Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Her entire body was covered in...

him?

Chun Ming blinked in bewilderment at the words.

A moment later, she understood. She glanced past the young girl to the tall figure behind her. His eyes were starry, his brows sharp, his figure slender and straight as a pine tree. A faint arrogance lingered, and an undeniable unquestioning expression etched between his brows. But his deep gaze, fixed on the young lady, shone with a hint of heartache.

It seemed that His Royal Highness Prince Su had his eye on the young lady.

The haze that had lingered in Chun Ming's heart for years finally dissipated somewhat. If the young lady farewell, she would find it difficult to comfort the young lady who had been brutally murdered, and she didn't know how to face her face a hundred years from now.

Seeing that she had been silent for a long time, Biezhi fetched a clean handkerchief and wiped the tears from her face. He then took the teacup and offered it to her, indicating that she should drink some to moisten her throat.

After drinking her tea, Chun Ming belatedly noticed three figures who had walked into the study. One of them looked very familiar. She recognized him as Song Minghui, the former governor of Suzhou. The moment their eyes met, the tears that had been about to stop in her eyes overflowed again. She fluttered and knelt down: "I request Your Highness to thoroughly investigate the Suzhou family massacre case. They are not bandits!"

A heartbroken voice echoed in the quiet study. Biezhi raised her eyelids and looked at the silent man. Her calm expression did not reveal any emotional fluctuations. She helped Chun Ming, who was kneeling on the ground, up, her voice slightly hoarse: "Do you know who it is?" "

Zhang Yan." Chun Ming's voice trembled, hatred was overwhelming. She would never forget this face until her death, "Zhang Yan, the Minister of Works."

In an instant, the study was silent.

Su Ci glanced at His Highness Prince Su, whose expression was solemn in the dappled light, and demanded, "How can you be sure it was Zhang Yan?"

"I will never forget his face until I die." Chun Ming gritted her teeth, forcing them to stop chattering, and spoke word by word, "I had no idea the evil spirit was Zhang Yan. Last year, I came to the palace with Chen Ming in Beijing and stumbled upon him. After asking around, I learned his name was Zhang Yan, and he's currently the Minister of Works."

Her blood froze when she learned his identity.

Minister of Works.

A Minister of Works personally promoted by His Highness Prince Su.

A chilling look shone in Fu Huaiqing's dark eyes.

He calmly toyed with his white jade ring and gave Jiang Yue a look. From her words, she knew she had only recognized Zhang Yan and was unaware of his reason for slaughtering the entire Bian family.

After Chun Ming finished speaking, she glanced at the faces of those around her, all with a look of understanding. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she glanced sideways at the young lady supporting her. She, too, looked as if she had known this would happen.

Bie Zhi patted the back of her hand soothingly, then glanced back at Fu Huaiqing, pursing her lips and saying, "Only one day."

If Zhang Yan couldn't be killed tomorrow, and he was allowed to leave the capital, he would simply be free. The thought of him surviving for nearly twenty years brought a few tears to Bie Zhi's eyes.

The girl's almond-shaped eyes, usually filled with a bright smile, were now as still as a pool of water. Fu Huaiqing frowned slightly, understanding what she was about to do. She couldn't wait until tomorrow; she would strike at Zhang Yan tonight.

Jiang Yue, on the side, led the others away. Chun Ming, reluctant to leave, kept looking back at her young lady.

The study door opened and closed, only for a moment.

Fu Huaiqing frowned at her. "Tonight?"

"Yes," Bie Zhi nodded.

She took a deep breath, blinking her eyes to suppress the tears that were about to overflow.

Overnight, one hundred and twenty-seven people.

How did he manage to walk in the world with a clear conscience? "For nineteen years, he has never felt uneasy for a single day."

And her people will never see the prosperity of this world again, buried in the cold and dark underground.

Biezhi bit her lip and said in a trembling voice: "Killing someone who acts so cruelly is also doing justice for the heavens."

The girl's eyelashes were filled with tears, and her eyes were as bright as a clear spring.

Fu Huaiqing sighed slightly, walked forward, put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her in his arms, patting her gently as if comforting a child, and his hands moved more gently than the last. He said nothing else, just: "Come back safely."

Hearing this, Biezhi raised her eyes and met the man's downcast gaze.

