Episode 5 recap: The Monkey Demon seeks revenge, and every household buys talismans.
Song Dian, a mission person, punished the quick capture class, and Song Dian gave the executor a set of fangs. The neighbor entrusted Peng You to give something to Qu San Geng, claiming that it was specially prepared for him by his mother. When he opened it, it turned out to be a pile of lime powder. His colleagues said that in five days, they would inevitably face punishment, but today they must first strike back at Qu San Geng ahead of time.
Xia Bu Tou was sent by the Nian Tai to supervise the case. He asked someone why they treated him as an outsider, and he directly slapped him several times, forbidding him to engage in private fraud. He then ordered them to be whipped again. He came here for a month, while Qu San Geng, who was being beaten, confessed that he found out about the corpse on the river. The person's name was Chen Wang.
Xia Bu Tou mocked him as a useless person who was far inferior to his master. Qu San Geng said that he had disbanded the visit and interrogation teams for Xia Bu Tou. Xia Bu Tou panicked when he heard this. It turned out that a few days ago, Qu San Geng and his men had taken down the Wu Hou Mansion. Jin Er Ge said that this move by Qu San Geng would surely provoke dissatisfaction among others, after all, it cut off their source of income.
Xia Bu Tou confirmed the situation with Song Dian, and Song Dian directly gave him the fangs, stating that the five of them were deeply guilty and could not be questioned by the county government. Xia Bu Tou said that if the Wu Hou Mansion was gone, how could he continue the investigation and lost his source of inside information.
Feng Ke Zhui was preparing a method to make paper look old, but unexpectedly, the treasured painting that he pretended to be his uncle's collection was taken away, and he imitated the calligraphy of ancient people, which was then snatched by people who couldn't recognize paintings. Qu San Geng learned that Feng Ke Zhui could imitate other people's handwriting, so he asked him to imitate Cheng Yi Zhi's handwriting. He handed him a fake prescription, and at a glance, Cheng Yi Zhi recognized that it was not written by him because the prescription contained poison. Qu San Geng continued by saying that Chen Wang and Lu Yuan Bao were poisoned to death. Cheng Yi Zhi, in a panic, explained that Chen Wang died by jumping into the river, but suddenly realizing that he had slipped up, he had to admit that Lu Yuan Bao was poisoned to death by his own younger brother.
Qu San Geng said that the prescription was found in the case file, and he hoped that Cheng Yi Zhi would tell the truth, otherwise, there would be other prescriptions in the future. Upon hearing this, Cheng Yi Zhi turned around and advised Qu San Geng to take some medicine to reduce the fire and not to invite trouble upon himself.
Xia Bu Tou reassigned the cases, but Qu San Geng's case was the only one excluded. Xia Bu Tou claimed that Qu San Geng had a sharp mind and could specialize in investigating cold and difficult cases. On the surface, his colleagues thought that Xia Bu Tou was favoring Qu San Geng, but in reality, he was trying to discipline Qu San Geng. Afterwards, a colleague pretended to give Qu San Geng something similar to what his mother had given him, and when he was caught off guard, he sprinkled lime on him and beat Qu San Geng severely. Fortunately, Song Dian appeared in time and saved him.
Qu San Geng offended Xia Bu Tou, so Leng Gui Er remembered that her father had said before that if you want to control someone, you should target their weaknesses. And Xia Bu Tou's greatest fear was not being able to solve a case by the deadline, while his strength was his experience. Qu San Geng came up with a plan to deal with Xia Bu Tou.
Housekeeper Zhang requested to see Song Dian, deliberately bringing him aside to indirectly show him the interrogation of Hao Daqing's case. The case mainly involved the renting of farmland at an extremely low price. Hao Daqing claimed that the other party rented the land to him at a low price because he was an orphan and a widow who couldn't cultivate the land. However, Song Dian didn't believe that they would rent it to him so cheaply. Song Dian sarcastically suggested giving the water fields to Hao Daqing, while Hao Daqing offered to leave a two-foot square piece for the other party.
Suddenly, the sack Hao Daqing was wearing started itching. Song Dian planned to exchange two feet of his skin for an acre of water fields. Upon hearing this, Hao Daqing immediately confessed and was given fifty lashes. Song Dian wanted to inquire about the house in Yan Zhi Lane, but Zhang Ji Zu had already anticipated this idea and insisted that the neighboring land was bought at market price, but later the neighbor regretted selling it cheaply. Besides, the case had already been closed.
