Coroner's Diary Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Coroner's Diary Synopsis
Shen Yi, the Minister of Justice, is implicated in the Prince Jin case, leading to the tragic extermination of his entire family. His daughter, Shen Wan, assumes the identity of Qin Wan, the ninth daughter of the Qin family, and flees to Jingzhou. Once perceived as weak and easily bullied, Qin Wan undergoes a drastic transformation—she not only excels in healing but also masters forensic investigation. Along the way, she effortlessly subdues her scheming aunt, stepsisters, and cunning servants within the Qin household.
During her investigations, Qin Wan crosses paths with Yan Chi, the heir of Prince Rui, who is determined to overturn the wrongful case against Prince Jin. Their shared goal of seeking justice for their families brings them together. As they journey back to the capital, they work in tandem to solve a series of bizarre cases. Upon returning, an unexpected discovery of a skeleton reopens the Prince Jin case. Together, Yan Chi and Qin Wan gradually uncover the truth, leading them to a shocking secret hidden deep within the palace.
Coroner's Diary Recap
Episode 1 Recap
In a heavy rain, Minister Shen's family was annihilated, framed in the Prince Jin case. In their final moments, Minister Shen and his wife entrusted their daughter, Shen Wan, to Mr. Qin Liang, only pleading for her safety. Shen Wan witnessed her parents' death and saw Mr. Qin Liang fall under a hail of arrows while protecting her. To survive, she plunged into the water, evading their pursuers.
Afterwards, she received a letter from her father, instructing her to abandon any thought of seeking justice or revenge and forbidding her from ever returning to the capital. Despite this, Shen Wan resolved to live on as Qin Wan, the daughter of the deceased Mr. Qin Liang, determined to uncover the truth and avenge her family. Assuming the identity of Qin Wan, she arrived at the Qin family mansion with her maidservant Fu Ling and her supposed father's personal seal.
Her arrival interrupted a visit from Mrs. Huo, who was seeking to cancel the engagement between their children, a promise made casually in their youth. Mrs. Huo expressed concerns about Qin Wan's upbringing in Medicine King Valley without parental guidance. Madam Qin, the stepmother of the second branch, claimed she could not interfere but agreed to discuss the matter with Mr. Qin Liang upon his return. Just then, Qin Wan was announced.
Seeking recognition from her grandmother, Qin Wan publicly declared that her father, Mr. Qin Liang, had died in a shipwreck while saving her. Amid the ensuing gossip, Qin Wan feigned a faint, forcing Madam Qin to bring her into the mansion. Fu Ling was questioned by Madam Qin but recounted a pre-planned story: a physician from Medicine King Valley had deemed Qin Wan recovered, so Mr. Qin Liang planned their return home.
During a storm at sea, their boat capsized, and Mr. Qin Liang was swept away. Later, Fu Ling and Qin Wan discussed how fortunate it was that the family was not close with Mr. Qin Liang, making the deception easier. Fu Ling explained the engagement was made when Lord Huo was a minor official, likely to gain ties with the main branch of the Qin family.
After the real Miss Qin died last year, Mr. Qin Liang had not informed the family out of grief. Now that Lord Huo had become a prefect, the Huo family, proving treacherous, no longer valued the match. Qin Wan saw this as beneficial for her plans, but anticipated Madam Qin would take out her public embarrassment on her. Madam Qin, viewing Qin Wan as a jinx, had an exorcism ritual performed near her courtyard.
She then tried to have Fu Ling sold for allegedly speaking ill of the masters. Qin Wan intervened, stating she would discipline her own servant. Madam Qin seized the opportunity to confine Qin Wan to the courtyard, ordering her to copy scriptures and cutting her allowance for a year. Alone, Qin Wan confided in Fu Ling, whom she considered a sister, not a servant.
She inwardly sought forgiveness from Mr. Qin Liang for using his daughter's name for her dangerous quest, while Fu Ling vowed to stay by her side. Meanwhile, Madam Qin urged her son, Qin An, to connect with his elder half-brother, the Marquis of Devotion, to secure a position for his son, Chen. Qin An lamented his status as the son of a second wife, angering his mother.
