Basic information about the cases and Judge Dee.

10 days ago

Cat:
Very Well Written :)

Glad that you liked it... Most of the information on Judge Dee and Robert Van Gulik has been complied from various websites... I was researching the background of the character when I came across it.. I thought it would be beneficial for viewers like myself who are not that familiar with the mystery books.

CdramaMaven4762

Thank you. This appears to be a very interesting series ... saw the trailer earlier today, and that solidified my interest. I appreciate the background information, especially since I was trying to figure out how a Dutch author came to be writing fiction about a traditional Chinese character.

CdramaMaven4762:
Thank you. This appears to be a very interesting series ... saw the trailer earlier today, and that solidified my interest. I appreciate the background information, especially since I was trying to figure out how a Dutch author came to be writing fiction about a traditional Chinese character.

It is quite good series. Do give it a try.

Case 1. The Phoenix Seal Case (episode 1 to 4)

"A Wise man must remember not to join the wrong side"

There was an underlying theme of fate and coincidence. Di Renjie (courtesy name Huaiying) almost starts to believe that all the decisions that he has taken were coincidence, probably fate dictated his actions. However at the end of the case Di Renjie throws away the dice in the river where his father committed suicide, before Di Renjie leaves Chang'an. That indicates that he now realises nothing is happenstance, everything is planned. This eye opening will serve him well to be a good judge in future where he will use deduction to unravel the mystery without believing in chance or supernatural forces.

There is unrest in Chang'an because The Emperor has given lots of power to the Empress Wu Zetian. Many courtiers are of the thought that a mere woman should not have so much governing authority. Empress Wu has introduced many reforms in various fields that Di Renjie agrees and appreciates but there is a large faction of courtiers who oppose them. The first case establishes the characters and gives a glimpse into their background.

We also have two bandits, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai whom Di Renjie has brought from western region to Chang'an. They become his well trusted side kicks, both have diverse and fascinating traits. At the beginning Di Renjie is reluctant to appear in the Imperial Examination due to his father's suicide many years ago but later he passes the exam and is appointed and stationed as a judge/magistrate of Penglai county, a remote frontier. Di Renjie: "My fate must be in my own hands. " At the end of the 4th episode Di Renjie appoints Hong Liang as his inspector, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai as his attendants.

Summary of episode 1 to 4 (excluding too many spoilers)

At the beginning Di Renjie is reluctant to appear in the Imperial Examination for the Classicists. Hong Lian, has obtained an examination ticket for him. Empress Wu had reformed the examination that year. Irrespective of a person's background or place of residence everyone could appear for the exams to get selected on their merit.

During the course of the first case Di Renjie ends up solving a case of a missing pearl as well. This quickly solved case is used to showcase the deduction ability, observational power, lightning reflexes and compassion of Di Renjie.

Unbeknownst to the commers the court is in a upheaval, the Phoenix Seal of the Empress has been stolen and has been used on fake decrees. On top of that many Strange unnatural fires are occurring, Empress favorite Wutong Tree outside the palace suddenly caught fire and burnt down. Was it a man-made or a natural disaster?

Di Renjie encounters his old friend, He Dajing who is currently working as an assistant for Grand Secretariat Wei. He Dajing is helping write the documents on new policies introduced by Empress Wu especially the Tax policy. After the examination Di Renjie ans He Dajing visit Jushui Entertainment house that catches fire and burns down killing He Dajing and many others, only Di Renjie survives. Another task that He Dajing was entrusted by Grand Secretariat Wei before his death was to compile records of great families based on their merit. People like Old Grand Commandant Zhangsun will lose their position as it was not obtained on merit. Di Renjie demands 10 days from the magistrate to investigate the Jushui Entertainment House fire. General Kang Zhiyi identifies one dead body from Jushui Entertainment house as that of a palace maid, Yaxin.

The courtiers including Zhangsun are taking this opportunity of Seal loss to demand that Empress Wu should be punished. Loss of imperial Phoenix Seal means the imperial authority is at stake. It was misused by villains. The strange fires are attributed to Heaven's warning and Wrath.

Di Renjie believes the fires are caused by an enemy of the empress. Mr. Wei believes Empress' reforms have offended too many people. Di Renjie is of the opinion that reforms are beneficial, the new policy of the imperial examination that allows commers an opportunity, the agricultural reforms no longer penalizes displaced migrants, allowing them to settle nearby and giving them farmland. Mr. Wei states that all the people who support and oppose the Empress are fighting

In the meantime there is a third fire in a farmhouse, all four dead bodies are male have calluses on their palm and purlicues . Di Renjie deducts they were burnt after their death.

