Chapter 31

Dou Shuo and his wife were obviously wary. Zhishu said softly, “Lord Xie and County Princess, please don’t take offense. Perhaps they were afraid of startling the little miss. The little miss speaks late and has poor health. The eldest young master and the eldest young madam cherish her deeply.”

Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying didn’t perceive any disrespect, but Dou Shuo’s expression earlier was somewhat intriguing.

Xie Xinglan said, “Lead the way.”

Following the main corridor of the mansion heading north, they passed a waterside pavilion, circled two flower beds, and arrived at a two-story building with red lacquer and painted decorations. Zhishu said, “This is Sijin Pavilion. It’s less than a hundred steps north from the Old Master’s courtyard. Though the east and west sides are slightly farther, none of the old masters or madams have ever said anything.”

True to its name, Sijin Pavilion was surrounded by blooming flowers and lush greenery. The group walked along the right-hand corridor to the front of the hall, where they saw a lavish and splendid interior. The furniture and items exuded wealth and grandeur. The Dou family was large, so the dining hall on the first floor was spacious. There were two warm pavilions on either side, meant for hosting guests. The hallway to the right wing contained a side room, and the staircase to the second floor was located within that side room.

Standing at the entrance, Zhishu said, “This is where we usually dine, hold family feasts, or entertain smaller groups of guests. The second floor is for enjoying the scenery and has a tea room. On regular family dining occasions, no one specifically goes up there.”

Qin Ying entered and glanced around before instructing Zhishu to lead them upstairs. Although it was just two stories, the high ceilings of the first floor made the second floor’s view impressive. With the windows of the two halls and tea room open, the entirety of the Dou estate’s scenery came into view.

Qin Ying stood in the west hall and casually opened a window, bringing the entirety of the western courtyards of the Dou mansion into view. Zhishu, standing nearby, said, “Over there is the courtyard of the Fourth Master and his wife. To the south is the Fifth Young Master’s courtyard, and to the west are the pavilions of the two young ladies.”

As soon as Zhishu finished speaking, Qin Ying caught sight of a familiar figure among the pavilions. She took a closer look and realized it was Dou Wenyao. He exited the small courtyard Zhishu had mentioned, walked along the corridor heading south, and entered another pavilion. Zhishu cleared her throat softly and said, “That is the courtyard of Concubine Qian. Concubine Qian is the birth mother of the Fourth Miss and Fifth Young Master.”

A concubine giving birth to both a son and a daughter was proof of Dou Wenyao’s deep affection for her. Zhishu didn’t dare to elaborate further and pointed in another direction instead. “Further south is the Third Branch’s courtyard. After giving testimony this morning, the Third Master had business to attend to and had already left the mansion. The Fourth Young Master went hunting outside the city today with two young masters from the Marquis of Pingchang’s family, leaving early in the morning as well.”

The Marquis of Pingchang’s family was the Pei family. Qin Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Why does your mansion still have such frequent dealings with the Pei family?”

Zhishu replied, “The Third Master now runs a restaurant business, which requires interacting with distinguished individuals. While the Third Master associates with nobles and marquises, the Fourth Young Master has befriended many young masters from various noble households.”

Qin Ying nodded slightly and turned around, only to see Xie Xinglan standing by the northern window, his sharp brows furrowed as he gazed outside. She hurried over, and when she saw the distant scene clearly, her elegant eyebrows shot up in surprise.

By the lotus pond dozens of feet away, Dou Nan from the Fourth Branch spoke privately with Ge Mingfu near a Taihu stone. It was unclear what Dou Nan said, but Ge Mingfu suddenly covered her face, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were crying. Dou Nan lightly patted her back, then raised his hand and pointed toward the sky. After a while, Ge Mingfu finally lowered her hand and wiped away her tears.

Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging from their gestures, it was clear that one was crying and the other was consoling. At one point, Dou Nan seemed to be swearing solemnly, pointing towards the sky. Xie Xinglan said in a deep voice, “Bring the maid from Ge Mingfu’s side here.”

Xie Xinglan quickly went downstairs, and after glancing out of the window again, Qin Ying followed him down.

The maid, Ruyi, was brought in shortly after. She appeared very nervous, and after bowing upon entering, she clutched her sleeve tightly. Xie Xinglan looked her over and asked, “On the twelfth, during the initial hour of Xu (around 7–9 PM), were you and your young lady on your way to Sijin Pavilion?”