When Qin Wan came to pay respects, she was made to wait and overheard Qin An discussing the Prince Jin case. He called her father, Minister Shen, a fame-seeker who was exposed by his own student, Li Muyun, and deserved his fate. Distressed, Qin Wan realized she must get to the capital to uncover the truth. Wandering outside, Qin Wan found an elderly woman who had collapsed.
She diagnosed her with wind hysteria, provided massage instructions, and wrote a prescription, warning that the woman’s life depended on sweating by nightfall. Later, she confessed her true identity as Shen Wan to Fu Ling, insisting her father was framed. Fu Ling believed her and swore to help.
Qin Wan initially wanted Fu Ling to stay behind for her safety, but Fu Ling insisted on accompanying her to the capital, reminding Qin Wan of her loyalty since their time in Medicine King Valley. Moved, Qin Wan promised they would never be separated. Soon after, Princess Yongning from the Marquis of Anyang's Mansion arrived at the Qin residence. The elderly woman Qin Wan had saved was the Grand Princess, the matriarch of the mansion and the Emperor's aunt.
Princess Yongning had come to express her gratitude. Presenting herself in her simple, worn clothes to highlight her poor treatment, Qin Wan met the princess. Madam Qin tried to dismiss the rescue as luck, but Princess Yongning invited Qin Wan to the Marquis's mansion for a follow-up consultation, bluntly refusing to let Fifth Lady Qin Xiang tag along. On the way, they witnessed soldiers bullying civilians.
A man on horseback, Yan Chi, the Young Marshal of the Shuoxi Army, descended and executed the offending soldiers, enforcing the army's strict laws. Princess Yongning excitedly introduced her cousin, the famed God of War, to Qin Wan. At the mansion, Yan Chi and the princess sparred before paying respects to the Grand Princess. The Grand Princess introduced Qin Wan as the "Little Medical Fairy" who had saved her life. Yan Chi found her familiar.
The Grand Princess invited Qin Wan to her grandson Jia's wedding, which Yan Chi would also attend. Qin Wan hesitated due to her mourning, but the Grand Princess insisted she come as a companion. Returning to the Qin mansion, Qin Wan was moved into Tinglan House, the best courtyard, and her life improved dramatically. The Third Madam, Qin An's wife, brought gifts and fawned over her newfound status.
However, Qin Wan felt no joy, knowing none of it truly belonged to her. On the wedding day of the Grand Princess's grandson, Jia, Qin Wan attended to the Grand Princess. Yan Chi joined them, noting that Qin Wan seemed wary of him. She explained she was in awe of his martial power. The Grand Princess, aware of Qin Wan's struggles in the Qin family, promised her protection, touching Qin Wan deeply.
Soon, the groom Jia arrived with the bridal procession, accompanied by Wei Yanzhi, the best man from the Duke of Song. The auspicious hour arrived, and the ceremony began with Jia kicking the sedan door. However, the joyous occasion turned to horror as he lifted the bridal veil to reveal not a bride, but a headless corpse.
Episode 2 Recap
In the bride's carriage, the new bride, Song Rou, was found beheaded, causing widespread panic. As attendants escorted the distraught Grand Princess, Madam Qin, back to her mansion, Qin Wan took advantage of the chaos to stay behind and examine the scene. The bride's childhood friend, Vice Commandant Wei, accused the Yue family of murdering Song Rou out of dissatisfaction with the marriage and demanded to take her body back to the capital.
The Young Marshal of the Shuoxi Army, Yan Chi, arrived and secured the area, ordering that no one, especially the bride's escorts, be allowed to leave. He declared that since Song Rou's marriage to the Marquis of Anyang's heir was royally decreed, the matter was of great importance, and all escorts would be detained at the Marquis's mansion for investigation. Seeing an opportunity to prove her worth, Qin Wan hid nearby.
