Chapter 88

Chapter 88

• Your father desecrated the grave of Xie Heng's mother.

Zheng Biyue was dead?

She was actually dead?!

When Cui Heng left, Luo Wanqing lay down on the bed and remained lost in thought over Zheng Biyue's death.

She hadn't expected Zheng Biyue to die so easily.

Although she had harmed many people, she hadn't been put on trial yet.

Her death wasn't because she had been convicted, but for some other reason.

Why did she die?

Luo Wanqing recalled Cui Heng asking on the mountain, "Five years ago, when Lady Xie committed suicide after an assassination attempt in the palace, you were there, weren't you?" She vaguely sensed that Zheng Biyue's death might have been due to this question.

Lady Xie's death must have been related to some hidden truth. This secret was extremely important, and someone was worried that if Zheng Biyue fell into the hands of the Supervision Division, more information would be extracted from her through interrogation. Alternatively, that person knew that the news had leaked and Cui Heng had already questioned her. They didn't want Zheng Biyue to ever stand up and confirm Cui Heng's questioning on Purple Clouds Mountain, so they ended her life early.

A high-born lady died so easily. It was evident that the person behind it held significant power.

Who could it be? Zheng Pingsheng, or Wang Shenfeng, or even the Empress?

Or perhaps…

Luo Wanqing considered all possibilities but found no clues. Feeling a headache coming on, she gave up.

Only then did she realize that she hadn't thought about what she had done.

Whether it was their first encounter on a ship in Jiangnan, the cold and painful meeting in prison, or the anger and murderous intent during their encounters in East Capital, or the indignation at seeing her kill Zheng Jinxin—all seemed to dissipate with her death.

Her heart felt settled, calm and peaceful. Dust returned to dust, and earth to earth. That was why she could calmly analyze the impact of her death on the overall situation.

At this moment, she finally understood the meaning of revenge. It wasn't about pleasure or catharsis, but peace.

To be able to unconsciously distance oneself from the past and move forward calmly.

Realizing that her hatred for Zheng Biyue seemed to have vanished, she subconsciously thought of Li Guiyu.

Images of their last meeting in prison flashed through her mind—her lying on the ground, covered in his blood, holding his sword, and looking up at him.

She felt as if she had returned to that moment, being pressed to the ground.

Her hatred and anger hadn't changed at all, and even the sensation of blood on her hands remained.

She opened her eyes instantly, not daring to think further. She realized clearly that she had to kill him.

Blood for blood, tooth for tooth.

Perhaps only then could she reach the day of letting go.

Or perhaps she would never reach it.

Luo Wanqing's throat moved slightly as she turned over and buried her head between her elbows, forcing herself not to think anymore.

Perhaps due to the lingering effects of alcohol, she began to feel drowsy. In her hazy state, she suddenly remembered something she dared not think about.

In their earlier conversation, when she mentioned having feelings for others besides him, he hadn't been pleased.

But when she said Xie Heng's name, he smiled.

Luo Wanqing curled her fingers lightly and drifted off to sleep in a daze.

On the other side of the wall, Xie Heng sat on the steps of the long corridor, gazing at the distant mountains shrouded in night.

The moon hung above the green mountains, illuminating the undulating contours. The clouds moved, the wind was gentle, and the branches swayed softly. He quietly observed everything in the world, just like when he was young at the Daoist Sect.

He hadn't experienced such a mood for a long time—the vast sky and distant mountains, a picturesque landscape.

All because of one person.

He had originally wanted to leave but couldn't bear to do so.

He also wanted to enter the room and share a small couch with her but feared appearing too presumptuous and didn't dare.

Feeling joyous, he was afraid of disturbing this mood. After much deliberation, he could only sit by the door and wait quietly for the restless excitement of the night to subside.

He hadn't expected this day to come. Xie Heng raised his hand to his forehead, unable to resist a chuckle but quickly stifled it, not wanting to disturb the sleeping person inside.

He sat quietly by the door all night.

He watched as the morning stars lit up, the sun rose in the east, and mist enveloped the mountain peaks. Birds took flight.

When Qingya stood nearby, smiling and waiting for him, Xie Heng knew he couldn't stay any longer.

With some regret, he got up and walked away. After a few steps, he saw gardenias blooming beautifully by the roadside. He bent down to pick half a branch and placed it in a vase by the window.

Qingya kept his hands in his sleeves as he watched Xie Heng approach.

Only when Xie Heng led him away did he speak. "Young Master spent the whole night outside the door last night?"

"Yes."

Xie Heng nodded, not hiding anything. He changed the topic. "Have the arrangements been made for the people from the Northern Fourth Army?"

"Wei Jue has assured Young Master that everything is taken care of."

"Hmm." As he spoke, Xie Heng's expression gradually returned to its usual state. He continued, "Have those people Zheng Biyue implicated been found?"

"The rest are dead. There was only one female official, who escaped the palace six years ago. According to the direction she fled in back then, it seems to be toward Jiangnan."

At the mention of "Jiangnan," Xie Heng's expression turned colder. After some thought, he said calmly, "Liu Xiniang will go to Jiangnan in a few days. I'll accompany her."

"Young Master accompanying her?" Qingya seemed somewhat troubled. "How do we explain this to His Majesty?"

The head of the Supervision Division had been away from the East Capital for so long—how could Li Zong not know?

Xie Heng wasn't worried and said directly, "I handed over the information Zheng Biyue revealed to His Majesty yesterday. I told him that Cui Qingping sent something from the border to Jiangnan back then. The Wang and Zheng families, along with Li Guiyu, have long known about the item and have been plotting to obtain it without success. Now, His Majesty has ordered me to bring it back at all costs. There shouldn't be any issues with His Majesty; just make sure no one else finds out."

Qingya frowned and couldn't help but ask, "What is that thing exactly?"

"We'll find out when we do."

As Xie Heng spoke, he suddenly remembered something. "Have Xuanshan meet with Liu Xiniang alongside me in the coming days."

This surprised Qingya. "Together?"

"Liu Xiniang may have encountered Zhang Chunzi," Xie Heng said, lowering his gaze. "She's starting to suspect something."

******

Luo Wanqing slept for a long time. When she woke up, she stretched and got out of bed. Looking up, she saw a gardenia flower in a vase.

She was extremely sensitive to changes around her—an important aspect of Si Shi training, after all, it was a matter of life and death.

She confirmed that the gardenia flower hadn't been there before she went to sleep. She walked over to the vase and looked out the window, noticing a broken branch on a nearby gardenia tree. This told her where the flower came from.

The only person in the Supervision Division who would do such a thing was Cui Heng. Thinking about how early he must have come, Luo Wanqing couldn't help but smile. She picked up the flower, smelled it, and then put it back.

Having slept well and refreshed herself, Luo Wanqing felt particularly cheerful. After a simple wash-up, she took out the dossier she had brought from the secret archives the previous night and flipped through it page by page.

There was a lot of information in the dossier—all the official documents related to her father were here.

Knowing that all dossiers usually had a summary, she set aside the documents and pulled out the summary to read the Supervision Division's record of her father.

Luo Qushu, born in the third year of Shenglong.

In the twenty-fourth year of Shenglong, he joined the Cui family as a wandering knight and became a guest of the Cui family, residing mainly in the East Capital.

On the ninth day of the fourth month in the eighth year of Changshun, he accompanied Cui Qingping to protect the Third Prince and negotiate peace at the border.

On the twelfth day of the sixth month, Beirong launched an attack.

On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, the Cui family surrendered, and the border fell.

On the twentieth day of the seventh month, Luo Qushu returned to the East Capital.

On the fourteenth day of the eighth month, Luo Qushu left the East Capital and headed for Yangzhou.

...

Luo Wanqing tapped her fingers on the table as she read the dates that the Supervision Division had taken note of regarding her father. When she reached the part about her father leaving the East Capital, she suddenly realized something was off.

The dates of her father entering and leaving the East Capital should have been calculated based on his entry and exit records in the city, unlikely to be wrong.

According to the record, her father entered the East Capital on the twentieth day of the seventh month. However, she clearly remembered that when he returned home, he immediately asked the family to move. Yao Zelan initially disagreed, leading to a heated argument that night. In the end, she relented, saying they would take her to burn incense and fulfill a vow before leaving once they had prepared everything.

Little did they know that on the second day when they went to Huguo Temple, she was abducted by bandits and then met Li Guiyu in the bamboo forest.

On the morning of the third day, when her family found her, they took very little with them, only some essential supplies, and headed south, rescuing Li Guiyu along the way.

In other words, from the time her father appeared at home until the fourteenth day of the eighth month, it couldn't have been more than three days.

But according to the record, her father arrived in the East Capital on the twentieth day of the seventh month? What did he come to the East Capital for, and why didn't he return home?

Furthermore, if the border had fallen on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, and Luo Qushu returned to the East Capital on the twentieth day of the seventh month, what happened to him during that month? How did he manage to return to the East Capital?

Luo Wanqing instinctively knew this was crucial and closed her eyes, thinking about the details of the night her father returned.

In the past, she hadn't thought about it carefully, and now she couldn't recall much. All she remembered was that when her father returned, she and her mother had just come back from making house calls. Luo Qushu was wearing a black outfit and looked somewhat weary as he stood at the door with a smile.

He looked pained, and Yao Zelan noticed something was off. She hurried over and asked, "Qushu, what's wrong?"

Luo Qushu didn't say anything. He simply reached out and embraced Yao Zelan, who smiled and pushed him away. "What's that smell on you? Go wash up quickly."

Luo Qushu remained silent. Standing behind her mother, Luo Wanqing smiled at her father. Her gaze swept up and down, finally landing on his feet. Curiously, she asked, "Dad, what's on your feet?"

There was some white sand on his feet, which was quite rare. Hearing her question, he looked down at his feet and then laughed. "Oh, it's just some sand."

Then, he went inside and argued with Yao Zelan about moving.

When she heard her parents arguing, she slipped away. Peeking inside, she saw Yao Zelan holding a hairpin and crying softly.

The hairpin was incredibly beautiful—a golden feather hairpin studded with red diamonds.

She had never seen it before.

Suddenly, Luo Wanqing realized that the night was actually quite unusual.

At the time, she hadn't been perceptive enough, but now, upon reflection, she noticed many oddities.

Firstly, his clothes—he had rushed back from the border, yet his clothes were clearly clean, as if he had changed them. Otherwise, they would have been dusty.

The smell on his body—now that she thought about it, it wasn't the sweat of someone traveling. It was the stench of decaying bodies that had been left out for days.

And the white sand on his feet—it was unusually fine. This wasn't the kind of sand found in the dry northern lands; it was more likely to come from somewhere else.

As for the hairpin, it was completely out of place with her mother's habits. Before that night, she had never seen her mother with that hairpin.

That is to say, the hairpin was brought back by her father.

Whose hairpin is this?

Luo Wanqing pondered as a voice suddenly came from outside: "Secretary Liu."

