The next day was court assembly.

Anyone who could stand in this grand hall wasn’t without a mind full of schemes; even those who had mastered the skill of dozing off while standing were now fully alert. When they saw the emperor emerge with a dark expression, they all lowered their eyes and presence, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

Only one person, knowing he couldn’t avoid it today no matter what, quietly took a few extra sniffs of the medicinal powder hidden in his sleeve—it was a stimulant to keep the mind sharp.

The emperor was clearly in a foul mood. Looking down at the sea of ministers made him even more irritable. His voice rang out, laced with displeasure:
“Do any of you have memorials to present?”

Li Sheng took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“I have a memorial, Your Majesty.”

“Speak.”

“The day before yesterday, in the afternoon, the newly ranked scholar Yan Shian was kidnapped from his home—”

“I’ve already heard about that. Didn’t he escape by himself in the end? That should be enough to justify his reputation for both talent and looks. No need to say more.”

The court fell into silence. Some of the officials exchanged discreet glances, finding it absurd. How could such a matter be brushed aside by saying it ‘justifies his reputation for talent and looks’? This had happened right under their noses. If it had been their own children who were kidnapped—children who didn’t possess Yan Shian’s wits—would their deaths be considered their own fault for not being clever enough?

The emperor yawned.
“Those with matters to report, step forward. Otherwise, court is dismissed.”

“I accuse Magistrate of the Capital, Lord Li Sheng,” said another man who stepped forward, standing beside Li Sheng.

Li Sheng felt relieved hearing this—having someone else take the lead meant he wouldn’t have to plead guilty himself.

The emperor gave a measuring look to the Imperial Censor, Liu Yan.
“What accusation do you bring against Li Sheng?”

“I accuse Lord Li Sheng of negligence. Twenty-two corpses were unearthed in the suburbs of the capital, yet he has taken no action to reassure the people. Panic now spreads throughout the city, and everyone feels unsafe.”

“Twenty-two corpses?” The emperor slapped his armrest in anger.
“Li Sheng, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Li Sheng quickly knelt.
“Your Majesty, ever since the case broke yesterday, this humble official has spared no effort in the investigation and has not been the least bit negligent. Lord Liu accuses me of dereliction, but I cannot accept this. The reason this case has drawn such attention is because it’s linked to Yan Shian’s kidnapping. That’s what has caused public alarm. I beg Your Majesty to investigate clearly.”

“A grave crime right under the feet of the Son of Heaven—how brazen!” the emperor thundered.
“Zeng Zheng!”

Zeng Zheng stepped out with his tablet.
“At your command, Your Majesty.”

“You are to lead this investigation on behalf of the Court of Judicial Review. The Capital Office is to assist. You have three days. I want answers!”

Li Sheng inwardly relaxed and responded in unison with Zeng Zheng.

Though the case had only been in his hands for a day and night, there was still not a single lead. That showed how hard it would be to solve. As much as he wanted to curry favor with the You family, if this case wasn’t solved, his own official post might be in jeopardy—and that mattered more than any favor.

Now that the Court of Judicial Review was taking over, if the case couldn’t be solved, Zeng Zheng would bear the blame. But if it was solved, Li Sheng—as a co-investigator—could still claim credit and push his favor to the You family.

Yan Shian quickly heard about what happened in court.

“Zeng Zheng’s in trouble now,” Shi Buyu said as she unrolled another sheet of xuan paper and wrote down Zeng Zheng’s name.

“This case is unsolvable. Handing it over to the Court of Judicial Review is the perfect setup to bring Zeng Zheng down.”

Yan Shian watched her and knew that anyone whose name appeared on her paper was someone she had her eye on. Thinking about Zeng Zheng’s personality and position, he asked,
“If the case remains unsolved, what will the emperor do to him?”

“I’ve studied the emperor’s patterns when punishing his officials. Those who fall out of favor are usually exiled and have their families raided. Even if it doesn’t come to confiscating property, they’ll be dismissed and barred from office for three generations.”

Yan Shian frowned slightly.
“The Zeng family is upright and disciplined. All their children are diligent. That would be a shame.”

“As long as you rise to power, this won’t happen. But for now, we don’t have to worry about that. Even if Zeng Zheng can’t solve the case, it won’t come to confiscation. The emperor will hint for others to bring up charges against him. In the bureaucracy, even someone like Zeng Zheng can’t withstand a thorough investigation. The consequences will be severe.”

Shi Buyu stared at the name ‘Zeng Zheng.’ Sometimes a surname brought glory; other times, it brought suffering. And for a girl born into such a family, there was never a choice—only passive acceptance.

“If the family is raided and exiled, the men might just suffer indignities, but the old, weak, and especially the women, may not survive. Just like Qiqi—she used to be a noble lady. But after the Ruan family was raided and exiled, look at the suffering she endured. And that’s someone clever enough to preserve herself. Most girls forced into servitude don’t survive.”

Yan Shian hadn’t thought much about that before. But now, hearing her mention Qiqi, the extent of the disaster such punishments brought to women became clear. Even if the Zeng family rose again, some things would be beyond repair.

“So you want to start with the accusations brought against him?”

“Who would expect someone to prepare in advance?” she replied.

Yan Shian smiled.
“Even Zeng Zheng doesn’t know it yet.”

Shi Buyu smiled too, got up, and hung the piece of paper with only Zeng Zheng’s name on it.

Yan Shian took it from her—he was tall enough to hang it without needing a ladder. He stretched out an arm and secured it in place. The paper unfurled down to his chest.

“I’ve always wanted to ask—why do you hang them so high?”

Shi Buyu thought about it—no one had ever asked her that before.
“The old white-bearded man always hung them this high.”

Yan Shian understood. It was a habit she picked up from the old man—clearly, that’s how he did it.

“Prime Minister Zhang and Zeng Zheng have an old grudge. He also knows the emperor’s preferences best. He’s definitely the one who’ll take action,” she said as she pulled out another sheet of paper and handed it to Yan Shian.
“This has the names of people in his faction. Watch the ones most likely to move against Zeng Zheng. Whatever they dig up, we’ll counter it. As long as the emperor can’t stack on new charges, there’ll be no confiscation or exile. Even if Zeng Zheng is demoted or dismissed, it won’t matter.”

Yan Shian looked over the names.
“Should we let Zeng Zheng know?”

“Not yet. Let’s get the situation under control first. When the emperor moves against him, you’ll take Dou Yuancheng and Zhuang Nan to find Zeng Xian. Stay behind the scenes and offer him counsel. He’ll naturally do everything he can to save his father. With the other two present, no one will suspect you.”

She smiled.
“You think quite highly of him, don’t you? Well, from then on, he’ll be yours.”

“Compared to Zeng Zheng, Zeng Xian’s still too green,” Yan Shian sighed.
“Lord Zeng is wholly devoted to the public good. He doesn’t deserve such a fate.”

Shi Buyu nodded. Even if Zeng Xian had potential, that was still a matter for the future.

“You rested a day. To show your gratitude, you should now visit the households and thank them—even if you’re still sick,” she reminded him.
“Tell Yan Ze to sprinkle more medicine powder on you—the kind that smells strong from ten miles away. Make it seem like your whole body’s injured, not just your forehead. No one’s going to strip your clothes to check. Earning a bit more sympathy never hurts.”

Yan Shian laughed.
“Should I limp too while walking?”

“As long as you don’t forget halfway and let them see you’re faking, it’s fine.”

She even thought of something this small—Yan Shian was quietly impressed. If the last time at the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s manor had shown him her sharp mind, this time, he had truly experienced it firsthand.