The tense atmosphere in the room dissipated instantly.
Jiang Xuanjin stared intently at the foolishly grinning Fourth Miss Bai, his expression difficult to describe. The people around him fell silent, waiting for him to explode in anger. However, the master merely stretched out his hand slowly and rubbed his brow.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Swallowing hard, Huaiyu looked quite innocent as she replied, “I just wanted to see the embroidery up there, but I lost my balance… Can you all pretend you didn’t see me?”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
Casting a glance at the ten dumbfounded people below, Huaiyu chuckled awkwardly, “It seems not very possible, huh?”
Jiang Xuanjin was furious. He had been waiting to hear what Jiu Wu had to say, but now that this person had appeared, how could he continue? He looked at her as if he had seen a ghost, his expression akin to someone who had stumbled upon a scandal.
The scene was quite awkward.
The person in the chair shifted uncomfortably as if wanting to flee after causing trouble. However, her injuries had not fully healed, and she had just been leaning against him when she entered. How could she escape? Feeling pain at her wound, she grimaced and looked at him pitifully.
What to do?
What else could be done? Jiang Xuanjin shot her a fierce glare, then turned his head, pretending nothing had happened, and said nonchalantly, “Don’t mind her; continue speaking.”
Don’t mind? Jiu Wu was surprised and couldn’t help but glance at the screen again.
The young girl was delicate and pretty; although her face bore a sickly pallor, her eyes were lively and captivating. When she noticed him looking, her gaze flickered, and she smiled at him, then lowered her eyes, playing with her fingers.
Jiu Wu instinctively followed her gaze to her hands.
Her slender, fair fingers twisted together, intertwining and then quickly releasing.
An unintentionally small gesture that seemed perfectly normal to others, but Jiu Wu felt a jolt in his heart, almost immediately averting his gaze, not daring to look at her again.
That gesture…
Seeing him silent, Jiang Xuanjin assumed Jiu Wu was concerned about Bai Zhujing beside him and frowned, saying, “As Eldest as what you say is the truth, why fear others hearing it?”
Coming back to his senses, Jiu Wu shook his head, “It’s not that I’m afraid others will hear; I just think that even if I say it, the Emperor may not believe it.”
“Speak.”
Glancing at the pearwood double-embroidered screen that had already been set up, Jiu Wu lowered his gaze and changed his words, “On the evening of the 20th of February, the Grand Princess got drunk and left the banquet halfway. She was not at the banquet, nor Fulu Palace, but encountered a servant of mine outside Yongshou Palace, strolling back to Feiyun Palace from the west side of the palace path. She was delayed for a while on the way, and by the time she returned to Feiyun Palace, it was already the hour of the pig.”
Jiang Xuanjin’s brows furrowed, “With you?”
“Yes.” Jiu Wu nodded, “When the Crown Prince was questioned, I also came forward to testify and submitted a statement to the Tingwei Yamen, but afterward, I was not summoned by the yamen.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuanjin’s eyes showed some confusion.
He had reviewed the case files regarding the incident involving Sima Xu presented by the Tingwei, and the testimonies and statements before the incident were pitifully few. Because of this, Li Huaiyu’s testimony was considered an important piece of evidence for convicting the Grand Princess.
However, Jiu Wu was now saying that he had also submitted a statement.
Jiang Xuanjin had a good memory; he was certain he had not seen any testimony that favored the Grand Princess. From the incident until the Grand Princess’s death, at most, Han Xiao and his group had shouted injustice during morning court, and there had been no other voices. He had thought this was the will of the people, indicating that Danyang truly deserved death, but now it seemed there was something fishy.
“I’ve said all I needed to say.” Jiu Wu said, “The Emperor should fulfill his promise.”
“Good.” Regaining his composure, Jiang Xuanjin said to Cheng Xu, “Take them out of the residence.”
Cheng Xu cupped his hands in acknowledgment and approached to unlock the chains binding Jiu Wu, bowing, “For the sake of the Emperor’s careful consideration, I will only release one person for now. Here’s the key; once you leave Jiang’s residence, you can unlock the chains yourselves.”
After saying this, he placed the key into Jiu Wu’s hand.
With his limbs freed, Jiu Wu looked at Cheng Xu, then at Jiang Xuanjin, quite astonished, “Are you letting us go?”
He had thought it was just a joke; after all, they were the favored ones of Feiyun Palace, and there were still wanted notices for them outside. Jiang Xuanjin had previously despised them so much; how could he let go of this opportunity to kick them while they were down?
In the end, the person in front of him said, “Stop the nonsense; let’s go.”
In an instant, Jiu Wu suddenly felt that this Ziyang Jun didn’t seem as cold and heartless as rumored.
“Forgive my intrusion,” he said, “Since the Emperor can let us go, why not release Miss Qingsi as well?”
Glancing at him, Jiang Xuanjin replied, “She is not like you.”
“What’s the difference?” Jiu Wu asked, confused, “We are both people of the Grand Princess.”
Turning towards the screen, Jiang Xuanjin’s voice was indifferent, “You all just want to save someone, but she rushed in front of me wanting to kill someone; how can they be the same?”
After saying this, he waved his sleeve and stepped behind the screen.
The expressions of the ten people in the room turned complex upon hearing this, especially Qing Xian, who had just said they would find a way to assassinate Ziyang Jun.
