She really couldn’t eat anymore. Her face darkened as she silently put down the half-eaten cake: “I’m full.”

Her stomach rumbled at just the right moment.

Both froze simultaneously. Lian Yu’s gaze lingered briefly on her dejected eyes.

Suzhen wanted to slap herself to death. Why was her stomach so unreliable? Then she thought, fine—at least it wasn’t in front of Li Zhaoting.

Being a girl at heart, no matter how thick-skinned, she was still somewhat shy and lowered her head, stepping back two paces.

She heard Lian Yu say indifferently: “Not to your taste?”

Suzhen, remembering the morning’s events, said somewhat resentfully: “Yes, your palace’s imperial chefs are no good.”

“I’ll have them executed later.”

As that slightly cold voice fell, Suzhen nodded, then realized what she’d heard and said in alarm: “No, no! I was talking nonsense—they’re very good.”

“If they’re good, then keep eating.”

Lian Yu nodded with satisfaction. Suzhen didn’t know if he was teasing her or what, so she resignedly ate several more almond cakes, poured herself tea to drink, and felt somewhat full. She really didn’t know what Lian Yu wanted. This feeling made her frustrated—she felt hateful, angry, panicked, apprehensive, everything.

Clearly Lian Yu hadn’t done anything, but she truly grew more afraid of him.

Of course, she’d explore these feelings later by herself. Right now, her scalp was tingling—she had to escape this room!

She brushed the crumbs from her hands: “Your Majesty, this subject has eaten well. Shall we go over there?”

She was actually very curious and wanted to ask what condition Lian Yu wanted her to agree to, but asking now felt like digging her own grave, so she decided to stay quiet. When the time came, if Lian Yu could actually overturn the verdict, she’d find a way to weasel out of it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely remember that condition. When I ask you for it, you must give it.”

She had just been thinking when she heard Lian Yu, who had already crossed the threshold, say this casually. She gripped the doorframe to steady herself and viciously waved her fist behind his back.

“From childhood, your elders or the books you read will tell you that gain and loss, winning and losing are ordinary matters. Actually, they’re not ordinary—few people can see through them. There’s no need to force yourself into indifferent tranquility, but you must remember: don’t smile when you win, don’t cry when you lose. If you lose, find a way to win back—where’s the time for crying? When you win, prepare to lose. Be grateful to your opponents—the more despicable they are, the stronger they are, the stronger you become.”

“Also, don’t wear all your emotions on your face, no matter how much you hate that person.”

As Lian Yu spoke, he suddenly turned back and stared at her, then quickly walked away with his hands behind his back.

Suzhen had been pondering his words, but his final statement stunned her, making her secretly alarmed. Had Lian Yu discovered something?

She thought she had hidden her hatred toward him quite well usually. Just now when eating the cakes, she was indeed very unwilling and disgusted—could he have seen through something?

She quickly caught up.

In the living room, except for Leng Xue looking unhappy, everyone was getting along quite harmoniously, especially Xiaozhou, who was sitting beside Lian Jie chatting and fawning over him.

Seeing them come out, everyone immediately stood up.

They all waited for Lian Yu to speak.

Suzhen had wanted to sidle up to Leng Xue for comfort and to comfort the boy, but Lian Yu suddenly glanced at her with a slightly cold gaze, so she immediately abandoned that idea.

Wuqing’s gaze moved slightly as he also glanced at Leng Xue.

This was indeed the first time Suzhen’s group had formally met the current Son of Heaven, except for Suzhen herself.

Lian Jie had already explained the situation to everyone, so they all looked alertly at Lian Yu, waiting for his orders.

“Your Majesty…” Zhuiming was especially excited. Remembering Lian Jie’s earlier instructions, he quickly corrected himself: “Sixth Young Master, what should we do now?”

Wuqing also said: “Even if we clearly know Pei Fengji gave false testimony, as he said, he did go to another pleasure house that night. Since he’s about to marry the Great Wei Chancellor’s daughter, he didn’t want the matter exposed for fear his fiancée would find out and create complications—this could be reasonable. Unless we can find evidence proving Xie Sheng didn’t kill anyone, otherwise, with the gold bracelet theft and being seen by the night watchman, he remains the prime suspect.”

Lian Jie continued: “Right, Xie Sheng is pinned down by being at the scene when the incident occurred. Our urgent task now is to clear Xie Sheng of suspicion first. We’ll set aside that Pei Fengji brat for now.”

“That Wei prince naturally shouldn’t be executed.”

Leng Xue added this sentence flatly, with slight sarcasm. Lian Qin glared at him fiercely, but Lian Jie wasn’t angry and smiled it off—a gentleman gentle as jade.

Xiaozhou immediately said: “The great one doesn’t blame the small—Your Highness truly has noble character and integrity.”

Leng Xue showed no further expression. Suzhen and the other three young men all had black lines across their faces.

Lian Yu’s eyes swept across Leng Xue and Wuqing, showing a hint of amusement, unlike his attitude toward Suzhen earlier: “A clever woman cannot cook without rice. Let’s go get evidence that can clear Xie Sheng.”

On Suzhen’s side, everyone was shocked. Suzhen trembled slightly with joy: “Your Majesty, there’s still evidence?”

“The deceased,” Lian Yu said slowly.

“The bodies have been burned.”

Suzhen smiled bitterly and shook her head.

Baihu smiled: “Top Scholar, the bodies weren’t burned—our master had General Murong intercept them.”

“What?” Suzhen lost her voice slightly, exchanging glances with the five young men. Their eyes all shone brightly, looking at Lian Yu with some disbelief.

With Mochou imprisoned and the real culprit at large, besides Suzhen, these five had been the most furious in court.

Lian Yu nodded slightly, his gaze very calm, but everyone now began to feel either fearful or awed of this Son of Heaven.

“No time to waste—let’s depart.”

Lian Jie smiled.

Suzhen nodded and also asked with a smile: “Where are we going now?”

Qinglong made a “please” gesture to everyone: “Everyone, the charity morgue in the capital’s outskirts.”

Suzhen had been afraid of ghosts and monsters since childhood. Hearing this, she was somewhat dumbfounded. On this dark and windy night, a group of people going to explore a morgue?