A case from over a decade ago being reopened would only damage Minister Wu's reputation, nothing more, nothing less.
And yet, the very person who reported the presence of Southern spies within the Duke's residence was him.
Qiu Che unconsciously slowed her breathing.
In an instant, countless thoughts raced through her mind.
Just yesterday, Wu Yiqi had sent her a message by carrier pigeon, carefree as always. His tone didn't suggest he was aware of this old case coming to light.
Even if against all odds, it was indeed Minister Wu who had deliberately orchestrated this revelation for some unknown reason, Wu Yiqi was likely left in the dark.
Li Shi, seemingly oblivious to her reaction, murmured, "What's even stranger is that despite Minister Wu's accusations, the Embroidered Guards found no trace of Southern spies within the Duke's residence. Instead, they uncovered a string of other cases, aside from the fact that Commander Yuan was also drugged with rosemary, there appears to be no connection to the Southerners at all."
As he spoke, he handed over the case file to Qiu Che for her to review.
The contents didn't provide any additional intelligence, just a chronological record of the events that took place at the Duke's residence the previous day.
Including the drugging of Yuan Fuyao and the death of Ying Yue.
The details were nearly identical to what Wu Yiqi had described to her.
"Now, Commander Cui and the others are scrambling to handle the situation, while the old ministers are pressing for a resolution," Li Shi sighed with worry. "I'm grasping at straws here… Tell me, do you see anything of note?"
Under his seemingly casual yet intensely watchful gaze, Qiu Che closed the file, then slowly parted her lips and said, "This case is far too complex for me to speculate carelessly."
Li Shi fell silent for a moment, not expecting such an answer. Growing slightly impatient, he snapped, "I told you to speak, so speak!"
Qiu Che cupped her hands respectfully and began, "In my opinion, this case may be connected to the previous incident in the Imperial Garden."
Li Shi raised his chin slightly, unsurprised. "Go on."
Qiu Che explained, "If we examine the timeline, Commander Yuan and that Yao Tai girl were drugged at the same time, leading to an unexpected turn of events. The method used was identical, both involved an incense burner and rosemary. It mirrors the Imperial Garden case almost exactly."
"Her Highness the Eldest Princess was merely taking a stroll in the rear courtyard when she was suddenly led away by a palace maid to meet the Empress. But the moment she opened the door, she stumbled upon that scene. And before long, the Empress and the others arrived as well."
"From that moment on, the palace maid vanished from the case. Meanwhile, the noble ladies at the banquet became onlookers, and the rear courtyard separate from the main gatheringw as sparsely populated with few servants."
"It wasn't until a maid rushed in and announced that someone had died that the chaos truly began."
"This entire situation is riddled with suspicious points," Qiu Che calmly analyzed while setting down a chess piece. "First, Commander Yuan was supposed to be protecting the Empress, why was he in the rear courtyard? And why was he entangled with Miss Yao Tai?"
"Why did both of them insist the other had forced themselves upon them?"
Li Shi smirked. "Perhaps they were just making excuses?"
Qiu Che shook her head but said nothing, instead continuing, "Second, why did the maid, Ying Yu, lie to lure Her Highness there? What happened to her afterward? And why did she end up dead in the pond?"
Hearing this, Li Shi chuckled. "Have you considered the possibility that the Eldest Princess is lying? That no one actually led her there?"
"I believe in Her Highness." Qiu Che's eyes held the earnest admiration of a young scholar infatuated with their muse. "Besides, she has no reason to lie."
"No reason?" Li Shi countered. "In the Imperial Garden case, she was originally your father's intended target, only managing to escape by sheer luck—"
"If she sought revenge by using the same method but accidentally chose the wrong place, then panicked and rushed in to cover it up… It's not impossible."
"If she wanted revenge, it would have nothing to do with the people of the Duke's residence. Your Majesty, your reasoning is too far-fetched. Moreover…"
Qiu Che paused, then fixed Li Shi with a strange, accusing, and wounded gaze. "Could it be that even Your Majesty no longer believes in Her Highness?"
"Aren't you the one who cherishes her most? Surely, you should know better than anyone whether she's capable of such a thing."
