Chapter 336: A Misconception

Princess Gu Yiqiu was not the most favored princess at the Daqing Dynasty, but she was certainly not the least favored, as evidenced by the decorations in the Mingyue Hall.

Growing up in the palace and receiving favoritism, she was naturally not foolish. When the imperial guards dared to rush into her bedchamber, she knew something serious was going on. But she believed she hadn't committed any grave offenses, so she remained composed.

However, when she saw that the visitor was the leader of the Seventh Stars Bureau, she visibly shrank back before forcing herself to stand up with a semblance of royal dignity. "May I ask the Seven Stars Bureau's Leader, what crime has this princess committed?"

Gu Yanxi casually sat down and gestured with his hand.

Chen Qing understood and ushered everyone in the room out, closing the door behind them.

Gu Yiqiu felt a bit relieved by this move and sat back down, waiting quietly, though she was still on edge.

"There are remnants from the Chao Li tribe in the palace. I am here to inquire, so please answer truthfully," Gu Yanxi stated.

Gu Yiqiu's pupils constricted. "Do you suspect that I am colluding with the Chao Li clan? Am I going mad?"

"It's not you," Gu Yanxi reassured her. "Think about anyone suspicious around you."

Gu Yiqiu immediately understood.

The Seven Stars Bureau did not suspect her, but they suspected someone around her. She carefully thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I also do not treat my palace maids as mere servants. There have been minimal changes among my attendants in the past two years. Ruyi Mama should be the most well-informed about this. You should have her come and ask."

Gu Yanxi said nothing and continued, "Where did you get that purple sable cloak?"

"It was a birthday gift from my mother when I turned twelve. My mother knew that I felt extremely cold during the menstrual period, so she wanted to find something warm for me. Ruyi Mama found a way for her. She is from the north..."

Gu Yiqiu suddenly stopped speaking, stood up abruptly, and ran out. Chen Qing instinctively tried to stop her, but Gu Yanxi gestured to let her go and followed her to the left.

There, where the palace maids resided, the female officials naturally had the best rooms.

Gu Yiqiu kicked open the door but immediately recoiled and covered her mouth, pointing inside.

Chen Qing hurried forward and saw a person hanging from the ceiling beam. He swiftly freed the person and examined them before shaking his head at Gu Yanxi.

Gu Yanxi entered the room and saw a silver wolf figurine on the table, intricately crafted with seamless silver pieces. Only when the pieces were put together would the true meaning be revealed.

At that moment, Seven Stars Bureau guards entered quickly and hesitated at the sight in the room before reporting, "Leader, the person who tampered with the window has been found, but... they're dead."

He handed over a similar object, unsurprisingly, it was a finely crafted wooden wolf.

This was a provocation!

Gu Yanxi turned and left, his cloak billowing in the wind.

"Wait," Gu Yiqiu caught up. "Ruyi Mama... she always leaves the palace on June 19 every year to burn some paper for her deceased husband by the river. She has been with me for so many years, and this habit has persisted for so long."

"Which river?"

"I never asked in detail," Gu Yiqiu strained to remember her different behavior that day. "Every time she comes back, she has a faint scent of herbs on her, very subtle, only noticeable at the moment she enters."

"Every time?"

"Almost... well, maybe not. I remember when I was young, she didn't have it. I don't know when it started." Gu Yiqiu bit her lip. "Can I see the emperor?"

Gu Yanxi remained silent.

Gu Yiqiu chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Does His Majesty not believe in this matter and has nothing to do with me and my concubine mother?"

"I will investigate and will not wrong Third Princess."

"The promise of the Seven Stars Bureau I trust." Gu Yiqiu kneeled in a respectful bow.

They all knew that the leader of the Seven Stars Bureau was a royal descendant, but they didn't know their age or which branch they were from. This gesture was effortless for her.

Gu Yanxi calmly accepted her bow and then turned to leave.

After everyone had left in a rush, Gu Yiqiu finally let out a sigh of relief, and leaned against a pillar to steady herself. How could she have imagined that the woman she had taken care of for so many years, who she had called Mama for so many years, was actually here to harm her!

