Su Yan struggled fiercely, "Shen Yao, what are you doing? She's pregnant. Are you telling me to just stand by and watch her die?"
"Su Yan, calm down. Rushing out like this won't solve anything. Besides, you're a man now. What will others think of Miss Leng?"
Hearing Shen Yao's advice, Su Yan quickly calmed down. If she were a woman, it would be fine, but she was a man now, and she would definitely cause trouble for Miss Leng.
"But am I just supposed to stand by and watch them bully a pregnant woman?" Su Yan clenched her fists in resentment, feeling extremely guilty.
Shen Yao looked around, his gaze falling on the pebbles on the ground. He walked over, picked up a few, held them in his hand, and instructed, "You wait here and don't wander off."
Su Yan looked at Shen Yao with a blank expression, unable to guess what he was going to do, but she obeyed his words and hid in the bushes.
Soon, Su Yan saw Shen Yao leap up with a light touch and jump down from the tree with ease. Because he was hidden by the dense branches, Su Yan could not see his figure.
Suddenly, a series of screams came from the courtyard. Su Yan curiously craned her neck to look inside.
They discovered that anyone who laid a hand on Leng Qiuling would be hit by small stones that seemed to fly out of nowhere.
Shen Yao was highly skilled in martial arts, and his shots were almost always accurate.
The people in the yard couldn't find the direction from which the pebble had come, and they were so frightened that they ran away with their heads in their hands.
The head maid who often bullied Leng Qiuling fared much worse, getting several large bumps on her face from being hit.
She covered her head, hiding behind Madam Yan with fear and trepidation. "Madam, this courtyard is too eerie. It's probably this little vixen's doing. Perhaps we should leave first..."
Madam Yan was also hit on the forehead by a pebble, and she grimaced in pain. She felt that what the head maid said made a lot of sense, so she ordered them to leave.
He hurriedly fled the courtyard with a group of servants and maids.
After everyone had left, Leng Qiuling, standing in the courtyard, knew who was behind it and called out towards the gate, "Thank you..."
He then turned and went back into the house.
Hiding in the shadows, Su Yan heard Leng Qiuling's words of thanks, but her heart was filled with mixed feelings. Even though she had helped Leng Qiuling drive away her mother-in-law and wicked servant who had bullied her today.
But she herself was in hell, so this little bit of help was utterly insignificant to her.
Su Yan remained silent, heartbroken, unaware even when Shen Yao returned to her side.
Seeing Su Yan's unhappy expression, Shen Yao knew why she was sad and unhappy, but he was powerless to help.
He stepped forward, patted her on the shoulder, and gently comforted her, "Don't be sad. Even a Bodhisattva can't save people from suffering."
Su Yan looked up at Shen Yao with a pitiful expression. She knew he was telling the truth, but she still felt sad for Leng Qiuling's plight.
After leaving the Yan residence, Xie Yu was unable to enter the residence even with the Crown Prince's jade seal.
At first, Xie Yu was resolute, and at one point he cornered the people of the Yan family, who were on the verge of breaking into the Yan family mansion.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager's personal eunuch arrived at the scene with the Empress Dowager's imperial edict.
In the present-day Great Liang, the Empress Dowager's power and the Empress's family's power are irreconcilable. Originally, when the Prince of Zhennan was still alive, they could stand on equal footing.
Now that the Prince of Zhennan is no more, the political situation in the court has changed drastically, with the Empress Dowager and the Xiao family locked in a fierce and unresolved struggle.
The crown prince's power was naturally inferior to that of the two families, so he was reaping what he sowed.
However, having failed to apprehend Yan Shuo, Su Yan and Xie Yu returned to the Eastern Palace to apologize to the Crown Prince.
Then, Li Shen looked at the two of them, who had been given the cold shoulder, and looked them over from left to right, as if he had discovered something new and interesting. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Even with my status as the Crown Prince, I cannot shake the Yan family in the slightest. It seems that the Empress Dowager is determined to protect the Yan family."
After saying that, Li Shen looked worried, leaned back in his chair, put one hand on his forehead, and rubbed his temples to relieve his mental fatigue.
This case was already extremely thorny, and the Emperor had completely dumped this hot potato on him, so as the Crown Prince, he couldn't just ignore it.
Su Yan and Xie Yu knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads. Neither of them had expected the situation in the court to have deteriorated to such an extent.
"Your Highness...Your Highness, something terrible has happened..."
Just then, a commotion arose outside the door. A eunuch was seen shouting loudly, seemingly trying to enter the palace, but was blocked by the guards at the door.
The crown prince looked up at the door and gestured to the guards to let the people out.
Upon seeing the guards allow him to pass, the eunuch rushed into the hall and knelt down with a thud. "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Yan residence... something has happened at the Yan residence..."
Upon hearing the words "Yan Mansion," the Crown Prince perked up. "What exactly happened at the Yan Mansion?"
"Yan Zhuguo, Yan Zhuguo's son, Prince Yan, is dead..."
"What did you say!"
Upon hearing this news, Li Shen nearly fell off his chair in shock. He seriously doubted what he had heard and quickly pressed, "What did you say? Say it again..."
"Your Highness, the Yan family has sent someone to report that the heir of the Yan family has suddenly died. They said they want the people from the Surveillance Bureau to go to the Yan family to investigate the murderer, and they have come to ask Your Highness for instructions. They are waiting outside the East Palace Gate."
Li Shen did not respond immediately. Instead, he waved his hand to dismiss the eunuchs. "Take the people from the Yan family to the side hall to wait. After I finish dealing with government affairs, I will naturally have them come to see me."
"This servant obeys..."
The eunuch left the main hall with Li Shen's orders.
Li Shen looked at Su Yan and Xie Yu with a complicated expression, "My two beloved ministers, what are your thoughts on Yan Shuo's sudden death...?"
Before Su Yan could speak, Xie Yu interjected, "Your Highness, we had barely left when the person died. There must be a trap..."
Although Li Shen found Xie Yu's statement quite reasonable, he felt it was too early to draw conclusions. His gaze fell on Su Yan, who had remained silent, and he asked, "Minister Su, what do you think?"
"Your Highness, Imperial Physician Xie's speculation is not without merit. Since the incident, the Yan family has hidden Yan Shuo, and we know nothing about his situation. During this time, there has been no news of the young master Yan being unwell. Now, the sudden news of his death is indeed suspicious..."
After saying that, Xie Yu echoed Su Yan's words with even greater agreement, "Perhaps the Yan family wants to use fake death to get away, just like the Wulemu case."
Li Shen thought for a moment before saying, "Although your guesses are not entirely unreasonable, let's examine the body first before making a decision! Minister Su, the important task of examining the body is now entrusted to you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
…………
Soon, Su Yan and Xie Yu left the East Palace and rode fast horses to the Yan residence.
At this time, white banners had been hung up at the Yan residence, making it look as if someone had died.
Su Yan and Xie Yu exchanged a glance, their expressions conveying a clear message.
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