The moment those words left her lips, Li Shi, catching Qiu Che's vaguely distrustful look, swallowed the rest of his argument. He coughed lightly and hastily backtracked.
"Of course not, I was merely asking in passing."
Seeing the affection between the two, he added with a sigh, "With you by her side, I suppose Lehe will have someone to rely on. That puts my mind at ease."
Qiu Che's expression remained unreadable, but she feigned sudden realization. "I see… However, keeping Her Highness and the Empress under house arrest like this isn't a long-term solution. The court is abuzz with speculation, and rumors are bound to spread."
Li Shi made a thoughtful expression. "In that case, once I've questioned them about their whereabouts, you can deliver my decree to the Embroidered Guards and have them released from house arrest."
Qiu Che hesitated, as if confused. "Forgive me, but I don't quite understand…"
Li Shi scoffed. "Since this case is connected to the Imperial Garden incident, and you were in charge of that investigation, I'm putting this one in your hands as well."
"Don't let me down again."
A delighted expression appeared on Qiu Che's face, she looked like a clever yet love-struck fool. "I knew Your Majesty had sharp judgment! You truly are a wise ruler! Rest assured, I will not fail you. I would march through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation!"
Anyone could flatter.
And with just those two lines, Li Shi couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself.
Of course, Qiu Che knew that the emperor must have already seen through much of this.
He simply hadn't analyzed it as deeply as she had.
But the real reason he asked her to speak wasn't to get an immediate answer, it was to test whether she could satisfy him.
This case wasn't impossible to solve, but it was complicated and time-consuming.
More importantly, Li Shi wanted to groom Qiu Che, making this mess hers to deal with. If she succeeded, she'd earn recognition as a capable minister. If she failed, she was just a dispensable pawn.
However, given that this was a high-profile case with the entire court watching, he needed to gauge her competence first, especially after her previous investigation had ended in failure.
But this time, she had passed his test.
Li Shi mused for a moment before casually remarking, "By the way, you hadn't finished earlier. Since you said there were multiple suspicious points, what's the third and fourth?"
Qiu Che's demeanor grew serious again. "The third is this, how did the Empress and the others appear so suddenly? Were they led there as well? I noticed that the case records make no mention of this."
Li Shi frowned slightly. "What's so important about that? How does it connect to the rest?"
"Your Majesty, please be at ease," Qiu Che said with a smile. "It is precisely because it appears unrelated that it seems all the more suspicious. I believe that I may only find more answers once I personally take part in the interrogation."
Li Shi waved a hand dismissively at her words. "Enough. I can't be bothered to listen anymore. Consider this matter settled, I'll leave it in your hands."
Qiu Che accepted the decree.
The two conversed for a while longer, finishing a game of chess before the emperor began to show signs of fatigue.
Sensing the moment, Qiu Che rose to take her leave. Before departing, she received the golden pardon medallion from Commander Cui of the Embroidered Guards, as per the emperor's order.
Her mission had gone smoothly.
In truth, she still had many suspicions she hadn't voiced before the emperor.
What puzzled her most was how so many events had unfolded in the Duke's manor within a single day.
How was it that, by sheer coincidence, each incident had ended up entangling the empress, Yao Tai, Li Qingwu, and even Minister Wu?
And how was it that, just as everyone was still caught up in the scandal, a palace maid suddenly turned up dead?
Too many coincidences meant it was no coincidence at all.
With the golden medallion in hand, Qiu Che first made her way to Fengyang Pavilion in the imperial harem.
This was where the princesses resided before they were granted their own estates outside the palace.
Li Qingwu had moved out after her marriage, leaving only two princesses in the palace—Lehe and Pingyi. Now that Lehe was gone, only Pingyi remained.
Under normal circumstances, Li Qingwu should not have returned to live here. However, given the current situation, she had been placed under house arrest and forbidden to leave the palace.
When Qiu Che arrived at the entrance of Fengyang Pavilion, she was stopped by two Embroidered Guards who crossed their blades to block her path.
She lifted the golden medallion and shook it slightly. "By order of His Majesty, I am here to escort the Eldest Princess back to her estate."
Upon seeing the decree, the two guards visibly stiffened. A moment later, they withdrew their swords and silently stepped aside in salute.
