Su Jin shook her head: “There are too many chess players—the Crown Prince, the Seventh Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, and perhaps even more. They may be high and mighty princes or powerful court ministers with great authority. I am insignificant and without influence; I only wish to know what a chess piece should do.”

Liu Chaoming said: “Since you are a chess piece, then do what you should do.”

He passed through the door at the end of the corridor and ascended the steps. The vast Xuanyuan Platform suddenly burst into view, with snowflakes falling everywhere across the sky and ground.

“In this chaotic situation, there are many chess players. This is both a bad thing and a good thing. When the seas run turbulent, who can truly claim to control the entire board?”

Su Jin lowered her eyes and smiled again: “Does my lord mean that because there are many chess players, sometimes the chess players also become chess pieces?” She paused and asked: “Is this my lord’s personal experience?”

Liu Chaoming did not answer this question, but instead asked in return: “You are a woman, yet you are deeply embroiled in this dangerous situation. Why?”

Su Jin was startled, but after a moment she understood.

Indeed, as a woman, she insisted on remaining in the official career path. Her purpose was perhaps much simpler than that of men throughout the realm.

She did not seek rapid advancement and promotion to higher office, nor did she seek eternal fame and a name recorded in history. If she did not harbor the bright moon in her heart and wish to cross the river with a single reed, why would she place herself in such danger?

Liu Chaoming also raised his eyes toward the falling snow filling the sky and said: “The so-called adherence to one’s true heart has never been a smooth path. Where you are headed, there lie mountains, rivers, and streams. What your eyes behold may include dark clouds obscuring the sun. But if your heart is open and upright, why should you care who stirs up wind and clouds? As long as the bright moon remains in your heart, there will always be a day when you can grasp it.”

Su Jin pondered for a long while, then said softly: “My lord means to say, do good deeds and ask not about the future?”

Liu Chaoming replied indifferently: “If that is how you understand it.”

Su Jin thought for another moment: “So not associating with Buddhist monks and Daoist priests makes one a good person?” (Note 1) As she spoke, she suddenly laughed to herself. “When my lord was once a chess piece, did you copy quite a few Buddhist and Daoist scriptures?”

Liu Chaoming’s brow furrowed slightly. He felt she was putting on that glib and ingratiating facade again, but when he turned his face to look, he saw that the smile had not yet faded from her profile, as if she had truly found amusement.

Liu Chaoming felt somewhat dazed for a moment.

He still remembered that when he first met Su Jin, it was late spring. Her eyes were as vast and unending as the wind and rain stretching across the Qinhuai River. Later, right up until she was promoted to Circuit Inspector and left the capital, he had only seen her truly smile once—when she learned that Chao Qing was still alive. And that smile had been fleeting.

Now, he did not know if it was his imagination, but since Su Shiyu had returned from her circuit inspection, the smile on her face had suddenly become more frequent.

It was as if a sudden gentle breeze carrying warmth had melted the ice and snow in her heart, or perhaps the heavens had poured down sunlight washing away the desolation from her brow. The eyes that had been solitary for half a lifetime gradually shed their fiery color and became tinged with the radiance of spring.

He just did not know where her serene and open demeanor came from.

Liu Chaoming looked at Su Jin’s smiling face, and his indifferent gaze suddenly became gentle. He turned his head back and said without much expression: “I did not copy many Buddhist or Daoist scriptures, but I did keep quite a few accounts. The first entry is that Circuit Inspector Su of the capital offices owes the Imperial Censorate twenty strokes of the heavy rod, which she has yet to come receive.”

Upon hearing this, Su Jin could not help but freeze. With difficulty, she recalled that after the disturbance caused by the aspiring officials, because she had failed to quell the situation and had fallen short of expectations, she indeed owed the Imperial Censorate twenty strokes of the heavy rod that remained unfulfilled to this day.

