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That's why script- writer made student asked " whose fault?" For viewers to think. I made a discussion on thoughts for the ending at the top for this question.

Rewatched parts and at epi 9, when ZJ handed over 400k to his illing father which he got from Ms. J, the father said that his  1st  wife was a good wife. He told his son not to spend money on him as he, not  the wife, was the obstacle. He didn't instigate his son to kill the wife. He further told him to be a teacher and to respect the teachers that taught him. His mother also  didn't instigate to kill 2nd wife during the visiting scene, just to divorce and remarry to have children .She was rough and crude but morally didn't instigate him to kill.
Thanks for the Latin words and look it up. You are right that its an offence as have criminal intent and physical actions there.
The sentences were harsh especially on the lawyer IMO because it was  "rumor mongering" ,the authorities want to eradicate so public warning thru drama.
IMO Ms.J ,more like corruption of his values ,bolster his ego ,ambitions and greed. She was playing a game of female Pygmalion ,taking a handsome poor  boy turning him into a thing of beauty, who can do great things because he a genius in the arts A bored lady play games with his life turning him into a monster killing his loyal wife and then teaching him ways to seduce and get  the  rich 2nd wife.

Read your review. Supportive parents. ZJ was the 1st boy from their poor village to enter university. Secondly nobody expected that especially from his illiterate parents as his father was a low wage earner working for small time village constructor and mother, simply  a housewife. Rarity to have such looks and brains from such parents. He was a good father who wanted his son to have the best he never had. Don't forget FL rich father was also willing to sacrifice his freedom to help as accomplice to murder.
Prosecuting  copy cats of masterpieces in that  village was a big plot-hole as China is well known for cheap imitations.1 commenter has pointed out below that 1st ending was following novel and 2nd was to  pass thru. censors . Revenge for DV is of course, not encouraged. Production wanted to show the 1st ending was real and 2nd with such "blemish flaws " was only to pass censors. For how can sentences be passed  for FL and father when they had not committed any crimes yet as ZJ was not killed in the 2nd ending and police had not arrived yet?

I find your link views differ from mine, so I made a discussion thread. Don't want to copy and paste without your permission, so invite you to paste it there. TQ.

I know "Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty" series use some historical figures with accuracy . Do you know of other recommendation?

You mean if portrayed in good light , can pass thru. censors? TQ for info., will be catching hist. figures in future dramas.

Yes, you are right. If RX had follow up with that boy, the killer would had been caught earlier .

For me, it's a study of between old fashion way of police(RX) that beat confessions and modern way with psy. tech. to break criminals into sonfessioning.(GE) RX was so used to it that I was angry when he beat his son and had to be stopped to retract fake confession.When his son was released , and if he had came home most likely he would have forbidden that evening run. So poor parenting that resulted in broken communication filled with broken promises ,lies
and mistrust ended with broken people.
The killer has suppressed emotions against RX ,from that scene at the hospital bed. He was full of jealousy and envy against him for having a son and a pretty capable wife while he has an unloving daughter, bossy and fierce wife and no son. He was also eaten up with bitter resentment and anger of RX having a tall and imposing police figure while he was nondescript and impotent. RX should have realized he was fake and insincere for why should a poor struggling hawker gave free meals even when his daughter had not run away. People who curry favor either want something in return or like TH, behind scornful, for fooling the police. He came to gloat and sneered by eating the lipstick. His ego trip him. as the police was at dead end.
Policing a community is not superficial knowing them but has to combine with straightening kinks for if RX had follow-up by asking that kid why he kept hitting at lamplights, the killer would had been caught earlier. The final question, who was at fault ,it's the mentor and student has to live with scars. That's my understanding of the ending but not liking it.

Parents in hutong area were afraid their children would end up like once brilliant student, Crazy Wu who because of puppy love, he went mad. CW and his gf were forbidden to love so they elope. Unfortunately she fell into ditch and died and he became crazy. RX didn't want his son to have puppy love so threw away the school book. Meanwhile TC's parents also were strict and controlled her fr. any puppy love with limited freedom even at home. She run away 1st time as she's smart enough do to self study.

In 2012, I thought he was divorced as he looked so broken.
The son did fake confession out of spite against his father for broken promise of failure to deliver sch.book and lying about that.(Father a policeman while son is murderer)He's not smart as was repeater but girl is smarter with returned ID so that he can be released.
Like you also pitied GE. Son paid the price for lying for there were 2 psychos. out there.
Epi.18, are you paid VIP?

This ending was meh as it's handling 2 real historical figures, Manchu/Qing dynasty, 2nd emperor, Shunzhi (was child emperor, controlled by his mother, regent and eunuchs) and his ex-empress, Consort Jing. Previous dynasty was Ming(Han Chinese) whose factions fought against Manchus rule for very long time. If not mistaken, historical figures from ancient times were banned couple of years ago, so as a hist. fan , salute scriptwriter for balancing hist. facts with story-telling especially in 1st half, showing his talent.

Welcome. So don't hope for S2 as scriptwriter made within that limited scope as HE as possible.