Clues that Di Renjie finds during the course of his investigation were uncovered by him coincidentally or deliberately left by someone? Someone made a perfect plan to frame Empress Wu but Heaven's plan supersede our own, or does it? Di Renjie recites Confucius' belief said "only women and small minded men are hard to deal with", Should women not be given authority? Is his majesty's acceptance of women considered cowardice by many courtiers? What is the grand scheme, who is to be trusted? Who was the mysterious lady singing Bingzhou Ditty in Jushui Entertainment house that attracted Di Renjie's attention? Should one support lesser evil to achieve greater good?

Case 2 - The Folding Screen Mystery (episode 5-8)

On the way to the (fictional ) Penglai county, Di Renjie and the party come across a dead body of a male lying on the road, this man had a disfigured pockmark face since he had recovered from leprosy. The yet unidentified male had been stabbed seven times. Di Renjie posts his portrait on the city board to identify him. Many women in the county are seen applying white face powder, Di Renjie reveals to Ma Rong that they are not beautifying themselves but covering the scars of leprosy on their faces.

Di Renjie finds that even though the post of magistrate had been vacant for three months there are no pending cases. The county is for the most part peaceful and everyone seems to comply with the rules set by someone.

Di Renjie is invited to a banquet arranged by Teng Kan to celebrate Yichun Festival (to celebrate the start of the spring) as well as his winning first place in the poetry contest in the capital. Teng Kan is more than 50 years old, still childless but loves his beautiful wife, Yinlian extremely so is not ready to take a concubine and wishes to live happily with her. At this banquet, Di Renjie meets Cao An from Mingyue House, the best singer in Penglai County whom he had heard singing Bingzhou ditty in Chang'an. Di Renjie seems mesmerised by Ms.Cao.

After the banquet, Teng Kan is feeling unwell and throws up due to excessive drinking but when Di Renjie tries to comfort him during a bout of vomiting, Teng Kan angrily shrugs off Di Renjie's hand startling him with this hostile behaviour. At the same time Teng Man's wife notices a person standing on the opposite side hiding behind a pillar and becomes agitated.

At her place later that night, Cao An recalls how she had been saved from a vicious assault when she was younger by a masked man, Heiyan. Heiyan cautions Cao An not to use the name 'Heiyan' again. 18 years ago Ms. Cao's father, Cao Hexian was held responsible for minting illegal coins. Di Renjie feels there is a connection between Cao An's father and his because of Bingzhou ditty and other undisclosed reason. Di Renjie visits her at Mingyue house to uncover her secrets.

Ma Rong is dragged to a bandit's place for the crime of stealing. Bazong the bandit 'The king of justice' is taking care of law and order in the county, metting severe physical punishment to any criminal. Bazong has a code of conduct, according to him "Since ancient times the Government is the Government. The Jianghu is the Jianghu. " (To read more on Jianghu, go to my comment in general section https://mydramalist.com/78527-judge-dee-s-mystery#comment-16242867)

Impressed by Ma Rong's fearless confrontation, Bazong gives her three dice, using them she can get three favours from him.

The servants of Teng kan's household see their master and mistress struggling from outside the study room door through the translucent glass panels on the doors. Another unkempt person with long finger nails is standing outside the room. Upon entering the study they find their mistress and master severely injured. Teng kan is saved however his wife dies. In blood soaked garments, Teng kan goes to the magistrate office and beats the drum to demand death penalty for himself as according to his memory, he has murdered his wife.

Di Renjie goes to investigate the scene, he finds that Teng Man's wife Yinlian was also stabbed seven times like the other unidentified male body. He also deduces that the murder weapon has been moved and someone else entered the room later and moved Yinlian's body, leaving traces of white odourless powder on her body.

Teng Kan has been taking medicine for madness for the last six months. There used to be a folding screen in the room where the mistress of the house was murdered but it had been moved since last five days as the fourth panel's drawing had mysteriously changed from lover's uniting to husband killing his wife. The four panel screen depicted four seasons on each panel (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and portrayed a story of a scholar. The willow starts to flower, a spring scene in the first panel. A scholar is taking a nap, at his desk. A woman appears in his dreams. In the second panel, green fields and hills. This portrays the scholar on his way to the examination in the summer.The third panel, the late fall, the scholar passes the exam and returns in glory, seeing four sisters on their balcony one of them the woman in his dreams, marrying one of the sister and living happily. However the last panel where the lovers were sitting at the table embracing lovingly in the winter season, drinking wine had mysteriously changed to the portrait of the husband stabbing his wife.

