After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 45
“What letter did I ask Miss Qing to retrieve?” Lu Huating asked.
“It was an unopened letter!” Jian Su replied.
“Pei Jianzuo said that someone placed the letter on his desk that day. Before he could open it, he locked it along with other correspondence in the treasure cabinet. Soon after, the advisor and Miss Qing arrived. Later, when Pei Jianzuo was organizing his things, he noticed the lock on the cabinet had been broken, and only after some time did he realize it was that unopened letter that had gone missing!”
With just these few words, Lu Huating swiftly pieced together the situation.
The verbal threats that day had likely only scared Pei Jianzuo temporarily. Having tasted luxury, it would be difficult for him to adapt to cleaning chamber pots. The old man probably regained his resolve after some time and considered contacting Meng Guangshen to strategize against him.
It wasn’t until Pei Jianzuo discovered the lock on the treasure cabinet had been broken that he truly panicked.
Pei Jianzuo likely assumed that the search for Yunu by the Court of Judicial Review was just a ruse and that Lu Huating’s real aim was to have Qun Qing retrieve the Meng family correspondence as evidence. His terror suggested the correspondence contained something far more incriminating than abusing palace maids—perhaps something like the letter Zhu Su had just delivered.
A letter ordering Pei Jianzuo to poison Su Run of the Imperial Academy.
Lowering his gaze, Lu Huating closed the letter.
Pei Jianzuo wasn’t sure which letters had gone missing, but he knew for certain that the unopened one was gone. Its unknown contents likely unnerved him to the point that he was willing to hand over other correspondence, betraying the Meng family entirely and defecting to Prince Yan.
The lock must have been broken by Qun Qing that day.
But he had never instructed her to retrieve any letter. Could she have taken the letter on her own and kept it from him?
For a fleeting moment, Lu Huating recalled the stone cave scene. Qun Qing had shown him the palace records, neatly tucked inside an envelope.
That supposedly missing letter was very likely the palace records Qun Qing had taken.
It was highly unusual for palace records to be stored in an envelope. According to Pei Jianzuo, the records were delivered to his desk that day and temporarily left there.
Lu Huating glanced toward the test-takers. Incense smoke swirled gently as Qun Qing concentrated on her exam, seemingly unaware that her palace records might not have been withheld by Pei Jianzuo.
It seemed the relationship between Southern Chu spies was far more complicated than it appeared.
An icy smile crossed Lu Huating’s lips, both amused and incredulous.
“Investigate the records of the Department of Internal Affairs for that day. Check who entered Pei Jianzuo’s chamber before Miss Qing.”
The first test of the Shangfu Bureau covered knowledge of fabrics, palace attire, color distinctions, and the rules implemented after the new emperor ascended the throne.
It wasn’t difficult.
Flipping through the questions, Qun Qing quickly felt reassured. Before the incense had burned halfway, she had nearly completed her answers, her work interrupted only by the rustling beside her.
The noblewoman seated next to her wore a gown with a skirt that spread out like petals, its edges pressing against her jade pendant and name tag. Unlike the palace maids, she didn’t kneel upright but sat on a velvet cushion she had brought herself. Even so, she seemed uncomfortable, stretching her legs and inadvertently stepping on the hem of Qun Qing’s skirt.
Noticing Qun Qing’s gaze, the noblewoman shot her a sideways look. Seeing that she was just a palace maid, the noblewoman dismissed her with disdain and withdrew her leg. Though her features were above average, her arrogant demeanor, enhanced by her luxurious attire, was overpowering.
Qun Qing caught sight of the name on her wooden tag.
Cui Ying. What a coincidence—Lady Cui Er’s younger sister.
Qun Qing was still mulling over this when a sharp cry broke the silence in the hall. The test-takers turned to see two guards suddenly detaining a female officer who had been standing at the hidden door. The officer struggled frantically, shouting,
“It wasn’t me! Let go of me!”
“What’s going on?” Gu Shangyi asked, startled.
“There’s no need for alarm, Chief Attendant,” Zhu Su said, bowing slightly but without much deference. “This is a spy from Southern Chu being apprehended by Prince Yan’s guards. Take her away!”
