Misconception (Part 1)

The hand holding the makeup curtain froze, and the ink, after a long pause, condensed into a thin line, blooming into ink-colored dots as it blended with the paper.

Zhao Yi had been observing her actions these past few days and realized that she hadn't deliberately hidden what she was doing, to the point that she could even say something as ridiculous as "going to Tong City to find something fun." During the three years she had been gone, various hidden forces had been quietly infiltrating, and Zhao Yi naturally assumed that Shen Zhuangmu knew more.

The woman in the daze, Chen Zhuangmu, did not think so. She swallowed hard. Cooperation was nothing more than mutual benefit. What could she offer the Deputy Envoy?

But Chen Zhuangmu didn't want to let this big fish go.

She leaned lightly against the bookshelf, still copying the roster in her hand, and asked, "What can Vice Envoy Zhao provide me?"

"No one is more familiar with the changes in the court over the past three years than I am." Zhao Yi stared at her every move, seemingly hoping to glean something from her actions.

Shen Zhuangmu absolutely believed this. Three years ago, Zhao Yi hadn't even "shown his face" yet. Now, he held the position of Deputy Privy Councilor and firmly grasped the power of the Privy Council. He must have been extremely familiar with the political situation during this period and had risen rapidly by following the prevailing winds.

Chen Zhuangmu didn't dare to tell him everything. After copying the last name, she tore off a small piece of paper, spread it out in her palm, drew a triangle, and simply drew the pattern she had encountered on the streets of Xiyu that day. After making sure that the pattern was recognizable but not what it was, she handed it to Zhao Yi.

"If you want to cooperate, Vice Envoy, you should investigate this first." Shen Zhuangmu spoke mysteriously, but even she herself didn't know what this thing was.

Zhao Yi carefully put away the piece of paper, his usual nonchalant smile returning to his face. "Don't worry, Princess." He then turned and left, the jade pendant at his waist clashing against the hard object on his sleeve, making a crisp "clang" sound.

"Have you finished copying? If you're done, let's go." He asked as they walked away.

Before each sunset, the sun exerts its last rays to spread its light, covering the earth in golden hues. Sunlight even fills the gaps in people's hair, making it a perfect time for people to go out and enjoy themselves.

Gradually, the afterglow disappeared into every speck of dust, the sky darkened, and it was time to rest.

The next day, just as the birds were perched on the branches, taking advantage of the pervasive autumn chill, Chen Zhuangmu emerged from her bed.

She dressed simply that day, her hair tied up with two hairpins, wearing a light-colored short robe, with a lifelike bird embroidered on her back, depicting it in flight.

At first glance, she appears bright, neat, and elegant. Only upon close observation of her eyebrows and eyes can one discern a hint of girlish naiveté.

Chen Zhuangmu thought she would be repeating her previous tasks, copying endlessly. However, as soon as she arrived at the Dali Temple, Registrar Miao hurriedly led her to the back room, saying, "Hurry up, Shaoqing has been waiting for you for a long time."

This left Chen Zhuangmu completely bewildered.

They rushed into the back room and saw Zhang Jiao putting down her teacup and walking straight to the dressing room, saying, "You come with me to finalize the decision."

"Huh?" Shen Zhuangmu, who had been given two sentences early in the morning, exclaimed in disbelief. With a belly full of questions, she followed behind Zhang Jiao, watching the busy figure of the young master, and didn't dare to disturb him.

Later, she didn't have time to bother Zhang Jiao anymore.

Most of the time, she followed behind Zhang Jiao, helping him with the trial and conducting the final judgment. While the elders of the Dali Temple seriously analyzed the case, she had to run around delivering documents.

While they were analyzing the case, she would try to keep up with their thoughts. She discovered that some of the things these people said could be applied not only to case decisions, but also to small matters in life and major events in the court.

After more than ten days, Chen Zhuangmu had made considerable progress and was no longer tired. She was thinking about going to the palace sometime, as it seemed to be an order from her uncle.

