Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

The next day, Tang Ling slept a little late. He had been caught in the rain the day before and had spent several hours in the forest at night. He was really exhausted and had a slight fever. Qinglan ordered him to stay in bed. Zhang Suian came to ask about it once, but Qinglan sent him away.

Tang Ling fell into a drowsy sleep after drinking the medicine. He seemed to hear some noisy noises, but could not wake up. When he woke up, he learned that something had happened in Yuanjing City. His Majesty had returned to the capital on horseback, taking Qi Xiao with him.

-

"Bang!" A memorial fell to the front of the steps and almost hit Cao Weishan on the forehead. The huge Chengming Hall was silent. Cao Weishan knelt on the ground and trembled, not even daring to breathe.

"In this crucial area of ​​the capital! A failed burglary led to murder and arson?! The victim was the Supreme Court Justice, a loyal and trusted official of the Third Rank?! Cao Weishan! What on earth do you do in the Capital Protectorate?"

Your Majesty had only been away from the capital for a few days for hunting when such a murder occurred in the Yuan capital. The whole court was in an uproar, rumors were spreading in the streets, and everyone was in danger. In the hundred years since the founding of the Dachen Kingdom, such a case had never been seen under the feet of the emperor. It is conceivable that the Yuan capital is in chaos now.

His Majesty rode a horse all the way back to the palace from Baiyan Mountain. Cao Weishan was already kneeling in Chengming Hall. But what was the point of kneeling in such a serious case? His Majesty was furious. If the case could not be solved, Cao Weishan would surely die.

"I am guilty and I deserve to die! Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down."

"You deserve to die! I give you five days. If you don't capture the prisoner before Mid-Autumn Festival, you will hang yourself on the city wall!"

"Yes, Wei Chen accepts the order."

Cao Weishan climbed up tremblingly and stumbled out of Chengming Hall. If Zhang Suian had not supported him, he would have almost rolled down the stone steps in front of the hall.

"Master Cao, please slow down."

"Hey, thank you, Eunuch Zhang, thank you very much."

"Someone, come and see Lord Cao off."

Cao Weishan had left, but the atmosphere in Chengming Hall remained tense and oppressive. His Majesty paced back and forth, his anger evident, and even grew angrier with each thought.

It has rained a lot these days. Although the rain in the city is not as heavy as in Baiyan Mountain, and the rain stopped last night, it is still humid. How can a fire start so easily?

Breaking into the residence of the Grand Court Justice? The Grand Court oversees the criminal justice system. What audacity did this thief possess? Theft is one thing, but murder and arson are also audacious! Assassinating an imperial official is a serious crime? The penalty is death by slicing, with the entire clan implicated. The most a thief caught stealing is exile. What thief would be so foolish as to seek his own death?

He failed to steal, accidentally killed someone, set fire and escaped! Cao Weishan's explanation is a lie!

His Majesty was so angry that his hands were shaking, and he just wanted to drag Cao Weishan out and chop him into pieces.

"Your Majesty, calm down." At this time, the only person who dared to speak in Chengming Palace was Cui Yao, the commander of the Five City Guards. "I have ordered the Five City Guards to search the entire city for the suspect. We will do our utmost to assist Lord Cao in solving the case as quickly as possible."

His Majesty sat back on his high seat, raised his hand to support his forehead, and the Chengming Hall fell into a heart-wrenching silence again.

Qi Xiao stood at the very end, silent and motionless, practically transforming himself into a pillar within the Chengming Hall. He was deeply shocked by the magnitude of the case in Yuanjing City, but as a powerless, idle prince without official title, what else could he do in the Chengming Hall except pretend to be mute? He didn't even understand why His Majesty had taken him with him on his return from Baiyan Mountain.

In the morning, he heard that Tang Ling had caught a cold and had a low fever in the second half of the night. He was still worried, but he was ordered to return to the capital with the emperor without even seeing her. He was not interested in Cao Weishan's case. He just wanted to know how Tang Ling was doing and whether she was feeling better.

