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

I read the letter that Manager Chen brought three times.

Every time I watch it, my head hurts a little more.

two days.

Shen Lie changed three days to two days.

That's just how he is; he's always afraid that others won't die fast enough.

The letter made it very clear.

The missing pages in the southwest must be delivered within two days.

Otherwise, Xu Sandao would not return, and Shen Lie would personally head north.

As I held the letter, I suddenly felt that those few lines of text didn't look like words, but rather like a few knives, with the handles all in my father's hands.

Ah Liu stood to the side, cautiously asking, "Young Master, Master... no, is Shen Lie really coming?"

I glanced at him.

Ah Liu immediately shut up.

He may be timid, but he's not stupid.

It's already quite remarkable that he was able to swallow the word "Master" back in time.

Qian Rong sat in the interrogation room, listened to the letter, and then laughed.

He laughed very softly.

Like someone who knew it was going to rain, only to see that others didn't have umbrellas.

"Lord Shen, do you understand now?"

I asked, "Understand what?"

"If the last page isn't released, everyone will be forced to act."

"Is Minister Qian very pleased?"

"I'm currently being held in the Censorate, what's there to be happy about?"

"It's written all over your eyes."

Qian Rong stopped laughing.

"If Shen Lie goes north, the capital will surely be in chaos. Once the capital is in chaos, Qian Rong's case will become worthless. Of course, Minister Qian will be happy."

Qian Rong looked at me, and after a moment, said, "Lord Shen, sometimes being too clever is really not a good thing."

"I'm not here to please you."

I folded Shen Lie's letter carefully.

"Will Lan Bugui come back?"

Qian Rong said, "Yes."

Why?

"She waited eleven years for the old grievances to come to light. If Shen Lieruo leads his troops into the capital, the old grievances will become a proclamation of a traitor. At that time, even the most genuine grievances will be accused by the court of being framed by a traitor."

I remained silent.

It's harsh to say, but it's the truth.

Sometimes the truth is not afraid of being false.

I'm afraid of chaos.

When chaos erupts, everyone will choose to believe what they want to believe.

If Shen Lieruo were to enter the capital, even if the last page of the list were displayed in the imperial court, people would still accuse it of being forged by rebels from the southwest.

Lan Bugui will not allow such a thing to happen.

The question is, will she believe me?

Yao the Deaf said, "When the orchid leaves sprout, the dead return."

That sounds like nonsense.

But now that the old case has been investigated so many times, I've gotten used to finding a way out in ghost stories.

I asked Yao the Deaf: "When orchid leaves sprout, the dead return; how does that happen?"

Yao the Deaf leaned against the couch, his breath weak.

"The people in the old laundry bureau didn't listen to official language; they only listened to secret codes."

"How do we place the hidden markings?"

"Three wet white cloths hang in Jingyi Lane, a lamp without fire is lit in Guiyi Shop, the bell tower of Ci'en Temple tolls half a bell, and if the princess's mansion is willing, a broken orchid will be placed there as well."

"A half-hour bell?"

I frowned.

"Can the bell still be struck halfway?"

Deaf Yao smiled.

"A gentle tap on the rim of the bell with a mallet will not produce a far-reaching sound, but will only resonate with those who understand it."

These old hands really know how to stir things up.

Can't a living person just say something?

They insist on using cloth, lamps, bells, and flowers.

But it was precisely because of this that they were able to hide for eleven years under the palace walls and the swords of the palace guards.

I'll make the arrangements immediately.

Luo Wanqian went to the clothing shop.

Little Han and Aunt Meng went to Jingyi Lane.

Ci'en Temple asked the old monk Huiming for help.

As for the Princess's residence...

Before I could even speak, Qiu Tang arrived.

She stood by the door, glanced at the room full of people who were dying, half-dead, and pretending to be fine, and her expression remained unchanged.

This girl is becoming more and more knowledgeable.

"Lord Shen, His Highness has asked me to ask a question."

"What do you want to ask?"

"Now that the orchid leaves have emerged, should the princess's residence suspend the orchids?"

I paused for a moment.

Xiao Lingyi had already guessed it.

Or rather, she had been waiting for me to speak up.

I said, "This matter will completely drag the Princess's residence down with it."

Qiu Tang said, "His Highness said she was already in the water."

It's that same sentence again.

I was speechless for a moment.

"Then please release Duanlan from the Princess's residence."

Qiu Tang nodded.

"Her Highness also said that she wants to see you."

I rubbed my temples.

"Now?"

"Now."

I glanced inside the room.

Qian Rong is still alive, Yao the Deaf is still alive, Qian Fu is being watched, Manager Lu is cowering, Feng Baoquan is coughing, and Ji Qing is hanging on in the Princess's Mansion.

The Censorate was like a dilapidated temple that specifically sheltered troublemakers.

I wouldn't feel at ease if I left.

Zhao Guanlan said, "Go."

I look at him.

"I'm watching here," he said calmly. "As long as I'm still standing, the witness won't be lost."

