Without a second thought, Lian Yu refused. “No.”

“Until the case is solved, you cannot leave this palace.”

Suzhen’s voice remained very soft. “May I borrow a moment to speak privately?”

“Whatever it is, you can say it here.” Lian Yu replied calmly.

Suzhen smiled slightly. “It’s precisely because it’s not personal business that it’s inappropriate to discuss here.”

A’luo’s gaze flickered slightly, but she ultimately said nothing. However, Mei’er was indignant: “Magistrate Li, regarding the cellar incident, my mistress has been thinking of repaying the favor, seeking you and Magistrate Li to express gratitude with kind words. You responded with harsh words, which was bad enough, but now how can you be even more excessive, unable to bear seeing His Majesty and my mistress happy together, coming here to pester His Majesty? What matter can’t be spoken before the Seventh Prince, Ninth Prince, and my mistress and servant? Can you guarantee that yours is truly official business!”

“Mei’er, you have no place to speak here!” A’luo sternly rebuked.

“Miss!” Mei’er became anxious, her eyes slightly red. “She—”

Before she could finish, Lian Yu’s voice interrupted: “Ming Yanchu, give this girl twenty slaps.”

The voice wasn’t loud, and the punishment wasn’t severe, yet it made Mei’er tremble all over and freeze in place. A’luo was also shocked, her hand linked through Lian Yu’s arm tightening. “Your Majesty, Mei’er spoke inappropriately, which was wrong of her, but please spare her this once for my sake.”

Lian Yu turned slightly toward her: “Even when subjects report routine matters to me, she wants to interfere. Is she certain she has this qualification?”

His gaze was cold and sharp – a single word could mean death or life. Mei’er shivered violently.

Even though she knew Lian Yu doted on A’luo, she still feared this Son of Heaven.

“A’luo, you don’t need such a talkative maid by your side. Bad servants bring disaster to their masters. I originally planned to transfer her away from you after punishment, but since you’ve pleaded for her, I’ll give her one more chance. However, the punishment cannot be waived. You may speak, but she has no right to.”

“Proceed, Ming Yanchu.” He issued the cold command with no room for negotiation.

“Yes.”

Ming Yanchu received the order and stepped forward to slap her face left and right. Mei’er looked fearfully at Lian Yu. Though she was relatively tough and no longer begged A’luo, she still couldn’t suppress the pain and cried out pitifully.

A’luo didn’t plead again. Lian Yu was no longer the Lian Yu of years past, but this wasn’t a severe punishment after all. She knew he loved her, yet this incident still impacted her, making her hand gripping his sleeve tremble slightly.

“Wait a moment.” Lian Yu glanced at Suzhen with this instruction, then patted A’luo’s hand. “Come out with me for a moment.”

A’luo nodded. He took her hand and led her out of the courtyard.

Suzhen stood on the steps, calmly watching the two figures approach like wind, then vanish in an instant.

Whether they called her narrow-minded or whatever else, she felt satisfied seeing Mei’er taught a lesson. But she thought she understood what Lian Yu was taking A’luo to do.

Perhaps she should thank him? Lian Yu comforted A’luo and took her away, but he wouldn’t delay even a moment. At least after her report, he didn’t want A’luo to harbor resentment.

He was always good to those he loved.

Ruthless in business, yet… protective in every way.

She curved her lips in a smile and sat down again, quietly waiting.

Lian Jie and the others exchanged glances and fell silent again. For a moment, only the sound of slapping echoed in the courtyard.

After being tightly gripped and pulled along for a distance, A’luo suddenly struggled free forcefully. “Don’t blame me for losing my temper. I feel hurt, Lian Yu.”

Lian Yu didn’t force her. The two stood a step apart, Lian Yu’s gaze deep as a pool. “You may lose your temper with me anytime.”

He had nothing else to say, but A’luo choked softly and threw herself into his arms.

He reached out to hold her.

“A’luo, she and I are only sovereign and subject. But must these words really be said repeatedly? I’ve said that I’ll spend my lifetime with you, protect you from past sufferings, not let you be lonely, and this won’t change – don’t be afraid. Even if… after a hundred years, if you live long and healthy while I go before you, I’ll arrange everything for you.”

“Lian Yu, don’t say such things. I don’t like hearing them. I understand, I understand everything.” A’luo’s heart ached as she tightly embraced him in return. “It’s just that these years of displacement, living worse than death, I’m very afraid… You love me, you’ll protect me, I know, I can feel it. I can be certain of your heart, yet I still fear she might seduce you. I’m not ashamed to tell you – I went to find her and Li Zhaoting today ostensibly to thank them for the cellar incident, but from their words, I finally understood that you involved Li Zhaoting in the case to serve as her scapegoat should something happen. You… think of everything for her.”

“A’luo, not to mention she wouldn’t do anything, but even if she did, to me it’s only the past. I’ve said that I, Lian Yu, am destined to wrong her in this lifetime. Being so, if I don’t try to preserve her life, would I still be a man? Could I still govern these vast lands?”

“You see how Li Zhaoting pesters you persistently, yet I always trust you. Can’t you—” He spoke while releasing her, tapping her nose and wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. Just like before.

A’luo’s eyes finally began to curve upward slowly.

After the time it takes to drink tea, Lian Yu returned with A’luo.

Mei’er had finished receiving punishment and stumbled to A’luo’s side. A’luo helped arrange her disheveled hair. “Don’t be afraid.”

Mei’er nodded with red-rimmed eyes.

A’luo said softly: “Mei’er and I will return first.”

