A rare snowstorm that hits the capital city every few decades came to an abrupt end on the second morning. The thick snow was knee-deep, and in such cold weather, even the most diligent merchants would rather huddle by the warm kang than brave the chill to set up their stalls.

  It was the little old man who missed the timing, hastily getting up with a clang, before the sun had risen and the sky was not yet bright. He tightened his tattered jacket and walked in the snow with a slow and steady pace. As he passed by, he happened to pass in front of the Yuqin Wangfu's gate.

  The gate of the Yuqin Wangfu was slightly ajar, with only half of the auspicious character "xi" remaining at the entrance. The old night watchman looked around and saw that there were no guards, which made him wonder. The people in the Yuqin Wangfu were all very fierce and intimidating, and the old night watchman had been scolded by the guards many times before. But today, he didn't see anyone, which was strange. When he saw the remaining half of the "xi" character, he suddenly realized that yesterday was the day when the Yuqin Wangfu welcomed the princess, and it seemed that the guards and servants had also been celebrating with food and drink, and were now too drunk to be seen.

  Thinking of the girl who married into the Wang Fu with an uncertain future, the old night watchman shook his head and was about to walk past the entrance of the Yu Qin Wang Fu. Just then, a cold wind blew by, causing the heavy gate to creak "creak" once, making the black seam seem even bigger. The old night watchman couldn't help but pause for a moment. The gate's slight swaying made him suddenly feel a strange sensation in his heart, and he didn't know where this feeling came from. He stood upright at the entrance for a while, until some vendors who were setting up their stalls saw him and greeted him, saying: "Li Laosi, what are you standing at the door for?"

  The old man's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly understood the strange feeling. In broad daylight, even if yesterday's commotion was fierce, how could there be not a single sound in this mansion? Even if everyone had fallen asleep from drunkenness, shouldn't there still be dogs and birds making noise? But there was nothing, an eerie silence, like a tomb.

  His hand trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but take two steps forward. As Fang Yi approached the dark gap in the door, a strong fishy smell wafted out, almost knocking him off balance. The old night watchman pushed against the door, but the gate of the Wang mansion wouldn't budge. He looked down to see that a square block of ice was stuck in the dark gap between the doors.

  It was probably the wind and snow from last night that accumulated into a lump, just stuck in the doorway.

  The old man widened his eyes and took two steps back, suddenly letting out a mournful cry, which attracted the attention of people on both sides of the street.

  With the first ray of morning light, that crystal clear ice and snow appeared exceptionally clear. The thick blood had congealed into a solid clot, from which a river of ice emerged from the door gap, but just as it was about to rush out of the gate, it suddenly stopped. It seemed as if someone who had been chased to the end of the road struggled to beg for life, but their path to survival was cut off by just one door.

  Like flowing blood.

  On the day of Prince Yu's wedding, his entire household was slaughtered. From top to bottom, all servants and concubines were killed, not a single cat or dog was left alive. The killer seemed to have a deep grudge against Prince Yu's household, and the slaughter was thorough and merciless. The method was clean and efficient, with each victim being killed with a single knife wound. Not a single piece of gold, silver, or jewelry was taken, indicating that the motive was not robbery.

  It's likely that Yuqin Wang is a ruthless and vicious person, with many evil deeds to his name, having made many enemies along the way. However, the person who made the move against him has quite a big nerve, directly targeting the Yuqin Wang Fu, which is equivalent to targeting the imperial family of Mingqi. Everyone knows that Emperor Wenhui values Yuqin Wang as one of his most trusted officials, and it's only because he has Emperor Wenhui backing him up that he can act so fearlessly in the capital, even making princes cautious around him.

  However, this time it was beyond everyone's expectations. Emperor Wenhui did not issue any orders to arrest the murderer, nor did he offer a reward. He simply instructed the officials to investigate the matter thoroughly and handed it over to the Metropolitan Governor of Dingjing. The Metropolitan Governor of Dingjing handled things fairly well, but when it came to investigating cases, it was just so-so. Emperor Wenhui's actions clearly showed that he did not want to waste too much energy on the case of the massacre at the Yuqin Wangfu. Some clever people saw through this and thought that before this, Prince Yuqin must have done something to anger Emperor Wenhui, otherwise why would Emperor Wenhui be so indifferent? Perhaps in his heart, Emperor Wenhui was even pleased that the murderer had helped him get rid of a major threat.

