“Lady Xu” was not Lady Xu, and the man who had taken liberties with “Lady Xu” was the Crown Prince. Meng Ziyi, who stood in the room with a fierce expression, suddenly felt confused. At that moment, Zheng Baishi appeared at the doorway, accompanied by Yan Chi and Qin Wan, along with all the Meng household members including Meng Zhou and Lady Xu.

Meng Zhou looked at Meng Ziyi with bloodshot eyes, while Lady Xu rushed to Meng Ziyi’s side in tears, “They took me away, they took me away…” Lady Xu spoke urgently, indicating that they had deliberately set up this scheme.

By now, Meng Ziyi understood everything. His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and the murderous intent had not yet faded from his face. He positioned Lady Xu behind him protectively, while his eyes looked at Zheng Baishi and Meng Zhou’s group with pure hatred.

Meanwhile, Yun Yan helped Yan Li up. Seeing so many people appear, Yan Li hurriedly stood up. Though he tried to control himself, his face remained deathly pale. As the two walked to the door, Qin Wan quickly asked, “How are your injuries?”

Yan Li straightened his chest, “It’s nothing… nothing serious…” But as soon as he finished speaking, he couldn’t help but start coughing.

Qin Wan urgently said, “Please step aside, Your Highness. If the injuries are severe, we must examine them now.”

Yan Li waved his hand, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I want to see what’s going on with Young Master Meng.”

This was a trap, designed to expose Meng Ziyi’s true “face.” Because of this, Yan Li also wanted to see what was going on with Meng Ziyi. Seeing this, Qin Wan could only nod helplessly.

Meanwhile, Meng Zhou cried out in pain, “Ziyi, how could it be you!”

Hearing this, Meng Ziyi gave a cold laugh, “Uncle, I’m not Ziyi—”

As soon as Meng Ziyi spoke, everyone noticed something was wrong. Although his voice hadn’t changed, he was no longer stuttering. Not only was his stutter gone, but his voice was full of confidence, filled with resentful fury.

Meng Zhou froze, “Not Ziyi?”

He looked at Meng Ziyi, and although Meng Ziyi’s demeanor was vastly different from usual if this wasn’t Meng Ziyi, then who was it?

Hearing this, Meng Ziyi laughed coldly again, “Uncle, I am Zixiao.”

At these words, everyone from the Meng household drew in a sharp breath. Zixiao? Meng Zixiao?!

Not just the Meng household members, but even Zheng Baishi knew that Meng Zixiao was Meng Ziyi’s elder brother, who had died from illness ten years ago. How could this be Meng Zixiao?!

“Ziyi, have you lost your mind?! How could you be Zixiao?! Your elder brother passed away many years ago. What’s wrong with you?” Meng Zhou stepped forward as he spoke. Meng Ziyi had grown up under his watch, and as the head of the Meng family, he had treated Meng Ziyi almost like his own child. Now this trap had proven everything – Meng Ziyi wasn’t that weak and incompetent child, but how could he claim to be Meng Zixiao?

Meng Ziyi laughed coldly, “Uncle, Ziyi is too weak. He couldn’t protect his mother and wife, so I came back. If it were Ziyi, he wouldn’t even have had the strength to break down the door today.”

Meng Zhou’s temples throbbed as he listened. Meng Zixiao had been dead for ten years – by now, his spirit should have been reincarnated. Could it be that he had possessed Meng Ziyi’s body?

Meng Zhou couldn’t find words to respond, only turning to look at Zheng Baishi, “Brother Zheng, have you ever heard of such a thing? Ziyi must be possessed by a spirit and has gone mad. Brother Zheng, if this is the case, even if Ziyi committed crimes, it wasn’t from his true heart. Brother Zheng, could you allow me to invite some masters to perform rituals before we proceed? The current Ziyi is not in his right mind.”

Meng Zhou was at a loss, and how could Zheng Baishi have ever seen anything like this?

Looking at it from any angle, it seemed like spirit possession. After pondering for a while without conclusion, he could only turn to look at Qin Wan beside him, “Ninth Miss, what’s going on here? Has he lost his mind, or… is he possessed by some evil spirit?”

