If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Night fell, but the rain continued.

The western study of the Langya Wang family was brightly lit by candlelight.

"Young Master, a secret letter from the palace." Mr. Zhou's expression was solemn. "His Majesty summons you to the palace tomorrow to discuss the assassination of the Prince of Huainan's heir. The Prince of Huainan has submitted a memorial, saying that there's no smoke without fire, and since you and Miss Xi are both involved in the assassination case, it's not appropriate for you to investigate this matter."

Wang Jue glanced at the secret letter and sneered, "If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext. They all share the surname Xiao, so I'll say that I suspect that all of them, the royal family, are conspiring to harm my Wang clan."

"As for the Xi family, Miss Xi should have already received the summons to the palace."

"With her temper, messing with her is suicide."

Xi Lingxian is not the kind of person who would let herself suffer a loss.

"..." Mr. Zhou hesitated, "But Miss Xi is, after all, a young woman, unaware of the wickedness of people's hearts. What if..."

They are not only ignorant of the wickedness of human nature, they are utterly unable to distinguish right from wrong.

The person most suspected became a gentleman in her eyes.

That's incredibly stupid.

……

The next day at 9:00 AM

Jiankang Palace, Qide Hall

"Your Majesty, I have something to ask of you for justice."

The ministers in the hall were completely silent.

The events of last night have spread throughout Jiankang City overnight.

The Crown Prince of Huainan was assassinated. The murder weapon was engraved with the clan emblem of the Langya Wang clan, and the dagger was said to have come from the Xi family.

"Your Majesty, please thoroughly investigate the matter and give Jing'er justice."

The Wang family immediately defended their master, saying, "Lord Wang and the Prince of Huainan have no past grudges or recent conflicts. What reason would you have to harm the prince? It is only natural for Your Highness to cherish your son, but this matter is most likely a frame-up by someone with ulterior motives. We must be on guard."

"I admit that my son is somewhat lustful. The Xi family's daughter is beautiful, and my son's words and actions have been disgraceful. Second Prince, I have heard that you have defended the Xi family's daughter on many occasions. With your uncompromising nature, you could even depose the Crown Prince, let alone my son."

Wang Jue remained calm. "Your Highness, it was just a verbal dispute. His Highness the Crown Prince used inappropriate words, and I stepped in to dissuade him. That's all."

"No matter how eloquent you are, Young Master Wang, you can't change the facts. The murder weapon bears your Wang family crest, and that dagger came from the Xi family's storeroom. The Wang family and the Xi family, one providing the knife and the other the man, coordinated perfectly. Do you dare say that this matter has nothing to do with your two families?"

"I don't deny that the dagger bears the Wang family crest. However, the Wang family workshop produces thousands of items every year, so it wouldn't be difficult for the person behind it to take a piece or two. To convict someone based solely on a family crest is rather hasty."

The Prince of Huainan looked grim. "Your Majesty, thoroughly investigate this case. Neither the Langya Wang clan nor the Jingkou Xi clan should be employed."

"Both of them are suspects. Letting a suspect investigate their own case isn't investigating a case; that's collusion."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

No one can say that "letting the Wang family investigate the Wang family" is reasonable.

Who can truly be "impartial" in this matter?

"I recommend the Prince of Chenliu. The Prince of Chenliu has no connection with either the Wang or Xi families. He has only recently arrived in the capital and has no power base in the court, so he will not hesitate to investigate cases. Furthermore—"

Emperor: "Prince of Chenliu... what do you think?"

Xiao Yun walked into the hall, unhurriedly.

"Your Majesty, I have just arrived in Jiankang and am unfamiliar with both the people and the land. I should not have been entrusted with such an important task. However, since His Highness the Prince of Huainan trusts me and Your Majesty does not mind, I am willing to give it a try."

The emperor breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded: "This case will be entrusted to the Prince of Chenliu for full investigation."

"Your Majesty." A voice rang out from the ranks of civil officials.

"I have something to report."

