The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 46 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Tang Fan orchestrated the successful downing of all "Bolangs" in the sky, coordinating with his marksmen. From a distance, Li Zilong observed the failure of his elaborate plan. His subordinate confirmed the setback, prompting Li Zilong to order signals to be sent out and for Ashitemur, who was supervising the fireworks display, and his men to immediately withdraw. Just as everyone thought they had won, the situation suddenly changed.
In the palace, Wan An seized the moment and sent guards to kill Tang Fan and the archers. He publicly accused Tang Fan of treason, claiming Tang Fan had recklessly brought foreigners into the forbidden city and fired arrows during the sacred Spring Festival ceremony, questioning his true motives. Tang Fan attempted to explain that the sky lanterns concealed deadly "Bolangs" and that their actions were to avert a catastrophe that would turn the Imperial City into a "living purgatory."
However, Wan An dismissed his explanation as nonsense and silenced a soldier who tried to corroborate Tang Fan, branding him an accomplice and having him dragged away. Tang Fan directly challenged Wan An, accusing him of rebellion, but Wan An was undeterred. Simultaneously, as the Jinyiwei finished repelling the Oirat assassins, Wan Tong arrived and confronted Sui Zhou, stripping him of his military command.
Wan Tong asserted his authority, telling Sui Zhou not to invoke the Emperor's name, as he was now in charge. Sui Zhou, seeing the situation was not right and knowing Huanyi Brothel might be in crisis, defied Wan Tong's direct order, stating he must leave. Wan Tong threatened him with charges of insubordination and dared him not to return.
Tang Fan then threatened Wan An with an arrow if he continued his accusations, leading Wan An to denounce Tang Fan as an assassin and order his immediate arrest. Tang Fan managed to escape under the cover of Wuyun Bulage. At Huanyi Brothel, the Emperor awoke, disoriented, and was informed by Wang Zhi that he was in the brothel. The Emperor was furious, chastising Wang Zhi for daring to make decisions for him.
Wang Zhi humbly accepted any future punishment, insisting he acted only for the Emperor's safety, as Noble Consort Wan had also worried. The Emperor attempted to leave on his own but was gently restrained by Wang Zhi, who continued to endure the Emperor's doubts about his loyalty to Noble Consort Wan. Meanwhile, Li Zilong, confident in his plan, anticipated the Jinyiwei and Western Depot reinforcements, believing that both the Emperor and he had their own loyal followers.
A subordinate reported that Huanyi Brothel was completely surrounded and they were on the verge of being overrun. Wang Zhi then opened the pouch Tang Fan had given him, finding only the single word "Defend," which left him utterly dismayed by its perceived unhelpfulness. Just in time, Sui Zhou broke through the outer lines and entered Huanyi Brothel.
The Emperor immediately questioned the situation outside, and Sui Zhou reported the overwhelming numbers of Li Zilong's forces and Oirat warriors, admitting the Western Depot could not hold out much longer and that he lacked the authority to call for Jinyiwei reinforcements. Recognizing Sui Zhou's martial skills, Wang Zhi instructed him to lead the Emperor through a secret tunnel, providing precise details for its activation.
Wang Zhi explained that since the enemies knew his face but not the Emperor's, he would take someone else out through the main entrance to create a diversion, buying them crucial time. The Emperor, recognizing Wang Zhi's self-sacrifice, commanded him not to die, and Wang Zhi affirmed his order. Wang Zhi then retrieved Yang Fu, who had previously impersonated him in Yunhe, from the secret prison.
He instructed Jia Kui to prepare Yang Fu by styling his hair to resemble Wang Zhi's, then lead him out through the main entrance to draw the enemy away. While preparing Yang Fu, Yang Fu tried to corrupt Jia Kui, questioning Wang Zhi's motives and urging Jia Kui to save himself.
Yang Fu claimed that following Wang Zhi's plan would lead to their deaths and offered a way to "protect" Jia Kui: strangle the "weak" Wang Zhi, throw his body onto the street, and then hide in the dungeon until the turmoil subsided. Yang Fu promised Jia Kui freedom, wealth, and countless benefits, declaring he would then become Wang Zhi himself. Jia Kui, however, remained loyal. When Yang Fu urged him to "kill him!" , Jia Kui instead feigned compliance.
