MsDarkqueen

Yeah could be.. In mystery series anything is possible... Thinking about possibility and probabilities will keep viewers engaged. 🙂

Oh, I spelled her name incorrectly in the post....I didn't know its meaning, the meaning suits her... I will edit her spelling..

It is apparent that senior brother is trying to seperate them, even I had presumed that he had deliberately given her poison to get rid of Rong Yu once and for all but in this episode he seemed concerned after reading her letter and in spite of being hurt himself, he instructed medicinal herb to be sent to Jiu Ling.... So I don't know what to think now. ... Future episodes will reveal his intentions more clearly.

Ms. Lin could be his second wife, but I doubt she is his first wife who is also operating a brothel, because she was totally unaware of his death and Yamen office has already informed Leng family of his death, Sangeng went to visit Captain's family where his daughter talked about needing his help for funeral arrangements... Additionally Ms. Lin also gave Sangeng many silver ingots to pass on to Captain's family so she must not have been in direct contact with them.

I have started a discussion thread on this page, where I eventually plan to write and post summary of all episodes..... You mean I should also post it as summary in episode guide?
I will try to submit, dont know if moderators will accept it because it is too detailed, contains all spoilers... Thanks for the suggestion.

Episode 8

Rong Yu now comprehends words and follows Jiu Ling's instructions. Jiu Ling overhears the old lady who is giving them shelter for the night conversing with her neighbor. Even though the old lady is poor, she did not hesitate to give shelter to these two people in need. At breakfast Jiu Ling gives the lady a gold ingot for her kind help. Rong yu who is still childlike feeds Jiu Ling porridge with his spoon, Jiu ling teaches him to put food in his mouth instead of hers. After changing their dresses to mix in the crowd, Jiu Ling along with Rong Yu take leave from the old lady. On their way to find a carrige to take them near their destination, they meet the artist who made Rong Yu's sketches for livelihood.

Jiu Ling leaves Rong Yu in the painter's care. After giving Rong Yu his favourite pancakes with fragrant powder sprinkled on it, she leaves to inquire carriage availability for their journey to her master's place hoping to find a cure for Rong Yu's condition. Inside the office, Lord Rong is waiting for her, he slaps her and forcibly takes Rong Yu away with him. Rong Yu keeps shouting for her and jiu ling also tries to reach him but both are separated.

Jiu ling is sent back to her house. Rong Yu becomes depressed by this separation and doesn't eat anything, looking for the same pancakes jiu ling used to give him on their journey.

Jiu ling writes a letter to her master begging her to come treat Rong Yu, but her master refuses as she has an old grudge against astrology tower ministers. Jiu ling also writes a letter to her senior, telling him of the adverse effect of his medication on Rong Yu. In spite of being hurt himself, her senior decides to send her life saving herb to cure Rong Yu.

Meanwhile, Jiu Ling realises the need to become strong so that nobody takes away her loved one again so she earnestly starts learning martial arts with her elder brother's help.

Rong yu's guards who created diversion are brought back to Rong mansion, Lord Rong allows them to continue to be Rong Yu's guards but punishes them. One of the guard takes punishment for both, he is branded on his cheek as punishment.

Jiu Ling sits outside Rong mansion, other courtiers come out from the house making fun of Rong Yu's present condition. Jiu ling beats them. She is seen by Lord Rong who is a little impressed but decides not to intervene. Jiu ling is also seen by Rong Yu's guard who approaches her and asks her to meet Rong Yu.

Rong Yu is taken by the guard to their window overlooking the house next door, jiu ling is standing in that courtyard. Rong Yu waves at her happily and starts eating food. Jiu ling also spends more time in that courtyard talking via gestures. She practices and Rong Yu happily watches her.

Both are happy to see each other at a distance even though they cannot meet.

Episode 8 summary in spoiler tag below

You are most welcome. 🙂

Episode 2 Ripe Town

5 Gangsters of the city are introduced. The Gang and Da gangs are collection of street thugs. The Gang gang specialises in fraud and extortion. The da gang collecta debts, kidnaps people and runs casino secretly. They are nicknamed "the two rats and three wolves". They run all the illegal business and they are a gold mine of information which they supply to Yamen office on mutually beneficial ground of you scratch my back, I scratch yours. They were Captain Leng's informers and now that he is dead, Captain Yi would be the next liasion and contact person with them. Captain Yi informs the gangsters in his first meeting that he doesn't have any rules or restrictions for them, unlike Captain Leng who had kept many rules for their operation and that is why the gangsters of their county were poorest.

