Qin Ye looked at her quietly for a long moment before finally saying, “It’s nothing. Get some rest. I’ll come see you after I’ve finished my work.”
“Your Highness…” Yun Si wanted to say more, but he had already turned and left.
This wasn’t her imagination. Qin Ye really had become more distant. What was he thinking? Was it really so difficult to say it out loud?
Yun Si felt frustrated and helpless. Aside from Shen Qian, was there some other misunderstanding between them that she still hadn’t explained? She racked her brains trying to figure it out. Or perhaps her change in attitude wasn’t obvious enough? This man was truly difficult to deal with.
In the end, Yun Si gave up thinking about it. She was exhausted. First, she needed to take care of something important: a letter to her father.
Picking up her brush, Yun Si pondered for a long time. What should she write? What should she leave unsaid? She didn’t need to guess how difficult life must be for her family now. Even with Qin Ye’s people secretly looking after them, they were still branded as the family of convicted officials. Their lives could only be spent hiding and keeping a low profile, living in constant fear and anxiety.
As she walked toward the main courtyard, Yun Si thought about how much her family was already suffering. The last thing she wanted was to burden them with more bad news and make them worry. During this time, she had learned quite a few things. After the Marquis’s family disappeared following the assassination attempt, all sorts of unfavorable reports had reached the imperial court. Many ill-intentioned officials claimed that the supposed attack on the road had been nothing more than an elaborate deception, a scheme designed to escape exile to the harsh frontier regions. According to them, the family was probably hiding somewhere comfortable and living in peace. Others argued that it would have been impossible for the entire family to vanish so completely without outside help. The implications were obvious. Those accusations were aimed directly at Qin Ye. Behind them, the influence of the Shen family and Prince Jin was clear.
In her previous life, after Qin Ye rescued the Marquis’s family, some court officials had relentlessly used the matter against him. Fortunately, Qin Ye’s influence in Jinzhou had been strong enough to keep the family hidden, and without evidence, his enemies ultimately couldn’t do anything.
The situation was different now. In her previous life, Yun Si had died, leaving Qin Ye with far fewer concerns. But in this life, Yun Si was still alive, sheltered beneath Qin Ye’s protection despite being the daughter of a convicted official.
The pressure Qin Ye faced because of that was several times greater. Had they never divorced, and had she remained Prince Xiao’s legitimate princess consort, the circumstances would have been very different. Unfortunately…
The letter took Yun Si more than an hour to write. Because its contents were so important, she did not dare entrust it to anyone else. She decided to deliver it to Qin Ye personally. Holding the completed letter, she arrived at the main courtyard.
From a distance, she saw that Lin Shuyan had reached Qin Ye’s study ahead of her.
Yun Si immediately slowed her steps and quietly approached. As Yun Si approached the study, she heard Lin Shuyan’s gentle voice from inside.
“Your Highness, I heard this morning that Sister Yun fell ill last night and that you stayed in her room all night. You must have worked very hard.”
“Shuyan, do you need something?” Qin Ye’s voice carried its usual cool detachment, though it was clear they shared a special history.
“Nothing important. I only heard that you stayed up all night looking after Sister Yun, and I was worried about your health. I had the kitchen prepare some nourishing soup and brought it for you.”
“Leave it there. This prince will drink it later.”
“Alright.” After setting down the soup, Lin Shuyan remained silent for a while.
Qin Ye looked at her. “Is there something else?”
“There is one thing. I learned it by chance, but it might be helpful to you.”
“What is it?”
“On my journey to the capital, I encountered a convoy transporting materials for the Ministry of War. I overheard them discussing something about a secret passage connected to the Armaments Bureau. I didn’t really understand what they meant, so I didn’t pay much attention.”
A secret passage in the Armaments Bureau? The moment she heard those words, Yun Si immediately understood Lin Shuyan’s purpose. Lin Shuyan wanted to use what she had learned in her previous life to help Qin Ye solve the problem with the defective weapons.
