Upon hearing Shen Xi’s words, Su Jin was momentarily stunned and lowered her gaze to look at the dagger again.

A look of bewilderment appeared on her face, as if she didn’t know how to properly handle this dagger.

Shen Xi smiled with amusement, retrieved his folding fan from Yang Zhiwei, and left with a wave of his hand.

Yang Zhiwei finished binding the prisoner and came over to call out, “Censor Su.”

Only then did Su Jin react. She put away the dagger and bowed. “This subordinate was discourteous and has not yet properly greeted Lord Yang.” As she spoke, she was about to kneel in formal greeting.

Yang Zhiwei hurriedly stopped her.

Su Jin’s status now was incomparable to before. Not to mention that censors from the Imperial Censorate could impeach officials above their rank, recently the palace had been abuzz with rumors that His Majesty’s sudden summons of Su Jin back to the capital was to promote her to the position of Assistant Chief Censor of the fourth rank.

Yang Zhiwei said very courteously, “The person has been bound. First thing tomorrow morning, this official will have him sent to the Imperial Censorate. I wonder if Censor Su has any other instructions?”

Su Jin bowed again. “None. This subordinate feels guilty for troubling Lord Yang to make such a hard trip at night.”

Yang Zhiwei said a few polite words and also left with the yamen runners.

Su Jin left the Feng residence and suddenly had nowhere to go. She had originally wanted to go to the Reception Bureau, but she hadn’t brought her official seal with her, so she could only find a simple inn to rest for the night. The next day, before dawn, she rose, borrowed a horse from the inn, and headed toward Zhengyang Gate.

Yesterday she had arranged with Tan Zhaolin to meet at the south gate of the city at the fifth watch.

By the time she reached the gate, Tan Zhaolin had already retrieved their stored luggage from the courier station and was waiting there. All around it was still dim and dark. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from not far away. Su Jin looked up and, by the moonlight, could only see a mighty group of people riding up on horses. They showed their waist tokens to the gate guards and passed through to leave the city.

Su Jin found this somewhat suspicious. She summoned a nearby patrol censor and asked. The patrol censor said, “In response to Lord Su, these past few days all the princes are returning to the capital. These people should be princely guards from the prince’s residences. Knowing that their own prince has arrived near Yingtian City, they went out of the city to meet him.”

Su Jin made a sound of acknowledgment.

Tan Zhaolin came up and said, “My lord, I’ve prepared your official robes and seal for you.” He then pointed with his chin toward Zhengyang Gate. “I used to be the boss here. I’ll go tell those little rascals to clear you a room so you can change into your official robes first.”

Not long after Tan Zhaolin left, two young guards came to greet her very respectfully.

Su Jin followed them up to the gate tower. Her thoughts suddenly stirred, and she looked out from the tower.

The courier station not far away had already lit its lamps. By the firelight, she saw that group of so-called princely guards suddenly divide into two teams at a fork in the road.

Suspicion arose in Su Jin’s heart again—if they were going to meet their own prince, wouldn’t they know which road the prince would be coming from?

Su Jin asked gravely, “Which princes have returned to the capital by now?”

A guard beside her said, “In response to Your Lordship the Censor, the princes whose fiefs are in the north returned early, fearing that if they delayed any longer, heavy snow would block the roads. Right now, only two or three princes from the south haven’t arrived yet. The Thirteenth Prince already sent word saying he’d return a few days late. Of the rest, it seems there’s still the Tenth Prince and the Sixth Prince.”

Su Jin thought for a moment and asked again, “Then whose princely guards went out just now?”

Another guard said, “In response to Your Lordship the Censor, they were from the Ninth Prince’s residence.”

Su Jin frowned and looked at him. “The Ninth Prince is already in the capital. Why would he send guards out again?”

The guard immediately knelt on one knee and said, “In response to Your Lordship the Censor, this humble one doesn’t know, but princely guards often lend themselves to each other. Or perhaps the Ninth Prince sent people to meet some prince he’s close with. Previously when the Third Prince returned to the capital, it was the Fourteenth Prince who sent guards to welcome him.”

Su Jin nodded slightly and said coolly, “You two may go.” After the guards left, Su Jin called out, “Zhaolin.” After brief consideration, she gestured with her chin toward the fork outside the courier station. “Take a few people and follow them to see.”

