Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Li Qingyan felt a chill run down her spine.

She looked at Cuiping beside her and said, "Go find an experienced coroner."

Mingyan Villa was quickly sealed off.

Soon a coroner was brought over.

Several coroners dug into the soil to identify the incense.

Li Qingyan ordered the injured girls to be sent for medical treatment. The bodies of the remaining girls were to be identified by a coroner to restore their appearance and search for their families.

Standing on high ground overlooking the manor, Li Qingyan could clearly see that the soil on the back mountain had a unique red hue under the sunlight.

The coroners quickly studied these documents and reported them to Li Qingyan.

That soil contains not only human blood, but also bones and flesh. The oils in that balm are derived from human flesh.

Li Qingyan felt her hair stand on end after hearing this.

"Those beasts."

"Guards, interrogate him! Regardless of life or death, regardless of the means used, interrogate him!"

This means that all forms of torture can be used.

For three consecutive days, Li Qingyan barely slept; she stayed at the mountain villa.

The wails of those being interrogated continued to echo in the back hills.

Li Qingyan's eyes were filled with indifference.

She had been too optimistic about people. She thought the most cruel thing these people could do was destroy the evidence, but she never expected them to be trying to squeeze every last drop of value out of these girls.

Because cinnamon orchids grow best when nourished by the blood of girls under twenty, they went around capturing young girls.

If a girl who had her blood drawn couldn't hold on and died, she would be used as fertilizer for flowers or as oil in perfumes.

Those who could endure until the age of twenty would be sent to brothels in Guiyuan City to earn money for them. Most of the women who were replaced were sick or too old and unattractive, and they would be "disposed of" and used as fertilizer.

Looking at the confessions, Li Qingyan gritted her teeth and said, "Lock them in jail. Don't let them die, and don't let them have an easy time either."

There are many ways to torture people in prison.

Death? Too easy. These people don't even deserve to die.

Because some of the girls came from relatively good families, some valuable items were stored in the warehouse by this group of people.

Li Qingyan immediately noticed the gold longevity lock inlaid with seven-colored gemstones.

Those are Luo Min's things.

When Madam Zhao asked Li Qingyan to find her daughter, she showed Li Qingyan the painting of this longevity lock.

This is something Luo Min has worn around her neck since she was a child; she never takes it off.

And the fact that this thing is here means that the girl has also become flower soil...

Li Qingyan took a deep breath and squatted down weakly.

Cuiping, who was standing nearby, quickly helped her up. "Your Highness..."

These past few days, Li Qingyan has eaten and drunk very little, and has even spoken very little.

The deathly aura permeating Mingyan Manor was so oppressive that even these elite warriors felt it. How could four-year-old Li Qingyan possibly withstand it?

Li Qingyan locked herself in her room.

Cuiping was pacing anxiously outside. Not only Cuiping, but even the heir of Duke Wencheng had come to ask about it many times.

They said they wanted to get a doctor to come and take a look at Li Qingyan, but Cuiping stopped them.

It wasn't that Cuiping wasn't worried; it was that Li Qingyan had instructed that no doctor be allowed to come and examine her.

"General Yan."

Cuiping hurriedly clasped her hands in greeting as she saw the newcomer.

Yan Xu was dressed in a black robe with red patterns, and his hair was styled with a golden crown.

"Where is the young prince?"

Yan Xu and Li Yan were very anxious after not seeing Li Qingyan for several days.

However, Li Qingyan sent a message back saying she wanted some peace and quiet and didn't want Li Yan to come. So Yan Xu had to come by himself.

Cuiping lowered her head and said, "The young prince hasn't been eating much inside, nor does he seem to want to sleep."

Yan Xu gently pushed the door open and found it was bolted. He placed his hand on the door and gave it a slight shake, which instantly shattered the bolt without making a sound.

Cuiping's eyes widened in surprise. She had heard that Mr. Wu, a disciple of Yan Xu and Li Yan, had a unique skill: using internal force to strike a cow across a mountain.

I only realized how powerful it was after seeing it for myself.

Yan Xu looked at the small bulge wrapped in the quilt on the bed and slowly walked over.

Li Yan had also felt this kind of disappointment, and that was... when he killed the former crown prince. Everyone thought that Li Yan should be extremely happy to have obtained the throne, after all, he was the victor.

Only Yan Xu saw Li Yan lock himself in the palace and get drunk, and then sober up the next day to face his father's insults and his mother's hysteria.

The current Li Qingyan is very similar to the Li Yan of that time; helpless little animals always curl up to seek a sense of security.

"Your Highness."

Yan Xu sat on the edge of the bed and watched the bulging little bag move.

Li Qingyan's voice was muffled, "Why are you here? Li Yan is here too?"

