Before returning to the Capital, Emperor Kangxi announced to the world that the Crown Prince had passed away.
Thus, the "water bandits" who had harmed the Crown Prince naturally had to be eradicated.
Emperor Kangxi could forgive the Crown Prince, grant him freedom, and no longer pursue the charges of assassination. However, he could not forgive others.
The Crown Prince could henceforth wander among the common folk, which was the greatest concession Emperor Kangxi was willing to make.
The others, or rather, the Crown Prince's power, must not continue to exist.
It was impossible for the events of that day not to reveal any clues—even if the living assassins escaped, they could not take all the bodies with them.
A simple examination of the corpses could reveal where these people came from.
