Original subtitles

[Coroner's Diary]

[Episode 18]

Help!

Miss Qin, it's me.

Help me!

I was so scared.

I was terrified.

Thank you, Miss Qin. Thank you.

You deserve it.

You deserve it. You deserve it.

-Let go of me! -You bastard!

-Let go of me! -How dare you laugh at me?

I'll beat you to death!

Eldest Young Master,

please don't hurt him.

He's your own brother!

You called me a bastard!

I'm going to tell Father!

How dare you throw stones at me?

Today, I'll beat

both of you!

Stop!

Hurting a woman and a child?

What kind of man does that?

I'm the eldest young master of the Pang family.

One of them is a servant,

and the other is just a bastard.

Why can't I hit them?

Bah!

My Lady, let's ignore him.

For Miss Qin's sake,

I'll spare you today!

Thank you, Miss Qin.

You know me?

I've seen you from afar.

My name is Qing.

I serve the madam of the house.

The madam?

She's...

the second wife of the master.

The Eldest Young Master is the son of his first wife.

I was being presumptuous.

Please don't take it to heart, Miss Qin.

Madam doesn't mind such things.

Qing,

I'm going to play in the cave.

It's bedtime.

Just for a little while.

All right.

Don't go too far.

I've been here two days

and haven't formally met the madam yet.

She's not in good health

and rarely sees visitors.

I'm quite skilled in medicine.

If needed, you can come to me.

Then I'll thank you on her behalf.

Wait until I've cured her,

then you can thank me.

Do you know who was

performing Mulian Rescues His Mother just now?

Probably someone from Shuangqing Troupe.

Are they all detained at the prefect's office waiting for trial?

That I'm not sure of,

but if you want to know,

I'll keep an ear out for you.

My Lady,

it's getting late.

Then we'll head back now.

Thank you.

It was nothing.

Young Master.

Let's go.

Madam Qin,

the hot water is ready. I'm coming in.

So Liu Renli and Pang Fuliang are both from Dingzhou.

For over a decade, not only have they never returned to Dingzhou,

they've also been deliberately concealing their origins.

They won't even acknowledge their ancestors.

They must have committed something serious.

Go find out

what major crimes or scandals happened

in Dingzhou around the time they left.

Master,

shall I make a trip to Dingzhou myself?

No need.

Clowns like them aren't worth your effort.

Leave it to the Dove Unit.

You just

focus on keeping Fuling company.

Take her out more often.

Yes.

Let's go to Qinghui Manor!

The Crown Prince always values talent.

Whether someone rose through the imperial exams or bought an official title,

as long as they are able to get things done,

he treats them the same.

Commissioner Liu, there's no need to worry.

I see.

As for transferring to a capital post,

now isn't the right time.

You'd be better off trying to keep your current position.

As long as you keep control of the salt permits in the Southeast region,

there's no need to worry about not gaining the Crown Prince's favor.

That would help the Crown Prince

far more than taking some

idle fourth-rank post in the capital,

wouldn't you say?

But...

Young Master Yan,

you're absolutely right.

Everyone else is trying to climb the ranks.

Who would think we only seek to remain in our current positions?

Commissioner Liu has built solid ties in the Ministry of Personnel over the years.

I'm sure handling this

is nothing for him.

Mr. Pang, you flatter me.

I simply enjoy making friends,

nothing that could be called "solid ties."

Young Master Yan, when will you return to the capital?

When I go there to give my work report,

I must go to your residence to visit the Marquis of Zhongyong.

For this trip to the capital,

your work report should be your top priority.

You'll have plenty of chances

to meet my father in the future.

Young Master Qin, you're right.

Master!

What is it?

Something happened to Madam Qin.

The maid Juan said

the deceased was Madam Qin,

a friend of Pang Fuliang.

Madam?

Does she have an official title?

This courtyard changes servants every year.

Pang Fuliang only instructed the servants

to call her Madam Qin.

No one knows her name or background.

A madam of unknown identity?

Her background is likely questionable.

There are no signs of dragging or struggle.

It looks like a suicide by hanging.

Otherwise, the murderer covered their tracks a little too perfectly.

Top-grade Yunwu Peak Tea.

Not a single sip taken.

I have this tea in my room too.

It's reserved for honored guests at Qinghui Manor.

Maybe after dinner,

she asked the tea house to send some over.

It would make sense if she wanted one last

cup of good tea before ending her life.

But she didn't take a single sip

before she rushed to her death.

That doesn't make sense.