Luo Wanqing looked up at the sound and saw Xing Ling standing at the door.

She hurriedly put away the dossier, and Xing Ling stood considerately at the door without moving. Once Luo Wanqing had sealed the dossier, she beckoned Xing Ling to sit down and asked curiously, "Why are you here?"

Xing Ling sat down as guided and placed a stack of documents and a paper package on the table, explaining, "Since you're injured and can't leave the mountain, I've brought the documents that need your review to you."

Luo Wanqing nodded upon hearing this, simply saying, "Thank you."

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the paper package on the table, asking curiously, "What's this?"

"It's breakfast," Xing Ling lifted the tea she had brewed, "Fang Yuan asked me to bring it."

Although Xing Ling said so, Luo Wanqing could tell from the paper package that this was the usual breakfast Xing Ling ate.

Xing Ling liked steamed buns for breakfast, while Fang Yuan enjoyed marinated meat. Every morning when they met in the cafeteria, it was always like that.

But Luo Wanqing didn't expose her, only saying, "Thank you."

"Fang Yuan said," Xing Ling said with a cold face, "since you're injured, you should focus on recovering well. You don't have to worry about the work. I'll bring the documents that need your review and the execution reports to you every day. You don't have to worry."

"You're putting yourselves out."

Luo Wanqing took a bun, glanced at Xing Ling, sensing that she seemed to be waiting for something. She coughed lightly and commented, "These buns are really delicious."

"Mm-hmm," Xing Ling was finally satisfied, her tone hiding a hint of satisfaction, "Then I'll bring more in the future."

There's no need for that...

However, Luo Wanqing didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm. She lowered her head to eat the bun and chatted idly, "Have all the suspects been caught?"

"The toughest ones, The Eastern Palace's Six Armies and Lu Lingchan, have been dealt with. The smaller fry below them aren't resisting anymore." As Xing Ling spoke, she curiously glanced at the table, "A new case?"

"Yes."

Luo Wanqing nodded, then suddenly remembered that Xing Ling had grown up in East Capital since childhood and was a female official, so she must have seen much. She hurriedly said, "I have something to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"Do you know where there's white sand in East Capital?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Ling paused in her movements before lifting her eyes, "How white and fine is the sand?"

Luo Wanqing listened, carefully recalling, then gestured, "Have you been to the sea? It's like the sand on the beach, but particularly white, almost as white as gardenia flowers, as fine as ash..."

"Madame Xie's tomb."

Xing Ling gave the answer decisively.

Luo Wanqing was taken aback, somewhat surprised, "Madame Xie's tomb?"

"There aren't many places in East Capital with white sand, but Madame Xie loved sea sand. The head of the Xie family once went a thousand miles to select the finest sea sand from the south and sent it to East Capital, laying it in the courtyard of the Xie residence. After Madame Xie died, this sea sand was also laid around her tomb."

Madame Xie...

Luo Wanqing recalled Cui Heng's questioning on Purple Clouds Mountain and the old man in the imperial prison mentioning Xie Heng saving his mother. She couldn't help but think that it was indeed too coincidental that it was Madame Xie again.

"How much do you know about Madame Xie?"

Deciding to get to the bottom of things, Luo Wanqing thought that Xing Ling, being a palace female official, might know something.

However, upon hearing this, Xing Ling frowned, "Is your case related to her?"

"A little."

Luo Wanqing told the truth.

Xing Ling hesitated, thinking for a moment before saying, "I can tell you some things, but you must never mention them to others in the future."

Luo Wanqing nodded upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Go ahead."

Xing Ling thought for a moment, seemingly unsure where to start. She organized her thoughts and slowly said, "Madame Xie was the mother of Secretary Xie, named Cui Muhua. She and the Secretary's father were deeply in love and were known as a match made in heaven in East Capital in their early years. But later, six years ago, I was still a low-ranking female official and served in the Empress Dowager's palace, so I wasn't very clear about other matters in the palace. I only knew that on the day of the Qin Music Festival, she suddenly entered the palace, and by the hour of Shen, news of her death came. At the same time, the inner palace began searching for the Empress and the Crown Prince."

"Searching for the Empress and the Crown Prince?"

Luo Wanqing was somewhat shocked, not expecting such an event: "The Empress and the Crown Prince were missing?"

"Yes."

Xing Ling nodded and whispered, "Very few people know about this, but I was one of the search personnel at the time, so you mustn't spread it."

"I understand."

Luo Wanqing nodded, frowning and asked, "What happened afterward?"

"Later, Secretary Xie rushed into the palace to save his mother, was trapped and thrown into prison. Soon after, news came of the Cui family's betrayal, and the Holy One was furious, arresting all the Cui family members and throwing them into prison. Two months after Madame Xie's death, based on clues provided by the Secretary, the palace arrested the Crown Prince and Empress. The Secretary was released from prison due to his contributions. On the day he was released," Xing Ling smiled, with a hint of mockery in her eyes, "the Empress was given a cup of poisoned wine and ordered to die in the palace, and the Crown Prince was also imprisoned, locked up together with the Cui clan."

Luo Wanqing listened quietly, "Did you see him then?"

"Yes."

Xing Ling curled her fingers into her sleeves and said slowly, "On the day he left the palace, I just happened to be near the palace gates. I watched him. That was the most wretched I had ever seen him, his white clothes stained gray, his hair disheveled. He held a zither and hunched over as he walked out. Outside the palace gates were all the guests of the Cui family, distant relatives, and commoners who had received their favors. Empress Cui was quite popular and greatly beloved. Even though the Cui family had betrayed the country, when news of her execution spread, the palace gates were still filled with people pleading for her. When they saw the Secretary come out, they went up to beg him. First, they knelt and begged, but when he didn't respond, they started pulling at him. For some reason, the Secretary, who was skilled in martial arts, couldn't push these bystanders away. He was escorted forward by guards, not speaking or fighting back. Finally, when someone pushed the zither to the ground, breaking its neck, he finally said, 'I can't do it.'"

The young man who had once dazzled East Capital finally admitted his defeat on that desperate morning when he sold out his family to survive. Hunched over, he picked up the zither that could no longer play, and hoarsely admitted, "I can't do it."

His youthful vigor, his arrogant pride, his sharp edges and indomitable spirit were all broken inch by inch in the midst of suffering.

It made him hunch over and bow his head to admit, "I can't do it."

Luo Wanqing didn't know what to say for a moment. She didn't dare let her emotions interfere too much with herself. Suppressing any further thoughts, she calmly asked, "What happened after that?"

"After that, as everyone knows, he left prison on the second day after the Empress was ordered to commit suicide. Cui Qingping returned, only to die in the palace. Following this, the Cui family fell from grace. Xie Heng requested to be removed from the Xie family's genealogy, severing ties with them. He then sought the favor of His Majesty. To prove his capabilities to the Emperor, he led the remnants of the Cui family's forces to ambush the few members of the Cui family who had managed to escape from prison at Qingyun Crossing. He oversaw the execution of the remaining family members and established the Supervision Division. From then on, he was highly regarded by His Majesty, becoming the most powerful person beneath the throne."

As he spoke, Xing Ling took a sip of tea, seemingly indifferent. "It's an old story."

"I'm hearing it for the first time."

Luo Wanqing felt a tightness in her chest as she spoke earnestly.

She calculated when all these events occurred and asked, "On which day of the first month did the Qin Music Festival take place?"

"The tenth day of the sixth month."

"When were the Cuis imprisoned?"

"The twenty-fifth day of the sixth month."

Xing Ling answered quickly. Luo Wanqing pondered, combining the words of the elderly man from the imperial prison, the information she had, and Xing Ling's account.

On the tenth day of the sixth month, the Qin Music Festival took place. Mrs. Xie died, Xie Heng suffered bone fractures and severed tendons, and he was imprisoned, where he met the elderly man in prison.

On the twelfth day of the sixth month, Beirong launched their attack.

On the twentieth day of the seventh month, Luo Qushu returned to the East Capital.

On the thirteenth day of the eighth month, the Empress was ordered to commit suicide.

On the fourteenth day of the eighth month, Luo Qushu left the East Capital for Yangzhou, and Cui Qingping returned.

Her father had arrived in the East Capital before Cui Qingping. How did he return? What did her father do in the East Capital during the nearly one month between the twentieth day of the seventh month and the fourteenth day of the eighth month?

All of this remained unknown. The only thing that could almost be confirmed was that on the night he saw her father, he went to Mrs. Xie's grave.

"Was Mrs. Xie's tomb ever robbed?"

Luo Wanqing suddenly asked. Xing Ling was taken aback and then shook his head. "I don't know about that. Even if it was indeed robbed, neither the Xie family nor the Cui family would admit it."

Luo Wanqing realized that such secrets shouldn't be known by Xing Ling.

Xing Ling had already told her a lot. She nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you for today."

"Don't ask others these questions casually," Xing Ling warned seriously, "Others might think you're trying to overturn the case of the Cui family."

"How can one overturn a case without injustice?" Luo Wanqing smiled, her expression clear and earnest. "And why not overturn it if there is injustice?"

Xing Ling fell silent for a moment before simply saying, "I'm doing this for your own good."

"I understand."

Luo Wanqing smiled. "But I have my own measure. Thank you."

"Mm."

Xing Ling nodded and then got up. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I'll come back tomorrow to collect the documents you've reviewed."

"Alright."

Luo Wanqing got up to see her off, but Xing Ling waved her hand. "You're injured, no need to see me out."

Luo Wanqing didn't refuse and bid farewell to Xing Ling. Afterward, she finished the last bite of her bun, washed her hands in the basin, and sat back down at her desk.

She digested the information she had obtained from Xing Ling and continued reading through the documents she hadn't finished earlier.

After her father left the East Capital, on the fifteenth day of the tenth month, he settled in Yangzhou and engaged in local commerce.

Then, there was a leap to the thirteenth year of Changshun.

On the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month of the thirteenth year of Changshun, Luo Qushu was imprisoned for smuggling salt.

On the seventh day of the twelfth month, he committed suicide in prison at the age of forty-eight.

Reading these two sentences, Luo Wanqing clenched her fists, unable to speak.

She felt something rising in her throat but suppressed it, just as she had when she heard about Xie Heng's past. Calmly, she continued reading.

Following this brief biography were all the records related to Luo Qushu. The Supervision Division had interviewed people who had met him at different times and recorded his life.

There was too much content in this section, so Luo Wanqing set it aside for now. She then picked up some of the documents related to him.

These were copies of documents, including Luo Qushu's identity papers submitted to the Cui family, all the relevant files from his imprisonment in the Yangzhou Prison, and the records detailing the autopsy of his death.

She carefully read through these documents, paying particular attention to the autopsy report.

From the autopsy report, it was evident that her father had endured extensive torture while alive. However, the ultimate cause of death was a wound on his neck inflicted by a piece of ceramic.

The massive bleeding was relatively painless compared to the tortures he had endured.

