prettynamu

Happy watching 🥳

Well~ They were also such a couple who used their wedding to trap the enemies. 😅

I can't stop laughing! His guards are so hilarious!

You can start S2 cause the cases unrelated but very highly recommended to watch S1 too~

Who is this guy?!!!

Xiao Jinyu! The little goldfish! 😅

This couple indeed such workaholic! One second sweet moment then the next second they be talking about cases 🤣

Weibo taken ✌️

After finishing 7 episodes, the main plot has already laid out quite a few hooks. Let’s sort through the story and the mysteries so far.

This season’s main storyline centers on a cross-border case. The Kingdom of Southern Zhao covets the Tang Empire from the southwest, waiting for an opportunity to ignite war. What Xiao Jingyu and Chu Chu face is a war without visible gunpowder smoke.

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1. What is the Southern Zhao Second Prince really after?

The Second Prince of Southern Zhao comes as an envoy to the Tang, yet ends up going to the Three Judicial Offices to apprentice under Chu Chu and learn forensic examination—this is just too strange!!

It’s possible that he entered the Three Judicial Offices to avoid assassination attempts by the Crown Prince. But the thing is, he already knows forensic techniques, and he’s also well-informed about Xiao Jingyu and Chu Chu. That means he came fully prepared.

Is he trying to get close to Xiao Jingyu? Is he attempting to gather intelligence within the Three Judicial Offices? Or does he have a case of his own to investigate—or plans to stir up trouble here? For now, everything remains unknown. We’ll have to wait and see.

Chu Chu’s brother, Chu He, meeting the Second Prince may not be a coincidence either.

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2. Who is “Peacock”?

“Peacock” could be Southern Zhao’s top spy—but who is their real identity?

Master Shenguan appears to be a martyr, so he can be ruled out as Peacock. What a pity—the monk (abbot) still isn’t the culprit! [doge]

Other candidates can wait for now. Let the bullets fly a bit longer.

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3. Consort Hui and her maternal family?

In the first arc, the Floating Skull Case, during the banquet for the envoys, Consort Hui also invited Chu Chu.

Chu Chu has been a Princess Consort for three years, yet this was her first time entering the palace for a banquet—so was Consort Hui doing this deliberately?

When Master Shenguan passed away, he was conducting a ritual at Consort Hui’s maternal home. That strange potted rose at her residence must have been arranged by someone.

Jing Yi’s grandaunt is the lady of the Zhao household—Consort Hui’s maternal family. Consort Hui and Zhao Shilang are siblings, and Zhao Shilang serves in the Ministry of Rites.

So does Consort Hui’s family intend to pull Xiao Jingyu down? Could they even be cooperating—or colluding—with Southern Zhao?

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4. Xiao Jingyu’s skull?

Chu Chu admires how well-shaped Xiao Jingyu’s skull is. The couple also make several jokes involving skulls and dissecting Xiao Jingyu—it almost feels like they’re setting a flag.

Coincidentally, the internal skeletal and organ imaging diagram of the Southern Zhao Second Prince shows facial features and skull structure that are completely identical to Xiao Jingyu’s!

Did Xiao Jingyu sketch it based on his own measurements? Or was there truly someone who looked almost exactly like him, who had just died and was dissected?

Xiao Jingyu’s biological father, Chen Ying, is the Military Commissioner of Jiannan. Jiannan Circuit borders Southern Zhao—so this is likely more than mere coincidence.

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Southern Zhao’s spies are aggressively advancing, while the court itself is filled with intrigue and turbulence. Xiao Jingyu and Chu Chu will face even greater pressure ahead.

Beyond the cases, this season’s Chu Chu is already an Imperial Coroner. She hopes to cultivate more forensic talents for the Tang, yet she still encounters deep-rooted prejudice against women. We look forward to how she will break through these constraints!

Xiao Jingyu wishes to fulfill his wife’s aspirations. Under layers of pressure and bias, how will he choose to go against the current? Let’s keep watching!

Their love languages really something else 🤣

And throughout this case, whether it’s Chu Chu, Auntie Shi Qing, or Miss Liu’er, all of them hesitate and struggle—yet ultimately choose the “goodness in their hearts.”

Chu Chu wavers and blames herself because of the coldness of the law and the cruelty of the truth.
Auntie Shi Qing says that if death is inevitable, she would rather protect them.
Liu’er and the others risk everything to reveal the truth out of guilt and conscience.

And throughout all of this, the main cast never forces them to act a certain way, nor do they impose their own sense of justice, because:

“The fairness of the law is indeed precious—but does that mean we should expose the scars of innocent people to the sunlight and let them be scorned by all?”

