Maiden Holmes Episode 9 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
Following her maid Ying Ying's tip, Xu Zhi informed her father, Marquis Zhenyuan, that she was aware of the suspicious candidate list for Prince Qi's Princess Consort, from which prominent families had been excluded. Despite her father's concern about a hidden agenda, Xu Zhi insisted on pursuing the marriage, stating her desire for a husband as loyal and brave as her father, a description she felt perfectly matched Prince Qi.
Seeing her determination, the Marquis reluctantly agreed to help her get included in the selection. Su Ci, Dong Rushuang, Xie Beiming, and Fei Yuan arrived at the bustling Puhua Temple. Xie Beiming explained that the temple was renowned for granting marriage wishes via its sacred marriage tree. Dong Rushuang excitedly asked Su Ci to accompany her to pray for a good match, which agitated the jealous Xie Beiming.
Inside the main hall, Su Ci stood in quiet contemplation, burdened by memories of his family's demise. Prince Qi watched him, privately resolving to help Su Ci reclaim her true identity so he could openly marry her. Elsewhere, Dong Rushuang, who affectionately called Su Ci "Brother Su," tried her luck at the wishing pond. After she successfully landed a coin inside a lotus flower while wishing to be with Su Ci, Fei Yuan congratulated her.
However, a jealous Xie Beiming, seeing this, secretly flicked a stone to knock her coin out. Unaware of the sabotage, a thrilled Dong Rushuang went with Fei Yuan to the marriage tree. As Prince Qi and Su Ci spoke, a fortune teller approached, claiming their fates were linked.
He described them as a "Solitary Star" and a "Widow Lodge"—both orphaned—but asserted that if they paired up, their lone stars would complement each other, activating a propitious star for a blissful, lifelong union. Su Ci dismissed this as nonsense, pointing out they were both men. The fortune teller cryptically replied that some things are known only to them and the heavens.
When he tried to sell them a "love lock," Prince Qi internally recalled that he and Su Ci were indeed connected by a lock, but Su Ci brushed the sales pitch off as a common trick. Despite Su Ci's skepticism, Prince Qi was visibly pleased by the prophecy. At the marriage tree, Dong Rushuang wrote her name and Su Ci's on a marriage tablet and struggled to hang it high up.
After she left, Xie Beiming secretly took her tablet down, crossed out Su Ci’s name, wrote his own, and hung it back on the tree. As the group prepared to leave, Xu Zhi appeared and warmly greeted Prince Qi by his personal name, "Yan Zhi." The sight unsettled Su Ci, who clutched his chest and claimed to have a stomach ache. Later, Fei Yuan found a portrait Prince Qi had painted of Su Ci in her female disguise.
Mistaking the subject for a woman, he was shocked to realize the resemblance to Detective Su, leading him to wonder if Prince Qi was interested in men. Meanwhile, Xu Zhi celebrated her official inclusion on the candidate list, a feat her father, Marquis Zhenyuan, had worked hard to achieve against the opposition of the Imperial Astronomer. Before departing on a trip, he warned her to be extremely careful in the palace.
Prince Yun was furious to learn that Xu Zhi, whose father controlled the northern army, was on the list. He berated his subordinate from the Imperial Astronomer for the failure and, seeing an opportunity in the Marquis's absence, plotted to move against Xu Zhi. After settling into her chambers in the palace, Xu Zhi had her portrait painted by an artist named Qu Linjiang. Concurrently, Xie Beiming's men found more cases of women dying in wedding dresses.
Reviewing the files, Su Ci concluded it was a serial murder case, noting the killer targeted specific victims in specific locations, though the exact pattern remained unclear. Fei Yuan prepared a large dinner and, when asked about Prince Qi's whereabouts, lied that he had gone to a matchmaking session with six carefully selected, suitable ladies. He added that given his age, the Prince would surely choose a bride this time.
Upon hearing this, Su Ci, who had barely eaten, abruptly declared he was full and left the table. Later, he tried to read but couldn't stop thinking about Prince Qi's potential marriage. Dong Rushuang brought Su Ci sweet soup and confessed her feelings, reminding him that he was also of marriageable age.
Su Ci gently rejected her, explaining that he had vowed not to consider romance until he fulfilled his mission for justice and did not wish to burden a lady with his modest life. Just then, Prince Qi arrived. As he was leaving, Su Ci asked him directly if he would marry someone he disliked. Prince Qi firmly replied, "No," which seemed to reassure Su Ci.
The next morning, Xu Zhi's maid, Xiao Yun, entered her room and found her hanging lifelessly, dressed in a red wedding gown. At the crime scene, Su Ci discovered traces of rouge powder, drag marks, and a mismatch between Xu Zhi's shoes and the footprints on the stool, all indicating murder. He reported that Xu Zhi's only significant contact in the palace, besides her maid and other candidates, was the painter, Qu Linjiang.
The investigation was ordered to begin with the maid. Upon his return, a grief-stricken Marquis Zhenyuan went to the morgue. Overcome with guilt for letting his daughter enter the palace, he confronted Lead Officer Liu Xuan, insisting her death was a conspiracy and demanding that the full truth be brought to light.
