The most powerful force in this world could swallow anyone whole without even leaving a single bubble on the surface.

She followed Queen Wang back to Penglai Palace and bowed in farewell. Queen Wang’s face remained expressionless as she gestured for her dismissal, revealing no emotion. It was as if she had merely taken Huang Zixi for a simple walk through the imperial gardens.

Huang Zixi walked alone toward the palace gate, holding her umbrella. In the dark, misty weather with its mix of rain and snow, she turned back to gaze at Hanyuan Hall in the distance. The Twin Phoenix Pavilions of the Imperial City rose from the clouds – the Resting Phoenix and Soaring Phoenix Towers spread their wings, protecting Hanyuan Hall. The Tang Dynasty’s greatest hall appeared majestic yet ethereal through the dense precipitation, more like a celestial dwelling than an earthly structure.

Her gaze drifted to Soaring Phoenix Tower. She imagined the arc of Li Run’s fall that night. Even with the wind that night, it would have been impossible for someone who jumped to vanish without a trace. The vast square below Soaring Phoenix Tower was paved with green bricks and covered in a thin layer of snow. How could someone who jumped simply disappear?

She closed her eyes, recalling what she had witnessed that night – the darkness, light snow, torch flames, scattered paper slips…

A cool sensation touched her cheek – a snowflake had landed on her face.

Huang Zixi opened her eyes in bewilderment. Unable to solve the mystery of Li Run’s disappearance, she turned her thoughts to another question – what could have driven the current Prince E to throw away his life by coming forward to accuse Prince Kui, who had been his closest friend?

The scene of the Emperor’s health crisis that she had just witnessed appeared before her eyes.

The Emperor was gravely ill, the Crown Prince was young, and Prince Kui wielded great power…

Her hand trembled slightly on the umbrella handle. Although she had long suspected the truth, when the veil was finally torn away to reveal the reality beneath, she still felt afraid.

The Great Ming Palace before her eyes transformed into a mirage through the rain and snow. The jade towers and pearl pavilions on the surface all dissolved into towering waves. This world’s most powerful force, no matter how mesmerizing its golden exterior, contained undercurrents strong enough to swallow anyone whole without leaving even a bubble.

“Zixi, why are you standing here so long in this cold weather?”

A gentle voice came from behind – she knew it was Wang Yun who had been waiting for her. She turned and nodded to him, then silently walked out through the tall gates of the Great Ming Palace under her umbrella.

Wang Yun handed her a fur hand warmer and took her umbrella, holding it for her: “Quickly warm your hands.”

Huang Zixi put her hands in the fur warmer, feeling the soft lambswool inside. A warmth spread through her chest and she looked over at him. The snow was falling heavily now, the raindrops had turned to sleet, drumming loudly on the umbrella. He looked down at her, completely unaware of the thin layer of snow that had settled on his right shoulder.

Walking on his left, Huang Zixi lowered her head silently. Together they walked through the snow and rain out of the Great Ming Palace and got into the carriage.

The sound of horse hooves rang out urgently as they traveled through Chang’an’s streets toward Yongchang District. Huang Zixi asked him in a low voice: “Do you know about soul-controlling sorcery?”

Wang Yun frowned slightly and asked: “You mean the dark magic that controls others’ will?”

Huang Zixi nodded.

Wang Yun immediately understood and asked: “You suspect Prince E was under someone’s control when he made those public statements and jumped from Soaring Phoenix Tower?”

Huang Zixi nodded again and asked: “You’ve been in the capital a long time – do you know of anyone who practices this art?”

Wang Yun frowned and said: “This evil art came from the Western Regions, which seem to be in constant turmoil now, cutting off its source. Few people in the Central Plains ever learned it. The only practitioner I know of is that old monk Mu Shan you identified in Chengdu before.”

Huang Zixi nodded. The current Emperor had grown up in the deep palace and after being made a prince had lived in seclusion at Prince Yu’s residence. He certainly could not have encountered such dark magic. If someone with these abilities existed in the Emperor’s circle, they would surely have been used elsewhere before – otherwise, why would he have specifically chosen Monk Mu Shan, who had no skills besides soul control, from among so many monks?

And even if they found someone skilled in soul-controlling sorcery, would the Emperor sacrifice his brother just to deal with Li Shubai? Among all the brothers, Prince E Li Run was the most gentle and uninvolved in politics – would he have been chosen as a sacrifice? Just because he was closest to Li Shubai?