Now that gangsters had new liasion person, their heads refuse to meet Sangeng. Sangeng manages to interfere in one of the con game by a gangster gang and exposes to the viewers and the victim how the victim would lose his property. A new person is a part of this con, Sangeng becomes suspicious of him. He does not get to meet the head of that gangster group but Sangeng leaves a threat, hoping it would compel the head to meet him.

At his home, Sangeng's blind mother is waiting for him to arrive. Viewers get clued in, on his home situation. Sangeng's father who was a night watchman died while putting out a fire 20 years ago. He lives with his now blind mother. His mother is worried that now as Captain Leng is not there to protect Sangeng he may get into trouble in the office.

Mr.Song calls Sangeng and gives him a molar teeth having four roots which is unique and would be lucky for Sangeng. Later Captain Yi is waiting for Sangeng to arrive at the office so he can deal with him. Shicong accompanies Sangeng to see Captain Yi in a support of solidarity. Sangeng shows the teeth implying that he is under Mr. Song's protection so Captain Yi doesn't reprimand him further but takes shicong's badge and dismisses him from job as a warning. While Sangeng and Shicong are drinking, the same suspicious new person who was part of the cob game earlier is seen outside the pub. Sangeng loses his temper and beats him, finally arresting him on charges of provoking troubles and resisting arrest. The man informs the guard at the jail that he was a scholar, his name was Qian Mo.

Sangeng visits the pub to drown his sorrow because he is missing his master. Guier comes to the pub and scolds Sangeng for neglecting his duty who follows her back to Captain Leng's house. Upon reaching there, Guier takes Sangeng to their cellar. Captain Leng has a big coffin sitting in his cellar. Guier shows Sangeng that it is filled with 10,000 silver ingots. Guier informs Sangeng that all of them have been given by one person. They discover some old notes, the papers are old witnesses' testimonies of a fire in Lu residence 20 years ago and two old prescriptions from Dr. Cheng. The date of the fire is the same date of Sangeng's father's death, 7th September 1589.
Testimony of Niu Lubao "it was 1am, After drum had been heard, East yard of Lu residence caught fire. It was the West wind. Our west yard was affected. We got our neighbors help so it wasn't severe"
Prescription from 20 years ago too, given to two men, chen wang and Lu Yuanbao. Doctor was cheng yizhi, the genius doctor.

Sangeng thinks the testimonies and prescription s were life-saving chips kept bu Captain Leng. A person who could give 10,000 silver teals would not be a ordinary person.

Sengeng's mother informs him that after his father's death, Captain Leng started taking interest in Sangeng (could be guilty conscience for suppressing evidence).

Sangeng goes to visit the witnesses of the fire 20 years ago. They fill him in with their weird accounts, however it is clear that the formal testimony on paper is false and fabricated. One of the witness who had signed the testimony could not even read and write.
Witness 1- Niu Lubao - he said that night he couldn't sleep. He was angry with his wife. "Fire started at either 11pm Or 1am. After the drum was heard suddenly a fireball fell from the sky. The fireball was floating and drifting on the roof of Lu's house. It started to roll, in an instant house turned into a sea of fire.... Sangeng points out that his testimony 20 years ago did not mention fireballs...... Nii Lubao says he might have forgotten to mention due to tiredness. He says other neighbors also saw the fireball..... When asked if any survivors, he says nobody survived even all servants died.

Witness 2 - shopkeeper - he remembers the fire.... When asked about survivors, he said there oos no one left in Liu family.

Witness 3- fortune teller Yue - "The fire was fierce, lasting until late next morning. Until all was burned into ashes" Yue family was wealthy back then, he was still a student in county school. He was a schoolmate of the young master of Lu family. Fortunately, he met his master who taught him divination etc.... According to fortune teller Yue, there is a rumor about the fire. It's said that the master of the family did something atrocious. A passing Taoist accidentally learned about it and decided to do justice. The Taoist used the five thunder technique to summon thunder to strike the master's bedroom, hence the big fire.

Witness 4 - a mother- She remembers the fire. According to her, there is a rumour the master was a madman.. The fire was set by him. Before that he killed his brother.

Witness 5 - a deaf old man- he doesn't understand anything. When shown his testimony of fire incident, he reveals he cannot read and write.

Sangeng then meets Dr. cheng who had written the prescription. Dr. Cheng had been called for a house visit to check up on captain leng's widowed wife. Dr. Cheng acknowledges that he had written the prescriptions and they are for mild disorders but he doesn't remember the patients clearly.
1. Prescription of Lu Yuanbao who used to be a wealthy officer. No serious illness just palpitations and shortness of breath.

