Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

The more the emperor thought about it, the angrier he became. What kind of treacherous minister had come up with such a despicable scheme? Looking at the silent minister kneeling before him, the emperor grew increasingly displeased.

They're all eloquent and persuasive normally, but when it comes to using them, they pretend to be mute.

"Speak up, all of you! Have you all gone mute? You're all usually so eloquent in court, why are you silent now? The theft of the national treasury is a matter of utmost importance. Even if you can't find out, you must investigate for me. You must dig three feet into the ground to catch that audacious thief and recover the stolen goods, or I will chop off your heads!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

"Father, please calm your anger."

It's not that they're playing dumb, it's just that this case is too thorny. The Emperor is furious, and who would dare to easily provoke him? They might watch others being exiled during the day, only to have it happen to them the next. All they dare to say is to calm down.

After venting his anger, the emperor calmed down a bit. The most important thing before was to find the thieves. How could there be no reaction to such a big commotion?

"Your Highness, Prime Minister, tell me what happened in the mansion. The entire residence was emptied out, how could there be no trace of it? I don't believe anyone could be so capable; you must have been careless."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Commander Wang were in a terrible state of mind. They felt utterly wronged and hadn't dared to drink a drop of water all day, fearing that if they couldn't find anything wrong, they'd lose their heads.

All the top detectives from the Dali Temple were mobilized, along with the Imperial Guards brought by Commander Wang. They practically turned the storerooms and mansions upside down, meticulously searching every nook and cranny.

Not thorough enough? Why don't you just take his head?

The two men who were called upon were also uneasy. What could they say? They truly hadn't heard a thing last night; even though the courtyard where they were staying had been emptied, they hadn't heard a sound.

It's really strange.

Could they have been drugged? Otherwise, how could they not hear any noise? But even if their master was drugged, there are still guards in the manor, and those guards are conscious.

If nothing unusual was found, how did the thieves manage to empty the mansion?

At this moment, they all had big question marks above their heads.

"Your Majesty, last night I rested as usual, but I didn't hear any noise. Moreover, the palace is heavily guarded; any disturbance would have alerted the guards immediately. I also find this strange."

"He moved through the palace overnight and carried away so many things; even someone with exceptional skills couldn't do that in a single night."

Although the Crown Prince feared his father's wrath, he still rationally offered his own analysis, though he was filled with great doubt and could not explain it.

"These things seem to have vanished into thin air, yet they left behind suspicious footprints. Could there truly be someone with such exceptional skills? However, I have never heard of anyone with such abilities in the capital, not even among the most wanted criminals..."

After the Crown Prince's speech, the Prime Minister was no longer so panicked. Besides, he was also a victim; where could he seek justice?

The thief robbed his house of everything, leaving him with no rice to cook today.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is absolutely right. I share the same thought. It was as if they vanished into thin air, without making a sound, disturbing no one, and leaving no trace."

In a single night, not even a grain of rice remained in my humble abode, and the fish in the pond vanished as well. It is truly unimaginable what kind of capable person could have accomplished such a feat.”

The Prime Minister is indeed the Prime Minister; he not only gave a reply, but also took the opportunity to play the victim, showing his deep anxiety and cunning. After this day, the Prime Minister still fears that this case will remain unsolved.

In other words, those things are irrecoverable. If the person who stole from his residence is the same person who stole from the national treasury, the emperor will likely have to extract funds from his officials to replenish the treasury. It would be perfectly reasonable for him to be unable to produce the funds then.

However, the Prime Minister's attempt to elicit sympathy caused the Emperor's gaze to turn slightly cold. Knowing there was a limit to such displays of sympathy, the Prime Minister abruptly changed the subject, making a hypothetical statement.

"As things stand, I believe that this matter is very likely to have vanished into thin air, as the Crown Prince has said, or perhaps it was not caused by human intervention."

Secondly, it is highly likely that this was the work of traitors from other countries. In the Great Zhou, no one has ever been known to possess such extraordinary skills as to conjure objects out of thin air, yet strange tales have been heard of in other countries, such as the Western Frontier, where it is said that some people practice esoteric arts…”

After the Prime Minister's speech, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Commander Wang wanted to applaud him and thank him for saving their lives.

That's absolutely right. It's exactly like disappearing into thin air. Otherwise, how could one person move so much stuff overnight? Even if several people came, they couldn't do it without making a sound.

Upon closer reflection, this is definitely not something a normal person would do! It's not even man-made!

Prime Minister, if you're good at talking, then say more;

Just as the two were inwardly agreeing, the oppressive force emanating from the emperor suddenly descended upon them.

"absurd"

The Prime Minister's statement was met with a resounding "absurd" from the Emperor, who then turned his attention to the two men in charge of the investigation.

"And you two? Do you also want to tell me that this was not done by human hands?"

Chief Justice Wang, Commander: "..."

That's right, they also wanted to say it wasn't man-made, otherwise how could such a commotion leave no trace? But even though they thought this, they dared not say it directly to the emperor, who could be enraged at any moment.

Let this head stay as long as possible.

"Your Majesty, I will lead the Court of Judicial Review tomorrow to re-examine the crime scene, searching for any clues or traces the thieves might have left behind to assist in solving the case."

"Your Majesty, regardless of who committed the crime, all the stolen items have been tallied. Since they have been stolen, there must be a place where they were sold. I have already sent men to investigate from there. If they find anything, they will surely be able to track down the thief."

Faced with the Emperor's might, as subjects, we could only speak against our will. Investigate, investigate, investigate everything we could think of. If in the end there was still no result, then if the Emperor wanted our heads, then so be it. How could we, as subjects, possibly defy the Emperor's might?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the Minister's mansion, the sky seemed to fall overnight.

From the old lady down to the young masters and misses, everyone suffered. Only Aunt Zhao, along with another concubine and her daughter, escaped unscathed.

After waking up from his coma, Gu Honglang was somewhat prepared, but the pain emanating from his bones in his hands and feet was unbearable.

Upon learning of the family's condition, he nearly fainted from shock and grief. The family had suffered such a calamity. Later, the Emperor kindly sent an imperial physician, along with a doctor brought from the city, to treat the family.

All of this was due to the diagnosis of Gu Honglang's condition, and his two children, whose hands and feet had been crippled, were also helpless.

They hadn't even detected the poison Gu Nanzhi had given them, so how could they be allowed to detect it so easily? This poison could only be diagnosed after the first onset of symptoms, unless a highly skilled physician had detected it beforehand.