Someone from the Court of Judicial Review had come?
“Did they say what this is about?” Ziqing asked hurriedly. It was already so late at night, and she and Jun Beiyue had only just returned—if it weren’t for Situ Xin’er’s abduction, the welcoming banquet wouldn’t even be over yet!
For the Court of Judicial Review to come calling at this hour, it had to be something extremely urgent and important!
Before, when she’d suspected Jun Beiyao, she had sent fabricated evidence to point the finger of the Chen family murder case toward him—yet even with that evidence in hand, the investigation hadn’t made much progress at all!
How could there possibly be such a coincidence, that progress would suddenly appear now of all times?
“They didn’t say. They only said they wished to see the prince and the princess consort!” the nanny reported honestly.
Ziqing had no idea where Jun Beiyue had gone. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally strode toward the main hall.
The instant she entered, the newly appointed Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lord Huang, bowed respectfully. “This humble official pays respects to the princess consort.”
Ziqing kept her expression calm as she seated herself in the principal seat. “It’s so late, Lord Huang. Is there urgent business?”
“Princess consort, this is a matter of grave importance. This humble official comes bearing an imperial edict, requesting that the princess consort and the prince accompany me to the Court of Judicial Review.”
Ziqing was slightly startled—bearing an imperial edict, exactly as had happened before when she’d been summoned to the Court of Judicial Review. Could it be, by rare coincidence, that the Chen family case had truly made progress?
A flicker of unease passed through her heart. She wondered uneasily whether Jun Beiyao knew about this.
“Princess consort, His Majesty is already waiting at the Court of Judicial Review as well. The matter arose suddenly, and His Majesty is anxious—please, princess consort, do make your way there.”
The moment she heard this, Ziqing was truly alarmed. She said in a low voice, “Hongyi, find some way to inform the prince.”
Emperor Tianhui had just been at the palace a moment ago—now he was personally waiting at the Court of Judicial Review? Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow?
There had to be some scheme behind this!
“Who else is waiting there?” Ziqing said, no longer bothering with courtesy. She needed to know.
But Lord Huang had clearly come prepared. He remained just as respectful as before. “This humble official isn’t aware of that, princess consort. Please, this way!”
The moment he finished speaking, two rows of guards immediately surged in, clearing a path on either side, urging Ziqing forward.
“Prince Yao has been delayed by some matter. This princess consort will wait for him to return, and we’ll go together,” Ziqing said flatly.
“Princess consort, it is you whom His Majesty has summoned. This humble official has already sent men to search for the prince. Please, princess consort, proceed ahead first,” Lord Huang said, producing an arrest warrant as he spoke—the meaning could not have been clearer!
Was this Emperor Tianhui making things difficult, or was this Jun Beiyao’s doing?
Ziqing was suspicious, but she wasn’t afraid. If she clashed with this group, it would only cause trouble for Jun Beiyue—that man already had the ability to overthrow the Da Zhou imperial throne, yet had held off from acting for so long!
He surely had his own concerns and plans!
She had no desire to become the spark that Emperor Tianhui and Jun Beiyao could use to provoke and manipulate him!
“Very well!” Ziqing said with a smile, rising to follow Lord Huang out.
But the moment she stepped out through the mansion gate, she came face to face with Situ Haonan.
“Young Master Situ!” Lord Huang bowed respectfully.
Situ Haonan swept a suspicious glance over the assembled guards, his gaze landing on Ziqing—though he deliberately avoided meeting her eyes—and bowed respectfully. “Sister-in-law.”
“No need for formality. Come looking for the prince, have you? The prince just left on urgent military business,” Ziqing said flatly, clearly making up an excuse for Jun Beiyue’s absence, worried this fellow might grow suspicious.
“Sister-in-law, going out so late at night doesn’t seem quite right,” Situ Haonan said, his roguish gaze sweeping repeatedly over Lord Huang.
“The Court of Judicial Review has summoned me. His Majesty is waiting—I have no choice but to go,” Ziqing said with a smile. It was clear that despite Situ Haonan’s careless manner, he was actually quite sharp underneath.
She wondered, suspicious—how could someone like Situ Xin’er have a brother like this?
