This was Qin Wan’s first visit to the Ministry of Justice’s Imperial Prison.

Upon entering the prison gates, all the guards had been withdrawn to the outermost area. Qin Wan followed Yan Chi, Zheng Baishi, and others along a dimly lit corridor deeper inside. The prison warden walking ahead spoke in a low voice, “This man has been imprisoned for six years, and he still spends his days speaking mysterious things about the Way – talking about changes in the heavenly path, how the Great Zhou Dynasty’s fortune is waning, and how great changes are coming. He speaks many treasonous words. We’ve reported to the Minister several times, but we can’t execute him just for this. So we’ve been moving him deeper and deeper inside, level by level. Now he’s been moved to the innermost cell.”

As they spoke, the dampness and musty smell in the corridor became increasingly unbearable. Qin Wan had been in the Jinzhou Prefecture’s prison cells before, which were no better than this place. Yan Chi had her follow behind him, but she didn’t mind much.

The warden continued, “That man is strange too. He’s survived all these years surprisingly well. To be honest with you officials, he’s neither fully alive nor dead. Sometimes the jailers are too lazy to bring him food, but every time we see him, he’s still full of vigor. Previously, a jailer was almost convinced to join his so-called religion. After that, we only deliver food once a day or once every two days. This man is truly peculiar…”

The warden spoke with some admiration, seemingly considering the Daoist an extraordinary person.

Before long, the group reached the innermost part of the prison. Compared to the outside, there was almost no light here. The warden carried a lantern as he walked. When they reached the cell door, the warden stopped and shouted into the cell, “Hey! The officials have questions for you! Hey, Daoist Zhang!”

The lantern’s faint light fell into the cell before fading into darkness. Qin Wan fixed her gaze inside, only seeing a skinny figure curled up on a rotting mattress in the corner. The warden shouted twice, but the person didn’t move, appearing as still as death. Qin Wan frowned, wondering if the person was sick or dying.

Unable to rouse the prisoner, the warden felt somewhat embarrassed. He gave a dry laugh and continued, “Daoist Zhang! Did you hear me? Several officials want to question you! Didn’t you say you were wrongly accused?”

At these words, the figure finally moved. He turned around, and Qin Wan raised an eyebrow.

No one knew what Daoist Zhang originally looked like, but now his hair was extremely long and unkempt, his face covered in a tangled mess of beard and hair that obscured most of his features. Despite this, his eyes were remarkably bright.

Qin Wan had thought he might be ill, but now she could see this wasn’t the case. He stretched lazily, showing some displeasure on his face, yawned twice, and said drowsily, “Disturbing my good dream…”

As he spoke, his eyes swept over Zheng Baishi, Yan Chi, and the others. When he saw Qin Wan, Daoist Zhang raised an eyebrow, “You’re deceiving me. There’s a woman here – how could these be court officials?”

The warden wanted to curse. In front of the officials, this man spoke so disrespectfully – wouldn’t this reflect poorly on his management of the prison? The warden apologetically smiled at Qin Wan, then turned to shout, “What do you know? This is the newly appointed Princess Yongci by Imperial decree. You cannot disrespect the Princess!”

Daoist Zhang remained curled up on his mattress, seemingly too lazy to get up after sleeping.

“Princess? Even princesses are managing affairs now? Perhaps the outside world has changed!”

“You-!” The warden’s face turned pale. “We should cut out your tongue! How dare you speak such nonsense?! Never mind all that – the officials are here to question you, just answer honestly!”

Daoist Zhang didn’t rise, but looked at everyone from afar, fixing his gaze on Yan Chi for a moment. After looking at Yan Chi, Daoist Zhang stared at Qin Wan for quite some time. The warden was sweating profusely, “What are you looking at?! If you don’t answer honestly, forget about getting out! We’ll execute you tomorrow!”

Daoist Zhang wasn’t frightened. Instead, he laughed, turned over, and went back to sleep, showing only his back to Qin Wan and the others, smacking his lips as he settled down.

“Hey, you old fool-“

As the warden started to curse, Zheng Baishi raised his hand. He had never met Daoist Zhang before, but now upon seeing him, found him quite interesting. No wonder this Daoist Zhang had endured torture without confessing years ago – he truly wasn’t afraid of anything. Even threats of execution didn’t frighten him. Zheng Baishi looked at Yan Chi, and sure enough, Yan Chi’s eyes had deepened in thought.