When she was a child, the emperor forced her to study. No matter how much he coaxed or scolded her, she would not respond to a single word in the boudoir and would only care about returning to her mother on the frontier.

At dusk, in the Dali Temple prison.

The muddy water dripped onto the muddy ground, making no sound at all.

Chen Zhuangmu followed her senior and brought over a criminal in his seventies. This case had been concealed for two years, and the perpetrator, Li Bo, had only been arrested and brought to Dali Temple half a month ago.

No matter how they interrogated him, he stubbornly refused to utter a single word.

From the surface clues alone, it is impossible to discern why he would kill a city gate guard.

The old woman was an ordinary person; she was a farmer in her youth. Three years ago, her son died, and her daughter-in-law left with her grandson.

Chen Zhuangmu kept a close eye on the case, preparing to have Li Chu investigate it thoroughly.

As she emerged from prison, she stood lost in thought in the corridor. The sunlight silently shifted its position, bathing her in golden light.

“Recorder Chen.” Zhang Jiao walked over at some point.

"Zhang Shaoqing." Chen Zhuangmu turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You've worked hard these past few days, let's call it a day." Zhang Jiao was dressed in white today, with arrow sleeves and a narrow collar. This light and airy outfit made him look less formal and instead highlighted his aloof and cool temperament.

Chen Zhuangmu nodded repeatedly, smiling as she said, "Thank you, Shaoqing."

"Come half an hour earlier tomorrow," Zhang Jiao said expressionlessly.

"..." Chen Zhuangmu, who had already planned to sleep in late.

She clearly remembered that tomorrow was a day off, but facing the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who considered the affairs of the world as his own responsibility, she really couldn't voice her accusations. Moreover, her uncle's words of advice and his sighing face remained etched in her mind.

Chen Zhuangmu barely managed to convince herself, urging herself to walk faster, otherwise she would regret it later.

These past ten days or so have been so busy that she feels like she's being interrogated the moment she opens her eyes, and everyone on the street looks like a criminal to her.

It is late afternoon, a time when people who are about to have a meal come out for a stroll, and people who have finished their meal come out to digest their food. It is a time when the streets are crowded and there are plenty of snacks available.

Chen Zhuangmu dismissed Li Chu and prepared to walk back to the mansion alone.

Suddenly, a string of bright red candied hawthorns appeared from her left rear side. Chen Zhuangmu frowned and moved away, only to see Zhao Yi looking at her with a smile.

"Want some?" Zhao Yi asked.

Chen Zhuangmu shook his head, and without further ado, he began to eat.

Since their last meeting, Chen Zhuangmu had not seen him again. She had assumed that he hadn't been able to find out about the triangular betrothal and was too embarrassed to come out.

"Isn't the Privy Council busy?" Chen Zhuangmu concluded after encountering Zhao Yi on the street a few times.

"Hmm?" Zhao Yi took a bite of the hawthorn, one cheek puffing out, and chewed a few times before saying, "Not as busy as your Dali Temple. I heard you helped Zhang Jiao solve a few cases these past few days, are you happy?"

Zhao Yi's bright eyes looked at her, as if he could see the veins in her eyes. Chen Zhuangmu unconsciously distanced herself from him and looked away.

"I am quite happy," Chen Zhuangmu said.

The two walked side by side, one chewing on a candied hawthorn, the other with his hands behind his back, when suddenly they heard a soft, charming call. It turned out that several girls from the screen tower had come out to greet the guests. Unfortunately, they were just raising their sheer gauze shawls to entice Zhao Yi.

"Why isn't Young Master Zhao here today?" a young woman asked.

Zhao Yi didn't turn his head, but waved the thing in his hand and smiled as he turned around to face Chen Zhuangmu.

The curtain of makeup moved a little further away from him.

"Why is the deputy envoy still following me?" Chen Zhuangmu asked.

"The Prince's residence is starving, so he came to the Princess's place for a meal."

"Did you find out?" Chen Zhuangmu asked.

Zhao Yi nodded.

Chen Zhuangmu didn't ask any more questions, which was a good thing for her. She would be willing to pay for a year's worth of meals, let alone freeload.