“How could there be a spy in the Shangfu Bureau?” Gu Shangyi looked perplexed.
“You should ask yourself that, Chief Attendant. How could such a person slip through your selection process?” Jian Su retorted.
The guards dragged away the officer, who screamed and struggled wildly. The test-takers were visibly shaken, and the noblewomen, unused to such a spectacle, turned pale, their hands trembling as they struggled to hold their brushes or focus on their exam papers.
Though Qun Qing’s expression remained steady, her face had turned pale.
She rubbed the corner of her test paper with her fingers. As the officer passed by earlier, Qun Qing confirmed she didn’t know the woman. But if this officer was “Celestial,” she might know Qun Qing’s identity. Would she reveal it?
Qun Qing wasn’t sure where the officer was being interrogated, but her piercing curses soon echoed faintly through the hall, loud enough for everyone to hear clearly:
“The Li family usurped the throne! How dare they claim the right to rule! Southern Chu will strike back one day. Justice will prevail!”
The officer had confessed. Her curses seemed to hammer at Qun Qing’s temples.
The incense burned closer to its end. Sweat beaded on Qun Qing’s forehead as she forced herself to continue writing in the empty spaces. As long as she wasn’t fully exposed, she remained Qun Qing and still had a future to fight for.
Unable to endure it any longer, Gu Shangyi waddled out of the hall into the side chamber. She recoiled at the sight of the officer hanging disheveled with bloodied lips. Turning her head away, she scolded Zhu Su,
“This interrogation could have been done elsewhere! Why disrupt the test and unsettle the candidates?”
“Remaining composed under pressure is part of the test, isn’t it?” a pleasant but chilling voice chimed in from behind.
Gu Shangyi turned to see Lu Huating seated on the high jade steps, idly playing with his folding fan, watching the scene with a detached air.
“If these ladies aren’t Southern Chu spies, why would they be frightened?”
Gu Shangyi covered her nose to block out the disgusting smell of blood. She knew clearly that the man in front of her was favored by Princess Consort Yan, so she had no choice but to retreat, sealed the door, and wedged it firmly shut.
“Did you place the envelope on Pei Jianzuo’s desk that day?” Lu Huating asked Wang Siyi. “By the hour of Si1 that day, you were the only one to have entered his chamber. Do you know what was inside the envelope?”
Wang Siyi hadn’t expected this detail to expose her. Her eyes darted nervously as she stammered,
“I don’t know!”
“You didn’t even know the content of the letter, yet you delivered it,” said Lu Huating. “You’re just a pawn. Who sent you?”
Facing Lu Huating’s intense gaze, Wang Siyi bit her lip and refused to speak.
“Let me ask differently,” Lu Huating said, noticing her silence. He turned to the side and asked, “Among the women taking part in today’s selection, are any of them your accomplices? If you tell me, I’ll spare your life.”
He studied Wang Siyi’s expression closely. Her face was blank with confusion, and after a moment, she hesitated and muttered, “Cui Ying, Cui Ying too!”
“Advisor,” said Zhu Su as Lu Huating rose and prepared to leave the side hall.
“She’s just grasping at straws now. Cui Ying is Cui Zhu’s younger sister; she couldn’t possibly be a spy. She probably didn’t even remember the names of the candidates, only Cui Ying’s,” Lu Huating remarked as he walked away. “It seems she doesn’t know the identities of the other spies. Deal with her as you see fit.”
The bright sunlight outside was piercing. Lu Huating raised a fan to shade his face, casting a shadow on his jade-like features, making his expression unreadable.
Qun Qing had lucked out once again.
The sound of a gong signaled the collection of the exam papers. The participating women rose, stretching their stiff wrists, their expressions varied.
“All that shouting earlier scared me half to death, and now it’s silent. Did someone die?”
“My heart was racing so much I almost didn’t finish!”
“There are so many Southern Chu spies; even the Shangfu Bureau had one. Could there be spies among us too?”
“Don’t speak nonsense. They say the first round wasn’t difficult, but there are two more rounds ahead. Princess Consort Yan herself will conduct the final inquiry…”
Their chatter buzzed around Qun Qing as she quietly stood, her hands unclenching as no one came to apprehend her. Her palms were damp with cold sweat.
