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

The carriage was quieter on the way back to the city than when it left.

When we left the city, the car was piled with incense, candles, offerings, and prayer flags. I was squeezed into a corner and even complained that my knees hurt from being bumped by the incense boxes.

On the way back to the city, the car was filled with Fang Zhou and her son, a lame woman, A-Liu, and me.

The incense and candle boxes are still the same incense and candle boxes.

But nobody had the mind to complain about the crowds.

Fang Zhoushi sat at the innermost part of the room, holding her child, her face deathly pale. The child nestled in her arms, eyes half-open and half-closed, as if wanting to sleep but afraid to.

The lame woman lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly together.

Ah Liu sat next to me, glancing at Fang Zhou Shi every now and then, then at me, before finally asking in a low voice, "Young Master, does this count as kidnapping someone?"

I glanced at him.

"Have you ever seen a kidnapper so disheveled?"

He thought about it seriously: "That makes sense. People who kidnap others usually don't end up like this themselves."

I looked down at myself.

His clothes were torn in three places, his cuffs were covered in mud, a bloody scratch was left on his shoulder from a tree branch, and his shoes were half wet.

It certainly didn't look like a kidnapping.

Like someone who has been robbed.

Qiu Tang sat by the car door, still holding the book of merit.

She looked calm.

She was as calm as if the escape, the chase, the arrows, and the rolling down the hillside had nothing to do with her.

I couldn't help but ask, "Is Miss Qiutang like this all the time?"

She looked at me: "How?"

"Even if a mountain collapses before you, the account books remain in order."

Ah Liu whispered, "He's more like an accountant than the young master."

Qiu Tang finally glanced at him.

Ah Liu immediately shut up.

I suddenly realized that if this girl were to enter the Censorate, she would probably outlive me.

The carriage was not moving fast.

It's not that we can't go fast, it's that we can't go fast.

If the princess's carriage had just returned from offering incense at Ci'en Temple, and the third carriage behind it rushed back to the capital as if it were being chased by a ghost, it would be as if they had written "There's something wrong with my carriage" on the roof.

Xiao Lingyi is a very steady person.

It's so stable it's frightening.

The more stable she is, the more it shows that she has already considered the worst-case scenario.

I lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and glanced behind me.

No pursuers were seen.

But I know they won't just let it go like that.

With such a commotion in Zhao Family Village today—Fang Zhoushi disappearing, the old paper gone, and the pursuers seeing the princess's carriage there to pick them up—anyone who isn't an idiot would be able to guess that this matter is related to the princess's residence.

The only question is whether they dare to speak out.

Do you dare drag Princess Zhaoning into the Yongning River case?

As the carriage approached the city gate, Qiu Tang suddenly whispered, "Lord Shen, sit tight."

I lowered the carriage curtain.

"What's wrong?"

"There are more people at the city gate."

A thought struck me.

Lift the curtain a little wider.

really.

When they left the city, there were only a dozen or so guards at the city gate, standing loosely and casually. Now, however, there were more than twice that number.

Besides the city guards, there were also several officials dressed in blue robes standing by the gate looking at the travel permits.

The convoy, vendors, and pedestrians were all stopped and questioned.

Only the princess's carriage has not yet arrived.

Ah Liu saw it too, and his expression immediately changed.

"Young master, they're not going to check the car, are they?"

"They dare not easily check the princess's carriage."

"What if they insist on investigating?"

I looked at Qiutang.

Qiutang remained calm.

"Won't."

She spoke with such certainty.

I asked, "Are you sure, Miss Qiutang?"

"Her Highness went out of the city today to offer incense on the anniversary of the late Empress's death. Anyone who dares to publicly inspect Princess Zhaoning's carriage returning from mourning her mother should first think about how to explain it to His Majesty."

That makes a lot of sense.

It was also very cold.

Xiao Lingyi is using her status as a princess today, as well as the name of the late empress.

This card is heavy.

