The scene at the sacrificial ceremony was in disarray.

The maid collapsed on the ground, lifeless, while Wen Yuesheng, with the sword of a nearby guard, swiftly severed the cord strangling Yan Wei’s neck.

The cord had left a deep red mark on his skin, and blood was seeping from the wound at the back of his neck.

The surrounding officials, now realizing what had happened, were filled with shock and fear.

“Is Lord Yan alright?”

“…Thankfully, the Princess acted quickly. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Earlier, when Wen Yuesheng killed the maid, many had instinctively tried to stop her.

After all, using a nearly invisible string to kill someone was something they had never seen before. Now that they had come to their senses, they were overcome with a sense of terror.

Yan Wei, his face pale, pressed a handkerchief against his neck to stem the bleeding. He shook his head in response to the others’ concerns.

Such a major incident couldn’t be hidden from the Emperor.

And with blood spilled at a sacrificial ceremony, it was considered an ill omen.

The ceremony, only halfway through, was immediately halted.

Both Wen Yuesheng and Yan Wei were then taken to the hall where the meeting had been held the day before.

Upon entering the hall, they saw the Emperor seated at the top, his expression grim. The surrounding ministers were silent.

The interruption of the sacrificial rites had already put the Emperor in a bad mood. However, upon seeing the blood-soaked handkerchief at Yan Wei’s neck, his expression darkened further. He coldly asked, “Have you discovered the identity of the assassin?”

“Your Majesty,” replied the Assistant Minister of Justice standing nearby, “We’ve already identified the two assassins. The servant is from Lord Jin’s household, and the maid was a servant in Lord Yan’s service.”

The mention of Lord Jin, a fourth-rank official, surprised everyone, as he was standing right next to Yan Wei. At this moment, Jin Hong, drenched in sweat, knelt in the hall, repeatedly protesting his innocence.

For Jin Hong, this was a complete misunderstanding.

The servant had only recently joined his household and wasn’t even qualified to attend such an event.

However, earlier that morning, the servant who had been attending him fell ill with an upset stomach. His steward arranged for the new servant to accompany Jin Hong to the ceremony.

Upon further investigation, it was found that the servant had given the steward several dozen taels of silver, requesting that he “take care” of the situation.

As for the maid who had been by Yan Wei’s side, she had only recently joined his household as well.

Yan Wei, a man of humble origins, had long struggled in poverty.

After years of serving in the court, he had only recently been promoted to the position of Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review after Zhou Yuandu’s fall from grace.

It was only after his promotion that Yan Wei, facing the increasing workload, had hired some servants from an intermediary to help in his household. The maid had joined his household less than a month ago.

“…If she has been in the household less than a month, this means the mastermind behind the assassination of Lord Yan likely holds a personal grudge against him,” someone murmured.

The reason for this was clear: the Court of Judicial Review, along with the Ministry of Justice, were the most likely to make enemies in government.

Moreover, Yan Wei had been involved in numerous high-profile investigations, such as the case of the First Prince and the subsequent case involving the Marquis of Wu’an.

The statement made many turn their gaze toward Wen Yuesheng.

If anyone had made enemies, it would certainly be her, a woman of such influence. Unfortunately for her enemies, all of the assassins sent to kill her had already fallen beneath her sword.

“Lord Yan, think carefully. Have you recently made an enemy of anyone?” asked the Emperor.

The courtiers’ eyes were upon Yan Wei, each filled with their own thoughts.

As they spoke, the imperial doctor had treated Yan Wei’s neck wound. He set down the bloodied handkerchief, his face still pale.

Under the watchful eyes of many, he stood and said, “…If I’ve made an enemy, I can’t recall anyone off the top of my head.”

There was a brief pause, before his gaze shifted toward Wen Yuesheng, who was standing nearby. After a moment of silence, Yan Wei spoke again.

“However, there is one thing I believe may be related to today’s events.”

The court held its breath as Yan Wei continued, “A few days ago, I received an unsigned letter.”

“The letter mentioned that the exam papers for the upcoming Spring Imperial Examination have already been leaked.”

A collective gasp filled the hall.

The leak of the exam papers was a serious matter, far more significant than the assassination attempt. Since the beginning of the year, aside from the snowstorm and the sacrificial rites, the most important event was the upcoming Spring Imperial Examination.

With the sacrificial ceremony and the examinations taking place at the same time, the Ministry of Rites had been working around the clock.

But if the exam papers had been leaked before the exams even took place…

The courtiers, upon realizing the gravity of the situation, grew tense.

The Emperor’s face darkened further as he coldly asked, “Do you have proof?”

Yan Wei replied, “After receiving the letter, I investigated for several days and have uncovered some leads.”

He paused, then coughed slightly, his neck wound still painful. “Your Majesty, I request that Princess Xining and I be allowed to investigate this matter together.”

When the Emperor heard “Princess Xining,” the atmosphere in the hall shifted.

Wen Yuesheng, who had been quietly cleaning her hands, raised her eyelids slightly upon hearing her name.

Wang Jinzhang and Lü Ge, two senior officials, exchanged looks and muttered quietly, “This is indeed something the Princess could handle.”

Lu Ge nodded slightly, as he knew Wen Yuesheng had no direct connection with the Ministry of Rites or any other department.

The former Minister of Rites, the Liang family, had already been dealt with by her.

Wang Jinzhang remarked softly, “After all, there are few people in this world who could successfully assassinate the Princess.”

