Huo Chang’an’s tone was full of mockery. Lian Xin didn’t think much of it and continued rather unkindly exposing the shortcomings: “Cheng Qizhu didn’t show up at all. The shop assistants said he’d gone to other places to purchase goods, so naturally the young mistress handled things. The two managers were old and cunning, appropriately stirring up the shop’s customers. People immediately became rowdy, and Wei Wu Yan and Miao Yin had to leave.”

Everyone found this quite interesting. Wu Qing was sharp, but noticed Su Zhen wasn’t listening at all, looking down without knowing what she was thinking. He signaled to the others. Lian Xin was annoyed, grabbed Su Zhen’s shoulders and shook them: “This palace is speaking and you dare not listen!”

Su Zhen was direct: “I’m interested in hearing about this case and understand your good intentions, but I truly can’t handle it.”

When everyone left, they again stopped outside the courtyard.

Lian Xin was completely deflated: “What do we do? She’s willing to listen but has absolutely no intention of taking action.”

Wu Qing frowned slightly. Surprisingly, Leng Xue’s attitude was shocking – he said Su Zhen hadn’t given up in her heart, just lacked evidence, and he was willing to join them. Seeing this, Huo Chang’an departed with a flick of his sleeves.

“Go ahead, or wait for me,” Wu Qing suddenly said.

Lian Xin was puzzled: “What for?”

“I’m going to find someone.”

Lian Xin instinctively knew who he was looking for. Her heart grew anxious and irritated, but she didn’t know what to say. Finally she said: “That Little Zhou has a bad temper. She’s fallen out with us now and won’t agree to go out.”

Who knew Wu Qing would bow and calmly say “I’ll be right back” before leaving anyway. Lian Xin stamped her feet.

Here, Wu Qing reached Little Zhou’s room but found her missing. A cold note was posted on the door: “Do not disturb!”

Wu Qing raised an eyebrow and left.

Returning to the original spot, Lian Xin and Leng Xue hadn’t set out yet. Seeing only him return, Lian Xin, who had been half-dead squatting on the ground, jumped up high as if restored to life.

Su Zhen naturally knew what they were doing. She wouldn’t accept, but didn’t stop them either.

That evening, several old Chinese medicine doctors indeed came as promised, bringing medicinal sales records and diagnostic cases from their shops for consultation. Su Zhen introduced Wu Qing, who had returned from outside, to everyone. The old doctors happily discussed medical cases around Wu Qing for half the night, finally agreeing to perform surgery on Wu Qing after the case concluded before leaving happily. Lian Xin was as happy as they were, but Wu Qing remained unmoved, only telling Su Zhen “It can’t be cured.”

The next day, Leng Xue went out early again. She had business with Huo Chang’an. Knowing this young master Huo wouldn’t join the others in their “nonsense,” she went directly to Huo Chang’an’s courtyard.

Passing through a courtyard and crossing a stone bridge, she encountered Wu Yan and Xiang’er head-on – quite a narrow road meeting.

Xiang’er stared at her coldly: “Good dogs don’t block the road.”

Su Zhen ignored the girl and bowed to Wu Yan. Wu Yan’s expression was indifferent as she stepped back, clearly not accepting this courtesy.

Su Zhen seemed not to see and still asked: “Miss, have you found a way to solve the case?”

Wu Yan said coolly: “This has nothing to do with Minister Li. Minister should mind her own affairs.”

Xiang’er beside her couldn’t help but burst out cursing: “You despicable villain, you don’t dare take a case yourself for lack of talent and virtue, yet you come to gloat. Too bad His Majesty has already seen through your true nature…”

The feeling of warm face meeting cold buttocks naturally wasn’t pleasant. So when reaching Huo Chang’an’s room, Su Zhen still had some melancholy between her brows, which Huo Chang’an noticed. When Huo Chang’an asked, Su Zhen didn’t elaborate, attributing it to poor sleep. Huo Chang’an figured it was about the case and naturally didn’t want to add salt to wounds, so he didn’t ask further.

Huo Chang’an had food and wine brought. The two drank while chatting leisurely, quite pleasant.

Su Zhen was curious about Lian Yue’s case progress. Huo Chang’an didn’t avoid the topic, raising an eyebrow: “Not much progress.”

Su Zhen thought for a moment: “Marquis Huo needn’t worry. With Princess Imperial’s intelligence, she might well think of a solution.”

Huo Chang’an shook his head, completely unconcerned: “I don’t have much pressure. I know Lian Yue’s talents well. Whether this case can be solved or not doesn’t matter much.”

Su Zhen suddenly thought: If Lian Yu thought like you, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

But Lian Yu wasn’t the Carefree Marquis. Lian Yu was the Son of Heaven.

