Chapter 94: Long time no see. This person smiled: "Long time no see..."

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It is normal to get married and have children when you are around 30 years old, but it is also normal to be alone and without children.

Because at the bottom of society, there are actually not many people who can get married, have children, leave offspring, and have their wives and daughters still alive.

This is the world.

Life is the human world.

"Death, too."

The town of Liuguang is located in the northern suburbs, nestled between mountains and rivers. The tombs are lined up in an orderly manner in the mountain of tombs.

Now that the Qingming Festival has passed, there are very few people in the cemetery, and it seems cold and quiet. It is a bit cloudy, which makes it even more eerie.

Fortunately, there are many people.

There were a lot of people, because it was a hard job to search the graves on a large scale. If there were not enough people, it would be time-consuming and laborious. So the local county magistrate came and brought a group of yamen runners to help.

They were locals. Although the imperial court had sovereignty and a single order covered the local security control authority, the locals knew the inside story and were easy to communicate with. They handled the situation with a few household registration books and, after a while, confirmed the suspicious nature of sixteen of the deceased.

Dig it up.

No matter how diligent and cautious the county magistrate was, he would not dig the graves himself. He just wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and hurriedly explained that he could suppress the troubles of all the victims' families in the three towns.

"The imperial court has issued an order, and our company is carrying it out. Even if they have doubts or dissatisfaction, they can suppress it."

"We also communicated in advance according to Lord Yan's orders."

"Master Yan is really thinking about the common people..."

He was full of flattery, his eyes full of admiration. Yan Siqing paused for a moment and said, "It was done to comply with the routine notification process. Legally speaking, digging the grave without the victim's knowledge is illegal, even if it was done to investigate the murder and protect the country. The victim can appeal. If an imperial censor were to impeach them on this point, the cabinet could also use the irregularities in the process as a single offense to reprimand them."

"I don't want to be scolded, and I don't want you to be scolded either."

The implication is: I have been notified, and it is your business if you disagree.

The interests of the country come first. Under this premise, any disagreement after notification can only be considered as disagreement.

The subsequent troubles were also handled by the local county magistrate.

However, it seemed that some of the victims agreed, mainly because they heard that there might be a perverted murderer digging up graves and damaging corpses. They were all scared. In addition, the county magistrate was also very powerful. He said: What if the murderer wanted to use the corpse to cause trouble, do some strange and sinister things, involve feng shui and ancestral blessings, and bring disaster to the country? What if the loss of merits and virtues behind it was counted on his clan?

These people agreed immediately, and some elders even came to accompany them to burn paper money to comfort the deceased.

People are burning paper and crying at the graves over there, and digging the ground and digging graves over here.

It looks funny and in line with human ethics.

Zhou Li felt that Yan Siqing was a strange person. He made decisive choices based on his conscience and tactics, and never dragged his feet.

Perhaps the only person who was entangled and difficult for her to deal with was Jiang Hui.

The county magistrate was full of flattery again, but was interrupted by Zhou Li. On the other side, the results of the grave digging came out.

The most cooperative family was crying, but suddenly the sound stopped.

"No, where's my brother?"

The young wealthy businessman with tears in his eyes was stunned.

Yan Siqing turned around and saw that the open coffin was empty.

But she also noticed that the young man's family members and descendants were surprised and frightened, but they were cautiously looking forward and took several steps forward, as if they were watching something.

Yan Siqing remembered that this family had only two sons. The eldest brother died of illness and the second son inherited the family business. However, the eldest brother's status was not ordinary, so if he died, the funeral ceremony would also be extraordinary.

Moreover, the local people attach great importance to funeral culture. As the county magistrate said, the reason why Liuguang Town agreed to open a cemetery in the northern suburbs and did not hesitate to do so was because this place was very poor in the past, and later found that it could make money by connecting the funeral business of the three towns.

One must first live before he can avoid matters concerning the dead.

Therefore, it became common for local people to go from initially rejecting it to every household following suit in doing this kind of business.

