Li Ce dropped to his knees at once, not daring to hesitate in the slightest. Now enfeoffed as a prince, he wore a crimson gauze ceremonial robe and a crown adorned with three beams. His belt was fastened with a black jade pendant and a fish-shaped tally. Aside from the incongruous piece of gold hanging from his waist, the Prince of Chu, adorned as he was, looked all the more distinguished. Yet his sickly pallor had not faded, adding an air of poignant frailty to his bearing.
The Emperor said in a low voice, "That foolish girl Ye Jiao may be ignorant, but have you not studied the Tang Code yourself? Back when you were children at the academy—"
He stopped abruptly.
All the other princes had studied under renowned scholars in prestigious academies, but not Li Ce. Before he was even a month old, he had been sent to the imperial mausoleum. His first teacher was a hastily chosen tutor from the Office of the Imperial Clan. What he had been taught, or how he had been taught, the Emperor had never asked. Could it be he truly had not studied the law? Was it possible... he had never even learned to read?
Thankfully, Li Ce broke the tense silence and answered calmly, "There were many books in the imperial mausoleum. I have read the Tang Code. Last night, I knowingly broke the law. I await Your Majesty's punishment."
The Emperor's guilt slowly ebbed away. He asked, "Knowingly broke the law? You may be accustomed to graveyards, but how can you drag others into the company of the dead?"
Infuriating. Must I even teach you how to woo a woman? Others court under moonlight and blossoms, yet you—you take her straight to the morgue.
Liu Yan, the Prefect of Jingzhao, spoke up in Li Ce's defense. "Your Majesty, it was Miss Ye who insisted on entering the mortuary. His Highness was merely a coerced accomplice."
The Emperor's expression shifted in surprise. After hearing the reason Ye Jiao had for inspecting the corpse, his brows finally relaxed. "So that's how it is. I haven't heard much about the Yuqiong Tower case. Though it's confirmed the deceased wasn't Ye Xi, we must still uncover the full truth quickly."
Suddenly, a voice called out from the side: "This humble official wishes to impeach Liu Yan, Prefect of Jingzhao, for dereliction of duty. The remains beneath Yuqiong Tower were unearthed days ago, yet the Prefect has uncovered nothing, allowing wild speculation among the populace. In this official's view, Liu Yan's concern for the case is not half as great as the Prince of Chu's."
The man spoke with an easy tone, yet his words grated on the ear. The Emperor turned toward him, frowning. "The people have already begun to speculate?"
No wonder Ye Jiao insisted on going—rumors must be spreading that the deceased was Ye Xi. The Emperor had once shown clemency to the Duke of Anguo's household. Should another false accusation arise, the court's credibility would be at stake.
With a cold edge to his voice, the Emperor declared, "How can such an investigation be rushed or careless? Liu Yan is thorough in his duties—that's why I entrusted Jingzhao Prefecture to him. Besides, he is burdened with many affairs and likely pressed for time. Since the Prince of Chu wishes to atone, let him redeem himself by assisting Liu Yan in solving the case."
With just a few words, the Emperor both rebuked Liu Yan and assigned Li Ce a path to redemption.
No one in the court objected. Li Ce bowed low in assent and, upon rising, cast a deliberate glance toward the censor who had spoken. The man wore a crimson round-collared robe embroidered with black hawks and wild grass—clearly a fifth-rank censor. Standing upright, he wore a golden fish pouch and a jade toad of pale green at his waist.
If Li Ce's memory served him right, this was Baili Xi, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief most favored by the Emperor.
Li Ce's eyes, dark and dim, fluttered shut for a moment. When they opened again, a cold, hidden gleam flickered beneath their depths.
Now that the Yuqiong Tower case was in his hands, Ye Jiao got to work.
The tower had stood for over a decade, and the remains had been found in the most prestigious chamber on the first floor—Room A1. Countless guests had stayed there over the years, making them all potential suspects. Luckily, the guest records were stored outside the main building and had survived the fire.
