The cloth strip fell to the ground, revealing bloodstains underneath.
Xiao Yi’s gaze sharpened.
A blood letter?
Xiao Yi immediately grabbed Duoduo’s fingers, examining them one by one.
Duoduo didn’t understand—what was the matter with her father?
After checking each finger and finding no wounds, Xiao Yi was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly recalled Duoduo’s earlier odd behavior.
His expression darkened.
"Duoduo, do you not trust your father?"
Duoduo tilted her little head. "Father, why would you say that?"
Xiao Yi’s eyes coldly flicked toward the blood letter on the ground.
"One’s body, hair, and skin are gifts from one’s parents..." He trailed off, suddenly remembering that Duoduo was not his biological child.
Following Xiao Yi’s gaze, Duoduo finally noticed the blood letter.
She let go of Xiao Yi and picked it up from the floor.
"Father, you mean this?"
Duoduo smiled cheerfully, shaking the blood letter in her hand.
Xiao Yi’s face lengthened. "If you have something to say, why not say it properly? Why resort to such a foolish method?"
Duoduo stuck out her tongue. She placed the blood letter into Xiao Yi’s palm.
"Father, why don’t you first see what’s written inside?"
Xiao Yi’s whole being resisted.
But seeing Duoduo looking at him with such hopeful eyes, he held back his irritation and opened the blood letter.
At a glance, he saw that the handwriting was not Duoduo’s.
He looked at Duoduo, who gave him a sweet, obedient smile.
"Father, it wasn’t me. Please, see if it’s useful?"
Relieved, Xiao Yi began to read carefully.
When he did, the corners of his lips curled into a smile.
"Where did you get this?"
The blood letter contained extremely confidential information—details that even his Lingzi Guards had failed to uncover so thoroughly.
It even specified where the evidence could be found.
Unless the writer was directly involved, or there was a mole, no one could have obtained such detailed material.
Duoduo blinked her big eyes. "Father, do you remember the Minister of War?"
Xiao Yi immediately understood.
"Did he give it to you?"
"No—did he ask you to pass it to me?"
Seeing that her father had guessed correctly, Duoduo gave him a thumbs-up.
Xiao Yi patted Duoduo’s head.
"Let Father guess. The Minister of War, a man facing death, took such a big risk to hand you this. What was he after?"
"He must want this prince to do him a great favor, so he offered such a generous gift in exchange."
"But his crime was decreed personally by His Majesty."
"As an unfavored prince, he must know I can’t help much."
"Therefore, he can’t be asking me to spare his life."
"Since it’s not him, it must be for his family."
"Ah, I see. He wants to preserve his bloodline."
"Duoduo, am I right?" Xiao Yi finished his quiet analysis.
Duoduo’s eyes shone with admiration. She raised both little hands and gave him another thumbs-up.
"Father is amazing!"
Xiao Yi began to ponder.
The Minister of War was a subordinate of Prince Xian. Although His Majesty had ordered the minister’s mansion to be raided, Prince Xian hadn’t suffered much fallout.
This only meant that His Majesty was targeting the deed, not the person.
Saving one child might not be impossible.
But Prince Rui was already in prison, and the information in this blood letter might no longer be of much use.
Seeing her father frowning in thought, Duoduo tickled his palm.
"Father, I didn’t agree to his request."
Xiao Yi’s eyes flickered, puzzled.
"He fainted, and I was going to pick it up and sneak a peek."
"But then I heard Eunuch Li coming."
"I only had time to shove it into my sleeve. Everyone else was asleep, so no one saw me take it."
"The Minister of War can’t be sure that I was the one who took it!"
Duoduo added.
Xiao Yi’s eyes glinted. "You fainted him?"
Duoduo pouted.
"Father, how can you say that? I’m so adorable—how could I make anyone faint?"
"He fainted because his qi and blood were depleted, along with hunger and weakness."
Xiao Yi reached out and tapped Duoduo’s nose.
"You little clever one."
"Fine. I’ll take this blood letter for now."
"Since Prince Rui is already imprisoned, this information is useless at the moment."
Duoduo hurriedly snatched the blood letter back.
"Father, it’s better if I keep this for now."
"Maybe one day I’ll find a use for it!"
Xiao Yi’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t argue.
He had already memorized the entire contents.
Later, he would have Ling Yu verify the details and secure the evidence.
Who knew when it might come in handy?
Thinking this, Xiao Yi said, "Then you must keep it safe. If it falls out again like just now and someone else picks it up, it’ll be trouble."
Duoduo stuck out her tongue. Carefully, she took the blood letter in her right hand and reached it into her left sleeve.
It looked as if she was putting it away, but she actually used her right hand to store it elsewhere.
"Father, how’s business at my shop?"
With the serious talk done, Duoduo started worrying about her shop again.
Xiao Yi’s lips twitched. "It’s said to be doing well."
Duoduo nodded.
"The barbecue shop—Aunt Xu is handling it, so I’m not worried."
"But my new shop was supposed to open in a few days. Now it’s delayed."
Duoduo and Lüdou were both stuck in prison, so the pastry shop had to be put on hold.
This was what Duoduo complained about most to Lüdou in their spare time.
Xiao Yi nodded.
"Yes, Xu Jinxin’s pastries have sold out too."
"She sent Shitou back several times, saying Lüdou needs to make more pastries."
Lüdou, standing at the prison door, heard their conversation. She turned back, glanced quickly, then faced forward again.
But her face showed regret.
Duoduo noticed Lüdou’s movement, and her eyes flickered.
"Father, can you get Lüdou out first?"
"She’s just a maid—no one would pay her much attention."
Hearing this, Lüdou grew very anxious.
She didn’t dare speak, or she’d seem to be eavesdropping.
Instead, she turned around and frantically waved her hands at Duoduo, signaling that she didn’t want to leave.
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo’s pleading face and pinched her cheek.
"You little money-grubber! Are you obsessed with coins?"
Xiao Yi tilted his chin toward Lüdou.
"But your good intentions don’t seem to be appreciated by your maid."
Duoduo turned to look at Lüdou.
Seeing both of them staring at her, Lüdou quickly straightened up and stood rigidly, as if to say, "This servant heard nothing."
