Original subtitles

[Coroner's Diary]

[Episode 8]

Did you see with your own eyes

that it was Chen's maid who took the musk?

I checked the prescription several times,

and even coaxed it out of Physician Qian.

I'm sure about it.

That maid said

it was for the Eldest Young Master's dizziness.

Dizziness?

Chen looks clear-headed

and perfectly healthy.

Doesn't seem like someone suffering from that.

Even if Physician Qian

isn't very skilled,

he wouldn't misdiagnose something that obvious.

So why did he let that maid

take something as valuable as musk?

To please the Eldest Young Master, obviously.

Let it go, My Lady.

You helped the Young Madam protect her unborn child.

That's more than enough for the third branch.

Fuling!

I'm not that close to you!

Why did you scare me in broad daylight?

It's only been a few days and you don't recognize me?

I'm Bai Feng. Greetings, Miss Qin.

The servants from Qin Mansion gave us a few leads.

Master is waiting at the pavilion ahead

to discuss something with you.

Thank you, General Bai.

Fuling, take the medicine back first.

I'll walk Fuling back.

Let me carry them for you.

No need.

They're too heavy for you.

No need.

Let me.

No need!

You offended everyone at the Qin family.

Why did they still serve you tea and snacks?

With greedy Bai Feng around,

there's always food.

Weren't we supposed to discuss the case?

Why did you pick a spot like this?

Aren't you afraid someone might eavesdrop?

This place is wide open.

No one could

hide from me here.

Please, have a seat.

You've had a long night.

Did you find anything?

We haven't found Liu Chun,

but I've ordered a citywide search.

Still, it wasn't a total loss.

Master Qin An

also has syphilis.

The servants from Qin Mansion

said his illness began about 20 days ago,

which matches the days he claimed to be sick.

The deceased was a concubine of Master Qin An.

It's not surprising he got infected.

There's also another person.

Qin Li?

Exactly.

His illness

has nothing to do with the deceased.

Why do you trust him so much?

Because I treated his illness.

Concubine Liu's condition has been

repeatedly treated with folk remedies.

If they were really involved with each other,

Qin Li would have used medicine earlier.

Besides,

Concubine Liu's illness lasted much longer.

When Qin Li fell ill,

her sores were already severe and obvious.

How could a playboy who frequents brothels

be so blinded by lust as to take such risks?

Everyone in the mansion knows

I'm handling this case for His Highness.

If he were truly her lover,

why would he keep begging me to save him?

That leaves

only Liu Chun.

That handkerchief indeed belongs to Liu Chun.

The servants of Qin family also said

Liu Chun hasn't been seen

since roll call.

Huo Huaixin suspects that Liu Chun,

fearing the affair would be exposed,

killed Liu because she

passed the disease to Master Qin An

and then fled in guilt.

But if he wanted to hide the affair,

why not bury the body

and instead leave a handkerchief behind?

The autopsy

will reveal the deceased's illness.

He definitely won't escape the adultery charge.

Killing Liu would be pointless.

Unless...

Unless someone set him up

and the real murderer is someone else.

Exactly.

If that's true,

I'm afraid Liu Chun is in danger.

Since the murderer could get Liu Chun's handkerchief,

they must know him.

If they want to frame him,

they will kill him for sure.

We must find Liu Chun as soon as possible.

[Wanted]

Seal off all exits

and search the entire city for Liu Chun!

Yes!

Come here.

Go.

Wait.

Keep moving.

Go.

Go.

It's getting colder now that autumn's here.

If it weren't for what happened to Concubine Liu,

we wouldn't be out here freezing.

Shut up.

Don't talk about the living during the day, and don't talk about ghosts at night.

Don't talk nonsense in the middle of the night.

Ghost!

My Lord.

There is still no news.

Your Highness, we've searched inside and outside the city.

Even if Liu Chun had wings,

he would've left some trace.

Then get the team together

and search Qin Mansion again.

Your Highness,

we've already checked everywhere a person could hide in Qin Mansion.

Then, Prefect Huo, check the places

where no one could hide.

