Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 18 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
At the annual spring banquet in the Fan Building, the famous courtesan Chi Liaoliao was set to perform. High-ranking officials and wealthy individuals from the East Capital flocked to the event, vying for a chance to attend. Zhao Li purchased tickets and brought Zhao Ban'er to experience the spectacle. After Chi Liaoliao's performance concluded, several red silk banners inscribed with women's names, along with three male bodies, plummeted from the stage ceiling.
Each of the deceased had a fish charm lodged in their throat. The investigation quickly pointed to the Yayuan Mansion, the private residence of Zou Mian's daughter, whose son-in-law was Luan Hui. Inspector Gu Zhen and Wan Fu led a team to the mansion to search, but were initially blocked by disrespectful gatekeepers, prompting Wan Fu to draw his sword in anger. The steward arrived and invited Gu Zhen and Wan Fu inside.
To their surprise, the Governor of Kaifeng Court was already there, enjoying drinks, music, and even presenting Luan Hui with a spontaneously written piece of calligraphy. When Gu Zhen explained the purpose of their visit and requested permission to search the mansion, citing the fish charms found on the bodies, Luan Hui claimed it was a clear case of malicious framing.
He initially offered to allow a search to prove his innocence, but the Governor intervened, deeming it too hasty to link the crime directly to Yayuan Mansion based solely on the fish charms, especially since the exact number found hadn't been definitively confirmed yet. Gu Zhen and Wan Fu were forced to leave without conducting a proper search. Just as they were departing, Lady Wang Yunshang rushed to the gate looking for her father, the Governor.
The steward falsely claimed the Governor was not present, but Wan Fu immediately exposed the lie, and Gu Zhen corroborated his statement. Without hesitation, Wang Yunshang rode her horse directly into the mansion. Gu Zhen later entrusted the investigation of the Fan Building case to Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue. Immediately after the incident, Zhao Ban'er and Yao He performed the initial examination of the three bodies.
Zhao Li, having drunk heavily, was somewhat inebriated but still sharp enough to connect the recent string of cases, including the current one, to the Zou family. Zhao Buyou, not wanting Zhao Ban'er involved in the dangerous investigation, instructed her to take their father home, though Zhao Li was reluctant to leave. Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue began a detailed search of the Fan Building.
They discovered a sewage outlet at the back of the kitchen that connected directly to the Underground Culvert, and noted that the manhole cover showed signs of recent disturbance. Zhao Buyou became suspicious of a new handyman working there. When questioned, the handyman answered smoothly, but Zhao Buyou promised they would uncover the truth by the end of the night.
Hoping to mend the rift between Zhao Li and Zhao Mo, Zhao Ban'er took their father to wait outside the Office of Justice for Zhao Mo. Zhao Li, however, was still upset and refused to approach Zhao Mo, eating nearby before heading home by himself. When Zhao Mo finished his duties and left the Office of Justice, he encountered Zhao Ban'er. She expressed her frustration with him.
Zhao Mo acknowledged that his father and Zhao Buyou considered him family, but explained his overwhelming need to discover his true identity, which he felt was essential to his existence. Unable to persuade him otherwise, Zhao Ban'er accepted his decision. As Zhao Ban'er prepared to leave, she saw Mr. He from the Welfare Center chasing a young girl named Su.
She intervened and learned that Su's mother, Ci, had gone to Xiangfu for goods five days ago and had not returned. Su was distraught, fearing her mother had abandoned her. Zhao Ban'er comforted Su, sharing a story about her own father getting lost and eventually returning, and walked her home to the Jinxiu Embroidery workshop where Su and Ci lived with three other embroiderers. The other embroiderers had stopped working due to Ci's absence.
While there, Zhao Ban'er noticed a particular embroidery item that seemed different from the others, inscribed with the name "Ci Rou." Su explained her mother had found it. Shortly after, Lu Sanzhen, one of the embroiderers, returned with a real estate agent. Without listening to explanations, she sternly scolded Su for bringing a stranger home and instructed the agent to inspect the backyard, indicating her intention to sell the property. Su apologetically saw Zhao Ban'er out.
As Zhao Ban'er left, she overheard Lu Sanzhen discussing the sale of the workshop and the backyard together, which she found confusing. Zhao Ban'er promised Su she would ask a friend to look for her mother in Xiangfu and find out what happened. Later that night, the suspicious new handyman from the Fan Building attempted to flee but was apprehended by Wan Fu. Suspecting the handyman used the Underground Culvert to transport the bodies, Wan Fu interrogated him.
After initial denials, Wan Fu threatened him, and the handyman confessed. He admitted to having a large gambling debt that led to his injury. One day in the Underground Culvert, he met a woman who gave him medicine and money and hired him as an insider at the Fan Building to help transport "contraband" before the spring banquet, in exchange for clearing his debt. He claimed he did not know the items were bodies until much later.
He described his employer as a woman dressed in black, with a covered face and a deliberately low voice, who was surprisingly strong, able to kick him down easily when he tried to follow her, and threatened him with death if he revealed anything. Gu Zhen and Zhao Buyou observed Wan Fu's successful interrogation and praised his skills.
Wan Fu confirmed the identities of the three victims found on the stage: Zhao Muyan, the Transportation Inspector of Kaifeng Court; Yue Qide, the Deputy Commissioner of Salt and Iron; and Zhang Qi from the Left Section of the Ministry of Revenue, all fifth-rank officials. The names of the women on the red silk were from reported missing persons, among others still being investigated.
Discussing the next steps, Gu Zhen and Zhao Buyou agreed that directly investigating the Yayuan Mansion was impossible due to Zou Mian's extensive influence, which included many high-ranking officials as guests. Their strategy would be to start by investigating the three deceased officials and mapping out the route taken through the Underground Culvert.
Wen Yue volunteered to investigate the Underground Culvert, but Zhao Buyou vehemently objected, citing the extreme danger posed by the outlaws who resided there, known as the "Trouble-Free Hole" inhabitants, who were known to kill officials on sight. Gu Zhen and Wan Fu, however, argued that precisely because officials could not enter safely, Wen Yue, not being an official, was the most suitable person for the task and offered her a sum of money for the job.
Wen Yue happily accepted the money, seeing it as a step closer to her goal of buying a large house. Zhao Buyou felt a sense of shame at this. He later handcrafted a small orange lantern for Wen Yue, which she adored, and gently urged her to move back home since Shan Shiliu, the "orderer" they were investigating previously, was dead. However, Wen Yue still felt uneasy and wanted to see the Fan Building case resolved before returning home.
That night, Zhao Buyou stayed up late writing down "Tips for Surviving the Office of Justice" for Zhao Mo, asking Zhao Ban'er to deliver them. The following morning, Su came to visit Zhao Ban'er early, hoping to have breakfast with her and offering her small collection of savings to pay for the meal.
Meanwhile, Wang Yunshang sought out Gu Zhen, imploring him to investigate Luan Hui, whom she considered a bad influence on her father, and to help expose him to keep her father away. Gu Zhen, bound by official procedure, refused to become personally involved in her family matters or investigate outside the case. Wang Yunshang became frustrated, and their argument escalated into a physical tussle during which Gu Zhen accidentally touched her chest. Seizing the opportunity, Wang Yunshang threatened to tell her father that Gu Zhen had assaulted her if he didn't help.
