My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

Chapter 104 Cufflinks for Interrogation

After Zhou Xian said, "Please remove your outer robe, Lord Shen," the courtyard became eerily quiet.

I stood before the threshold, a short blade hidden in my sleeve pressed against my wrist bone.

cold.

It was colder than the fog at the West Soup Hall.

Ah Liu, clutching the stack of rosters, rubbings of wooden plaques, and rice bag covers, was as pale as a Ministry of Revenue copyist. He glanced at me, then at Zhou Xian, his lips moved a few times, but he didn't dare to speak.

This kid is usually a chatterbox, but when it really comes down to it, he knows to shut up.

This is good.

Because now all he has to do is shout "Young master, knife!" and I can skip the wedding night and go straight to the Ministry of Justice prison.

Zhou Xian stood under the corridor, dressed neatly in his official robes from the Ministry of Rites.

The collar was straight, the cuffs were clean, and even the jade pendant at his waist hung down neatly.

Behind him, two embroiderers held up a bright red dress, while another clerk in green robes carried a book of measurements, his head bowed and eyes lowered, holding a soft measuring tape in his left hand.

The soft ruler hung between his fingers.

Like a snake waiting to crawl into my sleeve.

I looked at Zhou Xian and smiled.

"Lord Zhou, your timing is perfect."

Zhou Xian also smiled.

"With only eight days left until the wedding, I dare not delay."

"I just came back from the soup kitchen outside the city. I'm covered in mud and dust, and I'm afraid I'll soil my dress."

"The formal attire is only for fitting; the full dress is not required. If there are any stains or damage, the Ministry of Rites will replace it."

That's very well said.

They were so thorough that they left no way out.

I added, "It's getting late."

"Precisely because it is already late, we should hurry," Zhou Xian said gently. "The wedding attire is extraordinary; the shoulders, waist, sleeves, and wrists must all be in accordance with etiquette. In particular, since Lord Shen is going to the palace to express his gratitude, his attire must not be in the slightest error."

When he mentioned the words "sleeve" and "wrist," his tone remained unchanged.

But I could tell.

He didn't come to measure his dress.

He came to measure my fate.

The "Sheathed Sword" in my sleeve was originally the knife I used to kill the emperor in the capital.

Now, instead of killing the emperor, I'm going to wear formal attire to the palace to pay homage to him and marry his daughter.

If the Ministry of Rites had measured this knife before the wedding, things would have been much simpler.

I am not the prospective prince consort.

I am an assassin.

Moreover, he was an assassin ordered to investigate a case, stay in Chengping Ward, and enter the palace to express his gratitude ten days later.

The entire court of civil and military officials was very pleased.

They finally have a reason to kill me without even looking at the ledgers.

I looked at Ah Liu.

Ah Liu understood a little bit, but not completely.

I said, "Send the seal on the West Soup Venue to the study first."

Ah Liu was stunned for a moment.

Zhou Xian immediately looked over.

"Did Lord Shen just return from the West Soup Dishes?"

"Yes."

"But what about the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief plan?"

"Lord Zhou's information network is excellent."

Zhou Xian smiled and said, "Although the Ministry of Rites does not manage finances, it still needs to know a little about important matters of the court."

That makes sense.

The Ministry of Rites did not manage money or grain, but it did manage wedding ceremonies, social status, sacrifices, and household registration.

Sometimes, a gift book can bring the dead back to life more than a bag of silver.

I reached into the sealed wooden box in Ah Liu's arms.

Ah Liu hugged him so tightly that he almost couldn't let go.

I whispered, "Relax."

He then relaxed a little.

When I took the wooden box, my sleeves hung down naturally.

The short blade was hidden in the sleeve.

As I turned around, I used the wooden box to block Zhou Xian's view, and secretly tapped my wrist with my right thumb.

The sword silently slid out and landed in my palm.

The blade is very thin and very cold.

In that instant, my back was taut like a bowstring.

If the clerk in blue next to Zhou Xian were to look up, if the embroiderer were to take a half step forward, or if Ah Liu were to sneeze at this moment, I would be in a lot of trouble.

Fortunately, Yan Xiaoyi stepped forward.

He stood casually, as if he found the wind in the yard too strong, and moved half a step closer to me.

Just half a step.

But this half-step blocked the view of the clerk in blue.

I opened the wooden box slightly, slid the short blade under the rice bag seal, and then pressed the seal paper on top.

Close the lid.

The short blade was removed from his body.

I felt even more uneasy.

A person with a knife being forced to put it into an evidence box feels like taking off your shoes at the entrance to a wolf's den.

Very polite.

That's also stupid.

But no way.

Zhou Xian wanted to check the cuffs today.

Let him see it.

I turned around and handed the wooden box to Ah Liu.

"Take it to the study, place it on the desk, and never let it out of your sight."

