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

After leaving the side hall, I couldn't leave immediately.

Wei Zhi stopped me.

The old eunuch brought over a bowl of refreshing soup with a smile.

The soup was as black as water scraped from the corner of the old prison wall of the Ministry of Justice.

I glanced at it.

"Eunuch Wei, has the Imperial Medical Academy always been this ruthless?"

Wei Zhi laughed and said, "Good medicine tastes bitter."

I picked up the bowl and took a sniff.

The bitterness hits you right in the head.

"I believe it can awaken the dead from their suffering."

"That's perfect, Lord Shen is about the same now."

I:"……"

Even people in the palace are so polite when they curse.

I closed my eyes and drank it.

After the first bite, I almost saw my dad.

After the second dose, I think even my dad would have to praise how potent this medicine is.

After he finished drinking, Wei handed him some clean water.

I rinsed my mouth and felt like I had barely returned to the human world.

Wei Zhi said in a low voice, "Lord Shen, His Majesty has one more thing to say."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Please speak, sir."

"His Majesty said that Qian Rong cannot die, and neither can Ji Qing."

I sighed.

"Your Majesty truly thinks highly of me."

Wei Zhi was still smiling.

"His Majesty also said that if only one can be saved, Ji Qing should be saved first."

I was taken aback.

Why?

Wei Zhi did not answer.

He only relayed the emperor's words, without explaining them.

But I've already figured it out.

Qian Rong knew about the missing pages and the Yongning case.

Ji Qing knew about the old documents of the Secretariat, the secret orders for clearing accounts, and the rules behind the scenes.

Qian Rong is like a box containing old accounts.

Ji Qing is like a key that opens many boxes.

The box is important.

The key is more important.

Just as I was about to leave, the side hall door opened again.

Xiao Lingyi came out.

Only Qiu Tang was with her.

The emperor did not come out.

She glanced at Wei Zhi.

Wei Zhi wisely retreated a bit.

I bowed.

"Princess."

Xiao Lingyi asked, "How much of that tattered letter do you remember?"

"I can remember most of it."

"Carry it to me."

I looked around.

This is the palace road.

Although it's not a place where people come and go, walls have ears.

Xiao Lingyi noticed my concerns.

"Go to the side corridor."

We walked to a side corridor.

Qiu Tang stood guard outside.

I lowered my voice and recited the contents of the remaining letter.

Accounts should not be entered into the Secretariat.

If I do not return, I will make friends with the old friends of Zhaoning.

The Shen family of Southwest China cannot be entirely trusted, nor can they be entirely condemned.

The Empress knew that there were people in the Imperial Treasury...

Xiao Lingyi's eyes grew even colder after hearing this.

She asked, "How's the handwriting?"

"Juanxiu, it's urgent."

"It's not the Empress Dowager's handwriting."

"Is the princess sure?"

"I have read my mother's handwritten letter."

She closed her eyes.

"But the letter mentions people from the Zhaoning era, which means that the writer knows me, knows the Empress Dowager, and also knows the Empress Dowager's old subordinates."

"Does the princess know who Zhao Ning's former lover is?"

She did not answer immediately.

Instead, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve.

The handkerchief is embroidered with a very small orchid.

"There was once a head lady-in-waiting by the Empress Dowager's side, surnamed Lan. Everyone in the palace called her Aunt Lan. She was not talkative, was skilled in needlework, and also managed the secret code in the Empress Dowager's palace."

Aunt Lan.

I wrote down the name.

"Is the person still in the palace?"

Xiao Lingyi looked at the Pagola orchid.

"He's dead."

I frowned.

"When?"

"He died of illness one month after his mother's passing."

He died again.

Now, whenever I hear the words "die from illness," a circle automatically forms in my mind.

In Daliang, sometimes death from illness is actually a real illness.

Sometimes it's others who make you sick.

"Has the body been examined?"

Xiao Lingyi glanced at me.

Eleven years ago, I was just a child.

I was silent.

No matter how clever she was at that time, it would have been impossible for her to investigate the death of a palace lady.

Does Aunt Lan have any family?

"I had a niece who was later sent out of the palace."

"Where?"

"Cannot be found."

"Has the princess investigated?"

She said calmly, "It's been investigated for three years."

My heart sank.

Even the princess couldn't find anything after three years of investigation, which means that Aunt Lan's connection has been completely erased.

Xiao Lingyi suddenly asked, "Are there any pinholes in the tattered letter?"

I was taken aback.

pinhole?

I recall that half-finished letter.

There do appear to be several very tiny holes along the edge of the letter.

I initially thought it was just old paper that had torn.

"have."

Xiao Lingyi's expression changed.

"How many places?"

"Three places, like a triangle."

She gripped the handkerchief tighter.

"That's Aunt Lan's secret mark."

"Is the princess sure?"

"She was afraid that the letters in the palace would be switched, so she often poked three holes in the edge of the paper with a needle. The three holes were shaped like orchid leaves, and outsiders just thought they were worm holes."

My heart began to tighten.

In other words, the tattered letter was very likely written by Aunt Lan.

A former concubine of the late empress who had nominally died eleven years ago.

"Princess, Aunt Ruolan is dead. Who left the letter?"

Xiao Lingyi looked towards the palace wall.

"Either she's not dead."

"Want it?"

"Either someone got hold of the letter she left behind before she died."

Both of these possibilities are troublesome.

If Aunt Lan didn't die, then someone in the palace faked her death back then.

If she left a letter before her death, then someone has been hiding it for eleven years, and it was only now that it was revealed through Madam Qian's dowry chest and the Yongning case.

I asked, "Does Your Majesty know Aunt Lan?"

Xiao Lingyi gave a cold laugh.

This was the first time I had ever heard her express such emotions towards the emperor.