Yan Chi noticed her and, sensing her intent, cleverly ordered his Black Armor Guards to turn their backs to the carriage, creating an opening for her. Qin Wan approached and examined the interior, noting that the bloodstains were long cast-off patterns rather than the arterial spray expected from a beheading in a confined space. She concluded the carriage was not the primary murder scene and the evidence had been staged.
Prefect Huo's son, Huo Ning, arrived with officers to move the body, but Qin Wan intervened, warning that moving the evidence before examination could compromise it. Huo Ning scoffed at her, a "mere woman," questioning her decorum. Qin Wan retorted that his ignorance of forensic procedure, despite his long tutelage, suggested his father was "raising him like a daughter."
Humiliated, Huo Ning was sidelined when Yan Chi took command, ordering his guards to carefully transport the body and carriage, making it clear Huo Ning’s men were merely porters. Later, Qin Wan confided in her attendant, Fu Ling, that she intended to use this case to establish her reputation. Fu Ling worried about the risks, as a woman seeking a role as a criminal consultant was unheard of, and the case involved powerful families they couldn't afford to offend.
Qin Wan explained that her father's name had been unjustly slandered, and she needed more than just medical skills to clear it. Her goal was to make the Grand Princess trust her forensic abilities and recommend her to the court, allowing her to become the "foremost female coroner" and bring justice to her parents and uncle. Meanwhile, Yan Chi had his subordinate, Bai Feng, investigate Qin Wan's background.
The report confirmed she was the daughter of the respected "Dr. Virtue" Qin Liang, had spent years in the secluded Medicine King Valley for her health, and had recently returned. Yan Chi found her story suspicious, noting that a sheltered girl who could travel alone with her father's coffin and remain so composed while living under another's roof was unusual. He was particularly struck by her focused observation of the corpse.
Deciding to use her for his own investigation into the Prince Jin case but remaining wary, Yan Chi ordered Bai Feng to gather all books written by the disgraced official Shen Yi, hoping to understand the man who so clearly inspired Qin Wan's passion for forensics. At the Qin residence, Qin Shuang, prompted by her sister Qin Xiang, confronted Qin Wan, calling her a jinx for ruining Qin Xiang's potential match with Huo Ning.
Qin Wan calmly replied that sisters shouldn't talk of "stealing" fiances. Enraged, Qin Shuang cursed the Grand Princess, wishing for her death. Yue Ning, the Grand Princess's granddaughter, overheard the outburst and furiously intervened. Madam Qin (the elder of the Qin household) begged for mercy, and Yue Ning reduced the standard punishment from eighty strokes to twenty.
Yue Ning then brought Qin Wan to treat the Grand Princess, who was suffering from extreme anxiety over the murder and its potential political fallout for the Yue family. Qin Wan explained that medicine alone couldn't cure an illness rooted in emotional distress. Seizing the moment, she revealed her expertise in forensics, offering to solve the case quickly to ease the Grand Princess's mind.
Impressed by Qin Wan's philosophy that forensics, like medicine, is a way to heal—by purging evil from society—Yue Ning agreed to recommend her to Yan Chi. Before Yan Chi and Prefect Huo, Qin Wan confidently argued her case. She pointed out that the coroner's report lacked a proper body examination and that the victim's identity couldn't be confirmed solely by the testimony of a suspect like Vice Commandant Wei.
When Prefect Huo dismissed coroners as "lowly" and their work as unimportant, Qin Wan quoted Shen Yi's "The Washing Away of Wrongs" on the importance of thorough examination. Skeptical but pressured, Prefect Huo challenged her to first solve an unrelated murder at the morgue. At the morgue, Qin Wan was presented with the body of Lin Daxing, whose death was ruled an illness after the accused, Wei Wu, claimed they fought but delivered no fatal blows.
The coroner, Xu He, admitted he had never performed an autopsy. Qin Wan proceeded to conduct one, discovering a hidden bruise on the chest. While Prefect Huo and Xu He vomited outside, she found the cause of death: a ruptured heart from a powerful blow with a cloth-wrapped blunt object. Yan Chi, who had silently observed the entire process, agreed to her request to keep her skills secret.
