Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 179 Separate Investigations
Bei Chenshu could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He knelt down by the bedside with a thud, choking back tears, and said, "Father, I will live up to your expectations. I will do my utmost to govern the country well and let the people live in peace and prosperity."

Bei Chenyao looked at everyone, his eyes full of entrustment: "After I am gone, I hope that you will all do your best to assist the Third Prince, support the country, and not disappoint me."

The crowd knelt down and replied in unison, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will do our utmost to serve you, even unto death."

Bei Chenyao closed his eyes slightly, as if he had put down the heavy burden in his heart, and his breath became weaker and weaker.

Not long after, his hand fell limply to his side, and the emperor passed away suddenly.

Inside the palace, everyone was immersed in grief, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Bei Chenshu lay by the bedside, weeping bitterly, unable to let go of his grief for a long time.

Gu Changzhou stepped forward and gently helped Bei Chenshu up, saying softly, "Your Highness, His Majesty has passed away. I hope you will take care of yourself and accept this loss. The country cannot be without a ruler for even a day, and many matters urgently need your attention."

Bei Chenshu slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with grief and determination. He took a deep breath and nodded slightly.

As everyone looked at Bei Chenshu, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration. This third prince had shown extraordinary intelligence and kindness since childhood.

Bei Chenshu's birth mother was the deceased Consort Shu. Consort Shu came from a prestigious family and was gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and reasonable.

Although she was in the palace, she never participated in the palace intrigues, and devoted herself to teaching Bei Chenshu the principles of life and imparting to him the knowledge of governing the country.

Under the careful guidance of Consort Shu, Bei Chenshu developed a deep concern for the world and felt deeply for the suffering of the people from a young age.

Bei Chenyao's decision to pass the throne to Bei Chenshu was, in fact, a well-thought-out one.

The eldest prince is reckless and impulsive, making him unfit for great responsibilities; the second prince, though somewhat intelligent, is cunning, power-hungry, and morally corrupt. Bei Chenshu, on the other hand, is studious from a young age, compassionate, and always shares the joys and sorrows of the people, demonstrating exceptional leadership and noble character.

Bei Chenyao knew that only by passing the throne to Bei Chenshu could he ensure peace and prosperity for the people.

After Bei Chenshu calmed down a bit, he looked at everyone with a firm gaze and said, "There are many suspicious points about Father's death. He was already nearing the end of his life, so why would someone go to such lengths to poison him? This matter must be thoroughly investigated to bring justice to Father."

Gu Changzhou nodded in agreement: "Your Highness is absolutely right. There must be something fishy about His Majesty's death. The Blood Spirit Sect and the Xuanji Hall have always tried to disrupt the world, and this matter may be related to them. I will definitely do my best to investigate and find the mastermind behind it all."

Commandant Su also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Marquis Gu and I will do our utmost to investigate this conspiracy thoroughly."

The other high-ranking officials who were entrusted with the care of the young emperor also expressed their opinions.

Bei Chenshu looked at everyone gratefully and said, "With your help, I am relieved. This matter should not be publicized, lest we alert the enemy. Marquis Gu, secretly gather your men and start investigating from those who have been in contact with His Majesty. Do not overlook any detail."

Gu Changzhou clasped his hands in obeisance and accepted the order: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Then, Bei Chenshu looked at Liu Sijun and said, "Miss Liu, I have heard that you are quite proficient in runes, formations, and strange arts. This investigation may encounter some strange methods. I hope you can lend a hand to Lord Gu."

Liu Sijun bowed slightly: "Sijun will certainly spare no effort."

After the arrangements were made, everyone immediately began their work.

Gu Changzhou selected a group of experts from the Shadow Guard who were highly skilled in tracking and reconnaissance.

These people usually possessed a keen insight into various secrets, and upon receiving their orders, they all wore solemn expressions, fully aware of the importance of this mission. Gu Changzhou divided the group into several teams and assigned tasks in detail.

A team investigated all the alchemists and apprentices in the palace. Here, alchemists refer to the original alchemists in the palace. They checked whether there were any letters between them and the outside world, whether each prescription was accurate, and whether there were any abnormal distributions of medicinal materials.

A team of palace guards were investigated, their personal belongings examined, and any clues that might be related to the poisoning incident, such as strange letters, unusual items, or unusual wounds.

Meanwhile, they secretly observed the guards' words and actions, noting whether anyone behaved strangely when mentioning the late emperor.

Another group specifically investigated the palace maids. This group was skilled in disguise and disguised themselves as palace maids, blending into their daily lives.

By chatting and working with the palace maids, he gradually extracted information and observed whether their behavior was unusual.

Gu Changzhou himself went to the late emperor's bedroom to carefully examine the scene again.

He channeled the power of the stars, sensing every fluctuation of spiritual energy in the palace, leaving no corner unchecked.

In Bei Chenyao's study, he noticed a medical book placed somewhat out of place on the bookshelf. Upon opening it, he found a note tucked between the pages, bearing some strange symbols.

This could be a crucial clue, so I immediately ordered someone to deliver the note to Liu Sijun.

Liu Sijun was not idle either.

She returned to her residence, took out the Taixu Mirror, and tried to use the mysterious power within the mirror to search for any hidden formations or strange spiritual energy fluctuations in the palace.

As she activated the Taixu Mirror, she chanted incantations, causing the mirror's surface to shimmer with light and display various mysterious runes and patterns.

Suddenly, the Taixu Mirror shone brightly, revealing an unusual surge of spiritual energy beneath the palace, its location pointing precisely to a rockery in the Imperial Garden.

Liu Sijun dared not delay and immediately led several attendants to the Imperial Garden.

Upon arriving at the artificial hill, she carefully observed the surrounding environment and discovered that the texture of the rocks seemed to conceal some kind of pattern.

Following the clues shown by the Taixu Mirror, Liu Sijun circulated her spiritual power and touched several stones on the artificial hill in turn.

As she moved, the artificial hill slowly shifted, revealing a hidden tunnel entrance.

A sinister atmosphere permeated the tunnel, with eerie lights flickering faintly within.

Liu Sijun channeled his spiritual power, forming a protective barrier around himself. Holding the Taixu Mirror, he carefully entered the tunnel.

They hadn't gone far when several poisoned arrows suddenly shot out from both sides of the tunnel.

Liu Sijun swiftly waved the Taixu Mirror, and several runic beams shot out from the mirror, deflecting the hidden arrows.

As Liu Sijun ventured deeper into the tunnel, he discovered that the walls were covered with strange runes that emitted a faint light, seemingly maintaining the operation of some kind of formation.

She stopped and carefully studied the runes, trying to find a way to break the formation...

Meanwhile, the team investigating the alchemist and the apprentice medicine boy reported that they discovered that an alchemist named Fang Yongkang, who had served in the palace for many years, had secretly met with a mysterious person before Bei Chenyao was poisoned.

(End of this chapter)