"If Your Highness doesn't allow His Majesty to come, how could His Majesty dare to come?" Yan Xu patted her. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"The matter of Madam Zhao's daughter should also be truthfully disclosed."

Hearing his words, Li Qingyan slowly crawled out from under the covers. She hugged Yan Xu's neck and buried her face in his neck. "Let's go then."

Hiding things is not a good approach; the truth must eventually be revealed.

Yan Xu knew that Li Qingyan was so despondent because she had witnessed such a cruel scene. After all, he and Li Yan had also been in shock for a long time when they first saw the starving people exchanging children to eat.

Heaven and earth give birth to all things, and all things have good and evil.

This was a scene Li Qingyan was bound to see sooner or later; it was just happening earlier than expected.

The banquet procession wrapped people in cloaks.

When the little rabbit is frightened, it wants to stay in a dark place so that it can calm down.

Since the nunnery was frequented by women, Yanxu couldn't approach it, so he sent Cuiping to knock on the door and inquire.

Is Madam Zhao inside the nunnery?

The old nun shook her head and said that Madam Zhao had been taken away after being bullied by the concubine that day.

They said it was from Madam Zhao's husband's family.

No one knows exactly where they went.

Li Qingyan felt a chill run down her spine after hearing this. Could it be that Luo Jun killed Madam Zhao?

Yan Xu quickly sent someone to find it.

Li Qingyan only saw a few people suddenly appear through the gap in her cloak. After receiving the order, those people quickly left.

She tugged at Yan Xu's clothes. "Yan Xu, are those people your people?"

"No, it's His Majesty's." Yan Xu patted her head.

But those people were clearly neither assassins nor secret guards. So... Li Yan is still hiding something.

Li Qingyan rubbed her face, feeling a little sleepy.

Yan Xu handed her a few mint leaves. "His Majesty said you can chew on these if you're sleepy."

Li Qingyan stuffed a mint leaf into her mouth and chewed it with a "woof woof" sound, feeling that even though Li Yan wasn't there, he was everywhere.

"Old Deng really has a strong presence."

【…】

Fei Cha sighed and only continued eating sunflower seeds after seeing that Li Qingyan had recovered her composure.

[Isn't there anything else to say at the banquet? Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty... my ears are about to fall off.]

Flying Fork rubbed his ears, knowing he dared not let his host hear him. Otherwise, his complaints might lead to old grudges being brought up.

His host might keep a little notebook of grudges in his heart.

Those who had gathered information returned quickly. They learned that Madam Zhao was now living in a small courtyard on the outskirts of Beijing.

Yan Xu led Li Qingyan on horseback quickly to the small courtyard.

Li Qingyan was genuinely worried that Luo Jun, that beast who could drive away his wife, might harm Madam Zhao.

But once she got to the courtyard, Li Qingyan realized something was wrong.

The courtyard was very secluded, and the flowers and plants planted there were all exceptionally precious.

The fish raised in the pond are carefully selected koi.

It is currently the season when peach blossoms are in full bloom, and the garden is filled with their pleasant fragrance.

Before Li Qingyan met Madam Zhao, she first saw the Earl of Ning'an.

Ning Anbo was ten years older than Luo Jun.

The youngest son of the legitimate wife is a good friend of Yan Li.

The Marquis of Ning'an actually knows Madam Zhao? They seem to have a good relationship. After all, the Marquis of Ning'an came with gifts.

As far as Li Qingyan knew, the Ning'an Earl's family and the Wencheng Duke's family had long been at odds, and Luo Jun was a disciple of the Wencheng Duke.

How did the Earl of Ning'an and Lady Zhao meet?

Li Qingyan did not approach. She and Yan Xu observed for a while and saw that Ning Anbo did not enter the door. Instead, he handed the things to the gatekeeper and asked them to take them in before turning around and leaving.

It seems there's no intention to bother Madam Zhao.

After everyone had gone far away, Li Qingyan and Yan Xu went into the courtyard. Luo Jun took Madam Zhao away, but did not restrict her movements.

At this moment, Madam Zhao was wearing a white brocade dress with blue patterns, and a silver hairpin in her hair, which was inlaid with an emerald.

Unlike the tormented woman I had seen before, Madam Zhao had now returned to her pampered and comfortable state.

"Your Highness!"

Madam Zhao was extremely excited to see Li Qingyan, and the maid behind her hurriedly followed, saying, "Madam, Madam, please be careful."

Madam Zhao immediately knelt before Li Qingyan, "Your Highness, have you found my son?"

Those eyes, filled with longing for news of her child, made Li Qingyan unable to look directly at them. Her small hands trembled as she took out the longevity lock.