Chapter 72
In Minwha's room, she sat quietly on her bed, lost in deep thought.
"Host… what are you thinking about?" Vira finally asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
Minwha's gaze remained lowered. "Nothing," she replied softly. "I was just thinking about the past."
"The past?" Vira pressed.
"You wouldn't understand," Minwha said at first.
Then, after a pause—
"In my past life… three days from now, I was supposed to spend the night with the Northern General. Jianhe convinced me to do it—to save the Crown Prince."
The words lingered in the room, heavier than they should have been.
"What?!" Vira exclaimed, shocked.
Minwha's expression did not change.
"That was in the past," she said calmly. "It won't happen again."
She paused, her fingers tightening slightly against her sleeve.
"What I'm really thinking about is this… If I don't sacrifice myself in this life… how will the Crown Prince be saved?"
Vira fell silent.
"I already know how to save him," Minwha continued quietly, "but I don't know who I should tell."
"Host…" Vira's voice softened. "You don't need to worry. What happened before won't happen again. And besides… he is the Crown Prince… he should be able to save himself…"
Even she didn't sound fully convinced.
A small pause.
"Just wait," Vira added gently. "You'll see. He'll be released soon."
Minwha said nothing for a moment.
Then, quietly—"I hope you're right."
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Meanwhile in the palace, the Queen in her chamber stood extremely worried, lost in thought
"How could the pawn she chose fall like this… over something he clearly did not do?"
"No… she would not allow it."
Then she took a pen and a piece of paper, wrote on it, then called for her trusted maid to tie it on the bird and send it to Hanshen Ge
Three days later, a knock sounded on Minwha's door.
She rose immediately.
The moment she opened it, a guard stood outside—one she did not recognize.
"Madam is looking for you," he said briefly. Then he turned and left without another word.
Minwha's gaze lingered on his retreating figure for a second before she stepped out and followed.
When she entered Madam's office, something already felt different.
This time—Madam gestured toward a seat.
"Sit."
Minwha obeyed quietly. The moment she settled, Madam did not waste time.
"How old are you, Minwha?"
"Seventeen, Madam," she replied.
Even as she answered, a faint unease crept into her chest. Madam's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Seventeen…" she repeated. "Then it is time."
A pause.
"For you to finally do what you were brought here for."
Minwha did not speak.
"I need you to serve a man," Madam continued calmly. "To be precise—the Northern General of Great Liang."
Silence fell.
For a brief moment, Minwha's expression stilled completely. Her fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve—just for a moment.
"History… was repeating itself," she thought.
But this time— It was not Jianhe.
It was Madam.
Seeing that she remained silent, Madam spoke up.
"So?" Her voice cut through the silence. "You don't want to?"
She leaned back slightly, her tone turning colder.
"Whether you want to or not is irrelevant. You don't have a choice."
Minwha lowered her gaze briefly— then lifted it again as she finally spoke.
"If you don't mind… may I ask why?" she said calmly. "Why must I offer myself to him?"
"Simple," Madam replied. "To save the Crown Prince."
She watched Minwha carefully as she continued.
"If you can seduce him and not lose yourself in the process, even better. But what matters is this—"
Her voice sharpened.
"You will bring me the information I need."
Minwha's eyes did not waver.
"What information?"
Madam held her gaze.
"The disaster relief funds," she said slowly. "Where they truly went."
A brief pause.
Minwha spoke.
"If I tell you… that I already know where it is—"
The room seemed to still.
"Would I still need to serve the Northern General?"
Madam's eyes narrowed instantly.
"You know?" she asked, suspicion evident in her voice.
"Yes," Minwha replied simply.
"And how," Madam asked quietly, "would you come across something like that?"
Minwha didn't answer the question
A beat.
"I can tell you," Minwha said slowly, "but whether I do… depends on whether I still need to meet the Northern General."
Madam stilled at that before speaking
"Tell me."
Minwha did not hesitate.
"It is in the residence of the Third Prince's father-in-law."
Silence.
For the first time, Madam's composure shifted—just slightly.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"You don't," Minwha replied evenly. "Not unless you verify it yourself."
The air in the room grew heavy.
Madam said nothing for a long moment, her gaze fixed on Minwha as if trying to peel her apart layer by layer.
Then—
"If what you say is true…" Madam began slowly, "I will give you a special gift."
Minwha met her eyes without hesitation.
"I will be expecting it."
For a second, Madam simply stared at her.
Then suddenly—She laughed.
Loudly.
Not with mockery—but with something far more intrigued.
"Good," she said at last.
With a small wave of her hand—
"You may leave."
Minwha rose without another word and walked out.
After Minwha left, Madam remained seated for a moment,
"That girl…" Madam murmured softly, her eyes narrowing slightly, her gaze thoughtful.
"Someone", she called out, "get the head guard for me"
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
A moment later
The door to Madam's office finally opened as Ji An walked in
"You called?"
Madam did not waste time.
"Go to the Minister of Revenue's residence," she said. "Check if the disaster relief funds are there."
Ji An frowned, confusion flashing across his face.
"Di Ah… what are you saying?" he asked. "Why would the disaster relief funds be in the third Prince's father-in-law's residence? The accusation came from the Northern General—through his own men."
Ji An hesitated, his brows tightening as the implication sank in.
"…You think the accusation was a diversion."
"Precisely," Madam replied calmly.
Her eyes lifted, sharp.
"It is because the accusation came from the Northern General's side that the Minister's residence must be checked."
