Would no one spare a thought for this heartbroken old man?!

Duke Wang first glared at Lu Yao, then turned to Jiang Yingcheng at the door.

His daughter-in-law had given birth to a baby girl a few months earlier, and he was currently so besotted with pretty little babies that it bordered on obsession. The moment he saw this adorable little bundle, as bright and lovely as fresh snow, his entire aura turned soft and rosy.

He rummaged through the narrow table in the corner until he finally found the sweets his family had brought him a while ago. Then he walked to the door, crouched down, and held them out teasingly. "Call me Grandpa Wang, and these sweets are yours."

Lu Yao's heart lurched.

Duke Wang must have missed his little granddaughter so much that he had lost his mind. He wanted to tease every child he saw.

But was this little princess someone he could casually tease?

Lu Yao was just about to tell Duke Wang to behave himself when Jiang Yingcheng called out a crisp "Grandpa Wang!" and snatched the sweets into her hands with lightning speed.

Lu Yao and Eunuch Changshun exchanged complicated looks, then turned away in unspoken agreement, hoping to pretend they had not heard those dangerously audacious words.

Wang Jinglun noticed nothing odd about their expressions. Still crouching there, he continued teasing her. "Whose little bundle are you? Once Grandpa Wang gets out of here, how about I take you to my Mansion to play with my little granddaughter?"

"My-my imperial father is called Jiang Yanchuan." Jiang Yingcheng tipped up her round little face and smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "When can you come out, Grandpa Wang? I want to go play with her soon."

Life in the palace was wonderful in every way, except that there were no children around her age to play with. Grandpa Wang's suggestion had struck her right in the heart!

Jiang Yingcheng was raring to go. She wished she could take Grandpa Wang out of here immediately and go play with the little girl.

Wang Jinglun's eyes flew wide open. Caught off guard, he landed on the floor with a thud.

He raised his head blankly to look at Lu Yao standing diagonally above him, his lips trembling. "You..."

What did you bring a princess into this cell for?

Was I not dying fast enough for you?

Lu Yao lowered his eyes to Duke Wang on the floor. As though deliberately trying to rile him up, he curled his lips and let out a distinctly audible snort.

Scared now, are you?

That's what you get for fooling around.

Still, joking aside, he had not forgotten their business. He bent down and said, "This Grandpa... Wang is the elder I mentioned to Your Highness earlier, the one who was wrongfully imprisoned."

He maliciously emphasized the word "Grandpa." His thirst for revenge was impressive indeed.

Jiang Yingcheng blinked, finally recalling what she had heard before entering.

[System Bro, System Bro, did Grandpa Wang really collude with the enemy and betray his country?]

Lu Yao and Eunuch Changshun both sighed in relief.

As long as this matter caught the little princess's interest, their purpose in coming here was already half accomplished.

Both of them were staring intently at Jiang Yingcheng when Wang Jinglun suddenly lunged at the wooden door, startling them.

Wang Jinglun's eyes were wide. His trembling finger pointed at Jiang Yingcheng, but his gaze was fixed on Lu Yao. "You-just now..."

Did you hear something?

Lu Yao inwardly cursed. He had never expected Duke Wang to start hearing the little princess's thoughts at this very moment. He hurriedly gestured for silence and spoke in an extremely low voice. "I'll explain later."

Fortunately, although that remark had drawn the little princess's attention away, "System Bro's" reply promptly pulled it back.

[Really?]

After giving Duke Wang one last warning look to keep quiet, Lu Yao concentrated fully on listening to the little princess's thoughts.

That last exclamation had held a hint of delighted surprise. Clearly, "System Bro" had discovered something.

[Grandpa Wang is so unlucky. He took in an orphan girl out of kindness, but she turned out to be the daughter of an enemy general.]

[She even secretly planted letters from an enemy prince in Grandpa Wang's study!]

[Ungrateful! She's utterly ungrateful!]

