Inside Fengtian Hall, the atmosphere was so grave it was nearly suffocating. Faced with Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Jiang Yan felt as though thorns were pressed against his back. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his forehead, silently soaking his collar.
"Answer Us!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's voice rang out again, making Jiang Yan's heart tremble.
Jiang Yan did not dare hesitate in the slightest. He dropped to both knees, his body trembling faintly as he replied with some panic, "In reply to Your Majesty—the Shen Family!"
"His Highness the Prince of Yan has investigated the matter thoroughly. Yet even after turning over every case file and searching every lead, he simply could not find a single shred of evidence proving that the Shen Family was involved."
As he spoke, he secretly raised his eyes to observe Zhu Yuanzhang's expression. Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's face grow increasingly stern, he hurriedly lowered his head again in fright.
"The recruiting officer who abused his authority has confessed, but all the key figures who contacted him have vanished without a trace. Though His Highness the Prince of Yan was determined to bring the Shen Family to justice, the evidence was lacking. In the end, he had the will but not the means."
"When the Imperial Guard investigated afterward, they too returned empty-handed."
Jiang Yan's voice carried a faint tremor. He enunciated every word with utmost clarity, afraid Zhu Yuanzhang would not understand, yet even more afraid that one wrong word would bring him a fatal calamity.
Before Zhu Yuanzhang, he did not dare show the slightest disrespect.
Every minister at court knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was a god of slaughter.
Hearing this!
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression turned ugly, and a bone-deep chill shone in his eyes.
To seize someone, one had to seize them with