Another Round of Rumors Enraged Liu Bei

Just a few days after the King of Hanzhong's residence had finished celebrating a wedding, news suddenly spread that the Queen had passed away, leaving the people of Chengdu sighing in sorrow.

Minister of Ceremonial Lai Gong presided over the funeral. He noticed that Lan Tian's expression in the mourning hall was stern, as though he had already emerged from his grief. Every official in Chengdu came to pay their respects without exception.

Gan Qian had no other relatives. At Lan Tian's suggestion, Liu Bei forbade officials from other regions from coming to Chengdu to mourn, lest it interfere with governance in their jurisdictions.

The mourning period had been peaceful at first. Those who came to pay their respects offered Liu Bei and Lan Tian their condolences, but trouble arose midway through.

A few days later, rumors surfaced in the streets of Chengdu once more.

Some said that Gan Qian's death meant Wu Xian would be installed as Queen. Others claimed that Liu Bei had long wanted to depose the eldest son in favor of a younger one, and that Liu Shan's position as Crown Prince was about to be lost.

When Liu Bei heard the news, he flew into a rage. Those spies were using the succession as their pretext again. Not only had they dragged Wu Xian and her two young sons into it, they had deliberately turned the accusations toward the senior minister Lan Tian.

During a court meeting at the Prince's Mansion, Zhuge Liang stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, these rumors must have been spread by the spies who escaped capture last time. I have already ordered the city defense offices to send more men to search every household. I believe we can round up all those spies in one fell swoop."

"These treacherous villains