Seeing this, the warden said worriedly, “Your Honor, this old fool isn’t afraid of death. Nothing we say frightens him. Moreover, he claims it’s his fate to face this tribulation, but he won’t die from it. So these years in prison have been like practicing the Dao for him. He sleeps all day and sometimes mumbles things we can’t understand. He hasn’t even fallen seriously ill all these years.”

Zheng Baishi said, “Daoist Zhang, we have questions for you about your case from years ago.”

Daoist Zhang didn’t move. Zheng Baishi’s brows furrowed together – he had never met a prisoner who wouldn’t respond to him. As Zheng Baishi grew annoyed, Yan Chi spoke, “The case from years ago has resurfaced.”

Just these words made Daoist Zhang turn around. He looked at Yan Chi for a moment and asked, “Someone else has been skinned?”

Yan Chi replied, “The victim died the same way as in your case. Don’t you want to clear your name?”

Hearing this, Daoist Zhang pressed his lips together, thinking of something as he stood up. When he stood, they could see he was very short, though his movements didn’t appear crude. He simply asked, “How many have died?”

“One,” Yan Chi replied calmly, unbothered by his rudeness.

Daoist Zhang frowned slightly, “You came after just one death…”

His words carried an unpleasant implication, but after looking at Yan Chi, he said, “At least you show some cleverness.”

After saying this, Daoist Zhang counted on his fingers, shook his head, and said, “This case is even more serious than the previous one. You need to hurry…” Then he added, “Though I fear you’ll be powerless to stop it.”

Zheng Baishi frowned, “What we want to ask you about isn’t this. The previous killings followed your Moon Worship Sect’s teachings. Who else knows these teachings? We’re not saying you’re innocent – perhaps someone is copying your murder method? If you cooperate in solving this case, you could clear your name. But if you don’t cooperate, then the old case can only remain on your head…”

Daoist Zhang smiled, “The official’s words sound nice. Then let the old case remain on my head.”

With these words, Daoist Zhang turned and lay back down to continue his nap.

Zheng Baishi frowned, “You really won’t respond to either kindness or threats!”

Daoist Zhang lay on the ground with his legs crossed, saying nothing more. He appeared completely at ease, not at all like someone imprisoned for six years for murder. Yet if he claimed to be wrongly accused, his face showed neither anger nor resentment. Zheng Baishi felt somewhat helpless.

Yan Chi said, “Since you say you didn’t commit the previous crimes, and now a similar case has emerged, the killer is likely the same person from back then. They’ve appeared again – don’t you want to find the person who framed you?”

Daoist Zhang opened his eyes, lying there as he looked at Yan Chi again, then said lazily, “That’s more like it. However, since I didn’t commit the previous crimes, there’s much I don’t know. I was inexplicably arrested and imprisoned for all these years… Ah, forget it. Rather than investigating me, you’d be better off finding those who investigated the case back then. Back then, everyone in Guanyin Town knew my sect’s teachings. Some people listened and forgot, others listened, remembered, and acted on them. Most of these people are still in Guanyin Town. If you want to investigate, go investigate there. Also, our Moon Worship Sect’s teachings say that all living beings are sinful. To atone for sins, one must either do good or punish evil. I don’t know if the killer was punishing evil-“

“Atonement? Is killing a way to atone?” Zheng Baishi said irritably.

Daoist Zhang said lazily, “The people who died back then weren’t good people…”

Li Muyu looked at Daoist Zhang, “You think the killer was carrying out heaven’s justice?”

Daoist Zhang closed his eyes again, “That’s more or less the idea. You worldly people wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Rather than trying to find important clues from me, you’d be better off going to Guanyin Town to ask around. The killer framed me and has been free all these years, and now they’re starting again. Who can be blamed?”

Zheng Baishi felt quite irritated hearing this. He turned to look at Yan Chi, but Yan Chi asked him, “Where are the case files from back then?”

Zheng Baishi thought for a moment, “They should be at the Court of Judicial Review. Because he never confessed, the files were transferred there for review. They found some missing links and couldn’t convict him, which is why it’s dragged on all this time.”

