“The Prince once wrote to my mother, clearly stating he had someone in his heart, but as far as I know, Prince Pingxi’s residence has no concubines or such women.” Fang Xinyan boldly spoke up. “From this, I can deduce that the Prince, for some reason, cannot marry the one he loves, but a valiant man like the Prince cannot possibly remain unmarried for life. Since marrying anyone is still marriage, why can’t he marry me?”

These words nearly made Minister Fang cough up blood in anger.

This was his youngest daughter, whom he had cherished and raised with such care, and she had the audacity to speak such shameless words to a man.

Chu Yi didn’t even glance at her.

His voice was extremely cold: “This Prince has repeatedly defied imperial edicts, arousing the Emperor’s suspicion. If Minister Fang were to resign from office and I were to marry Miss Fang, it would indeed be a way to regain the Emperor’s favor. I just wonder if Minister Fang would be willing?”

Fang Xinyan was immediately stunned.

Marrying Prince Pingxi would require such a great price?

Minister Fang immediately bowed with cupped hands: “Your Highness, my daughter is young and speaks nonsense. Please do not take her words to heart!”

The Fang family had taken seven generations to reach the position of a second-rank minister in the court. To resign from office for the sake of a marriage, abandoning everything—it was simply absurd!

Fang Xinyan stammered: “I… I wasn’t speaking nonsense…”

“If Miss Fang has the energy to seek death and make a scene here, you might as well persuade your father to resign.” Chu Yi sneered coldly. “This Prince will await your good news.”

He strode toward the exit.

Minister Fang glared fiercely at his daughter and hurriedly followed.

At the main gate, Chu Yi stopped: “Minister Fang should act quickly on that resignation. Any later, and the Empress Dowager will issue an edict to make Fourth Miss Fang the Princess Consort of Prince Zhuang.”

Minister Fang was shocked.

Prince Zhuang was the legitimate son of the former Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager’s only blood grandson. Though also a prince, he held no actual official position.

Most importantly, Prince Zhuang was a sickly invalid!

After seeing Chu Yi off, he turned back and walked to Fang Xinyan’s courtyard.

“Father, just resign temporarily. After I become Princess Consort of Prince Pingxi, we’ll find a way to restore your official position…”

“Smack!”

Minister Fang slapped his daughter across the face.

This daughter, whom he had received in his late forties as a late-in-life blessing, whom he cherished deeply—this was the first time in his life he had struck her.

Fang Xinyan covered her face in disbelief: “Father, you actually dare to hit me! I merely asked you to resign temporarily, and you hit me. You’ve disappointed me so much…”

Minister Fang was so angry his temples nearly exploded: “Do you know that the Empress Dowager intends to arrange a marriage between you and Prince Zhuang!”

“Prince Zhuang…” Fang Xinyan’s eyes widened. “That sickly invalid who looks like a ghost—I won’t marry him, I won’t!”

Madam Fang said anxiously: “My lord, what should we do? Prince Pingxi is unwilling to marry her, and Prince Zhuang is no good match either. What will become of our Xin’er?”

Minister Fang’s head throbbed.

Before today’s incident, his daughter could still have found a good match.

But with her suicide attempt causing such a commotion, which noble family in the capital would dare marry a wife whose heart belonged to another man?

Yet as her father, he had to intervene on her behalf and try to find a suitable match.

While the Fang family deliberated,

Chu Yi had already arrived at the Court of Judicial Review’s dungeon.

Qin Mingheng had been imprisoned for many days, surviving on just one bowl of gruel per day.

He had rapidly grown thin—even the iron chains could barely hold him. He lay on the straw mat on the ground, his chest’s rise and fall proving he still lived.

Chengxu lifted a basin of water and splashed it on his face.

Qin Mingheng coughed and choked, slowly opening his eyes. When he saw Chu Yi, a sinister smile appeared on his face: “Prince Pingxi has finally remembered someone like me.”