Luo Wanqing searched through the list of officials responsible for his interrogation and clearly saw the name of the chief examiner.

Zhou Chun.

The governor mentioned by Zheng Biyue.

Prison official Sun Cui and Governor Zhou Chun.

Luo Wanqing ran her hand over the two names, her emotions stirring.

She noted down their names and flipped through the documents that followed, all of which were related to her father's case. Every testimony and document was leading to his execution.

Until finally, she came across an arrest warrant.

This list originated from the Imperial Court five years ago, clearly stating the arrest of Luo Qushu, among the remnants of the Cui clan.

At the end of this document, in Xie Heng's handwriting, it read:

Denied.

These two words were somewhat different from Xie Heng's current handwriting, appearing more flamboyant, sharp, and frivolous.

Yet, the structure and stroke habits remained consistent with his present style.

She stared blankly at the word "denied," the only two words in all these documents that attempted to save her father.

Suddenly, she understood why, five years ago, when the Cui clan fell, her father, as one of their retainers, seemed to have escaped unscathed.

It was because someone had rejected this arrest warrant early on.

Considering his age back then, he must have been around eighteen.

She was fourteen, sitting dazed in a carriage, watching the blue sky and white clouds, leaving East Capital with Jiang Shaoyan.

That very moment, Xie Heng was disowned by the Xie family, becoming the Emperor's lone blade, facing the storm alone, and writing "denied" for her family.

She traveled south to see the willows of Jiangnan.

He ventured north, ascending a tower alone.

With his own strength, he secured peace for countless people, not just for these past five years but possibly for the rest of their lives.

She had known that Xie Heng had done much, but those were events of the future.

Now, she realized how much this young master had accomplished.

She quietly gazed at those two words, and the despair and anger brought about by reviewing her father's death gradually dissipated.

The person seemed like a light-bearer walking through the night, suddenly illuminating the darkness.

Gratitude burst forth, overwhelming all other emotions that had been suppressed.

She looked at his handwriting, gently caressing it with her fingers.

Young Master.

Thinking about his fate, she couldn't help but whisper his name.

Xie Heng.

"Thank you..."

She murmured softly, only to hear a laugh above her, asking, "Thank who?"

Surprised, Luo Wanqing looked up to see the young man standing behind her, looking down at her with his head lowered and his waist bent.

His dark hair brushed against her cheek, like a curtain isolating them from the world. In an instant, her eyes saw nothing but his smiling face.

Under his mask, his black and golden eyes were beautiful and dazzling, shimmering like precious gems.

"So," Cui Heng chuckled, flicking her forehead, "are you dumbstruck?"

"Guanlan?"

Luo Wanqing finally reacted, her eyes brightening as she turned to look at him. Cui Heng smiled and stood up. Her gaze followed him as he sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, held it in his hands, leaned against the table, and looked at her with a smile. "What were you so focused on?"

"Oh," Luo Wanqing realized she hadn't answered Cui Heng yet. She smiled. "I was reading through my father's case files."

"Did you find anything interesting?"

Cui Heng asked nonchalantly.

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment before directly asking, "Guanlan, has Lady Xie's tomb ever been robbed?"

Hearing this, Cui Heng paused, then lifted his gaze. "How did you know?"

"It really was robbed?"

Luo Wanqing immediately confirmed her suspicion. The smell on her father must have come from opening a coffin.

Cui Heng nodded, not hiding the truth. "Not long after she was buried, it was robbed once. The intruder was highly skilled; the guards assigned by the Xie Patriarch were knocked out. By the time they woke up, the thief had already left. However, the thief was somewhat decent. Although they dug up the grave, they covered it back up when they left."

"When was Lady Xie buried, and when was the tomb robbed?"

"It was buried on the eighth day of the sixth month and robbed on the twelfth day of the eighth month."

Cui Heng answered clearly, furrowing his brows. "Why are you asking this?"

"I suspect," Luo Wanqing pondered, speaking earnestly, "that it was my father who robbed Lady Xie's tomb."

Cui Heng was taken aback. Before he could speak, Luo Wanqing quickly turned to warn him seriously, "But you mustn't tell Young Master about this."

"Why?" Cui Heng found this odd.

Luo Wanqing pursed her lips, feeling guilty. "My father robbing Young Master's mother's tomb…" Luo Wanqing steeled herself. "If we can keep it from Young Master, it's better that way."

Hearing this, Cui Heng held his teacup, somewhat at a loss for a moment. After hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded. "Alright, I understand."

With Cui Heng's agreement, Luo Wanqing sighed in relief.

It was best to tell Xie Heng about her father digging up his mother's grave only after she died. Otherwise, she really didn't know how to face him.

After relaxing, Luo Wanqing recounted all of her speculations from that day and thoughtfully said, "So I've decided. Now, I'm going to Jiangnan. The first thing I need to find is the phoenix feather hairpin. My father had no connection with Lady Xie, yet he was designated by Cui Qingping as the recipient. Going to open the grave and retrieve the hairpin suddenly must have been due to Cui Qingping's request. I remember that hairpin. It should still be in the Luo Residence."

Cui Heng listened, pressed his lips, and thoughtfully said, "According to convention, the Luo Residence should have been seized and sold long ago. No one knows where that hairpin ended up."

"Before confiscation, the government would make an inventory. When selling, the government would record the buyer. As long as we find the inventory list, we'll know the whereabouts of the hairpin," Luo Wanqing had already thought of a way to investigate.

Cui Heng smiled, put down his cup, and said with a smile, "It seems Si Shi has a clear plan?"

"We'll take it step by step."

Luo Wanqing was helpless.

"It's good to have a direction. Then draft a transfer request to go to Jiangnan now. I'll take you to the Si Zhu to explain."

Luo Wanqing nodded upon hearing this and quickly wrote the transfer order.

After she hastily finished, Cui Heng got up and led her towards the small courtyard.

Only then did Luo Wanqing realize that this seemed to be the first time they were seeing Xie Heng together. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "You've never seen the Young Master with me before?"

"Hmm?"

Cui Heng looked back at her strangely. "I can't see him with you?"

Luo Wanqing was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Not that I mind, it's just that it's never happened before..."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer. Even she felt that these words were a little strange.

Cui Heng hadn't spent much time with her before, and he rarely appeared during the day. He was always carrying out his own missions and there had never been a need or time for them to see Xie Heng together. Recently, both Cui Heng and she had been injured, so they spent more time in the organization, and their meetings were natural.

Her sensitivity was merely due to her baseless speculations.

"Do you think..." Cui Heng seemed to realize something and drew out his words, "that I am...?"

"No, no." Luo Wanqing hurriedly shook her head. "I've never dared to think that."

Upon hearing this, Cui Heng raised an eyebrow and simply said, "Good. Otherwise, if I wasn't as good-looking as him, wouldn't you be disappointed?"

"What does it matter whether you're good-looking or not..."

Luo Wanqing retorted unwillingly, yet somewhat guiltily.

A faint sense of joy and relief arose, making her unable to resist raising the corners of her mouth.

Cui Heng chuckled softly and didn't say much more. He led Luo Wanqing into the courtyard and bowed respectfully. "Cui Heng greets the Si Zhu."

Cui Heng's status was clearly much higher than hers, so he didn't kneel when he saw Xie Heng.

However, Luo Wanqing didn't dare. She knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "This subordinate greets the Young Master."

"Here already?"

The "Xie Heng" above spoke, his voice no different from usual, but it sounded much colder.

Cui Heng took the transfer request from her, stepped forward, and handed it to "Xie Heng", calmly saying, "Si Shi Luo has found a clue about 'that item' and wishes to be transferred to Jiangnan. Please grant permission, Si Zhu."

"Xie Heng" remained silent, only opening the document Luo Wanqing wrote. After carefully scanning it, he nodded and said, "Alright, do you need manpower?"

"Xie Heng's" question struck Luo Wanqing's heart, and she immediately said, "This subordinate plans to bring Xing Ling along."

Xing Ling was well-versed and skilled. Now that they had a good relationship, she was the best choice.

Hearing this choice, "Xie Heng" was unexpectedly surprised. He nodded and simply said, "This matter is confidential. It's best not to let anyone discover that you're investigating. I'll have Qingya arrange a suitable identity for you. You're injured, so rest for a few days and leave after you recover."

"Yes."

"Go ahead. I'll return the letter after reviewing it."

"Xie Heng" said, placing the "transfer request" aside. Luo Wanqing, upon hearing this, didn't dare to say much and simply replied, "Yes."

Cui Heng also bowed and withdrew.

When they left the courtyard and returned to the small house together, Luo Wanqing was somewhat surprised that Cui Heng had come back with her. She asked in confusion, "Why did you come back with me?"

"I didn't sleep well last night," Cui Heng leaned against the door frame and looked at her with a smile. "Can I sleep here for a few hours, Si Shi?"

"Of course you can," Luo Wanqing glanced at him, sat down at the table, and said casually, "You can use my bed. There are curtains, so you can pull them down to block the light and sleep soundly."

Cui Heng had planned to just close his eyes and rest at the table. Hearing Luo Wanqing's words, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, then laughed. "You want me to sleep in your bed?"

"I don't fuss over trifles."

Luo Wanqing knew he was joking again and opened the documents of the Dong Palace case, dipping her brush in ink. "If you mind, I'll change the bedding?"

"There's no need for that."

Cui Heng turned and walked towards the bed, took off his outer robe, and lay down on her bed with his legs crossed, fanning himself and looking at Luo Wanqing with a smile. "To be granted the bed by Si Shi, I'm honored."

Luo Wanqing glanced back at him and didn't say much. She walked to the bedside and gently lowered the heavy bed curtains, saying warmly, "Put down your mask and sleep well. I won't disturb you."

Cui Heng knew she meant that she wouldn't open the bed curtains to look at him while he was asleep.

He lifted his gaze and saw the woman lowering the bed curtains for him. She slowly disappeared from his sight, leaving behind darkness and a lingering fragrance.

