The Emperor did not trust her completely, and Qiu Che had always known that.
During the early days of their marriage, they had been watched. The Emperor wanted to see if she truly harbored feelings for Li Qingwu.
Back then, the surveillance was not as obvious.
Now that the case had been handed to Qiu Che, it was expected that she would be monitored by the Embroidered Guards.
Li Qingwu's tense arms gradually relaxed as she allowed herself to be led all the way to the bedchamber.
As soon as they entered, Qiu Che stretched out her hand. "Bird whistle."
Li Qingwu was taken aback. When she opened her mouth, she hesitated. "I already used that whistle…"
Qiu Che remained composed. "I gave you all of my little gadgets. Now, I can only use yours."
Li Qingwu had no response to that. She reached into her sleeve pouch, retrieved the bird whistle, and handed it over.
Yu Ming and Fu Ling had been following them but stopped in their tracks when they saw the door close in front of them. It was a familiar routine.
Not long after, Yu Ming heard a few familiar bird calls.
She furrowed her brows slightly but soon returned to normal. Just as she was about to step forward and knock on the door, another round of bird calls rang out.
This time, they conveyed a different meaning.
She changed the motion of her raised hand and turned to Fu Ling. "The palace is cold at night, and Her Highness just returned. She might catch a chill. Why don't you fetch a cloak for her while I prepare some ginger tea?"
Fu Ling thought about it and agreed. The wardrobe in the princess's bedchamber only contained summer garments. There weren't many autumn clothes available. She quickly retrieved a goose-yellow, fine-wool cloak and followed Yu Ming to knock on the chamber door, completely unaware of the situation inside.
Upon entering, she saw her mistress seated before the dressing table, speaking with the consort. Her eyes held a faint smile.
Before either of them could speak, Qiu Che turned to glance at them and said, "Are you sure you can do this?"
It was clear that this question was not directed at them.
Li Qingwu nodded, then turned to Fu Ling, who was utterly confused. "Fu Ling, come here."
"What?" Fu Ling nearly jumped in shock. Realizing her voice was too loud, she immediately covered her mouth but still looked at them in disbelief. "I—I can't possibly do it!"
"Why not?" Li Qingwu reassured her. "You do my hair in the palace just fine. I've seen you alter Fu Feng's appearance before. Just do it like that."
Fu Ling shook her head repeatedly. "That was just playing around with Afeng. I wouldn't dare try it on you, Your Highness…"
"If I dare, why don't you?" Li Qingwu's voice was gentle. "No one else here has the experience. You're the only one who can do it. Don't worry. Come on, time is tight."
Fu Ling wanted to protest further, but afraid of causing delays, she hesitantly stepped forward and began working on Li Qingwu's makeup.
Soon, Li Qingwu watched in the mirror as her distinct features gradually transformed into another face.
One that bore traces of Yu Ming's appearance.
Dressed in a maid's uniform identical to Yu Ming's, she could easily pass as her if not examined closely.
Qiu Che scrutinized the two standing before her and chuckled. "This is quite unexpected."
She had not anticipated that Fu Ling would be so skilled. Although her movements were slightly clumsy, the results were undeniable.
Li Qingwu also smiled. Her face now bore almost no resemblance to her original self.
Qiu Che reached out and pulled her along. "Let's go. We don't have much time."
When Li Qingwu first heard that Qiu Che intended to take her to the Imperial Prison, her immediate reaction was to refuse.
As a princess, she had no right to interfere in governance, let alone accompany her consort to interrogate prisoners.
If the Emperor found out, he would undoubtedly use this opportunity to reprimand Qiu Che.
She already couldn't offer Qiu Che much help, and she didn't want to cause her more trouble.
But Qiu Che suggested that if she swapped clothes with Yu Ming, she could go as a maid.
It was risky.
Even if there were disguise experts in Nightbright City, none could arrive in time. They could only hope the Embroidered Guards monitoring them were blind enough not to notice that the "Yu Ming" following Qiu Che was actually the Eldest Princess in disguise.
Li Qingwu, however, insisted on reducing the risk further and suggested letting Fu Ling try.
Palace maids were trained not only in etiquette but also in assisting noblewomen with their appearance. Some learned cosmetic disguise techniques.
Fu Ling, with her dexterous hands, had once playfully disguised Fu Feng.
Li Qingwu had witnessed it by chance and had found it amusing at the time, never imagining it would become useful.
Qiu Che initially thought Li Qingwu was grasping at straws. Who would have thought the results would be so astonishing?
Perhaps Fu Ling was worth training further.
No matter what, it was always safer to use a trusted servant rather than an outsider from Nightbright City.
