Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 524 Sudden Change in the Palace

"Do you think that His Majesty's sudden illness might be the work of someone?"

Choi Ji-ho frowned, feeling uneasy.

Shi Wanxia nodded, her tone grave: "Very likely. It's too much of a coincidence that His Majesty fell ill right after Zhou Wenbin was arrested."

"We need to hurry back to the East Palace and see if we can be of any help."

The two dared not delay and rode their horses toward the East Palace.

On the way, Cui Zhihao looked at Shi Wanxia's profile and remembered the words he hadn't finished saying at the entrance of the dilapidated temple. He started to feel nervous again.

He took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say, "Wanwan, I have something I want to tell you at the dilapidated temple."

Shi Wanxia turned her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt: "What did you say?"

Choi Ji-ho's heart suddenly raced, and his face began to burn. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a commotion ahead. A group of people were gathered around a notice board, discussing it animatedly.

"what happened?"

Shi Wanxia reined in her horse, feeling curious, and went over with Cui Zhihao.

Squeezing through the crowd, I saw a royal edict posted on the notice board, which read: "His Majesty is seriously ill. Crown Prince Shen Yanzhou will oversee the state affairs and handle state matters."

Meanwhile, the investigation into the remnants of Rongyang Prince's faction is suspended until His Majesty has recovered.

"Suspend the investigation?"

Shi Wanxia was stunned. "Whose order is this? His Majesty is seriously ill, why would he suddenly issue such an order?"

Cui Zhihao frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart: "Could it be that someone in the palace doesn't want us to continue investigating the remaining accomplices? But who could it be?"

Just then, a scholar in a blue robe sighed and whispered to the people around him, "Didn't you hear? Last night, Her Majesty the Empress sent someone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for His Majesty's well-being. She also said that investigating the remaining accomplices would disturb the gods and be bad for His Majesty's condition."

"The Queen?"

Shi Wanxia was shocked—the Empress had always been involved with Prince Rongyang. Could it be that the Empress was behind the suspension of the investigation?

Cui Zhihao also realized what was happening, and his expression turned serious: "If it really is the Empress, then things are in trouble. She definitely wants to protect those remaining supporters, and once His Majesty recovers, she might even overturn the case against Prince Rongyang."

Shi Wanxia nodded, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Looking at the words on the imperial edict and recalling Shen Yanzhou's hurried departure for the palace, she suddenly felt that an even bigger storm might be brewing.

"We must hurry back to the East Palace and tell His Highness the Crown Prince about this, so that he can be extra careful."

Shi Wanxia tugged at Cui Zhihao's arm, her tone urgent.

Just as Choi Ji-ho was about to nod, he saw a familiar figure walk through the crowd—

It was the old steward I'd seen at the Cui residence before. He was carrying a package and walking hurriedly towards the south of the city, as if he were hiding from someone.

"Isn't that the old steward of the Cui family? What's he doing here? And why does he look so flustered?"

Choi Ji-ho frowned, a hint of doubt rising in his mind.

Shi Wanxia also looked over, and suddenly had a bad feeling: "Let's follow him and see, maybe there's something wrong with him."

The two immediately took the reins of their horses and quietly followed the old steward, heading towards the south of the city.

The old steward seemed unaware that anyone was following him. He hurried along and soon arrived at a dilapidated courtyard in the south of the city. After looking around and confirming that no one was there, he pushed open the door and went inside.

Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao hid behind a big tree outside the courtyard and peeked through the crack in the door. They saw the old steward take out a secret letter from a package and hand it to a person wearing a black cloak. He lowered his voice and said, "Her Majesty the Empress said that you should act quickly before the Crown Prince reacts."

The man in the black cloak took the secret letter, nodded, said something, and then the old butler hurriedly came out and closed the door behind him.

Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes—the original

The old steward who came to the Cui residence turned out to be one of the Empress's men! And the Empress even ordered them to "make their move quickly." Who were they going to target? Shen Yanzhou, or His Majesty?

Just then, the black-cloaked figure in the courtyard suddenly turned around and looked towards the crack in the door, his eyes cold, like a poisoned knife.

Shi Wanxia and Cui Zhihao felt a chill run down their spines and quickly took two steps back, hiding behind a tree, not daring to make a sound.

They knew that this discovery might be more dangerous than any of the previous ones.

The swaying shadows of the trees made people uneasy. Shi Wanxia gripped Cui Zhihao's wrist, her knuckles trembling.

Before the cold gaze from the crack in the door could be withdrawn, the sound of the hem of the black cloak brushing against the threshold, like a snake flicking its tongue, scraped against their hearts.

"Don't make a sound."

Shi Wanxia leaned close to Cui Zhihao's ear, her breath as light as a feather, yet carrying an undeniable calmness.

"He hasn't made up his mind yet, let's wait and see."

Choi Jiho's Adam's apple bobbed, and the wound on his arm ached from being pulled, but he didn't dare to utter a sound.

He only dared to glance at the broken wooden door out of the corner of his eye—when the old steward handed over the secret letter just now, he vaguely saw the character "medicine" drawn on the letter, and when he thought of His Majesty's sudden illness, his heart was already in turmoil.

After about half an incense stick's time, the door creaked open, and the cloaked figure known as "Ink Guard" finally came out.

He didn't look towards the tree, but simply glanced at the sky, took out a copper whistle from his pocket and blew it. Immediately, the sound of horses' hooves came from not far away.

When the two black horses galloped up to him, he mounted them, leaving only the words "Proceed according to plan, make our move tonight," before speeding off towards the palace.

Only when the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance did Cui Zhihao dare to breathe a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to stand up straight, Shi Wanxia pressed him back down: "Wait a little longer, the old steward might come back."

As soon as he finished speaking, the side gate of the dilapidated courtyard moved—the old steward poked his head out, carrying an oilcloth bag in his hand. He looked around before daring to take a step.

He walked in a hurry, and a pebble he kicked flew out and hit the tree trunk where Choi Ji-ho was hiding.

Cui Zhihao's heart was in his throat. He instinctively reached for his sword, but Shi Wanxia held his hand down.

She shook her head at him, and only after the old butler's figure had completely disappeared into the alley did she pull him out from behind the tree.

"We must get the message to His Highness immediately,"

Shi Wanxia spoke very quickly, “That Mo Wei said ‘we’ll make our move tonight,’ which definitely means he’s going to harm His Majesty or His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Choi Ji-ho nodded, but after taking only two steps, the pain from his wound made him gasp.

Shi Wanxia turned around and saw that the strip of cloth on his arm was soaked with blood again. She immediately frowned and said, "You can't go far like this. There seems to be a house ahead. Let's go and borrow some strips of cloth first, and then we'll try to contact His Highness the Crown Prince."

The two turned into a side alley, and after walking a few steps, they saw an old woman wearing a blue apron, squatting at the door picking vegetables.

It was Granny Zhang. Shi Wanxia had come to the south of the city before when she was investigating a case, and she had dealt with her before. This old lady was kind-hearted and had even helped her identify a suspect.

"Grandma Zhang!" Shi Wanxia called out in a low voice.