“Good.” Lian Yu nodded, then instructed: “Bai Hu, escort Her Majesty back.”

“Yes.” Bai Hu glanced at Suzhen and responded quietly.

Soon, only Lian Jie and the others remained in the courtyard. Everyone was about to leave when Suzhen said: “Seventh Prince, everyone, please wait.”

“What I have to say with His Majesty isn’t anything that can’t be heard. Now is the right time – it’s just that with consorts and palace attendants present, there are too many people and ears, especially palace servants who aren’t discreet. If word gets out, it would be troublesome.”

Everyone was somewhat surprised.

Lian Yu neither drove them away nor dismissed them. He stood with hands behind his back, his voice still light: “You said you wanted to handle the case, you brought the danger upon yourself, and now you’re the one clamoring to leave the palace.”

“Li Huaisu, I always thought serving country and people was your aspiration. You truly disappoint me.”

Suzhen looked at the distance between them. He was lean and tall, while she stood on the steps, her height only equal to his. She smiled and shook her head.

“Your Majesty, please rest assured. Huaisu doesn’t make a fuss over personal matters because it’s not worth it. It’s not that I don’t care, but could making a fuss bring anything back? It’s not that I can’t let go – if I could let go of Li Zhaoting’s matter, what couldn’t I release? Serving country and people isn’t achieved by mere words, though I’m only a mere woman. But my abilities are also limited. If I must be calculated against, so be it. I can barely take care of myself – why bother constantly claiming to manage others’ life and death, joy and sorrow?”

She spoke one sentence, then refuted herself with the next. Everyone exchanged glances again, seeming to understand her meaning yet not understanding at all.

Lian Yu didn’t speak, his temples tensed.

After a long while, when everyone felt the atmosphere was tense and Lian Yu might explode in anger, he finally spoke.

“Speak. Continue.”

Suzhen seemed not to hear the weight in his voice and clasped her hands together: “All the palace maids who shared quarters with Consort Yu back then have left the palace. Please have Minister Ming immediately investigate these women’s home locations and send people to protect them, then bring everyone to a central meeting place. Meanwhile, this subject requests to leave the palace to meet with them.”

“If they’re still alive, not counting the three sets of remains in the cellar, there should be four people remaining.”

Everyone was shocked, their expressions becoming very complex. Lian Qin immediately asked repeatedly: “How do you know the cellar contains those palace maids?”

“And why do you say to protect the remaining people? Do they still have some connection to that year’s case?”

“I can’t be completely certain – it’s just a deduction from examining the bones, but the possibility isn’t small. I’ll explain the details later. Time is of the essence. Today Li Zhaoting and I examined the skeletal remains. The murderer has someone in the palace, or the murderer is in the palace. They’ll surely think that through this examination, we’ll inevitably discover something. I fear the murderer will silence the remaining palace maids outside the palace.”

Everyone was even more shocked. Only Lian Yu remained very calm, but he spoke quickly: “I’ll have people bring them back to the palace for you to question.”

“No, bringing them into the palace would be too obvious a target and too dangerous. If news leaks, even with slight carelessness in protection, they’ll certainly die. This subject going out alone will suffice. I won’t bring anyone from the Criminal Investigation Bureau out of the palace – same with Li Zhaoting. Let them remain here for the murderer to see. Please have Your Majesty send someone to impersonate me, staying in the room for these few days without coming out. Consort Gu’s earlier visit was perfectly timed. This subject’s visit to see Your Majesty today will surely be spread by that Mei’er, providing the perfect excuse for Li Huaisu to act spoiled and stay secluded.”

“This is why you asked to speak privately?” Lian Jie suddenly asked.

“Yes.” Suzhen nodded. Her face remained pale, but her eyes finally showed a trace of smile.

Everyone looked at Lian Yu in alarm. Indeed, Lian Yu’s eyes were extremely dark, fixed on every curve around her eyebrows and eyes.

“You cannot leave the palace alone. I’ll make arrangements to go out with you.”

Everyone momentarily held their breath for Suzhen, not expecting him to restrain himself and answer her thus.

“No, Sixth Brother. This trip is destined to travel light – you cannot go out. If interested parties learn of your incognito travel—” Lian Jie’s expression changed as he and Lian Qin knelt simultaneously.

“Correct, Your Majesty cannot travel.” Suzhen’s gaze fell on one person. “If Your Majesty favors me, please bestow your most trusted bodyguard to protect this subject in completing this journey.”

“Who do you want?” Lian Yu’s face was dark as water as he slowly spoke.

“Xuanwu, or the one who has never appeared… Zhuque.”

As these words fell, the entire scene fell silent.

Under dim moonlight, a horse carriage quietly drove out of the imperial city.

In the carriage, a young person looked at the man whose head and face were perpetually wrapped tightly as he lifted the curtain and entered, nodding as a greeting, then immediately buried his head in case files by the carriage’s lamplight.

“Magistrate Li, regardless of how things are between you and our master, this wound still needs medicine.” The man was silent for a moment before speaking.

Facing this person, the young person was relatively relaxed. Since the other meant well, she didn’t refuse and extended her hand. Not wanting to accept kindness without reciprocating, she also expressed concern: “Your voice sounds so hoarse… do you have a cold?”

“Yes, this subordinate often serves night duty. Thank you for Magistrate Li’s concern.”

The man was about to apply medicine to her extended hand when the carriage jolted violently. The young person was startled, but the man moved extremely quickly, reaching out to catch her falling body, rolling over to cushion the ground himself while letting her fall on his chest.