In the deep night of the Northern Suppression Bureau’s imperial prison, it was so quiet that every moan from each cell could be heard clearly.

Although there had been an empire-wide amnesty during the Zhenning era that emptied most of the prisons across the land, the imperial prison operated outside the judicial system and wasn’t included in the amnesty. The prison held too many inmates, and some cases had dragged on for so long that even the Emperor had forgotten about certain people still languishing in their cells.

In the third year of Zhenning, White Cabinet Minister Bai Huan and his son, Minister of Justice Bai Yuyang, jointly petitioned Emperor Zhenning to review the major cases in the imperial prison. That prison cleanup had resolved over a hundred cases and emptied a third of the cells. However, due to the Imperial Guards’ subsequent widespread surveillance and their tendency to make mountains out of molehills, along with the rise of literary inquisition cases, the prison became overcrowded again within a year. When the people from Tongjia Academy were arrested, they had to squeeze ten people into a single cell.

Due to his special status, Zheng Yuejia wasn’t imprisoned with the others but was locked in a cell closest to the torture chamber.

As evening approached, the day’s heat gradually dissipated, and moisture condensed on the stone walls, dripping down drop by drop. Zheng Yuejia lay on the straw mat, each breath carrying the taste of blood. Just as he was about to ask for water, the main door outside his cell suddenly opened. The prison warden led Deng Ying down the stone steps, saying, “How would you like to question him? Should we take the prisoner to the torture chamber, or…”

“No need,” Deng Ying interrupted. “I don’t have many questions.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man opened Zheng Yuejia’s cell door and roughly pulled him up from the ground, forcing him into a kneeling position.

“Commander, while you question him, I’ll fetch you a chair.”

Zheng Yuejia steadied himself against the ground, enduring the pain in his lower body as he raised his head to look at Deng Ying.

“I somewhat understand now why you insisted on competing with the Ancestral Faction for the position at the Eastern Depot…”

Deng Ying said softly, “You don’t need to kneel. If you can’t bear it, lie down.”

Zheng Yuejia shook his head. “Between us, neither should pity the other.”

After speaking, he hunched his shoulders and coughed several times until his spine collapsed, blood and phlegm dripping from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with his prison sleeve and, trembling, pushed himself back up with both arms.

“While I still have some strength… let me tell you what needs to be said.”

“Speak.”

Zheng Yuejia caught his breath and tried to steady his voice. “You Guichun was from a military household in the capital’s outskirts. When the Wet Nurse Bureau was selecting a wet nurse for the Second Prince, I investigated her background and her husband’s family history. They were all clean. Looking back now, perhaps too clean. As for me…”

He pressed the corner of his mouth. “I never instructed her to do anything, but at this point, I have no way to defend myself, so you must keep yourself clear of this.”

Deng Ying said, “His Majesty is convinced someone must be behind you. Though you have no way to defend yourself, you must still try, otherwise, this case won’t be resolved and will implicate even more people.”

Hearing this, Zheng Yuejia’s arms trembled slightly.

“What way is there…” He looked up at Deng Ying. “Let me die quickly.”

“Zheng Yuejia.”

Deng Ying called his name loudly. “His Majesty forbids execution and suicide. Don’t think about a quick death. I can’t even stop the Northern Suppression Bureau from torturing you…”

“What can I do now?”

Zheng Yuejia interrupted Deng Ying, looking up. “Tell me… I’ll do as you say.”

Deng Ying crouched down. “Only during questioning will we know who’s really behind this and what exactly they want you to confess to. But during this process, you can’t confess to anything. You need to give me time.”

Zheng Yuejia coughed out a laugh. “Resist, you mean?”

He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and sighed, “Very well…”

The next day, the Northern Suppression Bureau interrogated Zheng Yuejia.

Visitors weren’t allowed in the imperial prison except during formal questioning when family members could kneel in the courtyard and see the prisoner from afar.

Zheng Yuejia’s family had been disbanded, with only his uncle’s family remaining in the capital, living off his support. Now hearing of his crime, his uncle came alone, hoping to bring him some medicine and food.

Though well-intentioned, when he saw Zheng Yuejia covered in wounds, he was heartbroken and couldn’t help but kneel in the courtyard, crying, “Back then you insisted on entering the palace to give us a way to survive. Now, we’ve survived thanks to you, but who can save you…”

Zheng Yuejia shouted from the platform, “What place is this? How dare you come here! Go back quickly!”

His uncle, hurt by Zheng Yuejia’s rebuke, became even more distraught and spoke more chaotically.

“Don’t send me away… The young miss at home didn’t dare come see you openly, but she made some food for you. Nothing can be delivered to you there, and we can only see you at this moment. You’ve been so good to me, your uncle, and to our family’s young miss, a thousand times good, ten thousand times good. Seeing you like this, how can I bear it… Oh, great officials of justice, this child of our family is truly innocent…”

He continued crying and shouting incoherently, repeatedly describing Zheng Yuejia’s filial acts. The Imperial Guards kept ordering him to stop and finally simply arrested him too.

This arrest unexpectedly led to something that could turn everything upside down, as something slipped from his mouth.

Zhang Luo sat in the main hall of the judiciary office, with Zheng Yuejia’s uncle’s confession under his hand. Two rounds of tea had gone cold without him taking a sip.

Unfamiliar footsteps approached from outside, and he half-raised his eyes and called out coldly, “Who’s outside?”

“It’s this old servant.”

Zhang Luo recognized He Yixian’s voice and quickly folded the confession, setting it aside.

“Enter.”

