The death of Li Mingfang didn't bother Shangguan Xuanyi. He felt she had it coming. But when he gets blamed for her murder, he has no choice but to investigate the cause of her death.
Upon his return to the mansion, Shangguan Xuanyi orders An Yi to find out the truth.
First thing the following morning, An Yi reports back to him on his findings. And even Mr. Yang couldn't stand the torment of the interrogation, and he finally confesses everything.
The truth was, Mr. Yang had overheard Li Mingfang discussing a kidnapping and ransom strategy with someone from Bat Village. In need of money to fill in for his own embezzlement, he viewed this as a golden opportunity!
He considered teaming up with Li Mingfang to kidnap the Countess of Rui'an and demanded a ransom of 300,000 taels from Marquis Shengping. In return, he would get 100,000 taels, which would cover his misuse of public funds.