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes as she looked at Meng Ziyi, shaking her head, “Neither.”

Meng Zhou and Zheng Baishi were startled as Qin Wan continued, “He truly believes he is his elder brother. At this moment, he is Meng Zixiao, while Meng Ziyi is asleep…”

As Qin Wan spoke thus, Zheng Baishi and the Meng household members were caught between understanding and confusion.

Qin Wan stared at Meng Ziyi and said, “His elder brother was accomplished in both literary and martial arts back then. He must have greatly admired his elder brother. Not only that, his elder brother must have protected him very well back then. Because of this, he always viewed his elder brother as a protective deity. So after his elder brother passed away, when he was bullied to the point of desperation, he would imagine himself as his elder brother. Because of this, he could now do things he normally wouldn’t have the courage to do.”

The Third Madam’s eyes reddened upon hearing these words, and she couldn’t help but lower her head to wipe away tears. Meng Zhou asked, “Sister-in-law, what exactly is going on? Do you know?”

The Third Madam’s withered face showed nothing but pain, “Zixiao has returned. He couldn’t bear to see his younger brother being bullied, so he came back…”

As Meng Zhou listened, his mind became even more confused. Meanwhile, Zheng Baishi didn’t bother with these matters first, instead looking directly at Meng Ziyi and asking, “Whether you’re Meng Ziyi or Meng Zixiao, let me ask you this: Did you kill Meng Jin and Meng Wei?”

At the mention of these two names, Meng Ziyi’s face turned harsh, “Won’t the authorities investigate whether I did it or not?”

Zheng Baishi’s brows furrowed, and his eyes narrowed. This version of Meng Ziyi not only completely changed from his usual timid manner but even dared to quibble in front of him. Zheng Baishi’s brows furrowed deeply, “You think the magistrate’s office has no evidence?!”

Speaking thus, Zheng Baishi called out sharply, “Zhan Yang!”

At his call, Zhan Yang walked out from the side, holding a cloth bag. He said, “Just after everyone left the Meng residence, we searched the premises. During the search, we found rose petals used for bathing in the Young Madam’s room. These roses had been there for some days, with only a handful of wilted flowers remaining, and underneath, there were still many rose seeds.”

Saying this, Zhan Yang handed the cloth bag to Zheng Baishi and continued, “Our autopsy revealed that although Meng Jin was found in the lake, he didn’t drown there. He was drowned elsewhere and then dumped in the lake. The killer wanted to make it appear as if he had accidentally fallen into the lake, but after our examination, we found rose seeds in Meng Jin’s stomach, which he had inhaled when he drowned. This proves that Meng Jin was drowned in water containing rose seeds.”

“Additionally, Meng Jin had wounds on his stomach and the back of his head, proving that when he drowned, his stomach was pressed against something while a hand pressed his head underwater. That’s how he was drowned. We investigated and found a bathtub in the Young Madam’s room that matched the height of the wounds on Meng Jin’s body exactly. Strangely, though, the Young Madam hasn’t used that bathtub for many days. Neither has the Young Madam nor the Third Young Master used it – could it be because someone died in that bathtub, making it taboo?”

Hearing this, Meng Ziyi laughed coldly, “Just based on this? Why couldn’t it be someone else in the household who bathed with roses?”

Zhan Yang smiled, “We’ve inquired about other rooms as well, and truly no one else uses roses for bathing, only the Young Madam. The Young Madam enjoys growing flowers and has a refined taste in other matters as well, while others do not. Young Master Meng, if you can quibble about this, how would you explain the pair of mud-stained socks we found in the Third Residence?”

“When you killed Meng Wei, you first knocked him unconscious, then carried him to the old willow tree. You wore his shoes to walk there, hung him up, and then put the shoes back on his feet. After that, you left through the lake, but you didn’t notice that there was also mud on the opposite shore.”

