A moment later, Su Jin brought over the case files for the Imperial Noble Consort’s case. Liu Chaoming roughly flipped through them and saw that she had already organized all the documents in chronological order. He handed them to a nearby clerk, instructing him to take them to the Imperial Censorate.

After the clerk left, Su Jin said: “This truly troubles my lord. When I return from escorting the envoy, I’ll immediately go to the Imperial Censorate to collect the closing statement my lord has written for the Ministry of Justice, and have all those involved in the case dealt with accordingly.”

Liu Chaoming didn’t pick up her thread of conversation, only asking: “When will you return?”

Su Jin replied: “The originally scheduled date is the thirteenth of the seventh month, but,” she revealed an extremely faint smile, “I’m thinking of traveling faster—it would be even better if I could return by the early morning of the twelfth of the seventh month.”

She rarely displayed her emotions before others. For her to smile so inexplicably now, she must be quite happy indeed.

Though what she was happy about was anyone’s guess.

Liu Chaoming looked at Su Jin, only feeling that though her smile was quite faint, it was genuine and sincere, bright and luminous like light itself—so much so that one dared not look at it for long.

He quietly averted his gaze: “Good. Return early.”

Su Jin was just about to see Liu Chaoming off when she saw Censor Yan Xiu leading Qin Sang over from outside the tribunal hall.

Yan Xiu saluted both Liu Chaoming and Su Jin, saying: “Lord Liu, the Crown Prince has dispatched Guard Qin to the Imperial Censorate, saying there’s an urgent matter and summoning you to Fengtian Hall. This subordinate feared delaying important business, so I led Guard Qin to the Ministry of Justice to inform you.”

Liu Chaoming said: “Understood.”

Upon hearing that Zhu Nanxian wanted to see Liu Chaoming, Su Jin guessed there had been movements from Zhu Zhaowei. She asked: “Did His Highness say what urgent matter it was?”

Qin Sang glanced left and right. Seeing only trustworthy people present, he answered truthfully: “Reporting to Lord Su, the Left General just came to report that the Seventh Prince has been secretly mustering troops.”

At these words, both Liu Chaoming and Su Jin’s brows furrowed simultaneously.

Su Jin thought briefly, then said to Liu Chaoming: “I’ll accompany my lord to Fengtian Hall.”

Inside Fengtian Hall, Shen Xi had just arrived when Liu Chaoming followed shortly after.

Zhu Nanxian was somewhat surprised to see Su Jin accompanying Liu Chaoming, but didn’t inquire further. He only said to Zuo Qian: “You carefully report Zhu Zhaowei’s movements.”

“Yes.” Zuo Qian said: “This subject just received a report from the spy at the Seventh Prince’s manor. The Seventh Prince began mustering troops tonight at the hour of the Dog. Among them, five hundred secret guards, five hundred manor troops, plus some remnant forces and old subordinates—altogether totaling over two hundred men. He has now deployed this entire military force of over twelve hundred men near the Imperial Mausoleum north of the city. He likely intends to use tomorrow’s grand funeral procession as an opportunity to stage an uprising and create chaos, seizing the chance to leave and escape back to Fengyang.”

Zhu Nanxian looked at the three before him: “What do you think?”

At this moment in Fengtian Hall, aside from Liu Chaoming, everyone else present was among Zhu Nanxian’s trusted confidants. By rights, matters concerning the Eastern Palace shouldn’t involve consulting Liu Yun, yet this Zhu Zhaowei was truly no ordinary opponent.

Emperor Zhu Jingyuan had numerous imperial sons. Aside from the three legitimate sons, among the concubine-born princes there were also various ranks. First-tier ones like Zhu Mixiao and Zhu Yushen—one’s birth mother was an Imperial Noble Consort, the other’s was Consort Qi from the Qi family of founding heroes. But Zhu Zhaowei’s birth mother, Consort Cen, was at the very bottom of the lowest tier.