In fact, the family of the deceased Li Gai was a leader in this kind of business and made a lot of money, but because this business was quite taboo, there should be other customs and rituals when it came to the afterlife of their family members in order to be cautious.

So, Yan Siqing asked, "Are there any other burial objects inside?"

It really does exist.

Li Chen mentioned some precious antiques. "My brother traveled extensively in business and had a wide network of contacts. Since our family had some money, he was willing to be generous with it, so he left behind some precious antiques. When he was buried, my parents were grieving and placed these antiques with the body."

Then, all the antiques were taken away.

It's just like taking away some change from Liu Guangzhi.

It is Zhan Tianli's habit.

Zhou Li remembered Yan Siqing's previous speculation - regarding the matter of Zhan Tianli's hometown, people had been sent out to investigate, but they had not returned yet. However, he must have suffered a setback in his love life, and had hatred and regrets, which must be related to the chosen deceased.

He looked at it carefully and asked, "Where are the family members of the deceased Li Gai?"

Li Chen paused, his expression awkward. "My brother had some problems with my sister-in-law before he died, and they separated early on. My sister-in-law took the child away with her."

Zhou Li felt that this person was hiding something big.

First: If the woman is wrong, the family will certainly be harsh. This is the limitation of the world. Few families are decent and they are also harsh on women. Since it is just embarrassing and they are trying to cover it up, it means that the fault lies with the man, and the mistake is very serious.

Second: The eldest brother is the heir. If he has a child, and it's a son, and the parents care so much about the eldest brother, then the second brother may not have the upper hand in the inheritance. The second brother mentioned the child, not the daughter, to show that he has the upper hand, but only the child. Then...

The woman was able to take her eldest son and grandson away from the Li family without doing anything wrong, which shows that Li Gai's behavior was extremely improper and the Li family could not control him.

That......

Zhou Li was too lazy to wait for the spy to come back and report the news, so he drew his sword and changed his attitude to make the Li family less worried and answer all the questions truthfully.

"We are investigating the case, and time is precious. We cannot afford to show off your little tricks and cover up the truth. It won't be a problem for your family to hold a few more funerals."

If you are not a little fierce, these people will not be honest.

As expected, Li Chen was frightened by Zhou Li's threat and quickly replied, "My brother...he likes to flirt with people everywhere."

"And I like widows."

"And he likes widows who have children and are married to well-off families and live a comfortable life. He always says it's true love and wants to give them a home. He also wants to divorce and tell my sister-in-law to get out."

Yan Siqing, who was looking at the coffin, paused and looked over.

The latter was embarrassed by Zhou Li's glance at him for some reason and avoided his gaze.

Yan Siqing: “…”

Li Chen: "This caused a lot of trouble. Later, my sister-in-law and nephew were targeted by their enemies and beaten. They almost died, but my nephew's leg was lame. My brother didn't pursue the matter to get out of trouble and reconciled with the other party. My sister-in-law was disappointed and left with the child. My parents also failed to discipline him well, so this is the only way."

In this matter, Li Gai's behavior was really bad. There was a lot of discussion in the local area, and everyone was on the woman's side. The Li family was in no position to stand on their side. The most important thing was that Li Gai himself did not care about his wife. He thought he was in his prime and had plenty of money, and there were women who could give birth to a bunch of children for him at any time.

So...who knows, he fell seriously ill and died not long after.

The old man of the Li family still wanted to go find his nephew, but when his nephew heard the news, he quickly moved away and disappeared.

He didn't even want his family wealth, which shows how disgusting Li Gai was.

"This matter became famous a few months ago, but my family spent some money to suppress it. No one mentioned it, but many local people knew about it."

"It's really a family disgrace."

Yan Siqing: "Is this also called a family scandal?"

Li Chen said gratefully: "Sir, please be tolerant and understand my family..."

Yan Siqing: "Isn't this a beast?"

Li Chen and other Li family members: "......"

Lord Yan is gentle and elegant, respectable and rarely criticizes others, but once he opens his mouth, it is really... not much better than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

It can be seen how much he dislikes Li Gai.

Everyone laughed silently.

But at this time, the other grave-digging teams had also returned.