  But rumors are just rumors, and speculation is just speculation. As the story gets passed from person to person, some versions stray further and further from the truth, while others somehow manage to get closer and closer to it.

  In the tragic case of the extermination of the Henan Wangfu, one person survived. This person was none other than Shen Qing, the new wife of the Henan Wangfu who had married in just yesterday. The old night watchman was the first to discover that something was amiss at the Henan Wangfu. At the time, there were still many pedestrians on the street, and some brave ones rushed into the Henan Wangfu together. As for what they saw when they rushed into the palace, even those who only heard rumors felt a chill run down their spines.

  According to eyewitnesses, the grand mansion of Yuqin Wangfu was filled with rows and rows of ice corpses and blood clots. The blood that had flowed out of the courtyard had frozen overnight in the storm, making the entire ground surface appear red with ice. All the bodies were covered with frost, stiff and rigid like sculptures.

  Wherever they went, it was deathly still, with no one surviving.

  The body of Yuqin Wang was found in his bedroom. There were knife wounds on his chest, and two maids were also found beside him. Shen Qing was lying at the door of the bedroom, with gold and silver scattered all over her body. At first, people thought she had been killed too, but when they moved her, she woke up. Thus, Shen Qing became the only survivor in the Yuqin Wang's mansion.

  For Shen Qing, this might be a good thing, but it seems even worse than death. The entire Yu Qin Wang Fu was exterminated, so why did they leave Shen Qing alone? If it's because Shen Qing is innocent and has no relation to the Wang Fu, then why didn't the perpetrators spare the slaves and concubines? It's clear that they weren't showing mercy. Moreover, Shen Qing fainted on the side, surrounded by a trail of gold and silver jewelry, as if she was trying to escape.

  The most important thing is that, apart from the knife wound on his chest, there was also a scar of a woman's hairpin on Prince Yu's neck. And Shen Qing, who had just married into the prince's mansion, was the most suspicious.

  Many doubts made Shen Qing the target of public criticism, even if she had nine mouths, she couldn't explain herself clearly. There was no way out, after all, everyone in the Henan Wangfu had died, but she was still alive.

  The governor of Jingzhao would naturally want to capture Shen Qing and take her back for questioning, regardless of whether she had any connection to the matter. As long as she was alive, she became the only witness. If they wanted to find some clues, or even just put on a show for the world to see, Shen Qing would not be able to escape easily.

  When the Shen family received this news, the officer had already arrived at Yuqin Wangfu to catch people. Ren Yuanyun fainted as soon as she learned about it, but Shen Gui and Shen Yuan quickly packed their bags and were about to leave.

  "Where are we going now, son?" Shen Gui was still somewhat indecisive when facing his own son. He knew that whether it was true or not, Shen Qing had already been implicated in this matter. Although Emperor Wen Hui had not shown any extreme anger about this matter for the time being, accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger - who knows what Emperor Wen Hui truly thinks in his heart? If he were to take out his anger on him over this matter in the future, it would also greatly hinder his official career.

  "Go find the Prefect of Beijing. It's too late to go to the Prince's mansion now, sister has been taken away, the Prefect must know a lot about the inside story." He paused and glanced at Shen Gui: "Father doesn't have to worry, it won't be blamed on Father's head after all."

  Shen Gui caught the sarcasm in Shen Yuan's tone, feeling slightly annoyed but unable to say anything, so he pretended not to understand and said, "In that case, let's hurry up and go."

  On the other hand, Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin were also preparing to set off.

  "Qiu Er, you go to the Prince's Mansion for a visit. Now Eldest Brother has gone to the Patrol Office, and Third Brother has entered the palace to gather information. The Prince's Mansion still needs someone to pay attention to it. I and your father will go to the palace first, this matter is of great importance, if there are spies sneaking into the city, it will be ruined." Luo Xueyan instructed Shen Qiu: "You deal with the Prince's Mansion, investigate the people who died in my Shen family, and later we'll have someone send silver to console them."

