"Father Emperor sent you to lead the investigation of the Snake Demon Case?" the Crown Prince's eyebrows shot up, a look of obviously feigned surprise on his face. "You've reached the age to enter the court. I originally said we should find you an assignment so you could return early to observe politics. How did you end up at the Zixiao Academy?"

Wei Ming lowered his head and said dutifully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. No matter where I am, it is all the same—I am sharing Father Emperor's burdens."

Seeing his calm expression, completely devoid of resentment, the Crown Prince's tone immediately changed. He smiled and said, "It is best that you have such a state of mind. Be patient, and be sure to handle this assignment beautifully. Do not disappoint Father Emperor's expectations."

Wei Ming replied, "Your Highness's teachings are correct. Right now, your younger brother is only thinking of capturing that demon and bringing it to justice as soon as possible, to prevent further turmoil in the Capital."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, putting on a full display of brotherly affection and respect. Once Wei Ming had finally laid the groundwork, Chi Lian cut straight to the chase, asking bluntly, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, what exactly were the circumstances when you encountered the Snake Demon last night? Could you please elaborate?"

the Crown Prince thought for a moment and said, "I had just finished discussing matters with my officials in the Eastern Palace. It was around ten o'clock at night. When I came out of the hall, I saw a giant python coiled in a tree in the courtyard. It didn't harm anyone and vanished in the blink of an eye. If you're asking if there was anything special, I only remember that the sky was particularly dark, with constant thunder. I only saw the Snake Demon by the light of the lightning."

Wei Ming interjected with a timely question, "But it didn't rain in the Capital last night."

"Is that so?" the Crown Prince didn't seem to care much. "That's odd. The palace was in chaos inside and out yesterday. I really can't recall what happened afterward."

Chi Lian said, "Prince Kang and Prince Ning are now both bedridden. Was Your Highness frightened last night? Have you had an Imperial Physician check on you?"

the Crown Prince waved his hand. "I am fine. The Imperial Physicians came to check my pulse and said everything is well. Besides, the royal bloodline is naturally protected by the Heavenly Dao. A mere Snake Demon is truly nothing to be overly frightened of."

Chi Lian lowered his head and said nothing, the corner of his mouth twitching in a very slight smirk. Only Wei Ming, who was close enough, caught that fleeting look of derision.

"His Highness."

The Chief Steward of the Eastern Palace, Jiang Huaixin, entered from outside and stood behind a screen, reporting in a soft voice, "Yanchun Palace has sent someone. They say the Old Madam of the Zheng Family has entered the palace to pay her respects, and The Empress requests your presence."

the Crown Prince raised his voice, "I know. I'll be there shortly. Have them fetch my outdoor clothes first."

This was a clear dismissal. Wei Ming and Chi Lian exchanged a look and tactfully rose to take their leave. "Since the Crown Prince has important matters to attend to, your younger brother will not disturb Your Highness any longer."

"It is indeed inconvenient today. If you have anything else to ask, send a message to Jiang Huaixin next time, and come to the palace again to discuss it in detail." the Crown Prince also stood up, took a few token steps to see them off, and then encouraged Wei Ming with gentle words, "Father Emperor has personally taken note of this case. You must put in more effort and not fear exhaustion. If you need any help, just ask. Only by doing well now can you have a future. Remember that, will you?"

"Your younger brother understands. Thank you in advance, Your Highness," Wei Ming said. "Your younger brother takes his leave."

Chi Lian also bowed. "I take my leave."

the Crown Prince waved a hand toward the outside. "Go."

After the two had left the Eastern Palace, Jiang Huaixin emerged from behind the screen holding a set of formal robes and a cap. As he helped the Crown Prince dress, he listened to his orders, "Have someone keep an eye on Prince Duan's movements. I want to see just where he plans to pull this demon from."

Jiang Huaixin offered a sycophantic smile. "Anyone with eyes can see that although Prince Duan is said to be cultivating on Mount Ying, it's really just that His Majesty doesn't wish to see him. From this old servant's detached perspective, it seems he's the one giving way to that figure from Zixiao Academy. It's clear he's merely an extra His Majesty assigned to the Zixiao Academy. Why should Your Highness worry about him?"

The feigned amiability on the Crown Prince's face vanished completely. He knitted his brows and said, "The likes of Prince Ning are no cause for concern. It's this fourth brother of mine. He was born solitary and was sent away early on. To this day, I still haven't figured him out. You say His Majesty doesn't value him, but then why not just get rid of him cleanly back then, instead of going to all the trouble of sending him away? Besides, look at him now. Does he look like he's been raised into uselessness in any way?"