The pain in his eyes threatened to overflow, mingled with the love she usually ignored. She pursed her lips, stood on tiptoe, and lifted her head to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Fu Huaiqing's eyes, frozen in a moment, froze.

It wasn't just a kiss that greeted him, but also her affection.

Instantly, the man's thin lips followed, pressing against the girl's tightly pursed lips.

A twirl, a lingering entanglement.

His scorching, burning breath filled the air, nearly enveloping her. His teeth pushed apart, and in an instant, the breath from her throat was wiped away.

Fu Huaiqing tasted the bitterness of the tears. His large palm rested on the girl's face, gradually pushing away the tears that were flowing from the corners of her eyes. He withdrew slightly, slowly passing a breath to her, then a moment later, removing his own breath from the lingering breath at her throat.

Over and over again,

until her body was completely filled with his scent.

Fu Huaiqing wiped the water stains from the girl's lips with his fingertips, his gentle, yet fierce, brushing as if to etch this moment into his heart. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

"Don't worry, too." Biezhi's voice was indescribably hoarse, her eyes gleaming with a bright glow. She raised an eyebrow and said, "I'll come back to settle accounts with you."

"You pretended to be Ji Ran to deceive me, afraid I'd recognize you as your master after taking Shanju's medicine and turning into an unpleasant buffalo sound. You cheated me out of five hundred taels." She counted off the details on her fingers. "You were afraid I'd really marry Ji Ran, so you tried to stop me. You even dared to ask Ji Ran if he agreed, and then pretended to be Ji Ran and politely refused. I still remember all of this. Your Highness, Prince Su, don't try to pretend it never happened."

She remembered everything that had happened.

She had written down every detail in a book so she wouldn't let him go so easily.

She would definitely come back safely to settle accounts with him.

"How could I allow His Royal Highness Prince Su to deceive me without suffering any punishment?

Your Highness, don't try to get away with it." Fu Huaiqing's eyes curved when he heard this.

He lifted the strands of hair from the girl's eyes and said, "Are you sure it's not a reward?"

Bie Zhi blinked.

Reward?

Glancing at the half-smile in the man's eyes, she said, "..."

Bie Zhi was so angry that she couldn't help but raised her hand and pushed him, but she forgot to control the strength in her hand for a moment, pushing Fu Huaiqing back a few steps, and only stopped when her back hit the bookshelf.

She lowered her eyes to look at her open palms and chuckled twice with great apology.

Fu Huaiqing: "..."

Before he could grab her, she trotted away.

Biezhi pushed open the door of the study and suddenly met four or five pairs of eyes standing in the courtyard. One of them was Xiang Lin, who had returned to Beijing at some point and looked stern. There was also her master. They were all waiting outside, seemingly waiting for Fu Huaiqing's order. She thought for a moment, stopped and turned around.

"If you're worried, you can send some people to follow me."

Biezhi could handle it herself, and she didn't want him to feel uneasy because of her.

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked towards her master, who had been looking at her for a long time, hesitant

to speak. Ling Feng, who had just arrived with the news, had a serious expression. He looked at his determined disciple, his mouth moving, but he couldn't say anything.

In the end, Biezhi spoke first.

She said, "Master, don't worry. I will come back to take care of you in your old age."

The familiar words echoed through the quiet academy, and Lingfeng sighed helplessly. His disciple was unusually persistent in taking care of him in his old age.

He nodded, "Master, I will rely on you in my old age."

For the first time, Biezhi nodded happily without being contradicted, and left the academy with a brisk pace.

She left with Cheng Jin and others who had just returned.

As the girl left the courtyard, everyone in the courtyard, following her figure, suddenly withdrew their gazes and looked at the man standing under the eaves. Xiang Lin was the first to recover. He quickly stepped forward, took out the booklet in his arms, and leaned forward to hand it over.

"I followed the instructions of His Highness and Miss Biezhi and went to Suzhou to investigate. As expected, I found that someone had purchased a large amount of drugs on the black market before the Suzhou massacre." Xiang Lin calculated that the drugs purchased could easily kill thousands of people. However, "the drugs were not purchased under the name of Zhang Yan, but by the current head of the Xu family, who uses the alias Daimao."

Anyone who stepped into the black market, even with an alias or other identity, would be clearly visible to the black market vendors, let alone such a large purchase of drugs.

On the night of the Bian family incident, they realized that the massacre was inextricably linked to the Xu family.