He seized Yang Fu, pretended he was the Emperor, and burst out of Huanyi Brothel, successfully diverting the enemy forces who believed they had caught their target. Having narrowly escaped Wan An's men with Wuyun Bulage's assistance, Tang Fan arrived at Huanyi Brothel only to witness a brutal fight between the Western Depot and Li Zilong's forces. He saw what appeared to be Wang Zhi and the Emperor killed during the chaos, plunging him into deep despair.
A young beggar, one of Wang Zhi's loyal agents, pulled Tang Fan aside, gave him beggar's clothes, and urged him to follow. Later, Tang Fan was seen grieving over what he believed to be Wang Zhi's corpse, lamenting that Wang Zhi had died at the wrong time and left a monumental mess. He expressed his profound distress over the uncertain fate of Sui Zhou, the Emperor's disappearance, and his own status as a fugitive.
He despaired about who would now stand against Li Zilong and whether Shang Ming and Wan An would seize control of the imperial court. Unbeknownst to Tang Fan, Wang Zhi, still alive and disguised as a beggar, overheard his complaints, dryly remarking to himself that he was "scolded even when dead." Wang Zhi then revealed himself, startling Tang Fan, who was shocked to see him alive.
After what they believed to be the deaths of the Emperor and Wang Zhi, Li Zilong and Ashitemur departed, seemingly satisfied with their success. Shortly thereafter, Shang Ming and Wan Tong arrived with their men. Shang Ming theatrically mourned, repeatedly calling out "Your Majesty!" , but upon closer inspection, he discovered the body was not the Emperor's but a severely wounded Jia Kui. Furious, Shang Ming ordered Jia Kui sent to jail to await trial.
He immediately seized control of the Western Depot, instructing Wan Tong that they must prioritize finding the Emperor, even if it meant searching the entire capital. Shang Ming feigned deep sorrow over Wang Zhi's "death" in service of the Emperor, despite their past conflicts, and dismissed Wan Tong's concerns about leaving Wang Zhi's body on the street.
Shang Ming declared himself the acting commander of the Western Depot in the absence of a leader and ordered his new subordinates to hunt down Tang Fan and Sui Zhou, whom he now considered fugitives. He also ordered the crime scene secured, as it might hold clues to the Emperor's whereabouts. After escaping Huanyi Brothel, Sui Zhou and the Emperor found themselves south of the city.
Sui Zhou advised against returning directly to the palace through the Huanyi Brothel area, deeming it too dangerous, and suggested they find refuge for the night. He proposed going to Fayuan Temple, which was nearby, to seek out Monk Zhiwu, whom he identified as an old friend. Upon their arrival, Sui Zhou delivered an urgent message to the monk, who recognized him as "Zhou" (Guangchuan) and then realized the Emperor was with him, quickly inviting them inside.
Back with Tang Fan, Wang Zhi, now disguised as a beggar, confirmed he was alive and informed Tang Fan that Sui Zhou had safely brought the Emperor to Fayuan Temple, where they were taking refuge with Monk Zhiwu, who was indeed Sui Zhou's old friend and the second son of the Yu family. Meanwhile, Wan An was consolidating his power within the palace.
He assured Her Majesty Zhou that all efforts were being made to find the Emperor, while subtly blaming Noble Consort Wan for the Emperor's departure from the palace. However, he prevented the Crown Prince from visiting Her Majesty Zhou and confined Noble Consort Wan to her palace, using the pretext of ensuring their safety amidst the turmoil, thus placing them under de facto house arrest.
Li Zilong, initially confident in the Emperor's death and having received pledges of troops from Annam and Tartar, received devastating news from his agents: the Emperor was, in fact, still alive, his whereabouts unknown.
Enraged, Li Zilong furiously ordered his subordinates to bring him the Emperor's head, declaring that while his "friends" in the Eastern and Western Depots and Jinyiwei might be timid and unwilling to get their hands bloody, he was not afraid to shed blood, viewing it as a good omen. He understood that without the Emperor's confirmed death, he remained an enemy of the entire Ming.