After an unknown amount of time, the Fifth Prince Qi Li suddenly stood up and said, "Father, how about dispatching a team of troops from the Five Capitals to the city to assist Lord Cao under the orders of Commander Cui? Also, from today on, we will move up the curfew by one hour and increase patrols."

Seventh Prince Qi Ting followed closely behind, "Your Majesty, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and the Lantern Festival is a centuries-old tradition in Dachen. If it were canceled now, it would cause panic among the people. The Five City Guards are currently searching the city for the suspect, causing panic. If the Five Capital Guards enter the city in full armor, it would inevitably unsettle the people. I suggest that the Five Capital Guards remove their armor and enter the city at night. This would not disturb the people and would not alert the enemy."

His Majesty sighed, nodded, and said, "Go ahead."

"I accept the decree."

His Majesty waved his hand and said, "Go down."

"My minister retire."

"My son, please retire."

"Pei Qing stays. Lao Jiu, you stay too."

Qi Xiao had just bowed and before he could move back half a step, he was suddenly called by the emperor. Not only did he not react for a moment, but everyone else looked at him at the same time.

Qi Xiao was puzzled. The Imperial Court's Junior Official Pei Hao had been left behind because His Majesty was ordering him to handle all matters related to the Imperial Court. Of course, that was the proper thing for him to do. But why was Qi Xiao being asked to stay? Qi Xiao was puzzled, but he didn't dare disobey. He could only stand still, his eyes fixed on the task, and continued to install the pillars.

Most of the people in Chengming Hall had left, and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly depressing and gloomy. Qi Xiao thought carefully. His Majesty was in a bad mood right now, but compared to the Dali Temple Minister being murdered at home late at night, his drunken mischief last night was nothing. He didn't need to be kept and scolded, right? Even if he really wanted to scold him and lose his temper, it wouldn't be appropriate to do it in front of Dali Temple Junior Minister Pei Hao, right?

"Pei Qing, what do you think about this?"

Pei Hao was only in his early forties, a stern man. The Dali Temple was a place where it was easy to offend. His forehead was heavily wrinkled, and his expression was stern, making him look ten years older. Qi Xiao had glanced at Pei Hao when he arrived, and seeing the steely look in his eyes, he knew he was the complete opposite of Cao Weishan's smooth-talking self; he was a very serious man.

"Your Majesty, I personally visited Lord Luo's residence early this morning. The worst damage was done to Lord Luo's study. Important books and files were either burned or flooded, practically all destroyed. Lord Luo just mentioned a piece of evidence to me yesterday..."

Pei Hao paused before completing his sentence. The rest of his words were just speculations, and it might be inappropriate to speak them out loud now. Qi Xiao couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. This wasn't a simple matter. What kind of evidence would he have to assassinate the Supreme Court Minister? The implications were probably greater and deeper than he'd imagined; it must be a truly catastrophic case.

"Aren't the files of the military pay case all in the Dali Temple?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Luo has not explained anything, only that this evidence requires a detailed investigation."

"Lao Jiu."

His Majesty suddenly called Qi Xiao, and Qi Xiao immediately responded with a start: "Your son is here."

His Majesty tossed a jade token half the size of his palm to Qi Xiao: "Help Pei Qing investigate this matter."

Qi Xiao quickly took the jade token. He knew that this muddy water was very dangerous, so he would push it away if he could, and it would be better to be prudent and protect himself. He looked up at His Majesty and said, "Father, your son..."

"fear death?"

Qi Xiao opened his mouth but was stopped by the word "Your Majesty". The words he wanted to shirk were stuck in his throat. He was just an idle prince, and he was asked to investigate a case. What kind of trouble was this? Qi Xiao didn't dare to respond.

"Keep the jade token safe. The Tiance Camp will protect your life."