The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Episode 16 Recap
> The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty Recap
Tang Fan, having been demoted to Tongzhou, found a surprising amount of leisure. He hoped to catch up with his elder sister, Tang Yu, and his nephew, Cheng. However, he soon discovered that Tang Yu was not living happily with her husband's family. The elder He family members were snobbish; upon learning of Tang Fan’s demotion, they even refused to prepare a meat dish for him, claiming that such rich food was unsuitable during dry weather.
Tang Fan's brother-in-law, He Lin, was constantly having affairs outside and frequently subjected Cheng to physical abuse. Back in the capital, Wang Zhi had someone send the chef who attempted to assassinate him back to the Yu mansion. Wang Zhi mocked Third Miss Yu’s eldest brother, who then severely beat the chef. Amidst the beating, the chef muttered repeatedly that whoever killed Wang Zhi could marry Third Miss Yu.
Later, the chef approached Third Miss Yu, grasping her hand and asking her to elope with him. Third Miss Yu gently told him she only saw him as a brother and that her heart belonged to Sui Zhou, whom she intended to marry. Heartbroken, the chef left. Pei Huai and Duo Er La traveled to Tongzhou to visit Tang Fan, where they also encountered the harsh He family. Infuriated, Pei Huai joined Tang Fan in confronting He Lin.
However, He Lin shifted all blame onto Tang Yu, accusing her of being a jinx who brought misfortune and attracted defilements to the family, even connecting Cheng's illness to her. He also slandered her reputation by suggesting she was unfaithful. Angered by the injustice, Tang Fan stood up for his sister and moved her and Cheng out of the He family home to live with him. Soon after, Dong'er and Wuyun also arrived in Tongzhou.
With the exception of Sui Zhou, a group from the capital joyfully gathered under Tang Fan's small roof, sharing a copper hotpot meal. That night, Tang Yu confided in Pei Huai. She revealed that the He family was originally impoverished and only rose to wealth because Tang Fan had given his entire inheritance to her as dowry.
Because of this, divorcing He Lin would be incredibly difficult, as the He family would never allow her to leave with the dowry that had built their fortune. The brief peace was shattered when the He family, unwilling to give up, cunningly lured Cheng away and refused to return him. Desperate, Tang Yu beat the drum to seek justice at the local magistrate's office.
However, He Lin had never formally issued a divorce decree, making the He family's action of taking Cheng seem legally sound. Tang Yu requested an immediate divorce in court, but He Lin's proposed divorce agreement explicitly stated that she could not take Cheng with her. Cheng was everything to Tang Yu, so she heartbreakingly decided against the divorce, leaving her distraught. Enraged, Tang Fan and his friends began to devise a plan to punish He Lin and his family.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Sui Zhou had no intention of marrying Third Miss Yu. He went to the Yu mansion to decline the engagement, only to discover that the entire Yu family had been brutally massacred. Fortunately, Third Miss Yu, though barely alive from a knife wound, was spared, and Yu Zhenglin, the second son, was safe as he had been observing mourning rituals at his father’s tomb.
Wang Zhi discovered that the official silver ingots submitted by Yunhe province this year were filled with lead. As he began to ponder this alarming find, he was suddenly informed of the Yu family massacre and summoned by the Emperor. Upon meeting Wang Zhi, the Emperor immediately cleared him of suspicion, reasoning that Wang Zhi was too intelligent and had far more discreet ways to eliminate Yu Zhengpeng if he wished. Wang Zhi then presented the lead-filled silver ingot to the Emperor, informing His Majesty that something was amiss in Yunhe province.