They walked together again. Zhao Yi was wearing a wide-sleeved robe today. The purple hem of his robe and the light green hem of his dark dress brushed against each other, then left, and brushed against each other again.

Before long, they arrived at the "Rongshu Princess's Residence".

Chen Zhuangmu stopped not far from the gate, but Zhao Yi walked straight toward the gate without stopping.

"Sigh!" Chen Zhuangmu grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back, saying, "You can't go through the front door." Then she pointed to a wall and said, "You can climb over here."

Looking at the wall in the distance, Zhao Yi asked him, "Why?"

Zhao Yi was genuinely puzzled, but Chen Zhuangmu couldn't directly tell him that the guards at the front and back gates were sent by her uncle, and that he might just pass the message on to him.

Too lazy to think of a reason, she simply said, "Hurry up!"

So, under Shen Zhuangmu's arrangement, Zhao Yi slowly but very quickly climbed over her wall.

Not wanting to keep him waiting, Chen Zhuangmu jogged into the courtyard of the mansion, where she saw Li Chu blocking Zhao Yi's way with a rake, clearly eager to compete.

"Li Chu!" Chen Zhuangmu hurriedly said upon seeing this, "Li Chu, I invited Vice Envoy Zhao here."

Li Chu was stunned. "Miss, you, him, what do you want to invite him for?"

This stumped Chen Zhuangmu. Since Li Chu had discovered it, she must be going to pass it on to her uncle. So she decided to avoid the main issue and said, "It's important. Tell the kitchen to prepare the meal. The Deputy Privy Councilor is having dinner at the mansion today."

So, Li Chu reluctantly moved the rake away, glaring at Zhao Yi's back, her teeth grinding together.

Every corner of the princess's mansion was exquisitely decorated, with four small bridges spanning the water and a small pavilion built at their confluence.

Pale yellow leaves clung to the vermilion pavilion roof, adding a touch of desolate beauty to the pale green water and the ancient gray pavilion.

Zhao Yi sat down properly in the pavilion, and after watching Chen Zhuangmu pour him a cup of tea, she didn't reappear for quite a while.

Sitting on the water, in the girl's mansion, surrounded by maids, Zhao Yi felt like something was watching him, making him very uncomfortable. He had heard that the princess's mansion was built for her by the emperor, so he decided to take a stroll around the area.

So, he had just stood up and taken two steps when Li Chu suddenly appeared, blocking his way. She seemed unable to think of an excuse, so she simply showed her back to him, determined not to let Zhao Yi wander off.

Zhao Yi raised an eyebrow. Since he was at the girl's house, he abandoned the idea and simply returned to the pavilion.

Just then, Chen Zhuangmu returned, bringing dishes to the table one after another, including a pot of yam and chestnut soup.

The servants all retreated under the bridge. Chen Zhuangmu ate the little food in her bowl, while Zhao Yi symbolically picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl, but simply didn't touch it.

"We've found out what you gave me," Zhao Yi said.

Chen Zhuangmu put down her chopsticks and asked, "What exactly is this?"

Zhao Yi glanced at her first, and seeing that she asked seriously, he said, "It's just a pendant. Nobody wanted it these past two years, so nobody's selling it anymore."

As he spoke, he pulled out three triangular rice dumpling ornaments from behind his back.

Chen Zhuangmu: "...".

She absolutely refused to believe the result.

Chen Zhuangmu first looked back at Zhao Yi, and seeing that he didn't seem to be joking at all, she felt like something was stuck in her heart. But then she wondered if it was just an ornament, and that she had been too presumptuous in her imagination.

Chen Zhuangmu took the triangular pendant, turning it around and examining it repeatedly. Suddenly, she frowned and asked, "Looking at it this way, what does it resemble?"

Zhao Yi leaned closer and saw that on the red coarse cloth, several strands of gray thread intertwined, vaguely revealing the outline of a bird with two horns on its head.

Zhao Yi's expression immediately turned serious, and he even slowed his breathing.

