The next day, Luo Ming invited a few people to his tea room. Except for the King of Chu, who had been called to the palace, Tao Sheng and Xie Huaian arrived at Luo Mansion at the agreed time.

Tao Sheng told them about her meeting with the emperor and shared the full story of the empty seal case.

Luo Ming thought to himself that his niece was indeed sharp and had quickly seen the key to the case.

Luo Ming also told Tao Sheng that he was tracking down a witness and asked her not to worry, as he believed news that would help the case would be coming soon.

Now that the physical evidence is destroyed, removing the human evidence is good news.

When Xie Huaian heard Luo Ming arranged for Tao Sheng to visit his cousin at the Dali Temple, he asked Luo Ming, “Like Miss Luo, I’m worried about Brother Ji and would like to go in with him. Also, I have something important to confirm with Brother Ji. I hope Lord Luo can arrange this.”

Tao Sheng immediately thought about Xie Huaian’s strange behavior that day, and felt he knew something.

Luo Ming happily agreed, “Okay, I’ll arrange it.”

Luo Ming’s influence worked in the Dali Temple. Tao Sheng was personally received by Lord Xu of the Dali Temple, who said gently, “Your uncle and I have been friends for years. If you need something you can’t tell him, you can tell me.”

Luo Ming had already mentioned that his family was trying to get Tao Sheng back, and they needed Lord Xu’s help.

After Tao Sheng thanked Lord Xu, she went into the room with Xie Huaian.

When Tao Sheng heard Ji Yanming was in trouble and held at the Dali Temple, she imagined a miserable prison from TV dramas, with straw mats, rats, and mosquitoes.

But when she met Ji Yanming, she saw the environment wasn’t as bad as she expected. He was in a well-equipped room with tables, chairs, beds, and even screens and wardrobes, much better than the inn where Tao Sheng and Su Cheng stayed on their way to Ling State.

Tao Sheng felt relieved.

Xie Huaian had something to ask Ji Yanming. He told Ji Yanming about Tao Sheng reading about the Empty Seal case in ancient books, and briefly explained it. He asked Ji Yanming, “Is what you wanted me to ask Mr. Yan related to this?”

Mr. Yan was a well-known calligrapher who could mimic fonts so precisely that it would be hard to distinguish them. If he was asked to write Ji Yanming’s name on official documents in advance, it would cause big problems later.

Ji Yanming looked at Tao Sheng, who seemed tired, and said: “I was about to tell you about this.”

He motioned for them to come closer.

There wasn’t much space in the small room. Xie Huaian stepped back so Tao Sheng could approach.

When Tao Sheng thought Ji Yanming was going to write something down, he instead motioned for her to hold his hand.

Was Ji Yanming going to give her a note?

In ancient times, written messages were safer than oral communication, as there were no surveillance.

But instead of writing a note, Ji Yanming wrote the answer directly on Tao Sheng’s palm.

His hand felt cold, and Tao Sheng felt a chill as he held her wrist.

Ji Yanming wrote the answer on her palm, and Tao Sheng could feel his breath beside her ear.

Tao Sheng, frustrated with herself, realized she hadn’t been paying attention. She could only see the first two characters of what Ji Yanming wrote: “witness,” but not the last two.

Ji Yanming asked in a deep voice: “Which part is unclear?”

Tao Sheng answered honestly: “I didn’t see the last two clearly.”

Ji Yanming chuckled and said, “Okay, I’ll write it again.”

This time, Ji Yanming wrote slowly and more clearly, changing from cursive to regular script.

Now Tao Sheng could see the full message clearly: “Witness, King Huan.”

This meant the witness was protected and was with King Huan.

Both Lord Shi and those behind him were looking for the witness. King Chu and Luo Ming were also searching, but no one had found the witness yet. The witness had been protected by King Huan, a prince far away from court affairs.

No one expected the witness to be with King Huan.

So, was this a frame-up against Ji Yanming, or had it been planned in advance to deceive others?