Seeing the chamberlain Cao An lift the curtain and usher Li Yan and Cheng Wuzhong into the royal chariot, the officials not far away widened their eyes.
Looking at that, I wanted to see through the thick curtains and see clearly what was going on inside.
But they couldn't see anything, they could only whisper and speculate...
When they came to the spacious royal chariot, the prince and the princess were sitting in the middle. Seats had been placed in front of them: "Without courtesy, please take a seat!"
Li Yan sat down, and Cheng Wuzhong knelt down and kowtowed: "I am guilty! I dare not accept the seat given by His Highness!"
The prince looked at Li Yan with a look of inquiry.
Li Yandao: "I'm telling you, Your Highness, everything starts with the hundred cavalry encircling the stronghold and the inexplicable disappearance of two elites..."
He selectively recounted what happened in the village.
As for the motivation behind Baiqi's rebellion, Li Yan emphasized: "According to what Wu Liulang said, their family's land was occupied, their family complained that they had no way out, and they were instigated by thieves, which gave rise to the desire to rebel."
The prince sighed: "For the people, the fields are their lifeblood. It is really hateful for these thieves to occupy the fields!"
When Cheng Wuzhong heard this, his body trembled slightly.
Being able to say this shows that His Royal Highness can really sympathize with the lower class people.
Li Yan also told about Zheng Sanlang's misdeeds: "As the first person to defect, this person must have added fuel and jealousy, instigated a lot, and even killed Pao Ze. His methods were cruel and most unforgivable!"
The prince nodded: "This thief must be sentenced to death to serve as a warning to others!"
The princess next to her hesitated to speak, but finally did not speak, her eyes full of curiosity.
Li Yan knew that she was curious about how Guo Wulang's body was hidden, but she was not prepared to tell the details of the crime.
After all, the method of hiding the human head is a bit heavy-handed. The princess is pregnant, so it’s better not to irritate her.
When I think about the fact that she once acted as a ghost in the palace and even accused herself of being scared, this episode is really repaying evil with kindness.
After the matter was roughly finished, the prince thought for a moment and said slowly: "The officers and soldiers of the army fought for our lives on the battlefield of the Tang Dynasty, and the imperial army guarded the capital to protect everyone's safety. How could they be treated like this? I will never do anything about the invasion of my fields.
Tolerance must be thoroughly investigated!”
"Imposed imperial edict!"
"Baiqi was established by Emperor Taizong. He has great favor and high hopes. The rebels are traitors and will be condemned according to law. They cannot be forgiven!"
"However, there is a reason for everything. Except for Zheng Sanlang who killed Pao Ze with cruel methods and severe punishment, the rest of the Baiqi were convicted on their own and their family members were not involved!"
"Cheng Gang, the leader of the Hundred Cavalry Army, has served the country loyally, eliminated thieves and investigated traitors. He will be given a special reward and five hundred bolts of cloth!"
Listening to the out-of-breath voice, he spoke calmly...
Watching the edict being drafted and stamped with the prince's official seal...
Cheng Wuzhong bowed down and burst into tears: "Your Highness is benevolent!"
It is impossible not to punish Baiqi who has rebelled, and he must not tolerate adultery, but it is really kind to avoid harming his family.
The reward for Cheng Wuzhong and the granting of cloth and money were the embodiment of royal reward based on merit.
The rich and powerful people look down upon it, but for such a good family member who comes from a commoner background, it is already a good reward.
More importantly, this represents a favorable attitude.
The prince made it clear: "Leader Cheng, you go back to the stronghold with the imperial edict to stabilize Baiqi's heart. Baiqi does not have to return quickly. We need to find out what happened in the stronghold first."
Cheng Wuzhong bowed his head: "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness!"
He saluted Li Yan again, stepped back respectfully, got out of the chariot, and immediately rode towards the stronghold.
Without the outsiders, the prince relaxed, and the princess also said: "Li Yuanfang, you are so powerful, you can actually pull Beiya Baiqi over. I previously misunderstood that you were idle all day, but I want to show you how to accompany me."
Li Yan thought to himself that you had finally spoken to someone, and smiled and said: "The Crown Princess is too well-reputed to win over her. This matter is due to the benevolence of His Highness the Crown Prince and to calm the hearts of all the knights."
"Hundred Cavalry are all elites selected from a thousand ranks in the army. Nine of them rebelled and one died. This is already a big loss."
"It's really a pity that what's left cannot be lost to this kind of civil strife."
The prince felt a headache and pressed his eyebrows: "It's such a troubled year, why do all the bad things happen together?"
Li Yan said: "Your Highness, this is not a coincidence of bad things happening, but a combination of cause and effect."
"It was precisely because the saint's dragon body was ill and the disaster in Guanzhong broke out that some thieves saw an opportunity and started to cause trouble."
"If the country is peaceful and the people are safe, even if they have any dark thoughts, they can only hold it back!"
The prince became firm: "What Yuan Fang said is true. The more true it is, the more important it is to stabilize the situation. This land occupation must be strictly investigated. I want to ask Pei Shangshu to come and discuss this matter!"
Li Yan said: "Your Highness is wise!"
This is not because he has a personal relationship with Pei Sijian. At the level of prime minister, personal relationships can no longer influence positions, but it is really suitable to leave this matter to Pei Sijian.
Pei Sijian, the Minister of War, had a very difficult time after becoming prime minister, because there were the powerful Li Jingxuan, Dai Zhide and Hao Chujun who had profound backgrounds.
