Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Episode 7 Recap
> Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Recap
Rumors spread like wildfire about Wu Xiang's death, attributed to a Hat Demon, eerily similar to an incident five years prior, leaving the public in a state of panic. Judge Wan, hearing about a conflict between Sun Bo and Wu Xiang at Wu's Restaurant the previous day, had the neighbor across the street identify Sun Bo as the person seen sneaking into Wu's home late at night.
Sun Bo claimed he was there to pay a debt, but Judge Wan dismissed his explanation as a lie, accusing him of faking the Hat Demon attack to exact revenge on Wu Xiang, who he claimed exploited Sun Bo's meager earnings. Judge Wan, confident in his ability to solve cases alongside Inspector Gu, asserted that no real demon would dare cause trouble. He interpreted Sun Bo's lack of verbal rebuttal as acquiescence and ordered his arrest.
Zhao Mo'er arrived, calling Judge Wan's conclusions mere guesses without evidence or proper investigation of the crime scene and body. He argued that the minor altercation he witnessed between Sun Bo and Wu Xiang hardly constituted a motive for murder. Judge Wan cautioned the young man to think before acting, threatening to cause trouble for Zhao Mo'er's brother, Zhao Buyou, if he spoke further.
Judge Wan insisted a "treacherous man" was trying to disrupt public order, not a Hat Demon, and again ordered Mo'er's arrest, though Mo'er was ultimately moved aside. Meanwhile, the fearful residents of Yanglou Street worried about the recurring Hat Demon incidents impacting property values, especially those owned by Zhang Qiniang. Believing Sun Bo to be innocent, Zhao Mo'er pleaded with the coroner Yao He to perform an autopsy on Wu Xiang.
Yao He, however, was terrified, admitting the death was too gruesome for him to handle alone. He suggested his father (Zhao Buyou) was the only one capable but had strict rules, mentioning that in a previous case, the Mei's Boat Case, he would have been expelled if not for Zhao Ban'er's assistance. Later, Zhao Ban'er was attempting to become an apprentice to Physician Ge, offering him cured meat made by her sister-in-law (Wen Yue).
Physician Ge flatly refused, stating he already had a new apprentice and ordering a helper to ensure she never returned. Zhao Mo'er arrived and intervened, warning the helper that only he was allowed to bully his sister, Zhao Ban'er, before picking up the fallen cured meat. Zhao Mo'er then enlisted Ban'er's help with the autopsy, reminding her it concerned Sun Bo and that Inspector Gu had allowed her to assist him before.
At the autopsy room, Ban'er took the lead, identifying the deceased as Wu Xiang, 34, owner of Wu's Restaurant, and mentioning his brother Wu Ao and sister Wu Qiao. She checked for injuries and broken bones, finding none. When the possibility of a Hat Demon was raised again, she suggested poisoning. Using black locust water and a silver plate placed in the body's mouth, she tested for oral poison, although she noted silver wouldn't detect all poisons.
Needing a live test for other possibilities, she eagerly went to find the chicken Yao He mentioned was in the yard for roasting, despite his protests. After the chicken showed no ill effects, they concluded poison wasn't detected by their methods. Mo'er and Ban'er reiterated their disbelief in Hat Demons but acknowledged the strange flying rumors. Realizing they needed more clues, they decided to investigate Wu's house at night since Kaifeng Prefecture guards were present during the day.
Meanwhile, Wen Yue accompanied Zhao Buyou to visit Mr. Huang of the Litigation Guild. Wen Yue presented Mr. Huang with homemade Lotus Fish, impressing him with her unique flour recipe. She explained that her husband, a newcomer to litigation, needed guidance from Mr. Huang, who was known for helping others. Mr. Huang agreed to accept Zhao Buyou, explaining guild rules required buying a litigation book, with identical books priced differently based on location.
Despite Zhao Buyou knowing the books by heart, he was made to buy one. Wen Yue quickly insisted on purchasing the 50 guan book for a spot on Xiangran Street, which was the cheapest but least desirable location, over Zhao Buyou's complaints of being extorted. Wen Yue reassured him they could earn the money back and were now in business.
Wen Yue accompanied him to Xiangran Street the next day as he set up his simple "First Litigation Booth in the Capital". She again urged him to visit Physician Ge after closing to discuss Ban'er's situation, noting that Ban'er had been fired from the clinic again the previous day for injuring someone's arm, and criticizing Zhao Buyou for not knowing or caring. Zhao Buyou agreed to go, and Wen Yue left for her umbrella shop.
Later, seeing a crowd gathered near Zhang Qiniang's mansion on Yanglou Street, Zhao Buyou went to investigate. He learned Zhang Qiniang was offering a 500 guan bounty for the Hat Demon, motivated by the impact the recent incidents were having on her properties in the area. An old woman arrived, weeping, claiming her son, Mr. Ji, hired as a music teacher by the mansion, had died suddenly and mysteriously, leaving only ashes.
