Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"The room smelled of sandalwood, but the incense ash had cooled down, indicating that the person had been gone for some time."

Mao Dan angrily scratched the ground with its paws, "It's still too late. Master used spiritual power to enhance his lightness skill, so he arrived fast enough."

Gui Yao inspected the room. The furnishings were luxurious, and the dressing table was fully stocked with cosmetics, but there were no signs of it being touched. There were also no signs of clothes being stored in the wardrobe.

"This is not her residence."

It's at most a temporary place to stay.

Upon hearing this, Mao Dan immediately flew outside to take a look. "The house is abandoned, and there's nowhere to cook."

The master is right, this is not the place for a bad woman.

"Let me see if there's a secret passage."

It wandered around the room, its gaze finally settling on an ebony box.

"Doesn't this look like one of mine?"

The frilly egg flew over and said, "This box is covered in jewels; it really does have the owner's style."

Gui Yao touched the soft silk inside the box. "This should be used to hold the eyes."

She used her favorite box to hold her eyes. What is this person's relationship with her?

The eyes are gone, but the box remains.

Mao Dan immediately said, "Then we can't go after them."

How long does it take to get a box?

The other party deliberately left the box here, probably as a warning to them that she had the master's eyes on her.

Gui Yao put the box into her spatial storage, glanced at the room that had been completely unmarked, and said, "Then I won't pursue it."

A cunning rabbit has three burrows; the capital city is vast, and chasing someone is extremely taxing on one's spiritual energy.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to use spiritual power to retrieve the eyes.

That person can't hold her eyes all the time.

When Xiao Huaijin arrived, Gui Yao was leading Mao Dan out of the abandoned house.

"Yaoyao".

Upon receiving the news, he rushed over on horseback, followed by the Minister of Justice and Zang Lan.

When Pang Cui delivered the letter, he was accompanying the Minister of Justice in the capital.

Several death row inmates also died in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison, their throats slit with a knife, just like the others.

Only Bai Daya died by disembowelment.

Zang Lan stepped forward as well, "Miss Gui Yao, do you have any clues?"

Bai Daya's unborn child was a boy, which Marquis Cheng'an valued highly. Now that the child is gone, Marquis Cheng'an will surely make trouble for him.

He hadn't even figured out his own family's affairs yet, so he really had no heart to deal with Marquis Cheng'an.

Seeing Gui Yao come out alone, he knew that the person had escaped, so he hoped to catch the real culprit as soon as possible and let Marquis Cheng'an make trouble for the real culprit.

Gui Yao shook her head. "I'm a step too late. You can go in and see if there's any other evidence."

The Minister of Justice immediately led his men to the secret room, hoping to find some clues.

Zang Lan then followed up with Gui Yao, saying, "Tomorrow at the morning court, I will report the matter of the condemned prisoner's suicide after his mind was stolen, and ask Your Majesty for a decision."

He learned that the Crown Prince was threatening Gui Yao in the west of the city, and he also heard from his wife that Gui Yao was taking orders for the sake of her vows.

If Gui Yao saves his wife, he will help Gui Yao achieve his goal of having the Crown Prince lead the people in making a vow.

Gui Yao smiled, "Thank you, Lord Zang. By the way, did Sister Ji reveal where the Soul-Capturing Needles came from?"

"They said it was given to her along with that letter."

Zang Lan's expression was somewhat solemn. "Aside from that letter that suddenly appeared in her room, there is no other evidence."

Ji Xiaomei already harbored malicious intentions, so she didn't care at all whether the letter was real or fake, nor did she investigate it further.

Gui Yao thought for a moment, "Why don't we investigate the Ghost Market and the Luo family?"

The Soul-Changing Incense and the Love-Loving Talisman came from the Ghost Market, while the Ghost Fetus and the Mountain God Case were both the work of the Luo family.

These two things might be related, and Gui Yao thought it would be a good opportunity to have Cang Lan investigate, so she informed Cang Lan of the news related to the Ghost Market.

Having experienced his wife's soul leaving her body, Zang Lan now firmly believed in these matters. He solemnly replied, "Thank you for your guidance, young lady. I will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly."

"There's one more thing."

Gui Yao looked at him, "Ji Xiaomei wanted to kill her sister and take her place out of jealousy. What is the person behind this doing, fanning the flames?"

Zang Lan was taken aback. "If it succeeds, use my name to cover it up..."

"You'll be unable to explain yourself then."

Xiao Huaijin added casually, "Perhaps there are other tricks to make it difficult for you to remain the impartial and incorruptible Lord Zang."

"In this way, I was given a handle to use against me."

Zang Lan felt a chill run down his spine. "In the end, we had no choice but to use them."

Gui Yao nodded.

She thought of the soul-swapping case, on the surface Ji Linchuan instigated the Princess Consort to make a deal with the ghost market, making him the Prince of Shu, so that he could realize his ambitions.

However, the fact that Ji Linchuan impersonated the Prince of Shu has fallen into the hands of the Ghost Market, who can control him at any time.

Qingqing's task is to confuse Xiao Huaijin, who is Nan Yao's darling and has many things she can do.

Gui Yao felt that the Ghost Market was using a huge net to weave an ambitious conspiracy.

So, was the woman in the black robe involved? And what role did she play?

Zang Lan also realized the importance of the issue, "May I be completely honest with Your Majesty?"