The bodies were gone.

The bodies of the 12 victims they identified based on clues such as time of death and age were all stolen.

It can be seen that Zhan Tianli did commit many evil things in his hometown and was extremely perverted.

"It seems that it was the changes in the past two years that caused him to start committing evil. Could there be some opportunity?"

Zhou Li and Li Yu were very curious about this.

The bodies are gone, and the body thefts have been happening for more than a few days. There are many funerals at the cemetery, and with so many people coming and going, the clues have long been gone.

Everyone had no choice but to leave and go to Zhan Tianli's hometown residence. But before leaving, Yan Siqing looked back at Li Chen who was still crying, and whispered to Li Yu.

"Keep an eye on him."

Li Yu opened his eyes. "Ah? Him?"

Yan Siqing said, "After the Li family became wealthy, according to the path of ordinary merchant families, Li Gai's son should have been arranged to study for the imperial examinations since he was young. However, after he became lame, his path to the imperial examinations was greatly restricted and his future was blocked. This is the fundamental reason why the Li family did not insist too much after he was taken away. But as for Li Gai's wife, no matter how much she hated Li Gai, she could tolerate his evil deeds for many years. In all likelihood, it was for her son. Now that her son's future is blocked and her family has little foundation, she can't even guarantee her son's future. She actually rejected the Li family's good intentions and left. This is not normal - either the mother and son are dead, or Li Chen, in order to protect his own interests, secretly gave his sister-in-law a sum of money to meet the mother and son's future needs and prevent her from being disgusted by the Li family..."

No matter which option he chooses, Li Chen is not innocent in it.

Most importantly...

Zhou Li: "These twelve people died at some intervals, and their backgrounds were quite different, but most of the men and women had their own faults, which were difficult for the world to accept, and some were even scum who abandoned their partners. But if you look closely, some of the inside stories are hidden. After all, these scandals are covered up by every household. Look at how big the Li family incident was at the time, and in the end, the local people kept silent because of business reasons. This is evident. Zhan Tianli didn't live in his hometown for a long time, far away in Chang'an, and only returned home occasionally. It's impossible for him to know these news at all times and confirm the misconduct of these people. It seems that someone spread the news."

Li Yu's eyes lit up!

"Ah, the Li family is a big player in the local funeral business. If these people have done business with them, Li Chen must know the inside story."

"He then told Zhan Tianli..."

"I'll immediately arrange for someone to keep an eye on him! We'll also check their business to see if there are any orders from the deceased's family."

After a cup of tea, Yan Siqing and others arrived at Zhan Tianli's hometown.

Nothing special.

Just like him.

They are plain and simple, but they love cleanliness and have excellent living habits. Compared with ordinary farmers' families, their homes are even more tidy. People can even imagine that this person works as a musician to earn money. He can go to brothels and elegant banquets. He is flexible and will go back home to take care of his own life when he has free time.

Originally, such a person should be simple and kind, worthy of anyone's critical scrutiny.

Not brilliant, but not wrong.

But the more this happened, the more horrified everyone became.

Because Zhan Tianli was not such a person. They all knew what he had done. Looking at the inside and outside of the house, one could tell that he loved his hometown house with the same care and meticulousness as he treated the bodies of the dead, peeling off their skin and bones to make lanterns.

"It's scary."

"There are two pairs of chopsticks, and all the utensils are for two people, even two pillows."

"Where's his wife?"

When the spy came back, he learned that the locals didn't know much about this man because his house was in a remote area. They only knew that he was quite optimistic and talkative ten years ago and often went to the town to buy vegetables and meat.

"I carefully asked him about the quantity of ingredients he bought and the intervals between his trips to the market. It should be enough for two people."

"But I've never heard of him getting married. I only know that he was poor in his youth and loved to read, but he always eavesdropped. For this, he was beaten, scolded, and humiliated many times by the private school teachers and students. The worst time was when he was hung in an abandoned pit toilet for two days. No one rescued him. It was only when a local woodcutter happened to see him and let him down. Only when he was older did he have enough money to go to school. At that time, he was five or six years older than the other students in his class, but he had good grades and had a good chance of passing the imperial examination."

