Qi Huaiyu was imprisoned in the deepest death row cell of Yingzhou Prison.

In the dark, damp cell, the stench of decay mingled with the stench of blood, making one want to vomit. The mottled bloodstains on the walls silently testified to the tortures that had taken place here. Qi Huaiyu leaned against the corner of the wall, his pale white robe filthy, his handsome face bearing several bruises, and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He chuckled softly.

"Xin Jiuwei...you are indeed much smarter than you were in your previous life."

He slowly opened his palm, where a small wax pellet was hidden—someone had slipped it into his hand when the constables dragged him into prison.

With a flick of the fingertip, the wax pellet shattered, revealing a note:

At midnight, someone came to see him.

A cold smile flashed in Qi Huaiyu's eyes as he crumpled the note and swallowed it.

---

At the same moment, Xin Mansion

Xin Jiuwei stood in the ancestral hall, quietly gazing at her mother's memorial tablet.

In this past life, at this time, her mother had already passed away, and her father had been falsely accused and imprisoned, leading to the complete downfall of the Xin family. But now, everything is different.

"Miss," Wang Qing tiptoed in, "the eldest young lady requests your presence in the study."

Xin Jiuwei nodded, and as she turned around, she suddenly noticed an unusual reflection under the offering table. She squatted down and took out a small copper key from the bottom of the incense burner—this was her mother's most treasured item, said to be able to open the hidden compartment at the very bottom of her dowry chest.

"Mother..." She gripped the keys tightly, a wave of bitterness washing over her. "Did you already know something?"

In the study, Xin Xiyao was flipping through a stack of account books. Seeing her enter, she immediately closed the books: "Wei'er, look at this."

It was a record of a salt transaction, stamped with the private seal of the Second Prince's residence.

"Qi Huaiyu is just a pawn," Xin Xiyao sneered. "What the Second Prince truly wants is to control the northern border's military supplies through salt permits."

Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat. In her previous life, after the Xin family's downfall, a mutiny did indeed break out in the northern border. At that time, the imperial court's supplies were delayed, leading to the loss of the border...

"There's something even stranger," Xin Xiyao said in a low voice. "I found out that Qi Huaiyu goes to the back mountain of Lingyin Temple on the seventh day of every month, and coincidentally, a batch of military equipment is transported out of the temple on that day."

Lingyin Temple? Xin Jiuwei suddenly remembered Jueming—or rather, the Sixth Prince Jueming.

Was he also infiltrating the temple to investigate this matter?

Midnight - Yingzhou Prison

The torches outside the cell suddenly went out for a moment.

Qi Huaiyu opened his eyes and saw a figure draped in a black cloak standing outside the iron bars. The person removed the hood, revealing a handsome, effeminate face—it was Liu Ruhui, the chief strategist by the Second Prince's side.

"His Highness is disappointed," Liu Ruhui's voice was like a viper's hiss, "You were too impatient."

Qi Huaiyu scoffed, "If it weren't for that idiot Zhou Zhuo's impatience, I could have..."

"No, that's fine." Liu Ruhui interrupted him, taking a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve. "His Highness, out of consideration for our past relationship, will grant you a quick death."

The porcelain bottle gleamed with a faint blue light under the moonlight. Qi Huaiyu knew what it was—poisonous wine, a deadly poison that kills on contact with blood.

He suddenly burst into laughter: "Tell Your Highness, I know the secret of Lingyin Temple."

Liu Ruhui's eyes sharpened: "What do you mean?"

"The Sixth Prince, Jueming, is hiding in the temple," Qi Huaiyu said in a low voice, "and Xin Jiuwei is already suspicious."

His hands, hidden beneath the cloak, clenched tightly. Liu Ruhui paused for a moment, then suddenly changed his expression: "His Highness said that if you can accomplish this last task, perhaps..."

He took out a map from his pocket, which marked a secret passage in the back mountain of Lingyin Temple.

"Someone will meet you at midnight in three days," Liu Ruhui said meaningfully. "As for that girl from the Xin family..."

Qi Huaiyu took the map, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes: "I'll make her wish she were dead."

---

The next morning at Lingyin Temple

Xin Jiuwei knelt before the Buddha, holding the copper key in her hand.

"What are you thinking about?" Jueming's voice came from behind.

She didn't turn around, and said softly, "My mother often said that the most terrifying thing in this world is not open warfare, but poison hidden behind a smiling face."

Jueming was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you believe me?"

Xin Jiuwei turned around and faced his face after he removed his mask—sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and those eyes that were always smiling were now full of seriousness.

"I believe you," she heard herself say, "but I need to know the whole truth."

Jueming took a deep breath and took out a jade pendant with a dragon pattern from his robes: "I am indeed not Jueming."

The jade pendant is engraved with the character "Xun"—the name of the sixth prince of the current dynasty.

"Three years ago, after the defeat in the Northern Frontier, I discovered that the military equipment had been tampered with." His voice was low. "The clues pointed to Lingyin Temple, so I..."

"So you impersonated the holy monk and secretly investigated," Xin Jiuwei continued, her heart pounding. "And is the Second Prince using Qi Huaiyu to control the salt permits to sabotage the next military supply shipment?"

A hint of admiration flashed in Jueming's eyes: "Smart. But now that Qi Huaiyu is in prison, they will definitely..."

"Kill them to silence them." Xin Jiuwei suddenly stood up. "We have to go to jail!"

Yingzhou Prison

When Xin Jiuwei and Jueming arrived, the cell was filled with a strong stench of blood.

Qi Huaiyu lay in a pool of blood, a dagger embedded in his chest, but strangely, a smile played on his lips.

"We're too late." Jueming examined the body and suddenly pulled a piece of cloth from his tightly clenched hand—it had half of the Xin family crest embroidered on it.

Xin Jiuwei felt a chill run through her body. This was a frame-up!

"No..." She suddenly squatted down and pried open Qi Huaiyu's other hand—a strange symbol was drawn in blood on his palm, like half a lotus flower.

Jueming's expression changed drastically: "This is..."

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the cell.

"Quick! The killer must still be nearby!"

It was Governor Zhou's voice!

Jueming grabbed Xin Jiuwei's arm: "Let's go!"

Just as the two men leaped onto the roof beams, the prison door was flung open. Prefect Zhou and his constables stormed in, and upon seeing the corpse, he roared, "Search! The murderer must have left clues!"

Suddenly, a constable exclaimed, "Sir! There's a piece of cloth from the Xin family here!"

Xin Jiuwei bit her lip tightly. This is a trap!

Jueming gripped her hand tightly and silently made a gesture in the darkness—

Three days later, on the back mountain of Lingyin Temple, everything will be clear.