Resumo do episódio 17 de The Imperial Coroner 2
> Resumos de The Imperial Coroner 2
At Weiguo Temple, Xiao Jinyu confronts You Chen'an, stripping away the prince's pretense of being a helpless hostage. Jinyu reveals that Gao Luoqian is actively seeking to kill him and that the Three Judicial Offices is his only hope for a safe return to Nanzhao. When You Chen'an questions Jinyu's ability to protect him, the prince is shown that Jinyu has already thwarted a subtle assassination attempt.
Jinyu had discovered a monk brewing a medicinal tea based on a Nanzhao recipe that Gao had recently "improved." Knowing from Chu Chu that You Chen'an suffers from hives, Jinyu identified "Fangfeng" (Siler) in the tea—a common herb that is lethal to someone with the prince’s specific condition. Realizing his own people have turned on him, You Chen'an invites Jinyu to a secret chamber within the temple that night to finally reveal the truth.
Meanwhile, Chu Chu grows anxious, sensing that Jinyu is in grave danger. She realizes that Leng Yue has been shadowing her under Jinyu's orders for protection. Together, they confront Chu He, who finally breaks his silence. Chu He admits that You Chen'an gave him a peacock mask and convinced him to act as a secret intermediary. The Nanzhao prince had claimed he was being hunted by his own brother and needed Chu He to relay messages to hidden protectors.
Believing he was saving a life and fearing he would bring harm to his family if he spoke, Chu He had kept the secret, unaware he was being used as a pawn to distract the Three Judicial Offices. In the border region of Jiaozhou, Xiao Jinli leads a routine patrol and encounters a group of suspicious men disguised as hunters. Noticing a foul, rotting stench coming from their cart, he orders a search.
The "hunters" drop their disguise, revealing themselves as highly trained Nanzhao soldiers. During the skirmish, Jinli realizes the cart is filled with the corpses of Tang civilians rather than game. Though he manages to capture one assailant, he is struck by a poisoned weapon. Just as the situation turns dire, Luo Yan, the leader of the Zhenyuan Stronghold, arrives with her people to drive off the attackers and rescue the wounded general.
Xiao Jinyu arrives at the secret chamber only to find You Chen'an dead from an arrow wound. As Jing Yi joins him, they realize they have walked into a trap. A monk discovers them with the body and raises the alarm, leading Deputy Prefect Leng Baichuan to take both Jinyu and Jing Yi into custody. Vice Envoy Gao seizes the opportunity to confront the Emperor, accusing the Tang officials of murder.
To maintain diplomatic peace, the Emperor is forced to grant a three-day deadline to find the true culprit. He decrees that if the mystery is not solved by sunset on the day after tomorrow, Jinyu and Jing Yi will face execution. Despite being imprisoned, Xiao Jinyu continues his investigation. Consort Hui, with the Emperor’s silent approval, allows Chu Chu and Leng Yue to visit the prisoners. Jinyu presents Chu Chu with incense ash he collected from the scene.
Chu Chu identifies the scent of "Hunmi" (Knockout Herb), a substance she recognizes from medical texts. Jinyu explains that the killing blow was delivered by a hidden mechanical trap tied to You Chen'an’s own body. The trap fired a crossbow the moment anyone moved the prince to help him, effectively using Jinyu’s own compassion to trigger the mechanism. Jinyu deduces that You Chen'an is likely the true "Peacock" and that this entire event was a scheme to disappear.
Drawing on his knowledge of Nanzhao’s rare medicinal plants and the prince's own understanding of forensic science, Jinyu suspects that You Chen'an is not actually dead. He believes the prince used a herbal concoction to induce a state of suspended animation, making his heart and breath seem to stop temporarily. Once the "body" is returned to the lodging house, You Chen'an could revive and escape.
However, since the Three Judicial Offices currently lacks investigative authority, they cannot re-examine the corpse to prove this theory. To break the legal deadlock, Jinyu drafts a formal missive to the Emperor, voluntarily resigning his title as Commandery Prince An and leaving the Three Judicial Offices so that the investigation can proceed without political obstacles.
