Since Ying Yue was a fake, then what about the young maid who suddenly screamed about a dead body, drawing everyone's attention?
At that time, everyone had gathered in the rear courtyard, and the other scattered servants were stationed at their respective posts, so where did this young maid come from?
Most suspicious of all, among all the servants of the Duke's Manor who were taken to the imperial prison, there was no trace of this maid.
No one even claimed to know her.
Qiu Che immediately realized that she had not been the only one who had infiltrated the Duke's Manor in disguise that day.
At this point, Li Qingwu had already understood.
This was a grand scheme.
"You just asked why the fake Ying Yue lured you there," Qiu Che said. "First, think about how many different factions have been involved in this case from the beginning."
"Yao Tai, the Empress, and the commander of the Imperial Guards," Li Qingwu murmured with a frown. "The Duke's Manor, myself, and... you."
The appearance of the fake Ying Yue rendered Li Qingwu's testimony unreliable.
Moreover, the real Ying Yue was later found dead in the pond. Since Li Qingwu was the last person to claim to have seen her, she had become the prime suspect.
In this era, where human life was treated like grass, the death of a maid might not have mattered.
However, this maid had been a senior palace attendant serving the Empress, and the incident had occurred under the watchful eyes of many, even implicating the commander of the Jinwu Guards.
Without an explanation, it would be difficult to justify.
Yet the law only recognized evidence of guilt, no one could prove innocence with evidence.
Since Li Qingwu could not provide proof of her innocence, she would have no choice but to bear the blame.
Now that they were officially "spouses," in the eyes of the public, Li Qingwu's misfortune was Qiu Che's misfortune as well.
How could a sheltered princess, who rarely stepped beyond her chambers, suddenly commit such a crime for no reason?
Someone was bound to seize this opportunity to attack Qiu Che, claiming that Li Qingwu had acted on her "husband's" orders.
By then, if the matter escalated, their innocence would no longer matter.
What would matter was that one of them had to take the fall.
The more Li Qingwu thought about it, the more fearful she became.
"No... it's not just that," Qiu Che said, curling her lips slightly. "There's also... Prime Minister Wu."
She then briefly recounted to Li Qingwu the old scandal of the Prime Minister's residence that she had previously discussed with the Emperor.
"From the discovery of Yuan Fu's affair to the sudden appearance of that young maid, and finally to the arrival of the Embroidered Guards, it all seems unrelated to Wu Xiang."
"Yet it was he who reported to the Emperor that the Duke's Manor harbored spies from the Southern Yi."
"And when the Embroidered Guards followed the trail left by Ying Yue's death, they just so happened to uncover the two corpses that should have been in the Prime Minister's residence."
It was as if he had intentionally exposed this case.
Li Qingwu frowned in confusion. "Does that mean he wanted this matter revealed? But that doesn't seem to benefit him in any way. Besides, he was the informant, if no evidence of Southern Yi spies is found, Father Emperor will certainly hold him accountable."
"That is precisely what puzzles me the most."
Wu Xiang was a man who only acted in his own interest, he would never do something that harmed others without benefiting himself.
Yet he had been the informant.
"That leaves only one possibility: Wu Xiang himself was kept in the dark."
Li Qingwu was stunned by the realization. "You mean... he didn't know those two bodies were in the Duke's Manor?"
"Yes," Qiu Che nodded. "If we rule out all impossibilities, then whatever remains, no matter how absurd, must be the truth."
"When he reported to the Emperor, he had no idea he would be dragging himself into the mess as well. The person who fed him information about Southern Yi spies in the Duke's Manor may have only told him what would happen there, but not that it would lead to the discovery of those corpses."
Wu Rusheng might have assumed that the Emperor would focus on the reappearance of the rosemary poison, or perhaps he simply wanted to watch the chaos unfold from the sidelines.
But he hadn't expected to be backstabbed.
"Whoever gave him this information must have had some sort of agreement with him... or rather, must have been someone he deeply trusted."
Otherwise, given Wu Rusheng's cunning nature, how could he have allowed himself to be exposed in this case?
Li Qingwu hesitated.
Qiu Che caught the shift in her expression and immediately asked, "What is it?"
"There's another possibility," Li Qingwu said hesitantly, encouraged by Qiu Che's gaze. "He might be being blackmailed."
