After a night of torture and interrogation, Xue Shu did pry open the prisoner's mouth, but he didn't get much useful information out of him - the prisoner was just a small part of the whole plan, and was ordered to lead the fox demon to the Huangji Palace on New Year's Eve.

As for the rest, the other party didn't know. The only thing they could be sure of was that the person who sent them the message was someone close to Wangchen Daoist.

——This coincides with Xue Shu’s guess.

If he had not taken action last night and the appearance of the demon fox caused panic, the biggest beneficiary would probably be this Taoist Wang Chen.

The Huangji Palace is located in the south, while the Xuanqiong Palace where Taoist Wangchen is located is in the northeast of the Yanwang Palace. The incident happened suddenly, and Emperor Longfeng ordered someone to invite Taoist Wangchen in a panic. Horses were not allowed in the palace, so it would take at least two quarters of an hour to go back and forth.

But when Taoist Wangchen appeared that night, he was dressed neatly and had a calm demeanor, a true immortal, and it was obvious that he had been prepared.

Xue Shu had decided on the candidate in his mind, so he went to Ciqing Palace again to borrow someone from Zhao Lin.

Zhao Lin, who had just started his shift, was patrolling the East Palace with a team of guards. When he saw him coming over with a bloody face, he was startled and looked suspicious: "What are you doing..."

"The prisoner has been interrogated. Lend me a team of people so I can go and get him, before he runs away." When facing people he doesn't like, Xue Shu is always extremely impatient and even speaks to him in a rude tone.

Zhao Lin wanted to ask how he could be found out so quickly, but then he quickly realized that judging from the strong bloody smell emanating from him, it was obvious that he had been tortured.

His previous judgment of Xue Shu was absolutely correct.

"I need to ask His Highness for permission to mobilize the East Palace's guards." Zhao Lin was also working for His Highness, so he was not embarrassed. He asked patiently, "His Highness has already woken up. If you are in a hurry, you can go with me."

Xue Shu was tempted at first, but then he remembered that he had interrogated the prisoner all night, and his clothes were stained with blood. It would be fine if others saw it, but he didn't want to alarm His Highness.

Such people should be in high places, doing things cleanly.

He shook his head and handed the suspect's confession to Zhao Lin: "I'll wait here."

Zhao Lin said no more and hurried to look for Yin Chengyu.

Yin Chengyu had just finished breakfast and was reading in the Hongren Hall. After hearing Zhao Lin's report, he opened the window and looked into the distance, but only saw a vague shadow.

"There is no need to transfer personnel from the Eastern Palace. Tell Gong Hongfei to stop arguing with the Eastern and Western Factories and not to delay the important work entrusted by His Majesty. Ask him to send a team of captains to serve Xue Shu."

Zhao Lin agreed and quickly retreated.

Through the window, Yin Chengyu saw him talking to Xue Shu, and then they went out of Ciqing Gate together, probably to ask Gong Hongfei for someone.

He snorted softly and called Zheng Duobao in: "The other day I asked you to ask the imperial physician to see Xue Shu's injury. What did the imperial physician say?"

Zheng Duobao was stunned for a moment, not knowing why His Highness suddenly brought up this matter today, but he still reported everything in detail: "When Doctor Liu came over, Lord Xue had already bandaged the wound himself. I was worried, so I asked Doctor Liu to check it again. The wound was about a palm long and did not hurt the bones. Doctor Liu sewed the skin and flesh again and applied medicine, saying that it would heal in half a month."

When Yin Chengyu heard that he had to rest for half a month, he frowned subconsciously, but then he thought, Xue Shu himself doesn't take care of his body, why is he worrying about it? He is really idle.

Xue Shu is not only a tough guy, but also has a tough life.

In his previous life, Yin Chengyu had seen the old scars on his chest, crisscrossed and even one on his heart, but didn't Xue Shu still live well in the end? He could still torment him!

It is said that misfortunes can last a thousand years, but Xue Shu lived much longer than him.

Xue Shu led twenty captains from the Jinyi Guard and headed straight for the Xuanqiong Palace.

The Xuanqiong Palace is located to the east of the East Six Palaces. The masters recently invited by Emperor Longfeng were all placed here. On weekdays, except when summoned by the emperor, the Taoists are in the palace serving the ancestors. Few people come in and out, so it seems a bit deserted.

But today the Xuanqiong Palace was too quiet.