Tan Zhaolin said, “Right away.” Then thinking again, he asked for instruction, “My lord, how should I observe?”

Su Jin let out a breath and said, “Where they stop, whether they linger, what they say, whether there are any unusual movements.” Then she paused and looked at Tan Zhaolin. “What’s most important?”

Tan Zhaolin leaned in and said, “What?”

Su Jin frowned slightly and scolded lightly, “No progress.”

“Why am I sending you to follow them?”

“To see what tricks these people are up to?”

Su Jin said, “They claim to be princely guards going to meet someone. But if they’re meeting someone, why would they go in separate directions? Therefore, they’re using the name of princely guards, but eighty percent likely they’re plotting something unlawful.”

She asked again, “What happens when people plot unlawfully?”

Tan Zhaolin immediately answered, “I know—they use blades and shed blood!”

Su Jin was quite speechless. After a moment of silence, she said, “Plotting unlawfully means doing things that can’t be seen by others. Things that can’t be seen by others must be done in places that can’t see the light. With so many people acting together, it’s definitely impossible, so they must certainly break up into smaller groups.”

She instructed, “Take people to follow them. As soon as their people scatter, come back and report to me immediately.”

Tan Zhaolin slapped the back of his own head. “Aiya, my bear brain!” He cupped his hands toward Su Jin and immediately set off.

Su Jin changed into her official robes in the empty room. Looking at the sky, it was time to go to the Imperial Censorate to report.

Coming down from Zhengyang Gate, the patrol censor from earlier was still waiting at the gate. She thought for a moment and said, “Have someone go to the Office of Transmission to obtain the latest official gazette and see where the princes who haven’t yet entered the capital have traveled to. After reading it, you need not report back. The princes are probably already very close to Yingtian City. Have someone check the surrounding areas based on their travel pace and, once you’ve confirmed where the princes are, then come report to this official.”

This way it could also prevent it from being a false alarm.

The patrol censor cupped his hands and acknowledged the order.

Su Jin walked forward a few steps, then suddenly stopped. “Oh, right.”

The patrol censor said, “What other instructions does Your Lordship have?”

The dawn wind lifted her cloak, making it billow behind her. Su Jin looked up toward the direction of the palace towers. “Prepare a fast horse for this official.”

An’ran sat at the stone table in the front courtyard, propping up his cheek with his hand as he listened to A’Liu’s endless chatter, thinking that he must have been quite suppressed at Su Jin’s place, as he’d been talking all night without stopping.

The residence gate suddenly creaked open. An’ran stood and turned around, saying in surprise, “Why has Your Lordship returned at this hour?” He followed Liu Chaoming into the main hall and helped him remove his cloak, then continued, “Has Your Lordship heard? Censor Su has returned to the capital.”

Liu Chaoming said coolly, “I know.” His gaze swept around and saw A’Liu following behind An’ran, staring at him with both shock and delight. He frowned. “Why are you here?” He looked around again. “Where is Su Shiyu?”

A’Liu knew that Liu Chaoming habitually maintained a taciturn and cold demeanor. Apart from beating a maid to death years ago, these years he hadn’t been harsh with the servants in the residence. Moreover, with so many years of master-servant relationship, he had hoped his master would be warm and chat with him for a bit upon seeing him. Who knew he would start with an accusatory tone?

A’Liu was suddenly so aggrieved he was about to cry. “How can Your Lordship say such things? You don’t know how much A’Liu has missed you this past year. In the past at the residence, at most you’d have Third Brother gag A’Liu’s mouth. But do you know what Young Master Su did to me? He imposed a two-hour silence order on A’Liu every day. Do you know what he did to me if I violated the order? When we first arrived outside Wuchang Prefecture…”

Before he could finish, Liu Chaoming swept him with a cold, chilling glance, immediately frightening him into silence.

Liu Chaoming looked toward An’ran.

An’ran lowered his gaze and said softly, “According to A’Liu, yesterday as soon as Lord Su returned to the capital, she went to the Petition Drum to investigate. Later she said she had matters to attend to and ordered A’Liu and Guard Tan to leave first. This humble one thought that Lord Su would probably rest at the Reception Bureau and already sent Guard Li to fetch her, but who knew…”

Liu Chaoming’s gaze fell on Guard Li at the entrance to the main hall. “Where is she?”

