Ministry of Punishments' Case Files

Haste makes waste.

Xiao Qianyu's memory loss made him hesitant in everything he did.

Fortunately, he now had a lead. Once he got his hands on the case files, he would understand the whole truth behind the real and false Crown Prince case.

Shumo was overjoyed that the Crown Prince wasn't heartbroken over that woman from the Marquis of Dingyuan's estate and was even planning to take back his belongings. He quickly got up to leave and 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 food and drink to the Crown Prince. He also instructed the eunuch guarding the door to pay close attention to any orders.

Qinxin watched Shumo, wanting to say something but holding back. He wanted to ask if Shumo thought His Highness the Crown Prince had changed, but Shumo glared at him and said, "What are you still standing around for? Hurry up and do the task His Highness assigned you. Don't just stand there like an idiot."

Now, only the two of them were truly useful to the Crown Prince. If they didn't step up to share his burdens now, when would they?

Shumo was sharp-tongued and domineering. Qinxin had always been afraid of him, and after their hardships, he was even more so. He mumbled, "I... I'll go do it obediently."

Ministry of Punishments.

The Eastern Palace eunuchs had already conveyed the Crown Prince's request to view the real and false Crown Prince case files to the Ministry of Punishments. However, without a special imperial decree from the Emperor, the Ministry of Punishments would never dare to present such significant case files to the Eastern Palace.

If they had complied with the Crown Prince's request, even just to privately make a copy, it would have been an act of deceiving the Emperor, a grave offense punishable by dismissal from office at best, and death at worst.

Furthermore, the Minister of Justice and several other high-ranking officials had been demoted and imprisoned by Emperor Yongchang for fabricating injustice and misjudging the current Crown Prince in the real and false Crown Prince case, an incident that had even alarmed the heavens to manifest and protect the true Crown Prince.

The Ministry of Punishments was currently in disarray, lacking a leader, and no one dared to make a decision.

Yet, the threat from His Highness the Crown Prince loomed. They still hadn't apprehended the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince at the execution ground. How could they account for this to the Crown Prince?

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the highest-ranking official currently in the Ministry, the Vice Minister of Justice, stepped forward. He optimistically said, "The Crown Prince has always been benevolent and kind, treating people with generosity. If he knew of the Ministry's difficulties, I'm sure he would understand. If the Crown Prince insists on seeing the case files, he can first request an imperial decree from the Emperor, and the Ministry will naturally hand over the documents with both hands."

Between defying the Crown Prince and deceiving the Emperor, they chose to defy the Crown Prince.

This was because they knew the Crown Prince was a soft-hearted and pure individual who hadn't even killed a chicken, let alone a person.

However, if Emperor Yongchang discovered they had deceived him, he would truly kill them.

Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince could be protected by divine intervention. His character must be guaranteed; he was at least a kind and benevolent person, otherwise, why would the heavens intervene?

Even if they offended the Crown Prince, the consequences wouldn't be too severe; people wouldn't die, surely.

Therefore, between offending a good person and an evil person, they wisely chose to offend the good person and let the Crown Prince be angry.

Of course, Xiao Qianyu later made them realize that he not only killed people but did so with impunity, causing rivers of blood to flow, leaving all onlookers utterly terrified and their livers and gallbladders shattered with fear.

When the news reached the Ministry of Punishments that Xiao Qianyu, in his pursuit of justice for the innocent palace servants who had died unjustly, had forced the Emperor to personally issue an edict to imprison the Grand Princess and the Third Prince in the Imperial Clan Court, strip them of their titles, and demote them to commoners, and that wasn't enough, he had even ordered their deaths, the remaining officials were driven to the brink of madness.

They were wrong. The Crown Prince didn't even care about his own half-siblings, so why would he care about the lives of officials like them?

Their optimism had been misplaced.

Thus, when Qinxin personally went to the Ministry of Punishments to hurry them along for the case files, the Vice Minister of Justice had already secretly made a copy and slipped it to Qinxin.

There was no other way. Since he was the highest-ranking official in the Ministry at the moment, the Crown Prince would only seek trouble with him.

Between dying early and dying late, he chose to live on precariously, quietly.

If he was lucky, perhaps before Emperor Yongchang found out, he would live to see the Crown Prince ascend the throne.

One had to be optimistic. The Crown Prince had faced execution and still found a way to survive; maybe he could borrow some of the Crown Prince's luck.

And so, Qinxin successfully returned to the Eastern Palace with the case files before the palace gates were locked for the night.

Xiao Qianyu was eating.

Crisp, tender greens, clear and sweet nourishing soup, delicious fish, and a bowl of white rice.

There weren't many dishes, just a soup and a few sides, but they were all very tasty.

It wasn't as extravagant as he'd imagined. He wondered if it was because the original host had always favored simplicity and frugality in his diet, or if the Eastern Palace's resources were being skimped on.

However, Shumo showed no reaction, suggesting it was the former.

Xiao Qianyu couldn't help but feel a bit curious about the original host. He stood up for the palace servants and eunuchs who served in the palace and took good care of those around him, yet he had a remarried Crown Princess and a villainous mother who dared to swap princes. What kind of villainous supporting character was the original host?

The sky hadn't completely darkened yet. Lanterns had long been lit throughout the Eastern Palace, illuminating every corner. The lights seemed to shine and rejoice with the master's return.