Li Shimin sat at the table, incessantly coughing. Li Chengqian hastily said, "Father Emperor, how are you feeling?"

Li Shimin waved his hand to indicate that he should leave quickly. After Li Chengqian left the study, he ordered someone to summon the Imperial Physician.

Li Shimin, who was inside the room, could naturally hear everything. He was angry at Li Chengqian's actions but also utterly baffled. How had such an excellent child in his youth suddenly become like this? Could it really be that the overindulgence towards Qing Que had caused Chengqian to feel a sense of crisis?

In Li Chengqian's eyes, only Li Tai was visible. He was completely unaware that the greatest threat to his position was not Li Tai, who had the same legitimate bloodline and the favor among princes, but Li Ke, who had a very high reputation both in the military and among the populace!

Li Shimin, as a father who didn't want to see a situation of fraternal strife, could only weigh his options like this.

He heaved a resentful sigh. He could govern the world and manage his subjects effectively, but he couldn't manage his own sons! To this day, he hadn't found an answer to this matter.

The room was a complete mess.

Li Shimin closed his eyes to calm himself, and after a moment, he said, "Zhong Rui."

"Emperor." Zhong Rui bowed as he spoke.

"Issue my imperial edict, instruct the three departments to carry out the investigation into the Eastern Palace murder case. They have one month to solve the case, and regardless of the outcome, there must be no favoritism or concealment," Li Shimin said with his eyes closed, his voice hoarse.

Zhong Rui felt a chill in his heart and paused for a moment before replying, "Yes."

The room regained its quietness, the palace maids cautiously cleaned up the incense burner, incense ashes, and papers on the floor, not daring to make a sound.

The cicadas sang continuously. Apart from that, the entire Taiji Palace was so calm it was chilling.

Once the three departments received the imperial edict, they immediately embarked on the investigation with great urgency. Everyone had a conclusion in their minds about who was behind the crime; they believed it was just a matter of finding the evidence.

Therefore, the investigation was divided into three groups. Since the testimony involved officials from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, they went to the Eastern Palace to gather clues, the Ministry of Justice to record the testimonies of the Xiao Family guards, and to investigate the people who had contact with the deceased before his death, while the Imperial Censorate was responsible for recording Ran Yan's testimony.

Although all the Guards of the Xiao Family in the cellar heard the Assassin's conversation, they couldn't keep the matter about Lady Dongyang a secret. Moreover, Lady Dongyang had already passed away, so this matter didn't pose too big of an issue for the Xiao Family. Regarding Liu Pinrang's last words, there was even less need for secrecy.

Ran Yan relayed all the questions the Imperial Censorate asked in great detail. This included that the Assassins bore a grudge against her for not saving Lady Dongyang, as well as Liu Pinrang clearly stating that the Crown Prince beat him.

"There is something that I have always found very strange," Ran Yan said.

The Deputy Imperial Censor, aware that Ran Yan was also knowledgeable about solving cases, eagerly asked, "Please speak."

"The person who threw Scholar Liu from the attic, I always felt that he was intentionally leading us to the secret passage. He should not be one of those Assassins. Moreover, Scholar Liu said that although he had been locked up for so many days, it was the first time he saw him," Ran Yan shared this with Xiao Song, and he had speculated several possibilities, all of which Ran Yan found to make sense. But now, she preferred not to meddle further.

Seeing that the clerk had recorded everything, the Deputy Imperial Censor then asked, "I wonder if Lady Ran has noticed any other suspicious points?"

Ran Yan carefully recalled, but suddenly a statement flashed through her mind. The leader had specifically mentioned whether the golden ball flowers cultivated by Lady Dongyang were sent back to Lanling. Struggling internally for a long while, Ran Yan finally said, "The Assassins once mentioned the golden ball flowers cultivated by Lady Dongyang."

"Oh? Please recount in detail the conversation had by the Assassins," the Deputy Imperial Censor immediately said.

Ran Yan recounted the original conversation.

The Imperial Censorate, already knowing privately that Ran Yan could perform autopsies, specially inquired about Liu Pinrang's body, "Please describe the condition of Scholar Liu's body at that time."

"Scholar Liu had severe abrasions on his face; like the former Crown Prince's son, his upper body was densely covered with whip scars. However, differing from him, Scholar Liu didn't have a single piece of intact flesh on his chest, his abdominal wound was deep enough to reveal entrails, and there were multiple sites of suppuration. I didn't examine him carefully, but generally, I could see that he had fractures all over his body," Ran Yan said.

This description of injuries made the officials of the Imperial Censorate shudder, filled with both fear and anger, they quickly pondered whether they had ever reported the Crown Prince.

Ran Yan paused before continuing, "I seem to have seen waterweed on Scholar Liu's body, and there was a faint fishy smell of water on him. However, at that time, I was in a hurry to revive him, and the light was dim. His body was full of blood and the stench of decay, I can't be certain."

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