Li Muyu said, “I wasn’t at the Court of Judicial Review six years ago. I’ll order someone to find those files right away.”

Zheng Baishi looked at the Daoist lying on the ground, “Your Highness, shall we stop questioning him then?”

Yan Chi nodded, “It seems he truly doesn’t know anything.”

Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, who nodded in agreement.

Zheng Baishi still felt somewhat unsatisfied, but seeing that Daoist Zhang was indeed unmoved by either kindness or threats, he gave up. Even if they dragged him out of the cell and tortured him, if he wouldn’t talk, he wouldn’t talk – in the end, they would just be wasting their time.

As they left, Yan Chi asked, “What’s this Daoist Zhang’s background?”

Among them, only Zheng Baishi knew something about the old case, so he replied, “This Daoist Zhang had no parents, and no one knows how he came to Guanyin Town. All anyone knows is that he stayed in the small Daoist temple there. Later, when the incident happened, he was directly connected to the Moon Worship Sect. Plus, all the victims had visited the temple to hear him preach about the Moon Worship Sect, so he became the primary suspect. Oh right, he was skilled in woodworking, especially excellent at carving Buddha statues.”

Zheng Baishi thought for another moment, “I can’t remember the other details clearly, but they should all be recorded in the old case files.”

“Skilled at carving Buddha statues?” Yan Chi keenly caught these words.

Qin Wan had said that someone who could skin people with such precision must be skilled with a knife.

Zheng Baishi thought of this too, “That’s why he was the primary suspect back then. But just now looking at him… I just felt he was very strange. To say he’s the killer – well, he’s not afraid. To say he’s not the killer – he’s been imprisoned for so many years but doesn’t seem dejected. Instead, he’s turned the prison into his small Daoist temple.”

Qin Wan said, “The old case files must contain detailed records of the autopsy reports and many other details. To determine if it’s the same killer, comparing the two cases might reveal discoveries.”

Li Muyu said, “The Princess speaks wisely. I’ll return to the Court of Judicial Review right away.”

After leaving the prison, Li Muyu naturally went to the Court of Judicial Review. Zheng Baishi didn’t know what Yan Chi and Qin Wan planned to do. Yan Chi said, “Let’s go to the Viscount Wei Yuan’s mansion. Princess, please come with us-“

Zheng Baishi quickly said, “Very well, this official will accompany the Prince and Princess.”

They split up to board their carriages, with Yan Chi traditionally sharing one with Qin Wan. Once inside, Yan Chi immediately said, “Viscount Wei Yuan has four sons. The victim was the youngest son, Wu Qian. This youngest son frequently visited places of entertainment. On the day of the incident, he was leaving the Fengqi Tower after drinking. He usually had a servant with him, but oddly didn’t bring one that day. When he left, the girls at Fengqi Tower said Wu Qian mentioned he was heading home, so he must have been attacked on his way back.”

Qin Wan responded quickly, “Might there be clues along the road from Fengqi Tower to the Viscount’s mansion?”

“Zhan Yang has already gone to investigate. If there’s anything, we’ll hear about it today,” Yan Chi said, then added, “Did you notice something strange about that Daoist Zhang?”

Qin Wan nodded, “The way he looked at you was peculiar-“

Yan Chi also nodded, “I expected to see someone broken by six years of imprisonment, but he was composed and neither servile nor arrogant. Just this alone shows he’s no ordinary person. I also thought the way he looked at you was strange.”

Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat. Even if Yan Chi hadn’t mentioned it, she had felt it too, which was why she had instinctively wanted to leave the prison quickly. Her return from death was too extraordinary, too mystical. Though she didn’t believe in spirits and gods, her soul’s return to a borrowed body was real. Could it be that this Daoist Zhang truly had some supernatural ability and had seen through her origins?

However, even if that were true, what did his way of looking at Yan Chi signify?

Yan Chi continued, “If we can solve both this case and the old one, that would be excellent. I’d rather keep this Daoist Zhang for our use. He gives me an unsettling feeling. If he’s truly content being a minor Daoist, that’s fine, but if not, it’s better to keep him close-“

Qin Wan didn’t doubt Yan Chi’s perceptiveness. While she could use what she learned from her father to detect lies, she couldn’t fully comprehend the complexity and subtlety of human nature in this vast world. In this aspect, Yan Chi was a hundred times better than her. She might be able to handle ordinary people, but when it came to truly exceptional individuals, she was somewhat powerless.

