Although this conversation with Ye Zhiqiu didn't yield the answers he was looking for, at least he learned an important clue, which gave a clear direction for the investigation of this case.
As soon as Song Yan returned to the Investigation Department, he immediately ordered his men to secretly inquire about the lotus tattoo in the city. He told the investigators under him to conduct the investigation secretly and not to tip off the enemy.
The murderer must still be in Yuling Capital after such a short period. He simply didn't have the time to escape the city. Moreover, Song Yan had already ordered his men to strengthen the inspections inside and outside the capital in an attempt to catch the murderer as soon as possible.
He remembered that the last time the murderer fled from the North Street towards the imperial palace. Although the investigators and the imperial guards in the palace had searched all night, they found nothing.
A person couldn't just disappear into thin air. The murderer was either in the palace or in the capital.
Now that he had strictly deployed his men in the capital, he couldn't let the palace go either. Regarding this, Song Yan had to explain it to the emperor in person.
After all, not just anyone could mobilize the imperial guards.
When Song Yan arrived at the palace, the emperor was enjoying the flowers in the imperial garden with the imperial concubine. All the blue lotuses in the imperial garden had blossomed overnight, which was a spectacular sight.
"Your Majesty, the director of the Investigation Department requests an audience."
The eunuch in charge of passing messages walked up to the emperor and said respectfully.
The emperor frowned slightly when he heard the words "Investigation Department". Before he could say anything, the imperial concubine spoke first.
"Your Majesty, look at how beautiful the blue lotuses on the lake are. Why let the Investigation Department spoil your mood?"
The imperial concubine waved the round fan in her hand to fan the emperor. Her voice rose slightly at the end, with a lazy tone like a cat as she gently coquettishly to the emperor.
"The imperial concubine is right. However, the Investigation Department has a task assigned by me. You stay here and wait for me. I'll be back soon."
The emperor showed no expression on his face when the imperial concubine tried to keep him with her coquetry. He gently removed the imperial concubine's hand that was holding his sleeve and then turned towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
The imperial concubine watched the emperor's back as he left. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She reached out to stop the eunuch who had just passed the message and took out a gold leaf from her sleeve and put it into his hand.
The eunuch took the gold leaf and put it into his sleeve. He nodded in the direction of the imperial concubine and then followed the emperor towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
"Sir Song, have you caught the murderer today?"
The emperor sat in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Looking at Song Yan standing in front of him, he reached out his hand and motioned for him not to be too polite. He didn't beat around the bush and directly got to the point.
"Your Majesty, the murderer hasn't been caught yet, but I've already obtained an important clue."
"Oh? What clue? Tell me."
"A witness saw that the murderer had a lotus tattoo on his wrist. Considering that the murderer fled towards the imperial palace last time, I'm worried that the murderer might still be in the palace now. I hope Your Majesty can lend me the imperial guards to strengthen the search in the palace."
"Very well. I'll do as you suggest, Sir Song. But I hope you understand that if the murderer isn't caught by the end of the month, you should know what will happen to you."
The emperor slowly stood up, smoothed his robe with a wave of his sleeve, walked up to Song Yan and whispered a reminder that the time left was running out.
Song Yan understood. He turned around and bowed to the emperor.
"I'll surely live up to Your Majesty's trust."
The emperor just nodded without saying much and walked out step by step.
With the emperor's approval, the imperial guards in the palace cooperated with the Investigation Department to search for suspicious people in the palace. To avoid tipping off the enemy, the search was always carried out secretly.
But on the third day after Song Yan met the emperor, something unexpected happened.
"What! You said everyone inside and outside the palace has painted a lotus pattern on their wrists?"
Song Yan was completely stunned when he heard this news. Just when things were finally going in a good direction, such an unexpected thing suddenly happened.
This was obviously an attempt to confuse the public.
"Yes. I heard it was spread by the queen in the palace. She painted a blue lotus on her wrist, and the maids in the palace followed suit. Somehow, it spread outside the palace. Now the common people are all painting blue lotuses on their wrists, and we can't tell who the murderer is at all."
The investigator reported the news he had obtained today in front of Song Yan without being overawed or humble. But with each sentence he said, Song Yan's face turned darker.
This incident was definitely not an accident. Someone deliberately wanted to protect the murderer and confuse the public.
The person with such power was either a powerful official in the court or... someone in the palace.
Now that the situation had taken such a turn, things had become even more difficult for him. He had finally obtained a piece of evidence to find the murderer, but now, after this mess, the evidence had been completely overturned.