"They're all involved in shady business, so naturally they won't reveal too much about their buyers. Even if they knew the Bian family's annihilation was inextricably linked to the Xu family, they wouldn't dare to come forward." Before Xiang Lin returned to the capital, he had ordered his men to rush to the Xu family's location and surround them in secret. "They haven't figured out the exact feud between the Xu and Bian families in all these years."

Fu Huaiqing hummed calmly, not really surprised.

As early as Xu Wenche's arrival in the capital and Zhang Yan's appearance at his side, he realized that Zhang Yan's connection to the Xu family was more than just a superficial acquaintance. "The Xu family secretly sent Helan Daisong to the Li Dynasty. They've long been on the same page."

Suddenly, Lin Yiqing and Su Ci locked eyes, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

The Xu family, treason?

Fu Huaiqing curled his lips and said coldly, "Send a message to Wang Chuan. Have him lead his men there. We must capture the Xu family tomorrow morning."

If the Bian family's extermination was linked to the Xu family, it must be that the Bian family had sensed something, or possessed evidence of Xu's treason, and refused to ally themselves with them, leading to their catastrophic destruction.

One hundred and twenty-seven people, not a single one spared. Xiang

Lin hurriedly obeyed the order and left.

Having returned to the capital only half an hour ago, he left the city again.

Fu Huaiqing glanced sideways. "Where is Xu Wenche?"

"Qingshizhai," Ling Feng replied. "Mingzhe is with him, never leaving his side."

"Take Qingshan and the others with you." Fu Huaiqing curled his knuckles and tapped the table intermittently. The crisp, slightly dull sound lingered in the study, like a sharp blade striking at one's heart. "Before leaving, Zhang Yan will definitely meet with him."

Ling Feng frowned.

If Biezhi rushed to the Zhang residence now, he might find nothing.

Without hesitation, he hurried to Baiding Tower to join Shang Qingshan and the others.

As one figure after another departed, only the court officials, led by Lin Yiqing, remained in the study. Su Ci and Song Minghui stood on either side of him, awaiting orders from the man behind the desk.

Tomorrow's morning court session would be a major battle for them.

The lights in the Suwang Mansion's academy were bright, but the surrounding streets had already fallen into darkness. The streets, bustling with people during the day, were now shrouded in darkness, a vast silence.

A single dark figure, sword in hand, hurried through the darkness, weaving between the mansions on either side of the street, past the chorus of stringed instruments and zithers, disappearing behind the taverns where the sound of drunken poetry resonated, and continuing on its way to another deserted street.

Passing by a courtyard with the words "Zhang Mansion" on the plaque, the hurried figure paused for a moment and departed.

Biezhi used Zhang's mansion as the axis and explored around. After confirming that there were no shadows hiding outside the Zhang mansion, she reached the wall in the backyard of the Zhang mansion, which was about two people high, and climbed over it nimbly.

Her steps were light and silent.

The sound of the breeze blowing through the dense leaves was louder than the sound of her landing.

She crouched down and walked along the wall, listening carefully to the sounds in the courtyard. The lights around the courtyard were slowly swaying in the breeze, sometimes passing and sometimes falling. The surroundings were as quiet as a dead house.

The main courtyard was silent. Biezhi put her ear to the wall of the bedroom for a moment, lowered her eyes and gradually looked inside.

She climbed the wall and saw that the study, which was only a wall away from the main courtyard, was brightly lit. There were two guards standing guard in the courtyard outside the study. She looked through the window at the figures inside.

One, two.

Biezhi frowned slightly.

Besides Zhang Yan, there were other people.

As she moved slightly to move down and eliminate the figure in the courtyard, she caught a glimpse of a figure hidden behind the top of the study's beams. Her expression froze, and she tugged at the black cloth covering the lower half of her face to make sure it wouldn't fall. Then, she sprinted along the wall toward the upper part of the study.

The moment they met, Biezhi tightened her grip. The blade between her fingertips rested just half an inch from Mingzhe's eyes, and she managed to hold the blade steady at the side of her neck.

The two senior brothers and sisters recognized each other in the darkness.

Mingzhe frowned, his gaze gazing up and down at her figure before he breathed a sigh of relief.

All he knew during his mission was that Jingqing had betrayed the building and led over twenty assassins to attack Biezhi. Upon hearing the news, his master had dispatched secret guards to stop Jingqing. To conceal her presence, Biezhi had retreated into seclusion.