“He seemed to do some divination earlier and said this case would be more horrifying than the previous one. I wonder if he was just being alarmist. He also mentioned the Moon Worship Sect’s teachings, that both punishing evil and doing good can atone for sins. The killer’s actions might be driven by some purpose.”

Yan Chi nodded, “Once religious believers go astray, their actions often become extreme and cruel.”

As they talked, they soon arrived at Viscount Wei Yuan’s mansion. When the doorkeeper heard that the Prince and Magistrate Zheng had arrived, he immediately went to announce them. Soon, a handsome young man in his twenties came out.

Seeing him, Zheng Baishi said, “This is the Third Young Master of the Wei Yuan household, Wu Yu.”

Wu Yu strode forward, cupped his hands in greeting, “Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Magistrate. And this is-“

Wu Yu knew Zheng Baishi had come about the case but hadn’t expected a woman to accompany them. Seeing her refined appearance and jade-like complexion, he couldn’t help but look her over carefully. Zheng Baishi said, “This is Princess Yongci.”

Hearing this, Wu Yu quickly withdrew his gaze, “Ah, Princess, my respects.”

Yan Chi waved his hand, partially shielding Qin Wan, “No need for formalities, Third Young Master. We’re here to inquire about the Fourth Young Master’s matters-“

Wu Yu gave a bitter smile and led the three to the main hall. Along the way, they saw that the Viscount’s mansion was quite elegant and beautiful. Though not as large as the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s mansion, it was typical of a noble family’s residence in the capital.

In the front hall, the decor was very refined, with fine porcelain ornaments and several famous calligraphy pieces and paintings on the walls. Wu Yu first invited the three to sit, ordered tea to be served, and then said, “At first, we couldn’t believe Fourth Brother was in trouble, but after sending people to search for a long time without finding him, I fear…”

Wu Yu sighed deeply, his voice tinged with grief, “Fourth Brother was the youngest in the family, spoiled since childhood. But I’m afraid he was spoiled too much, developing an unscholarly nature. Later, he began frequenting places of wine and women, weakening his body at such a young age, and now this…”

Wu Yu’s eyes reddened. Yan Chi said, “Third Young Master, please accept our condolences. We’re here mainly to ask if the Fourth Young Master had any enemies. Or if he had any recent disputes with anyone? Or does the Third Young Master suspect anyone?”

Wu Yu was startled by these questions, then after a moment, smiled bitterly and shook his head, “Fourth Brother rarely stayed at home and was especially at odds with me. We had several arguments before the new year. He had his friends, but those friends were… I don’t know those people, so I don’t know if he made enemies or had arguments with anyone outside.”

Zheng Baishi sighed, “Does the Third Young Master plan to collect the remains?”

Wu Yu thought for a moment and said, “I need to discuss this with Father. We’ll go to the public mortuary tomorrow morning to bring Fourth Brother’s remains home.” Wu Yu sighed again, “Speaking of which, our Wu family seems to have no fortune with sons. First Brother had his incident earlier, and now Fourth Brother… Father is seriously ill, I don’t know if he can bear such news.”

Qin Wan remembered Zheng Baishi mentioning that the Viscount’s eldest son had left home years ago and never returned.

Qin Wan asked, “What happened to the First Young Master back then?”

Wu Yu sighed and said, “First Brother disappeared four years ago. Nothing happened at the time, well, except for an argument with Father, and it was because of me…”

Wu Yu smiled bitterly, “At the time, there was a position as Chief Clerk in the Ministry of Personnel. By rights, it should have gone to First Brother, or if not him, then Second Brother. But Father allowed me. First Brother was very dissatisfied about this. I remember it was around the Mid-Autumn Festival when he had a big argument with Father and left home. He never came back after that.”

“When the First Young Master didn’t return for so long, did you report it to the authorities?”

At Qin Wan’s question, Wu Yu smiled bitterly, “When First Brother left, he declared he would never return, and indeed he hasn’t. We thought he had just left in anger, so we didn’t report it immediately. After about two months when he still hadn’t returned, we went to ask the officials. They said they hadn’t found any unidentified accident victims recently and would keep an eye out for us. We had no choice but to return home.”