"Looking at it this way, it's somewhat like Guo Teng of the State of Qi."

The State of Qi was destroyed by Qun forty years ago.

"Can you find out who hung this?" Chen Zhuangmu asked.

Zhao Yi shook his head. "This thing has been moved into the market three times, and basically every household in Shengji has one."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and everyone knew what those words meant.

Zhao Yi continued, "Three years ago, when I first joined the martial arts world, the Grand Commandant, who died not long ago, held all the power in the court."

It's clear from the dark curtain that Zhao Yi, in alliance with Xiao Zhong, brought down these two veterans of the dynasties.

"At that time, Xiao Zhong was like a nail, he would put it in wherever there was a gap. However, he was extremely patient. The Grand Commandant was notorious for tormenting people, but he was able to keep crawling at his feet."

Chen Zhuangmu didn't want to hear these things, but she didn't want to interrupt him.

"General's orders are usually transmitted directly to the Privy Council. With General Xingyun's special status, she should have a direct channel with His Majesty. Of course, General Xingyun was diligent and hardworking throughout her life and did not seek special treatment. Each order would be transmitted to the Privy Council, but at that time, the Privy Council was actually managed by the Grand Commandant and the Commissioner of the Imperial Secretariat."

“During that period, countless people surrounded the Grand Commandant, but Xiao Zhong was the only one who benefited from his influence and rose rapidly in rank.”

After Zhao Yi finished speaking, he scooped up a bowl of soup and took a sip.

"I joined the Privy Council two years ago. His Majesty, mindful of my father's merits, allowed me to stay here after I passed the martial arts examination. Now, General Xingyun's messages have been burned in the Privy Council's mail treasury."

After a while, Chen Zhuangmu hummed in agreement.

"What's with your reaction?" Zhao Yi looked down at Chen Zhuangmu's expression.

"Not a single message has been sent?" She looked into his eyes.

He let out a soft sigh and said, "Hmm, I'll look again."

"The deputy envoy must have some leverage over Prime Minister Xiao, right? You have no direct conflict of interest, so if he wants something, he can only try to get close to those around him. Therefore, as the heir apparent of Prince Heng and the deputy envoy in charge of the Privy Council, his ruthless opposition to you in court will inevitably arouse suspicion from other officials."

He smiled and said, "Yes."

What exactly is it about him that makes this incredibly patient person repeatedly try to kill him? What does Zhao Yi have against him?

This problem can't be solved by just thinking about it; we have to wait for the person in front of us to answer it.

Unexpectedly, the person turned away and stopped talking.

Chen Zhuangmu didn't understand at first, but then she realized. He had provided a lot of information, and she had to tell him some in return; it was an equal exchange.

It seems that the reason he took the initiative to seek cooperation with her was because he believed that she possessed a lot of crucial information.

But in reality, she knew nothing.

The two played a silent game of chess for a long time.

"Has the Vice Envoy finished eating?" Chen Zhuangmu asked, looking at the dishes in front of her.

Zhao Yi raised his eyelids. "Hmm?"

"Such news is everywhere. The deputy envoy is trying to fool me, and I have nothing to say about it," Chen Zhuangmu said, feigning anger.

Before Zhao Yi could speak, she continued, "In the cases I've been handling recently, some people have a deep relationship with Pinglou. Doesn't the Vice Envoy want to know?"

Zhao Yi remained expressionless, stood up, and said, "I don't think the princess is very sincere. In that case, I'll take my leave."

After Zhao Yi finished speaking, he went straight to the back wall and climbed over it.

Chen Zhuangmu stared indifferently at the almost untouched dishes on the table, then picked up her chopsticks.

She walked back to her study, sat blankly in her chair, and after a long while, she couldn't help but laugh.

And I remember that when she was a child, she believed that sincerity was the most important thing in making friends. Now, however, she is thinking about deceiving others and playing the game of taking advantage of others. Her growth has been neither too long nor too short, and it has been quiet and unnoticed.