Xue Shu ordered his men to guard all the exits of the Xuanqiong Palace, and then led them to Taoist Wangchen's residence.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, he smelled a very faint smell of blood. Xue Shu narrowed his eyes, kicked the door open, and rushed in first.

Two Taoists were lying in a pool of blood near the door of the main hall with severe chest injuries. The bloodstains were winding from the hall to the back. Xue Shu followed the bloodstains and saw the bodies hanging from the beams and swaying.

It was Taoist Wangchen.

Xue Shu looked at the shaking corpse, suddenly turned his head to the half-open window beside him, and immediately jumped out of the window to chase after him. However, he was one step too late. He only saw a black shadow flash by in the distance, and then he could no longer find any trace of it.

Seeing that he couldn't catch up with the person, Xue Shu returned to the house with a gloomy face.

The body of Taoist Wangchen had been lowered from the beam. The Jinyiwei who followed him said, "It seems that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment after an internal conflict."

Xue Shu said nothing. He walked around the corpse, his eyes flickered, and he said to the others, "Go guard outside."

The others didn't understand, but since he was the leader of the team, they had no choice but to obey the order and retreat.

After sending the people away, Xue Shu squatted down, reached out and carefully touched Taoist Wangchen's throat, and sure enough, he felt an abnormal bulge.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, reached in with his fingers to explore, and finally pinched out a wax pill from Taoist Wangchen's throat.

This Taoist Wang Chen probably knew that he was in great danger, so he wanted to hide the life-saving item close to his body. However, he probably didn't expect his killer to arrive so quickly. He tried to swallow the wax pill in a hurry, but choked in panic. He was then strangled by the killer, who pretended to commit suicide, and the wax pill got stuck in his esophagus.

If Xue Shu hadn't noticed the body swaying and guessed that the killer had just left, he wouldn't have noticed such a subtle detail.

Xue Shu squeezed open the wax ball and found that inside was half a sheet of stamped salt-inducing paper.

The salt merchants of Dayan needed this paper to sell official salt. He had seen it in the hands of those salt merchants before. Each salt permit was divided into two volumes, the front and the back, with the quantity and price written on them. After printing, it was cut in half. The front volume was kept on file as the "origin of the permit"; the back volume was given to the salt merchants as a voucher, the "permit paper".

There is nothing special about the guide paper hidden in the wax ball, but the fact that Taoist Wangchen hid it so secretly is enough to show that this guide paper is not simple.

Moreover, it was very suspicious for a Taoist priest to have salt-induced bait paper in his hand.

Xue Shu put away the paper and called for help to come in and collect the body.

Now that he had the confession and Taoist Wangchen had committed suicide out of fear of the crime, the case of the demon fox could be closed. However, Xue Shu was not in a hurry to report to Emperor Longfeng.

He had a hunch that the death of Taoist Wangchen was not that simple.

Within one day, Xue Shu went to Ciqing Palace twice to seek an audience, but this time, he went back to Xichang beforehand to change into clean clothes.

When Xue Shu was led over by Zheng Duobao, Yin Chengyu was admiring the snow in the warm pavilion. Tea was boiling in the small red clay stove in front of him. The rising hot steam made his snow-white face slightly red, making him look even more beautiful.

"What's the matter again?" Yin Chengyu raised his eyes and glanced at him, then continued to make tea.

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he looked a little lazy. His rare gentle tone showed a familiarity that only comes from years of interaction.

Xue Shu fixed his gaze on his slender white fingers holding the handle of the teapot before presenting the guide paper: "The Taoist Wangchen was killed. I found this."

"What?"

Yin Chengyu took it carelessly, but when he looked at it carefully, he suddenly stopped, raised his eyebrows, and asked in surprise: "Yan Yin?"

His expression gradually became solemn, and he sat up straight from his slanting body. He examined the old paper carefully for a long while. He seemed to have figured something out, and his brows suddenly smiled.

After putting away the lead paper, Yin Chengyu looked at Xue Shu, and said with a rare smile: "Well done, you have made a great contribution this time."

——In the previous life, my uncle Yu Chen was involved in a corruption case, and the Yu family’s decline started with the salt-injection business.

He originally thought that this was a trap set specifically for the Yu family, but now it seems more like the person behind the scenes took advantage of the situation after the truth was revealed.

Xue Shu didn't know who was behind Taoist Wangchen, but having experienced his previous life, he knew.

