Officials from the Secretariat Department and the Ministry of Justice milled around the wall where the interrogation room was projected. A real-time projection magic device was in use. The officials were chattering amongst themselves while the Minister of Justice was gone, sharing their theories with each other as they watched the recording.

The subject of their attention was one of the most controversial figures in court, the former Left Secretariat of Justice who was now the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Zhao Wenyuan had remained completely silent through the last six hours, refusing to speak even when faced with the Secretariat Director and the Minister of Justice.

“It’s too bad we can’t use torture, we’d wrap this up much faster,” Secretary Han muttered, not noticing Minister Liang until the man was looming over him.

“Torture? Even if he wasn’t related to the Imperial Family, he’s the Minister of an institute and a third-rank official. A mere sixth-rank dares to open his mouth on these matters?” Minister Liang asked, raising his voice. Secretary Han hastily shrank back, mumbling his apologies. The new Secretariat Director shot a glare at him, stepping forward to apologize for his subordinate’s blunder.

Zhang Dingyong watched with a calculating look in his eye. He thought back to the brief exchange he’d had with Zhao Wenyuan at the Third Prince’s victory banquet. Zhang Dingyong hadn’t gotten much information to go off of, even after gritting his teeth and paying an exorbitant price to hire a dancer from Liu Hongyu’s household. Zhao Wenyuan’s relationship with the former Secretariat Director remained a mystery. All he knew was that Wenyuan drank alone with a man older than his father on a regular basis, only returning after Liu Hongyu had passed out drunk.

That alone wasn’t normal. Zhang Dingyong had his fair share of experience drinking with his superiors, teachers, and family elders, but Liu Hongyu was none of the above to Wenyuan. What reason could the Emperor’s nephew possibly have for drinking with Liu Hongyu so often when he had so little to gain from it?

The only other information Zhang Dingyong had was that there had been a falling out at some point that left Liu Hongyu furious. Zhao Wenyuan had gone to apologize, and left with wine all over his robes. Soon after that, Liu Hongyu was placed under house arrest. The Third Prince had been keenly interested in the case, but his interest eventually shifted towards recruiting Wenyuan as a rising powerhouse, leaving Dingyong more curious than before. But until now, there had never been a reason to look into it any further.

There was definitely something in the case that Wenyuan and the Imperial Investigator Bureau were hiding-and that meant they had the Emperor’s tacit permission. It was troublesome for the Ministry of Justice to pursue the hidden factor, but the only way they could avoid it was if Zhao Wenyuan would confess. Instead, the man had simply stayed silent for the entire duration of the six hours he’d been here.

He’s waiting for something to happen. If that was the case, Dingyong would guess that Wenyuan was waiting on the palace to make a move.

“Sir, we can’t keep him overnight, can we?” Zhang Dingyong asked Minister Liang. It didn’t hurt him to incur favor with Zhao Wenyuan. Even if it didn’t amount to anything, at least the Third Prince would be satisfied that Dingyong had treated Wenyuan properly.

“Well, we either have to keep him here or place him under house arrest until he makes a statement,” Minister Liang said with a heavy sigh. Depending on the statement, it would then be detainment or restricted freedom until the investigation was complete. Keeping Wenyuan at the Ministry wasn't a good option, but house arrest wasn’t much better, given the conflicting political stances of Wenyuan and the Grand Duke.

“What about releasing him for now under medical concerns? Does it make sense that he’s stayed silent for this long? There might be something wrong with him and we just haven't realized it yet. What on earth would we do if he suddenly keels over? Surely no one can fault us for releasing him into the care of a healer,” Zhang Dingyong suggested. He didn’t even believe that himself, but both of them had to answer to their princes. Such a solution benefited them both.

Minister Liang hesitated for a moment, but slowly nodded his assent. The Seventh Prince also expressed his support for Zhao Wenyuan despite the accusation. Even though the Minister couldn't just drop the investigation with the Secretariat Department breathing down his neck, he would be in a tough position if anything happened to Wenyuan during the process.

“Alright, let’s do that,” Minister Liang said. “Get into contact with his subordinates-no, there’s no telling if they’ll refuse to get involved or mess things up. Just get into contact with his servant Qu Boyong.”