It was said that Consort Cen had originally been merely a selection attendant who had never even seen Zhu Jingyuan’s face. At that time, the Fifth Prince had just died of malaria, and the newly born Sixth Prince was born with a cleft lip. Consort Cen seized this moment to be favored once by the grieving, intoxicated Emperor Jingyuan. She became pregnant with Zhu Zhaowei, and only then gradually rose to the rank of consort.

Even so, Zhu Jingyuan hardly remembered he had such a son. It wasn’t until his seventeenth year when he should have been granted a courtesy name that the emperor casually bestowed the two characters “Zhaowei”—also meaning insignificance.

Yet this concubine-born prince of humble birth was not buried among the multitude of Zhu Jingyuan’s many children. Instead, he climbed step by step until he was but a hair’s breadth from ascending the throne. His depth of scheming could not be underestimated by anyone.

Shen Xi said: “This Zhu Zhaowei—whenever he does anything, he’s bound to have kept a backup plan hidden away. What’s more, he’s now deeply trapped in a desperate situation. Such a major move must have been planned long in advance, methodically arranged. My thinking is, tomorrow is the grand funeral procession. If we try to puzzle out his intentions now, we may not have time. Better to—”

“Kill him and be done with it,” Liu Chaoming said. “Since he dares to ambush troops near the Imperial Mausoleum, he’s given others ample reason to kill him.”

After thinking it over, he added: “However, this matter may not be as simple as it appears.”

“This subject thinks the same,” Su Jin said, looking at Zuo Qian. “Left General has had men watching Zhu Zhaowei day and night. Apart from deploying troops, has there truly been no other unusual activity?”

Zuo Qian replied: “There truly hasn’t been.”

Su Jin pondered further. A flash of inspiration struck her mind, and she suddenly asked: “Has there been any trace of Du Zhen?”

Zuo Qian said: “We’ve found some traces and are currently ordering men to search and apprehend him.”

Zhu Nanxian had understood Su Jin’s meaning: “Deploy additional forces. The sooner we find Du Zhen, the better.” He then said to the three before him: “This palace’s thinking aligns with all three of yours—we should kill Zhu Zhaowei at the earliest opportunity to eliminate future troubles.”

Having made this decision, everyone fell silent for a moment, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

After a while, Liu Chaoming said: “Does Your Highness know that when Zhu Zhaowei successfully handled the Grand Canal case years ago, His Majesty rewarded him with an imperially bestowed python robe?”

Zhu Nanxian was taken aback: “If my lord hadn’t mentioned it, this palace would have nearly forgotten that matter. My imperial brother did mention it once.”

Liu Chaoming said: “Since Your Highness has decided to kill Zhu Zhaowei, if he wears that imperially bestowed python robe, within the entire palace grounds only Your Highness may personally strike him down.” He glanced at Su Jin, paused, then continued: “But this subject has some concern that Zhu Zhaowei is employing a strategy to lure the tiger from the mountain. I wonder, for Vice Minister Su’s escort of the Annan envoy’s departure tomorrow—how many men has the Crown Prince assigned to escort her?”

For ordinary envoys departing, four Imperial Guards and a company of fifty guards would escort them out of Yingtian City. Then one of the Imperial Guards would select twelve guards to continue escorting them all the way out of the Great Sui.

Zhu Nanxian said: “This palace has assigned two hundred Imperial Guards and two hundred ordinary guards. Additionally, her own escort will accompany them.” As he spoke, he also glanced at Su Jin. After thinking it over, he added: “But Lord Liu’s concern is not without merit. This palace can dispatch an additional two hundred Imperial Guards to accompany the escort.”

Zuo Qian said: “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Lord Liu—this subject doesn’t quite understand your concerns. This subject has carefully calculated the Seventh Prince’s military strength. He truly only has these twelve hundred-some men, and they’re all currently deployed near the Imperial Mausoleum. How could he possibly spare additional forces to deal with Vice Minister Su?”