Well...

Yes.

Master.

The Purple Bamboo Grove in Qin Mansion

is haunted.

Haunted?

Your Highness,

I haven't found anything yet.

You've searched the place.

There's nothing here.

If you keep saying nonsense,

I'll have you taken to the authorities!

Eldest Young Master,

we wouldn't dare lie.

We really did see ghost fire

just now.

That's right. The female ghost...

We clearly heard a female ghost crying.

A female ghost?

She must have a story.

Your Highness,

servants' gossip cannot be trusted.

If it's not true,

why did your family seal off

this bamboo grove that's so lush?

Well...

My second brother and I

once fell into the well there as children.

Our grandmother, out of love,

ordered the sealing of the well

with a demon-suppressing stone.

Master, Lady Wan is here.

Your Highness,

my ninth sister is still unmarried

and faces many restrictions.

It's better if I attend you instead.

No need to trouble two people for one thing.

Since you are here,

I'll trouble you again.

Yes.

This stone slab should be the demon-suppressing stone sealing the well.

Judging by the moss,

it was moved not long ago.

This is a forbidden place of Qin Mansion.

Who would move the stone

for no reason?

There are signs of stomping here.

Someone must have struggled fiercely here.

Bai Feng,

go down and take a look.

Yes.

There's a dead body in the well!

Throw down the rope!

Quick, get the scaffolding set up.

Miss Qin,

Xu He is still in the morgue.

Please carry out the initial autopsy.

Are you sure?

If you examine the body here,

you won't be able to hide that you're skilled at autopsies.

It doesn't matter.

It's time to show them what I'm capable of.

Prefect Huo,

please don't let anyone else disturb me.

Constable Qi,

guard the entrance to the bamboo grove.

No unauthorized persons allowed inside.

Yes.

Then, as usual,

you speak

and I record.

My Lord, it's coming up!

It's coming up!

Be careful.

Give him a hand!

Hurry! Put it here.

Be gentle.

Don't destroy the evidence on the body.

It's really Liu Chun.

How could you let Yan Chi barge into the Purple Bamboo Grove?

You...

Why didn't you confront him?

Tell him

if he forces his way in,

you'll...

you'll die right in front of him!

Madam Qin, calm down.

Go away!

It was all my fault.

Don't let yourself get sick from anger.

Mother.

Mother, please calm down.

The Heir of Prince Rui has a noble status.

Our Chen

has no title at all.

How could we possibly stop him?

Then I'll go.

I've fought hard to keep the third branch going until now.

I won't let anyone

destroy my hard work.

Mother!

-Grandma! -Mother!

But...

But what if even you can't stop him?

Don't worry.

I have my own way.

He was strangled to death too.

Let me.

The one who had an affair with Concubine Liu

was indeed Liu Chun.

Record:

The deceased Liu Chun,

about 40 to 45 years old,

body found in a dried-up well in the Purple Bamboo Grove.

The deceased's head,

left shoulder,

and left side of the robe

have mud stains.

The heels of his shoes

and the outer sides of his calves

have dried mud.

Preliminary judgment:

The deceased was strangled outside

then pushed into the well to be hidden.

His face is bluish-purple,

probably caused by

strangulation blocking blood flow.

The strangulation marks are deep,

with bleeding above and below.

The marks meet at the back of the neck.

There are food residues

on the neck

and lips,

indicating the victim was eating

noodles or similar food when strangled.

From the wounds,

Liu Chun and Concubine Liu share the same cause of death:

both were strangled from behind.

The strangulation method is identical.

The deceased's shoe heels show obvious wear

and have dried mud.

There are also wounds on his fingers.

Dried leaves and soil fragments are found under the fingernails,

indicating a struggle outside the well

before death.

The deceased shows signs of pus-filled sores,

along with hair loss.

There are purple-black swollen lumps

on the chest,

abdomen, and left back,

with some of the decayed ones emitting a foul odor.

This indicates a recurrence of syphilis,

now progressed to a severe form.

Among known patients, this case had the longest duration

and was the most severe.

