Coroner's Diary Episode 33 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Wang Han, a palace guard, revealed that on the night Consort Jin passed away, he was on duty at Yingyang Gate. After the incident involving Prince Jin, the Empress had his guard, Song Xiwen, seized before the Supreme Court could detain him, sending him to the Imperial Punishment Department. She then ordered Wang Han to secretly take Song Xiwen’s body out of the palace.
Wang Han explained that his godfather, Wan Xi, who exclusively serves the Empress and holds her full trust, relayed the Empress’s orders to him. Wang Han hid the body in a secret compartment beneath a night soil cart, taking it out of the city under the cover of darkness and burying it on Qiwu Mountain. He insisted he was telling the truth, even though he had heard the body was later found in Prince Jin’s backyard.
He identified Song Xiwen because he often saw him accompany Prince Jin to the palace. Wang Han noted that when he was about to bury the body, it was already somewhat stiff and showed signs of torture, but had no facial wounds, which helped him confirm it was Song Xiwen. Yan Chi dispatched Bai Feng to confirm the burial site.
Qin Wan, who had found Vaccinium bracteatum seeds on Song Xiwen’s body during her initial examination – seeds that typically grow deep in mountain forests and could not have been present in Prince Jin’s backyard – understood Wang Han was likely telling the truth. She had suspected the body had been moved but remained silent because Li Muyun was present.
Yan Chi acknowledged her prudence, speculating that if Song Xiwen’s death was indeed the Empress’s doing, Prince Jin's case might be overturned. However, he worried about the implications for the Crown Prince, foreseeing that the Marquis of Zhongyong would not spare Qin Wan if Li Muyun had not intervened. Qin Wan reassured him, stating she feared no storm as long as they were together.
In the palace, the Empress Dowager spoke with the Emperor about her failing health and her concern that Prince Rui had died before him. She urged the Emperor to quickly confer the princely title upon Yan Chi so he could assume his father’s responsibilities and protect the Emperor. The Emperor agreed, suggesting that since Yan Li had served as the Heir of Prince Yi for many years, both brothers should be conferred titles at the same time.
He noted his fondness for Yan Li, explaining it was to repay Prince Yi for saving his life years ago. The Empress Dowager then extracted a promise from the Emperor that he would treat Yan Chi well, regardless of future events. The Emperor pledged to ensure Yan Chi’s safety for life, provided he did not commit any capital offenses.
Later, Yan Chi instructed Wang Han to surrender to Prince Cheng, promising to protect him, but strictly warning him not to reveal Yan Chi’s involvement in his rescue. Despite Wang Han’s fears about the Empress’s family and royal dignity, Yan Chi assured him he had a plan, warning that refusing would lead to a swift death at the hands of both Prince Cheng and the Empress’s forces.
Wang Han agreed to tell Prince Cheng the truth but to omit any mention of Yan Chi. At the Supreme Court, Wang Han confessed, explaining his delay in coming forward was due to his godfather’s instruction to lay low, and his return was prompted by his family’s urgent need for money, only to learn his godfather had been arrested.
He further revealed that Song Xiwen’s body was already in the night soil cart when he received it, and the person who handed it over was a eunuch named Kang Bowen. Prince Cheng immediately ordered Kang Bowen’s arrest. Shortly after, news arrived that Kang Bowen’s body had been discovered in a well at the Harem Attendants Bureau. Qin Wan and Yan Chi arrived to examine Kang Bowen’s body.
Qin Wan, applying white vinegar to the body to check for signs of dragging or binding, noted mud around the mouth and nose, no head injuries except an abrasion on the forehead from falling into the well. She also observed that while the deceased’s shoe soles had traces of moss and mud, the well’s rim showed only footprints, not slip marks, indicating he had not accidentally fallen.
When she prepared to open the chest cavity, Prince Cheng intervened, asserting Kang Bowen was a suspect in the Song Xiwen case and forbidding the autopsy without his permission. Qin Wan countered that the Empress Dowager herself had ordered her and Yan Chi to assist the Imperial Punishment Department in investigating the cause of death. Faced with this directive, Prince Cheng relented.
