Judge Dee's Mystery Episode 2 Recap, Plot

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Jushui Building, a courtesan house bestowed with a plaque personally inscribed by the Empress, was suddenly engulfed in a great fire overnight. Eight of the nine people perished, and only Di Renjie survived, making him the biggest suspect. Hong Liang, discovering that Di Renjie had not returned all night, went out into the street with Qiao Tai to look for him.

They happened to see Di Renjie being dragged by officers all the way to the county yamen to be interrogated and rushed to seek help from Wei Wuji. The magistrate forced Di Renjie to sign and confess that the fire at Jushui Building was a natural disaster, otherwise he would be deemed the arsonist. Di Renjie, connecting the previous and subsequent events, refused to sign and insisted it was man-made.

Just as the magistrate ordered torture to be applied to Di Renjie, Wei Wuji stepped forward to provide a guarantee and revealed that Di Renjie's father was the former Vice Director of the Left, Di Zhixun. With this connection, the magistrate naturally dared not treat Di Renjie lightly, but also worried that he might escape and be unable to answer to the Sage. Wei Wuji suggested putting dark iron leg shackles on Di Renjie to alleviate the magistrate's concerns.

Ultimately, the magistrate agreed to let Di Renjie investigate the case to prove his innocence, requiring him to report progress daily and find the real culprit within a Xun (ten days). On the first day, Di Renjie and others came to the morgue. Seven of the eight bodies were charred beyond recognition, but Yaxin's body was intact.

Furthermore, Di Renjie discovered that Yaxin carried a palace key and had an exquisite sachet at her waist, which was something no ordinary person could possess. He immediately instructed Qiao Tai and Ma Rong to investigate who purchased this type of incense. Afterward, Di Renjie returned to the Jushui Building to investigate the scene. He picked up a burnt rope knot used for locking the door.

Based on various clues, he deduced that Yaxin was suffocated by smoke while hiding in a secret room and was unable to escape. Qiao Tai found that the sachet contained a mixture of myrrh, sandalwood, and turmeric, all of which were favorite scents of the Empress. From this, it could be concluded that Yaxin was a palace maid responsible for treasures near the Empress. Di Renjie personally went to the Jinwu Guard Yamen to report this discovery.

As expected, Kang Zhiyi, a general trusted by the Empress, came to confirm her identity and ordered a thorough investigation of Pingkang Quarter. That night, the old officials led by Grand Commandant Zhangsun Qing put pressure on the Sage, claiming that Yaxin's theft of the Phoenix Seal was entirely due to the Empress's negligence, which allowed imperial power to fall into the wrong hands and be used by evildoers to kill loyal officials, causing widespread panic throughout the court.

The Sage was hesitant and made no decision, while the Empress remained in the palace, calming her mind by striking a wooden fish, remaining silent throughout. Two days passed in a flash. Until the third day, Jushui Building was still guarded by soldiers and inaccessible. Qiao Tai and Ma Rong gathered information on the streets.

Ma Rong couldn't shake off his old habit of petty theft; every time he passed some stalls, he would casually grab something, ending up filling a whole bag with snacks and fruits, leaving Qiao Tai quite speechless. At this moment, Di Renjie was drinking and lost in thought alone in the courtyard, the image and voice of He Dajing appearing in his mind, his mood exceptionally heavy.

During this period, everything or everyone the Empress favored seemed to successively encounter misfortune, making everyone suspect it was a divine punishment. Rumors spread widely in Chang'an City. Wei Wuji worried about Di Renjie's safety and asked about the progress of his investigation. Di Renjie was unwilling to believe the information in the tabloids but analyzed the situation based on what he had seen and heard.

He believed that the Empress's reform of the imperial examination system was aimed at breaking the monopoly of the gentry families, and the agricultural reform was to stop prosecuting registered vagrants, allowing them to settle nearby and allocate land so that the people had land to cultivate and the land could grow, all of which benefited the common people.

Therefore, in Di Renjie's view, the real culprits were among the hostile forces targeting the Empress, and there were bound to be people of high rank among them. Wei Wuji implicitly agreed with Di Renjie's view and also explained the stakes involved. They were not the true masters of Chang'an City, and any slight misstep could bring disaster upon themselves. Hearing these words, Di Renjie felt troubled and locked himself in his room.

Seeing this, Ma Rong prepared a plate of pastries and brought them over, and also took the opportunity to inquire about Di Renjie's background from Hong Liang. He learned that Di Renjie's parents had both died when he was young, and he suddenly felt a sense of shared sorrow. Although Hong Liang was a loyal servant of the Di family, he only knew that Di Renjie was fond of interfering in others' affairs and didn't fully understand his specific thoughts.

After a thunderstorm, another murder case occurred at a silkworm shed outside the city. Four people died in the fire, seemingly another case of natural disaster. Di Renjie took Ma Rong and Qiao Tai to the scene to observe. Hearing that the coroner had suddenly fallen ill and could not come, he volunteered to examine the bodies.

He determined that all the deceased were male, the calluses on their palms indicated they might be farmers, and their clean mouths showed they died before the fire. Afterward, with Ma Rong's help, Di Renjie found a token from the fire scene. The magistrate stopped Di Renjie from continuing the investigation and whispered to him that the fire was strange, perhaps a fight among deities, hinting at something.

Di Renjie understood clearly and had to leave with Ma Rong and Qiao Tai. On the roadside outside the city, they found four tall horses, one of which looked familiar to him. After careful recollection, he confirmed that the four deceased were all Imperial Guards.

Episode 1 Recap

Episode 3 Recap

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