"Third Prince! The farthest point you walked toward due north was less than thirty zhang from where Crown Prince Tuoba had the accident. How can you claim you never saw Crown Prince Tuoba?!"
Zhao Yu repeated the question. Upon hearing this, Liu Yun sprang to his feet in a fit of rage. "How many times must I say it?! I ascended the mountain from the east at that time, and everyone was heading due north. What’s wrong with me going in that direction? The thirty zhang you mentioned—on a mountain, that distance is hardly far at all. So what if I reached that spot? I never saw Crown Prince Tuoba, and that’s the truth! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!"
Liu Yun had already been interrogated continuously for an hour. When he first entered, he still had some composure, but by now he was utterly exhausted and irritable. Zhao Yu had rephrased the same question over a dozen times. Whenever Liu Yun refused to answer, he was accused of having a guilty conscience. Thus, from the moment he ascended the mountain to firing the first arrow and every detail thereafter, he was forced to recount repeatedly. This had worn him down to the point of extreme frustration, yet Zhao Yu remained stubbornly unyielding!
"Then, Third Prince, when you left the camp, why did you ask for Crown Prince Tuoba’s arrows? What prompted you to have such a thought out of the blue? Did you already harbor murderous intentions toward Crown Prince Tuoba?!"
Yan Chi was leading the investigation into Tuoba Hong’s case, but due to the lack of constables and other officials, Yan Huai had assigned Zhao Yu to assist. The interrogation method was instructed by Yan Chi. Zhao Yu kept repeating questions to Liu Yun—not only was Liu Yun worn out, but even Zhao Yu felt more exhausted than after a martial arts contest. However, seeing Liu Yun grow increasingly agitated, he grasped the essence of Yan Chi’s technique. Most hardened criminals possessed strong mental fortitude; to break their defenses, relentless repetition was one approach. Once the criminal became irritable, enraged, and mentally confused, flaws would inevitably surface.
Liu Yun sneered repeatedly and kicked a nearby chair away. "So what if I said it?! Tuoba Hong and I were rivals this time. I couldn’t stand him, so I wanted to provoke him—what of it? If I had truly planned to kill him, why would I let so many people hear those words?! Just because I challenged him, does that make me a villain? When I see a beautiful woman, I might entertain indecent thoughts, but have I ever laid a hand on any of them?! Right now, I feel like hitting you, but have I done it?! I may have wicked thoughts, but as long as I don’t act on them, I am not a wicked person!"
Panting heavily from his outburst, Liu Yun glanced at a chair in the distance, walked over, and sat down abruptly before slamming the table. "I want water! You have some nerve! I am the Third Prince of Western Liang! How dare you detain me here based on someone’s mere words! Do you even remember my status?! Bring me hot tea!"
Frowning, Zhao Yu observed Liu Yun. Though young, Zhao Yu had experience on the battlefield and was no ordinary noble scion. "Third Prince, you harbored such resentment toward Crown Prince Tuoba. Now that something has happened to him, you must be quite pleased, aren’t you?"Liu Yun's face was slick with oil, the inner heat making the council tent feel unbearably stuffy. Yet this Zhao Yu was the deputy commander of the Great Zhou's imperial guards, a man of exceptional martial skill. With guards posted outside, Liu Yun couldn't force his way out. The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew, a thin sweat breaking out on his forehead. He abruptly rolled up his sleeves and burst out defiantly, "Yes! I'm delighted! Wouldn't you be happy if your imperial guards commander died? You wouldn't show it, but deep down you must be thrilled—because only then could you take his position!"
Zhao Yu frowned deeply. Liu Yun now appeared pale and sweaty, his expression boiling with irritable rage. He had tried repeatedly to leave, and in the struggle, his hair had become disheveled and his robes wrinkled, leaving him with not a shred of dignity. Zhao Yu shook his head. "Not everyone thinks like you, Third Prince. Currently, you are the prime suspect in the camp. I advise you to confess properly!"
Liu Yun let out another cold laugh. "Confess?! Confess my ass! Are you brainless?! Everyone already thinks I'm the murderer. I've clashed with Tuoba Hong repeatedly before this. I knew if anything happened to him, it would be pinned on me—so why would I kill him?! Such a simple logic—are you people of Great Zhou all pigs?!"
Liu Yun had cast aside all restraint, not only shedding decorum but now cursing openly. Yet Zhao Yu remained unmoved.