"Later, for some unknown reason, he stopped studying and didn't take the provincial examination. He disappeared for a few years. Later, when I returned to my hometown, I found out that he had become a musician. It was strange. I didn't know where he learned the art of vocal music, but he was able to support himself. Others had no complaints about him."

The spy was very attentive, but he could find out nothing else about this man.

Yan Siqing sat on the stone bench in the yard, looking at the flowers and plants and the new soil in the yard that seemed to have been cultivated recently, and thought for a long time.

He has been doing so many things recently, how can he still have the time to do these things?

I always feel like something is odd, but I can't really see many clues or flaws.

Zhan Tianli was different from the previous murderers. His demands were complex, obscure, eccentric, and disorganized, but he was very resourceful. He seemed to be very familiar with the abilities and temperaments of her and the relevant dignitaries and officials in the court.

Wisdom and mind are one thing, and information blockade is another. The circle he lives in is destined to not be able to grasp these secrets.

Not to mention that he couldn't reach Prince Lie and Jiang Hui, he couldn't even reach himself.

So, how did they accurately grasp and set up the plan step by step?

"Why do I feel like something is weird?" Xiaoyun said suddenly.

Yan Siqing looked at her and said, "Tell me what you think."

Xiaoyun: "The flowers and plants in the yard are not very common. I feel like I have seen them somewhere before."

Where?

Yan Siqing also thought of it, pressed his finger on his temples and said softly.

This sentence also matched the words of the spy who came back quickly on horseback and entered the yard.

White Horse Temple.

Yes, these flowers and plants are not common. They were transplanted from the White Horse Temple.

——————

"You mean he's been to the White Horse Temple many times over the years?"

"And you always seek help from the same master?"

The spy wiped the sweat off his face and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, it's the White Horse Temple. We've already checked it out. Lord Wei also found a sheet music in the piano room where he practiced. The sheet music is in Master Liaochen's handwriting."

"Master Liaochen is well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is known throughout the world."

"These two have a deep friendship!"

"And so far, Master Liaochen has not been able to explain his whereabouts on the 14th."

"Don't pretend to be in Wenquan. Master Lechen has been arrested and taken to Chang'an."

"Lord Wei has sent a subordinate to report... this is a secret letter."

This turn of events is truly shocking.

Coming and going, the blame was put on Lechen.

How could such a hermit, such a great master, become so worldly?

Everyone was shocked. Zhou Li thought for a moment and found that this matter was not without logic. Because Liaochen did know many people, he was familiar with the powerful officials in the court and had a high status. If he could use Zhan Tianli to do something...

"And Lord Wei also found out that Zhan Tianli's abnormality originated two years ago, and two years ago was when he first went to the White Horse Temple."

The spy let out a breath and looked at Yan Siqing.

"Lord Wei asked me to inform Lord Yan that His Majesty has assigned the Internal Guard to investigate Chen and has asked you to return to Chang'an."

This means seizing power.

Don't let her check.

Everyone's expressions changed constantly, but most of them were expressions of pity and dissatisfaction.

Is this... considered as crossing the river and destroying the bridge?

Although it is disrespectful to Your Majesty to imagine this, it is indeed unkind.

Zhou Li wanted to say something but stopped himself, as if he couldn't bear it, but he really couldn't say anything because of his position - if he was at the hot spring villa last night, he could actually agree with what Zhan Tianli said at that time.

If, then...

How do you choose?

Yes, many people only have one choice, and only a very few people will choose to stand on her side.

But in fact, she didn't give these people the opportunity to choose their positions.

She had been holding her chin up in thought, but her brows relaxed when she heard this. "Then, can I go home now?"

"That's great, I can make it in time for dinner."

"Let's go."

She just walked away.

Xiaoyun was furious and was about to say something, but was stunned when he saw this and followed suit.

Yes, just ignore it!

There's no benefit in getting involved anyway.

