Seeing his father's displeasure, the second prince spoke up from the side.
“Father, I was young at the time and did not know the whole story. However, someone reported it, and I dared not neglect it. So I brought it to you for your guidance.”
Feng Guche was in a dilemma. If he allowed the Second Prince to investigate, it would inevitably cause a stir in the court. If he did not allow the investigation, he feared it would be difficult to convince the public.
At this moment, Feng Guche didn't know what to do.
Feng Mo Ran noticed that the Emperor was in a dilemma, so she spoke up.
"Father, we should continue to investigate this matter. If it turns out to be a complete fabrication, it will be good to clear Prime Minister Shen's name."
Feng Guche nodded.
"Alright, but this matter should not be publicized. Handle it carefully."
Feng Guche clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Your subject understands!"
Having received the Emperor's approval, Feng Guche left the palace in high spirits. When he returned, he recounted the incident to his confidants.
Everyone offered their congratulations.
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Now that the Emperor is out of the question, you can proceed with your plans decisively."
Although things had progressed further, Feng Mozhan shook her head.
"His Majesty trusts Prime Minister Shen quite a bit, so he ordered me not to publicize this matter and to investigate it secretly."
"Whether we publicize it or not is a minor matter. The most important thing is to keep you investigating. Only in this way can we proceed step by step according to the plan."
Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this.
Feng Mo Ran was delighted. This opportunity allowed her to eliminate her rivals and suppress the Crown Prince, a win-win situation.
If I could make the emperor consider deposing the crown prince, then I would truly have achieved my goal.
In the following period, Feng Mo Ran quickly took action. He sent his men to find the officials who were involved in the case back then and started from their surroundings, using the same old methods.
They first treated them with courtesy, then used coercion and enticement. Those willing to cooperate were rewarded with large sums of money, while those unwilling to cooperate were detained for fear of leaking information.
Upon entering the city, many people reported the case, especially the family members of officials who had disappeared without a trace, which attracted the attention of the government.
The government sent out a large number of people to investigate the matter, but in the end, nothing came of it, and the people sent out made no progress.
Panic began to spread in the court, and people were talking about it.
"Have you heard? The Ministry of Justice's brother-in-law has gone missing."
"For some reason, the number of missing persons has been increasing recently, and the government has not been able to provide a satisfactory answer."
"What's worrying is that those who have disappeared are all people connected to the government. If this continues, we may all be affected."
"What should we do? A perfectly healthy person just vanished without a trace. There must be clues, but why can't we find anything?"
Several officials gathered together, discussing the matter animatedly.
Everyone looked worried, and they sighed as they spoke.
The bolder officials were somewhat better off, their faces merely filled with unease. But when the timid officials mentioned this matter, sweat would bead on their foreheads, and their voices would tremble.
Just then, Prime Minister Shen passed by and, seeing the scene before him, stopped in his tracks.
"Gentlemen, from what you've just said, is it true that a large number of people have gone missing in the capital?"
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