Emperor Jingming glanced at Pan Hai.

Pan Hai retreated, closing the door and standing guard outside.

Yu Jin became more attentive inwardly, though his expression remained largely unchanged.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingming spoke: “You remember the incident of Imperial Consort Chen poisoning the Fifteenth Princess, don’t you?”

Yu Jin nodded.

Who could forget such a thing? The Emperor’s opening wasn’t particularly pleasant.

“I suspect there was someone behind Imperial Consort Chen.”

Yu Jin paused before responding, “Father Emperor is wise.”

Emperor Jingming glanced at Yu Jin: “Enough, I didn’t call you here to listen to your flattery. I have a task for you.”

Mainly because the flattery was too insipid, just four dry words that made it impossible to continue the conversation.

“Please speak, Father Emperor.”

Emperor Jingming’s fingers tapped on the white jade paperweight on the desk, his voice lowering: “I want you to try to find this person.”

Yu Jin was momentarily stunned, then inwardly delighted while maintaining his composure.

He and A-Si had been following the trail of the Wumiao grandmother and grandchild, worrying about how to investigate deeper into the palace. He hadn’t expected someone to provide exactly what he needed while he was pondering the problem.

Seeing Yu Jin’s lack of response, Emperor Jingming asked, “Do you find it difficult?”

Yu Jin pulled back his thoughts, allowing a timely look of hesitation to show on his face.

Of course, it wasn’t difficult, but it was right to let Father Emperor think it was.

Seeing this, Emperor Jingming sighed: “I know this matter isn’t easy to handle, and it can only be investigated secretly, without fanfare. So don’t feel pressured. If you can uncover any clues, that’s for the best. If not, I won’t blame you.”

Indeed, it was a difficult task for the Seventh Prince. It concerned his face, and the matter of Consort Yang couldn’t be revealed to the Seventh Prince. They could only start the investigation from Imperial Consort Chen’s side, which greatly increased the difficulty.

It was worth a try. If nothing came of it, it could be considered training for the Seventh Prince.

As for why he needed to train his son’s detective skills, Emperor Jingming chose not to think too deeply about it.

With Emperor Jingming’s words, Yu Jin immediately responded: “Then your son will give it a try. However, my abilities are limited, and I fear I may disappoint Father Emperor.”

“Don’t think too much about it. Just investigate freely, but don’t cause unrest in the palace. If you need to investigate anything, have Pan Hai assist you.”

Emperor Jingming thought to himself, there was nothing to be disappointed about. If that person could be found, it would be an unexpected delight.

Hmm, they say that if you make a promise, what you anticipate is more likely to come true.

So Emperor Jingming silently vowed in his heart: If the Seventh Prince could uncover that person, he would personally name and bestow titles upon the Seventh Prince’s child after its birth.

“If there’s nothing else, you may go.”

“Your son takes his leave.”

Walking out of the Imperial Study, Yu Jin nodded slightly to Pan Hai.

Pan Hai understood and immediately followed.

Seeing no one around, Yu Jin said in a low voice: “Eunuch Pan, you know about the task Father Emperor assigned to me, right?”

Pan Hai nodded.

“I want the register of people who entered the palace ten to sixteen years ago and are still working here.”

The small shop on West Market Street had opened fifteen years ago. According to the clues obtained from the Wumiao old woman, that person should have entered the palace fifteen years ago, but Yu Jin couldn’t possibly limit the range to just fifteen years ago.

Singling out a specific year wouldn’t make sense.

“The register exists. Please follow me, Your Highness,” Pan Hai led Yu Jin in a different direction.

Starting the investigation from people who entered the palace over a decade ago was something he had already thought of, but so far, no one unusual had caught his attention.

Yu Jin followed Pan Hai into a room filled with bookshelves and desks piled with scrolls.

Pan Hai bypassed these directly, opening a hidden compartment and taking out a register.

Although they needed to investigate people who entered the palace over a decade ago, those who remained until now were few. Pan Hai had painstakingly sorted through everything, compiling this register.

Glancing at the still-fresh ink on the cover, Yu Jin asked, “Did Eunuch Pan compile this?”

Pan Hai nodded: “Yes, the names of all those who entered palace service ten to eighteen years ago and are still here are in this register.”

After a pause, Pan Hai explained, “Eighteen years ago was when Imperial Consort Chen entered the palace, and ten years ago was… when Princess Fuqing lost her sight…”

“Eunuch Pan has been very thoughtful,” Yu Jin remarked, holding the moderately thick register.

Although it was just one register, compiling it must have taken considerable effort.

“It was my duty,” Pan Hai said politely, staring at the register with some disappointment.

After all that work, it still ended up being useless.

Long fingers opened the first page of the register.

Pan Hai’s compilation was very detailed, recording when each person entered the palace, where they first served, when and where they were transferred, and their current position, all clearly documented in the register.

Even their close acquaintances, friendships, or grudges were recorded, either briefly or in detail.

Some places were circled in red ink.

Pan Hai explained, “Those circled in red were people who seemed suspicious at the time, but deeper investigation yielded nothing of value.”

Yu Jin was increasingly impressed by Pan Hai’s meticulous work and the fact that they still couldn’t find that person showed how deeply hidden they were.

After slowly reading through it once, Yu Jin closed the register and handed it back to Pan Hai.

Pan Hai was startled: “Has Your Highness finished reading?”

“Yes. May I take this register back to look at it again?”

After some hesitation, Pan Hai still refused: “That wouldn’t be proper…”

Although the Emperor had ordered Prince Yan to participate, taking such a register containing palace secrets outside the palace could cause many problems if it fell into the wrong hands.

“Your Highness can read it here.”

Yu Jin smiled: “My prolonged stay in the palace would also be improper.”

It was precisely when the Third and Fourth Princes were fighting fiercely. If he stayed in the palace for most of the day, who knows what those mad dogs would think.

For Yu Jin, the most important thing now was for Jiang Si to give birth safely. He didn’t want to get involved in any trouble.

“It’s fine. I’ve more or less memorized it. I’ll go back, organize my thoughts, and look for clues.”

Pan Hai was stunned, his tone strange: “You’ve memorized it all?”

Yu Jin corrected: “Just more or less.”

Pan Hai’s mouth twitched.

Hehe, Prince Yan must be joking with him, right?

Such a register, if it were stories, it might be possible to retell after one reading, but to remember all these names after just flipping through once?

He wanted to question it, but reason stopped him from asking.

After Yu Jin left the palace, Pan Hai returned to the Imperial Study to report.

“Has Prince Yan left?”

“Yes, he has.” Pan Hai couldn’t help but tell Emperor Jingming what had just happened.

Emperor Jingming put aside his scroll, looking surprised: “You’re saying that the Seventh Prince has a photographic memory?”

Pan Hai hurriedly said, “That’s what Prince Yan claimed.”

He wouldn’t take the blame for this. What if Prince Yan was boasting?

Emperor Jingming’s gloomy mood of many days lightened, and he smiled for the first time in a while: “This Seventh Prince, he knows how to cheer people up.”

Photographic memory and such, based on his years of reading novels, were traits only possessed by prodigies with extraordinary talents.

Wait a minute, he was the Emperor. Why couldn’t one of his many sons be a prodigy?