Qiu Che entered to find Li Qingwu seated beneath the corridor, cradling a delicate, porcelain-like little girl in her arms. Her expression was calm and serene as she held a book, her slender fingers gliding over the pages in time with the movement of her lips.
Rather than someone under house arrest, she looked more like someone enjoying a peaceful retreat.
Though, of course, the palace maids standing around them told another story.
The sound of Qiu Che's footsteps drew the attention of Fu Ling, who had been lounging idly nearby. She looked up, and upon recognizing the visitor, she blurted out in shock, " Prince Consort!"
Li Qingwu's hands paused.
A heartbeat later, both she and the little girl turned their heads in unison.
A smile instinctively curved Li Qingwu's lips. She put down the book, took Pingyi's hand, and stood up. Then, glancing toward the courtyard gate behind Qiu Che, she asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"
Qiu Che did not answer her question and simply asked, "How are you?"
Li Qingwu hesitated before replying, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I only stayed here for one night."
Qiu Che nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over Pingyi before briefly flicking to Li Qingwu's forehead.
Smooth and unblemished. No scars.
She recalled seeing a scar at the corner of Li Qingwu's forehead during the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. It must have been from some form of punishment a few days prior.
As long as she remained in the palace, it was impossible for Qiu Che not to worry.
As Qiu Che stepped closer, Pingyi curiously examined her before tugging on her sister's hand and piping up in a sweet voice, "It's the pretty consort! Ashu remembers you!"
Everyone present was amused by the child's innocent words. Fu Ling, however, was careful not to laugh too openly, fearing Qiu Che might take offense, after all, men generally didn't like being called "pretty."
But Qiu Che didn't seem to mind. In fact, she even reached out and ruffled little Pingyi's head. "How does Ashu know I'm 'consort'?"
Pingyi blinked, utterly captivated by Qiu Che's smile. Dazed, she promptly sold out her own sister. "Because my big sister said so!"
Li Qingwu stiffened, embarrassment flickering across her face. Meeting Qiu Che's inquisitive gaze, she forced herself to remain calm and explained, "I was just teasing her. Don't take it seriously."
At the time, she hadn't known Qiu Che was a woman.
Fu Ling, who had been eavesdropping, was thoroughly confused. "But the little princess isn't wrong, is she? You are her consort. Why would she mind?"
The two women exchanged a glance but chose not to answer.
Qiu Che withdrew her hand and said, "Let's go."
Li Qingwu blinked. "I can leave?"
"What else?" Qiu Che raised the golden medallion and gave it a slight shake. "The emperor has assigned the case to me. As for everything else, we'll talk once we're back."
Fu Ling, overjoyed, immediately cast aside her earlier confusion. "That's wonderful! Her Highness is the Eldest Princess, how could she be kept under house arrest like this?!"
It seemed the consort was indeed useful, managing to secure her mistress's release within just one day.
Li Qingwu gesture for Fu Ling to lower her voice. "Walls have ears."
Fu Ling hastily covered her mouth, though excitement still sparkled in her eyes.
After saying their goodbyes, Pingyi clung to Li Qingwu reluctantly. Seeing her hesitation, Qiu Che ruffled her head again and said, "Be good, Ashu. In a few days, the consort and your sister will return and bring you some sugar figurines."
Pingyi's eyes went wide. "Really?!"
"Really."
The little girl cheered. "That's great! Thank you, pretty consort! Don't worry, Ashu will be good and wait for you to come back!"
Fu Ling and Pingyi weren't the only ones happy. Even Fu Feng, the shadow guard who had been powerless to help Li Qingwu escape, was in a visibly good mood. He was even willing to drive the carriage without throwing Qiu Che dark glares.
After leaving the palace, they returned to the princess's estate first.
On the carriage ride, Qiu Che gave Li Qingwu a brief summary of the case and mentioned she would be heading to the Imperial Prison next.
When Li Qingwu stepped down, she assumed Qiu Che would head straight to the prison. But instead, she followed suit, alighting right behind her.
Li Qingwu opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could, Qiu Che approached her with a light smile, reaching out to take her arm and gently guiding her inside.
In that moment, a low voice brushed past her ear.
"We're being watched. Don't say anything, just go inside."