Qiu Che pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "Unlikely. If Wu Rusheng were being blackmailed, he would be even more cautious. Even if he was forced to act, he wouldn't have used such a risky accusation as the presence of Southern Yi spies."
A single misstep would have led to his downfall.
Li Qingwu considered this and nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Forget it, I was just speculating."
"No, it's good to have different perspectives," Qiu Che reassured her before continuing. "The reason I suspect Wu Xiang of treason is precisely this."
"During the Imperial Garden case, it was Wu Xiang who introduced the rosemary poison into the affair," she said, pausing briefly. "At first, I thought he had simply come across it by chance, but now, he's involved in another case, and the same poison has reappeared."
Li Qingwu met her gaze, her eyelashes trembling slightly, but she said nothing.
Qiu Che carefully observed her expression, and seeing no further reaction, sighed and said, "Do you remember what Yang Qiu told us?"
Li Qingwu nodded, her thoughts growing clearer. "He said Wu Xiang had contact with the Southern Yi people."
"So my guess is that he's... working with them."
But Wu Rusheng hadn't anticipated that his allies would be so bold, betraying so many people and dragging him down with them.
In the end, this case could only conclude in two ways: either blaming Wu Rusheng or implicating the Southern Yi.
Either way, they would inevitably become his enemies.
In this entire affair, the most innocent victims were the deceased Ying Yue and the unwillingly "caught" Yao Tai.
But judging from Yao Tai's demeanor, she didn't seem too troubled about being forced into the affair.
At this point, both Qiu Che and Li Qingwu had a rough plan in mind.
Li Qingwu asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Qiu Che replied, "Tomorrow, I'll go to the imperial prison with a few Embroidered Guards and revisit the Duke's Manor."
"If we can find concrete evidence, all the better."
If not, convincing the Emperor with her silver tongue wouldn't be too difficult.
The real challenge was silencing the court officials.
But Qiu Che had no choice.
If she hadn't taken over this case today, who knew how long the truth would have remained buried? Now that she had stepped in, she had to give the Emperor an answer.
One way or another, it was a thankless task for her.
Li Shi frowned, as if recalling something, before nodding belatedly. "...That did happen."
Qiu Che's head snapped up.
She only knew that Li Qingwu's mother had died in the Cold Palace. But she hadn't known that this was the reason she was sent there?
Scenes from a few days ago flashed through her mind, Li Qingwu hesitating, struggling to speak.
She had no connection to the Southern Yi… meaning it was her mother who did?
The court erupted in an uproar, while the censorial official smirked, casting a smug glance at Qiu Che before continuing, "If that is the case, then in my humble opinion, it remains to be seen whether this so-called rosemary incident was orchestrated by Her Highness the Eldest Princess herself to murder that poor palace maid."
"Who doesn't know that the Prince Consort publicly sought the so-called vinehead herb to heal the princess's foot injury? Who's to say he didn't happen to acquire some rosemary in the process? Moreover, the Prince Consort and the Eldest Princess are deeply devoted to each other. It would not be surprising if he rushed to close the case to cover up her mistake."
At these words, even Li Shi furrowed his brows tightly, remaining silent for a moment.
Qiu Che smiled faintly and replied, "You say I was eager, pray tell, which of your eyes saw that? From my perspective, you seem to be the one in a hurry."
"Since His Majesty already knows of this matter, he must have his own considerations. Yet before His Majesty has spoken, why are you so eager to convict me?"
Li Shi quickly regained his composure, realizing this was not the right time to press Qiu Che. He gave her a deep look before saying, "Indeed, I have long been aware of this. However, I know Lehe's character well and never considered this possibility."
The censorial official twitched his beard, about to argue further, but Qiu Che stepped forward, swiftly cutting him off. "You claim I have no evidence, but do you have proof that Her Highness the Princess intended to commit murder?"
"It is true that I sought out the vinehead herb, but this was personally sanctioned by His Majesty. Whether rosemary was found alongside it, His Majesty is far more informed on the matter than you are."
She spoke lightly. "Slandering a royal princess is a capital offense. I advise you to think carefully before you speak."
The official glared at her in fury.
But seeing the emperor with his eyes closed, looking exhausted and unwilling to hear any more, he finally swallowed his anger and fell silent.
The court session ended on a sour note, neither side gaining the upper hand.
