Resumen del episodio 4 de Unveil: Jadewind
> Resúmenes de Unveil: Jadewind
Li Peiyi returns to the Palace Investigation Bureau, where Du Zhixing, the Internal Court Director, is incensed. He demands she surrender her law enforcement badge, reminding her that an investigator's greatest enemy is emotion. He warns that if law enforcers cover for their loved ones, the law becomes a mere formality and the truth is lost forever.
Du admits he has been too lenient with her, but after Peiyi confesses to overstepping her authority and acting recklessly, he orders her to stop taking cases. He notes that it was only because Princess Wanshun understood the gravity of the situation and chose not to flee that Peiyi was saved from making a catastrophic mistake. Following the investigation, an imperial decree is issued to settle the matter.
To protect the royal reputation, the entire burden of guilt is placed on the deceased Lin Ning. The decree states that Lin Ning, obsessed with Princess Wanshun, orchestrated the explosion and the subsequent murders to kidnap her, only to be killed by Li Peiyi and Xiao Huaijin during his flight. Wanshun’s title is restored, and both Peiyi and Xiao are rewarded for their insight. To comfort the princess after her ordeal, the Emperor arranges a grand banquet at Penglai Terrace.
At the banquet, Wanshun expects reprimand but is met with the Emperor’s outward affection. He promises that none of his children will suffer and offers a lavish dowry to proceed with the marriage alliance with the Uyghur prince, Wutele. Peiyi immediately interjects, pleading with the Emperor to withdraw the command, but Xiao Huaijin is unable to restrain her. The Emperor counters by noting that since Peiyi lost her parents at a young age, she cannot comprehend his paternal intentions.
He suggests that if the Prince and Princess Consort of Duan were still alive, they would surely explain the necessity of state matters. Peiyi retorts that it is precisely because they are gone that she does not need to understand such "logic." Sensing the tension, Wanshun calms Peiyi and offers to perform the Zhezhi Dance—a favorite of her mother's—as a final gesture of gratitude. As she dances gracefully upon the tower, she reflects on the bittersweet reality of her life.
She tells her father that in eighteen years, he has only truly noticed her three times: once as a child for her studies, once for her embroidery of the "Dragon Soars Across the Seas," and finally for this political marriage. Seeking to be permanently etched into her father’s memory and to escape a life of coercion, Wanshun finishes her performance and leaps from the terrace to her death. Peiyi rushes to her side and cradles the dying princess.
In her grief, she lists those responsible for Wanshun's death, naming Lin Ning, Cui Manshu, and even herself, before turning her gaze toward the Emperor. Seeing the danger of her words, Xiao Huaijin quickly interrupts, claiming that Peiyi is overcome with sorrow and requests that she be allowed to return to the Bureau to recover. In the wake of the tragedy, Princess Zhaoyuan is selected to take Wanshun’s place in the marriage alliance.
Regarding the secret memorial predicting an omen, the Emperor blames Lin Ning’s influence, but Peiyi confesses to Xiao Huaijin that she was the one who sent it, hoping the celestial warning would halt the marriage. She reflects that she was only able to thrive in the palace through cleverness and favor, whereas Wanshun was like a version of herself that never found the strength to stand.
The Emperor grants Wanshun the posthumous title of "Zhaosi," an act Xiao views as a sign of affection, though Peiyi remains skeptical of royal love. Seeking answers about the night of the massacre at the Prince of Duan’s mansion fifteen years ago, Peiyi visits Xiao Huaijin’s mother, Wang Yufang. During the visit, she notices the distinct scent of the sachets Wang makes for her husband and son, which contain sandalwood and myrrh.
Wang Yufang remarks that Peiyi shares the bold spirit of the late Princess Consort of Duan, whom she met once. Wang recalls that on the night of the tragedy, Xiao Huaijin was on duty at the Astronomical Bureau while she and her husband accompanied Old Madam Xiao in prayer. Her husband, Xiao Wenyuan, did not leave the house for his official duties until after midnight, and they only heard the news the following morning.
As Peiyi leaves, she encounters Du Zhixing. She tells him that even if she hasn't found the killer, clearing the Xiao family of suspicion is a significant step forward. Inside, Xiao Huaijin emerges and his mother assures him that she stuck to the story they established years ago. However, she warns him that Peiyi is incredibly perceptive and may see through the deception.
Xiao insists he has the situation under control and asks his mother not to mention Peiyi’s visit to his father. In the spring of the 13th year of Dali, a horrific discovery is made at Xingqing Palace. While the Emperor is admiring the "Hundred Charms" flowers with Consort Shu, an attendant accidentally breaks a branch, revealing a female corpse hidden within the flower wall.
Peiyi’s examination reveals that the seeds of a flower inside a sachet worn by the victim had sprouted, consuming the body’s marrow and blooming through the wall. The sachet features distinct Xiang embroidery, leading Peiyi to a maid named Birou, who identifies the victim as her friend Hanxiao, a maid serving in Consort Shu’s palace. The victim is further identified by symmetrical cinnabar moles on her ankles.
Curiously, records indicate that Hanxiao had already collected her resettlement payment and left the palace. Peiyi and Xiao Huaijin travel to Chang'an County to find Hanxiao’s family. They meet her mother and younger sister, Zhenzhen, and learn that Hanxiao has been missing for two years. The mother appears more interested in claiming Hanxiao's resettlement money than her daughter’s whereabouts. In contrast, young Zhenzhen offers her sister's old letters to Peiyi.
Moved, Peiyi gives Zhenzhen a jade token, telling her to seek help at the Palace Investigation Bureau if her parents ever try to force her into an unwanted life. Back at Zuixian House, Peiyi and Xiao review the letters, which are mostly demands for money from the family. Peiyi explains she gave the mother marked tribute silver as a trap to track where the money is spent.
Their investigation reveals that Hanxiao never actually registered her return, suggesting she was killed shortly after leaving the palace and her body was smuggled back in. This implies the killer is someone who can move freely within the harem without suspicion. Their search for answers takes a turn when a maid named Qingquan from Consort Shu’s palace approaches them, claiming she knows exactly who murdered Hanxiao.