He lay in the darkness, fanning himself, with a fragrant scent at his nose. He opened his eyes to adjust to the light and looked up at the canopy, saying nonchalantly, "Alright." Hearing this "alright," Luo Wanqing didn't bother him any further and began to review the documents that Xingling had brought. Outside, there was the sound of brush on paper. Cui Heng lay quietly in bed, listening to the sound. The small fan he had been using to cool himself gradually stopped moving when no one was around. All he could smell was her scent, a very light floral fragrance, like a mix of orchids and grass. This scent made him feel restless yet entranced. Although he was unbridled by nature, he had read some of the sages' teachings and did not dare to offend her in her bed. After some thought, he reached up to remove his mask, closed his eyes, and chatted with her to divert his attention. "By the way, why did you suddenly ask me about bone shaping after leaving the palace?" "I met someone in the palace." Luo Wanqing wrote as she spoke, not hiding anything. "He said he taught Young Master bone shaping, so I was curious where you learned it." "Of course, Young Master learned it for the benefit of everyone." Cui Heng joked. Luo Wanqing thought about it and asked curiously, "Who is this person?" "Zhang Chunzi." Cui Heng mentioned a name that Luo Wanqing wasn't too familiar with. She had a vague impression but couldn't recall it immediately, so she said instinctively, "Who?" "One of the Eight Grandmasters, Zhang Chunzi." When Luo Wanqing heard this, she realized who he was referring to. Previously, when she followed Xiniang's teachings about the martial world, she had memorized this information. In terms of the strongest sects, they were the Central Plains Dao Sect, the Western Regions Kunlun Palace, and the Southwest Holy Religion. Although many talented people emerged from the Central Plains, only eight were recognized by everyone and were known as the Eight Grandmasters. These eight individuals were Zhang Chunzi, Wang Qingfeng, Zheng Daochu, Cui Qingping, Jiang Fengwan, Yang Chun, Ji Ruifang, and Xie Minsheng. Later, after Cui Qingping passed away, two years later, Xie Heng became famous for killing Zheng Daochu and became the youngest among the Eight Grandmasters. Later, Li Guiyu returned to the East Capital and defeated Wang Qingfeng in a battle, filling Jiang Fengwan's position and gaining fame throughout the land. Most of the Eight Grandmasters were venerated by noble families and the imperial court, except for Zhang Chunzi, Ji Ruifang, and Xie Minsheng, who were not interested in court struggles and lived independently. Among them, Xie Minsheng established Liufeng Island, which provided refuge to those seeking redemption. Anyone who arrived on the island would not be questioned about their past, but the location of the island was extremely secretive and only opened to the public once a year. Only those holding the Orchid Token issued by Liufeng Island could enter. Ji Ruifang founded the Netherworld Valley, which also stayed out of worldly affairs, except for one command: "Kill all members of the Cui family and dogs without mercy." Only Zhang Chunzi remained, neither serving noble families or royalty nor founding a sect. He wandered alone, reportedly searching for his son across distant lands until he disappeared. "How did I see him in prison?" Luo Wanqing was somewhat surprised. Cui Heng chuckled and explained, "Ten years ago, he attempted to assassinate the emperor and was captured by Cui Qingping. Convinced by Cui Qingping that he was guilty, he voluntarily stayed in the imperial prison, asking Cui Qingping to help him find his son. That's how things have been until now." Listening to this, Luo Wanqing found it unbelievable and couldn't help but ask, "So, the cultivation method he taught me is good?" "What did he teach you?" Cui Heng inquired. Luo Wanqing then recounted the cultivation method Zhang Chunzi taught her and its uses. As Cui Heng listened, he considered her cultivation method and then said, "He's right. You should follow his teachings." "Alright." Knowing that she had obtained something valuable, Luo Wanqing was quite pleased. Cui Heng sensed her joy and smiled as he fanned himself. "What else do you plan to do before you leave?" "Visit Zheng Biyue." Luo Wanqing's tone turned somber. "To see her off." Cui Heng didn't expect this answer, but considering her temperament, it made sense. He slowly fanned himself. "Why don't you visit Lady Xie while you're at it?" Luo Wanqing was taken aback and didn't understand. "Why would I visit Lady Xie?" "She's my elder," Cui Heng said with amusement in his voice. "Your father dug up her grave. Don't you think you should apologize?" Hearing this, Luo Wanqing blushed slightly and hurriedly nodded. "You're right. I should apologize." Hearing her words, Cui Heng couldn't help but laugh. "Just kidding," Cui Heng felt drowsiness coming over him and said softly, "She didn't believe in ghosts or gods even when she was alive. She even wanted people to burn her body after death. Since you're here on Cui Qingping's orders to retrieve something, how could she possibly mind? I just wanted to..." His voice gradually faded. "Introduce you to her." As Luo Wanqing listened to Cui Heng's words, she held the brush, unsure what to do. She could tell that this must be an elder whom Cui Heng respected and was familiar with, and he was introducing her to her... Luo Wanqing didn't dare to think too much about it and simply pretended not to know the possible implications behind these actions. She lowered her head and continued reviewing the documents. He slept until nightfall, and when Cui Heng woke up, he was somewhat disoriented.

He had never slept so guardedly, for so long.

He lay in a daze on the bed, and after a long while, he finally got up.

Hearing the commotion inside the bed canopy, Luo Wanqing knew that he had woken up. Without turning around, she said gently, "Qingya came to look for you just now. He told me to tell you to find him when you wake up."

Cui Heng sat on the bed, listening silently to her words. Suddenly, he felt some resistance and didn't want to leave the bed canopy.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Luo Wanqing asked in puzzlement, "Cui Heng?"

"Uh-huh."

Hearing her voice, Cui Heng finally responded. He took a moment to push aside his lingering feelings before putting on a mask and coming out of the bed canopy with a smile. "I see. I'll go over there right away."

As he spoke, he put on his coat, joking as he did so, "Thank you, Si Shi, for lending me your bed today." Then, he walked to Luo Wanqing's side and looked at the stack of documents on her desk, sweeping his gaze over them before hinting, "I wonder if there's anything I can help Si Shi with today?"

Luo Wanqing didn't beat around the bush upon hearing this. She simply pushed a stack of folders over and said straightforwardly, "These are the documents from the Censorate that criticized me. They want me to write a reply. My writing skills aren't good, so could you help me scold them?"

Cui Heng took the folders upon hearing this, weighing them in his hand. He sighed somewhat emotionally, "If I had known that sleeping would require me to write so many replies, I wouldn't have dared to sleep."

"In that case, I'll add a medicine packet."

Luo Wanqing placed a medicine packet on top of the folders and said calmly, "If you still can't sleep well, I'll adjust the prescription for you."

Hearing this, Cui Heng chuckled softly and said, "There's no need to adjust it. I wasn't having a headache last night."

Luo Wanqing looked up worriedly. "What happened then?"

Cui Heng only smiled at her but didn't say anything.

Luo Wanqing belatedly remembered what had happened last night and was momentarily at a loss.

Seeing her reaction, Cui Heng laughed and gathered up the folders and medicine packet before walking out with a smile.

After sleeping once at her place, Cui Heng seemed to become addicted to it. The next day, he came again. Every day at noon, he would come to rest for an hour, and only reluctantly leave when Qingya came to fetch him.

She didn't mind either way and let him come over.

After a few days, when her health improved, she would follow Bai Li to learn some techniques for killing and disguising herself whenever she had free time.

Bai Li was a top-notch spy and also a top-notch assassin. Although her health wasn't good now, she had plenty of experience. Whenever Luo Wanqing fought against her, especially in close combat, Bai Li almost always managed to grab her by the neck.

Bai Li's stamina wasn't good, so every day when she got tired, Luo Wanqing would sit with her and listen to her talk about Xie Heng's past.

Perhaps because she was an elder who had watched Xie Heng grow up, for some reason, she particularly liked talking about Xie Heng.

"The Young Master's parents were childhood sweethearts. His mother was the eldest daughter of the Cui family, and his father was the eldest son of the Xie family. Although their marriage was arranged between noble families, they were unusually affectionate. After giving birth to the Young Master, Lord Xie didn't want his wife to take any more risks, so they only had one child."

When Bai Li talked about the young Xie Heng, a smile appeared on her face. "From the moment he was born, he was the shining pearl of the East Capital. As a young man, he loved to join in the fun. There was never a lack of the Young Master at literary gatherings or banquets. Every year during the Shangsi Festival, when the Young Master went out, his carriage would be filled with fruits and flowers, how lively it was."

Listening to Bai Li's words, Luo Wanqing couldn't quite imagine it and only laughed. "The Young Master was like that?"

"Yes." Bai Li smiled, her eyes full of memories. "And don't think that he's always so calm and collected now. In fact, he has a bad temper. He liked to eat alone and protect those close to him. When he was five years old, he brought his cat into the palace. When he turned around and saw the Crown Prince throwing his cat, the Young Master went over, took the cat back, and hugged it. Then he kicked the person into the lake and left with the cat. It caused quite a stir back then..."

As Bai Li spoke, she shook her head and sighed. "Later, the Dao Sect said that the Young Master had excellent talent and wanted to take him up the mountain. He spent most of his time there. Everyone thought that going to a place like the Dao Sect would temper his character, but when he returned, he seemed much better-tempered. Everyone who saw him would say that he was a refined nobleman. But at the literary gathering, when someone said something he didn't like, he kicked the Second Prince into the lake. When the emperor asked him what rules he learned on the mountain, he said that what he learned was that the highest goodness is like water, without form or boundaries. He could do as he pleased and return to his true nature. He kicked the prince because he felt like it. If the Young Master hadn't become the Head of the Si Shi and the Third Highness hadn't gone missing," Bai Li said with lingering fear, "the Third Highness might have ended up in the lake too."

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt a bit regretful.

She suddenly really wanted to see Xie Heng kick Li Guiyu into the lake.

But as soon as she thought about it, she remembered what Zhang Chunzi had said.

"Cut off his tendons, crush his bones, destroy his will, and extinguish his spirit."

Having gone through all of this and been reborn, Xie Heng could never be the Xie Heng of the past.

Luo Wanqing gave a mocking laugh and heard Cui Heng sigh and plead as he was caught by Qingya behind her. "Xiniang, why don't you assassinate Qingya? I don't want to leave."

She and Bai Li turned around together and looked at the unhappy Cui Heng and the smiling Qingya, unable to resist smiling. She urged, "Go on, you still have to work for the Young Master."

Cui Heng sighed deeply and resignedly followed Qingya away.

Luo Wanqing turned her gaze to the distant mountains.

She thought that Xie Heng would never return to being a youth.

Just like how Liu Xiniang could never be Luo Wanqing again.

Luo Wanqing said this and turned to look at Cui Heng seriously. "How exactly did she die?"

"They say she hanged herself."

Cui Heng spoke calmly, and Luo Wanqing pressed, "Really?"

"I guess she was strangled."

"Who ordered it?"

"In the Zheng family," Cui Heng laughed, "who else could kill her besides Zheng Pingsheng?"

Luo Wanqing was momentarily speechless. The two stood on the street, with people passing by. After a long while, Luo Wanqing couldn't help but say, "She was his daughter."

"So is Zheng Jinxin," Cui Heng reminded her. "He has many children. Zheng Biyue may be favored, but she's not the only one."

"Why did he kill her?"

Luo Wanqing didn't understand. Cui Heng laughed and only said, "On the day Lady Xie died, she went to the palace to play and disappeared for an hour."

Luo Wanqing instantly understood. "She knows how Lady Xie died?"

Cui Heng smiled but didn't say anything. He simply turned around and flicked his wide sleeves, then slowly said, "Let's go. I'll take you to see Lady Xie."

When Luo Wanqing heard this, she knew that Cui Heng had no intention of discussing the matter further.

She didn't ask any more questions and quietly followed him.

