Everyone knew that Mount Wei was teeming with ferocious beasts. The murderer not only shot Tuoba Hong but also left bait on his body to lure wild animals—clearly intending for the beasts to devour his remains and destroy the evidence!
Such vicious intent made even Lin Zhang and Yan Huai shudder.
"Ninth Miss, why are you so certain of the murderer's intentions?!"
As Lin Zhang asked, Qin Guan looked at him and said, "Commander Lin, did you find the broken arrow shaft earlier?"
Lin Zhang shook his head. "No, we only recovered three arrows. The quiver and bow are still intact."
Qin Guan continued, "Since the arrow shaft wasn't found, there's a ninety percent chance this was deliberate. The remaining possibility is the coincidence we discussed earlier—that the arrow shaft fell somewhere hard to spot. But that's highly unlikely. Moreover, Commander Lin didn't find any bait-filled pouch near the Crown Prince, ruling out the possibility that the bait spilled onto Tuoba Hong after he fell into the ravine. Therefore, the bait must have been deliberately smeared on him."
"Mount Wei is full of predators. Even if the Crown Prince was shot first, no one—not even a living person—would carelessly carry bait on them. Doesn't this make the murderer's intention obvious?"
"We sent people to search that very night, but it was already dark. Rain or no rain, finding anything would have been difficult. The murderer counted on this—giving wild beasts ample time to consume the Crown Prince's body. What they never expected was that the Crown Prince would fall into the ravine, and that night, a heavy rain would wash away all the bait!"
Yan Chi frowned. "Falling into the ravine made it difficult for larger predators to reach him, and the heavy rain washed off the bait entirely. That's why Crown Prince Tuoba survived until we rescued him."
Qin Guan nodded. "Exactly. So Crown Prince Tuoba was clearly targeted."
As soon as she finished speaking, commotion erupted outside. Soon, Yuan Qing entered and reported, "Your Majesty, Princess Tuoba and Prince Tuoba Rui have arrived..."
Yan Chi frowned slightly but nodded. "Let them in."
Tuoba Wu and Tuoba Rui, both changed into clean attire, entered with grave expressions. With Tuoba Hong incapacitated, Tuoba Wu, as the elder, spoke first: "Your Majesty, we are here to request a thorough investigation into what happened to our elder brother. Why was he shot? Why did he fall into the ravine?"
Tuoba Hong's case was undeniably bizarre—anyone would question it. As Tuoba Hong's closest relatives, Tuoba Wu and Tuoba Rui were naturally anxious to uncover the truth.
Having just heard Qin Guan's analysis, Yan Chi stated, "Crown Prince Tuoba was murdered."
Tuoba Wu's expression tightened. "Naturally. This is Great Zhou's hunting grounds, guarded by Great Zhou's soldiers, with only Northern Wei and Western Liang present. Northern Wei would never do this. We implore Your Majesty to impartially identify who harmed our elder brother."
Whether it was Tuoba Hong or anyone else, any murder in the camp demanded investigation. Given Tuoba Hong's status, the matter required extreme caution. After a moment's thought, Yan Chi ordered Yuan Qing, "Summon Yan Chi!"
At the mention of Yan Chi, Tuoba Wu frowned slightly, glanced at Qin Guan, but pressed her lips together and remained silent.Soon, Yan Chi arrived at the tent. Yan Huai said, "Li Muyun did not come this time, and you are the only senior official from the Ministry of Justice present. Now, the Crown Prince has been harmed, and his condition is unknown. It falls to you to investigate the truth of this matter."
Upon hearing this, Yan Chi immediately accepted the order and glanced at Qin Guan.
Yan Huai thought for a moment and added, "Qin Guan was the one who examined the Crown Prince's injuries. She knows his condition best. If you have any doubts, you can ask her. The Crown Prince has not yet regained consciousness. If he wakes up on his own and reveals the identity of the perpetrator, that would be ideal. But if he remains unconscious, you must act quickly and provide an explanation to the Princess and the Fifth Prince as soon as possible."
Yan Chi responded repeatedly in agreement. Although Tuoba Wu had not expected the emperor to inadvertently bring Qin Guan and Yan Chi together, she was satisfied with Yan Huai's arrangements. Moreover, by now, she naturally harbored no hostility toward Qin Guan.
As they left the main tent, Tuoba Wu's expression grew somewhat complex. The most pressing matters at hand were, first, when Tuoba Hong would wake up, and second, who had harmed him. She glanced at Yan Chi, the person she had yearned for over the past two years, who now ranked only third in her priorities. Then, looking at Qin Guan, she pushed Yan Chi down to fourth place.
"Ninth Miss, you know my elder brother's injuries. What have you discovered?"
Seeing Tuoba Wu's anxious demeanor, Qin Guan thought for a moment and decided to truthfully share what she had just found. Upon hearing this, Tuoba Wu clenched her fists in fury. "Who could be so cruel? They wouldn't even spare my brother's remains!"
"Destroying the evidence and the body could be an attempt to conceal something. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to Mount Wei, and with two consecutive days of heavy rain, any traces must have been washed away."