Ms. Yan is not short of money, so any reward would be just superficial for her. Official power is temporary after all, and the court is unlikely to let her serve as an official for a long time, or let her be a female official with real power.

It was the imperial decree that forced her to take on this hot potato in the first place.

Now, I have put it aside and am debt-free?

Before Yan Siqing left, he sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and took a last look at the quiet and elegant simple courtyard.

Li Yu finished checking the Chen family's business book with the documents folded on his lap.

When I opened it, I found that it was indeed a business of funeral supplies for the deceased. Since they were all wealthy people with good family conditions, they were quite particular and the business was quite large.

Li Chen has been controlled. The time will come to see whether Wei Tingzhong and the internal security will conduct a detailed investigation or just focus on Chen to get to the bottom of the matter.

It has nothing to do with her anymore.

So, Yan Siqing finally said to Zhou Li, "Master Zhou, although I think your mission is still quite busy and it would be best for you to cooperate with the internal security or Master Wei's investigation here, I can't help it if you insist on escorting me back. However, I still have to remind you of my previous duties - although the pillows on the bed in the bedroom are the same, the one the woman is using is new and has never been used. He made a new one and put it there, and I don't know where the old one went."

"No matter what his attitude towards this woman is, the chopsticks and other items are old and have been well taken care of. There's no reason to deliberately replace the pillow alone."

"That old pillow might be dirty, and there might be a lot of blood on it. It's really unusable."

"Have the remaining people carefully check the bed and surrounding area for any bloodstains."

"Liaochen is Liaochen. Even if he and Zhan Tianli may have had a huge secret and business dealings, there are other victims in these cases. They are not insignificant pawns. It is better to investigate thoroughly."

After she finished speaking, she loosened her fingers and the curtain dropped, isolating her calm face.

Zhou Li: “….”

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In seven days, the situation became tense.

When Zhan Tianli was arrested, everyone thought that the person involved was some prince or the leader of a faction dispute, but they never expected that it was a monk.

There is now a lot of criticism inside and outside Chang'an, and the court can't stop it, but many believers don't believe it, and don't believe that Lechen is a bad person, so these rumors are getting more and more intense.

But these have nothing to do with Yan Siqing.

She rested well in Prince Yan's Mansion for a few days, eating, drinking and sleeping in a very regular manner. Xu Junrong wished for it, and her originally haggard and thin figure also improved a lot. However, Xu Junrong was better off than her.

This lady was born with an open-minded temperament, loved life and pleasure, was very good at making a living, and could enjoy herself wherever she was. It was only later that Yan Siqing discovered that her mother actually got along very well with the other women in the mansion.

Of course, it was the latter who took the initiative to come to the house many times. Xu Junrong was originally avoiding it, not wanting to have too much contact with people from Jiang Rong's original wife's side, as well as his biological mother, Empress Yuan's family, so as to avoid confusion in the future.

But, she is also a soft-hearted person, she loves to be in a crowd, she hides when there are a lot of people, playing, eating, drinking, playing cards...

Like a fish in water.

Yan Siqing was helpless about this and also found it funny, but even though she was too lazy to care about what was happening outside, she knew the progress of these cases because of the movements inside and outside Chang'an.

Lechen seems to have not yet given an explanation for himself and seems to be keeping silent.

But the investigation into Zhan Tianli continued, and gradually, rumors began to spread that Chen had a grudge against King Lie and had deliberately set up a trap to kill King Lie, and that it was all done by Le Chen.

Yan Siqing: "This is a rumor spread by Prince Lie's followers. It can be said that they are desperate and have no other choice."

If the medicine-making site in that small town was discovered, King Lie and his men would be in trouble.

Since ancient times, no emperor has ever let go of matters involving witchcraft and plague.

A wise ruler knows the difference between right and wrong, and a foolish ruler also cherishes his life and the country, so even his own son will not have a good ending.

Yan Siqing knew that King Lie was finished and there would be no turning back.

The problem now is to get rid of the dust.

Xiaoyun: "Some also say that Prince Lie initially intended to harm you and His Royal Highness, but then Zhan Tianli unexpectedly took action... He himself was imprisoned, so he quickly framed Master Chen and made him the scapegoat."