However, after only a few steps, Luo Wanqing saw Cui Heng's hand, which was behind his back, come out from his sleeve and make a "come here" gesture towards her.

Out of curiosity, Luo Wanqing stepped forward and placed her hand in his.

Cui Heng looked back in surprise as Luo Wanqing asked, puzzled, "What are you doing?"

Seeing her ask so formally, Cui Heng burst into laughter. He held her hand by his side while keeping the other hand behind his back. He pulled her along the long street and laughed, "Nothing."

Luo Wanqing instantly realized that he just wanted to hold her hand. He must have been prepared for rejection, but she had actually thought he had some ulterior motive and had obediently placed her hand in his.

Feeling at a loss, Luo Wanqing decided not to pull her hand away now, as it would seem hurtful. She let him laugh and lead her down the street holding hands.

The two left East Capital and went up the mountain.

The mountain was high, the wind was clear, and the bright moon accompanied them. Cui Heng led the way, pushing aside branches for her, guiding her along the mountain path.

After walking for a while, she could see a stretch of white sand from afar.

Pavilions and buildings were built on the white sand, looking particularly prominent.

"Lady Xie loved the sea when she was alive, but she only went there twice in her life," Cui Heng said, leading her across the green stone path laid on the white sand, to Cui Muhua's grave.

The tombstone read 'Beloved Wife Cui Muhua'. Looking at the tombstone, Luo Wanqing asked curiously, "Lady Xie is said to have been shot dead in the palace for rebelling against the emperor. Before her death, she severed ties with the Xie family. Isn't the head of the Xie family taking a great risk by building such a grand tomb for her, fearing the emperor's wrath?"

"That's what she thought," Cui Heng said with a smile, looking calmly at the tombstone. "Before entering the palace, she even wrote a divorce letter to Xie Xiuqi, but he didn't accept it. He insisted on bringing Cui Muhua back to the Xie family for burial, and even wanted to resign because of it. Fortunately, the emperor considered their past relationship and did not hold it against him. Since then, he has lost interest in politics. Although he is now the Grand Tutor, he rarely gets involved in affairs and often claims illness to stay at home, merely holding an empty position."

"So the head of the Xie family..." Luo Wanqing couldn't help saying, "must truly care deeply for Lady Xie."

"The depth of his feelings is true, but he has too many concerns."

Cui Heng smiled and then took a bottle of wine from his waist. Sighing, he said, "Forget it. Let's talk about something happy."

He poured the wine in front of the grave and said happily, "I've come to see you. You always said no one would want me. Now, someone has erected a memorial tablet for me. Take a look."

"Cui..."

"Cui Muhua," Cui Heng didn't give her a chance to speak. He looked calmly at the tombstone and called out Lady Xie's name. "Her name is Liu Xiniang."

His tone was too solemn, as if he were introducing his wife to his parents.

Luo Wanqing didn't know why she had such an association, but his words weren't wrong. She could only stand behind Cui Heng and watch him stand in front of the tombstone, saying those words and then falling silent.

After standing there for a long time, Cui Heng drank the last sip of wine from the wine flask, hung it back on his waist, and turned around. "Let's go back."

Luo Wanqing followed Cui Heng down the mountain, clearly sensing a change in his mood.

He suddenly put aside his usual playful demeanor, and a sense of loneliness and desolation surrounded him. Even though she was following him, he seemed like he was still alone.

For some reason, she suddenly felt a bit sad.

Unable to resist, she stepped forward, walked shoulder to shoulder with him, and reached out to gently hold his hand.

It was as if she was holding onto a wandering soul.

The moment the warmth of her palm touched him, Cui Heng slowly turned his head. He looked at her, his eyes filled with surprise and joy, but he still tried to remain calm. "Hmm?"

Hearing his question, Luo Wanqing looked up and smiled at him.

Her smile was clear and pure, her eyes distinctively black and white. She said gently, "It's too dark and cold at night. I can't see the road when I walk alone."

The young man didn't say anything. He held her hand, which she had offered, and felt the warmth seep into him, bringing him back to life from the icy coffin.

He gazed into her eyes without saying a word. After a long while, he simply held her hand and gently lowered his head to kiss it.

This kiss was light and gentle, like moonlight falling on the body, cool yet tender.

This time, he didn't restrain her.

Unlike before, when he had held her down, leaving her nowhere to retreat.

He simply held her gently, as if afraid she would wander too far or as if he was afraid of being too forceful.

However, sensing his gradually recovering vitality and joy, she felt her heart, which had been tightly clenched, slowly expand. For some reason, she didn't want to pull away.

The cool breeze blew through her hair as she closed her eyes and held his hand.

In that instant, she didn't want to think about anything else—she didn't want to ask about the reasons, the future, or their feelings. She only felt—

It was good enough that Cui Heng was happy.

After visiting Lady Xie's grave, Luo Wanqing returned to the mountain with Cui Heng. Calculating the time, she also needed to leave.

This time, she didn't let Cui Heng see her off. After bidding him farewell, she turned and left.

Cui Heng stood on the steps of the rear mountain, silently watching her descend.

Actually, he had seen many people off before, but when bidding farewell to this person, he felt a strange sense of reluctance.

This reluctance was different from that for friends and relatives; it carried a tinge of longing and an urgent desire to meet again immediately.

Luo Wanqing took a few steps with her pack on her back and felt the gaze of the person behind her lingering. She couldn't help but look back and saw the young man standing there alone, his white clothes as pure as snow, his gaze calm and gentle.

The small courtyard behind him was like a grave that swallowed people, and the cold wind blew from behind him, yet he became the only warmth in this night. Seeing Luo Wanqing turn around, Cui Heng smiled and urged her, "Go." Luo Wanqing hesitated and nodded, then stepped down the mountain. After a few steps, she couldn't help but look back, "Cui Heng!" Cui Heng looked at her in confusion, "Hmm?" Luo Wanqing raised a smile, "I'll wait for you in Jiangnan." Cui Heng was taken aback. Actually, these words meant nothing, but in that instant, he felt that even the night breeze carried warmth. He smiled and said gently, "Alright." Hearing this, Luo Wanqing didn’t linger and quickly went down the mountain. She then took a horse from the Supervision Division and galloped towards the Qingyun Ferry. When they arrived at the ferry, Xing Ling and Qingya were already waiting there. The person they were supposed to escort hadn’t arrived yet. Luo Wanqing dismounted and waited with the two of them for a while. Seeing how patient Qingya was, she couldn’t help but ask, "Dragon Envoy, what are the names of these two officials?" "Oh, these two..." Before he could finish his sentence, an urgent and familiar cry for help came from the official road, "Help!" At the same time, a shout came from the water, "Help me!!" Hearing these cries, Luo Wanqing and Xing Ling each went one way. Luo Wanqing ran towards the official road, and Xing Ling rushed into the water. From afar, she saw someone running towards her in the night. They wore a simple blue robe and carried a blue travel bag, running very fast with a servant. Many killers were following them. Seeing Luo Wanqing, the young man’s eyes widened instantly, and he screamed, "Envoy Liu!!" This voice was deafening. At the same time, arrows flew towards him from behind. Luo Wanqing just happened to rush in front of him, grabbing an arrow with one hand and pulling the person aside with the other. The servant nearby cleverly threw himself to the side, escaping the range of the arrows. Seeing Luo Wanqing come, the killers didn’t hesitate and turned to run. After kicking away another arrow, Luo Wanqing saw that they had already run far away and lost interest in chasing them. She turned to look at the young man in her arms who was panting heavily and full of relief after the ordeal. She couldn’t help but say, "Minister Zhang, how have you survived until now?" Hearing this, Zhang Yiran blushed slightly and mumbled, "It's all luck." Luo Wanqing deeply agreed. She steadied him, let go, and turned around, "Let’s go." With that, she led Zhang Yiran and the servant back to the ferry. When they arrived, they saw Xing Ling also returning with a young man in a crimson official robe, holding a package, drenched, and shivering. Seeing the young man, Luo Wanqing was stunned. At first glance, he didn’t look much like Xie Heng, but his lips and chin were somewhat similar. His eyes and nose were ordinary, but those similarities made him handsome. Sensing her gaze, he looked over. Luo Wanqing quickly averted her eyes, pretending not to notice. Qingya glanced around and couldn’t help but ask, "How did the two officials end up in such a state? Where are the soldiers escorting you?" "Those killers," Zhang Yiran panted, speaking frankly, "half of them were the soldiers." Qingya was taken aback but wasn’t surprised. He nodded and said, "It was my oversight. I should have sent the two Envoys to pick you up personally." "No need," Zhang Yiran shook his head, "the identities of the two Envoys are hidden. Meeting here is perfect." "Thank you for your understanding, Minister Zhang." Qingya said, looking around, then continued, "Everyone is here. Let me introduce you." Qingya gestured and introduced the two officials, "These are two Envoys from our organization, Liu Xiniang and Xing Ling." As he spoke, Luo Wanqing and Xing Ling bowed to the two officials. Then Qingya turned to introduce them to Luo Wanqing and Xing Ling, "This is the Imperial Inspector for this inspection, Minister Zhang Yiran." "Greetings." Zhang Yiran bowed and greeted everyone. "This is the Director of the Ministry of Personnel accompanying Minister Zhang on this inspection, Minister Cui Heng." Qingya continued. Cui Heng smiled and bowed, "Greetings, ladies." "For this trip to Jiangnan, you two must protect the two ministers well. If any accidents happen, you can seek timely help from the local government, but if it’s unnecessary, don’t seek help from the locals." Qingya instructed, "They may not be friends, understand?" "Understood." Luo Wanqing and Xing Ling bowed together. Seeing this, Qingya nodded and said, "Alright, since everyone is here," he turned to look at the merchant ship docked at the ferry and pointed, "let’s board the ship." Upon hearing this, everyone didn’t delay and bid farewell to Qingya and left. They had prepared various tickets and travel documents long ago. After Qingya spoke, Luo Wanqing bid farewell to Qingya along with Xing Ling. Zhang Yiran wiped his sweat and turned to say goodbye to his servant. Then the four of them boarded the ship together. The ship was a merchant ship heading to Jiangnan. Qingya had bought them two first-class cabin tickets. At first, Luo Wanqing didn’t quite understand why Qingya arranged for two rooms instead of four, but seeing Cui Heng and Zhang Yiran hugging their packages, looking like survivors, she understood. Two unarmed civil servants would be truly vulnerable if they encountered top-notch killers. If they had four separate rooms, by the time they arrived, the two might have been riddled with holes. Considering this, Luo Wanqing led the three of them onto the ship. After finding their rooms, the four gathered together. Luo Wanqing asked, "Why were the two ministers being pursued?" "We don’t know." Zhang Yiran shook his head, thinking, "The soldiers came to pick us up at night. I met Director Cui at the city gate. Halfway through, a group of soldiers suddenly attacked, and another group fought to the death to resist. Director Cui and I had the chance to escape. We split up and headed for the ferry. Fortunately, we made it." "Have the two ministers had any enemies recently?" Luo Wanqing thought. If it was someone from Jiangnan, it was too soon. It was more likely that an enemy was using Jiangnan as an excuse to commit murder. Hearing Luo Wanqing’s question, Zhang Yiran fell silent and frowned.

