Original subtitles

[Coroner's Diary]

[Episode 4]

Teeth marks.

Before Miss Song got married,

she might've had a secret lover.

Xu He.

Shut up. Get out!

A secret lover?

Are you sure about that?

Miss Qin,

you can't make up things like that.

Please take a look.

This is an old wound.

On the skin that hasn't rotted,

you can see two symmetrical crescents of black dots.

The upper dots are longer and darker

because upper teeth are bigger

and more widely spaced.

They leave deeper marks.

This is a bite.

A contusion caused by human teeth.

Even if it was a bite,

couldn't it have come from a fight

between women?

Men and women have different jaw widths.

If this had happened in a fight,

the victim would've struggled or dodged.

The wound and its location would've been different.

Yes.

Besides, Song Rou was the daughter of the Duke of Song.

No one would've dared offend her,

let alone bite her like this.

But you can't conclude

she had an affair

based solely on a bite mark.

There were also the termites.

They feed on rotting wood

and rarely attack living things.

The only reason they appeared near her private parts

is because she once lay naked near their nest.

Do you think she was sexually assaulted?

If she were, why didn't she cry out?

The escort guards could've heard her.

On the wedding day,

she was carried into Jingzhou in her bridal palanquin.

The only chance would've been the night before.

If it hadn't been someone close to her,

why would she have gone to the banyan woods alone at night?

Miss Song died so horribly.

Why did no one in the huge escort team notice a thing?

Even worse,

someone tried to play tricks at the Marquis Mansion

to mess with my head.

It must have been someone from the escort team.

Do you think the servants

were trying to cover things up to avoid punishment

for failing to protect her?

That's understandable.

You have a point.

Prefect Huo, please authorize an autopsy

so I can find solid evidence.

What?

An autopsy?

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not.

The Duke of Song would never agree to it.

Prefect Huo,

Song Rou was supposed to stay home

for marriage preparations these past few months.

If she had lost her virginity before the wedding

yet still planned to marry into the Yue family,

that would mean the Duke

had no respect for either the Yue family

or His Majesty.

This is a serious matter.

You've been a prefect for years.

You surely know what to do.

I'll reinvestigate everyone in the escort team

and convince Wei Yanzhi to approve the autopsy.

I'll take my leave.

Things are bound to turn ugly

between the Duke of Song and the Yue family.

Before the autopsy,

please don't tell anyone about

Song Rou's possible loss of virginity.

Coroners who leak examination details

will be whipped 100 times.

I may not be an official,

but I know the rules of postmortems.

Don't worry, Your Highness.

Coroner Xu,

place the body with the table it lies on into the empty coffin.

Surround the body

with peppercorns and charcoal before sealing the coffin.

Place extra ice basins around the coffin

to slow down decomposition

for the third examination.

Yes.

One more thing.

Have our men in the capital carefully check the Song family's inner quarters.

The inner quarters?

You mean

Song Rou was misbehaving?

Looks like I have to send you back to boot camp

to relearn discipline.

Forgive me, Master.

I'd rather run ten laps around Jingzhou

than be apart from you.

You get it, don't you?

Miss Qin, take care.

General Bai has urgent matters to report.

Let's not disturb them.

What a surprise. Besides me,

there's actually someone else the sweet-talking,

tough General Bai fears.

Master, stop calling me General.

When you call me that,

it makes my knees go weak.

Autopsy?

Prefect Huo,

you know the position I'm in.

I really

can't explain this to the Duke.

If this case remains unsolved,

the Duke,

the Marquis,

and even you and I—

none of us will be able to answer to His Majesty.

You're right.

-But… -Father!

I found the crime scene.

Where?

At the posthouse at Shili Temple.

Just like Miss Qin said,

there really are banyan woods beside it.

We found traces of blood next to some dry branches

in a secluded spot.

Did you find Rou's head?

No.

We searched the entire woods

but couldn't find it.

Could it have been taken by a wild animal?

Shili Temple is the closest posthouse to Jingzhou,

with lots of people coming and going.

Unless it's the dead of winter when food is scarce,

wild animals wouldn't come near.

It's also possible that the killer took it.

But why would they want her head?

Maybe

to cover up the evidence.

I failed at my job.

Vice Commandant Wei,

please have the Duke of Song write me

a letter as soon as possible.

After all, whether he agrees to the autopsy or not,

I have to report to His Majesty

and the Yue family.

