The smoke from the New Emperor's coronation had barely cleared when Shen Xitang stood before the charred ruins of the Ministry of Works Office.
The broken compass in her hand, embedded with Crimson Fire Gold Dust, traced a star map that pointed directly to the East China Sea—there lay the Xuanji Freight House route map left by Xiao Heng before his staged death. Its hidden patterns aligned perfectly with the coastal defense maps seized during the fall of the pirates three years prior.
"Does Lady Shen truly intend to discard these official robes?" Qingxing asked, holding the gilded, wax-sealed death warrant. The words "died of illness," written in sulfur ink, shimmered with a peacock-blue hue.
Chapter 24