Chapter 107: The Truth (Part Two)

Inside the Ministry of Justice prison, Li Er and Li Yi continued their discussion.

“So, according to you, could it be that Mei Ling is the force behind the Azure Dragon Gang?”

“At first, I thought so too, but after further analysis, it doesn’t add up. Look, Mei Ling always uses a decoy to conceal herself before acting—like Li Zihao or Chou Gu. But how does she control the Xian Pavilion? In other words, it’s already hard enough for a woman to control the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, so what kind of power or ability does she have to control and operate the Xian Pavilion? Even if she were like Nezha causing chaos at the sea, where would she get so many Wind-Fire Wheels? Following this line of thought, the next step is to investigate her true identity!”

“So, that’s why you came to the palace to see me?”

“Exactly. Since we confirmed the Azure Dragon Gang is the hidden Crown Prince’s faction, if Mei Ling is involved behind the scenes, she must be connected to the hidden Crown Prince somehow. So, I checked all the records on the hidden Crown Prince’s offspring. It was actually easy to research. Since Mei Ling has a peculiar fragrance about her, this matter would definitely be recorded!”

“Indeed, such strange tales would be documented, but I recall that no one in the Li family has any body fragrance.”

“Correct, Uncle Li, your memory serves you well. I found nothing either. But perhaps heaven took pity on me and sent a clue right to my doorstep!”

“What clue?”

“Do you remember the eunuch who delivered the classics to me?”

“Are you talking about Eunuch Yang? I do remember him. If I’m not mistaken, he was a eunuch from the previous dynasty, in charge of managing the archives. After the fall of the old regime, he somehow stayed on. I never troubled him and let him continue his work.”

“Heh, perhaps kindness is rewarded! If you hadn’t retained him to manage the archives, I might have been completely stuck. I recall I was deeply engrossed in my research but found nothing. Maybe I muttered the words ‘body fragrance’ aloud. Unexpectedly, Eunuch Yang overheard and absentmindedly blurted out, ‘Body fragrance—is that a scent emitted from the body?’ That snapped me to attention. I questioned him carefully, and he revealed that there was indeed a princess who was born with a unique fragrance. However, she disappeared shortly after birth, so it was never officially recorded in the chronicles. He’s one of the few who knew about it!”

Li Er was startled. “A princess? Who is she?”

“Heh, Uncle Li, don’t be alarmed. This princess belonged to the previous dynasty.”

“Hm? The previous dynasty? Are you saying Mei Ling could be the daughter of Yang Jian?”

“Exactly!”

“That’s impossible! How could a fallen princess have such power?”

“I thought so too! So I retraced all the reasoning and found another lead.”

“What lead?”

“I suspect Mei Ling might only be one of the masters behind the Azure Dragon Gang.”

“You mean there are others?”

“Exactly.”

Li Er frowned, pondering and recalling the events of the day. “Is it the Prince of Han?”

Li Yi nodded firmly. “Yes, it’s the Prince of Han.”

Li Er thought for a moment, then shook his head. “That can’t be! The Prince of Han was involved in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and he saved my life back then!”

“Uncle Li, please hold on. I know what you’re saying, and that’s actually the main reason I’m convinced the Prince of Han is the leader of the Azure Dragon Gang!”

Li Er’s brow furrowed deeply. “Continue.”

“Yes. My suspicion about the Prince of Han began during the last spring hunt. Because of a folding fan and calligraphy, I had my first encounter with him. He left a deep impression—the look in his eyes was unforgettable: cold, bloodthirsty, and ruthless. Though subtle, as a warrior, I saw it instantly. Since then, I’ve always been suspicious of him. But then the appearance of the Xiaoxiang Pavilion distracted me until all leads ran cold. That’s when I remembered the Prince of Han and the legends I heard at the pavilion—that since the Four Heavenly Maidens arrived, no one had ever passed the trials except the Prince of Han, who made it to the third stage.”

Li Yi paused to catch his breath before continuing, “But something strange happened. The Prince of Han ignored the other three maidens and only favored Mei Ling, focusing solely on her trials… and he failed. Yet, after failing, he didn’t take any of the other three maidens with him. This might seem normal—perhaps he’s just a hopeless romantic. But the unbelievable part is that he never once entered the inner court afterwards. Not once! Uncle Li, ask yourself: how could someone so devoted never visit the inner court, only lingering outside? Even if he knew the trials were hopeless, wouldn’t he want to see the one he loves? Although suspicious, I didn’t pay much attention at the time—there are too many strange things in this world to keep track of. But when I discovered Mei Ling and Chou Gu were the same person, and with all the leads cut off, it finally made sense.”

“My theory is that the Prince of Han’s trials were merely a rehearsed excuse.”

“An excuse?”

“Yes, an excuse! Uncle Li, think about it. If the Prince of Han is the master of the Azure Dragon Gang, he must maintain constant contact with the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Such an important matter requires his personal involvement. But if he frequently visits the inner court, it would harm his carefully cultivated image and risk exposure due to his close contact with Mei Ling. If he only contacts Chou Gu, it wouldn’t make sense—a man going to the pavilion but never the inner court? That raises more suspicion. So, to solve this once and for all, they staged this act to make outsiders believe the Prince of Han isn’t avoiding the inner court out of fear or shame but because he was rejected there and now mourns her in the outer court. This way, he gets both appearances and substance: he can regularly meet Chou Gu and maintain his reputation as a talented and devoted lover. It also explains why he didn’t take the other three maidens with him—since the pavilion belongs to him, how could he take them away? That would ruin his own reputation! Sigh, I must admit, that was a brilliant move!”

Li Er was dumbfounded by Li Yi’s reasoning. Such a cunning scheme existed at the highest level, and what shocked him more was that Li Yi had unraveled it from mere scraps in just two days. These people were truly twisted beyond measure!

“Young man, your detective skills force me to say I’m impressed!”