The two left quickly. Following Qiu Che's orders, Yu Ming dressed as Li Qingwu, while Fu Ling resumed her post at the door.
Everything appeared normal.
This was not Qiu Che's first time entering the Imperial Prison. In her past life, when Qiu Zhe had caused trouble in her name, she had been here once before.
But unlike now, she had been brought in as a prisoner.
The Imperial Prison had eighteen levels, each housing different forms of torture.
Everyone captured by the Embroidered Guards under imperial orders ended up here.
And historically, those who entered, be they high-ranking officials or commoners, rarely left alive.
This place specialized in forced confessions.
The current Warden was Liu Buxiu, a burly man with a face full of scars, exuding menace.
But in Qiu Che's past dealings with him, she had found him to be the most perceptive among the arrogant Embroidered Guards.
It was fortunate that he was in charge. Otherwise, the noblewomen imprisoned here would have been tortured on their first day.
When he saw the imperial token, his eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, as if incredulous that the Emperor would entrust such a case to a young attendant not yet of age.
But he quickly composed himself and gestured for them to pass.
Li Qingwu followed behind Qiu Che with lowered eyes, appearing like a submissive maid.
Yet, maids were not permitted in such places of harsh justice.
Some guards moved to stop her, but Liu Buxiu raised a hand, signaling them to let it go.
Inside, the prison was fully controlled by the Embroidered Guards, and with Liu Buxiu present, there was little room for conversation.
Qiu Che interrogated each noblewoman but only asked direct questions without unnecessary words.
The women had spent a day here and remained relatively unharmed. It seemed Liu Buxiu had not subjected them to torment.
Some of them were defiant, demanding their release, boasting about their powerful fathers, brothers, or sons.
If not for the disciplined nature of the Embroidered Guards, Qiu Che could almost imagine them bursting into laughter.
But most of the noblewomen were pragmatic. Their lives in deep courtyards had trained them well in navigating perilous situations.
A few unfamiliar with Qiu Che sneaked glances at her, captivated by her striking features, even blushing as they spoke.
Yet Qiu Che remained composed, unwavering in her questioning.
When the last woman stood up, emboldened by Qiu Che's mild demeanor, she hesitated before asking, "May I know your esteemed name, sir?"
Qiu Che did not press further and simply said, "Bring the Duchess over."
Yuan Fu thought he was free to go, only to be led through a maze of corridors by two Embroidered Guards, twisting and turning, until he found himself back in the same prison cell as before.
He spun around angrily. "Why am I not allowed to leave?"
With a sharp click, the Embroidered Guards locked the cell door. One of them cast him a light glance but did not respond, merely standing at his post with practiced diligence.
Scoundrels! How dare they deceive him!
Furious, Yuan Fu had nowhere to vent his anger and punched the wall.
But the prison walls were solid as iron, and his fist accomplished nothing, except to scrape the skin off his knuckles.
Seething with rage, he stood in the cell, engraving the name of that official, Qiu Che, firmly in his mind.
Meanwhile, the Duchess was brought in, coughing every few steps, before being seated in the interrogation chair.
Having spent most of her life in luxury, she seemed uncomfortable in the crude seat, her brows furrowing as she looked at Qiu Che.
Finding herself unfamiliar with the young official before her, she coughed twice and slowly asked, "What does His Majesty mean by this?"
Qiu Che did not answer. Instead, she jotted something down on the document in front of her before cutting straight to the point: "Madam, why did you host the flower-viewing banquet yesterday?"
The Duchess coughed sharply a few more times, her tone puzzled. "Naturally, because it is the lotus season. We women of the inner court rarely have the chance to appreciate such beauty. Is that not allowed?"
Qiu Che smiled. "That was not my implication."
"Did Your Grace accompany Her Majesty to the rear courtyard guest rooms?"
The Duchess nodded. "My health is poor. She stayed by my side the entire time, never leaving."
Qiu Che nodded in understanding. "Did Her Majesty ever express a desire to go to the rear courtyard alone?"
The Duchess looked even more puzzled. "No… What reason would she have to go there?"
Qiu Che hesitated briefly but did not answer. Instead, she asked, "Did you notice when Ying Yue, Her Majesty's attendant, disappeared?"
The Duchess tried to recall, then shook her head. "I am old, and my memory is not as sharp… But Ying Yue has always been by Her Majesty's side. She never leaves."
"Her death was suspicious. I hope you will investigate thoroughly and clear her name."
Qiu Che acknowledged her request, assuring her that justice would be served.
After a few more minor questions, the Duchess answered them all candidly despite her confusion.
With that, the interrogation concluded.