Later, when Chu Chu is still upset with herself for caring about others’ opinions, Xiao Jinyu simply says,

“Then be upset for a little while longer.”

It’s okay to reflect.
It’s okay to be vulnerable.
It’s okay to feel sad.
It’s okay to apologize.

Everything is handled with such tenderness.

That said, the screenwriter actually put a lot of thought into the details in many places. For example, when they went down to the river to salvage items, the soldiers took off their armor; the pumpkin seedlings also have a clear cause-and-effect logic that forms a closed loop. As for why Shi Qing confessed, it wasn’t only because she did accidentally kill someone and wanted to protect those young palace maids, but also because she was safeguarding the Consort. Since the Consort was in charge of the inner palace, any incident there would ultimately be her responsibility. Even though the Consort more or less knew what had happened, palace rules prevented her from openly intervening. In the end, only by revealing the truth and obtaining an imperial pardon could the matter be resolved. In that era, imperial authority always stood above palace regulations and even above the Tang legal code.

So far I’ve watched four episodes, and I feel that the first case is definitely connected to the later ones. For instance, where did that stolen calligraphy and painting go? How does a low-ranking guard have a hidden room in his house, with the switch disguised as a chessboard? He stole valuable items and hid them but didn’t sell them for money—surely it’s not just a collector’s hobby 🤣! And the same group of people searched his house twice—who exactly are they? I think this guard is very likely connected to the later Nanzhao storyline, and the content of that calligraphy and painting will probably contain crucial information.

There is right and wrong in matters, truth and falsehood in cases. We bear the responsibility to reveal the truth fairly—and, guided by the kindness in our hearts, to seek the best possible outcome for those involved
— Xiao Jinyu

The first case got me emotional 😭

Chu He still an annoying brother 🙄

They changed clothes for reenactment scene which is sooo much better than S1!

1. Consort Hui clearly didn’t want Chu Chu to continue the investigation and tried to hand the case over to the Palace Matron instead. But that move ended up drawing the Emperor’s attention. Leng Yue stepping in to shield Chu Chu was so cool.
The dialogue here was handled beautifully: Consort Hui had just said a palace maid was found drowned after slipping into the water, and Xiao Jinyu immediately—and tactfully—pointed out the flaw in her wording. Emperor Xuān obviously caught it too and gave Consort Hui a sideways glance.

2. Chu Chu’s forensic skills are seriously professional—she delivers key clues almost instantly. Xiao Jinli is absolutely hilarious: “Pulling all-nighters on cases—that’s our specialty,” clearly responding to viewers joking in Season One that the Three Judicial Offices work like 24/7 agents. Jing Yi and Leng Yue both also notice that something is off with Consort Hui—specifically, that she’s afraid of Chu Chu.

3. Hahahaha, what a legendary line:
“That Xiao Jinyu—even if the King of Hell showed up, he’d still make him check the Book of Life and Death.”
Chu Chu sighs about how being a princess consort is harder than being a coroner, and the Prince naturally reaches over to massage her shoulders—his “husband energy” is off the charts. Chu Chu then starts creatively praising how good-looking his skull is, and the Prince even gets jealous, saying she’s never held his skull like that.

4. Is this what a hardcore couple looks like? Just listen to this conversation! It’s sweet, but please—don’t say such terrifying things in such a calm tone!
“If someone wanted to dispose of your skull at will, I wouldn’t let go either.”
“Then my skull thanks you in advance.”

5. Chu He shows up—LOL—and gets kicked straight through the door by Wu Jiang. This time, Wu Jiang finally knows how to read the room. One look from the Prince, and General Wu immediately starts apologizing to his brother-in-law. Chu He really is a great brother. Seeing the Qianzhou-style furniture he arranged in the Prince’s residence, you can’t help but think—thank goodness Chu Chu grew up with the Chu family.

6. Pausing the frame here, you can spot tons of details on the bookshelves: Southwestern Herbal Compendium, Coroner’s Records, Coroner’s XXX, Simple Musical Notation, and more. The book Xiao Jinyu picks up and flips through is Jin XXX, and the others are also related to forensic studies.
Chu Chu becoming a coroner wasn’t just due to Uncle the shaman-doctor (Xiao Heng)’s guidance—Chu Ping and Chu He also quietly allowed and supported her learning forensic skills.
The look in the Prince’s eyes as he watches Chu Chu carries a deep sense of relief and gratitude—“How lucky I am to have met Chu Chu.” She endured countless stares and grievances to become a coroner, yet never complained. She only wanted to be a good one. Moved, the Prince tells her, “I’m really glad you never gave up on being a coroner.”

