The Wanted Detective Episode 11 Recap
> The Wanted Detective Recap
Feng Qingzhuo, startled and disoriented, awoke remembering only that he had lost his medicine bottle on the road back to Dingfeng Pavilion and returned to the Huo Mansion to find it. There, he spotted Mrs. Huo rushing towards the backyard, an area reserved for Huo family disciples. Finding her demeanor suspicious, he followed her but was suddenly rendered unconscious. Upon regaining consciousness, he discovered Xue Qianshan's lifeless body beside him, making him the prime suspect.
He frantically insisted on his innocence. Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman began to piece together the events. Zhong Xueman recalled that Mrs. Huo, who lived in the South Courtyard, arrived at the scene of Xue Qianshan's death with surprising speed, even before servants could have reported it. Xiao Beiming deduced that Mrs. Huo must have been in the backyard from dusk until late at night for a secret rendezvous.
They concluded she was having an affair with a disciple, Li Xiao. This suspicion was supported by Huo Dairong, who had told Zhong Xueman that Mrs. Huo's spirits lifted only after Li Xiao joined the household three years prior. Furthermore, during their secret investigation of the mansion, Huo Dairong had intentionally led Zhong Xueman to a bedroom, likely hoping she would discover Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao together, but Li Xiao had already left.
Adding to the evidence, Xiao Beiming had noticed a knife by Li Xiao's bedside bearing the unique emblem of the Kunwu Knife Factory. Knowing Mrs. Huo’s father owned a weapon workshop, Xiao Beiming surmised the knife was a gift from her, confirming their romantic involvement.
The connection to Xue Qianshan's death became clearer when Xiao Beiming recalled a conversation where Xue accused Li Xiao and Mrs. Huo of controlling the Huo family’s wealth and engaging in "despicable things," implying they might have killed the General. This suggested Xue Qianshan possessed incriminating evidence of their affair, which Huo Dairong had alluded to when she mentioned Xue had a "treasure" that could generate continuous income.
They deduced that after Xue Qianshan discovered the affair and blackmailed them, Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao murdered him and framed Feng Qingzhuo. Anticipating the couple would try to retrieve the evidence, Xiao Beiming dispatched Tong Shuang to monitor the Huo Mansion, while Zhuge Kongyun appeared to have reached a similar conclusion on his own. Later, as Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman were discussing the case, Feng Qingzhuo arrived, interrupting them.
After a brief, lighthearted exchange, Xiao Beiming advised Zhong Xueman on handling Zhuge Kongyun's growing suspicions, suggesting she act like her "old self"—confidently uncooperative and even physically confrontational if necessary. The next morning, Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao attempted to flee under the pretense of a day trip to Biyun Temple for prayers. However, Xiao Beiming noticed the deep carriage wheel tracks, correctly deducing they were carrying heavy luggage and escaping.
He sent his men in pursuit and personally intercepted the couple. Li Xiao initially considered resisting, but Mrs. Huo pleaded with him not to fight, leading him to surrender. They were then taken to the Secret Investigation Unit for interrogation. Shortly after, Zhuge Kongyun confronted Zhong Xueman, questioning how she captured the culprits so swiftly and implying she had external help.
Following Xiao Beiming's advice, Zhong Xueman erupted in a fiery outburst, accusing Zhuge of treating her like a criminal and reminding him that she had tracked and captured the fugitives herself. She threatened him with physical harm if he provoked her again, causing him to back down and apologize. During the interrogation, Li Xiao tried to take the blame for Xue Qianshan's murder to protect Mrs. Huo.
However, Zhuge Kongyun countered with forensic evidence: the fatal wound on Xue Qianshan's body was inflicted from a low angle, indicating the killer was significantly shorter, a height that precisely matched Mrs. Huo. Faced with this, Mrs. Huo confessed. She admitted to killing Xue Qianshan to protect her affair with Li Xiao and secure the Huo family inheritance, and to framing Feng Qingzhuo. When questioned about General Huo’s death, both vehemently denied any involvement.
Feng Qingzhuo had discovered that the General's tonic was laced with "red crystal," a rare hallucinogen with a distinct fishy odor. Li Xiao revealed his crippled hands, explaining that General Huo had discovered their affair six months prior and had beaten Mrs. Huo severely. To appease the General, Li Xiao deliberately plunged his own hands into boiling oil. Afterward, the General retreated to his study, ignoring them. Soon after, Mrs. Huo discovered she was pregnant.
The General, who was infertile from an old war injury, knew the child wasn't his. To their shock, he gave them a divorce agreement, allowing them to leave for the sake of the unborn child. They claimed to be grateful and had no reason to harm him. They explained that the General’s sudden death the next day gave them a new, greedy idea.
Since no one knew of the divorce agreement, Mrs. Huo could remain his widow and inherit the fortune. Their plan was jeopardized when Xue Qianshan stole the agreement and blackmailed them. When he threatened to show the document to Huo Dairong, Mrs. Huo panicked, realizing that if Huo Dairong, as the rightful heir, saw it, they would lose everything. In desperation, she killed Xue Qianshan and framed the unconscious Feng Qingzhuo.
Expressing remorse, Mrs. Huo pleaded to be allowed to give birth before her execution, a request Zhuge Kongyun granted in accordance with the law. Despite the confession, Xiao Beiming remained suspicious about General Huo's death. He questioned why the General, a seasoned warrior, would not have noticed the foul smell of the red crystal-laced tonic he had been consuming for months. He concluded the poison was too obvious and must have been planted as a misdirection by the real killer.
His investigation revealed that Huo Dairong had consistently steered him towards suspecting Mrs. Huo and Li Xiao. Without the discovery of the divorce agreement, the affair and the poison would have been enough to convict them, leaving Huo Dairong and her mother to inherit the entire fortune. A new clue emerged when Xiao Beiming found a burnt fragment in the General’s study that read, "It's too late to regret the chaos at Haiya."
Connecting this to the General’s infertility, he hypothesized that Huo Dairong was not his biological daughter but an orphan from Haiya, a place linked to the mysterious "Yesha" organization. This would provide her with a powerful motive for revenge. To investigate further, the team returned to the Huo Mansion under the pretext of Feng Qingzhuo providing medical treatment for Madam Feng.
After diagnosing her with a condition that could lead to paralysis, alarming Huo Dairong, Feng Qingzhuo was led away to prepare medicine. Seizing the opportunity, Zhong Xueman directly asked Madam Feng if Huo Dairong was her and the General's biological daughter.