"The investigation at White Horse Temple has repeatedly verified that he and Zhan Tianli knew each other. Even Master Liaochen himself admitted it, but he only said that they were discussing Buddhist principles and the Way normally, nothing more."

"But he didn't explain his actions on the 14th..."

While the two were discussing, a guest came to visit.

——————is Master Tingzang.

He came to ask for help.

"Liaochen is not that kind of person. He has always been kind to others and has helped many people. He was not there that day, so there must be something hidden that he couldn't tell."

Tingzang is an enlightened monk who has lived through two dynasties. He is highly respected and has done many favors for himself. He is also a senior who has stood the test of time. He speaks sincerely, but Yan Siqing listens politely but calmly.

"Master, do you know this secret?"

Ting Zang's expression was complicated, and he denied it, "I don't know."

"Monks don't tell lies. I really don't know that."

Yan Siqing: "That means you know that what he did cannot be known to others, not even you can tell. Otherwise, how can it be called a secret?"

Ting Zang: “…”

He smiled bitterly, "Master Yan is truly a rare talent in the world."

"I can't say it. I just can't say it."

"You can't even lie."

"Only the Buddha knows. I cannot tell you how much each person has accumulated merits and losses."

Xiaoyun glared. How could this old monk make things difficult for others?

Since you are asking for help but refuse to say anything, why should your master get involved?

It’s not like I haven’t saved Chen before.

But this guy is very weird and gets involved again and again.

Yan Siqing was silent for a moment, then said, "During the investigation, the people who took over now know everything I was able to participate in and what I found. I also shared some clues with them. If they don't continue the investigation, it means it's the will of the higher-ups, and nothing I say will make any difference."

"Master, do you understand what I mean?"

Ting Zang was silent, nodded, and sighed, "Actually, I just came here to give it a try. I thought you had left because the investigation was interrupted, and there were some things you were still holding back on."

Now it seems that what you said is not true.

He did not continue to embarrass others, as that would be against his virtue, so he stood up to say goodbye.

Just at this moment, the palace guard came to report and handed over a secret letter.

It belongs to Wei Tingzhong.

Yan Siqing opened it, took a look, and handed it to Tingzang.

Ting Zang: "Is this appropriate?"

Yan Siqing: "Okay."

Tingzang read it with a heavy expression, then smiled bitterly: "I actually found a handwritten letter from Zhan Tianli."

"With this evidence, Zhan Tianli, after being interrogated, personally admitted that he had indeed colluded with Lechen to murder King Lie."

"It's because King Lie has a grudge against him."

"Liaochen also felt that Prince Lie had committed countless evil deeds and deserved death, so they teamed up to poison the hot spring villa. On the one hand, they planned to kill him directly. If they couldn't kill him, they would use the poison they made and put the blame on them. As long as the matter became a big deal, the emperor would definitely take it seriously and deal with Prince Lie."

"Their goal has been achieved."

How can this be done? There is solid evidence and confessions.

It's a dead end, there's no turning back.

Ting Zang's face turned pale, and he finally sighed, "Sorry to bother you, Master Yan."

Sir.

Are you still calling her Lord Yan now?

Ting Zang heard the girl drinking tea behind him say something lightly.

“I do have reservations.”

Um?

Ting Zang turned around with a look of surprise on his face.

What Yan Siqing didn't tell Zhou Li at the time was that she also found a medicine cup in Zhan Tianli's house. The bottom was stained with smoke and fire, and it looked like it had been used for a long time, but it was no longer used and had been left there for a long time. He was reluctant to throw it away and often wiped it, but he didn't want to see it often, so he stored it in the deepest part of the cabinet.

Zhan Tianli seems to be healthy.

So his wife got sick and died?

Ting Zang sat down again and pondered for a moment. "Either he was killed or died of illness. This reflects two extremes. Either he was a crazy and ruthless person from the beginning, or he died because of love and revenge out of anger."

"Will this affect the investigation?"

Now that it's a dead end, what kind of investigation results can overturn all this?