2. Prescription of Chen Wang, Dr. Cheng didn't remember this patient but prescription for liver fire, no major illness.

Dr. Cheng is clearly lying and hiding something. A very weird thing happens, Dr Cheng steals a ripe pear from Leng's residence and eats it with relish outside.

A panicked Turkey calls on Sangeng who is still in Captain Leng's house. Someone has killed his uncle, Mr. Wang in the Wulei school. Turkey says the students went in the morning and foundnthe door was locked, they knocked but nobody responded. Later, Turkey's uncle's cook tried, he too failed. Then they summoned Turkey, who climbed over the wall and saw his uncle's dead body with legs tied to a tree up in the air, hands on the ground, in one hand a seal was kept, Mr Wang loved calligraphy and seal carving. On the other hand a bloody brass ferule with hair stuck on it was kept, but Mr. Wang never beat the students with it. It was used to press down books. Mr. wang's head was buried in the soil.

On the brass ferule, words were written "Young ones clad in attire in late spring. Grown and young one's bath in Yi river and the wind on the altar. Homeward with songs". Turkey reveals it refers to "In late spring. I wore newly made clothes. Several adults and children bathed in Yi river and enjoyed the wind on the altar. After that the family went home signing."

Sangeng digs Mr. Wang's buried head out, his mouth is stuffed with headless fluffy chicken.

Episode 1
In AD 1609 of the Ming Dynasty, Du County in Jiangnan.
Qu Sangeng(Bai YuFan) a Yamen runner/bailiff of Hunter squad and Gao Shicong(Liu YiTong) a Yamen auxiliary bailiff, find corpse of Captain Leng(Wang Ce) displayed as a Scarecrow in a field of Qijia Village. Sangeng was an apprentice of Captain Leng so he is understandably upset over his murder.
The Coroner declares in his postmortem report that Captain Leng was strangled. His cervical spine was snapped. Coroner infer, Captain Leng was hung to death. Someone pierced his body with the litter rod, covered him with some straw, making him scarecrow in the field. Mulberry wood litter rod that pierced Captain Leng's body had Chinese classic literature words written on it. Murderer had quoted Confucius( Kong Qiu, Chinese philosopher)
Song Chen(Ning Li) judge in charge of verdict in Yamen suggests to the new county magistrate that the hunter squad has lost Captain Leng so Captain Yi of Executer squad shall supervise Hunter squad too. Captain Yi now imcharge of both squads asks Sangeng how Captain Leng would solve a murder case. Sangeng states that he would visit the scene and the victim's family, find out the track and ask help from gangsters. Captain Yi mockingly asks Sengeng to investigate the case as he is familiar with the routine and people. Captain Yi benefitted from Captain Leng'a death by getting prestigious position of leader of both hunter squad and executor squad.

Sangeng visits Captain Leng's bereaved family consisting of his daughter, Gui'er(Julia Xiang) his widowed wife and a young son. Sangeng discusses with Shicong that he is hesitating in approaching the gangsters as they don't listen to anyone. Their words are a mix of truth and falsehood. Sangeng has to still figure out if gansters benefit from Captain Leng's death.

Sengeng and Shicong visit Wulei school. There they ask Mr. Wang about the meaning of principle written on litter rod. Mr. Wang informs them it is from Analects of Confucius. That is what Confucius said to Zengzi. Confucius meant his though was consistent. According to Zhu Xi(Chinese calligrapher and historian) , the sage sticks to one principle.... Confucius meant loyalty and forgiveness. According to Zhu Xi be loyal and forgiving from the inside. Loyalty means being wholehearted. Forgiveness means being considerate. Mr. Wang says that a sales thoughts are meant to guide and transform people not for murder.

Feng Kezhui(Zhang Hao Wei) whom everyone thinks of a crazy philosopher nicknamed 'Turkey' because his surname is Feng. Turkey is overheara the conversation with Mr. Wang who is his uncle and has a different interpretation that could be used for murder. His interpretation is unconventional. According to Turkey, killer read sales book and deliberately left the words after his crime. Killer must be a cynic. He doesn't believe in classics, adhere the rites Or acknowledge the sages. Killer is mocking the sages.
Sangeng and Shicong take Turkey to a restaurant as per his request to know more about his thoughts. After eating Turkey wants to know one thing is they discovered the body inside a room Or in broad daylight? Upon knowing body was discovered in broad daylight, Turkey concludes it was a revengeful murder, deep seated hatred. Murderer suffered injustice, he wants the world to know it. Turkey says the murderer was being sarcastic. He wanted to tell everyone that the victim was a man of disloyalty and impiety. An officer's duty is to uphol justice and plead for people. So malpractice means disloyalty and taking human life lightly means impiety for an officer.