Cui Heng thought carefully and said in puzzlement, "I don't think I have any enemies."

"What about Director Zhang?" Luo Wanqing looked at Zhang Yiran.

"Let me think," Zhang Yiran seemed to be recalling something. "There are quite a few of them."

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt that there was no need to ask further.

Cui Heng glanced at Zhang Yiran, shifted slightly while holding the bundle, and said hesitantly, "How about we split up?"

"It's not that…"

"There's no need." Luo Wanqing interrupted Zhang Yiran. She glanced at Cui Heng and explained, "Splitting up makes it easier for our enemies to take us down one by one. It's safer if we stay together. Although we can't determine who's after us, it's clear that this route isn't safe. Since the two directors have already been chased to the ferry, this waterway is exposed. We should disembark when the ship docks next. The two directors should rest for now. When we dock at dawn, we'll switch to land travel."

"Alright."

"Then let's all get some sleep tonight. Let's divide the rooms." After making her plan, Luo Wanqing took out two room keys and glanced at Cui Heng. "There are only two rooms. Two people per room. Who wants to share with me?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran hurriedly said, "I'll share with Brother Cui…"

"We'll guard you both separately," Luo Wanqing interrupted Zhang Yiran and lowered her eyes. "Your identities are valuable. We should be cautious."

Hearing this, the four of them exchanged glances. Seeing their awkwardness, Luo Wanqing directly said, "How about I share with Cui…"

"This Si Shi is great," Cui Heng said as if he suddenly remembered something. He pulled Xing Ling aside, held the wet bundle in one hand, and grabbed Xing Ling's elbow with the other, smiling flatteringly. "Director Liu, I'll share with this…"

"Xing Ling." Xing Ling glanced at him and knew that Cui Heng had forgotten her name.

"Yes, that's right," Cui Heng nodded and said seriously, "I'll share with Director Xing Ling."

Luo Wanqing paused, curled her fingertips, then nodded and turned to look at Zhang Yiran. She said seriously, "Then I'll share with Director Zhang."

Zhang Yiran nodded while holding the bundle and said somewhat awkwardly, "I'll follow the arrangements of the director."

"Alright," Luo Wanqing left the key with Xing Ling after getting everyone's agreement. Then she led Zhang Yiran to the next room. "Director Zhang, let's go."

Zhang Yiran obediently followed Luo Wanqing to the next room while holding the bundle.

The first-class cabin was huge, divided into an inner and outer compartment. Luo Wanqing led Zhang Yiran inside and pointed to the bed in the inner room. "Director Zhang, you can stay in the inner room."

"I'll stay in the outer room…"

Zhang Yiran tried to be polite, but before he could finish speaking, he saw Luo Wanqing put away her saber on the table. Luo Wanqing calmly said, "I'll protect you in the outer room."

Hearing this, Zhang Yiran knew that this wasn't the time to refuse. He gritted his teeth and bowed. "Thank you, Director."

Seeing Zhang Yiran's understanding, Luo Wanqing couldn't help but smile. She turned around and went out, calling out, "I'll be at the door. Go wash up after putting down your bundle."

"Thank you."

Zhang Yiran nodded hesitantly. Luo Wanqing didn't bother with formalities and waited outside for a while. After they took turns washing up, Zhang Yiran entered the inner room and put down the curtain, sleeping separated from Luo Wanqing by the curtain.

Luo Wanqing slept on the small bed in the outer room, while Zhang Yiran slept on the large bed in the inner room. Luo Wanqing didn't mind, but Zhang Yiran was a bit uncomfortable.

He tossed and turned in bed, and Luo Wanqing couldn't help but say, "Director Zhang?"

Zhang Yiran stiffened. Luo Wanqing asked in confusion, "Are you seasick?"

"Oh, no."

Realizing that Luo Wanqing cared, he hurriedly explained, "I'm originally from Yangzhou, so this isn't my first time on a boat."

"I know."

Lying on the small bed, Luo Wanqing said casually, "Then why aren't you sleeping?"

"Am I disturbing the director?"

Zhang Yiran was somewhat uneasy. Luo Wanqing honestly said, "A little."

After practicing martial arts, her hearing had improved significantly. With Zhang Yiran tossing and turning like this, it was hard for her to fall asleep.

Zhang Yiran was a bit embarrassed and said vaguely, "I… have never shared a room with a woman before, so I'm a bit nervous."

This instantly made Luo Wanqing think of Cui Heng. They were completely different.

Cui Heng slept well with her, while Zhang Yiran couldn't sleep with her.

She couldn't help but laugh and comforted him, "Do you want me to use some soothing incense for you, Director Zhang?"

"No need…"

Zhang Yiran thought for a moment and then simply started chatting with Luo Wanqing, asking, "I heard that Director is planning to investigate a case in Jiangnan?"

Luo Wanqing remained silent. Although Qingya said that Zhang Yiran and Cui Heng were trustworthy, she wasn't sure if she could reveal her purpose to them. She only said, "Why was Director Zhang suddenly sent to inspect Jiangnan?"

"I proposed it to His Majesty myself," Zhang Yiran didn't hide anything and directly said, "I heard Director Qingya say that you wanted to investigate some old cases in Jiangnan, but you couldn't let anyone know. So I thought that when you go to Jiangnan to investigate, you would need someone who could coordinate official documents. If you go as a member of the Supervision Division, what you're doing would be obvious. But if you go as a traveling imperial censor, they would find it harder to notice. So I applied for this inspection mission in Jiangnan."

"Thank you, Director." Luo Wanqing realized that Zhang Yiran had done this to help her.

Zhang Yiran chuckled and said, "We're friends, so why are you being so polite? And…"

Zhang Yiran continued, "Director, are you also planning to investigate my father's case?"

Luo Wanqing didn't speak. Zhang Yiran knew she couldn't say much, so he continued, "When my father passed away, I was only fourteen years old. My sister took care of everything. I always thought she was doing well, and I thought my father's case was settled. But now I realize that the culprit hasn't been found, and my sister is gone too. If there's anything you need, just let me know."

"Your father was killed by Fengyu Pavilion," Luo Wanqing said calmly. "It was that Love Seed who did it. I've already killed him, so you don't have to worry about it."

Zhang Yiran was silent for a moment and then said slowly, "Why did you kill him?"

"A significant person once entrusted your father with something important, which Fengyu Pavilion sought after and led to his demise." Luo Wanqing spoke in veiled terms, "I'm here to retrieve that very thing. If you have any leads, please do share them with me."

"What is it?"

"I don't know," Luo Wanqing chuckled softly. "We'll only find out what this troublesome object is when we see it."

They exchanged casual banter for a while, and as Zhang Yiran relaxed, he began to feel drowsy.

Luo Wanqing noticed his voice slowing down until he fell silent. She turned her gaze out the window, listening to the gentle stream, wondering when Cui Heng had set off.

Was he going to catch up later, or...had he already arrived?

The thought sparked an urge to glance at the neighboring room.

If it really was him, how could he possibly...be sharing a room with Xing Ling?

But it wasn't entirely impossible.

Luo Wanqing found herself unable to sleep, took a deep breath, and got up, stepping outside.

Upon exiting, she saw Xing Ling standing by the door. Luo Wanqing glanced at the room. "Where is he?"

"Still bathing."

Xing Ling sounded clearly impatient. "He's been at it for nearly half an hour."

Luo Wanqing heard singing from inside. After a moment of consideration, she said, "Keep an eye on Zhang Yiran for me. I need to ask Lord Cui something."

Xing Ling looked surprised but nodded promptly. "Alright."

They switched positions, both standing guard at the door.

Luo Wanqing listened as the singing faded away, followed by a lewd tone: "Si Shi Xing Ling? I'm done bathing. Come in."

Luo Wanqing felt a surge of irritation for some reason.

She pushed the door open and was greeted by a scent of plum blossoms. Cui Heng stood by the window, basking in the breeze. He wore only a simple robe, his hair neatly combed, clearly having made an effort to present himself well.

When he heard Luo Wanqing enter, he turned around with a tender and affectionate look, deliberately exposing part of his chest, exuding a self-assured confidence: "Si Shi Xing Ling..."

His expression froze mid-sentence as he met Luo Wanqing's calm gaze. She returned his stare, her eyes sweeping over his chest, hands, and thighs before settling back on his face.

This unabashed scrutiny caused Cui Heng to stiffen, yet he tried to maintain his composure, pulling up his robe and forcing a nervous laugh. "Si Shi Liu, what brings you here at such a late hour?"

"There's nothing."

It couldn't be Cui Heng.

All of Luo Wanqing's anger dissipated instantly. She politely closed the door behind her, then returned to her own room, patting Xing Ling on the shoulder sympathetically. "Let me know if you need a break."

At these words, Xing Ling immediately looked up. "I can't take another moment."

Luo Wanqing paused, then encouraged her. "Hold on just a little longer, at least until morning."

Luo Wanqing also felt like she couldn't bear it much longer.

With that, Luo Wanqing opened her door with a sense of relief, wishing Xing Ling good luck as she clenched her fists. "I'm going to bed. If you hit him, remember he's a Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, so be measured."

Hearing this, Xing Ling took a deep breath. Her upbringing as a female official compelled her to close her eyes and reassure Luo Wanqing. "Don't worry, I won't hit him for now."

Luo Wanqing chuckled, and Xing Ling glared at her. "If you keep laughing, I'll make you go in there."

Luo Wanqing immediately composed herself. "Si Shi Xing Ling, thank you for your hard work."

"Go to sleep."

Xing Ling entered Cui Heng's room reluctantly. Upon opening the door, she saw Cui Heng nervously turn around, holding onto his clothes. Seeing Xing Ling, his eyes lit up, and he released his grip, approaching her eagerly. "Si Shi Xing Ling, you wouldn't believe what happened with Si Shi Liu..."

"I know."

Xing Ling climbed into bed, pulled the covers over herself, and closed her eyes. "Let's sleep."

"Si Shi Xing Ling," Cui Heng dragged a chair to the bedside, unable to resist speaking, "don't you want to talk?"

"There's nothing to say."

"Si Shi Xing Ling, actually, from the first time I saw you, I felt a strange familiarity, as if we've known each other for years..."

"Don't waste my time with such nonsense."

Xing Ling cut him off. "I'm married."

Cui Heng was taken aback, and after a moment, he regained his composure, slightly more restrained. "Oh."

Xing Ling sighed in relief, thinking she could finally sleep, when Cui Heng hesitated and spoke again. "Actually, for a beauty like Si Shi Xing Ling, I wouldn't mind being second best."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xing Ling's sword was at Cui Heng's throat. She gritted her teeth. "Don't tempt fate."

