After the Prefect of the Capital left, screams of agony immediately echoed from the torture chamber. The torturers, fearing they wouldn't be able to deliver on their promise, relentlessly whipped the storytellers, employing every imaginable instrument of torture. However, these men truly knew nothing; no matter how much they were tortured, the storytellers couldn't divulge any more information. They were beaten until their skin was torn and bleeding, a gruesome sight. Deeply remorseful, they repeatedly begged for mercy, claiming they knew nothing.

Seeing that they could no longer provide any information, the Prefect of the Capital could only believe that they had indeed been bribed to spread rumors in the capital. With this information, the Prefect of the Capital went to the palace that very night to see the Fourth Prince.

Because the Fourth Prince had instructed that we could enter the palace to report to him at any time, this matter was more urgent than anything else.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Fourth Prince had not yet rested. He received the Prefect of the Capital, wearing only a coat, and asked in a low voice with gloomy eyes, "How did the interrogation go?"

The Prefect of the Capital suddenly lowered his head and replied uneasily, "Your Majesty, I have tried every means possible, even resorting to torture, to extract confessions from the storytellers. They only revealed that someone gave them money and fabricated several bizarre royal tales for them to perform in various teahouses and restaurants. They make a living by storytelling, and seeing how tempting the stories were, they all agreed, but they don't know the person who gave them the money..."

Fourth Master frowned in thought, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "Have you found out who gave the money?"

The Prefect of the Capital took a breath and said, "I only remember that the people who gave the silver were women, but they were all wearing bamboo hats and thick veils that covered their faces. It was impossible to see their features. It seemed like they were deliberately concealing their identities..."

The Fourth Prince stared at the Prefect of the Capital and said in a somber tone, "Thank you for your hard work. I know everything..."

The Prefect of the Capital thought the Fourth Prince would be angry and was prepared to be scolded, but when he found that the Fourth Prince did not blame him, he felt very guilty.

"Your Majesty, I have another suggestion. The storyteller said that the silver was given to them by several women, and their strange attire will surely attract attention in the capital. They might leave some clues. Although we can't find any useful information from the storyteller, could we investigate those women?"

Fourth Master pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded: "That's right. The people in prison are just doing their jobs for money. Asking them any further will be futile. But they've given us some clues, so we should follow those clues and investigate..."

The Fourth Prince shifted his body, stretched, and sat up straight, saying, "I hereby order you to immediately monitor all the restaurants and teahouses in the capital. Any place where storytelling takes place must be secretly watched. Pay attention to whether any women wearing bamboo hats are coming or going, or anyone with strange attire or acting suspiciously..."

The Prefect of the Capital received the imperial decree with clasped hands and replied firmly, "Your Majesty, I will obey your decree. Rest assured, I will find out the whereabouts of these women..."

Remembering something, the Fourth Prince pointed and said, "Also, inns and guesthouses, secretly sneak in and investigate them all. See if any strange people have infiltrated the capital recently. All the city gates must be heavily guarded. Remember, no word must leak out. Everything must be investigated in secret..."

"Your Majesty understands..."

The Prefect of the Capital nodded, and only then did the Fourth Prince feel relieved enough to let him leave.

After the Prefect of the Capital left, the Fourth Prince fell into deep thought, because what the Prefect had said seemed familiar to him: a woman, wearing a bamboo hat and a veil...