"You wouldn't kill him? Then why were you secretly plotting with your strategist to have Crown Prince Tuoba meet with an 'accident' in the camp?" Zhao Yu's features were handsome, his skin bronzed and sharply masculine, his stern expression losing none of its authority.
Liu Yun laughed in furious exasperation. "Did you forget what I just said?! I told you—I only entertained some wicked thoughts! If I dislike someone, I wish them misery, but that doesn't mean I actually do anything to cause it. I said I wanted to scheme against him—yes, I thought about it! Couldn't I have planned to cripple him?! Couldn't I have planned to humiliate him?! Why would I kill him?! And now it's all blamed on me! Are you all pig-brained, fixating on me like this?!"
Zhao Yu furrowed his brow. "Then why did you lie? You later clearly walked in the same direction as Crown Prince Tuoba, yet you claimed earlier that everyone went due north. You should have known Crown Prince Tuoba wasn't far away."
Liu Yun's eyes darted sideways as he glanced away. "At that time, Tuoba Wu was so certain I had harmed her elder brother! Of course I denied it completely! Should I have waited for her to keep slandering me?! Besides, I didn't see Tuoba Hong—I just didn't see him! I naturally wouldn't give others a chance to falsely accuse me! What of it? Is there a problem?!"
Zhao Yu remained impassive. "But is there anyone else who can corroborate your story? Your guards don't count. Was there anyone else who walked with you to the farthest point and then returned together?"
Liu Yun glared at Zhao Yu. "If there were, would I be here suffering your torment?! Listen carefully! I did not kill Tuoba Hong! If I killed him, may I die horribly! May I be struck by lightning!"Zhao Yu stared at Liu Yun, who gritted his teeth and spat out, "You bastards! What good would Tuoba Hong's death do me?! Even if he died, if the Fifth Princess remains unwilling, I still couldn't win her hand! But his death would greatly benefit the other Northern Wei princes! Why don't you interrogate that Tuoba Rui?! Tuoba Hong was killed by his own arrow—if I had encountered Tuoba Hong, would he have just handed it to me? Only Tuoba Rui! Only Tuoba Rui could easily obtain Tuoba Hong's arrow!"
After this furious outburst, Liu Yun's throat burned dry. He coughed violently, his face flushing crimson. Seeing Zhao Yu remain unmoved, Liu Yun grew frantic. He slammed the table and roared, "What exactly do you want to ask—"
Before he could finish the word "when," his expression suddenly twisted. Clutching his chest, he staggered back two steps before collapsing to the ground. Within moments, sweat beaded across his forehead. Alarmed, Zhao Yu shouted, "Guards! Summon the imperial physician! Quickly—"
The commotion startled the guards outside the tent. Upon hearing the cry, Fu Desheng, the Western Liang general, burst inside. Finding Liu Yun on the floor, he cried out "Your Highness!" and scooped him up. Shooting a fierce glare at Zhao Yu, Fu Desheng carried Liu Yun out of the tent.
By the time Yan Chi arrived, Liu Yun was already lying on his bed in his own tent, with the imperial physician examining his pulse. Zhao Yu stood guard outside and hurried forward upon seeing Yan Chi. "Crown Prince—"
"What happened? How did he fall ill so suddenly?"
Zhao Yu's expression darkened. "I don't know, Your Highness. During the interrogation, the Third Prince was enraged throughout. Perhaps because of that, he suddenly collapsed mid-shout."
Yan Chi nodded and approached the tent entrance. The Western Liang guards hesitated briefly before stepping aside. Yan Chi swept the curtain open and entered. Fu Desheng turned immediately, offering a reluctant fist-and-palm salute. "Crown Prince—"
Glancing at the bed, Yan Chi frowned. "What's wrong with the Third Prince?"
Fu Desheng sneered. "Your Highness insists on investigating this case, and we've cooperated fully. But must your methods be so aggressive? You've directly provoked His Highness's illness!"
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. "What illness does the Third Prince have?"
As he spoke, the physician straightened up and bowed to Yan Chi. "Crown Prince, the Third Prince's pulse is weak and floating. It appears he suffers from heart pain, a chronic condition he's endured for years. This explains his pallor and frailty. In such a state, he truly shouldn't have participated in the mountain hunt."
Yan Chi turned to Fu Desheng, who snorted coldly and pressed his lips together without a word.
Yan Chi asked, "The Third Prince has been ill all this time?"