As long as the defenders of the city still had their heads, they dared not make any rash moves.

But I still frowned.

"If they dare not investigate, why are they increasing troop deployment?"

Qiu Tang said, "Let those who are meant to see it see it."

I understand.

It's not for the purpose of investigation.

It was to tell certain people that the city gates were ready.

If we really have someone hiding in our car, the guards won't dare to check, but they can still spread the news.

This is a disgusting practice.

Do not use a knife.

Do not stop the car.

Just so you know: I know you're back.

The carriage arrived at the city gate.

The city guards immediately dispersed.

The leading captain stepped forward and saluted: "Welcome back to the city, Your Highness."

The princess's main car remained stationary.

The carriage curtains were hanging down.

A moment later, Xiao Lingyi's faint voice came from inside.

"waived."

Just one word.

Everyone at the door lowered their heads.

The carriage continued forward.

No one dared to investigate.

No one dared to stop them.

No one dared to even glance at the third car.

But I could feel several gazes sweeping over, landing on the carriage curtain, and then quickly looking away.

Fang Zhoushi held the child, her body tense.

I whispered, "Don't be afraid."

She didn't look at me, she just hugged the child tightly.

The carriage passed through the city gate.

The hustle and bustle of the capital city slowly returned.

The cries of the pancake vendors, the rumble of wheels, the laughter from the taverns along the street, and the distant sounds of an argument from some unknown household.

Everything is normal.

Normal events, like the chase outside the city just now, never happened.

I suddenly realized that the most terrifying thing about the capital city was not killing people.

It's that even after killing people, it can still continue to be so lively.

The carriage did not go directly back to the princess's villa.

Instead, they stopped briefly in a side alley outside Chengpingfang.

Qiu Tang got out of the car, walked to the front of the main vehicle, and whispered a few words.

A short while later, she returned and said to me, "Lord Shen, His Highness requests your presence for a few words."

I glanced at Fang Zhoushi and her son inside the car.

Qiu Tang said, "They won't stay here. His Highness has other plans."

I didn't get off the bus immediately.

This sounds like a request for help.

It's also like taking over.

Fang Zhoushi is a witness.

The old paper is evidence.

If the witness falls into the hands of the Princess's residence, there will be an additional layer of ambiguity between me and Xiao Lingyi.

It's not that I don't believe her.

I just don't have the right to believe her yet.

Qiu Tang noticed my hesitation.

"If Lord Shen wishes to take the person back to his residence, that is also permissible."

Her voice was very calm.

"But in that house in Chengping Ward, there are His Majesty's men, Lord Shen's father's men, and possibly the men who were chasing Madam Fang today. If Lord Shen feels that place is safer than the place His Highness arranged, this servant will not stop him."

I was silent.

This girl is really rude.

But there's some truth to it.

The house I live in now doesn't really feel like a home.

Like a cage where anyone can shove an eye into it.

Once Fang Zhoushi enters my place, I'm afraid people will find out that very night.

I got out of the car and walked to the main vehicle in front.

The carriage curtains were hanging down.

Xiao Lingyi did not come down.

I bowed through the carriage curtain.

"Your Highness."

Her voice came from inside the car.

"Have you found them?"

"Found it."

"Where are the things?"

"We found some."

The car fell silent for a moment.

She clearly sensed the reservation in my words.

"Shen An".

"Your subject is here."

"Are you still wary of me?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness saved me today, and also saved Fang Zhou and her son. I am grateful."

"That's not an answer."

"Then let me put it another way."

I looked at the hanging carriage curtain.

"If I don't guard against Your Highness, won't Your Highness think I'm foolish?"

There was a moment of silence in the car.

Then, I heard Xiao Lingyi chuckle very softly.

Not obvious.

It even seemed like an illusion.

"meeting."

well.

That's a very princess-like answer.

They are also very honest.

I actually felt a little relieved.

She said, "I'll take care of the person, you can keep your things. Is that alright?"

