◎Liu Xiniang is Luo Wanqing◎

After placing the grasshopper in Luo Wanqing’s hand, Xie Heng straightened up, leading Qingya as he turned to leave.

Qingya followed with his men, walking down the steps with Xie Heng. He glanced at Xie Heng and probed: “What does Young Master mean by this?”

“Giving her a chance, and giving myself a chance.”

Hearing this, Qingya looked back at Luo Wanqing on the steps, raised an eyebrow, and held an umbrella for Xie Heng as they walked down.

Luo Wanqing held the grasshopper, stroking it gently.

Following her memory, she pulled the grasshopper’s legs, and it indeed began to move.

She sat on the steps, watching the sky gradually brighten.

After thinking for a long time, she finally stood up and walked toward her room.

She took out the mourning clothes she had prepared long ago, and after putting them on, stood before the mirror.

When her father died, she had been too rushed on the road to properly prepare his body for burial or wear mourning attire.

Now she finally wore mourning clothes, yet the person in the mirror was no longer the gentle, timid girl of years past.

She looked at herself in the mirror, putting on the mourning cap and securing it with a white flower.

“Father,” she said, looking at her reflection calmly, “I’m going now.”

With that, she turned to the table, took out the blood letter she had prepared long ago, her parents’ marriage tokens, and other evidence, then went down the mountain.

She walked out from the Supervision Department, walking on the long road before dawn. Darkness shrouded the entire Eastern Capital as she walked alone through the night in hemp clothing.

When Luo Wanqing left the Supervision Department, all the court ministers were heading to the palace.

Zheng Bikui was about to leave when a scout rushed over urgently: “Young Master, Liu Xiniang has gone out wearing mourning clothes.”

“Mourning clothes?”

Zheng Bikui frowned: “Where is she going?”

“Based on the direction… toward the Prefecture Court.”

The scout spoke hesitantly. Zheng Bikui thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, saying urgently: “This is bad!”

With that, Zheng Bikui immediately mounted his horse and sent word: “Go notify the Third Prince that Liu Xiniang has gone to the Prefecture Court. I’ll intercept her – have him watch Xie Heng.”

After speaking, Zheng Bikui raised his hand: “Follow me!”

He then led his men in a mad gallop.

As Zheng Bikui rushed toward the Prefecture Court, Jiqing was boarding the Zhang family carriage, being escorted out of the city by Zhang Yiran.

Zhang Yiran looked at the disguised Jiqing across from him, holding a teacup as he heard the other say: “I was originally going to leave directly, but thinking you might worry about me, I decided to come see you once more.”

Zhang Yiran kept his head down, saying softly: “I’m sorry for involving you in all this.”

“This was my crime to begin with. Not being able to testify for the Luo family – I’ve already failed you…”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Zhang Yiran shook his head. “In the end, we’re just their chess pieces. Master Ji… leaving is for the best.”

As they spoke, wind lifted the carriage curtain, and a woman in mourning clothes passed by the carriage with her head down.

A familiar, clear fragrance came on the wind. Zhang Yiran paused, realizing something, and hastily lifted the curtain.

The woman’s figure was slender, wearing a long sword, appearing particularly thin and lonely in the night, yet each step was taken steadily.

“Is that Inspector Liu?”

Jiqing leaned over, recognizing the long sword at Luo Wanqing’s waist. Looking at Zhang Yiran, he said urgently, “Where is she going dressed like that? Should we go see?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran unconsciously gripped the curtain tighter. However, after thinking for a moment, he forced himself to lower the curtain, saying softly: “Inspector Liu is deep in thought and has her plans. It’s not for us to worry about.”

Zhang Yiran forced a smile, looking at Jiqing: “Let’s talk about what comes next. Where does Master Ji plan to go? Back to Yangzhou?”

Jiqing was stunned. He glanced at the curtain, feeling uneasy, but since Zhang Yiran was unwilling to return, he couldn’t say much. He could only follow Zhang Yiran’s lead, nodding: “First, I’ll go back to find my family…”

As he spoke, Jiqing thought about it but still couldn’t continue, saying uneasily, “Minister Zhang, perhaps we should still go check on Inspector Liu. I feel… something seems wrong with her.”

“Don’t worry, Master Ji,” Zhang Yiran shook his head. “Inspector Liu will be fine.”

“But the direction she’s going…” Jiqing said anxiously, “It seems to be toward the Prefecture Court.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran’s heart beat faster, but he still insisted: “Going to the Prefecture Court isn’t necessarily anything…”

“There’s the Drum of Complaint there,” Jiqing frowned. “The Luo family case isn’t finished yet. Today, Inspector Liu dressed like this and headed to the Prefecture Court, she…”

Jiqing couldn’t continue. He couldn’t figure it out either.

What would she be doing going to the Prefecture Court in mourning dress?

To appeal to the Prefecture Court, one must be related to the case. What connection did Liu Xiniang have to this case, and what grievance would she be appealing?

“Maybe… I’m overthinking.” Jiqing gradually calmed down, comforting himself: “She’s going to the Prefecture Court, but she doesn’t have the standing to make an accusation.”

“Are you talking about Liu Xiniang?”

Qinglu’s voice came from outside. Hearing this, Zhang Yiran asked curiously: “Miss Qinglu?”

“If she goes to the Prefecture Court, she might be able to make an accusation.”

