Original subtitles

[Coroner's Diary]

[Episode 13]

Senior.

What illness does Xinlan actually have?

Is it something even you can't cure?

What she has is

a congenital deficiency she's had since birth.

I wrote to our master about it,

and he confirmed that my prescription is correct.

It's just that her body is too frail,

so the effect is a bit slow.

Winter is especially hard for her.

Sometimes, she sleeps for days;

other times when she wakes up,

she can't fall back asleep.

With you here, Senior,

I'm sure Xinlan will get better soon.

Thank you for your kind words, Junior.

Here.

Thank you, Senior.

Why did Senior buy such a large residence?

Xinlan is in poor health,

and logically speaking,

a lack of vitality isn't conducive to recovery.

Look at these rooms.

They're specifically used by Senior

to shelter those poor patients.

It may seem quiet here now,

but that's only because they've all recovered and gone home.

It's just a temporary lull.

No wonder the villagers all respect Senior so much.

Senior's actions

truly deserve the words "Benevolent Heart, Benevolent Skills."

[Benevolent Heart]

Senior comes from a prestigious family,

with exceptional medical skills and no desire for fame.

He always focuses on researching incurable diseases that others can't treat,

which is why his name remains low-profile.

If Xinlan weren't so ill and unable to travel,

he would probably

be traveling everywhere like me,

searching for rare and unusual diseases.

It's truly a pity.

I hope Senior's devotion

will move the heavens,

allowing the two of them to grow old together.

Don't run! Stop right there!

What's that place over there?

I think it's Senior's herb garden.

Help! Someone's stealing herbs!

Help!

Song!

Mr. Sun!

-Someone was stealing herbs here! -What happened?

Someone was stealing herbs!

The medicinal herbs Master worked so hard to grow

have all been ruined by the thief!

Mr. Dong will surely scold me again if he finds out.

Where's the thief?

I failed to catch up with him.

He climbed over the wall and escaped!

Take me to see.

It's right over there!

Right there.

Was it this patch?

This patch?

Yes. That's right.

This...

That person wasn't here for the herbs.

But I saw him bending over right there with my own eyes.

If he wasn't stealing herbs, then what was he doing?

If he were here to steal herbs,

he should have at least taken some herbs away.

But the herbs in the garden

were all just trampled and knocked over.

Judging by the roots and stems,

there's no sign of them being uprooted or harvested, either.

When you saw him,

he might have just climbed over the wall

and was about to stand up,

rather than bending down.

Junior, you're truly impressive.

No wonder that brat Yan...

Senior.

Alright, alright.

Did you get a good look at that person's appearance?

I didn't see clearly.

As soon as I called out,

he ran off without even looking back.

What happened here?

Mr. Dong, a thief broke in here.

We need to quickly dispatch more people to patrol.

Miss Qin, you're truly thoughtful.

Now that winter has come,

life is inevitably hard for the poor in the mountains.

We just need to be more vigilant.

Making such a big fuss,

what if you scare Her Ladyship?

Mr. Dong, I was wrong.

As long as you offer me food,

you can punish me however you want.

Look at you.

Come on.

Get up, get up.

I was wrong.

Alright, alright.

Don't be afraid.

How could I possibly starve you?

Don't be afraid.

He's also a poor child taken in by Young Master,

and he was traumatized by hunger before.

It's getting late.

Young Master Sun,

I'd trouble you to escort Miss Qin back.

Mrs. Lin will bring dinner

to everyone's quarters later.

Thank you, Mr. Dong.

You're welcome.

Let's go.

Little Wan'er.

Wan.

Why are you back so late?

Come here. Come on.

-Come here. Sit down. -What's wrong?

When I woke up today, you weren't here,

so I thought I'd go look for you.

I didn't expect to not find you

but witness quite a show instead.

Where did Little Wan'er go anyway?

Where on earth did she run off to so early in the morning?

Why couldn't we find her anywhere?

She probably went to hang out with her senior.

They're senior brother and junior sister,

yet they don't even know to keep their distance.

Isn't this a plum forest?

Why does it stink so badly?

Look.

What is that?

Let me see.

What's there to look?

What's wrong?

What do you want to see?

What is it?

What are you trying to look at?