I'll take my leave.

Your Highness,

this is such a smart move.

With the Duke of Song's letter,

I won't be blamed for not performing the necessary autopsy.

The blame falls entirely on him now.

According to criminal law,

not performing an autopsy when necessary is a violation of imperial protocol.

It's meant to prevent coroners

from being lazy or evasive.

Finding a scapegoat isn't something to celebrate.

It's just how things played out.

I'm not trying to dodge responsibility.

Miss Qin said that

out of a sense of justice.

Prefect Huo, don't take it to heart.

I've dealt with the Duke of Song for you.

But you have to handle the Marquis of Anyang yourself.

After all,

what the Yue family wants

is just the truth.

Alright.

I'll go question the escort team right away.

Farewell.

Take care.

Son,

you should focus on your studies.

Qin Wan is too far above us.

She's out of your league.

Fu Ling.

Get in. We're going back to the Marquis Mansion.

You upset Miss Qin?

She looks furious.

You can start running ten laps

around Jingzhou now!

Wait, Master.

I...

Well...

I know it's hard to hear,

but when you upset a girl,

you have to win her back fast.

If you wait until the next day, it'll be too late!

[Marquis of Anyang's Mansion]

Miss Qin!

Miss Qin.

Are you upset that

I used the Duke of Song's letter

to let Huo Huaixin off the hook?

Yes.

Even if Prefect Huo fears the Duke's power,

with a little pressure from you,

he might've had the courage to take responsibility.

Do you think he's only afraid of approving the autopsy?

What he truly fears is that you'll uncover evidence

that Song Rou had an affair

and the Duke of Song will take it out on him.

Then why did Your Highness

still let Prefect Huo shirk his duty?

Is a human life

worth less than his official title?

Because you found the bite mark.

His Majesty has paid attention to this case.

Even if the bite mark

isn't definitive proof of Song Rou's affair,

it's enough to raise suspicion.

If I submit the re-examination report

along with the Duke's letter…

His Majesty will suspect

the Duke wants to obstruct the investigation.

If His Majesty orders a thorough investigation,

what can the Duke possibly do?

I've wronged you, Your Highness.

Please punish me.

No need.

I only acted according to the situation.

It's nothing.

But

I do hope, from now on,

you can be honest

and open with me.

I can't shake the feeling

that Wei Yanzhi is suspicious.

He acted heartbroken just now,

but he couldn't even look me in the eye.

I'll have someone watch him—

see if he'll really send a letter to the Duke.

Tomorrow is the 15th. There will be a lantern fair.

He doesn't know I've found out

Miss Song had a secret lover.

Your Highness, please spread the word

that I plan to do a third examination in a few days.

At the fair tomorrow,

I'll lure him out

and see if he wants to get rid of me.

Why risk yourself like this?

Find a martial maid from the Marquis Mansion…

If Wei Yanzhi really is the killer,

he won't take the bait

unless it's real.

Your Highness,

just have someone follow me tomorrow.

I'll take my leave.

Young Master, here's a letter from the capital.

It says Young Master Qizhi

and his attendant disappeared the day after we left.

Why didn't you report this sooner?

The guards searched the entire capital

but couldn't find him.

Only then did the Duke send word.

Send men to search along the road we took.

I'm afraid…

my brother is on his way here.

Then…

could it be him who killed…

Shut up!

Don't you think the Duke's already in enough trouble?

But I heard from His Highness's men

that they'll do a third examination.

If they really find something,

how will we explain that to the Duke?

If the coroner disappears,

the Duke

can rest easy.

[Silence]

Grand Princess, your condition has stabilized.

You just need medicine and rest now.

I'll come check on you every other day.

Once again,

you saved

my life, Miss Qin.

Miss Qin,

if only you could stay here with Ning.

Yes, Little Wan'er,

please stay.

Thank you for your kindness,

but the Qin Mansion isn't far from here.

It's easy for me to come and go.

Why do you have to go home every night?

Miss Qin hasn't married yet.

If she stays out overnight,

people will gossip.

Chi.

You look troubled.

Is it because the case isn't going well?

No.

Miss Qin has confirmed the murder happened at Shili Temple.

The escort team hadn't entered Jingzhou by then.

No one can implicate the Yue family.

So, Jia,

you're cleared of suspicion.

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness.

Wan,

you really are our lucky star.