Qinglu spoke. Zhang Yiran was stunned and somewhat puzzled: “Beating the Drum of Complaint requires being related to the case – either the person involved or a family member. What do you mean by this, Miss Qinglu?”

“Oh, because there’s something I never told you.”

Qinglu’s voice came from outside, seemingly casual: “Actually, when Sister Jiuran was at Fengyu Pavilion, she used the alias Liu Xiniang.”

Zhang Yiran was stunned upon hearing this. Qinglu continued slowly: “When Sister Jiuran went to Yangzhou on a mission, she used the identity of Liu Xiniang to enter the prison, then escaped. The current Liu Xiniang is the person who switched identities with Sister Jiuran back then.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran’s heart raced. He vaguely realized something and controlled his emotions as he said: “She… never mentioned this to me. So Miss Qinglu’s meaning is that the current Inspector Liu isn’t Liu Xiniang?”

“Of course not. The identity of Liu Xiniang belongs to Sister Jiuran.”

“Then who is she?” Zhang Yiran immediately asked, his heart harboring a vague suspicion.

Zhang Jiuran had abandoned the Liu Xiniang identity in Yangzhou prison. The current “Liu Xiniang” was a death row prisoner from Yangzhou prison who had taken over Zhang Jiuran’s identity. This proved that she had at least been in Yangzhou prison.

She had said she knew Luo Wanqing, that she knew Luo Qushu was literate.

She had always paid special attention to the Luo family case.

Today… she wore mourning clothes…

“Though the master has never said, I’ve suspected she might be Luo Wanqing.”

Qinglu spoke calmly from outside, but these words struck like thunder in the carriage.

Jiqing listened in a daze. When he came to his senses, he couldn’t help saying urgently: “Miss Qinglu, what are you saying?! You’re saying Inspector Liu is Luo Wanqing? Which Luo Wanqing?”

“How many Luo Wanqings could there be in Yangzhou prison?” Qinglu sat outside the carriage, saying softly: “This is her private matter – I shouldn’t say much. But today she put on mourning clothes and walked toward the Prefecture Court. I think she no longer cares. Should we continue out of the city or turn back? Minister Zhang,” Qinglu stopped the carriage, “you decide.”

Zhang Yiran said nothing. Jiqing came to his senses and said urgently: “What’s there to decide?! Go back!”

Zhang Yiran sat in a daze, his mind filled with countless images.

When they first met, she had held a blade to his throat, threatening coldly: “I’m a death row prisoner – what do I fear from death? Listen to me, and I guarantee you’ll live.”

What he had heard from others in Yangzhou, what he had read in the files about Luo Wanqing: “gentle in nature, skilled in medicine, often helped the people, known as the Jade Bodhisattva of Yangzhou.”

The emotion in her eyes when he said, “Since this is a wrongful case, how can I ignore it?”

Her back turned to him, saying, “Minister Zhang, the dead may not speak, but that doesn’t mean they don’t care. Everything Minister Zhang has done, the Luo family will remember gratefully.”

He should have known…

His heart ached as overwhelming guilt engulfed him.

He should have realized, should have asked her – she was Luo Wanqing, she was Luo Wanqing!

Yet he had actually suspected her, asked her why she wanted to seek justice for the Luo family, treating all her efforts as means for gaining power and profit.

Who in this world wanted justice for the Luo family more than she did?

Who in this world cared more about this justice than she did?!

Yet he had asked her to her face what meaning there was in seeking this justice for the Luo family.

He was bullying her inability to speak out, bullying the Luo family’s inability to speak.

He was using this as an excuse to vent his dissatisfaction at being deceived, venting his grievance over Jiqing’s harm.

How could he do such a thing?

She was a doctor who had walked from Yangzhou to the Supervision Department, to today – how difficult that must have been. How could he bully her so?

“Minister Zhang?”

Seeing Zhang Yiran in a daze, Jiqing couldn’t help shaking him: “Stop spacing out and say something! I can’t show myself casually. If you won’t go, should I go?”

“Go back.”

Zhang Yiran came to his senses. He suddenly realized what Li Guiyu was plotting with that pursuit of posthumous honors at the palace banquet, why Li Guiyu had specifically come to the prison entrance to meet him, and tell him the reason for Jiqing’s poisoning.

Li Guiyu was forcing her.

The court was about to issue a notice closing this case. Once the notice was issued, overturning the case would become extremely difficult. If he, the presiding judge, and the wronged party didn’t immediately overturn the case and stop the court from closing it, Luo Wanqing wouldn’t have time to prevent the court from issuing the closing notice.

So Li Guiyu specifically came to the prison entrance to drive him away, making him lose heart and distance himself from the court. This way, Luo Wanqing could only watch the court issue the closing notice.

Unless she used her identity as a case party to make an accusation.

But once she revealed her identity, the crime of deceiving the emperor meant certain death unless specially pardoned.

For Luo Wanqing, death wasn’t the most terrifying thing – having to marry her enemy would be the greatest humiliation. Li Guiyu’s specific pursuit of posthumous honors was precisely to force her to either die or live to marry her enemy, using this as intimidation to cut off the possibility of her revealing her identity to overturn the case.

Understanding this, Zhang Yiran shouted: “Go back immediately!”

Qinglu responded as if already prepared: “Yes.”

With that, Qinglu turned the horse around and chased toward the Prefecture Court.

Author’s Note:

The Canglang Road arc from the beginning until now is all part of the female protagonist’s planning. Any seemingly unreasonable behavior will be explained later.