Storybook-style investigation

Prince Heng's thunderous counterattack was like a boulder thrown into a seemingly calm lake, creating ripples that spread outwards and impacted every corner of the capital.

Deep within the prison, the stench of blood mingled with the atmosphere of despair.

The Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the three judicial departments jointly interrogated Guo Yi and the other prisoners day and night.

The screams and wails were incessant as confessions stained with blood and tears were compiled, revealing a shocking network of conspiracies. This not only confirmed the Ming Prince's crimes of embezzling military funds and framing the prince, but also implicated the misdeeds of many other officials in the court.

As Emperor Zongzheng Hong looked at the daily reports, his face grew increasingly grim. Finally, he ordered: All criminals with conclusive evidence of their crimes shall be executed in the autumn! Their property shall be confiscated, and their families shall be exiled three thousand li away!

This decree, like a guillotine for execution in autumn, hung over the heads of all those involved in the case, and also intimidated countless onlookers with ulterior motives.

The Ming King's faction suffered its heaviest blow since its founding, and its vitality was severely damaged.

However, just as King Heng had predicted, on the eve of Guo Yi's revelation of more of Night Hawk Pavilion's core secrets, he died suddenly in the heavily guarded Heavenly Prison.

The cause of death was suspicious; the autopsy revealed a sudden heart attack.

However, the undercover agents Zhao Ben had set up successfully detected the unusual behavior of a low-ranking prison guard who was trying to sneak out of the prison. Following the clues, they uncovered a minor official from the Ministry of Justice who had accepted a huge bribe and was responsible for delivering poison.

Although still a small fry, this undoubtedly confirmed the existence of the Night Hawk Pavilion's operation to silence witnesses, and also left a new clue for subsequent investigations. King Heng ordered that this matter be kept secret and that the investigation continue.

…………

Ming Prince's Mansion, Underground Secret Palace

The atmosphere was as oppressive as a tomb. Zongzheng Mingchen's face was ashen, his eyes swirling with rage and resentment.

His hard-earned power, built up over many years, was almost destroyed because of a lowly widow of a captain and a careless document!

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" he roared, smashing the jade cup in his hand to the ground. "You can't even handle something as simple as silencing witnesses properly!"

Shadow Sha, the deputy leader of Night Hawk Pavilion, knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.

"Ninth Prince! Zongzheng Hengyu!" The Ming King gritted his teeth, every word dripping with deep-seated hatred, "I will tear you to pieces!"

After venting his anger, he forced himself to calm down, his eyes flashing with a venomous glint: "Replenish the lost manpower as soon as possible. All strongholds in various locations are to go into hibernation; no action is permitted without my order. And..."

He looked at Ying Sha: "How's the investigation on Jiang Wanzhi going? This failure is inextricably linked to her!"

Ying Sha replied, "Your Highness, the Prime Minister's residence is heavily guarded, making it difficult for our people to get close. However, based on our preliminary observations, this woman is nothing special. She spends her days admiring flowers, feeding fish, and reading novels, just like any other young lady in the capital."

King Ming sneered, "The more harmless someone seems, the more likely they are to harbor malicious intentions! Keep an eye on her! Even if she really is a rabbit, find out her hidden claws!"

…………

Prince Zhao's Mansion

Zongzheng Zhaoran's days were equally difficult. Although the final investigation confirmed that he was not directly involved in the arms case, the fact that his former subordinate Zhang Qiming was implicated in such a serious case solidified his reputation for poor judgment of people and lax management of his subordinates.

Although the emperor did not reprimand him severely, the disappointed and scrutinizing gaze, as well as the subtle change in attitude of those opportunists in the court, made him feel like he had thorns in his back.

His prestige, which he had built up through military achievements and rescuing Prince Heng, was greatly diminished. The area in front of the mansion gate became much quieter again.

“Your Highness, the current situation is extremely unfavorable for us,” the goatee-bearded advisor said worriedly. “After this incident, His Majesty’s trust in you has likely diminished. Meanwhile, Prince Heng… is riding high on his momentum.”

King Zhao rubbed his temples in frustration: "I know! But what can we do now? Are we supposed to go and beg for mercy from the Ninth Prince?"

"Your Highness, there is no need to be discouraged." A calculating glint flashed in the advisor's eyes. "Although Prince Heng has won, he has made more enemies, especially Prince Ming, with whom he has become mortal enemies. His Majesty is in the prime of his life and is most wary of a prince becoming too powerful. Why doesn't Your Highness take this opportunity to further demonstrate your filial piety and detachment to His Majesty?"

"Just wait patiently and observe the situation. The fiercer the battle between Prince Heng and Prince Ming becomes, the deeper the thorn in His Majesty's heart will be. At that time, Your Highness's opportunity will naturally come."

King Zhao's eyes flickered, and he slowly nodded: "That's the only way. Give the order that everything in the manor be kept simple and closed to guests for the time being. I will be copying Buddhist scriptures to pray for my father and mother."

…………

The Prime Minister's Residence, Wanzhi Pavilion.

Compared to the turbulent outside world, Wanzhi Pavilion seemed to be a paradise.

Ever since Zongzheng Hengyu came to visit, Jiang Wanzhi noticed that not only had the prying eyes outside completely disappeared, but even her prime minister father's gaze towards her had become complicated and indescribable. He seemed to want to ask her something, but in the end, he just sighed and told her to "take care of yourself."

