Coroner's Diary Episode 18 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Picking up from the unsettling opera singing heard in the courtyard, Qin Wan and Fuling are startled by someone approaching from behind, accidentally causing him to fall into the water. The man is revealed to be Pang Fuliang's Eldest Young Master. When his younger brother mocks him, the enraged Eldest Young Master tries to strike them both, but Qin Wan intervenes, questioning his aggression towards a woman and a child.
He dismissively calls Qin Wan a "servant" and his brother a "bastard," scoffing at her protest. Soon after, Qing, a maid, introduces herself, explaining she serves Madam Qin, Pang Fuliang's second wife, who is unwell and rarely sees visitors. As a skilled physician, Qin Wan offers her help. Qing then mentions the opera "Mulian Rescues His Mother" being sung earlier, wondering who it could be, as the Shuangqing Troupe is currently detained.
Meanwhile, Yan Chi discovers that both Liu Renli and Pang Fuliang are from Dingzhou but have concealed their origins for over a decade, suggesting a significant secret. Elsewhere, Pang Fuliang advises Liu Renli to retain his post managing salt permits, arguing it’s more valuable to the Crown Prince's cause than a position in the capital. Their discussion is cut short when a servant announces that Madam Qin has been found hanged in her room.
Yan Chi and Qin Wan rush to the scene at Qinghui Manor. Qin Wan observes that there are no signs of a struggle, a cup of high-grade tea is left untouched, and there are unusual abrasions on the pillar where the body hung. She finds it odd that someone would request fine tea only to commit suicide without drinking it.
When the distraught Liu Renli bursts in, he reveals the victim’s true identity: Qing Yun, the former leader of the Shuangqing Troupe and Qing Li's master. Seeing Liu's grief and Pang Fuliang's haste to distance himself, Yan Chi deduces a secret entanglement between the three. He suspects the profit-driven Pang Fuliang only allowed Qing Yun to live there because she held leverage over him. Later, Liu Renli confronts Pang Fuliang, accusing him of murdering Qing Yun after their recent argument.
Pang Fuliang denies it, stating he had no reason to kill her as he hadn't agreed to her demands. He warns Liu Renli that if Yan Chi's investigation uncovers their shared past, they will both be ruined. Qin Wan performs the autopsy, explaining the process to a queasy Governor Wang. She notes the deceased was between 45 and 55, with intact makeup and no signs of being dragged.
An oil stain scented with ambergris is on her sleeve, and abrasions with green sawdust on her back suggest she was rubbed against a pillar. Though there is a clear ligature mark, the silk rope used shows no grip marks, indicating a lack of struggle. Qin Wan concludes that Qing Yun was likely unconscious before being hanged and that a full dissection is needed.
At that moment, a severely hungover Yue Ning and Yan Li arrive; Yan Li, trying to appear tough, also becomes nauseous upon hearing the details. During the dissection, Qin Wan finds a toxic black powder made from Datura seeds, which induces unconsciousness when mixed with alcohol. She theorizes the victim consumed it elsewhere or the murderer disposed of the container.
Bai Feng presents a fabric fragment found on a pavilion pillar outside Pang Fuliang's study, which matches Qing Yun's dress and carries the same ambergris scent. When questioned, Pang Fuliang lies, claiming he met Qing Yun in an outer pavilion, not his study, and that he drove her away after she demanded a 30% share of his Shifang Inn.
Yan Chi confirms the oil on Qing Yun's sleeve is from a lamp in Pang Fuliang's study, proving he lied about their meeting place. He speculates that the bitter taste of the Datura was masked by heavily seasoned food. The sequential, suspicious deaths of Qing Li and Qing Yun, with conflicting evidence in both cases, leave Qin Wan bewildered. Yan Chi comforts her, promising to keep her updated on any new findings.
Later, the Eldest Young Master uses the pretext of delivering lamp oil to flirt with Qin Wan, but a drunken Yue Ning and Yan Li chase him away. Fuling observes to Qin Wan that she has been smiling more since Yan Chi's arrival, and Qin Wan admits she enjoys working with him. The next day, the injured Eldest Young Master demands Qin Wan treat him.
Yan Li confesses to Yan Chi that he ordered the beating for his inappropriate behavior towards Qin Wan. Showing no mercy, Qin Wan treats the young master by driving a large acupuncture needle into his toe until he screams, forcing his compliance. Yan Chi then dispatches Yan Li on a mission to investigate the Shuangqing Troupe. Accompanied by Yue Ning, Yan Li decides to gather information from their chief rival, the Yunshao Theater.
Their anxieties are heightened when Minister Li Muyun departs for the capital with all the records related to the salt transport investigation. In a touching gesture, Yan Chi gives Qin Wan a handwritten notebook from her late father, filled with his case-solving insights. Shortly after, the sound of opera resumes. They investigate and find Qing searching for Qing Yun’s adopted daughter. Suddenly, the girl points to the lake, where Liu Renli's body is discovered in his official uniform.
Pang Fuliang quickly suggests it was suicide out of guilt over the corruption investigation. Qin Wan examines the body and finds evidence of drowning, but also fresh ligature marks on his wrists and neck, with no ropes present. An old spear wound and thick calluses on his hands indicate he was a skilled martial artist, making it difficult for anyone to overpower him. She theorizes he was strangled unconscious with a pliable rope before being thrown into the lake.
More than 100,000 taels of water-damaged silver bills, embezzled by Liu, are also recovered. Recalling a theatrical trick from her father's notebook involving ropes made of hemp paper that dissolve in water, Qin Wan deduces the killer used this method. The act of destroying such a vast sum of money points to a deep, personal vendetta, leading her to suspect the Shuangqing Troupe is involved.