With the cause of death proven, Yan Chi ordered secrecy to protect Qin Wan's reputation and assigned her to the bride's case, which Prefect Huo now eagerly accepted. Afterward, Qin Wan explained to Fu Ling that while she needed Yan Chi's support, she had to remain cautious, asserting that her skills were her own and that gaining powerful allies was crucial. However, despite her progress, the Grand Princess's anxiety over the scandal and potential repercussions from the Emperor worsened until the stress caused her to faint.
Episode 3 Recap
The Grand Princess fell gravely ill from worry over the Song Rou case, collapsing from the recurrence of an old ailment. Qin Wan was urgently summoned and saved her life, though her condition remained critical, requiring monitoring for two days to prevent infection. In gratitude, the Marquis of Anyang arranged for Qin Wan to stay in the Plum Garden, affording her the same comforts as a princess.
When Qin Wan tried to return the Hanyue blade, Yan Chi insisted she keep it, stating that while it was a weapon in his hands, it could save lives in hers, fulfilling its true purpose. During their conversation about the revered official Shen Yi, Qin Wan’s assistant, Fu Ling, was visibly startled. Yan Chi later noted to his subordinate how strange it was that they were so secretive about someone they clearly respected.
He also informed Qin Wan that he had arranged with Prefect Huo to re-examine the case the next day. Yue Ning expressed her gratitude to Qin Wan, noting that her recent help had allowed Prefect Huo to capture a criminal named Wei Wu, saving his post and boosting his reputation. Yue Ning believed Prefect Huo must regret annulling his son Huo Ning's engagement to Qin Wan.
However, Yue Ning remained worried about clearing her brother Yue Jia’s name, questioning how a murder in a bridal sedan could go unnoticed by the nearly one hundred attendants. Later, they observed Wei Yanzhi practicing his sword forms. Yue Ning challenged him to a duel, but Wei Yanzhi, claiming to be distracted by grief, was easily defeated. Qin Wan, however, observed that he had skillfully controlled the match and did not seem genuinely unsettled.
That night, Fu Ling was terrified by what she believed was a headless ghost. Qin Wan calmly asserted that it was not a ghost but a person with ulterior motives. Yan Chi’s search of the area found no intruder, leading him to deduce the culprit must be intimately familiar with the mansion to evade his guards. Qin Wan found clues confirming a human intruder: disturbed rose petals and footprints on mossy roof tiles.
She explained the headless, floating illusion was created by someone with lightness skills using the environment to leap onto a pillar while hiding their feet with a gown. Concluding the act was meant to scare her off the upcoming autopsy, they questioned who knew about it. Yue Ning sheepishly admitted she had told a concerned Wei Yanzhi that Qin Wan would help, while Captain Wei Cheng of the Song family guard was also present.
Yan Chi decided to investigate both men. Examining the bridal gown used in the ruse, Qin Wan noted it was new and had a pine soot ink stain on the right cuff—a stain unique to the rare silk gauze fabric. Based on the height required for the illusion and the ink stain indicating a left-handed writer, Qin Wan deduced the culprit was a left-handed man skilled in martial arts, between 5'7" and 6' tall.
Suspecting the gown was a spare from the dowry, Yan Chi had Prefect Huo question the wedding party. Vice Commandant Wei Yanzhi immediately identified the gown as one of two identical pieces made for Song Rou and confirmed the matron-in-waiting held the spare. The matron claimed the spare had vanished from a locked chest, and she was arrested.
Wei Yanzhi explained he had stopped his vigil for Song Rou after fainting from exhaustion while sparring with Wei Cheng, who then made him copy texts all night as a restorative discipline. An examination of their hands revealed calluses on Wei Cheng’s left hand from spear training and that Wei Yanzhi practiced calligraphy with his left hand when upset. Both men fit the profile and were considered suspects.