Lowering her head, Ruyi replied, “My Lord, at that time, this servant and the young lady were indeed on the way. When we reached the outside of Sijin Pavilion, we heard someone delivering the message that there was a fire at Hanguang Pavilion. The entire household knew how much the Old Master cared about the Second Young Master, so everyone immediately rushed to Hanguang Pavilion…”

“And between lunch and dinner, what was your young lady doing?”

Ruyi pursed her lips slightly and said, “After lunch, the young lady stayed in her room reading a book. She didn’t go out at all. The young lady loves reading; when she has free time, she always reads books.”

“What kind of book was she reading?”

“A travelogue…”

“What travelogue?”

Xie Xinglan’s imposing presence was undeniable, his gaze as sharp as a blade. Ruyi, reacting swiftly, replied, “A travelogue called Ten Years in Jialing.”

“Where was she reading?”

“Reading about…the section where the author describes Boling Ferry.”

Xie Xinglan’s tone turned cold. “That night, there was a fire, the mansion was in chaos, and six days have passed since. And yet you remember this so clearly?”

Ruyi dared not lift her head. “Because…because this servant usually accompanies the young lady, and when she reads, she likes to read aloud. This servant remembers it vividly.”

“What was she reading on the 13th?”

“A poetry collection.”

“What poetry collection?”

“It was…called The Taiping Directive.”

“Which poem did she read?”

“It was…it was…this servant cannot remember.”

Ruyi stammered, and Xie Xinglan pressed further, “What was she reading on the sixteenth?”

“A t-travelogue, still a travelogue…”

“Was she still reading about Boling Ferry?”

Cold sweat appeared on Ruyi’s forehead. “No, it was something else, a mountain of some kind…”

“Could it be Mount Qingchang?”

“Yes, yes, that’s it, Mount Qingchang!”

Xie Xinglan let out a cold laugh. “Ten Years in Jialing is about Lingnan, but Mount Qingchang is in the northern Yan Prefecture. And you still dare to claim you remember clearly? You recall the twelfth but can’t recall what happened on the more recent thirteenth and sixteenth? You dare to lie?”

Ruyi turned pale and, trembling, tried to justify herself. Xie Xinglan’s tone grew even more intimidating as he said, “With a murder case at hand, you dare lie in front of the Imperial Guards? Does this mean you and your mistress were behind Dou Yu’s death?”

Upon hearing this, Ruyi immediately fell to her knees. “No, no, no…”

She was just a young maid, unable to withstand such pressure. She immediately denied it, saying, “My lord, please see clearly, neither this servant nor the young lady harmed the Second Young Master. It’s just… it’s just that after lunch that day, the young lady did leave her room once.”

Xie Xinglan’s tone softened slightly. “Did she go to see Dou Yu?”

Ruyi closed her eyes in despair and, trembling, replied, “Yes, the young lady went to see the Second Young Master…”

When Ge Mingfu was summoned to the Sijin Pavilion, she saw Ruyi kneeling on the ground with red-rimmed eyes. As soon as Ruyi saw her, she said, “Miss, I have wronged you. I have told them everything…”

Ge Mingfu’s body stiffened as Xie Xinglan’s sharp gaze landed on her. “On the 12th, during the afternoon hour, you went to the Hanguang Pavilion alone with some pastries. What did you go there for?”

Ge Mingfu’s face turned bright red. “I… I knew that my second brother was working hard on his studies, so I went to bring him something to eat.”

Xie Xinglan said, “He has servants in the household to look after him. Why did you need to bring him food? What did you say to him when you went there? Did he eat your pastries?”

There were quite a few people in the room, and Ge Mingfu blushed deeply. “I didn’t even see my second brother. When I arrived, his meal box was still outside, untouched. The door was locked from the inside. I knocked, but there was no answer. I thought he was concentrating on his studies and didn’t want to see me, so I left.”

Although Ge Mingfu didn’t explicitly say it, she obviously went there to make a good impression. Dou Qiguang highly regarded Dou Yu and was exceptionally gifted. It was only a matter of time before he would enter officialdom. At the age of twenty, he was yet unmarried, making him the ideal choice for Ge Mingfu. Besides, they had been living in the Dou residence as siblings for a year and a half, and it wouldn’t be surprising if feelings had developed.

