Prime Minister Gong’s body bent slightly as he looked at the graceful young man before him.

Clearly wearing men’s clothing, yet revealing a bit of feminine gentleness.

More scholarly than a scholar.

Prime Minister Gong exhaled deeply: “So you’re that Young Master Ji who handled the case for Li Cheng?”

His tone was light.

Without a hint of resentment.

Ji Yunshu immediately cupped her hands toward him: “That is indeed me.”

“I’ve heard of you long ago. Seeing you in person surpasses your reputation!”

“The Prime Minister flatters me.”

“Heh heh.” Prime Minister Gong laughed once, took steps, and walked to his son’s memorial tablet. Unable to help himself for a moment, his eyes moistened again. He sighed and said: “In my entire life, I did one thing wrong! But I never expected that because of this one thing, I would even lose my only son. This is perhaps retribution, but why… why wasn’t the retribution on me, but had to fall on Shilin instead?”

Ji Yunshu looked at his back.

Silent.

She watched as Prime Minister Gong suddenly took down that memorial tablet, held it in his hands, his trembling fingers stroking the characters carved on it.

His body shook terribly.

Tears blurred his vision!

Ji Yunshu: “Please accept my condolences.”

Prime Minister Gong was heartbroken, crying out: “Who could have imagined that the person I risked my life to serve back then would today personally issue an edict demanding my son’s life.”

The person he spoke of was King Huyi.

Ji Yunshu was about to speak… but Prime Minister Gong continued: “Back during Huyi’s internal strife, I should have led my troops to defend the royal city to the death, to fight for the Late King until the last soldier! But for power and position! I actually defected to this King who ordered my son’s death, helped him attack the palace, and opened the final palace gate. To this day, I will never forget the scene from over twenty years ago when the Late King was forced to relinquish the throne, nor will I forget the image of the King personally executing his own blood brother, ultimately forcing the Late Queen to flee the palace with her young prince, now whereabouts unknown! At that time… at that time I should have realized that such a ruthless person, how could I foolishly hope he would show mercy? But by the time I understood, it was already too late. Instead, it cost Shilin his life! If it weren’t for my selfish interests back then, things wouldn’t have turned out this way, and Shilin wouldn’t have died.”

Tears streaming down!

After hearing his words, Ji Yunshu couldn’t help but tighten her brow.

The Huyi civil war from over twenty years ago was also key to her and Bai Yin’s origins.

Now hearing Prime Minister Gong mention the Late Queen and young prince, her sensitive nerves twitched slightly.

Her palms tightened accordingly.

“Prime Minister, are you saying that during that civil war, the Late Queen and prince escaped from the palace?”

Prime Minister Gong held the memorial tablet in his hands and looked at her, saying: “Everyone says they never escaped at all, but were buried in that sea of flames. But I know they did escape, because I watched with my own eyes as they got into a carriage and left. However, not long after, the Imperial Guards had already gone in pursuit. As for whether they lived or died, that’s unknown.”

“…” Ji Yunshu’s heart jolted. She continued asking: “Then do you know where the Imperial Guards pursued them to? And the young prince, how old was he at the time? Who was the person who took them away?”

“Ha ha…”

“Prime Minister, please tell me.”

She wanted to know the answer.

Perhaps there really was a connection.

But Prime Minister Gong’s body swayed lightly as he walked to the coffin and touched the cold wood with his hand, saying: “You’ve offered your incense, and you’ve heard my story. You may leave.”

Issuing an order to leave.

However, at this moment, Ji Yunshu truly couldn’t continue pressing.

She could only bow once more.

Saying: “I take my leave.”

Then turned and left.

She hadn’t walked far when she heard voices of maids and servants from the residence behind her.

“Master, Master…”

“Quick, quickly call the physician.”

“Master, wake up! The young master’s body is barely cold, you absolutely mustn’t have an accident.”

…

Sighs of despair.

Ji Yunshu also felt great pain.

She left the Gong residence and got into that carriage stopped in the distance.

As soon as she entered, Li Cheng quickly asked: “How did it go?”

Ji Yunshu said: “I’ve offered the incense for you.”

“Ai!” Li Cheng looked pained and asked again: “And how is the Prime Minister?”

“Having lost his only son, white-haired sending off the black-haired—how could he be well?”

“Ai!” Another sigh.

The carriage interior fell into silence.

Ji Yunshu suddenly asked: “Young Master Cheng, do you know about the Huyi civil war from back then?”

Li Cheng shook his head: “I was only a few years old at the time, so I’m not very clear. You also know I’ve never paid attention to court matters. Why are you asking about this?”

“Nothing!”

But Jingrong looked at her meaningfully.

Just then—

The driver outside asked into the carriage: “My lord, where to now?”

Li Cheng came back to himself and instructed: “To the Ministry of Finance.”

Ministry of Finance?

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong looked at each other.

Li Cheng then took out that imperial edict while explaining: “We had an agreement that as long as you helped me solve the case, I would take you to the Ministry of Finance.”

Then he opened the imperial edict.

Jingrong took it and looked.

“This is an edict from the Hanlin Academy?”

“That’s right. Only an edict from the Hanlin Academy can directly access the Ministry of Finance without alarming the King’s side. With it, we can go straight in.”

Jingrong immediately understood everything: “By the looks of it, this was Gong Shilin’s help.”

Li Cheng nodded: “It was something I asked him for earlier. I thought he had forgotten, but when I went to see him at the Ministry of Justice prison that night, he gave it to me.”

It must be said, Gong Shilin was truly a good person.

And regarding his reason for killing, Li Cheng knew, Ji Yunshu knew, and Jingrong saw through everything, but the three had a tacit understanding.

When the carriage arrived at the Ministry of Finance, Li Cheng took out two City Administration Department guard uniforms from under the carriage seat.

He handed them to the two.

Saying: “Put these clothes on, it’ll be more convenient for me to bring you in.”

Jingrong and Ji Yunshu casually put the clothes on over their own and got out of the carriage.

The minor official outside the Ministry of Finance saw Li Cheng and quickly came forward: “Isn’t this Lord Li from the City Administration Department? What brings you here suddenly?”

Li Cheng had solved the major cases of Du Mubai and the stones at the city gate, and the King had also rewarded him and allowed him to join the court—this tremendous honor wasn’t something everyone had.

Naturally, people from the Ministry of Finance were cordial when they saw him.

Li Cheng also directly said: “The department has some things to investigate, need to make a trip to the archives.”

“Do you have documentation?”

He took out the Hanlin Academy’s edict and said: “Originally I was going to trouble the Hanlin Academy side to help investigate, but it’s more proper to come personally, so I came myself.”

The minor official took the edict.

Examined it carefully.

The seal on it was correct.

It was real!

“Since that’s the case, then Lord Li, please come in. I’ll take this edict to show Minister, please wait a moment…”