----------------------------------------

Caichun and Sun Ruhui peeked over Chen Jian’s shoulder from their position in the tree. As bad as Chen Jian was at navigating politics, he more than made up for it with his sharp instincts as well as his inhuman strength. He’d somehow managed to jump through the trees with ease, despite carrying Sun Ruhui on his back and Caichun in his arms.

“Investigator Chen, you really are amazing,” Sun Ruhui said, patting Chen Jian’s sturdy shoulder.

“Not at all, Chamberlain, you two barely weigh anything at all!” Chen Jian said cheerfully. He swiveled his head, unperturbed by Caichun’s arms locked tightly around his neck.

“Oh, there she is!” Chen Jian said. The three of them watched as a young girl in simple cotton robes turned the corner and came into view.

“You sure that’s the right person?” Caichun asked.

“Yup, that's Zhu Ling’er. She’s one of Liu Hongyu’s servants who we took in for questioning, but since she’s only fifteen and didn’t seem to know anything, we released her. She was so scared she could barely walk, so I took her back to her house,” Chen Jian pointed to one of the tiled roofs below.

“It’s too bad that she’s the only one we can find on such short notice,” Sun Ruhui sighed. “But hopefully she can help us find someone who knows more.”

“Sorry, she’s the only one that I can remember the address of. Alright, I’m going now, you two wait here,” Chen Jian said, shaking off Caichun and Sun Ruhui. Caichun grabbed his collar to stop him.

“No! You can’t show your face for this, the Imperial Investigators can’t be involved!” Caichun hissed. Chen Jian blinked.

“Alright, I’ll just let you at it then,” Chen Jian said, moving to leave.

“Get us down first!” Sun Ruhui hastily stopped him.

“Right,” Chen Jian said. He swiftly grabbed the two of them and leaped down from the tree, lightly landing behind the young girl. Before Zhu Ling’er could turn around at the soft thump, Chen Jian vaulted back into the trees.

“Excuse me, young miss,” Sun Ruhui called. The girl turned towards them. Sun Ruhui smiled amiably at her as he approached. Seeing the harmless-looking man in the presence of a young woman, Ling’er greeted him with a relaxed air.

“What is it, uncle?”

Caichun hastily approached as well, preparing to intercept the girl if she ran.

“I’m an official from the Court of Judicial Review,” Sun Ruhui took out his plaque to show her. “Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

The girl paled, backing away a few steps. “What is this about?”

“The Liu Hongyu case, he was your former employer, wasn’t he?” Caichun asked.

“Yes, but I've already been questioned about this,” Ling’er said nervously.

“We know, but new evidence has come up, so we need to ask a few more questions,” Sun Ruhui said gently. “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble or anything, it’s only a couple of questions. We just need to go through the list of employees so we can deal with our superiors.”

“Alright then,” the girl said reluctantly after a moment of hesitation. “Can we talk here?”

“Sure, is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Caichun asked.

“Yes, my house is right here.” Ling’er gave Caichun a curious look. “Are you also an official?”

“That’s right, my name is Chen Caichun, I’m a Ministerial Case Reviewer with the Court of Judicial Review,” Caichun replied.

“I’ve never met a female official before,” Ling’er said as she led them into the small townhouse. The young girl opened the door to a small table, politely gesturing for them to sit down.

“Would you like some tea?” Ling’er asked nervously.

“That’s alright, thank you. Please sit down, Miss Zhu,” Sun Ruhui said amiably. The girl complied.

“So what do you need to know?” Ling’er asked.

“We want to know about Liu Hongyu’s relationship with a man named Zhao Wenyuan,” Caichun said. There was no point going in circles when they were so short on time. “Do you know anything about that?”

“I don’t think so, I usually tuned out the conversations between the guests because I was worried I’d mess up and get hit,” the girl replied. Sun Ruhui nodded.

“Alright then, do you know anyone who might know something?” He asked. The girl hesitantly shook her head.

“I only started working there about three months before the household was placed under investigation, I’m not closer with most of the other servants, except a few girls my age who worked in the kitchen,” Ling’er said.

“I see.” Sun Ruhui exchanged a glance with Caichun before continuing. His experience as a County Magistrate told him that the girl really didn’t know anything based on her body language and microexpressions, but his gut instinct told him otherwise.