The little princess was clearly furious over this, while Lu Yao shot Duke Wang a sidelong look as though he had a toothache.

Duke Wang never put on airs because of his exalted status. As a result, he was well liked and could chat with just about anyone.

That was how Lu Yao had become acquainted with him.

Later, when Emperor Mingze punished Lu Yao for mishandling official business, Duke Wang had pleaded on his behalf, sparing him a beating.

Their relationship had only grown closer after that.

Lu Yao also knew about the orphan girl Duke Wang had taken in recently. He had even privately investigated her background. After finding nothing, he had warned Duke Wang to be wary of her, but the duke had paid no heed.

Duke Wang had even declared that he had always been an excellent judge of character, that the girl certainly harbored no ill intentions, and that Lu Yao should stay out of it.

"Heh." Lu Yao parted his lips in a soft laugh.

Quite the slap in the face, isn't it?

Still going to be stubborn?

Duke Wang lowered his head in shame.

He had already been stunned by his sudden ability to hear the little princess's thoughts. Who could have imagined that an even greater shock was still to come?

There really was something wrong with Gu Yurou?

How could that be?

She was so gentle and kind. Even stepping on flowers or grass left her blaming herself for ages. How could she do something like that?

He did not doubt the truth of what "System Bro" had said. After all, this phenomenon itself was already incredible enough.

But...

He still did not want to believe that someone as kind as Gu Yurou would actually frame him.

Jiang Yingcheng raised her head. The charcoal fire had flushed her little face red, and its reflected flames made her eyes shine unusually brightly. "Since Grandpa Wang was framed, then-then why not start by investigating the people around him?"

"We did." Lu Yao crouched down as well, his gaze utterly serious. "We didn't find anyone suspicious."

The very day he received the news, he had begun investigating the orphan girl's movements, but found nothing.

Otherwise, he would never have let Duke Wang remain in prison for so long.

Jiang Yingcheng lowered her head again and sought help from her most powerful cheat.

[System Bro?]

007 had already anticipated that Jiang Yingcheng would ask this question and looked up the relevant plot in advance.

[Huh? She already had those letters on her before she entered the duke's residence?]

Lu Yao froze at that.

No wonder he had found nothing unusual when investigating everyone's movements in the Mansion afterward. The letters had been on Gu Yurou all along.

But that would make clues even harder to find.

Fortunately, the little princess's thoughts did not keep him waiting long.

[Hmm... a maid saw that woman sneaking into Grandpa Wang's study?]

[She was afraid the maid would expose her scheme, so she killed her and casually dumped her in the Moat. But the maid wasn't quite dead, and someone rescued her afterward?]

[Where is Hong Song County? If the maid is in Hong Song County, how are we supposed to bring her back...]

Jiang Yingcheng unconsciously picked at the wooden cell door with her fingers, until Eunuch Changshun tenderly pulled her hand away.

Seeing that this matter was troubling the little princess, Eunuch Changshun cast Lu Yao a mildly reproachful look.

Lu Yao quickly stood. In his excitement, he reached out and patted Jiang Yingcheng's head twice. "But we did discover that a maid from the duke's residence mysteriously disappeared a while ago. We're planning to widen the search and investigate the surrounding counties."

"However, this trip will certainly take quite some time. As for the frail... ahem, the frail... ahem, I'll have to trouble Your Highness to plead with His Majesty."

With that, he hurried away.

Eunuch Changshun quickly took Jiang Yingcheng along and followed him.

The corner that had been quite lively just moments ago now held only Duke Wang, left standing there in a daze.

Who had the little princess been talking about in her thoughts?

Only Yun Ying had abruptly left the Mansion recently. But hadn't she left a letter in her room saying her grandmother was ill and that she needed to go home to care for her for a few days?

How had that turned into her being killed by Gu Yurou?

And thrown into the Moat, too?

Why had everyone suddenly left?

Would no one spare a thought for this heartbroken old man?!