@funnypeopleswim actually wen's family does not benefit compare to Ou and other minister. Because the sea ban help them control the trade because some pirates that they control are actually doing the trading with other countries/kingdom and the Ou and other minister sell it in the black market at a higher price.I think it's the reason why the FL is in prison in the trailer and XU Lingyi is helpless since he's fighting with other influential people

I suspect it's someone connected to the backer of those pirates. I doubt it's someone from Luo or Xu family, since that's what they want us to believe. Nobody knew Shiyi and her mother were leaving, so it seems more likely they her mother was killed cause she saw something she shouldn't have. It's a nice way to let Shiyi and Lingyi connect as well, both of them looking for clues about the same person, but for different reasons. 

Ah...good to know. I think the FL will be stepping on more more toes in the future in her investigations. She did have a motive trying to get into the Xu family. And she seemed pretty resigned to her fate in the trailer.

I have no clue who it may be yet, but I know Huo-puo (amber) definitely knows something...

Ok, I am of two minds 

Scenario 1 - I was thinking that it may be the FL's step mom or her daughter - because having her run away would ruin their plans.

Scenario 2- Somebody from Xu household was having a cladestine meeting with her lover/accomplice/ whatever and was afraid of being seen. My suspects are Concubine Wen or the elder sister in law. The one who's husband passed away. She seems way too smart, but quiet.

I do think we need to add the FL to the list of victims in scenario 2 because it was just so suspicious how she got sick for a long  time and just never got better. I suspect someone in the household was slowly poisoning her.  

@Bowties are cool

The only theory that I would totally refute is about Yizhen (the second sister) because she has no motive. She can freely marry another man if she wants to because she's already a widow. She's just really smart and I think that's not a crime. The other plot hole on that theory is she's always with Madam Tai so aside from no motives she also has no opportunity that day.

In latest episode, they found the fabric in the Xu countryside villa. So the killer might be from some servant of Xu household. 

@fairydustpuppy it can be. But since it's a fabric that can be easily bought in the market the possibility is still endless. 

hmm whoever she/he will get punished in the end but I think ML will find the  killer before FL who runs to rescue her from all the mishaps

 Jinxinsiyu:

@fairydustpuppy it can be. But since it's a fabric that can be easily bought in the market the possibility is still endless. 

I think more importantly the embroidery on the fabric is what will give away the killer. Remember that both the FL and her teacher who runs an established embroidery shop have seen that type of stitching before.

Random theory: what if it's the embroidery teacher? She knew they were leaving that day, she can embroider. We are automatically trusting her but she would probably benefit from a Sea ban too if she had the right suppliers or merchants.

I think the death of shiyi mom  also connected to mr lin without his knowing. Based on solely his expression on the trailer, shocked and sit down.  

 Jinxinsiyu:

@leji you mean aunt Qin? Because she's the childless one in the series. I think we read the same article. She has the motives but when did she have the opportunity?

I saw in some video that said she might be the one. To take revenge on 1st wife n Xu family for her dead child n being made childless. ShiYi mom was killed because she might have seen something she should not.

@fairydustpuppy yes Qin is the most likely killer or the one who knows the killer in the XU mansion  if the screenwriter wants to make it illogical. As I pointed out in my previous post she has motives but the other question is does she have the opportunity? They were left inside the temple when Xu Lingyi and his men search the area for the pirate. Then Dongqing is at foot of the stairs of the temple. So I'm thinking the writer would be stretching it if it's really Qin. I mean she definitely need to use the stairs to go in and out the temple . And as concubine she can't be gone for a long period of time because she always have to be ready to go once the XU family is ready to go home. So let's see how the writer can explain it

Really hope the killer is someone close to the female lead.  How anticlimactic if it ends up being a random or not very impt person.