Xue Gui’s reaction didn’t surprise Shen Hao.
But is the case really that easy to investigate? Shen Hao did not think so for now, because the strangeness of that book was not merely about its hidden mysteries.
While questioning several Prison Guards earlier, Shen Hao had been repeatedly probing his own body, checking if any hidden injuries had been left by the book’s bizarre nature.
In the end, he found there were no hidden injuries, but a faint "stain" appeared on the surface of his Soul. It was a tiny spot—so small that even with Shen Hao’s current mastery over the Soul it was very difficult to detect. And it was lightly attached there, easily wiped away with just a slight shake.
However, this little "stain" on his Soul did not cause any harm to it. In other words, if not for the reminder and trust in the Black Beast Tattoo, even if Shen Hao happened to notice this insignificant little "stain" on the Soul, he might not have cared about it.
Thinking further, Shen Hao was not the only one who had looked through that book. Other than the deceased Prince Qian, everyone seriously investigating this case had, to a greater or lesser extent, flipped through a few pages. The likelihood of the book’s strange power leaving a "stain" on their Soul was very high.
But had there been any news of someone investigating this case suddenly dying? Or being mysteriously injured? No, not a single one.
Shen Hao speculated that the strangeness in the book could serve as a starting point for the investigation going forward, but it still couldn’t be determined that Prince Qian was killed by that bizarre effect from the book; at least for now, there was no evidence for this. However, based on Shen Hao’s experience, the two were likely connected.
Therefore, Shen Hao’s line of thought was different from Xue Gui’s. He did not rush to search the case files for clues about the way words could affect the Soul. Instead, he thought it was more important to follow the trail of the storybook and figure out its origin.
With the token of Commander of Xuanqing Guard and the Ministry of Justice coordination order in hand, Shen Hao could handle many things in the Imperial City. Anyone even remotely related to the case would not dare refuse his investigation.
Finally, after leaving the barracks, he turned around the special detention zone, and only after verifying his entry procedures did he leave the Ministry of Justice Prison. Next time, he would again need to be accompanied by someone from the Major Case Department, and go through the same troublesome procedures. But he probably wouldn’t be coming back today.
"Let’s go, to Prince Qian’s Mansion."
Even though night had fallen, Prince Qian’s Mansion was still brightly lit, and the faint sound of mourning could be heard inside.
The grand entrance to Prince Qian’s Mansion had white lanterns hanging, the main gate tightly shut, and white cloth wrapped around the Stone Beast’s neck at the entrance—all creating a somber atmosphere of mourning.
He knocked, and the Gatekeeper inside, with swollen eyes, quickly let them in after seeing the Xuanqing Guard’s insignia. In the past, anyone daring to disturb the Gatekeeper’s rest at night would get a scolding glare, but now... words can’t express it!
The mansion was chaotic. The women in the back courtyard were restless and noisy—it was obvious, even without asking, that a storm of open and hidden conflict was raging, something outsiders could not intervene in. It was a matter for the Royal Family. So Shen Hao didn’t even enter the main hall; after entering he stayed at the Gatekeeper’s tea room, and instructed him to call over those who served Prince Qian and the leader of the Royal Guard responsible for his safety.
The first thing Shen Hao asked the Inner Guard leader were routine questions, such as whether they’d noticed anything suspicious at Prince Qian’s Mansion or during Prince Qian’s outings, or if any events had occurred targeting Prince Qian, any fierce disputes or conflicts.
The Inner Guard leader didn’t hesitate, nor did he shy away, and bluntly named the Eldest Prince. He said: the person in the most serious and intense conflict with Prince Qian was the Eldest Prince; other minor disagreements were among the remaining six Princes. As for conflicts outside the Royal Family, none had occurred in the past half year.
In other words, in the eyes of the Inner Guard leader who had always garrisoned Prince Qian, the only ones who could have conflicts with and threaten Prince Qian were the other six Princes.
The Inner Guard leader even admitted that if Prince Qian’s cause of death were determined, he would meet his end too—this was the fate of the Royal Guard. Even if the Emperor pardoned them, they would never stay in the Royal Guard again. So he spoke frankly, hoping Shen Hao or whoever could uncover the truth would give solid answers—who had truly killed Prince Qian.
This aligned with Shen Hao’s earlier suspicions: at least in the past half-year, Prince Qian had no enemies aside from those related to the "Major Examination".
Could someone have used the "Major Examination" as pretext to harm Prince Qian? It was possible, but Shen Hao thought it unlikely. To kill a Prince in the Ministry of Justice Prison in such a hidden way was not something ordinary people or minor factions could pull off; such a move would certainly attract the attention of the Royal Guard.
Next, Shen Hao questioned those who served Prince Qian in daily life—the Eunuch, a Maid, and a runner-attendant.
From daily habits to dietary preferences, to Prince Qian’s usual routines, Shen Hao was basically reconstructing Prince Qian’s life before his death—taking notes in his small notebook as he recorded key information.
"His Highness always got up early, practiced boxing, washed up, ate breakfast... Unless there was something urgent, he always went to bed before 9 p.m...."
"Right, His Highness liked Hundred Fruit Wine best—said it wasn’t intoxicating and sweeter than water, perfect for quenching thirst..."
"Leisure? In his free time, His Highness loved reading, any kind of book—storybooks too... Which authors? No fixed preference, just whatever was good—he wasn’t picky, reading was just to pass time... There’s a board at the Book Workshop showing popular books—if it’s on the board, it’s good. No need to try first..."
...
In general, what he learned at Prince Qian’s Mansion didn’t exceed Shen Hao’s expectations—indeed, many points confirmed his suspicions.
For example, Prince Qian was a highly disciplined and rigidly orderly person. In the prison cell, Shen Hao already had this notion: the chaos of the bed sheets wasn’t because Prince Qian slept and didn’t tidy up, but because the Prison Guards messed them up carrying away the corpse. If someone would even make the bed and tidy up their cell in prison, they surely lived an orderly life—this was confirmed.
Another confirmed point: Prince Qian had the habit of drinking Hundred Fruit Wine and reading storybooks—a habit developed over many years, not just recently.
Someone living such a regular life is often easy to analyze—even easy for others to exploit certain routines to do things he himself might not notice. For instance, being certain he’d continue drinking Hundred Fruit Wine and reading storybooks even after entering prison.
Of course, as a Prince, Prince Qian couldn’t have just those two interests. He also enjoyed polo, music and dance, painting and calligraphy—but Shen Hao’s focus was still on the wine and the storybook, since the crime scene had exactly those two items.
Finally, Shen Hao asked again: "Did you deliver the book ’White River Evil Beast’ and that pot of Hundred Fruit Wine to Prince Qian on the day of the incident?"