Song Dian found Zhang Ji Zu's tone to be harsh, so he suppressed his anger and let him leave. Shi Cong noticed that the Huo Ji shop had talismans posted all over, claiming that the corpse in the river was the work of a monkey demon. Shi Cong also expressed his desire to buy talismans. The shopkeeper's house was burglarized, and it was discovered that the neighbor, Tao Huiwen, was responsible. Originally, this house belonged to Tao Huiwen's family, but because of her husband's gambling habit, they had to sell off some of their assets. Tao Huiwen frequently visited Wang Zhang Gui's house. Shi Cong found some things in the pawnshop and brought out a phoenix hairpin for Wang Zhang Gui to identify. It turned out to be the hairpin that Wang Zhang Gui had recently reported stolen. It was revealed that Tao Huiwen had taken many valuables from his house over the past six months through the front door, and Shi Cong suspected her of being the thief.
Wang Zhang Gui was in a panic and sweating profusely, begging Shi Cong to drop the case. He claimed that he was only trying to help Tao Huiwen and had secretly taken his wife's jewelry to give to her. Unfortunately, his wife reported it to the authorities. Shi Cong deduced the relationship between Tao Huiwen and Wang Zhang Gui and agreed not to pursue the matter further, on the condition that he buys five bottles of golden wound medicine.
Leng Gui Er came to find Qu San Geng and cautioned him not to help Leng Rui get into fights. She mentioned that he had already lost a fight with Hai Zi from Liu's shop and claimed that he wanted revenge. Shi Cong advised him to act quickly if he wanted to confront Liu's shop, as people already believed in the existence of a monkey demon, and they closed their doors early. At that moment, Liu, the shopkeeper, was buying talismans and asking a Taoist about the origin of the monkey demon. The Taoist claimed that the monkey was killed by Leng Bu Tou and that it had come for revenge.
Twenty years ago, a monkey performer appeared on the street, and the students were so captivated by the monkey show that they neglected their studies. The performer chased the truant students all over the street. The performer blamed him for driving away the audience and not receiving any money. Mr. Wang kindly asked everyone for a reward, but he was insulted by ruffians and scoundrels. In a fit of anger, Mr. Wang used a ruler to strike Shi Liu. Leng Wujie arrested the monkey performer because he engaged in nighttime theft. The monkey took advantage of an open window to enter his house, leaving behind its footprints, and the performer was later beaten and died from the punishment.
Rumors spread that the monkey had been abducted from the mountains by the performer, and in order to seek revenge, the monkey pushed the performer into the river.
After watching the latest episode, I feel that his suspicion is the highest. Firstly, he is someone who harbors deep grudges against evil. Moreover, he mentioned in the brothel, "What if I can't come here anymore in the future?
" I believe he has a premonition that he will eventually be caught; it's just a matter of time.
The people he killed were all those he deemed deserving of death. Therefore, I believe his suspicion is the greatest.
After watching the first episode, here are some shared clues:
1. The culprit is very familiar with the master's itinerary in order to set up the ambush in advance. If the hole in the wall had been there from the beginning, Little Hai Zi might have crawled through it and disrupted the culprit's plan.
Moreover, the silver, donkey, cart, and mechanism all had to be prepared on-site. Otherwise, what if it wasn't the master who fell into the trap, but just a random passerby?
2. The culprit is educated and has spent a considerable amount of time studying.
They can carve letters on wood, and the font is quite good. So, it's unlikely to be Song Chen (he only has two fingers left on his right hand), unless he is left-handed.
I have two possibilities. First, all the victims were involved in the Lu family's great fire that happened years ago. Lu Zhi, Si Niang, the servant from the brothel, and others were seeking revenge. The mastermind behind it all should be Lu Zhi, and the mentioned Xue Yuanwai might be Lu Zhi.
The second possibility is that the victims themselves were involved, driven by a guilty conscience. They wanted to bring attention to the case from 20 years ago by sacrificing their lives.