“Then, have you ever served Liu Hongyu while he was drinking?” Sun Ruhui asked. Ling’er made a face, nodding her head.

“Yes, no one else wanted to serve him while he was drinking so they made me do it,” Ling’er replied.

“That’s certainly unkind of them,” Caichun said sympathetically, seeming to have caught on to Sun Ruhui’s train of thought. “Did you ever have to serve him while he drank with someone else? Or only when he drank alone?”

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“Only when he drank alone. I didn’t serve him when he hosted guests, they were worried my etiquette wasn’t up to par,” Ling’er explained. “But there was one time when I was told to serve him even though there was a guest over.”

“A single guest?” Sun Ruhui asked.

“Yes, a young man, he was quite good-looking,” Ling’er said. “I don’t know who he was though, but he also seemed to be rich. His robes were really nice.”

“Interesting,” Caichun said as she transcribed the conversation without even looking at the scroll, her experience as a scribe allowing her to write perfectly regardless. “And do you recall what his interaction with Liu Hongyu was like?”

“Yeah, they had a huge fight,” Ling’er said with the excitement of someone with juicy gossip to share. “I usually don’t have the energy to listen because I have to keep watching the master’s cup, since he’d throw a fit if I let it sit empty, but that time it was such a big mess! The guest came to apologize, and he even knelt down and all, but the master dumped wine all over him and started saying some pretty nasty things. I was so shocked!”

“That must’ve been pretty frightening,” Caichun said. “Do you remember if the guest did anything in return?”

Underneath the table, Sun Ruhui discreetly activated the communication talisman that Wenyuan had given him and Caichun to contact Boyong with. They had been given two sets of talismans, one to reach Wenyuan and one to reach Boyong in case Wenyuan wasn’t available.

If the person the girl was talking about really was Wenyuan, then they needed to loop Boyong in. None of this had been mentioned in the previous investigation of Liu Hongyu, which meant the Imperial Investigators either didn't know or had forcibly kept the information quiet. But if it were the latter, there was no reason why they wouldn't have warned Ling'er to keep quiet as well.

“Yes, the guest had me pour him some wine so he could give a toast in apology, but for some reason, the master got really angry and threw a bottle at the guest,” Ling’er said.

“And then what happened?” Caichun asked.

“Nothing, the guest just left like that,” Ling’er replied. “The master was so angry that I got scared and slipped away while the other servants came to help clean up.”

“Do you happen to remember what they said to each other? It’s fine if it’s only bits and pieces,” Sun Ruhui prodded.

"The master said he'd forgive the guest because of his looks, and something about the guest's mother. After that, the guest started saying something about his bloodline, but I was so scared that I couldn't remember what he said. I’d never seen the master that angry before,” Ling’er said apologetically.

“That’s understandable,” Caichun said sympathetically, pushing down the growing apprehension inside at the picture being pieced together. “Can you recall exactly what Liu Hongyu said about the guest and his mother? The more you can remember the better.”

Ling’er shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, the master said that he would let the guest off for his face. And the master said he’d forgive the guest because he’d gotten lots of eye candy from the guest’s mother. That’s about all, I think. The guest didn’t throw a fit, but I could tell he was really angry.”

Sun Ruhui and Caichun gave a start in surprise. Not a single word of this had been mentioned in the rumors about Liu Hongyu’s demise, but the fact that Liu Hongyu dared to pour wine over the Emperor’s nephew and speak in such a manner about the Imperial Princess said a great deal about the power imbalance in their relationship.

Sun Ruhui nodded thoughtfully. “Do you think you would recognize the guest if you saw him again?”

Ling’er nodded. “Yes, definitely. But why? Is he related to the case?”

Caichun and Sun Ruhui exchanged a glance. “That’s the man we asked you about in the beginning,” Sun Ruhui explained. “He’s Zhao Wenyuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.”

The young girl’s jaw dropped and she hastily clapped her hand over her mouth. “What? That man? But he was so young-wait, if he’s so important, then why would he have to kneel in front of the master?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out as well,” Caichun replied. “Was there anyone else who could have seen this interaction, or who might’ve served that guest before?”

“I don’t know, but my aunt worked in the kitchen for a while. If it’s gossip, then she might know. But I’ve never heard her mention that name, I don’t think it was something I’d ever heard the servants talk about,” Ling’er replied.