7. Solving cases while flirting—this really is The Imperial Coroner. The tone shifts instantly back to discussing Consort Hui and the skull case. Jing Yi and Leng Yue are sweet here too—“authority镇宅 (keeps the house in check)”. Young Minister Jing, your foresight is frighteningly accurate, and you’re way too familiar with the process.

8. Our Chu Chu finally enters the palace wearing her official coroner’s uniform. Season Two really does a better job of showcasing everyone’s role in investigations:
• Big Brother handles the heavy labor,
• the Prince makes the judgments,
• Chu Chu brings grassroots knowledge from the common world, especially rural details,
• Jing Yi reads people and spots lies,
• Leng Yue excels in martial skills and finds clues in tiny details.

Honestly—how could this Three Judicial Offices lineup ever lose?

For Episode One, there isn’t much speculation yet. Most suspicion still centers on Consort Hui. I still feel she has ties to Southern Zhao—possibly a mole—but may have developed real feelings for Emperor Xuān through daily companionship?

1. At the beginning, Chu Chu looks back on how she and the Prince met and fell in love, while also clearly laying out the timeline. Three years have passed—this is now the ninth year of Dazhong.

2. The mystery in Chang’an begins to surface. The item in Shi Qing’s hand is a peacock-feather fan, which I think is a deliberate piece of foreshadowing. The way Chu Chu’s title is handled here is especially good: they first introduce her profession as a coroner, and only afterward mention her identity as Princess Consort of An Commandery.
Xiao Jinyu’s sweet talk is officially full marks—100/100!

3. Chu Chu even specifically learned palace etiquette.
When the line “You’re busy at the Three Judicial Offices every day—where did you find time to hire a tutor?” came up, it suddenly reminded me of Season One, when the Prince gave Chu Chu her autopsy tools and she asked him in surprise:

“I’ve been with you this whole time. You’re either reading or reviewing case files—I never saw you make these.”
“I did it at night.”
“At night? You don’t sleep?”

Honestly, on the path of being the ultimate workaholics of the Three Judicial Offices, this couple is ridiculously well-matched.

4. Prince An is still as respectful and humble as ever. He was just being all sweet and affectionate, and the moment Leng Yue barges in without knocking, his expression changes instantly. Chu Chu secretly laughing while still in his arms—how can they be this sweet?

5. The Prince then launches into a full analytical breakdown, further reinforcing for the audience how keenly observant and razor-sharp An Commandery Prince is when it comes to reasoning and deduction.

6. His tone shifts incredibly fast here too: with Leng Yue, it’s the straightforward “brother” tone; with Chu Chu, his voice immediately softens. Jing Yi and Xiao Jinli also make their appearances. The conversation between Chu Chu and Leng Yue about women’s attire when entering the palace is really well done.

7. When Xiao Jinyu enters, all the officials clasp their hands and bow—but in the distance, Gao Luoqian doesn’t even turn his head. Later, when the foreign envoys try to ingratiate themselves with Xiao Jinyu, Gao Luoqian only strolls in slowly afterward. This clearly shows Southern Zhao’s contempt for the Tang court.
In Chu Chu and Leng Yue’s dialogue, the line “palace maids and guards will be punished if they have even slight private interactions” is mentioned—this clearly lays groundwork for the case that follows.

8. Throughout his conversation with Xiao Jinyu, Gao Luoqian never once stands up—his arrogance is extreme. There’s an important information point here: Xiao Jinyu brings up Southern Zhao luring Tang citizens and trafficking people. This detail feels like something that will definitely come back later.
Jin Bao has now been promoted to Chief Eunuch (Grand Supervisor). There’s also a very telling physical detail here: after Emperor Xuān of Tang appears, Gao Luoqian does perform a salute—but he rises almost immediately, while the surrounding envoys and officials are still kneeling. This perfectly highlights the Southern Zhao deputy envoy’s blatant disrespect toward the Tang court.

9. Previously, there were analyses suggesting that the moving skull contained a small animal—and that turns out to be correct. What’s especially worth examining here is Consort Hui’s expression. The other palace maids and noblewomen are either panicking or watching the skull warily, but Hui Fei looks almost… unfazed, as if this isn’t entirely unfamiliar to her. When Chu Chu mentions the other parts of the corpse, Hui Fei and Shi Qing exchange a glance.
By this point, viewers already have an initial judgment about the reactions of Hui Fei, Shi Qing, the Palace Matron, and the maid Liu’er. But the bigger question remains: how exactly did this case happen, and why?

Wang Ye soooo sweet!!!!

OMG Xiao Jinyu 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