The study was filled with Xuan paper, emitting a slightly sour yet comforting aroma. She quietly leaned her head back in the chair and unconsciously closed her eyes.

"Clang!"

Before the sound had even faded, Chen Zhuangmu had already reached for her hidden weapon.

But then Li Chu ran over from the bookshelf on the left, collapsing onto the table exhausted, panting as she said, "Princess, someone in the manor has been bullied, and they want to see you."

In the main hall, a female servant, about thirty years old, was kneeling in the center.

“Princess, my name is Ma Yuhua. That day, I went out to buy things and was drugged. When I woke up, I saw him…” The maid raised her head tremblingly and saw that there were three or four women around her. She hardened her heart and said, “He… he ran away shirtless.”

This maid has an oval face, and although she is older, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes give her a unique charm.

Chen Zhuangmu never expected it to be like this. It felt like fire was burning from her lower body to her chest. She said angrily, "How could someone be so hateful in broad daylight? Do you remember..." She hesitated for a while, but couldn't finish her sentence.

These past few days, the investigations have focused on officials with criminal records, all of them burly and brutish, their words deliberately provocative. At this moment, a victim kneels before them, her words hesitant and mumbled.

The lady glanced at her twice and hurriedly said, "I remember, I remember. He had a black mole on his left eyelid, and, and he said he was from the Shumi family."

She finished speaking and started crying, seemingly unable to stop. Her sleeves, wet with tears, were soaked through in no time.

Li Chu whispered in her ear, "The son of the Shumi family."

The son of the envoy from the Shumi family?

A terrible thought slowly rose in her mind, and she could only hope that it wouldn't come true.

Seeing that the lady was crying less than before, Chen Zhuangmu said, "Tomorrow, Li Chu will accompany you to report to the authorities. It is inconvenient for me to show myself, but don't be afraid. Just tell the truth, and we will definitely give you justice."

Upon hearing this, the maidservant retreated, sobbing softly.

The next morning, Ma Yuhua hadn't slept all night, and Li Chu, with something weighing on her mind, also hadn't slept well. After discussing it for a while, the two left the mansion at the crack of dawn.

Upon arriving at the destination, Ma Yuhua gripped the two drumsticks tightly, made up her mind, and struck the drum with all her might.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sound echoed through the gate, seeped out from every crack in the brickwork, and reached people's ears.

People care most about this kind of thing.

Before long, the line of people stretched out in layers, their eyes scrutinizing them from head to toe, whispering amongst themselves.

It seems that only such a grand spectacle can awaken the slumbering gate, causing it to slowly open inward.

Several people dressed in blue official robes and wearing scarlet square scarves hurried over.

The man at the very front was Lord Zhang, with a long, square face and eyes that often held a judgmental gaze. A deep crescent-shaped line ran down his brow. Popular legend had it that he was a reincarnation of Bao Zheng, but his reincarnation was incomplete, leaving behind the crescent moon mark on his forehead.

The two officials behind her looked impatient and even tried to take the two rods from Madam Ma's hands, but when she refused, they didn't dare to force her.

Ma's lips trembled, and she suddenly knelt down on the ground, holding up the petition she had written to them.

Those people had a mixture of doubt and disdain on their faces, their eyes were raised to the sky, and their lips seemed to droop down two centimeters. When they saw the contents of the complaint, their eyes met and they were stunned.

According to the laws of Da Qun, any violation of filial piety or personal safety is a serious crime. Therefore, Ma Yuhua was exempted from the caning punishment for beating the drum.

Lord Zhang put away the petition and waved to the crowd gathered in front of the door, "Disperse, disperse!"

Then, he stared directly at Ma Yuhua, who was kneeling at his feet, and said, "Are you sure you want to sue?"

Under Lord Zhang's gaze, Ma Yuhua suddenly felt a little flustered. Li Chu gripped her hand tightly and said firmly, "Sue!"

Lord Zhang turned and walked towards the gate, saying, "Bring them both in!"

The shout was loud, eliciting a laugh from the person next to him. The sound wasn't loud, but it was quite jarring at that moment.