Jiang Huaixin hesitated. "But back then, it was State Preceptor Jinghui who personally proclaimed that an inauspicious star had entered Prince Duan's fate..."

the Crown Prince sneered, "That was then, this is now. If Jinghui were still around, of course Prince Duan would be a non-issue. But now Jinghui is like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—he can't even save himself. The Zixiao Academy has long since undergone a great change. I fear Prince Duan saw an opportunity in this and is now eagerly trying to win favor with Chi Lian's faction." He straightened his lapels and stood up. "This time, whether by coincidence or some other reason, he has managed to scratch Father Emperor right where he itches. Rather than saying Father Emperor trusts Jinghui, it's more accurate to say he trusts all this hocus-pocus of immortal arts and Daoist techniques. Whoever can fool him can rise straight to the top."

He gazed at the clear, bright sky outside the hall, and it was unclear whether he was speaking to Jiang Huaixin or muttering to himself, "In the end, matters of celestial phenomena must be resolved with celestial phenomena..."

Jiang Huaixin didn't understand, but the Crown Prince didn't elaborate. He waved his hand, dismissing him, and left the Eastern Palace on his own, boarding a carriage for the Empress's residence, Yanchun Palace.

After leaving the Eastern Palace, Wei Ming and Chi Lian went on to visit Prince Kang's Manor and Prince Ning's Manor. The answers they received were all more or less the same—the master of the house had woken with a start from his sleep, opened his eyes to see a giant snake coiled at the head of his bed, and then it vanished in the blink of an eye. It sounded as if the snake had nothing better to do than to come over and say hello to them.

After leaving Jianning Ward, it was still early. Wei Ming said, "Let's strike while the iron is hot and go check on the Hengfang people."

Chi Lian paused for a moment. "Your Highness is a prince of esteemed status. It is inconvenient for you to publicly meet with the Hengfang Delegation. It would be better if, on another day, I were to summon them to the palace in the name of the Zixiao Academy. You could then appear, which would also prevent troublemakers from finding fault."

Wei Ming laughed upon hearing this. "It's good of you to remember to help me avoid suspicion, but why don't you think about yourself? Even if you are the Emperor's current favorite, you should still act with a bit more restraint. You'll learn your lesson once you've been impeached a couple of times."

Chi Lian: "..."

A teasing smile still lingered in Wei Ming's eyes as he patted Chi Lian's forearm reassuringly. "No need to be so scrupulous. At the palace banquet the other day, didn't the Emperor personally promise that if there was time, the Zixiao Academy could exchange Daoist techniques with the Hengfang people? We are acting on imperial orders. I'll send someone to inform the Court of State Ceremonial and have them send a person to accompany us. That will be sufficient."

Seeing that he already had a plan, Chi Lian relaxed and followed him into the carriage, which then turned towards the west side of the city. For the convenience of receiving and seeing off guests, the Posthouse was located near the Court of State Ceremonial. When Prince Duan's carriage arrived, Registrar Liu Zhan of the Court of State Ceremonial was already waiting outside the gate. The two parties came forward to exchange greetings and a few pleasantries before the posthouse manager led them towards the quarters of the Hengfang Delegation.

The Hengfang Delegation had already received word and were all waiting in the hall to greet them. Seeing Wei Ming arrive, they all bowed in salute. As Wei Ming took a seat, he smiled and said, "This Prince was originally just struck by a sudden whim to ask the State Preceptor for some guidance on Daoist arts. When we began discussing the illusions your envoys performed at the palace banquet that day, I mentioned coming over for a look. I didn't expect to cause such a commotion and trouble all of you. It makes This Prince feel rather ashamed."

The Hengfang envoy hurriedly said he wouldn't dare presume so and quickly ordered two illusionists to come forward and pay their respects to Prince Duan. Wei Ming scanned his surroundings, and a sudden interest took him. He asked, "Where is the orchestra that performed before the Emperor that day? This Prince remembers your flawless coordination, the dance and music complementing each other perfectly. Might I ask you to bring them out for a meeting?"

The Hengfang envoy's expression subtly stiffened, as if he were in a difficult position. Wei Ming asked with a smile, "What is it? Is it inconvenient?"

Liu Zhan also muttered to himself in his heart, not understanding why Prince Duan, who said he wanted to discuss Daoist arts, would suddenly insist on seeing their orchestra. Could it be that he had taken a fancy to one of the dancing girls?

