Maiden Holmes Episode 3 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
After a bath, Su Ci, whose ankle was sprained, nearly slipped and made a loud noise. Hearing the commotion, Pei Yanzhi rushed in. Su Ci, concealed by a screen, quickly threw a white garment at him, urging him to leave while she dressed, worried about her identity as a woman being discovered. Surprised by her panicked reaction, Pei Yanzhi pointed out they were both men and left, puzzled by the white garment she had thrown.
He left medicine for her sprain at the door. Later, Pei Yanzhi recalled the unusual scent of Su Ci's hair when he had given her air underwater, which deepened his suspicions about her. His thoughts were interrupted by Fei Yuan, who brought him a bowl of noodles. Pei Yanzhi then quietly instructed Fei Yuan to summon the army. Everyone rejoiced as Xie Beiming successfully gathered a large amount of food, enough to feed the disaster victims for days.
Xie Beiming credited Dong Rushuang for her significant contribution, praising her for making the task possible. Just as they were celebrating, Magistrate Kong arrived at the inn with his soldiers. Acting on a report from Lord Hu's steward, he accused Xie Beiming and Dong Rushuang of trespassing, injuring servants, and looting property, completely denying the existence of a promissory note or any payment from Xie Beiming.
Magistrate Kong, showing blatant disregard for the Mingjing Office, ordered his soldiers to arrest Su Ci and her companions, threatening to execute anyone who resisted. As the soldiers advanced, Pei Yanzhi flicked a stone that struck Magistrate Kong on the forehead. Moments later, Fei Yuan arrived with the army, surrounding Kong and his men. Inside, Su Ci presented two boat workers to testify against Magistrate Kong, but he arrogantly dismissed their statements.
Pei Yanzhi then had Fei Yuan bring in several yamen runners. One of them stepped forward, confessing that Magistrate Kong had taken their families hostage to force them to swap the disaster relief silver with boxes of stones, a scheme Su Ci had already deduced. Despite Kong's vehement denials, he was arrested based on the overwhelming evidence. Later, Su Ci expressed her admiration for Pei Yanzhi’s meticulous planning.
Dong Rushuang, in turn, praised Su Ci's brilliant ability to solve the Dragon King Robbery, which visibly irked a jealous Xie Beiming. The group discussed women serving as officials, citing the story of Hua Mulan. When asked for her opinion, Su Ci feigned a traditionalist view, stating that girls should focus on domestic arts like playing the zither and embroidery, leaving rough work to men.
Dong Rushuang, already charmed by Su Ci’s refined demeanor, playfully asked what type of girl Su Ci preferred, further irritating Xie Beiming. Meanwhile, Xie Beiming wrote a letter to his adoptive father, assuring him of his well-being. He excitedly wrote about saving a beautiful girl, Dong Rushuang, from being sacrificed and their budding friendship, despite her having poisoned him briefly.
He also shared his admiration for Prince Qi, a chivalrous hero he was now working with to solve cases and help the poor. Separately, Prince Yun's subordinate reported his failure to prevent Prince Qi's involvement in the case. Unconcerned, Prince Yun saw Magistrate Kong's downfall as a valuable opportunity to expose Prince Qi's true intentions, which he believed had been hidden for years. Subsequently, Prince Yun's men silenced Magistrate Kong, staging his death to look like a suicide by hanging.
Troubled by the still-missing relief silver, Su Ci asked Pei Yanzhi if he was still secretly working for Prince Qi. She deduced that only someone with Prince Qi’s token could have mobilized the state army as quickly as Fei Yuan had. Pei Yanzhi subtly confirmed her guess and asked why she admired Prince Qi so much. Su Ci spoke with reverence, describing Prince Qi as an exceptionally pure individual.
She recounted how he had saved the nation from the brink of collapse in his youth, yet despite having the power to rule, he chose to withdraw without any desire for power, embodying the spirit of a true chivalrous man. She expressed her deep aspiration to become like him: brave, strong, and living freely. Pei Yanzhi was profoundly moved by her words. Later, Su Ci and Pei Yanzhi examined Magistrate Kong's body in the morgue.
Su Ci explained the difference in ligature marks between suicide and homicide. While demonstrating with a rope, she became so focused that she accidentally tightened it around Pei Yanzhi’s neck, leaving a red mark. Embarrassed, Su Ci offered her silk scarf to cover the mark and awkwardly turned away, reciting legal codes to hide her fluster.
That night, a nightmare caused Pei Yanzhi to realize the faint, familiar scent on Magistrate Kong's body was Hu Man Grass, a potent poisonous weed from Fan Yan Na. He knew it caused hallucinations and excruciating pain, often driving victims to suicide. Given her expertise in poisons, Dong Rushuang offered to accompany Su Ci to re-examine the body.
Xie Beiming tried to dissuade Dong Rushuang from visiting the morgue, but she playfully retorted that she would simply look at Su Ci instead. New leads revealed that Kong frequently visited the Worry-free Bar to drink with a wealthy Fan Yan Na merchant named Sha Du, who always rented the exclusive Tianzi Hall.
Simultaneously, a secret investigation traced Que Shi powder, a special additive used in casting the official silver, to a dancer at the bar who received it as a gift from a Fan Yan Na merchant. Pei Yanzhi and Xie Beiming went to the Worry-free Bar to investigate. Xie Beiming, clearly uncomfortable in such a place, was coerced into staying by Pei Yanzhi. Soon after, Su Ci and Dong Rushuang arrived but were denied entry without a reservation.
Dong Rushuang created a diversion by loudly accusing a fictitious lover of cheating on her. While the guards were distracted, Su Ci slipped inside, found a dancer, and asked for directions to Tianzi Hall. Dong Rushuang continued her act by confronting Xie Beiming, berating him for his supposed infidelity and blaming Pei Yanzhi for leading him astray. The commotion resulted in the guards escorting both a protesting Xie Beiming and a triumphant Dong Rushuang out of the bar.
