"Your Highness, it's confirmed. It's him. Xu Qinghe served with Wang Han at the West Gate garrison for a year and is one of those who knows Wang Han best. He observed carefully outside and confirmed without doubt that it is indeed Wang Han."
After Lu Xiao finished speaking, the faint unease in Yan Qi's heart finally dissipated.
Yan Chi was more formidable than he had imagined, yet he couldn't quite grasp the extent of his capabilities. Although this matter could be considered a completed transaction, he feared Yan Chi might set traps for him.
Yan Qi was no pushover himself, but having grown up in the capital, he preferred maintaining surface decorum in all matters. Yan Chi was different—steeped in ten years of frontier warfare in Shuoxi, accustomed to bloodshed and deceit, he had even less restraint than Yan Qi.
After a moment's contemplation, Yan Qi said, "Go question him. No torture for now. Gauge his attitude first."
Lu Xiao snorted lightly, "This subordinate believes torture is unnecessary. With just a test earlier, he confessed everything. He said Prince Yan Chi found him outside the city when he was planning to return to the capital to retrieve his deposited money. Unexpectedly, he was spotted by the Empress's people and nearly killed. It was Prince Yan Chi who saved him, and he seems quite grateful to His Highness..."
Yan Qi raised an eyebrow with a peculiar smile. Saving someone, earning their gratitude, then immediately betraying them.
Yan Chi, ah Yan Chi, I never knew you had such a character before.
"What else? Did he say anything more?"
Lu Xiao continued, "This subordinate hasn't questioned him about the Empress's affairs yet, but he should already know Her Majesty intends to eliminate him. If he remains silent, we certainly won't let him off. This subordinate believes Your Highness should interrogate him personally."
Yan Qi snorted, "Not worth my personal attention. You conduct the first round of interrogation."
As Lu Xiao nodded, he noticed Yan Qi examining the name list and asked, "Is Your Highness truly going to assist Prince Yan Chi?"
Narrowing his eyes, Yan Qi felt full of reluctance and resentment. Yet he knew Yan Chi would inevitably discover whether he had helped or not. Rubbing his temples, Yan Qi thought dealing with the Crown Prince alone was already overwhelming—now he had to contend with Yan Chi who hovered between enemy and ally!
"Tell Zheng Xincheng to rescue them. If they can be recruited for our use, do so. If not, just seize their authority but keep them alive for now. That Lin Xugui isn't our man anyway—no need to give him too much face."
Understanding Yan Qi's meaning, Lu Xiao acknowledged and turned to leave.
Though the order was relayed, Yan Qi's dissatisfaction grew. With this command issued, Yan Chi's demand would be fulfilled, leaving Yan Qi with the feeling of having yielded under duress, as if forced by Yan Chi's blade.
Gritting his teeth, Yan Qi slammed a fist on the desk.
Two hours later, Wang Han's confession landed on Yan Qi's desk.
Frowning at the document, Yan Qi muttered, "So the Empress eliminated Song Xiwen just to frame Prince Jin for Consort Jin's murder?" The more he read, the more incredulous he became. "The Empress interrogated Song Xiwen and planned to bring him to Prince Jin Manor to fabricate evidence against Prince Jin, but Song Xiwen refused and committed suicide in the manor, then was buried in the backyard?"
Yan Qi sighed in frustration, "Weren't there people in Prince Jin Manor at that time?"Lu Xiao also furrowed his brow and said, "At that time, Prince Jin Manor... had already been sealed off. However... Wang Han said they went to Prince Jin Manor late at night. The main courtyard had already been searched once by the Household Affairs Department. All the lower-ranking servants in Prince Jin Manor had been dismissed, and no one dared to go near the main courtyard..."
Yan Qi looked at Lu Xiao, "Why is it so strange... If the Empress wanted to frame Prince Jin, she could have just sent her own people. Why did she bring Song Xiwen back to Prince Jin Manor?"
Lu Xiao replied, "Because only Song Xiwen knew the location of Prince Jin's secret chamber. Song Xiwen claimed he could place evidence of the affair between Consort Jin and Prince Jin inside the chamber. Wang Han said that initially, Song Xiwen pretended to agree to the Empress's plan, but... once they reached Prince Jin Manor, Song Xiwen tried to seize the opportunity to escape. A struggle ensued, and as a result, Song Xiwen died."
Yan Qi frowned, "After he died, they just buried him on the spot? Who handled the matter at the time? If they were the Empress's people, they wouldn't be so..." Yan Qi was about to say "brainless," but then he reconsidered, thinking it wasn't entirely impossible. Song Xiwen was already dead—there was no way to bring a corpse back to the palace. Burying him on the spot—who would have thought there was a dead body in Prince Jin Manor?