Lu Ge was speechless.

The Emperor, in the midst of the tense silence, said, “Permission granted.”

The court was filled with mixed emotions.

The Ministry of Rites officials looked particularly uncomfortable, as the sacrificial ceremony had been abruptly halted, and the case of the leaked exam papers was now a great issue. The Emperor’s mood remained grim as the ceremony continued into the evening.

Fortunately, the relentless snow had finally ceased for a few days.

Despite the weather improving, the atmosphere in the court grew even more oppressive.

The culprits behind the leaked exam papers had not yet been identified, and every day, several officials from the Ministry of Rites were detained and questioned at the Court of Judicial Review.

The Spring Imperial Examination was approaching, and the matter had to be resolved quickly to ensure the examination proceeded smoothly.

The Emperor gave little time for this investigation, and the Court of Judicial Review was working tirelessly.

As for Wen Yuesheng, she appeared unfazed. Even during the morning court session, when her subordinate, Li Qingyuan, was awarded for capturing Yang Gu, her expression remained calm.

The more indifferent she appeared, the more uneasy those involved with the Spring Examination felt.

Yet despite her ongoing investigation, no one dared to act against her.

Even when she moved about, she was always accompanied by guards from the palace army, making it impossible for anyone to strike.

The tense atmosphere persisted for seven days.

On the seventh day, during the morning court session, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Wen Yuesheng walked into the hall and spoke softly, “I have made progress in the investigation of the leaked exam papers.”

At these words, all eyes turned to her, the air thick with anticipation.

Wen Yuesheng spoke at a steady pace, “The person behind the leak is Wei Feng, the Assistant Minister of Rites.”

The hall fell silent as Wei Feng, mentioned by name, immediately collapsed, his legs giving way.

The fact that an official from the Ministry of Rites was involved in the scandal was not surprising.

What shocked everyone was that Wei Feng, like Yan Wei, came from a humble background. He had struggled for many years before attaining his current position.

Yet, despite their similar experiences, the two had followed vastly different paths.

One had been rewarded for his integrity, while the other was about to lose everything.

The courtiers murmured their dismay.

“To think that Wei Feng, who came from humble beginnings, would bring ruin upon so many aspiring scholars.”

“At this point, it’s all his own doing.”

Amid the murmurs, Wen Yuesheng’s cold voice once again cut through the tension.

“Furthermore, we have discovered the mastermind behind Wei Feng.”

The hall went still.

The courtiers exchanged uneasy glances. If Wei Feng had acted alone, they could attribute it to his greed or misguided judgment. But if someone else was pulling the strings…

Before they could process the implications, Wen Yuesheng spoke again.

“The mastermind behind this is the Grand Historian, Kong Rui.”

Countless courtiers raised their heads in shock, looking ahead with astonishment.

Kong Rui!?

The same Kong Rui who had served in the Censorate during the reign of the late emperor, and who, after two emperors, still held control over the entire Censorate?

Not only that, but he was also one of the key officials who had been involved in the recent impeachment of Wen Yuecheng for mishandling the investigation of spies in the court.

The Censorate had been established during the previous dynasty and continued under the Dahuí dynasty. All the officials selected for it were graduates of the imperial examinations.

Someone like Kong Rui, known among scholars and the people as a great Confucian, was a prestigious figure.

The current emperor, known for his suspicion, had relied heavily on the Censorate for many years after ascending the throne.

The Censorate officials had always prided themselves on their uprightness and integrity.

They acted decisively and, at times, even died in the court defending their accusations against other officials.

Now, however, they were hearing accusations that Kong Rui, the head of the Censorate, might be involved in a scandal concerning a leak in the imperial examination papers!

This was simply unheard of.

The Censorate officials were caught completely off guard.

They had thought the matter would end when it reached Wei Feng’s hands.

No one had anticipated that Wen Yuecheng would suddenly point to Kong Rui.

But it was Kong Rui.

Immediately, it was as if Wen Yuecheng had stirred a hornet’s nest. Censorate officials began to step forward, defending Kong Rui.

“How did the princess arrive at the evidence that implicates Lord Kong?

The chief examiner for this imperial examination was the Minister of Rites.

Lord Kong has not been involved in the examination process for many years, and has no ties with Wei Feng. How can this matter be linked to Lord Kong?”

“Or is it that the princess, harboring resentment from the Censorate’s impeachment of her some time ago, is using this opportunity to smear Lord Kong?”

“When Lord Kong entered the court, not only was the princess still a naive child, even Lord Wen was just a beginner. For years, Lord Kong has worked diligently in the court. How could he be so easily defamed?”

The officials of the Censorate had always been known for their strict adherence to principles and their direct, sometimes harsh, methods when it came to handling cases.

They never expected that their superior would one day be the target of such accusations.

“Your Majesty, please see clearly, Lord Kong has served as an official for many years. He could never have committed such a thing! This is pure slander.”

“Slander?” Zhang Yulin sneered, “Should the Censorate officials go and see the prison? Yang Gu is still locked up there. Does the princess need to slander you?”

Since the day the Censorate had impeached Wen Yuecheng, he had been displeased.

“Now I understand why you, Censorate officials, always instinctively blame others. It seems your own integrity is questionable, so you project your worst thoughts onto others.”

The Censorate officials were enraged by his words and were about to retort when Kong Rui raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

Compared to the flustered and furious officials, Kong Rui was remarkably calm.

After all, how could someone who had served under two emperors be hot-headed?