20 investigation?

Ruthless's pov.

The net is closing.

I cover my left chest, a steady beat, is felt through the cool fabric. I will keep you pumping. I swear in unwavering determination.

I lift my pale face up at the sun shining so brightly-too brightly, that it hurts, I push my eyelids open to stare back at the sun's glares. Sharp pains pierced my eyes, pain...good... the pain will keep me alarm and alert. No mistakes allowed. None.

The court seems peaceful now, but everyone senses it is the calmness, before the great storm.

Oboi Ebilun in the dungeon, Dong's party is having a mini civil war now. After all, getting caned-20 times, shaming themselves, and giving yourselves pain, can definitely shake their confidence in Dong. Politicians, Businessmen, they all look at 1 thing- value.

You have value to benefit me, I will treat you like the Buddha, no value? You can scram.

No, it is legit. They are the most selfish, and hungry group of people, never enough, I want more...no more for me? How about I exchange something for that? I will exchange anything, my daughter's life? Of course, take it, take it.

That's how they are.

That is how society is. Simple rule, yet so cruel.

Heartbreaking. But get used to it. Survive. Trample them! Make them lick your toes, brothers! Be crueller than them, and you can rule. But not all can do it, sometimes, I feel so tired of this endless killing, next life, if I have one, I want to be reborn as a rock, and sleep all I want.

Sadly, not this life.

I return to my writing chamber, where I spend most of my time in.

Lying back into the soft, posh seat. My thumb and index finger rub against each other. An action I do when calculating something. My mind works carefully through the threads and gaps in the plan, sewing out tactics after tactics.

"Jjip, jip." A black tiny bird chirps by the window, it drops something onto my desk.

I spare a finger to stroke its feathers and pick up the letter.

"By the new waters with Diana, your age."

I chuckle, the bird flies away after drinking water from a cup in its cage. Of course, it means to the old hill with Devyn. 'new waters' is for the irony, since we will be meeting in the Old Hill. 'Diana' stands for Devyn, as Noble Consort Diana is their shared enemy, while 'your age' stands for 15 00 hours, means 3 pm, there's 3 of us, 3 multiply by 3 is 9, so 9 pm. How I even got 15? My age this year is 15.

Make sense? Maybe not, well just in case if anyone swapped, or peeked at the letter, we gotta be careful.

I discussed and finalised the details with my subordinates and ministers involved promptly before heading for the old hill.

"Ruth, you're here," Lilando's eyes light up as if there are candles lit up by the hottest fires. "Here, here!" He pats the space beside him, opposite Devyn.

"Dev, long time no see," I beam at the sight of my best friend.

Devyn has also become more mature, with a cutting edge to his gentleness. His mellow brown eyes, so warm, and pure. We hug each other warmly, it is really too long no see.

"Ruth..." Lilando pouts, shaking my arm, looking down at me, his eyes so bright, just like the sun I glared at in this afternoon. This childish man.

"Lan, he is Dev, okay?" I laugh and nips at his cheeks, receiving his message immediately.

Lilando's pov.

"But..." I am still jealous. Very jealous. That I want to rip him apart. Stop Lilando, Devyn is your friend...might as well have someone by her before I...

"So what brought you here, Dev?" Ruthless sits crossed-legged beside me and pours the Sakura Wine to our cups.

"Your birthday is coming soon, there are also some patients here I need to attend to personally. Ah, your best Sakura Wine, it's been so long since I had a cup of it."

"Just come whenever you want any." Absolutely not, stay away from Ruth and I will be fine. But, of course, I have the best wine-making skills, this I have to credit myself for.

I am so talented, no wonder Ruth falls for me, but what happens when...wait to stop Lan, stop ruining the night.

I push the thoughts out of my head, involving myself with my friend and girlfriend.

The camera's perspective.

Next morning. On the court.

"Your Majesty, there is a famine in the North, people have been dying at the rate of at least 10 thousand people each day!" Jake Jan, the Right Minister reports.

Ooh, snitch!

"Who is in charge of the famine assistance to the North? Zhen has sent out a good sum of 10 million of silver, and you are telling me that the people there are still dying?!"

"Your Majesty, it's Financial Minister Alvin Dong." Eunuch Li replies.

"Alvin Dong! What do you have to say!" The Emperor flings a book on his table at Alvin Dong. The book hits his forehead, causing the area to swell. After all, most of the emperor's books are adorned with heavy gold. When it hits your head... good luck to you, worse thing is, you can not even dodge it.

Alvin Dong kneels, pressing his head to the cold floor," may Your Majesty check again, and not listen to wronged and corrupted officers!"

"So you're saying that I am stupid?! That I don't know right or wrong?"

"Answer me! Where did that money go?!"

The Emperor sweeps a row of books to the ground fiercely, his eyes popping red.

Ruthless knew that the Emperor gets his own money from the North, if not why would he send out such a large sum of money for the famine. Now that the people there are dying, his money will stop coming in. He will, of course, be mad.

"Your Majesty, it must be my subordinates who swallowed the money, not me, not me, Your Majesty!"

Everyone knows that he is finding an excuse, push out someone to carry his punishments. Why will your subordinates even act without your permission? Even if they do, it's his failure to notice. Either way, punishment is inescapable.

"Imperial Princess!"

"Yes, Father."

"I command you to handle this case and find the main culprit!"

"Yes, Father, Ruthless will obey your wishes." His eyes soften, and Ruthless knows she said the right thing.

Ruthless spends her next few days "investigating this case", she already knows it is the Dong behind this, to build armies for themselves in the case of the need to rebel. After all, building an army is not easy. It is more than feeding thousands of people. You got to spend money to buy weapons, have enough connections to get someone to make weapons illegally for you, and spend money to give them shelter.

But she has already collected evidence before this, but she still has to pretend, if not the Emperor will get suspicious of her too.

Ha, the Dong has stepped on the tiger's lion this time. Ruthless blows the leaves floating in her cup mischievously, a smirk visible.