The person who entered was Cheng Maoming, Commander of the Jinlin Guard.

Chen Mu’s mouth had remained stubbornly closed, and the disguise master still hadn’t been found. Though the streets now didn’t have constables everywhere like during the previous period, things were actually loose on the surface but tight underneath—plainclothes Jinlin Guards were everywhere watching for unusual situations.

The commotion at Five Flavors House was considerable and was reported by Jinlin Guards to Cheng Maoming, who happened to be heading in that direction.

“The Heir is also here?” Among the crowd, Cheng Maoming spotted Qi Shuo at a glance.

Seeing Cheng Maoming, Qi Shuo relaxed slightly inside.

With the Jinlin Guard holding the scene, at least things wouldn’t get worse.

In fact, the people drinking in the main hall were either wealthy or noble—all quite perceptive. Only two who’d drunk too much were making a fuss about leaving; the others waited sensibly.

If it really was the Crown Prince who’d met with trouble upstairs, making a fuss about leaving would only be asking for trouble.

“By what right do you kick people—” The person who’d been kicked struggled to get up but was hastily restrained by his companion. “Stop making trouble—Jinlin Guard!”

These three words “Jinlin Guard” were like a sobering medicine, immediately restoring most of the man’s reason. He shrank behind his companion, not daring to make a sound.

Cheng Maoming approached Qi Shuo and asked in a low voice: “Does the Heir know what happened?”

His subordinates had reported it seemed the Crown Prince had met with trouble. To be cautious, he’d better ask around.

“Someone on the second floor keeps shouting ‘Your Highness.'” Qi Shuo didn’t state it too definitively.

Cheng Maoming’s heart tensed. He nodded and quickly went up to the second floor.

Just then, a mournful, panicked crying came from the private room: “Your Highness, Your Highness, wake up!”

These few shouts made people’s scalps tingle. Even the guard stationed at the stairway entrance couldn’t help looking to see the situation.

Cheng Maoming strode over. Seeing clearly the scene inside, he was immediately struck as if by lightning.

The Crown Prince was leaning back in Wen Feng’s arms, his face purple-green, blood flowing from mouth and nose—clearly he had already stopped breathing!

The Crown Prince was dead?

Cheng Maoming’s head buzzed, completely unable to think.

“Physician, physician, think of something quickly! He’s the Crown Prince, he’s the Crown Prince!” Han Baocheng clutched the physician’s collar, looking like he’d completely lost his reason.

The others weren’t much better off—either begging the physician to save him or staring blankly with tears streaming. The physician, knowing the deceased’s identity, was so frightened his bones went soft, stammering unable to speak.

Those guards held their sabers, pointing them one moment at Han Baocheng and the others, the next moment toward the outside. Their expressions were taut like bowstrings stretched to the limit—the slightest disturbance might cause them to snap and swing their blades at people.

Cheng Maoming’s shoulder was lightly patted. He jerked his head around and, seeing it was Qi Shuo who had come up at some unknown time, suddenly relaxed.

Seeing clearly the Crown Prince’s appearance, Qi Shuo sighed inwardly and reminded softly: “Grand Commander, you should report this upward as quickly as possible. The Crown Prince died violently—the suspected culprit may be among these people in the restaurant. The longer it drags on, the less favorable for investigation.”

Cheng Maoming came fully to his senses: “The Heir speaks truly.”

He immediately ordered his subordinates to call more people, while he himself took an Eastern Palace guard and hurried into the palace for an imperial audience.

Reporting the Crown Prince’s death to the Emperor was undoubtedly a thankless task, but for Cheng Maoming it had to be done.

Who told him to run into this? If he did nothing, things would be even worse for him later.

Emperor Tai’an was taking a brief rest when he heard that Jinlin Guard Commander Cheng Maoming urgently sought an audience. His eyelids suddenly began twitching wildly.

After just a few peaceful days, something had happened again?

This thought flashing by, Emperor Tai’an received Cheng Maoming in the Heart Nurturing Hall.

“What matter does Minister Cheng have?” Seeing Cheng Maoming’s deathly pale face, Emperor Tai’an knew his guess was right.

Cheng Maoming instinctively glanced at the Eastern Palace guard kneeling to one side.

