The whole family of villains listens to my heart, the Regent Prince treats me dearly.

Ji Chang sent Ji Rufeng back to his room and went with Jun Ce to the next room.

Zhai Rong drew a talisman that granted her super hearing and then eavesdropped by lying on the wall.

Ji Chang closed the door, turned around and knelt down in front of Jun Ce.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty! Please punish me!"

Jun Ce narrowed his eyes and asked, "Did you fire the arrows on the carriage?"

Ji Chang nodded.

"Your Majesty, I specially used the plum blossom crossbow bolts made by the Ji family. The Regent is wise, for he has indeed come to the Governor's Mansion today."

So, you're the one who wanted to assassinate me?

Ji Chang was shocked and hurriedly knelt down to deny it.

"How dare this humble subject assassinate the Regent!"

"Your Majesty, I only sent someone to shoot a single arrow; I had absolutely no intention of assassination!"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Jun Ce walked to the armchair and sat down, coldly scrutinizing Ji Chang.

His sharp gaze was so intense it seemed tangible, causing Ji Chang to prostrate himself in worship once more. He had been on the battlefield so many times, but never before had he felt such fear.

Cold sweat involuntarily spread across my back.

"What do you want by summoning me here?"

Ji Chang dared not hide anything anymore.

"Yangcheng is corrupt, and I, your humble servant, am caught in the middle but powerless to stop it. I am guilty!"

"Oh? You know who's involved in the corruption?"

Jun Ce stroked the jade pendant at his waist, his dark eyes seeming to pierce through the person in front of him.

Just as Ji Chang was about to speak, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Husband."

A gentle female voice sounded from outside the door, and Ji Chang's body stiffened.

He glanced at Jun Ce, and after receiving his approval, he went to open the door.

"Madam, why are you here?"

Seeing that she was dressed so lightly, Ji Chang said worriedly, "Why are you dressed so lightly? It's windy at night. What if you get sick again?"

"My husband has not returned for a long time, and I am very worried."

Lady Ji curtsied to Jun Ce, "Greetings, Regent."

"Get up." Jun Ce glanced at Madam Ji.

Madam Ji looked at Ji Chang with eyes full of admiration, "It's late, please go back to your room and settle down as soon as possible, my husband."

"Okay, you can go back now."

After Madam Ji left, Ji Chang closed the door, a hint of hesitation flashing across his face.

He turned around and knelt down again.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I do not know who is corrupt, but I do have something to report to Your Majesty."

Zhai Rong pressed her ear closer to the wall.

"Recently, the imperial court allocated a batch of disaster relief funds and grain, which I am responsible for guarding."

"But it vanished overnight!"

“Your humble servant has failed in his duties and lost the people’s life-saving grain. He is naturally guilty of a thousand deaths! But with disaster looming, I know that the most important thing now is not to apologize, but to find this grain.”

"Therefore, I have been secretly investigating these days, and now I have finally made some progress."

"I beg Your Majesty to grant me a chance to atone for my sins!"

"Once this batch of grain is found, I will dispose of it as I see fit!"

Ji Chang braced himself on the ground with both hands and kowtowed several times.

Jun Ce ran his fingers over the cool jade pendant without uttering a word, his cold and stern eyes revealing a sharp and fierce aura.

Ji Chang held his breath, not daring to look up, his palms gradually becoming damp.

[This season, Chang is unwilling to reveal the mastermind, yet he's eager to distance himself from the situation.]

I don't know if it's because he's too honest, or if he's just playing dumb to fool others.

Jun Ce raised an eyebrow and looked at the wall on his right.

His tightly pursed thin lips curved slightly upward.

"Get up," he said to Ji Chang.

Ji Chang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up to express his gratitude.

Jun Ce raised his eyes and asked, "You mean there's already progress on the disaster relief grain?"

"That's right," Ji Chang replied, bowing.

"Your Majesty has discovered that someone entered the granary that night."

*

"Bang bang bang-"

"Who is it?" Zhai Rongyu asked, somewhat annoyed, as she tore the talisman off her body.

[Wow! My super hearing is so powerful, that knocking almost deafened me.]

She put her legs down from the wall, pouted, and went to open the door.

She wanted to see which heartless bastard it was!

We're getting right to the crucial part!

Opening the door, Ji Rufeng stood outside with a worried expression.

"It's you?" Zhai Rongyu was somewhat surprised.

What is he doing here so late?

"Miss Zhai," Ji Rufeng looked at her, somewhat embarrassed, "I've come to apologize to you. It was my fault for offending you today, please forgive me, Miss Zhai."

After he returned, Zhai Rongyu's words kept echoing in his ears.

Calamity is upon us...

I'm afraid I won't live more than a few days...

He was really worried about his father, so he wanted to come and find out what was going on.

"Don't worry about it, I didn't take it to heart."

Seeing his hesitant expression, Zhai Rongyu frowned and asked, "Is there something else?"

Ji Rufeng said, "What Miss Zhai said today about my father's misfortune, could you tell me in detail?"

"Come in." Zhai Rongyu stepped aside to let him in.

Ji Rufeng walked into the room and sat down at the table.

“Your father’s facial features, in detail, indicate that the Seven Killings Star has entered the Spouse Palace and is accompanied by inauspicious stars, causing changes in the Illness Palace.”

Zhai Rongyu closed the door and walked to Ji Rufeng's side.

Seeing that he frowned, as if he didn't quite understand, she changed her words:

"Simply put, he will suffer a great calamity because his wife is in trouble."

"What did you say?!"

Ji Rufeng stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands.

Mother... Mother she...

Zhai Rong calmly walked to the table and sat down, saying, "Moreover, judging from your father's appearance, disaster has already struck."

Ji Rufeng slumped into a chair, muttering, "No wonder...no wonder..."

He looked at Zhai Rongyu and sighed.

"To be honest, Miss Zhai, my mother went up the mountain to pray for blessings half a month ago, but she came back as if she had become a different person."

"My mother used to be strong and short-tempered, but now she has become gentle and tender..."

“My father and I initially thought it was a good thing, but gradually, the maids in the courtyard died mysteriously, and even my father’s mental state deteriorated day by day.”

There seemed to be a figure flashing past outside the door, and Zhai Rongyu glanced at it without making a sound.

Ji Rufeng, unaware of what was happening, continued, "Father doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, and only thinks Mother is sick. But I secretly had a Taoist priest come to see her once, and that priest said Mother was possessed by an evil spirit!"

"It's a pity his magic isn't good enough to exorcise it."

“I also privately consulted several Taoist priests, and they all said they were powerless to help.”

He turned to Zhai Rongyu, his gaze earnest, almost grasping her hands: "Does Miss Zhai have any way to save my father and mother?"

A gust of wind blew by, and one of the candles in the room inexplicably went out.

Zhai Rongyu gestured for him to be quiet, and tiptoed to the door...

The door was flung open!

But Jun Ce was standing outside the door, his eyelashes trembling slightly in surprise.

"Brother Huaixu, it's you?" Zhai Rongyu said disappointedly.

I thought it was good karma coming my way.

Jun Ce: ?

His gaze swept over Zhai Rongyu's head and landed on Ji Rufeng inside the room, his jawline tightening.

Her tone carried a hint of sourness she herself wasn't even aware of: "What are you guys talking about?"

"Let me hear it too?"

Having said that, without waiting for Zhai Rongyu to refuse, he took a long stride and stepped inside.