We don't even know how to thank you.

Since I arrived in Jingzhou,

I haven't gone out to have fun yet.

There's a lantern fair tonight for the Autumn Festival.

I really want to go.

Grand Princess, could you

talk to my grandma on my behalf?

No problem.

I'll send someone to inform your grandma right away.

And don't go home tonight.

Let Chi

go with you

and Ning and have some fun.

Yes. I'll make sure Little Wan'er

enjoys herself.

And Vice Commandant Wei.

He's looked gloomy all day.

Maybe he's still worried about the case.

Can I let him join us?

Yeah.

That illegitimate son of the Wei family

unfortunately got dragged into this mess.

Poor guy.

He definitely has no idea how to face the Song family now.

He really is quite pitiful.

Let him go.

Let him join you.

As you wish, Great Aunt.

I'll go too.

Sure.

You all go play.

My Lady,

look, so many gifts.

Your Ladyship, this is too much.

Mother and Grandma prepared them for you.

If you don't want them,

go tell my mother.

Come on, get in the carriage.

Thank you, Your Ladyship.

What's this?

The most popular storybook right now.

Miss Qin will surely like it.

You're giving a storybook to an unmarried lady?

Aren't you worried it'll tarnish her reputation?

Even if it's about a heroine fighting injustice?

If you give her a medical book,

she may like it more.

Go back.

Then you take it.

Chi.

This...

This is for you.

It's a story about heroes.

By the way,

I'll be the one to walk Miss Qin out

from now on.

Why?

Because

you can't beat me.

I...

I'll beat you someday!

I'll wait.

Let's go!

My bunny.

Look.

So beautiful.

Little Wan'er,

this whole street is packed with food and games.

Where do you want to start?

Where are my brother and Chi?

I haven't seen them since we got off the carriage.

Forget about them.

Let's enjoy ourselves.

Your Ladyship, look at that lantern.

So beautiful.

That little rabbit is so cute.

My Lady, look!

There's a shadow play!

Come on. Let's give it a try.

Hurry up.

You try it too.

No, thanks.

"Seagulls and Egrets in Serenity."

Seagulls what?

It's the name of a zither piece, "Seagulls and Egrets in Serenity."

In all this noise,

you can still recognize a tune.

You must've been good at the zither since you were young.

Not at all.

That piece is my older brother's favorite.

I've heard him play it so many times

that it stuck with me.

So your brother studied the zither from a young age?

He's the Wei family's eldest legitimate son,

highly valued by both Mother and the Duke of Song.

The Duke even hired

the best zither teacher in the capital to teach him and Rou.

If he hadn't broken his leg taming a horse

before the trip,

he would've been the one escorting the bride.

There are thick calluses on the second joint

of her left middle finger and the joint of her thumb.

The Song family's servants said

Miss Song was quite skilled at the zither.

Then why didn't you learn to play the zither?

Because when my mother was alive,

she didn't want me to trouble the Duke too often.

Come on,

we're out to have fun.

Let's not talk about sad things.

His Highness will be worried if he can't find us.

Vice Commandant Wei and I will go over there.

You two go look for them

and meet us later.

No way.

It's better if Miss Qin

and Your Ladyship stay here for a bit.

I'll go look for His Highness.

It's just that

I want to find that zither player first,

so I'm afraid you'll have to

wait a little longer.

Go on, go.

Just don't get lost.

Anyone who doesn't know he's an illegitimate son

would take him

for some young master

from a prestigious family.

Let's go.

Lanterns.

Beautiful lanterns.

Lanterns.

Fu Ling,

go lead Her Ladyship away.

No,

I need to stay and protect you.

I talked with His Highness.

He'll be watching over me in secret.

You don't have to worry.

Go.

I like this one.

Your Ladyship, look.

That butterfly is so beautiful.

Let's go to the second floor.

Sure. Little Wan'er.

Where is she?

She went to find His Highness.

Don't worry.

But...

Come on, let's go.

Sir, this float is so fun!

Get on it.

Goodbye, sir. Goodbye.

Miss Qin.

She's so beautiful.

She really is.

The Shuoxi Army guards the borders,

fighting by day and sleeping in cold mountains by night,

so that the cities can be brightly lit

every night

and the people can live in peace.

Miss, you're so beautiful.

I'm not as noble as you, Chi.

I just want the one I love

to stay safe.

Only when our country is prosperous

can the people be safe and thriving.

