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

The gates of the duke's mansion were tall and imposing.

In particular, the mansion of Duke Xicheng was already wealthy, and its vermilion gate had just been freshly painted, shining brightly.

The golden nails gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

They knocked on the door several times, making a loud banging.

"Who is this? Don't they know this is the residence of the Duke of Xicheng?...

The servant opened the door and swallowed hard when he saw a whole group of Imperial Guards.

Li Qingyan raised her hand. "Go in and arrest them."

The Imperial Guards surged into the mansion, each one exuding an imposing aura.

"What are you doing?"

"Who are you people?"

"I am a Lady of Imperial Decree, you..."

Li Qingyan brought along a few old nannies, who were just enough to keep the women in check.

The soldiers behind her brought a chair, and Li Qingyan, being so small, looked rather comical sitting in it.

The Duchess of Xicheng tapped her cane on the ground and loudly questioned, "Who are you, little brat? Do you know that leading soldiers to trespass on the Duke's mansion is a capital offense? Cough cough..."

Lady Xicheng has been recuperating in the mansion for many years. The last time she saw Li Qingyan was at the full moon banquet.

"Madam of the Duke of Xicheng, I am the Third Princess. Regarding today's events... you shouldn't ask me what I'm doing, but rather what good deeds your husband has done."

Duke Xicheng, now fifty years old, was led to the center of the courtyard in shackles. He walked with his head held high, showing no fear whatsoever.

Upon seeing Li Qingyan, she questioned her, "Your Highness is truly capable, using His Majesty's token to mobilize troops and arbitrarily detain the Duke. This is a capital offense!"

"Do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you don't have a mother?"

They practically pointed their fingers at Li Qingyan and called her a bastard. Li Qingyan knew who her parents were, so she didn't care what outsiders said. Instead, she asked Duke Xicheng in a calm tone.

"Is it common knowledge in Xicheng that no one knows the former headmaster of Changning Academy?"

Duke Xicheng frowned slightly and his eyes darted away.

"The young prince is only three years old and spends most of his time in the palace, so he probably doesn't know the old abbot's name. Who in the entire capital doesn't know the old abbot?"

He spoke with exceptional confidence.

Li Qingyan rubbed her ears, which were still sore from the shock.

"However, very few people communicated with the old dean using the Northern script."

Li Qingyan took out a piece of paper. It was covered with characters from the northern regions, which most people couldn't understand.

Xi Cheng Gong directly accused Li Qingyan of defamation. The document doesn't bear his seal, but his name is mentioned alone. Does that prove it's him?

"I'm not the only one in the capital who can read Northern characters. What kind of evidence is this, Your Highness?"

Duke Xicheng was even more self-righteous, pointing at Li Qingyan, "Even if she is a princess, a mere brat is trying to punish a Duke who has rendered meritorious service to the country with such unclear evidence."

"This is a false accusation! Li Qingyan, who exactly is behind you? Could it be that His Majesty wants to get rid of us old ministers?"

This not only criticized Li Qingyan, but also pinned the blame on Li Yan. Li Qingyan tapped the armrest a few times with her fingers.

"Lord Xicheng, there's no need to say that. I was the one who investigated this matter, I was the one who arrested the people, and even these Imperial Guards were sent by the General at my behest with my token."

Li Qingyan smiled and said, "Duke Xicheng wants to pin this label on His Majesty today, without even considering whether it's reasonable."

Duke Xicheng never expected that Li Qingyan came out with a token. Li Yan had so easily handed over such an important dragon-patterned jade token to Li Qingyan.

This jade token, like a military tally, can mobilize up to five thousand soldiers.

If someone with ulterior motives were to obtain this item, they could rebel at any time. Li Qingyan glanced up at the sun.

"The weather is just right in early autumn, neither too hot nor too cold. Duke Xicheng, look up so that you won't have the chance to see such a day again."

"Utterly arrogant!" the heir of the Duke of Xicheng shouted from outside the door. "Open your dog eyes and see who I am! Get out of my way!"

Li Qingyan raised her hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to let him in.

When the crown prince saw his father in shackles, his eyes widened in fury. These were things only serious criminals were put in, which was tantamount to walking naked in the street for people of their status.

"How dare you?"

"Your Highness, do you even respect the laws of the land?"

"Just these few unclear pieces of paper are enough to convict my father? That's quite something..."

Their murderous glares made Li Qingyan want to laugh.

At this moment, Yan Li escorted people in, followed by a group of people carrying a stack of account books.

Yan Li threw the man to the ground. "Your Highness, the assassin has been brought. He was interrogated on the way; the Duke of Xicheng sent him. Zhao Ke's wife isn't dead; she's been imprisoned by this brat."

The man on the ground had a bruised and swollen face. He glanced at Duke Xicheng with shifty eyes and then lowered his head again.

Xi Cheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said nothing more.

Li Qingyan dared to wait here because Fei Cha had just told her that she had found Zhao Ke's wife.

Li Qingyan flipped through the accounts and lists, yawned, and said, "I should go back and talk to my father."

As she casually raised an eyebrow and jumped off the chair, she glanced at the ornately decorated Duke's mansion. "A single misstep could lead to the collapse of this grand edifice. Everyone, prepare yourselves..."

He turned and was about to leave.

Duke Xicheng immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "This matter is entirely my fault and has nothing to do with anyone else."

He immediately kowtowed to Li Qingyan, his previous arrogant demeanor completely gone. He was a completely different person from the Xi Cheng Gong who had been pointing and cursing people just moments before.

Did you mistake me for someone else?

He was clearly scared.

"Forgive you? What about those students whose identities were stolen, those who died on their way home? What about them?"

Li Qingyan took out another roll of names, which she and the old translator hadn't shown to anyone else. It was an assassination list, and all the names except Tao Jiannan's were marked with a red cross.

"Yan Li, go and find out who is here, where they went and where they died."

The autumn wind wasn't cold, but it made Li Qingyan shiver all over.

"Is Your Highness returning to the palace?"

Yan Xu stood outside the Xicheng Duke's mansion, leading his horse, and reached out his hand to Li Qingyan. Li Qingyan ran a few steps and hugged one of his legs.

"I miss Li Yan."

This was the first time Li Qingyan had said she missed Li Yan. This case was no ordinary case of favoritism and corruption; all she saw was blood and human lives.

The road to heaven is filled with flesh and blood.

The person who greeted Li Qingyan was not Li Yan, but Hu Xu, who served the retired emperor. Li Qingyan sat on her horse, looked down at him, and uttered only one word: "Get lost."

He then headed towards the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Hu Xu's smile remained unchanged. "Didn't you see the Third Princess tell us to get lost? Go back and report to the Emperor Emeritus. In the Third Princess's eyes, we're not even worth as much as livestock."

The young eunuchs behind him trembled as they listened to his words.