And now, dressed as she was, she appeared before him.

"Is your new mission to kill Zhang Yan?" Mingzhe asked in confusion.

Hearing the gentle sound of his senior brother's breathing, Bie Zhi suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "The other person in the study is Xu Wen Che?"

"It's him," Mingzhe leaned over and gently lifted one of the tiles. "He arrived half a cup of tea ago."

Through the narrow gap, Xu Wen Che's figure could just be seen.

Bie Zhi frowned slightly, remembering what Zhang Yan had said earlier when they were with Xu Wen Che. Her bright eyes darkened a little. She stopped busying herself with Zhang Yan and leaned down to listen.

In the study, Xu Wen Che leaned against the wall, watching Zhang Yan rummaging through boxes nearby with boredom, puzzled by his anxiety. "You sent someone to find me so late at night, weren't you just so I could watch Master Zhang rummaging through things?"

Zhang Yan glanced up at him, ignoring his sarcastic remarks and continuing to flip through the book in his hands. Despite the years and several moves, this bookcase had always been with him, never leaving his hands for even a single day.

When he turned to the bottom, he finally saw the book that he had read many times.

Two pieces of letter paper lay nestled within the book's pages.

One was yellowed with age, contrasting with the other, a brand new piece of paper. It was made of the Duanyang paper, a type popular only last year. Zhang Yan flipped open the new piece of paper, examined it for a moment, then folded it.

He stood up, casually dropped the piece of paper on the edge of his desk, and said politely, "Please, Master Xu, tell your father that I will arrive at the border between the Li Dynasty and the Xilan Kingdom in ten days. He must escort me from the Li Dynasty and bring me safely to

the Xilan Kingdom's capital." Xu Wenche frowned at his words and stood straight. "What happened to Master Zhang that

made you flee the Li Dynasty?" The Xu family frequently conducted business between the Li Dynasty and the Xilan Kingdom. While transporting someone between the two countries wasn't easy, it wasn't difficult, provided the person wasn't under investigation by the government.

Zhang Yan was an official appointed by the court; if he wanted to enter the Xilan Kingdom, he could easily obtain official documents.

Official documents are much quicker and more respectable than the Xu family's secret escape.

Unless—

"Master Zhang has committed some crime and is in a hurry to leave Li Dynasty." Xu Wenche's eyes slowly scanned the room, finally realizing something was amiss.

Aside from the bookcase at Zhang Yan's feet and the scattered volumes he had just rummaged through, the entire study was spotlessly clean and tidy. Even the books on the shelves were brand new, unopened, as if someone had deliberately gathered them for show.

"Although the Xu family has known Master Zhang for many years, not everything can be done—"

"Whether or not to send me away is not your decision," Zhang Yan interrupted him calmly, glancing sideways at the letter that had fallen on the desk. "Take it back in person. Your father will make the final decision."

Xu Wenche frowned, hearing the certainty in his voice.

It was clear he was absolutely certain the Xu family would not refuse his request and would deliver him safely to the capital of Xilan Kingdom.

After staring at each other for a moment, Xu Wenche stepped forward and took the letter that lay quietly on the desk.

He held the letter in his hand, his eyes fixed on Zhang Yan, who appeared calm but was actually a little nervous, and flipped open the letter.

The moment he saw the handwriting on the letter, Xu Wenche's eyes widened slightly, and his mind suddenly became a mess, so stiff that even if he tried hard, he couldn't move it.

Zhang Yan lowered his eyes to glance at the young man's trembling fingertips holding the letter, the veins on the back of his white hand bulging and threatening to burst. He said thoughtfully, "Young Master Xu is now old enough to take on important responsibilities, and the head of the Xu family hasn't told you yet. It seems that he really intends to take this matter to the grave, but—"

He smiled, "Do you really think you can get away with it?"

Xu Wenche tensed up and raised his eyes in disbelief.

The entire letter was covered in eloquent handwriting.

The beginning of the letter was clear at a glance.

"Based on the Bian family's century-long reputation in Suzhou, I accuse the Xu family of Jingzhou of treason and collaborating with the enemy. They secretly brought the enemy general Helan Daisong into the country to investigate our military situation."

The rest is the course of events.

