There are no walls that don’t let the wind through. News of the Crown Prince’s death was only a matter of time, especially since the Yao Palace had suddenly been sealed that day, with all eight palace gates closed, allowing people in but not out.

Shortly after, the entire Inzi City was shocked by this latest tragic news. Everyone had to sigh and exclaim:

“Troubled times indeed.”

Princess Hanyue’s disappearance and the Wei envoy’s sudden death came first, followed by Crown Prince Yao’s passing. In less than ten days, Inzi City had been turned upside down.

When Feng Miaojun received the news, she was stunned for several seconds. She hurried back to the embassy lodgings, only to find Yun Ya holding a steaming bowl of oil tea, drinking while reading a note.

Seeing Feng Miaojun’s hurried manner, he said disapprovingly, “Such haste, where are your manners?”

She stood straight and said, “The Crown Prince of Yao has passed away.” She wanted to see how Yun Ya would react to this bombshell news.

To her surprise, his expression remained calm: “Oh.”

“Oh?” Feng Miaojun’s eyes were filled with suspicion. She mouthed silently, “You already knew?”

Yun Ya looked at her exaggerated expression, snorted lightly, and tossed the note to her: “See for yourself.”

Feng Miaojun caught the note and unfolded it. On it was written:

*At the Hour of the Tiger on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Crown Prince Miao Fengyuan died at Mingshuyuan, suspected to have collapsed after bedding his secondary consort. By the next morning, his face was calm, cheeks flushed, eyes filled with bloodshot, lips purple and dry, mouth emitting a burnt smell, yet without any injury to the oral cavity. His kidney essence was depleted but his appearance remained intact without damage, his protective magical artifact was not activated, and no toxins or aphrodisiacs were found in his blood, bones, muscles, or organs. To this day, the cause of death and the perpetrator remain unknown.*

After scanning it with one glance, Feng Miaojun couldn’t help but exclaim: “This is…” An autopsy report!

Yun Ya placed a finger on his lips, making a soft “shh” sound, gesturing her to be quiet.

Remembering that the embassy was under strict surveillance, Feng Miaojun immediately closed her mouth, though her mind was far from calm. That Yun Ya could receive messages from outside wasn’t strange. Given his status, who could truly keep track of his movements?

What chilled her was that the State Preceptor still had spies inside the Yao Palace, who could even transmit information at such a critical time. After the Crown Prince’s sudden death, the entire Golden City would surely be under strict surveillance—even a fly trying to escape would be spotted. This person was willing to take an enormous risk to send out information and succeeded.

This at least indicated that this person’s identity and position were quite extraordinary.

Yun Ya asked her, “Finished?”

She memorized every word and quickly returned the note to Yun Ya. He took it, ignited a small flame at his fingertip, and with a “whoosh” consumed the note, leaving only a bit of flying ash.

After destroying the evidence, he stood up and stretched: “Come, accompany me for a bowl of oil-splashed noodles.”

Eating noodles, at a time like this?

She instinctively helped him put on his great cloak, and Yun Ya sighed: “There’s a place on that old Blacksmith Street ahead that makes the best oil-splashed noodles, and you can add some donkey meat too.”

Could that still be called oil-splashed noodles? It should be renamed donkey meat noodles.

Wait, that’s not right. She realized her focus had been completely derailed by this man. The Crown Prince of Yao was dead, and Inzi City would immediately be engulfed in a storm of blood and violence. Their records weren’t clean—could they withstand investigation? How could this old man be so leisurely about eating noodles?

Feng Miaojun was troubled and suspicious, but one thing could be fairly certain:

The Crown Prince’s death probably had no connection to Yun Ya. The note he received was clear evidence—if he were truly responsible, why would someone from the Yao Palace describe the state and cause of death to the murderer?

So, was this the work of a third party? Feng Miaojun let out a long breath, unable to imagine the King of Yao’s current state of mind. With Inzi City now filled with all sorts of powerful figures, if the murderer had already fled the Golden City, finding them would be like searching for a needle in the sea.

Aside from hatred and rage, what methods could the King of Yao employ in the face of such a complex situation? And what about Miao Fengxian?

Blacksmith Street was a hundred yards ahead, and at their leisurely pace, they arrived in less than a minute.

They were, after all, envoys, not prisoners. The Kingdom of Yao couldn’t possibly confine them to the embassy without allowing them a single step outside, though there were certainly plainclothes guards following them in the vicinity.

Sitting down, Yun Ya casually ordered two bowls of oil-splashed noodles with donkey meat bits, then turned to Feng Miaojun:

“In your view, who killed the Crown Prince of Yao?”

He asked this in public?! There were still quite a few people in the noodle shop. Feng Miaojun was stunned, and before she could respond, a large man nearby answered:

“Need you ask? It must be the people of Wei!”

Yun Ya smiled and asked, “Why?”

“Why else?” The large man slurped a mouthful of noodles. “The Wei envoy died in Inzi City, and they weren’t satisfied, so they came back for revenge.”

“Revenge is one thing, but do the Wei people have that kind of power in Inzi City?” said another man dressed as a merchant. “I think there’s more to it.”

Feng Miaojun blinked and actively joined in: “What more?”

“Think about it, with the Crown Prince dead, who benefits the most?” The merchant lowered his voice. “Whoever benefits is the one who did it.”

Who benefits? The King of Yao had only two sons. With the Crown Prince dead, the responsibility of succession naturally fell to his younger brother, Miao Fengxian. From this perspective, he was indeed the greatest beneficiary.

The large man looked the merchant up and down: “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Yes, what of it?”

“I think you’ve been reading too many novels, with a mind full of filth!” The large man spat on the ground. “Do you know how close our two princes of Great Yao were? How dare you cast aspersions on the Second Prince!”

Feng Miaojun pursed her lips. It seemed Miao Fengxian’s reputation among the common people was quite high, which was important for the future of Yao.

The merchant grumbled a bit more, angering the burly man, and they ended up overturning a table and fighting. The people of Yao weren’t afraid of trouble, and customers in the shop gathered around to cheer the two on.

Meanwhile, Yun Ya, whose single question had sparked the brawl, dodged the flying noodles and languidly said to the owner: “Add two more ounces of noodles!”

Feng Miaojun: “…”

After finishing their meal, it began to snow again. The main road wasn’t swept as clean as the palace, and the two of them walked back, their footsteps making crunching sounds in the fresh snow. Yun Ya suddenly spoke: “Seriously, who do you think the murderer is?”

“With the Crown Prince’s death, Miao Fengxian benefits the most,” Feng Miaojun had been pondering this question. “But I still feel the murderer isn’t him.”

“How well do you know him to make such a judgment?” Yun Ya glanced at her sideways. “Based on that time you shared a carriage and fought off the monster together?”

“He has mentioned the Crown Prince several times, not hiding his respect and love.”

Yun Ya smirked again: “Perhaps some people are born actors, able to appear sincere and affectionate at any moment.”

Feng Miaojun gave him a strange look, not quite sure if he was referring to himself.