I’ve reached Episode 15. I’ll first skip ahead to talk about the new opening sequence and some of the speculations from the Tencent Video Easter eggs. The main update post will finish writing up Episode 7 today.
If you haven’t watched Episode 15 yet and are worried about spoilers, you might want to exit now.
——— First, a disclaimer: the following content is purely for entertainment speculation.
In Image 1, there’s a painting by Xiao Jinyu. The lotus pond and the lotus seeds are shown in close-up, and there’s a red thread.
I think the lotus pond might carry a dual meaning: first, it reflects Chu Yu and the others, like the lotus, “emerging unstained from the mud, bathing in clear water yet not seductive.” Second, in the ending of Episode 7, Chu He brought Chu Chu some lotus seeds she liked. According to Chu He, these seeds came from a pond east of West Market, freshly picked by him. West Suburb happens to be a secret hideout planted by Southern Zhao. Since Chu Chu likes lotus seeds, could there be a poisoning plot later involving eating them?
The red thread is currently speculated to be similar to the five-colored threads tied to the killer’s hand in Season 1—symbolizing someone close. Whose red thread is this? Could it belong to a child? It seems likely it will be related to the Southern Zhao case.
In Image 2, the sword is bloodstained. In the second shot, it’s clear that this is a battlefield. The sword style is Tang dynasty. The red flag on the right should be Tang, the white flag is Southern Zhao. Does this mean someone from Tang will die on the battlefield?
Image 3 shows a dove along with the lotus. The white dove flying toward Chang’an has a red marking on its left wing. Could this indicate someone being injured or dying in battle? Earlier, it was mentioned that Chu He has a pigeon cage behind his pharmacy—perhaps this message is meant for Chu Chu. Will it be Xiao Jinyu or Chu He who is in danger? I lean toward Chu He. It feels like he wants to redeem himself, but may end up dead or severely injured.
Image 4 shows a “divorce letter” (放妻书). The text mentions “three years,” so it could be either Chu Yu or Yue Jing. Given the depth of the two couples’ relationships, why would a divorce letter be written? Was someone forced or threatened into it?
Image 5 shows a red fingerprint, reminding me of the new stills released today by Aurora TV. The white garment Chu Chu holds is stained with blood. If we follow the speculation from Image 3, this clothing might belong to Chu He.
Image 6 depicts the fire in Chang’an, with a special focus on a Go jar. In this story, the world is like a chessboard—where will it ultimately lead? Personally, I selfishly hope that The Imperial Coroner 2 will have a happy ending. After all, in less than fifty years, Zhu Wen will burn Chang’an—I don’t want to see the city in ruins.
Image 7 is from Tencent Video Easter Egg 4. Chu Chu, with tears, says: “Why must this suffering be inflicted upon so many innocent people?” The use of “must” indicates that such suffering has already occurred. Judging from the clothing, this seems to be during the Southern Zhao period. Who is she speaking to? It could be a new character, but I lean toward it being You Chen’an. Considering the third image of You Chen’an and the torture methods he previously described, did he also use barbed whips on innocents?
The preview for Episode 17 makes me even more suspicious of You Chen’an’s identity. My speculation on the direction: he might be used as a pawn by the Southern Zhao king, with his death intended as the spark for war. But he refuses to be a pawn and may fake his death to turn the game around—changing from a piece to the player.
S1 was a miracle in many ways: low budget, rookie actors, no traffic bonus, yet it built its reputation purely through story, characters, and word of mouth. That kind of success is organic and rare; you can’t industrially reproduce it even if you try.
Then add the five-year gap:
The actors changed — not just in age, but in experience, public positioning, expectations placed on them. The audience changed — viewing habits, tolerance for slow pacing, patience for logic-heavy storytelling, even what “good drama” means now. The industry changed — platforms want louder hooks & faster rhythms.
So S2 is burdened with impossible expectations ; “Be exactly like S1”, “But also be bigger, faster, more commercial”, “And don’t lose the soul”.
Actually, the first season was more like Xiao Jinyu playing Chinese chess (the props were indeed chess pieces). The second season is more like him playing Go (the props are Go pieces). In chess, the direct goal is to checkmate the opponent, emphasizing tactical combat and piece coordination. In Go, victory is determined by territory control, focusing on overall strategy and spatial dominance. Therefore, it appears that the second season has a broader scope, emphasizing long-term planning and situation assessment, requiring a balance between actual territory and external influence, and demanding a more macro-level way of thinking.
“He’s someone with profound devotion to both family and country. Leading the Three Judicial Offices is an immense burden, and this time he carries even more responsibility.”
One detail Wang Ziqi designed was Xiao Jinyu’s habit of walking with his hands clasped behind his back:
“In the original novel, Xiao Jinyu was a disabled character in a wheelchair. During filming, he became physically frail instead. We also needed to convey his maturity despite his young age, so this posture helped give him an ‘old soul’ presence.”