Mr. Song sees sangeng researching in Archive room for old cases to find clue of Captain Leng's murder so he calls Sangeng and inquires how long he had been a bailiff. Sangeng says 1 year auxiliary bailiff and 4 years bailiff. Mr. Song asks how many homicide cases they had handled in that time. Sangeng inform 37 cases, 26 fighting, 6 mursers and robberies, 3 rape cases, 1 Domestic murder and 1 a debtor was killed and buried in the wilderness. Mr. Song wants to know how many cases were solved. Sangeng replies half of fighting cases(13) were solved rest suspended, 1 each of robbery and rape case was solved. Last 2 murder cases were solved. Mr. Song implies that only investigated cases have record, Record df Uninvestigated cases cannot be found in Archive room files.

Sangeng while cleaning Captain Leng's badge realises, that when he left Yamen office the day of his murder it was not on an official duty. Captain Leng had visited a brothel that he had frequented in the past to visit Ms. Lin(Zeng Li). Sangeng along with Shicong goes to see her. Ms. Lin is shocked and saddened to hear of Captain Leng's murder. She takes some time to compose herself and then replies to Sangeng's questions.

Ms.Lin informs them that it was usual and nothing seemed to be bothering him. Captain Leng said the new county magistrate is a cat official. Captain Leng served as a constable for over 20 years and had served many magistrates. He categorised officials into 5 types:
1. Wolves are the most ruthless and greedy.
2.Dogs, whether they are greedy or not, they keep a right rein on their households. Subordinates have hardly any chance for personal gain.
3.snakes are spineless but most venomous. However, snakes climb the fastest.
4.Rats are cunning and greedy. They won't miss any minor benefits.
5.cats are the best, they like to be stroked. Once stroked, they became tame. And besides playing they sleep. They spend most of their time sleeping. (If a cat is fed enough they won't catch mice.)

Captain Leng left Ms. Lin's place around 5pm. After leaving Ms. Lin, Sangeng and Shicong try to understand what would have happened to Captain Leng. According to their understanding master(captain leng) was going home but his body was found outside the city. The gate would close shortly after 5pm.The nearest gate was east gate. Body was found 10 miles outside east gate at Qijia village. It would take 30 minutes from Ms.Lin's house to the east gate. Master would not have been able to return before the gate closed.

While Sangeng and Shicong are speculating, viewers are shown how the murder did take place. Captain Leng after leaving Ms. Lin's place walking on a deserted street, sees through a hole in the outer wall, many silver ingots lying in the courtyard of a deserted house. He tries to open the door but is unsuccessful so enters heads first through the hole in the wall. As soon as he inserts his head inside the hole, someone from inside wraps a noose around his neck. He is pulled by a horse tied to a mechanism of lever and pulleys. He is dragged across the courtyard by the noose around his neck. He is hung on tree till dead by the same mechanism operated by the rotation of the horse. Then his corpse is put inside a carriage and taken out of the city.

But presently when Sangeng and Shicong are speculating outside the same house of Captain Leng's murder, the hole in the outer wall has been repaired and plastered so Sangeng and Shicong dont notice anything abnormal.

Very detailed summary of episode 2...

Contains all information, written in spoiler tag below.

Very detailed summary of episode 1..

Contains all information, written in spoiler tag below.

You were correct, Mr. Song was not the coroner, it was some random guy.

I am going slow with these episodes, they have lots of chinese literature and philosophy included. Good series but needs total attention.

Rong Yu is in a coma and Jiu Ling has hurt her hand unable to perform basic functions with it. After she had been beaten by Jiang siblings in previous episode, she forces her father to tell her about Rong Yu's condition. Upon realising that probably the medicine her Senior gave her to make Rong Yu indifferent to her was poisonous and the real reason for his present condition, she decides to take Rong Yu to her master, Xuan Tian Sanren on Mount Wuhua for treatment.

In the meantime Jui Ling's elder brother apprehends Jiang song min for attacking his sister and takes him in for questioning.. Jui Ling's brother was very ruthless and domineering, ready to get justice for his sister... Great sibling bond.

Meantime Lord Rong, Rong Yu's uncle comprehends that Jiu Ling was responsible for his nephew's poisoning so in anger he burns the engagement annulment decree from The Emperor and resolves to make Jiu Ling suffer.

When Jiu Ling and her father come to Rong mansion to ask permission for taking Rong Yu to Jiu ling's master, Lord Rong understandably refuses.