Having asked all the necessary questions and received some interesting answers, Jiang Xuanjin lost interest in speaking with the group outside. He merely extended his hand to rest on the armrest, lowering his head coldly to look at the person in the chair.
“Your eyes are truly beautiful!” Meeting his gaze, Li Huaiyu showed no sign of remorse for her actions, reaching out to touch the corner of his eye, exclaiming, “If you smile, you could surely charm half of the capital!”
Removing her hand, Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t muster a smile, “This is your doing.”
“I can’t be blamed,” Huaiyu shook her head, angrily pointing at the screen, “It pushed me first!”
Jiang Xuanjin: “…”
That screen didn’t hit her on the head, did it? How did she start talking nonsense?
Irritated, he picked her up, saying, “I won’t take you next time; just stay honestly at Bai’s residence.”
“Don’t! I think it’s fun!” Huaiyu clung to his neck, looking pitiful, “Don’t leave me alone at Bai’s residence! If you’re not here, what if someone impulsively comes to kill me? My injury isn’t healed yet…”
She even knew her injury wasn’t healed? Jiang Xuanjin expressionlessly carried her outside, “If you get better, the whole building should collapse.”
Huaiyu pouted, glancing at him, then suddenly pulled one hand to touch his face.
Her warm palm came over, soft and gentle. Jiang Xuanjin paused, frowning slightly, “What are you doing again?”
The person in his arms looked at him with shimmering eyes for a moment, then grinned, “You’re really good-looking; I want to peel the sweetest oranges in the world for you to eat!”
Breath caught in his throat, he was both angry and embarrassed, “What nonsense are you talking about!”
“It’s not nonsense; I’m serious.” She said earnestly, “Once I pass through the door, I will take good care of you, making sure you’re not cold, not hungry, and if you’re tired, I’ll massage your shoulders, and if you’re sleepy—”
Pausing, her smile deepened, “If you’re sleepy, I’ll sleep with you!”
“…”
Holding her stiffly in place, Jiang Xuanjin’s face turned from green to white, and finally, a blush spread from his ears down to his neck.
“Figure out a way to get back to the residence yourself!” he said angrily, putting her down and sweeping his sleeve away, the azure robe embroidered with silver flowers nearly hitting her face.
“Hey, hey!” Huaiyu laughed as she called after his retreating figure, “I can’t walk; I have a wound on my leg!”
“Who cares about you!”
Jiang Xuanjin walked away without looking back, his robe and dark hair flying in the wind, completely losing his usual calm demeanor. As he reached the courtyard gate, he ran into Cheng Xu, who had just returned after escorting the others. He gritted his teeth and said, “I’m going to the palace.”
Cheng Xu looked at his master’s flushed face in surprise, and after a moment of daze, he replied, “Yes.”
Li Huaiyu half-squatted in the room, laughing so hard that tears nearly came out. The Ziyang Jun, who had once fought with her in the court, turned out to be so thin-skinned! If she had known earlier, she would have teased him a bit more; he would probably not want to stay in the court at all!
“Fourth Miss.” Cheng Xu entered and, seeing her like this, seemed to understand something. He said helplessly, “There’s a sedan chair prepared outside; you should set off.”
Wiping away her tears of laughter, Huaiyu asked, “Is your master coming back with me?”
“This…” Cheng Xu rubbed his nose, glancing outside, and whispered, “Our Jun is very easily shy.”
Having embarrassed him to the point of anger, who would still return with her?
Unable to hold back, Huaiyu laughed again until her wound hurt, then dragged her body outside to sit in the sedan chair.
Jiang Xuanjin did not accompany her, and naturally, Cheng Xu did not follow her either. Once outside, she got into the carriage they had come in. She said, “I want to go see some jewelry.”
“Alright, but you can’t look for too long; you still need to go back and rest,” Lingxiu gently reminded her.
Huaiyu nodded, instructing the driver to head to Fuan Street. When they arrived at the entrance of Canghai Yizhu Pavilion, she got out of the carriage, leaving Lingxiu and the driver outside.
Today, the Yizhu Pavilion was not as lively as usual; the door was ajar, and there was not a single person in the hall. Huaiyu pushed the door open and looked inside, asking the attendant who was dozing at the counter, “Has your shop closed down?”
Not welcoming customers, the attendant, Zhaocai, yawned lazily. Upon hearing this, he looked up and glared at her, “What kind of talk is that? Who’s shop has closed down?”
Pointing at the empty surroundings, Huaiyu said, “If it hasn’t closed down, why is there not a single person? Where’s your shopkeeper?”
“The shopkeeper has matters to attend to; the Yizhu Pavilion is not welcoming customers today,” Zhaocai huffed, “Miss, please go back.”
Lu Jingxing had matters to attend to, but the Yizhu Pavilion could still open for business. Unless he was in the back courtyard and didn’t want to be disturbed.
Huaiyu smiled, taking out Lu Jingxing’s jade pendant and handing it over, “I have matters to discuss with him; can you pass on a message?”
Zhaocai wanted to say that many people came to find the shopkeeper every day, and if he had to pass on messages to everyone, he would be exhausted. But when he glanced at the jade pendant in the young lady’s hand, he was so frightened that he stood up straight.
“Fourth Miss Bai?”
Not recognizing her, but knowing she held the jade pendant, Li Huaiyu smiled and nodded, “I’ll wait here; you hurry.”