As Qin Guan spoke, Tuoba Wu found it somewhat strange. Qin Guan's tone made it seem as though she were quite skilled at analyzing cases. For now, Tuoba Wu simply felt that anything helpful to the case was good and did not dwell on it further.
Yan Chi said, "Princess, there is no need to worry. I will lead the investigation into this case. If we uncover any results, I will inform you at once."
Yan Chi's tone was no longer as cold as before, but it was still merely polite and proper. Steeling herself, Tuoba Wu said, "I want to join you in investigating my brother's case. I understand my brother well, and you will need to ask about him, won't you?"
Yan Chi frowned. "When the need arises, we will seek you out, Princess."
Tuoba Wu felt a pang of frustration. Knowing that Yan Chi's decisions were unchangeable, she did not press further. She glanced at Yan Chi, then at Qin Guan, feeling that staying near the two of them would only be awkward. "I will go see the Crown Prince," she said.
Watching Tuoba Wu leave, Qin Guan sighed. Yan Chi glanced around and said, "Come with me."
Now that she had a legitimate reason, Qin Guan followed behind Yan Chi.
Yan Chi led Qin Guan directly to his own tent. Once inside, he turned and took her hand. Her hand was injured and had not yet healed; it was not supposed to come into contact with water. However, while treating Tuoba Hong, it had been stained with blood. The cotton wrap was now loose, and the bloodstains on it were still fresh.
Yan Chi quickly instructed Bai Feng, "Fetch some water—"Yan Chi held Qin Guan's hand, carefully removing the soiled cotton cloth. Once the cloth was taken off, he saw the wound on Qin Guan's palm had begun to heal, but it was quite deep—a vivid red line that would surely leave a scar.
Seeing this wound, Yan Chi's brow furrowed again. This was Tuoba Wu's sin. If possible, he wouldn't even want to get involved in Tuoba Hong's case. Unlike Qin Guan, who was deeply influenced by Shen Yi, Yan Chi held little regard for the law!
In front of Qin Guan, Yan Chi naturally kept these thoughts to himself. Qin Guan had a passion for Corpse Examination and solving cases, and she valued criminal law highly. If he voiced his thoughts, she would undoubtedly glare at him. Soon, Bai Feng brought water.
Yan Chi meticulously wiped the blood from Qin Guan's hand, carefully avoiding the wound, then wrapped it with fresh cotton cloth. Though he was usually rough around the edges, he performed these tasks with great care. Qin Guan watched, her smile deepening at the corners of her lips. Once the wound was bandaged, Yan Chi asked, "What do you think of this case?"
Though lacking enthusiasm, the case still had to be investigated.
At this question, Qin Guan's expression turned serious. "The arrow was driven straight into Crown Prince Tuoba's chest. If he was on horseback at the time, the archer must have also been on horseback. If he had dismounted, then the archer was on the ground as well. Additionally, the Crown Prince had numerous abrasions, likely from tumbling down the mountain stream. There were bruises on his shoulders, back, and waist—I couldn't determine whether these were caused by human force or impact."
Qin Guan had only observed the injuries while examining the Crown Prince's body, without conducting a detailed Corpse Examination, so she could only provide a general account. She continued, "That's the first point. Secondly, the perpetrator clearly intended to leave no trace—they even smeared bait to attract wild beasts on Crown Prince Tuoba's clothes."
"So they wanted wild beasts to devour Crown Prince Tuoba and destroy the evidence?" Yan Chi frowned, reacting swiftly.
Qin Guan nodded. "Exactly. The heavy rain washed away most of the bait, but I found traces in his hair and on his clothes. There's no mistake."
Hearing this, Yan Chi's eyes darkened. "There were three to four hundred people on Mount Wei that day. Crown Prince Tuoba wouldn't have been surprised to encounter anyone, so the assailant could have struck suddenly and hit him squarely in the chest."
Qin Guan added, "But the arrow belonged to Crown Prince Tuoba."
A faint smile touched Yan Chi's lips. "Then it must have been someone familiar."
With this in mind, Yan Chi mentally reviewed several faces before issuing an order: "Bai Feng, gather the group that followed Crown Prince Tuoba that day outside the council tent. Interrogate them one by one."
Even if these individuals weren't the perpetrators, they should at least know something about the arrow.
Qin Guan nodded and stood up. As Bai Feng left, Yan Chi pulled Qin Guan back, drawing her into an embrace. "You've worked hard today. If Tuoba Hong survives, it will be a great merit to your credit."Qin Guan shook her head. "It wasn't me—it was himself. At the time, I also thought he couldn't be saved, but then I saw his fingers twitch. The more Tuoba Wu wept and lamented, the stronger his reactions became. That was when I realized that although he was unconscious, he could still hear what was happening outside. After two days and nights, this is extremely rare and shows he truly possesses extraordinary willpower and an intense desire to live. That's why I decided to save him."
As she spoke, Qin Guan leaned against Yan Chi's chest. She had indeed been exhausted that day.
The two embraced in the tent for a moment before Qin Guan took her leave first.
