Coroner's Diary Episode 27 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Yan Chi spent another sleepless night, while Princess Yongci, also known as Wan, briefly rested on the case records. Prefect Zheng, however, snored loudly, prompting Yan Chi to playfully pour water into his mouth. Prefect Zheng awoke, embarrassed but grateful for the refreshment, as he had been thirsty.
Yan Chi then tasked Prefect Zheng with copying the astronomical and weather records related to the three murder cases in Guanyin Town and Fourth Young Master Wu's death from the Ministry of Archives. Prefect Zheng initially hesitated, explaining such records were confidential to the Imperial Astrology Bureau, but Yan Chi suggested he use his close friendship with the current Court Diarist to gain access. Prefect Zheng assured them he would not fail.
Princess Yongci questioned why such records would be in the Court Diary, and Yan Chi admitted it was also to keep Prefect Zheng occupied and out of their way. Yan Chi still harbored suspicions about Zhang Dongxuan, arguing that without independent verification, the old fraud's claims were unreliable, especially since the first body was found at his home and drawings linked to the murders were found in his possession.
Even if Zhang Dongxuan wasn't physically capable of murder, it didn't mean he was uninvolved. Princess Yongci, however, suggested the drawings might not be his and that her father, Lord Shen, must have verified Zhang Dongxuan's story in Guanyin Town. Yan Chi maintained that without concrete evidence, it remained a matter of belief, and he would keep his skepticism to ensure they weren't manipulated.
Princess Yongci then decided to question Zhang Dongxuan herself about the other two murder cases, suggesting they might uncover new information. Yan Chi chose not to accompany her, knowing his presence tended to agitate Zhang Dongxuan and might interfere with her questioning.
At the Ministry of Justice, Princess Yongci interrogated Zhang Dongxuan, who revealed he had given fortune readings to the latter two victims "before" the flaying case, explaining that he stopped giving readings once he realized the Heavenly Way Society had targeted him, as he feared for his life.
Princess Yongci presented him with drawings depicting various punishments from folk legends, which eerily matched the manner of death of the two victims—the second had his tongue severed for slandering his ex-wife, and the third froze to death for abandoning his father. Zhang Dongxuan vehemently denied drawing them and recoiled in fear when she pressed him, confirming her suspicion that he suffered from hemophobia.
Satisfied that his fear of blood made him incapable of committing such gruesome murders, Princess Yongci effectively cleared him. Grateful, Zhang Dongxuan confessed everything he knew. He explained that the Heavenly Way Society preyed on those with unaddressed grievances near government offices, and their leader had also suffered greatly.
Their leader, a tall, slender man in a white mask with a steady voice, created the "Unrighteous Flower"—a black-petaled, red-stamened drawing found at execution sites, said to require human blood to bloom. Its purpose was to warn the world that "the heavenly way no longer exists, and evil has spread everywhere." Zhang Dongxuan feared this meant more murders would continue as long as the society existed.
Just then, Yan Chi arrived, confirming their worst fears: a tongue-severing case had also occurred in the capital. It was indeed the Heavenly Way Society. Yan Chi immediately ordered the scene secured while he and Princess Yongci addressed the panicked crowd. Princess Yongci implored the citizens to step back, emphasizing that contaminating the crime scene would jeopardize the investigation and allow the culprit to escape, potentially endangering more people.
Yan Chi, as Deputy Minister of Justice, assured the crowd that the prefect's office would increase night patrols to ensure public safety and promised a full account once Princess Yongci completed her autopsy. As Yan Chi sketched the scene, Princess Yongci meticulously examined the victim. She noted that traces indicated someone had hidden there and observed calluses on the victim's right ring finger, suggesting he was a scholar.
The twisted fingers and abundant blood in his mouth confirmed his tongue was severed while he was still alive. She identified the black-petaled, red-stamened drawing at the scene as the Unrighteous Flower, drawn with lead chalk and top-quality submerged agarwood ink. Ning Buyi, a painter summoned by Prefect Zheng to sketch the deceased, arrived, thanking Princess Yongci for her earlier request to sketch Fourth Young Master Wu. Constable Zhan was instructed to post Ning Buyi's portrait for identification.