Huang Zixi shook her head inwardly, feeling these scenarios didn’t make sense. Her gaze turned to Wang Yun, only to find him already looking at her. Their eyes met in the confined space, and an awkward tension slowly grew between them.

She lowered her head and deliberately sought a new topic: “Earlier after Prince E jumped from Soaring Phoenix Tower, Young Master Wang was the first to reach the bottom of the tower?”

Wang Yun nodded and said: “Why do you still address me so formally? Just call me Yunzhi – that’s what my family and friends call me.”

She remained silent, lowering her eyes and nodding slowly.

“Well… let me hear you say it?” he asked teasingly.

Huang Zixi hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded slightly and parted her lips to call him: “Yunzhi…”

Wang Yun saw her face downturned, her cheeks as pale as a bowing white plum blossom after her recent illness. His heart rippled like disturbed water. Those slight waves echoed through his body, leaving his mind blank. When he came to his senses, he had already taken hold of Huang Zixi’s hand.

Huang Zixi’s hand moved slightly in his grip, seeming to want to pull away. But he held on more tightly and called her softly: “Zixi.”

Huang Zixi looked up at him. Her small lotus-like face held eyes clear as morning dew. Though her cheeks were slightly flushed, those eyes remained pure and pristine, showing no trace of romantic feeling as they gazed at him.

Her heart was not here, not with him.

Wang Yun felt the ripples in his heart instantly still. He silently released her hand and sat there without a word.

Huang Zixi withdrew her hand into her sleeve, her fingers unconsciously gripping her dress.

“What did you want to ask?” Wang Yun slowly spoke up. “You want to know what I saw that night, want to investigate Prince E’s case with Chief Eunuch Wang, want to clear Prince Kui’s name, right?”

“Yes.” Huang Zixi admitted without hesitation, surprising him into momentary silence.

She looked up at him with a faint smile: “Didn’t Chief Eunuch Wang say before? A minor palace eunuch must avoid suspicion, but Huang Zixi – daughter of the former Chengdu governor and fiancée of the Langya Wang family’s eldest grandson – need not worry about that.”

The chill in Wang Yun’s heart finally dissipated at her words “fiancée.” His brow smoothed as he gazed at her and asked: “Yet you still insist on working for Prince Kui.”

She nodded and said: “Even a drop of kindness should be repaid like a flowing spring. Prince Kui has shown me great kindness – now that he faces difficulty, I must repay his grace even if I have to weave grass into rings or carry twigs in my mouth like the grateful birds.”

Wang Yun said no more, only nodded.

Just as the atmosphere in the carriage grew subtle, it slowly came to a stop.

“What’s happening?” Wang Yun asked the driver through the carriage wall.

“The road ahead is slippery with rain and snow. A carriage has overturned and residents are moving the horses and carriage. Please wait a moment, young master.”

Wang Yun made a sound of acknowledgment. Seeing they were near the Taiqing Temple and the crowd wouldn’t disperse quickly, he said to Huang Zixi: “I hear drums and bells inside. Shall we visit the Taiqing Temple and see if they’re holding a ceremony?”

Huang Zixi got out of the carriage and followed him into the Taiqing Temple. The Taoist priests were familiar with Wang Yun and came forward to welcome him in, saying with smiles: “Young Master Wang has arrived – please allow us to serve you tea.”

Wang Yun and Huang Zixi followed them into the warm hall and both froze slightly at what they saw.

Prince Kui Li Shubai was already there drinking tea. This made sense – his carriage had left the Great Ming Palace just ahead of them, so he must have also been welcomed into the Taiqing Temple when the road became blocked.

But now that they had run into each other, it would look awkward to turn and leave.

Wang Yun looked down at Huang Zixi with a slight smile, then suddenly took her hand and led her toward Li Shubai, saying: “What fortune to find Your Highness here today.”

Li Shubai didn’t answer. His gaze remained fixed on Huang Zixi’s face, barely noticing their joined hands. As he stared at her, though his expression hadn’t changed, the light in his eyes grew distant. Despite his usual composure, his wrist trembled slightly, causing his teacup to shake and spill two drops onto the back of his hand.

