“A-Shuo, what do you think?”
Qi Shuo glanced at the setting sun on the horizon, his tone indifferent. “If Yang Zhe cooperated with the real culprit, what would his motive be?”
For a top scholar with a promising future and the trust of the Crown Prince, what benefit would there be in poisoning him?
Lin Hao shook her head. “That’s exactly what makes it so baffling.”
As they spoke, the General’s Manor and the Manor of Prince Jing were already in sight.
Qi Shuo gently patted her shoulder. “Go home, eat something, and get some proper rest. We have already done what we needed to do; it is not advisable to get too deeply involved.”
“Mm.” Lin Hao parted ways with Qi Shuo and entered the General’s Manor. After a moment's thought, she went straight to the Old Madam.
Madam Lin was currently chatting and eating melon seeds with the Old Madam.
“I didn't expect A-Hao to have the ability to make money; the Wuxiang Floral Water shop is becoming more and more popular.”
The Old Madam also smiled. “Being able to manage affairs is a good thing. When she becomes the Consort of the Heir in the future, she won't be flustered.”
Just as they were speaking, Lin Hao entered.
As soon as Madam Lin saw her daughter, she teased with a smile, “Back for dinner, are you?”
Contrary to Madam Lin's expectation that her daughter would be shy, Lin Hao pursed her lips, her expression solemn. “Grandmother, Mother, something terrible has happened.”
“What is it?” The Old Madam and Madam Lin were stunned.
Based on their understanding of Lin Hao, it had to be a matter of extreme gravity for her to speak this way.
“The Crown Prince was poisoned to death at the Five Flavors Pavilion.”
The moment these words were spoken, Madam Lin's eyes widened abruptly, and the teacup in the Old Madam's hand trembled violently.
“A-Hao, what about you and the Heir?” Madam Lin grabbed Lin Hao's arm, looking her up and down nervously.
The Old Madam suppressed her racing heart. “Why panic? If something had happened, A-Hao wouldn't be here. A-Hao, tell us slowly.”
Lin Hao explained the situation concisely.
“So, your brother-in-law is also at the Jinlin Guards right now?” Madam Lin felt a surge of lingering fear.
If Chan'er had not broken the engagement with the Crown Prince back then—
She knew it was inappropriate to think this way, but when disaster struck, everyone naturally weighed the distance of their relations.
“No one dares to be negligent regarding a matter as great as the Crown Prince's murder; Brother-in-law and the others were all taken away. But please don't worry. According to the current investigation, only the top scholar Yang Zhe has not been cleared of suspicion. Brother-in-law and the others should be fine.”
Despite her words, the expressions of the Old Madam and Madam Lin visibly soured.
To be linked to the death of the Crown Prince, even if one were innocent, the outcome under the Emperor's thunderous rage was unpredictable.
The Old Madam ordered the steward to send word to the Minister's Manor.
By this time, Emperor Taian had finished listening to the reports from Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen.
It had been barely half a day since the incident with the Crown Prince; to have uncovered this much was already not easy, but for Emperor Taian, it was not enough.
Far from enough.
“Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find that person for me!” As he spoke, dark clouds gathered on Emperor Taian's face, and his gaze looked as if it wanted to devour someone alive.
“Yes,” Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen replied in unison.
“Furthermore,” Emperor Taian swept a glance over the two, “until that person is found, not a single person who was at the restaurant is permitted to leave.”
“Your servant obeys the decree.”
Cheng Maoming pondered for a moment and asked tentatively, “Your Majesty, then the Heir of Prince Jing—”
During the report, he naturally dared not hide the fact that he had allowed the Heir of Prince Jing to return home. To prevent the Emperor from questioning his attitude toward the Heir, he could not avoid mentioning it.
Emperor Taian rubbed his brow, his voice tinged with sorrow and exhaustion. “Focus on the search for the suspect. Once the person is found, let the Heir of Prince Jing and Second Miss Lin confirm the identity.”