Qin Wan confirmed water in Kang Bowen’s lungs, indicating he was alive before drowning, thus confirming death by drowning and suicide. She concluded that within the inner palace, only the one residing in Fengyi Palace, the Empress, could easily silence Wan Xi and drive Kang Bowen to suicide, highlighting how imperial power can blind, especially a mother who deeply loves her son.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Yan Che, distraught by Kang Bowen’s suicide, confronted the Empress, questioning if she had truly ordered the disposal of Song Xiwen’s body. The Empress vehemently denied murdering Song Xiwen, claiming she had intended to let him go and accusing Yan Chi of trying to frame her by arresting her servants.
The Crown Prince expressed his desire to give up the fight for the throne, but the Empress threatened to take her own life if he spoke of abandoning the struggle again. She declared that as long as they had breath, they must fight to the very end, asserting that only by claiming the throne could he make his father, the Emperor, pay for his indifference towards them. The Crown Prince, chastened, apologized.
The Empress observed that his eyes resembled his father’s, believing the Emperor would be delighted to see him. She then made Yan Che swear that even if she were gone, he would continue to fight to claim the throne. Yan Che solemnly swore this oath. Upon learning that the deaths of Song Xiwen and others were orchestrated by the Empress, the Emperor confined the Empress to Fengyi Palace.
The Crown Prince was also restricted to the East Palace until his wedding, with the ceremony simplified as a punishment. On the day of the Crown Prince's wedding, Qin Zhaoyu, his bride, did not feel aggrieved, believing it was merely a temporary setback. Later, the Emperor issued a decree, formally appointing Yan Chi as Prince Rui, granting him a hereditary title. A eunuch congratulated Yan Chi and Princess Yongci (Qin Wan) on their double happiness of succession and marriage.
Yan Li excitedly told Yan Chi that he too had inherited a title and was now Prince Yi. While happy about his new status, Yan Li grumbled about the Emperor’s high hopes for him, which included sending him to the Ministry of Personnel for training, a position he found stifling for his temperament. Yue Ning found Yan Li looking glum and teased him.
Yan Li earnestly asked her to consider him, recounting how he used to be an outsider among the royal family but now, as a prince highly valued by the Emperor, he could offer her a comfortable life free from scorn. He solemnly promised that there would never be another girl in his heart. Yue Ning expressed her concern for Yan Ze, whose eyes still hadn’t recovered.
Yan Li assured her he would beg the Emperor for any compensation needed, but firmly stated that he could not give her up. Yue Ning, a rare blush on her face, proposed a pinky swear, telling him not to beg the Emperor and promising she wouldn't marry anyone else. They sealed their promise, vowing never to be apart. Yan Li also visited Yan Ze, his third brother, whose eye condition had shown improvement after Qin Wan’s acupuncture.
Yan Li enthusiastically presented Yan Ze with what he believed were "good medicinal ingredients" for his eyes – a collection of spiders, centipedes, and snakes – proposing to "fight poison with poison." Both Yan Ze and Yue Ning were appalled, warning him he would kill Yan Ze.
Yan Ze good-naturedly thanked Yan Li for the "poisonous things," then advised him to focus on his studies at the Ministry of Personnel and refrain from bringing such "disgusting things" as they would hinder his recovery. Yan Li, slightly offended, vowed to find better medicinal herbs before departing to attend to his duties at the Ministry.
On Yan Chi and Qin Wan’s wedding night, although a traditional red veil was forgone due to a period of mourning, Qin Wan had made a red knot. She assured Yan Chi she felt no grievance, as her only wish was to build a home with him, and now that had been fulfilled, nothing else mattered. Yan Chi, however, remained restless, unable to discern the Emperor’s true intentions. Qin Wan asked if he believed the Empress’s confinement was merely temporary.
