Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Outside Tai Prison, a light rain was falling.

Yan Yunzheng stood at the end of the corridor, holding a black umbrella.

As he looked over, the small red beads of his copper coin earring brushed against his jade-like neck as they swayed.

I suddenly remembered that Yun Jian also liked such accessories.

Though his were usually much flashier.

“Is it settled?”

He raised an eyebrow and asked as I reached him.

“Yes.”

“Now we head to Jingyuan Money House.”

As we both stepped into the rain, I touched the droplets on my official uniform, feeling a pang of distress for the fabric. I shamelessly tried to squeeze under Yan Yunzheng’s umbrella.

“Your Highness is truly benevolent, coming all this way to pick up this humble official just because it’s raining.”

However, before I could finish my flattery, a hard object was thrust in front of me.

It was a cyan umbrella.

“You’re covered in the stench of decay from that prison. Stay away from me.”

I gritted my teeth and opened the umbrella, deciding not to argue with him.

As we walked down the street, a carriage sped past, threatening to splash muddy water everywhere.

Quick-witted and fast-acting, I held my umbrella horizontally to shield a young lady standing by the road.

“Careful, miss.”

The girl thanked me repeatedly.

Looking back, I saw Yan Yunzheng covered in mud, smiling with his teeth clenched.

“Jiang Rui.”

I hurriedly walked over with a look of concern, offering my comfort.

“Your Highness, it’s alright. I don’t mind.”

“You can stand a little closer to me now.”

During the investigation, I stayed at the Hanlin Academy for several days straight, yet I still faced a wave of assassination attempts.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to ask the Seventh Prince Faction to increase the guards.

By the fourth day, I had uncovered key evidence in the case.

That kinsman of Shen Ci claimed he was acting under Shen Ci’s orders, but the laundered money had merely passed through his accounts before being used to purchase several antiques and jewels, which were then secretly shipped elsewhere.

That night.

In a three-entry courtyard house near the capital’s bustling market district.

Yan Yunzheng and I used the cover of darkness to slip inside. We crept into the bedroom and discovered an antique vase involved in the case.

Just as we were about to investigate further, footsteps sounded outside the door.

We had already gathered that this was the residence of a woman named Qin Niang.

However, the footsteps outside belonged to two people.

Quickly, Yan Yunzheng and I ducked into a nearby wardrobe. It was filled with a woman’s ornate, heavily scented clothing.

Yan Yunzheng happened to be someone who couldn’t stand strong fragrances. He frowned, looking as if he wanted to vomit up the tea he’d drunk earlier.

But there was no room for him to act out now; the door was pushed open.

Qin Niang and Li Zhi, the Minister of War, entered the room, already acting intimately.

I hurriedly grabbed a piece of women’s clothing to cover his nose and mouth.

Yan Yunzheng’s expression shifted as he glared at me in fury, but I simply waved my hand.

I mouthed the words: *Endure it.*

Yan Yunzheng was never one to suffer in silence. Seeing Jiang Rui gloating across from him while she stayed comfortable and piled clothes around him was infuriating enough.

To make it worse, she was using some other woman’s garment to cover his mouth.

Simply detestable.

Disgusted, Yan Yunzheng shoved the peach-colored garment away and grabbed Jiang Rui’s wandering hand.

He pressed it against his own nose and mouth to block out the stinging scents.

Seeing Jiang Rui’s face turn to stone in front of him, his discomfort suddenly faded. This was, in fact, quite amusing.

He momentarily forgot his usual aversion to physical contact and pressed the tip of his nose against her palm.

She didn’t use any perfume.

He wasn’t sure if she just didn’t like it or if she was too stingy to buy any.

Her palm, which bore thin calluses, smelled entirely of paper and ink.

Yan Yunzheng didn’t find it repulsive at all.

However, he forgot that Jiang Rui was never one to be toyed with. Taking advantage of a moment to stretch her body, she suddenly pressed her hand down hard.

She looked ready to flatten Yan Yunzheng’s nose.

But Yan Yunzheng moved quickly. He tilted his face up slightly, and Jiang Rui’s hand pressed firmly against his lips instead.

Her fingers happened to reach his earlobe and his earring.

With a slight movement, she accidentally hooked the cluster of fine red jade beads.

And Yan Yunzheng’s earlobe.

*What is the crime for taking liberties with a prince?*

Alarm bells rang in my head.

I immediately froze, not daring to move.

On the bed just a door away, wet, sticky sounds rose and fell.

Inside the wardrobe, however, it was so silent that even the sound of breathing seemed to have vanished.

After a while, the noise outside stopped.

Li Zhi held Qin Niang, his voice lazy. “I’ll buy you a new one in a couple of days.”

Qin Niang acted coy. “Of those six hundred thousand in military funds, how much did you actually give me, and how much went to that old hag at your house?”

“It’s all yours…”

With that, the two started up again.

Seeing that we wouldn’t be able to leave for a while, I simply began to carefully analyze the chain of evidence I had gathered so far.

After going through it and finding no loopholes, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight, I would present the case to His Majesty.

When the two finally left the room, I shifted my body, only to find that I was so stiff I could barely turn my wrists.

I tried to push myself up but ended up wobbling and falling toward Yan Yunzheng.

Yan Yunzheng was startled and quickly reached out to catch me.

However, I was fast enough to brace myself against the wardrobe.

“Your Highness, let’s go.”

I was anxious to report back to the Emperor, so I hurried out and urged him.

“What’s the rush?”

He looked up lazily and stepped out of the wardrobe.

“Shen Ci won’t be dying anytime soon.”

I looked at him with a face full of questions. Who was the one who practically demanded I stay up all night reading case files just two days ago?

Knowing he was in the wrong, Yan Yunzheng didn’t argue. He led me out through the window.

However, as we were about to leave the estate, we discovered that the dog hole we’d crawled through to get in had been blocked up.

Yan Yunzheng knew qinggong.

But what about me?

I looked at the hole, wanting to cry but having no tears.

After a long silence, I noticed that Yan Yunzheng hadn’t flown out ahead of me.

Instead, he stood beside me with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for something.

My eyes darted around, and I put on a flattering smile.

“Your Highness.”

He let out a short laugh, his tone carrying a hint of smugness.

The pendant at his ear swayed back and forth.

“Yes?”

I rubbed my hands together. “Could you help me move that rock over here? I can’t get over the wall without something to step on.”

Yan Yunzheng’s smile instantly froze.