Episode 16 recap: Li Tao's suicide raises suspicions about the motive behind it.
In Lanfang, as soon as Di Ren Jie and his team entered the city, they witnessed the Lone Wolf gang controlling the water well and mistreating those who sought water. When someone attempted to take water forcefully, it angered the Lone Wolf gang, who violently assaulted the person. While Di Ren Jie couldn't bear to watch, a veiled gentleman with a weak voice intervened. Despite his apparent physical frailty, the gentleman displayed kindness and offered a bag of silver to satisfy the gang members, persuading them to leave. He then patiently organized the people into a queue, promising that everyone would have access to water.
Di Ren Jie continued his journey and noticed many people openly observing them with aggressive gazes. Ma Rong and Qiao Tai went to the county office to gather information, only to find it reduced to a blackened ruin. Di Ren Jie found it hard to believe until he saw it with his own eyes. As he looked at the numerous flags throughout the city, he ultimately decided to settle in the Red Pavilion near the county office.
Qiao Tai voiced his concerns about staying in the Red Pavilion, but when he saw a beautiful woman inside, he was immediately captivated. Seeing Qiao Tai's reaction, Bi Yu couldn't help but chuckle. Soon after, Bi Yu led Di Ren Jie to the second floor, where she not only assigned him a study but also deduced that he was an official based on his appearance. Bi Yu informed him about the current power struggle between the Qinglong gang, Lone Wolf gang, and Xuanhu gang in Lanfang. She also mentioned the constant changes among smaller factions in the martial world.
In order to gain control over the water well, the Xuanhu gang deceived the Lone Wolf gang, claiming they needed to increase the number of wells. Qian Hao, the leader of the Xuanhu gang, resorted to bloody methods and killed the resistant members of the Lone Wolf gang, forcibly taking over the water well. Ma Rong, Qiao Tai, and Di Ren Jie watched this brutal confrontation from a distance, gaining a deeper understanding of the chaos in Lanfang. They realized that these gangs, with their wealth and manpower, would be difficult to confront. Therefore, they decided to wait and gather information before taking any action, relying on their impressions to sketch a map of Lanfang.
Di Ren Jie sought out Bi Yu to ask some questions and encountered Qiu Yue holding a garment with a fur collar. Considering the current season, he glanced at it briefly. Qiu Yue had been taking care of Li Tao's daily life, and on that day, as she entered the room with food, she discovered Li Tao, who had cut his wrists in a suicide attempt. Shocked, she screamed, attracting Di Ren Jie's attention.
While tears streamed down her face, Qiu Yue revealed that Li Tao had publicly proposed to her, but she had rejected him. Implicitly, her words suggested that Li Tao's suicide was driven by his emotional distress.
Di Ren Jie pressed Qiu Yue for evidence, but before she could explain, Bi Yu arrived and immediately instructed Qiu Yue not to speak freely. Bi Yu then issued an order for Di Ren Jie to leave and locked the door to preserve the scene.
That night, taking advantage of the bustling activity in the Red Pavilion, Di Ren Jie had Ma Rong unlock the door and secretly entered the room to examine Li Tao's body. He noticed that the position of Li Tao's hands and the bloodstains on the floor were inconsistent. He also discovered needle marks on Li Tao's neck, leading him to conclude that Li Tao was murdered. There were some manuscripts placed beneath the carpet, and just as Di Ren Jie was about to take a closer look at them, Bi Yu arrived with County Officer Li, intervening to stop him. Di Ren Jie revealed his identity, leaving Bi Yu astonished and County Officer Li showing great respect. County Officer Li mentioned that the destruction of the county office had occurred at the beginning of last month.
Bi Yu directly classified Li Tao's death as a suicide, which struck Di Ren Jie as suspicious. He questioned her, and Bi Yu realized her mistake and quickly tried to amend her statement. She mentioned that Li Tao had been staying in the Red Pavilion for forty-seven days, but she still knew nothing about him. Di Ren Jie did not accept Bi Yu's explanation but had no other choice. He then sought information from County Officer Li and learned that Bi Yu had encountered Lu Gongzi, who was deeply infatuated with her. When she rejected him, Lu Gongzi committed suicide, gaining significant attention. Afterwards, many other young women followed suit, leading to suspicions that Qiu Yue had killed Li Tao.
Di Ren Jie keenly noticed a unique seal on the paintings attributed to Li Tao, a seal that only Li Jingwei, the governor, would use. He asked County Officer Li about Li Tao's family and their whereabouts. County Officer Li initially wanted to feign ignorance but was not given the opportunity by Di Ren Jie. Instead, he was directly escorted to Li Tao's home. There, Li's father mentioned that Li Tao was a compassionate person who would never retaliate if someone attacked him. However, due to a disagreement, Li Tao had left home. Li's father asked Di Ren Jie to persuade him to return home if he encountered Li Tao, which put Di Ren Jie in a difficult position. He was concerned that Li's father would be unable to accept the death of his only son, so he chose not to mention it.
County Officer Li believed that Di Ren Jie's empathy drove him to act this way. He mentioned that he had served under five county officials but none had been able to change the situation in Lanfang. The people spontaneously gathered on the streets to mourn Li Tao. Observing the countless kneeling citizens, Cao An remarked on the widespread benevolence of Li Tao and urged Di Ren Jie to seize this opportunity to uncover the truth behind Li Tao's death.
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