“Of course, I had to investigate. After all, if Old Fang and Master Ren were unwilling to help, I would have to personally bring the witness before the Crown Prince! Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan… broke both my younger brother’s legs. My father can swallow this humiliation in silence, but I, as his elder brother… cannot tolerate this affront and pretend nothing ever happened.” Li Mingrui had already prepared his justification.

“Lord Li is a good elder brother!” Ren Shijie timely voiced his praise for Li Mingrui.

Li Mingrui smiled and nodded toward Ren Shijie: “I know Old Fang has already ordered someone to bring that person from Shouyang to the Capital City. This jailer… my people have also captured him for Old Fang and Master Ren. He’s right outside, and Old Fang and Master Ren can take him away shortly! Just one thing… I hope Master Ren and Old Fang won’t mention Li Mingrui before the Crown Prince! If my father learns… that I violated his orders and secretly opposed Princess Zhenguo, I’m afraid I’ll inevitably face family punishment.”

Old Fang chuckled softly: “Lord Li doesn’t want such credit?”

Li Mingrui shook his head: “I’m merely venting my anger. Old Fang and Master Ren need to establish merit before His Highness the Crown Prince more than I do. Cooperation… should benefit all parties. If I trouble Old Fang and Master Ren, only to monopolize all the benefits myself, then when future opportunities for cooperation arise, I’m afraid Old Fang and Master Ren wouldn’t be willing to work with me again!”

Li Mingrui pretended not to know that Old Fang already hated Bai Qingyan to the bone, merely presenting this matter as a mutual benefit, which made Old Fang lower his guard.

“Lord Li is quite ungreedy,” Old Fang said, a hint of a smile appearing in his expression.

“I’ve always known when enough is enough,” Li Mingrui lifted his teacup. “Then, let me substitute tea for wine to wish Old Fang and Master Ren greater trust from His Highness the Crown Prince through this matter. Should you two rise to great heights in the future, please don’t forget to support me generously.”

Old Fang raised his teacup: “Lord Li speaks too courteously. Lord Li’s father is the current Left Chancellor. Lord Li’s future… is truly limitless!”

After watching Old Fang and Ren Shijie leave with Wang Qiulu and the jailer, the white-robed strategist said to Li Mingrui: “Young Master, our people watching Fu Ruoxi reported that Fu Ruoxi indeed went to see Princess Zhenguo. Fu Ruoxi should have already informed Princess Zhenguo about seeing Wang Qiulu enter Prince Liang’s mansion. I was still worried that if this Fu Ruoxi wasn’t Princess Zhenguo’s person… no one would tell Princess Zhenguo about Wang Qiulu entering Prince Liang’s mansion.”

Li Mingrui chuckled softly, gripping his bone fan and tapping it gently against his palm: “Do you think Princess Zhenguo doesn’t have people watching Prince Liang’s mansion? Being able to prepare in advance before Prince Liang and Prince Xian forced the palace and rebelled proves that at least… Princess Zhenguo has spies outside Prince Liang’s mansion!”

“Young Master…” The white-robed strategist’s expression changed. “Then, might Princess Zhenguo also have people monitoring us?”

Li Mingrui laughed aloud, pointing his fan at the elderly man standing by the door: “Do you know that this old gentleman possesses extraordinary skills and can identify people and determine directions by listening to footsteps? If someone were monitoring us, he would have discovered them long ago.”

Only then did the white-robed strategist breathe a sigh of relief, smiling slightly along with Li Mingrui: “Who would have thought! This Fu Ruoxi is indeed Princess Zhenguo’s person!”

“Back then, at Anping Military Camp, Princess Zhenguo could have killed Fu Ruoxi completely, yet she took one of Fu Ruoxi’s arms but spared his life! Later, Old Madam Fu also went to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion to seek help! Then… after Princess Zhenguo visited Fu Ruoxi in prison, Fu Ruoxi revealed the Empress! Later, during the Wude Gate incident… Fu Ruoxi was so conveniently rescued by the Bai family guards and led twenty thousand soldiers stationed outside the Capital City to rescue the Emperor?”

“Princess Zhenguo is not someone soft-hearted or careless. If Fu Ruoxi weren’t her person, if she didn’t completely trust him, how would she dare to confidently let Fu Ruoxi lead twenty thousand Anping troops into the city to rescue the Emperor?” Li Mingrui’s smile grew increasingly bright. “What a pity that Fu Ruoxi and Princess Zhenguo so easily deceived the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and everyone else!”

“But they couldn’t escape Young Master’s keen insight!” The white-robed strategist smiled as he bowed deeply to Li Mingrui. “Then next, we should also send someone to tell Princess Zhenguo about Wang Qiulu’s dealings with Prince Liang’s mansion, making Princess Zhenguo guard against Wang Qiulu. Thus… this matter can be completely separated from Young Master, and even if something happens to Princess Zhenguo’s mansion, Princess Zhenguo cannot blame Young Master.”

“Yes, don’t send a letter. Just have someone deliver an oral message!”

Li Mingrui’s eyes contained a smile. He wanted to gradually erode Bai Qingyan’s trust with the Crown Prince, then wait for the current court’s highly respected… and skilled calligrapher Lord Shoushan and Imperial Teacher Old Tan to die of old age. Once the skilled calligraphers arranged by their Li family gained fame in the Capital City, the authenticity of the letters between Bai Qingyan’s father and the Second Prince in her possession would be up to Li Mingrui to determine.

With such elaborate scheming, in the future… the letters in Princess Zhenguo’s hands would no longer pose a threat.

The white-robed strategist narrowed his eyes in thought: “Young Master, will this Wang Qiulu truly testify that Princess Zhenguo sent people to rescue him for the sake of Liu Ruofu?”

“This Wang Qiulu is quite the devoted lover! When he initially disobeyed Prince Xian’s orders and was the first to send troops to kill Princess Zhenguo, it was all for Liu Ruofu. Now that he knows the supposedly dead Liu Ruofu is alive and well at Prince Liang’s mansion, in my grasp, naturally, he’ll do my bidding! If he doesn’t do as I say… Liu Ruofu won’t survive!”

“Heroes fall to beauties. The renowned first beauty of Jin, Princess Liu Ruofu of Nandu, can naturally make Wang Qiulu willingly submit. But now that Liu Ruofu’s face is disfigured, will he still care about Liu Ruofu’s safety?” The white-robed strategist remained somewhat worried.

“You haven’t experienced the word ‘love’!” Li Mingrui smiled, then turned to instruct the silver-haired old man to guard the residence well before boarding a carriage to return to the Li mansion.

Liu Ruofu was truly dead. Li Mingrui had merely fortunately saved Liu Ruofu’s abandoned personal maid, learned about the affair between Liu Ruofu and Wang Qiulu, then found someone with similar appearance to Liu Ruofu. After disfiguring her face and voice, under the training of Liu Ruofu’s maid, her words and actions became eighty percent similar to Liu Ruofu’s.

Later, when the timing was right, Li Mingrui sent someone to inform Wang Qiulu that Liu Ruofu was still alive, arranging for the two to meet briefly so Wang Qiulu would believe Liu Ruofu hadn’t died.

Thus, Li Mingrui could use Wang Qiulu to properly deal with Princess Zhenguo.

Li Mingrui’s former teacher, Du Zhiwei, had once taught Li Mingrui that killing was the most foolish approach, whether conspiracies or open schemes… attacking the heart was paramount!

Tonight, Bai Jinxiu didn’t return home and stayed at Qinghui Courtyard. She had just received a report from the hidden guards stationed outside the Crown Prince’s mansion: the Crown Princess had given birth.