Now Li Jingxuan drank Meng Po Tang, Dai Zhide resigned and returned home, and Hao Chujun stayed in Chang'an. With the three powerful prime ministers gone, only the newly appointed Jiangnan Laiheng remained.
It was the time for Pei Sijian to show off his talents. The military household's land was occupied this time, and it happened to involve the Ministry of War. It was the best time to use it to establish his authority.
If Pei Sijian can cooperate, he will be able to kill two birds with one stone this time. He will have the loyalty of Baiqi and the support of a prime minister.
After all, the prince has been in charge of the country six times, and he is the son of Li Zhi and Empress Wu. Even if he is not as good as his parents, he is better than many princes.
Li Yan was relieved: "Your Highness, I will go back to the village and interrogate Zheng Sanlang to find out who is behind him."
The prince said: "We were sitting peacefully all the way, but you were busy all the time. It's really hard work."
These words made Li Yan blush a little. He stood up and cupped his hands and said: "For His Highness, for the people, and for the Tang Dynasty, it is our duty to work harder!"
Watching Li Yan leave, the Crown Princess was a little moved, having been pregnant for three years: "Your Highness, Li Yuanfang has worked really hard."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The prince smiled, knowing that he would never see Li Yanren again. Thinking that he could ride a horse and travel around freely, he was a little envious, and then he felt relieved.
: "Call Pei Sijian, Minister of War!"
…
at the same time.
In the village, Qiu Shenji showed up excitedly: "I used a trick to pretend to torture the other Baiqi, and Wu confessed honestly!"
As he spoke, his smile gradually solidified, and he found that everyone was looking at him with apologetic eyes.
Qiu Shenji felt a chill in his heart, like a craftsman outside Tuyuhun King's city, standing in the cold wind: "You haven't solved the case yet, have you?"
Wan'er rolled her eyes and ran to the side: "Uncle Qiu, there is Zheng Sanlang who is going to be interrogated. That man is really disgusting to me. Can you help me vent my anger?"
After Qiu Shenji heard the situation, he cheered up again, patted his chest and said, "No problem!"
Since Li Yan went to Tubo as an ambassador, he hasn't had a chance to perform for a long time. He just had a small test of his skills and was just in time to warm up.
Compared with Wu Laoshi's identification, the person behind Zheng Sanlang is naturally more important.
Dare to instigate Beiya Baiqi, the Saint's personal guard, the prisoner behind this case. Thinking about it made him excited, and he immediately geared up: "Is there an interrogation room here?"
Di Renjie said: "There is it in the heart of the mountain."
Qiu Shenji said: "Take me to see it."
Wan'er was a little curious: "Uncle Qiu, I heard that you are the best at interrogating prisoners among the internal guards. Do you still need to use the interrogation room?"
Qiu Shenji laughed: "Of course it is necessary. I want to see how the environment is there and whether the torture tools are easy to use, so that I can make a plan for the next interrogation."
He said to Wan'er: "Interrogating prisoners is also learned. It targets the flaws in people's hearts. If you torture blindly, you will fall into the lower class. If you follow the steps, you will fall into the cliché. You have to be surprised and break through the criminal's defense. Only then can you use it.
Ask the most important answer as quickly as possible. How can you do this if you are not even familiar with prison torture tools?"
Wan'er listened with great interest, and Di Renjie calmly pulled her to his side: "Let's go now!"
Qiu Shenji walked behind and glanced at Wan'er: "This is because you are afraid that I will teach you bad things!"
Wan'er winked and said, "I'm not afraid. I have so many skills that I won't be overwhelmed!"
The three of them returned to the cave from the exit of the mountain and took Qiu Shenji to the prison.
Unexpectedly, Qiu Shenji was stunned when he saw it: "Isn't this an inner prison?"
Di Renjie wondered: "Why is this an inner prison?"
Qiu Shenji didn't answer, but went in and out first, visiting every cell, as if he had returned home.
Then he said firmly: "This cell layout and interrogation torture instruments must have been built by the inner guards, and they are consistent with the idea of the inner prison in Beijing..."
Di Renjie's eyes moved slightly and he stroked his beard.
Wan'er didn't quite believe it: "Uncle Qiu, the prisons are all the same, right? Can you really tell the difference?"
Qiu Shenji smiled: "I will be wrong about other things. I go to the inner prison eight times a day and I can tell even with my eyes closed!"
"Don't think that prisons all look the same. In fact, the details are very different. The inner prison, Dali Temple Prison, and county prison have their own characteristics."
"It's a pity that I have never been to the prison in Yushitai, otherwise I can refer to it."
Between the lines, there are two words: professional!
Wan'er was convinced, and Di Renjie nodded: "If this cave is a stronghold set up by the inner guards, it can indeed explain why they dare to build so much here. This is the place of the imperial court."
Qiu Shenji said: "I heard from my second uncle that the inner guard was extremely prosperous in those days and had eyes and ears all over the world."
"It has only been more than two years since the inner guard was reactivated by the Saint, and it has never been able to return to its former peak."
"This kind of secret strongholds located in various places is probably the layout of the inner guards during their peak period!"
Di Renjie looked thoughtful: "If that's the case..."
Qiu Shenji did not disturb his thinking and said excitedly: "Where is the prisoner? Bring him here!"
Soon, Zheng Sanlang was dragged out like a dead dog. His expression was numb, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
Because Qiu Shenji's round face came close to him, his smile was bright, but there was an indescribable ferocity that made people's scalp numb:
"I heard that you were still able to sleep while lying on the head of the man you killed. You are so cruel. I like prisoners like you!"