While Yan Chi went to interrogate people, Qin Guan returned to the Empress Dowager's quarters. After changing her clothes, she reported Tuoba Hong's condition to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager sighed upon hearing this. "Now you've completed the first step of saving him. I was thinking earlier that if Crown Prince Tuoba truly couldn't be saved, would you be blamed again by Tuoba Wu? That girl is reckless when she's furious."
Qin Guan chuckled. "Don't worry. The princess genuinely cares for the Crown Prince. Even if he hadn't been saved, with the Crown Prince's last wishes, she definitely wouldn't act recklessly."
The Empress Dowager shook her head and said no more, as the situation had turned out well. She then asked about the cause of Tuoba Hong's accident. After Qin Guan briefly explained, the Empress Dowager nodded. "With Yan Chi here, he should be able to uncover the truth. It's just hard to imagine who could be so vicious."
The Empress Dowager was a kind-hearted person, and the culprit, who was deeply hidden, would not be easily exposed.
After chatting for a while, Qin Guan, still concerned about Tuoba Hong, went to his tent. As she approached, she noticed many additional guards and recognized two faces she had seen around Yan Chi. If Tuoba Hong woke up, he could directly identify the culprit, and it was possible the culprit might try to harm him to escape blame.
With Yan Chi's men guarding the tent, it was extremely secure.
Qin Guan felt reassured and entered the tent to continue her care.
...
In the council tent, Tuoba Rui said with reddened eyes, "It must be Liu Yun! On the day we left the camp, Liu Yun was eyeing my elder brother's arrows and said he wanted to use them. Only he would think of taking my brother's arrows. He's always intended to harm my brother. In the entire camp, only he would want to kill my brother in such a cruel way."
Yan Chi looked at Tuoba Rui. "How can you be sure?"
Tuoba Rui replied, "My elder sister said she overheard Liu Yun discussing with his advisor that if he couldn't marry the princess, he would arrange for my brother to have an accident during the hunt. Isn't that enough proof?"
Yan Chi stared expressionlessly at Tuoba Rui. "It's indeed not enough proof. Tell me what you did after separating from the others that day. How long were you apart, and where did you go?"
Tuoba Rui took a deep breath. "Heir Apparent Yan, I've already said this several times."
Yan Chi remained impassive. "Say it again."Tuoba Rui glanced at the expressionless guard stationed at the entrance, took a deep breath, and continued, "We only parted ways after reaching a consensus. Each of us took a different direction because Eldest Brother was determined to claim the top spot in the hunt. Even so, we didn't redistribute arrows. Since my skills are lacking, I rarely had opportunities to shoot that day. We all had our own arrows and didn't exchange any. We were separated for about the time it takes two incense sticks to burn. The direction I took was completely different from Eldest Brother's. Later, I spotted a brown bear and sent up a Signal Flare—the other attendants can confirm this."
After listening, Yan Chi nodded and fetched a sheet of paper and a brush. "Draw it. Sketch the directions each of you took that day. If your memory is unclear, draw multiple versions or several sheets."
Tuoba Rui looked exasperated. "Why must I draw?"
He was neither skilled nor fond of drawing, but faced with Yan Chi's stern expression, he had no choice but to comply. "We stopped on a mountainside back then. If we were here, Eldest Brother went this way, I went here, and the others went in these directions... roughly like this."
Tuoba Rui finished sketching quickly and held it up for Yan Chi to see.
Yan Chi examined it. "Anything else to add?"
Frowning, Tuoba Rui replied, "I've said all there is to say. That's everything." Then he added, "Oh, right! You should arrest Liu Yun and interrogate him properly! Although we took different paths that day, over the entire day, we all gradually converged toward due north. It would've been easy to run into each other!"
Yan Chi nodded. "Very well, Fifth Highness, you may leave now."
Tuoba Rui stood up, deeply resentful of Yan Chi's arrogant demeanor. However, aware of Yan Chi's reputation and intimidated by his presence, he dared not act out and left in frustration.
After a moment's thought, Yan Chi ordered, "Bring in the Third Prince of Western Liang."
When Liu Yun entered the council tent, his expression was grim. This was the second time he had been summoned regarding Tuoba Hong's case. Why did they insist he was responsible for harming Tuoba Hong?!
Noting the faint bruises still visible on Liu Yun's face, Yan Chi posed equally sharp questions. Yet, after hearing Liu Yun's agitated but restrained replies, Yan Chi sensed significant issues with the case.
As time grew late, Yan Chi delegated the questioning of the guards to others and headed to Yan Huai's main tent. After relaying the details, Yan Huai widened his eyes in surprise. "You want to ascend Wei Mountain again?"
Yan Chi affirmed, "It's the only way to determine who could have encountered Crown Prince Tuoba during that timeframe. We also need to reinvestigate the site where Crown Prince Tuoba fell."
Yan Huai nodded. "Then it must be done." He then asked, "But do you have any leads?"
Yan Chi shook his head. Just as Yan Huai's disappointment surfaced, Yan Chi added, "However, the victim is Crown Prince Tuoba. His status is unique, and this camp is filled with influential figures. His assassination must be tied to interests."
Yan Huai raised an eyebrow, his gaze deepening thoughtfully.
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