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

Li Yan sat next to Li Qingyan, the father and daughter sitting on the steps without regard for their status.

"Are you easy to bully?"

A smile played on his lips. He was indeed different now. He used to be too lazy to waste words with these people; he would kill them if he could.

With evidence, why bother with the reputation of a tyrant?

But now...

A country ruled by a tyrant will always leave endless troubles for future generations.

Although he didn't like the position, the thought of his little brat sitting in it one day and having to bear immeasurable consequences for his mistakes made him shudder.

"Why did you decide to come back? Isn't it still going on?"

Li Yan also imitated her, resting his chin on his hand; the twenty-eight-year-old emperor suddenly became childish.

Li Qingyan glanced at him, yawned, and said, "It's been so long since I've seen you. I've missed you a little."

The fact that he said such a straightforward thing made Li Yan slightly stunned.

Missing him?

No one had ever said those words to him since he was a child, nor had anyone ever expressed their longing for him.

When he was a child, he saw his mother missing his father and the former crown prince who had gone to war. Later, when he grew up, he went to war with his father, but when he returned, he did not see the so-called longing his mother had shown him.

And it seems he never missed anyone.

So Li Yan didn't know what it felt like to "miss someone".

He now knew what it felt like to be missed.

"Go to sleep if you're tired, and everything else will be taken care of quickly. You did a great job, little one."

He had barely finished speaking when he felt a small head appear on his lap. Li Qingyan had fallen asleep sometime during the night. Laifu, ever observant, took a cloak and covered Li Qingyan with it.

Yan Xu, who was standing outside, saw this scene and a smile appeared on his lips. He didn't disturb them but left the palace alone.

Li Qingyan had no idea how lucky she was. Not only did she find herself such a good father as Yan Xu, but she also gained a very well-connected uncle.

The banquet truly showed Li Qingyan what it meant to know everyone from high-ranking officials to people from all walks of life.

Those candidates who failed the exam and were assassinated came from all over the country. It's fair to say that the investigation would be extremely difficult; even with multiple parties working together, it would take at least three months to get results. But Yan Li accomplished it in just fifteen days.

On the day Tao Jiannan recovered, Li Qingyan had the causes of death of all the people she had investigated found.

Almost all of them were "accidental" deaths.

This incident also implicated some assassins.

Yan Li also discovered where these assassins were hiding.

They directly ordered the Dali Temple to send people to arrest him.

Li Qingyan sat in the chair of the Dali Temple, looking at the evidence and testimonies in front of her, and was shocked.

"Yan Li, you were born to be a master at the Dali Temple."

This is perfect for investigating cases.

Yan Li had no interest in the court.

"Your Highness, please spare me. I don't want to be trapped by these rules like my brother."

Li Qingyan's eyes lit up, and she tugged at his sleeve. "I have a place that suits you. Nuanchun Pavilion."

Nuanchunlou, ostensibly a brothel, has actually been transformed into an intelligence station by Li Qingyan and Feicha. However, its operation still has some issues, and the information gathered is not yet comprehensive. But Yan Li is a natural-born intelligence expert, perfectly suited for the role.

When Yan Li heard about Nuanchunlou, he was so scared that he almost fell to the ground. His family had a rule that they should not enter such places.

He had been to many places, but he would never dare to enter a brothel.

But after hearing what Li Qingyan said, his eyes widened.

"Your Highness has told me such a secret. Aren't you afraid something bad will happen?"

Li Qingyan shook her head. "Trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. Should I go or not?"

"Go." Yan Li's eyes lit up as he took the waist token from Li Qingyan. "Take up your post immediately after the case is closed."

The two clapped their hands, and that was it—they had reached an agreement.

Li Qingyan had already made all the necessary preparations, leaving the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice with only interrogation and case file organization to handle.

Li Qingyan had no need for these matters. Feeling quite bored, she wandered around the Dali Temple and unintentionally stumbled upon a room where files were kept.

"Cough cough cough..."

The room was covered in dust when I opened the door. How long has it been since it was cleaned?

