Prince Cheng, having accepted the assignment, pulled Yinxiang aside to complain about his troubles.

"Thirteenth brother, Father Emperor is putting me on the hot seat. Eighth brother smiled at me, and I'm in trouble."

"You give your brother some advice on how to handle the tasks Father has assigned. These things are too troublesome. After this year's imperial examination, I want to focus on writing and stay away from the troubles of the court."

Yinxiang followed behind Prince Cheng: "I have just returned to the capital and am not familiar with everything yet. If you don't mind, Third Brother, I do have an idea."

Tell me about it.

"Third Brother, do you think Father Emperor values ​​Eighth Sister-in-law's cheating in the imperial examinations more, or Eighth Brother's embezzlement in the Imperial Household Department?" Yinxiang did not answer, but asked in return.

“This… if the imperial examination is not handled properly, all the scholars in the land will be filled with righteous indignation. As for the affairs of the Imperial Household Department, right and wrong are entirely up to Father Emperor. I think the imperial examination is more important.” Prince Cheng thought for a moment, then hesitated.

Yinxiang shook his head: "No. Third Brother is indeed a man well-versed in the classics, putting the interests of all students first."

“But my younger brother thinks it’s the opposite,” Yinxiang analyzed. “For Father Emperor, the imperial examination is held every three years, and each time at least a hundred talents are selected. Over the years, our Qing Dynasty has accumulated a wealth of talents, so it’s just a matter of one imperial examination.”

"Besides, Rong Haibin keeps talking about the Eighth Prince's wife, but she's not the Eighth Prince. In the end, it's all about the prince's wife."

"But it's different with the Eighth Brother. We didn't go through the Imperial Household Department. Guess how much silver it was."

Yinxiang smiled sheepishly: "I've been wandering around for a long time, so I'm quite sensitive to money. Don't think I'm vulgar, Third Brother. It's precisely these things that are most appealing. When I'm really broke, I even think about finding the assassin organizations in those storybooks. My skills are definitely top-notch."

Prince Cheng was amused and felt that he had been largely convinced by Yinxiang.

"To find out where Lao Ba's money came from, we need to check the accounts and search his mansion. How about we brothers split up?"

Yinxiang appeared to be very supportive and did not object. If the Eighth Prince had indeed embezzled funds, he would have hidden them away without hesitation and would never leave any evidence for others to use against him in his own home.

Prince Cheng went to the Imperial Household Department, while Yinxiang went to the Eighth Prince's residence. It was clear that Prince Cheng also felt that there was nothing in the Eighth Prince's residence.

“Brother, I will obey your orders,” Yinxiang replied.

"Speaking of which, Thirteen, haven't you gained some weight since a few days ago?" Prince Cheng looked him up and down, and based on his years of experience in brothels, he was definitely more than a finger joint thicker.

Yinxiang smiled shyly: "I've been wandering for a long time, and now that I've suddenly returned to a life of luxury, I can't help but indulge in some culinary desires. I hope you'll forgive me, Third Brother."

"What's the big deal? I have some top-quality wild game. Once this is over, I'll treat you to a meal. You absolutely have to come."

Yinxiang watched Prince Cheng walk away, then said to his attendant, "Bring the prince a coat; it's a bit cold."

Yinxiang knocked on the door of the Eighth Prince's residence and casually said, "Is Eighth Brother home? I'd like to invite him for a drink."

"Reporting to the Thirteenth Prince, the Eighth Prince is not here, but the Princess Consort is currently at the residence."

"That's perfect. It's the same whether Eighth Sister-in-law is here or not. I've heard that Eighth Sister-in-law can drink a lot without getting drunk. It's the same whether you drink with her or not."

The doorman was speechless. How could this be the same? He had never heard of a sister-in-law and brother-in-law drinking alone. Thirteenth Master was indeed a wanderer in the countryside, so he didn't care about formalities.

The Eighth Prince's wife received the gatekeeper's report and knew that the visitors had ill intentions, but she was not afraid. Early this morning, she led people to check the entire mansion inside and out and found no problems.

"Yinxiang greets Eighth Sister-in-law. May Eighth Sister-in-law be well." Upon seeing the Eighth Prince's wife, Yinxiang put away his playful smile and greeted her in a serious manner. "Yinxiang has been back in the capital for a long time and has not yet visited Eighth Brother and Eighth Sister-in-law. It is Yinxiang's fault. I apologize to Eighth Sister-in-law."

"Thirteenth Brother, you are too polite. It's just that the food at my Eighth Prince's residence is not as appealing as the food at the Fourth Prince's residence." The Eighth Prince's wife's bright and dignified appearance was tinged with a hint of anger, which added a unique charm.

It's truly touching; no wonder the Eighth Prince was willing to defy Consort Liang to protect her—she certainly has charm.

Yinxiang nodded in agreement: "Although I haven't tried Eighth Sister-in-law's cooking yet, Fourth Sister-in-law's house is indeed full of delicious food, which makes Yinxiang linger."

The Eighth Prince's wife was speechless for a moment, then gestured for him to enter: "You don't come here without a reason. What brings you here today, Thirteenth Brother?"

“I have some serious business to attend to. Third Brother has taken over Father’s investigation into the cheating and buying and selling of official positions in the imperial examinations, and I’m here to assist him.” Yinxiang said directly, “Third Brother has assigned me a task: to visit Eighth Brother’s residence, and incidentally…”

"And while you're at it, confiscate their property too!" the Eighth Prince's wife sneered. "I've never heard of anything so outrageous. You think you can just arbitrarily search a prince's residence? If you find nothing, even if you go to Father Emperor, our master will still be in the right."

"Of course, Third Brother will personally come to apologize to Eighth Sister-in-law then."

"In that case, Eighth Sister-in-law, will you lead the way?"

Even if the Eighth Prince's wife was unwilling, she had to adjust her mindset and led Yinxiang to stroll around the garden.

For two whole hours, the group didn't stop for a second. The men brought by Yinxiang were very careful, and they put the items they had moved back in their original positions in an orderly manner.

Finally, only the Eighth Prince's study remained unsearched. Yinxiang said, "The study is an important place. I am not an ignorant person. They don't need to go in. I will take a look, and Eighth Sister-in-law will lead the way."

The study in the front courtyard had always been a forbidden area for women in the inner quarters, and Yihua had almost never entered Yinzhen's study.

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