Mrs. Zhao soon arrived, identifying the victim as her husband, Zhao Jiaxu, a tutor for the Wei family. However, Princess Yongci discovered male essence stains on Zhao Jiaxu's trousers, and older stains on his clothes, indicating he was likely engaged in an affair rather than teaching. Princess Yongci pondered the rare coincidence of flaying and tongue-severing cases occurring twice and reaffirmed that if it wasn't the original Guanyin Town culprit, then the Heavenly Way Society was certainly involved.
After further confirmation from Zhang Dongxuan that the blurred pattern matched his "Unrighteous Flower" from his unique chalk and ink formula given to the Society Leader, Princess Yongci speculated the Society Leader might have personally committed this latest, more brutal crime. She questioned why the society, after five years, would risk brazen acts in the capital unless they had never truly laid low but merely moved their operations.
She even wondered if "Heavenly Way" implied a connection to the Emperor himself, though Zhang Dongxuan couldn't confirm this. Believing the Society Leader was highly disciplined and followed strict patterns, Princess Yongci deduced that since both Guanyin Town and the capital saw a flaying case followed by a tongue-severing case, the next would logically be an "ice case," based on the legends of hell.
Seizing on the Society Leader's adherence to celestial timing, Yan Chi offered Zhang Dongxuan immediate release from prison if he could deduce the connections between the solar terms, time, and location of the Guanyin Town cases. Zhang Dongxuan eagerly accepted, needing to prepare after five years of incarceration. Princess Yongci promised to document his hemophobia and submit it to Yan Chi that night.
Yan Chi praised her genius in using Zhang Dongxuan for prediction, while she credited his quick thinking in clearing Zhang Dongxuan. Yan Chi then shared the divination records of Guanyin Town with Princess Yongci to give to Zhang Dongxuan. They also discussed Li Muyun, the former prefect of Luozhou (which included Guanyin Town), whose name was conspicuously absent from the Ministry of Justice's case files for the Guanyin Town murders.
Princess Yongci suspected Li Muyun might have destroyed her father, Shen Yi's, records and annotations, though Yan Chi doubted it given Li Muyun's later position and the lack of connection to Prince Jin's case. Princess Yongci, however, insisted on a connection, noting Li Muyun could not have been unaware of such major crimes in his jurisdiction. Yan Chi urged her to rest despite their many unresolved questions.
Back at the Marquis of Zhongyong's Mansion, news of Princess Yongci's autopsy work had spread, causing servants to avoid her. Fuling defended Princess Yongci, reminding them she acted by imperial order. Princess Yongci instructed Fuling to pack their belongings, as they would be moving out in a few days. Fuling playfully asked if this meant she was marrying Yan Chi, which Princess Yongci denied, asserting that a capable woman could live independently without marriage.
Fuling then teased her about marrying General Bai. Meanwhile, Madam Feng, the mistress of the household, received a report from her maid, Mo Yu, confirming Princess Yongci's activities at the Capital Prefecture and the morgue. Madam Feng disdainfully dismissed Princess Yongci as engaging in a "despicable profession," asserting she was no match for her own daughter, Yu. Madam Feng even ordered that everything Princess Yongci had touched be burned once she left, to ward off bad luck.
Meanwhile, Yan Li and Yue Ning successfully located Zhao Jiaxu's mistress, a former courtesan from Fengqi House, now living in an outer residence after Zhao Jiaxu redeemed her a year prior. Yan Li expressed disgust at Zhao Jiaxu's hypocrisy, calling him deserving of his fate for betraying his trusting wife. Back in the capital, Yan Chi instructed Prefect Zheng to draft a memorial to the Emperor about the connected murders and the need for more guards and a curfew.