“You returned wearing the mud-stained socks, intending to dispose of all your clothes, but by coincidence, the Young Madam’s maid took them for washing. However, the socks were too dirty, and the maid thought she had taken the wrong ones, so she threw them in a corner of the washing room. The mud on those socks can only be found by the lake, proving you went to the lakeside wearing those socks and stepped in the mud. Moreover, on the night Meng Wei died, you requested a bowl of ginger soup in your room, claiming you had caught a chill. In truth, it was because you had swum through the cold lake and were afraid of falling ill and exposing yourself. Young Master Meng, am I correct?”

A ripple appeared in Meng Ziyi’s eyes, but he still said, “A pair of socks, how can that prove—”

Zhan Yang smiled, “Those were men’s socks made of the finest Huzhou silk. Although there are male servants in the Third Residence, only you, Young Master Meng, could afford such socks. Would Young Master Meng still claim these socks belonged to someone else? And unless someone had done something they shouldn’t have, why would they wear such fine socks to step in the mud?”

Meng Ziyi’s lips pressed into a sharp line, his eyes filled with cold indifference. Seeing him speechless, Meng Zhou spoke with anguish, “Ziyi, how could it be you? Your Second Uncle watched you grow up, and your elder brother played with you since childhood. How could you do such a thing?! If there was something wrong, why couldn’t you just speak up?”

At these words, the hatred in Meng Ziyi’s eyes intensified. The Third Madam’s tears flowed more severely, and she seemed about to collapse. Fortunately, Meng Yao beside her supported her, helping her stay upright.

“Would speaking up have helped? Uncle, one was your younger brother, one was your nephew, and all of Meng Manor’s business was in their hands. Can you deny that you favored them?!” Meng Ziyi’s voice was cruel as he demanded. Hearing this, Meng Zhou’s face turned pale, “I…”

Meng Ziyi laughed coldly and repeatedly, “Moreover, how could the crimes those beasts committed be resolved just by talking about them? Only killing them could satisfy the hatred in my heart. I killed them – two lives for one, what’s unfair about that?”

“Ziyi…” Lady Xu called out softly, already in tears.

Meng Ziyi turned to look at Lady Xu, speaking with tenderness, “Don’t be afraid, everything will be fine.”

Meng Zhou cried out in pain, “Ziyi! Don’t you know that murder is punishable by death? What’s wrong with you?”

At the mention of execution, Lady Xu’s face changed, but Meng Ziyi turned and said, “If it’s death, then so be it. Letting those two beasts continue living would be worse than death!”

The Third Madam only wept silently, while Meng Zhou was anxious. These words were spoken in front of Zheng Baishi, and Meng Ziyi had admitted to his crimes. With two lives on his shoulders, execution was inevitable!

“It was me, Ziyi did it all for me!”

Suddenly, Lady Xu, who had been standing behind Meng Ziyi, stepped forward. Her tear-filled eyes were red as she grabbed Meng Ziyi’s sleeve, “Ziyi did it all for me, he was avenging me—”

“Xiang Huan!” Meng Ziyi called out sharply, using Lady Xu’s maiden name.

Lady Xu turned to look at Meng Ziyi, “You’re going to be arrested and executed, what do I have left to hide? I know everything, I’m an accomplice. If I don’t speak up, should I just watch you be executed?”

Speaking thus, she turned to look at Meng Zhou, “Uncle, your beloved brother was worse than a beast! If he hadn’t raped me, why would Ziyi have killed him?!”

“What?!” Meng Zhou was shocked, while Meng Yao and others beside him also changed expression dramatically.

The Third Madam cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground. Even Zheng Baishi and his group were stunned. He had already guessed from Yan Chi’s words that Meng Jin might have had improper intentions toward Lady Xu, but he never imagined things had reached such a terrible state!

