Clearing Li Fuxiang of suspicion was not difficult; it was a very obvious and straightforward task.
First of all, he did not possess the skill to scale walls and rooftops, silently infiltrate a heavily guarded inner residence, kill Miss Chen with one strike without alerting anyone, and then leave unnoticed.
Secondly, the timing did not match.
That day, Li Fuxiang had just been released from house arrest. The first thing he did after leaving the palace was head straight to the Xiaoqi Camp. The Xiaoqi Camp, which had evolved from the youngest unit of the Zheng family army, had become its most elite division.
After the reorganization of the Xiaoqi Camp, the emperor directly entrusted it to Li Fuxiang.
Li Fuxiang was simply visiting his camp. Overcome by playfulness, he refused to return to the palace early. By the time the palace gates were about to be locked for the night, he was galloping at full speed back.
Three thousand pairs of eyes in the Xiaoqi Camp watched him leave at the second quarter of the Chou hour. The night watchman saw him passing through Huayang Street at the third quarter of the Chou hour. The palace guards saw him rushing into the gates at the fourth quarter of the Chou hour, just before they were locked.
Based on this timeline, not only did he have no time to stop and commit murder, but if his horse had been slightly less capable, he would have had to sleep on the streets outside the palace.
Clearing Li Fuxiang’s name was easy, but uncovering the truth proved to be more troublesome.
Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel refused to allow an autopsy or any inspection of the inner residence, yet he insisted on having an explanation.
The emperor assigned Gao Jing to investigate the case but set no deadline. Gao Jing, in no rush, had Li Fuxiang sent to the Ministry of Justice, where he remained detained for several days without any progress.
Minister Chen grew restless. After waiting a few days, he began frequenting the Ministry of Justice.
Gao Jing avoided him, leaving everyone clueless about what he was up to.
Finally, Minister Chen’s patience ran out. In full view of the public, he harshly criticized the Ministry of Justice. That very night, the Ministry of Justice was attacked by unknown assailants. Assassins broke in, severely injuring Li Fuxiang, who subsequently went missing.
That same night.
A burlap sack was carried into Gao Jing’s study.
Gao Yuexing, standing under the corridor of his own house, spotted a group of sneaky figures and quietly followed them.
Inside the study, the sack was opened.
Li Fuxiang was sleeping soundly, unaware of his surroundings.
Gao Jing asked, “When will he wake up?”
The servant who had brought him back replied, “I was very careful with the dosage; he should wake within two hours.”
Gao Jing said, “Find a guest room and settle him quietly.”
Peering through the crack of the door, Gao Yuexing recognized Li Fuxiang’s face amidst the movements inside, and her heart jolted—why had her father brought someone back like this?
But then, hearing Gao Jing’s arrangements, she was overjoyed.
He would be staying at their house for a few days.
Relying on her small stature and the deep night, Gao Yuexing crouched in the shadows of the corridor, following the group unnoticed. She watched them carry the sack into the most inconspicuous side room.
Though called a guest room, it was usually used for storing miscellaneous items.
With Gao Jing’s character, he wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for him; he just wanted to keep him hidden more securely.
Gao Yuexing crouched outside until her legs went numb. Finally, the servants inside finished their task, lit a lamp, and filed out one by one. Unable to contain herself any longer, Gao Yuexing pushed the door open and entered.
The side room had clearly been meticulously prepared. Gao Jing’s hospitality was impeccable— even if it was a temporary arrangement, he would not let the guest feel slighted.
The room was small, but a simple double-leaf screen separated the inner and outer areas.
The inner area was meant for sleeping. The bedding on the couch was fresh and soft. Li Fuxiang lay on it fully clothed, quietly asleep, his breathing steady.
Gao Yuexing dragged an embroidered stool to the bedside and sat down, calculating the time.
Two hours—by then, dawn would likely break.
Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to wait for two hours, Gao Yuexing leaned to the side and closed her eyes for a brief rest.
Gao Jing’s men were meticulous and precise. When they said two hours, they meant exactly two hours—not a moment more or less.
At the break of dawn, Li Fuxiang gradually stirred awake. Turning over, he bumped into Gao Yuexing’s elbow.
He rubbed his forehead as he woke up, his movement jarring Gao Yuexing awake as well.
The effects of the drug were just wearing off, and Li Fuxiang felt parched, as though his throat were on fire.
Gao Yuexing handed him the cooled tea she had prepared beforehand. The moment Li Fuxiang saw her, he lowered his head and downed half the cup in one gulp.
Gao Yuexing reached out to tidy his disheveled hair and asked, “What happened on your end?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “Someone drugged me. Just as I was about to resist, I heard someone whisper in my ear, telling me to behave because they were sending me to stay at my future father-in-law’s house for a few days… Is this your home?”
Gao Yuexing smiled and said, “Yes, it’s my home. But you’ve been hidden away, and I had to sneak in to see you. Are you hungry? Should I find you something to eat?”
Li Fuxiang said, “Don’t go. Stay with me for a while.”
Meals weren’t something Gao Yuexing needed to worry about. Since Gao Jing had arranged for Li Fuxiang to stay here, he wouldn’t let him go hungry.
More than food, Li Fuxiang just wanted to spend more time looking at her.
Gao Yuexing was puzzled. “What on earth is my father up to?”
Li Fuxiang said, “He’s just using their own methods against them.”
Minister Chen Jingchen was unreasonable and insistent, determined to pin something on him. Gao Jing, in turn, could create some trouble for Chen Jingchen and set his plans ablaze.