Yan Siqing leaned back in his chair. "I don't know. I just noticed this at the time. How to investigate still depends on the ability of the current chief officer. I have done my best."

Ting Zang nodded, but he hesitated out of curiosity before asking, "Why did you keep this discovery to yourself and not tell your colleagues who were accompanying you on the investigation? Did you feel they couldn't be trusted?"

Yan Siqing paused, a little helpless, "Master, do you think I'm an expert who stays out of this?"

"I also need to keep some value to protect myself."

"I, too, have my contemptible aspects."

"But I didn't expect that the person who came to ask for help was you."

Ting Zang was shocked, then he put his hands together and said, "I am sorry for making things difficult for you, benefactor."

Yan Siqing lowered his eyes, fiddled with his teacup, and said softly, "Thank you for taking care of my family's monument of merit for so many years."

Prince Yan was the one who started it all, putting in the effort and making the most of it, but the only way to maintain it in the long term was if the White Horse Temple put in the effort.

She appreciated it and was willing to return the favor.

Ting Zang's cheeks trembled slightly, as if in pain but not quite, and he sighed one last time.

"You are also a person of great merit, and there will be good results in the future."

Yan Siqing said nothing and said goodbye to Tingzang.

After they left, Xiaoyun stood by and whispered, "Will it cause you any trouble? After all, His Majesty seems to be asking you to stop interfering."

"Actually, I think it's better not to get involved. Your safety is the most important thing."

Yan Siqing, however, looked at Tingzang's back from a distance and said softly, "Your Majesty doesn't want me to stay out of it, but he wants to see if I have any relationship with Lechen and whether I should intervene."

"I can't just ignore everything on purpose. That goes against my previous style and makes me look like I'm protecting myself."

"I can't take over fully and give my all to protect Chen."

"Believe it or not, if Ting Zang goes out, Lord Wei who is monitoring outside will be able to report to the palace."

Xiaoyun was shocked and asked Yan Siqing how he knew that.

Yan Siqing's expression was indifferent.

"Prince Yan and His Majesty have been at odds with each other for years, and they've been wary of each other. It's impossible to say that there aren't any spies in Prince Yan's mansion. How could Wei Tingzhong not know this? He knows full well that I can no longer intervene in this case, yet he still sent a secret letter informing him of the entire case. Isn't he afraid that His Majesty would find out? If he dared, he must have tacitly approved it. If he tacitly approved it, he must have known Tingzang was coming, and he chose this moment to send the secret letter."

"I just want to see my reaction and how much I can get involved."

"This is just perfect now. I won't get involved. The facts and evidence will speak for themselves. It all depends on how they investigate next."

——————

Outside Prince Yan's mansion, Wei Tingzhong had already put down his teacup and set off for the palace. Not long after, he came out.

Zhou Li and Jian Wuliang were secretly ordered to investigate the woman.

Wei Tingzhong turned his attention to his true identity.

But they didn't know what the internal security department had changed its job to investigate.

Wei Tingzhong came out of the sky prison, looked at the imperial city, and saw the location of Prince Yan's Mansion.

"It's probably Lord Yan who checked."

He didn't understand. It seemed particularly abnormal for the emperor to speak like this to you.

Repeated attempts and repeated investigations.

This is not the posture of an emperor.

Even more cautious than towards King Yan.

But Wei Tingzhong didn't expect that they were still investigating. Three days later, Yan Siqing's business in Chang'an ran into some problems, so serious that a group of his confidants were arrested.

The Ministry of Revenue checked and found a problem with the account.

Yan Siqing knew that someone was in trouble behind the scenes, but this was a dead end - if she didn't deal with it, those people would die.

She left the palace and went to the big gold cabinet on Chang'an Street in Chang'an to check the bills. She had just entered the small room.

A figure swayed behind the cabinet.

Yan Siqing was startled, turned around and looked at the person who walked out.

His brows furrowed slightly.

The door at the back slammed shut.

There came the sounds of a fierce fight with Xiaoyun and the others.

The man smiled: "Long time no see, ma'am."