Coroner's Diary Episode 34 Recap
> Coroner's Diary Recap
Qin Zhaoyu returned to the Marquis of Zhongyong's Mansion, explaining she had managed to leave the palace only through the Empress Dowager's pity and could not stay long. She quickly presented a letter from the Empress addressed to her brother, Lord Zhao, urging her father, the Marquis of Zhongyong, to deliver it to the Northern Army as soon as possible. Qin Zhaoyu informed her father that the Crown Prince had offended the Emperor by eagerly defending his mother, the Empress.
The Empress's primary concern was to secure the Crown Prince's safety before making any further plans. The Marquis understood the urgency and immediately arranged for Qin Zhaoyu's brother to personally deliver the letter. Qin Zhaoyu affirmed her commitment to the Crown Prince, stating she would stay wherever he was confined. Meanwhile, Qin Wan spoke with young Yan Sui, who was visibly afraid of his father, the Emperor.
Yan Sui expressed his fear that his mother, the Empress, and Crown Prince Che might die, mentioning that deceased individuals, like his own mother, Consort Jin, could no longer speak or move. Qin Wan tried to comfort him, explaining that the Empress and Crown Prince were merely deposed from their positions. Shortly after, Yue Ning arrived, relaying Yan Ze's invitation for Qin Wan and Yan Chi to visit his residence.
Yan Ze specifically asked Qin Wan to bring her coroner's kit, a request that struck both Qin Wan and Yan Chi as unusual. Upon their arrival at Prince Xin's Mansion, Yan Ze welcomed Qin Wan and Yan Chi, apologizing for the imposition. Yan Chi inquired about Yan Ze's eyesight, which Yan Ze admitted had improved thanks to Qin Wan's treatment, though he could still only discern shapes in dim light.
Yan Ze then revealed the reason for their visit: a private matter concerning his family from many years ago, requesting their utmost discretion. He led them to a hidden chamber where the preserved remains of his mother, the late Princess Xin, lay. Yan Ze explained his tireless efforts to preserve her body, driven by his desire to uncover the truth about her death.
He recounted how, on the day she died, his mother had gone to the palace to deliver medicine she had prepared for the Empress. She returned home late, immediately secluded herself in her bedroom, and despite Yan Ze's secret visit to check on her, she tragically passed away overnight after experiencing chest pains, gradual loss of sight and hearing, and continuous vomiting of blood.
The imperial physician had pronounced her death as non-poisonous, yet Yan Ze's own health and eyesight had steadily declined since then. Qin Wan, after confirming the imperial physician had not examined the tea Princess Xin had consumed, requested to perform an autopsy and test for poison. The examination revealed that the late Princess Xin had indeed died of poisoning, finally resolving a long-standing mystery for Yan Ze.
As they left, Yan Ze recounted how his mother, the late Princess Xin, and Yan Chi's mother, the late Princess Rui, were close friends who had died tragically within seven days of each other—Princess Xin from poisoning and Princess Rui from postpartum hemorrhage. Yan Ze found this coincidence highly suspicious, noting that the Empress Dowager and Yan Chi's late father, Prince Rui, had never mentioned these circumstances to Yan Chi.
He recalled the rampant rumors that spread through the capital after Prince Rui entrusted the infant Yan Chi to the Empress Dowager and departed for Shuoxi alone. These rumors claimed Yan Chi was not Prince Rui's biological son, prompting his angry departure. Yan Ze believed these consistent rumors were orchestrated to manipulate public opinion. Yan Chi dismissed them as petty tricks, asserting his father's unwavering loyalty.
Yan Ze, admitting he only had suspicions and no concrete proof, expressed his powerlessness as a frail royal descendant who had lost both parents, and implored Yan Chi and Qin Wan to help him uncover the truth. On their way back, Qin Wan acknowledged that while childbirth posed many dangers, uncovering the cause of Princess Rui's death after so many years would be challenging.