Qin Wan nodded, “No news at all in all these years?”

Wu Yu nodded, “Correct, no news at all.”

Hearing this, Qin Wan asked no more questions. Zheng Baishi continued asking about Wu Qian, but no matter what they asked, Wu Yu seemed to know nothing about Wu Qian’s affairs. Finally, Wu Yu called in Wu Qian’s servant. The servant said that in the past two months, Wu Qian had only visited Fengqi Tower. When asked about Wu Qian’s friends, the servant mentioned several names, which Zheng Baishi recorded before departing with Yan Chi. After leaving the Viscount’s mansion, Zheng Baishi returned to his office to meet with Zhan Yang, while Yan Chi escorted Qin Wan back to the Marquis’s mansion.

In the carriage, Yan Chi asked, “Do you think the Viscount’s eldest son might be connected to this?”

Qin Wan shook her head, “Probably not. It’s just coincidental that two sons from the same family met with trouble. Besides, the First Young Master’s incident was four years ago, it shouldn’t be related to this case.”

Yan Chi frowned, “If the killer is truly killing to atone for sins, what sins are being atoned for? The killer targets people who have committed sins, but how does the killer know what sins Wu Qian committed?”

Qin Wan added, “Their family matters would be known to others in noble circles with just a little inquiry.”

This expanded the scope of the case considerably wider.

Yan Chi escorted Qin Wan back to her mansion, where Qin Shuang was still embroidering her dowry. Hearing of Qin Wan’s return, she immediately came to Songfeng Court to look at Jin Que’er with her. Despite being well-cared for by Fuling for a day and night, Jin Que’er still seemed listless. Qin Wan worried about the little bird dying in her care and said, “We should probably ask the craftsmen in the mansion. None of us have experience raising birds, and this belongs to the Ninth Prince. He would surely be heartbroken if he heard it died.”

Given Yan Sui’s personality, it wasn’t easy for him to have something he cherished, and Qin Wan didn’t want to break his trust.

Fuling, while complaining about how difficult the little creature was to care for, still went to ask the craftsmen in the servants’ quarters. Qin Shuang stayed with Qin Wan and said, “Will you accompany me tomorrow to buy some silk thread? I’ve used up all my embroidery thread and want to buy some fashionable ones from the capital.”

Qin Wan naturally agreed. Watching Qin Shuang’s wedding day draw closer, she felt nervous for her too.

After a night passed, early the next morning, Qin Wan and Qin Shuang went out. When Madam Hu heard they were going shopping, she sent many guards to accompany them. The group headed straight for the West Market after leaving the mansion.

These famous silk and thread shops were places Madam Hu had taken them before. When the two arrived, there weren’t many people yet. But before they could enter, Qin Shuang’s sharp eyes caught a familiar figure!

“Xiu Zhi-“

The person Qin Shuang saw was indeed Xiu Zhi!

She called out, and Xiu Zhi, who had been speaking with the shopkeeper, turned around. Seeing Qin Wan and Qin Shuang at the door, Xiu Zhi froze, her expression becoming complicated.

She quickly said something to the shopkeeper and hurried over to Qin Wan and Qin Shuang.

“Greetings, Princess. Greetings, Sixth Young Lady.”

Qin Shuang never expected to meet Xiu Zhi here and hurriedly asked, “How are you? Is Qin Xiang doing well at Prince Cheng’s mansion? Why are you here?”

As Qin Shuang asked anxiously, Xiu Zhi unconsciously lifted her chin, thinking of the splendor of Prince Cheng’s mansion.

“Sixth Young Lady need not worry. Our Young Lady is living very well, and this servant is fine too. I’m out today to order some new clothes for our Young Lady. I’ve already instructed the shopkeeper to deliver them to Prince Cheng’s mansion when they’re ready.”

Xiu Zhi had always been one of Madam Lin’s people and had never thought much of Qin Shuang. If Qin Wan had been the one asking, she would have been more careful with her words, but since it was Qin Shuang asking, her tone unconsciously became somewhat arrogant.

Qin Shuang remained oblivious to this and asked, “Is Prince Cheng treating her well? Why didn’t she come herself?”