"I impeach the Langya Wang clan for condoning their members' encroachment on fertile land and forcing them to buy and sell. I did not want to speak of this matter, but today the heir of the Prince of Huainan was assassinated, and the Wang family is involved. I believe that we can no longer tolerate this."

"Your Majesty, I impeach Wang Bing for embezzling disaster relief funds during his tenure."

……

Xi Lingxian sat at the table and watched for a long time, while the group of men who were arguing so heatedly seemed to have completely forgotten her presence.

Or perhaps they think she's insignificant and not worth mentioning.

Anyway, no one paid any attention to her for a long time.

Watching these powerful and influential officials argue so fiercely, she felt that the world was truly laughable.

The Langya Wang clan has only fallen into a slight disadvantage, yet so many people are already eager to kick them while they're down.

What family background, what family ties, what community of interests?

In the face of a real crisis, everything is just a facade.

Just as she was secretly grumbling to herself, the Prince of Huainan suddenly turned his head and his gaze lingered on her face for a moment.

"Your Majesty, Jing'er is still unconscious. Your Highness knows my good-for-nothing son. He has been a troublemaker since childhood, failing in his studies and martial arts, and spending his days idly. But he truly loves this girl from the Xi family."

The King of Huainan continued, "Your Majesty, I request that you issue an edict allowing Miss Xi to care for my child at his bedside."

The hall erupted in chaos.

"The child is currently unconscious. Although there are maids serving him, those servants are clumsy and incompetent. How could they know how to take care of someone? Miss Xi is a lady from a respectable family and is very meticulous. Letting her take care of the child would not only be more considerate than the servants, but it would also be a way for her to atone for her mistakes."

The discussions in the hall grew louder, and everyone looked at the young lady of the Xi family with pity.

Today she wore a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a light blue gauze outer garment, and her black hair was styled in a cloud-like bun, adorned with a white magnolia hairpin.

Morning light filtered through the cracks in the palace doors, falling upon her. The sheer fabric of her dress was as light and airy as smoke, making her appear as if she had stepped out of a painting, ethereal and otherworldly.

In times of chaos, whether beauty is a blessing or a curse is hard to say.

The Prince of Huainan's voice softened further, carrying a nauseatingly benevolent tone, "My son is deeply in love with Miss Xi. If he could be cared for by her while he is seriously ill, and see her by his side when he wakes up, perhaps he would be so happy that his injuries would heal. At that time—"

"I, your servant, propose marriage to Miss Xi on behalf of my son. It will be a proper marriage with eight bearers in a grand sedan chair, and the Xi family will not suffer the slightest grievance."

To atone for one's sins with good deeds. To propose marriage. A proper marriage. A grand wedding procession carried by eight bearers.

Every word sounds grand and dignified.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Xi Ling stood up, her moon-white skirt brushing against the ground.

"His Highness said I should go and take care of His Highness the Crown Prince. I would like to ask His Highness, under what pretext? As a female physician? A servant? Or a prisoner?"

The King of Huainan's face darkened.

"Your Highness just said you would atone for your crimes with good deeds. Then may I ask Your Highness, what crime have I committed? Did I personally stab His Highness the Crown Prince? Or did I order someone to assassinate him?"

"Does Your Highness have any evidence?"

"If there is no evidence, then I am innocent. Since I am innocent, there is no question of atonement. As a daughter of a prestigious family, it seems Your Highness has no right to ask me to take care of a man from another family?"

The Prince of Huainan stared intently at Xi Lingxian, his gaze seemingly venomous.

A prince was publicly contradicted by a young girl, a truly humiliating defeat.

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out each word from between them, "What a sharp tongue."

"If I insist that you enter the gates of the Prince of Huainan's residence, what will you do?"

Xi Rui shielded Xi Lingxian behind him, his eyes bloodshot, like a raging beast. "If Your Highness insists on this, I'm afraid you'll have to ask the tens of thousands of troops stationed in Jingkou if they agree?"

"How dare you!"

"Is your Xi family planning a rebellion?"

Xi Jian remained unmoved, each word carrying immense weight: "If Your Highness insists on abusing your power, I am not afraid to act as a loyal minister to purge the court of corrupt officials."