Teng kan's madness is hereditary. Teng Kan also was acquainted with Di Renjie's father 20 years ago. Previously Teng kan was the secretary general of the right guards. His name was Teng Zhongyuan, a fierce warrior on the battlefield but after meeting his wife, he changed his life and led peaceful life writing poems and romance. Di Renjie informs Teng kan of 'Tang code' according which if a patient of madness injures a person and commits murder the punishment should be lenient. However after Yinlian's death Teng kan has lost the will to stay alive.

The scenes on the four panels of the screen depicted Teng Kan's own story so he had purchased it. His wife had three other sisters(four sisters as depicted in the painting). Now only the second unmarried sister known as Ms.Lai Er lived in Yinlian's ancestral house 'Lia residence'.

Lai Er recounts a tale of her sister, Yinlian being frivolous. As per Lai Er, Yinlian deserved to die for her faithless nature and loose moral character. She had multiple affairs according to Lai Er. Yinlian rejected a suitor, Li Han with whom she had an adulterous relationship before her marriage. One time Li Han broke into their house and Yinlian reported him. Li Han was arrested. On the walls in 'Lia Residence' are multiple paintings of a young lady drawn by one painter called Xu kai. Lai Er claims all the portraits are of herself. There is a break in, in one of the portrait selling shops, on all the portraits painted by Xu kai the unidentified pockmarked dead man's portrait is hung, leading Di Renjie to conclude that the dead man in his morgue was the painter xu kai who had recovered from leprosy.

The man leaving all these clues must be the past paramour of Yinlian, who had been imprisoned and was working in a quarry to serve his punishment term. The white odourless powder found on the painting of the dead man hung in the portrait shop over ku xai's paintings and Yinlian's dead body was from the quarry.

Di Renjie goes to the quarry to question Li Han, he is told that the said person died a few days ago. With the help of the token dice given by Bazong to Ma Rong earlier, Di Renjie enlists the help of a soldier guarding the prisoners working in the quarry to exhume the buried body only to discover the grave is empty.

Why did the painting on the four panel screen suddenly change? Who was the person outside the window when Yinlian was murdered? Who moved Yinlian's body? Did Teng Kan really murder his wife? Who is the masked person Heiyan? What is Cao An's connection to Di Renjie's past?

Case 3 - The Golden Mystery case (episodes 8- 12)

On the deck of a ship carrying bandits/smugglers, a bandit inquires as to why Wang Lide dropped the anchor in the middle of the ocean during a mild storm. Wang Lide replies that it's too stormy. The bandit retorts that the storm is not that intense, back in the days he had battled in Liaodong, he had seen waves taller than the mountains. The bandit cautions Wang Lide not to trick him. Wang Lide assures the bandit that he had been on that route a dozen times better to be safe than sorry. The bandit wants to know where rest of the people were, Wang Lide informs him they were all taking rest in the cabin. The bandit goes inside to look for his companions.

In the kitchen of the ship, the cook has brought an illegal foreign immigrant (from Baekje)as a stowaway and hidden him under the kitchen in the cellar. The stowaway wants to get out as he has an upset stomach, however the cook hands him a slop bucket and shoves the cellar door close, blocking his way. According to the cook, the ship was full of bandits carrying swords if they noticed the stowaway, they would kill him immediately.

The bandit from the deck passes the kitchen and goes inside the cabin. He is shocked to see all his companions are murdered. Wang Lide comes in and stabs the bandit. Wang Lide while stabbing the bandit recites, "Gathered in delight. A homecoming feast unfolds. The joy is as great as in the song of the Great Wind. "

Wang Lide kills everyone on board except the hidden stowaway.

(10 days later at Penglai Harbour)

Bai kai tries to draw attention of the greedy Director Yi looking at the golden bars hungrily. All the items in the tent were for Commissioner Liu. Bai Kai's shipmaster Mr.Gu has prepared lots of goodies for Commissioner Liu who has come all the way from the capital to buy for his Majesty. Commissioner Liu is also trusted by the Empress. Bai Kai says they must take good care of him. Director Yi is a little offended because they usually offer him some furs and ginseng only. Bai Kai placates Director Yi and tells him that as he was the director of maritime trade who managed the harbour, he was always offered a gift from all incoming ships of Mr. Gu. Bai Kai had also heard that commissioner Liu's intentions were not good so only if they please him can they make money later hence all the items are being offered to him.

