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

When the vermilion lacquered box was delivered to the princess's residence, Xiao Lingyi was reviewing the accounts.

She looked at the accounts very quietly.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the desk, where the pages were laid out. One page contained a register of disaster victims from the three prefectures north of the Yangtze River, another a general ledger of the Ministry of Revenue's relief funds, and yet another a list of old palace garments found in the late Empress's old box.

The three pieces of paper were placed together.

One is about people's livelihood.

One is silver.

One of them is a set of clothes left behind by a dead person.

I suddenly felt that all the cases in this capital city would eventually grow into a piece of clothing.

It looks beautiful on the outside, but inside it's stitched with blood.

Xiao Lingyi looked up at me.

"Did the Imperial Wardrobe deliver it?"

I placed the vermilion lacquer box on the table.

"Your Highness is always quick to receive news."

Qiu Tang knew as soon as Qin Shangyi's people came out of the palace gate.

She looked at the box.

"Open."

I didn't move.

Ah Liu, standing at the back, whispered, "Your Highness, these are formal attire, not account books."

Xiao Lingyi said calmly, "The formal attire sent by the Imperial Wardrobe is more dangerous than the account books."

Ah Liu immediately shut up.

Qiu Tang stepped forward and opened the box.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a very faint fragrance wafted out.

It's not a strong aroma.

It's very light.

Like clothes left next to an incense burner overnight, absorbing a faint scent.

Xiao Lingyi's eyes instantly turned cold.

I could smell it too.

Albizia julibrissin.

Ah Liu almost jumped up.

"That smell again?"

I glanced at him and said, "Keep it down."

"Young master, the smell of this terrifies me more than the smell of a knife."

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the door and said lazily, "At least a knife fights openly, while incense doesn't follow martial ethics."

Ah Liu thought this made a lot of sense and nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Lingyi reached out and picked up a corner of her dress.

It was a red court robe worn by newlyweds to express their gratitude.

The material is very good.

The cuffs were embroidered with cloud patterns, the lapels were embroidered with gold thread, and a jade belt was worn at the waist. Even the hanging sashes were so neatly arranged that they resembled a fake account book from the Ministry of Revenue.

The neater it is, the less likely it is to be a good thing.

Xiao Lingyi did not look at the clothes first.

She opened her clothes.

The fingers rested on the inside of the collar.

"The stitching is incorrect."

I asked, "What's wrong?"

Qiu Tang also went over to take a look.

Xiao Lingyi slowly traced the row of fine stitches with her fingertips.

"The new ceremonial robes made by the Imperial Wardrobe mostly use double backstitch, with straight stitches. Here, the old palace needle is used."

I didn't understand.

But I know she understood.

She never misread anything related to the late empress.

"Old palace needles?"

"The acupuncture technique commonly used by the elderly in the Empress Dowager's palace."

Xiao Lingyi's voice was very soft, but it was as cold as snow falling on the back of a knife.

"When Qin Shangyi was young, she worked in the Imperial Wardrobe and wasn't qualified to use this kind of needle. There aren't many people under her who can use this kind of needle now."

I looked at the row of tiny stitches on the inside of the dress.

If Xiao Lingyi hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have noticed at all.

This is how terrifying the inner court is.

The imperial court uses memorials to execute officials, while the Ministry of Revenue uses ledgers.

Killings were carried out in the inner court using needles and thread.

The needle is so fine it's invisible, but the thread can strangle a person.

Bai Zhi was also called over.

She wasn't very interested in the dress itself, but she was very interested in what was inside.

She reached out and touched the cuffs, then pinched the hem.

"It's thick here."

Qiutang brought over the silver scissors.

Xiao Lingyi glanced at me.

I nodded.

Qiutang carefully cut half an inch along the inside of the cuff.

Sure enough, there was a thin piece of paper tucked inside.

The paper was folded very narrowly and hidden in the sleeve seam; it was completely invisible unless the clothes were removed.

Ah Liu gasped.

"You can hide a tent inside clothes?"