It's a wild animal's carcass!

A wild animal's carcass?

I'm sorry.

I thought it was night-blooming jasmine.

My Lady, come on.

Why are there so many carcasses of wild animals here?

Are you alright?

Why didn't you stop me?

You just joined in watching me make a fool of myself.

What kind of friend

are you?

I'm Bai Feijue.

Sorry for disturbing you ladies.

I'd like to offer my sincere apologies.

Shuang.

I'm sorry.

I was almost frightened to death just now.

That's why I lost my composure.

Are you okay?

It's alright.

Later,

I casually mentioned that the Bai family is a prestigious family in Yizhou,

and Qin Xiang's gaze at Young Master Bai was so intense

that it seemed like it could drip water.

Where are those animals' carcasses now?

I'd like to take a look.

Why do you want to see those things?

Young Master Bai had his servants bury them right away.

Ning.

You said those carcasses were disemboweled,

as if cut open by a blade, right?

Yes.

I would never mistake blade wounds.

My Lady.

Mrs. Lin has brought some pastries.

What kind of pastries?

It's tea shortbread.

I'd like to try some too.

I don't want to go back to that room.

Just seeing her makes me lose my appetite.

My skills are humble.

I hope you ladies won't be disappointed.

This tea shortbread

is even better than what we had at the tea stall.

Come on, try some.

I'm glad you ladies like it.

Young Master has instructed

that I shall attend to you ladies for the next few days.

Mrs. Lin, you call Senior "Young Master."

Are you his household servant?

Yes.

Among all the people here, only Dong and I

came here with Young Master.

The others were all cured by Young Master

and chose to stay voluntarily.

Mrs. Lin, your pastries

taste even better than those made by the locals.

That's truly impressive.

Actually, I didn't know how to make them before, either.

It was after Young Master cured my heart ailment

that I suddenly became skilled

at kitchen work.

Dr. Sun can even cure heart ailments?

Indeed.

Young Master said I had necrosis on my heart

and that cutting it out would cure me.

Please take your time to enjoy, ladies.

If you want anything to eat,

just let me know.

Mrs. Lin, let me open the door for you.

Thank you.

Little Wan'er.

Your senior's medical skills

seem to be even better than yours.

Well, he's my eldest senior,

so of course he's the most skilled.

My Lady, Your Highness.

Breakfast is ready.

Okay.

Junior, something terrible has happened!

Song was killed!

Wan.

Where are you going?

Something happened to one of Senior's servants.

I'm on my way to check on him.

You can't go.

Senior has always treated me nicely,

and now, with such a great matter happening in his household,

I can't just stand by and do nothing.

This is not Jingzhou.

No one will cover for you here.

If word gets out about you examining corpses,

what will become of you sisters' reputation?

If anyone dares to speak ill of Little Wan'er,

they'll have to answer to my sword first!

Let's go.

But...

Wan.

Cousin Yan.

Don't worry.

Wan's skills

are admired even by Lord Yan and Prefect Huo.

I'm sure her reputation won't be damaged.

Is that so?

Well then, Shuang,

please tell me more about it.

Mr. Dong.

Sorry for troubling you, Young Master.

Please don't tell my senior about this yet.

Thank you for easing Young Master's burden.

Song

is over here.

Ning, don't go there.

Fuling, go get my box and writing materials.

Yes.

I'll go with you. I know martial arts.

Let's go.

Who could have done this to Song?

Send someone to report this to the authorities first.

But

the county office is over 20 miles from here,

and with heavy snow and slippery roads,

a round trip would take two days and two nights.

Even so, we still need to report this to the authorities.

I'll begin the examination here first.

Young Master Sun, this...

Don't worry.

Junior's forensic skills are exceptional.

She won't make any mistake.

Okay.

I'll go make arrangements right away.

Senior.

The first three days after a crime are crucial for investigation.

We can't just wait for officials to arrive.

We must examine everything possible.

In case of delays,

at least we can preserve some earliest evidence.

Alright.

Who discovered Song first?

It was me.

Why were you here

so early in the morning?

I'm responsible for daily cleaning,

and once I recover, I'll be leaving the mountain.

I'm grateful to Master for saving my life,

so I got up early this morning,

thinking of sweeping the snow for Master again.

