Chapter 525: The Meeting

Chapter 525: Chapter 525: The Meeting

Shen Hao held the new case file he’d just gotten his hands on—this one was nothing like the previous version.

The last version was little more than a barebones overview, closer to a news brief in an official gazette than a proper case file. Hazy, glossed over, utterly perfunctory.

This new file, though, was much more standard—not only did it have a complete record of the crime scene, but also a detailed autopsy report, and, at last, a plan outlining key investigative directions going forward.

As Shen Hao expected, the Major Case Department also attributed Qin Xiuyuan’s death to the likelihood of "accidental ingestion of poison." They simply hadn’t pointed fingers at anyone yet.

As for the progress of the investigation, nothing was written here. Who knows how much was being concealed.

But none of that mattered to Shen Hao; the moment he received this file meant all his previous setups had worked. A case file cannot be handed over as a mere brush-off—giving it to him meant the Ministry of Justice was ready to set aside their worries. Compared to Prince Shou, they clearly chose to protect their own interests.

Upon his return from the Ministry of Justice, Shen Hao stayed in the barracks, buried at his desk. He planned to finish organizing Xuanqing Guard’s internal case files before afternoon. Unlike the Ministry, Xuanqing Guard’s files ran much deeper and richer.

Not only covering the death of Qin Xiuyuan, but also Shen Hao’s own various maneuvers—scheming, stirring up trouble, cajoling—culminating in today’s set-up: Ministry of Justice at the forefront, Prince Shou wielding his blade at the side, and Xuanqing Guard hidden in the back.

This was the perfect timing Shen Hao had been waiting for. No one was watching, he wouldn’t have to take the fall, and he could sneak around doing whatever he pleased.

Though it contained much more than the Ministry’s case file, the investigation itself still hadn’t made any substantive progress. He’d have to wait on updates from Zhang Liao, but frankly things looked quite promising regardless.

He kept busy until afternoon. With the files in hand, Shen Hao headed straight to Jiang Cheng’s Public Office. Luck was on his side; Jiang Cheng hadn’t gone out.

By the time Shen Hao finished his report and stepped out, it was nearly mid-7 p.m.

"Sir, shall we go now?"

"Let’s go. Is it far from here?"

"Pretty far, but we won’t be late once we get there."

The meeting spot was in town, but the Imperial City was immense, packed with people, and the carriage couldn’t speed up. It took nearly the length of a meal to reach the tea house.

Lechi Tea House.

It looked much like the tea houses Shen Hao had visited before: refined décor. The difference was, here they’d blended music in. Walking in, he saw several simply dressed musicians playing melodious, tranquil tunes atop a low stage. Pure instrumental—no singing.

"Lord Shen, the Prince has been waiting for quite some time. This way, please."

Before he even had time to take in the lounge, a servant came up to guide him. Shen Hao nodded and followed, sensing that the attendant’s Cultivation wasn’t weak—likely a Royal Guard in plain clothes?

The tea house was sizable, partitioned into small rooms with wooden doors—well soundproofed, most likely shielded by a concealment Array. Otherwise a simple wooden door could never prevent Shen Hao from hearing inside.

A mere tea house, and yet they spared no expense?

The attendant led him deep inside, finally indicating a tea room for Shen Hao to enter—while Wang Yiming, who’d accompanied them, was left outside.

Opening the door, he was greeted by spaciousness and a tranquil bamboo grove, even the scent of earth. Indoors, no less—quite the undertaking.

"Lord Shen."

"Your humble servant Shen Hao greets Your Highness."

"Have a seat. I’ve just brewed the tea; try it."

The two had met before—and even clashed once. Not exactly pleasant, but not "enemies at first sight" either. Their status difference was too large for either to stew over past grievances. This meeting, you could call it a coincidence.

Now, seeing each other in these circumstances—fate works in strange ways.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Shen Hao knew nothing about tea; he always drank it as plain water. But in this world, many people were obsessed with tea and its artistry—it was the most common social pastime. Shen Hao had attended countless such occasions. He couldn’t appreciate tea, but he could fake it: half-closing his eyes, he took a small sip, let it linger in his mouth, then swallowed, finally smacking his lips.

"Excellent tea!"

"Heh, that’s spring tea from this year, kept in an ice cellar, it still has its seasonal notes. There are only a few days left you can still taste it—after August this batch will be stale." Yang Lin knew tea, and could see Shen Hao was merely pretending, but didn’t call him out.

"Lord Shen, you and I are somewhat acquainted, so I’ll get straight to the point. Does Xuanqing Guard absolutely intend to see the Qin Xiuyuan case through to the end?"

Shen Hao preferred direct conversation as well—Yang Lin’s straightforwardness saved him a lot of effort.

"Your Highness, what are you implying? Xuanqing Guard is just an auxiliary in this matter. The Major Case Department of the Ministry of Justice retains investigative authority. But... as far as cases we participate in, we always investigate thoroughly—never just go through the motions."

Shen Hao clearly felt the other man was nervous. Yang Lin, of all people? Would he invite someone he’d previously clashed with for a peaceful tea chat out of the goodness of his heart?

So, facing Yang Lin’s words, Shen Hao neither replied head-on nor avoided the subject entirely—his answer left plenty of room for maneuvering.

"Auxiliary? Ha, Lord Shen, your people have tried to cross into the crime scene at my estate multiple times, sneaking around—not exactly an investigation, is it? Or have you already decided I’m a suspect?"

"Your Highness exaggerates. Those idiots are wild by nature, and get impulsive during investigations. I’ll strictly punish them when I return!"

Yang Lin’s brows furrowed slightly, and he took a deep breath: "Lord Shen, let’s be blunt—you people are doing things detrimental to me. What will it take for you to back off?"

"Your Highness, I wouldn’t dare be insincere with you. Look, this is the case file I just got from the Major Case Department this morning—its contents are clearly spelled out, and Xuanqing Guard truly has nothing to do with it."

While speaking, Shen Hao took the new file he’d obtained from Xue Gui in the morning out of his Storage Bag and handed it to Yang Lin.

Talk about good timing, huh? Tea invitation today, and he happened to get Xue Gui’s new case file—saved Shen Hao a lot of words. Just showing it was far better than anything else.

After reviewing it, Yang Lin nearly blew up. Cross-checking the contents, he confirmed this was indeed the official file from the Ministry—far more detailed than anything the Inner Guard had "glanced" at, and almost exactly the same overall. In short: he was the unlucky fish in the pond.

"Your Highness. To be honest, Xuanqing Guard always investigates strictly according to the facts. We may be annoying, but we’re not hated—because we treat everyone the same. But others aren’t so straightforward—they’ll smile at you today and slice you to pieces tomorrow. That’s what’s truly disgusting."