The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 43 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Wang Zhi meticulously oversaw the security preparations for the upcoming Beginning of Spring Ceremony, acknowledging that the large crowd presented numerous hidden dangers. He emphasized the need for a watertight plan to ensure the Emperor's safety. He ordered all Jinwu Royal Guards and secret agents of the Western Depot to be deployed around Taihe Gate and on the gate tower to ensure airtight security around the Emperor.
Additionally, he mandated that all dishes for the Emperor be tested with a silver needle for poison and personally tasted by him before being served. Detailed background checks were required for all attendees, including officials, guards, and eunuchs, with anyone of suspicious origin being denied entry. The palace was to have only one designated entrance and exit, which would be strictly managed by the Imperial Guards, and no one, except the guards, was permitted to carry weapons inside.
Wang Zhi also stressed the importance of securely hiding the half-finished Bolang bombs, ensuring no errors occurred. Still uneasy, Wang Zhi summoned Jia Kui to inquire about the maximum range of bows and crossbows. Jia Kui explained that the most lethal, used by the Mongolian Cavalry of the Yuan Dynasty under Temujin, had an average range of 200 steps, with top archers reaching 300 steps.
Measuring the distance from Wu Gate to Taihe Gate at about 400 steps, Jia Kui concluded it would be impossible to threaten the Emperor from that distance with a bow or crossbow. However, acknowledging his limited expertise, Jia Kui recommended Wuyun Bulage as a true master of archery who might offer different insights. Sui Zhou received news from Xue Ling that Gao Yi was at the Western Depot.
Believing Tang Fan might also be detained there after their escape from Huanyi Brothel, Sui Zhou, accompanied by Wuyun Bulage, hurried to the Western Depot's Imperial Edict Prison. There, they found Gao Yi. Gao Yi recounted Tang Fan's perilous plan: he had offered himself to Li Zilong as a token of Gao Yi's cooperation to gain information. This risky move had indeed worked, as Li Zilong then revealed his intention to assassinate the Emperor during the Beginning of Spring Ceremony.
Gao Yi confessed he had no idea if Tang Fan had an escape strategy, fearing that his capture by Li Zilong might lead to a grim outcome. A disagreement arose between Wang Zhi and Sui Zhou. Wang Zhi contended that with the Beginning of Spring Ceremony fast approaching, the Emperor's safety was paramount. He believed Tang Fan, being intelligent, must have conceived an escape plan when he undertook such a dangerous maneuver.
However, Sui Zhou argued that since Wang Zhi admitted to having no other leads on Li Zilong's plot, Tang Fan was the sole source of crucial information. Therefore, saving Tang Fan was the only way to uncover more details about the assassination and thus effectively protect the Emperor. Meanwhile, Li Zilong commanded Qingge to kill Tang Fan. However, Qingge, recalling her previous acquaintance with Tang Fan, chose not to harm him, instead staging his death.
Li Zilong then placed Tang Fan's feigned corpse into a carriage and coerced Ms. Jin San into helping him flee the capital by threatening her family's lives. After successfully getting out of the city, Li Zilong unexpectedly instructed Ms. Jin San to rest briefly before driving back into the city. Ms. Jin San resisted, unwilling to risk returning, and during their argument, she accidentally discovered Tang Fan’s “body.” Li Zilong, to silence her, then killed Ms. Jin San.
Sui Zhou and Xue Ling meticulously examined the scene where Li Zilong's carriage had departed. They noted the unique, narrow wheel ruts, which Xue Ling identified as belonging to a modified carriage designed for extreme speed, requiring exceptional driving skill. A Western Depot agent informed them that a first-degree alert had been issued at 9 at night, resulting in a full city blockade by 9:15, making it nearly impossible for anyone to escape the capital so quickly.
Sui Zhou later borrowed a fast horse and carriage to test the travel time, confirming that even with his expert driving, it took him over 30 minutes to cover the distance Li Zilong’s carriage would have needed. He concluded that given the strict blockade, only Ms. Jin San, renowned for her exceptional driving skills, could have possibly navigated the carriage out of the city at such a speed.