She advised Yan Chi to follow the leads from Princess Xin's case, suggesting it might indirectly shed light on his own mother's fate. Qin Wan revealed that Princess Xin had delivered the medicine to the gravely wounded Emperor, who might not have survived without her intervention. This raised the unsettling possibility that the poisoner could be either the Empress or even the Emperor himself, a conundrum Qin Wan found perplexing, given Princess Xin had saved the Emperor's life.
Contemplating the deep connections between these events and the palace, Qin Wan resolved to spend more time with the Empress Dowager and Yan Sui, believing them to be the most distressed by the recent turmoil. Yan Chi then shared his findings that Jiang Heying, who had assassinated Prince Rui, was indeed working for Prince Cheng, who had consistently funded assassins over the years. Yan Chi suspected Prince Cheng had even orchestrated Jiang Heying's appointment as a chief general.
While the extent of the Emperor's involvement in Prince Cheng's actions remained unclear, Yan Chi planned to undermine Prince Cheng's favor with the Emperor, anticipating Prince Cheng's ambition would lead him to use fabricated testimonies to depose the Empress and eliminate the Crown Prince, creating an opportunity for Yan Chi to strike. In the Imperial Clan Court, Qin Zhaoyu visited Crown Prince Che, who was despondent and refused to eat.
Qin Zhaoyu assured him that the Empress was strong-willed and, with the Empress Dowager now managing palace affairs, no one dared to withhold the Empress's allowances. She also shared that she had sent the Empress's letter to Lord Zhao's army, urging the Crown Prince not to despair. Later that night, Qin Zhaoyu woke Crown Prince Che, informing him that Lord Zhao's contacts were at the door, ready for their escape.
However, Qin Zhaoyu refused to leave, explaining that her lack of martial arts and riding skills would only hinder his escape. She reasoned that her remaining behind to delay their pursuers would buy him crucial time. Despite Crown Prince Che's insistence, she urged him to go, stating that as the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong, she would likely not be severely harmed. Crown Prince Che reluctantly left, promising to return for her if he escaped safely.
The Empress, upon learning of the Crown Prince's successful escape and Qin Zhaoyu's selfless act of staying behind, commended the Marquis of Zhongyong's family. She declared her intention to face the Emperor, anticipating his imminent arrival once the escape was discovered. Soon after, a fire erupted in the Imperial Clan Court, specifically in Crown Prince Che's bedchamber.
Prince Cheng quickly reported to the Emperor that the fire had been extinguished, but Crown Prince Che was missing, with no body found among the wreckage. The Emperor, outraged by the inexplicable fire and the Crown Prince's disappearance from a supposedly secure location, ordered Yan Chi to investigate the arson with Qin Wan, while entrusting the search for Crown Prince Che to Prince Cheng.
Privately, the Emperor confided in Prince Cheng, revealing that Lord Zhao had mobilized troops outside the capital. The Emperor feared Crown Prince Che had been swayed by Lord Zhao and might commit treason, instructing Prince Cheng to intercept him and act decisively if he indeed harbored rebellious intentions, regardless of their father-son bond. The Emperor emphasized that Prince Cheng was now his only adult son fit for significant responsibility, urging him to prioritize his own safety if the situation escalated.
At the Imperial Clan Court, the servants explained to Qin Wan and Yan Chi that Crown Prince Che had not been sleeping well, so Qin Zhaoyu had dismissed them from their usual night duties, resulting in no one being on watch when the fire broke out. Yan Chi questioned the absence of Imperial Guards, a breach of protocol as confined princes should be under constant supervision.
Qin Wan observed that the lack of guards was highly unusual, speculating that perhaps the Emperor had deliberately provided an escape route. However, she also reasoned that if the Emperor truly wanted Crown Prince Che gone, he would simply have demoted and exiled him, not confined him loosely—suggesting a strategy of "letting him run in order to catch him."
As Qin Wan examined the fire's origin, she noted the candlestick had been carelessly discarded after setting the curtains ablaze, confirming arson. This implied Crown Prince Che had left before the fire started. Prince Cheng then arrived, brazenly demanding Qin Zhaoyu appear, threatening her with charges of treason. Qin Wan and Yan Chi observed his arrogant display, with Yan Chi remarking that "when villains gain power, they first become wildly arrogant."
