The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 8 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Sui Zhou, imprisoned in Ji'an, managed to send a coded message back to the capital, but the Imperial Guards initially failed to recognize its urgency. It was only by chance that Xue Ling showed the message to Tang Fan, who immediately deciphered its hidden meaning. Using the Fanqie method from a previous dynasty's pronunciation, Tang Fan extracted a sound and a rhyme from each group of characters in Sui Zhou's message, forming three new words: "Trapped in Ji'an" (困于吉).
He realized Sui Zhou was in grave danger and urgently sought to convince Wan Tong, the Imperial Guard Commander, to dispatch troops for rescue. However, Wan Tong dismissed his concerns, believing Tang Fan was overreacting.
Left with no other choice, Tang Fan and Xue Ling secretly stole an official boat and set off south for Ji'an to save Sui Zhou, anticipating a journey of about five to six days via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Yangtze River, Poyang Lake, Jiaolongkou, and Ganjiang River. Meanwhile, in the Ji'an prison, Sui Zhou was confronted by a man claiming to be Wang Zhi.
The imposter stated he could report the situation to the Emperor and secure Sui Zhou's release, but only if Sui Zhou revealed the identity of the person who had accused Huang Jinglong. Sui Zhou quickly saw through the deception, recognizing the man was not the real Wang Zhi, which led to a brutal beating. Through this ordeal, Sui Zhou finally understood why Huang Jinglong dared to imprison an imperial envoy with such impunity.
In the northern pasturing area, a significant crisis unfolded as several hundred fine horses, prepared by four local tribes for the market's reopening, vanished overnight. This sparked severe internal conflict among the tribes, particularly between the Jurchen and Doyin Guards, with Fuyu and Taining Guards also en route. Upon receiving the news, Wang Zhi and Chen Yue immediately arrived at the scene. They found the area meticulously cleaned, with no trace of horses, horse droppings, or even hoof prints.
The horse keepers initially tried to blame the Jurchens, claiming the masked thieves spoke the Jurchen language. However, Wang Zhi quickly exposed their lie, and they admitted their negligence, confessing they had fallen asleep and concocted the story to avoid punishment. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the Doyin Three Guards continued to attribute the disappearance to Jurchen witchcraft. The escalating tensions were only quelled when Wang Zhi promised to personally investigate the matter thoroughly.
Chen Yue then suggested temporarily detaining the Jurchens to calm the conflict and suppress their growing influence. However, Wang Zhi firmly disagreed, highlighting the Jurchens' strategic role in balancing the power of the other three guards (Doyin, Fuyu, and Taining). He also reminded Chen Yue that reopening the horse market was the Emperor's directive, and abandoning the investigation would lead to endless future troubles.
Back on their journey, Tang Fan and Xue Ling disembarked from their boat only to be stopped by officials demanding official travel documents. Xue Ling explained their urgent mission and the absence of their documents, but the officials, having received an urgent dispatch about a stolen official boat, refused passage. They were left with no option but to abandon the boat and continue their journey by land. Concurrently, in Liaodong, Wang Zhi continued his investigation amidst worsening tribal conflicts.
Chen Yue again proposed delaying the market's reopening, but Wang Zhi once more refused. After an arduous journey, Tang Fan and Xue Ling finally reached Ji'an and decided to split up. Tang Fan, by chance, visited a small eatery where Sui Zhou frequently dined. There, he unexpectedly encountered the fake Wang Zhi. Recognizing that the imposter did not seem to recall him, Tang Fan cleverly feigned blindness to avoid detection and escape.
Simultaneously, Xue Ling went to the stables and discovered Sui Zhou's horse and his homing pigeon cage, both left behind. This discovery further solidified their belief that Sui Zhou was indeed in serious trouble. Determined to find Sui Zhou, Tang Fan resolved to infiltrate the local government prison. Before going, he entrusted Xue Ling with three small pouches, each containing instructions for different contingencies.
Tang Fan then deliberately caused a disturbance, pretending to be a thief, and allowed himself to be arrested. Inside the prison, he observed the harsh conditions and the unjust hierarchy among inmates, where a select few received better treatment. He challenged the "boss" of the prison to ensure that the meager food supply was shared among all prisoners, arguing that this would at least ensure everyone survived, even if not fully fed.
Finally, he found Sui Zhou, who was visibly weakened from torture. Sui Zhou revealed his precarious situation, stating that Huang Jinglong was desperate to extract the identity of his accuser and planned to eliminate him within half a month, regardless of whether he confessed. Meanwhile, Wang Zhi arranged a meeting with the Jurchen commander, initially attempting to assert authority by brandishing an imperial edict.
The Jurchen commander openly mocked Wang Zhi in his native language, unaware that Wang Zhi understood Jurchen. Incensed by the disrespect and insult to the imperial edict, Wang Zhi ordered his guards to flog the Jurchen official fifty times.
After this display of power, Wang Zhi calmly recounted the cautionary tale of Li Manzhu and his son, Li Gunaha, reminding the commander of how the Jurchen tribe was nearly wiped out due to their ancestors' arrogance and defiance against the Ming Dynasty. This historical lesson resonated deeply with the commander, who expressed his gratitude to Wang Zhi for his "guidance" and vowed not to repeat the same mistakes.
Both parties then agreed to cooperate: Wang Zhi would help clear the Jurchens' name in the horse theft case, and the Jurchens would provide full assistance for the successful reopening of the horse market in Guangning. Back in Ji'an, following Tang Fan's earlier instructions, Xue Ling successfully secured Tang Fan's release from prison by claiming he had made a false accusation and found his lost wallet, thus clearing Tang Fan.
With Sui Zhou's life hanging in the balance, Tang Fan and Xue Ling decided they must immediately head to Liaodong, hoping Wang Zhi could provide assistance. However, their plan was thwarted when Imperial Guards intercepted them, informing Xue Ling that Commander Wan had issued an order for his arrest on charges of stealing an official boat.
Recognizing the critical need to save Sui Zhou, Tang Fan feigned ignorance of Xue Ling's predicament ("I know nothing") and made a strategic escape, leaving Xue Ling to be apprehended. Concurrently, back in Liaodong, Wang Zhi ordered his subordinates to examine all fodder transaction records from the past ten days, deducing that the immense number of missing horses would require a massive amount of feed, which could not have been supplied if all passes were closed.
He believed this investigation would reveal clues to the horse theft. Tang Fan, now without Xue Ling, pondered how he would reach Liaodong and where he could find fast horses, then realized he knew exactly where to find them.