Chuntao and Qiuju became complete admirers of Prince Heng, chattering all day long about how wise and brilliant His Highness was, and how his strategies were flawless.

"Miss, do you think His Highness came that day specifically to thank you?" Chun Tao asked excitedly while combing Jiang Wanzhi's hair.

Looking at her slightly flushed cheeks in the mirror, Jiang Wanzhi retorted stubbornly, "Thank you? That was more like an interrogation! It was terrifying!"

"But His Highness said he owed you a favor!" Qiuju cupped her face in her hands. "A favor from His Highness Prince Heng! Miss, you're really rich!"

Jiang Wanzhi felt a little smug, but more than that, she had an indescribable feeling.

His approach that day, his almost inaudible chuckle, and the barely perceptible pause after saying "Take care of yourself" kept replaying in her mind.

She shook her head, trying to banish these chaotic thoughts.

No, no, I can't let my mind wander! That's a thousand-year-old iceberg! It's the ultimate dark villain!

Just as she was feeling uneasy, a maid came to report that Miss Su Yuyue, the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, had come to visit.

Jiang Wanzhi was taken aback. Su Yuyue? What's she doing here?

Ever since she overheard the conversation in the bamboo grove, she has felt wary and uncomfortable towards the original female protagonist.

But since they've come, we can't just ignore them.

Su Yuyue was still dressed in an elegant dress, with exquisite makeup and an impeccable gentle smile on her face: "Sister Wanzhi, I heard that you were frightened a few days ago and have been wanting to visit you, but I was afraid of disturbing your rest. Today, seeing that the weather is fine, I took the liberty of coming over. I hope you won't blame me, sister?"

Jiang Wanzhi perked up and gave a fake smile: "Sister Su, what are you saying? I'm overjoyed that you came to see me." The two exchanged perfunctory pleasantries, as if nothing had ever happened before.

Su Yuyue's gaze swept across the room discreetly, her tone concerned: "That day, His Highness Prince Heng's sudden visit did not frighten you, did it? I heard that His Highness has an extremely imposing aura, and ordinary people are afraid of him."

Jiang Wanzhi's alarm bells were ringing! She had come to sound out what was going on! "It's alright, it's alright," she waved her hand casually, "Her Highness just came to ask a few questions and left after that."

"Oh? What did Your Highness ask?" Su Yuyue asked casually, but her eyes were fixed on Jiang Wanzhi.

Jiang Wanzhi sneered inwardly, but pretended to be clueless: "It's nothing, just asking about the assassination attempt last time. I was so scared I forgot about it and can't explain it clearly. Your Highness is probably just going through the motions."

Seeing her impeccable composure, Su Yuyue's eyes flashed with disappointment, but she quickly smiled and said, "I see. It's good that you're alright, sister. Speaking of which, it's truly a blessing from heaven that His Highness Prince Heng was able to clear his name this time. I just wonder... what kind of methods did the villain who framed His Highness use to make it almost indistinguishable from the real thing?"

She started subtly probing for details again.

Jiang Wanzhi became increasingly wary, so she started to feign ignorance and ramble on, saying things like the accountant might have made a mistake, or that the Northern Di people were too cunning. In short, she kept making things up.

Su Yuyue tried to get information out of Jiang Wanzhi for a long time, but didn't get any valuable information. Instead, she was speechless several times because of Jiang Wanzhi's naivety and ignorance. In the end, she had no choice but to leave in a huff.

After seeing Su Yuyue off, the fake smile on Jiang Wanzhi's face vanished instantly.

This woman is definitely suspicious! She was absolutely sent by the Ming King to gather information!

But how do we begin? Without bodyguards or martial arts skills, how can we monitor the daughter of a Duke of Zhenguo?

Her gaze fell on the few storybooks on the bedside table, almost falling apart from being read so many times. Besides tales of talented men and beautiful women, they seemed to also contain stories about methods of gathering information?

A bold, almost absurd idea gradually took shape in her mind.

Perhaps... she could try a "storybook-style" investigation?

The undercurrents in the capital city continued to surge, and the young woman caught in the whirlpool finally decided that she would no longer be just a drifting duckweed.

Jiang Wanzhi knew her strength was limited, but sitting idly by and waiting for death was not in her nature. At this moment, she desperately wanted to grasp something, even if it was just a little bit of initiative.

Her primary target is undoubtedly the female lead of the original novel, Su Yuyue!

The seemingly gentle and kind-hearted female protagonist of the original novel, who may actually harbor malicious intentions, is the closest to her and the most obvious point of suspicion.

Jiang Wanzhi once again demonstrated her wisdom in blending modern thinking with storybook plots, spending a lot of money to buy off informants and collect information in fragmented pieces!

She took out a portion of her private savings and gave it to the clever Chuntao and Qiuju, carefully instructing them: "You two should go out and buy things frequently these days, especially to the silk shops, cosmetic shops, and bookstores that are often frequented by wealthy families."

"Chat with the maids and servants of those noble families, listen to their gossip, especially about Miss Su from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. What new clothes has she worn recently? What new jewelry has she bought? Where has she gone to burn incense? What opera has she seen? The more trivial the better! Remember, you must ask casually and not arouse suspicion!"

Although Chuntao and Qiuju felt that this method was a bit far-fetched, seeing that their young lady was so serious, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

They were originally the head maids of the Prime Minister's residence, so it wasn't unusual for them to chat with servants from other residences.

Over the course of a few days, through treating each other to tea and snacks and exchanging small trinkets, I actually managed to glean some news from various sources.