I got it.

Liu Chun must have passed the disease to Concubine Liu.

Fearing discovery by Master Qin An,

he killed her first.

Unexpectedly,

Master Qin An also contracted the disease

and, in anger, killed Liu Chun.

If you keep making baseless guesses about the case,

I'll report you for reckless handling of a life.

Your Highness...

No, no, no.

Surveillance Commissioner, I was wrong.

I won't speak recklessly again.

Thank you.

There are no other wounds found on the body.

After pressing the bloodstains,

only slight fading is observed,

with slow rebound.

All his limbs and joints are stiff.

It must have been

at least 6 to 7 hours since death.

In that case,

Liu Chun was strangled here

between 7 and 9 a.m.,

after Concubine Liu's death.

Yes.

Prefect Huo,

the preliminary autopsy is complete.

The cause of death for Liu Chun

is clear;

no further examination is needed.

Any questions?

I believe in you.

According to the preliminary results,

Concubine Liu

and Liu Chun

were killed by the same person.

The killer likely used Liu Chun's handkerchief

to lure Concubine Liu to the flower shed

and strangled her to death,

then came here and killed Liu Chun.

Liu Chun died as early as 7 a.m.,

but the Qin family's servants said

he went missing after the morning roll call.

If the pancake

belonged to Liu Chun,

why was it only eaten just before the killing?

Besides, Liu Chun was tall.

Even I

couldn't have quietly

forced him here.

You mean

Liu Chun hid here himself

after the morning roll call?

Not just that.

Don't forget,

the murderer is someone who had access

to their love token.

Judging by how Concubine Liu was killed,

the murderer likely tricked Liu Chun

into hiding here after the morning roll call,

then used the excuse of delivering a pancake

to catch him off guard, strangled him from behind,

and dumped his body into the well.

The person who could catch Liu Chun completely off guard

must have been someone he deeply trusted.

The question is,

why didn't the murderer restore

the well opening after the murder?

Even if they couldn't move the stone slab,

they should have at least

cleared the traces around the well.

If the crime scene

at the flower shed wasn't cleaned

because it was in a conspicuous spot

and time was limited,

then the Purple Bamboo Grove, being rarely visited,

should have given plenty of time.

So why wasn't that scene cleaned?

Was the murderer so confident

that they wouldn't expose themselves?

Maybe this person had accomplices

who could help clean up.

We were searching everywhere for Liu Chun

when ghost fire appeared in the Purple Bamboo Grove.

That's too much of a coincidence.

The recent cold and rainy weather

shouldn't have allowed ghost fire to appear.

If the ghost fire was man-made,

then Liu Chun

was bait used to lure us here.

Then this well

must hold some other secrets.

Bai Feng.

Start digging the well.

Yes.

Prepare some digging tools.

Hurry back.

Yes.

Your Highness, Prefect Huo,

Madam Qin and the Third Madam are arguing to enter the grove.

Should I stop them?

Officers,

this murder happened in our Qin Mansion,

yet we don't even know who the victim is.

How could that make sense?

His Highness is investigating the case himself.

None of us in Qin Mansion

would dare disturb him without cause.

But surely we have the right

to witness the scene, don't we?

Could it be that there's something

even we, the owners of this mansion,

are not allowed to know?

The Surveillance Commissioner and Prefect

have strictly forbidden any unauthorized persons from entering.

Madam Qin, Young Master Qizhi Chen,

please don't make things difficult for us.

Mother,

well...

Alright.

I won't make things difficult for you officials.

Hurry.

Let's go to the capital and report this to His Majesty,

asking the Marquis of Zhongyong to accuse Yan Chi

of disrespect, lawlessness,

and bullying!

Madam Qin, Young Master Chen,

the Surveillance Commissioner has given permission

for two people to enter the Purple Bamboo Grove.

Which two will go with me?

Your Highness, a...

a skull!

We only found it after digging three feet deep.

Without your order,

I dared not dig any further.

The skull is small,

and the bones are thin and light,

with an indistinct brow ridge,

nearly round eye sockets

with sharp upper edges.