Apart from Yuan Fu, all the noblewomen, including the Duchess and Yao Tai, were released but were ordered to remain silent about the case.
Otherwise, they would be sent to the Imperial Prison.
Qiu Che left the prison and bid farewell to Liu Buxiu.
The latter asked if she had any leads, but Qiu Che merely smiled and said she would question the Empress in the palace.
Liu Buxiu did not press further.
After all, the case was now Qiu Che's responsibility. Whatever methods she used to investigate, the Emperor would not hold the Embroidered Guards accountable.
Once inside the carriage, Li Qingwu finally dared to lift her head. She stretched her stiff neck and asked, "Are we entering the palace again?"
Qiu Che replied, "Yes. But this time, you don't need to go inside. I'll explain later."
Having spent over a decade in close companionship with the Empress, Li Qingwu was different from others.
If she were recognized, the consequences would be disastrous.
Li Qingwu nodded without objection.
She noticed that after speaking, Qiu Che fell into deep thought once more, so she swallowed her words, choosing to remain silent so as not to disturb her.
Qiu Che silently reviewed the details of the interrogation, piecing together the noblewoman's statements to form the outline of the case in her mind.
By the time she emerged from the palace, the sun was already setting.
Li Qingwu, who had nearly dozed off in the carriage, finally heard the sound of someone boarding.
"How did it go?"
Qiu Che smiled. "Everything went smoothly."
Discussing matters in the carriage was inconvenient. Once they arrived at the Princess's residence, Li Qingwu changed out of her maid's attire, and they sat in the study to go over their findings.
Qiu Che's first words were astonishing: "Minister Wu is suspected of treason."
Li Qingwu froze. "…What makes you say that?"
Qiu Che did not answer directly. Instead, she tested Li Qingwu: "During the interrogation of Yuan Fu and the Duchess today, did you notice anything?"
Realizing it was a test, Li Qingwu straightened her posture and carefully answered, "Yuan Fu is suspicious. As for the Duchess, I believe she was genuinely unaware of what transpired at the banquet."
Qiu Che nodded. "What made you suspect Yuan Fu?"
"He hesitated before answering every question. The pauses were brief but noticeable."
"When you asked why he was not by the Empress's side, he didn't answer immediately. It was only when you threatened to detain him further that he spoke."
Li Qingwu hesitated but admitted, "I believe he was lying."
Qiu Che countered, "What makes you say that?"
Li Qingwu felt slightly embarrassed. "It's just… a gut feeling. I lack experience and can't put it into words. My apologies."
Qiu Che chuckled. "That's already quite impressive, you're right. He was lying."
"His initial silence meant he knew speaking would have serious consequences."
"And his eventual excuse, that he left to use the latrine was a calculated one. Did you notice? His explanation deliberately removed the Empress from suspicion. He was trying to tell us that his absence was unknown to her."
Li Qingwu suddenly had a realization. "You mean… he wanted to ensure that the Empress would not contradict his statement? So in his version of events, she was entirely uninvolved?"
Though the phrasing was convoluted, both understood.
Qiu Che snapped her fingers in approval. "Exactly."
"Leaving the Empress's side without permission is a serious offense. His earlier silence now makes sense, he needed time to craft a plausible excuse."
Li Qingwu asked, "But how did you determine he was lying?"
"Because it was too absurd," Qiu Che smirked. "A commander of the Imperial Guards abandoning his post just to use the latrine?"
"His silence meant that telling the truth was far worse than staying imprisoned. But his eventual excuse was obviously less severe than imprisonment—"
"Which proves he was lying."
Li Qingwu nodded thoughtfully. "That does make sense."
"Not just that. He lied in almost every statement, except one. When I asked who led him to the guest room."
Qiu Che took a sip of tea and smiled. "He isn't good at lying. Each time, he hesitated, just as you noticed."
"Do you know what answer I got from the Empress?"
"What?"
Qiu Che said coolly, "She didn't want to say, so I told her I already knew."
Her exact words had been: 'It doesn't matter if you remain silent. This matter implicates many. If you don't tell me, someone else will interrogate you later.'
And then, it might not be in the safety of the Phoenix Palace.
"Her reaction confirmed my suspicions."
Li Qingwu blinked. "Then… is it…?"
Qiu Che nodded. "Yes. When Yuan Fu left, he gave the Empress a strange look before vanishing."
"She wanted to follow and ask, but with the Duchess by her side, she couldn't leave."
Shortly after, Yuan Fu was caught in the act.
The Empress had shredded her handkerchief in frustration just recalling the moment.
When Qiu Che asked if Ying Yue was still by her side then, the Empress had firmly replied—no.
She had left to fetch new garments after a servant spilled tea on the Empress…