He lowered his eyes and gently set the teacup on the table, then looked up at the pair approaching hand-in-hand, his expression so calm it was almost rigid: “Yunzhi, it’s been many days – have you been well?”

“Thanks to Your Highness’s blessing,” he said, pulling Huang Zixi to sit close beside him, then asked, “You must know my fiancée Huang Zixi – no need for introductions, right?”

Li Shubai gave a cold laugh, his gaze still fixed on Huang Zixi as he slowly said: “Of course, I know her. I helped her solve the mystery of your cousin’s disappearance, investigated Princess Tongchang’s sudden death, and even took her south to Shu to clear her name and honor her family.”

Hearing his flat tone, Huang Zixi felt a wave of sorrow spread through her chest. She could only lower her head and stare blankly at the teacup in her hands.

Wang Yun smiled imperceptibly and said: “Yes, we’re deeply grateful for Your Highness’s kindness in helping my fiancée Zixi clear her family’s name. We’ll soon return to Shu for our wedding. We may not have a chance to bid Your Highness farewell then, so perhaps we can take advantage of this chance meeting to thank you now.”

He clearly emphasized the words “fiancée” before “Zixi” – how could Li Shubai not understand his intention? He gave another cold laugh and turned his gaze to Huang Zixi. Seeing her head lowered in silence, he felt blood rush to his head, catching his breath and causing his heart to skip slightly.

“No need for such courtesy,” Li Shubai leaned back in his chair and slowly said, “I am indeed indebted to Huang Zixi. At the very least, when someone attempted to assassinate me, I was gravely wounded and near death – she brought me back from death’s door. Without her, I would no longer be in this world.”

At these words about an “assassination attempt,” Wang Yun’s eyes immediately darkened. Though he maintained a perfunctory smile, an awkward atmosphere settled over the three of them.

“Moreover…” Li Shubai’s gaze fell on Huang Zixi as he continued slowly, “Your fiancée voluntarily entered my household as a lowly eunuch to clear her name. There are official documents and records still in the Prince Kui residence archives. I’d like to ask Commander Wang – how do you plan to explain marrying a eunuch from my household?”

Wang Yun hadn’t expected Li Shubai to raise such a question and asked in return: “Does Your Highness mean that Huang Zixi is still a eunuch in the Prince Kui household?”

“Her name remains on the registered rolls, not yet removed,” Li Shubai said flatly.

“But everyone knows she only disguised herself as a eunuch to enter Prince Kui’s residence because she carried a grievous wrong, seeking a chance to avenge her parents. Now that the truth has come to light, why does Your Highness insist on holding her to that pretense?”

“The nation has its laws, and households have their rules. I believe everyone who breaks the law has hardships, but if we don’t pursue consequences because of that, how can we maintain strict order in Prince Kui’s residence? How can the court uphold the law and ensure its commands are followed?”

Though their faces remained pleasant and friendly, their verbal sparring showed no sign of yielding. Though Huang Zixi knew this conflict arose because of her, she didn’t know what to do and could only sit silently beside them.

Wang Yun asked helplessly: “Does Your Highness mean to prevent my marriage to Zixi?”

“Prevent it? I merely wish to know how you, Yunzhi, plan to marry a registered eunuch from my household?”

Seeing Li Shubai pressing forward relentlessly, Wang Yun, despite his gentle nature, could no longer contain himself and countered: “Then how does Your Highness plan to force my fiancée to remain in your household as a eunuch?”

Li Shubai glanced at Huang Zixi and asked: “As I understand it, there was once a letter dissolving your engagement?”

Wang Yun also looked at Huang Zixi with a smile: “Between lovers, separations and reunions are common. Between us, there was an engagement letter, then a dissolution letter, which then disappeared – how many people even know about this? As long as our hearts are united, everything else can be resolved.”

Under their gazes, Huang Zixi didn’t know how to respond. After a long moment, she gritted her teeth, stood up, and said to Wang Yun: “Let’s go see if the road has cleared.”

Wang Yun smiled at her and bowed to Li Shubai: “Forgive us, Your Highness. Zixi seems unwilling to wait longer, so we’ll take our leave.”

Li Shubai heard him calling her “Zixi” so intimately and saw Huang Zixi standing behind Wang Yun with lowered eyes. Both were outstanding in bearing and appearance – a perfect match radiating harmony together.