Qin Ying, observing everything, didn’t want to embarrass Ge Mingfu further and said, “The room was silent at that time? The food was untouched?”

Ge Mingfu affirmed, “It’s true that my second brother sometimes loses track of time when focused on his studies. However… I knocked outside for a long time without a single response. I was very upset at the time. I had brought him pear syrup I made especially for him. In the end, I quietly returned to my courtyard with the meal box.”

She showed a guilty expression again and said, “Because… because the Old Master forbade me from going to Hanguang Pavilion, I didn’t mention it when I was questioned this morning.”

Qin Ying looked at Xie Xinglan, who had also realized something was off. “When Zhishu delivered the midday meal, he still saw Dou Yu by the window. But when you went there, you didn’t see him?”

Ge Mingfu shook her head. “Outside the east window is a flower garden. When I left, I looked up at the window but didn’t see my second brother’s figure. I thought he might be in the library at the back.”

Qin Ying asked again, “Earlier, when you were talking with Dou Nan at the back, were you discussing this?”

Only then did Ge Mingfu realize how she had given herself away. She choked up, “Yes, I was scared and didn’t know if I should say anything. But I hadn’t harmed Second Brother, so I thought it was better not to speak of it. Nan’er also comforted me this way.”

Seeing that both the maid and Ge Mingfu looked frightened, Qin Ying understood their difficulties as guests dependent on others and allowed them to leave without pressing further. After they left, Qin Ying said, “When Ge Mingfu went to Hanguang Pavilion, Dou Yu was likely already dead. The killer either locked the door from the inside before leaving, or they were still inside when she arrived. Given the body had been dead for some time and was later burned, pinpointing the exact time of death is difficult. However, it can now be narrowed down to between early afternoon and late afternoon.”

Xie Xinglan nodded, “In that hour and a half, the murderer poisoned Dou Yu at Hanguang Pavilion.” Then he frowned, “And later returned in the evening to set the fire?”

“Burning the body was likely to destroy evidence,” Qin Ying added. “Since people had been to Hanguang Pavilion, it was easy to leave traces—footprints, the poisoned food used on Dou Yu, or even a lingering scent. A fire could erase all evidence. However…”

Qin Ying also frowned. “However, by doing this, the killer increased their risk of exposure by returning to the scene twice.”

Feng Xiao listened for a while and realized that Qin Ying was quite remarkable. At this point, he said, “The culprit likely feared the investigation would lead back to them, so they simply burned everything clean with a fire. If not for the County Princess, we might not have been able to determine that Dou Yu was poisoned to death. To the authorities, the fire could appear accidental, and the case would end unresolved.”

This explanation seemed reasonable, prompting Xie Xinglan to say, “Re-interrogate everyone who had no alibi on the night of the 12th—bring them here.”

Feng Xiao and Xie Yong accepted the orders, and soon, the eldest branch of the family arrived at the Sijin Pavilion.

Dou Wenyun entered with his wife, Madam Zhou, followed by Dou Shuo and his wife, Madam Wu. As soon as Dou Wenyun stepped inside, he asked, “Lord Xie, what have you discovered? Why are you still questioning where we were during the day?”

That evening, Madam Zhou and Madam Wu arrived early at Sijin Pavilion to prepare dinner, while Dou Wenyun and Dou Shuo came late. Faced with Dou Wenyun’s dissatisfaction, Xie Xinglan remained unfazed and asked, “Between midday and late afternoon on the 12th, what were you doing?”

Dou Wenyun’s eyes darkened. “I was in the study the entire time.”

“Did you have any witnesses?”

Dou Wenyun’s expression tightened, his eyes darting back and forth as if there was something difficult to admit. Xie Xinglan added, “A matter of life and death is at stake. If you wish to find the person who killed Dou Yu quickly, it’s best not to hide anything. Otherwise, the authorities may suspect you as the murderer.”

As Xie Xinglan finished speaking, laughter came from outside. “Big brother, what’s so difficult to say? Would you rather be suspected of murder than reveal the truth?”

With that, Dou Wenyao walked into the hall with a faint smile, followed by Dou Rong. Surprisingly, Dou Nan and Dou Huan also joined them.

