Chapter 1225: Chapter 1061: Bring Him Back

"Empress, please calm down!" De’an had already arrived in the hall at some point. Seeing several people kneeling on the ground, too afraid to speak, his eyes turned, and he quickly came up with a plan.

"Empress! The servant heard that Pang Chu left merely a quarter of an hour ago. Surely the Crown Prince should still be in the palace now. In such a short time, it’s impossible to leave the palace. Why not let the servants and palace maids search all the major halls, we’re bound to find some clues."

This method coincided with the Empress’s thoughts. She immediately nodded, "Leave this matter to you! Remember, carry my Imperial Decree, and there’s no need to explain the reason. If anyone dares to disobey, bind them up and wait for my decision."

"Summon Shen Shikang, Qian Licao... to enter the palace immediately!"

Gu Chengyu lifted the curtain of the carriage, feeling the cold wind blowing, and his slightly confused mind immediately became clear.

Ming Mo was not driving the carriage too fast as there were still two more carriages following behind. The journey to the border is far, and it’s uncertain how long it will take to return, so Gu Chengyu brought quite a lot of luggage.

Gu Chengyu noticed there were already travelers on the official road, including civilians rushing carrying loads and long caravans, but they were all heading into the city, moving in the opposite direction to Gu Chengyu.

At this time, there were few leaving the city, usually one needs to organize luggage, who would leave so early? Gu Chengyu left early naturally because the luggage was packed last night.

Looking at the passing travelers, Gu Chengyu suddenly shook his head and laughed. Leaving the Capital at this moment is good, avoiding being caught in the whirlpool, and going far to the border is also considered a wise move.

While Gu Chengyu was leisurely on his way, those in the palace aware of the Crown Prince’s disappearance felt as if they were being fried in oil.

"Empress, it’s impossible to find the Crown Prince immediately; why don’t we go the opposite way? First find out the mastermind behind the scenes, and the whereabouts of the Crown Prince will be known."

As soon as Shen Shikang finished speaking, someone in the hall objected.

"Mr. Shen speaks as if it’s easy. Has Mr. Shen already identified the main culprit?"

Minister of Justice Yang Shiqi sneered at Shen Shikang’s nonsense; if they knew who kidnapped the Crown Prince, why would they need to gather here to discuss a strategy?

"I said so naturally because I have some suggestions." Shen Shikang glared at Yang Shiqi, the situation was urgent, and he didn’t want to argue with this person.

Once the Crown Prince is found, we’ll see what else he has to say.

The Empress was extremely impatient with their verbal sparring, her phoenix eyes glared at Yang Shiqi, then she solemnly asked, "Elder brother, feel free to speak!"

"Empress, think about it, the Crown Prince’s disappearance benefits whom the most? The ultimate beneficiary is most likely the mastermind."

It was almost time for the auspicious ceremony, yet such a significant mistake occurred. There’s only a little more than an hour left; if the Crown Prince isn’t found by then, it will be impossible to keep it hidden.

The Empress paused for a while, "Then according to elder brother’s suggestion?"

"Empress, isn’t it obvious? But the minister doesn’t need to spell it out! Who knows if there are spies from other factions within this hall?"

The Empress understood Shen Shikang’s implication very well.

"Nobody witnessed it; there’s no testimony; who will admit it?" The Empress thought of those three eyesores, who should currently be in the side hall of Chengqian Palace. Even though she is the Empress, she doesn’t have the right to directly bind them.

It’s the same old saying, without evidence, randomly binding people, those ministers would cause a commotion.

"Empress, why don’t we find a reason, detain them first. It will be much easier to interrogate them later."

"This? I’m afraid it’s inappropriate! Doing this, if any misunderstanding arises, it might cause some trouble."

Qian Licao was somewhat concerned, to detain the Princes without evidence is too risky. If nothing abnormal is found afterwards, releasing them would inevitably lead to accusations of not tolerating brothers, damaging the Crown Prince’s reputation.

Besides, these Princes dared to come to the palace, surely they must have preparations. Provoking them might lead to rebellion and chaos.

Shen Shikang glanced at Qian Licao, disdainful of his overly cautious manner.

The people are already in the palace; as long as these Princes are held in one’s hand, why fear these obedient puppets?

"Then let’s proceed according to elder brother’s suggestion! Have the Imperial Guard bring the men, take all three to Guangning Palace and detain them for now. Once suspicions are cleared, they can naturally be released."

The Empress could hardly care more at this point; every quarter of an hour increases the Crown Prince’s danger.

"Empress, this can’t be done. With the Crown Prince missing and the Princes detained, it gives outsiders an opportunity for action. If rebels take advantage of this, we’ll be overwhelmed."

Qian Licao also believed finding the Crown Prince was paramount, but detaining the Princes was too absurd.

"Then what do you propose? Do you have any better ideas? The Crown Prince has been missing for over an hour; the palace has been thoroughly searched. If he’s not found before the auspicious time, chaos will certainly ensue in the court."

The Empress was also at her wits’ end; she felt the Crown Prince’s disappearance was related to those three betrayers — the matter was definitely done by one of them.

Qian Licao immediately fell silent; he had no good plan and was also at a loss.

Suddenly, he thought of someone and quickly said, "Empress, though I haven’t thought of a good plan, there’s someone who surely can."

Although this person is not yet aligned with the Crown Prince, he is extremely capable and has worked tirelessly for the Crown Prince. He believed this person would have a solution.

Oh, no! He slapped his forehead; he forgot this person was dispatched to the border, unsure if he has departed yet.

"Who?" The Empress narrowed her eyes, feeling suspicious.

"Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice Gu Chengyu!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall became subtle. It was undeniable — Gu Chengyu was indeed a suitable candidate. He was highly talented in solving cases and had previously investigated several, making him quite experienced.

"The minister thinks it’s feasible; the Dali Temple specializes in investigating cases. Since solving cases isn’t our strength, we’re naturally helpless, so why not let the Dali Temple handle it?"

Although Shen Shikang was displeased, he couldn’t concern himself with it right now. Let Gu Chengyu be smug for the time being; later, they’ll find a way to dispatch this person.

"Then what are we waiting for? Quickly send someone to summon Gu Chengyu!" Although the Empress didn’t favor Gu Chengyu, the Crown Prince’s safety was critical, requiring her to set aside previous grievances.

"Empress, Mr. Gu was tasked by the Crown Prince yesterday to go to the border to investigate a case." Pang Chu wore a bitter expression; Mr. Gu left at the worst possible time.

"What? Hurry! Let someone ride the Hanxue Bao Ma to catch up and bring him back."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.