Lu Huating seemed not to have expected the first words of greeting to be this, his black eyes freezing for a moment.

He lowered his lashes, and after a long while, actually broke into a brilliantly radiant smile: “This one is very curious. If this one refuses to agree, what will my lady do?”

Qun Qing pulled him closer, feeling Lu Huating slightly holding his breath, before looking at her own reflection in his pupils and saying earnestly: “Then I will testify and have you executed.”

The clatter of armor and voices broke the night’s silence as over a dozen Jinwu Guards burst in to announce the imperial decree. Only then did Qun Qing release her grip.

“The Sage has decreed that Chief Clerk Lu showed disrespect to an imperial consort and is to be sent to the Imperial Prison.”

Lu Huating glanced at these Jinwu Guards, then looked toward Qun Qing, somewhat surprised.

Qun Qing’s gaze remained very calm.

The leading Jinwu Guard, seeing Lu Huating covered in blood and silver needles scattered on the ground with Qun Qing still clutching a confession in her hand, frowned: “According to Great Chen law, private torture to extract confessions is a serious crime. The Vice Minister of Justice has already impeached this woman, who is to be imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review pending trial.”

Lu Huating turned back to glance at her. Qun Qing seemed to have long anticipated this outcome, remaining kneeling in place without resistance.

In truth, she need not have waded into this murky water.

This woman was cautious in her dealings. Lu Huating had never expected she would come to his rescue.

Why did she have to come, stirring a ripple in his heart?

“典仪Qun,” Qun Qing raised her eyes to see Lu Huating’s face hidden in shadow, a pair of black eyes gazing at her, reflecting a glittering radiance. “You wait.”

With that, he was shackled and led away.

Qun Qing made no response and was also led away by two men.

Meng Guangshen stood at the door, seeing her off with his gaze—that gaze was cold. Soon after, Li Pan’s sedan chair arrived: “Grand Tutor, what has become of Lu Huating?”

Meng Guangshen stood solemnly in the night, as if calming his emotions, before finally saying after a long while: “He was taken to the Imperial Prison. The Imperial Prison is under the Sage’s personal control; even your imperial brother cannot intervene.”

“That Consort Lü somehow suddenly made a foolish move. It appears to be punishment, but in reality removes him from our control. Within Consort Lü’s palace, someone is scheming.”

“Is it truly her?” Li Pan clicked his tongue.

“That young lady is so confident in her cleverness, but only because of the Crown Prince’s favor has this old man refrained from touching her. Today, this old man truly cannot bear it.” Meng Guangshen coldly curved his lips. “Since she dared to come herself today, she shouldn’t expect to leave unscathed. We might as well remove her from the Crown Prince’s side.”

Li Pan contemplated briefly, the corners of his eyes smiling: “Then I shall do it—it won’t anger my imperial brother, will it?”

“Soon it will be Empress Yuan’s memorial day. The Crown Prince has been performing ablutions and fasting since several days ago. You two share the same mother, and you have the life-saving grace from the battle at Flying Fox Pass. If it were someone else, the Crown Prince might be greatly enraged, but if it’s you,” Meng Guangshen said coldly, “a mere female attendant is not enough to compare with you.”

On this side, Qun Qing was led into the Court of Judicial Review.

As she walked, she observed her surroundings. This was not her first time at the Court of Judicial Review. The row of “cages” before her eyes were cramped spaces for holding prisoners—the place where she had stayed last time due to the matter of Cui Ying’s corpse.

This time was strange. Those two jailers did not put her in a cage but instead led her to a row of wooden cells, using a key to open the door and letting her enter.

By the faint light of the torch, Qun Qing saw that inside was spacious and clean, with even a bed. She couldn’t help but turn back to ask: “Is it because I hold official rank that I don’t need to go in a cage?”

The two jailers exchanged glances but did not answer.

Qun Qing remained quiet for a moment, hearing coughing and teeth-grinding sounds coming from behind the thin wooden boards, and asked again: “Are there people in the neighboring cells?”

“This entire row is cells—how could there be no people?” one jailer said.

As they were about to lock the cell door, Qun Qing asked again: “Is Junior Minister Xiao of the Court of Judicial Review here?”

“Junior Minister Xiao has gone out on official business.” That jailer glanced at her. “Stop trying to pull connections. Everyone here holds official rank or is from a distinguished family—you’re not the only special one.” With that, he looked at her once more and closed the door.

The only person she knew, Xiao Jingxing, was also absent.