Di Renjie has come to Penglai harbour to question a shipowner Gu Mengbin meets an old friend, Hou You (courtesy name Guanshi) there. It has been one year since Di Renjie left the capital. Hou You tells Di Renjie that with the Empress in power, many officers have been either demoted or deposed, he is no exception hence he has lost weight. Di Renjie has been summoning Mr.Gu for three days but Mr. Gu has been evading Di Renjie. Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Hou You has accompanied Commissioner Liu from the Capital informs that Mr. Gu was going to hold a banquet that night. The Gu family had made quite a big scene. Mr. Gu is the biggest ship owner in Penglai. The hundreds of ships in and out of harbour are all his. His ships can sail to Japan and Baekje.(Baekje or Paekche was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD.)

Mr.Gu warns Director Yi not to mention Baekje gold in front of Commissioner Liu at the banquet that night. During the banquet, Mr. Gu and Director Yi do their best to flatter and please Commissioner Liu. Commissioner Liu remains unimpressed and comments in an offhand manner that he has little education and loves only two things in life, one listening to songs and second Gold. Upon hearing this, Director Yi tells Commissioner Liu that Penglai doesn't produce gold. Cao An and other performers are booked by Mr. Gu to entertain Commissioner Liu that night. Ms. Cao is called inside to sing for Commissioner Liu. Qiao Tai takes a fancy to one of the female performer, Yusu who happens to be Baekje.

Di Renjie is allowed to come inside the tent where the banquet is held to greet Commissioner Liu and he uses that opportunity to question Mr. Gu. Di Renjie wants to inquire about a person named Wang Lide who is supposed to be Mr. Gu's agent for transshipment of overseas goods. Wang Lide has rented a shop on which rent is overdue and Di Renjie is unable to find Wang Lide. The fact of concern is that the cargo found by Di Renjie in one of the shipment was Modao. There were a total of 100 Modao( swords) and 80 Fuyuan Crossbows all weapons of Tang. According to Tang code a person cannot secretly keep the weapons or sell them. From the putty store, Di Renjie has found out the number of ships under Mr.Gu ownership that purchase putty to repair leaks. From that information, Di Renjie concludes that Gu family has both legal ships and clandestine ships. Similarly there are also legal and clandestine agents.

While Di Renjie is presenting his case at the banquet and Director Yi and Mr. Gu are trying to clarify things there is a commotion from outside the tent. Everyone rushes outside to see another tent's cover has been pulled down, amidst the gifts for Commissioner Liu, Qiao Tai and Ma Rong were caught snooping. Commissioner Liu is angry when Director Yi clarifies in his ears that the tent was full of gifts arranged by Mr.Gu for him.

Commissioner Liu asks the crowd of people surrounding him and Di Renjie to step away from them and then hands over a secret Imperial Edict from Empress Wu to Di Renjie. As per the Edict, It is heard that gold from Baekje has been flowing into the Capital through Penglai recently. Traitorous officials in the court are using it to buy people's support and disrupt the market with ill intention. Empress Wu orders Di Renjie to solve the case within one month failing to do so he will be as guilty as the gold smugglers.

Just then an abandoned ship drifts towards the harbour and crashes against the docking board. Upon investigation by Director Yi it was found that there was sign of life but there wasn't anybody on board, there was also no sign of struggle. He jokingly says that perhaps everyone jumped in the sea. The cargo was mostly herbs and furs. It was difficult for Director Yi to determine where the ship was coming from. Mr. Gu denies ownership of that particular ship.

Di Renjie asks Commissioner Liu's permission to investigate on board the ship if it was suspected that the ship was used for gold smuggling. He goes on board with Hou You and others. They notice that a heavy chest was hanging on the mast pole that has been cut off and the chest was nowhere to be found. In the ship's kitchen based on the size of mushroom growth on food, Di Renjie deducts its 30 days growth. If the ship set sail 20 days ago the country of departure should be Tamna Or Baekje. In the kitchen, under the barrel of mouldy rice they find a trapdoor to cellar and upon opening a starving, dehydrated unconscious man is found.

This thin man is saved and taken for questioning at the Magistrate's court in Penglai. Because it is speculated the man is a foreigner, Yusu( Baekje female singer seen previously) is called for translation. The man acknowledges that he is from Baekje and was a stowaway he wanted to come to Tang for a better life as there were continuous wars in his country. His brother had secretly brought him on the ship but feared the armed men so asked him to stay under kitchen cabin in a cellar. According to him the ship changed direction a few times during the voyage.Through the crack in the cellar, this man saw a white island. The ship stopped there for a few days as if waiting for something. On the night of the incident the ship stopped in a vast whirlpool. This man's brother asked him to stay in the cellar and closed the trapdoor with an heavy object. Later this man could not get out and no one answered him.

