By a strange coincidence, there were no other major events happening in the capital lately, so everyone’s attention was focused entirely on this single matter.

During tea time, after meals, in brothels and pleasure houses—there was hardly any talk of love or flirtation anymore. Everyone was talking about this case.

More and more students got involved in creating the portraits, and eventually even idle painters joined in. Taking advantage of the moment, Shi Buyu released all the portraits she had already prepared. Only twenty-two remained in the capital; many more had left with merchant caravans, spreading far beyond the city.

On the first day of the eleventh month, the weather was terrible. Fierce winds howled so violently that lighter people might have been blown into the sky. Fortunately, the officials heading to morning court didn’t have to walk—soft sedan chairs carried them straight to the palace gates.

Inside the court, what awaited them was another storm.

Today was supposed to be a minor court session, but due to the gravity of the case, the emperor summoned a full imperial assembly.

“Minister Zeng, your three-day deadline has passed. Have you identified the murderer?”

The emperor’s voice was cold and menacing. Zeng Zheng, stepping forward with his jade tablet in hand, felt a chill run down his spine and said, “Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness. Please grant me a few more days. I will surely…”

“I said three days, Minister Zeng. Do you remember?”

“I do, but—”

“A ruler does not speak in jest. Do you remember that as well?”

“I…”

Zeng Zheng was just about to explain his findings when he was abruptly interrupted by Grand Chancellor Zhang:
“I, your servant, accuse Minister Zeng Zheng, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, of forming factions, accepting bribes, covering up crimes, and harboring criminals.”

Zeng Zheng was completely caught off guard. He had never imagined Grand Chancellor Zhang would denounce him at such a critical moment. He didn’t even have time to be stunned and immediately knelt down, crying, “I am innocent! Chancellor Zhang, you speak slander!”

Zhang Xuzhi presented his prepared evidence with a cold sneer. “Whether you’re innocent or not, His Majesty will decide.”

The emperor flipped through the stack of documents and ordered the head eunuch to deliver them to Zeng Zheng.
“Take a look for yourself—did Lord Zhang wrong you?”

Zeng Zheng’s heart sank. A man knows his own affairs best. Though he believed he had lived up to heaven and his ancestors, the Zeng family was not made up of just him alone.

As he flipped through the so-called evidence, his eyes lit up when he reached the page accusing him of factionalism. He immediately said, “I am innocent! Although I have dealt with the Grand Preceptor before, it was strictly official business—never anything personal. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”

Grand Preceptor Fu Wei, who had been sitting with eyes half-closed, immediately widened them and stepped forward:
“I am innocent! Ministers interacting over official matters is perfectly normal. Grand Chancellor Zhang, how can you let personal grudges interfere with state affairs?”

Zhang Xuzhi replied righteously, “What are you saying, Grand Preceptor? I am simply reporting the facts. If you and Minister Zeng truly have no improper alliance, then you have nothing to fear.”

“You—!” The Grand Preceptor angrily lifted a corner of his robe and knelt.
“I am innocent!”

The emperor watched the performance below with amusement, stifled a yawn, and said,
“Whether or not there’s factionalism can be investigated. Minister Zeng, Lord Zhang’s accusations don’t stop there. He also accuses you of corruption, shielding criminals, and neglecting justice. What do you say?”

Zeng Zheng was no fool. With just a few words, he understood: the emperor was out to get him. A wave of cold despair rushed through him. Wasn’t this case assigned by the emperor himself? He had only followed the imperial order—so why was he now being thrown to the wolves?

He fell prostrate, eyes tightly shut. “Your servant is innocent.”

“You will not be wronged,” the emperor said lazily.
“Guards, escort Minister Zeng to the Ministry of Justice as a guest.”

Zeng Zheng did not resist as the palace guards removed his official hat and robe. Looking up at the man seated above, he could only feel how absurd it all was. Now that he thought about it—since entering court today, he hadn’t had the chance to speak a single complete sentence about the case. The suspicious points, the possibilities, the hope of justice for those twenty-two people—none of it mattered to the emperor.

This major case had clearly been twisted into a scheme targeting him, Zeng Zheng. What a joke. Ha! Ha ha ha!

Zeng Zheng laughed out loud in court. The sound was mocking—and jarring.

The emperor’s face darkened. He looked at Zeng Zheng as if he wanted to tear him apart. Half the court stood by watching, while the other half felt a chill deep in their hearts.

When Shi Buyu heard about this, there wasn’t the slightest bit of triumph—as if her plan had gone perfectly. Instead, she remained silent for a while. She had not wanted to see a loyal, upright official end up like this. Old Whitebeard had once said: not everything in the world follows reason. But if reason no longer matters—then why should anyone quietly accept unjust treatment?

What exactly did Old Whitebeard say back then? Oh, right—
He said if anyone treated her that way, she must beat them until their face was unrecognizable. But not everyone was like her.

She didn’t understand at the time, but now she did.

Someone like Zeng Zheng, righteous to the core, loyal to his country and emperor—he would never rebel, not even when thrown in prison. Because if he did resist, that would be proof of guilt.

But if it were her…

Just imagining it, Shi Buyu thought the emperor would already be dead—ten times over.

“How’s it going?”

Yan Shian was reading the latest report delivered by Luo Qing. “Zhang Xuzhi has ordered that no one is allowed to visit—not even family.”

“Then forget it. Don’t arrange anything,” Shi Buyu leaned back against her screen, looking at the edict about Zeng Zheng.
A high-ranking minister with real authority, and this was all the evidence they could dig up on him. No wonder Old Whitebeard always called him upright.

“Have you planted the clues?”

Yan Shian nodded. “When do we move?”

“No rush. First, set up a meeting with Dou Yuancheng and Zhuang Nan. Then proceed according to plan.”

Yan Shian suddenly chuckled.

Shi Buyu gave him a puzzled look. What was so funny?

“I don’t know why, but every time you say ‘no rush,’ I feel completely confident.”

So that’s what it was. Shi Buyu snorted.
“What else could it be? Obviously, it’s because you trust me.”

Trust her…

Only now did Yan Shian realize—ever since this operation began, he had been following Miss Shi’s lead without the slightest doubt. He hadn’t even thought about protecting himself first—he had taken real risks.

Without realizing it, he had come to trust Miss Shi that much. And to think, in the beginning, he didn’t even know how to trust her and almost got kicked out for it.

Now he knew—if it was Miss Shi, then those problems weren’t problems at all.

He looked up at her as she drank from a soup bowl with a miserable expression. She’d been burning the candle at both ends lately, and Aunt Gu had been giving her all kinds of tonics. Now, every time she saw Aunt Gu with a bowl, she looked like she was about to cry—but still drank it obediently. Not a single drop left.

“I wouldn’t dare waste a drop. If I did, Aunt Gu would just make me drink a second bowl.”

Only then did Yan Shian realize he’d spoken his thoughts out loud. He glanced sheepishly at Aunt Gu, who seemed to be smiling faintly, and immediately got up.
“I’ll go arrange the meeting.”

Shi Buyu waved him off and yawned. She was sleep-deprived, and now that things weren’t so urgent, she could finally get some rest.

“Aunt Gu, I’m sleeping until tomorrow morning. If the sky falls, let Yan Shian hold it up.”

This was Aunt Gu’s favorite line to hear these days.
“Don’t worry, miss. Young Master Yan is tall—he can hold it for a while.”

Shi Buyu almost choked on her yawn. As expected, in Aunt Gu’s eyes, her life was the only one that mattered.

Hehe. She really was Aunt Gu’s precious gem. And this little gem was going to sleep now.