The morning sun rose, illuminating the Court of Judicial Review. The sun, having just climbed to the treetops, already showed its might – today was destined to be a scorching day.

Today was the joint tribunal of the Three Judicial Offices – the Censorate, Ministry of Justice, and Court of Judicial Review. Their three leaders sat in a row at the head. By custom, during joint tribunals, the Court of Judicial Review presented evidence and determined case facts, the Ministry of Justice passed judgment, and the Censorate supervised the proceedings.

The Court of Judicial Review had always been presided over by the Vice Minister, Cui Chunzhan. Seeing Huang Zixia enter with Li Shubai, he gave her a deeply resentful look that all but screamed: “Please, I beg you, don’t say anything today – just let the case conclude!”

Wang Lin, Minister of Justice, naturally remembered Huang Zixia as the chief culprit who sent Empress Wang to the Taiji Palace, so he didn’t even glance at her, merely nodding slightly to Li Shubai.

The Censorate sent Chief Censor Jiang Kui, an old man who found it beneath his dignity to supervise a mere murder case, only reluctantly sitting before the bench because one of the victims was a princess. He sat with his hands in his sleeves, eyes closed in meditation.

All persons involved in the case arrived one by one.

The Prince Consort and King E sat by the hall’s edge. The Prince Consort stared blankly at the patterns on the brocade box King E had brought, his mind wandering, his face haggard.

The four maids – Chuizhu, Luopei, Zhuiyu, and Qingbi – stood behind them, their faces filled with anxiety, uncertain of their fate.

Zhang Xingying and Dicui stood together below the hall. Dicui appeared thin and pale. Zhang Xingying secretly held her hand in comfort.

Lü Zhiyuan crouched in a shady spot not far from them, head down, staring at the moss on the ground.

Qian Guansuo, brought up from the prison, sat slumped against a pillar, his entire being sallow and dark, his body constantly trembling, his face ashen.

Among all present, only Zhou Ziqin appeared normal, still wearing bright clothes, animatedly waving to Huang Zixia and Li Shubai: “Your Highness won’t mind, right? I’ve been following this case for so long, so even though I wasn’t summoned, I came to observe!”

“As you wish, just don’t speak unless called upon,” Li Shubai immediately cut off any potential disruption, leaving Zhou Ziqin to nod with a bitter expression.

The Court of Judicial Review brought a chair for Li Shubai, who sat beside King E. Huang Zixia and Zhou Ziqin stood behind him, one with a grave expression, the other looking around curiously.

Li Run turned to look at Huang Zixia, his face showing his usual gentle smile: “Eunuch Yang, now that the truth of this case has been revealed, surely you can finally relax and rest a bit. Why do you still appear so troubled and lost in thought?”

Huang Zixia lowered her head awkwardly and said: “Yes, thank you for your concern, King E.”

Li Run then quietly asked Li Shubai: “Fourth Brother, why did you have me bring that painting? What use is it?”

“Mm.” Li Shubai nodded and said, “All the methods in this case likely came from Father Emperor’s final brush strokes.”

“But… Father Emperor passed away ten years ago. How is it suddenly connected to such a case now?” Li Run asked puzzled.

Before Li Shubai could answer, court eunuchs filed in formation – the Emperor had arrived.

Accompanying him was Noble Consort Guo. The court staff hurriedly brought a chair from the back, letting her sit behind the Emperor.

Once everyone was seated, Cui Chunzhan struck his gavel, and silence fell below.

Qian Guansuo was brought forward, along with his confession from the past few days at the Court of Judicial Review, now written clean and awaiting his signature and seal.

“Qian Guansuo, you murdered Princess Tongchang, Wei Ximin, and Sun Laizi – the evidence is conclusive. Quickly confess your crimes and submit to the law!”

After these days of torment, Qian Guansuo, once fair and prosperous, had lost weight, and though still fat, had lost all his vitality, leaving only the air of death about him.

His hair disheveled and wearing prison clothes, he lay sprawled on the ground like a deflated bladder. Hearing the question, he seemed to want to support himself up with both hands to answer, but those hands were covered in blisters and waterlogged white from soaking, without a single fingernail remaining on all ten fingers. Unable to bear the pain, he remained sprawled on the ground, moaning softly: “I confess… I confess…”

“Tell the truth!”

“This criminal… coveted the rare treasures in the Princess’s mansion, so I bribed the eunuch Wei Ximin in her service, and together we stole the Golden Toad. Everything was done in secret from my family… my family knew nothing…”

Cui Chunzhan ignored this and asked directly: “Why did Wei Ximin die?”

“Because… we quarreled over dividing the spoils, he turned against me. This criminal feared the matter would be exposed, so… during the Buddhist assembly at Jianfu Temple, I took advantage of the candle fire and pushed him into the flames to burn to death…”

“Then why did Sun Laizi die?”