Di Renjie shows the man the portrait of Wang Lide and asks the man if he recognised the person. The man is a little confused but he suddenly remembers seeing a strange tattoo pattern on one of the crew member's body and later his brother informed him that all men had the same tattoo. This man is asked to draw the tattoo and everyone is astonished to see the tattoo pattern.

Later Commissioner Liu recalls the events that happened many years ago associated with the people having such tattoos. He ponders if Heiyan was back. Commissioner Liu tells Di Renjie and Hou You that many years ago, this group of remnants of the former era was arrogant and all over the state. They were a threat to the late Emperor. In the 14th year of Zhenguan Reign, they were eliminated successfully. The remaining ones went into hiding. The credit for that annihilation was given to Di Zhixun, Di Renjie's father. However there were also allegations at that time that Di Zhixun had colluded with the Heiyan. Later Di Zhixun's case was reversed as there was no direct evidence of his involvement with Heiyan. Di Zhixun was threatened that time so he chose to commit suicide. Heiyan was in hiding for many years and it's making a comeback again.

Some local people find a man lying unconscious on the beach, it is believed he has drifted to the shore and was originally a crew of that ghost ship.

In Jail, the Baekje stowaway is given lots of food. He gorges on the food and chokes to death. Later, Hong Liang comments to Di Renjie that a starving person should not be allowed to eat excessively. It was also revealed that he was given the food as per Director Yi's instructions.

A court trial is held to question the person who had drifted to the shore. Yusu is called again for translation, Magistrate Di, Mr. Gu, Director Yi, commissioner Liu, Deputy Secretary Hou and Mr. Gu's agent Bai kai are also present. This person says he is from Baekje but his ancestors traded in Tang so he doesn't need an interpreter. His name is Jin Sang. He recognises the Wang Lide from his portrait as the person on the ship responsible for killing all crew members. Jon Sang luckily jumped into the sea when he was being threatened, he took a plank with him and lying on that plank with the help of his fishing hook, drifted for 10 days before reaching the shore. Earlier inspection by Hou You and Di Renjie of the ship had revealed a water gourd missing. So Hou You inquiries if he jumped overboard with a plank or a gourd? Jin Sang confirms it was a plank that he took. Director Yi asks Jin Sang what could be Wang Lide's motive to kill the sailors. Jin Sang at first refuses to answer that question but after getting assurance of his safety reveals. One day, on the deck Jin Sang overhead Wang Lide plotting with others about a large shipment of gold being smuggled aboard the ship in a big crate. This is related to many big shots in Penglai. Jin Sang names the people whose name he had overhead as Mr. Gu, Director Yi and Magistrate whose last name is Di (Di Renjie). Upon being questioned that one other witness saw strange tattoo marks on all crew members, so did the sailors belong with Heiyan gang. Jin Sang is offended and says they were just poor sailors and volunteers to take off his clothes in the court to check for any tattoos.

Later Cao An reminisces about another encounter with the masked caped man Heiyan when she was younger. Heiyan was wounded and enters Cao An's room. He asks her to play music while he removed the embedded arrow from his chest. Next morning, Heiyan plans to kill her to keep his presence a secret but doesn't go through with it. Before leaving through her window he asks her to learn Bingzhou ditty and blows a black feather through the window advising her to fly like a lark. Cao An has attached this black feather in her hand fan.

That night, Di Renjie and Hou You go to check the rumors of the drifted ship being haunted. They find a masked and a cape man on board, they confront him. The man jumps down from the docked ship and runs away leaving behind a bundle.

Di Renjie finds that inside the cloth bundle was a Map and star- orienting board used to measure stars on long voyages to determine the course, the journey on the map started from Baekje and ended at Penglai. Also on the map was a small island, referred to by both people on that ghost ship. It is speculated that the gold is hidden on that island, Di Renjie asks commissioner Liu to go to that island and verify before someone else hears the rumors of gold and goes there.

Commissioner Liu decides to set sail for the island. He invites Yusu and Cao An( Di Renjie warns Cao An not to accept but she goes anyway because it was mentioned that Heiyan was involved). Deputy Secretary Hou You, Director Yi, Mr.Gu, Bai kai, Qiao Tai, Ma Rong and Di Renjie are also on that ship along with the prisoner Jin Sang. Their ship is also accompanied by a fleet of ships provided by the Commissioner of Maritime.

