Episode Summary
In this episode, a haunting at Chengfo Temple scares away its monks while the main group celebrates new jobs. Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng stage a conversation to help Chu Yingtao feel secure. Chu and Pei Xijun befriend a makeup shop owner after defending her from a bully. A political plot unfolds as a nursery rhyme about Empress Wu's rebirth spreads, which Prime Minister Cui uses to influence the Princess. The episode ends with the discovery of a drowned man in a well and Chu and Pei being watched by mysterious figures.
Spoiler Alert
A New Case, A New Ghost Story
This show loves a good haunting. I have to respect that. We open at Chengfo Temple, and things are not going well. A woman’s wailing echoes through the halls every night. The sound is terrifying the monks. Many have already packed their bags and left. The temple is losing money and followers fast.
The Haunting at Chengfo Temple
A young monk begs the abbot, Guangxiao, to do something. He wants him to hire a professional to get rid of the ghost. Guangxiao is not having it. He shouts the monk down. He insists there are no ghosts in his temple.
Of course, the wailing immediately gets louder. It sounds like it's coming from everywhere at once. Spooky.
Guangxiao tries to keep his cool. He leads the remaining monks to the main hall to find the source. As soon as they enter chanting prayers, the crying stops. They search the entire hall. They find nothing. One monk suggests the sound is coming from a secret passage. He thinks it connects to the Ghost Market. Guangxiao shuts that down. He says the government sealed that passage with a huge rock years ago. Nothing could get through.
Just as he’s telling everyone to have faith, the crying starts again. It’s louder and more desperate than before. That’s it for the monks. They scream and run for their lives.
The Gang Gets Back to Work
Our main crew gets together for a much-needed celebration. Everyone is at Pei Xijun’s place for food and drinks. They have four big reasons to party.
Promotions and Paychecks
First, Lu Lingfeng is now the Judicial Adjutant of Yongzhou. Second, Su Wuming gets to keep his job as a criminal justice official. Third, Master Fei is finally healing up from his injuries. And fourth, young Xue Huan has been promoted to a junior official. He's the youngest person to ever hold the title.
Master Fei has a few drinks and starts talking smack. He jokes that Lu and Su’s new jobs are a big step down. They used to be top dogs at the Supreme Court. Now they're just minor officials. Su Wuming pushes back. He says serving the people is what matters. The rank doesn't mean anything.
Su Wuming's Little White Lie
Later that night, Su Wuming pulls Lu Lingfeng aside. He complains that his boss stiffed him on his pay. He only got 1500 coins. He then points out that Chu Yingtao just got a new job. She’s an undercover agent for Yongzhou. Her monthly salary is 2000 coins.
Chu Yingtao overhears the whole conversation. She’s thrilled about her new job. She finally feels like she has a place in Chang'an. Seeing Su Wuming so upset about his salary, she jokes that she’ll take care of him from now on.
It was all a setup. The next day, we learn that Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng planned the whole thing. They just wanted to make Chu Yingtao feel secure and part of the team. It was a nice move. Lu Lingfeng also rolls out a new strategy for police work. He wants to handle cases on-site, right where they happen. It turns out Su Wuming had the exact same idea.
Trouble in the Marketplace
The next morning, Chu Yingtao takes Pei Xijun shopping. They head to a famous makeup shop in the Sheng'ye District. They're looking for something called "Fairy Jade Powder."
The Secret of the Fairy Jade Powder
This powder is legendary. It supposedly makes your skin look flawless. The shop can't keep it in stock. The owner is a woman named Chi Ying. She and her daughter, Wuyang, are tough. They don't take nonsense from anyone, especially people trying to steal their secret recipe. Even their landlord wants in on the business, but Chi Ying tells him to get lost.
Chu Yingtao and Pei Xijun find out the powder is sold out for three days. Chu jokingly asks for the recipe. Chi Ying is not amused. Before she can kick them out, a local thug named Zhang Kuang shows up. He threatens Chi Ying. He wants the formula and he wants her out of Chang'an.
Chu Yingtao doesn't stand for bullies. She steps in and easily beats up Zhang Kuang and his men. Chi Ying is impressed. As a thank you, she gives Chu her own personal stash of the powder. Wuyang invites them to hang out by the river. Just like that, the three of them are friends.
A Drunk, a Curse, and a Well
A strange nursery rhyme is spreading through the city. Kids are singing about Empress Wu being reborn. A night watchwoman named Ling Yi hears them. She gets angry and tells them to stop talking nonsense.
A drunk man named Kuai Wu stumbles by and starts harassing her. He doesn’t seem to care about the tattoos covering her face. She gets furious. She curses him. She says a ghost will come for his life before he can walk seven steps. He just laughs and walks away. He stumbles over to an old well. He looks into the water and sees the face of Empress Wu staring back at him. He panics, loses his footing, and falls into the well. He drowns.
Whispers of a New Empress
The nursery rhyme isn't just a random playground song. Prime Minister Cui hears about it. He secretly orders his people to make sure it spreads even further. The political games are starting again.
The Princess Makes Her Move
The Princess hears about Lu Lingfeng’s new mobile police work. She’s impressed. She decides to go check it out herself, in disguise. She finds Lu and Su handling cases on the street.
While she’s watching, she hears the kids singing the rhyme about Empress Wu. Prime Minister Cui is right there with her. He uses the song to plant an idea. He suggests that she is the one meant to follow in Empress Wu's footsteps. He's basically telling her she should be thinking about the throne.
The timing is perfect. A constable runs up. They found Kuai Wu's body in the well. Su Wuming heads over to investigate.
Meanwhile, Chu Yingtao and Pei Xijun are still waiting for Wuyang outside Chengfo Temple. The abbot, Guangxiao, sees them and invites them inside to pray. They tell him they're just waiting for a friend, so he leaves them be. They don't notice two men hiding in a nearby alley. The men are watching them very closely.
