Ye Yunfeng’s heart pounded in his chest. "You’re saying he’s also connected to General Huo’s case from back then?!"

Qiao Zimo quickly waved his hands in denial. "Hey! I never said that! I just heard some gossip that His Majesty is ordering an investigation into General Huo’s case. And as you know, Prince Qi was the one who handled it back then. If the verdict is really overturned, then—"

’That would be a resounding slap in the face for Prince Qi.’

As Prince Qi’s maternal grandfather, Jiang Zhao Yuan was naturally worried his grandson would suffer because of this.

There was nothing wrong with reinvestigating Huo Yucheng’s case, but in everyone’s eyes, it was undoubtedly a sign that the Emperor was questioning Prince Qi.

Whether it was a distrust of Prince Qi’s character or his abilities, it was not a good thing regardless.

Especially after Prince Qi was summoned to the palace that one day and returned with an injury on his temple—it was obvious who had done it.

This naturally sent everyone’s minds spinning.

Prince Qi had always been the strongest contender for the position of Crown Prince, but the Emperor’s mind was inscrutable. Who knew which way the wind would blow?

Therefore, to protect Prince Qi’s reputation, Jiang Zhao Yuan had to act.

Whether that person was Ye Heng or someone else was unimportant. What mattered was making everyone understand that Prince Qi still had the power to protect his followers!

Ye Jingyan quickly grasped the intricacies of the situation and gave a slight nod. "Thank you for telling us, Brother Zimo."

It wasn’t the holiday yet, so neither he nor A Feng could return home for the time being. But their sister had probably already heard the news.

Seeing his composed reaction, Qiao Zimo felt a sense of admiration.

In truth, he also believed that Ye Heng was far from innocent. Otherwise, why would Han Yao have gone berserk? And why would he have nearly killed the Ye Family’s second young lady?

’It’s just...’

He sighed and offered some consolation. "Tongbei is a bitterly cold place on the border. When most people are sent there, chances are they never return."

Ye Heng was a civil servant. After spending so much time in prison, how could his body possibly withstand being exiled a thousand miles?

Ye Jingyan then asked, "What about the rest of the Ye Family?"

Qiao Zimo scratched his head. "Well... by rights, the men should be exiled and the women sold into servitude. But it seems Consort Ru interceded, so His Majesty showed mercy and spared them..."

Ye Yunfeng let out a cold scoff. "So he’s shouldering all the blame by himself?"

’And Ye Heng didn’t even get the death penalty!’

Qiao Zimo knew he was furious, and he couldn’t blame him. He and his siblings had suffered a terrible tragedy and endured countless hardships over the years. They had finally managed to return to the Capital City, found a lead, and were on the verge of uncovering the truth and getting justice. But who could have expected...

By comparison, the price Ye Heng was paying was utterly insignificant.

Qiao Zimo coughed into his fist and reminded them in a low voice:

"...Actually, Ye Mingze should have been included, but he’s already gone, isn’t he?"

Ye Jingyan: "..."

Ye Yunfeng’s brow twitched, and his expression instantly softened a bit.

’Hmm... That’s a good point.’

’Who would have thought that Ye Heng would be the one thrown into the Heavenly Prison, but Ye Mingze would be the first one to die?’

Qiao Zimo didn’t even need to investigate that. The entire Capital City already knew. After all, the chaotic scene in front of the Ye Family’s residence on Fengling Lane had been so sensational that it was impossible for anyone not to have heard about it.

At this, Qiao Zimo’s energy returned, and he clapped his hands together sharply. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Oh, right! Today is the deadline for those Fulu Street creditors! I wonder if they’ve managed to scrape together the silver in these three days."