Was Prince Cheng utterly loyal to the Emperor?

Is there anything shameful in the study?

If anyone else had said this, Shen Wan would have scoffed, but since Princess Cheng said it, Shen Wan couldn't help but suspect that Princess Cheng was mocking Prince Cheng.

Princess Yong'an had come to deliver a message. She had wanted to tell Shen Wan earlier, but Princess Huai'an and the others were all there. Although her mother didn't mind, and neither did she, Princess Yong'an felt it was too strange to send a painting to Prince Ling and have him go to Prince Cheng's residence to pick it up himself. Princess Yong'an couldn't bring herself to say it and could only wait until everyone had left before speaking to Shen Wan.

Princess Yong'an's message was conveyed, so she did not linger any longer, curtsied, and took her leave.

Shen Wan asked Haitang to escort Princess Yong'an out of the mansion.

After Princess Yong'an left, Shen Wan leaned against the large pillow, lost in thought. She didn't even notice Xie Jingyan walking up to her bedside.

Xie Jingyan saw this and asked, "What are you thinking about? Why are you so focused?"

Shen Wan came to her senses and said, "Just now, Princess Yong'an and I had a few words alone. Princess Cheng said that before Prince Cheng disappeared, he wanted to give you a painting that was related to your mother's case. She couldn't go back to Prince Cheng's residence, so she asked you to go and get it yourself."

Xie Jingyan's brows furrowed deeply. "What calligraphy or painting could be related to my mother's case?"

Shen Wan racked her brains but still couldn't figure it out. She guessed, "It might not be the calligraphy and paintings. The things that Prince Cheng did, Princess Cheng didn't tell Princess Yong'an. It's very likely that there's something in Prince Cheng's study that's related to his mother's case. It's inconvenient for her to come to Prince Ling's residence. And you and I don't know when we'll go to Jingci Nunnery, so he used the calligraphy and paintings as an excuse to indirectly have Princess Yong'an pass on a message to you."

Behind the King's back, Princess Cheng asked the Empress Dowager to put Princess Yong'an into their camp. Shen Wan believed that Princess Cheng would not harm them.

Prince Cheng will definitely not have a chance to return to Prince Cheng's Mansion, but the Emperor will not allow anyone to search for Prince Cheng's Mansion for the sake of the royal family's reputation. The Emperor is well aware of Prince Cheng's crimes, so they don't need to go to Prince Cheng's Mansion to look for evidence. Perhaps Princess Cheng was afraid that they would not look for it, so she sent Princess Yong'an to deliver the message to them.

Xie Jingyan really hadn't planned to search the Prince Cheng's residence; if anyone was to search it, it would be the Emperor who sent someone. It seems there's still a need to make a trip to the Prince Cheng's residence.

I'll go check it out tonight.

After saying this, Xie Jingyan felt somewhat powerless.

Previously, the Minister of Justice wanted to show him the Empress Dowager's edict, but dared not give it to him directly, so he indirectly told him to search through his study himself. Now, Princess Cheng is doing the same thing.

The Minister of Justice was afraid of being found out by the Empress Dowager, which would bring disaster upon him. Princess Cheng should have no such concerns.

Hopefully, as Princess Cheng said, there is evidence of his mother's case in Prince Cheng's study.

After dinner, as darkness fell, Xie Jingyan took Chen Feng and Chen Yu to the Prince Cheng's residence.

By the time Xie Jingyan scaled the walls and entered the Prince Cheng's mansion, it was already dark and there was hardly any light.

King Cheng has disappeared, and the guards in his study are gone, so they can easily enter the study.

Inside the room, Shen Wan lay on her side on the bed, gazing intently at her sleeping child.

The newborn baby was very well-behaved, mostly sleeping and eating, and didn't fuss at all.

The child's eyebrows and eyes did resemble his older brother's, but his forehead was just like Xie Jingyan's. Shen Wan touched the child's little hand, hoping in her heart that the child would be as smart as Xie Jingyan. Of course, her older brother wasn't stupid either, but she had to admit that there were very few people in the world as smart as Xie Jingyan. It was just that she hoped the child's personality wouldn't be like his, as he was too annoying.

Shen Wan's arms started to ache from maintaining the same position for so long. The wet nurse stepped forward and said, "Your Highness should go to sleep now. Shall I take the young prince away?"

Shen Wan nodded, watching reluctantly as the wet nurse took the child away.

She wanted to sleep with the child, but Xie Jingyan disagreed, fearing that the child would be restless at night and she wouldn't be able to sleep well. Besides, no aristocratic families would personally feed their children, so Shen Wan let the wet nurse take care of the child to sleep.

However, even without sleeping with the baby these days, she hasn't been sleeping well. She's used to being held by Xie Jingyan to sleep, but having just given birth, she needs to expel lochia. Since it's inconvenient for Xie Jingyan to be there, Shen Wan has sent him to sleep in the study. He'll have to sleep in the study for at least half a month before he can come back.

The wet nurse took the child away, and Shen Wan couldn't sleep again. Just as she was trying to find something to do to pass the time, Xie Jingyan returned.

Shen Wan thought he would be back soon, but she didn't expect him to be back so quickly, and he was even holding a painting in his hand.

Upon seeing it, Shen Wan asked, "Is this painting related to Mother's case?"

Xie Jingyan didn't know how to answer.

He handed the painting directly to Shen Wan.

Shen Wan took it and opened it.

Then the person froze.

The painting depicts Consort Chen.

However, the drawing paper was a bit moldy.

Shen Wan looked up at Xie Jingyan, "Was this found in the secret room of Prince Cheng's study?"

Xie Jingyan shook his head. "I found the painting under the desk."

No wonder it got moldy.

It was freezing cold, and the ground was damp. If a painting fell on the ground and no one picked it up, it would be strange if it didn't get moldy.

Although the painting depicts Consort Chen, what does it have to do with Consort Chen's case?

It's alright to say it's okay, the painting depicts Consort Chen.

They say there's a connection, but besides Consort Chen, there's no one else in the painting.

Shen Wan looked at Xie Jingyan, "Besides this painting, are there any other clues?"

Xie Jingyan said, "It's too dark in the room, and I can't see clearly without turning on the light, so I came back first. I'll go again during the day tomorrow."

Although it was Princess Cheng who sent him to Prince Cheng's residence to retrieve the painting, she didn't want him to go so late at night. If he lit a lamp, it would surely attract attention. Anyway, the two residences weren't far apart, so he could just go tomorrow.

Shen Wan's gaze returned to the painting, and she said, "The painting that Princess Cheng asked you to retrieve wouldn't be this, would it?"

Xie Jingyan said, "It shouldn't be. When Princess Cheng became a nun at Jingci Nunnery, Prince Cheng had already left the capital. If she wanted to give me the painting, she could have simply sent someone to deliver it to me, or had Princess Yong'an bring it to me. There was no need for me to go there."

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