"The Bian family was wiped out, and the Xu family played a great role in it." Zhang Yan raised his eyebrows, and suddenly thought of the girl who would accompany him from time to time some time ago. Since Jing Qing had already taken action, she could not escape death, and now no one knew where she was sleeping. "The second lady of the Qin family who you met some time ago, do you really think she is the second lady of the Qin family?"

Xu Wenche's breathing was slightly stagnant, and it took him a long time to find his voice, "What do you mean."

"She is the orphan of the Bian family." Zhang Yan laughed coldly. He didn't expect that someone could take her away. The baby that the wife of the Bian family held in her arms to comfort that night was not the young girl of the Bian family. "Fortunately, she looks very similar to the wife of the Bian family, otherwise she would have really escaped."

"Forget it, forget it. Why do I say so much to you? She has been dealt with anyway, and you should be relieved." Zhang Yan bent down to collect the books scattered around.

"She's innocent."

Xu Wenche's voice suddenly rang in his ears, his childish words causing Zhang Yan to smile. "Naive."

If he could recognize this person as the orphan of the Bian family, how could the court official appointed in Suzhou not recognize her?

"The master ordered the silencing of this person, and now there's still one person alive. Do you think he'll remain indifferent if he hears of this? By then, not only me, but the entire Xu family will be buried with the Bian family." Zhang Yan was tired of laughing, and he didn't want to argue with this child in his early twenties. He said, "Please, Master Xu, leave the capital early tomorrow morning and put an end to this matter as soon as possible."

"The lives of the entire Xu family will be in your hands."

The terrifying words made Mingzhe's eyelids twitch in the study.

The Xu family traitors?

The Minister of Works is a spy for the Xilan Kingdom?

This matter is serious and must be reported to the emperor.

But this matter was not something Mingzhe could decide alone. He planned to go back to Baiding Tower to inform Qingshan about this matter. When he was about to stand up, his wrist was grabbed by his junior sister who was squatting and listening.

Mingzhe lowered his eyes and met the calm and indifferent eyes of the girl.

Biezhi only knew that Zhang Yan had a good relationship with the Xu family, and according to what Xu Wenche had said before, the relationship between the Xu family and the Bian family was even closer.

Unexpectedly, it was so close.

She pulled the corners of her mouth, glanced at the two figures in the courtyard, and gave a look to her senior brother.

The moment she received her signal, Mingzhe understood what she meant. Although he didn't know what she was going to do, dealing with a guard was just a matter of course for him.

Two black shadows jumped down from the top of the study and disappeared into the dark night.

Biezhi and Mingzhe looked at each other and split up.

Crouching low, she carefully slid through the translucent window, gliding quickly to the treetops. With her palms clenched into blades, she swiftly slashed at the side of one of the guards' necks. With her other hand, she swiftly covered his mouth, muffling any groans that escaped.

The unconscious guard suddenly collapsed. Biezhi supported him, lifting his sturdy body like a chicken and throwing it into the corner. When she returned to the courtyard, Mingzhe gestured to her, indicating that he had also dealt with the other guard. Biezhi

bowed and thanked him, then watched him leave.

If she had seen correctly when she arrived, there were a total of ten guards guarding the Zhang Mansion. The guards that Senior Brother had just dealt with were probably those brought by Xu Wenche. Now that two had been dealt with, there were still eight left.

The eight were distributed across different courtyards.

The Zhang Mansion was not large, and if they heard any noise, they would come quickly.

There were many houses on the same street as the Zhang residence, many of which were the residences of officials appointed by the imperial court. The sound of fighting would certainly attract their attention. Even if Fu Huaiqing could clean up the mess for her, Biezhi still didn't want to cause too much unnecessary trouble.

The sound of footsteps rang in her ears, and her eyes frowned.

The hours passed by bit by bit, and after an unknown amount of time, the night had already brightened, and Xu Wenche finally came out.

His steps were not as agile as usual, nor did he look high and mighty. He walked very quickly, as if he didn't even notice that his guards were not in the courtyard.

Biezhi climbed up the wall and walked forward in the darkness.

She watched Xu Wenche walk out of the archway of the study courtyard, leaped down, crouched down, and rushed behind him. She raised her hand and slashed at his neck as before. Xu Wenche didn't even have time to say a word before he fainted.

Dragging his body into the dark, Biezhi turned up his sleeves, but he didn't see the letter Zhang Yan had handed him. Frowning, she surveyed his body for a moment before swiftly stripping his clothes.