I didn't agree immediately.

She continued, "If you keep it in your residence, it won't survive the night. If you put it in the Censorate, the entire court will know by tomorrow. If you send it to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Works will know what you've found before the memorial even reaches the Emperor."

That statement was accurate again.

Chapter Thirteen: She reminded me that memorials to the throne were unsafe.

Witnesses are not safe either.

I asked, "Where does Your Highness intend to place them?"

"It's safer if you don't know."

"How can I be sure they are alright?"

"Qiutang will bring you a cup of tea every day."

I was taken aback.

"Tea?"

"If a bamboo leaf is placed in the tea, it means the person is safe. If two leaves are placed in the tea, it means someone has found out where they went. If nothing is placed in the tea, it means don't ask any more questions."

I paused for a moment.

The code is very simple.

But the simpler it is, the better it is to use.

I asked, "Has Your Highness already made up your mind?"

She said calmly, "If you really find Fang Zhoushi, you'll need a place to put her."

"What if I can't find it?"

"Then I'll just assume I'm overthinking it."

"What if I die outside the city?"

There was a moment of silence in the car.

Then she said, "Then I will have Qiutang send a blank letter to the Censorate on your behalf."

I was stunned.

"A hollow folding paper?"

"Let everyone know that you did find something before you died, but it's gone now."

That's a ruthless move.

Shen An is dead, and the evidence is gone.

Who is in the most urgent situation?

Of course, it's someone with a guilty conscience.

Empty folds, though blank, are more frightening than those filled with words.

I suddenly realized that if Xiao Lingyi were to become an imperial censor, he would probably be even more hated than I am.

I said, "Your Highness should not just be a princess."

There was no sound inside the car.

After a while, she said, "Don't say that again."

I lowered my head.

"I made a mistake."

That was indeed a slip of the tongue.

A princess should not be told that she "should not just be a princess".

Especially when the emperor is still alive, the successor is undecided, and the court is full of eavesdroppers.

Xiao Lingyi didn't pursue the matter further, only asking, "What was written on the old paper?"

I didn't tell you everything.

He only said one sentence: "Approve the money, and transfer it to the internal treasury."

The car suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't the ordinary quiet it had been just moments before.

Instead, there was a moment of silence where even breathing seemed to slow down.

She knew the weight of those words.

I asked, "Does Your Highness know about the Imperial Treasury?"

She did not answer directly.

"Where do you think the inner vault is?"

"The Ministry of Works' internal treasury? Or the Ministry of Revenue's temporary treasury?"

"It might not be the Sixth Department's warehouse."

My heart sank slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice was very low.

"The palace also has an inner treasury."

These words sent a chill down my spine.

The inner treasury of the palace.

This is not as simple as the Ministry of Works embezzling funds.

If the surplus silver from the Yongning River channel was indeed transferred to the palace treasury, where did that money ultimately go?

Who has the authority to access the palace's treasury?

emperor?

The inner court?

Supervisor of Ceremonies?

Or is someone using the palace's name to embezzle funds?

I dared not think any further.

Because if you keep thinking about it, the issue changes from "Qian Rong can't sleep" to "I might not be able to wake up."

Xiao Lingyi said, "Therefore, do not write these words in the folding book before we have found out the truth."

I asked, "Does Your Highness believe this is related to the late Empress's military pay case from back then?"

"I have no idea."

She paused.

"But the military pay that my mother investigated back then also included the words 'internal treasury'."

I looked up.

The carriage curtain obscured her face.

But what follows in those words has already been revealed.

The late empress inspected the military pay.

Military pay accounts were found in the internal treasury.

Later, the late empress had an accident.

The Yongning River channel case has now also revealed internal issues.

If these two events are just coincidences, then my father's rebellion might really be for the purpose of improving his health.

I asked in a low voice, "What has Your Highness found out?"

"no."

"Does Your Highness not trust me?"

"If I trusted you, I wouldn't be speaking to you through the carriage curtain today."

