Qianqing Palace.
The assembled officials clustered together. Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had been assassinated and killed, the entire hall erupted in indignation.
"Chu Country has gone too far! Assassinating me was one thing, but they even dared to kill my Crown Prince. How dare they? How dare they?!"
Whenever Jian'an Emperor Zhao Yongxu mentioned the Crown Prince, tears and snot streamed down his face, grief overwhelming him beyond control.
"Your Majesty, the dead are gone. You must take care of your royal health. The most urgent matter is still dealing with the many affairs currently facing the country," Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat Hong Daowen said with a look of concern.
"Your Majesty should take care of your royal health." Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs Xiao Boling stepped forward and analyzed solemnly. "For Chu Country to know Crown Prince's itinerary so precisely, this humble servant believes there must be something suspicious behind it."
"Does Prime Minister Xiao have any wise insight?" Zhao Yongxu asked through sobs, his eyes red.
"First, Han Country Assassins appeared in the palace. Then the formation eye of the Seven Stars Sky Severing Formation was destroyed. Finally, the Crown Prince was assassinated and killed. Each link fastens onto the next; someone must be secretly driving this from behind the scenes. There may even be an insider within the palace. The urgent task is to find that insider as quickly as possible and exterminate their nine clans. Only then can the court, within and without, be at peace."
Minister of Rites Wu Hanwen stepped forward to refute him. "Your Majesty, the urgent matter should be to bury the Crown Prince in the Western Mausoleum as soon as possible. The situation inside and outside the capital is far from optimistic as well,