Ye Jiao sat amidst a pile of account books, examining them meticulously. Businessmen loathed wasting paper; thus, the guest names were recorded on bamboo slips. In addition to names, travel documents and permits were also noted. When she opened a slip that had been gnawed by insects, clouds of dust choked her into sneezing.
"No need to check all of them," Li Ce reminded her softly at her side. "Just look at the twelfth year of Tian'an."
Tian'an Year Twelve—precisely twelve years ago.
"How do you know?" Ye Jiao asked as she flipped through the slips, looking for dates. Dust danced in the light that spilled into the room. Li Ce sat in the gentle glow, gazing at her full lips as he replied slowly, "Because that year, I was eight."
Eight years old—old enough to remember.
Back then, Ye Jiao would have been five. How unfortunate he hadn't grown up in the capital and known her then, been her friend.
The room was quiet, broken only by the soft rustle of bamboo slips. Ye Jiao stood up after finishing one roll and noticed a figure approaching outside the window.
It was Yan Congzheng, her childhood companion.
He pushed open the door, set down the food container he carried, and gave a respectful bow to Li Ce. Today he wore the crisp uniform of a Left Guard officer, a sword at his waist, his scholarly air subdued. The recklessness from his drunken night was gone, replaced by solemn resolve.
"I heard you're investigating here. I happened to be nearby and brought some food."
Ye Jiao smiled as she opened the container, inspecting it carefully. The green essence rice carried the fragrance of southern candle leaves. The braised lion's head meatballs glistened golden and fragrant. The mutton stew was seasoned with pepper, enhancing the flavor—and best of all, there were marinated pig trotters, her favorite.
"All my favorites. Thank you!"
Yan Congzheng didn't linger. Having delivered the meal, he nodded and left, as if afraid to interrupt—or become entangled in the case.
The food had arrived—of course it must be eaten while warm.
Ye Jiao turned and waved to Li Ce. "Come eat!"
Li Ce leaned lazily against the wall, brows drawn low. "Not hungry."
"You have to eat even if you're not," Ye Jiao insisted.
She walked over to pull him up. Her fingers were still stained with dust from the bamboo slips. Reaching out, she hesitated, thinking her hand too dirty—but before she could withdraw, Li Ce had already grasped her arm.
He rose lightly, reluctantly, and followed her to the food container. A glance revealed a sumptuous meal. These days, he had been overseeing construction at the Western Market and had grown familiar with its streets. To gather this spread, one would have to cross four streets and walk half an hour.
He looked out the window—Yan Congzheng was already gone. A man of deep feeling, yet he'd spoken no word of it.
Ye Jiao ate with gusto. In her mouth, the food seemed to reach its full potential. She chewed carefully, occasionally breaking into a pleased smile. She cared little for the rule of "no talking at meals." When she tasted something good, she described the experience to Li Ce.
As she recounted the tale of sneaking fruit with friends and getting punished, she suddenly asked, "By the way, who did you play with as a child?"
Li Ce paused, thought for a moment, and answered, "There weren't many children in the mausoleum. But there were birds. At first, I fed them grain, thinking to make friends. But predators and snakes often came, and soon the birds were all dead. So I stopped."
His voice was calm, gentle as always, but Ye Jiao could hear the loneliness behind it. She had a gift for sensing others' emotions.
"And what did you do then?" she asked.
Li Ce smiled faintly. "I sunbathed. The imperial physicians said sunlight was good for me. So I'd lie in the sun, cover my eyes with a book, and day after day, I grew up."
To grow up is a blessing—to make your own choices, to meet a girl as radiant as the sun.
Ye Jiao nodded sincerely, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Alright, then. I'll accompany you in the sunshine."
She reached out and gently stroked his head, like comforting a child.
Li Ce froze. The sweetness of the rice lingered on his tongue, the aroma of food filled his nose, and atop his head—it felt as if summer had descended.
And sunbathe they did.
Ye Jiao truly moved the bamboo slips outside into the courtyard. The autumn sun was mild. She sat on the steps, her red skirt pooling around her, searching the slips for the name Li Ce had mentioned.
Li Ce sat beside her, turning the slips slowly, as if in no hurry to find anyone.