"That Princely Heir is quite kind, when the carriage passed by, he even had the driver slow down, fearing to bump into pedestrians!"

"Since he is the Princely Heir, how noble must his status be? How could he encounter such a situation? Look, the carriage has been pierced by arrows like a porcupine, and if there were people inside, they must have long been dead, right?"

...

The newly arrived Capital Guard Commander felt his legs weaken, almost unable to stand.

Is there still a Princely Heir inside?

He hurriedly checked the corpses, but half of them were so badly burned that their original appearance could no longer be discerned, leaving him to rely solely on their clothing and other items to identify them.

Among the charred bodies, beneath them close to the ground, they found remnants of clothing that had not yet been touched by flames. The glimmer of hope in the Capital Guard Commander’s eyes dimmed, turning dark.

The finest brocade clothing, with distinct textures, made from materials reserved only for palace tributes. It was heard that when Prince Cheng’s Heir entered the Capital City, having neither a residence nor possessions, the Emperor bestowed a mansion and some tribute materials for clothing.

The Princely Heir favored those materials, had several sets of clothes made, and even though the color was stained with blood, it was still discernible as moon-white, made from the same tribute material. Could it not belong to that Princely Heir of Prince Cheng?

This has become a major issue now.

The deceased is actually a Princely Heir!

The Capital Guard Commander felt as if his head was spinning.

The Capital Governor’s team, moving slowly, dashed almost running to the scene after receiving the report.

Upon verification, they exchanged a glance with the Capital Guard Commander responsible for the capital’s safety, both turning pale. A Princely Heir being assassinated, how significant is this matter? With such an incident occurring, he could already imagine the retribution awaiting him. Now, he had no choice but to quickly investigate the causes and uncover the mastermind to bring the truth to light.

The news rapidly reached the palace.

At that moment, the palace gates had not yet closed.

When the news was laid before the Emperor, he was enraged!

Prince Cheng’s Heir, after narrowly escaping poison in the palace, resulting in Huangfu Jing’s death, was now assassinated on the way back to the mansion?

In less than a day, the Princely Heir faced life-threatening dangers twice, surviving one but not the second.

This had to be a large-scale operation, involving dozens, clearly premeditated.

A palace feast was bestowed!

Precisely, once the news of the palace feast three days ago got out, the plan had already begun to unfold.

An arm reached into the palace, and the arrangements outside were completed too, who could this be?

The Capital Guard was utterly unaware?

What were they doing?

The Emperor, thunderously angered, ordered the Capital Guard Commander and Capital Governor to solve the case promptly.

With the Holy Decree as a severe command, it was like a sword hanging over their heads, leaving them trembling and diligent, not daring to relax in the slightest.

In Longyu Hall, the Emperor had just dismissed the Capital Guard Commander, still fuming as he sat down. The little eunuch nervously offered a cup of tea, silently retreating afterward.

Does the Emperor have the mind to drink tea?

Why is it the Fifth’s son that died?

This Fifth, a defiant character, opposed his Father Emperor for a woman, being banished to the Vassal Land. Over twenty years have passed, and just when the father-son relationship had begun to ease, now that his son is dead, he likely will cause a ruckus in the Capital City.

What does it mean for a Vassal King’s son to enter the Capital to show filial piety? When the Crown Prince proposed it, the Emperor knew he feared the vassal kings’ disloyalty, requiring hostages in the Capital.

He knew Old Fifth had no such intentions. Nonetheless, since other Vassal King’s sons entered the Capital, Old Fifth’s son could not be singled out.

But who would imagine that Old Fifth’s son would be targeted in the Capital City?

The news of course quickly reached the Crown Prince Mansion as well.

Originally, with Huangfu Jing dead, the Crown Prince could have held the funeral at the Eastern Palace.

However, Huangfu Hanyu pleaded with the Emperor to conduct it at the Crown Prince Mansion outside the palace, and because the Emperor sympathized with his loss, he permitted it.

Now, standing in Huangfu Jing’s mourning hall, listening to the servant’s report, the sinister expression on Huangfu Hanyu’s face finally eased. He reconfirmed, "Are you sure Prince Cheng’s Heir is dead?"

Of the several teams he sent out, only Antong Three Ghosts returned, with the second one of them having lost a wrist, indicating their opponent was indeed formidable.

Antong Three Ghosts bowed with a fist in their palm, kneeling on one knee, "Affirmative, we saw him take his last breath with our own eyes!"

"Good, good, good!" Huangfu Hanyu was delighted; having sent so many people, only Antong Three Ghosts succeeded, he must reward them handsomely.

Antong Three Ghosts only knew how to kill, not how to handle a scene. There were indeed skilled individuals among the teams he previously dispatched, but Antong Three Ghosts said all of them died. Forget it, those useless things! Since all are dead, there’s no one to punish.

Better to send someone else.

Yet just as Antong Three Ghosts left, and while he was preparing to send people to deal with the corpses of the assassins dressed in black, someone reported a fire that had already attracted the attention of the Capital Guard and Capital Governor.

He summoned Antong Three Ghosts again, asking with a stern face, "Did you set the fire?"

Antong Three Ghosts felt a chill in their hearts, exchanging a glance. They had encountered something that scared them away, leaving behind even the severed hand of the second, with no time to start a fire.

But if they claimed it wasn’t them, wouldn’t it suggest someone else acted afterward?

So despite Huangfu Hanyu’s severe expression, the three braced themselves, standing firm, "Yes! After all, a Princely Heir was dead, and we are no experts in erasing traces. Worried that the matter would grow too big, we decided to destroy the evidence!"

Huangfu Hanyu scolded, "Fools!"

Sure, Prince Cheng’s Heir. If he sent people to handle the corpses and erase traces, no one could have discovered the case’s details.

With Huangfu Jingchen dead, his heartache was also relieved.

Yet these three fools took it upon themselves to start a fire, immediately drawing the attention of the Capital Guard and Capital Governor. With so many corpses, it’s bound to cause a big stir.

Having lied already, Antong Three Ghosts naturally had to defend themselves, "Master, it wasn’t us meddling or being foolish. The place smelled too strongly of blood, even without fire it would raise suspicions. We had intended to wait for you to send someone to handle the scene, but it was clearly too late, so we set the fire!"

Considering it, Huangfu Hanyu realized it made some sense, he adopted a gentler demeanor, "Ah, I see. Your consideration was thorough. I will reward you generously!"

Antong Three Ghosts showed an expression of delight, "Thank you, Master!"

Huangfu Hanyu pondered with narrowed eyes, then relaxed, knowing he had arranged things well. Even if the Capital Governor and Capital Guard investigated, they would find nothing; he had nothing to fear.