Seeing her still pale complexion, Zhaocai didn’t dare to delay, saying directly, “You don’t need to pass on a message; please go inside.”
He was clear about how his master felt about this Fourth Miss. At this moment, he was more afraid of what might happen if this injured young lady had any mishaps here; he would be sent to the fodder yard to work.
Thinking this, he quickly led her to the back courtyard at the fastest speed.
Lu Jingxing was listening to Jiu Wu and the others discuss Jiang Xuanjin’s matter when he unexpectedly saw Li Huaiyu standing outside. His eyelids twitched, and he immediately stood up to greet her.
“Miss, what are you doing here at this time?” He glanced nervously at the people in the room and lowered his voice, “Jiu Wu and the others are here.”
“I know,” Huaiyu said, placing her hands on her hips, “They’re all here, which is perfect; we can discuss it together.”
“That won’t do!” Lu Jingxing frowned, “Who can believe you’re Danyang here beside me?”
Smiling confidently, Huaiyu looked past him at the person sitting in the room, “Let’s not talk about anything else; Jiu Wu will believe me.”
Lu Jingxing was taken aback, following her gaze. Just as he was about to say that it might not be certain, Jiu Wu stood up and walked toward the door.
With a complex expression, Jiu Wu bowed deeply, “May I ask… do you know Poet Li?”
This question left Lu Jingxing puzzled, but Huaiyu smiled and placed her hands on her hips, “How could I not know? Poet Li is exceptionally talented; he once subdued a notorious bandit in the rivers and lakes with a single poem. He’s quite famous!”
Jiu Wu’s body trembled slightly, and a strange light burst forth from his eyes as he stared at her, his voice suddenly hoarse, “What was that poem again?”
Grinning, Huaiyu clapped her hands and recited, “Traveling alone for three thousand miles, drifting with nowhere to rely. One day, the past is gone, and the phoenix comes to roost on Jiu Wu.”
The phoenix comes to roost on Jiu Wu.
This was the poem recited when the Danyang Grand Princess saved him and named him. At that time, Jiu Wu had been curious and asked who wrote it.
Danyang had seriously told him, “This is the masterpiece of Poet Li.”
For a Eldest time, Jiu Wu had believed in the existence of “Poet Li” and even held a bit of admiration for him. Until later, he discovered—
The Crown Prince’s surname was Li, his name was Sui, courtesy name Huaiyu, and he had self-proclaimed the title: Poet.
Faced with this “Poet Li,” Jiu Wu was both amused and exasperated. Staying in Feiyun Palace, he gradually found this Crown Prince quite interesting; not only did she love to impersonate a poet, but she also loved to escape the etiquette lessons from Ziyang Jun. Whenever Ziyang Jun caught up to her, she would signal him with a gesture—
Her index and middle fingers intertwined, meaning: Help me tell a lie!
Today, seeing this gesture at Jiang’s residence, Jiu Wu had already begun to suspect. Hearing her recite this poem, he could almost conclude…
Looking at her excitedly, Jiu Wu’s throat moved slightly, trembling as he bowed again, “I welcome Your Highness!”
As soon as these four words were spoken, the other nine people in the room stood up in unison.
“Truly worthy of being the smartest person in Feiyun Palace,” Huaiyu smiled at him, dragging her body into the room. She first found a chair to sit down and then looked at the group of dumbfounded people in front of her, saying, “I don’t have much time; I can’t explain everything to you one by one. I’ll just say a few things, so listen carefully.”
Except for Jiu Wu and Lu Jingxing, the others were still in shock, staring blankly at this pale young girl as she animatedly gestured:
“Jiang Xuanjin doesn’t know what kind of medicine he took; he now wants to re-investigate the Sima Xu case. Everyone knows there are many hidden agendas behind this case, right? What you need to do now is to provide as much help as possible to let Jiang Xuanjin smoothly uncover the truth.”
“As for Qingsi, we’ve tried to save her twice but failed; you don’t need to take risks. Leave it to me to find a way.”
“Also, no matter where you see me in the future, please make sure to act as if you don’t know me and don’t say anything to me. Jiang Xuanjin is very perceptive; I will have to expend a lot of effort to deceive him, and you must not create chaos.”
Taking a sip of tea from the side, Huaiyu caught her breath, “In short, since you dared to disregard my orders and return to the capital, be prepared to wade through muddy waters again!”
Hearing this familiar tone, everyone was stunned, staring at this unfamiliar face in front of them, wanting to say something but unsure.
However, Jiu Wu laughed directly, “Understood.”
“You still understand?” Remembering what had just happened at Jiang’s residence, Huaiyu stomped her foot in anger, “If you obeyed my orders, how dare you mention that matter?”
If she hadn’t pushed the screen down, he would have told Jiang Xuanjin where she had gone at that time. What a joke! That place, if mentioned, would not only fail to clear her suspicion but would also pique Jiang Xuanjin’s curiosity, leading him to investigate further.
She hadn’t had time to move the items; if he found out due to a moment of curiosity, wouldn’t she be losing both her husband and soldiers?
Fuming, Huaiyu glared at Jiu Wu. She stood up and looked at Lu Jingxing, “I’m leaving; the rest is up to you.”
Lu Jingxing gritted his teeth, “Am I the one cleaning up the mess again?”
“Brothers share the burden.” She patted his shoulder and turned to leave.
