Episode 7 recap: Teng Kan avenged Li Han for his wife.
The appearance of Di Ren Jie, who was both an official and a bandit, ultimately frightened Chen Shouwei. He quickly confessed to accepting money from others and releasing Li Han ten days ago. Di Ren Jie immediately asked who had paid the ransom for Li Han, but Chen Shouwei couldn't provide an answer. The person was dressed in black from head to toe and remained silent throughout, making it impossible to identify them. Chen Shouwei knew that what he had done was a punishable offense, so he didn't investigate the person's identity further.
Di Ren Jie ordered Qiao Tai to release Chen Shouwei and assured him that he would arrange for someone to deal with this lawbreaker. He then left with Qiao Tai. Qiao Tai believed that Li Han had a motive for murder due to his resentment towards Yin Lian. This showed Di Ren Jie that Qiao Tai had made significant progress. Di Ren Jie also noticed Yin Lian's panic when she recognized Li Han at Teng Kan's mansion that day.
Di Ren Jie remembered Li Han's appearance and instructed Qiao Tai to find someone who resembled a beggar, had leprosy, and had special features. He wanted to see the true face of Yin Lian. Di Ren Jie went to Mingyue Lane to find Cao An. Cao An could sense that Di Ren Jie was troubled and unable to sleep, so he lit incense and played the zither to help him relax. When Di Ren Jie woke up and hurried to Teng Mansion, he was greeted by a scene of complete silence. The butler sought Di Ren Jie's help, explaining that Teng Kan had locked himself in Yin Lian's room and hadn't eaten or drunk anything for a day. Di Ren Jie learned that Yin Lian and Teng Kan had separate rooms before her death. When Teng Kan opened the door for him, Di Ren Jie saw the poem left behind by Yin Lian and asked Teng Kan if he knew Li Han. Unfortunately, Teng Kan didn't recognize him.
It was inevitable for Teng Kan to reminisce about Yin Lian inside her room, so he invited Di Ren Jie to talk elsewhere. Di Ren Jie learned that Li Han had pursued Yin Lian in the past and was imprisoned by false accusations. This had fueled his hatred towards Yin Lian. Moreover, Li Han suffered from leprosy and resembled a menacing ghost, just as the maid had described. Di Ren Jie was furious upon hearing this information but thanked Teng Kan for sharing it, which relieved his guilt. He also made up his mind to seek revenge on Li Han.
Teng Kan was often immersed in writing poetry and would stay in his room for several consecutive days. Therefore, he was not familiar with Yin Lian's whereabouts on a regular basis. The butler mentioned that Yin Lian used to have conflicts with Madam Lai Er, but recently, she had been going back to her parents' home. Di Ren Jie found this suspicious, especially since Madam Lai Er had already mentioned that she and Yin Lian had become enemies ever since Yin Lian started behaving coquettishly. They no longer had any interactions.
While Di Ren Jie was contemplating how to find the meeting place for the city's women and their lovers, Ma Rong found him and led him directly there. The madam of the Flower Pavilion refused to admit anything, even when Di Ren Jie revealed his identity. In the end, Ma Rong presented the token of the Ba Zong, and only then did the madam lead them to a room that was regularly rented out for adulterous couples.
From the handwriting in the room, Di Ren Jie determined that it was written by Yin Lian. The lotus flower drawn on the wall also had Xu Kai's brushwork. Di Ren Jie concluded that the two of them often met in secret. Considering Li Han's hatred towards Yin Lian, Di Ren Jie climbed up a ladder to observe outside the window. Sure enough, he found sharp claw marks, indicating that Li Han had seen Yin Lian with Xu Kai and left those marks out of anger.
Di Ren Jie returned to the Lai Mansion to find Madam Lai Er. Madam Lai Er recognized Xu Kai in the portrait and immediately became excited, claiming that she had caused Xu Kai's death. But soon, she remembered Yin Lian and recalled how Yin Lian had tried to make her see the truth that day. Madam Lai Er admitted that all the paintings were done by Xu Kai for Yin Lian, which angered her and led to an argument. Di Ren Jie deduced from Xu Kai's paintings that he had always loved Yin Lian and told Madam Lai Er not to deceive herself anymore. This statement further agitated Madam Lai Er, and she tore up the paintings done by Xu Kai, refusing to admit that her beloved person loved Yin Lian.
Di Ren Jie instructed Ma Rong to use the third token to spread the news that Yin Lian was still alive, and Li Han, who had been hiding in the shadows, heard this. He sneaked into the Teng mansion at night and realized it was too late to escape when he saw the pillows on the bed. Di Ren Jie, accompanied by Qiao Tai, came to apprehend him, specifically instructing not to kill him. Unexpectedly, Teng Kan suddenly appeared and directly killed Li Han to avenge Yin Lian.
Di Ren Jie noticed that before Li Han died, he touched his stomach and called out Yin Lian's name. Sensing that something was wrong, Di Ren Jie examined Li Han's nails and discovered that they were not as sharp as he had assumed. This further confirmed his suspicions. He then went to find Cao An as a model, verified his theory, and promptly left, leaving Cao An somewhat bewildered.
Di Ren Jie returned to the Teng Mansion and found the purse that Li Han had dropped in the flower bed beneath the stone steps. Inside, he saw a strand of hair, which he discreetly collected. Upon returning to the mortuary, he noticed that Yin Lian was missing a strand of hair on her head. He instructed Qiao Tai to invite Teng Kan to see Yin Lian for the last time.
Overall, the actors' performances are still solid, but there are some slight shortcomings. First, the plot feels a bit dragging, and there are some parts that seem unnecessary. Second, the process of step-by-step clue searching in the storyline feels fragmented and lacks some logic.
Many things are not clearly explained, such as the discovered fingernail prints and the hair strands on the forehead. Hopefully, the upcoming plot can have better continuity and stronger logic.