Coroner's Diary Episode 21 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Prince Cheng's men continued to keep watch outside. Yan Chi addressed Qin Wan as Master Nine to the Capital Prefect, asserting her role as his strategist. He then instructed Constable Zhan to investigate fish vendors at East Water Gate who delivered to West Market restaurants, explaining that damaged fish were often sold cheaply to small diners, which could lead them to where a victim might have eaten.
Qin Wan expressed her desire to delve into criminal justice, which she believed also aided Yan Chi by saving him trouble. Yan Chi, however, worried about the deep-seated animosity between Prince Cheng and the Crown Prince, fearing she might be caught in their political struggles. Qin Wan reassured him that she was not afraid and would proceed cautiously to seek justice for the murdered women and to clear her father's and Prince Jin's names.
Yan Chi then confirmed that he had secured imperial approval for her to work on any case under the Ministry of Justice. To evade their followers, Yan Chi took Qin Wan to Prince Yi's Mansion to visit Madam, Yan Li's mother. Yan Li, annoyed by Yan Chi's sudden appearance, was instructed to chase away Prince Cheng's spy loitering at the gate.
Yan Li expressed his reluctance to visit Madam, who preferred spiritual devotion to social calls, but Yan Chi stated she would make an exception for him. Madam, though generally reserved, was delighted that Yan Chi had finally brought a young lady to meet her. She gifted Qin Wan a hairpin, hoping it would be a keepsake for the future, before retreating. Qin Wan questioned why Madam would part with what appeared to be her and Prince Yi's token of love.
Yan Chi revealed Madam's identity as the daughter of Fu Chengye, who had orchestrated a rebellion twenty years prior, leading to the execution of his entire family. Prince Yi, whose given name was Yan Han, was a farmer's son who had risen through the ranks under Fu Chengye, eventually marrying his daughter. Upon discovering Fu Chengye's treacherous intentions while Madam was pregnant with Yan Li, Prince Yi feigned escorting his wife home for childbirth.
Instead, he secretly rushed to the capital to warn the Emperor. He learned that the Crown Prince, now the reigning Emperor, had been ambushed at Storm Ridge. Prince Yi bravely rescued the Emperor single-handedly from the inferno, protecting him with his life even as he succumbed to his injuries.
Deeply moved by Yan Han's loyalty, the Emperor, after ascending the throne, posthumously honored him as "Prince Yi" and adopted Yan Li as his godson, bestowing upon him the imperial surname Yan. Madam, initially intending to join her husband in death, chose to live in seclusion to raise young Yan Li. Yan Chi suggested Madam's gift was a wish for Qin Wan and him to have a lifelong commitment.
Qin Wan, however, firmly declared that if he were to die, she would live on, hunting down everyone responsible for his demise, a statement that Yan Chi found surprisingly comforting. Back at the Capital Prefect's office, Yan Chi and Qin Wan resumed their investigation. Qin Wan proposed using a map, red string, and pins to deduce the approximate murder site. Yan Chi elaborated that the cautious killer likely operated in familiar areas and pre-planned his actions.
By mapping the three body disposal locations and calculating the time it would take an average adult to transport a body within the 11 p. m. to 3 a. m. curfew, they narrowed down a five-li radius area where the crimes likely occurred. Bai Feng was dispatched to search all shops and houses with stairways in this zone, as the murderer might have a hidden lair there.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince received a message from the Marquis of Zhongyong, informing him that the coroner he recommended had found crucial clues and the suspect was being pursued. Qin Wan and the Capital Prefect then went to the morgue to seek new evidence from the bodies. Yan Chi advised her to use a red flare if she encountered trouble.
At the morgue, they were dismayed to discover that Prince Cheng had ordered all three victims' bodies and their clothing to be taken away. This interference left them without crucial physical evidence. Concurrently, Yan Chi visited a fish porridge stall in the West Market, where he noticed a woman's sachet on the owner's waist. The owner explained a young lady had left it behind, and he wore it hoping she would return for it.