“Last summer, Ziyi fell seriously ill. The doctor needed Century Lingzhi for medicine. Mother was also sick then, and I was the only one managing affairs in the Third House. I knew the Second House had the medicine, so I went to ask for it. But I never expected to encounter a drunken Meng Jin… No… he wasn’t drunk. He hadn’t mistaken me for someone else. He said he would give me the medicine, but I had to submit to him. He said the Third House had no one to support it, and if I submitted to him, he could not only save Ziyi but also take care of my future. I refused at first, but he had Meng Wei close the door, and then he… right there in the room…”

Lady Xu spoke through tears of blood. When she finished, Meng Zhou could barely stand, “How could this… why didn’t you tell me…”

“Tell Uncle?” Lady Xu looked at Meng Zhou desolately, “Meng Jin said the Third House already had no face, and if I spoke up about this matter, I would be impure, while he was still Meng Manor’s Second Master. Uncle would know which carried more weight. He also said… the mother and son of the Third House were both weak and sickly. If I spoke up, causing conflict between the Second and Third Houses, Mother and Ziyi might worsen their conditions and die, while I, a ruined flower, would have no place in the Meng family… Whether for Ziyi’s sake or my own, how could I dare speak up?!”

“I endured this terrible injustice, thinking I could just hide in the Third House, but I never imagined this… this was just the beginning of the nightmare. That beast Meng Jin, taking advantage of Mother and Ziyi’s frequent illnesses, actually… figured out when the Third House’s gate guards changed shifts and broke in… Finally… finally Ziyi found out… At the time, I only said Meng Jin had taken liberties with me, not that he had raped me. After much persuasion, Ziyi finally held back, but from that time on, he would occasionally show that kind of frenzied state you saw earlier. Seeing this, I became even more reluctant to tell him the truth…”

“On the first night of the month, just as Ziyi and I were about to retire, he… he came again… When Ziyi caught him, he wasn’t even flustered. Having drunk too much, he told Ziyi in front of me that he had already ruined my body. At that time, there was still bathwater in my tub from bathing, and Ziyi went mad with anger. He immediately drowned him in the bathtub. I helped too, holding down his hands so he couldn’t struggle. Soon, he stopped breathing…”

Lady Xu was like a wilting flower, her face streaked with tears and utterly miserable, but as she spoke of this, her eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, “We hid him in the bathhouse first, pretending to retire before Ziyi carried him to the lake and threw him in.”

After finishing, Lady Xu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, “A person like him, what reason was there to let him live? I had already decided that if he dared come to the Third House again, I would kill him myself. It just happened that Ziyi was by my side that day. Ziyi killed him, all for my sake—”

Zheng Baishi’s face was grave as he sighed, “What about Meng Wei?”

“Meng Wei was also a beast! That day, if he had just slightly tried to stop Meng Jin, but he didn’t… After the incident, he kept suspecting Fourth Uncle was the killer, but he was also anxious about finding the key. When he couldn’t find it anywhere, he actually… came to the Third House. Not only that, he asked me if his father had come to see me that night. He said if I dared lie, he would tell everyone about his father raping me, claiming I couldn’t bear the poverty of the Third House and had seduced his father… He was unreasonable, beasts are always unreasonable…”

Speaking to this point, Lady Xu gritted her teeth, “He said after watching for two days, it didn’t seem like Fourth Uncle had killed his father, so he suspected me. At that time, I knew things were bad. First, his father’s key had indeed been dropped in the Third House. Second, if he told the authorities about his father’s actions, they would investigate me. Thinking of this, I decided to go all the way – it would be best to kill him too! I found the rope, and I thought of how to escape. Ziyi just followed my plan.”

“No!” Meng Ziyi suddenly spoke up, “I did it, I did both times. She’s just a girl, she was already panicked. I killed these two beasts for her and myself. What Ziyi wanted to do but couldn’t, I did it for him. Such beasts who violate others’ wives deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces…”

Lady Xu wanted to say more, but Meng Ziyi pulled her back slightly, sighing, “No need to say more, Magistrate Zheng will make his judgment.”

Lady Xu fell silent but continued crying. Meanwhile, the entire Meng family was shocked beyond measure. No one had imagined there would be such circumstances behind these two murder cases…

After a long while, Meng Zhou came to his senses and turned to look at the Third Madam, “Sister-in-law, did you know?”

