A bloody incident occurred at the foot of the capital, strikingly similar to the infamous Yunjiang Village case that shocked the entire city years ago. The people of the capital were terrified upon hearing the news. Panic gripped the city, and even the emperor learned of the incident, summoning Jiang Fang, who had been in charge of investigating the Yunjiang Village case, for an audience.

Since the emperor had given the order, Jiang Fang naturally dared not disobey. He nodded and prepared to head to the palace.

The beggar narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "I want to go too."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fang frowned and rebuked, "What kind of place is the Emperor's Palace? It's the Emperor's noble land. What are you, a beggar, going there for!"

"Though I am a beggar, you still begged me to let you investigate, didn't you?" The beggar looked at Jiang Fang with a mocking smile. "The Emperor must want to know how this case should be solved. The key to this case lies with me. Are you sure you don't want to take me with you?"

"You..." Jiang Fang's old face turned red with anger, but he had to admit that the beggar was right. He could only flick his sleeve and say angrily, "Whatever!"

The beggar smiled contentedly, ignoring the strange looks from his subordinates, and walked to Jiang Fang's side.

On the way to the palace, Jiang Fang, Jiang Lin, and the beggar walked ahead, while Su Qingcai and Su Xiaoning followed behind them.

Su Qingcai, wanting to find out more, asked in a low voice, "Did anything happen when you went to perform the autopsy?"

"Nothing strange happened, it's just that I don't quite understand him..."

Su Xiaoning shook her head and told Su Qingcai about the strange autopsy techniques he used after she went to the village with the beggar. She also told him about checking the water source and the strange things the beggar said without reservation.

Upon hearing that the beggar knew so much, Su Qingcai immediately became nervous: "It seems he's no ordinary person; he actually knows so many things..."

"I don't know how much he actually knows. When I ask him, he won't tell me anything. I don't know what to do." Su Xiaoning looked at the beggar's back with concern, hesitant to speak.

At first, she wanted to befriend the beggar, but there were too many mysteries surrounding him that she couldn't understand and even began to feel afraid.

Su Qingcai understood the worry in Su Xiaoning's eyes and gently took her hand.

"He shouldn't be hostile towards you now, so don't worry too much. Even if something happens later, we'll deal with it as it comes. Don't be afraid, I'll always be by your side."

Su Qingcai looked intently into Su Xiaoning's eyes.

Su Xiaoning felt a warmth in her heart and tightly grasped Su Qingcai's hand. The two smiled at each other, feeling much more at ease.

...

An hour later, in the Imperial Study of the Palace.

Looking at the large group of people behind Jiang Fang, the emperor's forehead veins throbbed, and his face turned extremely ugly.

"I only summoned you to the palace for an audience. It would have been fine if you brought your son and the Ninth Prince, but why did you bring Su Xiaoning and this beggar as well? General Jiang, do you not even respect my words?"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This old minister had no such intention!" Jiang Fang had no choice but to kneel down immediately.

The beggar suddenly chuckled and pulled Su Xiaoning over: "General Jiang promised to let her participate in the whole thing, so why can't she come?"

His sudden outburst, utterly disrespectful, infuriated the emperor, who turned ashen-faced, as if he were about to drag the beggar out and execute him at any moment.

Worried that Su Xiaoning would be implicated, Su Qingcai quickly stepped forward to explain, "Your Majesty, this person is key to solving the case. Please be lenient with him."

"Yes, Your Majesty, please calm down. Let this old minister explain everything..." Jiang Fang lowered his head, secretly cursing the beggar for not knowing the rules, but still honestly told the emperor everything.

After realizing that the beggar was indeed the key to solving the case, the emperor's expression softened considerably.

"I am not an unreasonable person. Since that's the case, tell me everything you've found out. I will reward you handsomely."

"I don't need any reward." The beggar looked calm and composed, glanced at the emperor, and was about to explain the situation when a young eunuch ran in from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince requests an audience!"

Su Qinghe actually came?

The emperor was taken aback, and could only helplessly wave his hand, signaling the eunuch to let the person in.

The beggar was interrupted, and his face showed a slight impatience, but he didn't say anything. He simply stepped aside and quietly stared at the door of the imperial study.

After receiving the order, the young eunuch opened the door and invited Su Qinghe in. Before long, Su Qinghe walked in with his chin held high, and Qin Yunyun was with him.

Qin Yunyun followed Su Qinghe forward. She turned her head to look at Su Xiaoning, her eyes filled with silent mockery. The bright red koi fish mark on the back of her hand stung Su Xiaoning's eyes.

Su Xiaoning's face turned pale, and she clenched Su Qingcai's hands tightly.

At this moment, Su Qinghe spoke up: "Your Majesty, I heard that you want to investigate the bloody case that happened this morning? You also know that my concubine has a lucky charm that is very helpful in the investigation. Your Majesty, why don't you consider entrusting this case to me?"

He tried to seize the investigative power in the previous case involving the Minister of Justice, but in the end, he found nothing and even slandered Su Qingcai. If this case is also handed over to him, then this is a foreseeable consequence...

Su Qingcai's expression changed, and he said coldly, "Seventh Prince, you couldn't even figure out Lord Cao's case before, so you shouldn't interfere in such an important case."

"What you're saying, Ninth Prince? It was just a mistake on my part before. Are you so petty as to keep holding onto it? Now that my Lady Qin is helping me, what can't we investigate?"

Su Qinghe wore a fox-like smile, showing no remorse whatsoever for the previous case involving the Minister of Justice.

His impoliteness displeased Jiang Fang, who said coldly, "Your Majesty, this old minister disagrees. This matter was originally investigated by this old minister; how can it be handed over to someone else so easily?"

"General Jiang, do you perhaps distrust the lucky charm successor by my side?"

"The so-called 'successor of the koi' is all nonsense and superstition!"

"General Jiang, you are mistaken. Yunyun has an extraordinary reputation among the people; she is revered as a saint. How come she can't even solve a single case?"

Su Qinghe remained calm and composed, leaving Jiang Fang speechless and unable to utter a complete sentence.

The atmosphere in the imperial study was tense. The emperor looked at Su Qinghe and Jiang Fang from time to time, feeling that both of them made sense, and he was in a very difficult position.

Su Xiaoning opened her mouth, wanting to offer some advice, but didn't know what to say. She no longer had the koi fish mark; what could she possibly use to compete with Qin Yunyun?

Just as Su Xiaoning hesitated, the beggar suddenly turned his gaze to her. A mocking glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly spoke:

"Let Su Xiaoning and Qin Yunyun be in charge of this case. Let them have a competition to see who is the real lucky charm."