Hearing this, Cheng Maoming knew the Emperor did not suspect the Heir of Prince Jing and hurriedly responded in the affirmative.
After Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen withdrew, Emperor Taian sat in silence for a long time before giving the order: “Announce the death.”
The Crown Prince's body had been discreetly transported back to the palace for the initial dressing. The funeral hall was quickly arranged, and the solemn, magnificent palace was soon draped in funeral white.
When Consort Jing received the news of the Crown Prince's death, she fainted on the spot and did not wake until dark.
“Si-lang—” With a piercing cry, Consort Jing stumbled and rushed into the room where the Crown Prince's body was placed.
The Crown Prince, now dressed in his burial shroud, lay on the bed. If one ignored his bluish complexion, it looked as if he were in a deep sleep.
The moment she saw her son, Consort Jing completely broke down. “Si-lang, Si-lang, open your eyes and look at your mother!”
Outside the door, Emperor Taian stood silently. Listening to Consort Jing's heart-wrenching cries, his own heart twisted in pain.
The eldest son was immoral and incompetent; the fourth son was murdered just as he became the Crown Prince. Was this the retribution for his seizure of power?
Back when he was still a Prince, the ceding of land, the payment of indemnities, the loss of cities, and the deaths of capable generals—each piece of news had ignited his rage, and likewise, his ambition.
The empire his Imperial Father had fought for was not meant to be squandered by his eldest brother.
A weak and incompetent man who could neither maintain the ancestral foundation above nor protect the common people below—why should he occupy the throne?
Rather than waiting for that spendthrift to hand the Great Zhou empire over to the Qi people, it was better for him to sit upon it.
Over the years, no matter how difficult the situation, Emperor Taian had never regretted it, but in this instant, he felt a flicker of hesitation.
“Your Majesty, how did Si-lang die? Tell me, how did Si-lang die!” Consort Jing rushed out and collapsed at Emperor Taian's feet.
The crying pulled Emperor Taian back to his senses, and the brief moment of weakness vanished silently. He reached out to pull Consort Jing up, his voice firm. “I will ensure that the person who harmed Si-lang is punished. I promise.”
The response to the Emperor's promise was Consort Jing's grief-stricken wailing.
This day was destined to be sorrowful and heavy.
Upon officially receiving the news of the death, the civil and military officials and the nobility immediately ceased all feasting and entertainment and changed into plain mourning clothes.
Unease surged like an omnipresent wind into every corner. Almost every manor quietly sent people out to gather information, and the official guards seen everywhere on the streets made the feeling of an impending storm even more palpable.
Consort Jing came from a humble background and had long since lost her natal family. Among the manors in the capital, the one feeling the most genuine grief was the Manor of the Duke of Ying.
Like Consort Jing, upon hearing the news of the Crown Prince's death, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Ying, Du Ying, rolled her eyes and fainted. She only woke up after a chaotic flurry of calls.
“Mother, the Crown Prince is dead, so what will happen to me?” she asked through tears, clutching Mother Du's sleeve.
Mother Du's eyes were red, and she was unable to answer her daughter.
The one her daughter was betrothed to was not an ordinary official's son, but the Crown Prince; they were even on the verge of their grand wedding. Other than waiting as a gate-widow, what else could she do?
Thinking of this, Mother Du's vision blurred, and she felt as if she might faint as well.
While the various manors in the capital were heavy and oppressive, only in the Manor of Prince Liang did manic laughter ring out.
“Hahaha, a good death, a wonderful death, hahahahaha—” Prince Liang laughed toward the sky, making no attempt to hide it.
The servants beside him turned pale with fear and hurriedly tried to dissuade him. “Your Highness, the Crown Prince has passed; you must restrain your grief!”
“Get lost!” Prince Liang shoved the person who tried to stop him, a reckless smile curling his lips. “Old Fourth is dead, and Father has only me as a son. Why should I restrain my grief? Hahaha, Heaven has eyes! What should be mine is mine, and no one can steal it away!”
(End of Chapter)