Episode 12 recap: Hou Yu suffered the consequences of his own greed.
The Hou family had a long history of loyalty and service, with three generations serving as officials and generals. However, they eventually fell from grace at the hands of Hou Yu. This was mainly due to Empress Wu controlling the court and stripping them of their power. Over the years, there had been a continuous stream of ministers opposing Empress Wu, some of whom even engaged in smuggling military equipment. Hou Yu acted as their intermediary and negotiated with Wang Lide, establishing a complete maritime channel.
Unfortunately, the Black Flame gang targeted Wang Lide and threatened him to steal the gold. Wang Lide knew that exchanging gold for weapons involved influential figures in the court, and the Black Flame gang was equally ruthless. Neither side dared to offend them lightly, so Wang Lide sought help from Hou Yu, not realizing that he was walking into a trap. Hou Yu devised a plan and, after Wang Lide killed all the crew members, he personally killed him.
Although Wang Lide managed to survive by jumping into the sea and hiding on a small island for several days, he couldn't escape death in the end. Initially, Hou Yu believed that everything would be fine as long as Wang Lide was eliminated. However, he didn't expect that there was still a stowaway from the Baekje Kingdom on the ship. The Black Flame gang, infuriated by the loss of dozens of crew members and the failure to obtain the gold, exposed their whereabouts and became wanted by the court. They even sent Jin Sang to impersonate the surviving members and expose all the important figures in Penglai.
Subsequently, the Black Flame gang deliberately left behind a nautical chart to lure Di Ren Jie and others to set sail. Yi Si Shi's true identity was revealed, and without hesitation, Hou Yu directly strangled him, making it appear as if he had committed suicide. Gu Mengbin, fearing that he would suffer the same fate as Yi Si Shi, lived in constant fear and anxiety, but ultimately, he was shot and killed by Hou Yu.
Di Ren Jie gradually analyzed Hou Yu's modus operandi and was furious at how he had become so crazed, killing multiple people to conceal the truth about the gold. Hou Yu claimed that he did all this for the sake of the people and the stability of the Tang Dynasty. He believed that only by controlling the gold could he gain the loyalty of courtiers and prevent chaos under the influence of the wicked empress.
Unfortunately, Hou Yu had ultimately chosen the wrong path. He pleaded with Di Ren Jie to give him a way out, but Di Ren Jie was hesitant and undecided. It was because of this hesitation that Hou Yu decided to eliminate him first. He launched a surprise attack on Di Ren Jie, fighting desperately, but Di Ren Jie defended himself without intending to harm his friend.
In the end, as a large wave approached, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai took Di Ren Jie and fled from the scene. Hou Yu had lost his sanity and embraced a chest full of gold as he perished beneath the sea. He had become nothing more than a pitiful victim of political struggles. With the gold case completely solved, Liu Zhongshi returned to the capital to report, and Di Ren Jie promised Empress Wu that there would be no more illicit trafficking of gold.
A few days later, Di Ren Jie accompanied Cao An to a temple to offer incense. He even climbed the cliffs to pick a cherry branch, earning a faint smile from the beautiful lady. That night, Hong Liang hosted a dinner for Cao An at his residence and left her alone with Di Ren Jie, creating an ambiguous atmosphere. After some consideration, Cao An decided to take her leave.
In the following days, the Penglai County yamen frequently received trivial and unrelated cases. People came to complain that Zhong Ji Zhi, the pawnbroker, refused to redeem their pawned items. Di Ren Jie stated that he would investigate the matter and handle it impartially. At that moment, the yamen received another report, claiming that someone had witnessed a "zombie," and the eyewitness happened to be a young child.
Under Di Ren Jie's questioning, the child recounted a story of playing hide-and-seek with friends and accidentally entering a reed marsh. While looking for a way out, they stumbled upon a floating body on the lake, with a pale and stiff appearance. Subsequently, Di Ren Jie, accompanied by Ma Rong and Qiao Tai, conducted a search at the scene and indeed discovered several conspicuously bloodstained areas.
Following the trail of blood, they arrived at a dilapidated watchtower and suddenly saw a large and withered statue of a bird-human, known as the Rain Master, which was worshipped by the locals. To Di Ren Jie, it appeared absurd and terrifying. On the second floor of the tower, he found evidence of someone living there and turned around to come face to face with a deranged young woman named Ying'er.
Meanwhile, a group of soldiers had been ordered to patrol the vicinity. Di Ren Jie learned that Captain Li had taken it upon himself to order the soldiers to remove the body, so he decided to personally meet this individual. Captain Li showed disdain towards Di Ren Jie's arrival, but Di Ren Jie insisted on seeing the body, only to discover that it had already been cremated.
On the other hand, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai discovered erotic paintings in a soldier's tent and, shortly after, heard footsteps outside. They hastily hid and witnessed several soldiers receiving corporal punishment, yet they showed no regret for their actions the night before, believing it was worth it.
Comments(Episode 12)