A casual glance revealed the letter under his inner garment.

Biezhi put the letter in his arms, glanced sideways at Cheng Jin on the wall, and gestured for him to come and take Xu Wenche back.

Cheng Jin hesitated as he watched the girl's resolute departure.

Logically, he should report every detail of tonight's events to His Highness. However, should he also report

to His Highness that their future princess had stripped another man's clothes?

Biezhi still remembered the locations of the Zhang Mansion's guards.

She checked them one by one, defeating them one by one.

After dispatching the last guard, she raised her eyes slightly, gazing towards the nearby academy.

Without a moment's hesitation, the courtyard cleared, and she swiftly traversed the long corridors of the Zhang residence, her eyes fixed on Zhang Yan as he emerged from the study.

Zhang Yan was about to exit the archway of the study courtyard when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a sword, its sharp light gleaming.

In a split second, the sharp blade touched his throat.

Biezhi held the sword, the point of the blade resting against his throat, slowly sliding upwards. Drops of blood oozing from it soaked the man's shirt. The blade rested against his neck, just below his jaw, and he slowly thrust inwards a fraction of an inch.

Zhang Yan's eyes held the shock in their gaze, a frown forming. "You're still alive,

" Biezhi said, her pretty face curled up, an innocent yet romantic smile adorning her pretty face. "Not only are you alive, but I'm here to take your life."

Zhang Yan knew she knew everything, and he stepped back.

Seeing this, Biezhi bent her wrist slightly and simply dropped the sword. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and neatly pinched the man's neck. She clenched her free palm into a fist and raised it suddenly.

Zhang Yan's back was hurting so much that he couldn't move at all. He didn't expect that the girl's small body could have such great strength. The oncoming fist was unstoppable. He subconsciously closed his eyes, but after waiting for a moment, the fist didn't fall.

Zhang Yan opened his eyes and saw that the girl's tightly clenched fist was only as big as the gap between his fingers.

Before leaving Prince Su's Mansion, Biezhi really intended to kill him.

However, on the way to Zhang's Mansion, she was thinking.

To die so easily was too easy for Zhang Yan.

A spy, a Li Dynasty spy working for the Xilan Kingdom, a demon who led his men to slaughter the entire Bian family, meting out a silent death at her hands, unaccounted for. How could he offer comfort to the souls lost because of him?

And...

would Fu Huaiqing face unnecessary challenges because of his handling of the situation?

Biezhi sighed deeply. "Cheng Jin."

The moment the name escaped the girl's lips, Zhang Yan's eyes widened, and he frowned as he watched through the corner of his eyes as the figure leaped down from the wall, followed by the guards he had seen around His Highness Prince Su.

A wave of panic finally washed over him, and he struggled desperately.

Biezhi watched his struggles as if they were inanimate objects, slowly pressing in a few more inches. "How long until the morning court?"

Cheng Jin glanced at the sky. "Half an hour."

"He'll also be entering the palace at this hour." Biezhi slightly loosened her grip on Zhang Yan and tossed him aside as if discarding filth.

The waiting guards immediately advanced and apprehended him. Biezhi

pulled out the letter she had taken from Xu Wenche's arms and handed it to Cheng Jin. As her lips parted, she pondered for a moment, then hurried to the study and rummaged through the drawers. After some effort, she finally found the yellowed letter among the books in the bookcase.

The two letters contained identical content, differing only in the handwriting.

At the end of the yellowed paper, two names were written in different handwritings:

Bian He and Lu Jingshi.

One was written in a flowing, elegant cursive script, the other in a sharp, clear one, each with its own merits.

Biezhi's breath was still, and she was speechless for a while.

She didn't know the mood in which they penned this letter. The

letter was completed as soon as their names were signed.

Biezhi wondered if the letter had been intercepted en route, or if it had met with tragedy before it even reached the Bian family. Regardless, she wanted to give them a clean chit.

She put away the yellowed letter. "You hand the letter in your hand to him."

Cheng Jin nodded in acceptance.

They stared at each other for a moment, and seeing that he showed no sign of leaving, Biezhi murmured a puzzled "hmm." "Aren't you leaving?"

"Young lady, would you like to come to the palace with me?" Cheng Jin uttered the words that had been lingering in his mind for a long time. He had already been thinking about how to bring it up before they came. He also wondered if she should return to the palace to wash off the bloody scent. Now she stood here clean and tidy. "His Highness would probably want to see you right away."

