I, the one in the heavens, am here to protect my bottom line in all realms.

Hongcha helped Zhang Chengyuan lie down before leaving to arrange for people to search for the eunuch. Three days passed without any results, and everyone understood what this meant, but no one dared to report it.

Cheng Zhaorong was already physically weak, and she was usually favored by her master because of her father-in-law. If her father-in-law's death were to upset her master, who could bear the consequences? Therefore, they never mentioned it.

Zhang Chengyuan felt that three days had passed, and asked again, "Is there still no news about my father-in-law? Can't we find out if he's dead or alive?"

Upon hearing this, the servants all knelt down and bowed their heads in silence.

Zhang Chengyuan pretended to be extremely angry, and the next second he vomited blood and fainted.

Now, no one dared to keep it a secret. People went to the Empress, and others summoned the imperial physicians. The news quickly spread throughout the palace, and the Emperor also received the message and rushed over.

After a thorough investigation, the emperor was so angry he laughed. Consort Cheng Zhao spent her days burning incense and copying scriptures while neglecting palace affairs, which only emboldened these lackeys. Not only did they conceal the truth, but they also became impossible to command.

"Guards, drag him away and beat him to death as a warning to others."

Zhang Chengyuan woke up at the right time. Her eyes were dazed for a moment, and then her memories from before she fainted came back. She heard the voices pleading for mercy, and turned her head to look at them with some reluctance on her face: "Your Majesty, please spare them. Your Majesty, I am still praying for blessings. I cannot commit such a heinous crime."

The emperor frowned, clearly displeased: "You have the heart of a bodhisattva, haven't you had enough of the bitter fruit yet?"

Zhang Chengyuan shook her head with a wry smile, then looked up at the emperor: "Your Majesty, I hope you will have pity on me and protect me a little more."

"Alright, then why did you suddenly vomit blood and faint?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengyuan was overcome with grief and lowered her head, tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, you must do justice for me! My eunuch has been missing for four days. I have sent people to search for him, but they cannot find him anywhere..."

The emperor asked with some doubt, "Is there a eunuch?"

"It's the one who serves me daily, gives me advice, and burns incense and copies scriptures for me. Your Majesty, you've met him."

Upon hearing her words, the emperor remembered that the little eunuch had a pleasant voice that had brought smiles to the sullen Consort Cheng's face several times, and he had encountered him a few times as well: "Send someone to investigate."

After the emperor's order was issued, the results were in the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

The captain of the guards brought over a stretcher covered with a white sheet and reported the situation: "Your Majesty, the person was found in the dry well in the Cold Palace. It is estimated that he has been dead for more than three days. There are no obvious external injuries on his body, and he is suspected to have died by jumping into the well."

"Summon Imperial Physician."

The old doctor immediately stepped forward to examine her, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. The moment he lifted the white cloth to reveal his face, everyone gasped and covered their noses in disgust.

It was autumn, and although the temperature was not high, the body had already decomposed significantly after three or four days. The eyeballs were bulging, the lips were everted and swollen, and the entire face was swollen, discolored, and bluish-black. It was barely recognizable as a father-in-law, but the resemblance to the emperor was impossible to verify.

Zhang Chengyuan pointed a trembling finger at Eunuch You, her voice shaking, "Your Majesty, it is...it is him, it is Eunuch You. Please help me find the culprit."

The emperor, with his arm around her, yawned sleepily, feeling drowsy. Hearing this, he patted her reassuringly and said casually, "Hmm, don't be too sad, it'll hurt your health."

Forcibly shaking off his drowsiness, he turned to the imperial physician and asked, "How is it?"

The old imperial physician covered the body with the white cloth and replied, "Your Majesty, there is no poison in the deceased's body, nor are there any other wounds. The preliminary judgment is that he committed suicide by jumping into the well."

Upon hearing this, the emperor waved his hand, signaling for the body to be carried out: "Throw it in a mess..."

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed the person in his arms gripping his clothes tightly. He paused for a moment and finally changed his words: "Give the person a proper burial. Someone go and investigate why the person threw himself into the well."

After saying that, he looked down at the person in his arms, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Are you satisfied now?"

Zhang Chengyuan looked up at him, his speechless expression almost breaking down.

Fortunately, the emperor didn't expect her answer. His gaze fell on the servants who were trying their best to make themselves inconspicuous, and he said with great authority, "The death penalty can be waived, but punishment is inevitable. Send them all to the laundry department and never leave for the rest of their lives."

Upon hearing this order, some people breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to have survived, while others collapsed to the ground, feeling utterly hopeless. Zhang Chengyuan felt no remorse whatsoever; sparing their lives was already an act of mercy.

"Okay, let's all disperse."

He waved to the crowd, signaling them to leave.

The emperor helped Zhang Chengyuan lie down and said to her, "Rest well, I will come to see you tonight."

After giving his instructions, he left quickly. He had a lot of things to do and didn't have time to waste.

Zhang Chengyuan lay in bed without getting up, but his mind was unusually active.

Presumably, Yu Qingyuan will soon receive news of his younger brother Yu Siyou's death. The next few days will be quite a show; I really want to know how he'll react...

As night fell, the emperor indeed arrived, but he could only fall asleep the moment his head hit the bed, showing how exhausted he was.

Zhang Chengyuan focused his consciousness on the second paper doll, which crawled out from inside Jiang Siyou's clothes: "Siyou, wake up, I'll take you to see a play."

Jiang Si opened her eyes instantly, her alertness immediately rising.

Paper Doll #2 tiptoed and touched his face: "Here."

"Yuanbao! What's wrong?"

After realizing it was Zhang Chengyuan, he lowered his guard but then became puzzled as to what was going on.

"Yu Qingyuan should already know about Yu Si's death. I'll take you to see a play."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Siyou became very interested. He had been living a very frustrating life as Yu Siyou for the past few years, and now he was very interested in seeing that bastard's misfortune.

Jiang Si said with great interest, "Then let's hurry up and go, lest we be too late and miss it."

Paper Doll No. 2 took out four different kinds of talismans and slapped them all on Jiang Siyou: "Alright, let's go to the Cold Palace."

Jiang Siyou was also skilled at drawing talismans. He immediately recognized what kind of talisman it was and what its effect was. He took a step and rushed out, appearing twenty meters away in just a few breaths, like a gentle breeze.

Half an hour later, Jiang Siyou appeared in the Cold Palace.

The concealment talisman on his body prevented any of the experts in the palace from noticing him.

Jiang Siyou and Little Paper Doll No. 2 hid in the corner, quietly watching Yu Qingyuan, who was motionless in the darkness.

When the two arrived, there were still candles in the room, and Yu Qingyuan was writing and drawing. Soon, a man in black appeared in the room and extinguished the candles.

Yu Qingyuan was not surprised. Instead, he asked in a calm voice, "What is it?"

The man in black said without any tact, "An old man jumped into a well and died."

Yu Qingyuan's hand trembled, and the brush he was holding instantly fell to the ground. He asked in a stiff voice, "When did this happen?"

The man in black said in a serious tone, "The time of death was four days ago. This afternoon, Consort Cheng Zhao was unable to find Eunuch You and vomited blood and fell into a coma, which alarmed the Emperor, who then found Eunuch You's body."

Yu Qingyuan remained silent for a long time. After a while, as if exhausted, he waved his hand to let the man in black leave, and then remained there like a statue.

Suddenly, Paper Doll #2 sensed something. It patted Jiang Siyou, pointed outside, and then sneaked out. (End of Chapter)