And in this competition, Huo Chang’an didn’t care about winning or losing, but Lian Yue and Wu Yan did. She thought that even though she and Wu Yan had become strangers, she still couldn’t help worrying about Wu Yan. Huo Chang’an no longer felt the same about Wu Yan as before. If she lost this competition too, how could the proud Wu Yan continue?

Her melancholy made Huo Chang’an laugh: “What, thinking of Murong Liu?”

Su Zhen neither confirmed nor denied, but asked: “What’s really going on between you and Wu Yan? That day at Young Master Cheng’s shop, you clearly saw Wu Yan was injured. That expression – don’t you think it was somewhat cruel?”

Hearing this, Huo Chang’an’s eyes suddenly darkened: “Li Huaisu, I kindly invited you to drink, why spoil my mood?”

He pushed the wine cup away, and it fell to the ground, quickly shattering.

He laughed coldly: “I blame Lian Yu, but I hate that woman more. If you ask me, I can only answer with four words: like this cup. If you’re a friend, don’t ask more.”

Su Zhen sighed and said no more. Though Huo Chang’an had a temper, he valued this friend and soon spoke first: “You don’t visit temples for no reason. You didn’t come just to dine and chat, did you?”

Hearing him say this, Su Zhen smiled: “Marquis Huo is wise. I came to ask a favor. After thinking it over, only you can help with this.”

Being flattered was naturally pleasant. Before Huo Chang’an even asked what it was, he boldly agreed: “Alright, tell me.”

Su Zhen’s eyes showed a trace of cunning as she gradually explained what she needed his help with. Huo Chang’an listened, going from initial shock to hearty laughter.

As soon as Su Zhen finished, he gave a big thumbs up: “Li Huaisu, you really are something. I’ll help with this.”

Su Zhen lowered her head: “Thank you.”

“I’ll send people to handle it right now. I’ll notify you when there’s news.”

“Good, I’ll wait for Marquis Huo’s news.”

“But,” Huo Chang’an’s eyes showed amusement, “why not ask those others to help?”

“Help? No, Marquis Huo, I don’t plan to tell anyone about this.”

In the evening, Wu Qing and the others returned, dispirited. Su Zhen knew they had no gains and actually comforted them, which annoyed Lian Xin. Not looking carefully, she drank another cup of brush-washing water.

Five days passed this way. Every part of the inn kept to itself with no communication. Even people’s comings and goings seemed soundless, as if no one cared what anyone else was doing, no one knew what anyone had done. The entire inn seemed shrouded in heavy clouds and thick fog.

During these days, Su Zhen asked the inn manager for more famous calligraphy pieces, spending almost all her time in her room practicing calligraphy. Aside from her companions and Huo Chang’an’s occasional visits, she saw no one else.

Little Zhou remained moody and still missing. Wu Qing’s small squad still went out daily for diligent investigation, but Cheng Qizhu’s situation became increasingly mysterious. Later they simply disguised themselves as patients to infiltrate. Lian Xin could describe Cheng’s shop in detail with her eyes closed, even knowing their medicine cabinet differed from others with small compartments in each drawer. This made Su Zhen’s eyes bright with laughter. This day, everyone returned having almost given up hope. Lian Xin had no heart for brush-washing water either. Everyone sat around the table at their wits’ end. Instead, Su Zhen tried to console everyone, saying in two more days, regardless of whether the cases could be resolved, they could leave this place, which was also good.

“Good?” Someone suddenly pushed open the door and said coldly: “On the first day, Gu Shuangcheng stopped going out. On the third day, Princess Imperial and Consort Xin stopped going out. Yesterday, Consort Wei and Miss Miao also stopped going out. What does this mean? It means everyone has found their methods and begun preparing. This evening, I heard Gu Shuangcheng has gone to the yamen – who knows what she’s inspecting. Also, Fang Rui has been rescued on His Majesty’s orders. But you, Li Huaisu – what have you done?”

With such tone, such sharpness – needless to say, this was Little Zhou, missing for days. She had indeed just been hiding, not truly missing, knowing everyone’s situation better than those present.

Su Zhen walked over and put an arm around her shoulder in friendship. Little Zhou pushed her hand away, sneered, and crossed her arms. Wu Qing said: “Enough, it’s come to this point. Pressuring Huaisu more is useless.”

But Little Zhou still wasn’t satisfied, picking up a cup of water from the table and drinking it in several gulps, glaring hatefully at Su Zhen: “Now you can only pray to gods and buddhas that these people are all pretending to be calm and can’t solve their cases in the end. After returning to the capital, if some serial killing dismemberment cases immediately appear, the more horrifically inhuman the better, then you can mend the fold after the sheep are lost.”

Everyone had been heavy-hearted but couldn’t help laughing. No one planned to tell her that cup was also brush-washing water. Only Lian Xin, watching, felt her heart sink.

At this point, only one day remained before the cases went to trial.