But I didn't expect

to see a stray cat on the way,

so I chased after it.

And that's when I found Song.

Your body is still weak,

so why would you chase after that cat?

Young Master Bai instructed yesterday

that we must get rid of all the stray cats,

so they won't frighten the ladies at night.

You may go now.

But don't wander off these days.

The officers will come to question you again.

I understand.

Little Wan'er.

Give it to me.

Let me.

Thank you, Senior.

Little Wan'er.

Your cousin Yan seems to be discussing with the steward

about getting on the road immediately.

Given the current situation,

nobody can leave.

Senior.

Take notes.

Notes of what?

As per usual,

you talk,

I write.

Write down everything I say.

Alright.

Note this.

Initial examination.

Victim:

Song.

Approximately 16 years old.

Judging from the color of the bloodstains,

the time of death was around 1-3 AM.

Based on the victim's posture at death,

the killer likely pinned him against the wall first,

then cut his limbs off.

Judging from the leg wounds,

the killer intended to sever the arms as well,

but the blade became dull,

so the arms weren't completely severed.

The fatal wound is a stab to the chest.

No weapon was found at the crime scene.

Based on the wound shape,

the weapon

appears to be an iron blade capable of both cutting and stabbing,

crudely made,

similar to...

A billhook.

Could the killer be

a madman who enjoys torture and murder?

Why would someone harbor

such hatred toward Song?

The motive for this crime requires further investigation.

Please have your men seal this area off first

and guard it day and night, Senior.

The body should not be collected until

after official investigation.

Leave it to me.

Song lost both his parents

and was an orphan.

He suffered from heart disease too,

just like me.

Since childhood,

he was pushed around by those relatives,

with no place to call home.

He had such a miserable life.

Later, after Young Master cured his illness,

he decided to stay.

I was even thinking of adopting him as my godson.

I'd raise him as a kid,

and he would care for me in my old age.

Who would have thought

he'd be killed by someone?

Mrs. Lin.

Has Song had any conflicts with anyone recently?

No.

He was always such an obedient kid.

How could he have offended anyone?

Offend anyone...

Ning, check the wall for any new footprints.

Got it.

The top of the wall is covered with snow.

Little Wan'er.

What would new footprints look like?

Why did it have to snow last night?

Regardless of whether they're old or new,

check if there are any footprints in the snow.

There aren't any.

Junior.

Junior.

You suspect it was the thief from yesterday?

Mrs. Lin said

Song never made enemies with anyone.

But the thief from yesterday

was discovered by Song,

so he had to take precautions.

Song ruined that thief's plans yesterday,

and that's why he did such ruthless things to Song.

The motive is the hardest thing to investigate,

and we don't have enough evidence to make any conclusions yet.

If it really was that thief,

he should have climbed over the wall

before 5 AM

for the footprints to be completely covered by snow.

So what should we do now?

Find the murder weapon.

Has the murder weapon been found?

A billhook is indeed missing from the storage yard.

If the killer took the murder weapon with them,

there's a high chance they might commit another crime.

But with the heavy snow,

the mountain roads are difficult to traverse.

The government officials

won't arrive until tomorrow evening at the earliest.

For now, we can only rely on ourselves.

We don't have many guards with us,

and if everyone stays in separate quarters,

we won't be able to protect everyone.

Tell Senior that

if his wife can be moved,

they'd better stay with us.

Okay.

I'll go inform Young Master right away.

Junior.

What about me?

What's my task?

Such heavy snow

can cover up many traces.

There are no guards in the mansion,

so outsiders could've sneaked in,

but we can't rule out the possibility of an inside job.

Let's split up and question

the servants about their whereabouts last night.

Anyone whose story doesn't add up

is a suspect.

Brilliant.

I learned this method from Lord Yan.

You know, Junior,

at this very moment,

I actually miss him a bit.

Ning?

Why are you here?

I'm guarding the gate for you.

I believe I'm better at guarding the gate than Fuling, right?

What about you?

Have you found anything?

Everything adds up

perfectly.

All testimonies match,

with nothing suspicious at all.

Young Master Sun, Miss Qin.

Young Master said it was inconvenient for Young Madam to be moved,

and he'd ensure her safety.

