I was surprised. We hadn’t used our full strength yet, and he had already complied. He was unaware of what he was drinking, his brown pupils misty, locked on my eyes: “Thirteen, some things are not as simple as you think.”
Before he could finish, his expression became confused, a flush spreading across his face as he softly collapsed. He was thoroughly drunk, seemingly about to tell me something important. His words were eerily similar to those from the Eastern Palace, which was suspicious, but I had no time to think more. After scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was around, I quickly began to search. Important items would be kept close to the body. I reached inside his clothes, thoroughly searching, only to find a dragon-patterned jade pendant.
Although valuable, it didn’t look like a confidential item. I was perplexed—could it be hidden in his shoes?
After some internal struggle, my eyes caught a jade ring on his hand. This blue jade ring had a unique design, with a slender body but a large lotus flower mounted on the base, creating a sense of incongruity.
I had seen similar rings on Su Hui’s hand, though hers featured a peony flower. If I remembered correctly, Su Xi also had an identical ring. As for Su Quan, I hadn’t paid particular attention. Could the peony be a symbol of the Su family?
These similar jade rings didn’t prove anything—perhaps they just liked carving flowers on jade. I carefully placed Yan Or’s hand on a small table and felt a tiny protrusion on the right side of the lotus flower. My heart stirred, and I pressed it.
The jade lotus flower suddenly opened, revealing an exquisite small seal, carved with a bow and arrow, featuring a “Liang” character in the upper right corner. Undoubtedly, this was exactly what I was looking for.
I quickly took out the ink pad and pressed the lotus seal deep into the ink, capturing its outline. After confirming no traces were left on the jade seal, I put away the ink pad, restored the ring, and placed Yan Or’s hand back by his side, preparing to call Mo Qu, who was at the door, for sobering medicine.
Just as I reached the door, I heard a familiar voice—it was Su Hui.
