The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 4 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Feng Qingzi, with her family having a long-standing friendship with the Lin family, was engaged to Lin Chaodong since childhood. They shared the happiest times until her father was imprisoned, leading her to be sent to the Department of Official Prostitutes and then sold to Huanyi Brothel. She believed her life was over, but Lin Chaodong found her after great hardship, promising to redeem her freedom.
To gather the exorbitant 500 tael demanded by the procuress, Lin Chaodong sold his land and valuables. However, Zheng Cheng intervened, buying Feng Qingzi’s freedom first but keeping her confined to the brothel. When Lin Chaodong confronted Zheng Cheng, he was severely beaten, and the authorities, instead of helping, arrested him for a month. Trapped and desperate, Feng Qingzi and Lin Chaodong had initially contemplated suicide.
Then, someone approached Lin Chaodong, offering a way out by demanding Zheng Cheng’s death and the Fuyangchun Pill’s prescription be given to this mysterious person. Though initially hesitant, Feng Qingzi realized that Zheng Cheng’s demise was their only hope for survival. Unexpectedly, their plan was exposed. After recounting the tragic sequence of events, she pleaded with Tang Fan to be buried alongside Lin Chaodong, then ended her life with a hairpin.
Tang Fan, seeing her profound despair, did not stop her, acknowledging that a person whose spirit has died has no reason to cling to their physical form. Governor Pan, of Shuntian Prefecture, eagerly inquired about the case’s progress. Tang Fan and Sui Zhou, having decided on a strategy to lure out the true mastermind, lied to him, claiming they had apprehended the culprit and would transfer him to Shuntian Prefecture after interrogation at the Northern Administrative Court.
Satisfied, Governor Pan proceeded to Marquis Wu’an Mansion to report the successful arrest. Upon hearing the news, Zheng Ying, the second son of Marquis Wu’an, displayed a peculiar expression. Later, Sui Zhou and Tang Fan planned to "draw the snake out of its hole" to catch the true mastermind. Sui Zhou, instructing Xue Ling, ordered all exits guarded while leaving a side door open and vacating certain cells to reinforce security.
Anticipating that the real murderer would dispatch someone to silence the supposed culprit that night, Sui Zhou took the additional precaution of locking Tang Fan in a prison cell. He reasoned that Tang Fan's inability to keep a secret would surely lead to the exposure of their plan, thus preventing him from inadvertently interfering. Tang Fan, a higher-ranking magistrate, expressed his indignant frustration at being confined by the lower-ranking Sui Zhou, but he was powerless to change the situation.
As night fell, assassins indeed infiltrated the prison. Upon realizing their cover was blown, they seized Tang Fan and fled. The carefully laid plan by Sui Zhou and Tang Fan had failed. Governor Pan, discovering the deception and the subsequent escape, was enraged. He sternly ordered Sui Zhou and Tang Fan to cease all further investigation and immediately close the case. Meanwhile, Dong, the food vendor, arrived at Tang Fan’s residence with food.
Their conversation was interrupted by Duo Er La, the woman from the previous night’s drunken encounter, and Wuyunbulage, a formidable man who spoke fluent Han Chinese. Duo Er La, whom Wuyunbulage respectfully called "Aha" (meaning boss), accused Tang Fan of stealing her valuable cloak when he helped her home. They demanded 50 tael for the stolen cloak and an additional 500 tael for its alleged tearing, claiming his life was forfeit for the damage.
As the dispute escalated, Sui Zhou arrived, and the confrontation moved to Shuntian Prefecture. Dong, an objective witness, clearly recounted the chaotic events, including Duo Er La kicking Tang Fan and Wuyunbulage holding a sheep while Tang Fan struggled over his chopsticks and the cloak. After hearing Dong’s testimony, Governor Pan confiscated the disputed items and announced that a verdict would be given on a later date. Duo Er La, though furious, had no choice but to comply.
Later, Wang Zhi, from the Western Depot, summoned Governor Pan to Marquis Wu’an Mansion to clarify the details of the murder case. Governor Pan truthfully reported the case’s closure and the supposed death of the culprit. Wang Zhi then offered condolences and assurance to Marquis Wu’an regarding the future granting of the title to Zheng Ying.