*

In the study room, the Emperor’s voice was deceptively calm, his words carrying an edge sharp enough to cut. “The clue’s gone missing?” His tone was lighter than it should’ve been, the kind of coolness that only hid the brewing storm beneath.

“Only the Third Princess’s statement remains. I’ve already set things in motion, but... things aren’t looking good,” came the hesitant reply.

“So, what you’re telling me is that remnants of the Chaoli clan waltzed into my palace, caused a bloody mess, and then vanished into thin air? In the middle of a fortress guarded by the Five Camps and my Imperial Guards, under the watchful eyes of the Seven Stars Bureau, they somehow slipped through undetected?” The Emperor’s voice grew ice-cold, sharp enough to make your skin crawl.

“My incompetence,” the man muttered, hanging his head, his voice barely a whisper of defeat.

The Emperor’s rage flared, and without hesitation, he grabbed a heavy paperweight shaped like a tiger’s head. The sight of it—solid, cruel—seemed to promise the strike that would silence everything. But just as quickly, the Emperor thought better of it. He lowered the weight with a slap of frustration. “I don’t want to hear this nonsense! If you’re incompetent, then who the hell can I rely on?!”

Gu Yanxi bit back his retort, swallowing the raw frustration clawing at his throat. The feeling of discomfort, the resentment, the irritation—it all bubbled inside him, and still, he remained silent.

And, damn it all, Ah Zhi wasn’t around.

The Emperor paced, his anger unable to settle. When his gaze fell on his nephew still kneeling there, his fury flared brighter. Without a moment’s hesitation, he yanked the man to his feet, voice sharp like a whip. “You think this is going to solve itself by kneeling? Get up! Find a way, and fast. The next person crawling into my bed better not be someone out to slit my throat!”

Gu Yanxi bowed and left the room without a word.

Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance, a dark omen hanging over everything. The heavens themselves seemed to echo the sinking weight of failure in the air. The sky turned ominous, and in that moment, even the wind seemed to carry the taste of dread.

“Leader,” Chen Qing’s voice broke through the heavy silence as he stepped forward, “Ruyi Mama was saved by Consort Zheng when she was fifteen. She’s been with Consort Zheng ever since, trusted deeply. Not only did she bring her into the palace, but she also sent her to look after the Third Princess. Consort Zheng says Ruyi’s from Bingzhou—her family came here as refugees. Her husband died the day after their marriage, and when she was accused of his death, her in-laws tossed her out. She was saved after trying to end her own life.”

Gu Yanxi's gaze drifted upward, his mind tracing the threads of an ancient plot. If you followed the timeline to Yuan Shifang’s age, it became obvious: the Chaoli clan had been scheming for at least two generations. A ruthless, savage tribe finally starting to use their brains... Meanwhile, the princes of Daqing were so busy digging their own graves that they never saw the one dug under their feet.

"Activate the Eighth Constellation Stars ."

Chen Qing looked up sharply. Few people knew that there was an Eighth Constellation within the Seven Stars Bureau. They were hidden among the people, and even the other seven stars did not know how many people they had or what skills they possessed, only that they were not to be used unless it was a matter of life and death.

“Search every corner of the capital. If we don’t catch them all, at least make them bleed,” Gu Yanxi’s voice was a low growl, an icy promise of chaos. “I want to see how many of them we can bury in this city.”

“Understood,” came the quick response, as though the words were rehearsed, ready for the order.

The Eighth Stars Constellation showed the Seven Stars Bureau how powerful they were with facts. The next day, nine people were handed over to Gu Yanxi, and among them was someone from the palace.

But the answers still slipped through their fingers. Despite all the brute force and the Eight Constellation’s best attempts, those nine—along with the elusive Tong Yi—remained tight-lipped. It wasn’t that they refused to speak; they couldn’t. They were just cogs in a much larger machine, following orders from someone hidden in the shadows, someone who could be standing right next to them, just out of reach.

That night, Gu Yanxi quietly left the city, this time heading north on orders.

———TN: A big thanks to everyone for the sweet messages. I’m practically back to my old self… wink. We’ll call today’s translation done. I’ll catch you in two days—or tomorrow, if you’re lucky.

You know I love you all.