Li Yuan suddenly stared at Zhang Shi without saying a word. The latter felt uncomfortable under his gaze and forced out a smile: “Your Majesty, why are you looking at this concubine like this?”

Li Yuan said slowly: “I just suddenly remembered that you came from the Eastern Palace. What, does the Crown Prince very much want Shimin to die, having you say so many words before me?”

Hearing this, Zhang Shi hurriedly said: “Your Majesty has misunderstood. The Crown Prince has never said anything to this concubine. This concubine merely told Your Majesty what I know. As for how Your Majesty deals with the Prince of Qin, this concubine dares not inquire.”

Li Yuan snorted lightly and then said: “Is Noble Consort De still refusing to eat anything?”

“Yes, ever since seeing Your Majesty yesterday, Sister Noble Consort De has been neither eating nor drinking. It’s truly worrying.” After secretly glancing at Li Yuan, she suddenly knelt down: “Your Majesty, although this concubine and Sister came from the Eastern Palace, since serving Your Majesty, all our thoughts have been devoted solely to Your Majesty, with no other distractions. This concubine believes Sister absolutely did not do anything improper with the Crown Prince. Moreover, the palace maids around Sister and Imperial Physician Zhou—Your Majesty personally interrogated them all, and found nothing suspicious. And that midwife also never said Noble Consort De had a miscarriage. This shows that this matter was fundamentally the Prince of Qin and Noble Consort Wan conspiring together, deliberately framing Sister Noble Consort De and the Crown Prince. Your Majesty, you…”

“Enough!” Li Yuan interrupted her words. “Whether it’s a frame-up or not, I will judge for myself. You need not say more.” Saying this, he waved his hand: “I’m somewhat tired. You may withdraw.”

“Your Majesty…” Zhang Shi was about to say more but was stared back by Li Yuan’s cold, stern gaze: “Can’t you understand my words?”

Seeing displeasure on his face, Zhang Shi could only awkwardly swallow the words on her lips and withdraw with a bow. Not long after she left, Li Yuan rubbed his forehead: “Go summon that person for me.”

“Yes.” Although Li Yuan hadn’t specified who, Gao Yang knew that in this situation, the only person Li Yuan would have the mind to summon was the secret guards.

After the time of one incense stick, Li Yuan looked at the secret guard kneeling on the ground: “Have you found anything?”

“Due to time constraints, we have only found one thing for now.” Before the secret guard finished speaking, Li Yuan was already saying: “Speak! What is it?”

“We questioned all the management personnel of Xinghua Brothel one by one, including Xing Niang. They admitted that Noble Consort De and Concubine Zhang were indeed from Xinghua Brothel!” The “questioning” he mentioned was naturally not ordinary questioning. In fact, after being “questioned” by them, those people had only one breath more than dead people.

Li Yuan’s face instantly turned iron-blue as he gritted his teeth: “Continue!”

“Back then, the Crown Prince found Xing Niang and asked her to buy Noble Consort De and Concubine Zhang when they were still male courtesans. He also instructed Xing Niang and others that if anyone came to inquire about Noble Consort De and the others’ identities, they should just admit it openly without hiding anything. But if it came before the imperial presence…”

Li Yuan grimly continued: “They should say they were forced by Yang Shi to frame the Crown Prince and Noble Consort De, right?”

“Correct. Besides this, according to Xing Niang, the Crown Prince also arranged clean identities for Noble Consort De and the others, ensuring they wouldn’t be exposed.”

At this moment, Li Yuan’s entire body was trembling. His most favored consorts were actually truly from a brothel, and the one who arranged this deception was none other than his most trusted son.

The secret guard’s words continued: “Although we tried to keep a low profile, with so many people disappearing from Xinghua Brothel at once, the news will likely reach the Crown Prince’s ears sooner or later. When that happens…”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Li Yuan coldly uttered these words, then said: “Continue investigating. I don’t care what methods you use—you must find out everything I’ve assigned you to investigate.”

