The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 31 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Sui Zhou was determined to prevent Ms. Jin San from committing further crimes and to save her band of righteous thieves. He and Tang Fan set out to apprehend Ms. Jin San and her men, hoping to persuade them to abandon their ways. Before they could act, a group of mysterious men in black attacked Ms. Jin San and her followers.
Earlier, Ms. Jin San's men complained about being short on money because she had been giving their earnings to the poor. Ms. Jin San explained that their illicit gains were obtained through dishonest means, and performing good deeds was necessary to avoid a grim fate, promising them a larger share after their next big deal. Suddenly, Ms. Cui arrived, urgently warning Ms. Jin San that someone intended to capture her and urged her to leave immediately.
Ms. Jin San, however, insisted on discussing the matter openly with her trustworthy brothers. As Ms. Cui reiterated her warning, the mysterious black-clad assailants stormed the tavern. Ms. Jin San fled to a friend's place, where she confronted Ms. Cui, suspecting her of being a spy sent by rivals. Ms. Cui denied involvement, stating she had just saved her. Ms. Jin San pressed her, wondering why trouble arose the moment she appeared.
She threatened to release her if she truthfully confessed who was trying to capture her. Ms. Cui feigned ignorance, then pretended to remember, but Tang Fan, in disguise, burst in before she could reveal anything. Tang Fan, still in his female attire, chided Sui Zhou for not following their plan and arriving late, jeopardizing his safety. Sui Zhou clarified he hadn't arranged anyone to ambush them at the tavern. Tang Fan then offered Ms. Jin San help.
Ms. Jin San retorted that she didn't need help and asked to be released. Tang Fan pointed out that if Ms. Jin San was merely a black market ice vendor, she wouldn't face such a formidable threat, acknowledging Ms. Jin San was aware she was dealing with powerful forces. Ms. Jin San believed both the authorities and the underworld sought information from her, and speaking would only hasten her death.
Tang Fan assured her that if she didn't trust him, she could trust Sui Zhou, introducing Sui Zhou as a junior official of the Northern Administrative Court. Tang Fan elaborated on Sui Zhou's reputation as an upright and trustworthy man who was demoted from baihu for offending superiors. Sui Zhou quickly interjected, urging Tang Fan to cease speaking about his past. Tang Fan insisted it was necessary to prove Sui Zhou's credibility.
Ms. Jin San, impatient, suggested they continue their conversation inside, allowing her to rest. Tang Fan reaffirmed that Sui Zhou would help her if she agreed. Ms. Jin San then asked what information they sought. Tang Fan clarified that he was Tang Fan, a low-ranking official from the Ministry of Punishments, and Sui Zhou was a junior officer of the Northern Administrative Court. Ms. Jin San realized she had been tricked and admitted defeat.
Tang Fan reiterated his promise: if Ms. Jin San spoke the truth and vowed to cease her illegal activities, they would not pursue the matter further and would not hold her men accountable. Tang Fan added that if Ms. Jin San didn't trust Sui Zhou, she could trust him as an official from the Ministry of Punishments. During the chaotic battle, Sui Zhou and Tang Fan fought to protect Ms. Jin San and her men.
After a chase, they narrowly escaped, but Ms. Jin San was unfortunately struck by an arrow fired by Qing Ge. Tang Fan took Ms. Jin San to Pei Huai for treatment, only to discover that Ms. Jin San was, in fact, a woman. Sui Zhou realized that the attackers were after Ms. Jin San's secret, and their willingness to confront imperial guards indicated they were no ordinary criminals.
Pei Huai confirmed that the "girl" was bandaged and not seriously harmed, leading to Tang Fan's shock when he learned that "Mr. Jin" was actually a woman, and that he had inadvertently hit a woman in the chaos. After regaining consciousness, Ms. Jin San resolved to reform and revealed her family's centuries-old secret. Ms. Jin San revealed that her family ancestors were royal artisans during the Yuan Dynasty, tasked with designing and constructing the dungeon of Khanbaliq.
Due to the sensitive royal and state secrets contained within, the workers knew their completion of the dungeon would mean their demise. Indeed, upon the dungeon's completion, all the workers were massacred, but the Jin family survived by secretly building an escape tunnel. Centuries later, the dungeon was repurposed into the royal ice cellar, and the secret of the tunnel continued to be passed down through the Jin family.
As there were no male heirs in her generation, Ms. Jin San was raised as a boy and learned the secret upon reaching adulthood. She confirmed that the missing royal ice chunks, over three hundred of them, were still within the ice cellar. It became clear that Li Zilong sought to capture Ms. Jin San to extract the location of this secret tunnel from her. Qing Ge reported to Li Zilong about the failed attempt to capture Ms. Jin San.
Li Zilong was unfazed by the failure, acknowledging the significant commotion they caused. He reminded Qing Ge that the value of a secret diminished with the number of people who knew it, instructing her to let the matter go. When Qing Ge asked for further instructions, Li Zilong cryptically stated that in the capital, one must "fish with a rod" rather than a net, implying a need for patience and precision.
