Night fell.
Sima Qing found himself staring intently at the pot of wild grass on his desk.
As the weather turned cold, the flowers had long withered, yet the wild grass thrived instead.
Absentmindedly, he plucked one stalk after another… until Qiu Dongfang returned.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess of Great Yan is named Yan Zhaoning," Qiu Dongfang reported. "She was only found and brought back half a month ago. Since she’s the Empress’s daughter, she’s particularly favored."
Sima Qing turned to look at him. "Half a month ago?"
When Qiu Dongfang nodded, Sima Qing fell into deep thought again.
The timeline still didn’t add up…
It had been nearly two months since Jiu Yue’s burial.
No matter how resourceful she was, how long could a living person survive in a coffin?
Even if she could endure for seven days—assuming she had suffered fatal injuries and had to travel north from Tianqi to Great Yan by carriage—
Ordinary horses could reach Great Yan within half a month.
She must have taken some of the gold bars from the coffin, perhaps even bought better horses to speed up the journey.
In any case, there was no way she had only arrived in Great Yan half a month ago…
His thoughts hit a dead end.
Sima Qing unconsciously furrowed his brows, utterly perplexed.
……
A sleepless night later, Sima Qing stood slouched during the morning court session.
With Prince Ping dead and his faction exposed, the Emperor had spent the past two months barely managing to clean up the mess.
Executions, confiscations, exiles, promotions, and demotions—all had been dealt with.
Lately, there had been no urgent matters, so Sima Qing rarely attended court.
But just yesterday evening, an envoy from Great Yan had arrived, which was unusual… Why would Great Yan suddenly send envoys to Tianqi?
Recalling the Emperor’s recent concerns, Sima Qing made a point of attending court that day.
Soon, the Great Yan envoy entered the hall.
Sima Qing glanced up and saw the lead envoy holding a state letter. After performing a formal bow, the envoy solemnly declared:
"This humble envoy is sent by our Emperor to seek an audience with Your Majesty! The noble Princess Muling of Great Yan, a jewel of our royal house, has been cruelly murdered by your Prince Ping, Qi Xiuyuan. Our nation mourns deeply. Dare we ask—is this how Your Majesty treats an allied nation?"
Sima Qing: "…"
The Emperor: "…"
The court officials: "…"
Sima Qing met the Emperor’s gaze.
Both men felt a sinking weight in their hearts.
The people of Tianqi experienced the most shocking scandal in history.
Prince Ping had rebelled, and now Great Yan was demanding justice—for the murder of their beloved Princess Muling!
This was Emperor Yan’s most cherished daughter!
"It can’t be…" some die-hard supporters still refused to believe. "There must be a mistake!"
"What mistake?!" others retorted. "Princess Muling’s own maid, Meng Danruo, came forward as a witness! She recounted everything—from Prince Ping’s exile to Qingnan to how he personally killed Princess Muling… That fool of a princess’s birth mother was none other than Princess Muling!"
Indeed.
The key figure accompanying the Great Yan envoy was Meng Danruo.
She provided exhaustive details.
Every event leaves traces, and if anyone doubted her words, the Great Yan delegation declared: "We are willing to stay while you investigate."
The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was dispatched to Qingnan and quickly found witnesses to their marriage years ago.
As for physical evidence…
Meng Danruo led officials directly to Princess Muling’s grave. "If His Majesty wishes to see my princess, he’ll have to come here himself."
The official: "…"
The Emperor: "…"
At this point, Tianqi had no choice but to accept the truth.
The Emperor had relaxed too soon.
Prince Ping’s greatest disaster had been lying in wait all along!
Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, replaying the envoy’s words in his mind. For the first time in his life, he felt utterly powerless…
……
Meanwhile, at the Regent’s residence.
Mei Wuchang had just finished being "interrogated" by Sima Qing.
Sima Qing studied him intently. "Are you telling the truth?"
Mei Wuchang nodded, subconsciously touching his now smooth face. "Of course… Though the maid might not have recognized me. My scars are gone now."
Sima Qing narrowed his eyes and suddenly laughed.
"So that’s how it was." He propped his chin on his hand and asked, "Then have you figured out why Jiu Yue betrayed Prince Ping before?"
Mei Wuchang hesitated. "…Perhaps she pitied Yan Muling."
He had never actually investigated—those words were just for Prince Ping’s ears.
Sima Qing chuckled. "Very well. You may leave."
As Mei Wuchang turned to go, Sima Qing added, "Don’t speak of tonight’s conversation to anyone else. Also, go see Meng Danruo. Ask her about Xue’er’s body."
Mei Wuchang muttered an acknowledgment and vanished into the night.
Sima Qing then summoned Qiu Dongfang.
"Recall the agents from the neighboring kingdoms," he said calmly.
Qiu Dongfang looked puzzled.
Sima Qing continued, "But keep the ones in Great Yan."
Qiu Dongfang paused, then understood. "The grave robber is in Great Yan?"
A faint smile played on Sima Qing’s lips. "Yes."
Qiu Dongfang brightened. "Finally! Your Highness, should I send more men?"
Sima Qing nodded.
Suddenly, he felt invigorated, even strolling around the courtyard for a while.
Autumn deepened, and the night wind grew chilly. Not wanting to risk his health, Sima Qing soon retreated indoors. But as he stepped inside, a final puzzle piece clicked into place.
Staring at the door, he remembered something crucial.
Though Tianqi and Great Yan had been at peace for years, with even some trade between them… Tianqi’s growing power had put Great Yan on guard. While Great Yan remained quiet, Tianqi never fully let down its defenses.
Two years ago, both nations had agreed that travelers between them must carry a border pass.
Merchants and escorts could apply for one through local officials after verification. But if the pass was used for anything threatening bilateral relations, it would be revoked permanently.
The discrepancy in timing… must have been due to delays in obtaining the pass.
Before long, Mei Wuchang returned.
"Your Highness, it was her who stole the princess’s body," Mei Wuchang reported. "But she knew nothing about Jiu Yue’s body being taken."
Sima Qing didn’t seem surprised. "Understood."
Far from disappointed, he even seemed… pleased.
Mei Wuchang: "…?"
Hesitantly, he asked, "Your Highness, are you… alright?"
"I’m perfectly fine," Sima Qing replied, offering an amiable smile. "You’ve worked hard. You may go now."
Mei Wuchang: "…"
The words "worked hard" carried an odd undertone—almost sarcastic—but he couldn’t quite place why.
Mei Wuchang rubbed his arms and quietly retreated to Fu Yu’s side in the shadows. Unable to hold back, he asked, "Does he often act like this? Just suddenly lashing out for no reason?"
Fu Yu wore a troubled expression. "It’s probably the toll of Prince Ping’s affairs. He was already shaken by the incident with Jiu Yue’s tomb robbery... Ah, the prince has been through too much."
Mei Wuchang nodded in sudden understanding, his sympathy deepening, before turning his thoughts back to mourning Jiu Yue.