Wang Ziqi divided his portrayal into two modes:
“At court, it’s all business—serious, strategic, restrained. At home, it’s about being with his wife—gentler, more relaxed. The contrast is essential. He’s humble at court, and maybe even humbler at home.”
If you haven’t watched Episode 15 yet and are worried about spoilers, you might want to exit now.
———
First, a disclaimer: the following content is purely for entertainment speculation.
In Image 1, there’s a painting by Xiao Jinyu. The lotus pond and the lotus seeds are shown in close-up, and there’s a red thread.
I think the lotus pond might carry a dual meaning: first, it reflects Chu Yu and the others, like the lotus, “emerging unstained from the mud, bathing in clear water yet not seductive.” Second, in the ending of Episode 7, Chu He brought Chu Chu some lotus seeds she liked. According to Chu He, these seeds came from a pond east of West Market, freshly picked by him. West Suburb happens to be a secret hideout planted by Southern Zhao. Since Chu Chu likes lotus seeds, could there be a poisoning plot later involving eating them?
The red thread is currently speculated to be similar to the five-colored threads tied to the killer’s hand in Season 1—symbolizing someone close. Whose red thread is this? Could it belong to a child? It seems likely it will be related to the Southern Zhao case.
In Image 2, the sword is bloodstained. In the second shot, it’s clear that this is a battlefield. The sword style is Tang dynasty. The red flag on the right should be Tang, the white flag is Southern Zhao. Does this mean someone from Tang will die on the battlefield?
Image 3 shows a dove along with the lotus. The white dove flying toward Chang’an has a red marking on its left wing. Could this indicate someone being injured or dying in battle? Earlier, it was mentioned that Chu He has a pigeon cage behind his pharmacy—perhaps this message is meant for Chu Chu. Will it be Xiao Jinyu or Chu He who is in danger? I lean toward Chu He. It feels like he wants to redeem himself, but may end up dead or severely injured.
Image 4 shows a “divorce letter” (放妻书). The text mentions “three years,” so it could be either Chu Yu or Yue Jing. Given the depth of the two couples’ relationships, why would a divorce letter be written? Was someone forced or threatened into it?
Image 5 shows a red fingerprint, reminding me of the new stills released today by Aurora TV. The white garment Chu Chu holds is stained with blood. If we follow the speculation from Image 3, this clothing might belong to Chu He.
Image 6 depicts the fire in Chang’an, with a special focus on a Go jar. In this story, the world is like a chessboard—where will it ultimately lead? Personally, I selfishly hope that The Imperial Coroner 2 will have a happy ending. After all, in less than fifty years, Zhu Wen will burn Chang’an—I don’t want to see the city in ruins.
Image 7 is from Tencent Video Easter Egg 4. Chu Chu, with tears, says: “Why must this suffering be inflicted upon so many innocent people?” The use of “must” indicates that such suffering has already occurred. Judging from the clothing, this seems to be during the Southern Zhao period. Who is she speaking to? It could be a new character, but I lean toward it being You Chen’an. Considering the third image of You Chen’an and the torture methods he previously described, did he also use barbed whips on innocents?
The preview for Episode 17 makes me even more suspicious of You Chen’an’s identity. My speculation on the direction: he might be used as a pawn by the Southern Zhao king, with his death intended as the spark for war. But he refuses to be a pawn and may fake his death to turn the game around—changing from a piece to the player.
第十五集新片头的一些推测 看到第十五集了。先跳着讲... http://xhslink.com/o/6wP5qbArhnk
S1 was a miracle in many ways: low budget, rookie actors, no traffic bonus, yet it built its reputation purely through story, characters, and word of mouth. That kind of success is organic and rare; you can’t industrially reproduce it even if you try.
Then add the five-year gap:
The actors changed — not just in age, but in experience, public positioning, expectations placed on them.
The audience changed — viewing habits, tolerance for slow pacing, patience for logic-heavy storytelling, even what “good drama” means now.
The industry changed — platforms want louder hooks & faster rhythms.
So S2 is burdened with impossible expectations ; “Be exactly like S1”, “But also be bigger, faster, more commercial”, “And don’t lose the soul”.
https://weibo.com/2591595652/5257485314688399
“Everyone has their own ‘ceiling.’ No one can be the ideal for everyone. In real life, you can’t please everyone either.”
Beyond romance, Xiao Jinyu shoulders greater responsibility:
“He’s someone with profound devotion to both family and country. Leading the Three Judicial Offices is an immense burden, and this time he carries even more responsibility.”
“In the original novel, Xiao Jinyu was a disabled character in a wheelchair. During filming, he became physically frail instead. We also needed to convey his maturity despite his young age, so this posture helped give him an ‘old soul’ presence.”
Wang Ziqi divided his portrayal into two modes:
“At court, it’s all business—serious, strategic, restrained. At home, it’s about being with his wife—gentler, more relaxed. The contrast is essential. He’s humble at court, and maybe even humbler at home.”