She thought carefully for a while. Just as she was about to say something, she looked up and saw someone running stumbling toward them from one side of Xuanyuan Platform. It was actually Eunuch Zhang, the head steward of the Front Palace Hall. From a great distance, he called out: “Lord Liu, please wait.”

An ominous premonition arose in Su Jin’s heart.

The horrifying appearance of Beauty Li, who had hanged herself in the Front Palace Garden, still hung over her heart like a shadow.

But Beauty Li was a person of the inner palace. No matter how great the disturbance, it should be judged by the Emperor or the Imperial Noble Consort. Why was this Eunuch Zhang running to find the Left Censor-in-Chief? Could it be that some other disturbance had occurred?

Sure enough, as soon as Eunuch Zhang reached Liu Chaoming, he knelt and bowed, saying: “Lord Liu, a great incident has occurred at the Front Palace Hall. The Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Qi, several princes, and ministers have all arrived. Right now, they are specifically asking for the Left Censor-in-Chief and the Vice Censor-in-Chief to come.”

Liu Chaoming frowned. Both the Imperial Noble Consort and Consort Qi were present—why would they summon him, an outer court minister?

Seeing that he seemed displeased, Eunuch Zhang hastily explained the cause of events one by one, then said: “Originally, the Thirteenth Prince had already arranged everything properly. Who knew that after the Crown Prince arrived, he ordered the Feathered Forest Guard to conduct a self-investigation. Later, they actually found a hairpin that Beauty Li commonly used on the person of Qian Yu, Lord Qian, the Vice Commander of the Feathered Forest Guard. Afterward, the Medical Director from the Imperial Medical Academy examined Beauty Li’s body and said that before her death, she had been violated. On her body, they also found Lord Qian’s identification token. Therefore, His Highness suspects… suspects that it was Lord Qian Yu who violated Beauty Li and then killed her.”

Liu Chaoming said indifferently: “If that is the case, then drag him to the Court of Imperial Clan to be interrogated.”

Eunuch Zhang said: “That is the logic, yes, but my lord, you also know Lord Qian’s status. When Minister Qian learned of this matter, he immediately rushed over to appeal the injustice.”

When Su Jin first heard Eunuch Zhang mention Qian Yu, she was still marveling at how there were so many people surnamed Qian in the court.

Qian Zhihuan, the Minister of Revenue, was one. Qian San’er, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, was another. Now, hearing that Minister Qian had rushed over to appeal the injustice, she realized that these were all from the same family.

She also recalled that Song Jue seemed to have mentioned that Minister Qian had eight sons. Among them, the legitimate eldest son was said to serve in the Feathered Forest Guard. It must be this Vice Commander of the Feathered Forest Guard, Qian Yu.

Liu Chaoming asked again: “What about His Majesty?”

Eunuch Zhang said: “The Thirteenth Prince already had this servant go request His Majesty earlier, but when His Majesty heard that something had happened to the Imperial Grand Grandson, he became so anxious and agitated that he could not even rise.”

As he spoke, he continued: “That is not all. The young prince has not awakened even now. The reason, in the end, is that the incident occurred because the Crown Princess was not present. But the Crown Princess was summoned away by an urgent edict from the Imperial Noble Consort. Just now when the Crown Prince inquired, that urgent edict turned out not to concern any important matter. Now suspicion has fallen upon the Imperial Noble Consort.”

After hearing these words, Liu Chaoming did not immediately set out. After a moment of silence, he asked: “Who is present right now?”

Eunuch Zhang said: “In response to Lord Liu, from the inner palace, there are the Imperial Noble Consort, Consort Qi, and the Crown Princess. Among the ministers, Minister Zeng from the Ministry of Personnel came together with Minister Qian. Also, because something happened to the young prince, Lord Shen from the Ministry of Revenue arrived just before and after the Crown Princess.”

Liu Chaoming nodded slightly and asked again: “Which princes are there?”

