Night, the Ministry of Justice prison.

A bloody smell permeated the damp air.

The Vice Minister of Revenue had just been taken down from the rack, covered in blood and grime, the result of the Ministry of Justice's cruel torture, which had penetrated to the bone.

He suffered terribly and was unrecognizable.

The fourth prince, Li Chengyun, dressed in black with icy eyes, arrived silently like a ghost.

At this time, all the soldiers and yamen runners in the surrounding area had been cleared out.

Upon seeing him, the Vice Minister of Revenue immediately let out a scream, "Don't come any closer! This is the Ministry of Justice! Guards! Guards!"

They shouted until they were hoarse, but no one came out.

His fear reached its peak.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. I was forced into it back then. Fourth Prince, please spare me, please spare me—"

Li Chengyun sneered and slowly walked in, looking at the Vice Minister of Revenue as if he were looking at a dog.

He looked down at the kneeling Vice Minister of Revenue, begging for mercy, and said in a cold and crazed tone, "If you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."

His voice was as light as a feather, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds, striking the heart of the Vice Minister of Revenue.

The Vice Minister of Revenue looked at him in fear. "No, please give me another chance, I beg you, I—"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

In the dungeon, only Li Chengyun's indifferent figure remained.

On a snowy night, the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

Through the window, moonlight rushed in, illuminating the dark corner, making everything bright and white, while he remained completely hidden in the darkness of the corner.

It was dark and gloomy, like a venomous snake.

The Marquis's Residence.

When Yin Quan came in, Pei Yanzhi had just finished his shift at the yamen and was being helped by Xiao Wu to change his clothes.

Yin Quan hurriedly reported this.

"Your Highness, the Vice Minister of Revenue, who was sentenced to beheading at the end of the year, has committed suicide. His body has been burned. However, according to news from the Ministry of Justice, the Vice Minister of Revenue was tortured to death by the Fourth Prince. His limbs were all severed, he suffered all kinds of torture, and finally died with his throat cut."

"So terrifying? Is he the reincarnation of a god of death?"

"Young Master Yao, what brings you here in broad daylight?"

Yin Quan looked at Yao Zhijie, who was sitting and drinking tea, in surprise.

“Of course I can come. I’m now in the same department as your son, so I can come to the Marquis’s residence openly and honestly. It’s so comfortable. I don’t have to hide anymore, making it seem like we’re having an affair,” Yao Zhijie said with a grin.

"Young Master Yao, you are mistaken. Our young master is now also a fifth-rank physician, the same rank as you."

"Tch, I almost forgot. I entered officialdom six years earlier than your young master, but he, as soon as he became an official, immediately became my equal. It's so unfair!"

Yao Zhijie looked up at the sky and sighed, howling like a ghost, but Pei Yanzhi didn't even glance at him.

There was no point in putting on a one-man show, so Yao Zhijie simply stopped pretending and asked curiously, "What's wrong with the Fourth Prince this time?"

"I heard that when he was on the frontier, he went mad, was ruthless and cold-blooded, and killed people without blinking an eye, which made the border troops resentful. None of the generals guarding the border liked him."

"They finally got back to the capital, and then they secretly killed the Vice Minister of Revenue. What did they do to offend him?"

"He even cruelly tortured and killed them. Does he get restless if he doesn't kill someone for a day?"

"Who knows, I'm not familiar with him either," Pei Yanzhi said casually as he straightened his sleeves and walked out from behind the screen.

The boy was dressed in a sky-blue casual outfit, with a transparent thin shirt over it. As he walked, his clothes fluttered in the wind.

It looked beautiful, but when Yao Zhijie glanced at the thick layer of snow in the yard, he immediately hugged his shoulders and shivered.

"It's snowing, why are you dressed like this? Aren't you cold?"

"It's not cold," he said succinctly.

"You used to be quite sensitive to the cold. No, I've noticed that this weakness you've had since you were born seems to have disappeared once you became an official. What's wrong? Does becoming an official cure all ailments?"

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and I am blessed with good fortune. I owe my life entirely to Your Majesty's protection."

"..."

Speechless.

I'm speechless.

This also involves His Majesty.

"No wonder you rose through the ranks so quickly. You keep talking about His Majesty, as if you're afraid people won't know that your Pei family is His Majesty's confidant, right? I can't stand your smugness. I never knew you were such a sycophant before..."

Yao Zhijie swore and cursed for a long time.

Remembering the Fourth Prince's brutal murder of the Vice Minister of Revenue, he frowned and said, "The Fourth Prince is no saint. Should we be on guard?"

"How could he be so bold as to torture and kill a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice? Although the Vice Minister of Revenue was corrupt and deserved to die, His Majesty has already sentenced him to beheading. He really has no respect for the laws of the country."

"I just don't understand. Even my cousin, the Sixth Prince, who is six years younger than him, has been granted the title of King. How did this bald prince get the audacity to do such a thing and even ask the Ministry of Justice to cover it up for him?"

"I've never heard of him getting close to officials in the Ministry of Justice before."

As he listened to him muttering, Pei Yanzhi's gaze sharpened. Just as he was about to change the subject, he heard Yao Zhijie slam his hand on the table and jump up.

"I understand. He must be working for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has been protecting him in every way lately. But the Vice Minister of Revenue is the First Prince's man. The Vice Minister of Revenue has been sentenced to be executed at the end of the year. The Crown Prince is afraid of any changes, so he struck first. Brilliant!"

"I used to think the Crown Prince was weak, but I never expected him to have such a ruthless side."

"...As expected of you, your analysis is very thorough." Pei Yanzhi glanced at him, his gaze unfocused, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Yao Zhijie paused for a moment, "Why do I hear sarcasm in your voice?"

That's your misconception.

"you--"

Yao Zhijie took a breath, about to delve deeper, when Yin Quan suddenly spoke up, "I have something else to report."

Yao Zhijie immediately became excited. Just as Yin Quan was about to speak, Xiao Wu came in again.

"Young Master, the young mistress has arrived."

Yao Zhijie was even more excited. Even though Jiang Shuwan was Pei Yanzhi's wife, he ran over quickly and walked a few steps to the outside to greet her.

"Greetings, sister-in-law."

"Who are you?"

Jiang Shuwan stood on the eaves, watching curiously as the young man ran out of Pei Yanzhi's house.

He was the same age as Pei Yanzhi, but he was much more lively, and also had a clever and handsome appearance with an outgoing demeanor.

It's clear he comes from a very good family.

"My name is Yao Zhijie. I am a classmate and friend of Brother Pei. I am currently working in a government office."

"..."

Jiang Shuwan's hair stood on end instantly.

She knew Yao Zhijie; he was the second most powerful minister in the Great Jing Dynasty after Pei Yanzhi.

"So it's Lord Yao. I've been rude."

Jiang Shuwan smiled and subtly observed him.

Yao Zhijie also secretly observed her. He saw that she was wearing a pinkish-apricot Shu brocade that fell to the ground, embroidered with white or pink weeping crabapple branches.

Her hair was lightly tied into a cloud-like bun, adorned with a jade hairpin. The tassels hanging from the hairpin swayed gently with her movements, making her face appear even more beautiful and delicate. Her eyes shone like stars.

She is truly a beauty.