Xu Yin lifted his robe and bowed deeply to the ground. The Crown Prince’s gaze lingered on his back for a long time, then moved to the window: "It’s rare for Vice Minister Xu to show such sincerity." Xu Yin raised his head: "I would go through fire and water for Your Highness, not hesitating even to die a thousand times." The Crown Prince gestured for him to rise and then walked out from behind the curtain, saying, "I am very comforted by your willingness to treat me so. You are aware, the incident back then was not my intention; it was really the Princely Heir of Prince Rong who was unreliable in handling things, causing these subsequent troubles that have been a headache for me." Xu Yin bowed deeply: "Fortunately, Your Highness was wise and acted in time to suppress it, so that no one ever knew about it afterwards." "However, it still let Pei Zhan find out." The Crown Prince looked at him, "And you also just said, the Emperor sent Pei Zhan to station at Prince Rong’s Mansion because the Emperor has started to have suspicions as well." Xu Yin lowered his head. "So, Prince Rong’s Mansion handled this matter quite improperly." The Crown Prince sat down, "Back then, out of trust in Yang Zhan, I entrusted him to handle the matter well. Not only did he botch it, but he also left evidence behind. What is Prince Rong plotting by hiding that fan?" Xu Yin cupped his hands: "Prince Rong’s concealment is indeed unjustifiable." "Since you also think it unjustifiable, do you know what to do?" Xu Yin raised his head, barely meeting his slightly cool gaze. This gaze suddenly revealed an aspect different from any time before on him, devoid of humility and impatience, an heir groomed by a founding emperor endowed with civil and martial strategies, suddenly showing signs. Xu Yin lowered his eyes to the ground: "I shall obey the order." The Crown Prince, hands behind his back, turned his face towards the window. The morning sun shone in, and his face suddenly appeared clear: "I’ve always heard of Vice Minister Xu’s profound scholarship and that you’re a rare talent. It wasn’t until our two deep talks recently that I realized outside remarks were not false. I am confident in entrusting these matters to you. I’ve requested from the Empress Mother to appoint you as the Chancellor at the Eastern Palace. Within three days, expect to bring good news and receive your appointment from me." "I dare not fail." Xu Yin bowed again. After straightening up, he glanced at the Crown Prince and bowed again: "I take my leave." The Crown Prince nodded and watched him out the door. As the figure faded away, the Crown Prince’s expression also gradually darkened. Jin Bao approached with concern upon witnessing this. "Send a few people to follow Xu Yin, to see if he plays straight." Jin Bao asked: "If he doesn’t, then what?" "If he doesn’t, then do it for him." The Crown Prince glanced at him, "Since he chose to wade into this water, whether he does it or not, he has to be accountable for it." Jin Bao understood, lowered his head to accept the order. "How do we respond to the situation at Qianqing Palace?" The Crown Prince tidied his robe, calmly said: "Why panic? Didn’t I already prepare both hands six years ago?" The Baiyu Lane case, through the testimonies of eyewitness Liang Ning and Mrs. Ning, along with Zhang Shicheng’s confession at Baihe Temple, was now very clear from beginning to end. After Pei Zhan finished his account, both the Emperor and the Empress remained silently contemplative. Get full chapters from 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽 Until the air in the room seemed to solidify, the Empress finally rose slowly: "Can you have someone return and bring me the bloodied dagger to examine?" Pei Zhan bowed his head: "I have already instructed the guards to keep the dagger with them, and they are currently waiting outside the palace. Your Majesty, desiring to see it, will need to dispatch someone to the palace gate to fetch it from the guard." "Someone! To the palace gate!" The Empress sharply ordered, then approached Pei Zhan and the others: "You haven’t spoken about the death of Princess Rong yet!" "Yes!" Pei Zhan bowed his head, then recounted from when Zhe Yu got injured, to his feigned reconciliation and return to Prince Rong’s Mansion, and the night of Princess Rong’s murder, word by word, "Princess Rong’s fate ended so tragically because she was instigated by Xu Yin to search for that fan. "And this fan, I suspect, is closely linked to the Baiyu Lane blood incident, so upon knowing Xu Yin’s intent, I kept a close watch. "That night in the shrine at Prince Rong’s Mansion, I personally saw Xu Yin push Princess Rong into the guard’s sword formation to escape, while I managed to seize this fan amid the chaos when the Prince Mansion Guards’ lanterns were extinguished!" As Pei Zhan spoke to this point, he retrieved the jade bone fan from his bosom and presented it forward. The Empress took it in her hand, her aged face turned pale as her gaze touched the phoenix carving on the fan, then she swiftly opened the fan— The Emperor and the Empress married as teenagers and shared the trials of life together for most of their lives. From the Emperor’s days as a mere military commander, raising banners for rebellion, to gathering Righteous Armies from all over, and fighting battles across the land, not a day passed without the Empress by his side.