The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 39 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Li Zilong revealed his identity as a descendant of the Tang royal family to Princess Gu'an, seeking half of her "Bolang" in exchange for rescuing Wang Xian. Princess Gu'an first offered five-tenths of unfinished Bolang, but Li Zilong insisted he only wanted finished bombs, which he needed for a "big scene" and still required Wang Xian's help to prepare.
He reminded her that Wang Xian was soon to be executed, leaving her with no other choice but to cooperate with him. They eventually agreed that Li Zilong would help rescue Wang Xian, and then Princess Gu'an would hand over half of her finished Bolang to him. Princess Gu'an declared that Li Zilong's intentions for the bombs were no longer her concern.
Shortly after, Princess Gu'an, disguised as Zhang Gongzhu, surrendered to the Western Depot, removing her disguise to reveal her true identity. She immediately demanded to see the Emperor, not to plead, but to question why Wang Xian's transfer to the Royal Clan Court had been reversed to an execution order.
Wang Zhi explained that the order to execute Wang Xian was not the Emperor's idea, but Tang Fan's strategy, who had already seen through her disguise as Zhang Gongzhu, recognizing that only Princess Gu'an would show such a clear motive to protect Wang Xian. Princess Gu'an then stated that since she was a prisoner and the Western Depot had achieved their goal, Wang Xian should be released.
Wang Zhi, however, told her the matter was beyond his authority, involving the safety of the Ming Dynasty. Princess Gu'an warned him not to blame her for being ruthless, indicating she was not so foolish as to surrender without a plan. She revealed that she held a powerful card: time. She alluded that if Tang Fan was truly clever, he would have noticed the anomalies in the files she had previously submitted.
Wang Zhi confirmed that Tang Fan had indeed discovered something amiss in her files, leading him to identify her. Princess Gu'an retorted that finding something unusual was not difficult, but discerning the truly exceptional from the mundane was the real challenge. She stressed that very little time remained for them. During her interrogation, Princess Gu'an elaborated on her personal history, revealing a deep-seated hatred.
She was born in the second month of Jingtai's first year, and her father, the former Emperor Jingtai, named her Gu'an hoping for a stable court and peaceful world. However, when Emperor Yingzong initiated the "Seizure of the Gate" coup to reclaim the throne, her father, despite commanding significant military power, chose not to suppress the rebellion out of brotherly affection, wishing to avoid fratricide within the Ming royal family.
To her profound dismay, Emperor Yingzong, upon re-ascending the throne, forced her father to his death and even held his own enthronement ceremony on her father's death anniversary. This act fueled Princess Gu'an with intense resentment. Tang Fan tried to persuade her to prioritize the greater good and avoid harming innocent civilians, but Princess Gu'an, consumed by hatred, was beyond reason. Acting on Princess Gu'an's veiled warning, Tang Fan quickly sent for Dong.
Dong, after examining the files, showed Tang Fan the financial discrepancies and purchase records for materials like pig iron, saltpeter, and sulfur—all used to manufacture Bolang. The quantities were similar to those involved in a major explosion three years prior, leading Tang Fan to conclude that Princess Gu'an possessed a large number of finished Bolang bombs.
When Tang Fan pressed her about the Bolangs' location and urged her to consider the greater good, Princess Gu'an responded cryptically, asking when fireworks looked most beautiful, implying they would be detonated at dusk. She also taunted them by asking if they thought Bolangs were still the "same old thing" after three years, indicating their increased potency. After being held for over four hours, Princess Gu'an declared that time was up.
Tang Fan immediately informed the Northern Administrative Court to initiate a city-wide search. Just as he did, several explosions rocked the capital. The sight of the suffering civilians spurred Sui Zhou into action. Driven by a desire to prevent further catastrophe and overcome his long-standing inner demons, he stormed the Northern Administrative Court's prison. He confronted Princess Gu'an, seizing Wang Xian and threatening his life to force her to reveal the Bolang placement map.
Princess Gu'an pleaded for Sui Zhou to release Wang Xian, but Sui Zhou demanded the map first. Wang Zhi intervened, injuring Sui Zhou to protect Wang Xian. Princess Gu'an, abandoning her demand to see the Emperor, now insisted on an imperial decree pardoning Wang Xian, threatening mutual destruction if her demand was not met. Tang Fan appealed to her, suggesting her late father would be disappointed by her actions.
Wang Zhi reported to the Emperor that Princess Gu'an was apprehended and possessed a large number of Bolang bombs, but refused to disclose their locations without a decree pardoning Wang Xian. The Emperor, initially ordering Wang Xian's immediate execution, paused. He asked Wang Zhi if he feared Princess Gu'an's threat to destroy the capital. Wang Zhi expressed unwavering faith in the Emperor's wisdom.
The Emperor then reflected on his own past kindness towards Princess Gu'an, including granting her a grand wedding despite her background. Wang Zhi took responsibility for his and Tang Fan's actions, admitting their "bad decision" had pushed Princess Gu'an to desperation and requested punishment. The Emperor, considering Wang Zhi's long service, pardoned him and agreed to issue the decree. The imperial decree reduced Wang Xian's sentence from execution to exile, forbidding his return to the capital.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Princess Gu'an gave Wang Zhi the Bolang placement map. Seeing the vast number of bombs, Wang Zhi proposed that he, Sui Zhou, and Tang Fan each lead a team to quickly defuse them. However, Tang Fan, suspecting a deeper plot, insisted that Wang Zhi and Sui Zhou go, while he remained at the Western Depot to continue interrogating Princess Gu'an.
Tang Fan subtly provoked Princess Gu'an, asking if her rescuers were almost there, which Princess Gu'an acknowledged. Tang Fan's foresight proved correct: following the map, Sui Zhou's team found the Bolang bombs conspicuously placed and, crucially, all were unfinished. Sui Zhou realized Princess Gu'an's plan was a "lure the tiger out of its den" tactic, designed to draw him and Wang Zhi away.
He immediately ordered Xue Ling to continue collecting the remaining Bolangs and rushed back to the Western Depot, realizing Tang Fan was in grave danger. Meanwhile, Li Zilong, having instructed Qing Ge not to linger but to rescue Wang Xian and Princess Gu'an safely, arrived at the Western Depot. He confronted Tang Fan, accusing him of repeatedly sabotaging his business and cutting off his wealth, equating it to "killing their parents."
He asked if he could kill Tang Fan, seizing the "God-given opportunity" to finally eliminate his obstacle. As Li Zilong prepared to strike Tang Fan, Sui Zhou arrived in the nick of time. Although skilled, Sui Zhou was outnumbered. Just as the situation grew dire, reinforcements from the Imperial Guards arrived, forcing Li Zilong to retreat, declaring that Tang Fan and Sui Zhou's "time was not yet up."
In the ensuing fight, Sui Zhou was severely injured while protecting Tang Fan. This act of saving Tang Fan also spiritually healed Sui Zhou, curing his long-standing heart ailment. Li Zilong managed to evade the soldiers, settling Princess Gu'an and Wang Xian in a secluded countryside home. Wang Zhi's subsequent search yielded no results, confirming they were effectively hidden.
Wang Zhi reported the entire sequence of events to the Emperor, who, after deliberation, decided to transfer Princess Gu'an and Wang Xian to the Royal Clan Court for their eventual judgment. Sui Zhou began his recovery, with Tang Fan ensuring he received proper care and rest, jokingly reminding Sui Zhou that he would have been "skinned alive by Li Zilong" if not for Sui Zhou's timely return.
