When Li Muyun entered through the moon gate, he saw Qin Wan and White Ying searching in a corner. Li Muyun smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, “Greetings, Princess—”

Qin Wan turned around, showing slight surprise, “Oh, Master Li has returned?”

Li Muyun straightened up, his smile very gentle, “Yes, I just left the palace.”

Qin Wan glanced around the room and sighed, “I originally thought finding one case file wouldn’t be difficult, but after seeing these archives, I realize this task truly requires time. No wonder Master Li hasn’t found it after several days.”

This was indeed an inefficiency of the Court, and Li Muyun understood this point. He said, “The Princess must find it amusing. The office has had other matters these past days, and with just that one volume missing, we haven’t been able to locate it.”

Qin Wan brushed the dust from her sleeve, “I wanted to help earlier, but looking at all these large boxes, it’s not so simple.”

Li Muyun hurriedly said, “How could we trouble the Princess to help? I’ll have them continue searching through the night.”

Qin Wan smiled, “Then everyone would blame my visit. Master Li needn’t hurry—let people search when they have time.”

She spoke while walking out, “I just came from the magistrate’s office this morning and learned they haven’t found new leads. Since Magistrate Zheng said the Court hasn’t sent over the case files, I thought to come look. Now that I understand how difficult finding the file is, I won’t stay longer and disturb the office’s work.”

The guard who heard this found it somewhat amusing, thinking the Princess had finally realized the difficulty.

Li Muyun accompanied Qin Wan outside, “The Princess must find it funny. I’ll certainly urge my staff to search quickly for the case file. The Princess and Magistrate Zheng must put much effort into this case lately.”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed hearing this, “Oh? Does Master Li have other duties?”

Li Muyun considered briefly before saying, “It’s fine to tell the Princess now, as everyone will know in a few days. It’s a matter with the Ministry of War. Several Northwestern transport commissioners may be involved in embezzling military provisions. His Majesty is furious about this matter and has ordered the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of War to investigate together. The Court of Judicial Review naturally has authority to examine the Ministry of Justice’s work, so we must participate as well.”

Corruption involving military provisions that affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the Northwestern border and Da Zhou’s security was naturally more important than a murder case.

Qin Wan nodded, “I understand. In that case, I’ll trouble Master Li. With Magistrate Zheng and Captain Zhan watching over the city’s case, I’m sure there won’t be mistakes.”

Li Muyun said, “To solve this case, the Princess’s contributions cannot be ignored.”

Qin Wan smiled and exchanged a few more words with Li Muyun before taking her leave. Li Muyun escorted her to the front hall and watched her leave, his brows slightly furrowed.

The guard on duty said, “Master, the Princess didn’t understand our difficulties before, but after seeing for herself, now she knows.”

Li Muyun narrowed his eyes, “How so?”

The guard explained, “When the Princess first arrived, she seemed somewhat impatient as if we could find it with just a casual search. We had no choice but to let her try herself, and after trying, she understood.”

Li Muyun’s brows furrowed—in his impression, Qin Wan wasn’t that sort of person.

After thinking, Li Muyun turned toward the archives, with the guard hurriedly following.

Entering the archives, Li Muyun’s gaze darkened immediately. His eyes swept around, following the passage between shelves toward the moon gate, then walking a complete circuit, but finding nothing unusual. The guard followed behind, not knowing what he was looking for, also looking here and there.

However, after looking around, neither found anything.

Li Muyun shook his head, “Never mind, go about your duties.”

Saying this, he turned to leave. The guard acknowledged and followed a few steps. After Li Muyun left, the guard finally relaxed, but turning around, he saw a ladder leaning crookedly against a bookshelf in the distance. The guard raised his eyebrows, “Strange, didn’t I put that away properly…”

He hurried over to straighten the ladder but didn’t think much of it.

After boarding her carriage, Qin Wan’s brows remained tightly furrowed, lost in thought. White Ying wanted to ask but, after consideration, remained silent.

Returning to the mansion, Qin Wan first rested briefly in her room before getting up. She hadn’t finished looking through the Court’s case files from last July and August, nor had she found files related to the Prince of Jin’s case. However, her unsuitable excuse to visit today had likely already made Li Muyun highly suspicious. How could she search the files again without detection next time?

The Court of Judicial Review wasn’t a place one could casually enter, and the archives were especially restricted. Could she use the same reason to enter again?