A cold smile appeared on Yun Si’s face. There really was a secret passage within the Armaments Bureau. They used it to swap out batches of repeating crossbows with quality defects. Yun Si hadn’t told Qin Ye because the timing wasn’t right.
In her previous life, Qin Ye had first discovered problems with the repeating crossbows while inspecting the military camps. Afterward, he conducted a secret investigation and learned that, over the past two years, defective batches of crossbows had appeared from time to time.
Over those two years, the total number of defective crossbows was enough to equip an army of more than ten thousand men. Obviously, this was far more serious than a simple quality-control issue.
Qin Ye had deliberately made the matter public, putting enough pressure on Shen Qian that he had no choice but to launch a thorough investigation. Yet after the investigation, the final conclusion was that the same group of craftsmen had produced all the faulty crossbows. Shen Qian acted swiftly and ruthlessly, disposing of those craftsmen almost immediately.
Qin Ye never believed that explanation. He continued investigating in secret. Later, he learned of a hidden passage from a craftsman surnamed Cheng. Unfortunately, Shen Qian had been prepared. Sensing that Master Cheng was acting suspiciously, Shen Qian had started laying traps in advance, luring Qin Ye into a carefully prepared scheme.
At that time, Qin Ye’s only thought had been to bring Shen Qian down and avenge Yun Si. He had been too impatient. Taking the risk alone, he uncovered the secret passage, only to be framed by Shen Qian in return. That confrontation had cost Qin Ye dearly. Now, however, Yun Si’s rebirth had altered the course of events.
While Shen Qian was trapped in the secret chamber beneath the Marquis Manor, Qin Ye seized the opportunity to wrest control of the Ministry of War and the Armaments Bureau from him. On the surface, it seemed that Qin Ye had gained the upper hand. But Yun Si knew very well that the secret passage beneath the Armaments Bureau implicated far more than Shen Qian alone. Behind it lay proof that the mysterious figure backing him harbored treasonous ambitions. If the conspiracy behind the secret passage were exposed now, it would only force Qin Ye into the spotlight too early, drawing far more attention, suspicion, and hostility toward him.
At present, both she and Qin Ye still needed to lie low and bide their time. Only after they had accumulated enough power would they be capable of standing against the deeply entrenched noble clans.
By offering this information now, Lin Shuyan would not only cause Qin Ye to repeat the mistakes of his previous life, but would also make the road ahead far more difficult for him. She wanted to use this intelligence to win Qin Ye’s favor, but she hadn’t considered the consequences at all. That woman deserved to die.
“Your Highness, aren’t you investigating the weapons from the Armaments Bureau lately? I think this information might help you.” Lin Shuyan’s voice continued from inside the study. “Shouldn’t you send someone to investigate the Armaments Bureau?”
Holding her breath, Yun Si waited. Only after a long moment did she hear Qin Ye reply in a cold, steady voice: “This prince knows what he’s doing. You may leave.”
Only then did Yun Si relax slightly. It seemed that because she had not died in this life, Qin Ye’s state of mind had changed. He was calmer when handling matters and more thorough in his considerations.
After Lin Shuyan left the study, Yun Si slipped off to the side to avoid being seen. With a deft flick of her fingers, a flash of silver briefly glinted in the sunlight. No. The distance was too great. The risk of being discovered was too great.
Reluctantly, Yun Si abandoned the idea for now and decided to wait for a better opportunity. Then another thought occurred to her. Actually, she couldn’t simply kill Lin Shuyan outright. Otherwise, she would never be able to explain it to Qin Ye or the people in the residence. Before dealing with her, she first needed everyone to see through Lin Shuyan’s false facade.
Yun Si was already unpopular enough as it was. If she killed Lin Shuyan without clear proof, she didn’t care what others thought, but she didn’t want Qin Ye to misunderstand her either.
“She’s already gone. Are you coming in or not?” Qin Ye’s voice suddenly rang out.
Yun Si’s heart skipped a beat. Qin Ye knew she was outside?
After composing herself, Yun Si pushed open the door and entered.
“Why didn’t you rest a little longer?” Leaning back in his chair, Qin Ye looked at her with a somewhat cold gaze, yet carried an emotion she couldn’t quite define. It carried a chill, not especially friendly.