At this question, neither Zhu Nanxian nor Liu Chaoming answered.

This sudden silence inexplicably startled Zuo Qian. He pondered for a while but still felt utterly confused. He cupped his hands and said with great solemnity: “Perhaps this subject’s mind is dull and fails to grasp Your Highness’s and my lord’s deeper meaning. But since Your Highness has already ordered an additional two hundred Imperial Guards assigned to Vice Minister Su, this subject will certainly arrange it as instructed when he returns.”

Shen Xi seemed to have been contemplating something all along. Only now did he finally speak again: “Tomorrow at the grand funeral procession, I won’t go.”

Zhu Nanxian was astonished: “You won’t go to see off your imperial brother and sister-in-law?”

Shen Xi shook his head: “I’m uneasy about the Ministry of Revenue account books. Whether we find Du Zhen or not, I must investigate carefully and uncover the truth as soon as possible.” He was silent for a long moment. “I don’t want to repeat past mistakes—to have the Zhaojue Temple incident happen all over again. When you pay your respects tomorrow, apologize to Elder Sister and Brother-in-law on my behalf. I’ll go see them another day.”

Before the Zhaojue Temple incident broke out, he had been only one step away from stopping Zhu Minda.

Zhu Nanxian said: “Very well. I’ll choose a day to accompany you to the Imperial Mausoleum to see them.”

Someone knocked at the door outside. Eunuch You brought in five bowls of ginseng tea, saying: “Your Highness and the lords are still discussing matters deep into the night. You’ve truly worked hard.”

Liu Chaoming glanced at the sky outside. Seeing the hour of the Rat had passed, he said to Su Jin: “You still need to depart at the hour of the Tiger. You might as well return to the Ministry of Justice first.”

Zhu Nanxian also said: “Yes, go back and rest for a moment.”

Su Jin thought that they would likely discuss strategies for deploying troops at the Imperial Mausoleum next, matters on which she could offer little advice. So she nodded: “Very well. Then this subject will take her leave first.”

When she reached the palace gate, someone suddenly called out from behind: “Su Shiyu!”

It was Shen Xi.

In the great hall brilliantly lit with candles, his peach blossom eyes were bright and blazing. When he smiled with narrowed eyes, they overflowed with radiance: “Return safely.”

Su Jin was momentarily stunned. Before she could respond, Liu Chaoming, standing beside Shen Xi, also quietly said: “Return safely.”

Zhu Nanxian nodded once: “Yes. You must return safely.”

Actually, Su Jin didn’t quite understand what they were worried about. Perhaps even they themselves didn’t understand—perhaps it was simply because she was traveling at such a critical juncture. Even with hundreds of guards escorting her, they would still feel concerned.

Just as she was concerned for them.

Su Jin suddenly thought of a line that was both deeply sentimental yet not sentimental at all.

“To speak plainly, longing brings no benefit.”

But it was not melancholy, nor wild abandon.

She stood at the palace entrance where moonlight and candlelight interwove at their most hazy, said nothing, and only smiled.

Not her usual faint smile, but a brilliant, dazzling one—one that could rival the sun itself in radiance.

Then she bowed her head in a salute—a gesture of thanks.

After Su Jin returned to the Ministry of Justice, she first wrote the warrant Shen Xi had asked her for. Thinking that she would be traveling for several days, she ordered someone to heat water. She thoroughly washed, changed her clothes, and lay down on the couch. It seemed she had only just closed her eyes when someone knocked at the door, saying: “Vice Minister Su, it’s the hour of the Tiger.”

Su Jin’s eyes flew open abruptly. She was dazed for a moment before looking at the sky.

She rarely slept so deeply. Without someone coming to wake her, she might well have overslept.

After dressing in her official robes and hat and stepping outside, she took the tea from a nearby clerk’s hands, rinsed her mouth, and asked: “Has the Ministry of Rites already prepared everything?”