  "Don't worry, mother, I'll take care of this." Shen Qiu replied readily.

  After Shen Xin and his wife left, Shen Qiu also tidied up his clothes and was about to go out when he suddenly heard Shen Miao's voice behind him: "Big brother."

  "Sister?" Shen Qiu was taken aback, turned around and asked: "Why isn't sister staying in the house, what's she doing out here?"

  "Big brother is going to the Prince's mansion?" Shen Miao asked.

  "Not bad." Shen Xin replied: "There are still some things to deal with, after dealing with these things I will be back soon."

  Shen Miao looked at him and said, "Big brother, take me with you."

  Shen Xin was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said seriously: "Sister, I know you have deep grievances with the Yuqin Prince's Manor. Now that they've fallen to such a state, to be honest, I think they brought it upon themselves. If you want to see their downfall with your own eyes, big brother can do it for you, there's no need for you to go personally."

  Shen Miao smiled: "I just want to go and take a look."

  "That's really nothing to look at." Shen Qiu deliberately scared her: "I heard that those people who died last night were extremely miserable, all of whom were disembowelled and had their bellies ripped open. The blood accumulated several feet high afterwards. It's probably because the person died unjustly, and their soul is still lingering in the mansion. You little girl went there, didn't you see a ghost?" Although the people in Yu Qinwang Fu died miserably, it was not as terrifying as Shen Qiu said. Shen Qiu also wanted to scare Shen Miao, he really did not want Shen Miao to see those bloody scenes. A young lady from an official family, how could she bear to see a dead person's scene?

  However, after he finished speaking, Shen Miao on the opposite side still didn't have any expression. As if what he said was just a normal and ordinary scene, Shen Miao even smiled: "As the daughter of a military general's family, if I were to be scared by mere ghosts and spirits of the dead, wouldn't that make people look down on me? Is big brother also afraid of seeing the dead on the battlefield?"

  "It's not natural!" Shen Qiu said immediately, and as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew he had misspoken. He saw Shen Miao looking at him calmly from across the way, saying: "In that case, these are nothing to be feared. Big brother, take me with you."

  "No, sister, what are you doing going to the Henan Wangfu?" Shen Xin said awkwardly: "There really isn't anything there."

  "I just went to take a look, big brother doesn't need to worry about me. As you said, nowadays there are officials guarding everywhere outside, so it won't be dangerous. Taking me along also won't cause any trouble."

  Shen Miao spoke with utmost determination, and Shen Qiu had also discovered from recent events that Shen Miao was a resolute person with a very stubborn temper. Once she made up her mind, no one could change it. Even if he didn't let her go today, she would probably sneak out behind his back another day. It's better to have him accompany her today and ensure her safety.

  "Alright." Shen Qiu stared at her: "Once we arrive at the Wang Manor, don't wander off. I'll have Mo Jing follow you. If anything goes wrong, call for me immediately."

  Shen Miao smiled: "Good."

  But overnight, the Yuqin Wangfu was like a different place. Everything inside and out had changed completely. Yesterday it was still bustling with guests, laughter and conversation filling the air, and it seemed as if one could still see the carriages and horses crowded in front of the gate, the guests chatting and laughing together. Now, however, the vermilion gates were plastered with white seals, and the guards standing at the entrance all had serious expressions, as if they feared that some violent or sinister plot might suddenly emerge.

  The half-character "xi" (喜) pasted on the door was swaying lonely in the wind, as if it could no longer withstand the cold wind's ravages. The remaining half also fell off from the door and slowly floated to the ground, where it was trampled into a snow pit by passing guards, rendering it invisible.

  In front of the gate of Yuqin Wangfu, there were occasionally some onlookers who would point and discuss, although they would sigh, but also have a hidden pleasure. In recent years, the evil deeds of Yuqin Wang have been known to all, and seeing the wicked get their due is probably one of the most pleasant things in the world.