It was his third brother, Yin Chengjing.

Excluding Yin Chengqin who was not yet born, Emperor Longfeng now had four sons and one daughter.

The second prince, Yin Chengzhang, was born to Consort Wen Gui. He was always aggressive and bad in public. The third prince, Yin Chengjing, was born to Consort De. He was uninhibited, fond of romance and keeping entertainers. He seemed to have no interest in the throne, but he had been secretly plotting. As for the fourth prince, Yin Chengxu, he was only ten years old and had not yet shown any ambition.

Taoist Wang Chen is Yin Chengjing's man, and now he is involved in the salt scandal. He is definitely involved in the official salt and ink corruption case in the previous life. His uncle Yu Chen is just a scapegoat.

Yin Chengyu lowered his eyes in deep thought. After a moment, he called Zhao Lin and ordered him, "Go and check the origins of Taoist Wangchen." After a pause, he added, "Also check the scholar named Zhao whose family was wiped out by the demon fox."

He always felt that these things seemed to be inextricably linked.

After Zhao Lin took his orders and left, Yin Chengyu looked at Xue Shu again, smiling, obviously in a very good mood: "What reward do you want?"

Just then he saw the dragon's beard cake on the table and said casually, "I remember you also liked this dragon's beard cake, so I gave it to you as a reward." He raised his chin, and Zheng Duobao understood and brought a plate of untouched dragon's beard cake to Xue Shu.

Xue Shu frowned in embarrassment, and after struggling for a long time, he picked up a piece and put it into his mouth, then swallowed it whole without chewing.

He never liked sweet food, and the savory dragon's beard crisps were really greasy to him.

Yin Chengyu noticed his expression and became a little confused: "You don't like to eat?"

Xue Shu hesitated for a moment, fearing that Yin Chengyu would want him to eat more, so he finally told the truth: "I don't like sweets."

Yin Chengyu was slightly stunned.

The reason why he remembered Xue Shu's love for dragon beard cakes was because one time when he and Xie Pingchuan were playing chess, the small kitchen just happened to deliver dragon beard cakes. Xie Pingchuan had the same sweet tooth as him, so he gave him a plate of it. As a result, Xue Shu somehow found out about this, and after two rounds of trouble that night, he said something in a gloomy tone: "We also love dragon beard cakes, why didn't you give us a plate? Your Highness really cares about those unimportant people."

He was angry and annoyed at the time, and with a desire for revenge in mind, he simply asked the kitchen to send a plate of dragon beard cakes to Xue Shu every day.

He could eat such a sweet snack every day and never get sick of it.

Xue Shu ate it every day at first, but later he got tired of it and refused to eat it anymore. After being taunted by him a few times, he got angry and deliberately tortured him. He crushed the uneaten dragon beard cake and sprinkled it on him.

After both sides suffered losses several times, he stopped sending Dragon Beard Pastry to Xue Shu.

But now Xue Shu said that he doesn't like sweet food at all!

Yin Chengyu figured out the reason after a little thought - what dragon whisker pastry? It was just Xue Shu looking for an excuse to torment him.

He sneered and said, "If you don't like it, then don't eat it. Zheng Duobao, take it out and pour it out."

Unexpectedly, he suddenly got angry, and Zheng Duobao and Xue Shu were both stunned.

Zheng Duobao naturally didn't dare to resist, and was about to go out and pour the dragon beard cake.

However, Xue Shu saw that his eyes were bright with anger. Although he didn't understand why he would make people unhappy just because he didn't like dragon beard cakes, he immediately stopped Zheng Duobao and snatched the plate of dragon beard cakes.

"I'll eat."

When Yin Chengyu looked at his face now, he couldn't help but recall the past. His anger grew even more intense. He sneered: "If it weren't for your great contribution today, you wouldn't be eating dragon beard cakes, but a beating!"

After saying that, she glared at him fiercely and walked away.

Zheng Duobao had never seen him lose his composure like this before. He was dumbfounded for a while and then hurriedly followed him.

Only Xue Shu was left standing in the warm room holding a plate of dragon beard pastry.

He hesitantly picked up another piece and tasted it, then frowned and put it down. It was too sweet.

But if His Highness likes to eat, then he can like it too.

The author has something to say:

Gou Gou: Why is Your Highness angry again?

Your Highness: Ask yourself:)

Gou Gou:?