I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 316: Investigation Leads to the Princess's Residence

The guards at the door looked at each other, but when they saw the white-robed man behind Xie Zhongzhi, they immediately fell silent.

Xie Zhongzhi walked to the gate of the mansion.

With a loud "bang," the door was kicked open.

Xie Zhongzhi strode into the courtyard, his face full of gloom.

He waved his hand, ordering the soldiers behind him, "Search! Don't miss a single room!"

Upon seeing this, Li and Qin's father turned pale.

Xie Zhongzhi's gaze swept quickly across the courtyard, then he looked coldly at Li Shi and Qin's father standing under the eaves.

"Where is Xu Liuer?" he asked, his tone icy.

Both Li and Qin's father were taken aback upon hearing this.

Xu Liuer? Who is Xu Liuer?

Qin's father tried to ease the tension, bowing and saying, "We don't know who you're looking for. If you're looking for Xu Liuer, you've probably come to the wrong place..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Xie Zhongzhi snapped. "I'll ask you one more time, where is Xu Liuer?"

The smile on Li's face completely froze, her eyes filled with panic and helplessness. She hurriedly said, "We don't know Xu Liuer at all!"

Xie Zhongzhi snorted coldly, his voice low and impatient.

"Stop pretending. Qin Jiuwei comes from the Qin family. If she wanted to hide someone, she would definitely send them to the Qin family!"

Li was so frightened that her face turned pale and she waved her hands repeatedly.

"My lord, Qin Jiuwei and we have always had a distant relationship. We haven't spoken to each other since she got married. We really don't know what you're talking about!"

A cold glint flashed in Xie Zhongzhi's eyes, clearly indicating his disbelief.

He coldly ordered, "Get them to talk!"

Several soldiers immediately sprang into action, one grabbing Li's arm while the other pinned Qin's father to the ground.

Ms. Li screamed, "I really don't know anything!"

Before she could finish speaking, she was slapped across the face, and her face immediately swelled up.

Qin's father was kicked to the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning, his face ashen.

“We didn’t lie to you!” Li cried out, her voice choked with sobs, tears streaming down her face.

Qin's father also struggled to lift his head, breathing weakly, "We really have the wrong person... We didn't know, we really didn't know..."

Meanwhile, the soldiers searched the entire Qin residence but still couldn't find a single person.

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhongzhi's face turned ashen, and he waved his hand furiously.

"You're lucky you survived! Retreat!"

Xie Zhongzhi sped all the way from the Qin residence to the Jiang residence.

But they found the place deserted, not a soul in sight.

The soldiers pushed open each room and searched it.

However, every room was empty.

"Where is he?" Xie Zhongzhi asked coldly.

The attendant shook his head, looking nervous: "Sir, it seems they evacuated not long ago."

Anger flashed in Xie Zhongzhi's eyes. He clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

The Qin family doesn't have it, and neither does the Jiang family.

Who else could be related to Qin Jiuwei?

Suddenly, a name flashed through Xie Zhongzhi's mind.

Princess Gao Yunzhi.

Suburbs of Beijing.

Xie Yanli rode ahead, his cloak billowing in the wind, his face shrouded in a cold expression.

The light cavalry followed closely, their orderly ranks outlining a somber and menacing sight.

The armor plates gleamed with a cold, silvery light. Everyone had a stern expression and a resolute gaze, with bows and arrows at their waists pressed tightly against the sides of the saddles.

The sound of horses' hooves was steady and powerful as the procession galloped towards the capital.

The eldest princess's mansion.

Xie Zhongzhi spurred his horse, his superior gaze sweeping over the guards.

"Open the door! I want to see the Princess!"

However, the guards remained motionless, standing in place with expressionless faces.

Xie Zhongzhi's expression turned cold. "I must go in today."

He dismounted and with a wave of his hand, a group of people rushed forward and forcibly subdued the guards.

The door was slammed open with a loud thud, echoing heavily.

Xie Zhongzhi walked ahead and strode into the courtyard of the Princess's residence.

At this moment, Gao Yunzhi heard the noise and came out of the inner room, holding her belly, her face calm.

His gaze fell coldly on Xie Zhongzhi, his brows furrowing.

Why is he here?

"You dare to trespass into the Princess's residence! How dare you!"

Xie Zhongzhi was not afraid and snorted coldly, "The Princess is quite imposing. I would like to ask the Princess why you have been hiding my wife!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yunzhi's heart sank.

How did he know Xu Liuer was here? Who told him?

Although she was flustered inside, she remained calm on the surface.

"Your wife? I wonder who the second young master of the Marquis's mansion is referring to? I've never heard of the second young master of the Xie family ever getting married. Did he have a wedding ceremony? Was he even enshrined in the ancestral hall? How can someone who has nothing be called your wife?"

Xie Zhongzhi was taken aback, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes.

"If Xu Liu'er is really not here, why are you stopping me from searching?"

Gao Yunzhi's gaze turned cold as she raised her voice, "I am the eldest princess personally appointed by the late emperor, and I am here by imperial decree to reside in the capital. You think you can just search me as you please? When did the laws of the court change so that even the sons of marquises can trespass on the royal residence?"

"So what if you're the eldest princess?" Xie Zhongzhi scoffed disdainfully. "The entire Great Jin royal family is about to change hands. What kind of princess are you?"

Gao Yunzhi's thin lips trembled.

She had naturally heard about the commotion outside.

After Xie Yanli's incident, rumors of Gao Xian's incident also began to spread.

Today, the entire capital city is filled with unidentified soldiers, and even the Imperial Guards have been brought under control.

Could it be that the Great Jin Dynasty is really about to undergo a complete upheaval?

Xie Zhongzhi looked at her expression and sneered inwardly.

Suddenly, his gaze swept across the table and landed on the plate of seemingly ordinary rice cakes.

Suddenly he was startled.

"Where did this rice cake come from?" he asked anxiously, looking flustered.

He recognized it! It was Xu Liuer's handiwork!

These are rice cakes she made!