Cui Heng remained unperturbed, smiling at her. Then, he glanced at the sword in her hand and gently flicked it, marveling aloud. "What a swift sword, and wielded by such a beautiful woman." He turned to look at Xing Ling, genuinely impressed. "Truly worthy of the title Si Shi Xing Ling!"

As he spoke, a loud thud echoed through the room, followed by a cry of pain.

The sudden noise startled Zhang Yiran awake. Luo Wanqing sat by the window, suppressing her laughter as she comforted the frightened man. "Secretary Zhang, don't worry. They're just dealing with a rat next door."

Zhang Yiran sounded puzzled. "That sounded like Lord Cui?"

"You must have misheard."

Luo Wanqing smiled and walked over to directly seal Zhang Yiran's sleep acupoint, soothing him: "Sleep."

As the leading officer, she couldn't expose the Supervision Division's beating of an official to the Imperial Censorate in this matter.

She still had this much common sense.

With Zhang Yiran sealed into sleep, Luo Wanqing returned to her own small couch.

Having confirmed that this Cui Heng was not Cui Heng, her heart calmed down, and that discomfort finally dissipated.

But soon, she realized that Xie Heng wasn't Cui Heng, and neither was Cui Heng.

Her Cui Heng seemed to have never existed in this world, and if one day he disappeared, she wouldn't even know where to look for him.

Luo Wanqing's heart tightened as she turned over, unable to resist touching the short flute at her waist.

At this moment, there was the sound of wings outside, and Luo Wanqing recognized the sound. She hurriedly stuck her head out and saw an eagle flying through the night. Seeing Luo Wanqing, it flew straight toward her, landing by the window.

Luo Wanqing immediately became happy. "Chuisi?"

Chuisi tilted its head and lifted one foot.

Luo Wanqing saw the message attached and quickly took it down. It read: "Not halfway through the mountains and rivers, already missing you."

******

When Luo Wanqing left East Capital by boat, Li Guiyu was playing chess with Li Zong in the palace.

The two were locked in a fierce battle, and Li Zong chuckled lightly. "In this palace, only Heng'er could play chess so passionately before. Now that you're back, there's another Guiyu. You truly are My Precious Jade Returned."

"It is an honor to be praised by Father Emperor."

Li Guiyu answered respectfully.

Li Zong slowly placed a piece and sighed. "All these years you've been wandering outside, I've never known. It's my fault."

"It was also due to this son losing his memory; otherwise, I would have returned long ago." Li Guiyu didn't let Li Zong take responsibility and said gently, "But now that I'm back, being able to reunite with Father Emperor is enough."

"During five years in Jiangnan, Guiyu must have gained much, right?"

Li Zong's question carried a deeper meaning. Li Guiyu didn't answer immediately but placed a piece on the board, considering his words. "What kind of gains does Father Emperor refer to?"

"I've received some information," Li Zong's tone was calm. "I heard your benefactor has something in his possession."

Upon hearing this, Li Guiyu paused slightly. After a moment, he understood what Li Zong meant.

The Supervision Division already knew quite a bit, and now that Zheng Biyue had fallen into their hands, the evidence was clear. From Li Zong's tone, Xie Heng must have told them everything.

He no longer concealed anything and smiled. "That's correct. Before the city fell at the border, I saw Cui Qingping send something away, with Luo Qushu as the recipient. Coincidentally, this son was saved by Luo Qushu. To be honest, before returning, I intended to obtain this item from Luo Qushu and present it to Father Emperor."

Li Zong smiled without speaking, seemingly satisfied. He picked up a piece and tapped it against the table. "Unfortunately, you weren't successful. Now that the Supervision Division has the information, they've already sent someone."

Upon hearing this, Li Guiyu's heart tightened, but he remained composed. "Director Xie always understands Father Emperor's intentions best."

"Yes," Li Zong sighed. "If I don't let him retrieve it, he'll feel uneasy. There shouldn't be any rifts between us as emperor and minister. Still, some things, I believe, should be held by our Li descendants."

Upon hearing this, Li Guiyu raised his eyes and probed, "What does Father Emperor mean?"

"A country without a crown prince is unstable. You were the ideal choice for both seniority and primogeniture. Returning the Six Rate Armies to the Northern Fourth Army shows your wisdom and filial piety. But you've been gone too long and need more testing. Guiyu," Li Zong raised his eyes and looked at him with a smile. "Bring the item back."

Listening to Li Zong's words, Li Guiyu fully understood his intentions.

If he brought the item back, he would be the crown prince.

He heard Li Zong's promise and unhesitatingly placed a piece, lowering his eyes. "Yes."

"It's late."

Li Zong looked at the chessboard and waved his hand. "Go rest and set off as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Li Guiyu stood up and bowed to Li Zong. Then, as if remembering something, he looked up. "Can Father Emperor tell this son who from the Supervision Division went to Jiangnan to investigate this item?"

"You know them."

Li Zong picked up the pieces one by one. "Liu Xiniang."

Li Guiyu's expression shifted slightly. He bowed and said respectfully, "This son will not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations."

After saying this, Li Guiyu turned and left. Outside the palace, Zhang Bo waited at the door. Li Guiyu approached with a cold face and calmly said, "His Majesty wants me to go to Jiangnan and bring back Cui Qingping's token. I'm preparing to leave tomorrow. Have Qingzhu send all the remains in the mansion to Jiangnan. Also, pass this news to Lords Wang and Zheng, telling them I will go to Jiangnan to seize the token, so they can rest assured."

Hearing this, Zhang Bo was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Send it to Lords Wang and Zheng?"

"They may already know about sending people to pursue those going to Jiangnan." Li Guiyu analyzed. "I might as well notify them first as a favor."

"Your Highness," Zhang Bo hesitated after hearing Li Guiyu's words. "Who are you standing with now?"

He was the emperor's son, of the Wang lineage, and the Zheng family's designated son-in-law.

He played both sides, pleasing three parties.

Upon hearing this, Li Guiyu closed his eyes and spoke coldly. "Myself."

******

Luo Wanqing got up after sleeping and quietly disembarked with Zhang Yiran and the others when the ship docked, switching to land travel to Yangzhou.

When she came from Yangzhou, she had taken a mountain road, so she had some experience. She followed the mountain road and circled back.

After circling for half a month, the four of them finally arrived in Yangzhou, dusty and weary.

Seeing the gates of Yangzhou, Cui Heng teared up and rushed forward, exclaiming, "We're here! We're here! We made it!"

Xingling grabbed his collar and pulled him back, turning to look at Luo Wanqing and Zhang Yiran. "Should we report directly to the government office or go to an inn?"

"Tattered and worn, let's go to the inn first."

Zhang Yiran looked at Luo Wanqing: "What does Xiniang think?"

Throughout their journey, they had become much more familiar with each other.

Luo Wanqing knew that it was best to present themselves decently when meeting local officials, so she agreed with Zhang Yiran's suggestion, nodding: "Alright, let's do that."

The four of them made their decision and took their documents, queuing up to enter the city amidst the crowd.

Today, Yangzhou was as bustling as usual. After waiting for a long time, it was finally their turn. Zhang Yiran stepped forward and handed over their identity documents. The soldier's expression changed upon seeing them, but he did not make a fuss, instead becoming more respectful and promptly allowing the four of them entry.

Seeing this, Luo Wanqing realized that the local government must have already been informed of their arrival and had given instructions to the gatekeepers in advance.

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the city, someone followed them. Xingling immediately became alert, whispering: "Someone is following us."

"An official."

Luo Wanqing wasn't surprised, glancing at the person who had caught up with them and calmly saying: "Let's go to the inn."

The four of them found a bustling inn to stay in. After washing up, they were about to go downstairs for a meal when they noticed the previously lively atmosphere had turned unusually quiet. All the previous guests had been ushered out, and even the tables and chairs had been moved aside, leaving the hall spacious. Only a group of local officials dressed in colorful robes stood in the center. Upon seeing Luo Wanqing and the others come down, there was a loud bang as fireworks went off, and streamers rained down from above. Immediately after, drums and gongs began to sound outside. A group of officials knelt on the ground, loudly proclaiming: "We welcome Your Excellency Zhang and Your Excellency Cui to Yangzhou. May both of you be blessed with prosperity and longevity."

Everyone present was startled by this display. It took quite some time before Cui Heng, the most experienced and senior among them, recovered first. He hurriedly ran down the stairs and helped the foremost official to his feet: "You're too kind, my fellow colleagues!"

As Cui Heng went down, Zhang Yiran quickly led Luo Wanqing and the others down as well. By the time they arrived, Cui Heng was already chatting amicably with the man in front, as if they were long-lost brothers.

When Luo Wanqing and the others came over and stood still, Cui Heng introduced them to the people in front: "This is Imperial Censorate's Zhang Yiran, Your Excellency Zhang. These two behind him are Si Shi sent by the Supervision Division to protect us. This is Si Shi Xingling."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun hastily led the officials behind him to bow: "Greetings, Your Excellency Xingling."

"This is Liu Xiniang, Si Shi Liu."

"Greetings..."

Before Zhou Chun and the female official behind him could finish speaking, they rose from their bows. As soon as they raised their heads and saw Luo Wanqing's face, they froze.

Luo Wanqing knew what they were looking at and smiled gently: "What's wrong, Your Excellencies?"

"Oh..." Zhou Chun snapped back to reality, his expression somewhat grim. "Si Shi Liu looks familiar."

"This is a new face given to me by the Supervision Division for the mission," Luo Wanqing explained. "If you find me familiar, we might have met before."

Hearing this, Zhou Chun and the female official behind him sighed in relief, only to immediately realize something was amiss.

The Si Shi in front of them had taken on Luo Wanqing's face for a mission. What was the Supervision Division investigating?

The officials present were uneasy, but Luo Wanqing pretended not to notice their unease and smiled at Cui Heng: "Sir Cui, who are these gentlemen?"

"This is Prefect Zhou Chun, Your Excellency Zhou," Cui Heng said, quickly introducing Luo Wanqing and the others. "This female official is Prison Officer Sun Cui, and this is Registrar..."

There were many officials from Yangzhou, but Cui Heng had an excellent memory and managed to introduce everyone in no time.

Everyone marveled at Cui Heng's memory, praising him. Cui Heng smiled and played mediator, and the atmosphere soon became warm. Zhou Chun and Sun Cui, among others, relaxed when they saw nothing unusual about Luo Wanqing.

Luo Wanqing watched them quietly.

She didn't bother remembering the names of these officials—she wouldn't remember them anyway. She focused all her attention on Zhou Chun and Sun Cui, watching them joke around with Cui Heng and Zhang Yiran.

In fact, not only did Zhou Chun and Sun Cui remember her face; she remembered theirs as well.

And only today did she realize how clearly she remembered them.

On the day of the raid, it was they who led people into the Luo Residence.