“Because…” Qian Guansuo moved his lips mechanically, his face taking on a strange ashen color, his eyes sunken like holes without any light, “when this criminal killed Wei Ximin, he happened to see it. Later he tried to blackmail me, so when my men were cleaning the sewers, I sent them away, crawled in, and killed him too…”

Cui Chunzhan glanced discreetly at the Emperor, seeing him sitting focused and composed, and relaxed slightly before asking: “Then why did you kill Princess Tongchang?”

“This criminal… this criminal…” his lips moved, his eyes looking toward the Emperor and others seated behind, but ultimately he dared not speak.

Cui Chunzhan struck his gavel: “If you don’t want to suffer more physical punishment, quickly tell the truth!”

“Yes… this criminal’s wicked heart didn’t change. Hearing the Princess had dreamed her most treasured Nine-Phoenix Hairpin was missing, this criminal again snuck into the Princess’s mansion and stole the Nine-Phoenix Hairpin… Who knew that day on the street, when this criminal took it out to look at it on impulse, the Princess happened to see it. She chased me to a secluded spot, and this criminal accidentally… accidentally…”

The Emperor’s face turned iron-blue. He stared at Qian Guansuo with hatred and despair. At that moment, he wished he were just an ordinary commoner so he could allow himself to rush forward and severely beat this evil person who had killed his daughter – at least then he could vent some of his hatred.

Noble Consort Guo gnashed her teeth and stood up with a whoosh, shouting angrily: “Your Majesty, we must execute him here and now to avenge Linghui!”

The Emperor raised his hand to stop her, saying through clenched teeth: “With the Three Judicial Offices present, what need is there for us!”

Huang Zixia stood behind Li Shubai, intently listening to Qian Guansuo’s confession.

Qian Guansuo’s body was covered in wounds, his voice half sobbing, half groaning: “Everything… involves only this criminal alone, my wife and children and relatives knew nothing… this criminal confess…”

“If that’s so, sign and seal it.” Cui Chunzhan looked over the confession recorded by the Court Secretary and had someone take it to Qian Guansuo for his mark.

Qian Guansuo slumped on the ground, struggling to look it over, then gripped the brush with his horrifically damaged hands and closed his eyes, about to sign his name.

At that moment, suddenly there was a dull “thud” that broke the court’s silence.

It was Dicui, standing by the hall. She might have been frightened, and being naturally frail, suddenly collapsed unconscious.

Qian Guansuo’s hand trembled, and the brush’s ink immediately drew a long mark across the confession.

Huang Zixia, standing beside Dicui, quickly reached out to support her. Zhang Xingying anxiously looked at Dicui, seeing her eyes unfocused and her body ice-cold, and hurriedly addressed the court: “Lord Cui, after Adi… Dicui returned from the Court of Judicial Review, she’s been weak. I’m afraid in this condition, she cannot continue to attend the hearing…”

Cui Chunzhan, seeing her ashen face, also felt the situation seemed quite serious and turned to look at the Emperor.

The Emperor only stared at Qian Guansuo and asked: “Who is she?”

“She was a former suspect, but facts have proven she has no connection to this case – when the Princess passed away, she was already detained at the Court of Judicial Review.”

The Emperor waved his hand and said: “Such an irrelevant person, quickly take her out.”

Zhang Xingying hurriedly picked up Dicui, wanting to take her out, but Cui Chunzhan said: “Zhang Xingying, you are also involved in this case, you shouldn’t leave the court without permission.”

Li Shubai then motioned for Jingyu to support Dicui and take her out.

Dicui was confused – she remembered being fine just moments ago, but when Huang Zixia touched her shoulder, she smelled a fragrance and then collapsed. And after fainting like this, she immediately recovered.

She looked at Zhang Xingying, about to tell him she was fine when she heard Huang Zixia whisper in her ear: “Run!”

She widened her eyes in shock, wanting to look at Huang Zixia’s expression and ask what she meant by saying this, but Huang Zixia had already moved past her to stand before the court.

Dicui, supported by Jingyu, walked to the door. The court guard pointed at Dicui and asked: “Eunuch, what’s happening?”

“She seems to have fallen ill. By the Emperor’s verbal order, take her out immediately.” Saying this, Jingyu released her and gestured, “Why aren’t you going quickly?”

Dicui stood in the already scorching summer sunlight, and looked at the court’s main gate, feeling slightly dizzy.

Huang Zixia’s words in her ear echoed again –

“Run!”

She hesitated in a daze, then immediately turned and walked quickly forward, merging into the flowing crowds of the capital’s Vermilion Bird Street.