She was forcing herself through this turmoil, and the few wounds on her body were burning with pain. She needed to hurry back to recuperate; otherwise, Jiang Xuanjin might notice something was off.
But thinking about it, she didn’t know whether to be angry or touched. Before the incident, these people had been sent out of the capital with Qingsi, yet now they were all rushing back to their deaths. She didn’t know what they were after. If she died, they would risk their lives to avenge her, but she wouldn’t be able to come back to life. Wasn’t that a loss?
Shaking her head, she got into the carriage, remaining silent for a while before she couldn’t help but smile.
Even if everyone in the world rejoiced at her death, there would always be a group of people who cared for her. Lu Jingxing would burn a lot of paper money for her, Han Xiao and the others would shout injustice for her, and Jiu Wu and Qingsi would risk their lives to avenge her.
What did it matter if everyone pointed fingers at her? She was quite satisfied!
Jiang Xuanjin entered the palace. He went to the Imperial Library to review the case files regarding Sima Xu and examined them carefully again.
Previously, he had held a biased view, believing that Sima Xu could only have been killed by Li Huaiyu, so he had been somewhat unjust. Now, looking at it again, he frowned slightly.
On the 20th of February, at the hour of the dog, Prime Minister Sima left Yongshou Palace and was discovered dead in Fulu Palace at the hour of the pig, his throat cut by a sharp weapon, with signs of struggle around him. The coroner determined it was a homicide. At that time, there were no witnesses present, and the only testimony submitted was from Li Fengxing, who said that Sima Xu was invited to Fulu Palace by the Grand Princess.
Subsequently, testimonies from palace maids were submitted, stating they had seen the Grand Princess near Fulu Palace and that she had left the banquet at the hour of the dog, returning to Feiyun Palace only at the hour of the pig.
All evidence was unfavorable to the Grand Princess, and given her previous bad record, everyone believed she was the murderer. Prime Minister Sima was highly respected, and dying at the hands of Danyang just before his retirement, who wouldn’t be furious?
In a moment of collective outrage, countless memorials fell onto the Emperor’s desk, demanding the execution of the Grand Princess.
What was he thinking at that time?—The new emperor had just taken power. Lacking prestige, if he could eliminate Danyang, he could reclaim the imperial power she held and quickly establish his authority, achieving two goals with one action. Moreover, Danyang was indeed deserving of punishment.
Thus, after reviewing this “conclusive evidence” file, he fanned the flames, prompting the new emperor to issue an edict, sentencing Danyang to poison.
Now, thinking back, if the person involved in the case had not been Danyang but an ordinary person, would he have been so certain that she was the murderer?
The answer was no.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuanjin felt a bit stifled in his chest.
“Your Majesty?” Someone entered the Imperial Library and, seeing him there, hurriedly bowed.
Jiang Xuanjin was taken aback, discreetly placing the case file back on the shelf, turning his head to nod, and then stepping out.
The person respectfully watched him leave, feeling somewhat curious. After a moment, he turned to search the spot where Jiang Xuanjin had just stood.
“This…”
He found the improperly stored case file and was stunned, murmuring, “He was looking at this?”
Jiang Xuanjin did not notice the movement behind him; he was preoccupied with his thoughts, maintaining a stern expression back to the southern courtyard of Bai’s residence, unable to relax his brows.
The sky was darkening, and everything was pitch black. He passed the tightly shut main door and intended to return to his room.
However, just as he passed the main door, it suddenly swung open.
The light from the yellow lamps instantly enveloped him, dispelling the darkness before him, and replacing it with brightness and warmth.
Jiang Xuanjin was taken aback, looking up to see someone in nightclothes draped in a cloak, holding a steaming bowl of soup, grinning widely at him.
“You’re back!”
The soup in the bowl was very hot; Huaiyu held it with one hand while touching her earlobe with the other, hurriedly saying to him, “Quick, catch it; I can’t hold it any longer!”
Jiang Xuanjin was a bit dazed, one hand catching the soup bowl while the other was pulled by her, dragging him into the room.
“Miss…” Lingxiu stood beside, calling out awkwardly.
Huaiyu immediately covered her ears, “Don’t talk to me about rules or avoiding suspicion; I won’t listen! After boiling this soup for so long, I have to let him sip before I can sleep!”
Saying this, she rolled onto the bed, eagerly patting the bed’s edge.
Following her intention, Jiang Xuanjin sat down at the bedside, looking down at the bowl, “What is this?”
“A soup for replenishing energy.” Li Huaiyu smiled brightly, “You’ve been coughing a lot lately, right? I thought it was probably because you were poisoned before and hurt your body, so I used the herbs given by the physician and boiled a bowl of soup with black chicken for you.”
As she spoke, she pointed at her leg pitifully, “I even split my wound for this bowl; you must drink it!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuanjin frowned, “You know it’s not fully healed; why are you messing around?”
“It’s not messing around.” After considering his rules, Huaiyu took a spoonful for herself first, then looked at him eagerly, “It’s delicious!”
Jiang Xuanjin remained silent, staring at the soup for a while before finally taking a sip.
The medicinal fragrance mixed with the rich aroma of chicken soup was quite tasty. After putting down the spoon, he slowly drank the entire bowl of soup.
When he swallowed the last mouthful, Jiang Xuanjin felt a sense of relief in his heart, and his mood suddenly improved.