Thinking about how they stormed into her home and the results of Luo Qushu's autopsy, a murderous intent arose within her.

But she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she wore a gentle smile and placed her hand on the hilt of Xiling, unconsciously caressing it.

During her time in the East Capital, she had learned to hide her true feelings.

She placed her hands behind her back and watched as Cui Heng chatted with them. Finally, Cui Heng said: "Your Excellencies, there's no need for us all to stand. We haven't eaten yet, so why don't we ask the innkeeper to prepare some dishes? We can sit and eat while we chat."

Hearing this, Zhou Chun hurriedly suggested: "Why not go to the largest restaurant in Yangzhou..."

"There's no need," Zhang Yiran said coldly. "We are here on inspection duty, not for leisure. We cannot indulge in extravagance."

Zhou Chun's expression stiffened at these words, but he quickly said: "Yes, Your Excellency is right. Since Your Excellencies have traveled far, let's have something simple to eat for now. Tonight, Lady Ji, the wealthiest person in Yangzhou, has long admired Your Excellencies. Hearing of your arrival, she has specially arranged a banquet to welcome and honor you, showing hospitality on behalf of Yangzhou."

"There's no need for that," Zhang Yiran refused coldly. "We are here to inspect, not to sightsee. There's no need to disturb the people."

Hearing this, the officials of Yangzhou fell silent. Zhou Chun glanced at Cui Heng, who quickly said: "Your Excellency Zhang doesn't enjoy leisure activities and is dedicated to public service. He is a diligent official. We appreciate the intentions of Your Excellencies, but our time is limited. Let's consider this meal as a welcoming feast and not arrange another banquet."

With Cui Heng's words, the expressions of the Yangzhou officials improved. Zhou Chun hurriedly gestured for everyone to follow him into a private room, smiling: "Let's have our meal here, and we'll talk about the situation in Yangzhou."

He led several higher-ranking officials to accompany Luo Wanqing and the others into the private room.

The waiter promptly served small dishes and drinks as everyone settled in. Under Cui Heng's invitation, they exchanged pleasantries. Then, Zhang Yiran immediately got down to business.

"The purpose of our inspection this time is mainly fourfold. First, we will verify the tax expenditure accounts over the past few years to see if they are normal. Second, we will inspect various storage warehouses to ensure they are properly stocked according to regulations. Third, we will review case files from recent years to check for any miscarriages of justice. Lastly, we will accept petitions from the people to see if there are any cases that have not been handled."

It was clear that Zhang Yiran had thought through his words carefully. As soon as he finished, the entire room fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, but Zhang Yiran seemed oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and continued: "Tomorrow, I will start reviewing the accounts and case files. I hope you all will cooperate."

"This..."

All the officials of Yangzhou looked at Zhou Chun, who smiled and nodded: "Of course, we will cooperate. However, none of the previous imperial censors have been as meticulous as Your Excellency Zhang. Your Excellency Zhang, you should also take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

"Thank you for Your Excellency Zhou's concern," Zhang Yiran, who had weathered many storms in the Imperial Censorate, responded directly. "But I'm young, so there's no need for Your Excellency to worry."

His words indirectly criticized almost all the officials present. Local officials were generally older, and hearing Zhang Yiran's words, Zhou Chun struggled to maintain his smile: "Your Excellency Zhang is joking. As long as Your Excellency is willing, we will fully cooperate!"

"We'll collect the ledger later then."

When Zhang Yiran spoke, no one at the scene dared to say a word. Zhou Chun looked at Zhang Yiran and said through gritted teeth, "Alright, Chief Sun," Then, Zhou Chun looked at Sun Shoucheng, who was in charge of managing various records and ledgers, "Later, you will take Lord Zhang there."

Upon hearing this, Sun Shoucheng hastily wiped his sweat and replied, "Yes."

"Is there anything else that I can assist with?" Zhou Chun looked up at Zhang Yiran.

Just as Zhang Yiran was about to bow his hand in thanks, Luo Wanqing’s voice came from beside him, "Actually, there is one more matter. I would like to inquire something from Lord Zhou."

As soon as Luo Wanqing spoke, everyone turned to look at her.

Her voice was clear and gentle, but her tone carried the softness unique to southerners, along with the fragile beauty of chime stones, making her even more captivating when paired with the sword at her waist.

Hearing this, Zhou Chun smiled and stared at Luo Wanqing’s face, warily saying, "Si Shi Liu, please speak."

"I have an old friend whose case has always puzzled me, so I wanted to ask about it."

"An old friend of Si Shi Liu is a distinguished guest of mine," Zhou Chun said politely, "If our Yangzhou officials can be of any help, Si Shi Liu need only ask."

"It's like this."

Luo Wanqing smiled and slowly said, "My old friend's father was originally an ordinary merchant. One day, the soldiers suddenly broke into their home and found unfinished raw salt, claiming he was a salt smuggler. They arrested him and threw him into prison. Later, he committed suicide in prison, and his family died on the way to exile. This time, while in Yangzhou, I had a dream where she begged me to clear her name. I couldn't rest easy, so I wanted to request your permission to bring the records to me tonight so I can see what really happened."

Hearing this, Zhou Chun furrowed his brow and probed, "May I ask what is the name of your old friend, Si Shi Liu?"

"She surnamed Luo."

As soon as Luo Wanqing said this, Zhou Chun’s expression changed. Luo Wanqing savored his unease and said gently, "Her name is Luo Wanqing, and her father’s name is Luo Qushu. I wonder if any of the lords here know them?"

No one present spoke. The officials of Yangzhou looked at each other. After a long while, Sun Cui, who had been silent, frowned and asked in confusion, "How did Si Shi Liu become acquainted with Miss Luo?"

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing turned to look at her with a smile, "Because when we were in Yangzhou Prison, we shared a cell."

Hearing this, everyone was somewhat surprised, and the officials of Yangzhou subconsciously looked at Sun Cui.

As the prison official, Sun Cui was the most familiar with the prisoners present.

However, with so many prisoners under her care, it was difficult for her to remember all of them. She just stared at Luo Wanqing’s face and frowned, "Si Shi Liu also stayed in Yangzhou Prison?"

"That’s right, you must have forgotten." Luo Wanqing looked at her with a smile. Although her tone was gentle, it seemed poisonous to everyone present, making them feel a chill in their hearts.

She smiled at Sun Cui, raised a cup of wine, and said gently,

"But I still remember you, Warden."

Author's note:

"Side Scene"

Xie Heng: "I've bid farewell to many people at the mountain gate. Finally, there came a day when I had someone I could not send off."

"Summary of the chapter"

1. Important new information compared to the previous version:

(1) Increased the plot conflict between the male and female leads: The female lead knows Xie Heng's fate from his previous life and knows that his first crime was the attempted assassination of the Crown Prince. She originally wanted to change this, but after the death of Zhang Jiuran and the male lead's attitude, the female lead assumed he was no different from other high-ranking officials. Thus, she decided to assassinate the Crown Prince, and Xie Heng covered for her. Luo Wanqing realized that she had pushed Xie Heng towards his previous fate. She knew his second crime was framing The Eastern Palace's Six Armies, and she wanted to change this. However, by coincidence, under Cui Heng's encouragement, she helped Xie Heng complete the "framing of The Eastern Palace's Six Armies" and began to accept Xie Heng as a martyr, believing that death was his ultimate destiny.

(2) Adjusted the progress of the relationship between the male and female leads: The male lead has already expressed his feelings but does not seek a future. The female lead is focused on revenge and doesn't want to delve too deeply into their relationship, but she hopes the male lead will be well and isn't resistant to it. Apart from the kiss in this chapter, their physical contact is limited to the 74/75 Music Festival, where the female lead thought her interaction with the male lead was due to the effects of drugs, and the forced kiss during the 87/88 confession. All other intimate scenes from the previous version have been removed.

(3) Enhanced Li Guiyu's character depth and modified the progress of his relationship with the female lead: In the previous version, Li Guiyu recognized the female lead at first sight but refused to acknowledge it until he eventually revealed that he had known all along. In this version, the relationship develops gradually. Initially, Li Guiyu sees the female lead as a pawn of the Supervision Division, using each other for mutual benefit. During this process, he discovers traces of Luo Wanqing and becomes attracted to her, admiring her yet restraining himself. He wants to touch her but is afraid. When the female lead assassinates the Crown Prince and uses his knife to kill, he begins to doubt her. He sets a trap to bring the female lead closer to verify his suspicions, but she doesn't come, dispelling his thoughts. He believes that regardless of love or hate, he is the most important person in Luo Wanqing's heart. Later, when Luo Wanqing plays the pipa for Xie Heng's birthday on the street, Li Guiyu recognizes her playing style and follows her, seeing the two of them running away under the fireworks. To test whether the female lead is the pipa player from that night, he deliberately lures her into the music festival. There, he confirms her identity, but she denies it. Li Guiyu hesitates and dares not recognize her. To verify his suspicions and convince himself, he sends someone to dig up all the bodies from the landslide in Jiangnan and brings them to East Capital. Subsequently, they scheme against each other. The female lead gains fame in East Capital and is imprisoned, but Li Guiyu, intending to save her, finds that she has already left prison. The female lead, knowing Li Guiyu's past, mistakenly assumes that his unwillingness to let go stems from his inability to let go of the past. She tries to persuade Li Guiyu, and he faces her with a gentler attitude, becoming afraid that she wants to let him go.

(4) Disclosed information about Xie Heng's past: In the previous version, Xie Heng played the zither while overseeing his mother's execution, with blood splattering across the execution ground. In this version, during the music festival, on the day Xie Heng won the championship, his mother entered the palace and died tragically inside, with the Empress and Crown Prince nowhere to be found. Xie Heng entered the palace to save his mother and was subdued by the three masters—Wang Qingfeng, Zheng Daochu, and Yang Chun—having his bones broken and tendons shattered. In prison, he met Zhang Chunzi and learned bone shaping. While in prison, he became addicted to datura but persisted in shaping his bones to regain his martial arts skills. He later obtained the opportunity to leave prison by divulging information about the Empress and Crown Prince. On the day of his release, the Empress ordered his death. Outside the palace, he was surrounded by people from the Cui clan who asked him to save someone and smashed his zither. He admitted that he couldn't save anyone. Afterwards, he sought refuge with the emperor and intercepted the Cui clan members who escaped from prison at Qingyun Ferry (where the female lead bade farewell to her mother), finally executing the remaining members of the Cui clan, earning the trust of the imperial family and establishing the Supervision Division.

(5) Disclosed information about Li Guiyu's past: In the previous version, Li Guiyu's disclosed information reached the point where he watched his master die in Beirong. This version has not yet covered Li Guiyu witnessing his master's tragic death in Beirong. It only covers his journey to Beirong as a hostage for his country and mother, his escape back to East Capital, being pursued by his mother, and being saved by Luo Wanqing.

(6) Plotline information: "I'll fill in the gaps tomorrow, I'm out of energy now."