The morning reports arrived at the Crown Prince's residence before dawn.
Yun Qingyu read them in the order they were arranged—the ministers' petitions, the military dispatches, and the accounts from the provinces. Each was processed quickly and efficiently, set aside once the necessary intelligence had been extracted. At the bottom of the pile lay a separate report. It was thicker than the others.
The fire at the Northern princess's residence has been ruled an accident. The residence is a total loss. Liu Lanzhi and the Eleventh Prince escaped without injury. Consort Li was found dead in her chambers. The palace physician has ruled the cause a heart attack.
The lines were read once. Then again.
A fire. An escape. A dead consort. A heart attack.