“Delicious, right?” Huaiyu looked at him expectantly.
Putting down the bowl, he said, “If your wound worsens tomorrow, you won’t be able to get out of bed for five days.”
Her face fell, and Li Huaiyu became unhappy, “You don’t have to praise me, but you’re scolding me!”
Jiang Xuanjin imitated her domineering tone, raising an eyebrow, “If I scold, I scold; what can you do about it?”
As he said this, he leaned against the bed’s edge, his azure robe slightly loose. His dark hair fell over his forehead, and his lips, having just drunk the soup, were moist and glistening. A hint of uncontainable laughter flashed in his beautiful dark eyes.
Huaiyu was momentarily stunned.
Her ears suddenly felt a bit hot.
“Master.” Cheng Xu called from outside, “It’s getting late.”
Jiang Xuanjin stood up, collected his expression, returned to his usual calm demeanor, and said to her, “Rest early.”
Then he left the room without looking back.
Li Huaiyu stared blankly at his retreating figure, then slapped her forehead.
How could she be bewitched by her enemy? No matter how good-looking he was, he was still the enemy! Complimenting him verbally was one thing, but she couldn’t praise him in her heart; that was a matter of principle!
Shaking her head, she came back to her senses, glanced at the empty bowl, and said to Lingxiu beside her, “Give the cook some silver; don’t let it slip!”
Her injury would worsen tomorrow, and she had to trick him into thinking this chicken soup was made by her, just to lay the groundwork and prevent him from becoming suspicious. If she made it, what she brewed might be even more poisonous than “a drop of blood.”
Bai Mengshi couldn’t withstand the suffering in prison, sending messages every day, pleading with Bai Dezhong to rescue her. However, the case had yet to conclude; she could neither die nor leave.
“That Lord Li is truly formidable.” Lu Jingxing came to Bai’s residence to visit Li Huaiyu, fanning himself as he spoke about the events outside.
“Jiang Xuanjin wants to deal with Meng Hengyuan, but Li Fengxing keeps finding excuses to obstruct him, even bringing up Bai Dezhong, tying his merits to the Meng family. He’s been trying hard to exonerate Meng Hengyuan.”
Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, “What does the Emperor say?”
“What else can he say? After being protected by you for so many years, he has the intention to govern, but he lacks the iron-fisted approach.” Lu Jingxing shook his head, lowering his voice, “Han Xiao, Xu Xian, and the others went to court today, all speaking for Jiang Xuanjin, which scared the officials.”
Han Xiao, Xu Xian, and Yun Lanqing are the three notorious remnants under Danyang’s command. If they spoke for Jiang Xuanjin, the officials would surely be frightened! Huaiyu chuckled, “What was Jiang Xuanjin’s reaction?”
“What reaction could he have? In court, he always has that coffin face.”
Recalling the way that coffin face had turned red with embarrassment when she teased him, Li Huaiyu couldn’t help but grin.
“What are you grinning about?” Lu Jingxing shot her a glance.
“Nothing.” Regaining her composure, Huaiyu became serious again, “Have you clarified things with Jiu Wu and the others?”
With a flourish, Lu Jingxing displayed his fan, gesturing toward it, “Praise me.”
Looking at the characters on the fan, Huaiyu found it quite distasteful but still had to compliment him, “Oh, Lu Zhanggui, you are noble and virtuous, broad-minded, and helpful…”
“Did you explain or not?”
Nodding in satisfaction, Lu Jingxing said, “What else could I do? After you left, they clung to me, insisting I explain for four hours, not letting me go until I clarified everything from start to finish.”
It wasn’t easy to accept something like borrowing a corpse to resurrect the dead. Qing Xian had thought he was possessed; if it weren’t for Jiu Wu stopping him, he would have probably come up to sprinkle incense on him to drive away evil spirits.
“Thank you for your trouble.” Huaiyu sighed, “I didn’t expect them to come back.”
Looking at her, Lu Jingxing said, “You shouldn’t always underestimate others’ feelings.”
Those who were called favored ones had fought alongside her for several years, holding a lot of loyalty, trust, and reliance toward her. Knowing she was dead, they rushed back to the capital without caring for their lives; knowing she was alive, they would surely continue to follow her without caring for their lives. Their feelings for her were much deeper than ordinary subordinates for their superiors.
And he had never been afraid of being troubled by her.
Grinning, Li Huaiyu felt a bit touched but didn’t know how to express it. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she turned to shout, “Lingxiu!”
Lingxiu responded, entering, “What does the Miss command?”
“Bring over that stack of things the Emperor wrote in the study!”
Things written by Jiang Xuanjin? Lu Jingxing was puzzled, watching Lingxiu take her leave. After a while, she returned, holding a stack of bright red items.
“Here, just in time you came; take this back with you!” She pulled out a wedding invitation with his name written on it and stuffed it into his arms. Huaiyu smiled, “I specifically had him write ‘for the whole family,’ so you can bring Jiu Wu and the others along.”
Lu Jingxing: “…”
The bright red invitation in his hands was blinding. He looked at it and asked irritably, “Next month?”
“Mm.” Waving Lingxiu away, Huaiyu whispered, “Once we go to Jiang’s residence, I will find a way to get Jiang Xuanjin to release Qingsi.”
Release? Lu Jingxing shook his head, “We’ve put in so much effort and still couldn’t save her; what method do you think you can use to make Jiang Xuanjin release her?”
