Yan Chi rode forward and asked, “Where are the people?”

The patrol soldier dared not be careless and quickly replied, “In Jinxiu District in the southern city, in a very secluded residence.”

At these words, Yan Chi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He turned to look at Zhao Yu beside him, “Shall we take a look?”

Under normal circumstances, Zhao Yu would have immediately gone to see who had died in the fire, but now he began to hesitate. He was supposed to take Yan Chi to see the people from the Zhao family of Yun Province…

Zhao Yu pressed his lips together tightly, “What does Your Highness think?”

Yan Chi remained quite calm, “This happened suddenly. Didn’t you say you were still interrogating the others? Let’s first check the fire site, then go see those two people. By then, surely the interrogation will have yielded results.”

Zhao Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding heavily.

Yan Chi raised his lips, looking at the patrol soldier, “Lead the way…”

At this command, the soldiers quickly turned their horses around, and Yan Chi and Zhao Yu followed them toward the southern city.

Though it was in Jinxiu District, they were led through very remote paths. When they reached the alley entrance, they found it was indeed quite secluded. Though surrounded by residential houses, it was very close to the poor shantytown area. During daylight, it must be a place where all sorts mix.

They dismounted and walked into the alley.

As they walked, Yan Chi asked, “When did the fire start?”

“Shortly after nightfall. Fortunately, it had snowed a few days ago, so the fire didn’t spread to other houses. But that courtyard is destroyed. The nearby residents and our patrolling brothers helped fight the fire. It took quite a while, and only after the fire was completely extinguished did we go in to search. We found two people burned to death. We thought it was just a tragic accident, but then we found items from the palace, and they were connected to the Eastern Palace.”

Following behind, Zhao Yu asked, “How did the fire start? Did you question the people nearby?”

The patrol soldier continued, “We did. The neighbors said this courtyard was empty before, and people only started living there two months ago. However, these days the courtyard has been closed off, and no one can see clearly who lives there. Today’s fire started quietly too – the neighbors didn’t hear any calls for help.”

No calls for help? Yan Chi’s eyebrows raised, his eyes narrowing slightly.

After walking along a narrow and long alley for a while, they finally reached the scene. It was now deep into the night, and the surrounding houses were pitch black. Only the fire site remained lit, with patrol soldiers having placed several torches in the courtyard. Two charred bodies lay on the ground, and the entire residence had been burned beyond recognition. Among the blackened ruins, the two bodies burned beyond recognition looked particularly eerie.

Though the bodies were burned beyond recognition, with Yan Chi’s eyesight and experience solving cases with Qin Wan, he could tell at a glance that these two bodies were women, not men. Such a courtyard, a sudden fire, two dead women, and items from the Eastern Palace – connecting all these clues, Yan Chi suddenly felt something was very strange.

“Where are the items from the Eastern Palace? How did you determine their origin?”

At Yan Chi’s question, someone immediately brought over items recovered from the fire scene.

On a blackened felt blanket lay several blackened pieces of jewelry and jade objects. One jade piece clearly showed the imperial manufacture mark on its base, and it bore the pattern of a five-clawed coiling dragon, definitely from the Eastern Palace. Seeing these, both Yan Chi and Zhao Yu’s expressions darkened.

Zhao Yu’s expression became particularly complex, “How did items from the Eastern Palace end up here? And these pieces of jewelry are all extraordinary items. It couldn’t be that palace maids escaped and stole them, could it?”

Let alone palace maids not daring to escape, even if they did dare, it would be impossible to smuggle out so many items.

This meant only one possibility remained!

These two people were likely those who left with the Empress and Crown Prince…

Zhao Yu’s eyes widened – surely the dead couldn’t be the Empress and Crown Prince’s Consort!

Yan Chi said with dark eyes, “It seems we need the coroner from the prefecture office to come take a look.”

Zhao Yu nodded and glanced at someone behind him. That person’s expression changed slightly before turning to walk toward the alley entrance.

Watching that person leave, Yan Chi said, “Also send someone with these two pieces of jewelry to the Zhongyong Marquis’s manor to ask if anyone recognizes them.”

Zhao Yu raised his eyebrows, and Yan Chi continued calmly, “The Crown Prince’s Consort has also left the palace.”

Zhao Yu understood Yan Chi’s meaning and dispatched another guard. The patrol soldiers looked at each other, unsure of what to do, while Yan Chi stood in place deep in thought. Zhong Yao had been gone for nearly half an hour…

Zhao Yu stood beside Yan Chi, his expression worse than Yan Chi’s, with even a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

He seemed to be calculating the time too, repeatedly looking up at the night sky. However, tonight there were no stars or moon, and the snow was falling increasingly heavily.

“Are you anxious?” Yan Chi suddenly asked.

Zhao Yu was startled, shaking his head then nodding, “I’m worried they won’t get anything from the interrogation.”

Yan Chi said flatly, “No need to hurry. Before dawn, everything will become clear.”