would live in constant fear of capture. Tang Fan offered to exchange himself for a hostage.
The robbers refused to let Wang Zhi go but eventually agreed to release a female hostage. Tang Fan, knowing his life was at risk due to the poison, emphasized that he was a dying man but they still had a chance if they surrendered. He guaranteed their lives if they cooperated. He further warned them that the people outside intended to use the situation as an excuse to kill, and continued confrontation would lead to everyone's demise.
As he spoke, Tang Fan distributed food to the hostages, subtly revealing a hidden weapon inside the food container to Sui Zhou. Outside, Wan Tong ordered his men to set the fire, but the Imperial Guards hesitated, unwilling to harm Sui Zhou who was still inside. Ding Rong stepped forward, volunteering to light the fire. He entered the brothel with a torch but, instead of igniting the straw, he threw the torch outside, buying valuable time.
With their combined efforts, Sui Zhou, Tang Fan, and Wang Zhi eventually coordinated to lead everyone out of the brothel. However, immediately after escaping, Tang Fan collapsed, succumbing to the poison. Fortunately, Pei Huai arrived in the nick of time with an antidote, saving Tang Fan's life and that of Dora. Tang Fan awoke to an empty house and, feeling abandoned, made his way to Dong's Restaurant.
There, he found all his friends and family gathered, apparently enjoying a meal without him. He chided them, complaining that no one was home to care for him, and specifically accused Pei Huai, Tang Yu, and Dong'er of neglecting him. He even called Sui Zhou ungrateful for not staying by his side.
Xue Ling clarified that Tang Fan had been unconscious for seven days, not just overnight, attributing his slow recovery to his weak constitution compared to Dora, who recovered in three days. Dong'er joked that Tang Fan had merely been frightened into a coma. Xue Ling then explained that the gathering was a celebration of Sui Zhou's return to the Northern Administrative Court. Although Sui Zhou had to start as a xiaoqi, a junior official, he was not bothered by it.
Xue Ling, however, expressed frustration that Wan Tong consistently took all the credit for their dangerous missions. Tang Fan then inquired why the streets were deserted. Xue Ling informed him that Huanyi Brothel had recently acquired a new flower queen, renowned as a peerless beauty, drawing everyone to see her. Suddenly, Sun Da arrived, urgently seeking Sui Zhou's assistance. He reported a theft at the royal ice cellar.
Four hundred and eighty-one blocks of ice, each meticulously recorded, had vanished without a trace. Sun Da emphasized the extreme security of the royal ice cellar, stating that no one but the guarding soldiers could enter or exit. He also dismissed the possibility of an inside job, as such a crime carried a severe penalty of execution for the entire family. Despite the missing ice, the cellar remained intact, showing no signs of forced entry.
Tang Fan remembered Ms. Dong mentioning that ice was unusually cheap this year, implying an excess supply in the market. This led them to suspect the stolen ice had been diverted to the black market. Since there were no clues within the ice cellar, they decided to reverse their investigation, starting with the black market ice vendors. Meanwhile, Wang Zhi and Wan Tong reported to the Emperor about the Huanyi Brothel incident.
Wan Tong brazenly tried to claim all the credit, even asserting that Sui Zhou had been his undercover agent. The Emperor, however, questioned Wan Tong about the order to fire arrows and set fire. Wang Zhi, unexpectedly, covered for Wan Tong, explaining that the robbers were dangerous and Wan Tong's timely arrival and "feigned attacks" with arrows and fire had distracted the thieves, allowing the Imperial Guards to apprehend them and secure Wang Zhi's escape.
As they spoke, Noble Consort Wan arrived and requested the Emperor's permission to speak with her brother, Wan Tong, privately. On their way, Wan Tong continued to boast about his heroic actions during the standoff. Noble Consort Wan, knowing her brother well, slapped him and sternly reminded him that it was Wang Zhi who had saved him. The Emperor then warned Wang Zhi about the numerous powerful figures in the court who sought his downfall, urging him to be cautious.
Wang Zhi, however, expressed greater concern about Li Zilong, believing he was still in the capital and posed a significant threat that needed to be eliminated. The Emperor doubted Li Zilong would remain in the capital after being exposed, but Wang Zhi asserted that if he were Li Zilong, he would indeed still be there. Tang Fan and Sui Zhou visited Huichun Pharmacy to follow up on the ice theft.
Mr. Li, the shopkeeper, revealed that he purchased his ice from Ms. Cui at Huanyi Brothel. Upon arriving at Huanyi Brothel, they found a massive crowd eager to catch a glimpse of the new flower queen. Ms. Cui, recognizing her saviors, quickly ushered them into a private room and expressed her profound gratitude for their help during the crisis.
Sui Zhou, however, got straight to the point, asking Ms. Cui about the source of the ice she sold to Huichun Pharmacy. Ms. Cui initially denied selling ice to the pharmacy but quickly changed her tune when Tang Fan pointed out the generous amount of ice used in her own establishment.
She then admitted to reselling ice, explaining she had to resort to buying from the black market to boost business and intended to buy out her supplier's entire stock to make more profit. She claimed she had never met her supplier, only communicated through crypted correspondence, and knew him only as Jin San. She mentioned Jin San agreed to meet only because she wanted to buy his entire remaining stock.
Tang Fan proposed accompanying Ms. Cui to meet Jin San, and she feigned agreement before deliberately faking a leg injury to avoid the meeting. Recognizing her ploy, Tang Fan decided to impersonate Ms. Cui himself, as Jin San had never met her in person. They considered who could pull off the disguise: Dong'er was too young, Dora too hot-tempered, and Tang Yu lacked the necessary skills. Tang Fan then playfully suggested himself, even joking about shaving his beard.
A skilled makeup artist named Qingge was brought in to assist with the transformation. Tang Fan initially felt awkward during the process, preferring to change and prepare himself, but Qingge assured him there was no need for modesty. Elsewhere, a woman sought medical attention from Pei Huai and, during the consultation, attempted to embrace him. At that moment, Tang Yu unexpectedly walked in. Pei Huai immediately became flustered, desperately trying to explain the situation, insisting that the woman was "sick." Tang Yu, though clearly affected by jealousy, feigned indifference, stating that Pei Huai's private affairs were none of her concern, before calmly handing him his freshly washed clothes.