Biezhi thought about it and agreed.

The Su Wang Palace's carriage soon stopped in front of the Zhang Mansion. Court officials, leaving the residence to enter the palace, spotted the carriage parked outside and thought they were drowsy. A glimpse of everyone's stunned expressions confirmed their accuracy.

Soon, a young woman emerged from the Zhang Mansion, followed by Cheng Jin.

The gathered court officials watched as the girl climbed into the carriage and the Su Wang Palace guards escorted Zhang Yan out.

Suddenly,

they exchanged glances, each realizing something was about to change.

Something significant was bound to happen at court today.

Without further delay, they all turned to search for their own carriages, urging the grooms to hurry to the palace.

Biezhi, who had never set foot inside the imperial palace, gazed at the towering walls. He glanced at the patrolling guards, realizing what the common people of Beijing had said: none of the men who could serve in the palace were unattractive.

Handsome looks, upright figures, each with its own flavor.

Without exception, they all conform to her aesthetic taste.

However, the matter has not been handled yet, and she is not in the mood to see what the guards look like. She is about to urge Cheng Jin to deliver the letter, and she sees Fu Shuning trotting over with her skirt lifted up. The corner of Biezhi's slightly opened mouth returns to its original position.

Fu Shuning looked up and down at the girl, and the words overflowed from his mouth very quickly, "When I heard that my sister was going to deal with him, I was so anxious."

"I'm fine." Biezhi didn't expect that she had heard about this too. After thinking for a moment, she stretched out her hands and took half a step back, turning around in front of her, "The people around him are all mediocre, and they can't do anything to me."

Fu Shuning's eyes followed the girl's figure, making sure there were no scars on her body. Her heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down. "My brother entered the palace very early today. I couldn't sleep either, so I felt something was strange, so I got up to take a look. When I saw that Lord Lin and other cabinet ministers had entered the palace with him, I realized something was wrong."

She didn't bother her brother, but grabbed Jiang Yue and interrogated him.

After questioning for nearly half an hour, the two stared at each other for a long time, and then a secret guard hurried over. After paying his respects, he leaned over and whispered in Jiang Yue's ear. Jiang Yue breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his report.

He stepped forward, knocked on the door, and went inside to report.

When he came out, he told Fu Shuning what had happened.

Fu Shuning was terrified. No one told her that so many things had happened in just half a day. "I was worried that if my brother caught you eavesdropping, he would lock you up."

Bie Zhi: "..."

It would have been better if she didn't mention it. As soon as she mentioned it, she remembered it.

"If we are caught again, don't tell anyone, okay?"

Fu Shuning also remembered the words she said in a panic, and complained aggrievedly: "Brother is too fierce."

It's not just this time, it's like this every time.

Without Fu Huaiqing asking, she sold herself out.

Bie Zhi heard this and thought of the Prince Su whom she met when she was disguised as the second daughter of the Qin family more than half a month ago. She hummed and agreed: "Indeed."

"Brother is also fierce to his sister?" Fu Shuning was no longer aggrieved. She was a little surprised, and she even had the momentum to go find her brother to argue with him, "How could he do this!" "It's

okay, it's okay." Bie Zhi hurriedly held her back, "I will go find him myself."

Fu Shuning hesitated, not quite believing it.

She lowered her eyes to glance at the girl's small frame. "..."

Her naked gaze was so blunt, so blunt that even Bie Zhi, who considered herself incredibly thick-skinned, could barely stand her scrutiny. "You—" She opened her mouth to say a word, then saw Cheng Jin approaching with a stern expression. She stopped the words on the tip of her tongue and looked at the newcomer.

Cheng Jin leaned slightly and explained his purpose.

Bie Zhi's eyelashes fluttered at his words. "Are you sure you want me to go?"

"Yes," Cheng Jin nodded. "Your Highness means that since you found the evidence, it's your contribution, and it should be made known to the world. Moreover," he paused, his words echoing in his ears, "Your Highness said that you are the one who most wants to send Zhang Yan away personally, and that the final blow to him should be dealt by you."

Bie Zhi was silent for a moment, then smiled.

She glanced at Fu Shuning, who was confused. "Would you like to come with me?"

Fu Shuning, unsure where to go, nodded repeatedly.

