Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 3 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
Gu Zhen instructed Zhao Buyou to investigate the auspicious sign that appeared on the river, believing that finding the creator of the mechanism would lead to the murderer. Zhao Buyou admitted he didn't understand such mechanisms but could recommend someone. He went to find his younger brother, Zhao Mo'er, a student of "Crafting Genius" Zhang Yong, known for his skill in mechanisms. Zhao Mo'er joined him by the boat with the pig head and blood writing, standing in silence.
Wan Fu expressed frustration over the three-day deadline set by the court with no progress. Wen Yue arranged for paper effigies for ancestor worship to be delivered to the Office of Justice, causing alarm among the officials and drawing public attention outside the office. Wen Yue, in disguise, infiltrated the Office of Justice archives to search for files on Li Yan's case. She discovered the relevant case files had been burned.
As she prepared to leave, guards and workers arrived to repair the building, and she accidentally knocked over a table, revealing her presence. She used her umbrella to defend herself, quickly incapacitating the guards before making her escape. Zhao Mo'er suggested they begin by investigating the auspicious clouds, explaining their formation could be due to sunlight on fog, intensified by a bright light source. He knew of substances that burn brighter than fireworks, some of which were prohibited.
Gu Zhen ordered Wan Fu to investigate recent buyers of these materials and arranged for Zhao Mo'er to conduct experiments once the materials were acquired. Wan Fu managed to gather most of the required materials but was missing magnesia. Zhao Mo'er insisted that all components, including magnesia, were essential for a successful experiment. Wan Fu grew impatient, eager to have Zhao Mo'er sign off so he could report progress.
Song Qiyu, a reporter from the Jixiantang Newspaper and a candidate for the imperial examination, witnessed the exchange. He introduced himself, explaining his purpose was to report on the case, and flattered Wan Fu by acknowledging his reputation. Wan Fu, somewhat appeased, agreed to find the missing magnesia. Finding herself surrounded, Wen Yue escaped through an underground culvert. She recalled that this area was known as the "trouble-free hole" by Water Dagger, a pirate from the South.
A flashback showed young Wen Yue orphaned after her mother's death, with Water Dagger trying to persuade her to become a pirate. Although she initially refused, she eventually followed him into the underground culvert, becoming involved in illicit activities. Returning to the culvert brought back traumatic memories, and she quickly fled the area. Zhao Ban'er, Zhao Buyou's younger sister, visited the temporary morgue set up for the Rainbow Bridge victims.
She observed the coroner, Yao He (son of the retired Coroner Yao), performing pre-autopsy rituals, appearing timid and stalling. Zhao Ban'er, who had studied medicine, stepped forward and offered to help, stating she was not afraid of the bodies. Yao He attempted to use a silver needle but showed fear. Zhao Ban'er explained that weak poisons might not be detected by silver needles and suggested using hot vinegar and rice balls, which absorb toxins.
They applied rice balls to the mouths of four specific bodies. The rice balls turned black, indicating poisoning. Zhao Ban'er noted a garlic smell and suspected red spider lily, a poison from the South that causes weakness, explaining why these victims, identified as fighters, showed no signs of struggle. Zhao Mo'er conducted several experiments, finally succeeding in recreating the bright light effect. He identified sulfur and magnesia as the key components.
He then took Song Qiyu to search for the boat used to create the light, reasoning that burning sulfur would have driven away woodworms. They searched small boats along the riverbanks. Song Qiyu proved helpful in the search. They located a small, deserted boat. A nearby boat owner reported seeing people, including a Hindu man, disembark from this boat before the incident.
Zhao Buyou sent Zhao Ban'er home, claiming he had argued with Wen Yue and wanted Ban'er to check on her. Wan Fu found the boat owner who brought the group led by a "Mr. Xiao" into the city. The owner reported that Mr. Xiao and his group boarded in Yingtian Prefecture and were physically imposing individuals.
He overheard them discussing finding a "pig head" and a woman named Fu Ling, described as an official physician who gives prescriptions, and her female junior apprentice. Wan Fu speculated that Fu Ling and the female junior apprentice were the same person as the masked woman seen in the river. Zhao Buyou recorded the boat owner's testimony. Wan Fu attempted to reconstruct the crime scene based on his assumptions.
Zhao Buyou brought in the painter Zhang Zeduan to examine his paintings of the Rainbow Bridge incident for clues. Zhang Zeduan presented a painting from earlier that morning showing a boat with an unusual anchor lifter positioned on top instead of the stern and noted it was wider than typical river boats. This difference helped identify a suspicious vessel.
Zhao Mo'er reported his findings on the materials used for the light and the identification of the suspicious boat to Gu Zhen. Gu Zhen decided to focus the investigation on this boat. Zhao Buyou presented his own analysis to Gu Zhen, mentioning that his previous reports to Di Lun were dismissed. Gu Zhen was impressed with Zhao Buyou and promised his support.
Song Qiyu and Zhao Mo'er bonded over their collaboration, and Zhao Mo'er gave Song Qiyu a complex mortise and tenon toy he had crafted. Following Gu Zhen's orders, officers searched the Bian River banks and found the suspicious boat hidden inside a larger boat on a wild beach.
Zhao Mo'er examined the boat, noting it was made of light paulownia wood and had a catamaran structure, essentially a hollow hull designed like a large drawer to conceal another vessel, explaining its unusual features and disappearance. Di Lun arrived and expressed concern about investigating the origin of the auspicious sign, calling it a crime against the Emperor. Gu Zhen dismissed his worries, suggesting the Emperor might not care about the sign's authenticity. Di Lun left.
Inside the hidden boat, a bronze furnace was discovered containing residue identified by Zhao Mo'er as a mixture of niter, sugar, and spices, confirming it was used to create the smoke. Zhao Buyou recognized the furnace as a Hindu type, recalling seeing a similar one used in a smoke art performance. Zhao Buyou presented his reconstruction of the events: A group used the Hindu furnace on the Mei's Boat as part of a plan to create a fake auspicious sign.
They intended to release smoke and pull the Mei's Boat into the catamaran to make it disappear. However, another group knew the plan, infiltrated the Mei's Boat, and killed the crew during the smoke release, turning the auspicious sign into a massacre. The first group, obscured by smoke, proceeded to pull the Mei's Boat into the catamaran as planned. The second group used the smoke as cover to escape.
The first group, finding the dead bodies and realizing something had gone wrong, abandoned the boats on the beach because Gu Zhen's forces had sealed the river. Zhao Buyou concluded that finding the creators of the auspicious sign (specifically the Hindu man) was the priority to then identify the second group. Gu Zhen agreed and instructed Zhao Buyou to report for duty at the Kaifeng Court the next day. Wan Fu was visibly displeased. As Zhao Buyou and Zhao Mo'er prepared to leave, Zhao Ban'er rushed towards them with urgent news that something had happened to Wen Yue.
