She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Inside the Prince Qi's mansion, the patter of raindrops tapped against the glazed tiles, creating a crisp sound that further accentuated the deep tranquility of the ornately decorated residence.

Wen Huai'an leaned back in the rosewood armchair inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tilting his head slightly, his narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, looking at the man in black standing below him with a half-smile.

The man in black, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with a knife at his waist, was now meek and submissive, not daring to utter a sound.

"You're saying Gu Zhong confessed?" His voice was soft and somewhat muffled.

"Yes, Your Highness," the man in black replied respectfully, his head bowed.

"Oh?" Wen Huai'an seemed intrigued this time, leaning forward and holding the ring between his fingers instead of turning it. "What did you confess to?"

"Gu Zhong has confessed to Jiang Jin'an about the discovery of hematite back then, and... and is willing to write a letter of apology, only asking to save the lives of Gu Changfeng and Gu Changyi."

Wen Huai'an chuckled softly, tossed the ring in his hand into the air, and caught it steadily.

The white-haired old man who was taking shelter from the rain under the eaves was startled and stumbled into the rain.

He limped to the front of the curio cabinet, took down a gilded birdcage, inside which a red-beaked parrot was pecking at golden millet.

"What was that old man doing all this time?" he said casually, as if asking a parrot, or perhaps talking to himself. "Now he knows how to beg for mercy? Too late."

He paused, his voice turning cold, all traces of his smile gone. "And Jiang Jin'an? What was his reaction?"

The man in black hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words.

"Jiang Jin'an... didn't seem surprised. He only asked Gu Zhong to write a letter of apology, and did not grant Gu Zhong's request."

Wen Huai'an raised an eyebrow; this reaction was somewhat unexpected.

He had thought Jiang Jin'an would take this opportunity to give the Duke of Dingguo's mansion a good dressing down, but he was surprised to find him so calm.

The rain continued to fall in a light drizzle, enveloping the entire capital in a misty rain. Rainwater dripped from the eaves, splashing up droplets on the bluestone slabs.

"This rain couldn't have come at the worst possible time..." Wen Huai'an sighed.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned his head and ordered the man in black, "Go, invite those old fellows from the Imperial Observatory to come here. Tell them I'm inviting them for tea, and while I'm at it, ask them when this rain will stop."

"Yes." The man in black accepted the order and left.

Wen Huai'an sat back down in his chair, his slender fingers tapping the table lightly, making a rhythmic sound.

His lips curled slightly, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

This game is getting more and more interesting.

……

"Save their lives?" Jiang Jin'an repeated Gu Zhong's words, his tone mocking. "Does the Duke think this is like buying vegetables at a market, where you can haggle over the price?"

I just don't know if the Duke of Dingguo's life is enough to save the two of them.

He crouched down to meet Gu Zhongping's gaze, staring coldly at him: "Do you know what the punishment is for illegally mining hematite?"

Gu Zhong felt a chill run down his spine as he was stared at; his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

How could he not know that illegal mining is tantamount to treason?

Moreover, that was during the most critical time of the war in the North.

"On the ninth day of the seventh month of the fifteenth year of Jinghe, a heavy snow fell in the northern border." Jiang Jin'an suddenly spoke, startling Gu Zhong so much that he trembled. "When the smoke of war rose, three thousand soldiers of the Zhenbei Army held wooden clubs to meet the enemy. When the Duke was enjoying tea in the warm pavilion, did he hear the cries of the people of Youzhou?"

These words cut like knives into Gu Zhong's heart.

"..."

Jiang Jin'an suddenly stood up, looking down at him condescendingly, her voice rising abruptly, "Because of your selfish desires, how many innocent people have had their families torn apart, their lives ruined, and their wives and children separated?!"

Gu Zhong let out a sob, his cloudy tears falling onto the yellowed map, blurring the ink. "Back then, the Ministry of War was in a hurry to get the battle report, and I thought..."

"You think?" Jiang Jin'an sneered, snatching the map from in front of Gu Zhong. "You once taught me that in the imperial court, there is no 'thinking,' only the victor and the vanquished."

On the other side, the Ministry of Personnel.

Cheng Wenhao leaned back in the rosewood armchair, his legs crossed high, a blade of grass he'd somehow gotten his hands on dangling from his mouth, looking utterly nonchalant.

He was wearing a brand-new official robe, but it looked somewhat out of place on him.

He was born with a handsome appearance and was used to enjoying romantic affairs, so the official robes he wore looked rather comical.

He was flipping through the files in his hands, his brows furrowed.

These files were records of the Ministry of Personnel's assessment of officials in recent years. The more he looked at them, the more alarmed he became, and the more something seemed amiss.

These files contain the performance evaluation results of many officials, all of which have obvious loopholes and problems.

Some officials, despite having mediocre performance and even being suspected of corruption and bribery, were rated as "excellent".

Some officials, despite being diligent and caring for the people and doing many practical things for them, were rated as "below average" or even dismissed from their posts.

If there's nothing fishy going on here, then Cheng Wenhao's name should be written backwards!

Cheng Wenhao cursed inwardly.

He put down the file in his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples. He prided himself on being smart, but the intricacies of these files were giving him a headache.

"The eldest son of the second branch of the Xie family has served as the prefectural judge of Chuzhou for three years, during which time the area under his jurisdiction is filled with starving corpses, yet his performance evaluation has been rated as top-notch year after year?" He muttered to himself, shaking his folding fan. "Could it be that the disaster relief funds were fed to some jackals and tigers on some mountain?"

Cheng Wenhao grew angrier the more he thought about it. He grabbed a pen and drew a turtle on the performance review paper, then jabbed the words "Grade A" with the pen tip. "I'll turn you into turtle soup tomorrow!"

The files rustled in the wind.

Cheng Wenhao inadvertently glanced at a peach blossom note tucked inside and immediately became interested.

This peach blossom letter is clearly written by some romantic and talented scholar to his beloved. It's such a waste that it's been tucked away in this dry and boring file and no one has noticed it yet!

Unfold the peach blossom paper, on which are written a few cheesy, mushy love words.

"What a diligent and people-loving official!"

He chuckled, grabbed the files, and ran out the door.

The water outside the threshold was slippery, and he didn't pay attention and fell flat on his back, rolling on the ground like a gourd.

The scarlet official hat flew off and rolled to the side.

"Who is it? Can't you watch where you're going..." Lin Yu walked over with an umbrella. Before he could finish speaking, he saw Cheng Wenhao lying in a heap and the official hat that had rolled to his feet.

He picked up his official hat, looked at the disheveled Cheng Wenhao, wanted to laugh but dared not, his face turning red from holding it in. "This new official, Chief Cheng, is really making a big splash with his first three moves!"

Cheng Wenhao, sprawled in the mud, wasn't annoyed. He grabbed a file to shield himself from the rain and winked at Lin Yu: "Perfect timing! Help me up! Tell your superiors I've found something good. I'll make sure those corrupt officials get a taste of being soaked in chili water in prison!"