Qin Guan took the bundle and opened it. Inside were two handwritten manuscripts—drafts of memorials submitted to superiors and official documents detailing case circumstances. Naturally, the latter part of the previous Record Collection was also included. With just a quick glance, Qin Guan noticed numerous details about Prince Jin’s case, and her heart trembled with shock.
Zhao Xun said, "I was merely a lowly clerk back then. Within the yamen, I served under Lord Shen for a long time, but outside the office, I knew nothing. I only recall that Prince Jin’s case erupted in early June, yet by early July, Lord Shen already believed Prince Jin was wrongfully accused. After hesitating for two days, he reported it upward. The Emperor summoned Lord Shen to the palace, and after that, Lord Shen became tight-lipped about the case, rarely speaking of it. He only frequently visited the Celestial Prison to see Prince Jin. The rumors began around that time..."
"Prince Jin was then overseeing the Ministry of Rites, a relatively idle department with little interaction with Lord Shen. Yet because of this case, such talk spread. Later..."
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. "Was it the current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Li Muyun, who exposed it?"
Zhao Xun nodded. "Yes, it was Minister Li who exposed it. Minister Li was promoted entirely by Lord Shen’s hand. We never expected such a thing to happen. There was no reason for Minister Li to act this way—ordinarily, he held Lord Shen in high regard. These matters among superiors are beyond my understanding. I merely thought Lord Shen’s writings might be useful, so I kept them, thinking... Ah, I didn’t have any grand plans—I just felt it wasn’t right..."
The night was deep. Though the day had been clear, there was no Haoyue in sight now.
Haoyue was obscured by gloomy clouds, much like Qin Guan’s heart, shrouded in heavy shadows.
Zhao Xun added, "I know little else. The case involved a prince, and Lord Shen didn’t say much about it anyway. We merely followed his orders."
Qin Guan nodded, understanding Zhao Xun’s predicament. "What are your plans now?"
Zhao Xun smiled bitterly. "I can’t return to the capital. My mother is gravely ill, and I wish to stay home with her. All these years, I’ve been in the capital, thinking I could achieve great things someday, but now..."
His face was etched with bitterness, youth already bearing the marks of hardship. Once driven by ambition, he had watched his superior—a third-rank official—meet ruin and destruction, dimming his own thirst for power. Yet, he remained grateful for his superior’s mentorship, resentful of the injustice and wrongful accusations.
Qin Guan nodded. "Very well, thank you."
Zhao Xun shook his head without speaking. Given the status of Qin Guan and Yan Chi, they could have forced him in countless ways. But since Yan Chi and Qin Guan adhered to propriety, and he himself harbored discontent, why not tell them?
"I am but a humble man. If the truth of this matter is ever uncovered, if Lord Shen was truly wronged, on the day justice is revealed, I will light three sticks of incense at home to honor Lord Shen’s spirit."
Qin Guan looked at Zhao Xun, her gratitude growing more sincere. Her father had always treated others with kindness in life; knowing he had earned such loyalty from Zhao Xun would surely comfort him in the afterlife. "Rest assured, we will not disturb you again, and no one will ever know of this matter."Zhao Xun nodded. With that, Qin Guan and Yan Chi had nothing more to say. They bid farewell to Zhao Xun and his wife, returning to the farmhouse where they were staying. As soon as they arrived, Qin Guan couldn't resist opening the case files and official documents. Upon reading them, her heart sank.
“No wonder the case files were nowhere to be found. This document must be the first statement my father submitted after interrogating Prince Jin. It states that on the night of the ninth day of the sixth month, after the palace banquet, Prince Jin, intoxicated, went to the Imperial Garden with his personal attendant to sober up. Coincidentally, the place where he sobered up was near Consort Jin’s palace. Prince Jin claimed he only went over after hearing Consort Jin’s screams!”
Qin Guan looked up at Yan Chi. “Prince Jin heard the screams first—meaning that by the time he reached Consort Jin, she had already been killed. Not only that, but Prince Jin was accompanied by his attendant. So where is that attendant?”
As she spoke, Qin Guan hurriedly flipped through the other official documents and case files. After reviewing them, she shook her head. “Nothing. The attendant’s testimony isn’t mentioned here. Lord Shen’s subsequent writings don’t mention this person either…”
Baiying and Bai Feng stood guard outside, leaving the room empty. Just as Qin Guan finished speaking, a night wind suddenly rose outside the window, howling and rustling the tree shadows. Soon, the pitter-patter of raindrops began to fall.