As Wang Zhi prepared to depart, Tang Fan seized the opportunity to request access to all coast defense files from the Jingtai reign to the present. Wang Zhi, noting that Lin Chaodong’s killer had used a Japanese sword, immediately perceived a connection with Tang Fan’s request for maritime defense records. Just as Wang Zhi considered questioning Tang Fan further, an assassin, disguised as the carriage driver, lunged at him.
With Tang Fan’s quick thinking and assistance, Wang Zhi managed to counter and kill his attacker, acknowledging Tang Fan’s invaluable aid. That same night, Marquis Wu’an Mansion was preparing for Zheng Cheng’s funeral procession. Tang Fan and Sui Zhou, with their forces, surrounded the mansion. Tang Fan boldly accused Marquis Wu’an and Zheng Ying of four grave crimes: harboring a murderer, providing false evidence, setting fire to the Eastern Depot, and murder along with prison break.
He declared that the definitive evidence lay within the coffin. When Marquis Wu’an refused to open the coffin, asserting his authority and defying the Imperial Guards and Shuntian Prefecture, Wang Zhi intervened. Tang Fan then laid out his theory: Marquis Wu’an was initially unaware of the true culprit on the night of the murder. However, within a day, he learned that Zheng Ying was the actual killer.
To protect his son, he promptly replaced Zheng Cheng’s body with a fake one for the Eastern Depot and ordered the Eastern Depot to be set ablaze. Tang Fan further presented two pieces of evidence to prove that a contingent of Japanese retainers was in the Marquis’s service.
He explained that in the third lunar month of the 7th year of the Jingtai reign, the ""current Marquis Wu’an"", then his father's eldest son (named Ying, 18 years old at the time), was stationed at the Zhejiang coast. To prevent the demotion of his family's hereditary knighthood, as dictated by law, ""he"" earned military merit.
In the 3rd year of the Chenghua reign, at the age of 29, during the Civil War of Onin in Japan, the Marquis, then General of Defense in Xiangzhou, subdued a large number of Japanese warriors and brought them back to Beijing as his personal retainers after inheriting his title. Despite Tang Fan’s detailed revelations, Marquis Wu’an continued to deny everything, adamantly refusing to open the coffin and creating a tense standoff.
Seeing his father’s defiance, Zheng Ying stepped forward and confessed to all the crimes. He admitted that he had killed Zheng Cheng because his older brother was a dissolute and worthless individual who would have tarnished the family’s honor if he inherited the Marquisate. To conceal the murder, Zheng Ying had staged Zheng Cheng’s death as a sudden stroke during sex, which required a female companion.
Unable to use Feng Qingzi due to Lin Chaodong’s interference, Zheng Ying bought a female child’s corpse from Iron Market and placed it in Zheng Cheng’s room to simulate a suicide. Coincidentally, the child turned out to be the Prince’s studying companion. After confessing his heinous actions, Zheng Ying took his own life with a swift stroke of his sword. With Zheng Ying’s confession and suicide, the Marquis Wu’an Mansion murder case finally concluded.
Shortly after, Wang Zhi redeemed Jia Kui from the Northern Administrative Court. He provided Jia Kui with some money, instructing him to settle down quickly, clearly intending to utilize him in the future. For his meritorious service in assisting Shuntian Prefecture with the Marquis Wu’an Mansion murder case, Sui Zhou was promoted to Baihu, a sixth-rank official. He received a reward of 100 tael.
Tang Fan, who felt he had risked his life to solve the complex case, grumbled to Governor Pan about Sui Zhou receiving all the accolades and promotions. Governor Pan, revealing that Sui Zhou was a descendant of Sui Anlan, a revered General of Cavalry who had defended the empire against invaders and had powerful connections (e. g. , related to Empress Dowager Zhou), explained that such connections were instrumental in officialdom.
He advised Tang Fan to focus on diligently performing his duties, as hard work and practical actions were the only way for him to advance without such powerful backing. Later, at Dong’s Restaurant, Tang Fan continued to lament his lack of promotion and constant danger, even complaining about his outstanding noodle bill.
Sui Zhou, however, shared half of his reward money (50 tael) with Tang Fan, reminding him that the Imperial Guards had also suffered casualties and injuries in the pursuit of justice, showing that both sides had paid a price for the resolution of the case.