If these matters were to shake the foundations of the nation, that would be too great, and he would have to inform His Majesty. However, since it involved his wife's soul leaving her body, he was unsure whether Gui Yao would be willing to let His Majesty know.

"Can."

Just as Gui Yao finished speaking, Li Deshun came rushing over using his light-footed skills. "Miss, are you alright?"

A group of masked men in black followed behind him.

While Li Deshun was questioning her, he had thoroughly examined Gui Yao from head to toe before he could finally catch his breath.

The note said, "Gui Yao is in trouble. Come quickly to the abandoned house in the east of the city to help."

The hairy egg used its beak to dab blood, and the handwriting was extremely messy, which is why Li Deshun saw the hasty handwriting.

They only call for help when something really bad has happened.

He was so scared he almost lost his mind.

"The mind-stealer was discovered, but she escaped."

Seeing his expression, Gui Yao knew that Mao Dan was up to no good, so she pinched his belly.

Mao Dan made a funny face.

It was intentional; who told those so-called relatives and loyal servants in the palace not to protect their master?

Li Deshun wanted to ask more questions, but since Xiao Huaijin and Cang Lan were present, he said, "Miss, could you please explain in detail so that I can report back to His Majesty?"

Gui Yao understood, nodded slightly to Xiao Huaijin and Cang Lan, and led them towards Xuanji Tower.

From a distance, Li Deshun quickly asked what was going on.

Gui Yao recounted the story, then asked, "Who do you think that person might be?"

Li Deshun thought hard for a moment, "This old servant can't figure it out right now, but this old servant will definitely investigate it carefully when I get back."

He instructed Gui Yao, "Miss, since that person possesses evil magic, you must not implicate anyone alone in the future, or this old servant will worry."

"it is good."

Gui Yao agreed, but she knew in her heart that she could not meet De Shun's request.

Five thousand sisters are waiting for her to save them, and a blood feud is waiting for her to avenge.

Once she returns to Xuanji Tower, she will use all her spiritual power to reclaim her eyes; ultimately, one can only rely on oneself.

She glanced at the people following De Shun; each of them possessed a restrained aura and was a top-tier expert.

"Xuanji Tower is safe, you can go back now."

Bringing so many people out like this must have alarmed the emperor. I wonder what excuse he came up with.

Li Deshun also turned his head to look behind him, thinking of what had just happened, and leaned close to Gui Yao, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Young Master, His Majesty seems to have noticed something."

Even though he was worried after receiving the note, he couldn't just leave the palace; he could only take the note to see the emperor.

He had intended to persuade the Emperor by saying that he needed Gui Yao to regain his mind and that Gui Yao couldn't be harmed, but the Emperor read the note and said nothing. He immediately sent his most elite bodyguards with him.

He suspected that His Majesty had also guessed the young master's identity. "According to imperial rules, the emperor's personal guards must never leave his side."

Aside from His Majesty's nighttime episodes where he would sneak out through secret passages, "this is the first time."

If His Majesty wasn't worried about the young master, why would he send out his own secret guards?

Gui Yao's eyes were filled with complex emotions. "De Shun, let nature take its course."

She cannot reunite with her family until the truth is revealed.

Li Deshun guessed that she must have some resentment towards the Emperor and Empress, so he said no more, only saying, "This old servant will escort you to Xuanji Tower and then return."

Gui Yao knew he was worried, so she didn't refuse.

Upon arriving at Xuanji Tower, Gui Yao went inside, while Li Deshun stood outside for a long time.

If it were him, he would also complain.

The Great Sheng Dynasty was constantly harassed by neighboring countries, and wars were ongoing, causing its national strength to weaken and its treasury to become increasingly empty.

The only way to stop the war was to fight with all our might. The eight dukes and ten marquises suggested that the crown prince personally lead the expedition to boost morale.

Unfortunately, the crown prince was so incompetent that he fainted from shock at the filth before the war even began.

According to the ancestral rules of the Dasheng dynasty, princesses were not allowed to serve as generals or wield power.

The young mistress could only pretend to be the crown prince and fight on the battlefield. That year, she was only thirteen years old. In order to appear as tall as the crown prince, she had countless layers of padding in her boots.

Even after taking off their shoes at night, their feet were covered in blisters, yet they still had to go into battle.

The Empress wrote to the Princess, asking her to help the Crown Prince. The Emperor felt sorry for the Princess, but also hoped that she could end the war.

They helped cover it up, making the princess achieve great military exploits for the crown prince and earn a reputation for virtue and ability. They also made the crown prince swear before his ancestors that he would protect the princess and ensure her happiness and prosperity for the rest of his life.

The emperor and empress once embraced the seriously injured princess and made all sorts of promises. However, the person who claimed to protect the princess was unaware that the princess had been switched at birth.

Every year, a constant stream of fine gifts is sent to Nan Yao, the fake princess, while the real princess suffers endless torment and is forced to live a life of displacement.

Li Deshun gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and thought, "I have no choice but to complain."

He wiped away his tears and turned to return to the palace.

The emperor slowly emerged from the shadows of the restaurant, and after a long while, he said to the guards behind him, "Let's go back."

The guard bowed and carried the emperor on his back, taking a shortcut back to the palace. If Li Deshun had paid attention last time, he would have recognized that the person who had been secretly following him was this man...