Inside Xuanzheng Hall,

a man spoke slowly and steadily. Su Ci, holding the petition sent from the Dali Temple, recounted the details of the Hezhou case. When he mentioned that the arrested men were associated with Zhang Yan and were all spies from the Xilan Kingdom, the civil and military officials who had been listening quietly with lowered eyes suddenly raised their heads, suppressing their inner uproar. Some of the courtiers who shared the same street as Zhang Yan's residence recalled the scene they had witnessed at dawn not long ago.

Xiang Lin, standing among the officials, bowed and took a half step outside. "I also have something to report to Your Highness."

The courtiers standing in front heard his voice and glanced sideways. With the exception of Lin Yiqing and Su Ci, who already knew the truth, everyone's face was filled with shock. As the Yingyuan Hall's inspector, Xiang Lin usually kept silent in court unless it was a matter of urgency. But if he did, someone would surely suffer calamity.

Fu Huaiqing, seated high up in the hall, withdrew his gaze from the area outside Xuanzheng Hall and said calmly, "You said it."

"I was previously ordered by Your Highness to go to Suzhou to thoroughly investigate the Bian family's massacre. The Xu family had purchased a large quantity of drugs before the Bian family's incident. Since then, the whereabouts of these drugs remain unknown. I led my men to follow this lead and discovered that the drugs were used on the Bian family's neighbors."

"I asked Lord Song Minghui, the then-prefect of Suzhou, and he also said that when they investigated nineteen years ago, the surrounding neighborhood was completely unaware of what had happened that night. How could such a massive massacre take place overnight without anyone hearing a sound? Even the guard dogs kept by every household didn't bark at the pungent smell of blood."

Song Minghui, who had been called upon, stepped forward and bowed, echoing Xiang Lin's words.

For a moment, all the officials were buzzing with discussion.

"Yesterday afternoon, someone visited the palace,"

Fu Huaiqing, seated majestically in the hall, said calmly. The whispering courtiers instantly fell silent, their attention withdrawing from their surroundings to listen intently to his words.

"She claimed to be the personal maid of the wife of the Bian family in Suzhou."

"The man who led the massacre of the Bian family that night was none other than Zhang Yan."

These indifferent words echoed slowly through the Xuanzheng Hall. The courtiers, understanding the underlying meaning, raised their eyelids in surprise, gazing at the solemn expression of His Highness the Prince of Su, unable to believe what they had heard.

In a moment, however, they connected the dots between the man in the hall and Xiang Lin Su Ci's recent conversation.

"Besides that," Fu Huaiqing glanced sideways. Jiang Yue quietly withdrew, raising his eyelids to look at the young woman standing outside the hall. "There are also witnesses and physical evidence," he said.

The officials in the court followed the man in the high seat and looked behind them. When they caught sight of the young woman's face, they froze in shock.

Wasn't this the second daughter of the Qin family who was murdered a while ago?

How could she be here?

And how could she be a witness in the Zhang Yan case?

Many glanced at the two Qin men among the officials. Seeing their expressionless faces, the confusion that washed over them almost made the unsuspecting officials hold their breath.

Su Ci glanced around at the usually stern officials, now alternately stunned, suspicious, and speculative. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "

Just watch more. You'll get used to it."

He had already gotten used to it.

When the young girl was about to bow when Jiang Yue, who had unknowingly arrived at the imperial steps, stopped her, all the officials knew his actions represented the will of Prince Su. Unaware of the true situation, they vaguely sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite put their finger on what.

Fu Huaiqing's gaze fixed on her, tracing her length and then lifting to rest on her almond-shaped eyes. Those

round, almond-shaped eyes shone with a different light, a hint of lightness and laughter that lived up to the dullness of the previous night.

After a moment's gaze, Fu Huaiqing's inky black eyes relaxed slightly.

Suddenly, a warm breeze filled the Xuanzheng Hall.

Fu Huaiqing's gaze swept over the astonished courtiers and said casually, "She's not the second daughter of the Qin family, but the youngest surviving daughter of the Bian family."

The officials exchanged glances, each seeing the unconcealed astonishment in their respective expressions.

They, whose receptive abilities were much stronger than those of ordinary people, finally recovered and heard His Royal Highness Prince Su's words, his voice as clear as a spring, and a smile that they had rarely heard.

"She is also the woman that this prince is interested in."