In S1, The Three Judicial Offices had a very clear division of labor: Xiao Jinyu handled the core, high-risk reasoning; Chu Chu did autopsies and logistics; Jing Yi specialized in lie detection and field work; Leng Yue was the combat support / healer. Clear roles, everyone following orders.
In S2, the only one who’s been strengthened is Chu Chu. She can do autopsies, reason through cases, act as an emotional confidant, and even practice medicine. Meanwhile, the other three feel increasingly flattened, reduced to supporting her character setup.
Wang Ye feels like he’s been left with nothing but a romance function—repeating cycles of jealousy and apologizing. He was the backbone of Season 1, is essentially absent from the reasoning role this time. But Chu Chu can’t really fill that position either, so it ends up scattered and unfocused, jumping here and there. I genuinely don’t understand what the writers were thinking.
Jing Yi and Leng Yue have basically become “romance bodyguards.” Leng Yue, who grew up with Xiao Jinyu since childhood, suddenly doesn’t trust him anymore and even suspects he’s done something that wronged Chu Chu? And that plot of going to brothel for seeking the relationship problem is so .... weird? Out of character of Wang Ye to seek a stranger's opinion about the relationship.
Figure 1 is a rear-view screenshot from the scene where the so-called “Peacock Envoy” is captured. Figure 2 shows the back and front of an outfit worn by Chu He when he goes to look for Chu Chu—suspected by some to be the same collar. Figure 3 shows Zhao Fengming’s outfit from the front and side. Figure 4 is the front view of the so-called “Peacock Envoy” at the capture scene.
Over the past two days, some fellow viewers sent me analyses suggesting that the Peacock Envoy is Chu He, with their main piece of evidence being the outfit in Figure 2. However, I don’t think this is sufficient proof. If we only look at the collar in Figure 1, it does resemble Chu He’s, but the decorative patterns on the clothing are not the same. In contrast, the dark woven patterns on Zhao Fengming’s outfit are much more similar.
In Figure 4, the face visible beneath the half mask does look very much like Chu He’s. But is this person really Chu He? Or, put another way, is this person truly the so-called “Peacock Envoy”?
Figures 5–7 raise Suspicion No. 1: Who saved You Chen’an? In Episode 4, based on Yuluo’s description and the visuals shown, many viewers concluded that the old acquaintance who saved You Chen’an was Chu He. But the behavior and dialogue in Episode 5 make this doubtful. When Chu He sees You Chen’an, he becomes emotional and immediately pulls him into an embrace, pressing his hand directly onto You Chen’an’s wound. If he were the one who saved him, how could he press on the injury like that? Their subsequent dialogue is also worth close scrutiny.
“I heard back in Southern Zhao that you were the mastermind. I didn’t expect to run into you here.” This line conveys two pieces of information: first, that “Chu He” has not seen You Chen’an recently; second, that You Chen’an being the mastermind was something “Chu He” learned while in Southern Zhao.
Three years ago, Chu He reunited with You Chen’an while doing business in medicinal herbs. He was then introduced to the King of Southern Zhao and became a supplier to the imperial pharmacy. When You Chen’an says that Chu He took care of him at the Qianzhou border, he is referring to the time before he entered the Southern Zhao royal court at the age of ten, when he was fostered with relatives in Qianzhou and met Chu He there.
“Otherwise, how would I have lived to enter the palace?” I think the “palace” here refers to the Southern Zhao royal palace, not the Tang imperial palace, because he is speaking of repaying the kindness shown to him while he was cared for at the Qianzhou border. If it were a rescue on the way to the capital, he should have described it as a life-saving恩 (grace).
This creates a contradiction. If what “Chu He” says is true, then there are only two possibilities: 1. You Chen’an and Yuluo colluded and lied back in Episode 4; or 2. You Chen’an and Yuluo did not lie—there really was a coroner who saved him, but it was not Chu He. So then, who was the person who saved You Chen’an?
Figure 8 raises Suspicion No. 2: “The Tang only has peppercorns, Sichuan pepper, and dogwood—you can’t get authentic Qianzhou spiciness at all.” Chu He uses the term “the Tang,” which feels somewhat odd. As a Tang citizen, if he were merely describing regional differences in spicy flavors, he should have said “Chang’an.”
Is it possible that the current “Chu He” is actually someone else in disguise?
But this “Chu He” knows many details about Chu Chu. And if the brow ridge were altered through disguise, Chu Chu should have been able to notice it.