Unfazed, Qin Wan declared she would proceed with the autopsy, and Yan Chi promised to handle any interference from the Song family. Yan Chi received a report that the Duke of Song had taken his grievances to the Emperor. Simultaneously, his Eagle Squad found two skeletons weighted with stones in the river where Shen Yi’s family had disappeared. Believed to be Shen Yi and his wife, their cause of death was indeterminable.
Their daughter, Shen Wan, remained missing, a fact Yan Chi found suspicious. He also learned that Prefect Huo was attempting to revive the marriage proposal between his son and Qin Wan, a move Yan Chi viewed with disdain. Meanwhile, rumors spread by servants—originating from the Song family—blamed Qin Wan as a jinx for the recent misfortunes. Furious, Yan Chi had the servants punished. Qin Wan saw the rumors as confirmation the Song family was involved and trying to undermine her.
As Yan Chi escorted her, Qin Wan took his pulse and sensed he still harbored suspicions about her, making her regret a brief moment of lowered guard. Before she left for the morgue, Yan Chi gifted her a set of deerskin gloves and rare golden needles, admitting he had wrongly suspected her of seeking personal gain and offering them as a token of genuine appreciation.
While touched, Qin Wan suspected his generosity was part of a larger plan to recruit her as a military doctor, a role she intended to avoid. At the morgue, a disdainful Huo Ning watched as his father, Prefect Huo, eagerly awaited Qin Wan. Qin Wan prepared for the autopsy, asking Yan Chi to serve as her recorder. She began her examination, noting the headless female body was approximately 5'2" tall.
The neck wound indicated the victim was beheaded alive with a single blow. However, Yan Chi pointed out the minimal blood on the gown’s collar meant the victim was dressed after death and killed elsewhere. Qin Wan discovered white-toothed termites on the body, which are native to banyan forests like the one near Shili Temple.
After Huo Ning was escorted out in disgust, Qin Wan had the body washed with onion and vinegar to reveal hidden injuries without a full dissection. She identified the victim as a noblewoman from the capital based on her expensive nail polish. Calluses on the left hand were consistent with years of zither practice, strongly suggesting the body was Song Rou, a known player. Finally, she discovered teeth marks on the skin, leading her to suspect Song Rou was having an affair before her wedding.
Episode 4 Recap
Qin Wan deduced that Song Rou might have had a secret lover. She based this on finding white-toothed ants near the deceased's private parts, indicating the body was exposed naked near an ant nest, and on a bite mark on the body. She explained that the bite mark was from human teeth and, based on its appearance, was unlikely to have occurred during a fight.
Given Song Rou's status as the Duke of Song's daughter, no one in the household would have dared harm her. Qin Wan theorized that for the ants to be present, Song Rou must have been near their nest, suggesting she went to the banyan woods near the posthouse the night before entering Jingzhou. She questioned why Song Rou would go there alone unless it was to meet someone, noting the suspicious lack of awareness from her large escort team.
To find concrete evidence, Qin Wan requested Prefect Huo authorize an autopsy. Prefect Huo was highly reluctant, fearing the Duke of Song's reaction. At that moment, Prefect Huo’s son arrived, reporting that he had found bloodstains in the banyan woods but had not found Song Rou's head despite a thorough search. Wei Yanzhi speculated the killer took it to hide evidence. Seeing a way to delay, Prefect Huo was relieved, which angered Qin Wan.
Yan Chi intervened, reminding Prefect Huo that failing to solve the case would put everyone in a difficult position with the Emperor. Understanding the pressure, Prefect Huo agreed to re-question the escort team and have Wei Yanzhi secure a letter of approval for the autopsy from the Duke of Song. Qin Wan, upset, initially interpreted Yan Chi's actions as letting Prefect Huo evade responsibility.
Yan Chi followed her to explain his strategy: since she had already found the bite mark and the Emperor was personally involved, submitting her report alongside any obstruction from the Duke would make the Duke look guilty. This would likely prompt a direct imperial order for the investigation, leaving the Duke no choice. Understanding his reasoning, Qin Wan admitted she had misjudged him.