They are on the same course as Wang Lide when a violent storm separates their ship from the fleet. Someone had also sabotages their rudder and destroyed their mast. They were basically just drifting in the sea. Di Renjie had brought Homing pigeons on the ship as precaution, he writes a letter to Hong Liang telling him of the situation and writing a report to be presented on the court if something happened to them. He hope Hong Liang would be able to send rescue soon. Di Renjie doesn't know who is the person sabotaging them and why he wants to keep them stranded. While Di Renjie is writing a letter to Hong Liang, Hou You plays a new musical piece on the stringed instrument in the same room. Di Renjie that it was a piece he had never heard his friend play. Hou you replies it was was the work of Hu Erniang in the Capital and easy to copy as it has a few notes only. However when Di Renjie goes to look at Hou you'a notation, Hou You hides the hand written notation and distracts Di Renjie with something else.

Di Renjie also discusses that there was something missing on Wang Lide's chart, the place where all witnesses claim he stopped on the night of the incident as if waiting for someone was not marked on the chart of Wang Lide they had. Meanwhile commissioner Liu also reaches the conclusion that something fishy was going on, the reason they set sail was because they got Wang Lide's chart and map. He interrogates Jin Sang again who reveals that he had overheard Wang Lide boast of having a lover on the shore and she was Baekje. Yusu is tortured as she was Wang Lide's lover, she just confesses of knowing Wang Lide who promised to redeem her and marry her as he was going to be rich when he returned back. However she doesn't know where the gold or Wang Lide were.

Director Yi is questioned by Di Renjie, that on the night of the incident, Director Yi had taken a big boat of the maritime commission. Why did he go on the same night? Did he meet with Wang Lide. It was turning foggy. Mr. Gu and his agent Bai kai, Di Renjie and Hou You are on Deck. Everyone else in their cabin, when the fog lifts, Director Yi is discovered hanging on the mast of the sails. It is not determined whether it was suicide or murder.

Yusu is in one of the jail on the ship, Bai Kai visits her and tries to kill her to silence her. However he is discovered by Qiao Tai and Ma Rong. Bai kai when cornered, reveals that he is from Baekje, he was the captain of Huben Guards of Baekje and was the person buying arms from Wang Lide to supply to Baekje. However Di Renjie wants to know who was the supplier of the arms because Wang Lide was just a minor agent he would not have access to such huge shipment of arms. Bai kai chooses to jump in the sea, without revealing the identity of the actual seller.

Di Renjie writes another letter to Hong Liang, informing him of the deaths of Director Yi and Bai kai.

It is very strange that inspite of their rudder and mast being damaged they are still on Wang Lide's course as per the star -orienting charts. It probably is due to the fact Wang Lide's course followed the current and the ship is also drifting in the same direction being pushed forward by the current.

Yusu who has been given temporary relief from the prison after Bai kai's death tells Di Renjie that it was Bai Kai who had introduced her to Wang Lide but she is unaware of their business dealings. Yusu remembers Wang Lide fondly as a person who loved playing musical instruments and was quite gentle with her despite his unattractive looks.

what is the real identity of Jin Sang? Is Yusu just an unwitting pawn? Where is Wang Lide? Did they find the gold on the island? Who is the corrupt official involved in selling of weapons to Baekje in exchange of Gold? Who killed Director Yi?

Case 4 - Rain Master Legend (Episodes 12-15)

On a rainy night, a person dressed in a long flowing black feathered costume of a bird (crow) , spreads the hands to which wings are attached and runs freely on the street trying to imitate the flight of the bird.

(Next day)

A dispute is brought to Penglai Yamen. A person who had pawned a gold bracelet six months ago in the Zhong's Pawn Shop has lodged a complaint that when he went to redeem his bracelet, he was informed that the shop had misplaced the bracelet so he couldn't redeem it even though he had gathered the money. Shopkeeper Lin of Zhong's Pawn shop informs Di Renjie that the ticket shown by the Complainant was authentic however the owner Mr. Zhong was away for a personal reason so in his absence they couldn't determine if the amount should be reimbursed for the gold bracelet and were unable to locate the original gold bracelet. The Complainant alleges that the owner had absconded taking away their goods and recently there have been many rumors of misplacement of the items pawned in that shop. Judge Di rules that the Complainant should wait for sometime and in that duration if his bracelet is not located and if the owner is still away he will determine the compensation to be paid to the Complainant in Lieu of the bracelet.

That day Qiao Tai and Ma Rong had been called by a shopkeeper of a tavern in the east of the city. It was not a big deal some drunk people had torn several tavern signs and smashed some chairs. Ma Rong says the shopkeeper was unreasonable, he expected them to pay for the damages citing they both (Ma Rong, Qiao Tai) were incompetent in their duties.