The burning tide of blood surged up in his chest again, impossible to suppress. He slowly stood and said: “In this miserable weather of mixed rain and snow, why should both of you go check? Couldn’t Young Eunuch Yang stay a moment to answer some of my questions?”

Hearing this, Wang Yun hesitated briefly, then nodded to Huang Zixi: “I’ll go look – please sit a while longer.”

Only Li Shubai and Huang Zixi remained in the room. Outside, the rain and snow showed no sign of stopping. A cold wind blew in through the open door.

Jing Heng, standing in the outer room, considered closing the door but ultimately didn’t.

Li Shubai and Huang Zixi sat facing each other across a tea brazier in complete silence.

Finally, she heard his voice, low and hoarse: “Didn’t I tell you? The Wang family teeters on the brink of disaster – their nest could fall any day. Why won’t you heed my warning?”

Huang Zixi forced herself to maintain control, speaking in the coldest voice she could muster: “Didn’t Your Highness order me to leave? Now I’m leaving as ordered – why should Your Highness concern yourself with where I go?”

“There are countless broad roads in the world. I showed you the most direct path – why must you insist on crossing this narrow bridge?” Li Shubai’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, showing traces of anger.

“What’s poison to you might be honey to me. It depends on one’s perspective,” Huang Zixi said softly. “What’s wrong with the Wang family? They’ve weathered storms for hundreds of years as a great clan. Even if there’s danger, they’re like a centipede – still moving even after death. How could it be as severe as Your Highness claims?”

“Someone as perceptive as you – how can you not understand how violent the coming storm will be? Yet you deliberately throw yourself into the eye of this whirlwind. Why?” He narrowed his eyes, staring at her.

Under his intense gaze, Huang Zixi felt her thoughts scatter. She didn’t even dare to meet his eyes and could only hurriedly stand, saying: “I… should go check on Wang Yun…”

His voice came from behind her. Without turning, she knew he was walking toward her step by step: “You’re still stubbornly determined to help me, thinking you can use the Wang family to break through this deadlock, uncover the truth, and clear all charges against me, aren’t you?”

He stood behind her, so close. He bent down, his breath ghosting across the back of her neck, making her whole body involuntarily break out in goosebumps – a feeling of approaching danger mixed with unknown temptation, tension, and trepidation.

Her voice trembling, she still tried to deny softly: “No… it has nothing to do with you. I just think Wang Yun… he’s good.”

His breathing paused for a moment, then grew increasingly rapid: “He’s good, so after leaving me, you couldn’t wait to throw yourself into his embrace? So you’re already living in the residence he prepared, riding in carriages together, appearing before me hand in hand?”

A violent wave surged through Huang Zixi’s heart. She wanted to argue but found she couldn’t deny anything. Everything he said was fundamentally true – he was merciless and struck right at the core.

Because she was in the wrong, because she had no words, because of those things buried deep in her heart that she couldn’t speak – Huang Zixi’s body finally began to tremble. Her eyes reddened, and her rapid breathing caught in her throat.

“Yes, I… will be with him, since you don’t understand anyway!” She used her last strength to turn around and look up at him, not even knowing what she was saying, just gritting out the words: “I will marry Wang Yun and live a happy, fulfilled life. I am me, you are you – Huang Zixi has absolutely nothing to do with Li Shubai!”

He grabbed her shoulders and stared at her intently, the dark emotion in his eyes almost seeming to draw in her soul.

Before she could react, her body suddenly tilted forward as he yanked her forcefully into his embrace, holding her tight. Before she could even feel shocked or flustered, she smelled the agarwood incense on his body, making her mind go completely blank. Her whole being seemed to fall from a great height, stripped of all strength.

He pressed her against the pillar behind her and bent down to kiss her lips.

The words she had been about to speak – words that would hurt him and hurt herself even more – were all sealed in her mouth, unable to leak out even a whisper.

Her hands rose weakly to his chest, trying to push him away, but her body had lost all strength. She could only let him kiss her, his warm soft lips moving against hers – such a forceful action with such a gentle touch.

Her body grew hot almost to the point of dizziness, her eyes closing involuntarily. She heard his breathing, echoing rapidly by her ear. In her dazed state, she thought how strange it was – this person who was usually so cold and aloof was now just like her: merely from the intimate touch of lips, his body burned hot, his breathing ragged, his mind scattered.

