Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 1 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
As the Qingming Festival approached and the Bian River opened for navigation, a thousand grain ships from Zhejiang arrived in the Capital, the bustling East Capital of the Song Dynasty. Known as the center of the world, East Capital was ordered to celebrate for seven days, a national holiday for everyone. The city was vibrant with activity; drums echoed, lanterns illuminated the streets, and merchants lined the Bian River banks showcasing a dazzling array of goods.
People walked the streets admiring lanterns, offering prayers, and enjoying boat rides to see the sights along the river. Zhao Buyou, a Scribe Assistant at the Office of Justice, hurried towards Rainbow Bridge, too busy to appreciate the river views, where he had arranged to meet his family for the fireworks. Nearby, Zhang Zeduan, a Painting Adviser at the Hanlin Academy, was sketching the scene on the bridge.
He was jostled by the crowd and nearly fell, but Zhao Buyou quickly steadied him. Zhao Buyou looked at Zhang Zeduan's sketch and perceptively remarked it lacked "soul," then asked Zhang Zeduan if he would include his family in the painting later. Zhao Buyou secured a good spot on the bridge as his father, Zhao Li, arrived with his younger brother, Zhao Mo'er, and younger sister, Zhao Ban'er. When the auspicious time arrived, the authorities launched fireworks from the riverbank.
Colorful displays erupted in the sky, drawing cheers from the crowd. The Zhao family watched happily. A small boat slowly approached carrying Wen Yue, who stood at the bow holding a small umbrella. The fireworks illuminated her face and figure. Zhao Buyou spotted her and called out for her to join them on the bridge. Wen Yue ran an umbrella shop, skilled in making paper umbrellas.
She had just finished a delivery and asked the boatman, Mr. Li, to take the last batch of umbrellas to Lin Mansion on Junyiqiao Street. Zhao Buyou gave Wen Yue the lantern crafted by Zhao Mo'er. When she lit it, the lantern quickly rose into the sky. As they watched it ascend, Zhao Buyou and his family made wishes. Wen Yue's greatest wish was to buy a large house in the capital.
Zhao Buyou vowed to work harder to help her achieve her dream sooner. Zhang Zeduan observed the family and included them in his painting. Wen Yue had recently secured a large order from the Office of Treasury, and she and her family were working extra hours to fulfill it. Inspector Gan Liang, a Zuojun Inspector from Kaifeng Court known for his oppressive behavior, heard about the big order and personally visited her shop, harassing her customers who quickly left.
Wen Yue, wanting to avoid trouble, had money ready for him, but Inspector Gan became aggressive, physically accosting her. Wen Yue resisted fiercely. While Zhao Buyou was listening to a storyteller in the street, a customer rushed to inform him about the trouble at the umbrella shop. Zhao Buyou immediately ran home. Inspector Gan ordered his men to beat Zhao Buyou and smash the shop. Zhao Buyou was left bruised and swollen.
After cleaning up the shop, he took Wen Yue to the Songjiaqiao Business Center to watch an opera. It was their fifteenth anniversary, a day they traditionally spent watching plays there. Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue arrived at the crowded opera performance. Zhao Buyou enthusiastically discussed the plot with bystanders; the play depicted various strange demons dancing. A small girl handed Wen Yue a paper with the word "Dagger" written on it.
Recognizing it as a signal, Wen Yue followed the girl away from the stage. Zhao Buyou soon realized Wen Yue was gone and began searching for her. Wen Yue followed the girl to the theatrical troupe's warehouse, where Inspector Gan was waiting. He continued to harass her, threatening to expose her secrets if she didn't comply. Angered, Wen Yue pulled out her hairpin and stabbed him in the chest.
Zhao Buyou learned Wen Yue's location from a vendor and arrived at the warehouse, discovering Inspector Gan was dead. Determined to protect Wen Yue from punishment, Zhao Buyou quickly devised a plan. They hid Inspector Gan's body inside a large head prop used by the troupe. As troupe members pushed the prop head towards the backstage area, Zhao Buyou seized the opportunity to move the body and donned a two-headed demon costume to blend in with the performers.
He subtly signaled Wen Yue on stage, then slipped away unnoticed during the chaos of the performance. Wen Yue followed him. Meanwhile, Wan Fu, a Zuojun Judge from Kaifeng Court, heard Inspector Gan was planning to capture a major criminal at the Songjiaqiao Business Center that night. Known for his rivalry with Gan, Wan Fu rushed his men to the scene to intercept. Gu Zhen, the Zuojun Director of Kaifeng Court, also arrived upon hearing the news.
They surrounded the business center, preventing anyone from leaving. A vendor informed them that Inspector Gan and a couple had successively entered the warehouse. Gu Zhen and Wan Fu searched the warehouse but found no trace of Inspector Gan. Unseen, Wen Yue and Zhao Buyou secured Gan's body and then returned to the performance, acting as if nothing had happened. Gu Zhen and Wan Fu called Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue aside to question them about Gan's whereabouts.
The couple claimed ignorance, stating they saw nothing. Gu Zhen grew suspicious, suggesting Zhao Buyou might have killed Gan and used the two-headed demon prop to move the body. Zhao Buyou vehemently denied it, but Gu Zhen lacked concrete evidence. He publicly announced Inspector Gan's disappearance to the crowd. The public, who despised Inspector Gan for his notorious actions, reacted with cheers and excitement at the news.
Some witnesses stepped forward, claiming they saw Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue using the two-headed demon prop to move Gan's body. Gu Zhen led his men to the riverbank where the prop was found and ordered a search of the water, but they found nothing. Wen Yue publicly listed Inspector Gan's numerous past crimes, inciting anger among the crowd. Unwilling to provoke further public outcry, Gu Zhen and his men returned to Kaifeng Court.
Later, Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue tied Inspector Gan's body to the bottom of a small boat and rowed to a wooded area, where they buried him and retrieved the hairpin. That night, Zhao Buyou was troubled, thinking about the killing. Wen Yue had inserted the hairpin into Gan's body and angled it upward into the heart, a technique that would prevent blood from flowing outward but cause internal bleeding.
Such a precise method was unusual for someone without special training, leaving Zhao Buyou curious about how Wen Yue knew it. The next morning, Wen Yue left the house early, and Zhao Buyou secretly followed her. Zhang Zeduan unexpectedly stopped Zhao Buyou to discuss his painting, providing an opportunity for Wen Yue to disappear into the crowd. Later, Gu Zhen and Wan Fu arrived at Rainbow Bridge, where Zhang Zeduan was sketching by a teahouse.
A large cargo ship approached the bridge but was unable to lower its mast in time due to its speed. The ship turned sideways just as it reached the bridge, causing a loud crash. Thick fog billowed around the bridge, and as it cleared, a colorful auspicious cloud appeared in the sky, drawing cheers from the onlookers. Zhang Zeduan quickly sketched the scene.
However, just then, several dead bodies floated out from under the bridge, shocking Gu Zhen, Wan Fu, and Zhao Buyou who witnessed the gruesome sight. The Song Dynasty was known for its prosperous economy and active commercial trade, which generated significant tax revenue for the government. Advances in shipbuilding and navigation technology facilitated extensive foreign trade, bringing people from all over the world to do business and contributing to a highly developed economy. Economic historian Angus Maddison estimated that the Song Dynasty accounted for a significant portion of the world's GDP during that period.