Perhaps this Wang Siyi was just a pawn, unaware of her true identity. For Qun Qing, at least one “Celestial” within the palace had lost its support, which was a good thing.
In her line of sight, the elegantly dressed Cui Ying was conversing with Bao Shu outside the hall. Qun Qing walked toward them.
Her embroidered shoe stepped onto the end of Cui Ying’s draped sash.
“Watch where you’re going!” Cui Ying spun around angrily, yanking the sash free, her raised hand trembling with the urge to slap the offender.
Yet the person didn’t cower as expected. Her face was calm and fair as she met Cui Ying’s gaze evenly.
“A mere servant like you has no manners?” Cui Ying snapped.
“Only those serving esteemed masters in the palace require manners. And what are you?” Qun Qing replied, her gaze flicking over Cui Ying. “If palace servants were truly so lowly, I wonder why the lady by your side fought so hard for this position?”
Cui Ying was about to lash out when Bao Shu grabbed her wrist.
In the past, such words from Qun Qing would have driven her into a fury, ready to retaliate. But after suffering two major losses to this woman, she dared not underestimate her. Bao Shu spoke with caution,
“Miss Qing, I was at fault in the past. One must know there are always greater people beyond oneself. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“Not at all. I may have been too harsh just now,” Qun Qing replied with a faint smile, meeting Bao Shu’s conciliatory tone with equal politeness. Bao Shu’s beauty mark beneath her eye gave her an endearing charm, making her seem far more pleasant than before.
Seeing Bao Shu’s deference toward Qun Qing, Cui Ying assumed the woman must have some standing in the palace. Frustrated, she said,
“We are noblewomen, unlike you. You may enjoy the favor of your master now, but if you fail the exam and grow older, you’ll leave the palace wrapped in straw for a pauper’s burial.”
“Thank you for the kind wishes. I actually look forward to leaving the palace,” Qun Qing replied with a half-serious smile.
“I’ve heard you have an older brother, unmarried even at his age. Do you think I’d make a suitable match?”
Cui Ying laughed in disbelief.
“Dream on! Do you even know who my brother is?!” She scrutinized Qun Qing from head to toe, irritation evident. “But perhaps my brother would actually like someone as bold and improper as you.”
“When my brother was younger, he was fond of a swordswoman who looked just like you. But she was short-sighted, preferring to become an old official’s concubine rather than marry my brother.”
Cui Ying smirked at Qun Qing.
“So he found many women like her afterward. He made them serve him humbly, never giving them status. He enjoyed breaking their pride before discarding them like trash. You’d be perfect for him.”
As these words reached his ears, Lu Huating stopped in his tracks, his dark eyes locking onto Cui Ying with piercing intensity.
Then his gaze shifted as he noticed the Cui family token tied at Cui Ying’s waist. Somehow, it had already ended up in Qun Qing’s hand. The red cord was wrapped around her slender fingers as she quietly slipped it into her sleeve.
Constantly scheming—never once had he seen her lose her composure.
Without a word, Lu Huating passed by them and entered the hall.
The gong sounded again, and the women rushed back to their seats as the second round began.
Behind the screen, Xiao Yunru reviewed the first-round exam papers, her lashes low and expression solemn.
Lu Huating picked up one of the papers, skimming it at lightning speed.
Qun Qing’s handwriting was delicate and orderly. Despite the chaos caused by her supposed accomplice’s screams, her work was flawless, with no ink smudges or signs of panic. As he read, his eyes swept from right to left without encountering any lapses in logic or thought.
When he finished, he glanced up.
Through the carved patterns of the golden screen, Qun Qing’s calm demeanor appeared translucent, almost ethereal, like ice and snow. If he hadn’t returned from three years in the future, he might never have believed that this woman was a spy.
Such fortitude—she would likely require torture, just like Wang Siyi, to break her resolve.
For some reason, as his thoughts reached this point, Lu Huating’s eyes lit up with a fiery intensity. He looked forward to that day, but he wanted it to come last of all. Returning the paper to Xiao Yunru, he remarked:
“What do you think?” Xiao Yunru asked.
“Clear and flawless, perfect in every way,” Lu Huating replied indifferently.