The Hengfang envoy hesitated and said, "N-No, it's not inconvenient. I'll have them come and meet the Prince right away."

A moment later, the Hengfang orchestra filed in from outside, each holding an instrument. The dancing girls also came out to greet them in full makeup and magnificent attire. Wei Ming, however, didn't spare them a second glance, instead fixing his gaze on the end of the line, on a musician with a bowed head.

Chi Lian noticed his gaze and asked softly, "Your Highness, is something amiss?"

"That person," Wei Ming pointed him out. "Yes, you—what do you do?"

One of the Hengfang people who understood Chinese quickly spoke a few words to him and pushed him forward. He was a young man in his twenties, with purely Hengfang features, unremarkable among the group of musicians. After hearing the question relayed to him, he mumbled some reply. The Hengfang envoy wiped away a cold sweat and stepped forward to answer for him, "His Highness, Prince Duan, he is the Pipa player in the orchestra."

"Oh, a Pipa player," Wei Ming smiled meaningfully. "Very well, have him play a song for us."

"This..."

The man who had been singled out was sweating profusely but remained frozen, not moving. The other members of the orchestra wished they could bury their heads in the ground. Liu Zhan finally realized something was wrong and his face darkened. "Such hemming and hawing, could there be a problem with this man? Or does your esteemed delegation have some unspeakable secret?"

The Hengfang envoy's face turned pale as he stammered, "This... he... he has some..."

"He's a scapegoat you dragged in, hastily put on the spot. He can't play at all, can he?" Wei Ming cut straight to the truth. "What about the original Pipa player? It's not like one person would disappear for no reason, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Hengfang envoy's legs went weak. The man holding the Pipa, with his guilty conscience, immediately dropped to his knees with a thud and cried out, "My lord, spare me! I don't know anything! I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!"

The confession came a bit too quickly. Chi Lian voiced the question on everyone's mind, "Your Highness, how did you know he was an imposter?"

"It's rather obvious, isn't it?" Wei Ming said. "His left hand is too clean. Since he is a royal musician accompanying an envoy, how could he not have a single callus on his hands?"

Foreign delegations were required to report to the Posthouse and the Court of State Ceremonial before moving about the Capital. After all, it was the heart of the kingdom, right under the Emperor's nose, and unauthorized outings were strictly forbidden. Liu Zhan knew at once that this was bad. He questioned them sternly, "Is this true? Where is that man now? I hope your esteemed envoy will tell the truth to avoid a catastrophe!"

The Hengfang envoy's face flushed red, then went white, as beads of sweat the size of beans trickled down his temples. Of course he knew the stakes involved, otherwise he wouldn't have hastily found someone to take his place. But who would have thought Wei Ming's eyes would be so sharp as to expose the matter on the spot? Now, any attempt at concealment would be futile, and it might even bring disaster upon the entire delegation.

He wiped away his sweat, took two steps forward, and said in a submissive tone, "To be honest with the Prince and you two lords, since entering the Capital, our delegation has always abided by the rules, never overstepping our bounds. That Pipa player was a musician added at the last minute before the mission. He was not familiar with the other members of the orchestra. Yesterday, he suddenly disappeared. We didn't dare make it public and have already questioned the orchestra member by member. We also took the opportunity of our outings to search for him privately, but we truly couldn't find him. Today, when the Prince specifically asked to see the orchestra, we were momentarily muddle-headed and resorted to this foolish plan..."

Wei Ming and Chi Lian exchanged a glance, then turned to Liu Zhan and said, "Registrar Liu, I'm afraid this person is still lingering in the Capital. Please have the Court of State Ceremonial and the Capital Prefecture Governor issue an immediate warrant for his arrest and bring him to justice as soon as possible."

Liu Zhan replied in a low voice, "This subordinate understands. I will send someone to handle it right away."

A musician disappears, a Snake Demon appears. The timing of these two events was too coincidental not to arouse suspicion. Wei Ming looked at the musicians and asked, "What is the missing Pipa player's name? Where did he live? Who was he living with?"

An official from the Hengfang Delegation hurried forward to answer, "Replying to the Prince, that man's name is Chou Xinwei. He lived in Room C-4 of the Posthouse. Because he was the odd one out when rooms were assigned, he was rooming with the miscellaneous servants of the Posthouse."

Wei Ming stood up abruptly. "With so many coincidences piling up, I'm afraid this isn't a matter of favorable timing, but rather a deliberate plot. Let's go, we'll go take a look."