1. The Missing Calligraphy and Paintings from the Palace
This foreshadowing feels somewhat connected to the imperial handwriting and edict that Jiaozhou Governorâs wife Yulan showed to Han Ji. But this still feels a bit forcedâdo they really need to go through such a complicated process, using calligraphy gifted by the emperor to Consort Hui, just to imitate handwriting and seals? Does it really require such a roundabout method?
Personally, I still think the content of the calligraphy and paintings themselves is problematic.
As for Consort Hui, in my view her identity still doesnât feel âclean.â Yulan, on the other hand, is very likely a villainâso what exactly is her objective?
When Li Zhang appeared, I began to suspect that Yulan might still be connected to You Chenâan. As for the forged edict, could the seal on it possibly have been carved by Li Zhang?
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2. The Identity of âPeacockâ (ĺé)
So far, at least three people have impersonated Peacock. ⢠One is Chu He; ⢠One is Zhou Hanâs younger twin brother, or Jiang Daohai. When Zhao Senyao sought medicine from the âghost envoy,â the fake Zhou Han had a scar on his right handâand Jiang Daohai has one as well; ⢠One is You Chenâan. He is able to obtain the Peacock mask, which makes him highly suspicious.
Why do I say at least three? Because judging from the conversation between the King of Southern Zhao and his subordinate in Episode 16, Peacock is not You Chenâanâthere may be someone else.
If the King of Southern Zhao knew You Chenâan was Peacock, he wouldnât say, âPeacock has lived up to my trust,â and then order Gao Luoqian to escort You Chenâan back to Southern Zhao.
So there are two possibilities: 1. Peacock is someone else entirely, still hidden among Tang officials. Peacock and You Chenâan are alliesâpublicly loyal to the King of Southern Zhao, but privately engaged in interest exchanges with You Chenâan. 2. The real Peacock has already been killed by You Chenâan, who then took Peacockâs place and continued to liaise with the King of Southern Zhao under that identity.
At present, the first possibility seems more likely.
⸝
3. The Disappearance of Civilians at the Tang Border
These missing civilians are very likely connected to human experimentation conducted by Southern Zhao.
The diagrams in You Chenâanâs possession should eventually explain this plotline. You Chenâan is very likely aware of the experimentsâperhaps even an executor.
In Episode 16, when the Prince caught fireflies for Chu Chu, she mentioned that there are many fireflies at the burial grounds. This clue should connect to the location where the bodies of the missing civilians were disposed of.
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4. The Diagrams and Who Performed the âFacial Reconstructionâ
Were the diagrams drawn by You Chenâan himself, or by someone else?
Where did You Chenâan learn his coroner skills? Is there another coroner or physicianâperhaps a masterâwho has an extremely deep understanding of human skeletal structure?
Using the fake You Chenâan as a test subject, the disguise was repeatedly refined. The skill involved is so advanced that the fake You Chenâan looked almost indistinguishable from the real one. Chu Chu only confirmed his identity through the scar on his chest.
My speculation is that the diagrams and the surgical procedures were done by You Chenâanâs masterâthough itâs also possible that You Chenâan himself did them (purely entertainment speculation).
Coroner techniques feel like something that must be passed down through mentorship. Perhaps You Chenâanâs master was originally a physician who conducted experiments on living humans, was rejected by society, and later met You Chenâan. You Chenâan provided living subjects, the master taught him the skills, and the two formed a mutually beneficial masterâdisciple relationship.
⸝
Unresolved Questions
There are still many unanswered questions: ⢠How could a forged imperial decree sent by carrier pigeon reach Southern Zhao within a single day? ⢠Why was the heavily guarded Three Judicial Offices breached so easily by just a few death guards?
It was mentioned earlier that the âghost envoyâ was actually Zhou Han, a former Shence Army school commandant who had already died. This lines up with the later reveal that Zhou Han changed his name to Laifu and was sent to the stone quarry.
Wang Ye deliberately sent Leng Yue there to verify whether it was really Zhou Hanâand it turned out Zhou Han was indeed still at the quarry. Zhou Han then explained that he has a biological younger brother, which explains why the two of them look exactly alike.
Later on, Zhou Han was instructed to impersonate the ghost envoy to lure Changshou out. Changshou appears both at the opening of Chu Heâs pharmacy and in the very first episode. However, since Zhou Han was not a real ghost envoy, he knew nothing of value. So after Changshou was captured, they drugged him to knock him out, then put the real ghost envoy in instead, in order to extract useful information.
This actually mirrors what happened in Season 1 with Qin Luan in a very similar way. Back then, Qin Luan believed he had seen through the scheme meant to disrupt his sense of time, but in reality, what was being manipulated wasnât time at allâit was location.