Emperor Tai’an followed his gaze. His heartbeat suddenly faltered. Baseless panic swept over this quite deep-minded emperor in that instant, making his expression change.

Cheng Maoming pressed his forehead to the floor, not daring to look at Emperor Tai’an’s reaction, and said sorrowfully: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has met with trouble—”

“What trouble has the Crown Prince met?” Emperor Tai’an unconsciously stood up.

“When your subject rushed over, the Crown Prince was already beyond help. I came to the palace at the first opportunity, so I haven’t had time to ask about the specific circumstances…”

Emperor Tai’an’s body swayed. His eyes fixed deadly on that guard: “You’re a guard who follows at the Crown Prince’s side?”

The guard fearfully confirmed this.

“Speak! What exactly happened to the Crown Prince!” Emperor Tai’an completely disregarded maintaining imperial dignity, asking in a hoarse voice.

“The, the physician said… His Highness was poisoned…” The guard kept his head buried, stammering.

“Poisoned?” Emperor Tai’an’s face was deathly pale, his eyes full of disbelief. “How could the Crown Prince be poisoned?”

Cheng Maoming steeled himself: “Reporting to Your Majesty, His Highness met with trouble at a restaurant called Five Flavors House.”

Hearing the Crown Prince had met with trouble outside the palace, Emperor Tai’an grabbed a teacup from the dragon desk and hurled it at the guard: “Tell Us clearly everything you know, or We will exterminate your nine familial relations!”

The guard was struck in the head by the teacup. Blood flowed down from his forehead, yet he didn’t even dare wipe it, saying tremulously: “His Highness paid respects to Noble Consort Jing then returned to the Eastern Palace. Thinking today was a rest day, he had someone relay a message to Compiler Yang and a few others to arrange a small gathering at Five Flavors House… We stood guard outside the private room. All wine and food brought up by attendants was taste-tested first—only after confirming no problems was it brought in by our own people. Later we suddenly heard cries for help from inside. When we rushed in we found His Highness collapsed in someone’s arms, unable to breathe. Soon he, he showed no response…”

Listening to the guard’s account, Emperor Tai’an’s expression grew increasingly ugly, his heart as if immersed in an ice cave.

His fourth son, the Great Zhou’s heir apparent… was dead?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Wasn’t he the Son of Heaven, protected by dragon energy, blessed with supreme fortune? Why would such a thing happen?

A stifling pressure surged up, provoking Emperor Tai’an to cough.

“Your Majesty—” Liu Chuan’s voice trembled as he gently patted Emperor Tai’an’s back.

This grand eunuch who had accompanied Emperor Tai’an for many years was at this moment full of panic.

The Crown Prince’s death was already a catastrophic matter, half the sky collapsing. Even more terrifying was that there were no other imperial princes left…

This thought flashed by. Liu Chuan didn’t dare think it through, focusing all his attention on Emperor Tai’an.

After a bout of urgent coughing, Emperor Tai’an seemed to age all at once: “Cheng Maoming.”

“Your subject is here.”

“We entrust this matter to the Jinlin Guard and the Ministry of Justice. You must investigate thoroughly.” Speaking these words, Emperor Tai’an gritted his teeth.

He would have the person who harmed the Crown Prince cut by a thousand blades and exterminate their nine familial relations!

“Your subject receives the decree.” Cheng Maoming bowed and withdrew, taking away that Eastern Palace guard.

Emperor Tai’an sat quietly, completely motionless.

Liu Chuan gathered his courage several times wanting to speak words of comfort, but couldn’t open his mouth.

Five Flavors House was soon surrounded watertight by officials from all quarters—not even a fly could escape.

Both Jinlin Guards and people from the Ministry of Justice arrived. Naturally the first to be questioned were those guards who’d followed the Crown Prince and Han Baocheng’s group. As for the other patrons and restaurant staff, they were all detained—except for Qi Shuo and Lin Hao.

Cheng Maoming proactively invited the two of them to observe. The Minister of Justice, thinking of the effort Prince Jing’s Heir had put into investigating the true culprit who murdered Princess Yuliu, wasn’t surprised by Cheng Maoming’s action.

The restaurant’s private room became a temporary interrogation room. The formal questioning began.