I was unable to refute it for a moment.

She continued, "I'll only tell you one thing. Don't touch the words 'Inner Treasury' lightly. And don't rush to mistake the word 'money' for 'Qian Rong'."

I asked, "Why?"

"Because Qian Rong may not be qualified to access the internal treasury."

This sentence was spoken very softly.

However, Qian Rong's position was moved down one level.

Qian Rong was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

In my opinion, that's already a very high-ranking official position.

However, according to Xiao Lingyi, he might not be qualified to touch the inner treasury.

Who is qualified?

I suddenly realized that what I took out of Fang Zhoushi's house today was not old paper.

It was a piece of red-hot iron.

It's too hot to hold.

Throwing it away will burn people to death.

Just then, Qiu Tang's voice came from ahead: "Your Highness, it's getting late."

Xiao Lingyi said, "I'll take the person with me."

I asked, "What if Fang Zhoushi is unwilling?"

"She would agree."

"Is Your Highness so sure?"

The carriage curtain moved slightly.

She finally lifted a corner.

I saw half of her profile.

Plain white, indifferent, and weary.

She looked at me and said, "Because she is also a woman, a daughter, and a mother. She knows better than you how easily a widow with a child can die in your men's cases."

I was stunned.

This sentence is like a needle.

It wasn't planted very deep.

But the puncture was very accurate.

When I was investigating the case, I used Fang Zhoushi as a witness.

When the Ministry of Works killed her, they considered her a potential threat.

But when Xiao Lingyi looked at her, she saw a woman running for her life while holding a child.

I lowered my head.

"Your subject understands."

She lowered the carriage curtain.

"You don't understand."

I didn't say anything.

Because she's right.

I don't fully understand.

Soon, the third carriage started moving again.

Qiu Tang took the car to another alley.

Fang Zhoushi neither shouted nor made a fuss.

She only lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at me before leaving.

There was still fear in that glance.

But there's something else too.

It was as if she finally realized that she had no way out and could only entrust the debts left by her husband to a group of people she did not fully trust.

I stood at the alley entrance, watching the carriage disappear.

Ah Liu leaned closer and whispered, "Young Master, are we just handing the person over to the princess like this?"

"Um."

Is it safe?

"It's safer than staying at our house."

Ah Liu thought for a moment and nodded: "That's true. Even the gatekeeper in our household doesn't feel like one of our own anymore."

After he finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his voice.

"What should we do with the small stone?"

I glanced at him.

This kid seems muddle-headed most of the time, but he's not stupid when it really matters.

Little Stone is still in Zhao Family Village.

The half-book of secrets left by Fang Yuanshi is very likely hidden inside that stone doll.

But there must be someone watching Zhao Family Village now.

Going back is like delivering yourself to someone's doorstep.

Not going back would be tantamount to leaving the most crucial evidence to others.

I rubbed my temples.

"Let's go back to the manor first."

"and then?"

"Then we'll figure something out."

Ah Liu said, "Young Master, every time you say you'll find a solution, it always ends up being very dangerous."

"So I'll think about it for now."

Ah Liu: "..."

By the time they returned to Chengpingfang, it was already dark.

The gatekeeper respectfully welcomed me in.

One of them noticed the mud and tears on my clothes, paused for a moment, then quickly looked away.

I pretended not to see it.

They would write down everything: what time I returned home that day, what I was wearing, and whether I had any injuries.

Maybe someone will find out tonight.

The first thing I did when I entered the study was to spread out the old papers again.

Ah Liu closed the door and stood guard to the side.

I turned on the light and read the phrase "money approved, circulating into the internal treasury" several times.

The lights flickered.

Those seven characters seemed to jump along with it.

Money approved.

Internal warehouse.

There are also "small stones".

Three lines are laid out before me, and each one is troublesome.

I first took out the copper buckle that the gray-clad assassin had dropped and placed it on the table.