Qin Shuang thought that if Qin Xiang had come herself, they could have met today. But Xiu Zhi took her questions as doubt about Qin Xiang’s well-being. She smiled, “His Highness naturally treats our Young Lady extremely well. Today when I came out shopping, I didn’t bring a single coin – this is all thanks to His Highness’s generosity. As for why our Young Lady didn’t come herself, shopping is beneath her now. These days, Prince Cheng has been staying in our Young Lady’s quarters, and she must attend to His Highness.”

Qin Shuang finally felt an odd discomfort. She moved her lips but didn’t know what to say, finally managing, “That’s good, that’s good.” Then, gathering her courage, she added, “There’s something you might not know yet… it’s that… the Xue family wouldn’t give up on marrying into our Marquis’s family, and they’ve asked to marry me.”

Qin Shuang felt she had taken something that belonged to Qin Xiang and felt uneasy. Seeing Xiu Zhi, she wanted to tell her personally. Seeing Qin Shuang’s nervousness, Xiu Zhi inwardly smiled at how unrefined the Sixth Young Lady still was.

Xiu Zhi straightened her back and said, “Our Young Lady already knows about this.”

Qin Shuang was surprised, “Ah, she already knows?”

Xiu Zhi smiled and said, “Although the Marquis’s words that day were somewhat harsh, our Young Lady hasn’t changed her nature. She still cares about the Marquis’s household affairs. She learned about this a few days ago and was very happy for the Sixth Young Lady. Though the Xue family’s young master isn’t worthy of our Young Lady, he’s still a decent choice. The Sixth Young Lady marrying in our Young Lady’s place both save face for both families and gives the Sixth Young Lady a good marriage. Our Young Lady couldn’t be happier.”

While Qin Shuang felt happy hearing the first part, Xiu Zhi’s latter words carried a mocking tone.

As Qin Shuang pressed her lips together, not knowing how to respond, Qin Wan spoke coldly from the side, “Sixth Young Lady isn’t marrying in your Young Lady’s place. When the Xue family initially discussed marriage with your Young Lady, they hadn’t sent betrothal gifts or set a wedding date. Your Young Lady’s ambitions were too high, and naturally, the Young Master Xue wouldn’t pine for her. Now Young Master Xue has clearly and openly asked to marry Sixth Young Lady, personally visited our mansion to meet her, and personally delivered the betrothal gifts. It has nothing to do with your Young Lady anymore. In the future, don’t speak of marrying in your Young Lady’s place.”

Qin Shuang felt warmth in her heart hearing this. The smile on Xiu Zhi’s face faltered – while she might have gotten away with such behavior before, Qin Wan was now an imperially bestowed Princess, and she dared not be presumptuous. Xiu Zhi quickly lowered her head, “Yes, the Princess speaks truly. This servant spoke out of turn.”

Qin Wan thought for a moment and decided against saying anything harsher, only adding, “Since you’ve followed your Young Lady, serve her well. She chose her path; whether it turns out well depends on her.”

Xiu Zhi disliked Qin Wan’s lecturing tone and felt dissatisfied, though she maintained a smile and responded, “Then this servant won’t disturb the Princess and Sixth Young Lady any longer. I must return to Prince Cheng’s mansion now.”

Though Xiu Zhi was a servant, she had come in a carriage for this shopping trip. Qin Wan watched as she left and got into the carriage, inwardly sighing. Qin Wan said, “Don’t worry about it. It seems she’s truly doing well.”

Qin Shuang sighed, “I just felt something odd about Xiu Zhi’s words.”

Qin Wan shook her head, “Don’t think about it. You won’t see them often anyway, just pretend you didn’t hear it.”

Qin Shuang forced a smile and nodded.

Meanwhile, when Xiu Zhi returned to Prince Cheng’s mansion, she immediately told Qin Xiang about meeting Qin Wan and Qin Shuang. After hearing Xiu Zhi’s account, Qin Xiang laughed coldly, “Isn’t she marrying in my place? The Xue family originally chose me!”

Then, Qin Xiang grew angry, “So what if Qin Wan is now a Princess? I’m now part of Prince Cheng’s household. What right does she have to lecture me? Does she think she can teach me a lesson?”