Lu Huating was trapped in the Imperial Prison, so she naturally could not count on him. She had already anticipated this outcome before leaving her quarters.

There wasn’t even a candle on the table. Qun Qing stood quietly in the darkness for a moment. Having been an operative for many years, she was familiar with this sense of crisis in unfamiliar environments.

Thinking of this, she used a handkerchief to wipe the dust off the desk, removed her outer garment to cover herself.

Not daring to rest on the bed, she only dozed with her head on the desk.

After an unknown time, awakened by a disturbance, Qun Qing suddenly rose to see a smiling face by the glazed lantern—it was actually Li Pan! He had brought two young eunuchs and had somehow entered her cell without her knowledge!

These two young eunuchs held wooden trays in their hands, and the style of wine pitcher on the trays was very familiar to her.

In her previous life, she had died drinking poisoned wine.

Qun Qing knew Meng Guangshen would not let this opportunity to eliminate her pass, but she had not expected him to be so ruthless. She hurried to shake the bell in the corner to summon the jailers, but somehow, this bell had already been cut.

Li Pan greatly appreciated her panicked expression and smiled: “典仪Qun, guess who brought this prince in? Even if you shout loudly, others will only look on coldly.”

The sounds from next door fell silent, as if everyone was quietly observing her fate.

“This subject does not know when I offended Prince Zhao.” Qun Qing said.

Li Pan said: “Dian yi Qun has been serving in the palace for some time now—how is it you don’t understand how to please noble masters and insist on opposing them?”

Qun Qing said: “I serve in the Six Offices—I am not a slave.”

“To this prince, they’re all the same. All subjects under heaven are nothing but slaves of the imperial family.” Li Pan bared his canine teeth. “Just as this prince told you last time, doing the right thing is far more important than merit.”

Qun Qing tried to speak but was interrupted by him as he drew the whip from his waist: “Wait, this prince has one more path for you to choose. You let this prince whip you three times, and then this prince will petition the Sage to make you this prince’s concubine. What’s this—judging by Dian yi Qun’s expression, are you unwilling?”

Qun Qing lowered her eyes in silence, enduring for a long while before saying: “Grant me the wine.”

Li Pan signaled with his eyes, ordering the young eunuch to bring the wine pitcher and stuff it into Qun Qing’s hands. He didn’t believe she could drink it.

Qun Qing took the wine pitcher, lifted the lid to glance inside, and slowly raised it.

At that very instant, she splashed all the wine onto the wooden partition, and with a crisp sound, the glazed lantern on the table was swept by her onto the partition, shattering to pieces. The two young eunuchs hurried to help Li Pan, but it was already too late.

The candle flame met the wine and instantly ignited into flames several feet high, in a blink burning a large charred hole. Panicked cursing came from next door as someone tried to beat it out with clothing, but only fanned the fire more vigorously.

“The south wing is on fire!” A jailer in the distance saw the thick smoke and hurried over.

In the firelight, Li Pan hastily retreated to a corner, seeing Qun Qing’s cold and mocking eyes, made extremely bright by the firelight: “Your Highness probably didn’t notice that all the lanterns in this prison are specially made—they won’t shatter when dropped or break when knocked. Thank you, Prince Zhao, for bringing such a precious lantern here. But precious things are often fragile.”

She sat before the desk, not avoiding it at all. The sound of footsteps outside grew more and more numerous, closer and closer.

A jailer rushed in first and urged Li Pan: “Your Highness, please leave quickly. If the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is alarmed, not only will this humble one lose his head, I fear even Prince Zhao’s mansion will be impeached.”

Li Pan’s ears still seemed to ring with that shattering crash. Not yet recovering his senses, he looked deeply at Qun Qing once before being pushed out by the two eunuchs.

Li Pan left, and a large bucket of fire-extinguishing water was poured entirely on Qun Qing, dousing the flames on her shawl.

“Has the lady been frightened silly? Your clothes caught fire and you didn’t know to dodge?” The jailer who had brought her urged her on. “Hurry and go out.”

Qun Qing wrapped her soaked clothing in her outer garment and walked out, seeing that the people detained in the neighboring cells had all been brought to safe places. Because of the cold, one gentleman even had two young servants hastily helping him put on dry clothes.

This south section of wooden cells was indeed prepared for those with official rank who had not yet been convicted.

Qun Qing turned her head and grabbed a jailer, her lips trembling slightly: “My clothes are burned. Can you have someone bring me new ones?”

