Coroner's Diary Episode 14 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Qin Yan, having observed Yan Chi's strong protectiveness towards Qin Wan, began to formulate plans to leverage this connection to draw Yan Chi closer to the Crown Prince. He recognized Qin Wan's exceptional talent, viewing her as a double-edged sword that, while powerful, must remain inextricably linked to the interests of the Marquis's family. Meanwhile, Sun Muqing grew frustrated when Yan Chi and Bai Feng did not return to take their medicine.
Just as Qin Wan prepared to look for them, the two men rushed back. Qin Wan voiced her concern that the killer, in a violent state after brutally killing Song, would directly target Sun Haoyue. Yan Chi reassured her, stating that he had already summoned the Black Armor Guards, who would arrive in four hours.
He and Bai Feng would keep watch until then, promising the concerned Qin Wan that they would only scout the terrain and not engage in combat, to protect their unhealed injuries. Qin Shuang approached Yue Ning and Qin Wan, expressing worries about Qin Xiang. She revealed that Qin Xiang had secretly left her room the previous night and that a distinctive jade butterfly had appeared in her makeup box that morning.
Qin Shuang suspected Qin Xiang had gone to meet Bai Feijue, fearing she was blindly pursuing a dangerous path. Qin Wan acknowledged Bai Feijue's noble family background but pointed out that his marriage might not be his to decide, and a clandestine meeting would only damage Qin Xiang's reputation. She advised Qin Shuang to protect herself, as Qin Xiang would likely not heed her warnings, and urged both of them to stay safe.
Later, while Yan Chi and Bai Feng were investigating, a scream echoed from the pharmacy area. The victim, Dachen, was still alive thanks to Yan Chi's timely warning shout, which startled the assailant into fleeing. Before losing consciousness, Dachen uttered, "Don't wait anymore," which Butler Dong later clarified was a message to his fiancée, as he was soon to be married. Bai Feng reported that the assailant's tracks led west, towards the female guest quarters.
There, Qin Shuang's attempts to reason with Qin Xiang failed, as Qin Xiang defiantly contrasted her own difficult situation as a concubine's daughter with that of Qin Wan, who, despite being a "jinx," enjoyed great favor. Angered, Qin Shuang left. Moments later, Qin Xiang was seized by the killer, who demanded Sun Haoyue's presence. Qin Wan bravely stepped forward to confront the agitated assailant, borrowing a sleeve arrow from Yan Chi.
The killer, consumed by grief, accused Sun Haoyue of murdering his daughter, whose body he found cut open and stitched back up. When Sun Haoyue arrived, the killer confirmed his hatred, declaring that the loyal Song deserved to die for being Sun Haoyue's "dog." As the standoff escalated, Bai Feijue suddenly appeared and killed the assailant with a sleeve arrow, saving Qin Xiang. He apologized for acting on impulse after seeing Qin Xiang bleeding.
Following the incident, Qin Yan announced his intention to return to the capital the next day. Yan Chi advised them to stay a few more days due to the treacherous snowy roads, but Qin Yan declined. Still pondering the mysterious deaths of the wild animals, Qin Wan, accompanied by Yue Ning, went to the Plum Grove. Noting the ground wasn't freshly disturbed, she suspected the carcasses were buried nearby and had them unearthed to determine the cause of death.
Meanwhile, Butler Dong delivered a gift to Qin Xiang from Bai Feijue, informing her that Bai Feijue was returning to Yizhou for an urgent family matter. Qin Xiang interpreted the gift—a ruby and mandarin duck pendant—as a marriage proposal, much to Qin Shuang's exasperation. Inside the gift box, Qin Xiang found a hidden note: a plea from Bai Feijue to elope with him at dawn.
Convinced she knew the truth behind the "monsters" of Sanyuan Village, Qin Wan asked Yan Chi to persuade her brother to delay their departure. Yan Chi agreed, also ensuring she kept a sleeve arrow for protection. The next morning, their carriages' axles were mysteriously broken. Simultaneously, Qin Shuang frantically reported Qin Xiang missing along with her favorite belongings. After examining footprints and traces of a sleeping drug, Qin Wan deduced it was a pre-planned elopement.
Qin Yan decided to give chase, and Qin Wan insisted on joining him, choosing not to inform Yan Chi. Their party reached Changfu Inn, the only route out of the mountain. There, the innkeeper recognized a unique leaf mark on their tea pastries, identifying them as a specialty of the Zhang family from Sanyuan Village, whose line had ended when their daughter was killed by "monsters."
He added that Mrs. Lin at the Herbal Garden made the same pastries exceptionally well. Realizing the connection, Qin Wan urged Qin Yan to dispatch officers to the Herbal Garden. Meanwhile, Sun Muqing confronted Yan Chi, accusing him of ruining Qin Wan's future as a physician by making her his coroner.
Yan Chi countered that Qin Wan, already famous as a "Medical Fairy," deserved to follow her own path and be respected as a national talent, eventually without needing his protection. Soon after, Yan Chi and Bai Feng, learning from scouts that no one had left the mountain, concluded Qin Xiang must still be nearby and set off to search.
Having returned to the Herbal Garden, Qin Wan instructed her maid to send Yan Chi to the Renxin Clinic upon his arrival and ordered the Black Armor Guards to seal all exits. She and Yue Ning then went to the clinic, where she encountered the imprisoned patient. The man, unable to speak, wrote "Bai Feijue," confirming he was the real one.
He indicated the imposter who eloped with Qin Xiang was a patient with a replaced heart and that his sister also had a heart condition. Realizing Qin Xiang's peril, Qin Wan promised to free him after alerting the authorities. Elsewhere, Sun Muqing informed Sun Haoyue of the elopement. Sun Haoyue gave him tea laced with a "calming incense," and Sun Muqing lost consciousness. Having anticipated a confrontation, Qin Wan had given Yue Ning antidote pills.
When they arrived at Sun Haoyue's quarters, he noted their foresight but incapacitated them with his "Yunmeng Incense," a potent inhaled anesthetic, lamenting that Qin Wan's obsession with the animal corpses prevented them from further discussing medicine.