If the funds are there," Madam said quietly, "then this is no longer a simple accusation."
Ji An stilled.
Madam continued, her tone measured but firm.
"If the funds are truly there, do not return to report to me."
A slight pause.
"Go straight to the palace. Inform the Queen."
Her gaze hardened.
"She will know what to do."
Ji An's expression turned serious.
"…Understood."
Without another word, Ji An didn't look back as he left. The door closed—and the room fell into a heavy silence.
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.
.
.
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Ji An moved swiftly through the night.
By the time he reached the Minister of Revenue's residence, the moon had already climbed high into the sky, casting long shadows across the silent estate.
Midnight.
Perfect.
Without drawing attention, he slipped past the outer guards with practiced ease, his movements silent—almost invisible.
The estate was quiet. Everyone in it already asleep
He headed straight to the backyard, to a building that stood alone in the vast estate,what seemed like the study, he searched it carefully, methodically, moving from room to room without leaving a trace behind.
After finding nothing, he paused briefly — wanting to rest a little, he placed his hands on a strange jade toad resting on the desk"
Mistakenly pressing it down.
Suddenly, a hidden chamber opened.
Shocked, he paused then moved forward to check what in it
Hidden deep within the secret chamber.
Boxes.
Sealed, stacked, untouched.
Ji An stepped closer, his expression tightening as he opened one slightly.
Silver bars.
Then he moved to the small boxes stacked on each other deep within the chamber, and opened one.
Inside were grains.
The Disaster relief funds for the soldiers.
All of it… was here.
But that wasn't all.
His gaze shifted onto the cupboard in the middle of the chamber, he went towards it and opened the top part.
Inside were
Documents.
Ledgers.
Maps.
He picked one of the maps up, scanning quickly.
Gold mines. More than one.
Locations clearly marked.
Ownership—hidden, but not well enough.
And then he placed it back, closing it back carefully, then opened the bottom part of the cupboard
Inside was a journal.
Names.
Carefully written.
From high-ranking officials… down to lower court ministers.
Level one.
Level two.
Level three.
All involved.
Ji An's eyes darkened. So it was true.
The Third Prince… had woven something far deeper than a simple accusation.
For a moment, the room felt heavier.
But Ji An did not linger. He placed everything back exactly as he found it.
Untouched.Undisturbed.
No trace left behind
If the enemy realized too early—Everything would collapse.
He stepped out of the secret chamber, headed back to the toad and pressed it down slightly again, closing the secret chamber
Quietly, he slipped out of the estate.
And without stopping— He headed straight for the palace.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
By dawn— The palace had already begun to stir.
But before the court could fully gather, news spread quickly: The Queen… was kneeling outside the King's chamber.
It was unheard of.
Servants whispered.
Guards stiffened.
And the moment the King heard— He immediately ordered her to be brought in.
Inside the chamber— The Queen remained composed, as she lowered herself to her knees again.
"Your Majesty," she said, her voice steady.
The King frowned slightly.
"My Queen, what is the meaning of this?"
Without hesitation, she spoke.
She told him everything.
The secret chamber
The hidden funds.
The false accusation.
The Northern General's involvement.
And most importantly— "The Third Prince," she said calmly, "is attempting to frame his own brother."
A pause.
Then, colder— "And he has secretly claimed multiple gold mines for himself."
Silence fell.
The King's expression darkened. A flicker of anger surfaced.
Both knew what the gold mines meant, If it was true, then the third prince was obviously planning to rebel.
The King did not speak immediately. His gaze lingered on her, searching for any trace of deception.
"If this is false," he said slowly, "you understand the consequences."
"Yes, My King" The Queen softly replied
"Someone" he called out.
The head eunuch came in kneeling immediately as he saw the queen still on her knees, placing his face down on his hand not daring to look up.
"Inform the guards to Investigate immediately," he ordered.
His voice carried weight.
"And do it before they have time to react."
The head eunuch moved immediately and informed the head of the palace guards.
The palace guards moved at once.
Swift.
Precise.
Unannounced.
By the time they reached the Minister of Revenue's residence— Everything was exactly where the Queen had said it would be.
In the secret chamber
The silver.
The grains
The documents.
The maps.
The journal.
All of it.
No denial was possible. Arrests were made on the spot.
The Minister of Revenue, his household, everything was seized.
The Minister of Revenue did not beg. But his wife… never stopped crying.
The journal was delivered directly into the King's hands.
And when he opened it— His expression turned cold.
Names.
Zhao Xian — The Northern General.
Mu Zhao — The Minister of Agriculture.
And many others.
One by one.
All were connected.
All guilty.
The court did not delay. Judgment came swiftly.
The Minister of Revenue and his wife stepped forward— taking full responsibility.
Claiming themselves as the masterminds.
All to protect their only daughter.
And her husband.
The Third Prince.
The sentence was immediate.
Execution.
Beheading.
The others named in the journal— The Northern General.
The corrupt ministers.
Their families— None were spared.
All were executed.
Clean.
Absolute.
As for the Third Prince, he remained untouched by direct accusation.
Shielded for now.
But not unscathed.
He was stripped of power, then exiled.
Along with his wife— his mother, Concubine Jing, And their two children.
To the eastern wilderness of Great Liang.
A barren land, a place where prisoners were sent.
Where survival itself was uncertain.
Where status meant nothing.
And just like that, a prince fell.
Not in battle, in silence .
His future no longer written in gold, but buried in dust and silence.