“Yes!” Before withdrawing, the secret guard hesitantly said: “There’s one matter that we’ve found some clues about, but we can’t be certain yet.”

“Speak!” At Li Yuan’s indication, the secret guard said: “We discovered signs of the Eastern Palace mobilizing personnel in four locations. Also, Prince Qi contacted Chang He, the Imperial Guard Commander, yesterday. We fear there’s some plot brewing. We’re intensifying our investigation!”

This statement made Li Yuan furrow his brow tightly. Li Jiancheng was the Crown Prince he personally established—what more could he be plotting? Unless… Thinking of this, Li Yuan’s expression immediately became even more unsightly than before.

“I understand. Continue your investigation.” After the secret guard left, Li Yuan immediately said: “Gao Yang, summon Chang He to see me immediately!”

Soon, Chang He appeared in the main hall wearing full armor, cupping his hands: “I pay my respects to Your Majesty. I wonder what instructions Your Majesty has for urgently summoning this subject?”

By now, Li Yuan’s expression had returned to normal as he said mildly: “Chang He, I remember you once served under Prince Qi, correct?”

Chang He lowered his head: “Yes, when Prince Qi campaigned against Liu Wuzhou, this subject was a deputy general.”

“So you and Prince Qi are quite familiar?” Facing Li Yuan’s inquiry, Chang He said: “Not too familiar, but we occasionally arrange to hunt together.”

Li Yuan leaned forward slightly and stared at him: “What about these past few days? Has Prince Qi invited you hunting?”

Chang He’s eyes flickered as he raised his head: “Prince Qi has not invited this subject hunting, but he did come to find me yesterday.”

Li Yuan pretended to be puzzled: “Oh? What did he come to find you for?”

“This subject… this subject…” Chang He said with a panicked expression: “This subject dares not say!”

“I absolve you of any crime. Speak!” Under Li Yuan’s insistence, Chang He had no choice but to say: “Prince Qi came for the Crown Prince. He told this subject… that Your Majesty has been deceived by the Prince of Qin, cannot distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. He wanted this subject to help the Crown Prince clear the court of treacherous ministers!”

Li Yuan heavily slammed the table, his face twisted beyond recognition by anger as he roared: “What fucking bullshit!”

Chang He and the others hurriedly knelt down, saying frantically: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

Li Yuan’s chest heaved violently, unable to calm down for a long time. Li Jiancheng had always been the son he relied on most, so no matter what brilliant military achievements Li Shimin accomplished, he had never considered changing the succession of the Eastern Palace. But now… this son had not only deceived him but was now actually planning to “clear the court of treacherous ministers”!

“Clear the court of treacherous ministers”—to put it nicely, it meant removing treacherous ministers around the emperor. To put it bluntly, it was rebellion!

“Good! Really good! Each one more accomplished than the last, each one more promising than the last!” Li Yuan’s words almost squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with thick hatred. Gao Yang and the others knelt on the ground holding their breath, not daring to make a sound.

After a long while, Li Yuan barely suppressed the hatred surging in his chest and stared at Chang He, saying coldly: “What about you? Do you also want to betray me?”

Chang He hurriedly said: “Although this subject has some personal friendship with Prince Qi, the person this subject has always been loyal to is only Your Majesty. So at that time, I refused Prince Qi’s request!”

His words made Li Yuan’s expression slightly brighten as he said slowly: “If that’s the case, why didn’t you immediately inform me?”

“Actually, this subject has been hesitating all day whether to tell Your Majesty about this matter. After all, the Crown Prince and Prince Qi are both Your Majesty’s sons. Without proof, even if this subject spoke, Your Majesty might not necessarily believe it.” Saying this, he hurriedly added: “But Your Majesty, rest assured—even if the Crown Prince and Prince Qi truly engage in treasonous acts, as long as this subject and the Imperial Guards are here, we absolutely will not let them succeed!”