I'll go talk to Senior.

What's wrong?

I miss Chi. What about you?

He...

He has his own matters to attend to.

I used to

think

I was very capable,

but I couldn't even tell if a footprint was new or old.

Am I completely useless?

So that's what you were talking about.

What did you think I was talking about?

Nothing.

The first time I treated a patient,

I also thought I was really good,

but I misdiagnosed even a simple cold.

Even the medical fairy made mistakes before?

Everyone in this world makes mistakes.

You only make fewer mistakes with more experience.

The same applies to you.

We're both exceptionally gifted after all.

I like hearing that.

When I mentioned Chi just now,

why did you blush?

I didn't.

It was the cold weather.

If you say so.

Anyway,

I really miss him.

I also...

Miss him quite a bit.

The Herbal Garden.

Master.

Master!

Are you alright, Master?

I'm okay.

Let me rest for a while.

Wan.

I'm here.

Hurry! Hurry!

Alright.

Leave it to me.

Fortunately we found them in time,

so the frostbite isn't too severe.

They're currently soaking in medicinal baths,

but they haven't regained consciousness yet.

Still unconscious?

Lord Yan has been stationed at the border for years

and knows well how to march through snow.

How could his body be damaged to this extent?

Who knows?

If it weren't for his horse's intelligence...

-Be careful. -It's okay.

They might have frozen to death at our doorstep.

His Highness must have overexerted himself

and depleted his vital energy.

I'll go prepare a few doses of

Four Gentlemen Decoction for him.

Senior. His Highness has always been

in good health with strong Qi and blood energy, so it's unsuitable

for him to take nourishing medicines like Four Gentlemen Decoction.

That's right.

Medication should be tailored to the individual.

No wonder Master says I'm book-smart but lack practical wisdom.

They must have had irregular meals while traveling,

causing cold invasion and Qi stagnation.

Senior, you could prepare some navel-warming plasters

for external application to warm the interior and dispel cold,

promoting Qi circulation and relieving pain.

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well.

I'll go prepare some plasters for him then.

I'm better than you at this, Junior.

My Lady, the medicine is ready.

Mrs. Lin, please prepare two bowls of sugared water for me,

not too sweet,

and also boil some rice oil to have on hand.

Got it.

Senior, why don't you go attend to General Bai?

Why?

You want to apply the medicine on him yourself?

Yes.

He's completely naked right now.

Don't you care about your reputation?

A physician should see no difference between men and women.

If there's no difference,

then you go attend to General Bai,

and I'll handle this one.

Why is that?

He...

I saw how this guy looked at you last time,

with questionable intentions.

What if he becomes obsessed with you?

Why would a young lord like him be obsessed with me?

Besides, I've treated his wounds before when he was undressed.

If he wanted to do anything, he would have done so already.

But

he...

He's completely naked now!

If you really feel that uneasy, Senior,

I'll go attend to General Bai instead.

No, no, no.

That guy's naked too.

Since you've treated him before,

alright then.

This guy is really getting lucky.

Your Highness, you're awake.

Is there anything you need, Your Highness?

I can get it for you.

I...

I'll go check on Bai Feng.

General Bai is out of danger now.

Your Highness should focus on your recovery.

Miss Qin, where are my clothes?

They were removed.

You were nearly frozen,

so we had to give you a warm bath before applying medicine.

Who undressed me?

It was Senior.

And I applied the medicine.

Thanks a lot.

Your Highness, don't worry.

Just two more treatments, and you'll be fine.

Thank you, Miss Qin.

I'm almost fully recovered.

Perhaps after I get dressed...

I'll be the judge of that.

Lie down now. I'll apply the medicine for you.

Please don't trouble yourself, Miss Qin.

I'm completely healed.

I truly am!

Lie down now.

That won't be necessary.

Master! Master!

Miss Qin.

Come on, let me check your wounds.

I'm not wearing pants.

It was my negligence.

Please punish me, Master.

This isn't the time for that.

Get up.

I won't get up until you punish me, Master.

Who said you could get out of bed?

Go back now.

We can discuss this after you've healed.

Miss Qin.

Master's injuries are more serious than mine.

