Chapter 124 We Are Still Young

Chapter 124 We Are Both Still Young

The room housing the bodies was chilly. A man saw Xue Han and quickly greeted him, "Sir."

The man was one of Xue Han's subordinates, quite experienced in examining corpses.

"What have you found?" Xue Han strode over and lifted the blue cloth covering the body to look.

"Sir, the victim's throat is clean, with no traces of soot or ash. In my humble judgment, he was already dead before the fire..."

Xue Han listened to his subordinate's account and nodded slightly.

This aligned with his own suspicions.

Thanks to the increased patrols around the Crown Prince's residence, they rushed over as soon as the fire broke out. The flames surged upward, trapping the Crown Prince in the high tower, but the eunuch guarding the tower had ample opportunity to escape.

This suggests that someone had killed the guarding eunuch and then set fire to the tower.

Xue Han left the morgue and called for Hu Si, "Did you collect the information on the eunuch who guarded the tower?"

"Sir, here it is." Hu Si handed over the booklet.

After looking it over, Xue Han went to see Xue Quan.

"Han'er, is something the matter?"

"The examination shows that the eunuch guarding the tower was already dead before the fire."

Xue Quan's face fell. "So this fire was not an accident?"

Xue Han nodded firmly.

"Any other leads?"

"I had my subordinates investigate the deceased's situation. This eunuch originally served in the palace and was transferred here after this temporary palace was built. He had been responsible for guarding the Star-Gazing Tower all along..."

"He left the capital many years ago, with no relatives or friends here. That doesn't sound suspicious."

"Indeed."

Xue Quan raised an eyebrow. "The palace staff here are day-workers and don't remain in the Crown Prince's residence after their shift. They would have had no chance to act."

Not only the Crown Prince's residence but also Emperor Jingping's side were the same. Upon arrival, they used only their usual attendants; people from this temporary palace were not permitted to approach.

"Until we have more to go on, do not report the eunuch's cause of death to His Majesty, to avoid worrying him."

"Father—"

Xue Quan shot Xue Han a displeased look. "What? Can I no longer make decisions for the Imperial City Bureau?"

"I did not mean that."

"The fire at the Crown Prince's residence has already stirred up panic. If people learn it was not an accident, wouldn't it lead to chaos?"

"But regarding His Majesty—"

Xue Quan's expression darkened slightly. "As subjects, we should share our ruler's burdens, not add to them. Apart from the suspicious death of this eunuch, the fire wiped out any evidence. To investigate further would require turning the Crown Prince's inner circle inside out. Han'er, I ask you, can the Imperial City Bureau handle such an uproar? Would His Highness the Crown Prince be pleased to see it? And what if, in the end, nothing is uncovered?"

Xue Quan fired off three questions, and Xue Han remained silent.

"Han'er, often, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. Don't turn potential credit into blame. I have only you as my son; I would not harm you."

"I understand, Father."

"Go on."

As Xue Han walked out, the corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

He had expected this—it was the choice his adoptive father would make.

"Official Xue."

Xue Han cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince approached, his expression amiable. "Official Xue, why do you seem so preoccupied?"

Xue Han glanced at the Crown Prince, hesitating to speak.

Walking beside Xue Han, the Crown Prince said gently, "I see your dedication, Official Xue. Do not put too much pressure on yourself."

After a moment's hesitation, Xue Han lowered his voice. "The eunuch guarding the Star-Gazing Tower did not die from the fire..."

The Crown Prince paused mid-step, his gaze toward Xue Han deepening with meaning.

Xue Han did not need to disclose such details to him. And if the fire was not an accident, it meant someone was targeting him.

Who would want his life?

That was difficult to say. Although he knew it was impossible, history showed that fathers had taken their sons' lives before. This was not to say he suspected his own father, but rather to highlight the rarity of Xue Han confiding in him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Official Xue," the Crown Prince said solemnly.

The person who harmed him was likely close by. Whether it was the Imperial City Bureau or other offices, it would be difficult to investigate openly. But for him, the most important thing was to be prepared from now on.

His younger brothers had either died young or were still children. He had thought his position as Crown Prince was secure, but it turned out it was not.

Perhaps this was the lesson a life-and-death fire had brought him.

The Crown Prince glanced at the upright young man, a smile flickering in his eyes.

He was still young, and Xue Han was also still young.

In the past, Xue Han was merely Xue Quan's adopted son, Xue Quan's eyes and ears outside the palace. But for the future, he was filled with anticipation.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." A woman's voice came from nearby.

The Crown Prince looked over and asked with a smile, "Sixth Miss Qiu, have you come to the palace again to visit Beauty Qiu?"

"Yes."

"Then go ahead."

Qiu Heng stood with her head bowed to one side. After the Crown Prince passed, her eyes met Xue Han's, and she lifted her lips in a slight smile.

Xue Han couldn't help but curve his lips as well.

A eunuch who had been watching Qiu Heng saw this and sighed helplessly, looking up at the sky.

This Sixth Miss Qiu truly left one at a loss for words.

He suspected she had her sights set on the Crown Prince, yet she was also making eyes at Imperial City Commissioner Xue Han—he couldn't stand that kind of thing.

But come to think of it, this girl saved his life once.

This eunuch, Liu Qi, had gossiped about Qiu Heng and displeased the Crown Prince, so another eunuch served by the prince’s side at the Star-Gazing Tower. That eunuch fell to his death while escaping the fire.

Liu Qi shot a complicated look at Qiu Heng before following the Crown Prince away.

“Sixth Sister is here,” Zheng Yu greeted her warmly.

As a eunuch himself, he felt completely different when he saw Qiu Heng.

Upon meeting Beauty Qiu, Qiu Heng bowed. “Sister.”

Beauty Qiu helped Qiu Heng up. “I thought Sixth Sister wouldn’t come today.”

The fire at the Crown Prince’s residence was such a big deal that it had naturally spread throughout the inner palace.

“I figured Sister might not have slept well last night, so I didn’t come in the morning.”

Visiting Beauty Qiu daily in the palace was an open arrangement, and Qiu Heng naturally wouldn’t give up such a good excuse to get out.

As for the fire at the Star-Gazing Tower, she still wanted to ask Xue Han about it.

After getting the visit with Beauty Qiu out of the way, Qiu Heng left the palace and spotted Xue Han.

She walked up to him and asked directly, “Official Xue, have you found out anything about last night’s fire?”

“It was set deliberately…” Thanks to her timely warning, the Crown Prince was rescued, so Xue Han had no intention of hiding it from her.

“So, someone wanted the Crown Prince dead,” Qiu Heng murmured, fiddling with the tassel at her waist.

So the fire recorded in the books wasn’t an accident, and the Crown Prince’s death wasn’t an accident either.

Who could be plotting against the Crown Prince?

“You won’t give up the investigation, will you, Official Xue?”

“No, but there may not be any results.” Xue Han’s gaze swept over the lush vegetation, the vast sky and earth. “This fire has dampened His Majesty’s spirits. I’m afraid we’ll be returning to the capital soon.”

“We’ve been away for so long. It’s good to go back.”

This autumn hunting trip had been perilous but ultimately safe, and she had accomplished what she needed to do.

“Official Xue, once we return to the capital, I’d like to ask you to help me find someone.”

“Who?”

“A Daoist priest—the one who taught me how to make scent pendants.”

She had once asked Brother Ling to look for her master, but unfortunately, he hadn’t been found. When it comes to finding people, the Imperial City Bureau might have an easier time.