Who put the yellow robe on me?

Prime Minister He did not speak the entire time, but quietly listened to the comments of the Minister of Rites Mu Shenru and several other ministers on Jiang Chen and the other two, which could even be said to be ruthless criticism.

Their words were full of doubts and accusations, as if Jiang Chen's dereliction of duty and incompetence were the root cause of the Thirteenth Princess' disappearance.

Emperor Liang glanced among the ministers and frowned slightly when he saw that Prime Minister He still didn't say anything.

Prime Minister He's silence caught the Emperor's attention. After all, at such times, Prime Minister He always offered some pertinent insights. However, today, he was unusually quiet, as if he had some unspoken secret in his heart.

Gradually, the voices of other ministers became louder and louder, as if they were eager to defend their own positions.

"Your Majesty, it is truly disappointing that His Highness the Sixteenth has yet to find the Thirteenth Princess!"

"That's right! Although the Sixteenth Prince has good intentions, he always seems unable to give His Majesty a satisfactory explanation at such a critical moment."

"If Your Majesty does not take action now, I'm afraid the entire court will question Your Majesty's wisdom!"

Their voices rose and fell, becoming louder and louder.

Prime Minister He could tell that these words were filled with implicit disparagement of Jiang Chen, but he never interrupted. It wasn't until Emperor Liang looked at Prime Minister He again that he saw him close his eyes. After a moment's silence, he finally spoke.

"Your Majesty," Prime Minister He said in a low and slow voice, "I have a report to make."

Everyone's attention instantly focused on Prime Minister He, and the previously noisy court suddenly quieted down. Prime Minister He's usual majesty instantly condensed into an aura that could not be ignored.

After receiving Emperor Liang's permission, Prime Minister He raised his head slightly, glanced at the crowd, and then slowly spoke, "Although the Sixteenth Prince was unable to personally bring back the Thirteenth Princess, he must have gained a lot in the past three days. I think it would be better to listen to the Sixteenth Prince's investigation first."

"Hmph." Mu Shenru sneered in a low voice, feeling a little puzzled by Prime Minister He's move, but he didn't say anything else.

Emperor Liang frowned slightly, clearly somewhat dissatisfied, but he still nodded: "In that case, Jiang Chen, tell me what you found."

Upon seeing this, the ministers fell silent, their eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation. They had perhaps already lost confidence in Jiang Chen and wanted to see if this prince, known for his deep understanding of political intrigue, could truly offer a convincing explanation.

Jiang Chen stood before everyone, his expression calm and composed, without a trace of panic. His deep eyes, illuminated by the lights, shone with an icy luster, like a bottomless lake, unable to discern his true intentions.

He did not respond to Emperor Liang immediately, but slowly bowed his head and saluted: "Father, although I have not yet been able to find Thirteenth Sister, I have basically completed the investigation of her disappearance."

Emperor Liang's eyes narrowed, and his tone was slightly sarcastic: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Jiang Chen smiled slightly, his eyes cold and clear: "Yes, father."

He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, and then slowly spoke, "Three days ago, this son and Thirteenth Sister returned to Prince Yan's Mansion. It was already midnight, and I ordered the guard Dianzhang to escort Thirteenth Sister back to the palace. However, strangely, on the way, we were suddenly lured to the southwest of the capital. Along the way, this son did not encounter any forest rangers."

As soon as these words were spoken, a murmur broke out in the court. Everyone looked at each other, and many began to discuss in low voices. It was obvious that Jiang Chen's statement shocked them.

Jiang Chen didn't finish his words immediately, but continued, "According to the report I received from the palace, the forest rangers never appeared during that time, and there were no signs of anything unusual outside the south gate of the palace."

At this moment, the commander of the Imperial Guards, Lin Shigong, stepped forward, his face slightly annoyed. "Sixteenth Prince, what you say is not without reason. The rangers in the capital patrol the perimeter of the palace every hour. In recent days, all rangers have been acting according to regulations, and no accidents have occurred so far. Furthermore, until these rangers were handed over to General Su Yunliang, no unusual reports were received regarding the Thirteenth Princess."

When Lin Shigong spoke, his voice was full of unquestionable confidence.

He was clad in heavy armor, his upright figure exuding a sense of determination and majesty, his tone filled with unquestionable resolve. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, he had long been in charge of the defense of the capital and beyond, and should have been well aware of these situations.

Jiang Chen smiled slightly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He turned to look at Lin Shigong, his tone gentle and unhurried, "Master Lin, I understand the situation you describe. However, I have a question: what if someone tampered with the night watchman's time?"

As soon as these words came out, a hint of doubt flashed in Lin Shigong's eyes, but then he glanced at Jiang Chen with disdain, "Tampering with the watchman's time? Sixteenth Prince, are you kidding? The watchman's time is fixed, and the watchman does it as usual every hour. How could it be tampered with?"

"Haha." Jiang Chen chuckled lightly, his tone a bit cold. "Lord Lin may not have thought of this. But if someone tampered with the watchman's time before the night watch, or even made him delay the time, wouldn't that make it impossible for the forest rangers to patrol on time?"

Lin Shigong's face turned pale and blue. He did not refute immediately, but was suddenly shocked.

Jiang Chen's words struck him like a hammer. If this possibility were true, it would be a carefully planned operation. Every second could be a crucial breakthrough.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Emperor Liang, his eyes flickering, and he was obviously at a loss.

Jiang Chen didn't give Lin Shigong much time to think before continuing, "I've found out. A few days ago, a scoundrel in the capital named Liu San secretly contacted Mr. Zhen of Baotong Casino and Lord Yang Weiqian, the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, and secretly planned a major event. This person bribed Mr. Zhen and Lord Yang with money, and successfully got the night watchman Bai Yinlang to delay the night watch for half an hour. This provided an opportunity for some conspiracy."

Jiang Chen's tone wasn't impatience at all, but rather calm, making it impossible to ignore him. As soon as he spoke, everyone's attention instantly focused on him. No one had expected that what was originally a simple missing person case would involve such a complex conspiracy behind the scenes.

Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, Jiang Chen glanced at the Minister of Rites, Mu Shenru, and noticed that when he heard the name "Liu San", his lips twitched involuntarily. At that moment, a glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes, as if something had surfaced.

Emperor Liang's expression darkened instantly. He widened his eyes and asked coldly, "Lord Bai, Lord Yang, is what Chen'er said true?"