Landlord Du had also heard about the uproar Shen Ningning had caused over the death of the Wu family.

He had been responsible for planning the entire assassination, after which Minister Wei was to find some desperate mercenaries who valued money over their own lives. But the plan had gone awry—Shen Ningning hadn’t died!

What’s more, the investigation would soon lead straight to Minister Wei.

A sliver of unease crept into Landlord Du.

’With Minister Wei’s deep roots in the imperial court, how could he possibly be toppled so easily?’

’When that happens, everything I’ve done will be exposed, and I’ll become Minister Wei’s scapegoat!’

At this thought, Landlord Du could no longer sit still. He hastily penned a letter and summoned a trusted subordinate.

"Quick, take this to the post station for express delivery. Get it into Qin Gaozheng’s hands."

Although Qin Gaozheng had the surname Qin, he was actually the son of Landlord Du and Wang Guihong.

After his subordinate left, Landlord Du made a few more arrangements.

An hour passed, and he was still pacing anxiously back and forth in his room.

’This won’t do. I have to get out of the Capital City first!’

Landlord Du pulled open the door to his study, intending to tell his wife to pack their belongings. He planned to flee with a few servants, his eldest daughter, and Qin Fangmei.

But unexpectedly, he came face-to-face with one of Minister Wei’s personal guards.

The moment the guard saw him, a sinister smile spread across his face.

"Landlord Du, in such a hurry to leave. Were you on your way to see someone?"

"I... I was feeling agitated and just wanted to go for a walk."

"What an unfortunate coincidence. The Lord Minister ordered me to come and fetch you. There are urgent matters to discuss. Shall we go, Landlord Du?"

"Could you allow me to leave a message for my wife?"

The guard looked impatient. "The Lord Minister doesn’t have all day to wait for you."

And so, Landlord Du dared not make any more requests.

However, just as he was leaving, he took advantage of the guard walking ahead of him. Unseen, he grabbed a writing brush from the windowsill to his right, silently snapped it in two, and tossed the pieces to the floor.

「Meanwhile.」

In Xiangyun Village, the Crown Prince’s personal guard, a cheerful man in his twenties named Wu Fang, was present.

He took out the gifts the Crown Prince had bought for Shen Ningning from the carriage one by one, presenting each item as if it were a priceless family treasure.

"Miss Shen, the Crown Prince bought you ten of these small, square boxes with gilded floral patterns. You can use them to store all your pearl jewelry."

The villagers formed a circle behind Shen Ningning, their eyes wide with astonishment.

A young village woman gasped in amazement. "I saw one of these when I was in the city buying my dowry. A single box costs thirty to forty taels of silver!"

"Then ten of them must be close to 500 taels, right?"

Wu Fang flashed a wide, toothy grin and continued his presentation. "And there’s more! A complete set of sea-blue Fugui porcelain, with over a hundred bowls and dishes, and a matching set of white ivory chopsticks."

"Miss Shen, do you know what makes this set so precious?"

Shen Ningning tilted her small, milky-white face up and shook her head, looking puzzled.

The long string of names Wu Fang recited was too complicated for her.

"I don’t know..."

"What makes it precious is that this sea-blue porcelain is an imperial tribute. Only Princes are allowed to use it."

The villagers let out a collective gasp of envy, and Shen Ningning covered her mouth, her chubby pink cheeks trembling slightly.

"Then... can I use it?"

"Of course you can!" Wu Fang boomed with laughter. "This is a gift of favor from the Crown Prince. Who would dare say otherwise?"

He went on to list several other items.

There were four pairs of Colorful Glazed Flower Vases, which Grandma Qin eyed with great satisfaction, thinking they would be perfect for pickling vegetables.

There was also a Green Jade Ruyi Coral Tree and a White Stone Carved Bamboo Inkstone...

Any one of these items was priceless.

Shen Ningning heard from Wu Fang that these were all little trinkets Mo Lingwei had gathered for her from the local area.

He had also bought several bolts of a popular local brocade called Xue Xiangyun.

It was a vibrant orange-red, as brilliant as the glow of sunset clouds.

It felt as smooth as real silk to the touch.

Shen Ningning loved it!

Although she had earned a good amount of silver, she was rarely willing to spend it on clothes for herself.

Sometimes, when a dress tore, she would just have her grandmother patch it up so she could keep wearing it.