This led them to track the unique wheel marks and scent to a forest outside the city where Li Zilong had briefly stopped. Upon discovering Qingge’s defiance in not killing Tang Fan, Li Zilong was enraged. He slapped Qingge for her repeated mercy towards Tang Fan and ensured Tang Fan remained imprisoned. Subsequently, Second Prince Amasanj, seeing Tang Fan alive, questioned Li Zilong about it.
Amasanj, now aware of Gao Yi's true allegiance due to Tang Fan's survival, reported that their attempt to seize the Bolang bombs had failed, explaining that the Western Depot’s ingenious security system involved three identical carriages traveling on different routes, making it impossible to identify the real one. Amasanj attributed the Western Depot's heightened security to Tang Fan and Gao Yi's apparent collusion and vowed to kill Tang Fan.
Li Zilong, however, vehemently opposed this, cautioning Amasanj against impulsive actions that could alert their enemies and jeopardize their entire plan. He emphasized that Bolangs, one of the two "divine artifacts" that even foreign envoys feared, were central to their scheme and they would not get a second chance. Li Zilong forbade Amasanj from killing Tang Fan, insisting that Tang Fan was indispensable for acquiring the Bolangs.
Li Zilong then revealed he had devised a plan to achieve "two birds with one stone," stating that he wanted his plot to be known, believing “the more the merrier” for such a grand scheme, and intended to use his enemies' precautions against them, akin to a "counter-strategy" from the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Meanwhile, Tang Fan, though imprisoned, remained calm. When Qingge brought him a meal, including lamb, he ate it with great appreciation, showing no fear of poison.
He pointed out that Qingge had saved his life multiple times, even defying Li Zilong's orders, making it clear she wouldn't poison him. Tang Fan then revealed that he had long been curious about who was protecting him and finally confirmed his suspicion when the wind carried her distinctive perfume to him, deducing her identity as Qingge. Qingge confirmed his assumption. Wang Zhi continued to consult with Wuyun Bulage about potential threats.
Wuyun Bulage identified several potential attack points: the open square near Taihe Gate was unlikely, but a nearby woods could offer concealment for archers at its highest points, which were within range. Wang Zhi ordered the woods to be cut down. Wuyun Bulage also suggested the roof of the Imperial Ancestral Temple as an excellent attack location due to its distance and height, leading Wang Zhi to increase its guard.
Furthermore, Wuyun Bulage revealed the existence of special matchlock guns from the Sultanate of Rum, which, under ideal conditions, could reach 500 steps, making even seemingly safe distances vulnerable. Wang Zhi then questioned a subordinate about the security of the Bolang bombs. The subordinate detailed a complex, foolproof system: every other day, the bombs would be moved under heavy guard between different warehouses, with three identical carriages traveling on different routes, each carrying a similarly weighted and appearing box.
Even the guards would not know which carriage held the real Bolangs, and only the subordinate himself knew their true location.
Wang Zhi approved this method and urged his subordinate to expedite the search for the other expert marksmen Wuyun Bulage had mentioned, including Hua Yuhu, also known as Eagle Eyes from the Jurchen tribe, known for his exceptional eyesight, and Gurijabatu, nicknamed Three Arrows from the Tumult Tribes of the Tatar, a strong professional armed escort capable of shooting 300 steps with strong bows of three stones, who was currently in the capital and was immediately ordered to be arrested.
Wuyun Bulage also mentioned Liu Bai, known as Strong Liu Bai, a former archery teacher from Nanjing now living in Yangzhou, famous for shooting arrows deep into stone. Sui Zhou approached Wuyun Bulage, seeking news of Tang Fan. Although there was no direct information, Sui Zhou interpreted the lack of bad news as good, confirming Tang Fan was still alive. He then requested to borrow Wuyun Bulage's fastest horse and a carriage.
Wuyun Bulage expressed concern, noting that if Wang Zhi's assessment of the situation was correct, Tang Fan's survival seemed unlikely. Sui Zhou acknowledged the logic in Wang Zhi's words but reflected on lessons Tang Fan had taught him about living without regret, embracing life and death. He then stated that his immediate goal was to find Tang Fan, as he was surely hungry after his ordeal, and bring him home for a meal.
