Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 2 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
After a large boat passed under the bridge, a thick mist enveloped the area, followed by a multicolored auspicious cloud appearing in the sky. The citizens celebrated, believing it to be a good omen for the Song dynasty. As the fog dissipated, many bodies were seen floating in the river. Nearby, a raft drifted with a pig's head hanging from its sail and a blood message: "Justice has been done, the greedy pig met his fate."
Observing the scene, Gu Zhen, the presiding official, ordered Wan Fu to apprehend a person who was spotted swimming away underwater, their face covered. Zhao Buyou watched, sensing the person might be Wen Yue. He noticed someone with wet hair in the retreating crowd and quickly went to follow, but Zhang Zeduan stopped him to discuss his painting, momentarily delaying Zhao Buyou. Wan Fu expressed confusion about how such a large boat could simply vanish after passing the Rainbow Bridge.
Gu Zhen recalled a similar incident fifteen years prior, when the Deputy Commissioner of Transport of Liangzhe Region, Li Yan, was killed on his boat under the same bridge while arriving in the capital for his official report. Zhao Buyou returned home preoccupied. His children, Zhao Mo'er and Zhao Ban'er, enthusiastically celebrated his and Wen Yue's fifteen-year anniversary of meeting. Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue, each harboring secrets, cautiously questioned each other, exchanging lies.
Zhao Buyou's thoughts drifted back to how they met. Fifteen years ago, after Li Yan and his entourage were killed, Zhao Buyou, then a Scribe Assistant at the Office of Justice, went to the river to witness the commotion. He was accidentally pushed into the water. Soaked, he went to a tailor's shop to buy dry clothes, where he unexpectedly encountered Wen Yue, also buying dry clothes. Two officers arrived at the shop to investigate. Wen Yue was visibly terrified.
Zhao Buyou quickly claimed they were engaged to be married, successfully deceiving the officers. Wen Yue thanked him for his help, claiming to be a homeless orphan, and even joked that she was the one who killed Li Yan. Zhao Buyou was smitten with her. Back in the present, Zhao Ban'er and Zhao Mo'er hosted the anniversary celebration, excitedly discussing the strange events at the Rainbow Bridge that day.
Zhao Ban'er specifically remembered that Wen Yue's hair was wet when she returned home. Wen Yue lied, saying she had met with a bamboo supplier. Both Zhao Buyou and Wen Yue were uneasy. A delivery arrived from "bamboo supplier Xiao Yishui," containing a box of delicacies. Wen Yue cautioned everyone not to eat it immediately. Zhao Buyou then ushered Zhao Ban'er, Zhao Mo'er, and his father Zhao Li out of the room.
Alone with Wen Yue, he confronted her, stating his belief that she was the masked person in the river and insisting that their family must leave the capital immediately. Wen Yue opened the box of delicacies and found a threatening note inside: "No case file from the Office of Justice and your whole family will be slain." Zhao Buyou went into the street and saw officers registering people who had gotten wet.
Di Lun, a Prosecutor from the Office of Justice, arrived, and Gu Zhen requested the case file for Li Yan's murder fifteen years ago. Di Lun made excuses, reluctant to hand it over. Hearing their conversation, Zhao Buyou approached Gu Zhen, offering his services. He claimed to have memorized the entire Li Yan case file and sought a position under Gu Zhen. Gu Zhen was surprised, asking why a Scribe Assistant from the Office of Justice would want to leave.
Zhao Buyou explained the events of the previous night: a fire at the National Archives (where old files were stored) had been blamed on him by Di Lun, who wanted to protect Luo Zhun, a relative of the Personnel Minister, who was responsible for the fire. Di Lun had promised Zhao Buyou a promotion if he took the blame, but instead, an announcement of his dismissal was posted that morning.
Zhao Buyou not only demonstrated his knowledge of the Li Yan case file but also offered tactical suggestions to Gu Zhen, much to Di Lun's annoyance. Gu Zhen decided to take Zhao Buyou into his service and assign him important tasks, leaving Di Lun frustrated. Zhao Buyou obtained the list of people who had gotten wet from an officer and saw Wen Yue's name on it.
He attempted to rewrite the list to remove her name, but the officer refused, instead handing the original list to Gu Zhen. Suddenly, the pig's head on the raft moved, its mouth opening. Gu Zhen hurried to investigate, finding a toad inside. Zhao Buyou seized this distraction to quickly rewrite the wet clothes list, omitting Wen Yue's name before the original was reviewed. The Kaifeng Court was ordered by the imperial court to apprehend the true culprit within three days.
Wan Fu reported the progress of the investigation. The missing boat's owner was named Mei, and the vessel, referred to as "Mei's Boat," had been rented months prior for a large sum and moved to a remote lake. The victims were all killed by sharp weapons, and their identities remained unknown. All registered individuals with wet clothes had alibis.
Additionally, the Gate Guarding Department of the Ministry of Justice had reported that a few days earlier, a suspicious group led by a man referred to as "Mr. Xiao" had entered the capital via the waterway using fake travel documents. Gu Zhen asked Zhao Buyou to elaborate on the Li Yan case from fifteen years ago. Zhao Buyou explained that Li Yan was beheaded, while his entourage were killed by sharp weapons, similar to the victims in the current case.
He recalled that Di Lun had investigated the Li Yan case and that three perpetrators were supposedly caught and eliminated. Wan Fu questioned if Di Lun's handling of the previous case had allowed the culprits to strike again, provoking Di Lun. Zhao Buyou suggested that investigating the origin of the "auspicious sign" could reveal the truth.
Di Lun loudly interrupted Zhao Buyou, pulling Gu Zhen aside to warn him that investigating the auspicious sign could anger powerful figures in the court and jeopardize Gu Zhen's career. After considering the risks, Gu Zhen decided to follow Zhao Buyou's suggestion and begin the investigation by looking into the auspicious sign.