“My lady, this humble one knows you’re cold, but in the dead of night, what regulation allows for visiting?”

“Then does Great Chen law permit him to bring household servants to attend him?” Qun Qing pointed at the distant figure.

The jailer was momentarily speechless, and only after a long while whispered: “That’s the gentleman from the Prime Minister’s household, and he hasn’t been convicted yet…”

Qun Qing only felt the icy water seemed to seep into her bones, bringing trembling throughout her body.

Though that person was emaciated and haggard, his spirit vastly different from their last meeting, she had indeed recognized him correctly—it was Meng Guanlou.

She looked at the jailer: “I also haven’t been convicted yet. By rank I’m actually higher than Meng Ninth Gentleman. Now I’m to be held together with other male prisoners, which is one thing, but to be improperly dressed as well. If after I’m released I still harbor resentment about being wronged at the Court of Judicial Review and say a few words to the Crown Prince, you’d better think carefully whether you want to offend me.”

Being held by her persistently, the jailer could only whisper: “Whom does the lady wish to summon? This humble one will make one trip, but it can’t be too far.”

“Not far—right next to the Court of Judicial Review, the Musicians’ Bureau.”

Before long, someone hurried in.

Her silk skirt swayed, her steps light. Upon seeing Qun Qing, she unfurled the wrapped clothing and dress, gracefully bowing: “My lady.”

Innocent fox-like eyes, a slightly full beauty’s face—it was Yunu.

After Qun Qing changed clothes, she discovered Yunu was smiling with pursed lips, and couldn’t help feeling somewhat uneasy: “What are you smiling at?”

“The lady doesn’t disdain my clothes—how wonderful.” Her sweet voice rang out.

Her elder brother’s beloved—how could she disdain them? Qun Qing’s expression softened. Yunu quickly removed her own cloak and wrapped it around her: “You wear it. I can endure the cold.”

Qun Qing removed the hairpin from her head and, despite Yunu’s protests, took out a piece of gold foil, wrapped it around the hairpin head, and placed it in Yunu’s hair.

She whispered something in Yunu’s ear. Though Yunu was confused, she still nodded and prepared to leave carrying her basket.

But a voice urgently called out: “Yunu, Yunu, is that you?”

Because the wooden cells had caught fire, the prisoners from these cells had all been moved to a larger empty cell together. Earlier when the two had been speaking in low voices, Meng Guanlou from not far away had pricked up his ears. Yunu had once been his beloved concubine—hearing Yunu’s voice, he could no longer suppress his need for confirmation.

He had thought Yunu was dead, until that fresh and beautiful face appeared in the moonlight, wearing elegant and refined makeup, dressed in the Musicians’ Bureau’s flowing immortal skirt, with no trace of worldly dust: “My lord, you’ve grown thin.”

Meng Guanlou’s tears streamed down: “Yunu, have they bullied you?”

“Chief Clerk Lu has already helped me leave the lowly register and enter the musical register. Within the Musicians’ Bureau, no one bullies me. My lord, why are you here?”

Having fallen to this place, even as the son of Prime Minister Meng, there would be no good outcome. Meng Guanlou was silent for a moment before saying: “Yunu, can you embrace me?”

Just like before.

Yunu crouched down and embraced him. In this selfless embrace, Meng Guanlou wept, his entire body trembling.

The hairpin wrapped in gold foil in Yunu’s hair gleamed, pressing against his cheek.

“Take care of yourself, my lord.” She bid farewell to leave, and only then did Meng Guanlou reluctantly release her, not noticing that between breaths, his face had already turned slightly red.

Yunu walked before Qun Qing and shook her head at her, then left carrying her basket.

Qun Qing lowered her eyes. The gold foil she had given Yunu contained a small amount of aconitum. Meng Guanlou’s face had also reddened with a rash, proving he had never consumed aconitum before. It was not Li Pan who killed her elder brother at Qingjing Abbey, nor was it Meng Guanlou.

Then who else could imitate Li Huan’s manner and mobilize Li Huan’s close guards to enter the palace city?

She was unwilling to think further, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.

On the other side, Meng Guanlou scratched his arm and pulled up his collar. Red rashes had appeared on his arms, and an inexplicable heat was taking hold in his body. The young servant beside him said: “Ninth Gentleman.”

Meng Guanlou could no longer hear clearly what they were saying, his breathing growing more and more rapid.

At home, Meng Guangshen had ordered physicians to forcibly suppress his powder addiction through acupuncture. But tonight, somehow, the acupuncture seemed to have lost effect, and that craving suddenly flowed through his body like maggots on bones. He wanted the powder—he wanted it now.