Summer rains always arrive swiftly and fiercely. The sound of the rain, mingled with the howling wind, made Qin Guan’s voice unusually low. She never imagined that she would finally see the official documents of Prince Jin’s case in this remote farmhouse, hundreds of miles from the capital. Qin Guan’s back was rigid with tension, her lips pressed tightly together, her entire being radiating sharp anger.
Yan Chi stood behind her, his warm hand resting on her shoulder. He gently stroked her shoulder, but Qin Guan felt her throat grow unbearably hoarse. “This document must have been submitted. Unfortunately, at the time, there was no one around Consort Jin, and Prince Jin’s attendant had vanished. Prince Jin’s testimony repeated the same explanation over and over, but those in power refused to believe it. My father had no recourse. The so-called ‘caught in the act’ of Prince Jin assassinating Consort Jin was nothing but a fabricated charge!”
Qin Guan’s heart swelled with both fury and pain. She had returned from death for over half a year, and the initial grief of awakening had long been suppressed. But now, seeing her father’s familiar handwriting, that sorrow and rage resurfaced, raw and vivid before her eyes. In an instant, the memory of that night—surrounded by imperial guards—flashed in her mind, as though countless arrows were once again piercing her heart.
Qin Guan’s delicate fists clenched so tightly that her veins bulged. The case file made it abundantly clear: Was it truly the Emperor who refused to believe, or were there others meddling in this case? Why did Li Muyun expose it? And what evidence did he have to do so?
Qin Guan opened Shen Yi’s Record Collection and read it word by word. As she did, a storm of emotions surged within her. Shen Yi’s Record Collection was a private document, containing not only numerous conjectures about the case but also other statements Prince Jin made during the interrogation. It even included speculations from lower officials like Li Muyun.
“This doesn’t make sense… Li Muyun initially shared Lord Shen’s perspective…”
Qin Guan pointed to a section in the Record Collection. “Look here—it says, ‘Discussed with Muyun, who concurred and raised three additional points…’ He clearly also believed Prince Jin’s case was unjust. So why did he end up being the one to expose Lord Shen?”Qin Guan's eyes were slightly red, the word "anger" insufficient to describe her feelings.
Li Muyun's drastic change must have had a reason, but who was behind it?!
Yan Chi sat beside Qin Guan, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She was unusually agitated, having lost the near-cold rationality she typically maintained when handling other cases... Yan Chi didn't want to ponder the reason, only wishing to comfort her.
Seeing this, the doubts surrounding the case became clearer. One could even conclude now that Prince Jin had been wrongfully accused, and Shen Yi had been framed as well. Li Muyun had served as Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review back then, a position recommended by Shen Yi himself. Yet later, it was Li Muyun's testimony that ultimately sealed Shen Yi's conviction!
"Wan'er, Li Muyun's sudden change must have been driven by external forces. As Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review, only someone of high status could pressure him. In such a major case involving princes, favored consorts, and court officials, the only explanation I can think of is the struggle for the throne. Only that could stir up such turmoil."
Politics was always cruel—there was only one emperor's seat, yet more than one person coveted it. After much thought, Qin Guan could only connect it to the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng. At that time, the Crown Prince (then Prince Yong) and Prince Cheng had already begun their rivalry. But her father never involved himself in factional struggles, and Prince Jin seemed to have remained aloof as well.
"Lord Shen was an upright official from a humble background, he wouldn't get involved..."
Yan Chi shook his head, "Have you forgotten? Lord Shen's daughter was designated as the official consort of Prince Yong back then."
Qin Guan's spine stiffened instantly. Yes, how could she have forgotten? This time last year, she had already been designated as Prince Yong's official consort. In others' eyes, her father was clearly aligned with Prince Yong's faction!
Her heart ached as if pierced by knives. She never wanted to become Prince Yong's consort...
Noticing Qin Guan's emotional turmoil, Yan Chi held her tighter. "Regardless of what Shen Yi himself thought, he was undoubtedly seen as part of Prince Yong's faction back then. Although Prince Jin didn't participate in factional struggles, he controlled the Ministry of Rites at the time. Though the ministry had limited power, some court officials followed Prince Jin's example of remaining neutral. When the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng fought fiercely, they would inevitably drive the upright officials toward Prince Jin, whose reputation for virtue naturally made others wary."
Not everyone in the court was eager to flatter and take sides—some preferred not to align themselves early. When the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng employed underhanded tactics, these upright officials would turn to Prince Jin, who stayed above the fray.