Listening to Dou Wenyao’s mocking tone, Dou Wenyun’s expression grew even tighter. “I was in the study dealing with business accounts. Does it matter that I don’t have a witness? Do you think I would harm Yu’er?”

Dou Wenyao sneered coldly. “Let me explain for my elder brother then. That day, he wasn’t handling business accounts but was in the study talking to Hongyu, a maid. From after lunch until before dinner, that’s where he stayed. That’s why my elder brother was late for dinner that night. Am I right, elder brother?”

Dou Wenyun’s eyes widened in shock. “You’re lying!”

Dou Wenyao clicked his tongue lightly. “Why so angry, elder brother? I’m just trying to clear you of suspicion.”

Madam Zhou and Madam Wu’s expressions immediately changed. Madam Zhou couldn’t help but snap, “Have you no shame? Hongyu is the maid of your daughter-in-law’s household, yet you won’t even spare her?”

Having his scandal exposed in front of everyone, Dou Wenyun decided to admit it openly. “Fine! I was with Hongyu. Now I have a witness. Can I leave?”

Even with his thick skin, Dou Wenyun couldn’t withstand the embarrassment of being in front of his son, daughter-in-law, and younger generation. Furious and humiliated, he left the room with a swish of his sleeves, practically fleeing the scene.

Madam Zhou couldn’t bear the humiliation either and muttered a curse as she chased after him. Dou Shuo’s expression darkened, and he said, “That night, I was playing with Xin’er while on my way to Sijin Pavilion. You might not believe a child’s testimony, but I have witnesses for the afternoon. After putting Xin’er to sleep, I spent time talking with my wife, and both Mingli, the servant, and the maids in the courtyard can confirm this.”

Xie Xinglan instructed Xie Yong, “Find Hongyu and Mingli.”

Dou Shuo took his leave with Madam Wu. Meanwhile, Dou Wenyao, still amused, watched as the eldest branch of the family embarrassed themselves and added, “Rong’er didn’t have a witness in the evening, but during the day, she had one. That afternoon, she was attending to her mother’s illness, and the people around her mother can testify for her.”

Dou Rong appeared calm and composed. At this moment, footsteps sounded from outside, and Ge Mingzhou was summoned in. As soon as he entered, Dou Rong and Dou Nan turned to look at him.

Ge Mingzhou saluted and, when asked by Xie Xinglan where he had been that afternoon, looked slightly surprised and replied, “I was studying in my courtyard in the afternoon, with my servant Jixiang attending me.”

Xie Xinglan continued, “Did he ever leave your side?”

Ge Mingzhou’s expression turned slightly tense. After a brief hesitation, he answered, “Around the early part of the late afternoon hour, he went to his own room to nap for half an hour. That’s the only time he left.”

Xie Xinglan’s gaze sharpened. “So, during that half-hour, you were alone in your room?”

Ge Mingzhou nodded, “Yes.”

Xie Xinglan’s eyes glinted with intensity, and Qin Ying scrutinized him carefully. Ge Mingzhou sensed something was wrong and asked anxiously, “What is it? Do you suspect me of harming Dou Yu?”

Xie Xinglan said, “So far, you are the only person with the potential opportunity to commit the crime both earlier and later in the day.”

Ge Mingzhou protested urgently, “I truly haven’t harmed anyone! I didn’t go to Hanguang Pavilion at all that day. How am I supposed to prove that?”

Dou Wenyao said, “Dear nephew, others all have witnesses, but you don’t. This makes things hard to explain. You and Yu’er used to get along quite well, but after you failed the autumn imperial exams last year, I noticed you weren’t as close anymore.”

Ge Mingzhou flushed with embarrassment, “Uncle, after the autumn exams, I failed, but Dou Yu succeeded. He spent all his time either preparing for the spring exams in the Hanguang Pavilion or attending lectures from the tutor. I had no way to bond closely with him. Later, when he failed the spring imperial exams, I specifically went to comfort him. I had no reason to harm him.”

Dou Wenyao was momentarily at a loss for words and turned to look at Xie Xinglan instead. Xie Xinglan said, “For now, we’re just saying you are the most suspicious, but no one claims you are the murderer. From now on, stay in your courtyard and do not leave. We will come and search later.”

This was essentially putting him under surveillance. Ge Mingzhou grew anxious, while Dou Nan hesitated to speak, and Dou Rong stated directly, “Brother Ge has been living in our residence for over a year. We know his character—he wouldn’t harm Second Brother.”