I believe the murderer or one of the murderers is Lu Zhi, and there's a high possibility for that (of course, it could also be a deliberate misdirection by the screenwriter, followed by a plot twist to enhance the dramatic effect).
First, the murderer left behind a quote from Confucius, indicating that the person is cultured and well-read. This is in contrast to Qu San Geng, who only attended a private school for a year before becoming a constable.
When Qu San Geng encountered that quote, he didn't understand its meaning and had to consult Master Wang. This implies that understanding such Confucian classics requires more than one or two years of studying; it requires one's own dedicated efforts.
During his time as a servant in the Lu family, Lu Zhi once mentioned that he wanted to study hard and repay his master. In the drama, only a small group of people, including Feng Ke Zhui, Lu Zhi, and Wei Zhi Xian, are portrayed as genuinely diligent readers.
Second, the meaning of the Confucian quote associated with the deceased should be interpreted in the opposite way. There's an explanation within the bureau as well.
Feng Ke Zhui said that his consistent philosophy is based on loyalty and forgiveness, which Leng Bu Tou possibly failed to embody. This implies that the murderer, having studied Confucian classics, believed or discovered that the society he was in contradicted the ideas of Confucianism, leading to his actions as a means of validating his own interpretation.
In the drama, there's a brief revelation when Lu Zhi talks to the young prostitute in the brothel, expressing his belief that the world operates in reverse.
And what constitutes the world of the Ming Dynasty or the feudal society? It is built upon the foundations of Confucian classics. This indicates that Lu Zhi perceives societal behavior as contrary to the teachings of Confucius.
Third, Lu Zhi has come across many people's secrets, and he has stumbled upon these secrets quite frequently. Moreover, the manner of the victim's death is closely related to these secrets.
For example, at a time when no one was around, Wang Fuzhi instructed his students to voluntarily take the ruler and hit themselves, and then he performed a ritual at a certain location.
When Lu Zhi dug it up and took a look, it turned out to be a decapitated skull. Wang Fuzhi himself was beaten to death by the murderer with a ruler, and his head was buried in the ground.
The phrase left behind, "a group of six or seven children," refers to the ideal image of Confucius' desired teacher leading students on a spring outing, swimming and playing.
After swimming, they would get dressed and happily stroll back in the warm natural environment.
What does this indicate? It signifies a good relationship between teacher and students.
However, in reverse, it suggests that the teacher did something regrettable to the students. Feng Ke Zhui obviously had no knowledge of his uncle's secret, but Lu Zhi was aware of such secretive matters.
Thirdly, there are hints in the drama that the victim has an unspeakable connection to the Lujia fire twenty years ago. And the Lujia family has four survivors: Lu Zhi, a gambler (forgot the name), the caretaker, and Chu Zi.
Among these four individuals, the gambler died by jumping into the river, and the roles of the caretaker and Chu Zi have not been clarified. However, it is unlikely that they have a high level of cultural cultivation and a deep understanding of Confucian classics.
Moreover, during the close-up shots of the murderer's hands, it can be observed that his little finger has long nails, indicating that he is probably not engaged in physical labor, as long nails are not conducive to prolonged physical work.
Therefore, suspicions regarding Chu Zi and the caretaker can be ruled out.
The owner of the Lu residence had great kindness towards Lu Zhi and held a strong liking for him.
Lu Zhi, being innocent, has ample motive for revenge.
1. Leng Gui Er, the daughter of the deceased Leng Bu Tou, is an adopted daughter, not Hai Zi's biological daughter. She should be an orphan from the Lu family. During the Lu family's great fire, Leng Bu Tou saved her and adopted her.
2. There are several characteristics to pay attention to regarding the killer:① Well-versed in literature and can quote classical texts. ② Familiar with the bounty hunter Yi Bu Tou and knows him well enough to disguise themselves as him, even knowing the detail of his long fingernails.
Based on the plot description, we know this detail: The Yingtianlou recently received a new courtesan, who was taken care of by Yi Bu Tou as soon as she arrived in the county. On the day Leng Bu Tou had an incident, Yi Bu Tou spent the entire night with that courtesan.
The camera even captured Yi Bu Tou's straw hat.
Song Dianshi's lover mentioned a prostitute who is skilled in poetry and often has fish to eat (indicating extensive knowledge). However, it is not yet clear if the woman described is the same as the new courtesan.