It seemed to last just an instant, yet also an entire lifetime. He gently released her, his breathing still uneven, just staring at her intently. His lips moved slightly as if to speak, but he couldn’t form any words.

Huang Zixi raised her right hand, using the back of it to cover her lips as she lowered her head silently, avoiding his gaze.

He breathed deeply, forcibly suppressing the surging tide in his chest, suppressing the wild passion in his heart that threatened to overwhelm him. After a long while, he finally managed to steady his breathing and said in a slightly hoarse voice: “Go to Nanzhao and wait for me. I’ve prepared the documents for you.”

She leaned weakly against the pillar, shook her head, and said softly: “No.”

He frowned, staring at her questioningly.

Her hand touched her slightly swollen lips, making her cheeks burn hot and red. She covered her face and said quietly: “The Emperor is gravely ill, in critical condition.”

He frowned slightly and asked: “How do you know?”

Huang Zixi looked up at him, her blood still rushing violently through her body, her voice low and rough: “If the Wang family is willing, no secret in the palace can escape their eyes.”

“So?”

“So, I will use the Wang family’s power to continue investigating the mystery of Prince E’s disappearance. And Your Highness, when I’ve already determined to do something, please don’t become a force that hinders me.”

She looked up at him, the resolute light in her eyes making her shine like a bright pearl. Li Shubai, standing before her, found himself dazzled and unable to look directly at her.

He sighed, stepped back two or three paces, and leaned against the window frame, though his gaze remained fixed on her: “What if I refuse?”

“No matter what you say or do, I will stay true to my heart and not waver,” Huang Zixi’s voice was firm and unwavering. “And I know that Prince Kui Li Shubai I know will be that solid support behind me, helping me solve all difficulties.”

Li Shubai turned his gaze outside. The north wind cut sharply, and raindrops mixed with snowflakes fell from the high sky. The grey-black sky seemed particularly distant and unreachable. The snowflakes melted before reaching the ground, sending waves of icy air rushing through the window frame.

His eyelashes trembled slightly in the cold wind. He pressed his lips together tightly, silently watching the rain and snow outside, saying nothing.

“Zixi.” Someone gently knocked on the open door, their voice as gentle as the spring sunshine in March, as if it could melt the current ice and snow.

Huang Zixi turned to see Wang Yun. Unaware of what had transpired, he stood smiling at the door and said: “I just checked – the road is clear now. We can go back.”

Huang Zixi silently looked toward Li Shubai, seeing his gaze still fixed outside, watching the seemingly endless fall of rain and snow, motionless, without even a hint of turning to look at her.

She let out a long breath, silently bowed to his profile, and turned to leave with Wang Yun.

Leaving the warmth inside, the cold wind suddenly struck her face outside, making her involuntarily turn away and close her eyes.

Wang Yun looked back at her and saw her eyes suddenly rimmed with red, covered with a thin layer of mist. He was startled for a moment, then asked softly: “Zixi, what’s wrong?”

Huang Zixi looked at the heavy rain and snow against the dark background, slowly raised her hand to cover her eyes, and said softly: “Nothing… the wind and snow are so strong, they got in my eyes.”

Busy with his duties, Wang Yun left after escorting her to the entrance.

She walked alone along the corridor housing countless small fish, pacing back and forth, not knowing how long she walked.

To prevent the fish from freezing in the water, the wall’s inner layer was connected to the kitchen’s floor heating, drawing some warmth here to keep the wall-mounted fish tanks from freezing.

Li Shubai had once told her that fish were ignorant creatures – no matter how deeply etched their memories from before seven finger snaps, after those seven snaps, everything would be forgotten, leaving no trace.

Clean and decisive, cruel yet liberating.

Wang Zongshi had said: In my next life, I wish to be a fish, knowing and feeling nothing.

Huang Zixi wandered among them, various colors shimmering brilliantly in the corridor, divine light alternating between shadow and light. She walked to the end and back to the beginning, looking at the crystal bottle she kept at the corridor’s end. Inside, two Agashni fish occasionally bumped into each other, then separated, each time meeting again as if it were a completely new encounter.

She pressed her head against the wall’s decorative tiles, their carved flower patterns tangled and confused, impossible to sort out. She thought of Li Shubai, thought of the strength in his arms when he held her, thought of the agarwood scent on his body, thought of their lips pressed together at that moment, like a dream between fantasy and reality.