"Your Highness...the interrogation is over."

"Your Highness..."

When Li Qingyan heard someone call her and turned around to leave, she accidentally bumped into a bookshelf.

"Bang bang bang..."

The scaffolding, which hadn't been repaired in a long time, collapsed one after another. Officials from the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice heard the commotion and thought to themselves, "This is bad." They rushed over.

Li Qingyan's intelligence made them overlook the fact that she was still a three-year-old child, and that a few books could weigh her down so much that she couldn't get up.

Seeing the dust billowing out of the house, everyone stopped in their tracks.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and save them!"

Someone shouted this, and everyone rushed inside in a panic, throwing files out one after another.

"Your Highness..."

"Your Highness..."

"Your Highness..."

……

The sounds rose and fell until a bookshelf was moved. Li Qingyan pursed her lips; the two bookshelves formed an angle, avoiding touching her.

But the once lovely porcelain doll is now covered in dust, and dust keeps settling on her as she walks.

*Pfft*

I don't know who made that laugh.

Li Qingyan took a deep breath, "Cough cough cough..."

He was choked by the dust on his own body.

"You should manage these files properly. Look at how many years it's been since they were last repaired!"

As they walked out, Yan Li took a handkerchief and dusted off the dust on her body.

The little white rabbit turned into a little gray rabbit.

Li Qingyan shook her head irritably, and a piece of paper fell out from under the corner of her pom-pom.

Li Qingyan glanced at the pattern drawn on it, and then took out the pattern she had drawn at the academy that day from her bosom.

They are exactly the same.

She turned to the official who was packing things up inside and asked, "Is this a totem from the North?"

The official glanced at it, shook his head, and said, "It's not a northern totem. People in the north worship the wolf totem. This thing looks more like a pattern from the previous dynasty."

The official thought for a moment, then found a booklet on the still-standing bookshelf, dusted it off, and flipped through a few pages. He handed it to Li Qingyan, saying, "The previous dynasty's royal family used orchid designs as a symbol because their founding emperor loved orchids, and the style of painting them was unique..."

Hearing this, Li Qingyan felt a little dizzy and didn't care about her image.

"Hongyu... lead the people and follow me to Changning Academy."

The patterns on those two longevity locks clearly belonged to the previous dynasty's royal family. There were rumors that the former crown prince's two children had been lost abroad, but these were just folk tales in the past.

But now that you add those two longevity locks, it's not the same anymore.

Changning Academy is closed today, and only Yan Feizhang is sweeping the courtyard when a group of people suddenly appears.

Yan Feizhang simply bowed to them and said, "The academy is closed today, and all the teachers have gone home. If you need anything, please come tomorrow."

Li Qingyan slid down from Hongyu's arms and stood in front of Yan Feizhang, looking up at him.

"Yan Feizhang, you know his identity, don't you?"

He didn't argue, he just nodded.

Li Qingyan didn't feel angry; she simply asked calmly, "Why did you let him go?"

"Mr. Zhou saved my life, and that debt of gratitude is now repaid. If we meet again, we will be enemies."

Yan Feizhang spoke these words with a calm expression.

Li Yan had once given Li Qingyan a detailed introduction to Yan Feizhang's father, a man of principle who ultimately died for the cause he stood for.

Yan Feizhang is exactly like his father, possessing the integrity of a gentleman, but lacking the ability to adapt.

"Do you know where your actions today will lead the people of Daeyu?"

Li Qingyan gritted her teeth.

Yan Feizhang knelt before Li Qingyan and kowtowed, saying, "This humble subject has failed the people. If any misfortune befalls me, I am willing to pay with my life."

Li Qingyan closed her eyes. "This place is no longer suitable for you. Go to the Seven Southern Counties to find Hongyan. I will write you a letter."

Li Qingyan led her people away.

Only Yan Feizhang remained in the large courtyard. He looked at the small figure and bowed deeply.

By letting Mr. Zhou go, he saved himself, but left behind a hidden danger.

From this day forward, his life will be one of atonement.