The journey back to the royal court was swift and dusty. Unlike the way there, Su Nian could clearly sense a silent, suppressed excitement and solemnity permeating the ranks. News of the border victory and the king's safe return had already reached them, but along with it came a tense atmosphere as the Kumoti case was about to be thoroughly investigated.

The moment Su Nian stepped into the royal court, she clearly noticed that the gazes directed at her had become more intense and complex. Awe, curiosity, jealousy, scrutiny... a mix of emotions almost overwhelmed her. She was no longer the "Southern Xia slave" who could hide in a corner, but a "special existence" personally pushed to the forefront by Helian Jue to assist in handling important cases.

She was not taken back to her own courtyard, but was taken directly to Helian Jue's study.

Helian Jue had changed into the black robes symbolizing royal power and was sitting behind an obsidian desk, listening to Batu's low report. He looked no different from when he left, still with that cold and unpredictable demeanor, but Su Nian keenly sensed that his aura had become more concentrated, like the deep sea gathering power before a storm.

Upon seeing Su Nian enter, Batu stopped his report, nodded slightly to her, and showed a respectful, businesslike expression in his eyes.

"Have you brought everyone under control?" Helian Jue raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Su Nian before landing on Batu.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Kumo has imprisoned seven of his core henchmen in solitary confinement under strict guard. Lady Lan… remains confined to her tent, but yesterday she attempted a hunger strike, which was stopped by her maid.” Batu replied in a deep voice.

Helian Jue's lips curled into a cold smile: "A hunger strike? You think you can soften my heart like that?" He looked at Su Nian, "What do you think?"

Su Nian felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that the test had begun at this moment. She hesitated for a moment before cautiously replying, "Lady Lan's actions may not be a genuine desire to die, but rather a... gesture, intended to test the King's attitude, or to try to garner sympathy from certain people and create public pressure."

A flicker of approval flashed in Helian Jue's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. "Not bad. So, we can't let her have her way." He ordered, "Tell those who guard her that if she dies, all those who serve her, along with their families, will be buried with her."

The cold, hard command left no room for negotiation. Su Nian sighed inwardly; this was Helian Jue's way—using extreme fear to sever all unnecessary trouble.

"How's the interrogation of Kumoti going?" Helian Jue asked Batu again.

Batu looked troubled: "Kumoti is cunning and treacherous. He only admits that the unclear accounts are due to his subordinates' poor performance. He denies everything about colluding with foreign enemies and plotting assassinations, and pushes all the blame onto a few dead scapegoats. We've tortured him several times, but he won't budge. If we torture him again, I'm afraid he won't be able to hold on."

Helian Jue frowned slightly. Kumoti was an old fox. Without solid evidence, it was difficult to completely condemn him based solely on inferences and circumstantial evidence, nor was it possible to follow the clues and uncover more forces behind him.

"Tomorrow, you will conduct the interrogation." Helian Jue's gaze fell on Su Nian again, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable weight. "Use your methods."

The next day, accompanied by Batu, Su Nian entered the dungeon where Kumoti was imprisoned.

The dungeon was dark and damp, filled with the smell of mildew and a faint stench of blood. Kumoti was locked in a stone chamber, his hands and feet in heavy shackles, his body bearing the marks of torture. His once pampered face was now haggard, but his cloudy eyes still gleamed with a cunning and calculating light.

When Kumoti saw that besides Batu, there was also a strange young woman dressed in a plain cotton dress who had entered, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into deep disdain and mockery.

"General Batu, does the King have no one else to rely on? He actually sent a female slave to interrogate this old man?" His voice was hoarse, carrying an arrogant condescension.

Batu's face darkened, and he was about to reprimand Su Nian, but Su Nian stopped him with a look.

Su Nian wasn't angry, nor did she even look at Kumoti. Instead, she walked to the simple wooden table in the center of the stone chamber and slowly unrolled a roll of parchment in her hand. On it was a diagram she had compiled overnight, detailing military equipment accounts, the timeline of the border assassination, and the flow of people and funds possibly connected to Kumoti.

Instead of asking questions immediately, she picked up a charcoal pencil and lightly circled several key points on the drawing. Then she looked up and calmly gazed at Kumoti.

“Lord Kumoti,” her voice was cold and emotionless, as if stating an objective fact, “before the autumn hunt last year, one of your estates received a large sum of money from merchants in the Northwest, and the timing coincided with a batch of inferior iron ore flowing into the armory.”

Kumoti's eyelids twitched, and he sneered, "I own many businesses, and dealing with merchants is a common occurrence for me. How can I be convicted for this?"

Ignoring his explanation, Su Nian continued, "Three months ago, your most beloved youngest son incurred a huge debt at the gambling den, which was paid off overnight. And shortly after that, a secret report from the border patrol about the unusual mobilization of the Gray Rock Tribe was accidentally lost on its way to the King."

Kumoti's expression changed slightly, and his breathing seemed to quicken a bit.

Su Nian remained unhurried, moving the charcoal pencil to another point: "Five days before the assassination in the hunting grounds, a caravan under your wife's name, under the pretext of transporting furs, detoured through Black Wind Valley, which is less than fifty miles from the border of the Gray Rock Tribe. According to the surviving assassins, the craftsmanship of some of the special crossbow parts they used... is seven-tenths similar to several abandoned blueprints lost from the Royal Court's workshop."

With each word she spoke, Kumoti's expression grew increasingly grim. These seemingly scattered clues were strung together by Su Nian in such a calm, almost cruel way, forming an invisible net that tightened little by little, pointing towards the truth he was desperately trying to cover up.