If they are the same person, then everything matches up.
The place where Leng Bu Tou was killed is in a courtyard near the Cuihua Building. It is likely that this woman took advantage of Yi Bu Tou's deep sleep that night, disguised themselves as him, and committed the crime in that courtyard.
Hopefully, I won't be proven wrong! Haha.
If the murderer is really Lu Zhi, then they possess the following qualities:
1. Knowledgeable
2. Cynical
3. Calculating
4. High emotional intelligence
5. Based on the character description shown in the first four episodes, age is an important consideration.
Song Chen fits the criteria mentioned above.
Gao Shi Cong meets criteria 3, 4, and 5. Feng Ke Zhui also meets the mentioned criteria but hasn't been extensively portrayed as the county magistrate.
It's possible they are hiding their true abilities.
The case unfolded in a rather mysterious way, and it remained unsolved for a long time. There had to be an explanation, so Xia Bu Tou was parachuted in to provide support.
This Old Xia is not gentle at all.
As soon as he arrived, he started targeting the local constables. This scene of openly spanking their behinds was definitely attention-grabbing.
It was undoubtedly a show of force to put those local powers in their place.
Even Song Dian Shi, who usually enjoys pulling teeth, couldn't bear to watch.
The visuals were excessively beautiful. When a new official takes office, they always have to go through the motions; otherwise, their subordinates will think they're easy to bully, and the tasks they assign won't be taken seriously.
Xia Bu Tou had the same mindset. His main goal this time was to live up to the trust of his superiors, solve the case as quickly as possible, and I reckon it was also related to his promotion and performance.
He gave everyone a good scolding, so it was only fair for Qu San Geng to prepare a big gift for him. All those illegal activities in the area were swiftly dealt with by the middle of the night. It turns out the constables relied on them, and now they had nowhere to turn, feeling as if they had lost a leg.
Xia Bu Tou doesn't think highly of Qu San Geng. He feels that it's been such a long time, and Qu San Geng still hasn't obtained any useful leads. He doesn't take his master's death seriously at all.
When constables handle cases, speed is what matters. Xia Bu Tou looks down on someone like Qu San Geng, who doesn't seem to be making any progress even after all this time.
1. Why is the county magistrate Xiao Bao Zi? Why would Lu Wu You, whom he just met not long ago, sacrifice his own life for revenge?
The main reason is that Xiao Bao Zi killed so many people, creating a deep-seated grudge. If the logic is sound, the perpetrator should be Lu Wu You, with a clear motive and elaborate plans to justify the killings.
Even if it's Xiao Bao Zi, there should have been some earlier groundwork to establish him as a clever and wise character, someone who could pass the imperial examination.
It feels abrupt for an illiterate person to suddenly rise to the position of county magistrate.
Perhaps more early development of Xiao Bao Zi's friendship with Lu Wu You and portraying him as someone loyal and righteous, seeking revenge when wronged, would have helped establish the logic. But this aspect is missing, and the sudden plot twist doesn't connect well.
2. What is the purpose of the mute character writing a diary? Why isn't the background explained?
3. Why did the master have so much money hidden at home?
How was the distribution of the spoils handled? I didn't quite understand it.
Wuyou has no idea that it was Lu Zhi and the others who started the fire. Only Xiao Bao Zi knows, and Wuyou instinctively trusts Xiao Bao Zi.
Why did Xiao Bao Zi become an official? You can imagine that firstly, he learned some knowledge, and he also bribed the examiner with gold.
Why did the mute keep a diary? It's like when a person can't speak, their emotions need an outlet, so they write.
Later, everything just became fine because he wasn't naturally mute. Many things need to be imagined. If all the explanations were provided, the plot would become too convoluted.
Suspense dramas are not meant to explain every story thread clearly.
It was foreshadowed earlier. Xiao Bao Zi said, "Why is it that those with good temper and easy to talk to end up being harmed? This isn't fair according to my sense of justice" (not the exact words, but the general meaning).
At that time, I felt that this line from the character must have significance and a hidden meaning.
Later, when it was revealed that the county magistrate was the culprit, I remembered this plot point and I believed that the county magistrate must be Xiao Bao Zi.
He has his own principles and a strong belief in "justice" deep within his heart.