Jiu Ling in a desperate bid, kidnaps Rong Yu with the help of his two helpers. On the way to her master they are ambushed by the soilders looking for Rong Yu's wereabouts. Jiu Ling and Rong Yu hide while the other two helpers divert soldiers' attention.

Jiu Ling then carries the unconscious Rong Yu on her back, she ties him around her waist with a stole as her hands are defunct due to her injuries.. As they progress, Rong Yu starts waking up. Rong Yu wakes up fully but alas has lost his mind, he has become foolish and behaves like an innocent child, always hugging Jiu Ling and sticking to her like glue.

Jiu Ling reluctantly takes care of him, teaching him basic functions... Probably the vicious poison has affected his brain and needs to be detoxified.

Jiu Ling and a childlike Rong Yu continue on their journey to Jiu Ling's master for treatment.

Episode 7

The He family's bond is sweet. whole family wants to support Jiu Ling after she hurts her hand in previous episode. Her elder brother, He Qiu Ting along with her caring sister- in- law take care of her as if she is their child... Her widowed father General He, worries about her health standing outside her door fretting. Her other brother He Qing Yan, deliberately tries to act clueless to make her laugh.. This family is full of love, cherishing each other.

More about episode 7 in spoiler tag below.

Oh, I will have to rewatch the episode.... But wasn't he the one who performed captain Leng's autopsy?

Yeah the universal complain of MGTV subs 😆 .......You are welcome and hopefully what I wrote is correct because I am also navigating the murky waters of MGTV's atrocious subs...

Episode 1

A good start to an intriguing story...

More about episode 1 in the spoiler tag below

Qu San Geng finds the dead body of his superior officer, Captain Leng on a field outside the city. Captain Leng's corpse has been displayed as a scarecrow and a big litter log inserted in his body to prop him like a scarecrow had some scholarly words inscribed.

Sangeng obviously disturbed by his master's death starts his investigation... Coroner in the autopsy reveals the cause of death is strangulation.

There are multiple suspects in the Yamen office itself... Sangeng has been trained under Captain Leng so he is reluctant to believe he was corrupt, however all the clues of his death leads in that direction. The scholarly words written on the rod have been used in a twisted manner. The words as deciphered by 'Turkey' a wayward scholar and Sangeng's acquaintance imply Captain Leng's murder was a revenge murder, someone with a grudge killed him.

Two different images of the victim arise in front of the audience... One picture is of the kind, upright officer who was trying his best to uphold justice and has tutored Sangeng.. Another picture of an immoral man who visited a brothel often and used to supress premeditated murder cases by accepting bribes.

Viewers along with Sangeng will slowly get the real image of the victim and the murder's motivation as the series progresses.

Jiu Ling's senior brother meets her and he gives her an alternate candidate for marriage, he offers to marry her... Jiu Ling in a drunken state goes for the rendezvous with Rong Yu. She gets into his personal space while clutching and lifting his robe. In a prim and proper manner he tries to keep his distance like a modest madien... He maintains propriety but Jui Ling is relentlessly unabashed, she is shot with a medicated needle by Rong Yu's guard in an attempt to protect his honour. She faints and as alast resort Rong Yu ends up taking her at his house.

The next day, Jiu Ling wakes up in Rong Yu's mansion and uncaring for her reputation walks out of his house half dressed, which starts all tongues wagging.

The Emperor invites Jiu Ling at his banquet where a foreign envoy who happens to be Jiu Ling's senior proposes to marry her... Rong Yu once again steps in to defend her from others accusations and declares her to be his fiancee....

Rumours of Jiu Ling spending a night with Rong Yu spreads, The emperor grants marriage to these two. Jiu Ling also inadvertently hears the gossip and gets angry at Rong Yu... She rides on her horse and stops Rong Yu's carriage, dragging him to a nearby inn, paying the receptionist she pulls Rong Yu into the room..

She clarifies with a now disheveled Rong Yu how inappropriate he would be as her spouse.. Rong Yu is crestfallen by this disclosure....


These two episodes displayed gender reversal roles in many instances..... I believe soon more political maneuvers would be introduced with the introduction of The emperor. The emperor desiring to give General He a decree to fight in foreign land and the foreign envoys' entry.

Episode 3 and 4

The story is becoming quite engaging for me... As soon as I finish one episode, I want to watch the next one to see what happens further..... At this point, gender role reversal is introduced... I appreciate that trope in many dramas if well done, let's see how they go ahead with it in this one...

More about episode 3 and 4 in spoiler tag below