“Would you tell us her name and address?” Sun Ruhui asked. Ling’er nodded.

“Sure, her name is Zhu Shaohua, she lives right down the street, I can bring you over if you like,” Ling’er said.

“She’s not working anymore?” Caichun asked.

“She’s pregnant, so she’s not working right now,” Ling’er replied. “Would I be free to go after that?”

“I’m afraid not. As it stands, you’re currently the only eyewitness to the last interaction that took place between Liu Hongyu and Zhao Wenyuan, we might need you to make an official testimony about what you saw,” Sun Ruhui said apologetically.

“But that’s all I know!” Ling’er protested.

“And you’re the only one who knows this,” Caichun said gently. “Currently, the Minister has been accused of something he didn’t do, and with your testimony, we might be able to open a new line of inquiry.”

Ling’er sighed, her shoulder slumping in defeat. “I guess I don’t have a choice then.”

“I’m sorry,” Caichun said sincerely.

“That’s alright, it’s your job, isn’t it? I’ll take you to my aunt,” Ling’er said.

“Much obliged,” Sun Ruhui bowed his head slightly. They followed the young girl down the street to her aunt’s house, where the woman greeted them with wary politeness. The four of them sat down around a worn-down table, Zhu Shaohua shifting uncomfortably in their presence.

“Zhu Shaohua, did you ever hear any rumors about your master drinking alone with a young man?” Sun Ruhui asked. The woman nodded reluctantly.

“Well, yes, I suppose. He usually drank with some of the dancers or his guests, but several times a month he would send everyone away and drink alone with one of the guests. We wouldn’t prepare much food for those occasions, but they always drank a copious amount of alcohol,” Zhu Shaohua said.

“So it was only the two of them, but they always drank a lot,” Caichun summarized. Zhu Shaohua nodded. Caichun kept herself from frowning. The more she heard, the shadier the situation sounded. Just what on earth had Zhao Wenyuan been dealing with before?

“Did anyone ever mention the identity of the guest?” Sun Ruhui asked.

“Some of the servants knew, but they kept real quiet about it. I think they were trying to keep it under wraps. I didn’t ask either, I thought it was better not to know,” Zhu Shaohua replied.

“Were there any rumors about the nature of his relationship with your master?” Caichun asked. Zhu Shaohua shifted uncomfortably.

“Well, I don’t know about that. Some people said he was the go-between for the Grand Duke and the master, and some said he was a pretty boy the master had taken interest in. There was also a rumor that the master had a thing for the guest’s mother,” Shaohua said. “Don’t tell me that was someone important? Is that why the master was punished for insulting the Imperial Family?”

“Don’t worry about that for now,” Caichun said, cutting off Ling’er before the girl could say anything. “Tell me more about the last rumor you mentioned.”

“I heard that the master was enamored with that guy’s mother, but apparently she was a married woman,” Shaohua explained. “It seemed that guest was the woman’s son from another man, but the master liked drinking with him since he looked a lot like his mother. But all of this is just gossip, don’t hold me to it.”

“Of course,” Sun Ruhui said calmly. “Who might know more about this rumor?”

“It started from the daughter of one of the master’s old servants who had been around a while, she was hired after her mother died. Seemed that it was something she’d heard from her parents,” Shaohua replied. “But that girl passed away last year, she got pregnant but the man wouldn’t marry her, so she killed herself. As for the rest of us, we only know what we heard. Do you think there’s truth to it?”

“Just covering all the possibilities,” Sun Ruhui said. He glanced at the door as someone knocked on it.

“Who could that be?” Shaohua muttered. “I’ll go get the door.”

“No need, it’s one of my coworkers,” Sun Ruhui said. He opened the door and greeted Boyong. His smile faded at the sight of a young man he didn’t recognize.

“Mister Qu,” Sun Ruhui said amiably. “And this is?”

“Hey mister, I’m Hu Qing,” the stranger said.

“Please just ignore him,” Boyong said apologetically. “My master wanted to meet with him.”

“Is the Minister still being questioned?” Sun Ruhui asked. Boyong nodded.

“He’s keeping silent until I find new evidence,” Boyong explained. He glanced past Sun Ruhui to nod at Caichun.

