Emperor Mingkang thought it over and suddenly felt his path to immortality was full of hardships.

“Your Majesty, Minister of Justice Kou Xingze and Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Shou request an audience,” Wei Wuxie reported.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingkang’s expression darkened slightly: “I won’t see them!”

Kou Xingze had marriage ties with Marquis Guanjun—this palace visit was certainly to plead for Marquis Guanjun.

As for Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Shou—

Emperor Mingkang snorted coldly.

At times like this, he was most annoyed by these censors. He hadn’t forgotten how those censors had pressured him over twenty years ago.

Hmph, if he didn’t show some stubbornness, they wouldn’t know who ruled this realm!

“Tell them I’ve retired for the night.”

“Yes.”

Wei Wuxie went out with the order: “Please return, my lords. His Majesty has retired.”

Kou Xingze and Liu Shou looked at each other.

“Eunuch Wei, then I’ll wait here. When His Majesty awakens, please inform me.”

Wei Wuxie glanced around and sighed: “Minister Kou, don’t you know when His Majesty will awaken?”

Kou Xingze: “…” What a profound statement!

“My lords, please don’t make things difficult for this servant. Go back.”

“Alas!” Kou Xingze sighed heavily and left with a dark expression.

Left Censor-in-Chief Liu Shou shook his head and followed.

Wei Wuxie returned to report: “Your Majesty, both lords have left the palace.”

Emperor Mingkang lifted his eyelids: “Summon the new Jinlin Guard Commander to the palace.”

Soon, Jiang Yuanchao hurried over: “This subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”

Emperor Mingkang studied the young man below the dragon desk and suddenly sighed: “My milk brother once told me that among his thirteen adopted sons, your martial arts were the best—you learned his true teachings and your abilities are outstanding. How is it? Are you adapting well these days?”

Jiang Yuanchao looked flattered: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. This subject is dull and incompetent, able only to do my utmost with the duties my adoptive father left behind.”

“Good. I ask you—what has been Marquis Guanjun’s reaction since entering prison?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Marquis Guanjun has shown no abnormalities since imprisonment. He eats and drinks on schedule with stable emotions.”

Emperor Mingkang was displeased to hear this.

Stable emotions, eating, and drinking as usual—did this mean he was certain nothing would happen to him?

“What reaction do the Xijiang envoys have?” Emperor Mingkang asked again.

Jiang Yuanchao thought briefly: “Prince Gong of Xijiang’s side similarly shows no abnormalities, only continuously urging the Three Judicial Offices to quickly find the murderer of Princess Xijiang.”

Wei Wuxie in the corner looked at Jiang Yuanchao with surprise, quickly concealing his reaction while pondering.

This new Jinlin Guard Commander’s words were quite interesting. The emperor asked two questions, he gave two answers, and managed to trap Marquis Guanjun.

The emperor angrily threw Marquis Guanjun into prison, obviously hoping to see him panic and fear. If Marquis Guanjun appeared confident and fearless, the emperor would think he was threatening imperial authority—the original seven-tenths intention to kill would become nine-tenths.

The remaining tenth lay with the Xijiang envoys.

If the Xijiang envoys were overjoyed hearing of Marquis Guanjun’s imprisonment, the emperor would consider Marquis Guanjun’s deterrent effect on the Tartars and Xijiang people, and perhaps Marquis Guanjun would have a thread of hope.

But Jiang Yuanchao’s answer was subtle, only mentioning Princess Xijiang’s murderer, not Prince Gong of Xijiang’s reaction. So the emperor could only think that Marquis Guanjun killed Princess Xijiang, intending to provoke conflict between the two countries to avenge his father.

Wei Wuxie stroked his chin.

He’d never heard of enmity between Jiang Yuanchao and Marquis Guanjun before. Indeed, anyone who could occupy that position had deep schemes and shouldn’t be underestimated.

“Alright, I understand. You may withdraw.”

Jiang Yuanchao left the palace and walked on the wide bluestone streets, but his mood wasn’t light.

The sky seemed never to clear—layers of blue-gray clouds piled overhead. Perhaps due to the weather, even pedestrians on the streets had noticeably decreased.

Jiang Yuanchao didn’t ride but walked slowly back to the office. Evening had arrived.

Seeing Jiang Yuanchao return, Jiang He approached.

Jiang Yuanchao was in a bad mood. He glanced at Jiang He and said coldly, “If you have business, speak. If not, get lost.”

“Sir, Miss Li has come,” Jiang He said with a smile.

Seeing the lord was unhappy, he wouldn’t dare mention other matters, but the lord would want to hear about Miss Li.

Jiang Yuanchao was startled and looked up at the sky: “She came at this hour?”

Would she still have business with him? If so, it could only concern Marquis Guanjun.

“Miss Li came to bring food to Marquis Guanjun. This subordinate took the liberty of letting her in.”

Watching Jiang He’s face seeking praise, Jiang Yuanchao suppressed the urge to kick him and asked flatly: “How long has Miss Li been inside?”

“Uh, she just went in not long ago.”

Jiang Yuanchao walked toward the Jinlin Guard prison, but upon arriving, stood outside without entering.

“Sir, why aren’t you going in?”

“You talk too much.” Jiang Yuanchao stood with his hands behind his back, watching the rolling dark clouds overhead while mentally calculating time.

It was going to rain. He wondered how long she would stay inside before coming out.

Inside the prison, light was dim. Shao Mingyuan sat in the innermost area, leaning motionlessly against the cold wall.

“Marquis, Miss Li has come to see you,” a Jinlin Guard called out.

A graceful young woman stood before the iron bars.

“Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t visit? It’s too damp and cold here—” Shao Mingyuan walked quickly over, his words cutting off abruptly.

In the dim light, he could barely make out the girl’s facial outline, but couldn’t see her expression.

Yet even if the girl standing before him looked identical to the one he loved, without even speaking, he could immediately tell—she was not her.

He never judged people by appearance alone. Setting aside everything else, their auras and even breathing rhythms were different.

How could this woman who appeared from nowhere be his Zhaozhao?

Shao Mingyuan showed nothing on his face, but his heart still panicked.

In the days since he’d entered prison, what had happened outside? Why would a woman identical to Zhaozhao appear? And where was Zhaozhao? Had something happened to her?

“I came to bring you food.” The girl handed over a food box, her voice heavy as if she had a cold, sounding unclear.

Shao Mingyuan glanced at the food box and asked calmly: “Didn’t the Jinlin Guards forbid bringing these things in?”

The girl was startled and couldn’t help looking at the Jinlin Guard who’d brought her in.

The Jinlin Guard spoke: “It’s already been inspected—all food.”

Shao Mingyuan took the food box and said flatly, “Hurry back. This place isn’t suitable for you to stay long.”

The girl nodded, said “take care” in a low voice, and left with the Jinlin Guard.

Shao Mingyuan carried the food box to a corner, opened it to look at the fragrant dishes inside, then took out the silver needle Qiao Zhao had secretly given him when saying farewell at the Marquis’ residence and inserted it into a dish.

The silver needle quickly changed color.