Chang'an entered autumn, but the fervor for gossip remained burning like the heat of summer, spreading through every street and alley.
The ins and outs of the assault on Sang Chen were the subject of much speculation, and although He Sizheng followed the imperial edict closely and dared not reveal any specifics of the process, he spared no effort in dramatically narrating how Ran Yan and Liu Qingsong saved Sang Chen, his storytelling rivaling Liu Qingsong's own skills.
However, He Sizheng also exercised restraint, skipping over the part where Ran Yan performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Sang Chen and strictly forbidding anyone from spreading word of it, with violators facing severe punishment.
While most eyes were drawn to Ran Yan's autopsy and the intrigue of Sang Chen's assault, Xiao Song privately investigated the entire affair thoroughly and immediately began a second round of containment.