Xie Xinglan looked at Dou Rong, “The government prioritizes witnesses and evidence, and human nature is unpredictable. A mere claim of good character cannot completely clear suspicion.”

Dou Rong was about to argue further, but Ge Mingzhou interrupted, “Fine, if that’s the case, I am innocent and have nothing to fear from your investigation. I will stay in my courtyard for the next couple of days, and you are free to search.”

No matter how candid his attitude was, it couldn’t dispel the doubts surrounding him. Xie Xinglan scanned the room and asked, “Where is Fifth Master Dou?”

Feng Xiao stepped forward and replied, “I just inquired. They said Fifth Master Dou has left the city to pursue his practice of Taoism.”

Xie Xinglan was naturally dissatisfied. Dou Wenyao interjected, “My fifth brother is the least likely person to harm Yu’er. When he was younger, even when Father wanted to provide him with a business, he refused. He has never competed with Yu’er for anything—how could he possibly harm him?”

“A nephew has just been murdered in the family, and it was no accident—yet he still has the mindset to practice Taoism?”

Xie Xinglan’s words caused Dou Wenyao to sigh deeply, “He’s become consumed by his Taoist practice and hasn’t been involved in the family’s affairs for a long time.”

Xie Xinglan adhered strictly to protocol and immediately instructed the guards, “Go outside the city and summon him back. He had no alibi that night, and until the case is resolved, he is not to leave the capital.”

At this point, all those without sufficient alibis for the night of the 12th were questioned again. The third branch of the family, having arrived very early at Sijin Pavilion that evening, was already cleared and wasn’t summoned again. Xie Xinglan scrutinized Ge Mingzhou for a moment, finding him inexplicably peculiar. Based on prior reasoning, Ge Mingzhou was the only one without an alibi for two separate time periods. If the case were judged solely on this, Ge Mingzhou would unquestionably be the murderer.

“Take Ge Mingzhou into custody for observation. The rest may return and rest.”

After dismissing everyone, Xie Xinglan turned to Qin Ying and asked, “What do you think?”

Qin Ying replied, “It seems too simple.”

Xie Xinglan nodded. As he surveyed the layout of Sijin Pavilion, he paced toward the eastern wing while deep in thought. Upon spotting an oil lamp placed on the table, he suddenly turned and remarked, “It’s impossible to fake a murder, but what about arson?”

Qin Ying’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you saying the culprit was not in Hanguang Pavilion when the fire was set?”

Xie Xinglan nodded. “Exactly. Dou Yu’s incense burner was moved from the main hall to the middle hall. What if this wasn’t done by Dou Yu himself but by the murderer as part of their scheme?”

He pointed to the oil lamp on the desk and said, “There are seven or eight oil lamps in Dou Yu’s room. If all the lamp oil was poured onto the floor and a candle was lit and placed beside the incense burner, the candle would gradually melt. When the melting wax allowed the flame to come into contact with the lamp oil, the room would ignite. His study is filled with books and furniture, which are flammable, and the incense burner itself is a source of fire, so the fire would spread uncontrollably.”

Qin Ying’s eyes lit up. “What you’re saying makes perfect sense. This is indeed a delayed ignition method. The murderer could have killed at noon, set up the scene, and the fire would only start in the evening. This would make it seem like an accident. Even if suspicion arose, investigations would focus on those not at Sijin Pavilion when the fire broke out, providing the culprit with double protection.”

“If that’s the case, the murderer is incredibly clever.”

Qin Ying then looked at Xie Xinglan. “But Envoy Xie is even cleverer.”

Qin Ying’s gaze was radiant, and the compliment was direct and earnest. Since Xie Xinglan turned eight, he had either been insincerely flattered by subordinates or coldly criticized by aristocrats. This was the first time someone had praised him so genuinely. His lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile. “Seven or eight oil lamps’ worth of lamp oil, a charcoal incense burner, and a room full of flammable objects—this is not the only possible setup. If candles were used, the culprit would have had to time the melting of the candles perfectly. If the fire started and no one was around them, it would be disadvantageous to their plan.”

Qin Ying agreed and then called for Zhishu. “In your young master’s study, apart from oil lamps, are there candles?”