When asked, the owner recalled the lady wore ordinary ko-hemp clothes, matching the victim's attire. Yan Chi opened the sachet, revealing a contract for a wedding dress, with a pickup date identical to the victim's disappearance. This pointed to "Jinyi Shop" as a key location. Immediately, Yan Chi ordered Bai Feng to search Jinyi Shop and apprehend the murderer, stressing the urgency of securing testimonies now that the physical evidence was compromised.
The Capital Prefect worried that without evidence, Prince Cheng could still make false accusations. Yan Chi advised the Capital Prefect to write a self-condemnatory memorial and urged Qin Wan to prepare for the upcoming palace banquet. The perpetrator, a tailor, had indeed struck again, drugging another woman who had come to pick up her wedding dress. As the New Year's Eve palace banquet approached, the Marquis of Zhongyong had certainly ensured Qin Wan's attendance.
Yan Li, however, declared his refusal to attend, feeling like an outsider among the royal family, especially given his adopted status. Yue Ning busied herself preparing Qin Wan for the palace, instructing her on etiquette and cautioning her about the calculating noble ladies. Qin Wan, undeterred, simply planned to feign ignorance.
Yan Chi, who planned to visit the Empress Dowager in Funing Palace that night, instructed Yue Ning that if anyone dared to bully them, they should "fight back," prompting Yue Ning to joke about her "Grandmother's hot temper" and needing to be told not to strike too hard. Qin Wan also offered Yan Chi a sobriety pill.
At the palace banquet, organized by Noble Consort Su (with the Empress noticeably absent), Princess Yan Zhen, the Empress's daughter, occupied the first seat, followed by Feng Chenbi, whose father was a confidant of Noble Consort Su. Yue Ning explained their natural animosity, yet how they united against Qin Zhaoyu.
Qin Zhaoyu and Feng Chenbi, whose families typically sat in the back row, were granted seats in the middle row, a higher honor attributed to Qin Zhaoyu's favor with the Empress. The Emperor, upon his arrival, immediately noticed Qin Wan, asking if she was the Grand Princess's god-granddaughter.
He recounted how the Grand Princess had written to him, specifically asking him to care for her "dear Wan," and had even threatened to visit the capital with her whip if he failed. Qin Wan humbly assured the Emperor of her self-care and mentioned her prescription had indeed calmed the Grand Princess's fiery temperament. Yue Ning further praised Qin Wan's medical prowess, calling her a "medical fairy."
When another noble lady made a dismissive comparison to the capital's "most talented woman," Qin Wan gracefully responded that all women who uphold integrity and reason, regardless of their talents, deserve respect. The Emperor concurred, commending Qin Wan's sentiments. Soon after, the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng entered with the officials. Prince Cheng immediately pressed the Crown Prince for updates on the murdered women's case.
As the Crown Prince faltered, Yan Chi arrived, presenting a memorial that declared the case solved. He explained that the Crown Prince had chosen not to reveal it at the family banquet. Yan Chi detailed how the perpetrator, a tailor, driven by childhood abuse and jealousy towards women marrying up, had committed the brutal murders. He then presented the Capital Prefect's self-condemnatory memorial regarding the missing evidence and destroyed bodies.
While praising the Crown Prince for the swift resolution, the Emperor expressed dismay at the severe lapse in evidence security under the Capital Prefect's watch. He then swiftly tasked Yan Chi with investigating and apprehending those responsible for destroying evidence and obstructing justice. The Emperor further praised the Crown Prince for his meticulous handling of the matter and his focus on maintaining peace during the New Year.
During the banquet, the Empress Dowager suddenly fell ill, suffering from severe chest pain and a cough. She asked to be taken outside, not wanting to disturb the Emperor. While the Emperor was being entertained by Yan Chi's impressive performance of an evil-repelling ritual, a eunuch rushed in to report the Empress Dowager's critical condition; she was unable to ingest her medicine. The Emperor immediately ordered his carriage prepared to visit her.
Yue Ning, distressed, implored Qin Wan to go to the Empress Dowager, who had always treated her kindly. Qin Wan, however, cautioned that the situation was unclear, and rash intervention might make them political pawns, but she assured Yue Ning she would help when the opportune moment arose.
As the Emperor prepared to leave, a chorus of old officials blocked his path, arguing that for the sake of public stability and the nation's welfare, the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince must be seen by the populace at the dawn of the new year.