Right?

Miss…

Sorry.

Who are you looking for?

Sorry.

I mistook you for someone else.

Who is he looking for?

All kinds of masks!

Come and take a look.

Wei Yanzhi.

Is that you?

Miss,

do you want a mask?

We've got everything.

Take a look.

I want this one.

Okay.

Come on.

Come and take a look.

Lantern riddles!

Come and try your luck.

If you get them all right,

you'll win a special prize

prepared by our shop!

Come and give it a shot!

Take a look.

Lantern riddles!

Hurry up.

Are you alright?

I'm fine.

Why are you here?

I saw Wei Yanzhi getting off the lantern float,

so I followed him.

I was afraid he'd see me,

so I bought a mask.

But then I realized

it wasn't Wei Yanzhi.

It wasn't.

He's still there listening to music.

It was bold of you to take a risk

on such a crowded street.

Luckily,

someone mentioned a girl in a xiezhi mask.

That's how I found you.

How did you know I was the one in the xiezhi mask?

The xiezhi can tell right from wrong.

In this world,

what other girl

would wear such a fierce-looking mask?

You're hurt?

It's nothing.

Don't tell anyone.

Let's go.

How did you get hurt so badly?

It's inevitable when you fight in battles.

But this blade wound

is clearly recent.

But there's no battlefield

between the capital and Jingzhou.

This is why they say smart women are dangerous.

I think only inept people believe that.

I didn't expect Your Highness to be one of them.

I'm just afraid that knowing too much

may get you in trouble.

However,

if you want to know,

I can tell you.

I don't want to uncover military secrets.

What if it's not a military secret

but a wrongful conviction in the capital?

You still don't need to tell me.

If that wound had gone

half an inch deeper, you'd have become a cripple.

Why didn't you

say anything or get treatment?

The wound is already infected.

I have medicine with me.

I can treat it myself.

Have some numbing decoction.

No need.

I can take it.

That wound goes across your spine.

I need to remove the infected tissue before stitching.

If you move even slightly, the nerves could be damaged.

By then, it'll be beyond fixing.

I joined the army when I was ten.

I've gotten through worse without help.

Using things like that

only makes a man soft.

Fine.

If it becomes too much, tell me.

Don't worry.

Miss Qin,

please make me a wound medicine

for battlefield emergencies.

I want it to work fast.

Anything that works fast is fierce.

Most people wouldn't be able to handle it.

The Shuoxi Army is known for being fierce.

A fierce medicine suits us just fine.

All done.

Master, I have something to report.

Come in.

Master,

someone deliberately cut off

the beam at the base of the lantern tower.

But it wasn't Wei Yanzhi who lured Miss Qin out.

At the time of the incident,

he was at Tianyin Pavilion listening to music.

The musician and the shopkeeper both confirmed it.

The Song family has 20 martial guards.

They're all at the Song Mansion now.

But

they went to the lantern fair together earlier.

It's a small guard team,

but they're more disciplined than actual soldiers.

Even when they're off duty, they stick together.

That's not common.

I'll go deal with them right away.

-Stop. -Stop.

You can't act without just cause.

They did all this

to stop me from performing the autopsy.

The sooner we get it done,

the less chance they have to interfere.

Bai Feng,

tomorrow you're allowed to spar with the Song family's guards.

Make it a narrow win.

Don't end it too quickly.

Keep it going until Huo Huaixin steps in.

Yes.

Miss Qin,

please conduct the autopsy tomorrow.

Okay.

[Fair and Just]

General Bai,

you said you fought with the Song family's guards

because they slandered His Highness.

What exactly did they say?

They said His Highness is highly skilled in martial arts

and arrived in Jingzhou just after them.

They claimed he used

the investigation

as a pretext to sexually assault Miss Song

and killed her when it failed.

Nonsense!

Your Highness,

I swear on my life,

no one in the Song Mansion

would dare harbor

such an outrageous thought.

Prefect Huo.

Rumors may die in the minds of the wise,

but there's no smoke without fire.

If word like that gets out,

how can I still call myself

the Young Marshal of the Shuoxi Army?

I'll issue an immediate gag order.

I…

I'm ashamed.

Since someone's stirring the pot,

there's no need for me to hold back.

Miss Song's autopsy must be done immediately.

If we can't find the real killer and clear my name,

the two of you

can take a trip with me to Shuoxi.