She didn't yell or threaten; she simply used facts and logic to gradually dismantle his psychological defenses.

"You..." Kumoti's voice began to tremble, "You're making false accusations! These are all coincidences! Someone is framing you!"

"Coincidence?" Su Nian finally curled her lips slightly, but the smile was devoid of warmth, instead carrying a knowing pity. "Lord Kumoti, do you really think that the King... and I would believe in so many 'coincidences'?"

She stood up, walked to Kumoti, looked down at him, and spoke in a low voice, each word piercing his heart: "Who else is behind you? Those 'adults' who, like you, are dissatisfied with the King's new policies and are secretly cheering from the shadows? Do you think that if you take the blame, they will protect your family? Don't forget, Lady Lan is still under house arrest, and your son who just paid off his gambling debts... can he escape next time?"

Kumoti trembled violently, abruptly raising his head to stare intently at Su Nian, his eyes filled with shock, fear, and a hint of despair at having his secret exposed!

He never expected that this seemingly weak woman from Nanxia would be so meticulous in her thinking and so...ruthless in her methods! She wasn't interrogating him; she was destroying his spirit!

In the shadows outside the dungeon, Helian Jue stood with his hands behind his back, quietly listening to Su Nian's clear and calm voice coming from inside.

Batu stood behind him and whispered, "Your Majesty, Miss Su... seems to be very skilled in this."

Helian Jue didn't turn around, his deep eyes gleaming with an unfathomable light in the darkness. He listened as Su Nian meticulously unraveled the mystery, breaking down Kumoti's psychological defenses layer by layer with seemingly calm words. Her methods were completely different from his usual torture, yet they seemed...more effective.

He recalled her keen analysis of the terrain at the border, her unconventional tactics, and her decisiveness at crucial moments... This woman was like an inexhaustible treasure trove, always bringing him unexpected surprises.

A feeling that mixed with admiration, possessiveness, and a deeper sense of inquiry silently spread through his heart.

Just then, a low, desperate roar came from the dungeon: "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! It was... it was Wuzhu! And Guli! They... they were involved too! They instigated me! They said that as long as the King was in trouble, the old system could be restored..."

Wuzhu? Guli?

Helian Jue's eyes instantly turned icy cold! Wuzhu was a fierce general in the army, and Guli was one of the leading civil officials; both were high-ranking officials! Kumoti's confession was like a boulder thrown into the already turbulent royal court!

He turned abruptly and left the dungeon entrance.

When Su Nian emerged from the dungeon, her face was somewhat pale. Despite being mentally prepared, facing the darkness and cruelty of human nature still made her uncomfortable.

Batu came forward, his gaze towards her now even more different: "Miss Su, Kumoti has already signed the agreement. You... have done a great service."

Su Nian shook her head and remained silent. She knew that prying open Kumoti's mouth was just the beginning of the storm.

She returned to her small courtyard and sat wearily on the couch. Before she could even catch her breath, a commotion erupted outside the gate.

"Get out of the way! I want to see that witch!" A shrill female voice rang out; it was Madam Lan!

She actually broke through the guards and ran here!

Su Nian stood up and walked to the courtyard gate. There she saw Madam Lan, disheveled and looking like a madwoman, being held back by two guards who were staring at her with extremely venomous eyes.

"Su Nian! You vixen! You slut! You'll die a horrible death!" Madam Lan roared. "You bewitched the King! You framed loyal officials! You'll get your retribution!"

Su Nian looked at her calmly, her eyes showing neither anger nor fear, only a faint trace of pity.

“Mrs. Lan,” she began, her voice not loud, but clearly drowning out the other’s curses, “you chose this path yourself. You must bear the consequences yourself.”

“Shut up!” Madam Lan struggled frantically. “It’s you! It’s all because of you! If it weren’t for you…”

“If it weren’t for me,” Su Nian interrupted her, her tone still calm, “would Lord Kumoti not have embezzled military funds? Would he not have colluded with foreign enemies? Madam Lan, shifting the blame to others will not lessen the sins you and your brother have committed in the slightest.”

Her words were like a cold knife, piercing through Madam Lan's last pretense and illusions.

Madam Lan stood frozen in place, her face deathly pale, her lips trembling, but she could no longer utter a sound; only tears silently streamed down her face.

Just then, Helian Jue's icy voice came from behind them:

"Take her away."

"Tomorrow, together with Kumoti, we will be publicly dealt with."

His order brought this farce to an end.

Lady Lan seemed to have all her strength drained away, collapsing to the ground and being dragged away by the guards.

Helian Jue walked up to Su Nian and looked down at her. His gaze swept over her slightly pale face and landed on her still calm eyes.

“Well done,” he said, his tone flat.

But Su Nian saw a fleeting, almost burning... possessiveness and satisfaction deep in his eyes.

He reached out, seemingly wanting to touch her cheek, but his fingertips paused just before touching her, instead brushing away a withered leaf that had fallen onto her shoulder at some unknown time.

"Go back and rest." He withdrew his hand, turned and left, leaving behind a cold and powerful silhouette.

Su Nian stood there, looking in the direction he had left, as if the faint touch of his fingertips still lingered on her shoulder.

She knew that the downfall of Kumoti and Lady Lan was only the beginning. Wuzhu and Guli... the real storm in the royal court was only now officially arriving.

And she was already in the eye of the storm.

(End of Chapter 111)