You couldn't eat hot tofu in a hurry.
Xiao Qianyu's memories were missing, and he felt hamstrung in everything he did.
Fortunately, he now had a lead. Once he got the case files, he would understand the whole story behind the True and False Crown Prince Case.
Seeing that the Crown Prince wasn't mourning over that woman from Marquis Dingyuan's Estate and even intended to take back his belongings, Shumo was overjoyed. He hurried out to get things done, afraid the Crown Prince might change his mind.
Qinxin followed him out.
When they reached the doorway, Shumo arranged for someone to bring the Crown Prince food and drink, then instructed the little eunuch standing guard outside to listen carefully for any orders.
Qinxin watched Shumo, wanting to speak but holding back. He wanted to ask whether Shumo had noticed that His Highness the Crown Prince had changed, but Shumo glared at him and snapped, "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and see to His Highness's orders. Don't just stand there like an idiot!"
Now they were the only two most trusted people left by the Crown Prince's side. If they didn't step up and ease his burdens now, when would they?
Shumo was sharp-tongued and domineering. Qinxin had always been afraid of him, and after everything he'd been through, he was even more afraid. His lips quivered, and he obediently went off to do his work.
Ministry of Justice.
The eunuchs of the Eastern Palace had already conveyed the Crown Prince's request to see the case files for the True and False Crown Prince Case, but without the Emperor's special decree, the Ministry of Justice wouldn't dare send such an important file to the Eastern Palace on its own.
If they did as the Crown Prince requested, even if they only secretly copied a single set, it would still be a crime of deceiving the Emperor—a serious offense that could cost them their posts at best and their heads at worst.
Besides, the Minister of Justice and several other top officials had manufactured a wrongful verdict in the True and False Crown Prince Case, wrongly judging the Crown Prince himself. They had even stirred Heaven to manifest and protect the True Crown Prince, so Emperor Yongchang had issued an order to punish them and lock them away.
The Ministry of Justice was now in a state of utter confusion, with no one in charge. No one dared make the decision.
But the Crown Prince's threat was hanging over them, too. They still hadn't caught the mastermind behind the attempt on the Crown Prince's life at the Execution Grounds. How could they explain that to him?
Torn between two choices, the Right Vice Minister, currently the highest-ranking official at the Ministry of Justice, finally stepped forward. Optimistically, he said, "The Crown Prince has always been kind and generous toward others. If he understands the difficulties the Ministry of Justice is facing, surely he'll be understanding. If he insists on seeing the case files, he can first ask His Majesty for an edict. The Ministry of Justice will naturally present the files to him with both hands."
Faced with the choice between defying the Crown Prince and deceiving the Emperor, they chose—defying the Crown Prince.
They knew the Crown Prince was a kindhearted, gentle soul who hadn't even killed a chicken, let alone a person.
But if Emperor Yongchang discovered they'd deceived him, he really would kill them.
Besides, the Crown Prince had even been blessed by Heaven. His character was surely beyond reproach; at the very least, he had to be kind and virtuous. Otherwise, why would Heaven have intervened?
Even if they offended the Crown Prince, the consequences couldn't be too severe. Surely no one would die.
So, when choosing between offending a good person and a villain, they cleverly chose to offend the good person and let the Crown Prince get angry.
Of course, Xiao Qianyu would later make them understand that not only could he kill, but he could do so without a shred of restraint, leaving rivers of blood and every onlooker terrified out of their wits, their hearts and guts shattered with fear.
When word reached the Ministry of Justice that Xiao Qianyu had sought justice for the innocent palace servants who had died unjustly, forcing the Emperor himself to issue an edict consigning the Grand Princess and the Third Imperial Prince to the Imperial Clan Court, stripping them of their titles and reducing them to commoners—and then ordering their deaths on top of that—the remaining officials nearly went mad with panic.
They'd been wrong. The Crown Prince didn't even care about his half-siblings. Why would he care whether they, a bunch of officials, lived or died?
They seemed to have been far too optimistic.
So when Qinxin personally went to the Ministry of Justice to press them for the case files, the Vice Minister had already secretly copied a set and quietly slipped it to him.
There was no other choice. He was the highest-ranking official at the Ministry of Justice now, so if the Crown Prince came looking for trouble, he'd only find him.
Faced with dying sooner or later, he chose to cling to life and survive quietly.
If he was lucky, perhaps Emperor Yongchang wouldn't find out before the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
You had to stay optimistic in life. The Crown Prince had been on the Execution Platform and still managed to turn the tables. Maybe some of that luck would rub off on him.
Thus, Qinxin successfully returned to the Eastern Palace with the case files before the palace gates were locked for the night.
Xiao Qianyu was eating.
Tender, crisp greens, a clear and fragrant restorative soup, delicious fish, and a bowl of white rice.
There wasn't much food, just four dishes and a soup, but it was all quite tasty.
It wasn't as lavish as he'd imagined. He wondered whether the original owner had always preferred simple, frugal meals, or whether supplies to the Eastern Palace had been cut off.
But Shumo hadn't reacted, so it seemed the former.
Xiao Qianyu couldn't help growing curious about the original owner. He had stood up for the palace servants and eunuchs who served in the palace, and treated those around him with care. Yet he had a Crown Princess who remarried, and a villainous mother bold enough to swap the princes. What kind of villainous supporting character had the original owner been?
The sky hadn't yet grown completely dark, but lanterns had already been lit throughout the Eastern Palace, illuminating every corner. Their lights seemed to shimmer with encouragement at their master's return.
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