Another person has brought a young child to report a homicide case. The young boy had been terrified by what he had seen the day before. The day before he had been playing hide and seek near the Watch Tower swamp in the North of the city with a few of his friends. He noticed the body of a man floating face up in the swamp, the boy assumed it was a zombie.

Di Renjie takes Ma Rong and Qiao Tai to recover the dead body from the swamp area. They do not find the dead body of a man, but while investigating they find two puddles of blood on the reeds near the swamp, it seemed the injured man had then crawled to the Watch Tower located near the Swamp. The team goes to the Watch tower to check, they split up, Di Renjie enters the Watch Tower and he is shocked to see the interior of the Watch Tower sporting a big skeleton like figure of a masked beaked bird adorned in black feathered costume with spread wings, hung like a pinned butterfly in the main hall. The place seems like a nest decorated with feathered curtains and feathered bedspread. Ying'er, a woman garbed in unusual clothes tries to slash Di Renjie with her long finger nails in defense at his intrusion. She is shocked to find a 'human' in the Watch Tower. The lady seems to have faint recollection of stabbing a person the previous day. Di Renjie doesn't find the dead body there but notices some blood stains on the floor board.

While the three of them are leaving the watch tower, a few soldiers run up to them and question them. The soldiers are from the nearby barracks, they have been ordered by Captain Li to patrol the area as many time smugglers from Baekje wander there. Upon being questioned if they had found a body earlier, they reply in affirmative. Di Renjie's team is taken to the reeds near the swamp where they had previously seen blood puddle as the place where the soldiers had found the dead body.

The dead body had been taken back to the barracks under the order of Captain Li. Di Renjie's team visits the barracks, the rules are very stringent and Captain Li seems to run a tight ship. They are asked to register their names before entering the barracks. Qiao Tai writes their names in the register however he is uneasy and worried about something. Only Di Renjie is allowed to meet the Captain. Ma Rong and Qiao Tai explore the nearby soldiers' tents. Four soldiers are being whipped in the ground as a disciplinary punishment.

Di Renjie and Captain Li get into a pissing contest over the jurisdiction and authority. Captain Li is of the opinion that all areas near the barracks including the wath tower is under his jurisdiction while Di Renjie feels as the magistrate of Penglai he is responsible for solving any crime in Penglai. Captain Li owns up to knowing a lady, Ying'er lives in the Watch Tower. According to the captain she is mad but doesn't create any problems so he allows her to live there. He also admits to finding a dead body that he has ordered to be disposed off by the manner of cremation. Di Renjie demands to be taken to the cremation ground and tries to douse the fire of the funeral pyre. Di Renjie salvages a badly burned dead body and is trying mentally to recreate the murder sequence.

Qiao Tai and Ma Rong who were snooping in a soldiers' tent find a locked box. Upon opening they discover a few clothes and items including a book of erotic pictures. Those soldiers who were being beaten outside, come in the tent. They are overhead discussing that even though they were punished, the previous night was awesome and worth taking the punishment for.

Captain Li tells Di Renjie to take the salvaged dead body back to his morgue. As per Captain Li the body had been found that morning. Di Renjie states that a young boy had seen the body the day before in the swamp so it should have been found by the night Patrol. Captain reveals that the four young men around 14 to 15 years old of eight battalion who were being disciplined earlier were supposed to be on night duty but they had deserted their posts and were away the whole night. Captain Li caught them sneaking back in the morning hence the punishment for breaking barracks rules. Captain Li also gives a pawn stub found on the dead body, it was from Zhong's pawn shop.

On the way back to the Yamen carrying the dead body. The trio discussed that the boys probably would have visited a brothel the previous night. It is also speculated that the dead person was the a shopkeeper at Zhong's Pawn Shop because only they would have pawn ticket stub in their possession. At the Yamen morgue Di Renjie finds that there have been two stabs on the dead body. One was the fatal strike made on the victim's back and other was a knife strike on the front of the body. However it seemed two different people had stabbed the victim from the shape and depth of the knife wound also different force and grip was used for both the strikes. Di Renjie had also noticed earlier that the barracks was low on food, clothes and arms. He asks Hong Liang to send someone to investigate the matter.

Cao An and Di Renjie see a shadow puppet show of the 'Rain Master'. Rain Master wore a beaked mask of a bird, he was cursed that if anyone removed the mask and dropped it on the ground, he would become a bird. Rain Master had not disclosed this curse to his lover. One day his lover took off his mask and dropped it to the ground, he became a bird and flew away. Thus parting both the lovers in a tragic end. Di Renjie is affected deeply by this drama, there is something he wants to discuss with Cao An but is reluctant to do so. Cao An is making a straw rain cape for Di Renjie because Penglai was by the sea and was humid where it rained often during the season. It seems like Cao An is becoming emotionally attached to Di Renjie.