Guard Li said, “In response to Your Lordship, Lord Su is not at the Reception Bureau.”

Liu Chaoming’s expression immediately became extremely unpleasant.

Su Jin didn’t have her own residence to begin with. Previously she still had the capital yamen to stay at. Having just returned to the capital now, she could only rest at the Reception Bureau. With no one at the Reception Bureau, where could she have gone? An inn?

Liu Chaoming said coldly, “Then where did she spend the night?”

Upon hearing Liu Chaoming’s tone, An’ran and A’Liu’s expressions changed immediately. A’Liu’s lips trembled, and he couldn’t even speak.

An’ran grabbed his sleeve and knelt down, lowering his head. “Your Lordship, this time it was An’ran’s negligence. A’Liu is thoughtless and doesn’t understand matters. If Your Lordship wishes to punish someone, please punish me.”

Liu Chaoming looked at the two of them expressionlessly for a moment, then strode directly over the threshold, coldly dropping a sentence: “Prepare the carriage. Return to the palace.”

The junior clerk from the Imperial Censorate led Su Jin into the public hall. Zhao Yan and Qian San’er happened to be inside discussing matters. Upon seeing the two of them, Su Jin stepped forward quickly and was about to bow. Zhao Yan raised his hand to stop her and smiled. “Get up quickly. Outside is one thing, but here at the Imperial Censorate among ourselves, we don’t stand on such formalities.”

Qian San’er also smiled with his crescent-moon eyes. “Censor Su, the cases you’ve handled outside this past year have brought great honor to our Imperial Censorate.”

Although they said not to stand on formalities, Su Jin still bowed to the two of them before asking, “Are you two lords not attending court today?”

Zhao Yan said, “His Majesty, because of the Petition Drum case, summoned us continuously from yesterday evening until the fourth watch this morning. We’re truly exhausted, so today’s court meeting was suspended.” He continued, “When we returned this morning, Yan Xiu was still on night duty at the duty lodge. He said he ran into you yesterday and had already roughly briefed you on the case.”

Su Jin nodded. “Yes. Yesterday this subordinate also went to the Feng residence to investigate, but unfortunately ran into Lord Shen from the Ministry of Finance. Our stories didn’t match up, and we inadvertently alerted the quarry. Fearing that Feng Mengping would escape, I had no choice but to have Lord Yang from the capital yamen bind the man. Today he’ll be transferred to the Imperial Censorate for interrogation.”

She looked around and couldn’t help asking again, “Since there’s no court meeting, why don’t I see Lord Liu?”

Just as these words left her mouth, she heard a guard outside say, “Greetings to Lord Liu.”

Zhao Yan pointed outside and smiled. “There, he’s here.” He then walked out of the public hall.

Qian San’er also smiled at Su Jin with crescent eyes, nodded once, and said, “Come.”

The two walked out of the public hall one after the other. Su Jin followed behind them. Looking up, she saw Liu Chaoming stepping through the main gate of the Imperial Censorate and walking toward them.

He was still the same as before—like cold jade, unsmiling. But for some reason, his eyes carried a certain chill. With lowered lashes, one couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Zhao Yan called out loudly, “Liu Yun, look who’s come back.”

After days of drizzling rain this winter, this day was rarely clear, and the sunlight was exceptionally bright.

Liu Chaoming looked up and saw Su Jin standing at the hall entrance. He slowly came to a stop.

She seemed to have grown thinner. Her complexion was still very pale, but it only made her features appear more refined and elegant. Seeing him, a rare trace of a smile appeared in her eyes.

Liu Chaoming was momentarily stunned. The chill in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a touch of gentleness.

Su Jin stepped forward quickly, lifting her official robe to kneel in greeting. Just as her knees were about to touch the ground, Liu Chaoming suddenly supported her elbow.

Su Jin looked up at him. Liu Chaoming’s fingertips suddenly withdrew from her elbow. He shifted his gaze away and said coolly, “No need to kneel.”

Su Jin acknowledged, straightened up, and was just about to speak when someone outside the residence gate called out with great joy, “Lord Liu.”