Outside the window, the wind howled and rain fell heavily, large drops pounding against the windowsill. Moisture seeped through the cracks, making Qin Guan feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Only Yan Chi's warmth offered her some solace.
Qin Guan took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, her gaze had regained composure and restraint.
She ceased her futile speculations and continued reading Shen Yi's Record Collection, which contained far more complex and detailed accounts.
"Prince Jin only mentioned hearing a scream, but when he reached Consort Jin's side, no one was there. Who killed Consort Jin? It must have been someone from the palace, but why would they assassinate Consort Jin..."
"Where did Prince Jin's servant go? Father made no mention of it—the person definitely wasn't in the Celestial Prison."
"Prince Jin suspected Consort Jin's death was related to harem conflicts...""Prince Jin seemed to have reservations... yet he never spoke plainly to Lord Shen..."
Qin Guan looked at the second-to-last page of the Record Collection. "This is already Lord Shen's tenth visit to Prince Jin. It's written here that Prince Jin seemed to hesitate as if bearing some unspoken difficulty, yet he never clarified, only insisting he was definitely not the murderer."
Qin Guan turned to look at Yan Chi. "What difficulty is Prince Jin facing?"
Yan Chi frowned deeply. At this critical moment of life and death, what could Prince Jin possibly not dare to speak about?!
"Prince Jin has upheld the Path of sages since childhood, holding justice and righteousness in his heart. He would never admit to something he didn't do, and what he doesn't speak about either concerns the royal family's reputation, or speaking would not ensure his safety—it might even hasten his death..."
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. "If it only involves the royal family's reputation, then it must be some secret about a favored consort? What matter concerning Consort Jin could be a royal scandal? But if speaking would make him even less safe, then..."
Qin Guan couldn't fathom it, yet an inexplicable chill ran down her spine. What could make a prince of the realm feel such fear? Even if it could help prove his innocence, even if it could reveal the truth, he still wouldn't dare to speak of it?!
As Qin Guan continued reading, she turned to the final page. Her pupils suddenly contracted. "Prince Jin told Lord Shen to leave the capital."
To this day, Qin Guan still couldn't understand why her father—that upright, incorruptible official who stood alone for his principles—would ultimately choose to flee with his entire family. Such behavior inevitably made people think her father wasn't innocent, yet he still did it. There could only be one reason: her father knew his family wouldn't survive, so he resorted to this last-ditch measure. They ultimately didn't escape, but Qin Guan never expected it was Prince Jin who had advised her father to leave.
This Record Collection entry was likely written during the daytime of July 18th, probably after her father returned from his morning visit to the Celestial Prison and added a few notes at the government office. Her father's handwriting was typically neat and dignified, but these lines were somewhat hurried and messy. It was clear her father had been somewhat panicked at that moment. His final sentence wasn't even completed.
Qin Guan still remembered that last day. Her father had been worried for many days, yet he went to the government office on time every day. That day, before leaving, he sat alone in his study for a while. When she brought him tea, she saw his hunched profile. The Prince Jin case had been ongoing for a month, yet her father seemed to have aged several years. At that time, she only thought it was because the case involved the royal family that her father found it difficult, never considering that her father might have learned the hidden truth behind the case.
"'Prince Jin's words still echo in my ears. When justice cannot prevail, great calamity approaches.' These were Lord Shen's final words. It seems during this last visit to Prince Jin, Prince Jin told Lord Shen something. Prince Jin advised Lord Shen to leave, which also answered Lord Shen's doubts. That's why Lord Shen said 'great calamity approaches,' and why he took his family and fled that very night..."
Qin Guan's voice lowered, as if afraid someone outside might hear. Her heavy words, accompanied by the raging storm outside, felt increasingly oppressive. Yan Chi also carefully examined Shen Yi's handwriting stroke by stroke, his heart sinking as well.Qin Guan fell silent as she read the last line written by Shen Yi. Her father must have struggled for a long time before deciding to flee after writing that final sentence. But within the imperial city, where could he possibly escape? The blood and flames of that day felt vividly close. That night, whose eyes had been lurking in the shadows, witnessing that silent slaughter?
Neither Qin Guan nor Yan Chi spoke for a while. Listening to the torrential rain outside, they both sensed a premonition—a storm far greater than this was about to crash down upon the power and splendor of the capital!
And Prince Jin’s case might very well be the spark that ignited this storm!
OpenNovel