There are some abrasion marks here,

like a rope being pulled back and forth.

Strange indeed.

Arrange for me to examine the body as soon as possible.

I'll take you there directly.

This is a crime scene. No entry allowed.

Commissioner Liu, please restrain yourself.

I need to see how she is.

Move! I'm going in!

Please restrain yourself!

Bai Feng.

Let Commissioner Liu enter.

She...

She...

When we arrived, it was too late,

and she had been dead for a while.

Your Highness,

how could she…

just leave like this?

May I ask what your relationship with the deceased is?

She...

was an old acquaintance of mine.

Was she really just an acquaintance?

She was the former leader of Shuangqing Troupe,

Qing Li's master,

Qing Yun.

The deceased...

Madam Qin was the master of the late Leader Qing Li?

So, Mr. Pang and Commissioner Liu,

you both knew the deceased?

Commissioner Liu and I loved watching

Shuangqing Troupe's performances when we were young.

At that time, Madam Qin happened to be the troupe leader.

We got acquainted over time.

I suppose

we became friends through art.

I see.

Qing Yun,

why did you take this path?

Actually,

it's still too early to say Madam Qin

died by suicide.

You mean

Qing Yun was murdered?

Governor Wang will arrange to send the body to the prefect's office.

Only after the autopsy can we be sure.

Since you have informed Governor Wang,

I

will entrust Madam Qin to you.

Bai Feng.

Check whether Shuangqing Troupe originated in Dingzhou.

Yes.

What's the matter?

Is there something wrong with Dingzhou?

It's these three who have problems.

Liu Renli holds real power

and is a major ally of Pang Fuliang's collusion with officials.

Pang Fuliang provides Liu Renli with money

for bribery and buying official titles.

And they come from the same hometown.

I'm not surprised Liu Renli is a distinguished guest

at Qinghui Manor.

But Qing Yun

was just an actress who rose from lowly status.

Given Pang Fuliang's profit-driven nature,

how could he let her stay long at Qinghui Manor?

And the servants here change every year,

likely to conceal Qing Yun's identity.

Just now, Liu Renli's expression

suggested he has some affection for Qing Yun.

But Pang Fuliang

seemed eager to distance himself from her.

Could it be that

Qing Yun held leverage over them,

which left Pang Fuliang no choice but to tolerate her presence?

There must be something

among the three of them that can't stand the light of day.

Was it you who killed Qing Yun?

Answer me!

It wasn't me.

She had just mentioned Shifang Inn to you,

and now she's dead. How do you explain it?

As long as I didn't agree,

she couldn't do anything.

Why would I dirty my own hands?

Think about it.

Qing Li is dead,

and now Qing Yun too.

Only we few know about this matter.

How can I trust you?

What if word got out about

what happened back then?

Yan Chi already has his eye on you.

If the truth about that incident resurfaces,

neither of us

will make it out alive.

This...

This...

This is Atractylodes water.

It removes the stench of decay

and prevents corpse poison.

Governor Wang, you've never been inside a morgue, have you?

Then let this be your first lesson

in the saying

"The beginning of the investigation lies in the autopsy."

I appreciate your guidance, Your Highness.

The deceased was approximately 45 to 55 years old.

Her makeup was intact at the time of death,

clothing undamaged,

no obvious signs of dragging.

There's an oil stain on her left sleeve,

scented with ambergris—

likely an expensive fragrance oil.

There's an abrasion on her upper back,

about 0.4 inches long,

with jagged edges.

Green sawdust was found in the fibers,

possibly from rubbing against a pillar or pavilion.

Bai Feng,

investigate this yourself.

Yes.

The deceased's neck vessels were constricted,

causing a pale complexion

and tiny hemorrhages on the eyelids.

The ligature mark is above the Adam's apple,

bluish-purple

with dark red congestion on the upper edge.

The mark is deep in the front of the neck,

shallow on the sides,

and does not extend to the back.

The ligature mark is wide and neat,

matching the fold of the deceased's armband.

The tongue tip pressed against the teeth but did not protrude,

with slight injury and bleeding on the hyoid bone.

There's the smell of alcohol in her mouth.

She likely drank before death.

Purple-red livor mortis appeared

on her ankles and the tops of her feet,

in blotches and lines.

The cause of death

is likely strangulation.

So it was indeed suicide by hanging.

Strangulation

doesn't always mean suicide by hanging.

When someone hangs themselves, they inevitably struggle,

which leaves irregular ligature marks.

The deceased was nearly 50

but took great care with her makeup

and clothing,

showing she cherished her appearance.

