The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 42 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Tang Fan sought a private meeting with General Gao Yi at Dong's Restaurant, where he immediately addressed the unusual circumstances surrounding the general's return. Tang Fan pointed out Gao Yi's seemingly unaffected spirit despite thirty years as a prisoner of war and his complete silence about his time in Oirat, noting that such behavior was highly improbable for someone who had endured so much.
Tang Fan pressed Gao Yi for details about his captivity, questioning where he was held, what he did, and whom he saw, suggesting that Gao Yi's silence indicated an unwillingness to lie. General Gao Yi candidly revealed the truth. Thirty years ago, he and Emperor Yingzong were entrapped in the Tumu Fortress, where Gao Yi suffered immensely. Witnessing his comrades being tortured to death, he gradually lost all hope and struck Esen Taishi’s horse, intending to provoke his own death.
However, Esen chose instead to subject Gao Yi to five more years of torment. Following this period, Esen presented Gao Yi with his second son, Ashitemur, whose mother had been killed by the Han. Esen offered to spare Gao Yi’s life if he would educate Ashitemur with an open mind and teach him Han culture, as Esen himself did not wish to raise his son with hatred.
Though initially filled with resentment, Gao Yi found no hatred or evil in Ashitemur’s heart. He realized that Oirats, like the Han, understood love and kindness. Gao Yi shed his prejudice, diligently taught Ashitemur, and came to regard him as his own son. He also served Esen Taishi, achieving numerous military successes for Oirat, earning him the formidable title of "Black General." As Gao Yi finished his tale, Ashitemur entered, addressing Gao Yi as "teacher."
Ashitemur explained his presence in the capital was for the future of Oirat and that a major event was imminent, requiring Gao Yi's assistance. Ashitemur, demonstrating his ruthless control, informed Gao Yi that his family was now under his protection and would soon be sent to Oirat, thus removing any "worries" Gao Yi might have. Gao Yi reluctantly agreed, questioning Ashitemur's lack of mercy even towards him.
Ashitemur justified his actions, stating that personal sacrifice was minor for the greater good of Oirat. He then instructed Gao Yi to act as Oirat's representative and contact various regional envoys already gathered in the capital, ready to cooperate on a "major mission" that would "change the whole game" of the country.
Sensing the immense danger of his situation, Tang Fan subtly handed a large silver ingot to Ms. Dong, instructing her to purchase food from a neighboring restaurant and keep the change, a pre-arranged signal for distress. Immediately afterward, Gao Yi struck Tang Fan, rendering him unconscious. Meanwhile, Wang Zhi received urgent intelligence from Jia Kui, who had uncovered General Gao Yi’s true activities in Oirat.
Wang Zhi promptly reported to the Emperor that Gao Yi, initially a prisoner, had indeed become a general under Esen Taishi, accumulating significant battle achievements in Oirat's conflicts against other tribes, and was known as the "Black General." Learning of Tang Fan's alarming signal from Ms. Dong, Sui Zhou realized Tang Fan had been captured by Gao Yi.
He and Wang Zhi decided against a city-wide search, fearing it would alert Gao Yi and further endanger Tang Fan, opting instead to wait for any discernible move. Tang Fan awoke to find himself chained, but remarkably calm. He confidently asserted that Gao Yi would not harm him, having discerned from their earlier conversation that Gao Yi did not align with Ashitemur’s extreme views.
Tang Fan speculated that Gao Yi had not truly betrayed the Ming Dynasty, believing that the past thirty years of limited skirmishes between Ming and Oirat, without major conflicts, were a testament to Gao Yi's efforts to maintain a fragile peace. Gao Yi acknowledged Tang Fan’s astute observation. General Gao Yi then elaborated on his presence in Ming, explaining it stemmed from internal turmoil within Oirat.
