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

In the courtyard of Chengpingfang, another red box appeared.

When I saw it, I suddenly realized that the people in the Ministry of Rites were very good at picking colors.

Bright red.

festive.

It also makes it easy to cover up blood.

The box was placed in front of the main hall, with copper clasps at all four corners, a freshly painted surface, and a neatly pressed seal. At first glance, it looked no different from the wedding dress box that the Ministry of Rites had sent a few days earlier.

But before I even got close, I could smell a faint odor.

It's very light.

Hidden behind the scents of new lacquer and camphor wood.

Calming incense.

The smell of medicine that lingered in the patients' mouths in the southern soup kitchens also stemmed from this.

I stood at the gate of the courtyard, not going in immediately.

Ah Liu was holding a copy of the medicine treasury at the South Soup Vendor, his face even more pale than mine.

He whispered, "Young master, does it taste the same?"

I glanced at him.

"You smelled it too?"

Ah Liu's face scrunched up in a grimace.

"I can smell it. Whenever I smell this, I think of those disaster victims sleeping like the dead in the soup kitchen."

That's not a nice thing to say.

But it's very accurate.

Zhou Xian stood under the corridor, still maintaining the dignified demeanor of a Ministry of Rites official.

He was neatly dressed, with a gentle expression, and holding a wedding dress size chart in his hands.

Two embroiderers and two minor officials from the Ministry of Rites stood behind him.

Qiu Tang stood on the other side.

Behind her were two female officials from the princess's residence, and in front of her was a booklet.

The Ministry of Rites and the Princess's residence wore the same formal attire.

It looks very proper.

It was as formal as a pre-written confession.

When Zhou Xian saw me return, he bowed and said, "Lord Shen."

I returned the courtesy.

"Lord Zhou, you have been waiting for a long time."

"Not long," Zhou Xian said with a smile. "The wedding is just around the corner, and the wedding attire can't be delayed."

He's been saying this a lot lately.

The wedding is just around the corner.

It cannot be wrong.

After hearing it so many times, I always felt that he wasn't urging me to get married, but rather urging me to embark on my journey.

I walked into the courtyard and my eyes fell on the box.

"This is?"

Zhou Xiandao said, "It's the inner robe for the wedding. After yesterday's fitting, the Ministry of Rites altered the size overnight. It was delivered today, and after Lord Shen tries it on, the design can be finalized."

I asked, "Were it changed overnight?"

"Exactly."

"Where should we change it?"

Zhou Xian's eyes flickered slightly.

"Naturally, it's the Ministry of Rites' Ceremonial Affairs Office."

"The ceremonial department is very busy today."

Zhou Xian's smile remained unchanged.

"The wedding is a national ceremony, and no one in the Ministry of Rites dares to be negligent."

I laughed too.

"The Ministry of Revenue is providing disaster relief, and everyone in the Ministry says they dare not neglect their duties."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Zhou Xian did not respond to that.

Qiu Tang glanced at me.

His gaze was calm, and his meaning was very clear.

Enough talk, check the boxes.

I walked up to the box but didn't touch it.

The seal of the Ministry of Rites was pressed on the seal.

The inkpad is very new.

It looks brand new, as if it was just built recently.

There was also a very faint scratch next to the box buckle, as if a seal had been pasted on before, then peeled off and replaced.

I asked, "Lord Zhou, was this box delivered directly from the Ceremonial Office?"

"Yes."

"Was the city opened along the way?"

"The Ministry of Rites sealed the box; how could it be opened midway?"

"That's good."

I looked up at him.

"Please have Lord Zhou write a note stating that this box was sealed and sent from the Ministry of Rites' Ceremonial Office to Chengpingfang, and was not opened en route. All the clothes in the box have been verified by the Ministry of Rites and are in good condition."

The smile on Zhou Xian's face finally faded a little.

"What does Lord Shen mean by this?"

"It's nothing," I said. "After investigating so many cases, I just want to keep a record of any seals I see."

Zhou Xiandao said, "The Ministry of Rites has its own set of regulations for handling affairs."

I nodded.

"Then keep a record according to the regulations."

He looked at me.

I looked at him too.

I discovered something these past few days.

Officials in the capital love to talk about regulations.

He also dreads being asked to write down the regulations.

Because the rules in one's mouth are like walls.

Regulations on paper serve as evidence.

Qiu Tang then spoke up: "Lord Zhou, His Highness also has this intention."

Zhou Xian turned to look at her.