Eunuch Zhang said: “The Thirteenth Prince was there originally, and there is no need to mention the Crown Prince. Because Beauty Li of Yanhe Palace met with misfortune, and tomorrow is also the memorial day of Consort Cen, they say… they say it is the vengeful spirit of Consort Cen causing trouble. Therefore, the Seventh Prince also came, and the Twelfth Prince and Fourth Prince came with him.”

Liu Chaoming saw that his words contained disrespect and looked at him with an indifferent gaze.

Eunuch Zhang shrank his neck and continued: “There is also the Fourteenth Prince. Not long after the Imperial Noble Consort arrived, the Fourteenth Prince brought the Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, and Third Prince, who also rushed over.”

When he reached this point, he frowned and thought, as if afraid that with so many people, he might confuse even himself. After a long while, he spoke again: “Although those currently at the Front Palace Hall are, aside from His Majesty, the most precious personages in this palace, because all sides are implicated and none can clear themselves of suspicion, for a time they cannot find a fair person to judge the case. Originally they spoke of seeking Lord Shen Tuo of the Ministry of Justice, but after all, he is the young prince’s maternal grandfather and might show excessive favoritism.” He thought carefully again. “Oh, right, later it was the Tenth Prince who proposed to everyone that they should request you, Left Censor-in-Chief, to judge.”

After hearing his words, Su Jin also took a long while to sort everything out.

Right now at the Front Palace Hall, there were three groups of people, led respectively by the Imperial Noble Consort, the Crown Prince, and the Seventh Prince.

The death of Beauty Li was directly related to the young prince’s frightful illness.

The Imperial Noble Consort had urgently summoned away the Crown Princess with an edict, which made her suspected of harming the young prince, so she could not judge this case.

The accused killer of Beauty Li, Qian Yu, was the Vice Commander of the Feathered Forest Guard. The Feathered Forest Guard was directly under Zhu Minda, so he should also avoid involvement.

During her lifetime, Beauty Li had resided in Yanhe Palace. After her death, her appearance and the manner of her death in Yanhe Palace were exactly the same as Consort Cen’s. This inspired fear. Although talk of ghosts and spirits was not credible, if this matter were judged by Consort Cen’s son Zhu Zhaowei, it would be inappropriate no matter how one looked at it.

His Majesty was confined to his sickbed, and the late Empress had died long ago. With such chaos erupting in both the court and the inner palace, for the person to judge this case to ultimately fall to the Left Censor-in-Chief was truly absurd.

She just did not know what background this additional Consort Qi had.

After hearing Eunuch Zhang’s words, Liu Chaoming had already begun walking toward the Front Palace Hall.

Su Jin was still pondering when Eunuch Zhang suddenly sidled up to her and said apologetically: “Lord Su, the Crown Prince was furious just now and investigated strictly. This servant was afraid of bringing trouble upon himself, so I mentioned that you had lingered at the Front Palace Hall for a while. When you arrive shortly, please be so kind as to testify for this servant. This servant has done nothing wrong.”

Actually, he need not explain—Su Jin could already guess why she was being summoned to the Front Palace Hall.

She nodded and replied: “No harm.”

Eunuch Zhang glanced at her expression and asked again: “Lord Su, are you wondering why Consort Qi would be at the Front Palace Hall?”

Su Jin only focused on walking forward, neither saying yes nor no.

Which of the head stewards in this palace had not practiced the art of reading faces and observing expressions to perfection?

Eunuch Zhang immediately said: “Speaking of this, it is another topic of gossip. Earlier, was it not said that after Consort Cen passed away, Yanhe Palace remained empty for several years before Beauty Li and her serving maid moved in? Although those who moved in were mistress and servant, because that maid was beautiful in appearance, she happened to encounter the intoxicated Emperor. After being favored twice, she became pregnant. Now she has been elevated to Consort Qi and occupies the main position of Yanhe Palace—truly a case of the later arrival surpassing the earlier.”