TEFSCBSS Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Su Li, Come Out — Su Xiang Is Here to Take You Home!

Prime Minister Su had heard the news of Su Li’s supposed death last night, and he was in a fantastic mood. As soon as the court ended, he brought Su Yao along and headed toward the script shop, planning to put on a show of deep father-daughter affection — and conveniently take over everything there.

Behind him followed a group of household guards, led by Su Yi and Su San.

Su Yi, unaware of the real situation, thought that Prime Minister Su had finally come to his senses and decided to openly welcome Su Li back home. Overjoyed, he strode right in without even raising his head, shouting,
“Miss Su Li! Miss Su Li! The Prime Minister is here to take you home!”

Prime Minister Su didn’t stop him; instead, he stood by smiling, happily letting Su Yi help him craft the image of a loving father.

Wang Bokao, who had been deeply focused on researching primitive beliefs, had his train of thought completely derailed by Su Yi’s yelling.

His face darkened with irritation as he glared at Su Yi.
“What the hell are you shouting for? You think you can just yell Su Li’s name like that?”

Then, after giving Su Yi an earful, he turned to Zhao Si and asked,
“Where’s Su Li?”

Zhao Si thought: …Well, at least now he knows he has a use around here — he’s the “find the boss” guidepost.

Since there were too many people around, Zhao Si didn’t dare openly roll his eyes. He simply pointed outside and said,
“There. That person over there, head down, slurping noodles.”

Prime Minister Su was startled — what? She’s not dead?

Everyone turned to follow Zhao Si’s pointing finger, and sure enough, they saw someone in green robes, wearing a man’s topknot, sitting there happily slurping noodles.

Su Yi’s young face filled with loving affection.
Ah, good, good! Eat more, stay healthy, and live a long life!

Su San, however, looked completely dumbfounded.
How is she still alive?

He distinctly remembered hearing someone collapse before he left — had it not been Su Li, but Ge Jiantai instead?
Or… was it possible that the retired soldiers had managed to save her?

Terrified, Su San dared not meet Prime Minister Su’s eyes. His legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees to beg for forgiveness.

Su Yao pressed her lips tightly together and glanced at Prime Minister Su —
What now?

But before he could react, Su Yi, like a lit firecracker, had already charged outside.

“Miss! The Prime Minister has come to take you home!”

Huh?

Home?

Hearing someone calling for her, Su Li lifted her head from her bowl and saw Su Yi’s tearfully emotional face, and not far behind him, the strange expressions on Prime Minister Su and Su Yao’s faces.

What were they doing here?

And bringing so many people — was this a public confrontation?

Then she suddenly remembered what the Minister of Justice had warned her about recently — that the case involving the flesh-eating demon was backed by Prime Minister Su himself.

For years, no one had dared mention the matter in front of him — after all, it concerned his only sister and his nephew.

On the surface, Prime Minister Su had publicly denounced them along with everyone else, but behind the scenes, he secretly investigated anyone who dared to dig deeper, ensuring disaster would befall their families.

Over time, no one in the capital dared bring it up anymore, let alone provoke his ire.

His mastery of deception had been so thorough that even the emperor, though suspicious, could not find proof. All he could do was watch as Prime Minister Su’s power grew unchecked.

Yet even knowing all this, Su Li hadn’t given up; in fact, she became even more determined, personally overseeing the entire script herself.

She was eager to see how, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Prime Minister Su would try to use force again to twist public perception.

Su Li remained calm and confident, certain that even if he had come to accuse her, he would have no reasonable grounds.

“Prime Minister Su, to what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked coolly.

Hearing her indifferent greeting only made Prime Minister Su even more furious. He yanked out several strands of his beard in frustration but kept up a cheerful façade, spinning the narrative Su Yi had given him — he was here to bring his daughter home.

Su Li dug in her ear, almost disbelieving what she was hearing.
Was the sun rising in the west today?

Since when did Prime Minister Su smile at her like he was her loving father?

…

While Su Li and Prime Minister Su were playing verbal chess, elsewhere, the Princess Royal had just received a report from the retired soldiers.

“You’re saying Prime Minister Su sent people to assassinate Su Li?” she asked in disbelief.

How could that be?

Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs — and besides, he’d raised her for over a decade! She had believed that, at worst, he might cast Su Li out and leave her to fend for herself, but never that he would be so ruthless.

“Are you certain?” she pressed.

Hei Yi (Black One) gave another report — and had Ge Jiantai, now tortured into a broken wreck, dragged in.

The moment Ge Jiantai entered the room, he was so overwhelmed by the Princess Royal’s aura that he collapsed to the ground, trembling, not daring to lift his head.

He answered every question she asked — even confessing to embarrassing things like wetting the bed as a child and spying on the neighbor’s daughter bathing.

“…At least you’re honest,” the Princess Royal said dryly.

“Do you know why Prime Minister Su wanted Su Li dead?”

The Princess Royal lifted her teacup, looking outwardly composed — if one ignored her fingers turning white from how hard she gripped it.

“I don’t know the exact reason,” Ge Jiantai said. “But I heard that Prime Minister Su has been searching for something.”

“Starting a few years ago, he ordered us to infiltrate various noble households, searching for a sandalwood box — one carved with a motif of entwined branches.”

“Despite deploying all his resources, we found nothing. Later, after Miss Su Yao returned to the Prime Minister’s residence, it seemed like he learned of its whereabouts.”

“He stopped contacting other households and ordered us instead to keep a close watch on Su Li and the Third Prince.”

“My brother Jiang Liang was assigned to deal with Su Li, but he was captured and killed about a month ago. I stepped into his role to avenge him and accepted the mission to assassinate Su Li.”

The Princess Royal’s expression grew even colder.

A sandalwood box?
Entwined branches?

So he was still deluded enough to think he could get his hands on it.

Of course, the Princess Royal knew what that box was.
If it resurfaced, it could shift the balance of power in the court, even change the fate of the empire.

It could either protect the realm or lead it to ruin.

Back then, it had been entrusted to Zhao Yue’er — no one else knew where she had hidden it. Prime Minister Su had been closest to her, but still missed his chance.

Now, with Zhao Yue’er dead and her daughter adrift, he still had the gall to seek the treasure — and even kill Su Li to get it?

The Princess Royal let out a cold laugh.

Her gaze toward Ge Jiantai became icily calculating. He still had some use left.

With a wave of her hand, she ordered him to be taken away.

“You have something else to report?” she asked Hei Yi, who was still kneeling nearby, looking hesitant and conflicted.

Amused despite herself, she waited.

After some hesitation, Hei Yi spoke up about Su Li’s sleepwalking.

He described seeing the little girl wandering around at night, crying at graves — how disturbing it was.

Even if it wasn’t supernatural, it clearly showed deep-seated grief and trauma.

He urged the Princess Royal to find a good doctor for her. After all, it wasn’t safe for her to be wandering around alone at night.

“…Sleepwalking?”

The Princess Royal had expected Hei Yi to report something about Prime Minister Su’s next move — not this.

She rubbed her forehead in frustration.

“Do Gu Qing and the others know?” she asked.

Damn it. If those kids knew about Su Li’s condition and didn’t tell her, she was going to break their legs.

Hei Yi honestly shook his head.
“They don’t know. But Princess Yunyang once caught Su Li crying late at night and thought it was a rehearsal for a new script.”

“She was so moved she swore to write an even more heartbreaking story afterward… and, uh, that’s about it.”

Hei Yi’s voice got quieter and quieter, unsure how else to describe Yunyang’s pure, clueless reaction.

“Heh.”

The Princess Royal let out a cold laugh.
She summoned Hei Yi closer to give new orders…