Qiu Tang said calmly, "The Princess's wedding attire, including the box seal, pattern, dimensions, and incense, must all be documented. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong on the wedding day, who will be responsible—the Ministry of Rites or the Princess's residence?"

That's a brilliant statement.

She did not mention that Shen An suspected the Ministry of Rites.

She said she would take responsibility.

Taking responsibility is a better approach than doubting.

Zhou Xian was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Take the pen."

A minor official from the Ministry of Rites immediately stepped forward.

I glanced at the minor official.

It's not Du Heng.

Du Heng did not come.

This in itself speaks volumes.

Du Heng left his residence last night and brought out a box from Qinghe Lane this morning. Now that the Ministry of Rites has approved the ceremonial robes, he, the clerk of the Ceremonial Office, is not here.

They didn't run away.

It's been hidden away.

Zhou Xian wrote down the instructions for sealing the box, signed them, and handed them to Qiu Tang.

Qiu Tang accepted it and then had a female official from the princess's residence make another copy.

Two copies.

Zhou Xian's expression turned even more unpleasant.

I felt a little better.

Making the Ministry of Rites uncomfortable is one of the few good things that happened today.

The box was finally opened.

As soon as the lid was lifted, the calming scent became noticeably stronger.

Ah Liu stood behind me, wrinkled his nose, and almost sneezed.

I turned to look at him.

He quickly covered his mouth and gestured with his eyes that he was still alive.

The box was lined with yellow silk.

A bright red inner robe was laid out on the yellow silk.

The material is very good.

The red color is perfect, the stitches are extremely dense, and the cuffs are indeed narrow.

It's so narrow that it's difficult to hide even a pancake, let alone a knife.

Ah Liu looked at the cuff and subconsciously touched the hot pancake hidden in his pocket.

I didn't look at the cuffs for too long.

Because now I understand that if the other party only wanted to find out where I had a knife, there was no need to send the box from Qinghe Lane, no need to use fumigation medicine, and no need to bring out the old disaster clothes.

The cuffs are just the visible hooks.

The real thing inside the box should be hidden deeper inside.

Zhou showed the embroiderer the clothes.

"Lord Shen, please try it on."

I didn't move.

"Test the incense first."

Zhou Xian frowned.

"It is customary to scent wedding dresses to repel insects and ward off evil."

"What are you smoking?"

"Soothing incense, agarwood, and a small amount of purifying herbs."

"What kind of filth are you trying to ward off?"

Zhou Xiandao said: "For long-term storage of formal attire, use fumigation to prevent moisture."

I smiled.

"Wasn't this inner robe newly altered overnight? How come it's been stored for so long?"

Zhou Xian paused.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Ah Liu lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

I saw it.

This kid is trying not to laugh.

It's dangerous to hold it in.

Zhou Xian said slowly, "The old fabric is still there, but the garment has been redesigned."

"I see."

I picked up a corner of the yellow silk from the box and smelled it.

Beneath the calming incense, there was a faint musty smell of old clothes.

It's very light.

But the old records of fumigating clothes and medicines from the South Soup Disposal Station had just flashed through my mind when I couldn't hide the smell anymore.

I turned to Qiu Tang and asked, "Does the Princess's residence have female officials to inspect clothing?"

Qiu Tang said, "Yes."

The older female official behind her stepped forward.

I bowed and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Without saying a word, the lady-in-waiting washed her hands and stepped forward to examine the inner robe.

She investigated more thoroughly than the embroiderers in the Ministry of Rites.

First look at the outer material, then the inner lining, then the cuffs, and then the collar.

Her fingers paused when she saw the side lining.

Zhou Xian immediately asked, "What?"

The female official did not answer, but looked at Qiu Tang.

Qiu Tang said, "Speak."

The lady-in-waiting whispered, "The stitching here is wrong."

Zhou Xian frowned: "What's wrong?"

The lady-in-waiting pointed to the inner lining at the waist.

"The stitches here are denser than the rest, and the thread is slightly older. It looks like it was taken apart and then re-sewn."

Zhou Xiandao said, "The clothes were changed overnight, so the stitches were slightly different, which is normal."

I nodded.

"Normal. Let's open it and take a look."

Zhou Xian's expression changed.

"Lord Shen, how can formal attire be torn down so easily?"

"Hasn't the design been finalized yet?"

Even if it is not yet decided, one should not break the rules without a valid reason.

I looked at him.

"Lord Zhou just said that this inner robe was altered overnight. If it's just a difference in stitching, it can be taken apart and sewn back together. If there's nothing inside, what is Lord Zhou afraid of?"

Zhou Xian said in a deep voice, "The Ministry of Rites is not afraid, but rather upholding the rules of propriety."

