Maiden Holmes Episode 11 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
After the direct culprit in Xu Zhi's death was apprehended, rumors about the case still ran wild among the common folk. Su Ci, however, expressed her unease, stating that the death of Xu Zhi—the maid who bit her tongue to commit suicide in the palace—was not as simple as it seemed. Dong Rushuang advised Su Ci to focus solely on apprehending culprits, as the intricate court politics were beyond her control.
With the Xu Zhi case closed, Su Ci's concern shifted back to the long-unsolved wedding dress suicide case, which had spanned many years with no clues left by the killer. Dong Rushuang encouraged Su Ci to relax, suggesting it might help unravel the mysteries. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Fei Yuan planned a grand meal. During a shopping trip, Xiao Yanzhi spotted Su Ci emerging from Yijin Pavilion carrying women's clothing, which piqued his curiosity.
Later, during a meal, Xie Beiming proposed that the group celebrate the festival at Sanyuan Restaurant to see unique items from all over. Su Ci declined, citing official duties at the Mingjing Office. Though Dong Rushuang was disappointed, Xie Beiming promised to bring Su Ci a gift from the festival. Alone, Su Ci gazed at the women's clothing, recalling her mother explaining the "Seventh Year Anniversary," a tribal custom.
On the seventh Mid-Autumn Festival after a loved one's passing, family members must hand-embroider the deceased's name onto their clothing and pray to the moon by the water to guide the soul home and ensure the family's prosperity. Her mother had urged a young Su Ci to be diligent in her embroidery lessons. Distressed by the memory, Su Ci broke down in tears.
Later, Xiao Yanzhi brought Su Ci preserved fruits and noticed a map on her wall with "Moon Lake" marked on it. He subtly offered his help, but Su Ci declined, stating she needed to review case files. Under the cover of night, Su Ci, dressed in women's clothing and with her face veiled, went to Moon Lake to perform the ritual for her deceased family, finding the streets unusually quiet.
At the lake, Su Ci placed flowers in the water and performed a family dance, lost in memories. Xiao Yanzhi appeared, remarking that this was the second time he had seen her beautiful dance. Su Ci realized he had cleared the area of people. Xiao Yanzhi explained he had shamelessly begged Prince Qi, claiming his "shy" favorite girl wanted to enjoy the moon in peace. Though reprimanded, the Prince granted his request.
Xiao Yanzhi urged Su Ci to inform him before undertaking such risks again, fearing he might not be able to protect her otherwise. Touched, Su Ci removed her veil and thanked him. As Xiao Yanzhi leaned in to kiss her, fireworks suddenly erupted. Xiao Yanzhi provided men's clothing for Su Ci, and they joined Xie Beiming and Dong Rushuang for the festivities. They encountered a street performer with a "mind-reading" ancient bell.
Skeptical, Xie Beiming exposed the trick, revealing that the bell contained a hypnotic drug used for rudimentary hypnotism. This sparked a crucial insight for Su Ci: the wedding dress suicides might have been orchestrated through advanced hypnotism, compelling the victims to kill themselves. Dong Rushuang identified the drug's components as Mandragora and henbane, noting their numbing effect on consciousness. Su Ci tasked her with creating a formula to mitigate the drug's effects.
Meanwhile, Su Ci visited Fu Ziyou to inquire about the late Miss Du, known as Little Lan, suspecting she was hypnotized. Fu Ziyou, still grieving, said Little Lan rarely went out and suggested Su Ci speak with her maid, Zizhuo. He showed Su Ci a piece of embroidery Little Lan made, mentioning her famously beautiful hands and how she rarely engaged in such crafts.
While undergoing a risky eye treatment to expedite his recovery, Xiao Yanzhi heard thunder and anxiously asked Fei Yuan if Su Ci had returned. Fei Yuan confirmed Su Ci had come by earlier. Realizing she must have had something urgent to discuss, Xiao Yanzhi insisted on going to her room immediately, overriding Fei Yuan's protests about his fragile condition. In her room, after receiving the mitigating medicine from Dong Rushuang, Su Ci analyzed the wedding dress cases.
She noted the victims all heard "rain" on clear days, suggesting a water-related hypnotic trigger. She also connected the victims' most beautiful features—lips, hands, hair, and neck. This led her to recall the painter, Qu Linjiang, and his magnum opus, the "Portrait of Beauty," which combined the finest features of many women. Su Ci realized the victims were "materials" for his painting and that he was the killer.
Su Ci awoke bound to a chair, dressed in a red wedding gown. Qu Linjiang confessed that he had captured her for her clever and beautiful eyes, the final piece he sought for his "Portrait of Beauty." He revealed he had known she was a woman from their first meeting. As the hypnotic "rain sound" filled the room, Su Ci schemed to reach the medicine Dong Rushuang gave her.
Qu Linjiang confirmed the other victims committed suicide under his hypnotic influence, calling it their "luck." To preserve the vitality of her eyes for his painting, Su Ci bargained with him: she would cooperate if he refrained from using hypnotism, as a hypnotized person's eyes would be lifeless. Qu Linjiang agreed, remarking that she was unique and that he knew Xiao Yanzhi was willingly playing along with her disguise.
He then explained his twisted motive: he targeted young women at Puhua Temple, a popular spot for marriage prayers, to "freeze" their beauty in his painting before it could fade with age, immortalizing them at their most beautiful moment. He coldly informed Su Ci that she was merely his ninth victim and would soon share their fate.
