What was displayed above was the surveillance footage from the royal palace.
She had hacked into the royal palace's surveillance system.
Pei Xing's route was very simple, exactly as she had seen it in the palace, with no changes whatsoever. She hadn't even touched her phone.
This person was either innocent or an exceptionally skilled actor, and very cunning, not falling for any traps.
At noon, everyone gathered in Shen Qingqing's room.
King spoke first, "I'll go first. I found nothing on my end."
Fu Jingshu also said, "I didn't find anything either."
Both of them looked at Shen Qingqing and Pei Lie, now pinning their hopes on the two of them.
Pei Lie seemed to have something to say but held back. Finally, he gave up and looked at Shen Qingqing, "You go first."
Shen Qingqing was a bit puzzled, not understanding what made him so helpless. She said, "I haven't made any progress either, and I haven't found anything."
All eyes then turned to Pei Lie.
He suddenly felt immense pressure. "Why are you all looking at me? I did find something on my end, but it has nothing to do with what you are investigating."
The three looked at each other, all a bit curious.
Pei Lie initially didn't want to say anything, but with everyone staring at him, he reluctantly spoke, "I found out that one of the two people I sent to protect you that day had a problem."
King sneered, "So, there was a traitor from your side."
"He said it had nothing to do with our matter," Shen Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes, feeling that her teacher's mind was becoming increasingly unreliable.
Sensing her disdain, King touched his nose.
Pei Lie continued, "That person stole something. When I questioned him, it came out by accident. I really didn't expect it."
"He also stole things?" Shen Qingqing was surprised. "I thought you managed your subordinates strictly, how could this happen?"
Pei Lie was also helpless. "I didn't expect it either. I've always treated them well, paying their salaries and bonuses without a single cent missing, yet this happened. I'm truly baffled!"
Later, he questioned the guard.
The guard said that someone in his family was ill and needed a large sum of money for treatment. He had never been able to save money before, so he had a wicked idea.
He stole jewelry from the women's quarters in the palace. The women in the palace had a vast amount of jewelry, often forgetting where they had placed it.
Losing one or two pieces was insignificant.
As it turned out, when Pei Lie questioned him, his guilty conscience led him to confess.
King was very disappointed. "In that case, you also came up with nothing."
Pei Lie spread his hands helplessly, but there was some good news. He looked at Shen Qingqing, "At least my two brothers are cleared of suspicion."
Shen Qingqing was noncommittal.
Pei Lie felt something was wrong. "What does that expression mean? Do they still have suspicion?"
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "Their suspicion has been temporarily ruled out."
Pei Lie sighed and comforted himself, "But in any case, it's good news, at least I found the thief."
"This lead is now broken."
Shen Qingqing was not so optimistic.
She was filled with unprecedented anger. The person behind all this was watching their every move, always one step ahead of them.
They were simply being toyed with.
Fu Jingshu patted her hand, "Don't rush."
But how could Shen Qingqing not be anxious? Time was running out until their departure, yet there was no clue about what they needed to investigate.
Pei Lie and King exchanged glances, and they took turns comforting her.
"This matter cannot be rushed."
"That's right. The more anxious we are, the more pleased the other party will be."
Shen Qingqing took a deep breath, calming herself. "Alright, let's continue our investigation. Although these leads are broken, what about that doll?"
Pei Lie said, "Yes, the results for the doll haven't come out yet. I heard someone investigating mention that it seems to be from a rather famous brand. It might take some time to investigate, but we'll definitely find out."
Shen Qingqing couldn't help but give a wry smile.
Now, it truly was a case of "when it rains, it pours." What she lacked the most was time.
The next day, a minister entered the palace, and they convened in the main hall for discussions.
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu did not go downstairs. They stood in the living room on the second floor, watching the people below. From their conversations, they learned that a prayer assembly was to be held.
It was said to be an annual event, and it had to be presided over by the King every year.
However, there was no King this year.
This caused the matter to stall.
Some proposed that Pei Xing should ascend the throne immediately, while others argued that the King had only recently passed away, and it would disturb his rest to have someone ascend the throne so soon.
The crowd engaged in a heated discussion on this topic.
Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu exchanged glances, finding it uninteresting, and turned to leave.
Not long after, Pei Lie arrived and informed them of the final discussion result.
"My second brother will ascend the throne tomorrow."
Shen Qingqing was not surprised. "Normal."
"Why aren't you surprised at all?" Pei Lie asked.
"What's there to be surprised about?" Shen Qingqing leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed. "He is already the crown prince. He will become King sooner or later. This is just a formality. Do you really think you can let the annual prayer assembly go without a host?"
Pei Lie was speechless.
Shen Qingqing glanced at the time. "Remember to notify me when there's news about the doll. I'm going to rest for a while."
With that, she closed the door.
In the afternoon, Pei Xing formally ascended the throne. The awakened Queen, feigning illness, presided over the ceremony for Pei Xing. After all, she was the highest-ranking person in the palace at the moment.
This presiding position was hers by right.
Shen Qingqing, Fu Jingshu, and King attended as guests. Shen Qingqing glanced upstairs. "Why isn't the old man coming down?"
King spread his hands helplessly. "He says he's not interested in these kinds of occasions. You know his temperament. I can't even drag him down!"
He was almost at the point of pulling the man down.
But that would be undignified. If the old man put on a sour face, it would be even worse.
Shen Qingqing smiled helplessly. "Then forget it. He never liked these occasions anyway. No need to force him. Oh, right, have you found out about what I asked you to investigate?"
King lowered his voice. "The government officials who handled the compensation for the factory are not very familiar with Pei Xi. They only know he was a powerful and wealthy factory owner. They don't know anything else. The government personnel don't have any relationship with him either."
Shen Qingqing pondered. "Then it seems we still need to find this person in the palace."
As they spoke, the coronation ceremony was nearing its end. The Queen personally placed the crown on Pei Xing's head. Pei Lie and Pei Ji, who was in a wheelchair, watched from the side, both applauding.
Thunderous applause erupted from below as well.
Thus, Pei Xing officially ascended the throne.
After the ceremony, Pei Xing had Shen Qingqing, Fu Jingshu, and King stay behind. He ordered a lavish meal to be prepared.
"What is this for?" Shen Qingqing and Fu Jingshu asked after sitting down.
Pei Xing was radiant and exceptionally handsome today, with a smile on his face. He raised his wine glass. "I toast you all with this glass of wine. Thank you for your support, especially Miss Shen. A lot has happened during this time, and you have helped us immensely."