I smiled.

"It's good to be polite."

I pointed to the box.

"Then I will also observe the etiquette of the Censorate."

Zhou Xian's eyes turned cold.

"Is Lord Shen trying to use an investigation to pressure for a state gift?"

"It's not pressure."

I lowered my voice.

"It is salvation."

Zhou Xian was taken aback.

I looked at him and said, word by word, "Lord Zhou, I just returned from the South Soup Dishes Shelter today. In the medicine treasury for the disaster victims in Shimen Prefecture, there was a line written on it."

I took out the ledger from my pocket and copied it.

"Old disaster-stricken clothing and fumigation medicine, three boxes, verified by Du Heng of the Ministry of Rites."

Zhou Xian's expression finally changed.

Not big.

But things have changed.

I continued, "Three days ago, the Ministry of Rites took three boxes of old disaster relief clothing. Today, they delivered a box containing a wedding inner robe with a calming, medicinal scent. Lord Zhou, isn't that a coincidence?"

Ah Liu muttered to himself behind me, "What a coincidence."

I didn't turn around.

Zhou Xian stared at the copy.

"Lord Shen, how can such miscellaneous medical sheds and miscellaneous accounts be implicated in the Ministry of Rites?"

"So we need to open it and take a look," I said. "If there are no old disaster clothes, then the Ministry of Rites will be cleared of any wrongdoing. If there are..."

I didn't finish my sentence.

Qiu Tang took over the conversation.

"If so, the Ministry of Rites would be better off knowing now."

Zhou Xian remained silent.

The lady-in-waiting of the princess's residence has already taken out the small scissors.

She looked at Qiu Tang.

Qiu Tang nodded.

Zhou Xian suddenly said, "Wait."

I look at him.

Zhou Xiandao said, "If the clothes are disassembled, the Ministry of Rites must keep a record."

I laughed.

"Perfect timing, I also enjoy keeping records."

Ah Liu immediately took out paper and pen.

They moved faster than they could escape.

The lady-in-waiting of the princess's residence carefully cut an inch along the inner lining of her waist.

The sound of the needle and thread breaking was very faint.

But everyone in the courtyard heard it.

There was no knife inside.

There are no poison needles.

There were no banknotes either.

There was only a small piece of gray-white cloth.

The fabric was sandwiched between the red lining and the outer material, like a piece of rotten meat hidden under a new skin.

The lady-in-waiting used tweezers to remove it.

The gray-white cloth was old.

The edges show signs of washing and wear.

There were still some dark brown traces of medicinal fumigation on it.

As soon as I smelled it, I knew it came from the same source as the fumigation smell in the medicine packets from the South Congee Shop.

Ah Liu's eyes widened.

"This is……"

I took the cloth and turned it over.

There is half of the character "墨" on the back.

square.

My heart sank.

I didn't guess wrong.

That's not a bad guess.

The lady-in-waiting continued to unravel a little more, pulling out a second piece of fabric from the same lining.

Two characters are still visible on it.

Liu family.

Fang Liu Shi.

The deceased in Liugou Village.

The Ministry of Revenue's records of those who received grain rations this year.

The mother-in-law of Fang Chenshi from the Xizhou Shed.

Now, scraps of her old clothes have been sewn into my wedding gown.

The courtyard was deathly quiet.

Zhou Xian's face turned completely pale.

Ah Liu forced out a sentence: "Young master, this wedding dress... is it going to kill someone?"

No one laughed.

As I looked at those two pieces of old cloth, I suddenly felt a chill in my chest.

They didn't just want me to expose the knife I was hiding.

They want me to enter the palace to express my gratitude while wearing Fang Liushi's old disaster clothes.

If someone discovers that I'm hiding old clothes from Jiangbei disaster victims under my formal attire, and that the clothes still smell of medicine from the southern soup kitchens, coupled with my investigation of a case involving the Ministry of Revenue and the gathering of disaster victims outside the city...

They could then accuse me of colluding with disaster victims, inciting public resentment, concealing evidence, and using marriage as a pretext to enter the palace.

If another short blade is found.

That was the son of a rebel who brought the old belongings of disaster victims and a sharp weapon into the palace to assassinate the emperor.

One piece of evidence, as complete as the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue.

It's so perfect it doesn't seem like it was written by a living person.

I looked up at Zhou Xian.

"Lord Zhou, is this the inner robe that the Ministry of Rites altered overnight?"

Zhou Xian's lips moved slightly.

"This humble official...does not know."

I said softly, "You'd better really not know."