Such a person likely

wouldn't use her own clothes to hang herself,

which would ruin her appearance.

The ligature rope she used was Huzhou Blue Silk,

a fabric prone to wrinkling.

When suffocating,

people instinctively grab at the ligature rope.

But there are

no grip marks on this rope.

The deceased must have lost consciousness

before the ligature rope was placed.

So, whether it was suicide by hanging

still requires an autopsy.

An autopsy?

But the coroners at the prefect's office are all out on cases.

Master Wan is here.

You don't need to worry about that.

[Morgue]

Do you have a headache?

I'm used to it.

My head hurts so much.

Why is a hangover so awful?

I'll never drink again.

Then don't beg me next time.

Governor Wang?

Are you hungover too?

This isn't a hangover.

He's obviously been frightened by Little Wan'er.

I've seen it before.

It's just sewing up a belly with a big needle.

Look at you acting tough.

That's nothing.

I've even seen Little Wan'er

cut open a dead person's belly.

Did you throw up?

I'll give it a try.

If I hold out,

you owe me the next drink.

Deal.

I won again.

Make him some sugar water.

Right away.

This is because of the wine from yesterday.

Just drink it.

Datura?

The common knockout powders and anesthetics

on the market are white powders.

This black powder

is actually ground Datura seeds,

which are more toxic.

Within 15 minutes of ingestion,

it causes dizziness, sleepiness,

and limb numbness.

After half an hour, it leads to coma.

Mixed with alcohol, the toxicity is stronger.

But I didn't see any drinking vessels during the examination.

Either the victim drank outside,

or the murderer, fearing exposure,

disposed of the wine bottle

containing the Datura seed powder.

But if there were

Datura seed powder in the bottle,

the wine would taste bitter.

How could the victim have drunk it?

If the murderer drank with the victim,

and when she was already quite drunk,

swapped her wine with the poisoned one,

she wouldn't notice at the moment.

Master.

Miss Qin.

Miss Qin, please look at this.

Is this fabric the same as the victim's clothes?

Where did you find it?

On the pillar of the pavilion outside Pang Fuliang's study.

Pang Fuliang?

It's exactly the same.

[Qinghui Manor]

This contains some ambergris from Weizhou Island,

with a subtle, lingering fragrance

that lasts for a very long time.

Your Highness, if you like it,

I'll have someone deliver it to you shortly.

Okay.

Just send it to Miss Qin.

Miss Qin is refined and intelligent;

this scent suits her perfectly.

Mr. Pang, did you specially

invite Madam Qin to stay this time?

Madam Qin usually traveled with Shuangqing Troupe.

I've never invited her alone.

You seem quite displeased with Madam Qin.

I...

didn't want to speak ill of the dead,

but at this point,

I have to.

After Madam Qin stepped down as the troupe leader,

I took pity on her

and offered her some help from time to time,

but unexpectedly,

it only made her more greedy.

Yesterday she actually demanded 30% shares of my Shifang Inn

in exchange for Shuangqing Troupe.

I was so angry that I drove her away.

So you discussed this matter

with Madam Qin here?

This is where I meet important guests.

I met her in the outer courtyard pavilion.

Did she stay for dinner?

She liked drinking;

we only had some wine and dishes.

Okay.

Sorry to bother you.

I'll take my leave.

Let me see you out.

No need.

Servants.

Master,

any instructions?

Go fetch the Madam.

Master,

Madam has been feeling unwell lately.

I'm telling you to go get her.

Yes, yes.

I'll go right away.

The oil stain on the deceased's sleeve

matches the lamp oil from Pang Fuliang's study.

They not only met there

but also shared food and wine.

Please.

But Pang Fuliang lied,

claiming they met in the outer courtyard pavilion.

I deliberately had him send you the lamp oil.

Now we have the evidence.

Datura seed has a strong taste,

but if mixed into heavily seasoned dishes,

it's hard to notice.

Pang Fuliang has powerful connections here.

If he wants to kill someone,

he'd have plenty of ways to cover his tracks.

For now, we need to find his motive for killing Qing Yun.

But I'm afraid it's not that simple.

With Prince Yu's influence among the royals,

Pang Fuliang wouldn't dare make a move

during his birthday banquet.

Besides, His Majesty's intention to investigate

the salt transport corruption has already spread.

Liu Renli is relying on the Crown Prince to get out of trouble.

If Pang Fuliang wants to protect him,

he'd be even less likely to act rashly.

Qing Li and Qing Yun died in succession in Yuzhou.