The Third Madam’s eyes also flashed with hatred, “Though I didn’t know the details, Meng Jin’s gaze toward Xiang Huan betrayed him. Ziyi and Xiang Huan were very wary of him, and I knew he often lingered outside the Third House. I only thought… I never imagined he would…”

When Meng Jin first died, the Third Madam had suspected it might be related to her son and daughter-in-law, but she would never tell anyone such suspicions. Moreover, she instinctively wanted to cover for Meng Ziyi.

Whether it was Qin Wan visiting the Meng Manor or Yan Chi bringing people to investigate, she didn’t want others to notice Meng Ziyi’s unusual state. But she never imagined the magistrate’s office would become suspicious and set such a trap for them…

The Third Madam closed her eyes briefly. Her tears had long since dried up. By now, she knew Meng Ziyi had no escape.

“Since you’ve all confessed, Meng Hui can be released. Zhan Yang, take these two away and lock them up. We’ll need to question them in detail later.” At Zheng Baishi’s command, Zhan Yang immediately stepped forward to apprehend them.

Meng Ziyi’s expression changed slightly, and Lady Xu finally showed some fear. The Third Madam called out “Ziyi,” while all members of the Meng family looked on with grief-stricken eyes. Lady Xu tried to grab Meng Ziyi’s wrist, but he only let her hold onto his sleeve. Qin Wan and Yan Chi watched from the side, their eyes revealing deep thought.

“Now that the case is clear, Meng Hui will be released shortly.”

As Zheng Baishi spoke, although the Meng family was extremely reluctant, they could only watch as Meng Ziyi and Lady Xu were taken away. Meng Zhou’s eyes reddened as he said, “Brother Zheng, how should this be handled? Ziyi surely didn’t do this intentionally. He just said he was Zixiao – he must have been possessed by some evil spirit. The killing wasn’t his true intention…”

“Brother Meng, I don’t know how to judge this either. This is unprecedented. Don’t worry yet – even for sentencing, there are still procedures to follow, as you know. We still need to question them, and once everything is clear after the questioning, any developments regarding the sentencing will be communicated to you…”

Meng Zhou sighed repeatedly, “I never imagined such a thing could happen within the Meng Manor. Truly… if my Second Brother committed such a beastly act, then he deserved his fate! He has destroyed the Meng family’s reputation!”

Meng Zhou was devastated. Zheng Baishi sighed and said, “Let the servants take you to the front hall to rest. You’ll need time to process this. The other matters don’t concern you for now. You can wait for Meng Hui there as well.”

Although Meng Zhou was extremely anxious, following Zheng Baishi around wouldn’t help. He acknowledged this and thanked Zheng Baishi before following the yamen runners to the front hall. Meng Yao and Meng Zichen supported the Third Madam, and as they left, the siblings both glanced several times at Qin Wan. Qin Wan sighed; she would need to find opportunities to explain things clearly to Meng Yao and her brother.

After the Meng family left, Zheng Baishi let out a long breath, “I didn’t expect it to be even worse than we imagined. That Second Master Meng appeared to be quite presentable, yet he was so utterly devoid of conscience…”

Speaking thus, he looked at Qin Wan, “Ninth Miss, what did you mean earlier? Meng Ziyi becoming Meng Zixiao – is this an illness or something supernatural?”

“If we must define it, it’s an illness. Magistrate Meng was right about one thing – the killer was Meng Zixiao, whom Meng Ziyi imagined. Perhaps Meng Ziyi harbored grievances and anger in his heart, but the actual thought of killing and its execution came from Meng Zixiao, with Meng Ziyi having no direct involvement.”

Zheng Baishi was still confused, “This… he claims to be Meng Zixiao, but he… he is still clearly Meng Ziyi…”

Qin Wan gave a bitter smile; even she found it difficult to explain Meng Ziyi’s condition clearly.

“Magistrate Meng should have the yamen runners watch Meng Ziyi. Later, when he says he’s Meng Ziyi again, he’ll likely forget what just happened. It’s as if… as if two souls live in one body. When one soul emerges, the other is locked away. Just now, Meng Zixiao came out, so Meng Ziyi was locked away.”