He then revealed that the Emperor was soon to see something he had been monitoring for a long time, wondering if its development was complete. Ms. Jin San led Tang Fan, Sui Zhou, and their men to the secret tunnel. Tang Fan praised her ingenious method of keeping the stolen royal ice within the cellar, accessible via the secret passage, which preserved the ice and eliminated the need for external storage.
He rejoiced at recovering over 390 pieces of ice, though Sui Zhou noted nearly a hundred were still missing. Xue Ling reported that the tunnel had two exits: one leading into the Imperial City, and a newly dug one extending towards the city outskirts, whose end they had not yet found. Sui Zhou instructed Xue Ling to station men to guard the exits, preventing any further unauthorized entry or exit.
He then advised Sun Da to report the discovery of the secret tunnel to his superiors, stating that finding such a security loophole should compensate for the lost ice and even earn him a great merit. However, Sui Zhou emphasized that Sun Da should omit any mention of him, Tang Fan, or Ms. Jin San. Sun Da expressed gratitude, but Sui Zhou dismissed it as a minor effort. Sun Da departed to make his report.
Tang Fan then asked Ms. Jin San if she had thanked Sui Zhou, highlighting Sui Zhou's selfless determination to protect her and her gang. Ms. Jin San, acknowledging her new path, stated that saving others was saving herself and that she had always acted on her instincts. She promised to find a new livelihood now that the tunnel would be sealed and offered her help to Tang Fan and Sui Zhou should they ever need it.
Later, Tang Fan asked Sui Zhou if he regretted not claiming the credit for discovering the ice cellar's secret passage, which would have restored his previous rank. Sui Zhou replied that such things were unimportant, asserting that what truly mattered was being with the right people and doing the right thing. Later, Tang Fan met with Pan Bin, his senior fellow student, at the Office of the Transmission Commissioner.
Pan Bin recounted how Zhu Jianmou's case had led to his demotion by three ranks, but he held no resentment towards Tang Fan. He reflected that he had previously deviated from the path of an official, and finding himself at the Office of the Transmission Commissioner had, surprisingly, brought him a greater sense of honesty and grounding, allowing him to accomplish many practical tasks. The Bureau of Provisions demonstrated a new timed-release weapon to the Emperor and his ministers.
The Emperor was delighted after inspecting it, realizing that the centuries-long stalemate between the Ming Dynasty and the Oirats was about to change. He deployed several Ming soldiers to place the new weapons in Oirat territory, resulting in the death of several Oirats. The Oirats were bewildered, never having seen such a device. They found wagons but no soldiers, speculating it was a monster or heavenly troops, describing it as long, narrow, and shooting arrows from its mouth.
Wang Zhi then instructed Ding Rong to prepare a contingent of men to immediately leave the city to ensure the safety of a squad from the Bureau of Provisions returning secretly from the border. Ding Rong, disdainful, questioned why this task, typically handled by the Ministry of War, was assigned to the Western Depot. Wang Zhi grew displeased, reminding Ding Rong that the matter was confidential and that neither of them had the right to question the Emperor's deployments.
Tang Fan was abruptly awakened early one morning by the loud rituals of Madam Shaman, whom Duo Er La had hired to locate Aras. Duo Er La eagerly sought answers from the shaman. The Madam Shaman confirmed Aras was in the capital but offered vague guidance, stating Duo Er La must find his exact location by following the "direction of her heart." Tang Fan was bewildered by this ambiguous advice.
Sui Zhou, heading to court, encouraged Tang Fan to help Duo Er La find Aras for her peace of mind. Tang Fan then consulted Pei Huai regarding the antidote he was analyzing, particularly a rare foreign animal gallbladder. Pei Huai speculated this unique ingredient could be a crucial clue if the antidote indeed came from Aras. Later, Tang Fan questioned an acquaintance at the Huanyi Brothel about any records of palace residents purchasing such rare medicinal ingredients outside the palace.
Tang Yu was helping Pei Huai tidy his room when she discovered a woman's item, prompting her to angrily leave. Tang Fan, seeing her distress, also departed. Later, Pei Huai approached Tang Fan, clarifying that the item was a gift he intended for Tang Yu. He confided in Tang Fan about his frustration, stating that despite his subtle and overt hints about marriage, Tang Yu consistently avoided a direct response, making him wonder if his affections were unrequited.
Tang Fan explained that due to their parents' early death and Tang Yu's subsequent marriage to the He family, she harbored deep insecurities and emotional barriers about commitment. He advised Pei Huai to give her a profound sense of security to overcome these hurdles, leaving the method of achieving this to Pei Huai. Later, Pei Huai found Tang Yu and poured out his heart, confessing that her presence had transformed his once boring life, making it complete.
He told her he couldn't imagine living without her and pleaded for a chance to care for her and Cheng, aspiring to give her happiness. Moved by his sincere declaration, Tang Yu accepted his love.
