Who put the yellow robe on me?

Jiang Chen couldn't help but chuckle, his tone frivolous and with a hint of self-mockery: "Hey, what purpose could it have? It must be to make His Majesty vent his anger on me and bring me down."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. A gentle morning breeze blew in from the window, bringing with it the faint scent of damp earth. The air seemed to still be filled with a lingering cold fragrance, much like the invisible oppression that permeated the court.

However, He Xiaowei's expression remained unrelenting. A furrowed brow remained, and she stared intently at Jiang Chen, as if trying to see through his inner secrets. She spoke slowly, her voice firm, "But how can they bring you down? Just by kidnapping the Thirteenth Princess?"

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Chen's smile froze. He was stunned for a moment, a subtle shock flashing in his eyes. At that moment, he realized that He Xiaowei's vision was far more than what it seemed.

"Just kidnapping?" Jiang Chen repeated this in his heart, his mind replaying every detail of the kidnapping. On the surface, the Thirteenth Princess's disappearance was indeed a setup set against him. But He Xiaowei's words were like a stone, shattering the calm of the lake and stirring up ripples.

He Xiaowei's tone was a bit cold as she continued her analysis, "Your Majesty also knows that after the Thirteenth Princess was kidnapped, you were not the main culprit, but merely implicated. Even if you are ultimately blamed, it will only be because of your incompetence in handling the case. Even I can think of this, so how could they not?"

Jiang Chen sat there, his body motionless, yet a storm was brewing in his eyes. He tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, the crisp tapping especially clear in the silent room. His voice lowered a few notches: "You mean, this is just a cover?"

"It's not a pretext," He Xiaowei smiled slightly, her tone meaningful, "but a lead."

Jiang Chen's heart trembled, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't respond, but He Xiaowei seemed to have seen through his thoughts. She sighed softly and turned her gaze to the window. The faint sunlight cast a firm outline on her face.

"Do they have any other evidence against you, Sixteenth Prince?" Her words were loud and clear, falling into Jiang Chen's ears, but like a sharp blade, piercing his heart.

Jiang Chen frowned, his tone concealing a hint of indifference: "What evidence could I have against you? If someone had found evidence against me, wouldn't they have already brought me down?"

"What if others still can't confirm it?" He Xiaowei turned back, her eyes locked on Jiang Chen again, her voice low but undeniable, "Or perhaps they're still setting you up?"

This sentence was like a wake-up call, ringing a huge bell in Jiang Chen's heart. He forced himself to remain calm, forcing a relaxed smile onto his face, but his hands had already unconsciously clenched.

He slowly said, "What do you think they will do?"

He Xiaowei didn't answer, but simply stared at him, her eyes as cold as winter's. Jiang Chen's mind raced. He began to recall everything that had happened recently: the clues to the kidnapping case, the subtle targeting in the court, even the vague sense of surveillance he had felt in private...

Just when the atmosphere became extremely solemn, a soft knock on the door broke the silence.

"Sir," Han Qingsong's voice came through the door, "General Xuanyuan is back."

Jiang Chen stood up suddenly, his eyes lighting up. He turned to look at He Xiaowei, a meaningful smile on his face again: "It seems that we have some clues to update."

A moment later, Xuanyuan Feiyan walked in. She was dressed in military uniform, with a solemn expression. Her eyes paused slightly when she glanced at He Xiaowei, but quickly returned to Jiang Chen.

"Your Highness," she said with a hint of urgency in her tone, "I have brought back some news."

"Thank you for your hard work." Jiang Chen gestured for her to sit down, then asked, "Is it about the Minister of Rites?"

Xuanyuan Feiyan nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yes. We found out that when the Thirteenth Princess disappeared, the entire night watch was delayed by an hour. Therefore, when the Thirteenth Princess and Dianzhang returned, they did not encounter any forest rangers."

Jiang Chen paused, his gaze turning to the window. Sunlight had already pierced the morning mist, but it couldn't dispel the cloud of doubt that hung over his heart. He spoke slowly, "Why is the watchman's hour delayed? Is it a coincidence?"

Xuanyuan Feiyan shook her head slightly, her tone firm, "I continued to investigate along this clue and discovered that this matter is actually related to the Minister of Rites, Mu Shenru."

He Xiaowei's body trembled slightly, and the calmness on her face disappeared. She looked at Xuanyuan Feiyan with complicated eyes.

Jiang Chen noticed something strange about He Xiaowei and raised his eyebrows: "It seems that Miss Xiaowei is also familiar with this person?"

He Xiaowei pursed her lips and spoke in a low voice after a long time: "He is an old acquaintance of mine."

The room fell silent for a moment. Jiang Chen didn't ask any further questions, but simply looked at He Xiaowei. She was clearly struggling, and after a moment, she continued, "The Minister of Rites, Mu Shenru...is not only an old acquaintance, he's also my relative."

Jiang Chen didn't show any surprise. He just tapped the table with his index finger, as if thinking: "So, you may know more about Minister Mu's every move than I do."

He Xiaowei gave a bitter smile. "Your Highness, please don't overestimate me. I only know that he's been acting strangely lately. Some even say that he..."

"What did someone say?" Jiang Chen asked.

He Xiaowei sighed, her expression growing more serious. "Some say his actions may be secretly connected to certain princes..."

Jiang Chen's eyes flashed, and the atmosphere in the room became depressing again.

Xuanyuan Feiyan took the opportunity to add, "My subordinates have been tracking Mu Shenru's whereabouts and discovered that he not only frequently enters and leaves the Mu Mansion, but also often visits an inconspicuous mansion. Behind that mansion is the Ministry of Revenue's tax treasury."

Jiang Chen frowned: "Tax Treasury? Why is that?"

Xuanyuan Feiyan whispered, "I'm not sure yet, but that house seems to be a secret base."

Jiang Chen's eyes were deep, and he said in a deep voice: "Continue to investigate this house and find a breakthrough as soon as possible."

Xuanyuan Feiyan nodded slightly and was about to leave, but Jiang Chen waved his hand, signaling her to stay. He turned to He Xiaowei with a serious look in his eyes, his tone calm but with a hint of probing: "Miss Xiaowei, do you have any other clues about Minister Mu's whereabouts?"

He Xiaowei's expression was complicated, and she subconsciously clenched her sleeves. After a moment, she slowly spoke, "Although I've long since severed ties with the Mu family, I did hear something about his recent unusual behavior."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at her with interest.

"Mu Shenru seems to be secretly planning a deal recently," He Xiaowei paused, then added, "I heard that this deal is related to a certain prince in the court."