Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 16 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
The body previously found and identified was confirmed through further examination by Zhao Ban'er and Yao He to be Zou Yongjin. This meant that Song Qiyu was still alive. The discovery led to suspicions falling on Song Qiyu, particularly among Zhao Buyou and Gu Zhen. They considered the motive could be retaliation, as Zou Yongjin had allegedly hired Song Qiyu for a proxy exam, then withheld payment, had Ding Dalang beaten to death, and subjected Song Qiyu to significant humiliation.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mo sought out Wang Qin, a fellow scholar from Jinzhou, hoping to send a family letter to Song Qiyu’s parents. Wang Qin was uncooperative, stating he hadn't seen Song Qiyu in ages and that the Song family line was extinct. To persuade him, Zhao Mo offered to pay a debt Wang Qin owed a shopkeeper.
Upon receiving the money and letter, Wang Qin grew hostile, calling Song Qiyu a scoundrel and an orphaned bastard who deserved to die young. Zhao Mo defended Song Qiyu, leading to a physical altercation. Wang Qin detailed Song Qiyu’s alleged cruelties in Jinzhou, claiming Song Qiyu inherited his family estate at sixteen and became known for dominating the area.
Wang Qin insisted he personally witnessed Song Qiyu beating and scolding his servants, including a mule driver named Ding Dalang and Ding Dalang's son, who was Song Qiyu's pageboy, treating them like dogs. He dared Zhao Mo to verify his claims, swearing he spoke the truth. Later, Zhao Buyou informed Wen Yue that Song Qiyu was indeed alive. Wen Yue revealed she had already suspected this based on Zhao Mo's reactions.
Both worried about Zhao Mo's close friendship with Song Qiyu and the legal implications of harboring a fugitive, which was a serious crime. While logically they wished Zhao Mo would distance himself and reveal what he knew, they understood the emotional difficulty given his friendship with Song Qiyu. Zhao Buyou suggested persuading Song Qiyu to turn himself in, offering to serve as his defense counsel and submit a petition to the court, hoping to save his life.
They felt that Song Qiyu's usual demeanor didn't fit that of a vicious person and believed there was more to the situation. They reflected on the plight of individuals like Song Qiyu and Sun Bo, questioning if justice existed for the poor and whether they were justified in fighting back when oppressed. Gu Zhen, Wan Fu, and Zhao Buyou located Jian Zhuang, the supposed leader of the Seven Scholars of Dongshui, at his ancestral home.
Jian Zhuang was waiting for them and had sent his family away. He surrendered, offering the money he had accumulated from arranging proxy exams over the years, saying it had brought him only anxiety. He confessed to arranging proxy exams with Zhang Mei for the promise of official positions, being too old to wait. Zhao Buyou criticized him for corrupting the imperial examination system, which was the only path for poor scholars to change their fate.
Jian Zhuang denied any involvement in the murders, stating he and Zhang Mei only handled the proxy arrangements and that Zheng Dun should be questioned about the deaths. Gu Zhen confirmed Jian Zhuang's account of the illicit gains and assured him his family was safe as they were not involved, though he hinted that others might face consequences. Wan Fu expressed his disdain before Jian Zhuang was taken away.
Chen Baoshan rushed to Zhao Buyou, visibly shaken, believing he had seen a ghost. It was the seventh day after Ding Dalang's death, and Chen Baoshan was burning paper money when Song Qiyu appeared. Song Qiyu asked Chen Baoshan if a scholar had visited Ding Dalang before the exams. Chen Baoshan confirmed that a short, chubby, smiling scholar often visited Ding Dalang and they seemed to get along well.
Zhao Mo, arriving later, realized this visitor was Zheng Dun, deducing that Zheng Dun had likely learned Song Qiyu's true identity from Ding Dalang and then blackmailed him into participating in the proxy exam scheme. Wen Yue comforted Chen Baoshan, assuring him that Song Qiyu was alive and not a ghost, as the authorities had confirmed. After Chen Baoshan departed, Wen Yue noticed Zhao Mo was gone and became deeply concerned.
Anticipating Song Qiyu would seek out Zheng Dun, Zhao Mo went to Zheng Dun's residence to wait for him. Ding Dan arrived in the pouring rain. Zhao Mo confronted him, revealing he knew Ding Dalang was his father and that "Song Qiyu" was not his real name. Ding Dan confessed his true name was Ding Dan. He revealed his mother was of low status and his father was the Song family's mule driver, making him an inferior in the household.