Qin Zhaoyu confronted Prince Cheng, reminding him of her position as his sister-in-law despite the Crown Prince's confinement. Prince Cheng retorted that her act of arson and aiding the Crown Prince's escape stripped her of that title, reducing her to a mere "Sinner Qin." When Qin Zhaoyu demanded proof, Prince Cheng arrogantly declared his word sufficient, then ordered her tied and threatened her with the matrons of the Imperial Punishment Department to extract information about the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
Enraged, Yan Chi drew his sword, declaring his intent to kill Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng, however, warned him that such an act would lead to the Emperor's wrath and the destruction of Yan Chi's entire family, including Qin Wan. After a tense standoff, and Qin Wan's reminder about their imperial assignment, Yan Chi lowered his sword, warning Prince Cheng to abide by the Emperor's orders or face his intervention.
Alone with Qin Zhaoyu, Qin Wan confirmed her suspicion that Qin Zhaoyu had set the fire to buy the Crown Prince time to escape. Qin Zhaoyu admitted she had never intended to survive, willing to accept imprisonment or execution. Qin Wan, however, stressed that Qin Zhaoyu could not bear the responsibility alone, as the entire Marquis of Zhongyong's family would face dire consequences. Qin Zhaoyu, distraught, pleaded with Qin Wan to protect her family, particularly her parents and brother.
Qin Wan promised to do her best to protect Qin Zhaoyu and her mother, but warned that her father, the Marquis, and her brother were too deeply entangled with the Crown Prince to be saved. Qin Zhaoyu resigned herself to this fate, acknowledging it was the consequence of her father's choice to support the Crown Prince. She then apologized to Qin Wan for her past jealousy and suspicion, which Qin Wan gracefully accepted, hoping for no future misunderstandings.
Later, Yan Chi inquired with Yan Li whether the Emperor had mentioned Crown Prince Che's escape. Yan Li reported that the Emperor had been occupied with state affairs all morning and had not uttered a single word about the Crown Prince. They speculated that the Emperor might be trying to conceal the news or perhaps demonstrating his unpredictable imperial authority.
As they spoke, Yan Ze passed by, and Yan Chi subtly observed him expertly avoiding a stone, strongly suggesting that Yan Ze's vision had significantly improved, despite Yan Ze's continued pretense of blindness. They shared a brief, nostalgic exchange, recalling childhood memories and playful banter. Yan Chi assured Yan Ze he would keep his apparent visual recovery a secret, referencing how Yan Ze used to take the blame for him.
In Fengyi Palace, the Empress's residence, the Emperor confronted Zhao Shuhua, addressing her as "Sinner Zhao." The Empress defiantly asserted her rightful title as Empress, reminding him that only an imperial edict could depose her. The Emperor countered that with the Empress Dowager still alive, Zhao Shuhua was not the most noble woman in the realm.
He then accused her of colluding with her brother, Lord Zhao, who had audaciously led the Northern Army into the capital without imperial permission to aid Crown Prince Che's escape. The Empress defended her actions, claiming everything she did was to preserve the legitimate bloodline of the Yan imperial family, and her brother had always been a loyal protector of the nation.
The Emperor contemptuously dismissed Crown Prince Che as "weak and incompetent," offering Zhao Shuhua and her son safety if she willingly relinquished her title, otherwise he would disregard their marital bond. The Empress scoffed at the notion of their marital bond, revealing she had only tolerated him for the sake of Crown Prince Che's claim to the throne.
The Emperor then chillingly revealed his manipulative plot: he had deliberately loosened the security at the Imperial Clan Court, allowing Crown Prince Che to escape, setting him up for failure. He explained that he had promised the Empress Dowager to spare Crown Prince Che's life as long as she lived, but by choosing to escape, Crown Prince Che had forfeited his protection and was now left to his fate.
Enraged, Zhao Shuhua lunged at the Emperor, calling him a demon and demanding he return her son. The Emperor, in a final act of cruelty, ordered all candles and lamps removed from Fengyi Palace, declaring that from that moment on, her palace would not see a single glimmer of light. Zhao Shuhua cried out for her son as the Emperor walked away.