Qin Wan shook her head—it certainly wouldn’t work.

Fuling brought in hot tea, smiling, “Young Miss, that bird has been very well-behaved these past days. The prescription you gave works wonderfully. Today it was fluttering about its cage all day, much more spirited.”

Sitting in her room, Qin Wan could hear bird calls from the courtyard, “In that case, continue feeding it this way.”

Fuling was delighted. Recently, with Qin Wan taking White Ying out to investigate cases, she felt rather dull staying alone in the courtyard. Thus, caring for the bird had become her greatest pleasure. Now that the bird was doing well, she felt very satisfied.

With Qin Shuang’s wedding date approaching, the entire household was preparing for her marriage, along with Qin Chaoyu’s. Lady Hu was extremely busy, while only Qin Wan, preoccupied with the case, hadn’t participated.

Qin Wan asked, “How are the preparations for Sixth Miss going?”

Fuling smiled, “Everything is being prepared excellently. Now that Sixth Miss has Wanhe, there’s someone who can help.”

Wanhe was previously Qin Xiang’s senior maid, very capable. Now staying in Qin Shuang’s courtyard, she worked silently all day. Fuling thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Oh right, there’s a letter from Jinzhou.”

“A letter from Jinzhou?”

Fuling nodded, “Yes. When Fifth Miss’s marriage was arranged, they sent word to Jinzhou. The elder master thought that with Fifth Miss getting married, someone from Jinzhou should come. But now with these changes, the elder master sent another urgent message to Jinzhou. Now, it seems Jinzhou has replied.”

Qin Wan frowned, “I wonder how Uncle explained these changes to Jinzhou.”

Just then, Qin Shuang’s voice came from the doorway, “Uncle naturally didn’t explain directly—”

Qin Wan looked up as Qin Shuang lifted the curtain and entered. Fuling bowed and went to serve tea. Qin Shuang walked to Qin Wan’s side and said, “Uncle only said the marriage arrangements changed, without mentioning Qin Xiang at all.”

Qin Wan shook her head, “Then Third Aunt certainly won’t understand.”

Qin Shuang smiled bitterly, “Indeed, she doesn’t understand. This letter was questioning Uncle. But what can Uncle say? The aunt said last night that Mother might come to the capital.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan felt conflicted. Though Lady Lin was someone who understood propriety, with Qin Xiang in her current state, she knew how she would feel after learning the truth.

“How will she come? Will Second Brother escort her?”

Qin Shuang shook her head, “If it were just my wedding, Mother and Second Brother probably wouldn’t come. But this was originally set as Qin Xiang’s marriage, and now there’s suddenly a change—they must have doubts. The letter Aunt received was from over twenty days ago. Now, no one knows how Mother is arranging things.”

The journey from the capital to Jinzhou was a thousand li. It would be difficult for Lady Lin to enter the capital alone as a woman—if she came, it would have to be with Qin Li. But given the current situation, the Qin Shu couple likely didn’t want Lady Lin interfering, and Qin Xiang probably wouldn’t dare face her mother.

However, these matters were beyond their control.

Qin Wan said, “Just focus on preparing for your wedding.”

Qin Shuang let out a breath, smiling bitterly, “My mother passed early, and Father is the way he is. Now that I’m getting married, I have no close relatives by my side.” She suddenly grabbed Qin Wan’s hand, “Fortunately, I have you. It’s strange—last night I dreamed of our time in Jinzhou, dreamed that I hadn’t bullied you and let you live in my courtyard, that we grew up together…”

Qin Shuang smiled bitterly again, “Thinking about it now, I was awful before.”

Qin Wan laughed, chiding, “It’s good that you know! Fortunately, you’ve changed for the better, otherwise…”

Qin Shuang half-hugged Qin Wan’s arm coquettishly. As her wedding day drew closer, she grew increasingly close to Qin Wan. “I know I was wrong. Everyone has a past. You’re just very magnanimous. Do you know what I’m thinking?”

Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, “What?”

Qin Shuang sat up straight, “I’m thinking about your marriage. Your status is unusual now, but because of that, it’s even harder to find someone honest and reliable to live peacefully with.”

Honest and reliable? Living peacefully?

Qin Wan thought of Yan Chi but didn’t find him particularly honest, and as for living peacefully—that seemed even less likely. He had been so gravely injured in Jinzhou, and that matter still hadn’t been resolved.