His gaze drifted toward Liu Yun. From their first meeting, he had noticed Liu Yun's unusually pale complexion, though superficially, the prince seemed unaffected. It had never occurred to him that Liu Yun might be ill.The imperial physician also said, "Just now, the Third Prince seemed to have suffered a surge of qi and blood due to extreme rage, which triggered heart pain, followed by fainting. I will now administer needle therapy to His Highness the Third Prince. I believe he will awaken before nightfall."
Fu Desheng stared coldly at Yan Chi. "You forced His Highness the Third Prince into a relapse, yet you have no idea that His Highness is afflicted with an illness. Riding a horse up the mountain was already his limit—he simply couldn't have drawn a bow to kill anyone! Why are you so convinced that His Highness murdered Crown Prince Tuoba?! It's true that His Highness once contemplated scheming against Crown Prince Tuoba, but that would only have been after the Fifth Princess made her intentions clear. The incident occurred on merely the third day of the grand hunt—His Highness was in no hurry at all!"
Yan Chi's brow furrowed tightly. "Why wasn't this mentioned earlier?!"
Fu Desheng's face turned pale for a moment before he stubbornly retorted, "Because there was no need to say it!"
After studying Fu Desheng briefly, Yan Chi understood the situation clearly. Liu Yun was afflicted with an illness, and if the Empress and Emperor were to learn of it, they would never betroth the Fifth Princess to him. Thus, Liu Yun had kept this matter hidden from everyone, even pretending to be perfectly healthy while joining the mountain hunt. Yet no one knew that he couldn't even handle drawing a bowstring.
Who would have thought that after all the questioning yielded nothing, this sudden illness would reveal the truth!
Yan Chi frowned. "To conceal an illness and watch your prince endure interrogation—General Fu, you are truly a loyal subject and fine commander. Since you failed to disclose this beforehand, any consequences that arise shall be left to the imperial physicians."
His words implied that without prior disclosure, they felt no obligation to apologize. After speaking, Yan Chi turned and strode away, leaving Fu Desheng behind with eyes wide as copper bells, though he dared not roar in protest.
Exiting the main tent, Yan Chi changed direction and headed toward another council tent. Once inside, he retrieved the earlier diagrams and, with some frustration, crossed out Liu Yun's name. Everyone had suspected Liu Yun of harming Tuoba Hong, but who could have guessed he suffered from a severe illness?!
After a moment of contemplation, Yan Chi instructed, "Summon Ninth Miss—"
The guard acknowledged and departed. When Qin Guan arrived, she found Yan Chi studying the map. She entered, bowed in greeting, and after the guard withdrew, she approached a few steps. "What has happened?"
Yan Chi pulled her closer and asked first, "What are the effects of heart pain syndrome?"
Qin Guan's brow furrowed slightly. "Heart pain syndrome? It depends on the cause. If it's a chronic condition or congenital, it can be very dangerous. The patient usually needs to maintain emotional calm, take medicine regularly, follow a light diet, and engage in moderate activity without overexertion. During an episode, they may experience palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, ashen complexion, fatigue, and cyanosis of the lips..."
As she finished, Yan Chi's frown deepened. Qin Guan quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
Yan Chi replied, "During the interrogation of Liu Yun just now, he was provoked by Zhao Yu and fainted. The imperial physician diagnosed him with heartache disease, stating it's a long-standing ailment. I went to see him—he was indeed unconscious, and his complexion was very poor. The imperial physician is currently administering needle therapy, so it certainly isn't fabricated."
Qin Guan frowned at once. "In that case, he couldn't be the one who harmed Crown Prince Tuoba..."Yan Chi nodded, "Fu Desheng said he was too weak to even draw a bow and shoot arrows. Although the bow used this time wasn't particularly heavy, an ordinary person might manage to draw it, but the shot arrow would certainly lack force and accuracy. You mentioned that the arrow that struck Crown Prince Tuoba was perfectly positioned and at a very straight angle, indicating that the archer must have been highly skilled."
Qin Guan quickly agreed, "Indeed. And upon further reflection, the arrow penetrated deeply into the flesh, meaning the archer must have had considerable strength." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "This Liu Yun actually suffers from heart pain syndrome. Why didn't he mention it earlier? Participating in the hunt was very dangerous for him. Had he spoken up, no one would have suspected him!"
Yan Chi sneered, "If he had revealed it earlier, how would the Emperor and Empress ever betroth the Fifth Princess to someone with a serious illness? This was his scheme—even if something went wrong, he couldn't blame others!"
Qin Guan promptly said, "In that case, we must investigate the others!"
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