In order to catch up with you,

he left his guards behind and traveled day and night,

-without even having a single warm meal. -Shut up.

Keep talking.

Later, when he heard you were at the Herbal Garden, Lady Wan,

he didn't even stop for water

and rushed up the mountain.

We didn't stop to rest until we reached the yard gate.

But during that rest,

I fell into a deep sleep,

and that's how I ended up causing Young Master to fall into danger.

So Your Highness

did all that for me.

Well, I never expected

the central plains to be so cold.

Master, let me check your wounds.

So you're the only one with a mouth, huh?

Spouting nonsense over there.

I had to speak up.

If I didn't tell Lady Wan,

how would she know how much you did for her?

Your suffering would be in vain.

Get out of here now.

Get out!

I'll go check on Chi.

It's time for General Bai to take his medicine.

I'll go remind him.

My Lady.

His Highness rushed over here, risking his life.

-Such devotion... -But what about the future?

Fuling.

In what capacity should I accept this kindness,

Qin Wan or Shen Wan?

If my father's wrongful conviction cannot be cleared,

how am I supposed to stay by his side?

Am I supposed to live out my life

as Qin Wan?

My Lady...

Fuling.

There's no need to say anything more.

My mind is a mess right now.

Lady Wan, the officials have arrived.

Mr. Dong is taking them to see Song.

Let's go.

Butler Dong.

Isn't your Dr. Sun's medical skill

supposedly able to bring the dead back to life?

How come

he failed to save him?

Constable Song, you jest.

When we got here,

the young man was already dead.

That's why I say,

and this proves,

that even the greatest physicians

need help from us sometimes.

Too bad Dr. Sun doesn't have

any respect for minor officials like us.

That's not a very fair thing to say, Sir.

Alright, alright.

Examine the body.

But don't overdo it.

This Herbal Garden is isolated from everywhere.

It's likely one of their own people did it.

Constable Song.

I've already made inquiries.

No one at the Herbal Garden had any grudge against this young man.

Lady Wan, please don't go over there.

The officials are examining the body.

Okay.

Chief, we've finished the examination.

The victim died from stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.

His clothes are relatively intact,

suggesting he didn't struggle much before being killed.

The killer was likely someone he knew.

Look.

Didn't I say so?

It was someone he knew who did it.

Take everyone from the garden back to yamen

and interrogate them one by one.

Under torture, there's no way they won't confess.

As a constable,

is this how you investigate cases?

Who are you?

A young lady should be embroidering in her room,

not meddling in affairs here, alright?

I'm here investigating the case on behalf of yamen.

Go away.

You're in no position to speak here.

To judge it as being committed by an acquaintance based solely on

whether the clothes are disheveled—

With such a crude investigation, how are you worthy of being called officials?

Insulting officials, huh?

I...

I dare you!

I do dare!

This is Miss Qin Wan from the Qin family.

The Qin family?

That's what I thought.

No wonder Miss Qin has such presence.

However, since Miss Qin is a sheltered lady,

she surely knows nothing about criminal law.

If Miss Qin Wan knows nothing about it,

then perhaps no one in this world would dare claim they do.

Who is this?

Where's the token I gave you?

Why didn't you use it?

It slipped my mind

for a moment.

Take it out and try it now.

[Yan]

Heir of Prince Rui's token?

It was my fault for being blind!

I beg your forgiveness, My Lord!

What "Lord"?

This is

the Heir of Prince Rui himself.

Saying you were blind?

I think you simply never had eyes to begin with!

Yes.

Miss Qin Wan has profound knowledge in criminal law.

She's a strategist I specifically hired.

To receive her guidance today

is your great fortune.

You may rise.

It was all my fault for being so ignorant.

Please forgive me, Miss Qin.

Miss Qin has a heart full of loyalty to His Majesty and love for the people.

It's because of this that she disregarded the criticism

and assisted me in inspecting the criminal cases of various states.

You should respectfully address her as

"Master Wan."

Yes.

Please allow us

to pay our respects to you, Master Wan.

Respects to you, Master Wan.

Please, no need for formalities.

Fuling.

The box.

Yes.

Senior.

Please escort His Highness and General Bai

back to rest first.

No need.

Bai Feng and I will go examine the crime scene.

