With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

Qiu Tong sneered, "What can we do? We've caught him red-handed. The stuff we found in the Crown Prince's tent is enough to give him a hard time."

"What is it?"

"Medicine." Qiu Tong lowered her voice. "He Jinzhi led his men to search the Crown Prince's carriage and found several boxes of things inside."

"It's the kind of drug that's addictive. Several large boxes full, all of them banned substances."

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat.

really.

The Crown Prince was using this trip to Peach Blossom Valley as a cover to secretly collaborate with merchants from the Western Regions.

They smuggled the goods into the city without anyone noticing.

She just didn't understand.

The crown prince is the heir apparent, so what is he trying to achieve by amassing wealth like this?

Qiu Tong continued,

"He Jinzhi has already detained all the witnesses and evidence. That ruthless man is ruthless in investigating cases, showing no favoritism even to his own family. A whole bunch of things were found in the Crown Prince's tent—banned drugs, account books, and secret letters between him and Fu Tailong."

Shen Nannan gripped the corner of the blanket tightly.

Banned drugs, ledgers, secret letters. Everything matches up.

What He Jinzhi spent months investigating in his previous life, he uncovered overnight in this life.

Shen Nannan glanced at A Chao.

He stood by the couch, his eyes downcast, with an expression of indifference.

But she knew that this matter had something to do with him.

It's even possible that he was the one who orchestrated it.

From the time Tong Shi drugged Shen Yin, to Shen Yin being sent to the Crown Prince's bed, to the fire breaking out, and He Jinzhi's arrival...

—Every step was perfectly timed, with each step linked to the next, so precise it was as if it had been calculated by someone.

She turned her gaze to Qiu Tong: "Where is the Crown Prince?"

"It was supposed to be a done deal." Qiu Tong frowned.

"He Jinzhi immediately tried to arrest him, and the Crown Prince's men drew their swords, almost causing a fight. But then—"

She paused, then lowered her voice: "Prime Minister Su is here."

Shen Nannan's heart sank.

"Su Xiang? Su Yue's father?" she asked. "What's he doing here?"

She thought of Su Yue.

In her past life, she hated Su Yue and resented her for always going against her.

Later, I learned that Su Yue really wanted to save him.

But Su Yue's father was one of the people who caused her family's ruin and death.

"I brought the Emperor's decree."

Qiu Tong sneered, with a hint of disdain.

"Saying that the Crown Prince is the heir apparent concerns the royal family's reputation, so it should be handed over to the Imperial Clan Court for handling. Have He Jinzhi seal up everything he has found, and await His Majesty's decision."

Shen Nannan was stunned.

Should it be handed over to the Imperial Clan Court for handling?

The Imperial Clan Court was in charge of matters within the imperial family. If the Crown Prince committed such a serious offense, handing it over to the Imperial Clan Court was tantamount to handing it over to his own family.

Investigate? How do I investigate?

However, this is similar to the previous life. Although the crown prince was investigated, he was not really seriously injured.

"What did He Jinzhi say?"

"What can he say?" Qiu Tong shrugged. "He can't defy the Emperor's decree, no matter how hard he tries. But—"

She changed the subject, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"That ruthless devil wasn't someone to be trifled with. He declared on the spot that he had handled the case, that there were witnesses and physical evidence, and that the confessions had been recorded, and that no one could touch it. In front of Prime Minister Su, he made a copy of everything, sealed the original file, and took the duplicate with him. Prime Minister Su's face turned ashen, as if he had swallowed a fly."

Shen Nannan breathed a sigh of relief. He Jinzhi, aside from everything else, was truly stubborn.

In his previous life, he was banished from the capital, and before leaving, he dared to break into the Regent's Palace and beg Xiao Yunzhao to release her.

With him around, the Crown Prince's case will never be overturned.

"Nannan?" Qiu Tong saw her lost in thought and waved her hand in front of her face. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing." She snapped out of her reverie. "Where's my brother?"

"They're wandering around outside, saying they want to settle accounts with your guard—saying that when you fainted, that guard held you tightly and wouldn't let anyone touch you."

As Qiu Tong spoke, she glanced at A Chao.

"By the way, what are you planning to do about your second aunt?"

Shen Nannan leaned against the pillow and thought for a moment.

"She sent her daughter to the Crown Prince's bed, and the whole capital saw it. I don't need to do anything; she'll never be able to turn her life around."

Qiu Tong nodded, stood up, and patted her skirt: "Alright, you should rest. We'll take care of things outside, don't worry about it."

She lifted the curtain to go out.

He stopped abruptly at the entrance of the tent and glanced back at A-Chao.

"You," she pointed at him, "come out for a moment."

Ah Chao looked up and gazed at Shen Nannan.

Shen Nannan paused for a moment, then nodded at him: "Go ahead."

A-Chao went out with Qiu Tong.

The curtains fell, blocking out the light.

Shen Nannan sat alone on the tatami mat, hugging the quilt, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

The Crown Prince was taken away by Prime Minister Su. He Jinzhi withheld the evidence. The medicine was found in the Crown Prince's tent. Shen Yin became the scapegoat. Tong Shi shot herself in the foot.

Everything was as she had expected, yet also quite different.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, there was something different in them—not fear, not panic, but something calm and steady.

The road ahead is still long.

The prince emptied one money bag, and there was a second one.

The fact that Prime Minister Su stood up to protect the Crown Prince shows that the Crown Prince is still useful.

The fact that the Emperor handed the person over to the Imperial Clan Court indicates that he has no intention of touching the Crown Prince.

But she wasn't afraid.

She is not alone in this life.

Footsteps came from outside, very light, it was Ah Chao.

The curtain was lifted, and he walked in, carrying a bowl of hot porridge, steaming in the air.

"Miss Qiu asked me to cook this for her."

He placed the porridge on the small table beside the tatami mat.

"They say the young lady hasn't eaten anything all day."

Shen Nannan looked at the bowl of porridge, then at him: "What did she say to you?"

Ah Chao lowered his eyes and said in a flat voice, "Tell this servant to take good care of Miss. Say that Miss is weak and cannot withstand any hardship."

Shen Nannan waited for him to continue, but he didn't say anything.

"That's all?"

"Um."

She didn't believe him, but he wouldn't tell her, and she couldn't get the answer out of him.

She picked up the porridge and took a sip.

It's simmered until thick, with red dates and goji berries added, and it's sweet.

"Did you make this?" she asked.

"Um."

"It tastes pretty good."

His lips curved slightly, but he quickly closed them again.

Shen Nannan was drinking her porridge, but her mind was still racing.

She put down her bowl and looked at A-Chao.

He stood by the couch, his eyes lowered, still with that respectful demeanor.

"You already knew," she said.

He didn't speak.

"You know how much medicine the Crown Prince brought, when He Jinzhi will arrive, and that Prime Minister Su will come to the rescue."

She stared at him. "You were the one who ordered this fire to be set."

Ah Chao looked up at her.

Those eyes were unfathomable, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Miss," he began, his voice flat.

"This servant is just a stable boy."

Shen Nannan stared at him for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"A stable boy?" she repeated. "Could a stable boy really orchestrate such a grand scheme?"

He didn't speak, he just looked at her.

Shen Nannan didn't press the matter.

She knew she wouldn't get an answer, and she didn't want to ask anymore.

There are some things he doesn't say, and there's a reason why he doesn't say them.

Just like her own secret, didn't she also not tell him?

She picked up the bowl again and finished the porridge.

She handed him the bowl, and he took it. His fingertips touched hers, and they both paused for a moment.