The Imperial Coroner Episode 3 Recap
> The Imperial Coroner Recap
Commandery Prince An's chief guard, Wu Jiang, expressed concern that a credulous young woman like Chu Chu was in danger in Chang'an. Xiao Jinyu rebuked him, explaining that while parents or friends might advise caution, it is an official's duty to protect the people, otherwise, the court has no use for them. His words resonated deeply with Chu Chu, who recognized the philosophy as identical to that of the legendary "Handsome Judge."
Though Xiao Jinyu denied any connection, Chu Chu's suspicions about his identity grew. Chu Chu presented her autopsy findings on the man who had attacked her. The man, over thirty, was killed by a short arrow to the heart. His limp was feigned, but numerous old and new wounds suggested he was a seasoned fighter.
A thick callus on his right hand indicated frequent knife use, yet a writing callus was on his left, leading Chu Chu to conclude he was a "left-handed scholar and right-handed swordsman." Xiao Jinyu noted this was common for soldiers, as army training mandated right-hand weapon use regardless of natural handedness.
Baffled as to why a soldier would target her, Chu Chu suddenly theorized that the man intended to abduct her as his wife, recalling his promise not to kill her if she cooperated. The guards nearby snickered at her naive conclusion until a sharp glance from Xiao Jinyu silenced them. Meanwhile, Qin Luan, a powerful eunuch who consoled himself by wearing a fake beard, received a report from his subordinate, Zhou Han.
Zhou Han had failed to capture the female coroner due to Wu Jiang's intervention and admitted that the man hired for the job had been silenced before he could be questioned. Qin Luan was enraged that the body was not recovered and that his men had again failed to retrieve the stone pendant from Chu Chu.
He ordered Zhou Han to have his best men monitor Xiao Jinyu and Princess Xiping, threatening Zhou Han's family if he didn't shave his own beard. With night falling and curfew approaching, Chu Chu admitted she had no place to stay, fearing inns would reject a coroner. Xiao Jinyu offered her temporary lodging at the Three Judicial Offices, which also served as his residence, to keep her on hand for the ongoing cases.
While settling in, Chu Chu questioned a maid, Lian Qiao, about Xiao Jinyu's personal life. She was surprised he was still unmarried, remarking that men his age in her hometown were already fathers and musing that he would have beautiful children with a high-nosed, double-eyelidded woman. Lian Qiao mentioned that in Chang'an, such praise was usually directed at Jing Yi, which Chu Chu found strange.
Later that night, Jing Yi was comically thwarted by Wu Jiang while trying to sneak into Xiao Jinyu's residence through a window. He revealed he had tricked the dancer in prison into confessing the location of a stolen scroll in Yan Manor. However, upon his return to the prison, he found the dancer had been murdered with aconitine poison.
The scroll turned out to be a book of anecdotes from the Wuzong Dynasty, heavily annotated by the late Yan Ming, who showed a keen interest in Emperor Wuzong's missing young son, Duke Chang. Xiao Jinyu surmised Yan Ming had been searching for the long-lost duke.
He tasked Jing Yi with investigating the Shen Ce Army for a missing officer matching the dead assailant's description, connecting the military-grade arrowhead found on the body and the Southwest origins of the poison and the dancer. The next morning, feeling she shouldn't live there for free, Chu Chu used her new wages to buy chickens and build a coop, planning to raise them and grow vegetables to earn her keep, much to Xiao Jinyu's bemusement.
Their morning was interrupted by news from Feng Manor: Minister Feng Jie had died suddenly in his bed. Xiao Jinyu asked Chu Chu to accompany him to the mourning hall, disguised as his maid, to perform a discreet autopsy. During a quick lesson on servant etiquette, Chu Chu took the opportunity to check Xiao Jinyu's chest for a distinctive sword scar she associated with the Handsome Judge but was disappointed to find none.
At Feng Manor, Jing Yi created a diversion by "accidentally" knocking over an incense burner, scattering ashes on the deceased. In the ensuing chaos, Chu Chu examined the body and discovered scratches on Minister Feng's chest. When Minister Feng's wife angrily protested the soiled shroud, Chu Chu claimed the falling ash was a sign the deceased's spirit was crying out for justice.
Jing Yi supported her, convincing the widow to change the shroud to avoid damaging the minister's reputation with unsavory rumors. Afterward, Jing Yi's father invited Xiao Jinyu to their home, but he declined, stating he had official matters to discuss with Jing Yi. He then took Jing Yi and Chu Chu to Rugui Tavern. While Jing Yi ordered lavish dishes, Xiao Jinyu ordered authentic dishes from Chu Chu's home province of Qianzhou, explaining his brother was stationed there.
Touched by the gesture, Chu Chu revealed her key finding: the scratches on Feng Jie's chest were not meant to harm, but to save him. To demonstrate, she asked a surprised Xiao Jinyu to lie still like the corpse so she could re-enact the scene.