He Yixian entered the main hall and bowed to Zhang Luo.

“This old servant has come today to tell you something, sir.”

Zhang Luo said coldly, “A message from His Majesty?”

He Yixian shook his head. “It concerns the case of the Second Prince’s assassination attempt. His Majesty doesn’t know yet.”

“Then speak tomorrow during the continued questioning in open court.”

He turned to leave as he finished speaking.

“Commander Zhang.”

He Yixian called out to stop him, speaking slowly, “What this old servant has to say concerns the royal family’s reputation. It cannot be spoken of in open court, only discussed privately between us before reporting to His Majesty.”

Zhang Luo stopped and turned around. “What do you mean?”

He Yixian lifted his robe and walked to his side. “If you want to know who’s behind Zheng Yuejia, I can suggest someone.”

Zhang Luo said coldly, “Speak directly, don’t beat around the bush with me.”

He Yixian lowered his voice and replied, “Consort Ning.”

Zhang Luo’s hand clenched into a fist behind his back.

Seeing that he hadn’t spoken yet, He Yixian continued, “Consort Ning and Zheng Yuejia knew each other before entering the palace. To avoid suspicion, they never interacted within the inner court.”

Hearing this, Zhang Luo recalled what Zheng Yuejia’s uncle had said in his confession: that when Zheng Yuejia was a student, he had loved an official’s daughter, and shortly after his family’s downfall and removal from the registry, that girl had entered the palace.

His uncle couldn’t say who that girl was, but now He Yixian’s words confirmed it.

Zhang Luo’s knuckles cracked as he stepped closer to He Yixian. “Who else knows about this?”

He Yixian shook his head. “Only you and I.”

“Why didn’t you tell the Eastern Depot directly?”

He Yixian smiled slightly. “This is an internal matter of the Ceremonial Office. I hope you won’t inquire further. However, if you want to verify this, you can question another person.”

“Silence!”

Zhang Luo sharply interrupted He Yixian, his eyes suddenly blazing.

“No need to tell me.”

Meanwhile, in the palace, You Guichun still hadn’t been captured.

To track down her whereabouts, the six departments of the inner court were each investigating their female officials. Yang Wan and Song Yunqing stood outside the Palace Ceremonial Department, waiting to question people.

Song Yunqing said, “Don’t you think it’s strange? A living person, a woman no less, just disappeared within the palace like this.”

Yang Wan waved her hand. “Don’t talk about such things here.”

Song Yunqing said, “Yang Wan, I feel like you know something. Otherwise, why did you say those things that time when we were having hotpot at Commander Deng’s?”

Yang Wan asked quietly, “What did I say?”

“You told Deng Bibi to resign from the wet nurse selection duty, and sure enough, trouble came from that position.”

“I…”

Just as Yang Wan was about to speak, she saw a group of Imperial Guards approaching the Palace Ceremonial Department’s entrance, carrying chains and shackles.

Madam Jiang and Madam Chen heard the commotion and came out of the department.

Madam Chen looked at the torture instruments in the Imperial Guards’ hands and said formally, “We’re conducting an internal investigation within our six departments. What is the meaning of this?”

The captain said, “Madam Chen, we’ve come only to take Record Keeper Yang back for questioning. Please don’t take offense.”

Hearing this, Madam Jiang spoke up, “Female officials belong to the inner court. Even if there’s a crime, it should be investigated and handled by the Palace Ceremonial Department. Since when has the Northern Suppression Bureau interfered?”

“If that’s the case, we’ll speak plainly. Saying we’re here for questioning is already being polite. Consort Ning is implicated in the case of conspiring to harm the prince. We from the Northern Suppression Bureau are investigating this case by imperial order and have the authority to arrest anyone related to the case for questioning.”

“What did you say?”

Yang Wan pushed through the crowd. Song Yunqing tried to pull her back but was shaken off.

“The Consort is an imperial concubine. How dare you casually accuse her of conspiring to harm the prince!”

The captain shouted, “The Suppression Bureau is still investigating. Why is Record Keeper Yang so agitated?”

Yang Wan pinched the base of her thumb, forcing herself to calm down.

She hadn’t thought before that this matter would involve her too.

But thinking about it another way, if she remained uninvolved, she wouldn’t be able to fully understand the ins and outs of the Hejiu case. Being involved might help her see things more clearly.

But… the Northern Suppression Bureau’s prison, Zhang Luo…

She couldn’t think deeply about that place, nor about that person.

Seeing the standoff, Madam Jiang stepped forward, shielding Yang Wan behind her. “We must report this to Her Majesty the Empress.”

“Very well.”

The captain stepped back. “We’ll simply wait here a while.”

“Madam…”

Yang Wan gently tugged at Madam Jiang’s sleeve. “No need to report to Her Majesty.”

Madam Jiang turned back. “Yang Wan, do you know where they want to take you?”

Yang Wan nodded. “I know.”

Madam Jiang shook her head. “If you know, then don’t speak!”

“It’s useless, Madam.”

Yang Wan looked up at Madam Jiang and said softly, “This involves the prince’s case. Even Her Majesty won’t show mercy.”

After speaking, she walked forward a few steps to the captain who had spoken.

“You haven’t disturbed Chengqian Palace, have you?”

The captain replied, “No. Before this case is cleared up, no one dares to be disrespectful to Consort Ning.”

“Good.”

Yang Wan raised her hand. “I’ll go with you.”

Seeing this, the captain bowed to her. “Thank you for your understanding, Record Keeper.”

Then he waved his hand and ordered, “Take her away.”