A maid from the mansion insisted Mr. Ji died of a sudden illness, dismissing the woman and attempting to forcibly remove her after giving her money and the urn. Unconvinced, Zhao Buyou slipped into Zhang Mansion through a back door. He saw Zhang Qiniang and her manager enjoying singing and dancing in a warm chamber. When discovered, he claimed to have worked at a crematorium and could smell the scent of a young man's burned body in the garden.
Intrigued, Zhang Qiniang admitted to using human cremains as fertilizer, showing him where Mr. Ji's ashes were used, explaining that burned ashes made flowers thrive better than buried bodies. Zhao Buyou offered his services to solve the Hat Demon problem, willing to become flower fertilizer himself if he failed. Zhang Qiniang agreed to test his abilities. Back home, Zhao Mo'er sat lost in thought, distressed by Sun Bo's arrest.
Zhao Ban'er told Wen Yue about Mo'er's state and asked if Zhao Buyou could intercede with Inspector Gu to allow them to visit Sun Bo. Ban'er also revealed she had been fired by Physician Ge again. Wen Yue expressed disappointment that Zhao Buyou hadn't gone to see Physician Ge as she'd asked. Fearing Zhao Buyou's reaction, Ban'er pulled Mo'er away and they ran off. Realizing they were heading towards the case, Wen Yue decided to follow them.
Near the site of the planned demon-hunting assembly on Yanglou Street, Zhao Mo'er and Ban'er met Yao He, who was waiting nervously. Song Qiyu also arrived, drawn by the spectacle of the assembly. Introductions were made; Song Qiyu recognized Ban'er from a previous incident where she and Mo'er were involved in an explosion and noted he wrote newspaper articles about Mo'er. Ban'er questioned Song Qiyu about his writing, while Song Qiyu seemed amused by Yao He.
Yao He felt awkward and offered to buy food, though he later abandoned the idea to follow the others. While the crowd gathered for the assembly, Ban'er suggested they use the distraction to sneak into Wu's house and search for clues. Song Qiyu, eager for a good story, agreed to join them, emphasizing the need for careful investigation. Two Kaifeng Prefecture guards were supposed to be securing Wu's house but abandoned their post to watch the assembly.
This allowed Zhao Ban'er, Zhao Mo'er, Song Qiyu, and Yao He to enter. Yao He was visibly terrified, muttering prayers. Inside, Ban'er led the search. She discovered two holes in a beam with rope marks, deducing the body had been suspended by ropes threaded through them, pulled by someone hiding in a blind spot by the door. Song Qiyu mentioned a newspaper article claiming Hat Demons left victims' hair on their bodies, suggesting hair could be a distraction.
Their investigation was cut short when the guards returned, realizing the house was empty. The four quickly scaled the wall to escape. Just then, Wen Yue arrived, telling them to hurry and leave via the back door, explaining she came because they were about to be arrested. She scolded them for getting involved and sneaking out, pointing out the danger they faced despite Song Qiyu working for the press and Yao He being a coroner.
Mo'er argued that the Kaifeng Prefecture had unfairly arrested Sun Bo and wouldn't investigate properly. Wen Yue acknowledged his desire to help his friend but warned them she couldn't always save them. They apologized, promising not to hide their activities again. Wen Yue questioned Ban'er's interest in detective work over medicine, and Ban'er replied they just wanted to help Sun Bo.
At the demon-hunting assembly, a master prepared to "fry the demon" in a boiling pot, proclaiming his ritual would reveal any demon. As the master performed his ritual, Zhao Buyou stepped forward. He reached into the "boiling" pot, washing his hands, and announced the liquid was sour, revealing the trick involved vinegar, not boiling oil. He exposed the master as a fraud. Suddenly, two hat-like objects appeared in the sky. The crowd screamed, believing they were Hat Demons.
Zhao Buyou identified them as sky lanterns and easily knocked them down. He publicly declared that Hat Demons did not exist and that these were just tricks created by malicious people to cause fear and manipulate the property market. The crowd, relieved but confused about Wu Xiang's death, questioned how he died if there was no Hat Demon. Zhao Buyou promised that the case would be investigated and the murderer caught. Zhang Zeduan was among the crowd, sketching the scene.
Zhao Buyou was then summoned by Zhang Qiniang, who told him they should talk elsewhere, and he boarded her carriage. Wen Yue and the group, who had arrived and witnessed the events, saw Zhao Buyou leave with Zhang Qiniang. Wen Yue instructed Mo'er and Ban'er not to mention seeing him there and said she would not mention seeing them, while preventing them from trying to follow him immediately.
Early the next morning, Zhao Buyou returned home to find the door locked. He climbed over the wall and was met by a neighbor jokingly asking if he was locked out by his wife again. Inside, Wen Yue was already awake, stating she couldn't sleep because he had been out all night. Zhao Buyou claimed he was with a "new friend," and they had talked until morning. Wen Yue inquired about this friend who kept him from coming home and then noticed the faint smell of rouge on him.
