Serendipity Episode 16 Recap, Plot

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The investigation into Lu Wencai’s mysterious death began. Minister Lu was heartbroken upon seeing his son’s body and pleaded for justice before the two princes. The coroner confirmed the victim had died less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick ago and also identified the murder weapon. Upon examining it, the princes found the character "Xie" inscribed on it. Xie Xu was the only person in the academy with that surname.

Xie Xu claimed the item had gone missing days ago and insisted that he hadn’t left since being confined. To prove his innocence, he asked Su Tangli to testify, saying she had visited him shortly before the murder. However, Su Tangli denied it. Enraged, Xie Xu exposed Su Tangli’s true gender in front of everyone, accusing her of harboring ulterior motives. The headmaster, puzzled, asked what was going on.

Xie Xu revealed that Su Tangli was the daughter of a criminal, and that Lu Wencai had discovered her secret. Claiming to have been manipulated and provoked into conflict, Xie Xu accused Su Tangli of killing Lu Wencai. Su Tangli was heartbroken that Xie Xu would sacrifice her to save himself, and the two began accusing each other. Prince Yu was pleased to witness this scene, knowing that the Marquis of Yongqing was on Prince Rui’s side.

Afterward, Lu Chang approached Su Tangli to ask what happened. Su Tangli denied killing Lu Wencai, and Lu Chang was relieved. As long as she wasn’t the killer, there was still hope. To uncover the truth, Jian Mingshu, Lu Chang, Song Qingzhao, and Ying Xun went to the crime scene. They didn’t believe Xie Xu and Su Tangli could have committed the murder. Jian Mingshu was called away by Madam Lin.

Song Qingzhao was shocked to hear Lu Chang and Ying Xun examining the corpse. After careful analysis, they concluded Lu Wencai hadn’t been shot but rather stabbed from behind after someone snuck in. Xie Xu and Su Tangli wouldn’t have been capable of such a calculated attack, so the real killer must be someone else. If that were true, the murderer would surely have bloodstains on them.

Ying Xun found Lu Wencai’s poetry drafts and deduced he must have snuck in to present his work to the princes, unaware the killer was already lying in wait. The bloody clothes hadn’t been found, and given the limited time, the killer likely didn’t have a chance to change. To expose the culprit, Lu Chang ordered hu-la-tang for everyone. Young Master Zhang refused to drink it no matter what.

Jian Mingshu pretended to accidentally spill soup on him, and he still refused to change his clothes. Once the prefect announced progress in the case and dismissed everyone, Young Master Zhang revealed a flaw. There were still bloodstains on Young Master Zhang’s undergarments. He confessed to killing Lu Wencai. After ten years of hard study, he had suffered under Lu Wencai’s bullying for years and finally snapped.

With the matter settled, Xie Xu was also found guilty of falsifying documents and harboring a criminal. Prince Rui planned to report all of this. As for what to do with Su Tangli, Minister Lu suggested leaving her at the academy under the headmaster’s temporary custody. With the case closed, Prince Yu cast a meaningful glance at Lu Chang before leaving. Back at the manor, Prince Rui found Yin Shujun had prepared silver ear soup for him.

Troubled about whether he should plead on behalf of the Marquis’s estate, Prince Rui was impressed by Yin Shujun’s thoughtful insights. Although the case was resolved, Jian Mingshu remained troubled. She felt jealous despite Su Tangli’s tragic background and regretted her feelings. Song Qingzhao came to comfort her. Before Young Master Zhang was taken away, Jian Mingshu asked if anyone had said something to him, but he remained silent. In prison, Young Master Zhang took poison and ended his life.

Jian Mingshu saw a doll fall out of his old clothes and was reminded of Liu Yuanying’s. She began to suspect that Young Master Zhang might be the brother Liu Yuanying had been searching for. At that moment, Lu Chang also arrived with news of his suicide. Jian Mingshu rushed to the prison with Liu Yuanying. The poison had already spread through his body, and he was on the brink of death.

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