Li Fuxiang continued, “Yesterday, Chen Jingchen made a big scene at the Ministry of Justice, saying, ‘If Master Gao refuses to act, don’t blame me for being impolite. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered.’”
Gao Yuexing nodded thoughtfully, “He made threats yesterday, and by nightfall, you disappeared.”
Li Fuxiang smirked, “When handling cases, it’s all about having proper justification.”
Gao Yuexing speculated, “Chen Jingchen refuses to allow an autopsy or open the inner residence, relying solely on his accusations to keep pressing you. In that case, we can think of a way to redirect the trouble onto him. Just based on what he said yesterday, with your disappearance, he’s already under suspicion.”
Undoubtedly, next would come Gao Jing’s rightful investigation into him.
As they chatted, footsteps approached from outside.
Gao Yuexing motioned to Li Fuxiang to hush and said, “I’ll hide.”
The side room was neat and sparse, with no obvious hiding places at a glance.
The only option was the narrow, cramped space under the bed. Gao Yuexing lifted her hem and squeezed herself underneath. The curtains by the bed hung down, obscuring her faintly. Unless someone searched carefully, she wouldn’t be easily found.
The door creaked open.
Through the gap under the bed, in her narrow field of vision, Gao Yuexing saw a pair of black official boots. She paused for a moment, then realized something was wrong.
Her family’s servants would never wear official boots indoors.
This person must be…
The voice confirmed her guess: “I apologize for the inconvenience to Your Highness.”
It was her father.
Gao Yuexing held her breath, not daring to make a sound.
Above her, Li Fuxiang’s voice responded, “Master Gao.”
Still weak from the lingering effects of the drug, Li Fuxiang tried to sit up, but Gao Jing pressed his shoulder and tucked him back into the bedding.
Gao Jing placed a tray on the table and said, “The case is shrouded in mystery, with numerous obstacles. To clear the path, I had no choice but to resort to this unconventional method. I hope Your Highness can forgive my offense.”
Li Fuxiang replied, “I understand.” He then asked, “Does His Majesty know?”
Gao Jing nodded. “Of course.”
When it concerned Li Fuxiang’s safety, failing to inform the emperor in advance could lead to an uncontrollable situation.
Reassured, Li Fuxiang nodded in acknowledgment.
After exchanging a few polite words, Gao Jing didn’t linger. On his way out, a jade measuring stick fell from his waist onto the floor, but he seemed unaware and kept walking.
Li Fuxiang glanced at the fallen object and called out, “Master Gao?”
Gao Jing turned slightly. “Yes?”
Li Fuxiang said, “You dropped something.”
Gao Jing glanced back, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but he left the object where it lay and walked out, closing the door behind him.
From under the bed, Gao Yuexing cautiously poked out half her body.
Li Fuxiang leaned over the bedrail, looking down at her. “What does your father mean by this?”
Gao Yuexing wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. “He’s reminding me to watch my boundaries.”
There was a moment of silence.
Li Fuxiang asked, “Are you leaving now?”
Gao Yuexing replied, “Yes, I’m leaving.”
Another pause followed.
Gao Yuexing hesitated. She didn’t want to leave but knew she had to. She said, “Anyway, now that you’re staying at my house, I’ll visit you often.”
As she bent to pick up the jade measuring stick, Li Fuxiang watched her back and suddenly asked, “When will you come of age?”
Once she reached the age of maturity, he could marry her.
Straightening up, Gao Yuexing felt a wave of disorientation at his words.
It wasn’t long ago that she had looked at the young, immature Li Fuxiang and thought the same thing—“When will he grow up?”
Unexpectedly, in the end, it was still he who surpassed her, arriving ahead of her.
Gao Yuexing replied, “Another two years, very soon…”
At the morning greetings, Gao Yuexing presented the jade measuring stick to her father.
In the presence of Madam Gao, Gao Jing didn’t expose anything. He simply said calmly, “I’ve been missing this for days. So it was you who found it.”
Madam Gao glanced at it, casually skimming the tea foam with her hand, and remarked, “Missing? But I recall seeing it on you just yesterday.”
There was no detail about Gao Jing’s belongings that escaped her notice.
Gao Yuexing, acting completely unbothered, was playing with her younger brother.
Gao Jing took a sip of hot tea and replied, “Really? Madam, are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
Madam Gao was thoroughly confused. She thought for a while before saying, “Oh… maybe I was mistaken.”
Listening to their conversation, Gao Yuexing thought to herself—so this is what they mean by the wisdom of feigned ignorance?
However, Gao Yuexing felt that her mother wasn’t pretending to be oblivious but was genuinely perplexed.
Her father, though unmatched in intelligence and strategy, never used his tactics against her mother. He always played the role of protector, shielding the family under his wings.
Perhaps those wings extended outward, indomitable against the world, or perhaps they were already covered in scars.
But her mother didn’t know, and neither could they.
To Gao Yuexing, the wisdom of feigned ignorance didn’t mean mutual deception.
It meant that, knowing full well of someone’s thorns, one was still willing to entrust them with trust, exposing the softest part of oneself in vulnerability.
Today.
The memorial regarding Li Fuxiang’s grievous injury and disappearance from the Ministry of Justice was placed on the imperial desk.
At the scene in the Ministry of Justice, aside from scattered tables and chairs, there was a startling pool of blood. With Gao Jing’s deliberate orchestration, Chen Jingchen was forced into the spotlight.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
It was finally Chen Jingchen’s turn to find a way to prove his innocence.
Gao Jing made only one demand: a thorough investigation of the Chen family’s inner residence.