It's the skull of a woman.

Can we determine the time of death?

We'll only know the details

after examining the well bottom.

But judging by the state of the bones,

this woman has been dead for at least seven years.

Prefect Huo,

you must uphold justice for the Qin family.

Don't worry, Madam Qin.

We've already found Steward Liu's body in the well.

Grandma!

I hurried here

but was still too late.

Your Highness, Prefect Huo,

since you have already discovered this,

there's no need to keep it secret anymore,

so as to avoid any future misunderstandings.

But since this concerns the women of our household,

please do not

spread it outside.

Madam Qin, please go ahead.

It was all my son's fault.

Eight years ago,

my disappointing third son insisted on

taking Concubine Liu into the household.

At the time, Concubine Yang was pregnant

and lost the baby due to the commotion.

Unable to accept it,

she threw herself into the well.

We invited a sorcerer,

who said her resentment was too strong

and that her soul had become vengeful.

Only a demon-suppressing stone could seal the well

and protect the household.

Since then,

I ordered the well sealed

and the Purple Bamboo Grove was declared off-limits.

I was afraid someone might use this incident

to attack the Marquis of Zhongyong,

so I covered it up.

I didn't expect this cursed well would truly bring disaster.

Please…

for the sake of the Marquis of Zhongyong...

Zhou's law clearly states that

if someone dies under unusual circumstances,

the authorities must be notified

and an investigation carried out before burial.

Was there anyone who actually witnessed

Concubine Yang's suicide?

Her maid tried to stop her,

but was so frightened

she took to bed

and passed away soon after.

Then how can you be sure

these are Concubine Yang's remains?

All these years,

no one else

has thrown themselves into that well.

Since you've identified the remains as Concubine Yang's,

today's discovery

will be treated as the official report

of her death.

That is my intention too.

Then what about the death of Lianye?

Why not report that too?

Lianye was her parents' only daughter.

They didn't want her to be disturbed

even in death

and firmly refused to report it.

I gave them some money for burial,

and she's long since been laid to rest.

With so many deaths in Qin Mansion,

it's clear that demon-suppressing stone is useless.

Rather than holding rituals,

it would be better to let the authorities investigate properly

and bury the dead with respect.

That is the right way—

to bring peace to the dead.

But...

We're at your command, Your Highness.

Constable Qi.

Have the remaining bones removed.

Yes.

Your Highness,

what should we do about Liu Chun's case?

Liu Chun's and Concubine Liu's cases are mutually corroborated.

Neither may be buried

before a final verdict is reached.

Yes.

What's that smell?

Smell it.

Smell it.

The scent won't last long.

It smells...

like garlic.

It's the smell of burning phosphorus.

Phosphorus fire, also called ghost fire,

appears when bones decay

and phosphorus in the bones evaporates into the air.

Phosphorus can spontaneously ignite when exposed to air

and burns with a green flame.

Because it often appears near graves,

people think it's ghost fire.

White phosphorus can be bought at temples and pharmacies.

When burned at night,

it can mimic ghost fire and scare people.

White phosphorus can be used to fake ghost fire,

so the ghost fire the night patrolmen saw

was definitely man-made.

Your Highness, Miss Qin,

we found some thin ropes tied to several branches.

We don't know what they're for.

Please check it out.

It's right ahead.

Sure enough, there's a garlic smell.

Now it's confirmed.

Someone tied cotton soaked with white phosphorus

to bamboo branches,

then shook the branches by pulling the ropes,

accompanied by wailing cries—

what a puppet show of a female ghost crying out for justice.

If it weren't for Concubine Liu's death,

we wouldn't have investigated Liu Chun.

If not for the servants finding ghost fire,

we might not have investigated the Purple Bamboo Grove thoroughly.

If we hadn't found Liu Chun's body

in the well there,

we wouldn't have discovered Concubine Yang's remains.

These coincidences must be connected.

And there's Lianye.

Based on the method of killing,

I suspect

Lianye was the first victim of the murderer,

followed by Concubine Liu and Liu Chun.