Zhishu frowned slightly. “There seem to be some, but I forgot where I placed them. The study mainly has writing tools, and the candles might be in the western wing.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Xinglan instructed Feng Xiao, “The alibis for the evening are not solid evidence. Go ask those who were absent where they were between noon and the time of the fire that day.”

Feng Xiao acknowledged the order, and Xie Xinglan instructed Zhishu, “Go back to Hanguang Pavilion to check.”

The eastern wing of Hanguang Pavilion’s front room had collapsed due to the fire, the rear library was barely holding up, and the main hall was half-burned, but the western wing was still intact. However, the intense fire and thick smoke had scorched everything, leaving ashes and rendering most furniture and objects completely charred and useless. Zhishu led them into the house, stepping over the blackened ashes on the ground. After rummaging through cabinets and drawers, they found candles at the very bottom of a burned cabinet.

“Here, here, found them!”

Xie Xinglan leaned in to look and saw a pile of melted and re-solidified wax at the bottom of the cabinet. Though the wax was covered in ashes, there were only three candles visible based on the wicks.

Xie Xinglan asked, “How many were originally here?”

“I remember there were five or six in total. Later, the young master used them a few times—three times, I think—after the spring imperial exams. The young master often stayed up reading all night, and when the oil lamps weren’t enough, he would substitute with candles.”

Xie Xinglan frowned. “Did the murderer bring their own candles?”

Qin Ying replied, “If I were the murderer, I would bring my own to avoid fumbling around here—or perhaps the murderer didn’t even know where the candles were kept.”

Xie Xinglan agreed. “Were the oil lamps in your young master’s room full?”

Zhishu hurriedly nodded. “Yes, they were full. I checked them the night before to ensure the young master wouldn’t run out of lamp oil.”

Seven or eight oil lamps filled with oil could be enough to fill a small wine jar. With plenty of flammable materials around, a major fire could easily ignite. Xie Xinglan commented, “If the murderer brought their own candles, this clue would be difficult to trace, as there should be plenty of candles within the residence.”

Qin Ying said, “In this case, we’ll need to broaden the scope of our investigation. Only if someone has witnesses both in the morning and evening can they be ruled out as a suspect.”

The interrogation of the main branch, the Ge siblings, and Dou Rong was completed. Questioning others wouldn’t be difficult. Not long after, Feng Xiao returned with his men and reported, “Lord, we visited the third and fourth branches. In the afternoon that day, Dou Wenyao was in Concubine Qian’s room; Dou Nan was embroidering a pouch in her own quarters. Dou Huan left the residence and went to Yuxiang Hall. As for the third branch, only Madam Jiang and Dou Tong were present at that moment. They said that afternoon they were together, while Third Master Dou Wenbin and Dou Ye had left early in the day for business and only returned by sunset. The servants of the third branch can confirm these accounts.”

Xie Xinglan frowned. “First, verify Dou Huan’s whereabouts to see if he indeed went to Yuxiang Hall. Also, more servants from the residence should be interviewed. We can’t rely solely on the testimony of maids from their respective courtyards.”

Feng Xiao acknowledged the order. Just then, an imperial guard hurried along the forest path, announcing, “Lord, County Princess, Lord Zhou from the Capital Magistrate’s Office and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice have arrived at the Dou residence.”

Qin Ying glanced at Xie Xinglan. Xie Xinglan furrowed his brows and remarked, “The Ministry of Justice only has one Vice Minister, Xu Aoqiun. How can there be another one? His Majesty hasn’t established Left and Right Vice Ministers in years.”

The imperial guard’s expression grew peculiar. “This Left Vice Minister is someone both the Lord and County Princess know.”

Curiosity stirred in Qin Ying, but before the imperial guard could say more, her brow furrowed in realization. From the distant forest path emerged a group of people, led by Zhou Xianchen, the Capital Magistrate, and another man clad in moon-white noble attire with a stern face—it was none other than Cui Muzhi, unseen for two days.

Qin Ying was in disbelief. Cui Muzhi had entered the military for training at a young age. According to the narrative, he should have been advancing within the Shence Army, vying for control of the Imperial Guard. Why was he now with the Ministry of Justice?

The sight of Cui Muzhi as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice also surprised Xie Xinglan. However, he kept his composure and turned his gaze toward Qin Ying.