Chapter 11 — The Heir to the Throne with the Wicked Face

Destiny Money Book

The old piece of cloth that Khấu Đình Ân had previously given to Nhược Hi not only contained names, but also had a faint line of symbols that was almost erased by time. It was only when Tang Dịch Phong used hot smoke to highlight the hidden layer of ink that it was discovered: it was the coordinates of a hidden place, marked with the secret symbol of the internal affairs department that only officials in charge of long-time records could understand.

"This is the location of the old house where Khấu Đình Ân lived before he became chief steward of internal affairs," Tang Dịch Phong said, his fingers tracing each faded symbol. "If he kept records from his time in charge of the palace archives, he may have hidden them there before the incident."

Nhược Hi did not hesitate, that night, along with Trường Phong and Tang Dịch Phong, quietly went to the old house located deep in a small alley in a poor residential area west of the capital, a place that had been abandoned for many years after Khấu Đình Ân moved to live in the palace to facilitate official duties.

The house was covered with dust and cobwebs, showing that no one had been there for a long time. According to the marked coordinates, they found a corner of the old kitchen, removed a few loose floor tiles, and discovered a small hole built discreetly underneath, inside was a wooden box covered with beeswax to prevent moisture, which had been lying dormant for more than three years.

Nhược Hi's hands shook as she opened the box. Inside was a small notebook, the paper was yellowed but the handwriting was still clear, meticulously recording unusual expenditures from the private treasury of Deputy Grand Deputy Khưu Bá Trạch during the two months before the night of the incident - large sums of money transferred to a number of figures without clear titles in the court, accompanied by a few lines of notes in the shaky handwriting of Khấu Đình Ân himself.

"Here..." Trường Phong held the notebook, his eyes fixed on each line, his voice trembling with excitement. "This is direct evidence that Khưu Bá Trạch paid a group of unknown people just weeks before the incident."

Nhược Hi turned each page, her heart pounding. The last page contained a longer note, written by Khấu Đình Ân in the private slang of the internal-affairs office. It recounted how he had overheard two of Khưu Bá Trạch's confidants discussing "clearing the way for big events" and the need for someone "with a bad reputation" to blame—clearly a reference to exploiting the reputation of the original Ghost-Faced Witch.

Trường Phong flipped a few more pages and stopped at another note. "There was also a passage about a secret meeting between Khưu Bá Trạch and the Empress Dowager at a villa outside the city, just days before the incident. Khấu Đình Ân wrote that he had been sent there to deliver an official dispatch and heard both familiar voices inside, though he could not make out the entire conversation."

"So he had enough clues to suspect in advance, but did not have enough time or specific evidence to denounce before the incident occurred," Nhược Hi said, her voice choked with sadness. "If he had acted hastily at that time without enough evidence, it is very likely that he would have been the first person to be harmed, and the plot would still continue as planned."

"He already knew," Nhược Hi whispered as tears filled her eyes. "Khấu Đình Ân suspected the plot before it happened, but could not stop it. He only had time to record evidence."

"This is exactly what we need," Tang Dịch Phong said, his voice full of excitement. "Combined with this notebook, Khấu Đình Ân's testimony, and any living witnesses we find, it could form a dossier capable of bringing Khưu Bá Trạch down before the court."

But Nhược Hi still maintained the necessary alertness amid that joy. "This book only records expenses, without any official signature or seal of Khưu Bá Trạch. If presented to the court at this time, he could completely deny it, claiming that this is just a fake document created by the enemy to harm him."

"So what else do we need?" Trường Phong asked.

"We need a living witness who can face the court and confirm that Khưu Bá Trạch ordered these payments, and why," Nhược Hi replied. "Of the three people Khấu Đình Ân named—the imperial captain, the financial aide, and the Empress Dowager's maid—one may hold the key."

That night, on the way back, Nhược Hi hugged the wooden box containing the book of destiny tightly in her heart, feeling like she was holding a part of the soul of Khấu Đình Ân, who had silently prepared for this day long before he knew whether he would still be alive to witness it or not.

"Three years ago, when he pushed you into that dark tunnel, you must have believed that one day you would find this notebook," she whispered, looking up at the starry night sky. "I will not betray your trust."

Returning to Thông Bảo Trang, the three people immediately began to hide the notebook in an absolutely safe place, and at the same time copied the contents into many copies, hiding them scattered in different locations to prevent the original from being discovered or destroyed.

"From now on, finding living witnesses becomes the top priority," Nhược Hi said, her voice full of determination. "I will have people strengthen the search for the captain of the imperial army who is hiding at the border, and at the same time find out more information about the maid who disappeared in the past. We have a solid foundation, now it is time to build the rest of this castle of justice."

Trường Phong looked at her, an unprecedented and strong belief arose in his heart. After many years of hiding, they finally touched the first important piece of the truth, a truth that was enough to shake the entire Đại Hạ court once fully exposed to light.

A few days later, Nhược Hi herself visited Khấu Đình Ân again in the name of a physician with Tang Dịch Phong, bringing the good news of finding the notebook. When he heard the news, the old man's dull eyes suddenly filled with tears, and his trembling hand held her hand tightly.

"So my old efforts were not in vain," he said, his voice choked. "I was afraid that if something happened to me before I could tell Her Highness where I hid it, everything I recorded would forever be buried in oblivion."

"You have done more than anything a servant could do." Nhược Hi squeezed his thin hand, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to flow. "Now, I just need a little more time to complete the missing pieces, then I will bring this entire truth to light, so that the Duke and all the deceased can rest in peace."

"I believe in Your Highness." Khấu Đình Ân smiled slightly, even though his face was still full of wounds from the past. "From the first day I held Her Highness in my arms, I knew this child would do great things."

On the way back, Nhược Hi sat quietly in the palanquin, still feeling the warmth of Khấu Đình Ân's old hand, feeling even more determined to quickly complete the remaining journey, not only for her own justice, but also for the promise to those who had sacrificed so much for her to get to where she is today.

That evening, at Thông Bảo Trang, Nhược Hi called Tang Dịch Phong to privately discuss finding the whereabouts of the old imperial captain. "You said this person is currently stationed at a border outpost. Is there any way to approach him without alerting him and fleeing?"

"The old man has an old acquaintance, who was a friend of that captain before the incident, and is currently working as a horse trader back and forth across the border," Tang Dịch Phong replied. "If you use the name of business to approach him first, check his attitude, and then consider convincing him to testify, it will probably be safer than approaching him directly from the beginning."

"Let's arrange it that way then." Nhược Hi nodded. "But we must be very careful, we cannot know for sure whether he is still loyal to Khưu Bá Trạch or has intended to shake off that sinful past. If he reports back to the court, all our efforts will be in vain." Tang Dịch Phong nodded slightly, secretly admiring his master's prudence. Even though he was still young, he had the bravery and foresight of someone who had experienced many storms in life.