Xiao Tianchi fainted. Since neither Xiao Yixuan nor Xiao Wuchen could leave easily, they had no choice but to stay in the room to keep watch.
The imperial physician was hurriedly summoned from the next room. After feeling the pulse, he heaved a long sigh. "Your Highness the Prince was not fully recovered yet. Now, due to excessive grief, he has fallen ill again."
The excessive grief naturally referred to his reaction after discovering the Crown Prince's body.
Xiao Yixuan's eyes darkened slightly.
It seemed that his imperial uncle had a really deep affection for that elder brother of his.
After the imperial physician administered acupuncture and medicine, Xiao Tianchi's rapid breathing gradually steadied, but his forehead still burned with a high fever.
After Xiao Yixuan and Xiao Wuchen left, they walked towards their own rooms together.
There was still a distance of about two steps between them, but their shadows under the streetlights seemed to unconsciously show a bit of rivalry.
"Third brother, you must investigate this case thoroughly and find the murderer as soon as possible to put the Emperor, the Empress, and the imperial uncle at ease," Xiao Yixuan said calmly.
Xiao Wuchen's voice sounded a bit panicked. "How about leaving the investigation to you, second elder brother? I'll take care of the Crown Prince's body. I'm really not as good as you at investigating cases, brother."
Xiao Yixuan stopped in his tracks and looked back at the man whose half - body was hidden in the shadows.
"Since it was assigned to you by the imperial uncle, just do it well. This is a great opportunity for you to show your worth and make contributions. If you handle it well and please the Emperor, he might look at you in a different light and assign you important tasks. Then you won't have to be a idle and unfavored prince anymore."
Xiao Wuchen clenched his fists again, and his face still showed a look of panic. "I'll give it a try. If there's anything I don't understand or don't do well enough, I'll ask for your guidance, second elder brother."
Xiao Yixuan replied with a faint grunt. Then the two separated and went back to their rooms.
That night, the news that the Crown Prince was confirmed dead spread throughout the Liuxiang Tower. Whether it was the guards of the Eastern Palace, the officials who had accompanied the Crown Prince on his inspection tour to the south of the Yangtze River, or the Pei Family's Army that had followed Prince Mu and others to Dongli Town, all received this news.
A mourning notice confirming the death of the Crown Prince was even sent out of Dongli Town on a galloping horse overnight, speeding towards the capital.
In the Liuxiang Tower.
Ye Wanxing closed the window and sighed. "I didn't expect His Highness the Crown Prince to pass away like this. It's really a pity."
Ye Huan looked at Ye Wanxing with a solemn face. "With such a thing happening, His Highness the Prince of Xuan will surely be extremely busy. Since we came here following His Highness the Prince of Xuan, we'd better not wander around randomly before everything settles down. And we mustn't cause any trouble for His Highness."
After thinking for a while, he added, "With the death of the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prince of Xuan will surely be pushed to the forefront. Our Ye Family has already formed an alliance with His Highness, so we must act with extreme caution."
Ye Wanxing nodded obediently. "I know. I have a sense of propriety."
The late - night Dongli Town was stuffy and had a hint of restlessness hidden within.
Before dawn, another carriage arrived outside the morgue. When the two guards at the gate saw the person getting out of the carriage, they were shocked and knelt down on one knee to pay their respects.
"We pay our respects to His Highness the Prince of Xuan!"
Xiao Yixuan nodded and said calmly, "After inspection, it has been confirmed that the body found on the riverside today is that of the Crown Prince. His Highness Prince Mu has ordered me to take care of the body and ensure its integrity. From this moment on, I will take over the morgue."
At his order, a small detachment of the Pei Family's Army stepped forward to guard the morgue.
"Did any idlers approach the morgue last night, or did any other strange things happen?"
The two guards first shook their heads. Then the one on the far left seemed to remember something. He bit his lower lip hard and then said, "There is one thing."
Xiao Yixuan's expression turned solemn. "What is it?"
"There are really too many stray dogs in this town. One or two of them even slipped into the morgue when we weren't paying attention. Fortunately, they didn't do anything to His Highness the Crown Prince's body."
Xiao Yixuan said indifferently, "In the countryside, the etiquette is not fully observed, so these unguarded beasts are bound to run rampant. If you see them again next time, just kill them."
"Yes!"
Looking at the guard who had spoken, Xiao Yixuan said with a smile, "You're very observant. That's good. After we return to the capital, come to my mansion to report."
The guard's face immediately beamed with joy, and he kowtowed repeatedly.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Prince of Xuan!"
Looking at the two white lanterns gently swaying under the eaves, Xiao Yixuan didn't allow anyone to approach and walked into the morgue alone.
There was only one body lying in the innermost room. A white cloth covered the body, hiding the disfigured face.
The silence was broken by a series of footsteps. Xiao Yixuan walked into the room and slowly came to the side of the body. He reached out and lifted the white cloth.
He didn't light a lamp. He just stared at the body below by the dim moonlight.
After a while, a faint sigh echoed around.
"It's really a pity, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The sigh was quickly swallowed up by the silence. The next moment, the corner of Xiao Yixuan's lips twitched slightly. He pulled the white cloth back to cover the body's face.
"Pity. You'll never have another chance."
...
Ye Wanmian spent most of the night sneaking into the morgue. When she got home, she washed her hair. She didn't dare to sleep soundly with her hair wet. She managed to stay awake until dawn when her long hair was completely dry.
Yawning several times, she forced herself to fight off the sleepiness. She picked up her carry - on bag and stepped out.
Although she was extremely sleepy, in order not to arouse suspicion, she still had to go to the medical clinic as usual. But just as she reached the outside of the courtyard, she suddenly stopped and looked at the clothes she had stuffed in the corner.
Those were the clothes she had worn when she sneaked into the morgue last night.
As soon as she saw them, a stench of decay seemed to waft into her nostrils.
Biting back her nausea, she picked up a shovel, dug a simple pit, buried the clothes in it, and covered them tightly with soil.
Suddenly remembering something, she turned around and went into the house. She picked up the handkerchief she had casually thrown into the corner from the floor and stuffed it back into her sleeve. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief.
This time, she didn't hesitate anymore. She walked to the door, pulled the latch, and was about to go out when she noticed that the yellow dog didn't follow. Looking back, she saw it squatting in the middle of the yard, in a daze.
"Da Huang, let's go!"
Xiao Jingcheng snapped out of his reverie and immediately stepped forward to catch up with her.
Xiao Jingcheng found it hard to describe his current mood.
Last night, when he saw her throw the handkerchief aside with his own eyes, he felt as if his heart had been crushed into a ball and thrown to the ground. But now, seeing her pick up the thing and hide it in her sleeve, that feeling...
It was as if she had personally picked up his heart that had been shattered into pieces.
However...
Xiao Jingcheng looked at the girl who couldn't stop yawning and his eyes darkened.
He, Xiao Jingcheng, was not so useless that he needed a woman to investigate for him.
Ye Wanmian was so sleepy on the way that she could hardly keep her eyes open. She was worried that Doctor Wang would ask her something, so she even thought up an excuse. But when she got to the medical clinic, she happened to run into Doctor Wang carrying a medicine chest and about to go out following a guard.
Ye Wanmian's sleepiness vanished instantly. She opened her eyes wide and ran forward.
"Master, where are you going?"
Doctor Wang glanced at her obviously tired face and said, "His Highness Prince Mu fell ill again last night. He has had a high fever that hasn't subsided. The imperial physician's medicine has been ineffective, so they've asked me to go and take a look."