“He went in,” Xin Suiyun said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the academy gate.
About an hour later, Li Minzhi emerged from the academy, looking as usual. After he had gone some distance, a man dressed as a merchant also came out of the academy, carrying a book box in his hand.
"Follow him." Xin Suiyun gestured for Qi Yue to stay in the teahouse, while she quietly followed the man.
Qi Yue waited anxiously in the teahouse until sunset before Xin Suiyun returned.
“That man entered the Northern Di trading post.” Xin Suiyun’s expression was grave. “Li Minzhi has indeed colluded with the enemy.”
Qi Yue was alarmed: "What should we do next?"
“I have already sent people to monitor the trading post. Now we need to find conclusive evidence that they are passing on intelligence,” Xin Suiyun said thoughtfully. “Li Minzhi is very cautious and will definitely hide important evidence in a secret place.”
Qi Yue suddenly remembered something: "Li Minzhi has a private study in the Ministry of War, and he never lets anyone in. He even cleans it himself."
Xin Suiyun's eyes lit up: "There's a good chance there's evidence hidden there."
However, gaining access to Li Minzhi's private study was no easy feat. The Ministry of War was heavily guarded, and Li Minzhi himself was extremely cautious; his study was undoubtedly equipped with hidden mechanisms.
In the following days, Qi Yue paid special attention to Li Minzhi's habits. She discovered that Li Minzhi would take a short nap every day at noon, and at this time the guards outside the study would change shifts, and the guards would be less vigilant for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
"This is an opportunity." After hearing this, Xin Suiyun decided to take the risk and explore.
Three days later, at noon, taking advantage of Li Minzhi's rest and the guard's shift change, Xin Suiyun quietly sneaked into the Ministry of War and slipped into Li Minzhi's private study.
Qi Yue stood guard outside, her heart pounding like a drum. Time ticked by, and just when she was about to give up hope, Xin Suiyun finally came out and nodded slightly to her.
The two quickly left the Ministry of War and returned to the Qi residence. Xin Suiyun took out a small booklet and several secret letters from his bosom: "These were found in a secret room and record the flow of military equipment and details of the dealings with the Northern Di."
Qi Yue flipped through the booklet, growing increasingly alarmed with each page. Li Minzhi had not only leaked military equipment information but had also sold border defense maps to the Northern Barbarians; the evidence against him was irrefutable.
"We must inform the Crown Prince immediately," Qi Yue said urgently.
Xin Suiyun shook his head: "The Crown Prince is at the front line. This matter is of great importance and must be handled with caution. Li Minzhi has been cultivating his influence in the court for many years and has many followers. If we alert him, things may change."
"Then what should we do?"
Xin Suiyun pondered for a moment: "Make a copy of this evidence and put the originals back where they were. We'll expose it all when the Crown Prince returns to the capital."
This was a risky decision, but also the safest option at the moment. Qi Yue copied the evidence overnight, while Xin Suiyun returned the original documents to Li Minzhi's study before dawn.
The days that followed felt exceptionally long. Qi Yue continued to go to the Ministry of War every day, and when facing Li Min, she had to feign composure, as if she knew nothing.
Li Minzhi seemed to have noticed this as well, and his attitude towards Qi Yue became subtle. He stopped chatting with her, and a scrutinizing glint occasionally flashed in his eyes.
That day, Qi Yue was organizing documents when Li Minzhi suddenly asked, "Miss Qi, you don't look well lately. Are you feeling unwell?"
Qi Yue was startled, but remained calm on the surface: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Li, but I went to bed a little late last night."
Li Minzhi smiled meaningfully: "Miss Qi, you are of noble birth, so you should take good care of yourself. Knowing too much about some things is not a good thing."
The threat in those words sent a chill down Qi Yue's spine. She forced herself to remain calm: "Lord Li is right, I will remember that."
Upon returning home that evening, Qi Yue immediately informed Xin Suiyun of the matter. The two agreed that Li Minzhi might have become suspicious and that they must act swiftly.
Just then, news of a victory arrived from the north: the Crown Prince had defeated the Northern Di and would soon return to the capital in triumph.
Upon hearing the news, Qi Yue and Xin Suiyun both breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the Crown Prince returned to the capital, Li Minzhi's crimes could be exposed immediately.
However, an unexpected incident occurred the night before the Crown Prince was to return to the capital.
Qi Yue suddenly received an invitation from Li Minzhi, inviting her to her residence the next day for a chat, saying that she wanted to consult her about military equipment accounts.
This is clearly a trap. Xin Suiyun strongly opposed Qi Yue going: "It's too dangerous; he must have something up his sleeve."
Qi Yue replied, "If I don't go, he will become suspicious and may destroy the evidence and run away. The Crown Prince will return to the capital tomorrow, and I cannot back down at this time."
The two argued back and forth, and finally Xin Suiyun compromised: "In that case, I will protect you in secret. But if there is any danger, we must evacuate immediately."
The next day, Qi Yue went to the Li residence as promised. Li Minzhi warmly received her and led her to the study.
“Miss Qi, please take a look,” Li Minzhi spread out an account book, “This is the recent military equipment record of Yuncheng, and there seems to be some problem.”
Qi Yue looked down at the account books and suddenly smelled a strange fragrance. Alarm bells rang in her mind, and just as she was about to get up, she felt dizzy.
“You…” She looked at Li Minzhi, her vision beginning to blur.
Li Minzhi sneered: "Miss Qi, it's all your fault for meddling too much."
Before losing consciousness completely, Qi Yue saw a familiar figure flash past the window. She knew that Xin Suiyun would come to save her.
However, what she didn't know was that a trap had been laid inside and outside the Li residence, waiting for Xin Suiyun to walk right into it.
A crisis was imminent, and the Crown Prince's entourage had only just arrived in the outskirts of Beijing.
Qi Yue regained consciousness amidst the jolting, finding herself inside a speeding carriage, her hands bound and her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth. It was already dark outside the window, indicating she had been unconscious for quite some time.
"Awake?" Li Minzhi's icy voice came from the other end of the line. "Miss Qi, there's no need to be afraid. As long as you cooperate obediently, I won't hurt you."
Qi Yue glared at him, trying to break free of the ropes. Li Minzhi chuckled, "Don't waste your energy. I'm waiting for your lover to rescue you; I'm sure he won't disappoint you."
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