Xiu Zhi pressed her lips together, “Young Lady, but our position in Prince Cheng’s household is somewhat awkward…”

Qin Xiang knew what Xiu Zhi was worried about and said, “What’s awkward about our position? As long as I hold Prince Cheng’s heart, I’ll become a Prince’s Secondary Consort in the future, or perhaps even an Imperial Consort…”

Xiu Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise, “Young Lady, Imperial Consort…”

Qin Xiang played with her hair, wearing a thin smile, “Why do you think I was so angry when I followed Uncle Prince Cheng? Isn’t it because Prince Cheng’s existence threatens the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince is just that – not yet Emperor.”

Xiu Zhi understood, her eyes brightening at the thought that Prince Cheng might one day replace the Crown Prince.

“Young Lady, you must hold onto Prince Cheng firmly!”

Qin Xiang smiled, “You needn’t tell me that. Don’t worry, if that day comes, I’ll certainly treat you well!”

Having grown up with Madam Lin, Qin Xiang naturally understood the inner court better than Qin Shuang. Now in Prince Cheng’s mansion, she had even more to consider. With Feng Chenbi entering the mansion in a few days, she not only needed to hold Prince Cheng’s heart but also needed her power base. The newly purchased servants attending to her were the people she needed to cultivate, and right now, Xiu Zhi was her right arm.

Hearing these words, Xiu Zhi quickly said, “Young Lady, don’t worry. This servant came to serve you on Madam’s instructions. Your honor is my honor. For you, Young Lady, I would lay down my life!”

Qin Xiang was very pleased to hear this, but thinking of how Prince Cheng had been absent for two days, the smile faded from her face.

After some thought, Qin Xiang said, “Find a way to bribe some guards from the main courtyard. We need to know His Highness’s whereabouts. His Highness is destined for great things; we can’t always just wait around.”

Xiu Zhi looked troubled, “Young Lady, those guards are all cold-faced and stern. When this servant tries to talk to them, they barely acknowledge me.”

Qin Xiang looked Xiu Zhi up and down, “Make yourself look prettier. Those guards are rough men – how could they ignore a beautiful young girl coming to talk to them? I’ll give you some silver. I don’t believe they all have hearts of stone.”

Though Xiu Zhi felt somewhat strange about this, she still obediently agreed.

These days, Yan Qi has been focusing on the new case in the capital. Since before the New Year until now, this was the third case, and it was said that this time the killer was especially cruel. Yan Qi was contemplating how to use this case to make the Crown Prince stumble badly. After finishing his discussion with several advisors, Yan Qi had just walked out when an attendant came to report.

Yan Qi listened, looking in the direction of Water Moon Pavilion.

“What did Princess Yongci and that other Qin girl say?”

The attendant replied, “This lowly one doesn’t know, I couldn’t hear clearly.”

After a slight pause, the attendant added, “These days, Miss Qin has been quite well-behaved, though she just sent someone again to ask about your whereabouts, Your Highness. She’s probably been waiting for you.”

Yan Qi frowned deeply, remaining silent for a moment.

The news of him taking a concubine was known both inside and outside the court. He had always acted without restraint, and this time, even the Emperor hadn’t said anything. The Emperor had long known that the Crown Prince and the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household were closely aligned. With the Qin family’s daughter entering his mansion, the Emperor was probably pleased to see it, and the Marquis’s household wouldn’t dare make a scene for the sake of their reputation.

But how could he casually take a concubine?

Thinking of Qin Xiang’s beautiful face, Yan Qi felt no stirring in his heart. His nature was just like that – beauty was merely for entertainment. The people he truly valued were those who could help him achieve his grand ambitions.

He had originally planned to just settle Qin Xiang in Water Moon Pavilion, but unexpectedly, her maid ran into Qin Wan and that other Qin girl. He smiled slightly, an idea forming in his mind.

Although Qin Xiang had been expelled from the Marquis’s household, she was still a daughter of the Qin family. He needed to ensure Qin Xiang stayed properly settled in Prince Cheng’s mansion. This way, he could find opportunities to use her. Perhaps Qin Xiang could be of great help to him.

“Let’s go see Water Moon Pavilion-“

…

…

Within a few days, the case at Viscount Wei Yuan’s mansion had stirred up considerable waves in the capital. Originally, the officials had kept the case details under wraps, but somehow rumors had spread throughout the capital, leading to a new wave of panic spreading through the city in mid-spring. After two days, there were even claims that the frequent murders in the capital were due to changes in the heavenly order.