Lianye must have seen the murderer's face

in the Purple Bamboo Grove,

which led to her being strangled and thrown into the lake.

But why was Lianye in the Purple Bamboo Grove at midnight?

And what was the murderer doing there?

Too many things relate to the Purple Bamboo Grove.

Perhaps

this is the murderer's true intention.

It's impossible to accomplish these things alone.

Whoever the mastermind is,

since they went to such lengths

to make us find Concubine Yang's remains,

her death

is definitely more complicated than what Madam Qin said.

Mother,

why did you bring up Concubine Yang today?

They were already holding her skull;

what was the point of keeping it a secret?

Why are you looking at Caihe?

She's the most loyal and sensible one.

She wouldn't say anything.

Grandma,

do you know

exactly what Wan is doing

for the Heir of Prince Rui?

She was holding a skull

without a trace of fear—

it was quite strange.

That girl grew up in Medicine King Valley

and naturally developed a brave character.

You should find a chance

to remind her

not to forget she's also a Qin.

Although our third branch wasn't kind to her before,

for the sake of the future,

she should know whom to side with.

I understand.

Grandma, there's one more thing.

Father's illness is getting worse.

Should we ask Wan to...

No.

Asking a younger family member like Wan

to treat your father's private disease—

if that got out,

our family will become a joke.

Grandma, please calm down.

I didn't think it through.

Mother,

if they keep digging the well like this…

Let them dig.

I've already told them.

Once they dig up

all of Concubine Yang's remains,

they won't dig any deeper.

Mother!

Mother!

What are you doing?

Jumping around like that.

You startled me.

After being the madam for so many years,

you're not as steady as Chen.

Mother, you are right.

I just worry that Yan Chi might blame

Concubine Yang's death on our family.

I've already had Chen

write to the Marquis of Zhongyong.

The Crown Prince values him highly.

If Yan Chi wants to cause trouble for our Qin family,

it won't be easy.

But the murderer of Liu Chun

and Concubine Liu hasn't been found yet,

and now Concubine Yang's remains have been discovered.

The household is in panic now.

Why did Concubine Yang

have to end her life in that well?

Why are you

bringing that up again?

Don't keep asking why.

Spend some money

and let her rest in peace as soon as possible.

What about Steward Liu and Concubine Liu?

Those two servants

secretly had an affair

and caused the Qin family to fall into this state.

Once this is over,

throw their bodies

onto the mass grave.

Yes.

That cursed well

has brought chaos to our family.

After this is settled,

seal that well—

seal it completely.

We can't let that well

cause trouble again.

That's right.

Mother, you're right,

Seal it completely.

You've never dealt with criminal cases before.

How did you come to think

these three cases are connected?

When I was stationed at Shuoxi,

whenever the Rong people

killed innocent border villagers,

they would deliberately leave clues

to lure the tracking soldiers

into ambushes.

When you mentioned the suspicious points

about the murders in the Purple Bamboo Grove,

it reminded me of that.

You were

in the tracking team too?

I was the leader.

It was my first time leading a patrol alone.

Get in!

Hurry up! Get in!

Hurry!

Seeing innocent people slaughtered,

I only wanted to kill the Rong people.

Stop! Stop!

Stop!

Stop!

Stop!

♪ If I fall like dust into the gloom ♪

♪ The snow will cloak me in the purest white ♪

♪ If I engrave my love upon my heart ♪

♪ Even pain will feel like joy ♪

General, run!

Master!

Master!

Master, go!

♪ I lay my heart bare ♪

♪ Love is laced with pain ♪

♪ Please give me strength again ♪

General, go!

Let go!

♪ Let my fate surge like a wave, unchained ♪

Go! Go!

♪ Don't be afraid ♪

Let's go, Master!

♪ When starlight fades ♪

You are the general! Go!

♪ The stars will still be shining bright ♪

♪ Beyond the reach of darkest night ♪

General, go!

Go!

But in the end…

Go!

Go!

Only Bai Feng and I survived.

Let's go!

How old were you?

