Who put the yellow robe on me?

Jiang Chen had a vague idea of the answer in his mind, but this answer made him even more worried.

Everyone was enthusiastically discussing different possibilities when Xiong Zhiheng suddenly asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, have you figured out who it is?"

Jiang Chen was startled when he heard this, and his mind was in turmoil. This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly disrupting his thoughts.

After a long while, he managed to suppress his inner ups and downs, waved his hands, and shook his head in a forced and relaxed manner, saying, "I didn't expect that either."

The hall instantly fell silent, as if even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly. Everyone's expression was solemn and complex, with anxiety, confusion, and a hint of unease.

As a few roosters crowed in the distance, the sky began to turn pale.

The morning light streamed into the house through the window lattices, casting a pale glow on everyone's face.

Everyone stayed up all night, but no one showed signs of fatigue. This was because everyone knew that the three-day deadline given by Emperor Liang was the last day.

If Jiang Chen fails to give a clear answer, unpredictable and severe consequences await him, and the fate of the Minister of Justice and the Supreme Court Minister is equally uncertain. However, at this moment, everyone is more concerned about how to help the Sixteenth Prince escape this desperate situation.

Over the past year or so, although they hadn't explicitly stated it, they had already considered Jiang Chen their leader. Whether out of loyalty or self-preservation, they had silently resolved to go all out to help Jiang Chen break the impasse.

Jiang Chen glanced around and said in a deep voice, "Everyone has worked hard all night. Let's go have some breakfast and rest up first."

Everyone looked at each other, and although they were unwilling to do so, they still retreated one after another. However, everyone's steps were a little heavy as they left.

Outside the door, there was a thin mist and the morning dew condensed into beads, falling on the dead leaves, making an inaudible dripping sound.

Jiang Chen absentmindedly ate a bowl of wontons. The soup had a slightly fishy taste, but he paid no attention. The three plum blossom darts kept flashing through his mind, like a lingering ghost.

He put down the bowl, walked to the front door of the mansion, took a deep breath of the cold morning air, and tried to calm himself down.

However, that invisible pressure was like a mountain, weighing heavily on his heart. Today was the last day, and if he didn't make a breakthrough, his fate was unimaginable.

At this moment, the sound of wheels rolling on the ground came from afar. A carriage slowly drove up and stopped at the gate of Prince Yan's Mansion.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly, a hint of vigilance rising in his heart. He recognized He Xiaowei's carriage, but what news might she bring with her visit at this time? Good or bad? He stood up straight without making a sound, his eyes calmly gazing at the carriage.

The curtains opened, and He Xiaowei slowly stepped down. She looked slightly exhausted, a trace of weariness lingering on her face, but a hint of determination shone through her eyes. The morning light reflected on her face, adding a gentle glow to her tired features.

Jiang Chen was slightly startled, took two steps forward, bowed and greeted: "Miss He, you came so early, is there something important?" Although his voice was as calm as possible, there was a hint of urgency in it.

He Xiaowei looked up at Jiang Chen, her eyes filled with concern and worry. She nodded gently and whispered, "Your Highness, I heard there's been no progress on the Thirteenth Princess's case. I've been restless all night, and I'm really worried. I'm wondering if I can help you with your worries."

Jiang Chen was stunned when he heard this, but then his heart warmed slightly. He sighed softly and looked at He Xiaowei with a slightly apologetic look: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Miss He."

"Why do you say that, Your Highness?" He Xiaowei's tone was gentle but firm. "I have long considered the Thirteenth Princess my own family. Although Xiaowei is not very knowledgeable, I am willing to do my best. I have also communicated with Grandpa many times in the past two days, and there are some matters that I need to discuss with Your Highness."

Jiang Chen's eyes flashed with a complex emotion, and then he nodded and said, "Miss He, since you are willing to do so, let's go in and discuss it in detail."

He leaned slightly to the side and extended his hand, "Please."

He Xiaowei nodded slightly, walked side by side with Jiang Chen towards the main hall, and the two of them walked into the mansion in silence.

The two walked towards the main hall, one in front and one behind. Before they got close, Jiang Chen heard a series of low arguments coming from inside the hall. His heart moved slightly, and he quickened his pace.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw people gathered in front of the map, with different expressions but all a bit nervous.

Jiang Chen felt warm in his heart. Although these people were a little tired after not sleeping last night, they were able to do their best for him at the critical moment, which was really touching.

Xiong Zhiheng stood in front of the map, looked up at Jiang Chen and He Xiaowei, and said loudly: "Your Highness, Miss He, we have found some clues."

Jiang Chen and He Xiaowei exchanged a glance, then quickly stepped forward and asked, "What clue?"

Xiong Zhiheng pointed to a mark on the map and said solemnly, "Your Highness, please look, the position of this third plum blossom dart is a bit strange."

Jiang Chen immediately stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the map. He discovered that the location Xiong Zhiheng was pointing to was a dilapidated teahouse in a remote, almost forgotten area.

Xiong Zhiheng continued, "This teahouse has been abandoned for many years, but after careful research, we found three extremely suspicious locations nearby."

He tapped the map three times, marking the locations of the Ministry of War's armory, the Ministry of Revenue's tax and silver warehouse, and a slaughterhouse.

Jiang Chen's eyes fixed, his mind calculating rapidly. These three places seemed unrelated, but their relative positions to the teahouse vaguely outlined a potential trajectory.

He stared at the map and asked in a deep voice, "What are the suspicious points about these three places?"

Xiong Zhiheng's eyes glared as he explained in a deep voice, "The Ministry of War's armory stores a vast amount of military equipment and is one of the core elements of the capital's defense. The Ministry of Revenue's tax treasury is the lifeblood of the imperial court and crucial to the safety of the treasury. As for the slaughterhouse, while seemingly ordinary, it's an excellent place to conceal the large amount of blood and odor. If anyone were to do something shady here, these three locations would undoubtedly be excellent cover and pretext."

Jiang Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and several possibilities emerged in his mind.

He slowly said, "These three places may seem unrelated, but they are actually strategically located. If two people were imprisoned in these three places, no one would bother looking for them. After all, no one can enter the armory or the tax vault without the Emperor's decree!"

He Xiaowei nodded. "Your Highness is right. The third slaughterhouse is usually in a mess. If two or three people were imprisoned there, no one would find out."

Xiong Zhiheng continued pointing at the map and said, "That's right. Apart from these three suspicious spots, the rest of the place is nothing special. It's just an ordinary shop."