Zhou Quan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the killer was mostly devoured by tigers, leaving only these shoes. They are ordinary civilian shoes, and it's clear the killer had meticulously disguised themselves."
Xiao Jingyun took them and looked at the shoes, then sighed, "So he was deliberately hiding his identity."
It made sense, of course. One wouldn't bring their identification to commit murder.
"Your Highness, the more he tries to conceal himself, the more it proves they have nefarious intentions."
Indeed, Xiao Jingyun frowned.
This was certainly not a crime of passion; there would have been countless opportunities for revenge without needing to track them to the capital. This must be aimed at Chen Xiaobei's ritual.
And the altar outside Ximen was the first one he had set up.
Its place in the hearts of the common people was naturally more significant than others.
To choose this spot to strike was a heinous act.
Xiao Jingyun grew angrier the more he thought about it.
But what else could he do besides be angry? Who would commit such a cruel deed?
Suddenly, Xiao Jingyun felt a chill. Could it be his own father?
No, that couldn't be right. His father would want this whole affair to end quickly and wouldn't obstruct it from the shadows.
With that thought, he waved his hand and said to Zhou Quan, "Alright, take people to clean up the scene. Take all the killer's remains away and search them piece by piece for any clues."
"Also, deploy more guards to ensure the safety of the altar."
Zhou Quan immediately turned to make arrangements, and Xiao Jingyun approached Chen Xiaobei again to offer comfort.
Xiao Jingyun wanted to have Huang Ying's body carried away, but Chen Xiaobei stopped him.
Chen Xiaobei bent down, picked up Huang Ying's now-cold body, and with great effort, stood up, walking step by step towards the city.
Cui Hongyu followed beside him, weeping uncontrollably, while La Erduo, Yang Zhi, and Yang Chun behind them shed tears as well. No one spoke, no one made a sound, and in this manner, they all followed Chen Xiaobei into the city.
Chen Xiaobei carried Huang Ying all the way to the base of the central altar where he was staying.
Only then did Chen Xiaobei stop, turn, and look at Xiao Jingyun.
"Your Highness, I have no other place to stay in the city. I wish to burn incense and chant scriptures here for Huang Ying. May I have your permission?"
Xiao Jingyun understood Chen Xiaobei's intentions perfectly. The pain of losing a wife, this sorrow, was a profound human grief.
Chen Xiaobei chose this place not only to burn incense and chant for his deceased wife but also to oversee the altar. This sentiment, this consideration, was something Xiao Jingyun respected.
"Do as you wish. I will assign people to protect you."
Soon, someone brought a coffin. Chen Xiaobei placed Huang Ying inside, then set up a memorial tablet in front of it and lit paper money.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun moved to the side, where Zhou Quan was meticulously examining the killer's remains with his men.
Seeing Xiao Jingyun arrive, Zhou Quan pointed to a shred of clothing nearby and said, "Your Highness, look here. This waist sash is made of Qingyun-colored silk."
Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingyun couldn't help but frown. Qingyun-colored silk was rarely used by commoners. It was a material used by certain individuals in the palace to make waist sashes.
That meant a palace eunuch.
Eunuchs were not widespread in the Great Cang Kingdom, with only a few serving the Empress, imperial consorts, and the Emperor in the inner court.
Even in his own Crown Prince's residence, there were only a few eunuchs responsible for the safety of his consort.
In other words, most of these eunuchs knew martial arts, and many of them were quite skilled.
Seeing this, Xiao Jingyun's heart grew heavy. Was it truly his father? But there was no reason for it; his father also wanted this matter resolved quickly, lest the public's emotions spiral out of control.
Yet, on second thought, who else dared to attack Cui Hongyu and Huang Ying so recklessly besides his father?
Xiao Jingyun finally made up his mind. He would use the opportunity of visiting his father to pay his respects in the palace during the day to see if his father showed any unusual reactions to this incident.
As the sky gradually brightened, Chen Xiaobei ordered paper money to be burned on the altar while he stayed by Huang Ying's coffin. The onlookers who saw the coffin beneath the altar found it strange and began to gather from afar.
But Chen Xiaobei paid them no mind, calmly burning paper money for Huang Ying, muttering about their time together.
Meanwhile, Cui Hongyu's tears had almost run dry. She forced herself to stay by Chen Xiaobei's side.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei tenderly pulled Cui Hongyu into his arms, "Hongyu, you should go rest. I will stay with Huang Ying."
Cui Hongyu shook her head, "Sister Huang Ying died saving me. I must stay here with her."
As they spoke, a commotion arose from the guards in the distance. It was Feng Xiaoyue, but the guards on duty did not recognize her and wouldn't let her pass.
Seeing it was Feng Xiaoyue, Huang Ying stood up and spoke a few words to the guards.
Only then did the soldiers make way, allowing Feng Xiaoyue to enter. Upon arrival, Feng Xiaoyue immediately rushed into Cui Hongyu's embrace.
"Sister, what happened to Sister Huang Ying?"
Seeing Feng Xiaoyue arrive, Cui Hongyu was overcome with emotion, remembering Huang Ying's words: Fang Zheng was in the princess's hands.
Now that Feng Xiaoyue was here, she would have to tell her the truth soon.
With that in mind, she took Feng Xiaoyue forward and they first paid their respects to Huang Ying.
Feng Xiaoyue lit three sticks of incense, bowed respectfully three times to Huang Ying's memorial tablet, then inserted the incense into the burner, and knelt to kowtow three more times.
Afterward, Feng Xiaoyue approached Chen Xiaobei and said, "Brother Xiaobei, take care of yourself."
Before she could finish, tears streamed down Feng Xiaoyue's face.
After shedding tears together for a while, Cui Hongyu took Feng Xiaoyue's hand and said, "Little Yue, there's something I must tell you. But before I do, can you forgive your Sister Huang Ying? She said she was most sorry to you."
Feng Xiaoyue wiped away her tears and nodded, "Sister, please tell me. No matter what Sister Huang Ying did, I won't blame her, truly."
Cui Hongyu glanced at Chen Xiaobei. By now, Chen Xiaobei knew what Cui Hongyu was about to say. It was time to tell Feng Xiaoyue the truth.
Cui Hongyu looked at Feng Xiaoyue and said word by word, "Sister Huang Ying said that the old Prime Minister Fang Zheng is in the princess's hands. She knew, but she didn't tell you, so she felt most apologetic to you."
Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaoyue burst into tears, "My foolish sister, I don't blame her, not at all."
Feng Xiaoyue's sorrow doubled, weeping for Huang Ying and for herself. Why was her life so bitter? Why was Fang Zheng in the princess's hands? What had happened?
At this moment, Chen Xiaobei spoke, "Miss Xiaoyue, later, go find the Crown Prince and ask him to intervene to have the old Prime Minister released."