Lu Huaizhou also looked up: "I'm writing the second impeachment petition against the Qian family for harboring witnesses, and I'm also keeping watch at the gate."

Ah Liu immediately straightened his chest.

"And the younger ones too."

I looked at him.

Ah Liu added, "I am the manager."

I suddenly realized that although this place was as chaotic as a coffin shop, it wasn't like there wasn't a lack of people who could manage it.

"it is good."

Just as I was about to leave, Gu Xingzhi arrived.

It's like he always appears at the moment when I most want to do something secretly.

"Shen An".

I sighed.

"Commander Gu, could you perhaps occasionally have someone announce your presence before entering through the main gate?"

"cannot."

"..."

He glanced at the letter from Shen Lie on the table.

"A letter from the Southwest?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"Commander Gu's information comes very quickly."

"Manager Chen entered the Censorate, and the Imperial Guards saw him."

it is good.

There are no secrets in the capital.

The only secret you think hasn't reached Gu Xingzhi's ears yet.

Gu Xingzhi said, "His Majesty understands."

"Know what?"

"Shen Lie may head north within two days."

The room fell silent.

Qian Rong's smile deepened.

I looked at Gu Xingzhi.

"What did His Majesty say?"

"His Majesty said that if Shen Lie dares to enter the capital, the Imperial Guards will not wait for him to bring up past grievances."

That's very emperor-like.

It's also very dangerous.

Shen Lie's entry into the capital with his troops was an act of rebellion.

The emperor sent troops to meet the enemy; this was an act of suppression.

Who will listen to the rules then?

I said, "That's why I'm forcing Lan Bugui to show himself."

Gu Xingzhi looked at me.

"You've set up a trap in the capital."

"I'll use myself as bait."

"almost."

"Very different," I said. "The capital city won't die for me, but I might die for the capital city."

Gu Xingzhi remained silent for a moment.

"Your Majesty wants the last page."

"We need everyone."

"Who do you want to give it to first?"

That's a very sharp question.

I didn't answer immediately.

The emperor wants it.

Princess, please.

Shen Lie wants it.

Lan Bugui took it.

Qian Rong wanted to make a living from it.

The accountant would want to destroy it.

As the one auditing the accounts, I felt like an unlucky guy running errands for everyone.

I said, "Let it see the light first."

Gu Xingzhi looked at me.

"What about before it sees the light?"

"Save it first."

"Who will provide the guarantee?"

I looked at him.

"I."

Gu Xingzhi said, "You can't even protect yourself now."

Those words are hurtful.

But it's also very real.

I said, "That's why we need Commander Gu's help."

Gu Xingzhi's eyes flickered slightly.

"Help you?"

"Settle this debt."

He did not answer immediately.

After a while, he said, "The Imperial Guards will be watching for the signals everywhere. I need to know as soon as Ruolan doesn't show up."

"Can."

"If the secret agents in the southwest make any further moves, I will make arrests."

"Could you tell me first?"

"No guarantee."

well.

This is already the biggest concession Gu Xingzhi has made.

I took Yan Xiaoyi to the princess's villa.

Xiao Lingyi was waiting for me in the courtyard.

There was a pot of orchids in the yard.

One of the branches was broken off and placed in a white porcelain plate.

The cut surface is fresh.

She looked at me.

"The broken orchid has been released."

"Thank you, Princess."

"I'm not helping you."

"I understand."

"I want Aunt Lan to see this."

She looked down at the broken orchid branch.

Tell her I'm waiting for her.

This sentence was spoken very softly.

But I suddenly felt that if Ruolan didn't return to the truth and saw this from the shadows, she might soften her heart.

There will be at least a moment.

I told Xiao Lingyi the contents of Shen Liexin's letter.

After hearing this, her face darkened.

"If Shen Lie goes north, Father will send troops."

"So we can't let him come."

"Can you stop them?"

"have no idea."

"Can Lan Bugui stop him?"

"She has the last page of the list."

Xiao Lingyi looked at me.

Do you think Shen Lie will believe the list?

I remained silent.

Whether Shen Lie will believe it or not depends on more than just the list.

He also wanted to see if the name he wanted to see was on the list.

What the Avengers fear most is not the absence of the truth.

Even after the truth was revealed, they still refused to stop.

Xiao Lingyi said, "If Lan Bugui shows herself, I want to see her."

She might not see you.

"Then let her know that I want to see her."

I nodded.

Just then, Qiu Tang strode in from outside.

"Your Highness, Lord Shen, a half-sound of a bell has been heard from Ci'en Temple."

My heart skipped a beat.

Immediately afterwards, the servant sent by Luo Wanqian arrived.

"After the clothes shop lit the lamps without fire, someone left something behind."

"What is it?"

"An old clothes basket."

"Where?"

"It wasn't delivered to the clothing shop, but to the back alley of the princess's residence."

Xiao Lingyi and I looked up at the same time.

Lan Bugui did not go to Guiyi Shop.

She delivered the items directly to the princess's residence.

She saw the broken orchid.