A complicated look flashed through Situ Haonan’s eyes, though he kept smiling. “Lord Huang, what enormous case could possibly keep my imperial uncle from his sleep this late at night, forcing him to personally attend the Court of Judicial Review!”
Lord Huang had clearly been waiting at the gate for quite some time, only daring to show himself once he confirmed Prince Yao hadn’t returned. He’d been secretly congratulating himself on his timing—never expecting Situ Haonan to crash the scene midway!
This young master would be no easier to handle than Prince Yao!
“This humble official is merely acting on orders, escorting the princess consort to the Court of Judicial Review for questioning. The matter is of grave importance and truly inconvenient to disclose,” Lord Huang said helplessly.
Situ Haonan immediately waved a hand. “No matter, no matter, I’ll go along with sister-in-law. If my imperial uncle doesn’t want me listening in, I’ll clear off at once!”
As he spoke, without waiting for Lord Huang’s consent, he personally lifted the carriage curtain and invited Ziqing aboard.
Ziqing secretly smiled to herself and stepped into the carriage without hesitation—at least with Situ Haonan present, she could try her best to avoid a direct clash with Emperor Tianhui.
Lord Huang had no choice but to agree.
Situ Haonan immediately climbed aboard, sitting across from Ziqing. Glancing up casually and catching her looking back at him, his roguish grin froze slightly. He hastily looked away again, somewhat awkward, and broke the silence, “Sister-in-law, did you kill someone or set something on fire?”
“An old case being reopened,” Ziqing said flatly, studying Situ Haonan up close for a moment. This fellow was about the same age as Jun Beiyue, and on his handsome, refined face, the most striking feature was a pair of narrow, seductive eyes that carried three parts elegance and seven parts roguishness when he smiled. Ziqing knew that anyone who could be sworn brothers with Jun Beiyue couldn’t be simple.
“The House of National Beauty case?”
Situ Haonan asked, suspicious. Although one shouldn’t covet a brother’s wife, Jun Beiyue had only married this woman to defy Emperor Tianhui and reject the Prime Minister’s daughter—strictly speaking, she didn’t quite count as a brother’s wife, did she?
And so Situ Haonan found himself secretly thinking—if this woman were pure and untouched, never having been defiled by another man, he… he actually rather liked those eyes of hers, and rather wanted to get to know her better.
What a pity, what a shame…
Ziqing smiled bitterly to herself. The scandal at the House of National Beauty truly had spread far and wide, if even Situ Haonan knew of it.
“No,” she said flatly, a hint of stubbornness in her tone as she corrected him. “It’s the Chen family murder case.”
The House of National Beauty affair had never held any real mystery—she’d been schemed against by Han Xi’er and had fallen into the hands of the young master Chen. That was all there was to it.
Aside from herself and Jun Beiyao, no one knew the truth. That was something the two of them only ever discussed privately!
If this matter were ever exposed, the greatest loss would fall on Jun Beiyue’s dignity—his princess consort had been slept with by his own brother. What face would that leave Jun Beiyue to stand upon in Da Zhou, to stand upon the continent of Longyuan?
Perhaps before, Ziqing wouldn’t have cared so much about any of this. But she didn’t know exactly when it was that she’d begun to realize just how serious the matter truly was.
She held something over Jun Beiyao—she was confident that a proud, grown man like him wouldn’t treat the matter of his own castration as something to joke about.
And so, no matter how many doubts and suspicions arose, the investigation would always circle back to only the Chen family murder case!
Suddenly, Situ Haonan looked at her suspiciously. “Sister-in-law, tell me the truth, just between us—the young master Chen… you killed him, didn’t you?”
“No,” Ziqing answered, expressionless.
“Sister-in-law, this kind of thing… how should I put it, he ruined your whole life. If you didn’t kill him, that’s honestly not satisfying at all!” Situ Haonan said earnestly.
Ziqing said nothing, lowering her head silently, unwilling to discuss the matter further.
“Sister-in-law, with your abilities, you shouldn’t have been…” Situ Haonan wanted to ask more, but Ziqing suddenly lifted her head and looked at him, her gaze sinister.
Situ Haonan started, and immediately had the sense to shut his mouth.