The same logic applies here. Changshou had already sensed that something was off and thought he had uncovered the trick. But in truth, by the time he went to verify it, the fake ghost envoy had already been replaced by the real one. He believed he was testing the lie, when in fact he was stepping straight into the truth that had been carefully switched beneath his feet.
Its a marginal improvement. I am just watching to pass time at this point. Sword into Plowshares airs tonight…
TIC2 dont even have fixed banner spot.
In case anyone thinks Tencent favored TIC2, it really didnât. The platform barely gave it promotion, no fixed banner slot, and the exposure was actually quite limited.
Xiao Jinyu hasnât been weakened at all. Everyone else in the Three Judicial Offices was trained under himâso…
âJing Yi said that he can trust them and doesnât need to shoulder everything himself. I think thatâs exactly how Xiao Jinyu grows this season tooâhe starts delegating work, trusting his partners, and positioning himself as the one who backs everything up. In a company setting, thatâs honestly the best kind of leader.
To be frank, if he had continued working the way he did in Season 1, given his character setup and physical condition, he wouldâve worked himself to death from overexertion. This season, he actually sleeps, bathes, eats, and drinks soupâso his complexion is noticeably better. Even when he gets poisoned, he doesnât just drop dead on the spot. Logically, it all makes sense.â
Xiao Jinyu hasnât been weakened at all. Everyone else in the Three Judicial Offices was trained under himâso of course theyâre capable; thatâs only natural. He treats every member of the Three Judicial Offices with respect and trust, puts them to good use, protects them at every turn, and shoulders the responsibility himself. In return, every one of them is willing to charge ahead for him without hesitation.
When it comes to love, Xiao Jinyu is honestly a romantic idiot. Heâs always thinking that what he gives is still not enough, believing that heâs brought Chu Chu nothing but storms and hardship. Yet what Huamei told him in the pleasure quartersââdeep love breeds fearââis exactly the point. Heâs far too harsh on himself. Still, he is growing. Gradually, he learns to share the burden of responsibility with the other members of the Three Judicial Offices.
Every single person in the Three Judicial Offices was carefully chosen and cultivated by Xiao Jinyu. Their strength is itself proof of his ability to recognize talent and employ people well. With the prince bearing the pressure of enemies on all sides, he had to turn the inside of the Three Judicial Offices into an iron fortress. And the facts prove that precisely because he treats his subordinates so well, they are willing to fight unconditionally for him.
The one giving the commands is still the prince. The one holding authority over the Three Judicial Offices is still the prince. And in the end, the one who gathers and consolidates all the clues is still Xiao Jinyu.
Xiao Jinyu is simply too good a personâintelligent, broad-minded, strategic, and capable of reflection in matters of love, which allows him to grow and improve. Someone like him deserves the loyalty and protection of everyone in the Three Judicial Offices, and he deserves the emperorâs trust and regard as well.
This foreshadowing feels somewhat connected to the imperial handwriting and edict that Jiaozhou Governorâs wife Yulan showed to Han Ji. But this still feels a bit forcedâdo they really need to go through such a complicated process, using calligraphy gifted by the emperor to Consort Hui, just to imitate handwriting and seals? Does it really require such a roundabout method?
Personally, I still think the content of the calligraphy and paintings themselves is problematic.
As for Consort Hui, in my view her identity still doesnât feel âclean.â
Yulan, on the other hand, is very likely a villainâso what exactly is her objective?
When Li Zhang appeared, I began to suspect that Yulan might still be connected to You Chenâan. As for the forged edict, could the seal on it possibly have been carved by Li Zhang?
⸝
2. The Identity of âPeacockâ (ĺé)
So far, at least three people have impersonated Peacock.
⢠One is Chu He;
⢠One is Zhou Hanâs younger twin brother, or Jiang Daohai. When Zhao Senyao sought medicine from the âghost envoy,â the fake Zhou Han had a scar on his right handâand Jiang Daohai has one as well;
⢠One is You Chenâan. He is able to obtain the Peacock mask, which makes him highly suspicious.
Why do I say at least three? Because judging from the conversation between the King of Southern Zhao and his subordinate in Episode 16, Peacock is not You Chenâanâthere may be someone else.
If the King of Southern Zhao knew You Chenâan was Peacock, he wouldnât say, âPeacock has lived up to my trust,â and then order Gao Luoqian to escort You Chenâan back to Southern Zhao.
So there are two possibilities:
1. Peacock is someone else entirely, still hidden among Tang officials. Peacock and You Chenâan are alliesâpublicly loyal to the King of Southern Zhao, but privately engaged in interest exchanges with You Chenâan.