We'll let you know if we find anything.

But your wounds...

I'll apply more medicine for him.

As long as it's properly treated,

he should be able

to survive.

The murder weapon hasn't been found yet,

and the killer might commit another crime.

This inspection must uncover the reason

why the victim appeared in the storage yard at midnight.

Right. Right.

Did you hear that?

Master Wan.

We've finished cleaning.

Okay.

Step back then.

Note this.

Quickly, write it down.

Yes.

Abrasion on the left cheek.

Fell backward on right shoulder, showing abrasions.

Bruising and stab wounds on the chest and abdomen.

Knees

and front of lower legs show bruising and abrasions.

Cut wounds on both palms.

Blood stain on the right wrist.

Where are the victim's clothes?

Here, here.

Mr. Dong.

Do the servants at Herbal Garden

have winter clothes of this material?

No.

Young Master has always treated us servants well

and would never use such coarse cotton to make clothes for us.

This...

Where are the victim's shoes?

Shoes!

Master Wan.

The victim's shoes were completely soaked in blood,

yet the soles are dry.

Dry?

Master.

This is Song's room.

Master.

Is there a latrine to the front left?

There's a servants' latrine not far ahead.

Let's go

and find the spot where the victim encountered the killer.

This way, Master.

Master.

Where does this corridor lead to?

It's not marked on Mr. Dong's map.

I'll go check.

Take it slow.

We're in no hurry.

Don't worry, Master.

Your Highness, Miss Qin has finished examining the body,

and I've specially come to guide you.

Your Highness.

I'm here to deliver the postmortem report

on Master Wan's orders.

Is anyone protecting Master Wan over there?

Yes, there is.

I've arranged it.

With me here,

Master Wan won't even get a scratch.

The soles are dry?

Master.

Master.

Up ahead the corridor is a pharmacy.

Although the door is locked,

there's a strong medicinal smell.

Further ahead,

there are several forking paths.

The pharmacy is indeed down the corridor,

and further ahead is Young Master's Renxin Clinic.

Killed on a snowy night,

yet the soles are dry.

This indicates that everywhere the victim went was either corridors

or places with some form of cover.

The map.

In the cold of midnight,

the victim may have gone out to use the bathroom,

passing through the corridor.

However, upon reaching this spot, he encountered the murderer.

Seeing the murderer's suspicious behavior,

he followed him.

Realizing he was being tailed,

the murderer deliberately led him to a secluded area.

Until...

Isn't that exactly where the victim was killed?

On our way here,

besides the corridor,

there was only that covered walkway.

The eaves above the walkway are connected,

perfectly blocking the snow,

which explains why the victim's soles are dry.

As for the murder weapon Master Wan identified,

it should be something like a billhook.

Your Highness.

This is the storage yard,

which is usually never locked.

After Song sharpened the billhooks,

he'd store them by the yard entrance.

That makes sense.

The killer must have entered the storage yard first,

grabbed a billhook, and waited for the victim to follow.

But if the killer acted on impulse,

why was the attack so brutal?

Perhaps the killer didn't act on impulse.

It's possible that the person he intended to kill

wasn't the victim.

[Benevolent Heart]

Your Highness.

Are you suggesting that

the killer's target was Renxin Clinic?

That the one they wanted to kill was our Young Master?

It's just my speculation.

The victim's unexpected intervention

disrupted the killer's plan,

resulting in his brutal murder.

That's impossible.

Our Young Master is dedicated to saving lives and healing people,

providing free medicine and treatment to the locals.

It's impossible that anyone would

harbor murderous intentions toward him.

Until we catch the killer,

we must consider all possibilities.

But no matter what,

the victim was just a young man.

In the dead of night, seeing someone acting suspiciously,

why would he dare to approach alone?

Song was kind-hearted and sincere.

He had long seen Young Master as his savior.

If he had discovered that the killer's target

was Renxin Clinic,

no matter how scared he was,

he would still have followed them.

If my concerns are correct,

our top priority now is to protect Young Master Sun.

My Black Armor Guards won't arrive for another few hours.

Constable Song.

I'll leave the safety of Renxin Clinic in your hands for now.

At Your Highness's command.

Go now.

To Renxin Clinic.