Shopkeeper Lin from the Zhong's pawn shop identifies the dead body as that of Zhong Fang. Di Renjie goes with shopkeeper Lin to Zhong's pawn shop to investigate. There he hears some rumours among the gathered crowd. One person had seen Zhong Fang come out of his shop in normal clothes the previous rainy night but after sometime he seemed dresses in a feathered costume and flew away like a bird. Shopkeeper Lin identifies the pawn ticket stub that Di Renjie has of their shop but it was a non-performing pawn,(because a picture of a dagger had drawn on it) indicating the money would not be recovered from that transaction. Di Renjie inquires if the Master made bad business decisions regularly then how would the shop survive on business front. Shopkeeper Lin tells Di Renjie that his Master was shrewd business man and 20 years ago he was ambitious enough to make their pawn the largest in Penglai. However six month ago after watching a shadow puppet show, he had become distracted, often was away at nights. He seemed absent minded and made bad business decision. If anyone told him that they needed money to get married he would also pawn fake items and give them large sum of money. The shopkeeper Zhong was becoming very emotional in business leading to loss. Di Renjie finds some drawing in Zhong's room later when he pieces them together he finds its a drawing of rain master's costume.

Di Renjie has been given transfer orders, he has received a directive to report to duty immediately to Lan ward, a place in the desert. Hong Liang has started packing items for their transfer. Hong Liang knows Di Renjie's heart that he wants to invite Cao An to accompany them to the new place but Di Renjie fears that Cao An would refuse him. Later, Hong Liang also informs of their transfer to Cao An. Cao An is in a dilemma whether to leave Penglai and follow Di Renjie to a new place. However Di Renjie is very steadfast and honest in his affection. She seems to decide to leave with him.

Di Renjie pieces together the puzzle of the Rain Master. It seemed that Zong had seen the shadow play with Huang Ying'er from the watch tower. Ying'er was very moved by the story. So Zong made a costume of the rain Master to court her. He used to go to meet her on the roof of the watch tower as The Rain Master. Hypothesis of Di Renjie is that on the night of murder the boys from the barracks may have misbehaved with Ying'er, Zong being present there must have tried to stop them and they must have stabbed him. Hence the knife of the young soldiers was found there.

Di Renjie goes to the barracks to question the boys but Captain Li has hung them to death citing he wouldn't allow the honour of the camp to be tarnished by their behavior. Di Renjie looks on helplessly at their hanging body. He is angry at Captain Li because things were not clear yet.

Later Di Renjie thinks of another scenario where, someone stabbed Zhong. Zhong whose mask had fallen went to the watch tower but because Ying'er did not know the person she was dating was Zhong, must have stabbed him in panic. He also sees the missing items from the shop the gold bracelet and a gold ring worn by her. So he deduces that Zhong must be giving all those items from his shop as gifts.

Di Renjie makes another costume of the Rain Maker and visits Ying'er. Ying'er immediately knows he is not her love. When confronted by Di Renjie as to what happened the previous night, in a muddled state Ying'er jumps from the roof believing her lover, the rain maker will save her and fly away with her. However she falls to her death.

A Vagabond names Wang whom the magistrate's office catches also confesses to killing Mr. Zhong. He also shows the exact strikes as conjectured by Di Renjie, grabbing the person in a chokehold and stabbing him in the front and backside. However Di Renjie doesn't accept his confession because while demonstrating how he murdered Zhong, he used same force for both the stabs and as per Di Renjie two stab wounds were different.

Di Renjie finally finds the truth about those four young soldiers who had been executed by Captain Li. It seemed they had deserted their post to go to a tavern to have fun and drink. There they see two people whom they shouldn't have.

This case is full of red herrings and Di Renjie makes many wrong conjectures and presumptions.

Who is the real killer of Mr. Zhong? Why did the Vagabond confess to Zhong's murder? Why were those four young soldiers executed? Does Cao An accompany Di Renjie to his new posting?

In the case of the 'Rain Master Legend' we see a more frail, human side of Di Renjie. He wants to save everyone but he is not always successful and that frustrates and pains him. The story of how he wanted to save crickets when he was young but they always ended up dead shows his vulnerable side. He also made mistakes in his reasonings in the beginning of this case, making him flawed and imperfect, prone to making mistakes. However he accepts his errors and learns to live with his limitations all the while striving to serve the law and provide justice to common people.

Case 5 - Red Pavilion (Episodes 15 -

Case 6

Case 7

Case Eight