As for determining whether Chu He is the Peacock Envoy based on clothing alone, I personally don’t think that’s rigorous enough. If Chu He were the Peacock Envoy, what would his motive be? I believe it’s more likely that he was used by someone else and deliberately captured—possibly to direct suspicion toward Chu Chu and target the Three Judicial Offices.
In Suspicion No. 1, either You Chen’an or Chu He must be lying. In the new preview, You Chen’an is going to observe a three-day fast, and the person playing Go with Xiao Jinyu should be You Chen’an. Therefore, I’m more inclined to believe that the one lying is You Chen’an.
About Xiao Jinyu being poisoned with “ganmei sores”At this point, I think there are four suspicious items…
As for the incense burner, only people from the Three Judicial Offices would have access to it. When I was watching, I wondered if it could have been some kind of powder blown in from outside the window, especially since the show deliberately mentioned that the Prince hadn’t closed the window. But if it was blown in from outside, the person scattering the powder would still have had to stand right by the window. Given how heavily guarded the Three Judicial Offices are, it doesn’t seem likely that someone could just sneak in… so does that mean there’s a mole inside the Three Judicial Offices?
About Xiao Jinyu being poisoned with “ganmei sores”
At this point, I think there are four suspicious items related to Xiao Jinyu contracting ganmei sores.
First: mung bean soup. The mung bean soup Lianqiao made for Chu Chu and Xiao Jinyu passed through four people’s hands: 1. Lianqiao 2. Chu Chu 3. You Chen’an
In the last image of Figure 1, you can also see a bowl of mung bean soup on Xiao Jinyu’s desk, which means he did drink it last night.
Second: the incense on Xiao Jinyu’s desk. Personally, I think the camera gave the incense burner too many close-ups to be a coincidence. Wu Jiang also mentioned that the window was originally open.
Third: the lotus flowers sold by the little girl on the street.
Fourth: the tea at the entrance. In Season 2, there are several scenes where Jing Yi snatches Xiao Jinyu’s teacup and drinks from it.
⸻
My ranking of likelihood:
Incense ＞ Mung bean soup ＞ Lotus flower ＞ Tea
Let me explain why I think the tea is the least likely. In my opinion, the tea is indeed foreshadowing—but not foreshadowing aimed at Xiao Jinyu. It’s more likely meant for Jing Yi.
As for the lotus flowers sold by the little girl: Chu Chu touched them, and Gao Luoqian also came into contact with them. The probability seems low.
The most controversial suspects are probably the mung bean soup and the incense, and here’s why I lean toward the incense: 1. Figure 5 shows powder residue that Chu Chu and You Chen’an found on Wan Qianshan’s clothes. 2. Figure 6 shows that Zhao Fengming also had what appeared to be similar powder in his ear. 3. In Figures 7–8, when Gao Luoqian threatens Huang Lü, what he gives him is also incense. Gao frequently visits the Four Fragrance Pavilion to buy sandalwood incense for Buddhist worship, which is highly suspicious (the name “Four Fragrance” sounds similar to “homesickness,” possibly a pun). Gao also mentions that this is a top-grade incense from Southern Zhao. Could this incense be related to poppy derivatives? Did Huang Lü contract ganmei sores, or does he have an addiction to incense powder? 4. Although there is no direct visual evidence, Wan Qianshan and Zhao Fengming were officials and likely had the habit of using incense. It’s very possible that they developed ganmei sores through incense or contact with powder. Their deaths were likely caused by other poisons. Chu Chu has already confirmed that Qin Xiang’s body showed lesions of ganmei sores, while Wan and Zhao did not. Xiao Jinyu is likely the same case.
I suspect they were exposed to a weakened form of ganmei sores, the purpose being to stir public opinion and create panic within the Tang dynasty. True ganmei sores require sexual transmission to spread. If Southern Zhao wanted to rapidly spread fear, a weakened form with visible external symptoms would better serve that goal.
Earlier, over ten thousand people disappeared at the border. I suspect they may have been taken by Southern Zhao for human experimentation and poisoning trials.
⸻
Why I don’t think it was the mung bean soup
If it were the mung bean soup, then the only possible culprit would be You Chen’an. But how could he guarantee that only Xiao Jinyu drank it and that Chu Chu wouldn’t drink more as well?
Based on what we’ve seen so far, You Chen’an genuinely admires Chu Chu—from initially recognizing her as one of the top forensic examiners, to firmly believing she will become the greatest forensic expert in the world. Poisoning would bring him far more harm than benefit; it simply wouldn’t be worth it.