Qin Wan sighed, “Don’t worry about me. After you’re married, just focus on living peacefully. That Young Master Xue must be ambitious—he’ll surely attain high office and wealth in the future.”

Qin Shuang scoffed, “I don’t care about high office and wealth. Haven’t you seen those grand households? Each one is full of women. I don’t want that. I’d rather have a modest household and a peaceful life.”

Qin Wan hadn’t thought about when her own marriage would be arranged, naturally hadn’t considered these things. But now, with a love-struck sister about to be married beside her, she couldn’t help thinking about Yan Chi while listening.

Speaking of taking concubines, it was normal even for common families, let alone a Prince’s household.

She wondered if the Prince of Rui had taken any concubines…

The Princess of Rui had passed away many years ago, and the Prince had been at the border all these years—surely he wouldn’t have taken concubines. Then, when it came to Yan Chi, it should be the same. Yan Chi didn’t seem like someone who would seek pleasure in brothels…

“Hey, what are you smiling about?!”

Qin Shuang pushed Qin Wan, who came back to her senses, “What? I wasn’t smiling!”

Qin Shuang frowned, “I saw it. You were lost in thought, then suddenly smiled. What were you thinking about? Who were you thinking of?”

Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat—when had Qin Shuang become so perceptive?

“I… was just happy thinking about your upcoming marriage.”

Qin Shuang frowned deeply, “No, you must have been thinking of someone you like. That unconscious smile wasn’t about my happiness. Tell me, do you have someone you fancy?”

For the first time, Qin Wan found Qin Shuang remarkably clever, not realizing that Qin Shuang, with her own heart fluttering at thoughts of marriage, would occasionally smile dreamily herself—naturally, she could recognize it in Qin Wan.

“I don’t! How could I possibly… I don’t have…”

Qin Wan quickly composed herself, but Qin Shuang studied her with suspicion still evident in her eyes, “Really?”

Qin Wan nodded firmly, “Of course…”

Qin Shuang snorted, “You often enter the palace. If you meet someone suitable, you could like them. Are you going to wait for the Empress Dowager to arrange your marriage? What if she chooses someone you’ve never met before?”

Qin Wan shook her head and redirected the conversation elsewhere. The two talked all afternoon, only parting at nightfall. Thinking that she hadn’t entered the palace for two days or visited the Grand Princess, Qin Wan retired early, planning to visit the An Yang Marquis’s mansion first thing tomorrow before entering the palace.

That night, Qin Wan had the same dream as before.

She again dreamed of her past self talking with her father, but this time, the scene was in the Court of Judicial Review.

Like a ghost, Qin Wan watched her past self with her father, her heart both grieving and bitter. She wanted to speak but couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t even ask her father a few questions. Her past self had a gentle yet spirited expression, with a liveliness in her brows unbefitting a sheltered young lady. Her father watched her with doting eyes, and though she didn’t know what she had said, he suddenly laughed joyfully…

Qin Wan again woke up breathing heavily.

She didn’t know what these frequent dreams of the past meant, only that she was growing increasingly anxious.

Outside, dawn hadn’t fully broken. Qin Wan lay for a while longer before getting up.

Fuling and White Ying hurried to help her wash up, after which Qin Wan walked alone into the courtyard.

Her father’s case had become taboo, and Li Muyun had been the one to expose him. What evidence had he used to make the Emperor issue an execution order? Besides Li Muyun, who else had been involved?

Noble Consort Jin was stabbed to death in the inner palace, and though the Prince of Jin wasn’t born of the proper wife, he had a reputation for virtue in court. Could there have been factional struggles involved?

If there were factional struggles, was the mastermind the Crown Prince? Or Prince Cheng?

As Qin Wan walked and thought before her thoughts could clear, suddenly rapid footsteps sounded outside. She turned to look and saw Zhan Yang being led by a servant. Her heart jumped, and she hurried to welcome him at the courtyard gate, “Captain Zhan?! Has something happened again?”

Zhan Yang bowed at the gate and got straight to the point, “Princess, there’s been another death.”

Qin Wan had known Zhan Yang’s visit must mean another incident, and wasn’t at all surprised. However, thinking of the case from six years ago, she quickly asked, “How did the third person die?”

Zhan Yang’s eyes darkened as he replied, “Frozen to death.”