Her lips parted slightly, murmuring his name, but the sound vanished in the air before it could emerge. She leaned against the wall, listening to the sounds around her. In the silence, there was only her rapid heartbeat, the splashing of small fish, and the whisper of falling rain and snow.

Perhaps it was a sleepless night, or perhaps her recent illness hadn’t fully healed – she stayed awake until the next day with her eyes open, and that fearful sensitivity to cold seemed to have worsened.

Though the servants in the residence were deaf and mute, they took excellent care of her. Early in the morning, they brought her medicine to drink and prepared a light breakfast of rice porridge and small dishes. She took two sips of the Banxia Zisu porridge and looked up to see it bright outside – the rain had stopped long ago, and after snow fell all night, the garden was covered in white.

As she held her bowl staring blankly at the snow, a sudden commotion came from outside – though it could hardly be called commotion since the household staff made no sound – only someone shouting at the gate: “Chonggu, come out! I know you’re here! You told me last time to find you here!”

Hearing this voice, Huang Zixi didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused – it was quite impressive that Zhou Ziqin’s shouts could be heard so clearly from two courtyards away. She turned to gesture to the maid beside her to have the gatekeeper let Zhou Ziqin in.

Zhou Ziqin burst in with lightning speed, shouting: “Chonggu, what’s going on? Why are you surrounded by deaf and mute people?”

Huang Zixi remained composed, ladled a bowl of porridge, and placed it across the table, gesturing for him to sit. As soon as Zhou Ziqin smelled the aroma, he sat down and devoured two bowls of porridge plus four spring rolls and a plate of sesame oil chicken strips before patting his belly and saying: “I already ate this morning, so I’ll just have a little.”

Seeing he had completely forgotten why he came to find her, Huang Zixi calmly sipped her porridge and asked: “What’s up? Did you find Dicui?”

“No, not a trace. It’s strange – Chang’an isn’t that big, and you and I have seen her twice in such a short time. But when searching for her, with Wang Yun, Zhang Xingying, and me, plus the regular Imperial Guard patrols – surely someone should have noticed her? Yet we’ve found nothing. Isn’t that odd?”

“What’s odd about it? When the Emperor personally ordered the search for Dicui, she managed to hide. She must have her methods,” Huang Zixi said.

Zhou Ziqin nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something and quickly said: “Oh right, I came to see you today about something important!”

“Go ahead.”

Zhou Ziqin sat up straight, staring at her intently: “Tell me, why are you living here now? Weren’t you always with Prince Kui?”

“Oh… because I was engaged to Wang Yun,” she replied, her expression unwavering.

“Oh right, I forgot about that.” Zhou Ziqin slapped his forehead, immediately accepting her explanation.

Huang Zixi set down her bowl: “Anything else?”

“Of course,” his expression grew more severe as he stared at her earnestly. “Also, explain this to me – weren’t you always dedicated to solving the world’s mysteries? Why do I now see signs that you’re planning to retire into married life?”

The words “retire into married life” struck her ears suddenly, making her heart skip painfully, the dull ache spreading throughout her body.

She gripped her ivory chopsticks tightly, her nails digging into her palm, but maintained her composure, saying softly: “How could that be? Even if I have a husband and children in the future, I’ll still be Huang Zixi. Whenever I encounter a wrongful case or mystery, I’ll still do my best to seek the truth.”

“Really? If so, then with Prince E’s case causing such an uproar in the city – I’m nearly driven mad by the hidden truths within it – why are you hiding here eating and drinking well, showing no interest?”

Huang Zixi held her forehead and said quietly: “I’ve been ill recently.”

“Oh… oh, that’s true, I can see your complexion isn’t good,” Zhou Ziqin’s face showed a trace of guilt. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry – as your friend, I didn’t even notice. Don’t blame me!”

Huang Zixi nodded, forcing a smile for him.

“I was going to look for you at Prince Kui’s residence today, but he’s been refusing visitors these past few days, and won’t even see me. When I asked about you, Jing Heng came out and said you weren’t at the residence and that he didn’t know where you’d gone. On my way back, I remembered you saying last time that you lived in Yongchang District, so I rushed over!”

Huang Zixi asked: “What did you need to see me about?”