⸻
Conclusion
My speculation is that Xiao Jinyu most likely developed ganmei sore symptoms due to incense or contact with some kind of powder.
Xiao Jinyu handled the core, high-risk reasoning;
Chu Chu did autopsies and logistics;
Jing Yi specialized in lie detection and field work;
Leng Yue was the combat support / healer.
Clear roles, everyone following orders.
In S2, the only one who’s been strengthened is Chu Chu. She can do autopsies, reason through cases, act as an emotional confidant, and even practice medicine. Meanwhile, the other three feel increasingly flattened, reduced to supporting her character setup.
Wang Ye feels like he’s been left with nothing but a romance function—repeating cycles of jealousy and apologizing. He was the backbone of Season 1, is essentially absent from the reasoning role this time. But Chu Chu can’t really fill that position either, so it ends up scattered and unfocused, jumping here and there. I genuinely don’t understand what the writers were thinking.
Jing Yi and Leng Yue have basically become “romance bodyguards.” Leng Yue, who grew up with Xiao Jinyu since childhood, suddenly doesn’t trust him anymore and even suspects he’s done something that wronged Chu Chu?
And that plot of going to brothel for seeking the relationship problem is so .... weird? Out of character of Wang Ye to seek a stranger's opinion about the relationship.
Figure 2 shows the back and front of an outfit worn by Chu He when he goes to look for Chu Chu—suspected by some to be the same collar.
Figure 3 shows Zhao Fengming’s outfit from the front and side.
Figure 4 is the front view of the so-called “Peacock Envoy” at the capture scene.
Over the past two days, some fellow viewers sent me analyses suggesting that the Peacock Envoy is Chu He, with their main piece of evidence being the outfit in Figure 2. However, I don’t think this is sufficient proof. If we only look at the collar in Figure 1, it does resemble Chu He’s, but the decorative patterns on the clothing are not the same. In contrast, the dark woven patterns on Zhao Fengming’s outfit are much more similar.
In Figure 4, the face visible beneath the half mask does look very much like Chu He’s. But is this person really Chu He? Or, put another way, is this person truly the so-called “Peacock Envoy”?
Figures 5–7 raise Suspicion No. 1: Who saved You Chen’an?
In Episode 4, based on Yuluo’s description and the visuals shown, many viewers concluded that the old acquaintance who saved You Chen’an was Chu He. But the behavior and dialogue in Episode 5 make this doubtful. When Chu He sees You Chen’an, he becomes emotional and immediately pulls him into an embrace, pressing his hand directly onto You Chen’an’s wound. If he were the one who saved him, how could he press on the injury like that? Their subsequent dialogue is also worth close scrutiny.
“I heard back in Southern Zhao that you were the mastermind. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
This line conveys two pieces of information: first, that “Chu He” has not seen You Chen’an recently; second, that You Chen’an being the mastermind was something “Chu He” learned while in Southern Zhao.
Three years ago, Chu He reunited with You Chen’an while doing business in medicinal herbs. He was then introduced to the King of Southern Zhao and became a supplier to the imperial pharmacy. When You Chen’an says that Chu He took care of him at the Qianzhou border, he is referring to the time before he entered the Southern Zhao royal court at the age of ten, when he was fostered with relatives in Qianzhou and met Chu He there.
“Otherwise, how would I have lived to enter the palace?”
I think the “palace” here refers to the Southern Zhao royal palace, not the Tang imperial palace, because he is speaking of repaying the kindness shown to him while he was cared for at the Qianzhou border. If it were a rescue on the way to the capital, he should have described it as a life-saving恩 (grace).
This creates a contradiction. If what “Chu He” says is true, then there are only two possibilities:
1. You Chen’an and Yuluo colluded and lied back in Episode 4; or
2. You Chen’an and Yuluo did not lie—there really was a coroner who saved him, but it was not Chu He.
So then, who was the person who saved You Chen’an?
Figure 8 raises Suspicion No. 2:
“The Tang only has peppercorns, Sichuan pepper, and dogwood—you can’t get authentic Qianzhou spiciness at all.” Chu He uses the term “the Tang,” which feels somewhat odd. As a Tang citizen, if he were merely describing regional differences in spicy flavors, he should have said “Chang’an.”
Is it possible that the current “Chu He” is actually someone else in disguise?
