Xiao Changyi also thought the same and, upon hearing An Jing say this, he lightly responded, "Mm."
Since Miss Yan Yao wouldn’t say who her enemy was, they could try to investigate it themselves.
After inquiring in various places, Meng Zhuqing came back with some news two days later.
Then, Meng Zhuqing came to report to An Jing and Xiao Changyi.
Upon seeing Meng Zhuqing, An Jing smiled and said, "It seems you’ve found some leads."
Meng Zhuqing replied truthfully, "That night, besides the Fifth Prince’s Mansion, Duke Tao’s family also had quite a stir, which just happened to be witnessed by a night watchman. The watchman said, as he was passing by Minister Tao’s residence on his rounds, he saw a person dressed in black rushing out from Tao Shangran’s home. Immediately after, he saw several Protectors from Tao Shangran’s family giving chase, heading south of the city after the person in black."
"Tao Shangran?" An Jing was not very familiar with officials and had no idea who this person was. She merely inferred from Meng Zhuqing’s words that this person, like her, held the second rank of minister.
Meng Zhuqing explained, "The Fifth Prince’s maternal grandfather is surnamed Tao, who is also known as Lord Protector, esteemed as Duke Tao. Duke Tao’s eldest brother’s grandson is Tao Shangran. Tao Shangran was transferred to the Imperial Capital a year ago as the Minister of Justice. Before coming to the capital, he held official posts in other places, and before his transfer to the Imperial Capital, he was serving as Magistrate in Beisheng."
An Jing nodded, "So, Tao Shangran is related to the Fifth Prince."
Meng Zhuqing hesitated for a moment, then said, "My General’s Mansion is to the south of the city, while Minister Tao’s residence is to the north. According to the night watchman’s account, if that person in black was Miss Yan Yao, by the time she reached My General’s Mansion, it would have been the very moment I saw Miss Yan Yao."
An Jing immediately scoffed, "So you basically believe that Yan Yao is not the true murderer of the Fifth Prince, right?"
"...Yes." After a long silence, finally, Meng Zhuqing honestly admitted it.
An Jing sighed and then seriously said, "Tao Shangran is not only a second-ranked minister, but he also has powerful connections. His uncle is none other than Duke Tao, the nation’s father-in-law. If Tao Shangran is indeed Yan Yao’s enemy, then her seeking vengeance against him would be like an egg crashing against a rock."
Meng Zhuqing immediately knelt down, "I beg your lordship and madam to help Miss Yan Yao!"
Before An Jing could speak, Xiao Changyi snorted coldly, "Do you know her background, yet you’re pleading with us?"
Meng Zhuqing was choked up at once.
Looking down at Meng Zhuqing, who remained kneeling and wouldn’t get up, An Jing sighed again before saying, "You should know why we had you capture Yan Yao. If you’re not genuinely sympathetic towards her, we wouldn’t get involved in this matter at all and would directly hand it over to the Ministry of Justice to investigate."
Meng Zhuqing immediately said, "I understand that your lordship and madam did it for me, but... I truly feel that Miss Yan Yao is not a person of great evil. If Minister Tao is indeed her enemy, then perhaps it’s because he committed some atrocity that led Miss Yan Yao to seek vengeance against him."
An Jing sighed, "Your heart has already taken her side, and even if there are still many doubts, you can deceive yourself."
Without waiting for Meng Zhuqing to speak, An Jing continued, "Tao Shangran and the Fifth Prince are relatives, and moreover, Tao Shangran’s house and the Fifth Prince’s Mansion are both almost equidistant from your home. That night, a person in black entered both places. Because your heart favors Yan Yao, you assume that she was the person in black coming from Tao Shangran’s place. But the fact is, no matter whether Yan Yao was at Tao Shangran’s house or had entered the Fifth Prince’s Mansion that night, by the time she came looking for you at your place, the timing would have been roughly the same."