2. The real Peacock has already been killed by You Chenâan, who then took Peacockâs place and continued to liaise with the King of Southern Zhao under that identity.
At present, the first possibility seems more likely.
⸝
3. The Disappearance of Civilians at the Tang Border
These missing civilians are very likely connected to human experimentation conducted by Southern Zhao.
The diagrams in You Chenâanâs possession should eventually explain this plotline. You Chenâan is very likely aware of the experimentsâperhaps even an executor.
In Episode 16, when the Prince caught fireflies for Chu Chu, she mentioned that there are many fireflies at the burial grounds. This clue should connect to the location where the bodies of the missing civilians were disposed of.
⸝
4. The Diagrams and Who Performed the âFacial Reconstructionâ
Were the diagrams drawn by You Chenâan himself, or by someone else?
Where did You Chenâan learn his coroner skills? Is there another coroner or physicianâperhaps a masterâwho has an extremely deep understanding of human skeletal structure?
Using the fake You Chenâan as a test subject, the disguise was repeatedly refined. The skill involved is so advanced that the fake You Chenâan looked almost indistinguishable from the real one. Chu Chu only confirmed his identity through the scar on his chest.
My speculation is that the diagrams and the surgical procedures were done by You Chenâanâs masterâthough itâs also possible that You Chenâan himself did them (purely entertainment speculation).
Coroner techniques feel like something that must be passed down through mentorship. Perhaps You Chenâanâs master was originally a physician who conducted experiments on living humans, was rejected by society, and later met You Chenâan. You Chenâan provided living subjects, the master taught him the skills, and the two formed a mutually beneficial masterâdisciple relationship.
⸝
Unresolved Questions
There are still many unanswered questions:
⢠How could a forged imperial decree sent by carrier pigeon reach Southern Zhao within a single day?
⢠Why was the heavily guarded Three Judicial Offices breached so easily by just a few death guards?
Wang Ye deliberately sent Leng Yue there to verify whether it was really Zhou Hanâand it turned out Zhou Han was indeed still at the quarry. Zhou Han then explained that he has a biological younger brother, which explains why the two of them look exactly alike.
Later on, Zhou Han was instructed to impersonate the ghost envoy to lure Changshou out. Changshou appears both at the opening of Chu Heâs pharmacy and in the very first episode. However, since Zhou Han was not a real ghost envoy, he knew nothing of value. So after Changshou was captured, they drugged him to knock him out, then put the real ghost envoy in instead, in order to extract useful information.
This actually mirrors what happened in Season 1 with Qin Luan in a very similar way. Back then, Qin Luan believed he had seen through the scheme meant to disrupt his sense of time, but in reality, what was being manipulated wasnât time at allâit was location.
The same logic applies here. Changshou had already sensed that something was off and thought he had uncovered the trick. But in truth, by the time he went to verify it, the fake ghost envoy had already been replaced by the real one. He believed he was testing the lie, when in fact he was stepping straight into the truth that had been carefully switched beneath his feet.
In case anyone thinks Tencent favored TIC2, it really didnât. The platform barely gave it promotion, no fixed banner slot, and the exposure was actually quite limited.
To be frank, if he had continued working the way he did in Season 1, given his character setup and physical condition, he wouldâve worked himself to death from overexertion. This season, he actually sleeps, bathes, eats, and drinks soupâso his complexion is noticeably better. Even when he gets poisoned, he doesnât just drop dead on the spot. Logically, it all makes sense.â
When it comes to love, Xiao Jinyu is honestly a romantic idiot. Heâs always thinking that what he gives is still not enough, believing that heâs brought Chu Chu nothing but storms and hardship. Yet what Huamei told him in the pleasure quartersââdeep love breeds fearââis exactly the point. Heâs far too harsh on himself. Still, he is growing. Gradually, he learns to share the burden of responsibility with the other members of the Three Judicial Offices.
Every single person in the Three Judicial Offices was carefully chosen and cultivated by Xiao Jinyu. Their strength is itself proof of his ability to recognize talent and employ people well. With the prince bearing the pressure of enemies on all sides, he had to turn the inside of the Three Judicial Offices into an iron fortress. And the facts prove that precisely because he treats his subordinates so well, they are willing to fight unconditionally for him.
The one giving the commands is still the prince. The one holding authority over the Three Judicial Offices is still the prince. And in the end, the one who gathers and consolidates all the clues is still Xiao Jinyu.
Xiao Jinyu is simply too good a personâintelligent, broad-minded, strategic, and capable of reflection in matters of love, which allows him to grow and improve. Someone like him deserves the loyalty and protection of everyone in the Three Judicial Offices, and he deserves the emperorâs trust and regard as well.
Their sweet talks always include something unusual lmaoo