He served as Song Qiyu's pageboy and was subjected to constant abuse by the cruel and foolish Song Qiyu. He admitted he killed the real Song Qiyu while defending himself. His father, Ding Dalang, fearing for Ding Dan's life and future, told him to flee Jinzhou and go to Tokyo to take the imperial exam disguised as Song Qiyu, as Ding Dan was ineligible due to his status. Ding Dan felt he had been a fraud ever since.
Zhao Mo told him his identity didn't matter, only that he was alive. Ding Dan argued it did matter, as his father had made immense sacrifices for him. He revealed that Zheng Dun discovered his secret and blackmailed him into taking proxy exams for others. Grieving his father, whose death he believed was connected to the scheme, Ding Dan vowed revenge against Zheng Dun and the others involved, wanting them to join his father in death.
Zhao Mo urged him to let the law handle them, but Ding Dan questioned the effectiveness of the law for people like them, who were manipulated and persecuted. He declared that if they were treated as disposable pawns, he would turn on the players themselves. Zhao Mo informed him that the body was Zou Yongjin and that the Zou family members responsible would be punished. He desperately urged Ding Dan not to confront Zheng Dun, warning he would not survive.
Ding Dan stated he could not turn back now. Zhao Mo expressed his profound care for Ding Dan, gave him all his money, and pleaded with him to leave Tokyo immediately, find a place where no one knew him, and start a new life, comparing him to a bridge that could still be repaired if the main structure remained sound. Just then, a drunken Zheng Dun returned. Seeing Zheng Dun, Ding Dan immediately attacked him.
Gu Zhen, Wan Fu, Wen Yue, and Zhao Buyou arrived shortly after. Zheng Dun struggled and cried for help. Zhao Mo, unable to bear witnessing Ding Dan captured, told him to hold him hostage. Wen Yue and Zhao Buyou attempted to reason with Ding Dan, highlighting his close friendship with Zhao Mo and assuring him they cared for him like a younger brother, regretting they weren't there during his suffering.
Accepting that there was no escape, Ding Dan pushed Zhao Mo away. He declared that attacking Zheng Dun was solely his act and that Zhao Mo was entirely innocent. He then committed suicide, asking for forgiveness for his past actions and stating his name was Ding Dan. Zhao Mo held the dying Ding Dan. With his last breath, Ding Dan apologized and returned the wooden lock Zhao Mo had crafted for him before passing away. Zhao Mo was heartbroken.
He buried Ding Dan and attempted to carve a tombstone, finding it difficult and unsatisfactory. Zhao Buyou offered comfort, sharing his own similar experience of losing a close friend unexpectedly and the feeling of powerlessness. Zhao Mo felt he had failed Ding Dan but found solace in the collection of poems he had compiled for him.
Zhao Buyou reflected that although life might resemble a game of chess, people are not merely pieces; they have the capacity for choice and agency. He expressed respect for Ding Dan's struggle to change his destiny, even if his methods were misguided. They resolved to toast Ding Dan once the tombstone was finished. Zhao Mo voiced his hope that if he ever became an official, he would be one who ensured ordinary people were cared for.
Inside the wooden lock Ding Dan had returned, Zhao Mo discovered a hidden note. It stated that the person who had revealed his true identity was still alive and among the Seven Scholars and suggested confirming this with Chen Baoshan at the Great Shop of Mules and Horses.
Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue realized this meant the true instigator was not Shan Shiliu, who was merely a killer acting for the Zou family, but someone who had manipulated Ding Dan using this information. Gu Zhen informed Zhao Buyou that Shan Shiliu had been seen at an abandoned house in the southwest burial ground, but his superior had instructed him not to pursue it, asking Zhao Buyou to investigate instead.
Gu Zhen also mentioned that Jian Zhuang's confiscated wealth had been donated entirely to the families of martyrs. Discussing how to apprehend the instigator, they speculated that Shan Shiliu might believe his task was complete now that "Song Qiyu" was dead. They decided to keep Song Qiyu's death a secret and instead issue a public wanted poster for Song Qiyu to lure Shan Shiliu out, planning a trap in the foggy woods near the burial ground.
Zhao Mo insisted on acting as bait by impersonating Song Qiyu. Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue objected strongly due to the danger, but Gu Zhen eventually agreed to let Zhao Mo participate, stressing the need for extreme caution. Wanted posters for Song Qiyu were displayed across the city. Zhao Mo, disguised as Song Qiyu, walked as the decoy while Gu Zhen, Wan Fu, Zhao Buyou, and Wen Yue waited in ambush.
Shan Shiliu appeared and pursued Zhao Mo, but realizing it was a disguise, he attempted to flee. Gu Zhen and the others emerged and captured him. Gu Zhen identified Shan Shiliu as a killer working for the Zou family and killed him on the spot.
