Detective Dee: The Phantom Butterfly

This film (drama)Also known as狄仁杰之幻涅魔蛾，is aMainland ChinaProducerwomen sex，At2020Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating3.5(For reference only)。

In Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, a murder case occurs; the envoy from the Arab state, Salo, is killed in a brothel, leaving the scene in disarray. Detective Dee and Hong Yun are ordered to investigate, but unexpectedly fall into an ambush set by the real culprits. Hong Yun, a close friend, is brutally killed by a man called Tian Sha, a Turkic, and as a tribute, the chrysalis of the Phantom Butterfly is seized by Tian Sha. Due to the unsuccessful investigation, Detective Dee is dismissed and investigated by Wu Zetian. Years later, having just become emperor, Wu Zetian is suddenly afflicted by a mad poison overnight, suspecting foul play. She then orders Yuan Feng, the leader of the Golden Guards, to summon Detective Dee back to the capital to secretly investigate the case. At this time, Detective Dee has become a farmer, spending his days with his pregnant wife, not expecting Yuan Feng's arrival would disrupt their peaceful life. Faced with Yuan Feng's pleas, and having seen the ups and downs of court politics, Detective Dee resolutely refuses. However, his wife encourages him that for the peace of the state and the welfare of the people, Detective Dee hesitates multiple times before finally bidding farewell to his wife and secretly returning to the capital with Yuan Feng. In Wu Zetian's chamber, the once-great female emperor now appears frail, her life flickering like a candle in the wind, prompting Detective Dee to reflect deeply. Suddenly, Yuan Feng goes mad due to poisoning and attacks Detective Dee. After subduing Yuan Feng, Detective Dee captures a suspicious moth at the scene, and together with Yuan Feng, they return to the laboratory at his old home. Under the drug testing, they discover that this moth is the Phantom Butterfly from the Arab state, which was taken by Tian Sha and other Turkics years ago as a tribute. Its powdered form is extremely poisonous, capable of inducing madness and death. However, because it is not a complete Phantom Butterfly, its toxicity is not strong enough to kill immediately, requiring time to accumulate. Just as they discuss their next course of action, Tian Sha and his men launch a surprise attack with the intent to kill and silence them, but unfortunately, they end up fleeing in disgrace against Detective Dee and Yuan Feng. To obtain an antidote for Wu Zetian, Detective Dee and Yuan Feng traverse the sewers of a mass grave and arrive at Jiuyou City to seek the expertise of Hong Yun's sister—Fei Yu, who is skilled in insect paths. Fei Yu helps the two to concoct an antidote for the moth using the Phantom Butterfly King. Meanwhile, Tian Sha leads a surprise attack, and the three of them manage to kill Tian Sha, escape, and successfully bring the antidote back to the palace for Wu Zetian to take. However, all of this is actually Wu Zetian's ruse. It turns out she colluded with the Turkic leader Nuo Yi De to use Yuan Feng to entice Detective Dee to find Fei Yu, allowing them to secretly acquire the only Phantom Butterfly King in the world to create a true complete Phantom Butterfly, intending to poison and eliminate the Li clan and secure her throne. Detective Dee and Fei Yu are arrested for conspiracy to rebel. When Yuan Feng learns the truth, he abandons the dark side and rescues Detective Dee and Fei Yu. The three follow the carbon powder found on Yuan Feng’s feet to an abandoned blacksmith shop in Luoyang, where they find the Turkic tribe's stronghold, but they are a step too late. Nuo Yi De and his men have already infiltrated Wu Zetian's birthday celebration. From Tian Sha, who they ambush, they learn that Nuo Yi De does not intend to obey Wu Zetian but instead plans to betray her and kill all the Tang imperial kin and high-ranking officials, collaborating with outside forces to seize the central plains. After dealing with Tian Sha, Detective Dee and the others disguise themselves as envoys from the Indian Kingdom and infiltrate the birthday celebration, working together to successfully prevent the spread of the Phantom Butterfly and thwart Nuo Yi De's plot. In the end, Wu Zetian realizes that familial ties are more important than the throne, so she abandons her plans against the Li clan and hesitates before releasing loyal and patriotic Detective Dee. Thus, Detective Dee and Fei Yu bid farewell to Yuan Feng and set off on their journey home.