"Of course Father Emperor knows."

She kept her voice very low.

"Whoever lives or dies among those around the Empress Dowager, whoever is banished from the palace or transferred to the Cold Palace, dares to touch them without the Emperor's approval?"

I didn't answer.

That's too harsh a statement.

I can't afford it.

Xiao Lingyi suddenly looked at me.

"Shen An, do you also think that Father Emperor knew all along?"

I really want to play dumb.

But she's not Ah Liu, so pretending to be stupid won't work.

"His Majesty knows at least part of it."

Which part?

"The late Empress has reviewed the old accounts."

"Anything else?"

"Aunt Lan's death may be unclear."

Xiao Lingyi looked at me.

"You dare not say it."

I sighed.

"Princess, it's not that I'm afraid to speak, it's that I have no evidence."

"What if there's evidence?"

"Then tell me."

"To whom should I say this?"

I looked at her.

"Say it to the person who should hear it."

Xiao Lingyi stared at me for a long time.

Finally, she looked away.

"You're very slippery."

"I simply do not wish to die too soon."

"But you're already investigating dead people."

"So you need to be even more slippery."

She seemed to want to laugh, but didn't.

Qiu Tang gently tapped a pillar outside.

Someone is coming.

Xiao Lingyi regained her composure.

"Shen An, you must not only report Aunt Lan's matter to Father Emperor."

I lowered my head.

"Your Majesty, I am investigating the case as ordered."

"You just said that."

"It works well."

She looked at me with a cold gaze.

"Shen An".

"Your subject is here."

"If you hide anything from me about Mother, I will investigate you myself."

I said earnestly, "If the princess is to investigate me, could you please inform me first?"

She frowned.

Why?

"I would like to hide things that could cause death far away in advance."

She finally couldn't help but chuckle very softly.

Only once.

It was gone very quickly.

"Get lost."

I cupped my hands in greeting.

"Your subject takes his leave."

This time I can really walk.

When I walked out of the palace gate, Gu Xingzhi was already waiting.

"To the Censorate?"

I shook my head.

"Return to the Censorate first, then interrogate Qian Rong."

"You just saw the princess."

"Um."

"What did you say?"

I look at him.

"When did Commander Gu ever speak up for the princess?"

Gu Xingzhi said, "I don't care about the princess, I care about you."

I thought about it.

"I told you about Aunt Lan."

Gu Xingzhi's eyes flickered slightly.

It's very light.

But I saw it.

"You know?"

"I know this person."

"Is she really dead?"

Gu Xingzhi did not answer immediately.

My heart sank.

"Commander Gu."

He looked at me.

According to palace records, Lady Lan, a female official, died of illness in the winter of the eleventh year of the Chengxi reign.

"Recorded in the scrolls?"

"right."

Do you believe in bookkeeping?

Gu Xingzhi glanced at me.

"Lord Shen, you're checking the accounts yourself, and you're asking me if I trust the records?"

it is good.

No need to answer.

The scrolls and books are unreliable.

Aunt Lan's death is also unbelievable.

As I sat in the carriage, I finally felt the invigorating soup begin to take effect.

It's not that I'm not sleepy anymore.

He was very sleepy but still very alert.

This feeling is very torturous.

It's like having a clear mind but a body that's cursing.

When they returned to the Censorate, Qian Rong was still alive.

This is the first good thing of the day.

The second good thing was that Ah Liu saved me a bed.

The third good thing is that I don't have time to sleep for the time being.

Qian Rong was sitting in the interrogation room. When he saw me return, his first words were:

"Has Your Majesty seen the missing pages?"

"I've seen it."

"Did the princess watch it too?"

I looked at him.

"Minister Qian is very concerned."

Qian Rong smiled.

"It seems that Lord Shen already knows about Aunt Lan."

My heart skipped a beat.

he knows.

Qian Rong knew Aunt Lan.

I sat down, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Minister Qian, it seems you know about this too."

"I don't know much."

"Then tell me what you know."

Qian Rong picked up the glass of water and took a sip.

"Aunt Lan did not die of illness."

The room fell silent.

Ah Liu stood at the door, almost dropping the hot pancake in his hand.

I stared at Qian Rong.

"How did he die?"

Qian Rong looked at me.

"This is what Lord Shen will be investigating next."

"Minister Qian, you have no right to keep us in suspense now."

"have."

He put down the cup.

"Because if Aunt Lan were really dead, Ji Qing wouldn't have lost a single finger."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Qian Rong said slowly:

"The person who cut off Ji Qing's finger didn't intend to kill him."

"It's to remind him that eleven years ago, that hand also owed him a finger."

I felt the hairs on the back of my head starting to stand up little by little.

Eleven years ago.

One finger.

Aunt Lan.

Ji Qing.

The Empress's old account.

Qian Rong looked at me and said softly:

"Lord Shen, His Majesty already knew."

I didn't speak.

Because that statement is too dangerous.

It was so dangerous that I didn't even know whether I should include it in my statement.

Qian Rong laughed.

"See, you're scared too."

I looked at him.

"Minister Qian."

"Um?"

"Are you trying to make me investigate His Majesty, or are you trying to make me afraid to investigate you, by saying such things?"

Qian Rong's smile gradually faded.

I stood up.

"I'll investigate Aunt Lan, I'll catch Ji Qing, and I'll find the missing pages."

"As for how much His Majesty already knew..."

I looked down at him.

"I will ask when the bill is laid out in front of me."

Qian Rong stared at me for a long time.

Finally, he sighed softly.

"Lord Shen, you really don't seem like a smart person."

I said, "Many people say that."

Do you know how smart people live longer?

"Know."

I picked up the pen from the table.

"Don't touch the accounts."

Qian Rong looked at me.

"Then why did you still touch it?"

I smiled.

"It's too late."