Ah Liu finally understood this time.

He hugged the wooden box, his eyes wide open.

"Yes."

I added, "If you fall, I'll sell you to the Ministry of Rites to work as an embroiderer."

Ah Liu almost burst into tears.

"Young master, my hand is very steady."

After he finished speaking, he carried the wooden box and moved it towards the study.

Yes, it's Norway.

He moved slowly, step by step, as if cradling the emperor's head in his arms.

Zhou Xian looked at the wooden box and asked with a smile, "Lord Shen works so hard investigating cases, you even bring case evidence back to your residence?"

"I had no choice," I laughed. "The Ministry of Revenue's accounts are too clean, so I had to bring back some dirty stuff."

Zhou Xian's eyes flickered slightly.

He didn't respond to that, but simply gestured for the embroiderer to come forward.

"Sir, please."

I removed my outer robe.

Once the outer robe was removed, there was nothing left under the wrist.

Without the short blade on my body, I actually felt strangely light in my arms.

The clerk in green stepped forward and unfolded the measuring tape.

He kept his head down and moved very steadily.

The measuring tape falls from the shoulder, measures the arm length, and then moves towards the cuff.

I looked at the half of his face that was showing.

very common.

He was as ordinary as any minor clerk you could find anywhere in the capital.

But there seems to be a faint mole on the edge of his left eyebrow.

Too bland.

If I hadn't just heard Fang Xiaogen's mother mention that he had a mole on his left eyebrow, I might not have noticed.

I didn't speak immediately.

For some fish, you shouldn't rush to cast your net when they first surface.

Zhou Xian watched as the embroiderer draped a bright red dress over my shoulders.

The dress was made of excellent fabric, and it felt very heavy on my shoulders.

The red spread out before my eyes, and I suddenly felt a little dazed.

If this wedding dress were worn by someone else, it would probably be a grand affair.

When I wear it, it looks like a beautiful seal.

Zhou Xian walked around me once.

"Lord Shen is of slender build, so the shoulders of his formal attire should be tapered by half an inch."

The embroiderer nodded and noted it down.

The clerk in blue then brought a soft ruler close to my left wrist.

"The cuffs need to be measured again."

He spoke very softly.

So light, as if afraid of being remembered.

I raised my hand.

The moment his fingertips touched my sleeve, I suddenly asked, "Lord Zhou."

Zhou Xian looked at me.

"Lord Shen?"

I looked at the soft ruler in the hands of the clerk in blue.

"In the grand wedding ceremony for the Prince Consort of Liang, is there a separate requirement for wrist examination?"

Zhou Xian smiled and said, "When entering the palace to express gratitude, one's attire must be neat. Overly wide sleeves are impolite."

"Is it just impolite?"

"nature."

I smiled.

"I thought the Ministry of Rites was afraid I was hiding a knife in my sleeve."

The courtyard fell silent once more.

Ah Liu nearly bumped his head into a pillar at the door of the study.

Yan Xiaoyi finally raised his eyelids.

Zhou Xian's laughter paused for a moment, then quickly resumed.

"Lord Shen is too kind. How could a prince consort be hiding a knife when he enters the palace to express his gratitude?"

I laughed too.

"Lord Zhou is right. I also think it's unlikely. If it's unlikely, why are the cuffs so narrow that they can't even hide a folded letter?"

Zhou Xiandao said, "This is the regulation of the Ministry of Rites."

"Which dynasty, which clause?"

Zhou Xian's expression softened slightly.

"The etiquette is complex, and Lord Shen may not be familiar with it."

I nodded.

"That's why I asked. Please write down that regulation, sign it, and keep it on file. If anyone asks in the future why the cuffs of Shen An's wedding dress are different from the usual ones, I can say that this is a regulation of the Ministry of Rites, not something that you, Lord Zhou, have done on special consideration."

Zhou Xian remained silent.

At this point, silence is the answer.

If there were any precedents, he should have brought them up to pressure me long ago.

No.

Or rather, someone asked him to narrow my cuffs, but didn't want to leave any marks.

The clerk in green was still holding a soft measuring tape.

I looked down at him.

"Still measuring?"

His fingertips tightened slightly.

Very subtle.

But I saw it.

Zhou Xian smiled.

"Lord Shen is overthinking it. The Ministry of Rites is simply following the rules."

"Then let's follow the rules," I said. "Where are the rules?"

Zhou Xian's smile finally faltered.

The embroiderer behind him kept her head down, not daring to breathe.

Red boxes were displayed in the courtyard, creating a festive atmosphere.

But no matter how you look at it, this scene looks like a court trial.

However, the judge wasn't one of the three judicial departments, but rather a sleeve.

Zhou Xian was silent for a moment, then said, "If Lord Shen is still worried, I will send over the old wedding records from the Ministry of Rites tomorrow."

"tomorrow?"