The brass buckle was small, with its edges polished to a shine, and the fine line on it was clearer under the light.

It looks like the Chinese character "丁".

It also resembles the furnace mark of a certain workshop.

As I was looking out the window, I suddenly heard a very faint sound.

It's not a bird.

It's not the wind.

It was the sound of someone landing on the courtyard wall.

Ah Liu immediately froze.

I raised my hand, signaling him not to move.

The next moment, there was a light knock on the study window from the outside.

I sighed.

"Are people in Beijing really that averse to using the door?"

A familiar, indifferent voice came from outside the window.

"Concierge's Records"

Gu Xingzhi.

I walked over and pushed the window open a crack.

Gu Xingzhi stood outside the window, still looking uncomfortably clean.

In the darkness, his eyes were colder than during the day.

I asked, "Is it a new rule for the Imperial Guard that Lord Gu climbs over the wall late at night?"

"no."

"Was that His Majesty's order?"

"No, not exactly."

"Then Lord Gu has trespassed on private property."

He looked at me.

"This house was bestowed upon us by His Majesty."

well.

With just one sentence, he made my house disappear.

I'll step aside.

"Come in."

Gu Xingzhi entered the study.

His gaze swept over the old papers, copper buckles, and lamps on the table, then quickly returned to his own.

He didn't ask any questions when he saw the old paper.

His gaze paused for a moment when he saw the copper buckle.

I noticed.

"Does Lord Gu recognize this?"

Gu Xingzhi didn't answer, but instead asked, "Where did you come from?"

I found it on the street.

The place where you picked up things today seems quite dangerous.

I smiled and said, "Lord Gu, you're quick to get the news."

"It's not that I'm fast," he said, "it's just that too many people left the city today."

A thought struck me.

"What do you mean?"

Gu Xingzhi picked up the copper buckle and glanced at it.

"These are scabbard buckles from the ironworks in the east of the city. They're ordinary, but three hundred of these buckles were bought up in one go three months ago."

"Three hundred?"

"Um."

Who bought it?

"A middleman. The man is dead."

I looked at him.

This kind of answer is very much in line with Gu Xingzhi's style.

They'll always give you a little, but never all of it.

I asked, "Does Lord Gu know who the gray-clad man who stopped me today was?"

"have no idea."

"Is there much that Lord Gu doesn't know?"

"not much."

"Then why didn't you know about this?"

Gu Xingzhi put the copper buckle back on the table.

"Because there was more than one group of people leaving the city today."

The study fell silent.

Ah Liu stood to the side, even his breathing became lighter.

I looked at Gu Xingzhi.

What does "more than one group" mean?

"Someone wants to kill Fang Zhoushi."

"I know that."

"Someone wants to take the old paper."

"I know that too."

Gu Xingzhi looked at me and said slowly, "There are others who just want to see if you will die."

I felt a slight chill on my back.

This sentence is even more frightening than the previous two.

The fact that they wanted to kill Fang Zhoushi means they wanted to silence her.

If someone wants to take the old paper, it means they want to destroy the evidence.

But the fact that they only wanted to see if I would die shows that in some people's eyes, I was just a pawn used to test the waters.

He's dead; it's clear someone did it.

Even though I'm alive, I can see that someone is protecting me.

I suddenly remembered the two riders on Ci'en Temple Road.

Not too far, not too close, the carriage was suspended.

He didn't lift a finger from beginning to end.

They didn't help either.

It's like watching a play.

I asked, "Whose men are those two riders?"

Gu Xingzhi did not answer immediately.

He looked at me, as if trying to determine whether I genuinely didn't know or was pretending not to.

After a while, he said, "Do you really think that the two riders following the princess's carriage today are from the Ministry of Works?"

I didn't speak.

The night outside the window was very dark.

The lamp on the table flickered slightly.

In that instant, I suddenly realized that the most dangerous person today might not be the gray-clad assassin.

Instead, it was those two horses that never came close.