After she finished speaking—

Jingrong’s expression grew increasingly grave.

He understood the meaning in those words. His brow couldn’t help but furrow tightly, and his lips trembled slightly as he said: “Cannot oppose? Cannot suppress? Cannot expose? In this world today, there is only one person who could make even Duke Yuguo so wary, and that is…”

The current sovereign!

His own father emperor!

Yet those final words were ultimately too difficult to speak aloud.

His eyes reddened slightly. He turned away, his voice pained: “So if this is true, what the old servants of Duke Yuguo’s household said wasn’t without reason! But that was Father Emperor’s blood brother! How could he do such a thing for the throne?”

Ji Yunshu understood his feelings.

She stepped forward.

Her pale, slender hand grasped his trembling large hand.

Meeting his gaze.

Offering wordless comfort.

Jingrong’s heart gradually settled under Ji Yunshu’s warm, steady gaze.

He hoped that terrible thought in his heart wasn’t actually true.

…

The next morning.

Jingrong entered the palace.

At this moment, Emperor Qizhen happened to be sitting in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden. Many braziers had been placed inside, and gauze curtains hung around the pavilion’s perimeter, fluttering and dancing with the flying snow filling the sky. Occasionally, snowflakes would slip through the gaps with the cold wind, melting away completely in an instant. In the distance, several winter bamboo stalks swayed gently, complementing the plum blossoms and orchids in their elegant and refined beauty. In this snowy winter season, it created a particularly beautiful scene. Emperor Qizhen suddenly felt inspired to compose poetry and had servants prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

But just as the paper was being laid out—

A young eunuch prostrated himself outside the pavilion. “Your Majesty, Prince Rong requests an audience.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qizhen’s brow furrowed. He picked up his brush and nodded.

Shortly after, Jingrong came through the snow, his footprints deep and shallow, extending to outside the pavilion.

He did not enter.

“This son pays respects to Father Emperor.”

He received no response for a long while.

So he could only continue standing.

It wasn’t until Emperor Qizhen finished writing the second character on the white paper that he permitted: “Come in.”

The curtains on both sides of the pavilion slowly parted. Jingrong removed the cloak from his body, handed it to the young eunuch beside him, brushed off the snow from his head, and then stepped inside.

Warmth assailed him in the pavilion, and he couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Emperor Qizhen didn’t raise his head, continuing to hold his brush and write, only asking: “What matter?”

His purpose was clear—he didn’t want to beat around the bush.

He stated directly: “It concerns the Linjing Case!”

Just as he finished speaking, Emperor Qizhen’s hand suddenly stopped. The fingers gripping the brush tightened, and though the brush tip hadn’t left the paper, the ink immediately spread in a blur.

He lifted his eyelids to look at Jingrong, displeasure showing on his face. “Didn’t I say no further investigation!”

“Father Emperor, this case still has many suspicious points. I hope Father Emperor will allow the case to be reopened.”

“Your reason?”

“It concerns whether Duke Yuguo is dead or alive!”

Huh?

Emperor Qizhen was shocked, thinking he had heard wrong. “What did you just say?”

Jingrong lowered his gaze, clasping his hands together again. “It concerns whether Duke Yuguo is dead or alive.”

“Dead or alive? What do you mean?”

“The court issued maritime arrest warrants but still couldn’t find the missing person, Zhao Huai—not even a single trace. Therefore, this son boldly speculates that Zhao Huai very likely died back then, and his corpse was mistaken for Duke Yuguo’s remains and buried in the imperial cemetery. The real Duke Yuguo may still be alive.”

“Bang!”

Emperor Qizhen threw the brush in his hand violently onto the table. Ink splattered, completely ruining the poem written on the white paper.

He shouted loudly: “Absurd!”

The servants in the pavilion immediately dropped to the ground, not daring to breathe.

Fearing they’d be caught in the crossfire.

Jingrong was undaunted and persisted: “If we want to know whether the truth is as this son has stated, we need only exhume the coffin for examination to obtain results. Please, Father Emperor, issue an edict granting permission.”

“Enough!” Emperor Qizhen swept his large sleeve and walked before him, his eyes full of fury. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I do!”

“Since you know, how dare you speak such absurd words? I said no further investigation—no further investigation! Did you not hear? Or do you simply not regard me at all? Now you even dare ask me to issue an edict permitting exhumation. Do you know what exhumation entails? How can you act so recklessly!” Emperor Qizhen roared furiously.

His veins even bulged with anger.

He nearly burst a blood vessel!

He had been composing poetry while enjoying the beautiful scenery, feeling perfectly content, but this disturbance made his mood instantly irritable beyond measure.

Jingrong kept his gaze lowered, not retreating a single step, continuing: “This son knows that speaking of this matter would anger Father Emperor, but Zhao Huai has disappeared without a trace. Doesn’t Father Emperor find this strange? But if back then Zhao Huai and Duke Yuguo exchanged clothes, then everything can be explained.”

“Fine, then you tell me—if Duke Yuguo is still alive, where has he been these fifteen years? Why hasn’t he appeared?”

“The reasons for this, this son does not know, but today I have come to earnestly request that Father Emperor order Duke Yuguo’s tomb to be reopened to prove the truth of this matter.”

Hmph!

Emperor Qizhen rebuked angrily: “Since ancient times, imperial tombs have never been reopened. Even if what you say is true, I will not permit it. These are rules established by our ancestors—no one can break them! And the words you just spoke are enough for me to take your head.”

His words were harsh and resolute. Jingrong had come prepared to die. He raised his head to meet Emperor Qizhen’s eyes and said: “When Father Emperor originally entrusted this matter to this son, this son had the responsibility to investigate the case thoroughly. Does Father Emperor truly not want to know what actually happened back then? Why did Duke Yuguo’s household suffer the great fire? Who ordered the household guards to be transferred at that time? Is Duke Yuguo dead or alive? Does Father Emperor not care about any of these things?”

This series of rhetorical questions somehow made Emperor Qizhen’s throat itch.

He was blocked for a long while.

Only then did he say: “Of course I care, but no one can prove the matter of the household guards being transferred back then, and all the people related to that incident are also dead. Now we can’t even find the missing person, and there’s no evidence proving the fire was man-made. Just because we can’t verify it, should we keep Duke Yuguo’s household case forever displayed before the world? I already agreed to exhume the coffins at Linshan—dozens of coffins were dug up one by one. Now you want me to agree to open Duke Yuguo’s tomb as well. But what if we still find nothing? How would I face the dozens of souls from Duke Yuguo’s household?”

“Father Emperor…”

“I said no further investigation means no investigation! And I will absolutely not agree to your absurd request.”

Leaving these words behind, Emperor Qizhen swept his sleeves and left. Upon exiting the pavilion, a eunuch immediately stepped forward with an umbrella to shield him from the snow as he proceeded.

Jingrong refused to give up and pursued.

“Please, Father Emperor, order the exhumation!”

His voice echoed out, lingering for a long time without fading.

Emperor Qizhen stopped and looked back at him.

In the flying snow, he saw him standing there, hands raised high in clasped salute, body slightly bowed, his brow and eyes showing tenacity. In just that brief moment, snowflakes had already covered his back, shoulders, and hair…

Such a Jingrong was filled with stubbornness from his very bones to his exterior.

Like this, he was remarkably similar to the young Emperor Qizhen!