When leaving, he happened to encounter Yan Da and Gao Chaoyi preparing to depart as well, with both parties’ sedan chairs waiting at the post station entrance. Yan Da sneered coldly: “I wonder where Vice Minister Li is heading?”

He also smiled: “I believe to the same destination as the Chancellor.”

“Oh,” Yan Da retorted, “this old minister is going to the yamen. Though the yamen and the Huang Manor are adjacent, if Minister Li is going to the Huang Manor to visit Chancellor Quan, that’s quite different! Minister Li came here on official business, not to visit relatives. Whether the destination should be the yamen to investigate case files or the Huang Manor with other intentions, Minister Li shouldn’t confuse the two.”

Li Zhaoting didn’t argue. Yan Da looked at him mockingly, then swept his sleeves and entered the sedan with Gao Chaoyi. Only then did Li Zhaoting have the inn servants lift his sedan. Since learning of his background, he had endured for over ten years – now there was no one he couldn’t tolerate.

Yan Da and Gao Chaoyi’s visit to the prefectural office was merely for show. If they couldn’t find evidence among the common people, would Huang Tianba’s own yamen allow them to find evidence? In all of Minshan, only Huang Tianba’s mansion or the prison might have witnesses and evidence.

Si Lanfeng hadn’t specified when Lian Yu and others would conduct their nighttime prison investigation – the plan was probably undecided. Once action was determined, Si Lanfeng might not be able to notify him in time. Lian Yu’s use of false identity was quite clever, but since he already knew, he couldn’t let it succeed. Of course, he wouldn’t make the decision himself – he would leave the choice to Quan Feitong, to see how Quan Feitong would handle this new situation. Not many people would like being surpassed by the younger generation.

At the Huang Manor.

Suzhen never expected that after spending so long on makeup to disguise herself as Zhu’er – a maid who had recently entered the manor and mostly did rough work in the kitchen – she would encounter Quan Feitong at the Huang Manor within just an hour or two.

Lian Yu had told her that Quan Feitong would come here for a confrontation, but she never imagined he would appear so brazenly at the Huang Manor, so boldly, lying on a long chair in a lakeside pavilion more like the master than the actual master.

The chair was cushioned with soft bedding, and the stone table in front was piled with exquisite dishes of seasonal fruits… After yesterday’s rain, everything today appeared even more tender green and watery. Sunlight moistened the courtyards, pavilions, trees, and residual moisture throughout. That golden, soft scenery lazily fell upon this man who lay with closed eyes in light slumber. Dressed in snow-white with golden radiance and nobility, those devilishly beautiful phoenix eyes made him utterly detestable.

This man was quite willful indeed.

Suzhen’s heart tightened. If she had to disguise herself as someone with an intact appearance, unless she knew face-changing techniques or had the skillful hands of a beauty salon, it really wouldn’t work. Fortunately, Zhu’er had a large scar on her face, winding from her right eye to right cheek, making her appearance ugly and her true features unclear – perfect for the disguise.

She was accustomed to dressing as a man and had her own skills with makeup. Though she couldn’t completely imitate Zhu’er, she achieved seventy to eighty percent resemblance. Moreover, since Zhu’er usually kept her head down and eyes lowered, no one had a deep impression of what she actually looked like.

She truly feared this man before her, but it was too late to retreat now.

Quan Feitong was disturbed from his pleasant nap by a clear crash and suddenly opened his eyes.

“Who knocked that thing over?”

The ground was scattered with porcelain fragments giving off a faint medicinal fragrance. His low voice carried the slight hoarseness typical of someone just awakened, but no listener could remain unmoved.

He seemed greatly displeased by this sudden disturbance.

Moments before, over ten maids had approached gracefully, still blushing as they looked at this handsome man. At this question, their hearts immediately shattered like broken porcelain, and they all lowered their heads and averted their gazes in alarm.

Suzhen glanced sympathetically at a maid beside her called Qing’er.

“It was her…”

A loud voice rang out, and multiple gazes suddenly focused on her. Suzhen was stunned – damn, playing the blame game and ganging up on people!

What had happened was: she had been helping in the kitchen when Qing’er brought over medicine to be brewed, saying the master’s honored guest was ill. Yesterday’s dose hadn’t helped, so today’s needed to continue.

After brewing the medicine, Qing’er added various fruits and preserved sweets to the tray to please the honored guest, but found it too heavy and only had her carry the medicine along.

On the way, they encountered a group of maids taking their afternoon break and meal. Hearing they were going to the honored guest, they all shyly followed along.

Arriving outside the pavilion, Qing’er took over the tray to carry it herself, but somehow suddenly twisted her ankle, spilling the medicine.

Qing’er was clearly a senior maid who shifted the blame, and the other maids obviously supported her.

Qing’er lowered her head slightly, but her eyes coldly seized upon Suzhen, telling her to be careful with her words.

Quan Feitong’s gaze fell upon her as he said indifferently: “You caused this trouble?”

Suzhen pondered Zhu’er’s psychology, quickly glanced at Quan Feitong, then hurriedly lowered her head again.

This was both Zhu’er’s psychology and her own.

Though she was confident in her makeup, she ultimately feared Quan Feitong would see through her disguise. She had entered the Huang Manor hoping to search for evidence of Huang Tianba’s collusion with merchants and arbitrary executions – various correspondence as proof. Meanwhile, Leng Xue would accompany the two bailiffs to the yamen to investigate evidence.

Though hope was slim, she had to try no matter what!

First, to bring this cruel official Huang Tianba to justice; second, if she found evidence first and delivered it to Lian Yu, she could notify Li Zhaoting that Lian Yu already had proof of Huang Tianba’s crimes, forcing him to turn against Huang Tianba. Quan Feitong had always been someone who understood the times and wouldn’t obstruct Li Zhaoting.

Thus, Li Zhaoting would handle the case impartially, Lian Yu couldn’t charge him with crimes, and Huang Tianba would receive his deserved punishment.

Now, facing Quan Feitong’s question, she was about to shake her head when she realized the real Zhu’er would have difficulty when she returned here later. Sighing inwardly, she dropped to her knees with a thud: “This servant clumsily dropped it. Please forgive me, Young Master.”

Quan Feitong’s eyes flickered slightly, as if gently stretching his eyelids, then suddenly laughed softly, his gaze locking onto Qing’er: “You, come here.”

Qing’er was startled, but as a senior maid from a wealthy household, she had considerable courage. She curtsied and said “Yes,” then immediately stepped forward.

Quan Feitong glanced at Suzhen again: “You come here too. Give me your hand.”

Suzhen was stunned, seeing him slowly sit up, his sleeves slightly spread as he extended his palm toward her.