“About Prince E’s case, of course! Don’t you find it mysterious and strange, surely hiding some deeper truth? Just thinking about what the truth might be, I can’t eat or sleep. I feel this journey to Chang’an must have been heaven’s mysterious calling! It’s as if I hear the nine heavenly gods telling me, ‘Zhou Ziqin, heaven has bestowed a great task upon you – you must solve the mystery of Prince E’s suicide jump and the disappearance of his body,'” he pressed his clenched fists to his chest. “I am heaven’s chosen one to solve this case! Of course… together with you.”

Compared to his fervent devotion, Huang Zixi was much calmer: “Do you have any leads?”

“Of course – not. I wasn’t even in the Great Ming Palace the day Prince E jumped,” Zhou Ziqin said dejectedly, but quickly rallied. “But never mind, I’ve already visited Vice Minister Cui Chunzhan. Isn’t he temporarily managing the Court of Judicial Review’s affairs in Prince Kui’s place?”

“What did Vice Minister Cui say?”

“Well, as soon as Prince E’s case was mentioned, he looked utterly despondent. You know how it is – this case has no leads, it’s all so bizarre, where can he even begin investigating? He’s completely desperate. So when I said I wanted to help the Court investigate this case, he asked wasn’t I usually specialized in examining corpses. Now that Prince E has ascended to immortality in mid-air, how could I investigate? I laid out eight possibilities and ten investigative methods… Finally, he wrote me a note to ask Chief Eunuch Wang if we could investigate Prince E’s residence.”

Huang Zixi knew Zhou Ziqin’s ability to confuse and overwhelm was unmatched in the world. She guessed Cui Chunzhan had been so bewildered that he had no energy left to listen to these supposed possibilities and methods – he just wanted to write a note to get rid of this fellow as quickly as possible.

“Right, I’ve got the note, but Wang Zongshi is in charge of this case. Our only problem now is finding Chief Wang… I hear he’s often not at the Divine Strategy Army headquarters. Where can we find him?”

“I’ll go find him,” Huang Zixi said quietly.

Zhou Ziqin looked at her in surprise: “Can you manage it? I hear Chief Wang is quite fierce – he won’t even give a face to Prince Kui’s household or the Langya Wang family at court. What status do you have to approach him?”

Huang Zixi naturally knew that no one at court knew of the relationship between the Langya Wang family and Wang Zongshi, so she didn’t reveal it, only saying: “Wait for me at Prince E’s residence. Remember to borrow two official uniforms that would fit us – either from the Court of Judicial Review or the Ministry of Justice will do. I’ll be there shortly.”

An hour later, they met at Prince E’s residence entrance – Zhou Ziqin with Cui Chunzhan’s note, Huang Zixi with Wang Zongshi’s card.

The atmosphere in Prince E’s residence was now one of anxiety – from the guards to the maids, everyone trembled at their arrival. Though they all smiled in welcome, the sense of abandoning a fallen tree hung over the entire residence.

Huang Zixi first went to pay respects at Consort Chen’s memorial tablet. Incense and offerings were still maintained as usual before the spirit tablet, everything in the hall remained arranged as before – all exactly as it had been during her last visit.

Huang Zixi knelt before the spirit tablet, holding incense sticks and praying softly. Opening her eyes, she approached the large incense burner standing on high feet, nearly eighteen inches in diameter, and inserted her incense sticks into the ash.

The incense made a slight “snap” as it broke in the ash. Huang Zixi felt something hard beneath what should have been soft ash catching her incense stick.

Without changing her expression, she used the remaining half of the incense stick to push aside some ash and saw a faint glimmer of light through the grey-black ash.

She smoothed the ash back to cover what lay beneath, casually found a soft spot to insert her incense, then asked the nearby maids: “Did Prince E come here daily to offer incense to his mother?”

The maids all nodded, saying: “Yes, His Highness was extremely filial to his mother. Every morning, his first task was to come here and pay respects, without exception.”

“Was it the same on the day of his… incident?”

“Yes, His Highness came to pay respects early that morning. Because it was the Winter Solstice, he came before dawn and shut himself in the hall. We were all waiting outside… I remember His Highness emerged after about a quarter-hour.”

“Yes, we were saying then how filial His Highness was – on Winter Solstice when ancestors are traditionally honored, His Highness was especially devout.”