“Well, I believe we may have located a missing piece,” Sun Ruhui said, shooting Hu Qing one more doubtful look. He let them in, introducing them to Zhu Ling’er and her aunt. Boyong and Hu Qing bowed politely before Sun Ruhui pulled them aside.

“Zhu Ling’er here is the only eyewitness to the Minister’s last interaction with Liu Hongyu,” Sun Ruhui explained in a whisper. “I believe there’s something that the Imperial Investigators intentionally covered up in their investigation of Liu Hongyu that might be the missing piece.”

Boyong’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Sun Ruhui lowered his voice even further, taking care not to let Hu Qing hear. “About the nature of the Minister’s relationship to Liu Hongyu, I have reason to believe there’s more than appears to the eye. Do you know how long the Minister’s been drinking with Liu Hongyu?”

Boyong nodded, piecing together what he remembered from his time as a guard in the Zhao household. “From what I know, the young lord has been drinking with Liu Hongyu for a few years now.”

“A few years?” Sun Ruhui creased his brow, an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

“From what I know, he started soon after the Imperial Princess’ mourning period was over, so it should’ve been about five years by now,” Boyong elaborated.

Sun Ruhui took in a deep breath. If their suspicions were correct, then the situation was worse than he’d suspected. If Liu Hongyu’s behavior that night had been characteristic of his usual interactions with Wenyuan, he could understand why the Emperor had handed out such a harsh punishment to a senior official.

“And did the Minister ever mention Liu Hongyu acting…inappropriately? Or perhaps saying anything untoward?”

Disbelief and confusion flashed over Boyong’s face before it was replaced by a solemn expression, the young man piecing together what he’d heard and seen while serving as a guard in the Grand Duke’s household.

“No,” Boyong said after a moment of silence. “But that reminds me-before their last meeting, the young lord had gone to drink with Liu Hongyu, but he left much earlier than usual. The young lord was furious, and it seemed that the Grand Duke was also enraged by whatever he did at Liu Hongyu’s household.”

“And he’s choosing not to say anything about it even when faced with this predicament. Doesn't that speak for itself?” Sun Ruhui pointed out.

Boyong stiffened and hastily glanced around to make sure Hu Qing wasn’t listening. To his relief, the man was engrossed in a conversation with Zhu Ling'er and Caichun.

“You’re not serious! If it’s true, what do you want to do, bring it up to the Ministry of Justice? It wouldn't help the case and he'd be publicly humiliated! How is he going to go out and interact with people if it becomes known?” Boyong hissed.

“If he wants to protect his honor, he’s going to have to make a choice,” Sun Ruhui replied. “I’m sure he’s thought of this as well. If I may, did he ask you to find this girl?”

Boyong gave him a suspicious look. “How on earth did you know that?”

“You smell of women’s perfume, you must have been asking around among serving girls. If I’m right, then let me ask you this. Did he want you to silence her?” Sun Ruhui asked.

“No, he wouldn’t order something like that. He just wanted me to find her since she was important to the case,” Boyong replied.

“Then let me ask you another question. Is he keeping silent to protect someone in the palace?” Sun Ruhui asked. Boyong managed to keep a blank face, but Sun Ruhui could tell from the look in Boyong’s eyes that his guess was on the mark.

Sun Ruhui nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought. If the Grand Duke’s binding the hands of someone in the palace with the Minister, then the Minister must be trying to do something similar.”

“That doesn’t mean he wants it publicized! I don’t know exactly what was going on between the young lord and Liu Hongyu, but if you mean that it was that kind of relationship, then it’d ruin him,” Boyong said in a low voice.

“I don’t mean they were in a physical relationship, but if Liu Hongyu consistently behaved inappropriately towards the Minister and the Grand Duke condoned that, then it’s a situation where the Grand Duke would also be shamed, and to a much greater extent than the Minister would. Perhaps the Minister is aiming for a situation where the fish dies or the net breaks,” Sun Ruhui said thoughtfully.

“But that-” Boyong started and stopped, a look of dawning realization on his face. “The Grand Duke would definitely save himself. There’s no way he would head into a situation of mutual destruction. That means he’d have to drop the case!”

“My thoughts exactly,” Sun Ruhui replied. “It seems that our Minister came up with quite an interesting plan. If that’s the case, we should give him a hand, shouldn’t we?”