“If hard methods don’t work, then we’ll use soft ones.” Huaiyu blinked, placing her orchid-like fingers on her cheek, speaking flirtatiously, “There’s a strategy in the Thirty-Six Stratagems called the ‘Beauty Stratagem’; have you heard of it?”
Fanning himself, Lu Jingxing blocked his eyes and shook his head, “I’ve heard of the Beauty Stratagem, but I haven’t seen the beauty.”
“…?”
Seeing her suddenly fierce gaze, Lu Jingxing closed his fan and, with a serious expression, said, “I wish Your Highness success.”
After saying this, his expression softened as he sighed, looking at her, “If you encounter trouble, remember to come find me.”
Li Huaiyu nodded without hesitation.
Li Fengxing and Jiang Xuanjin had quarreled over the “drop of blood” case several times, and when it became untenable, he carelessly said, “Your Majesty is so obsessed with this matter; could it be that you have some personal grievances?”
“Your minister should not speak nonsense.” Li Huailin frowned from the dragon throne, “How could the Emperor have personal grievances with the Meng family?”
“Your Majesty may not know,” Li Fengxing said, “Our Emperor’s future bride, Fourth Miss Bai, has had a conflict with the daughter of the Meng family, who is also Bai Yushi’s wife, Bai Mengshi. The ‘drop of blood’ case should not have involved the Emperor, but now the Emperor is so determined to convict the Meng family, it’s likely…”
Earlier, Jiang Xuanjin had not targeted Li Fengxing, merely discussing the matter. He had not seen Li Fengxing commit any wrongdoing, so his impression of him was still quite good.
However, today, he was furious and unexpectedly spoke such words.
Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened.
Li Fengxing was also at a loss; to protect Meng Hengyuan, he had to involve Fourth Miss Bai, hoping to make Ziyang Jun avoid suspicion regarding this case. This was the best solution.
However, the development of events did not go as he wished.
“Your Majesty,” Jiang Xuanjin spoke, “As Lord Li said, this case has already involved Bai Yushi, Bai Furen, and Fourth Miss Bai, and even implicated me. It’s probably no longer a simple case of smuggling banned drugs.”
Li Huailin frowned, “How could so many people be involved? What do you think should be done?”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded, his voice clear, “Since so many people are involved and it concerns the families of court officials, Your Majesty might as well open the court for a hearing and personally examine this case to clarify the truth.”
Li Fengxing was taken aback, looking at him, his face suddenly pale.
…
The weather was nice today, and Huaiyu hummed a little tune while lying in bed, eating pastries. Just as she was enjoying herself, Cheng Xu suddenly came over.
“Fourth Miss,” he asked, “Can your leg walk now?”
Moving her leg, Huaiyu nodded, “It’s okay; why?”
“It’s nothing serious.” Cheng Xu paused, saying, “The master sent me to bring you into the palace.”
Oh, into the palace. Huaiyu nodded, continuing to eat her pastries.
Wait? Which palace? Suddenly realizing this, she choked on a piece of cake, coughing violently.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Seeing her choke, Lingxiu hurried over to pat her back, teasing, “Even if you’ve never been to the palace, you don’t need to be so excited, Miss.”
Never been to the palace? Li Huaiyu trembled, wiping her mouth as she looked at the innocent little maid beside her. She wanted to tell her that not only had she been to the palace, but she had also grown up in the palace.
“Why would he suddenly want me to go to the palace?”
Cheng Xu said, “I don’t know the specifics, but the Emperor is arguing with someone over the Meng family’s case and has summoned you to the palace, likely to have the Emperor personally examine this case.”
Huaiyu was astonished, “No way, making such a big deal?”
This was just an ordinary case of poisoning and smuggling; even if it involved Bai Mengshi, it was just an ordinary case of poisoning and smuggling by an official. What qualifications did it have for the Emperor to personally examine it?
Cheng Xu awkwardly asked, “Are you going?”
“Of course.” Regaining her composure, Huaiyu said, “It’s not easy to enter the palace; why wouldn’t I go?”
If the Emperor personally examined a case that happened to involve her, wouldn’t that be a twist of fate between siblings? She had thought that with their current disparity in status, it would be difficult to see him, but now such a good opportunity had presented itself.
Li Huaiyu smiled, thinking she would go see if Huailin had grown up.
After court, the palace was generally closed, but since the Emperor suddenly wanted to personally examine a case, the place was opened, and many people were standing around.
The three dukes were on the side, and the nine ministers were present. Li Huailin sat on the dragon throne, asking in a serious manner, “Who is the Crown Prince? What is the accusation?”
Jiang Xuanjin bowed, “This minister, Jiang Jian, serves as Ziyang Jun. I now accuse the drug merchant Meng Hengyuan in the capital of ignoring the law and privately hoarding and selling a large amount of banned drugs, indirectly causing loss of life.”
Meng Hengyuan was pushed forward, his legs going weak as he knelt, “Grass… the commoner pays respects to Your Majesty!”
Looking at these two people, Li Huailin said, “The plaintiff may present evidence first.”
This case was originally handled by Xu Yan, and since the Emperor was personally presiding over it, he naturally brought the case files and evidence, now presenting them to Ziyang Jun.
Li Huailin examined them carefully, frowning as he read, “Three warehouses have been sealed, and three thousand pounds of banned drugs have been seized… Three thousand pounds?!”
