The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Chapter 404 There are no "what ifs" in this world

Meanwhile, Zhao Xuan returned to the Prince Xian's residence alone, went into her bedroom, closed the door, and then punched the wall hard to vent her resentment.

Blood seeped from her fist, and only then did she feel the pain—not the pain from the wound, but the renewed heartache.

After years of investigation and countless twists and turns, who could have imagined that the person who truly wanted to kill Master back then was actually the powerful and beloved Prime Minister, who was also Master's junior brother!

Zhao Xuan silently recalled every word Yang Liuming had said...

If Master hadn't switched carriages with the Crown Prince;

If it weren't for the unexpected death of the trusted confidant who ultimately delivered the order to cease operations;

Furthermore, what if the old man Xuanji hadn't been placed under house arrest by Yang Liuming!

The final outcome might not be so tragic...

As Zhao Xuan pondered, a sense of powerless fatalism suddenly arose within her.

Her master, Zhao Xiaoman, seemed to have been pushed to the brink of death by a strange and inexplicable hand of fate...

Because there aren't that many "what ifs" in the world, not a single one. All these "what ifs" happen in the dark!

She and Gu Zhanghua witnessed their master switching carriages with the Crown Prince because of his allergies.

The refugees that Jian Qiu mentioned may indeed exist. Just think about the Little Fairy Doctor's family's plight, the festering wound left by the Chen Kingdom is still oozing pus, and Jian Qiu has no reason to lie.

The most tragic figure was the old man Xuanji, who died without ever seeing his master again...

Gu Zhanghua returned to the Prince Xian's residence when it was already completely dark.

He gently pushed open the dormitory door and saw Zhao Xuan sitting alone in the darkness.

Fearing to disturb Zhao Xuan, Gu Zhanghua tiptoed into the dormitory. Just as he lit the candle, he saw Zhao Xuan looking at him with a startled expression, her face still wet with tears.

Gu Zhanghua hurriedly walked over to Zhao Xuan and sat down, taking her hand in his.

At this moment, Zhao Xuan realized that the person sitting in front of her was Gu Zhanghua. She could no longer hold back and threw herself into Gu Zhanghua's arms, bursting into tears.

"My master is such a good person, why would anyone want to kill her..."

Gu Zhanghua couldn't answer Zhao Xuan's question either, and no one in the world could answer it.

He could only gently stroke Zhao Xuan's back, letting her cry her heart out in his arms.

Much later, Zhao Xuan's crying gradually subsided. She lifted her head from Gu Zhanghua's embrace, her eyes swollen like two walnuts, and asked through sobs:

"What did Father say? How...how will those two people die?"

Gu Zhanghua reached out and wiped away the lingering tears from Zhao Xuan's eyes, answering softly.

"Father has summoned Second Brother to the palace... I didn't wait for the final result and was worried that you would be home alone, so I came back to see you first... However, I believe that Father will handle this matter fairly."

In fact, Gu Zhanghua did not tell Zhao Xuan the truth.

After Gu Li heard Yang Liuming recount the entire incident, he was momentarily stunned and did not react at all.

A moment later, Gu Li suddenly rushed to Yang Liuming, grabbed Yang Liuming's shoulders and shook him violently.

"Why you?! Why you?! Yang Liuming! Tell me, why you?!"

Gu Zhanghua was standing right there and saw it all clearly.

Faced with his father's questioning, Yang Liuming was in tears, unable to utter a single word. He could only kowtow repeatedly to his father until his forehead was covered in blood...

The Emperor's eyes were also filled with tears as he looked at Yang Liuming with an extremely complex expression, a mixture of hatred, regret, heartbreak, and a hint of unspeakable reluctance.

Gu Zhanghua didn't want to tell Zhao Xuan the truth, because he couldn't predict how his father would ultimately deal with Yang Liuming and his wife.

He worried that Zhao Xuan would be sad and disappointed if the result was not as satisfactory as he had hoped.