Zheng Baishi was skeptical, as this was truly too mysterious. Yan Chi, who had been observing from the side, spoke up, “Meng Ziyi is usually quite intimate and protective of Lady Xu, but just now, he wouldn’t hold her hand. His claim to be Meng Zixiao must be true – as an elder brother, he wouldn’t be too intimate with his brother’s wife.”

Zheng Baishi had noticed this too. After thinking for a moment, he said, “This case is too strange. I’ll supervise personally and try to complete the questioning tonight.”

Yan Chi nodded, “Go ahead. I’ll join you later to observe.”

Zheng Baishi nodded, thanked Qin Wan, and left.

After Zheng Baishi’s departure, Yan Li clutched his chest and said, “This is truly unheard of – another soul living in someone’s body? If you tell me it’s not spirit possession, I won’t believe it…”

He looked at Qin Wan, “Ninth Miss, why don’t you think it’s spirit possession?”

Qin Wan shook her head, “I don’t believe ghosts exist.”

Yan Li blinked. Belief in ghosts was common in their world – how could Qin Wan be so certain?

“How do you know? Everyone believes in ghosts and spirits…”

Qin Wan didn’t know how to explain. She had died once, but she hadn’t seen the six realms of reincarnation or heaven and hell as people imagined. She hadn’t even seen a ghost messenger. There was only pain in death, then nothing, until she woke up as the Ninth Miss of the Qin family. Having experienced it herself, how could she believe in ghosts and spirits?

“Rather than His Highness’s ghosts and spirits, I believe more in the ghosts within people’s hearts.”

These words sent an inexplicable chill down Yan Li’s spine. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing more.

Yan Chi then asked, “We’ve never seen such a case before. How do you think it should be sentenced?”

This case involved two murders in an official’s household, so naturally, it would go to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review for final review and sentencing. Although Qin Wan wasn’t a court official, Yan Chi asked because he trusted her judgment about Meng Ziyi’s strange illness. “First, this happened for a reason – Meng Jin and his son’s crimes were also severe. Second, the killer was merely a soul living in Meng Ziyi’s body, not Meng Ziyi himself, so I think the sentence could be lighter.”

Yan Chi nodded, looked at the sky, and seeing dusk approaching, said, “Let Bai Feng escort you back first. I’ll watch this case with Magistrate Zheng.”

Qin Wan nodded, and Bai Feng escorted her, Fu Ling, and Bai Ying out. Meanwhile, Yan Li instructed his attendant to take Yun Yan back, as he wanted to stay with Yan Chi to observe how Meng Ziyi transformed into Meng Zixiao.

On the way back to the Marquis Manor, a cold wind was blowing fiercely. By the time Qin Wan reached the manor, snow had begun to fall.

Qin Wan first paid her respects to Madam Hu in the main courtyard before returning to Song Feng Court.

Fu Ling still seemed shaken, “Miss, Young Master Meng’s strange illness is truly mysterious.”

Qin Wan couldn’t explain it in detail either, but she had seen similar cases in ancient texts while studying medicine at Medicine Valley. Many people considered it a spirit possession, but a deceased elder from Medicine Valley had proposed it wasn’t supernatural – rather, it was caused by mental barriers, where people imagined themselves as another person.

Compared to spirit possession, Qin Wan found this explanation more credible.

“Is there someone you deeply admire?” she asked.

Fu Ling blinked, “Of course, I admire you, Miss…”

Qin Wan smiled, “In what way?”

Fu Ling thought for a moment, “I used to be too impulsive, but after Miss ‘died and came back to life,’ your personality changed, which influenced mine too. When I face difficulties and don’t know what to do, I think about what Miss would do…”

“And then you follow what you imagine I would do?”

Fu Ling nodded, “Yes, exactly…”

Qin Wan smiled, “That’s normal. But if this thinking becomes more severe, you might start thinking, ‘If I were her, what would I do?’ If you think this way too often, and it becomes even more serious, a version of me might appear in your heart – a capable and strong version. Then when facing difficulties, you’d only need to let that version of me out to help solve problems.”