  When Shen Qiu and his entourage arrived at the Yuqin Wangfu, this was what they saw. Compared to the jubilation of yesterday, the deathly silence of today formed a stark contrast, leaving one feeling dazed for an instant. Even someone as seasoned in life and death as Shen Qiu couldn't help but feel a slight stirring of emotions.

  After all, in the entire Fu household, not a single person was left behind, which is really too pitiful.

  The little soldier of Shenqiu explained the purpose to the official at the gate of the Henan royal palace, and the soldiers let them pass. As they followed Shenqiu in, everyone was stunned by the scene before their eyes and couldn't speak a word.

  The corpse of the person from the mansion has been dragged away, but the bloodstains left behind last night still remain, frozen into ice. At a glance, it's extremely frightening, as if the entire mansion is crimson-colored. Even after a night of snowfall, it can't cover up the thick smell of blood. Through the crimson-stained ground, one seems to see the brutal massacre that took place on the snowy night yesterday, and even appears to hear the desperate cries in the dark of night.

  The little soldiers were all somewhat frightened, Shen Qiu also frowned tightly, suddenly remembering that there was still Shen Miao by his side, afraid of scaring her, and quickly looked at Shen Miao, planning to comfort her. But when he turned his head to take a look, Shen Miao's eyes were calm, and she was even more composed than the little soldiers around him.

  She gazed down at the crimson splattered all over the ground, what did it amount to? The blood of her enemies only excited her, the blood of the Shen family from her past life would have been even more brutal than this. She didn't flinch, didn't sympathize, didn't feel sorrow or grief, she only hated that she couldn't throw back her head and laugh loudly, then slash at the corpse of Yu Qianwang a few more times.

  "Sister..." Shen Qiu hesitated and asked: "I'm going to go take a look around, are you going inside to rest?"

  Shen Miao gazed towards the southwest corner of the Prince's residence and smiled slightly: "Yesterday when I came, I heard a maidservant from the Prince's residence say that there was a tea room for resting over there. I'll go sit there for a bit. Big brother can come find me in the tea room after he finishes his business, how about that?"

  "What's over there?" Shen Qiu followed Shen Miao's gaze to the southwest corner, where the trees were lush and dense, trimmed with great precision. It seemed that Yu Qin Wang had specially renovated this place for flower appreciation and entertainment. He nodded and said: "Let Mo Jing follow you in, don't run around."

  Shen Miao nodded and walked with Mo Xuan towards the southwest corner. Today, she was afraid that the few maids by her side would be frightened by the bloody color of the Yu Qin Wang Fu, so Shen Miao didn't even bring a personal maid, while Mo Xuan was a guard and naturally wouldn't be afraid of these things.

  Mo Ke followed Shen Miao, and was somewhat surprised to find that Shen Miao seemed to be very familiar with the place. She knew where every corner, corridor, and staircase was, as if she had been there many times before. Even though it was only her second time here, she appeared too skilled and knowledgeable about the layout.

  With this question in mind, Shen Miao had already arrived at the front of the teahouse. The teahouse was hidden behind a cluster of flowers, and on the trellis outside, there were grapevines. It seemed that during the summer, grapes would ripen, and drinking wine and enjoying the fruit in this place, admiring the flowers and chatting, was extremely elegant. However, when applied to Yu Qinwang, it somehow made people feel a bit strange.

  "You just wait for me outside." Shen Miao said to Mo Jing: "I'll go in alone."

  Mo Ke hesitated for a moment, Shen Miao looked at him and said: "It's just a tea room, if you're not at ease, follow me in first to take a look around."

  Mo Qiang immediately nodded and said: "Yes." After speaking, he led the way with his sword and walked in.

  Shen Miao gazed at Mo Jing's back, momentarily dazed. In past lives and the present, no matter what identity he held, Mo Jing seemed to always be cautious and meticulous, loyal and devoted.

  The teahouse was very large, divided into three layers by screens, each of which was extremely luxurious and different from the elegant atmosphere outside, making it seem like a palace. Mo Xing carefully checked to confirm that there were no hidden assassins inside, then bowed his hands to Shen Miao and said: "Miss, if you need anything, just call for me, I'll be waiting outside." After speaking, he walked out.

