Under the Moonlight Episode 18 Recap, Plot

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At the court meeting, Liu Wan publicly humiliated Luo Shu by forcing her to play the pipa for the entertainment of the guests. As if that wasn't enough, she urged her female companions to choose more songs, and Luo Shu, unwilling to cause trouble for Han Muzhi, reluctantly complied. Han Muzhi rushed over upon hearing the news. He wanted to help Luo Shu but didn't dare to openly oppose Liu Wan, fearing to embarrass her in front of others.

He stood frozen in place, while Qi Menglin hurriedly arrived to stand up for Luo Shu, using his status as the son of the governor to apply pressure. He was met with ridicule from He Xiang, who mocked him, but Qi Menglin fiercely scolded her in return. Liu Wan stepped forward to argue with Qi Menglin, but he countered her words, leaving her speechless with frustration. Two wealthy young ladies stood up to mock Luo Shu for her lowly background.

Qi Menglin quickly dismissed them with sharp words, and then grabbed Luo Shu to leave. Once they were away from the crowd, Qi Menglin joked about Han Muzhi being a hypocrite and warned him not to provoke Luo Shu again. He took Luo Shu down to the riverbank and advised her against becoming Han Muzhi's concubine. Luo Shu, deeply hurt by the public humiliation, was disappointed that Han Muzhi was too afraid to help her.

She felt a deep sense of sorrow. Lü Wanchang, a wealthy merchant from Linfen, sent his son Lü Cong to the county office to lodge a complaint. Lü Wanchang had been arrested for allegedly killing his neighbor Ma Tianjin, and Lü Cong wanted to clear his father's name. Han Muzhi was familiar with the case. Lü Wanchang and Ma Tianjin had a long-standing feud, and Ma Tianjin had been stabbed to death.

Someone had reported Lü Wanchang as the murderer, and Lü Wanchang had confessed and accepted his fate. Lü Cong insisted that his father was innocent, claiming that Lü Wanchang had been forced to sign a confession to protect his family. Lü Cong had recently seen a notice in Hejin County about the case, which mentioned two bandits who had confessed to attacking the Ma family. Han Muzhi, uncertain about how to proceed, decided to seek help from Liu Yiqing.

Liu Yiqing, who knew Han Muzhi well, advised him to stop involving himself in trivial matters that could affect his future. He had heard about Qi Menglin causing a scene at Liu Wan's court meeting and immediately scolded Han Muzhi without understanding the details. Han Muzhi, feeling frustrated, suspected that someone from the county office might be leaking information to Liu Yiqing.

He decided to clean up the office staff, but Chen Meiqing warned him that his position in Linfen was still unstable after only a year. Han Muzhi reluctantly put the plan on hold and asked Chen Meiqing to go to Hejin County to investigate the situation.

Luo Shu heard that Cai Butou would be going with Chen Meiqing to investigate the case in Hejin, and since she had once interrogated Lü Wanchang at the prison, she knew he wasn't a good person. She also found it strange that the bandits had chosen to rob Ma Tianjin’s family, rather than the wealthy Lü family. Luo Shu suspected there was more to the case and decided to personally investigate.

Chen Meiqing, wanting to help her avoid Liu Wan, agreed to take her along. Qi Menglin, upon hearing that Luo Shu was going to Hejin, insisted on accompanying her. Luo Shu couldn’t refuse, so she agreed. Qi Menglin casually asked about the paperwork for her official release from the county, suspecting that someone was obstructing the process. He wanted to ask his father for help, but Luo Shu didn’t want to trouble him.

When Han Muzhi came to see Luo Shu off, he overheard her conversation with Qi Menglin and felt uneasy. Luo Shu, intending to slip away without Qi Menglin, was surprised to find him already waiting for her. She had no choice but to bring him along. The two of them boarded a boat to Hejin County, and while there, Qi Menglin noticed two small beggars on a nearby boat fighting over buns.

He traded a piece of meat for one of the buns and learned that they were there to fetch their master, who had rowed a woman across the river. The woman had given them a basket of buns, but Qi Menglin soon noticed bloodstains on the boat. Suspicious, he opened a nearby wine barrel and found a human head inside.

The small beggars pulled out daggers and tried to stab him, but Luo Shu quickly pulled Qi Menglin and jumped into the river to escape. Cai Butou arrived in time to pull Qi Menglin out of the river, but the small beggars escaped in their boat. Qi Menglin thanked Luo Shu for saving his life, and Luo Shu suspected that the head was meant for the woman who had given the beggars the buns.

She wanted to use herself as bait to lure out the beggars' master, but Qi Menglin was worried. Just then, the beggars' master appeared at the dock. Luo Shu wasted no time and quickly boarded a boat to cross the river. The small beggar tried to prevent his master from staying any longer, urging him to leave, but Luo Shu had already boarded and was urging the old beggar to set sail.

Qi Menglin, worried about Luo Shu's safety, rushed to the riverbank. He revealed his identity as a constable and falsely claimed that Luo Shu was his wife, urging her to return with him. Luo Shu loudly accused Cai Butou of being a human trafficker, which made the old beggar suspicious. He quickly urged the boat to leave, but Cai Butou jumped onto the boat as well.

The small beggar, wanting to deal with Luo Shu, drew a knife, but Qi Menglin threw a stone, hitting the small beggar in the chest and causing him to drop the knife. The old beggar jumped into the river to escape, and the two small beggars followed suit. Yang Zhan, the captain of Hejin County, arrived just in time and arrested all three beggars. Cai Butou and Yang Zhan, old acquaintances, were thrilled to reunite.

Luo Shu, wanting to interrogate the suspects who had killed Ma Tianjin, went to the prison with Qi Menglin and Cai Butou. The two culprits, Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San, confessed that they had killed Ma Tianjin for money. Luo Shu questioned them persistently, but they avoided the more important details. After scolding them, Old Song, the prison warden, invited Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, Yang Zhan, and Cai Butou to a meal.

Luo Shu didn’t believe that Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San were the real murderers, and Cai Butou shared her suspicion. Qi Menglin suggested they wait until after the meal to interrogate them again. After eating, they returned to the prison. Luo Shu was certain that the two were covering for someone else, so she explained the consequences and urged them to reveal the true killer.

Just then, Old Song rushed in with the wives of Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San, bringing them food. Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Cai Butou followed the two women separately. Jin Lao Liu’s wife went to a cosmetics shop, while Zheng Lao San’s wife returned home to care for her child. There was nothing unusual. However, the trio suspected Old Song was involved, though he couldn’t directly contact the Lü family in Linfen. Luo Shu theorized that there was a mole in the Linfen county office who had been helping Lü Wanchang find a scapegoat.

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