“I’ve finished the letter.” Walking forward, Yun Si placed the letter on the desk before him and instinctively took two steps back.
Qin Ye’s eyes followed the movement. The coldness around him deepened noticeably.
Yun Si had always thought that, after spending more than a year with Qin Ye in her previous life, she understood at least a little of his temperament and character. Yet at this moment, she suddenly felt… No. She didn’t understand him at all.
“I… feel a little dizzy.” Under the pressure of his intense gaze, Yun Si decided it would be best to retreat first. She moved quickly to the door, opened it, then paused.
Steeling herself, she turned back. “Your Highness, I overheard what Lin Shuyan said to you.”
Qin Ye looked at her silently, waiting for her to continue.
Yun Si asked, “Would you like me to analyze it for you?”
“What exactly are you worried about?” Qin Ye looked at her with a faint smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Or perhaps… you already knew about the matter she mentioned?”
Yun Si froze for a moment. Qin Ye was even more perceptive than she had imagined. “I’m not entirely sure.”
As for her rebirth, Yun Si had never intended to tell Qin Ye. If she could change the fate of her previous life, then those painful experiences and bitter memories would remain in the past. No one needed to know about them. So she chose to lie.
“But I think that, regardless of whether the information Lin Shuyan provided is accurate, even if it is true, the matter must involve a great many people. What we’re seeing is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Exposing the truth behind the secret passage too early would only alert the enemy.”
After saying her piece, Yun Si didn’t wait to see Qin Ye’s reaction. She quickly turned and left the study.
Seated behind his desk, Qin Ye watched her retreating figure. His gaze was dark and thoughtful.
“Anye.” After a while, he called out toward the window.
A shadow appeared inside the study moments later. “Your subordinate is here.”
“Investigate something for me.” Qin Ye’s voice was calm.
“Find out whether, from childhood until now, she has ever been close to any man other than Shen Qian.”
“Huh?” Anye nearly failed to react.
Investigate Mistress Yun? But hadn’t His Highness already learned everything there was to know about her? What else was there to investigate?
“Do I need to repeat myself?” Qin Ye’s eyes turned cold as they swept over him.
Anye immediately shook his head. “No, Your Highness. Your subordinate heard you clearly.”
“Then why are you still standing there?”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Anye was just about to leave when Qin Ye suddenly called out again. “Wait.”
“Your Highness, is there another instruction?”
Anye waited. And waited. Yet Qin Ye merely sat there frowning, lost in thought, without speaking for quite some time.
Am I going to die again? The words Yun Si had spoken in her delirium the night before suddenly echoed in Qin Ye’s mind. Why had she said ‘again’?
“Focus on investigating the month she spent at Shen Qian’s estate.” Qin Ye’s eyes darkened. “I want every single thing that happened during that period.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Anye didn’t dare voice any opinions. If His Highness wanted it investigated, then it would be investigated. After all, Lady Yun’s life history was there for anyone to examine. No matter how deeply he dug, what unexpected secrets could there possibly be?
As soon as Anye left, Mu Ze entered from outside. His face was filled with excitement and admiration. “Your Highness, you truly predicted it correctly.”
“What did you find?” Qin Ye looked up.
Mu Ze’s excitement only grew stronger. “Those repeating crossbows. We checked everything from the raw materials to the manufacturing process. There wasn’t a single problem.”
“The problem really was in the transportation stage.”
They thought that killing a few craftsmen would be enough to bury the truth. Little did they know that His Highness had already seen through the deception. The only question remaining was: How had they managed to switch the defective crossbows with the proper ones without anyone noticing? The crucial point was that the inspection procedures for weapons leaving the Armaments Bureau were extremely strict. If there had been any problem, the defective crossbows should never have left the bureau in the first place.
“Mu Ze.” Qin Ye’s expression remained calm. “For now, suspend the investigation into this matter.”
Mu Ze froze. “Your Highness?”
Qin Ye’s fingers tapped lightly against the desk. “I have something more important for you to do.”