Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 20 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
Officials reviewed the case findings, including a missing person notice for Song Yingying found in Lu Sanzhen's room. It was noted that Song Yingying had died terribly, with multiple fractures and ink stains in her mouth and nose, suggesting brutal torture and beating before death. They discussed the similarity in death to the men found at the Fan Tower, believing their deaths were an act of revenge, an eye for an eye.
The officials confirmed that more than half the names on a list they were investigating were of women who were alone and missing. Further investigation revealed that the embroidery on the red silk found at the Fan Tower matched embroidery found at an embroidery workshop. This led to speculation that the missing women might have suffered the same fate as Song Yingying, although only Song Yingying's death shortly after her disappearance was confirmed.
Lu Sanzhen had buried Song Yingying, and then, possibly as part of the revenge, committed the Fan Tower murders where the victims were tortured and suffocated in ink. It was suggested that Lu Sanzhen pawned his property afterward, intending to escape. The conversation turned to the whereabouts of Ci and the mysterious woman in black, questioning if they were the same person. An official noted that the embroidery workshop was certainly involved and the autopsy findings supported their conclusions.
One of the officials was instructed to relay their findings to Wen Yue. Wan Fu was asked to escort someone home. Zhao Buyou visited a small restaurant. He inquired if a woman in black had been there recently. The owner confirmed she had, stating that the woman had left a package with instructions to give it to anyone who came asking for her. Zhao Buyou took the package, which contained a letter from Dong Qian and a booklet.
In the letter, Dong Qian confessed his crimes, explaining that twenty years prior, the Zou family had blackmailed him using his aged mother, forcing him to become an assassin to eliminate rivals and witnesses. He admitted to harming innocent people under duress, an act that brought him constant shame. Dong Qian stated he was now going to assassinate Zou Mian to rid the people of a tyrant and clear his own name, knowing he would not return.
He recorded the details of each case and attached Zou Mian's secret orders as a form of repentance and to reveal the truth. One entry detailed a secret order received from Zou Mian's servant, Li Ding, to execute the family of master craftsman Su Zhi from the Taihu Shipyard within five days. Dong Qian noted the methodical planning involved before he carried out the murder near midnight.
A flashback depicted a woman urging a man and child to run, a child crying out for his mother and brother before being told to run and not look back. Zhao Buyou was deeply affected by the confession, realizing Dong Qian, whom he respected, was a pawn of Zou Mian, and that the man who killed Wen Yue's family was the true father of Mo and Ban.
Zhao Buyou returned home dejected, remembering it was the night for their family reunion dinner. He forced a smile as he entered. Wen Yue had prepared a large feast. The family gathered, waiting for him. Zhao Li and Su were having fun setting off fireworks outside. During the dinner, Zhao Buyou struggled with the truth about Mo and Ban's parentage, fearing it would cause animosity between Wen Yue and the siblings.
Instead of revealing what he learned from Dong Qian's booklet, he chose to conceal it for now. He had invited their old neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, to help him tell a fabricated story. Mr. and Mrs. Chen explained that over ten years ago, two elegantly dressed women, each with a small child, suddenly appeared at their home looking for Zhao Li.
One woman confronted Zhao Li, reminding him of his promise to marry her if she had a son and demanding he acknowledge the child. Mr. and Mrs. Chen stated that Zhao Li had a reputation for frequenting brothels, implying that the women were from there and the children were his illegitimate offspring. They concluded the story by stating that Mo and Ban were those two children, with different mothers but the same father, making them family.
Wen Yue seemed puzzled by the elaborate story and asked Zhao Buyou why he chose to tell them this version of events. Zhao Buyou gave vague excuses, saying he would explain everything later, after things settled down. Later, Mo and Ban discussed the story they were told. They didn't fully believe it but felt sorry for Zhao Buyou, seeing how much effort he put into creating the lie.
They decided not to investigate their origins for now, as probing deeper seemed to cause him distress. Ban suggested Mo move back home, assuring him that Zhao Buyou would be happy. Mo agreed to return that night. Alone, Zhao Buyou reread Dong Qian's confession, weighing his love for Wen Yue against the safety of Mo and Ban. After contemplation, he burned the booklet, burying the secret of Dong Qian's involvement in killing Wen Yue's family.
Su was distraught after dreaming about her mother and cried. Ban comforted her, promising to find information about Ci the next day. Early the next morning, Ban prepared to leave to search for Ci's whereabouts. She encountered Yao He, who was just finishing up at the court, claiming he had been copying autopsy records all night and was exhausted. He offered to accompany her, but Ban urged him to go home and rest, promising she would be careful.
Yao He agreed, offering to cook something delicious for her when she returned. Ban arrived at Wuxue Alley and found the Ci Rou Mutual Aid Society, recognizable from the handkerchief. She showed a seamstress a handkerchief embroidered with "Ci Rou" and asked about its origin. The seamstress confirmed it was made by a member and asked how she obtained it. Ban explained it belonged to Ci and Song Yingying and she was looking for information about them.
The seamstress invited Ban to the back hall for tea, saying that Ci and Song Yingying had visited three days prior. Despite Ban's questions about their visit, the seamstress repeatedly urged her to drink the tea. Ban drank it quickly and soon felt unwell, realizing the tea was drugged before collapsing unconscious.
At the Kaifeng Court, officials had discovered multiple handkerchiefs with the "Ci Rou" embroidery at the homes of missing women and traced the source to the mutual aid society in Wuxue Alley. Gu, Wan Fu, and Zhao Buyou led officials to the location, but the building was deserted. Searching the premises, Zhao Buyou found a purse under a table, recognizing it as the one Su had given to Ban.
Realizing Ban had been there and was likely in danger, he grew worried. Shortly after, Zhang arrived at the mutual aid society seeking Zhao Buyou. Zhang presented sketches he had made of various women he had encountered, including those from the mutual aid society. He hoped these drawings might be helpful in the investigation of the Fan Tower case and the missing women. Zhao Buyou quickly reviewed the sketches to identify the seamstress.
Ban regained consciousness in a damp, dark underground room and was surprised to find Mrs. Xie imprisoned there with her. Mrs. Xie explained that she had also been captured after applying for a job at the Ci Rou Mutual Aid Society and was beaten. Mrs. Xie warned Ban that the place was a vast maze from which escape was impossible, as prisoners were always blindfolded when moved.
Despite the warning, Ban was determined to find a way out, and Mrs. Xie reluctantly followed her attempt. Meanwhile, Yao He, having finished cooking, went to check on Ban and learned she hadn't returned. He immediately expressed concern and set out to find her. Navigating the underground passages, Ban and Mrs. Xie spotted patrolling guards and hid from them. Their search led them to a magnificent, brightly lit underground hall resembling a grand mansion, filled with women.
Inside, Luan was hosting foreign envoy Cui Hong and Minister Ma from the Office of Rites, enjoying music and entertainment. Luan was visibly angered to see Mrs. Xie and Ban there. Luan ordered their tongues cut out to ensure their silence, but a young woman tasked with the gruesome act discreetly advised Ban to feign compliance and promise not to reveal what she had seen. Ban, still affected by the drug, felt nauseous and vomited.
This unexpected reaction caused Luan to momentarily relent and spare them the mutilation for now. Envoy Cui expressed his country's urgent need for the thirty-six volumes of "The Treatise on Architectural Practices" and offered Luan a chest of gold as payment. Luan agreed to provide the books, hiding them within ten barrels of fine wine to be transported back. Luan then decided to select someone from the women present to serve as the "Brush" for the evening's entertainment, choosing Mrs. Xie.