Bai Zhi sneered: "You think the accounts are only in the cabinet?"

Ah Liu looked at her and said, "Miss Bai, could you please stop acting so naive and ignorant every time?"

"cannot."

Qiu Tang took out the thin paper and handed it to Xiao Lingyi.

Xiao Lingyi unfolded.

What's written on the paper isn't an account.

It is a ritual.

Newlyweds express their gratitude and seek shelter from the wind.

first row:

Shen An is physically weak and suffers from heart palpitations; he should not stand for long periods after entering the palace.

second line:

First, enter the side hall of Changning and wait for the imperial physician to examine your pulse.

The third row:

After taking the calming tea, the Imperial Clothing Bureau will adjust the crown and belt.

The fourth line:

Princess Zhaoning entered the palace first to express her gratitude, followed by her husband.

I stared at the fourth line for a long time.

Xiao Lingyi also looked at that line.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Even Ah Liu didn't dare to speak.

They want to separate me from Xiao Lingyi.

This is the most dangerous part of this ritual.

My medical record initially described me as having "palpitations and fear".

The dress further proves that I really do need to "avoid the wind and rest."

After entering the palace, he drank tea in a side hall, had his hat adjusted by the Imperial Wardrobe, and had his pulse taken by the imperial physician.

The entire process is formalized at every step.

If I refuse, it would be disrespectful to the Empress Dowager and to the established rites.

If I go, I will be out of Xiao Lingyi's sight.

At that time, a cup of tea, a pulse diagnosis, a piece of clothing, or a "misconduct" will be enough to turn me from an investigator into a suspect.

Ah Liu swallowed hard.

"Young master, could we not go tomorrow?"

I said, "No."

Why?

"Because they've already opened the door."

Xiao Lingyi placed the document on the table.

"This is not a door."

She looked at me.

"This is a cage."

I smiled.

"Your Highness is right."

"You're still laughing?"

"I'm afraid if I don't smile, Ah Liu will start to cry."

Ah Liu nodded honestly from behind: "I'm indeed fast."

Xiao Lingyi ignored him.

She looked at the wedding dress, her eyes growing colder and colder.

"Qin Shangyi wanted to use the Empress Dowager's old palace needle to set a trap."

I asked, "Does Your Highness recognize who sewed it?"

"uncertain."

She touched the stitches with her fingertips.

"But there are still three people in the Imperial Wardrobe who know this needlework technique."

Which three?

"Qin Shangyi herself, an old lady surnamed Han, and Aunt Sun who has been ill for many years."

When I heard the words "pleading illness," my heart skipped a beat.

He was diagnosed with illness.

It's illness again.

Where is Aunt Sun now?

Qiu Tang immediately replied, "She is recuperating outside the palace. The roster says she resigned three years ago due to an eye ailment."

I looked at Bai Zhi.

Bai Zhi had already picked up the paper and pen beside her.

"I know, medical examinations will result in a refund of salary."

Ah Liu stared at her in shock.

"Miss Bai, how did you know the young master wanted to investigate this?"

Bai Zhi didn't even look up: "When he narrows his eyes, he's either trying to scam someone or checking the accounts. Most of the time, they're doing it together."

I think she misunderstood me.

Although it's not very big.

Xiao Lingyi looked at me: "You doubt that Aunt Sun has returned the money?"

"It's not a doubt."

I looked at the stitches on the inside of the dress.

"If she has truly been ill for many years, who sewed the old palace needles on this dress? If it wasn't her, then someone deliberately used this stitching technique to make His Highness think the clues pointed to the Empress Dowager's former associates."

Xiao Lingyi's eyes flickered slightly.

"Using old acquaintances as bait."

"right."

The accounting firm understands people's hearts very well.

It knew that Xiao Lingyi cared most about the late Empress.

Therefore, as long as there is even a trace of the late Empress's former palace in the clothes, Xiao Lingyi will definitely investigate.

Once she investigates, she'll be led astray.

I looked at the weather forecast.