“Escaping from exile is a capital offense. Keeping you alive this long is your good fortune.” Chu Yi ordered coldly, “Men, escort Qin Mingheng to the Meridian Gate!”

Qin Mingheng’s expression changed.

After Yun Chu learned about that night from him, he had guessed that Prince Pingxi would also develop suspicions and would surely come to interrogate him.

Then he could use this matter to manipulate Prince Pingxi and seek a way to survive.

But Prince Pingxi was not following conventional logic and actually wanted to execute him.

Two guards seized him and made him stand.

“Wait!” Qin Mingheng gritted his teeth. “I have a deal to discuss with Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness is interested?”

“I don’t make deals with dead men.” Chu Yi rubbed his fingers together. “I have some connection with your father. I’ll have your corpse buried in the same place.”

He finished speaking and walked toward the exit.

Qin Mingheng truly felt death approaching.

“Doesn’t Your Highness want to know who the woman from that night was?”

“Doesn’t Your Highness want to know who the biological mother of the Young Lord and the Princess is?”

“I can tell Your Highness everything, but the condition is that Your Highness must let me live.”

Chu Yi laughed: “Marquis Xuanwu told me more than once that the woman was a maidservant from your household who died long ago. What, making a deal with me using a dead person?”

“She’s not dead—she’s alive and well!” Qin Mingheng shouted. “The Young Lord and the Young Princess so desperately want their biological mother. Doesn’t Your Highness want to fulfill the children’s wish?”

Chu Yi’s fingers tightened.

Was the woman from that night Yun Chu?

It must be her.

Otherwise, Yun Chu wouldn’t have said those things.

“Ha!” The curve of Chu Yi’s profile turned cold and hard. “I’ve long known the truth about that night. Do you think your mouth can deceive me again?”

Qin Mingheng was stunned.

Had Yun Chu already laid everything out with Chu Yi?

A woman with such deep cunning would only scheme and take revenge in the shadows. How could she bring this matter into the open to discuss?

His expression was caught entirely by Chu Yi’s eyes.

Having interrogated criminals for years, how could he not understand such an expression?

In his heart, endless emotions suddenly surged…

So five years ago, he and Yun Chu had already…

They had missed each other for a full five years, thousands of days and nights.

He had lived with guilt for five years.

She had endured torment in the Xie family for five years.

It didn’t have to be this way…

He was truly the world’s greatest fool!

He couldn’t wait to see her!

“She deceived you—it wasn’t her at all!” Qin Mingheng said hatefully. “I don’t know why Yun Chu lied to you, but I want to tell you that the woman who truly shared that spring night with you is someone else. I’ve hidden her in a place you’ll never find.”

A shadow fell across Chu Yi’s handsome face.

This meant that besides Qin Mingheng, someone else knew about that night.

As a man, he didn’t matter.

But he absolutely could not let Yun Chu, after suffering so much hardship, also suffer from gossip and rumors.

He suppressed his emotions and said coldly: “This Prince will grant you a few more days of life. Confess honestly—where is that woman?”

Qin Mingheng felt relief inside.

He hadn’t expected Chu Yi to actually believe his words.

“Then I ask that Your Highness keep your word and let me live a while longer.” Qin Mingheng said word by word, “That woman is in a village thirty li outside the city…”

This was the grand gift he had prepared for Chu Yi five years ago.

He had thought that if he couldn’t hold out, he would present her to Chu Yi. He hadn’t expected it to come in handy today.

That woman was from the Qin family, loyal to the Qin clan. If she could enter Prince Pingxi’s residence, there would surely be an opportunity to rescue him from the dungeon.

Chu Yi turned and walked out of the dungeon, coldly ordering Chengxu: “You personally go thirty li outside the city… Gag her mouth and bring her back to the capital immediately!”

Chengxu received the order and departed.

Chu Yi, disregarding his physical discomfort, took a horse and galloped toward the Yun residence.