Startled by this number, he scolded angrily, “You’re so audacious! According to the laws of Northern Wei, selling less than ten pounds of banned drugs results in six months to a year in prison; for ten pounds or more, the sentence is determined based on the circumstances. You’ve hidden three thousand pounds; how should this be sentenced?”
Beside him, Xu Yan cupped his hands, “That’s enough for the death penalty.”
“The commoner has something to say! The commoner has something to say!” Hearing the death penalty, Meng Hengyuan repeatedly bowed, “Those things are not the commoner’s; the commoner is wronged!”
“Bold!” Xu Yan scolded, “In front of the Emperor, how dare you lie?”
“The commoner is not lying!” Meng Hengyuan lay on the ground, his eyes darting around as he looked at Jiang Xuanjin.
“The commoner knows that this Ziyang Jun is high and mighty; whoever he doesn’t like, he will naturally eliminate. But the commoner is truly wronged! The three warehouses that were sealed by the yamen were empty; everyone knows they were empty warehouses meant for storing goods in summer. How could three thousand pounds of banned drugs suddenly appear? This is framing and slandering!”
“Presumptuous!” Li Huailin was slightly angry, “You dare to openly slander Ziyang Jun? Who gave you the courage?”
Meng Hengyuan trembled in fear, instinctively glancing at Li Fengxing, swallowing hard, “What I said is true; who in the capital doesn’t know that Ziyang Jun is going to marry Fourth Miss Bai? That Fourth Miss has a conflict with the commoner’s daughter, so she framed the commoner’s daughter for poisoning her. Jun wants to please the beauty, so he wants to deal with the commoner! The commoner is truly innocent!”
As soon as these words fell, the three dukes and nine ministers erupted in an uproar, all hissing at Meng Hengyuan.
What a ridiculous lie! You can say anything to please a beauty, but to say Ziyang Jun?
Could it be that he sold too many banned drugs and became foolish?
Seeing the situation was not right, Li Fengxing also stood up, “There’s something I want to report to Your Majesty first.”
“Speak.”
“Ziyang Jun has been living in Bai’s residence for half a month, and he’s been staying in Fourth Miss Bai’s courtyard.”
What? This news was far more shocking than three thousand pounds of banned drugs. Li Huailin was stunned, and the three dukes and nine ministers were also astonished. The hissing stopped, and all eyes turned to Jiang Xuanjin.
The usually aloof Ziyang Jun lived in a girl’s courtyard. This must be a lie!
“Lord Li speaks the truth,” Jiang Xuanjin calmly said, facing the heated gazes of everyone, “But there is a reason for it.”
There is a reason… There is a reason… So he did live in a girl’s courtyard? The Emperor on the dragon throne widened his eyes, and the people beside him were also dumbfounded as if they were watching a mountain collapse before their eyes.
This was too unbelievable!
After a Eldest while, Li Huailin finally stammered, “What is the reason?”
Jiang Xuanjin said, “Fourth Miss Bai was wronged and beaten to the brink of death by her family, nearly losing her life. Since I intend to marry her, how could I ignore it? I only planned to invite a physician to take care of her, but unexpectedly, something even more serious happened in Bai’s residence, forcing me to stay to ensure Fourth Miss Bai’s safety.”
“Oh?” Li Huailin sat up straight, “Is it about the rumors that Bai’s matriarch poisoned Fourth Miss Bai a few days ago?”
“Exactly.” Jiang Xuanjin raised his head, “May I ask Your Majesty, if Noble Consort Ning were in danger, and someone was lurking in the shadows wanting to harm her, what would you do?”
Noble Consort Ning was the Emperor’s most favored consort. Hearing this, Li Huailin immediately said, “I would protect her and catch the evildoer, punishing them severely!”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded, “So would I.”
What a “so would I!” Li Fengxing sneered, “Then Ziyang Jun admits that he treats Fourth Miss Bai with the same favoritism and bias as Your Majesty treats Noble Consort Ning?”
Glancing at him, Jiang Xuanjin asked, “So what if I do?”
“Good!” Li Fengxing nodded, “Then Meng Hengyuan has not lied. Ziyang Jun indeed favors Fourth Miss Bai and has thought of ways to slander him to take revenge for her.”
Li Huailin finally felt that Li Fengxing was not quite right, frowning as he asked, “Lord Li, do you also want to accuse Ziyang Jun?”
Li Fengxing was taken aback, “I only…”
“Having helped Meng Hengyuan to this extent, do you still want to wash your hands of it?” Jiang Xuanjin chuckled, “Lord Li’s intention to favor Meng Hengyuan is clear to everyone present; there’s no need to hide it.”
A Eldest history of a minister siding with a commoner against Ziyang Jun? The three dukes and nine ministers looked at each other, whispering among themselves.
It was hard to back down. Li Fengxing gritted his teeth and simply knelt, “I just feel it’s unjust. The words of a commoner, everyone here, including Your Majesty, wouldn’t believe; everyone would trust Ziyang Jun more. Isn’t this a form of favoritism? To seek justice, I’m willing to speak a few words for this commoner.”
His words were beautifully spoken, and Li Huailin nodded, “Lord Li speaks reason.”
Jiang Xuanjin asked, “Does the Lord have anything else to say?”
Li Fengxing said, “Since Ziyang Jun has admitted it, I naturally have nothing more to say.”