Following Esen Taishi’s death, a power struggle erupted between his eldest son, Borona Halle, and his second son, Ashitemur. With Borona Halle gaining an advantage, Ashitemur sought to break the balance between Oirat and Ming, having initiated his plans years prior, with Alas being one of his agents. Gao Yi revealed that the children he had nurtured, intended as bridges between Ming and Oirat, were instead deployed by Ashitemur as secret agents.
It was Borona Halle who had sent Gao Yi back to Ming, partly as a gesture of goodwill and partly to uncover Ashitemur’s plots. Tang Fan, however, believed the situation was more complex, deducing that Borona Halle aimed to use Ming to eliminate Gao Yi, while Ashitemur sought to test Gao Yi's loyalty by making him kill Tang Fan. Tang Fan warned Gao Yi that he faced animosity from both Ming and Oirat, leaving him with no refuge.
Gao Yi, having already accepted his fate the moment he decided to spare Tang Fan, initially suggested Tang Fan feign his death to avoid interference. Desperate to save Gao Yi, Tang Fan implored him to return to the imperial court, offering to vouch for his innocence and enlist the court's aid against Ashitemur. Gao Yi dismissed this, arguing that the Emperor, bound by principles of loyalty, would never accept him, even if he understood Gao Yi's intentions.
Refusing to accept Gao Yi’s resignation, Tang Fan feigned an urgent need to use the toilet, complaining dramatically about his stomach. Appealing to Gao Yi’s sense of honor and his own dignity as a scholar, Tang Fan convinced the general to unchain him. Seizing the moment, Tang Fan swiftly bound himself to Gao Yi instead, declaring, "War allows deceit."
He then presented Gao Yi with an ultimatum: either surrender to the court with Tang Fan or take him to the meeting. When Gao Yi resisted, Tang Fan threatened to follow him everywhere. Frustrated, Gao Yi reluctantly disguised Tang Fan as an ordinary Ming citizen and led him to the Huanyi Brothel. Inside the Huanyi Brothel, Li Zilong presided over a clandestine meeting of various tribal envoys.
He vehemently denounced Ming, decrying the forced annual tributes and the worthless Ming Banknotes offered in return. Li Zilong incited the envoys to unite and overthrow the Ming Dynasty. The envoys, however, expressed fear of Ming’s formidable weapons: the "Biri" (machine crossbow) and the "Bolang" (bomb). Li Zilong confidently dismissed their concerns, assuring them he had countermeasures and ominously predicted that an event capable of "shaking the Ming's foundation" would soon occur.
News of the secret meeting swiftly reached the authorities. The Eastern and Western Depots, along with the Imperial Guards, immediately converged on the Huanyi Brothel, encircling it. Inside, as panic spread among the envoys, Li Zilong calmly reminded them that visiting a brothel was not a crime and discreetly slipped away. Outside, Imperial Guard Commander Wan Tong confronted Wang Zhi about the presence of conspirators in his district and the Western Depot's involvement.
He then reprimanded Sui Zhou for allegedly taking orders from Wang Zhi. Ignoring Wan Tong's commands to stand down, Sui Zhou loudly proclaimed his intent to search the premises, feigning obedience to Wan Tong's "order," and led the charge inside. As chaos erupted, Wang Zhi threatened Gao Yi with a pistol, but Tang Fan bravely stepped forward to protect him, and they managed to escape together.
Tang Fan recounted Li Zilong's extensive history of dangerous schemes, including his past attempt to recreate the Chenghua Eleventh Year explosion, convincing Gao Yi that Li Zilong was indeed plotting a major conspiracy. The two resolved to contact Li Zilong. When they met, Gao Yi pressed Li Zilong for details on his method to destabilize Ming. Li Zilong, however, remained evasive. To earn his trust, Gao Yi then presented Tang Fan as a "gift."
Satisfied by this gesture of sincerity, Li Zilong finally revealed his full plan: he intended to assassinate the Emperor during the upcoming Beginning of Spring Festival ceremony, which was only two weeks away.
