Who put the yellow robe on me?

Bai Binggong's expression changed, but he managed a forced smile: "Your Highness is wise and powerful. If you can provide any clues, it would be great."

Jiang Chen put down the file and said slowly, "As far as I know, the patrol schedule of the Forest Rangers changed on the night the princess disappeared. Does this have anything to do with the Ministry of Justice's daily schedule?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Binggong's forehead was covered with sweat, and his voice trembled slightly. "What do you mean, Your Highness? I have not been involved in the patrol arrangements of the Forest Protection Army."

Jiang Chen stared at Bai Binggong sharply and said slowly, "But the Ministry of Justice handles cases of all sizes in the capital, and when necessary, even the Forest Guards are deployed. Why did the patrol schedule suddenly change? Hasn't Minister Bai heard about this?"

Bai Binggong's face turned even uglier, and he murmured, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty has never heard of this."

Xiong Zhiheng added in a low voice, "Your Highness, the changes in the forest ranger patrols may have been deliberately arranged by someone. I will immediately check the relevant case files to see if anyone has left any clues."

Jiang Chen nodded slightly and glanced at Xiong Zhiheng approvingly. "Well, Sir Xiong, what you said is very much to my liking. If we follow this clue, we may find a breakthrough in the Thirteenth Princess' disappearance case."

Bai Binggong stood aside awkwardly, with mixed feelings in his heart.

He understood Jiang Chen's intention. The prince had obviously been dissatisfied with the Ministry of Justice's ability to do its job for a long time, and now he was supporting Xiong Zhiheng, obviously wanting to place his own people in the Ministry of Justice.

Thinking of this, Bai Binggong was secretly alert, but he could do nothing.

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze and spoke in a slightly slower tone, "Master Bai, now that these files have been sorted out, I would like to trouble you to spend more time on them. If you can find a clue soon, I will definitely live up to my father's trust."

Lord Bai Bing nodded quickly, "Yes, Your Highness, I will do my best."

Jiang Chen turned around and patted Xiong Zhiheng on the shoulder, saying meaningfully, "Master Xiong, this case is of great importance. I hope you can lend a hand to Master Bai, right, Master Bai?"

Then Jiang Chen turned around, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Bai Binggong with a smile.

Bai Binggong was already feeling extremely uncomfortable with Xiong Zhiheng's arrival, and being looked at like that by Jiang Chen made him feel even more uncomfortable. However, he still had a fawning expression on his face: "Yes, yes, yes! Your Highness the Prince of Yan is right. Zhiheng, you should also assist in the investigation of this case!"

Xiong Zhiheng bowed and saluted, his tone firm: "Yes, Lord Bai! Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will do my best!"

Jiang Chen nodded in satisfaction and strode out of the chamber. His back was straight and calm, and his aura was like a sword unsheathed, pointing straight to the sky.

Before leaving, he left a message: "Then I will wait for Mr. Xiong's progress at Prince Yan's Mansion!"

Bai Binggong looked at Jiang Chen's back, the corner of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing in the end.

The uneasiness in his heart grew stronger, and he vaguely felt that the direction of the Ministry of Justice might have quietly changed.

Xiong Zhiheng watched Jiang Chen leave, his eyes full of admiration and excitement.

He knew that this was an opportunity Jiang Chen had given him, a chance to make a name for himself. He would not let Jiang Chen down, nor would he sink into this dark and gloomy place of copying files again.

In less than half a day, Xiong Zhiheng compiled an important file and hurried to the Prince of Yan's Mansion. Han Qingsong brought Xiong Zhiheng in and then tactfully withdrew.

Jiang Chen looked at Xiong Zhiheng who walked in. The other party's expression was full of excitement and awe, as if he was facing a towering mountain.

As soon as Xiong Zhiheng entered the room, without waiting for Jiang Chen to speak, he knelt down on the ground and kowtowed three times.

This sudden action surprised Jiang Chen a little. He quickly stood up and helped Xiong Zhiheng up: "Master Xiong, there is no need to do this. Get up quickly."

Xiong Zhiheng's voice was slightly choked with sobs, tears flickering in his eyes. "Your Highness, you are finally back. If you hadn't returned to the capital, I would have been trapped in this dark pile of files for the rest of my life, with no hope of escaping."

His voice was not loud, but it was filled with grievance and gratitude.

Jiang Chen patted his shoulder gently and said soothingly, "Master Xiong, please take your time if you have anything to say. What happened recently? Why has everyone become like this?"

Xiong Zhiheng's expression gradually calmed down. He stood up and presented the file in his hands with both hands. His tone was solemn: "Your Highness, these past few years... the court has been full of turmoil. Ever since you left for the Western Regions to fight, the situation within the court has been constantly changing. The palace, which had seemed peaceful, has become clearly turbulent since Your Majesty's serious illness."

As he spoke, a flicker of painful memories flashed in his eyes. "After His Highness left, the palace maintained a semblance of peace, but in reality, the intrigues among the princes intensified. The Sixth Prince, the Ninth Prince, the Twelfth Prince... each had their own agenda, and the struggle for power intensified with each passing day."

Jiang Chen frowned slightly when he heard this: "Then what?"

Xiong Zhiheng nodded. "First, the Sixth and Ninth Princes argued bitterly over whether the Minister of Rites, Mu Shenru, should be reinstated. Mu Shenru was a righteous minister and had always had a good relationship with His Majesty. But for some reason, the Ministry of Rites had been undergoing constant personnel changes for a while, and the Sixth and Ninth Princes were at loggerheads, neither willing to give in."

He paused, a look of disappointment in his eyes. "In this dispute, General Zhong Wenbin's victory report from the Western Regions should have been welcome news, but it was secretly smeared and distorted by certain princes unwilling to be inferior to others. Various forces are fighting openly and secretly in the court. The Ministry of Justice, as a law enforcement agency, should have stayed out of it, but that was not the case."

Jiang Chen tapped the table lightly, making a short "tapping" sound. "What happened to the Ministry of Justice?"

Xiong Zhiheng smiled bitterly, "At that time, the twelfth prince Jiang Zhan was in the north supporting the Northern Qiang troops, but was tricked by the Northern Qiang and had a city stolen, causing an uproar in the court.

The Sixth and Ninth Princes seized this opportunity to jointly attack Jiang Zhan, accusing him of misusing personnel and lacking self-discipline. Furious, His Majesty severely punished Jiang Zhan, and the Ministry of Justice, due to its close relationship with the Twelfth Prince, was also implicated.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "The Ministry of Justice is a law enforcement agency. Why is it so close to the Twelfth Prince?"

Xiong Zhiheng sighed, "The Twelfth Prince is an upright person. He once gave advice when the Ministry of Justice encountered a difficult case and helped without any selfishness. Therefore, people like Minister Bai in the Ministry of Justice have a good impression of the Twelfth Prince.

But precisely because of this, when the Twelfth Prince got into trouble, the Ministry of Justice was also to blame and was reprimanded by His Majesty. Minister Bai was already in a bad mood and had a bad temper, and he took out all his anger on us, the lower officials."

When he said this, his eyes turned red, and it was obvious that he had been having an extremely difficult time these days. "Your Highness, if you hadn't returned to the capital, I don't know how long I would have been buried in those piles of files!"

Jiang Chen soothed him softly, "Master Xiong, I understand your grievances, but now that things have come to this, we need to remain calm. Go on, when did the rumor begin that there was someone exactly like me in the capital?"