It was Qiu Che and Prime Minister Wu's first direct confrontation, and neither emerged victorious.
While Prime Minister Wu was not convicted, the scandal surrounding him led to a cut in his salary for several months.
On the way back to the princess's residence, all Qiu Che heard were whispers about "Prime Minister Wu murdering his son's concubine to silence her" and "the Eldest Princess's mother being a Southern Yi spy."
She said nothing, nor did she question Li Qingwu about it. Instead, she went straight to her study and drafted another memorial.
Just as she set her brush down, a knock came at the door.
"Enter."
Li Qingwu stood at the entrance.
She hesitated, looking pale, as if unsure whether to step in.
Qiu Che glanced up at her. "What is it?"
Li Qingwu clenched her handkerchief and lowered her gaze. "The court session today…"
"You've heard?" Qiu Che responded indifferently. "Don't worry. They are guilty themselves; they won't dare to push too hard."
"I will explain everything to His Majesty. There may be some gossip among the people, but you need not concern yourself with it."
Li Qingwu nodded. "I understand."
She stared at Qiu Che for a moment before asking, "Aren't you going to ask me anything else?"
Qiu Che lifted her eyelids. "What do you mean?"
Li Qingwu licked her lips, her voice growing softer. "About… my mother's past."
Qiu Che chuckled. "What does your mother's past have to do with me?"
Li Qingwu quickly said, "No, I mean—"
Qiu Che's expression grew serious. "If you want to tell me, I will listen. But if you don't, as long as it doesn't affect me, I won't pry."
As she picked up her memorial and walked past Li Qingwu, she paused slightly, tilting her head. "Just like the other day, don't overthink it."
Back then, Li Qingwu had also left things unsaid, and Qiu Che had not pressed her.
She waved the memorial in her hand. "I have matters to attend to. We'll talk later."
"…Alright."
Li Qingwu remained standing there, listening to the door close behind her. After a long while, she finally came back to her senses.
Lowering her gaze, she looked at the handkerchief embroidered with lotus flowers in her hand, bitterness flickering in her eyes.
It was the first time someone had told her not to overthink things, that everything depended on her own willingness.
No blame for her silence, no anger at her concealment.
Even a calm reassurance: I will take care of this. Don't worry.
In that instant, Li Qingwu heard her own heartbeat again.
Just like the first time she had met Qiu Che, that deafening, earth-shaking moment of infatuation.
Qiu Che had intended to deliver the memorial to the palace, but midway through the journey, her carriage crossed paths with the imperial eunuch bearing an edict.
Surprisingly, not only did Li Shi refrain from demoting her to appease the court's anger, but he promoted her instead.
From a fifth-rank imperial reader to a fourth-rank Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
Another leap in rank.
For a moment, Qiu Che's mind raced. Before leaving, she discreetly slipped two silver ingots into the eunuch's hands, courtesy of the princess.
The eunuch, Fuzi, then whispered to her that after court was dismissed, the Empress had visited Jingyang Palace.
That one sentence was enough for Qiu Che to understand that her promotion was largely due to the Empress.
Perhaps the Empress was repaying Qiu Che for not exposing her affair with the Imperial Guards' commander. Or perhaps she was issuing a subtle warning by whispering in the emperor's ear, she had ensured Qiu Che's advancement, with all the benefits that entailed.
For instance, though Wu could not be suppressed outright, elevating Qiu Che's rank was a signal to the emperor's court, proof that the emperor trusted her judgment on the case and a warning to Wu to tread carefully.
Moreover, transferring Qiu Che from an imperial reader to the Court of Judicial Review meant she was no longer stationed near the emperor. Though it appeared as a promotion, there were undertones of sidelining.
The ministers might find it outrageous, but they couldn't openly accuse the emperor of being incompetent.
If they wanted to criticize anyone, they would blame Qiu Che for enchanting the emperor into favoring her so highly.
Of course, the Empress benefited too.
She had done Qiu Che a favor, making it clear that her promotion was her doing, a veiled message to keep silent about the affair.
Qiu Che knew that in this political storm, her rise in rank only placed her in greater danger.
She had no choice but to start cultivating her own power.
This was just the first battle. Many more would follow.
She climbed into the carriage, instructing Yu Yan to turn back to the princess's residence.
Not far away, a shadowy figure lingered at the alley's entrance before vanishing into the night.