The clerk said: “Everything is ready. At the hour of the Ox, the Crown Prince ordered the accompanying Imperial Guards to wait at Chengtian Gate. I heard the Annan envoy was eager to return home—he also arrived at Chengtian Gate at the hour of the Ox.”

Su Jin was startled, then smiled: “Looking at it this way, I’ve actually delayed the journey and kept them waiting.”

The clerk said: “My lord, you’re too kind. It was originally scheduled for the hour of the Tiger. They were early.”

Though this was so, Su Jin dared not delay any further. She tilted her head back, drank the ginseng soup the clerk handed her in one gulp, and hurried to Chengtian Gate.

The envoy from Annan was actually the nephew of the current Annan Hu Dynasty emperor. His surname was also Hu, given name Yuanjie, extremely young—about the same age as Su Jin.

When he arrived at Chengtian Gate at the hour of the Ox, he was shocked by the orderly formation of nearly six hundred guards. Later, when he inquired and learned that these six hundred guards were all assigned to escort him out of Yingtian City, he was even more startled.

He asked the two accompanying Ministry of Rites clerks for the reason, but both claimed to know nothing. It wasn’t until Su Jin arrived and invited him onto the carriage that he was still sighing with emotion: “Lord Su, this humble person has thought it over carefully. The last time we encountered bandits was actually just this humble person’s bad luck—it really had nothing to do with the Crown Prince. Yet this humble person has stayed in the palace all these extra days, and His Highness the Crown Prince never came to visit this humble person even once. Now that this humble person is about to leave, he’s arranged such a grand formation! This humble person has only heard that His Highness was born a general and commander, but never imagined he would place such importance on protocol. It truly makes this humble person feel overwhelmed with honor, overwhelmed with honor.”

Su Jin went along with Hu Yuanjie’s words: “The Great Sui is inherently a nation of ceremony and propriety. Though the Crown Prince wasn’t in the palace previously, when he heard that Envoy Hu encountered danger on your return journey—though it bore no relation to His Highness—he still felt it was his own failing. Yesterday before my departure, he summoned me to Fengtian Hall and specifically ordered additional Imperial Guards deployed, solely to safely escort the envoy out of Yingtian Prefecture. He also commanded officials and censors along the route to provide care, and instructed me to look after Envoy Hu well—to ensure that the envoy feels that wherever you are, as long as it’s within Great Sui territory, you are an honored guest of our Great Sui.”

Hu Yuanjie made a salute gesture toward the heavens, sighing in admiration: “The Crown Prince truly has the bearing of an emperor. This humble person is filled with admiration.”

Su Jin smiled slightly, lifted the side curtain, glanced at the long line of guards following behind, and asked Tan Zhaolin, who was riding alongside the carriage: “Did you inquire earlier? Based on our current schedule, when will we reach Yingtian City, and when can we return?”

Tan Zhaolin replied: “Asked already. That Fengxiang Guard commanding officer told me we’ll reach Yingtian City tomorrow night, send the envoy off on the tenth, and return to the palace—probably around the morning of the thirteenth of the seventh month.”

Su Jin thought for a moment: “Have Zhao Yan come over. I have something to tell him.”

Tan Zhaolin was puzzled: “What’s up?” Seeing Su Jin didn’t answer, he added: “Ah, alright, I’ll call him.”

Shortly after, Fengxiang Guard Commander Zhao Yan arrived beside Su Jin’s carriage and asked: “Lord Su, do you have orders?”

Su Jin said: “I wonder if Commander Zhao could have the accompanying guards travel faster? I’m thinking the sooner we return to the palace, the better—ideally we could make it back by the early morning of the twelfth of the seventh month.”

Zhao Yan asked doubtfully: “Does Lord Su have urgent business requiring your return to the palace?”

Su Jin nodded slightly, inadvertently revealing a light, faint smile: “Yes. Something very, very important.”

Zhao Yan said: “Very well. Then this subject will relay the order immediately.”