As Fu Ling considered this, she suddenly understood Qin Wan’s meaning. She felt somewhat chilled, “I understand now. I understand how Young Master Meng’s illness came about.”

Qin Wan nodded, “I’m not certain, but it’s probably something like that.”

Fu Ling sighed, “Young Master Meng is pitiful. That Second Master Meng truly deserved his death! To take advantage of the Third House’s weakness and force himself on his nephew’s wife… Too hateful…”

Qin Wan’s eyes turned cold. Meng Jin indeed deserved his death. She only hoped Meng Ziyi and Lady Xu would have a good outcome.

Outside the window, fierce winds howled past, and snowflakes drifted down in swirling patterns. Tomorrow, Lin’an City would surely be covered in silver…

The next morning, after breakfast, Qin Wan went to the palace again to check the Empress Dowager’s pulse.

Qin Yi, whom she hadn’t seen for two days, appeared and offered to escort her to the palace gate.

Qin Wan said, “Fourth Brother, if you’re busy, there’s no need to escort me—”

Qin Yi smiled brightly, “I won’t be able to escort you much longer.”

Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, “Fourth Brother is going on assignment?”

Qin Yi nodded, “I’m being assigned to the Patrol Guard. I’ll only be able to come back on rest days.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan’s smile widened, “Congratulations, Fourth Brother. Your wish has been granted.”

Qin Yi looked at Qin Wan, “Thanks to you.”

With that, he invited Qin Wan into the carriage. Qin Wan didn’t notice anything unusual, and soon the carriage began to move.

Snow had fallen all night, covering the entire Lin’an City in white. The main streets were layered with snow, forcing the carriage to move especially slowly. Outside, Qin Yi rode with four guards, their horses walking steadily. The snowfall had lessened, with fine snowflakes drifting down like salt. Qin Wan glanced at Qin Yan’s straight back in the snow, genuinely happy for him.

At the New Year’s banquet, Qin Yi had expressed his desire to join the Patrol Guard. Now that his wish had come true, it was wonderful indeed.

After nearly half an hour, the carriage finally stopped at the palace gate. Qin Wan and Fu Ling shared an umbrella as they headed into the palace. Just past the Zhengyang Gate, they saw a group of people walking very slowly ahead.

Due to their slow pace, Qin Wan drew increasingly closer, and soon, the person at the center of the group noticed her.

“Well, well, who do we have here? If it isn’t the Little Immortal Doctor!”

Feng Chenbi still wore all white, her snow-white cape framing her small face.

Seeing Qin Wan, Feng Chenbi’s eyes held hatred. Feng Zhang had been beaten by the Crown Prince of the Rui Prince’s Manor and still couldn’t leave his bed. As a woman, even if she harbored hatred for the Crown Prince, she dared not show it. But with Qin Wan, she needed few reservations – after all, everything that day had started because of her.

“Miss Feng—”

Qin Wan nodded slightly, maintaining proper etiquette.

Feng Chenbi narrowed her eyes. The delicate vulnerability she had shown at the banquet was gone, her eyes now shooting daggers, “You think you’re something special just because you can treat the Empress Dowager? I will make you pay for what happened to my brother!”

Qin Wan smiled, “I should thank Miss Feng. If you hadn’t spoken up for me on New Year’s Eve, how would I have achieved my current reputation? Miss Feng must be very happy for me now?”

Feng Chenbi’s eyes widened. She had intended to trap Qin Wan that day – everyone knew the Empress Dowager’s illness was difficult to treat, and she hadn’t believed a young girl could handle it. If the Empress Dowager’s condition had worsened or she had passed away because of Qin Wan, Qin Wan would surely have been condemned. But she never imagined that Qin Wan would not only save the Empress Dowager but become known throughout the capital as the Little Immortal Doctor!

Happy? She now deeply regretted her actions that day!

“Don’t be too pleased with yourself— your title of Little Immortal Doctor is just because people respect the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s rewards. True skill would be curing the Empress Dowager’s illness!”

“Thank you for your kind words, Miss Feng. The Empress Dowager has already greatly improved.”