But this “Chu He” knows many details about Chu Chu. And if the brow ridge were altered through disguise, Chu Chu should have been able to notice it.
As for determining whether Chu He is the Peacock Envoy based on clothing alone, I personally don’t think that’s rigorous enough. If Chu He were the Peacock Envoy, what would his motive be? I believe it’s more likely that he was used by someone else and deliberately captured—possibly to direct suspicion toward Chu Chu and target the Three Judicial Offices.
In Suspicion No. 1, either You Chen’an or Chu He must be lying. In the new preview, You Chen’an is going to observe a three-day fast, and the person playing Go with Xiao Jinyu should be You Chen’an. Therefore, I’m more inclined to believe that the one lying is You Chen’an.
关于十六集预告的一点推测 图1是所谓的“孔雀使”被抓... http://xhslink.com/o/57hi92GqItb
At this point, I think there are four suspicious items related to Xiao Jinyu contracting ganmei sores.
First: mung bean soup.
The mung bean soup Lianqiao made for Chu Chu and Xiao Jinyu passed through four people’s hands:
1. Lianqiao
2. Chu Chu
3. You Chen’an
In the last image of Figure 1, you can also see a bowl of mung bean soup on Xiao Jinyu’s desk, which means he did drink it last night.
Second: the incense on Xiao Jinyu’s desk.
Personally, I think the camera gave the incense burner too many close-ups to be a coincidence. Wu Jiang also mentioned that the window was originally open.
Third: the lotus flowers sold by the little girl on the street.
Fourth: the tea at the entrance.
In Season 2, there are several scenes where Jing Yi snatches Xiao Jinyu’s teacup and drinks from it.
⸻
My ranking of likelihood:
Incense ＞ Mung bean soup ＞ Lotus flower ＞ Tea
Let me explain why I think the tea is the least likely.
In my opinion, the tea is indeed foreshadowing—but not foreshadowing aimed at Xiao Jinyu. It’s more likely meant for Jing Yi.
As for the lotus flowers sold by the little girl: Chu Chu touched them, and Gao Luoqian also came into contact with them. The probability seems low.
The most controversial suspects are probably the mung bean soup and the incense, and here’s why I lean toward the incense:
1. Figure 5 shows powder residue that Chu Chu and You Chen’an found on Wan Qianshan’s clothes.
2. Figure 6 shows that Zhao Fengming also had what appeared to be similar powder in his ear.
3. In Figures 7–8, when Gao Luoqian threatens Huang Lü, what he gives him is also incense. Gao frequently visits the Four Fragrance Pavilion to buy sandalwood incense for Buddhist worship, which is highly suspicious (the name “Four Fragrance” sounds similar to “homesickness,” possibly a pun). Gao also mentions that this is a top-grade incense from Southern Zhao. Could this incense be related to poppy derivatives? Did Huang Lü contract ganmei sores, or does he have an addiction to incense powder?
4. Although there is no direct visual evidence, Wan Qianshan and Zhao Fengming were officials and likely had the habit of using incense. It’s very possible that they developed ganmei sores through incense or contact with powder. Their deaths were likely caused by other poisons. Chu Chu has already confirmed that Qin Xiang’s body showed lesions of ganmei sores, while Wan and Zhao did not. Xiao Jinyu is likely the same case.
I suspect they were exposed to a weakened form of ganmei sores, the purpose being to stir public opinion and create panic within the Tang dynasty. True ganmei sores require sexual transmission to spread. If Southern Zhao wanted to rapidly spread fear, a weakened form with visible external symptoms would better serve that goal.
Earlier, over ten thousand people disappeared at the border. I suspect they may have been taken by Southern Zhao for human experimentation and poisoning trials.
⸻
Why I don’t think it was the mung bean soup
If it were the mung bean soup, then the only possible culprit would be You Chen’an. But how could he guarantee that only Xiao Jinyu drank it and that Chu Chu wouldn’t drink more as well?
Based on what we’ve seen so far, You Chen’an genuinely admires Chu Chu—from initially recognizing her as one of the top forensic examiners, to firmly believing she will become the greatest forensic expert in the world. Poisoning would bring him far more harm than benefit; it simply wouldn’t be worth it.
⸻
Conclusion
My speculation is that Xiao Jinyu most likely developed ganmei sore symptoms due to incense or contact with some kind of powder.
【含剧透】关于第十三集中毒的一点推测 今天看完第十... http://xhslink.com/o/7AL9qcJcrTX