  After Mo Ke walked away, Shen Miao walked to the table in front of the tea room, on which was placed a set of blue and white porcelain tea utensils with fine glaze, seemingly having been seen before in the palace. Shen Miao took a glance and directly walked past, she walked past the first screen, walked past the second screen, and arrived at the third layer of the tea room.

  On the third floor of the teahouse, the walls were filled with calligraphy and paintings. Upon closer inspection, the inscriptions on the calligraphy and paintings were not lacking in famous artists. This room full of calligraphy and paintings must be worth a fortune. Shen Miao looked at each one carefully, as if appreciating the artwork, but when she reached a certain painting, she stopped in her tracks.

  It was a painting of a night banquet, created by the famous painter Liu Yuanzhi of the previous dynasty. The painting depicted the grand scene of a night banquet in an official's mansion during the previous dynasty. The maids were beautiful and elegant, the wine and food were exquisite, and the guests were all delighted. The characters were vividly portrayed, with every stroke of the brush being meticulous and elegant, and the colors were even more vibrant. Among the numerous paintings on the wall, it did not stand out particularly, yet Shen Miao was staring at it in a trance-like state, as if she had been drawn into the scene depicted in the painting.

  She stared at the Night Revels painting for a long time, and after a while, she finally reached out her hand to slowly feel along the surface of the paper with the characters and paintings. She felt extremely carefully, all the way to the protagonist of the Night Revels on the painting paper, the collar of the fat official's clothes.

  The collar is also very delicate, even if it's a painting, when you touch it, it feels like you can feel the buttons on the collar.

  In fact, Shen Miao did indeed touch it.

  The slight bulge at the fingertips felt different from the rough texture of paper, and Shen Miao pressed down, hearing a faint "click" sound.

  With a faint sound, the wall in front of me, which was covered with calligraphy and paintings, suddenly split into two halves, revealing a secret room-like structure. From the outside, only a long corridor could be seen, lit by torches, making it seem particularly bright and spacious.

  Shen Miao let out a soft breath, without hesitation, lifted her skirt and stepped inside.

  In the innermost room, a coffin was placed, its lid already lifted, revealing what was inside, which was empty. Standing in front of the coffin were two people. One wore purple clothes that fluttered in the wind, and the other wore white clothes as white as snow. They were Xie Jinghang and Gao Yang.

  Xie Jingxing held a yellow cloth package in his hand, and it was unknown what was inside. It looked heavy. Gao Yang smiled and said: "Yù Qīnwáng's old dog actually hid the thing here. If not for last night's massacre at Chen's house, we would have had to go through more trouble to find this thing."

  "So just wait for a bargain." Xie Jing said: "Take another look around to see if there's anything else."

  Gao Yang responded, looking around as he spoke: "Come to think of it, Yu the old dog didn't even leave a single guard here. This place must be extremely secretive, probably only known to him."

  Fu's family is full of suspicious people." Xie Jingxing lazily said: "If it were you, wouldn't you hide?"

  "I'd naturally have to hide." Gaoyang gently shook his folding fan, smiling with extreme warmth and elegance, but the words that came out of his mouth were extremely frightening: "If I were Yu Lao Gou, if someone discovered this place, no matter who it was, even if they didn't know the secret, as long as they stumbled upon the existence of this hidden room, I'm afraid they would have to be killed to silence them. Only dead men can keep secrets. In this regard, Yu Lao Gou did a good job."

  Xie Jingxing was too lazy to bother with him and went searching for other things everywhere.

  At the same time, Shen Miao held a torch and walked quietly in the dark and narrow path. Compared to her usual slow pace, she seemed to be in a hurry this time. The reason was simple: she didn't know when Shen Qiu would come over, and before he did, she had to get that thing.

  The secret room in the Yuqin Wangfu was discovered by Fu Xiuyi. The conversation between Fu Xiuyi and Pei Lang was overheard by her unintentionally. At that time, Pei Lang had copied a painting of Liu Yuan's night banquet and told Fu Xiuyi that the mechanism of the secret room in the Yuqin Wangfu was on the collar of the main character in the painting. At that time, Pei Lang also said "The thing is in the secret room, Your Majesty can take a look."