Yan Chi confirmed that deposing an Empress would shake the nation's foundations, requiring substantial evidence and court petitions. He believed the Empress’s removal was inevitable, but pondered why the Emperor had tasked Prince Cheng with investigating Song Xiwen’s death, seemingly pitting him against the Crown Prince, instead of simply reopening Prince Jin’s case. He also questioned the Emperor’s decision to place Yan Li in the prominent Ministry of Personnel, knowing he was neither suited nor willing for the role.
Yan Chi suspected the Emperor might be considering Prince Cheng as the new heir, using Yan Li as a "whetstone" to toughen him. Qin Wan advised him not to dwell on it, reminding him that the Empress Dowager had warned them to stay away from the throne, implying it would be a chaotic situation, and that Yan Chi’s early succession was meant as a shield for them.
Yan Chi conceded, but worried that if Prince Cheng ascended the throne, his princely title might not be enough to protect them. Qin Wan reassured him that Prince Cheng would not get the chance, urging him to rest and conserve strength to face any future challenges. Later, the Crown Prince, Yan Che, passionately pleaded with the Emperor for the Empress, asserting her innocence and claiming she was framed.
He argued that the Empress, as head of the harem, had no reason to kill Prince Jin’s guard, and that Wang Han, a palace guard who had fled, was untrustworthy. The Emperor grew furious, asking if the Crown Prince believed him to be a muddle-headed ruler. Yan Che quickly apologized for his "rash words." Prince Cheng then intervened, suggesting the Crown Prince’s distress was understandable given the Empress’s grave crimes.
He pointed out that Kang Bowen had been summoned by the Empress before his suicide, implying pressure from her. Enraged, the Crown Prince accused Prince Cheng of scheming, which further incensed the Emperor. The Emperor rebuked the Crown Prince, questioning his presumptuousness while he was still alive and wondering if his brothers would survive if he ever ascended the throne. Yan Che humbly stated his lack of ambition for power and his sole desire to see his mother cleared.
The Emperor, calling him an "insolent brat" who had forgotten loyalty, immediately drafted an edict. The decree stripped Crown Prince Yan Che of his title and confined him to the Imperial Clan Court, citing his favoritism, willfulness, disrespect, and improper behavior in the royal presence. Yan Che accepted the decree.
Shortly after, Noble Consort Su visited Fengyi Palace, mockingly taunting the confined Empress about her son losing his title and predicting the Empress would soon lose her own position, suggesting they would never see each other again. The Empress, enraged, demanded Noble Consort Su return and called for guards to allow her to see the Emperor or Empress Dowager.
Qin Zhaoyu, before entering the Imperial Clan Court herself, visited the Empress, confirming Yan Che’s deposition and explaining she had been granted special permission to bid farewell. She sought a solution from the Empress, offering to ask her father, the Marquis of Zhongyong, to mediate. The Empress praised Qin Zhaoyu and confirmed that with the Empress Dowager’s support, the Emperor would not take further action against Yan Che for the time being.
However, she warned that Prince Cheng would certainly seize this opportunity to destroy them completely, making it paramount to get Yan Che out of the Imperial Clan Court immediately, for as long as he was alive, there was hope. Meanwhile, Prince Cheng reveled in the Crown Prince’s confinement, calling him a "useless fool" and vowing to depose Qin Zhaoyu once he became the Crown Prince.
Prince Cheng then met with the Empress Dowager, who demanded an explanation for Yan Che’s predicament. Prince Cheng argued that Yan Che was unfit for the throne, and that a weak ruler with strong ministers would lead to inevitable chaos. The Empress Dowager, concerned about the historical fates of deposed crown princes, insisted that Yan Che was naturally easygoing and lacked any desire for power.
She pleaded with the Emperor to merely exile him far away, fearing that confinement in the Imperial Clan Court would lead to his death. However, the Emperor abruptly dismissed her concerns, stating he would handle the matter carefully and claiming he had memorials to review. Following this, the Empress Dowager informed her aide, Huai, that with the Empress confined and Noble Consort Su unfamiliar with palace affairs, she would now oversee the inner palace. She confidently stated that the Emperor need not worry about state affairs, ending with a cryptic remark to wait a little longer, as the truth would soon come to light.