"It's late today."

I laughed.

"Didn't Lord Zhou just say that the wedding is only eight days away, and we can't afford to miss it?"

Zhou Xian looked at me.

I looked at him too.

After a moment, he slowly said, "Then I'll go back and get it tonight."

Before I could speak, Qiu Tang's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"No need to take it."

Everyone turned around at the same time.

Qiu Tang stood outside the courtyard gate, followed by two female officials from the princess's residence.

She was holding a scroll with a vermilion seal in her hands.

In the darkness of night, her expression was calm, and her voice was not loud.

But as soon as she arrived, the imposing presence of the Ministry of Rites in the courtyard seemed to be suppressed by an invisible hand.

Zhou Xian frowned.

"Miss Qiutang?"

Qiu Tang bowed.

"Lord Zhou. His Highness heard that the Ministry of Rites entered Chengping Ward at night to test the clothes for the驸马 (the princess's husband), and specially ordered me to deliver this document to the princess's residence for verification."

Zhou Xiandao said, "The Ministry of Rites is in charge of wedding ceremonies, and it is their duty to test the wedding attire."

Qiu Tang looked at him.

"The Princess's residence is in charge of the Princess's formal attire. When the Prince Consort and the Princess get married, their formal attire must match, and the cuffs, jade belt, and nuptial robe patterns must all be approved by both residences."

Zhou Xian's expression darkened.

"Is this His Highness's intention?"

Qiu Tang unfolded the sealed booklet.

"This is His Highness's order."

Zhou Xian had no choice but to accept.

He took it and glanced at it, his expression finally turning sour.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Xiao Lingyi arrived just in time.

It was as timely as if she had known the Ministry of Rites would be coming tonight.

Qiu Tang looked at me, her gaze falling on my cuffs.

She didn't ask anything.

But his eyes were very clear.

What about the knife?

I didn't say anything either.

This question is not suitable to be answered in front of the Ministry of Rites at the moment.

Qiu Tang said calmly, "His Highness said that Lord Shen worked hard inspecting the soup kitchens today and is covered in dust, so this part of the wedding dress is fine. The remaining details, such as the cuffs, will be checked by the Ministry of Rites and the Princess's residence tomorrow."

Zhou Xian held the order in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

"Since it is Your Highness's will, I will naturally comply."

After he finished speaking, he gestured for the embroiderer to subdue him.

The clerk in green bowed her head and stepped forward to take off my formal attire.

His movements remained steady.

When the measuring tape was put back into his sleeve, I noticed a slight wear mark on the edge of his blue cloth.

Very fine.

The stitches were similar to the piece of blue cloth that Yan Xiaoyi had torn from outside the porridge stall.

I lowered my eyes.

well.

The Ministry of Rites' arrival tonight is not just timely.

They're quite familiar with each other.

When Zhou Xian took his leave, he remained polite.

"Lord Shen, I will come again tomorrow."

I smiled and said, "You've worked hard, Lord Zhou."

He glanced at me.

"It's not hard work. A wedding is a national ceremony, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."

I nodded.

"Investigating the case is also under orders, so there can be no mistakes."

Two sentences were spoken in the courtyard.

No one laughed anymore.

After the people from the Ministry of Rites left, I immediately looked towards the study.

Ah Liu stood behind the door, holding the wooden box, looking as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

I walked over and opened the wooden box.

The short blade is still there.

It lay quietly under the rice bag seal, as still as a fish playing dead.

I put the "Return to Sheath" back into my sleeve.

The moment the knife was back against my wrist bone, I felt like I had grown a hand all over again.

Qiu Tang stood under the eaves, looking at me.

"His Highness said that if Lord Shen can't even hide his knife properly, he shouldn't bring it into the bridal chamber."

I paused in my movements.

Ah Liu immediately looked down at the ground.

Yan Xiaoyi turned around and looked at the sky.

I coughed.

"What else did Your Highness say?"

Qiu Tang said, "Your Highness also said that Zhou Xian of the Ministry of Rites is not trustworthy."

I looked towards the courtyard gate.

"I know."

"Not just Zhou Xian." Qiu Tang looked at me. "The clerk in blue robes next to him is named Du Heng. He was just transferred to the Ministry of Rites' Ceremonial Office three days ago."

My eyes narrowed.

three days ago.

Qian Ronggang had just died, the Ministry of Revenue case had just begun, and the wedding date had just been moved up.

The timing is too coincidental.

Qiu Tang continued, "His Highness asked me to ask Lord Shen a question."

"What?"

"At the soup kitchen outside the city, is that gentleman in blue cloth with a mole on his left eyebrow also surnamed Du?"

I didn't answer.

Because some answers don't need to be spoken.

The people from the Ministry of Rites have just returned from the soup kitchen.

Now they're measuring my sleeves again.

This is no coincidence.