Qin Wan confided in Yan Chi that she found Wei Yanzhi suspicious, noting his distress was coupled with an inability to meet her gaze. She asked Yan Chi to spread a rumor that she planned a third examination in a few days. Her plan was to use the upcoming lantern festival as bait to see if Wei Yanzhi would try to eliminate her.
Yan Chi, concerned for her safety, suggested a substitute, but Qin Wan insisted on being the real bait. Meanwhile, Wei Yanzhi received a letter from the capital informing him that his older brother, Wei Qizhi, had disappeared shortly after their departure, and he feared his brother was heading to Jingzhou. Hearing of the planned third examination, he mused that if the coroner were to disappear, the Duke of Song’s problems would be over.
With the Grand Princess's condition stabilized, Qin Wan decided to attend the Autumn Festival lantern fair. The Grand Princess agreed, arranging for Yan Chi and Yue Ning to accompany her. Qin Wan specifically requested that the gloomy Wei Yanzhi join them. Before they left, Yan Li tried to give Qin Wan a popular storybook, but Yan Chi intercepted it, deeming it inappropriate and suggesting a medical book instead. He gave the storybook to Yue Ning.
At the bustling fair, Wei Yanzhi heard a zither playing "Seagulls and Egrets in Serenity," his older brother’s favorite tune. He explained that his brother, who was meant to escort the bride before breaking his leg, had learned the zither alongside Song Rou. Using the excuse of finding the player, Wei Yanzhi left. Qin Wan then set her plan in motion, sending her companions away while trusting Yan Chi was secretly watching over her as arranged.
As Qin Wan rode a lantern float, she disappeared from sight after crossing a bridge, causing Yan Chi to search for her anxiously. Qin Wan, having donned a mask, was following a person with a limp whom she suspected was the culprit. However, she was lured into a trap as a lantern tower collapsed on her. Yan Chi rescued her, having located her by her distinctive xiezhi mask.
He confirmed the real Wei Yanzhi was at Tianyin Pavilion listening to music. Noticing a severe, recent blade wound on Yan Chi's back, Qin Wan insisted on treating it. He claimed it was from his duties but hinted it was related to a wrongful conviction in the capital. Despite his resistance to "soft" remedies, he allowed her to clean and stitch the infected wound.
Later, Yan Chi’s guard, Bai Feng, reported that the lantern tower had been sabotaged and that the Song family's twenty guards had acted with unusual discipline at the fair. Yan Chi deduced it was another attempt to obstruct the autopsy. He ordered Bai Feng to provoke a fight with the Song guards the next day. The following day, during the confrontation, the Song guards publicly slandered Yan Chi, accusing him of attempting to assault Song Rou and then murdering her.
Yan Chi used this outrageous accusation to pressure Prefect Huo, stating that such a rumor would destroy his reputation. He demanded an immediate autopsy to clear his name, threatening to take Prefect Huo to the harsh border region if the case wasn't solved. Prefect Huo immediately consented. Qin Wan was puzzled by how far Yan Chi would go to help her, and her maid Fu Ling suggested he had developed feelings for her.
Qin Wan reflected on her false identity, acknowledging she was using his power and questioning how she could honestly reciprocate any feelings he might have. That night, the morgue caught fire. Though the building was damaged and the body severely charred, Qin Wan was determined to proceed. Yan Chi, having anticipated her insistence, had already rushed to the scene. Qin Wan smelled tung oil, confirming it was arson.
Yan Chi provided a forensic kit he had prepared for her in advance. During the autopsy, Qin Wan discovered from Song Rou's pelvic structure that she had been five to six months pregnant and had a miscarriage about two months before her death. This revealed that the Duke of Song had knowingly sent her to be married in an act of deception against the Emperor.
Prefect Huo then presented a sketch of the man who bought the tung oil: Wei Cheng, the Song family’s guard captain. Yan Chi suspected Wei Yanzhi had ordered the arson on behalf of the Duke, and they considered the possibility that Wei Yanzhi's older brother was Song Rou's secret lover.