This fabric was so fine that even if it were made into a dress, she wouldn’t have the heart to wear it.

Seeing her eyes sparkle like a field of stars, Wu Fang guessed she must adore it.

"The Crown Prince said that if Miss Shen likes it, you should follow me back to the palace right now. The palace has royal embroideresses and a dedicated Weaving Bureau who can tailor it into dresses for you."

This left the villagers even more astonished.

’To be able to wear clothes made by palace embroideresses... what’s the difference between Ningning and Princes?’

Even Aunt Liu couldn’t help but remark, "Ningning, the Crown Prince is so good to you!"

Shen Ningning wanted to politely refuse, but she loved pretty dresses too much.

Besides, she was growing up, and it was a girl’s nature to love beautiful things.

At her private school, she saw the other young ladies dressed in elegant, beautiful clothes, and she wanted that too.

The little girl nodded. "Okay, let’s go now!"

Wu Fang beamed with delight.

’If the Crown Prince finds out I completed my mission so successfully, he’ll definitely reward me.’

Just then, Chief Wang appeared, his expression grave. He and several government officers rode up in a hurry on their lean horses.

"Miss Shen!" Seeing her, Chief Wang dismounted and strode over. "You need to come with us to the government office."

Grandma Qin pulled Shen Ningning behind her. "What is it now?"

Chief Wang glanced at Grandma Qin. "You’re here as well, Old Madam. That’s perfect. Please come with Miss Shen."

Shen Ningning asked, "What happened?"

"Miss Shen, you were right. The death of the Wu family was no accident. The Emperor is personally overseeing the investigation, and the true culprit has been captured."

"Who is it?" Shen Ningning asked, surprised.

She knew such a major incident would attract the Emperor’s attention, but she hadn’t expected a result so quickly.

Chief Wang said, "It’s Landlord Du. Moreover, we’re asking you to come because you know the witness accusing him. His name is Qin Sheng, who used to be your uncle."

The color drained from Grandma Qin’s face.

"His testimony requires your presence. As for the details, you’ll find out once you’re at the government office for the hearing," Chief Wang explained. Shen Ningning fell silent for a moment.

She nodded. "I’ll go."

’Big Brother is back now,’ she thought. ’I’m not afraid.’

Grandma Qin took Shen Ningning’s small hand. "Grandma will go with you."

The little girl didn’t refuse and called for Chen Ye to ready the horse-drawn carriage.

Her grandmother was too old to ride a horse like Chief Wang and his men.

Shen Ningning then called over Jiang Zhi, instructing her to move all the precious gifts from Wu Fang into their cottage.

She didn’t forget to lean close and whisper a few instructions in her ear.

Jiang Zhi nodded. "I know what to do."

Only then did Shen Ningning head for the government office in the Capital City.

On the way, Shen Ningning heard from Chief Wang that Qin Sheng had originally gone to the Guangyang County Government Office to confess.

However, since the Emperor was personally taking an interest in the case, Magistrate Fu had arranged for Qin Sheng to be transferred to the government office in the Capital City.

When Shen Ningning arrived, Mo Lingwei was already there.

He hadn’t had time to change his clothes; he already knew everything that had happened.

The moment he saw Shen Ningning, he reached out and took her hand.

"I’m back," he said. "No matter what happens, I’m here to back you up. Don’t be afraid."

Shen Ningning immediately nodded, her heart at ease. A look of relief washed over her small, pale, round face.

Supported by Chen Ye, Grandma Qin walked into the government office.

Her good-for-nothing son, Qin Sheng, was indeed kneeling on the ground.

He was as thin as a ghost, his body covered in festering sores that gave off an unbearable stench in the summer heat.

This case was no small matter. With the Emperor personally inquiring, the official in charge of the hearing had been changed to the Capital Governor himself.

He was presiding over the hall when he saw the Crown Prince arrive. He immediately stood to pay his respects and ordered someone to bring a chair and set up a canopy for shade.

Mo Lingwei led Shen Ningning to a seat beside his own, while Grandma Qin sat opposite them.

Qin Sheng glanced guiltily at Grandma Qin from the corner of his eye before lowering his head again.

The Capital Governor asked deferentially, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, may we begin?"

"Proceed," Mo Lingwei said with a nod, his expression stern and imposing.