Feng Chenbi had heard about this, but seeing Qin Wan state it so matter-of-factly made her feel choked with anger she couldn’t swallow. After glaring fiercely at Qin Wan once more, Feng Chenbi swept her sleeves and commanded, “Let’s go! Speaking with someone like this is beneath us—”

Angry, Feng Chenbi walked very quickly, leaving her palace attendants behind. However, after just two or three quick steps, there was a “swoosh” sound as her foot slipped, and she fell face-first in a most undignified manner. The servants’ faces changed dramatically as they rushed forward to help!

Fu Ling couldn’t help but let out a soft giggle.

The corner of Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly as she gracefully walked past Feng Chenbi.

“The snow is heavy and the paths are slippery. Miss Feng should watch her step. I’ll take my leave now.”

As Qin Wan spoke, she had already passed by the disheveled Feng Chenbi. Feng Chenbi gritted her teeth and wanted to curse, “You—” but only got one word out, ultimately restraining herself due to being in the palace.

Hearing the servants’ panicked apologies behind them, Fu Ling expressed some concern, “Miss, won’t this make her deliberately target us in the future?”

The smile at the corner of Qin Wan’s lips turned cold, “Last time we did nothing, yet she didn’t spare us either.”

Thinking of the previous incident, Fu Ling felt a lingering fear and lost her reservations, “That’s right! Miss said before that some people won’t be reasonable with you just because you’re reasonable with them. Instead, if you’re fiercer, they’ll fear you.”

Qin Wan smiled and nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly right.”

Having entered the palace many times and carrying her token, palace staff recognized Qin Wan’s status from her token, so these recent visits to Shoukang Palace no longer required an escort. Due to the heavy snow covering the palace paths, Qin Wan walked more slowly, taking about two incense sticks’ worth of time to reach Shoukang Palace.

Outside Shoukang Palace, a young servant girl was already waiting. Seeing Qin Wan arrive, she said softly, “Ninth Miss, Prince Cheng is inside.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan quickly asked, “When did he arrive?”

The servant girl replied, “About half a cup of tea’s time ago.”

Qin Wan frowned. She had arrived precisely on time today, but Yan Qi’s happening to come at this exact moment was truly unfortunate. She said, “Then I’ll admire the snow outside and enter after Prince Cheng has finished speaking with the Empress Dowager.”

The servant girl, unaware of the situation, thought Qin Wan just wanted to give the grandmother and grandson time to talk, so she agreed.

Qin Wan entered the main hall’s courtyard of Shoukang Palace, and the servant girl added, “Some red plum blossoms are blooming in the garden next door. Would Miss like to see them?”

The entire Shoukang Palace treated Qin Wan as an honored guest, and this servant girl was also very respectful toward her.

Qin Wan happily agreed and walked along the corridor for a moment. Indeed, she saw the beautiful sight of red plum blossoms standing proudly in the snow. She liked it and walked closer, while the servant girl stood waiting at a distance.

Fu Ling then said, “Miss, Prince Cheng is Miss Feng’s cousin, isn’t he?”

Qin Wan nodded, and Fu Ling showed some apprehension, “Then we should avoid him.”

Qin Wan hadn’t thought that much about it, only that Prince Cheng had seen her at the morgue last time, so she instinctively wanted to avoid him. Since they weren’t going in yet, Fu Ling’s thoughts turned to the Meng family case, “I wonder how the Meng family’s case is going today. Will they be able to determine Young Master Meng and the Young Madam’s punishment?”

Qin Wan shook her head, “The Meng family case needs to be reviewed by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. It will take at least a month before the sentence is determined. It won’t be that quick.” After a brief pause, she added, “Moreover, this case is very complex, so the process of determining the punishment won’t be simple.”

“A mere girl, yet you dare to make assumptions about murder cases and prison sentences?!”

Just as Qin Wan finished speaking, an arrogant and unruly voice suddenly rang out. Qin Wan’s brow twitched, and she turned immediately, only to see Yan Qi standing in the corridor with a mocking smile.