He understood Zhao Xuan's current feelings perfectly; she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible, and the "he" in this context obviously referred to Yang Liuming!

"Sister Xuan, it's too stuffy inside. Shall we go for a walk?"

Zhao Xuan nodded gently. Gu Zhanghua fetched a cloak and helped Zhao Xuan put it on. Then the two of them walked hand in hand towards the outside.

The winter night wind was cold, and the leaves of the several large trees in the yard had all fallen, leaving only the trunks and branches, a completely bare landscape.

Gu Zhanghua took a breath of the cold air, put his arm around Zhao Xuan, and the two strolled slowly in the courtyard.

Seeing that Zhao Xuan was in a bad mood, Gu Zhanghua tried to comfort her.

"Back then, Yang Liuming was determined to destroy the Yue Kingdom and advocated war, but Aunt Zhao was determined to make peace. The two had opposing political views, which is why Yang Liuming wanted to kill Aunt Zhao... Although Aunt Zhao is gone, her wish that the people of the Xia Kingdom would live better and better lives has already been fulfilled..."

"But my master couldn't see all of this with his own eyes..."

This is Zhao Xuan's biggest regret.

Gu Zhanghua rubbed Zhao Xuan's cold hands.

“I fainted when I witnessed my brother, the Crown Prince, being assassinated, but you stayed by Aunt Zhao’s side all night… Sister Xuan, I know how much pain you are in, but we can’t stay immersed in grief forever. The Crown Prince’s ideals and Aunt Zhao’s wishes need to be inherited by us. Only then will their deaths have value!”

Looking into Gu Zhanghua's clear and firm gaze, Zhao Xuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

"Xiao Wu, I understand. Don't try to comfort me. I'm fine. But you, who have always regarded Yang Liuming as a teacher you deeply respect, must be more heartbroken than I am, right?"

"Thank goodness I have you," Gu Zhanghua said, holding Zhao Xuan's hand tightly. "As long as you're by my side, all the sadness, pain, and sorrow will slowly pass..."

That night, the candles in the imperial study of the Xia Kingdom's palace burned all night long.

It is said that Emperor Gu Li of Xia urgently summoned Chancellor Yang Liuming and Prince Cheng Gu Jiancheng to discuss important military and national affairs.

During this time, Yang Liuming suddenly suffered from a headache, and Gu Li specially authorized the head of the Imperial Medical Academy to personally treat Yang Liuming.

In the following days, Yang Liuming fell ill and stayed at home to recuperate, and did not attend the morning court session again.

And then? It seems there was no "and then"...

Why did such a heinous crime go unpunished?

Unable to contain her grief and indignation, Zhao Xuan wanted to go directly to the palace to see Gu Li and get to the bottom of things.

Gu Zhanghua's persuasion failed, so early that morning, he accompanied Zhao Xuan to the palace to pay homage to Emperor Xia.

Still inside the Imperial Study, Gu Li, who had just finished the morning court session, was reviewing memorials at his desk when he heard Eunuch Han report that the Prince Xian and his wife were outside requesting an audience.

Gu Li's hand trembled slightly as he held the pen before he said calmly, "Let them in."

Zhao Xuan rushed into the imperial study and knelt down in front of Gu Li without saying a word.

The knees made a dull thud when they hit the ground, and you could feel how much force Zhao Xuan had used to kneel down.

Gu Li's lips twitched. He could tell from Zhao Xuan's determination that if he didn't give her a reasonable explanation today, his stubborn daughter-in-law would definitely not let it go.

"Father!"

Zhao Xuan stood up straight, looked up at Gu Li, and questioned him without fear.

"Shouldn't Yang Liuming's crimes warrant a thousand cuts and eternal damnation? What do you mean by letting him off so lightly? How can you do this to my deceased brother, the Crown Prince, my master, and all those innocent people who died unjustly?"