With a light laugh, Jiang Xuanjin said, “So it turns out that admitting favoritism toward my future wife equates to admitting to framing Meng Hengyuan? Lord Li, your ability to avoid the main issue is impressive, but you can’t just make things up.”
As he spoke, he bowed to the Emperor, “Fourth Miss Bai has already arrived outside; I ask Your Majesty to summon her.”
The legendary Fourth Miss Bai has arrived! Li Huailin’s eyes brightened, and he quickly said, “Quickly summon her in!”
The yellow-robed eunuch received the order and, in no time, a slender figure was helped into the main hall.
Stepping back into this familiar place, Li Huaiyu felt quite emotional. Looking at the officials in front of her and the Emperor on the throne, she suddenly felt as if she were still the Danyang Grand Princess, dressed in palace attire, proudly attending court.
However, as she approached the Emperor, she came back to her senses. Taking a deep breath, she slowly knelt.
“Bai Shizhuji pays respects to Your Majesty.”
A voice came from the dragon throne, much steadier than before, “Miss Bai, please rise. Considering your innocence and that you are still unwell, I allow you to sit and speak.”
“Thank you for your grace.” She smiled and bowed.
A chair was brought over, and the yellow-robed eunuch helped her sit down. Li Huaiyu’s body was tense, but her face was calm.
Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her, somewhat surprised.
He had thought that since it was her first time in the palace, she would surely be rude. He didn’t expect this usually unruly girl to be so obedient and proper before the Emperor.
“Does Fourth Miss Bai have any accusations to make?” Li Huailin asked.
Li Huaiyu nodded, “This subject wishes to accuse Bai’s matriarch of using banned drugs to harm lives.”
“Do you have evidence?”
Beside her, Xu Yan cupped his hands, “Your Majesty, this case has both testimonial and physical evidence, but it has been too complicated to conclude.”
Li Huailin frowned upon hearing this, “Since there is both testimonial and physical evidence, why can’t a conclusion be reached? The first law of Northern Wei is that murder is punishable by death, is it not?”
Xu Yan nodded, but Liu Tingwei suddenly spoke up, “The person poisoned by Bai Mengshi has not died, and adding Bai Yushi into the mix… sentencing to death would be a bit excessive.”
“If not sentenced to death, can anything else be sentenced?” Li Huailin raised his eyebrows, pondering slightly. He then said, “In previous dynasties, there have been cases of attempted murder; the perpetrator was imprisoned for twenty years. Considering Bai Yushi has served for many years, with merits benefiting her wife and children, let’s reduce it by two years, sentencing Bai Mengshi to eighteen years, to be released upon completion.”
“Do the esteemed ministers find this acceptable?”
He had directly reached a verdict!
Li Fengxing frowned repeatedly, sighing. This could only be blamed on Bai Mengshi for not handling things swiftly enough. He had pressed for so long, and if he couldn’t save her in front of the Emperor, he couldn’t be blamed.
Listening to this, Li Huaiyu slightly curled her lips, her eyes shining with light.
Decisive in handling matters, upright and just, Huailin was much better at handling cases than those indecisive officials! Who said he lacked an iron-fisted approach? Wasn’t this a good sign?
“If this case concludes, then Meng Hengyuan’s guilt can be established.” Jiang Xuanjin said, “The banned drugs used by Bai Mengshi are the ‘drop of blood’ stored in Meng’s warehouse. The conclusion of the case serves as evidence that Meng Hengyuan is guilty of smuggling banned drugs, with ample evidence.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Hengyuan hurriedly looked at Li Fengxing.
Li Fengxing smiled dismissively, “Does Ziyang Jun have direct evidence proving that the banned drugs used by Bai Mengshi were provided by Meng Hengyuan?”
Jiang Xuanjin paused.
Li Fengxing continued, “Just based on the poison used by Bai Mengshi, to forcibly tie it to Meng Hengyuan’s smuggling of banned drugs, don’t you think it seems like a case of misplaced anger?”
Looking again at Bai Shizhuji sitting there, he smiled, “What a furious outburst for a beautiful face.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang Xuanjin had yet to react, and the person sitting in the chair suddenly slammed her hand on the armrest and stood up.
“Bai Mengshi herself confessed at the capital’s yamen that the drugs were given to her by her father. If this isn’t direct evidence, then what is? Before you speak, have you carefully reviewed the case files?”
Li Fengxing was taken aback.
Li Huaiyu glared at him, mimicking his earlier aggressive demeanor, and retorted word by word, “Who would claim that Meng Hengyuan traffics in banned substances based on just a bit of poison? Does Your Excellency not know that three thousand pounds of contraband were discovered in the Meng Shi’s warehouse? They say they had no idea about the three thousand pounds that were stashed away—who would believe that?”
“This case is backed by solid evidence. What benefit has Your Excellency received that you would disregard the facts and persistently protect these unscrupulous merchants?”
The girl, who had seemed so delicate moments ago, transformed as she spoke, unleashing a torrent of words that flowed without pause. Each point she made was logical, and her unwavering stance left Li Fengxing’s face ashen.
“You…” he stammered in disbelief. “You, a mere daughter of a minister, dare to publicly accuse me?”
“Isn’t that what you just said?” Li Huaiyu replied with a mocking smile, echoing his earlier words. “A man’s rage ignited for a woman, after all!”