People are often like this: the more they overthink, the more suspicious they become of everything, and the more they can rationalize any scenario. As a result, what seems true appears false, and what seems false might actually be true...
"The specific individuals involved are unknown. Wang Han only helped arrange for them to leave the palace. Later, we learned these details from Zhu Yucheng. Now that Zhu Yucheng is dead, it's our greatest loss!"
Yan Qi felt something was off in his heart, but he instinctively wanted to believe Wang Han's words!
Because Wang Han's account aligned with his expectations—as long as it could prove the Empress's guilt, then Wang Han's words must be true!
"Since the Empress wanted to frame Prince Jin, does that mean Prince Jin's death was also orchestrated by the Empress?"
Lu Xiao nodded, "If it wasn't us, then it must have been the Eastern Palace... Prince Jin was older than the Crown Prince, holding the advantage of seniority. No one could change that. Given the Empress's temperament, it's only natural she wouldn't tolerate Prince Jin."
Yan Qi looked at Lu Xiao and after a long pause said, "Don't you think this whole affair is very bizarre..."
Lu Xiao looked at Yan Qi, "Your Highness doesn't believe Wang Han's words?"
Yan Qi stroked his chin, "It's not that I don't believe Wang Han—it's that I don't trust Yan Chi."
"Then why did Your Highness agree to let Prince Yan Chi inherit the title..."
Yan Qi narrowed his eyes, "A title is nothing significant. Yang Han will handle that matter."
Lu Xiao nodded, "What should we do next? Push Wang Han forward?"
Yan Qi waved his hand, "Wang Han's testimony alone isn't enough, especially since he doesn't know exactly who carried out the deed for the Empress..."
Lu Xiao frowned, "Your Highness, there's another issue."
Yan Qi turned to Lu Xiao, who said, "If Prince Jin wasn't the one who killed Consort Jin, then how did Consort Jin die?"
Mentioning Consort Jin, Yan Qi's brow furrowed again. For a moment, he felt disoriented. He had only gotten involved in this case to bring down the Crown Prince—why did it now seem like he was the Minister of Justice or the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review!Yan Qi enjoyed scheming and plotting, but that didn't mean he liked pondering over these messy cases. However, to overthrow the Crown Prince, he had no choice but to sort out this case. At this moment, Yan Qi wished he had a capable person by his side who could deduce crimes and assign blame. Yet, Zheng Baishi was the Crown Prince's man, Qin Guan was the Crown Prince's sister-in-law, and the only one left was Li Muyun...
Ah, Li Muyun...
Yan Qi pondered for a moment. "This matter requires careful planning. We must guard against Zheng Baishi and Qin Guan for now, but Li Muyun... he could be useful."
Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness intends to use Li Muyun?"
Yan Qi nodded, then said meaningfully, "Don't forget, last year he did help us."
Lu Xiao seemed to recall something, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. "Speaking of which, it was quite surprising that he helped us."
Yan Qi curled his lips coldly and said nothing more.
......
In the Qin residence to the west, Qin Guan asked, "With this arrangement, will Yan Qi believe it?"
Yan Chi replied confidently, "He will. If Wang Han had said last year's incident had nothing to do with the Empress, Yan Qi would have been suspicious. He's convinced the Empress has something to hide, and now Wang Han's words confirm his suspicions. Why would he doubt it?"
Qin Guan smiled wryly. "I didn't expect you to arrange it this way..."
The internal strife between Yan Qi and the Crown Prince had been going on for some time. Yan Qi now intended to use Yan Chi, unaware that Yan Chi had already orchestrated everything. Yan Chi said, "You want to investigate this case, and Yan Qi wants to overthrow the Crown Prince. Since that's the case, let him help us investigate."
Qin Guan pursed her lips. "He'll likely keep this from Zheng Baishi and won't tell me either. That leaves only Li Muyun."
Yan Chi nodded. "You suspect Li Muyun, don't you? Let's see what choice he makes this time."
Hearing this, Qin Guan felt somewhat relieved. She suddenly realized that Yan Chi's plan of substitution was truly masterful. Given Yan Qi's stance and status, he was the most suitable to lead the investigation. The false testimony from Wang Han almost convinced Yan Qi that Prince Jin had been framed. Thus, clearing Prince Jin's name and overthrowing the Crown Prince became one and the same, and Yan Qi would spare no effort.
But... while this side was settled, another question arose in Qin Guan's mind.
"We all know this is just a story we made up on the spot. Wang Han couldn't find the burial site from last year at the foot of Qiwu Mountain, so we can't verify whether the body was moved. So far, we don't know if the body in the backyard is really Song Xiwen or how it got there. Was there someone around Prince Jin who resembled Song Xiwen?"
Not only did they both have foreign blood and similar heights, but even their past injuries were alike...