18 years old.

You probably never thought

I'd be that foolish back then, did you?

Boys from other families that age

are still enjoying their parents' care and affection,

but you were already risking your life to protect the family and country.

Such bravery truly made you a young hero.

You don't have to blame yourself over one failure.

You should go back and rest early.

Don't get involved in this case any further.

Why?

Did I say anything wrong?

No.

I just didn't think it through before.

Since you asked for my help,

you can't go back on your word.

This case involves the Qin family's past.

Its reputation will be ruined in the future.

If you step back now,

whatever happens

won't be your fault.

If I wanted to stay out of this,

I wouldn't have gotten involved in Lianye's and Concubine Liu's cases.

Four lives are involved in this.

How could I just stand by and watch?

Don't worry.

I will do my best to solve this case.

Concubine Yang's body has turned to bones.

Xu He is not skilled enough.

Without my help,

you can't even conduct an autopsy.

Let along solving the case.

Your Highness,

if things get bad,

I will ask for your help.

By then,

just help me get out of trouble.

What do you think?

Okay.

You won't change your mind, will you?

Never.

Tonight,

after Constable Qi digs up the remaining bodies,

I will

clear the mud and examine the bones the next day.

Deal.

Is your grandma crazy?

Yan Chi just became the circuit surveillance commissioner

and is eager to show his authority.

She brought up that woman now—

isn't she sending me straight to the chopping block?

Lord Yan has already ordered the well to be dug.

Father, please watch your words.

He did it already?

He did it already?

Chen! Chen!

What if they find anything about me?

What if they find anything about me?

Grandma has arranged everything.

Father, just calm down and focus on recovering.

How can I calm down?

Grandma has already sent someone to the capital

to ask the Eldest Uncle to speak on your behalf.

We can't let you pay for the death

of a concubine with your life.

Yes.

Just a concubine.

Brother will help me.

He will. He will.

He will.

The human skeleton is quite complex.

To avoid mistakes when piecing the bones together,

we must carefully mark each bone

according to this chart.

Yes.

Your Highness, please draw

the corresponding bone diagram on the postmortem report.

Okay.

Start piecing the bones.

It's done.

Start recording.

Record:

The deceased

is Concubine Yang,

female,

about 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Based on the length of the leg bones,

her age is estimated between 20 and 30.

The bones are normal in color

and smooth,

with no obvious signs of poisoning.

The fatal injury

is a broken neck.

The skull shows clear damage.

The sternum

and limbs

all have varying degrees of fractures.

The cause of death is likely a fall from height.

There are multiple clear grooves on her pubic bone,

indicating she gave birth

at least once in her life.

But Madam Qin said Concubine Yang

only had one miscarriage.

If it were only a miscarriage,

the pubic bone wouldn't have such markings.

When a woman is eight or nine months pregnant,

the connective tissue at the pubic bone gradually opens

and fully separates during childbirth.

The connective tissue embedding into the bone

causes these grooves

behind the pubic bone.

But until now,

I've never heard of the deceased

having any children while alive at Qin Mansion.

Could it be that all her children died young?

Looks like I need to meet with Madam Qin again.

She's old and scheming.

You won't get much from her.

But the Third Madam is weak-willed

and more likely to reveal something.

Okay.

Your Highness.

We've questioned all the servants in Qin Mansion.

Only a few old servants remember Concubine Yang,

and their accounts are similar to Madam Qin's.

What about the ones who served her back then?

Some have died, and some were sold off.

Not a single one remains.

Concubine Yang died only eight years ago,

yet not a single servant with knowledge remains?

They said Madam Qin was heartbroken that Concubine Yang

died from the grief of losing her child and,

in anger,

she dismissed everyone who had served her.

Bai Feng.

Find the maids who served the other concubines

back then.

There must have been channels among the servants for sharing information.

There has to be someone we missed who knows something.

Yes.

Prefect Huo,

summon the Third Madam for questioning.

Yes.

Wrist bone.

Metacarpal bone.

[Metacarpal bone]

Why is there an extra bone?