This cannot possibly be a coincidence.

None of the witness statements or physical evidence

match up in these two cases.

Everything about this feels off.

This is the first time I've seen you stumped.

I'm not afraid of that.

I just hate the feeling of being lost.

Don't worry.

Let's be patient

and look into Qing Yun's past first.

Maybe we'll find something.

You're tired today.

Get some rest.

If Bai Feng finds anything,

let me know immediately.

Don't worry.

I won't miss any chance to see you.

I'll go now.

Or Fuling will try to stop me again if she sees me.

Miss Qin.

Young Master Pang, why are you here?

My father

sent me to deliver some lamp oil to you.

Thank you.

Who dared to kick me?

How dare you get handsy with Little Wan'er?

Do you want to die?

Stop hitting him.

Why are you drunk again?

Yue Ning!

Yue Ning!

Look.

Wan,

let me tell you,

we are

a couple, not brothers.

No, that's wrong.

We're brothers,

not a couple.

If you are my brother,

don't stop me!

I'm gonna beat you up!

Stop it!

You'd better run now.

When the Princess gets angry, I can't hold her back.

Miss Qin, I'm leaving right away.

If you have time tomorrow,

would you like to go boating with me?

Boating?

Who do you think you are,

daring to take my sister-in-law boating?

I...

He's a...

toad.

Why didn't you say so earlier?

A toad.

I won't stoop to arguing with drunkards!

Loser.

-Bah! -Bah!

Here.

Let me do it.

Fuling,

give the Princess some hangover soup

when she wakes up.

My Lady,

Lord Yan Li takes the Princess out

drinking and having fun every day.

If this keeps up, she'll be led astray.

I'm afraid before she's led astray,

she'll drink herself sick first.

When she wakes up, I'll talk to her.

Cheers.

I can drink more.

Stop drinking. Haven't you had enough?

Wipe your hands.

Why are you looking at me like that?

My Lady, you smile more often than before.

Well...

really?

I didn't notice.

Since His Highness

has made you so happy,

I'll forgive him for

dragging you around to work every day.

But I actually like it

when he pulls me along to work.

What should I do?

My Lady,

when others like someone deeply,

they keep it to themselves,

unlike you,

who always wear your heart on your sleeve.

You

are becoming more and more like my mother.

My Lady, are you saying I nag too much?

Take good care of the Princess.

I'm going to write my notes.

Neither of those two ever gives me peace.

It hurts so much!

It really hurts!

It hurts like hell!

I didn't go that hard on him.

It hurts so bad!

Chi,

I swear I didn't tell them to go that hard on him.

I just couldn't stand the way he kept eyeing Wan,

so I…

Who's the young lady looking for me?

Where is she?

Are you the girl who likes me?

Young Master Pang,

I've been waiting for you.

What a lovely beauty.

I like what I see.

Let me give you a hug!

I'll teach you a lesson!

Not only do I have a lovely figure,

I'm also quite strong!

-Trying to seduce me, huh? -Who's hitting me?

Keep doing it and you'll see!

My father won't let you off for this!

Keep doing it!

I really didn't expect

that little creep would get Wan to treat his injuries.

If I'd known earlier that she could perform autopsies

and had such great medical skills,

I'd never have done this.

Wan,

will this work?

Cousin Yan,

since you specifically asked me to treat Young Master Pang,

I'll take it seriously.

After this acupuncture,

he'll be able to walk right away.

If I don't do it, he'll be stuck in bed for half a month.

It hurts!

I'll take the half-month in bed.

Ning, help me hold his leg down.

Okay.

What are you doing?

Young Master Pang,

if your meridians were clear,

this wouldn't hurt.

To avoid future problems,

you'd better just endure it.

My sister-in-law is ruthless when treating patients.

I suddenly have something to do. Gotta go now.

Come back.

Handle this well,

and it'll count as making up for your mistakes.

Don't worry, Chi.

Let me tell you guys.

I can't take it anymore.

I'm literally dying of laughter.

You didn't see it just now,

but Little Wan'er was incredible.

She stuck such a thick needle

right into his toenail base.

I wonder which hero did it.

Truly satisfying.

Keep your voice down.

Don't let Wan hear you.

It wasn't you, was it?

You really can't judge a book by its cover.

The dream lover of many young girls has become a hero.

I...

Come with me to handle something important.

Let's go.

What is it?

[Yunshao Theater]

Didn't Chi tell us to investigate Shuangqing Troupe?

Why are we at Yunshao Theater?