Unless there was another guard around Prince Jin who always acted alongside Song Xiwen.
However, Yan Chi shook his head. "No, my people found nothing. Prince Jin's most trusted guard was Song Xiwen."
A chill ran down Qin Guan's spine. Although she had decisively identified the corpse as Song Xiwen, it was a necessary measure—only by doing so could last year's case be reopened for investigation.
But if... someone had intentionally placed the body there, what was their motive?"The possibility of it being a coincidence is too slim. I feel uneasy—we made Yan Qi our pawn, but could it be... we've long been someone else's pawn?" Deep worry clouded Qin Guan's eyes.
Yan Chi had naturally considered this as well. "It's possible that Song Xiwen's real corpse is still at the foot of Qiwu Mountain, and we just haven't found it. When Wang Han went there last year, it was dark, and the ravines at the base of Qiwu Mountain are extremely chaotic and complex in terrain, all looking identical. It's normal for him not to remember clearly. As for the corpse in the backyard of Prince Jin Manor, perhaps..."
Yan Chi wanted to say it might be remains from long ago, but Qin Guan's Corpse Examination had confirmed the time of death.
Between June and July of last year—precisely when the Prince Jin case was stirring up a storm.
It was impossible for an unrelated murder to occur in Prince Jin's backyard during that time.
And if the deceased wasn't Song Xiwen, how many mysteries remained unsolved?!
But if the remains were indeed Song Xiwen's, then another chilling possibility emerged.
Someone had deliberately moved the corpse, and a year later, used this method to forcibly unveil last year's case. Coincidentally, it aligned with Qin Guan's desire to reinvestigate the old case, making everything proceed logically.
Yan Chi pressed his lips tightly. "You said the thing discovered is called Glutinous rice seed?"
At his question, Qin Guan nodded immediately, and Yan Chi recalled what Bai Feng had reported upon returning.
The ravines to the southeast of Qiwu Mountain were profoundly deep, with complex and varied terrain, dense damp forests, and several shaded, moist areas where clusters of Glutinous rice seed bushes grew visibly. If a body were buried there, the soil would likely be mixed with Glutinous rice seed fruits.
Yan Chi grasped Qin Guan's hand firmly. "The best scenario is that we encountered a coincidence—that corpse is insignificant, and the real Song Xiwen lies at the foot of Qiwu Mountain. We only need to use Song Xiwen's name to reopen the old case."
Qin Guan looked into Yan Chi's eyes. "And what if it's the worst scenario?"
Yan Chi brushed her cheek and smiled. "There is no worst. As long as we can uncover the truth, we fear neither good nor bad. As for the intentions of the person behind it, leave that to me."
Qin Guan's heart instantly eased. Yes, no matter what purpose that person had, Yan Chi was by her side, making her feel secure and fearless. "Sigh, perhaps we're overcomplicating things. No one remains from the former Prince Jin Manor now, but I truly don't believe everyone from Prince Jin Manor was utterly annihilated. Besides, there's still Consort He."
This was a name Qin Guan and Yan Chi seldom mentioned—Consort He, Prince Jin's birth mother.
Consort He was a maidservant favored by the emperor before he entered the palace. Due to her low status, even after bearing the eldest son, she was only granted the title of Consort He. After Prince Jin committed suicide by poison, Consort He also hanged herself in the palace.
Rumors said Prince Jin and his birth mother were not close, which was why Consort He's death went unnoticed amid the turmoil.
Yet, after all, she had been a royal consort for many years. Perhaps before her death, she had made other arrangements.
Yan Chi smiled. "If you hadn't mentioned her, I would have forgotten. This woman, who gave birth to the eldest son from a servant's position, was no simple character. Starting tomorrow, I'll have someone thoroughly investigate her life."Qin Guan nodded. Despite all these worries, she was still satisfied with the current outcome. She only hoped Yan Qi wouldn't disappoint her—this was Qin Guan's most unshakable obsession. She forcibly suppressed the unease brought by those few glutinous rice seeds.
Yan Chi pulled Qin Guan into his embrace, but his eyes darkened slightly.
Glutinous rice seeds—of all things, glutinous rice seeds. His premonition grew ominous.
If that person merely sought to investigate last year's old case, that would be one thing.
But if not, what was his purpose?
A chilly autumn wind slipped through the window crack. Yan Chi tightened his arms around her, suddenly feeling as if a sinister eye lurked somewhere in the shadows. Hidden in unseen darkness, it had been watching them unnoticed all along. When it saw Qin Guan conceal the glutinous rice seeds, when it saw Wang Han fall into Yan Chi's hands, when it saw the Empress and the Eastern Palace implicated as last year's old case was unearthed—it revealed a ghastly, eerie smile.
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