Calm down, Your Highness.

I'll arrange the autopsy right away.

[Grace and Purity]

My Lady, is something on your mind?

You've been zoning out for a while.

There's something I can't figure out.

Why would Lord Yan willingly tarnish his own name

to help me conduct the autopsy?

This case has nothing to do with the Yue family,

and it's not his responsibility.

He has no personal grudge against the Song family either.

My Lady,

how do you think His Highness treats you?

Very well.

Then why do you think

His Highness treats you differently

from everyone else?

He said

I saved the Grand Princess,

so he's indebted to me.

And that only I can help him do what he wants to do.

Maybe he values my forensic skills

and wants my help.

My Lady, have you never considered that

maybe His Highness…

has feelings for you?

My identity is fake,

but it's true that I'm using him.

I need his power

to escape the Qin family.

I can't afford to let my guard down.

If I can't be honest with him,

how could I possibly return his feelings?

But…

but can't he be carrying a torch for you?

He…

he doesn't seem like that kind of man.

Fire! Hurry!

Get more water!

Quick!

We need more hands!

Get more water.

[Qin Mansion]

Miss Qin,

the morgue caught fire last night.

The east wing was burned down.

I'm afraid the body

can't be examined anymore.

Does His Highness know?

As soon as Master heard, he rushed to the morgue overnight.

He asked me to wait here for you

so you wouldn't waste a trip.

Then why is the Yue family's carriage still here?

Master thought

you might insist on going.

Get in. Let's go to the morgue.

Miss Qin,

the body's been burned beyond recognition.

Can it still be examined?

Whether it can be examined is for me to decide.

My forensic box!

That's a forensic box!

There's no money inside. Don't run!

I knew you'd come.

The paper offerings and candles in the morgue catch fire easily,

but there were plenty of ice basins here.

As the ice melted into water,

it should've dampened the fire.

There's no way this whole place could've burned down.

Where's the body?

In the main hall.

But first, come take a look at this.

What's that smell?

Tung oil.

The morgue usually uses butter lamps.

Someone set this fire on purpose.

Huo Huaixin has sent men to check

who bought tung oil last night.

If I guess right…

It's someone from the Song family.

[Fortune Inn]

Young Master Qizhi.

[Wei Qizhi]

You got it?

Yes.

Can you still examine it?

The body's surface is completely charred,

with no skin texture visible.

But an autopsy focuses on the internal organs.

I look for signs in the body.

So yes, it can still be examined.

But Xu He isn't here yet,

and the tools are with him.

Bai Feng!

This is...

I prepared this ahead of time.

It's inappropriate as a gift for a girl,

so I kept it at the morgue,

just in case you'd ever need it.

Bring it in.

Thank you, Your Highness.

If you want to thank me, do a proper examination.

I'll write the postmortem report.

Write this down.

Due to extensive burns on the body,

the third examination is an autopsy.

The victim has been dead for nearly nine days.

So only a small amount of stomach contents remains.

What's wrong?

Write this down.

The pelvis is wide

and tilted backward.

The pubic bone is broader than average.

The uterus sits lower than normal.

What does that mean?

It suggests the deceased

had once been pregnant.

Could you be mistaken?

Based on the width

and backward tilt of the pelvis,

she was likely

about five to six months along.

Her uterus had returned to normal size,

which means the miscarriage happened about two months ago.

When she left for Jingzhou,

she must've just recovered.

Then how could the Song family

still have sent her off to be married after that?

That's deceiving His Majesty!

If the Duke of Song dared do that,

he must've had a foolproof plan.

Your Highness.

This is a sketch from the oil shop owner

of the man who bought tung oil yesterday.

Isn't this Wei Cheng, the Song Mansion's guard captain?

There's no way a lowly guard captain

would've dared destroy the corpse.

I'm afraid Wei Yanzhi ordered it.

He owes everything to the Duke of Song.

Of course he'd do everything he could to help the Duke out.

Wei Yanzhi said

his older brother and Miss Song grew up together.

If not for the broken leg,

he would've been the one escorting the bride.

Could his brother be

the one Song Rou had an affair…

with?

That's a matter of the inner chambers.

The Duke must've picked someone loyal and discreet

to guide Song Rou

and ensure everything went smoothly

on the wedding day.

The female servant in charge of her dowry

was likely placed there by the Duke.

Right. I'll have someone question her right away.