Silly.

If you want to find out about someone,

don't ask their associates

but their sworn enemy.

The person who hates you most knows you best.

Yunshao Theater used to be Yuzhou's biggest opera house.

Ever since Shifang Inn teamed up with Shuangqing Troupe,

it almost went bankrupt.

Everyone here hates Pang Fuliang

and Shuangqing Troupe.

If you want to find out about them,

is there a better place than this?

I didn't expect

your scheming mind to actually come in handy.

Let's go.

Come with me to be a spy.

Alright!

Sir, ma'am,

please come inside to watch the show.

Minister Li,

the files and accounts of salt transport

in the southeast region are all here.

I'm returning to the capital today.

Have everything loaded onto the carriages immediately.

Yes.

In this vast world,

there's no place for me.

Why are you here again?

I'm here to give you this.

This is my father's notebook.

Where did you get it?

I heard Lord Shen served as

an official in Yuzhou for three years,

so I thought there might be some

of his handwritten notes among the case files.

Sure enough, the clerk found this notebook

in the archive.

These are all written by my father himself,

full of his case-solving insights.

Thank you.

♪ The Dharma sees the child's filial piety ♪

♪ He tries to find and save his mother in hell ♪

Tonight, I'd like to see

who is playing tricks here.

♪ Ride on the auspicious cloud, heading for Mount Lingshan ♪

♪ Buddha's compassion guides the way ♪

♪ Buddha's compassion ♪

♪ Guides the way ♪

Qing?

Greetings, Miss Qin.

Do you know who's singing?

I don't know.

Then who are you looking for?

The Madam.

She has a daughter?

An adopted daughter.

She was an orphan she found alone in the wild

and took pity on, so she adopted her.

Madam!

Thank goodness.

You scared me.

Qing,

you found me.

Qing, that man can dive.

I want to dive too.

[Qinghui Manor]

This is Commissioner Liu's official uniform?

Indeed it is.

Did he ever tell you

he intended to resign?

Your Highness,

His Majesty is launching an investigation

into the embezzlement of southeast salt transport taxes.

Why are you

asking further?

So you think

Commissioner Liu committed suicide

out of guilt?

If he wasn't desperate,

why would he give up

this official seal?

Is there anything unusual about the body?

There's white powder

around his mouth and nose,

as well as in his trachea,

which also contains some silt.

Both lungs are swollen,

moist, and have spots.

The stomach contains fluid

but no leftover food.

There are no signs of poisoning or knockout drugs.

It's confirmed to be drowning.

The deceased's wrists and neck

have fresh strangulation marks.

The heels

and calves

have minor abrasions,

likely caused by struggling

on rough ground while alive.

But when we found him,

his hands and feet weren't bound.

We searched along the river

and found no ropes

capable of tying an adult.

Unless...

he was strangled unconscious and then pushed into the lake.

That's the strange part.

Look.

There's an oval scar on the side of the deceased's body.

This is a spear wound.

It was likely caused by a spear

or similar weapon.

His right palm

and the web between his thumb and index finger

are covered with thick calluses.

Though he was a civil official for 10 years,

these calluses show

he never stopped practicing martial arts.

His physical strength must be impressive.

It would be difficult for an ordinary person

to strangle him barehanded.

And when we arrived,

he had just died.

The killer probably didn't have time to take the rope away

to cover up the scene.

But if there was no rope,

where did these strangulation marks come from?

It must have been rope.

The key is the rope's material.

Let me.

Look.

The strangulation marks on the body

are lighter than those from normal rope,

and there are no abrasions,

indicating the rope was soft.

The killer likely didn't apply constant force.

Looks like he untied the rope

after the victim passed out.

Could it be that

the killer strangled Liu Renli

just to drown him?

Take a look at this.

These are the silver bills Liu Renli embezzled,

recovered from the lake.

Including those that were soaked,

the total amounts to over 100,000 taels.

Soaked?

Have you heard of underwater escape magic?

I grew up in the military camp.

How would I know about such things?

It's an old trick from theater troupes.

They make ropes from hemp paper

to tie a person's hands and feet.

When soaked in water,

the ropes dissolve,

allowing the person to escape underwater.

Do ordinary people know this trick?

Of course not.

Otherwise, how would theater troupes make a living?

I learned this from my father's notebook.

Theater troupes?

Looks like we still need to investigate Shuangqing Troupe.

Judging by the killer's ruthlessness

in throwing over 10,000 taels of silver bills into the water,

he must have a deadly grudge

against Liu Renli.