Huang Zixi nodded and asked: “What visitors did Prince E receive recently?”

“Our prince always preferred solitude and had few visitors. After Prince Kui visited last month, he refused all visitors and had no contact with anyone except household staff.”

Huang Zixi started slightly and asked: “He never went out either?”

“No,” everyone shook their heads firmly and said, “We servants often urged His Highness to go out for walks to lift his spirits, but he grew more depressed day by day. At first, he would still walk in the garden, but later he hardly left his chambers except to come here.”

“Yes, though His Highness didn’t go out much before, he would occasionally visit nearby temples to discuss Chan Buddhism and drink tea with the masters, but never like during that period… It seems His Highness may have already made up his mind then…”

As the maids spoke, they began to cry, and their emotions spread until even the nearby eunuchs began to sob.

Zhou Ziqin was helpless when it came to women crying and looked anxiously at Huang Zixi. She gave him a meaningful look and said: “We’ve been ordered to investigate this matter and will surely give Prince E’s household an answer. Please leave us now so we can carefully search for any evidence related to this case.”

The group withdrew as instructed. Zhou Ziqin went to close the door while Huang Zixi had already moved to the incense burner, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief as she used the nearby phoenix-beak tongs to sift through the ash.

Beneath the soft ash, she first uncovered the gleaming object – a dagger. She lifted it and tapped it against the burner’s rim. As the loose ash fell away, the bright blade was revealed, its cold gleam piercing to the eye.

Upon seeing it, Zhou Ziqin exclaimed in shock: “That’s Gong Sun Yuan’s dagger!”

The blade was four inches long and one inch wide, with an edge as thin as paper. However, the dagger appeared to have been violently smashed – the blade was twisted and the edge curled, though its cold gleam remained too bright to look at directly.

Huang Zixi slowly placed it on the offering table and said: “Yes, identical to Madame Gong Sun’s dagger from Shu.”

“They say it was forged from cold iron – Emperor Taizong had twenty-four made in total, but apart from the finest one, almost all have been lost. And that sole remaining blade seems to have been bestowed upon Empress Wu Zetian…

“This dagger has been smashed beyond recognition, so we can’t tell if it’s the one Madame Gong Sun used to kill Qi Teng.” As Huang Zixi spoke, she used the tongs to sift through the ash again, hooking out a tattered object.

It was a bright red silk thread, burned down to the length of a little finger. The color was so vivid that even covered in ash, once the loose ash was brushed away, it still glowed brilliantly red.

Seeing Huang Zixi still sifting through the ash, Zhou Ziqin grew impatient and said: “How long will it take to go through all this ash? Let me do it.”

He grabbed one foot of the burner and directly dumped all its contents onto the ground, causing a great cloud of ash to spread through the air.

Huang Zixi was speechless and said: “That’s disrespectful to Consort Chen.”

“Ah? Is it? Well, Consort Chen has been dead for several years – she won’t mind.” As he spoke, Zhou Ziqin took a nearby incense stick and began poking through the ash.

Huang Zixi could only helplessly join him in the search.

Before long, all the foreign objects had been cleared from the ash: a dagger smashed beyond recognition; several red silk threads remaining after being burned; and several pieces of smooth jade that, when fitted together, formed a bracelet.

“Doesn’t this seem familiar?” Huang Zixi picked up one piece of the jade and handed it to Zhou Ziqin.

Zhou Ziqin saw how the bracelet from the ash was smooth and lustrous, and couldn’t help exclaiming: “What beautiful jade! I’ve never seen anything so lovely… Oh, wait, didn’t I once help you steal two bracelets from the Chengdu evidence room? One was that double fish one that you broke, and the other was Fu Xinruan’s – that jade was truly the finest in the world…”

As he spoke, he looked at the piece of jade in his hand, then at the other pieces Huang Zixi had fitted together into the shape of a bracelet. He was dumbfounded: “Could it… be that bracelet?”

“Yes.” Huang Zixi clearly remembered when she and Li Shubai returned this bracelet to Prince E, how he had treasured it so much that he placed it before his mother’s spirit tablet. Yet in just these few days, the bracelet had been reduced to pieces.

“Whatever the case, let’s preserve anything that might be relevant to the case.” Zhou Ziqin was most skilled at such things – he immediately tucked away all their findings in his sleeves and robes, somehow managing to make it barely noticeable.