Maiden Holmes Episode 17 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
Princess Yunchuan practiced the guqin, but her playing was terrible, prompting her maid, Little Yue, to cover her ears. Prince Shuomu arrived and expressed his disappointment, reminding the princess that she needed to perform at an upcoming banquet. Li Yu, the guqin master, explained that Princess Yunchuan had only been practicing for a short time. He offered to bring a new guqin he had crafted, believing it would be more suitable for her.
That night, the new instrument attracted a swarm of termites. Later, Dong Rushuang and Xie Beiming confronted Pei Yanzhi at Prince Qi’s mansion. Dong Rushuang accused him of being a heartless man for agreeing to marry Princess Yunchuan while Su Ci was still imprisoned. As she drew her sword, Pei Yanzhi's guard, Fei Yuan, intervened and revealed that Pei Yanzhi was only marrying the princess in a bid to save Su Ci.
Pei Yanzhi confirmed this, stating he had no other choice and that his own fate was unimportant compared to rescuing Su Ci, leaving Dong Rushuang and Xie Beiming with no alternative. Meanwhile, Princess Yunchuan remained indifferent to her impending engagement. Little Yue tried to describe the feeling of love, like a racing heartbeat, which led Princess Yunchuan to gaze at Fu Ziyou, who was standing outside.
Princess Yunchuan later visited Prince Qi’s mansion, where Pei Yanzhi had prepared many North Beirong delicacies, including cheese, candied fruits, and kumis. Delighted by the familiar taste of her homeland, the princess declared her intention to demonstrate her talents immediately. However, her guqin performance was painfully off-key. After finishing her disastrous tune, she drank a cup of wine, then suddenly vomited blood and collapsed into Fu Ziyou’s arms, unconscious.
Doctor Huyan examined Princess Yunchuan and reported that while he had temporarily sealed her meridians, she would likely not survive beyond five days without an antidote, lamenting the peculiar and unknown nature of the poison. Furious, Prince Shuomu demanded that the Emperor find a cure and the culprit, threatening that Beirong would declare war on Great Liang if his sister died. Prince Yun seized the opportunity to accuse Prince Qi, suggesting his complicity since the poisoning occurred in his mansion.
Under pressure, the Emperor ordered Prince Qi to remain under house arrest until the truth was uncovered. Disguised, Pei Yanzhi secretly met the Emperor, pleading for Su Ci to be allowed to investigate the poisoning. He vouched for Su Ci’s investigative abilities and guaranteed her loyalty. He argued that if she solved the case, it would allow the Emperor to implement the female official system, resolve Prince Qi’s own predicament, and ease tensions with Beirong—a perfect solution. The Emperor agreed.
In court, Prince Yun vehemently opposed Su Ci investigating, citing her past deception, current imprisonment, and close ties to Prince Qi as making her a suspect. However, the Lead Officer of the Mingjing Office defended Su Ci, highlighting her keen observation skills and assuring the court she could solve the case. The Emperor, asserting that his decree could not be revoked, officially appointed Su Ci to investigate the poisoning as a way to atone for her past crimes.
He also commanded Dong Rushuang to assist in finding an antidote. Prince Shuomu stated that Princess Yunchuan could not have been poisoned at the inn, where all her food and drink were tested, while the Mingjing Office had found no poison at Prince Qi's mansion either. Dong Rushuang determined that the princess was suffering from a chronic poison administered over several days. Su Ci deduced that the culprit must be someone close to the princess.
Prince Shuomu, however, insisted that Little Yue, who was from his mother's clan and had been with the princess since childhood, could not be the culprit. Su Ci theorized that the culprit, having failed to kill the princess, would likely strike again. To lure the culprit out, Su Ci proposed a plan: publicly announce that Princess Yunchuan had been cured and would marry Prince Qi in a few days.
She then offered to impersonate the princess herself, arguing that maintaining diplomatic relations was Prince Qi’s duty, while solving the case was her own. Fu Ziyou was tasked with spreading the news. Pei Yanzhi, despite his injuries, insisted on joining the investigation, explaining that since the princess was poisoned at his mansion, he was responsible for finding the truth. Prince Shuomu reluctantly agreed. At the inn, Pei Yanzhi noticed a pine guqin, recalling that such instruments attract termites.
The guqin master confirmed he had made it for the princess. A worker then revealed that to combat termites, about half a bucket of insect-resistant coating had been applied to all the wooden items in the room. Dong Rushuang confirmed the coating contained a poison, Huanghuo, but clarified it was only harmful if ingested. Suddenly, Little Yue collapsed, having been poisoned, though her symptoms were not identical to the princess's. Pei Yanzhi detected a peculiar smell, recognizing the princess’s favorite Baili Incense mixed with another, unknown scent.