When these words reached Yan Huai’s ears, he flew into a rage and immediately summoned Yan Che to inquire about the case details, ordering him to solve it quickly. Thus, that afternoon, Yan Che arrived at the Lin’an Prefecture office.

When Zheng Baishi heard that the Emperor was angry, he too was terrified and said, “We’re already investigating. The victim’s identity has been confirmed. The method of this crime was indeed extremely brutal, and it’s very similar to an old case from six years ago. These past few days, we’ve been investigating the victim’s old friends, but most of these friends had alibis for that night. Even for those without witness testimony or physical evidence, they don’t match the deductions the Princess made after helping with the autopsy.”

Hearing the word “Princess,” Yan Che quickly asked, “What did Princess Yongci say?”

Zheng Baishi immediately replied, “Princess Yongci said the killer must be someone skilled with a knife, perhaps even experienced in skinning-related work. Only someone with such skills could peel off human skin without leaving messy wounds.”

Yan Che felt his scalp tingle, “Was the corpse horrifying when discovered?”

Zheng Baishi nodded, “To be honest with Your Highness, it was barely recognizable as human. Even this official and other experienced constables couldn’t bear to look…”

Yan Che then asked, “What about Princess Yongci?”

Zheng Baishi didn’t understand at first, then smiled after thinking, “Your Highness need not worry. Princess Yongci merely frowned slightly when she saw the body, unlike how we officials reacted. Speaking of which, this official truly admires Princess Yongci.”

Yan Che’s expression became solemn, and after a while, he asked, “Does your office not have other coroners?”

Zheng Baishi was slightly surprised, “We do, but none as meticulous and professional as the Princess. So when we encountered this difficulty, we sought the Princess’s help. Besides, I saw that the Princess was quite willing to help. After all, she does hold that nominal position in the Ministry of Justice, doesn’t she?”

Hearing this, Yan Che’s brows furrowed again, though he said nothing more. Although he felt it was pitiable for a young woman to deal with corpses that even men could barely handle, as the Crown Prince, he couldn’t say more.

The Crown Prince sighed, “Lord Zheng, you know that this case is similar to the one before the New Year. Some people are watching us fail to solve it, causing His Majesty’s anger. So you must put more effort into this case.”

Zheng Baishi repeatedly bowed, “Your Highness, please rest assured. This official understands the gravity of the situation.”

The Crown Prince pressed his lips together, “This time, we must also guard against spies infiltrating the office.”

The previous incident had left Zheng Baishi deeply apprehensive. Hearing this, he immediately agreed repeatedly. After many more instructions, Zheng Baishi finally saw the Crown Prince off. Yan Che had come only to supervise; he naturally couldn’t participate in the case personally.

Shortly after Yan Che left, Yan Chi arrived at the prefecture office, and hearing that Yan Che had just left, he guessed the reason.

“Did His Majesty reproach the Crown Prince?”

Zheng Baishi smiled bitterly, “Indeed. Like the case before New Year, this has become another excuse for others to attack the Crown Prince. These days, rumors are spreading wildly through the city, and the poor citizens are living in fear!”

Yan Chi immediately knew this was Prince Cheng’s doing, “Unable to find other weaknesses, they resort to such underhanded tactics.”

Zheng Baishi smiled, “Indeed, but it still puts considerable pressure on the Crown Prince. Just now, His Highness inquired about the case and knew it wouldn’t be simple to solve, so he didn’t reproach me too harshly.”

Then, Zheng Baishi added with some amusement, “The Crown Prince does know how to show concern for the Princess.”

Hearing this, Yan Chi glanced at Zheng Baishi, “How so?”

Zheng Baishi explained, “When His Highness heard about the killer’s methods, he asked if the corpse was horrifying. I naturally answered yes. Then His Highness asked how the Princess handled the autopsy, presumably thinking she couldn’t bear it. But when I said the Princess was very professional and calm, His Highness fell silent. I believe His Highness meant that in the future, we shouldn’t have the Princess perform autopsies for such cases. Truthfully, I was quite concerned for her that day as well.”

Zheng Baishi was old enough to be Qin Wan’s father, so his concern was genuinely paternal, but what about Yan Che?

Yan Chi’s eyes darkened, and he remained silent for a long while.