  "What thing" is what thing, Shen Miao didn't know, but at that time listening to Pei Lian and Fu Xiuyi's tone, that "thing" should be very important to Fu Xiuyi. When Shen Miao mentioned the extermination of the Chen family to the Chen brothers, apart from not leaving any future troubles, it was also for this matter.

  If it weren't for the fact that the entire Yuqin Wangfu had been annihilated, perhaps someone would have discovered the secret of the hidden chamber. If her actions were to be exposed, it would likely lead to disaster. Now that everyone in Yuqin Wangfu is dead, it's likely that this secret has not been discovered yet. After all, when Fu Xiuyi found out about this matter, he had already ascended to the throne.

  As long as that "thing" is extremely important to Fu Xiuyi, or it is beneficial to him, then by no means can Fu Xiuyi obtain it. Either destroy it, or send it into the hands of Fu Xiuyi's archenemy, at least with this "thing", in the future when dealing with Fu Xiuyi, there will be an extra chip.

  This was her real purpose for following Shen Qiu to the Prince's Residence today.

  Shen Miao stroked the stone wall of the secret chamber as she walked in, and this winding tunnel seemed to be much longer than she had imagined. After turning another corner, her eyes suddenly opened up, as if she had abruptly entered a spacious main hall from a narrow corridor. The stone walls above were hung with rows of torches that illuminated the entire cave with a dazzling light.

  In the cave, a coffin was lying horizontally, and in front of the coffin, there were two people standing.

  Shen Miao had yet to make a move when one of them suddenly shouted in a stern voice: "Who goes there!"

  The voice was extremely familiar, and before she could even distinguish it, she saw two silhouettes suddenly turn their heads in the bright flames, revealing two familiar faces.

  Xie Jinghang, Gao Yang.

  Xie Jinghang, how did he end up here? Gao Yang is not a person from the Imperial Hospital in the palace, so how did he get mixed up with Xie Jinghang?

  Even if calm as Shen Miao, it was still astonishing in her heart. Immediately following the astonishment came a moment of confusion in her mind. Those early doubts had been swirling and taking root in her heart, but suddenly seemed to have found an outlet. In a flash, it seemed like something was about to burst out.

  "Fantastic!" Gao Yang's eyes were also filled with surprise, and then he immediately looked at Xie Jing and said: "Take action!"

  Shen Miao's eyes widened, and she felt the world spinning around her. Before she could even see clearly the figure that had flashed before her eyes, her body was heavily pushed, and her back slammed into the stone wall behind her, causing her to gasp in pain. Immediately after, a slender hand grasped her throat, and Xie Jingxuan's handsome face was inches from hers.

  Xie Jinghang almost pressed Shen Miao against the stone wall, his icy collar touching her face, and his hands were also cold. His eyebrows and eyes, which were originally bright and dazzling like the scorching sun, had an intoxicating curve at the corner of his lips, but his gaze was clear and almost cold-blooded.

  "Shen Miao can't stay." Gao Yang said quickly: "This is a big deal, today she dies here it's her bad luck, the body will be thrown away here, we'll leave, no one will find out, Xie San, don't be soft-hearted, take action!"

  Shen Miao looked at Xie Jingyi, the long and handsome hand grasping her neck was fierce and cruel, tightly clasped and not letting go.

  The purple-clothed youth's eyebrows and eyes were even more enchanting under the lamplight, each stroke and line like a refined demon walking out of a painting. The more he smiled, the more cruel his smile was, as if he was playing with a mouse like a cat, yet in his gaze, there was an absolute indifference and murderous intent.

  He really wanted to kill him.

  Shen Miao stared at her, motionless, with a pair of clear eyes that shone brighter than the creek water on a sunny day after snowmelt in early spring. There was no sadness or joy in them, as if they could reflect a person's entire life.

  Xie Jing's eyes flickered, and he suddenly raised the corner of his lips in a smile. His other hand gently covered Shen Miao's eyes. He leaned in slightly, his voice low as he whispered into Shen Miao's ear, like lovers sharing a secret.

  "Don't look at me, I won't be able to bear it."