With a “bang,” everyone saw Meng Guanlou collapse to the ground. His body curled up, cold sweat soaking his skin, as he rolled on the ground with low howls, mouth speaking deliriously, as if scales had grown on his body that he needed to scrape off on the ground.

“Someone, quickly! Save the young master!” The servant was terrified. Seeing this, the jailer went overnight to fetch a physician. Before long, Judicial Review Minister Li Shun also rushed to the scene, a circle of people surrounding Meng Guanlou.

“Young Master Meng’s condition is not illness,” the physician stammered, “it’s, it’s from consuming excessive amounts of Five Stone Powder in the past, for about seven or eight years, and now suddenly stopping abruptly…”

The faces of everyone around changed, especially Judicial Review Minister Li Shun. Since the previous dynasty, the transport of Five Stone Powder had been prohibited. Where did the Meng household get so much Five Stone Powder to consume excessively for so many years?

So many jailers and prisoners had all witnessed this event. Li Shun pondered for a long time: “This matter is of great importance. Allow this official to report it upward.”

Amid the commotion, Qun Qing wrapped her cloak tighter in the corner. No one noticed her, and only then did she rest easy and sleep.

Physician Li had said the amount of aconitum he applied to the gold foil was very small and harmless to ordinary people, but if one had the habit of consuming powder before, merely smelling it could hook out the craving, making it extremely dangerous.

Meng Guangshen wanted to eliminate her. Though Li Pan had been repelled by her earlier, he would not let her go easily either. Now that she had stirred up this trouble, they could finally spare no attention for her.

That night, Li Huan and Xiao Yunru had been outside the hall the entire time.

However, Consort Lü alternated between tearful accusations and startled distress, never willing to let Emperor Chenming leave, making Emperor Chenming also irritable and upset, his imperial anger difficult to dispel.

Li Pan arrived carrying the cold wind, mockingly glancing at Li Huan before also requesting an audience with the Sage. Zheng Fu, however, let him in.

Er’lang was Empress Yuan’s son and had disabilities. Emperor Chenming doted on him considerably. Moreover, because he had absolutely no possibility of competing for the succession, the father and son were instead more intimate.

“Father Emperor, your son wishes to take a concubine.” Li Pan thought of today’s events and suppressed his anger, helping Emperor Chenming put on his outer robe and respectfully pouring ginseng tea.

“Don’t you have enough concubines already?” Emperor Chenming said.

“The one your son has taken a liking to this time…”

Before he finished speaking, a military report was brought in and interrupted him.

After reading it, Emperor Chenming flew into a rage, directly throwing the memorial at Li Pan’s face: “The Crown Prince is fined one month’s stipend, Prince Zhao is fined three months’ stipend and confined for one month. Before Empress Yuan’s birthday, don’t come out and embarrass yourself!”

Li Pan’s expression changed drastically. Picking it up to look, he couldn’t help but harbor resentment.

Earlier when he had tortured and killed bandit prisoners, Li Xuan had ordered the bandit chieftain to be summoned to Chang’an for pacification and negotiation, actually terrifying that bandit gang so much they suspected it was a Hongmen Feast, and simply united with some displaced people to rebel.

Li Pan said: “Father Emperor, your son can go suppress the bandits…”

“If not for this matter being caused by you, and your imperial brother making a foolish move, the common people would not have suffered!”

Outside, Li Huan heard with some puzzlement: “Isn’t this an old report from a few days ago? The rebellion in the four counties of Shandong was suppressed that very day.”

“The Chief Clerk arranged it in advance, saying if absolutely necessary it could be brought out for emergency use.” Zhu Su lowered his head. “If this subordinate had not left the Chief Clerk to investigate that cannon workshop, the Lü family would not have found an opening.”

After hearing this, Li Huan knelt and said: “Father Emperor, your son is willing to go pacify the rebellion. However, the Chief Clerk of Prince Yan’s mansion has always had experience suppressing bandits and rebellions. If he could be released first for emergency use…”

Not expecting this turn, Consort Lü’s weeping immediately grew louder, sobbing as if her liver and intestines were breaking. Emperor Chenming glanced at her but made no sound.

Xiao Yunru said gently: “Father Emperor possesses the body of the Son of Heaven—we hope you will take care of your dragon health. Why not rest tonight and discuss this matter further later?”

Emperor Chenming finally rose and retired to the Empress’s quarters.