Prefect Zheng worried about the Emperor's reaction, suggesting Li Muyun, whom the Emperor trusted, should propose the curfew. Yan Chi agreed to present the memorial with both Prefect Zheng and Li Muyun. However, before they could meet the Emperor, a servant reported an urgent matter: Prince Rui had informed the Emperor of a major discrepancy in the Shuoxi Army's provisions, with moldy grain leaving the army near starvation. The Emperor urgently summoned Yan Chi.
Yan Chi swiftly entrusted Princess Yongci's safety to Yan Li and Yue Ning, urging them to keep her safe. In the palace, Prince Rui complained about a certain official named Zheng, not Prefect Zheng, serving in the Shuoxi Army, deeming him useless. Noble Consort Su and her son, Prince Cheng, discussed their long-laid plans to exploit the military provision crisis to gain control of the Shuoxi Army.
Noble Consort Su worried that Yan Chi's appointment as Investigating Censor might expose their agents. Prince Cheng, however, reassured her, confident that the strained relationship between Yan Chi and Prince Rui would allow him to find scapegoats, ensuring their plan's success. He aimed to become a powerful prince rather than a mere emperor.
Noble Consort Su also voiced her resentment towards Empress Zhao Shuhua, whom she felt was unjustly made Empress simply because she was two years older despite marrying the Emperor on the same day. Prince Cheng promised to achieve her desires by securing command of the Shuoxi Army. Later, Yan Chi, noticing Princess Yongci's continued sleeplessness, reassured her that the military provision issue was minor and didn't require her involvement.
He explained that he wouldn't be able to accompany her as constantly in the coming days but had prepared a gift: a specially crafted carriage made of ironwood, resistant to fire and swords. Yan Li, excitedly showing off its features, revealed hidden compartments for medicine, a coroner's kit, a portable table with tea sets, snacks, and even bedding for rest. Yan Chi lightheartedly asked for an embroidered pouch in return, but Princess Yongci admitted she couldn't do needlework.
Yan Chi playfully dismissed it, saying only sheltered women practiced such mundane skills, not "true heroines." Princess Yongci, amused, promised to give him something she made herself anyway. Witnessing their affectionate exchange, Yan Li remarked that perhaps getting married wouldn't be so bad after all. Princess Yongci then told Yan Chi she planned to visit the Supreme Court that day to review the Guanyin Town case files and her father Shen Yi's previous records.
Yan Chi cautioned her about Li Muyun, but she assured him she would be careful, as Prefect Zheng would accompany her. At the Supreme Court, Princess Yongci, accompanied by Yan Li and Yue Ning, sought access to the archives containing unsolved cases, including her father Shen Yi's records and Prince Jin's case. An archivist requested Li Muyun's approval. Prefect Zheng soon arrived with the necessary approval. Inside the archives, Princess Yongci felt a surge of emotion seeing her father's name.
She focused on quickly locating both her father's and Prince Jin's case files before Li Muyun's arrival. She discovered her father's files were missing from the expected location. When Li Muyun entered, Yan Li attempted to stall him, complaining about the dreary atmosphere and lack of amenities. Li Muyun, unamused, stated that the Supreme Court was not for idle visitors.
Yan Li then accused Li Muyun of pushing Princess Yongning, another princess, claiming she was helping Princess Yongci keep watch outside. Li Muyun explained he was simply trying to deliver the approval documents for Princess Yongci but was blocked. Princess Yongci confirmed she had asked Princess Yongning to help her avoid disturbances.
Li Muyun, trying to leave, was then stopped by Princess Yongci, who formally requested the release of Zhang Dongxuan, citing his confirmed hemophobia, which rendered him incapable of the murders. Li Muyun agreed, acknowledging her medical expertise. She then pressed him on why Shen Yi's annotations and clues were missing from the suspicious case files, despite the case being classified as such. Li Muyun promised to investigate this oversight.
Their conversation was abruptly cut short by news of a new murder at the ice cellar of Zuixian Restaurant in the city's west. Princess Yongci immediately declared she was going to the scene. An observer remarked on Princess Yongci's pursuit of the case, wondering if her true focus was Prince Jin rather than just her father, Shen Yi.