As hist. fan , this story is about 2nd Emperor of Qing (Manchus) dynasty, Shunzhi. He died of smallpox at age 28years. Previous dynasty was Ming(Han Chinese) dynasty and remnants of Ming faction fought for a long against Manchus rule.

As hist. fan , this story is about 2nd Emperor of Qing (Manchus) dynasty, Shunzhi. He died of smallpox at age 22years. Previous dynasty was Ming(Han Chinese) dynasty and remnants of Ming fraction fought for a long against Manchus rule.

I wrote as its disquieting to read below comments about doubts that there is a Cover- Up Conspiracy. This page is about him and should be something akin as unofficial fans site, UNITED to fight justice for him.
You are right that there are many AI fake news and videos. I ascertain by 1) google search to see if any international have same news 2) reputable sites like " China Unfiltered and Lei Real Talk" How about your sources?
I don't expect much help fr. police- part of conspiracy. Clear videos? Remembered when it was 1st announced about his death, many sites in YT reported CCTV were not functioning.( remembered as I also took part in comment sections about all those fishy circumstances)
I'm the proactive and the destiny in own hands type, so not going to wait for Amnesty International as believe we can be the hands that punished those 17 by Boycotting their works/dramas. List them out and Boycott. DRAI(N THEIR MONEY/POWER. No job=no money=no power. That's what they did to YML, by sidelining him ,no S++ dramas= less money hence can't hire top-notch lawyer to cancel his contract. JUSTICE for YuMenglong. 🙏

I wrote as its disquieting to read below comments about doubts that there is a Cover- Up Conspiracy. This page is about him and should be something akin as unofficial fans site, UNITED to fight justice for him.
You are right that there are many AI fake news and videos. I ascertain by 1) google search to see if any international have same news 2) reputable sites like " China Unfiltered and Lei Real Talk" How about your sources?
I don't expect much help fr. police- part of conspiracy. Clear videos? Remembered when it was 1st announced about his death, many sites in YT reported CCTV were not functioning.( remembered as I also took part in comment sections about all those fishy circumstances)
I'm the proactive and the destiny in own hands type, so not going to wait for Amnesty International as believe we can be the hands that punished those 17 by Boycotting their works/dramas. List them out and Boycott. DRAI(N THEIR MONEY/POWER. No job=no money=no power. That's what they did to YML, by sidelining him ,no S++ dramas= less money hence can't hire top-notch lawyer to cancel his contract. JUSTICE for YuMenglong.🙏🙏🙏

This is for those who still believes Cover- Up Conspiracy is just theory but its Definetelt A CERTAINTY.
I' m supporting justice for Yu Mangling as even from the day 1 ,when it was announced he died on 11/9/25. Many odds don't add up. It's like from even epi.1 , drama is asking viewers to suspend logic .Except this is real life.
Within 12 hours , the police announced "no foul play"? It's either accidental falling or he committed suicide. No need for further investigation or wait for a forensic report? So quick to close the case. 6 so-called "friends" at that Hongmen Banquet of dinner and drinks were eye-witnesses, yet police didn't dare identify them, for some of them later denied being there with threats of suing and 1 even got an alibi ready that he left after dinner. No news media ever dare to interview them. In fact there was no news coverage at all , news only broke of his death when a blogger went to take some photos and interviewed residents and later in the evening his agency announced his death. YML was never diagnosed as having depression, yet police can conclude that after dinner and merry drinking, he suddenly wanted to commit suicide. Not at his own home but in "friend" place? Also if he was so drunk ,he can pry open a window screen netting (photo of broken screen taken) to accidentally fall? News blackout. Cover-up conspiracy started. Any social media platforms like Weibo, Douyin etc which wrote his case were immediately deleted .His fans had to seek outside social media platforms for help. Slowly seeping out throughout the weeks that follow, the reasons of news blackout. His agency was pimping employees to rich and high echelons govt. officials, money laundering c entre using employees' names for shell companies, and later on embezzlement of public funds and CCP political in fighting. Truth suddenly becoming stranger than friction. News blackout. Believable as even MDL announcement was written on 29/9/25. WHY WOULD GOVT. MACHINERY BE UTILISED TO SUCH AN EXTENT AGAINST A MERE ACTOR? (Not even a traffic star, S++ budget, only in small web series)UNLESS IT INVOLVES GOVT. WRONG -DOINGS.
Supporting Justice for him apart of petition to Amnesty International is to Boycott those 17 perpetrators projects/dramas even if their dramas has a traffic star .He is a role model for keeping his principles and values, ego for money and fame firmly in control in his frail body for he could have easily have given in. A role model for keeping dark side in check unlike his perpetrators with dark hearts. JUSTICE for YuMenglong.🙏🙏🙏

For those who wants to know more about . JUSTICE for YuMenglong.🙏🙏🙏 which I and Kasia Krakowianka were discussing in her link -the ending - your thoughts, from :- China unfilter ,China insights, Lei's Real Talk.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R6uyop5OG38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwrDWu-IVRA

JUSTICE for YuMenglong
So many websites on this case., with lots of bizarre findings. I put this link below for others to decide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBrPhlnaA8

For me the younger brother had growth. Read my review for details