I must enter the palace tomorrow.

Xiao Lingyi said coldly, "I will not let you go to the Changning side hall alone."

"They won't let His Highness come along either."

"Then we won't do it their way."

I looked at her.

"You need to press it."

She frowned.

I folded the document again.

"Since they have arranged for me to go to the side hall of Changning to serve tea, I will go."

Ah Liu almost knelt down.

"Young master, could you please stop jumping into the tea every time?"

I said, "It's not jumping."

Yan Xiaoyi lazily replied, "He picked it up and drank it himself."

Ah Liu was even more desperate.

I ignored them.

"Your Highness, before entering the palace tomorrow, I would like to trouble you to do three things."

Xiao Lingyi looked at me and said, "Speak."

"First, please have Qiutang sew this dress back to its original shape, so that the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau won't notice that we've taken it apart."

Qiu Tang nodded.

"Secondly, Your Highness, please send a message to the palace saying that Shen An's illness is still unclear. Since the Imperial Wardrobe has prepared a protective ceremony, when the pulse is taken at the Changning Side Hall tomorrow, please have Imperial Physician Liu, Imperial Concubine Qin, and the clerk from the Ministry of Revenue present."

Xiao Lingyi's eyes brightened slightly.

"You must keep them in one place."

"right."

I looked at Bai Zhi.

"Third, investigate the salaries, medical expenses, medicine costs, and palace clothing allowances of the three individuals."

Bai Zhi has already started writing.

"Qin Shangyi, Han Shangfu, Aunt Sun."

"There's one more."

"Who?"

I pointed to the "calming tea" on the ritual sheet.

"Investigate the tea, spices, charcoal, and lamp oil used in the Changning side hall over the past three months."

Bai Zhi looked up at me.

"They're checking lamp oil too?"

"check."

I remembered the six characters at the end of the prescription.

Seek shelter from the wind.

Silence.

Dim lights.

"If they want to make me drowsy after taking the medicine, they will surely provide dim lamps in the palace. Dim lamps require lamp oil, quiet rooms require charcoal, calming tea requires tea leaves, and aphrodisiac incense requires spices. People can lie, but accounts cannot."

Bai Zhi finally smiled.

"I like hearing that."

Ah Liu muttered under his breath, "Young Master isn't even sparing lamp oil now."

Yan Xiaoyi said, "As long as I can live, that's fine."

Ah Liu thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense.

Xiao Lingyi put the dress back into the box.

She moved very gently, as if she were collecting an old item.

But I know she must be feeling terrible.

Hidden within this garment are the late Empress's old palace needles, and also the clues to the Qingyi Society.

Someone is using the shadow of her mother as bait.

She wouldn't tolerate something like this.

Just as I was about to speak, there was a soft knock on the door.

Meng Xiaoman poked half her head in.

Her face was very pale.

"Your Highness, Lord Shen, someone has delivered a medicine packet outside the manor gate."

Xiao Lingyi looked at her.

"Who sent it?"

"have no idea."

Meng Xiaoman brought in the medicine packet.

There was no signature on the outside of the medicine packet.

Only one orchid leaf was inserted.

Three holes.

The room fell silent.

Lan will not return.

It's her again.

Qiu Tang tried the silver needles before opening the medicine packet.

It doesn't contain medicine.

It was an old prescription torn in half.

The paper was yellowish and the edges were charred black, as if it had been snatched from a fire.

Only half a line of text was legible:

The benzoin incense used in Albizia julibrissin is not for calming the mind, but for locking away

Below is another line of new ink.

The handwriting is very faint.

Don't drink tea tomorrow.

Someone in the Imperial Wardrobe will die.

As I looked at those two lines of text, I suddenly felt my palms go cold.

Ah Liu leaned over for a look, his voice trembling.

"Young master, does this mean... someone will die before we even enter the palace tomorrow?"

I slowly closed the old box.

"No."

I looked at the wedding dress in the vermilion box.

"Someone is going to die before us."

"Clear the road for those who truly deserve to die."